Seeing Terumi Mei's reaction, Yuto paused, a puzzled expression crossing his face.
"Lord Yuto… your clothes…"
Ao's expression was slightly embarrassed as he lowered his head and spoke softly.
At Ao's reminder, Yuto blinked and looked down. In the next moment, his face flushed slightly.
His clothes, already tattered from the final battle, seemed to have reached their limit after his recent movements, barely clinging to his body and on the verge of falling apart.
Cough…
Yuto cleared his throat lightly and pointed at Ao.
Ao immediately understood, quickly removing his blue-green robe and respectfully handing it to Yuto.
Yuto casually draped the robe over himself, tearing a long strip from the bottom and tying it around his waist.
"Alright, let's go."
Yuto spoke calmly. Though the robe was a bit oversized, it didn't hinder his movements. As for whether it looked good, that didn't concern him.
Only then did Terumi Mei turn back, sneaking a glance at Yuto, a faint blush rising to her cheeks again.
Whoosh!
With the sound of rushing wind, three figures turned into afterimages and swiftly disappeared from the spot.
In the dense forest, three figures moved at high speed toward a certain direction.
Yuto frowned slightly. This pace was far too slow.
Having been sealed for so many years, he was eager to learn the current state of the Mist Village and pinpoint the exact timeline to make appropriate plans.
As for why he didn't ask Terumi Mei or Ao, it was because each village calculated time differently.
Other villages naturally didn't use the Leaf Village's timeline as a reference.
However, the Naruto world's timeline was based on the founding of the Leaf Village. For example, the 60th year of the Leaf Village marked the start of the first series, when the Leaf's young ninjas graduated.
If you tried to align that year with other villages' calendars, who knew what year it would be?
As the First Mizukage, Yuto had been focused on fighting wars during his time. Who cared about the exact year? Even if it had been mentioned, he likely hadn't paid attention.
"Where are we now?"
Yuto turned to Terumi Mei, asking abruptly. Having just been revived, he had no idea where they were.
"Lord Yuto, we're still in the Land of Water. For safety, the meeting with Orochimaru was set on a small island west of the Mist Village."
Terumi Mei looked puzzled but answered respectfully.
Yuto nodded, reaching out to grab Ao with one hand and Terumi Mei with the other.
"Hold on tight," he said calmly.
Boom!
With a muffled sound, Yuto's body turned into a streak of light, shooting toward the east.
Terumi Mei and Ao, held by Yuto, felt a momentary blur as everything around them retreated at incredible speed.
Yet neither felt any shaking or even the resistance of the wind.
Ao's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. He knew exactly how terrifyingly fast they were moving.
The faster the speed, the greater the resistance—a basic principle. Yet the resistance seemed to vanish, and there was barely any sound of the wind.
Compared to Ao's shock, Terumi Mei's expression remained relatively calm. As the Mizukage, she knew far more than Ao.
Many believed Lord Yuto's absorption ability was limited to chakra, but the forbidden scroll, accessible only to the Mizukage, contained a detailed overview of his abilities.
At the Mist Village's main gate, Chojuro paced back and forth, his face etched with worry.
The Mizukage leaving the village without permission was a matter that could be big or small. After all, as a Kage, no one could truly restrict her actions.
But the elders had found out. Just moments ago, they sent someone to Chojuro, saying there was an important matter requiring the Mizukage's presence.
With the Mizukage absent, Chojuro could only come up with an excuse to stall.
However, from the tone of the elder's messenger, Chojuro could tell they already knew the Mizukage had left.
Their purpose in seeking him out was likely because, as Terumi Mei's trusted aide, they assumed he knew her whereabouts.
Unfortunately… Chojuro really didn't know.
Left with no choice, he lingered at the Mist Village's gate, waiting for Terumi Mei and Ao to return.
He only hoped the Mizukage would return soon, or he'd face a scolding from the elders.
At that moment, Chojuro noticed a black dot in the distance, approaching at incredible speed.
His expression shifted, and he was about to signal the village's guards when the dot appeared before him.
No sound of wind, no roar despite the speed—it was like a true ghost. If Chojuro hadn't seen its trajectory, he might have thought it appeared out of nowhere.
"Ao? Lady Mizukage!"
Seeing who it was, Chojuro's face lit up with joy.
Yuto released Terumi Mei and Ao, looking up at the familiar Mist Village gate. A hint of nostalgia flashed in his eyes:
"After all these years, it's still the same."
Hearing Yuto's words, Chojuro noticed the figure standing between Ao and the Mizukage.
An inexplicable sense of familiarity welled up, but he couldn't place where he'd seen this person before.
—