"That's it? I thought we'd be fighting!" Nawaki scoffed, unimpressed. "Looks like Yagura is all talk, just running his mouth."
"Why didn't you make a move?" Minato shot back, smacking Nawaki on the back.
Xin glanced at them before turning his gaze to the retreating Mist ship.
"I'm not that reckless. Killing Fuguki Suikazan is one thing, but Yagura? He's not someone you can just kill casually."
"Besides, do you think that little guy is so easy to deal with?"
Though Yagura had been furious on the surface, Xin could tell he had been cautious the entire time. If Xin had made a move, Yagura would've retreated immediately. And out here on the open sea, it would've been near impossible to track him down.
Dealing with a Hozuki Clan member was hard enough, but the sea was Mist Village's true domain.
"Why can't you kill him?" Nawaki asked, rubbing his sore back. "Is he that important to Mist Village?"
"Pretty much."
The sea breeze ruffled Xin's hair as he narrowed his eyes.
"He's the Fourth Mizukage-to-be, after all."
Yagura's status wasn't the issue-it was the fact that the Third Mizukage had already lost his mind.
If Yagura died here, Xin suspected that Mist Village might just declare war on Konoha for real.
It wouldn't be a joke. The Third Shinobi World War had started just as messily, with Mist Village somehow dragging Konoha into a full-scale conflict.
Mist shinobi were still baffled by how their village had declared war on Konoha in the first place.
A small fry like Yagura wasn't much of a threat, but Xin was more concerned about the shadowy figures pulling the strings-Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu.
This was the time when they were most active because Uchiha Madara was running out of time.
"Just wait. Mist Village will definitely try to negotiate with Konoha to get Samehada back."
At this time, the person handling all the affairs in Mist Village was Genji, someone with authority nearly equal to the Third Mizukage.
Genji certainly didn't want Mist Village to provoke a conflict with Konoha. However, Samehada couldn't be left outside the village either, so diplomatic negotiations were inevitable.
After all, it was the best way to recover Samehada.
Unfortunately, Xin wasn't the type to easily hand over something that had become his. Mist Village hoping to retrieve Samehada? That was nothing but a pipe dream.
"Future Fourth Mizukage, huh? Isn't that the same as how things are now with Sakumo- senpai?"
Mizukage...
Minato turned to glance back toward the direction of Konoha.
Would his dream of becoming Hokage still come true?