Konoha Village.
Hokage Building.
After sending Tsunade home, Uchiha Yuzuru headed straight here.
There weren't many people in the office. Besides Uchiha Fugaku, the current Hokage, there was only one woman and a young boy.
The moment Yuzuru walked in, the boy's expression tightened with nervousness. The woman, on the other hand, stared at him with open interest, her pink tongue swiftly sweeping across the corner of her lips.
Fugaku stood and introduced them. "Yuzuru, these two are shinobi from Kirigakure."
"The one known as the Mist's genius—Terumi Mei, a dual Kekkei Genkai user. And the one who just became a genin—Chōjūrō."
Hearing Fugaku's introduction, Yuzuru raised an eyebrow slightly and sized the two up.
Mei had long reddish-brown hair and a figure that was undeniably alluring. Her emerald-green eyes brimmed with intense curiosity.
Chōjūrō wore black-rimmed glasses and a blue turtleneck sweater. He looked like an honest, straightforward kid.
The two bowed together respectfully.
"Greetings, Lord Yuzuru."
Yuzuru waved it off. He glanced at Fugaku, and when he saw Fugaku slightly shake his head, Yuzuru spoke calmly.
"Kirigakure shinobi. What is your purpose in coming here this time?"
Mei immediately replied, "When the nobles reclaimed Konoha from Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, and the others, our village happened to run into some internal issues, so we weren't able to come congratulate you in time."
"It's been delayed until now. Please don't take offense."
Yuzuru didn't feel like listening to that nonsense. He cut straight to it.
"Get to the point."
Mei didn't mind his attitude at all. The smile on her face didn't fade in the slightest.
"Then I'll be direct."
"During the Third Shinobi World War, Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen went missing on the Konoha battlefield."
"At the time, we believed the seven of them took the opportunity to defect. But not long ago, we received news that it seemed you saved Might Dai and Might Guy from their hands."
"So was it you… who killed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?!"
If Mei was here, it meant she had already confirmed the information.
Naturally, Yuzuru had no intention of denying it.
He simply stared at Mei, his expression holding a faint, mocking smile.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen did die by my hand. So… what do you want?"
A vast pressure instantly flooded the room. The people present felt as if a violent gale had blasted toward them head-on.
Chōjūrō immediately stepped in front of Mei, gripping his longsword tightly with both hands.
"Stay ready to fight at all times!"
What a damn ordinary guy!
Hearing that ridiculously "sweet" voice with his own ears, Yuzuru felt inexplicably refreshed. Even the terrifying pressure he was giving off loosened slightly.
Mei took the chance to explain, "Lord Yuzuru, please don't misunderstand. We have no intention of holding you accountable for killing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
"Those seven were arrogant and unruly. Even the Mizukage has long been dissatisfied with them."
"It's just that the seven ninja swords they carried are precious weapons of Kirigakure. We would like you to return them to us…"
In one breath, Mei laid out her goal. Yet her gaze toward Yuzuru now carried a hint of fear.
Beneath that unbelievably handsome face… there was power this terrifying.
Any lingering thoughts she'd had about probing Yuzuru vanished completely at that moment.
"So that's how it is…"
"Why didn't you say so earlier? You nearly made me misunderstand."
After hearing Yuzuru's words, Mei almost spat out blood.
Who the hell would know you're the type to flip at the drop of a hat and look like you're about to kill someone…
After silently complaining in her heart, Mei forced out a smile and asked, "Lord Yuzuru, these seven swords are truly vital to Kirigakure. We ask that you return them…"
Before she could finish, Yuzuru cut her off.
"The seven ninja swords are my spoils of war. There's no reason for me to hand them back for free."
Mei's expression hardened. "Lord Yuzuru, we were originally fighting Konoha together. For you to strike at our village's shinobi was already against the rules."
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were elite jōnin. Working together, they were no weaker than Kage-level powerhouses. Losing them has already caused us massive losses. You can't possibly go further and keep the seven swords for yourself…"
Yuzuru smiled, speaking slowly.
"Rules? My rules are the rules. If you don't like it, then send troops and fight!"
Used to Konoha's weak diplomacy in the past, Mei froze on the spot when faced with such tyrannical arrogance from Yuzuru.
For some reason, she suddenly felt nostalgic for the days when Sarutobi ruled Konoha.
Her thoughts spun rapidly. Mei gave a bitter smile.
"Then what would it take for you to return our seven swords?"
Now that the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire had merged into one, their strength already towered over the shinobi world. Kirigakure didn't dare go to war against a monstrous power like that.
No matter what, all they could do right now was swallow their pride.
Yuzuru thought for a moment, then spoke.
"If I remember correctly, Kirigakure should have quite a few clans with Kekkei Genkai."
"I want you to hand over two Kekkei Genkai clans."
"If you can do that, then you'll have the qualification to redeem the swords—at a price of one billion ryō per sword."
The seven ninja swords were unique, but to Yuzuru, they weren't particularly useful. Keeping them would just mean throwing them into a warehouse to gather dust.
And before the population grew large enough, it wasn't suitable to expand outward anyway.
If he could trade the seven swords for seven billion ryō, it would be an absurdly profitable deal.
After hearing Yuzuru's demands, Mei's expression turned ugly.
That kind of condition had already far surpassed the bottom line the Fourth Mizukage had set for her…
Thinking of that, Mei said in a heavy tone, "Lord Yuzuru, neither of those decisions can be made by me. I need to ask the Mizukage."
"By my estimate, sending Konoha two Kekkei Genkai clans shouldn't be a problem, but seven billion ryō… that might not be possible."
Yuzuru smiled. "That's fine. Send word back and ask."
"Just be sure to tell the Mizukage this—if he refuses…"
"I'll personally pay Kirigakure a visit."
Facing Yuzuru's blatant threat, Mei could only force a smile.
Humiliated. It was truly humiliating.
If she'd known Konoha was this overbearing, she never would've volunteered to come negotiate.
Now it wasn't just her hopes of earning merit that had been crushed—she might even lose prestige back home because of this…