The continuous assassination attempts at Konoha's gates had introduced significant uncertainty into the relationship between Konohagakure and Kirigakure, just as the two villages were preparing to negotiate a crucial peace and trade treaty.
However, even in the face of such shocking betrayal by her own subordinates, Terumi Mei—who had only recently assumed the position of Mizukage—demonstrated remarkably mature leadership qualities that surprised many observers.
Rather than abandoning the diplomatic mission entirely, she chose not to give up on establishing communication with Konoha. After receiving Tsunade's consent and understanding, she decided not to enter the village immediately. Instead, she ordered the construction of a temporary camp in the area surrounding Konoha's gates.
Terumi Mei's intentions were crystal clear to everyone present. She was determined to resolve the crisis of betrayal within her own ranks first, and only then would she restart formal negotiations with Konoha's leadership.
There was an old saying that resonated perfectly with this situation: "Before you can fight against foreign enemies, you must first secure stability within your own borders."
Terumi Mei understood perfectly that if she couldn't handle this sudden internal crisis with skill and decisiveness, she would never be able to gain the complete trust of Konoha's top leadership. The foundation of any successful treaty was mutual respect and confidence.
After all, if a Mizukage couldn't even maintain control over all of her subordinates, how could anyone have faith that any treaty signed with her would remain valid and enforceable?
What if they managed to reach a comprehensive agreement, only to have it declared null and void the moment Terumi Mei returned to Kirigakure and faced opposition from internal factions? In such a scenario, all their diplomatic efforts would be rendered completely worthless.
Konohagakure certainly wouldn't waste time dealing with such unnecessary complications and political instability.
Hokage's Office
"I strongly recommend that we suspend all contact with Kirigakure for the time being," Utatane Koharu stated firmly. "This new Mizukage appears to be little more than a figurehead. She can't even control her own subordinates properly—it's absolutely ridiculous to consider her a reliable partner."
Koharu was suggesting that they postpone the negotiations with the Mist shinobi indefinitely, as she currently found it impossible to believe in Terumi Mei's qualifications and capabilities as an effective Mizukage.
"Now, in terms of raw power and combat ability, there's no question about Terumi Mei's strength," Koharu continued her analysis. "She's been famous for quite some time. She's recognized as a great beauty, and she's mastered not one but two kekkei genkai bloodline limits. Her reputation extends far beyond the Land of Water—she's praised and respected throughout the shinobi world."
"If we were evaluating her purely as a jōnin, Terumi Mei's abilities would be absolutely beyond question."
"But the role of Mizukage is fundamentally different from that of a field operative. Personal strength is only one component of effective leadership. What truly matters is Terumi Mei's ability to lead, organize, and maintain control over her forces."
"After all, as the Fifth Mizukage, Terumi Mei cannot handle every single task and mission personally. The ability to deploy personnel appropriately and maintain discipline within the ranks is an essential quality that any Kage must master."
"If she proves incapable of such basic leadership functions, then she truly is just a Mizukage in name only."
The meeting continued, and after Utatane Koharu finished presenting her position, Mitokado Homura spoke up with a contrasting viewpoint.
"I don't think we need to be quite so harsh in our judgment," he said thoughtfully. "The Fifth Mizukage's performance, while not perfect, hasn't been entirely disappointing either. If no further unexpected incidents occur, I believe we should continue with the planned negotiations."
This time, Mitokado Homura found himself disagreeing with his longtime political ally Utatane Koharu, despite their usual tendency to present a united front.
This kind of disagreement was perfectly normal, of course. Although the two were cooperative political partners who had worked together for decades, they each had their own interests, perspectives, and ideas. They would not always stand together on every single issue.
"Naraku, what's your assessment of the situation?" Tsunade asked, turning to look at Naraku, who had remained silent throughout the debate.
"I think you're both overlooking a crucial factor," Naraku replied calmly. "Terumi Mei's personal abilities were certainly indispensable for her rise to become the Fifth Mizukage, but her appointment also represented the collective hopes and expectations of the majority of Kirigakure's shinobi population."
"The damage caused by Yagura's reign was absolutely devastating, and it brought nothing but disaster and suffering to Kirigakure as a whole."
"The village is desperately eager to return to a normal path of development and growth. Because of this overwhelming desire for positive change, Terumi Mei's position will only become more stable over time, and incidents like the ones we witnessed today will become increasingly rare."
"Yes, there are definitely people within Kirigakure who don't support Terumi Mei's leadership or her diplomatic initiatives. However, there are far more people who do support her vision for the village's future."
Shihouin Naraku's insightful analysis made the other three people present widen their eyes in surprise. None of them had expected that Naraku could analyze Kirigakure's complex internal political situation so clearly and comprehensively in just a few carefully chosen words.
"It seems we shouldn't give up on negotiations with Kirigakure just yet," Tsunade concluded, still favoring continued diplomatic contact with Terumi Mei.
However, as she observed how quickly and impressively Shihouin Naraku was developing his political awareness and analytical skills, Tsunade found herself beginning to wonder when might be the appropriate time to step down and transfer the position of Hokage to her gifted student.
Outside Konoha Village - Kirigakure Encampment
Terumi Mei did not lose her composure or display the emotional breakdown that many observers had expected. After carefully scanning all the members of the Kirigakure diplomatic delegation with her sharp gaze, she simply raised her hand and gestured for everyone to disperse temporarily to their assigned quarters.
The atmosphere throughout the entire Kirigakure camp had become unusually quiet and tense, creating an almost eerie feeling that hung over the temporary settlement.
Although Terumi Mei maintained her calm exterior and said nothing openly about the assassination attempts, many of her subordinates could sense that their leader was absolutely furious beneath the surface.
She had only recently assumed the role of Fifth Mizukage, and to suddenly encounter such a deeply embarrassing situation was something that she would definitely not allow to pass without severe consequences.
If these two assassination attempts had occurred in some other location—perhaps during a routine mission or even within Kirigakure itself—the incidents might not have been considered particularly serious. After all, assassination attempts against the Mizukage were unfortunately not rare events in Kirigakure's recent history, but rather a grim drama that seemed to repeat itself with disturbing regularity.
Another assassination attempt against Terumi Mei might have simply caused people to sigh with resignation at the village's ongoing instability.
But the critical problem was that these particular assassination attempts had taken place directly at the gates of Konohagakure, witnessed by shinobi from other villages. This made the situation utterly humiliating for Kirigakure's reputation and diplomatic standing.
In addition to the international embarrassment, there was now a growing sense of paranoia and distrust within the Kirigakure delegation itself. No one could be certain whether others among their number might be harboring hidden agendas or treacherous intentions.
Who could say with confidence that the next assassination attempt might not be initiated by someone currently sitting around their campfires?
In this state of suspicion and poisoned atmosphere, how could anyone possibly continue productive negotiations for a business agreement with Konoha?
According to the thinking of most reasonable people, it would be far better to return to Kirigakure immediately, wait until these internal matters were properly resolved and the aftermath of the assassination attempts had completely subsided, and only then attempt to sign any agreements with foreign powers.
Of course, if that course of action were chosen, Terumi Mei would lose what little face and credibility she had left as a new Kage.
Just as the Kirigakure camp remained in a state of barely controlled turmoil, several trained messenger hawks suddenly burst out of the encampment carrying urgent intelligence reports, spreading their wings wide as they flew directly toward the horizon.
Kirigakure Village
"Damn it all!" an elderly voice roared with fury.
"Who was responsible for this outrageous act?"
Inside a simple but well-fortified building in Kirigakure—a village perpetually shrouded in thick mist throughout the year—an elderly man gripping a snake-shaped wooden staff flew into an absolute rage.
Several pieces of paper covered with special coded symbols scattered to the floor in complete disarray as his anger overwhelmed his usual careful composure.
This seemingly frail old man was actually one of the most powerful figures within Kirigakure's political structure—the Master, an elder who wielded enormous influence behind the scenes.
Whenever Kirigakure encountered disasters and lost its Mizukage, the Master would be able to assume emergency powers equal to those of the Mizukage in order to maintain the village's stability and continued development.
This emergency leadership system was also the primary reason why Kirigakure had managed to avoid complete collapse despite enduring so many catastrophic troubles over the years. The Master had been silently supporting and guiding Kirigakure from behind the scenes through crisis after crisis.
The reason Terumi Mei had been able to ascend to the position of Mizukage so smoothly was precisely because she had enjoyed the Master's complete and enthusiastic support throughout the selection process.
"I said this clearly before the selection process began," the Master continued his tirade, his voice shaking with indignation. "Before the Fifth Mizukage was officially chosen, everyone was free to speak their minds and voice their concerns. But now that Terumi Mei has legitimately become our Mizukage, every single person in this village must respect her position and authority without question!"
"There must be absolutely no mistakes or acts of insubordination!"
"This is what every faction leader promised me personally!"
The Master's breathing became labored as his fury continued to build, and for a moment it seemed he might collapse from the strain.
"Please calm yourself, Master," one of his trusted advisors said soothingly. "I can assure you that whoever was responsible for attempting to assassinate Terumi Mei was definitely not acting under orders from any of our known factions."
"That's absolutely correct," another supporter added quickly. "We all supported Terumi Mei's promotion to Mizukage from the very beginning."
"The only way for Kirigakure to improve and flourish is if Terumi Mei succeeds as the Fifth Mizukage. This was the tacit agreement that all major factions reached months ago. I cannot believe that anyone would dare to break such a fundamental agreement without authorization."
With the assistance of the shinobi beside him, the Master managed to sit down steadily in his chair, though his hands still trembled with suppressed rage.
"I don't care who is ultimately behind these treacherous acts," he declared with deadly seriousness, "but Kirigakure cannot afford to endure any more mistakes or setbacks at this critical juncture in our recovery."
"Find those traitorous rats who are responsible for this mess, and eliminate them completely! Leave no trace of their conspiracy!"
"Yes, Master!" came the unified response.
Following the murderous orders issued by the Master, the Kirigakure shinobi who had remained behind in the village immediately began taking decisive action.
Every action, no matter how carefully planned or executed, inevitably leaves some form of evidence or traces behind. Even the most skilled conspirators could not eliminate every single clue.
Soon enough, Kirigakure's investigation teams would uncover the complete truth behind the assassination attempts.
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