Ringo Ameyuri thought it would already be quite impressive if the village sent an ordinary jōnin in response to her message.
She never expected that the one to come would be none other than Lord Ao, the Mizukage's trusted confidant!
After appearing, Ao cast a brief glance at Ringo Ameyuri, then respectfully lowered his head toward Yuto and said, "My Lord."
"I've seen enough. Take me to the Mizukage's office. Little Haruna, Miss Ringo Ameyuri—farewell."
Yuto spoke to Ao in an indifferent tone. He then turned his head toward Ringo Ameyuri and Haruna, waved casually, and smiled.
Watching Ao—standing respectfully behind Yuto—slowly fade from view, Ringo Ameyuri remained frozen in shock for a long time.
Just who exactly was this young man we encountered today?
In the entire Hidden Mist Village, there were probably fewer than ten people who ranked above Ao. And Ao was not just any high-ranking figure—he was the right-hand man of the current Mizukage, Terumi Mei. That gave him even more clout.
But the way Ao had behaved toward that young man… it was unmistakably respectful.
Ringo Ameyuri looked down at Haruna, who still had a little grease at the corner of her mouth, and couldn't help falling into deep thought.
Did I make a mistake somewhere?
…
On the way to the Mizukage's office, Yuto wore a slightly gloomy expression. Due to Ringo Ameyuri's wariness, he had only managed to gather some basic information about the current state of the Hidden Mist Village.
Ironically, that simple information was exactly what Yuto wanted the most. As for sensitive intel—regardless of whether Ringo Ameyuri had it—there was no need to force it.
From what he had pieced together, Yuto had already formed a rough picture of the village's condition.
Sensing Yuto's somber mood, Ao grew more cautious, maintaining a respectful silence the entire way.
"What's the situation with the village elder—Master Gen?"
Yuto asked calmly, not even turning his head.
During their walk through the village, it was clear that both the commoners and shinobi alike held Terumi Mei and Elder Gen in high esteem. That in itself wasn't unusual—but even someone like Ringo Ameyuri seemed to revere Elder Gen.
This confirmed that Gen was indeed a benevolent elder with the village's best interests at heart—not some schemer like Danzō from Konoha. Otherwise, he wouldn't have earned such unanimous praise.
But therein lay the problem.
No matter how well-intentioned a person might be, a mountain cannot have two tigers. Yuto understood this well.
Especially for those in power—when there are two people speaking for a force, whether they like it or not, they will inevitably restrict each other.
It had nothing to do with being a good person or bad.
Moreover, Yuto remembered—he was the one who had originally proposed the concept of the "Elder" position.
But back then, the elder's role was only meant to assist the Mizukage, offering advice at most—not to serve as a counterbalance to their authority.
Upon hearing Yuto's question, Ao visibly flinched. His eyes flashed with shock.
As expected of Lord Yuto—he had deduced the problem in an instant.
"During the Fourth Mizukage's reign, a certain incident occurred. Since then, the elders were given power to suppress the Mizukage's authority. It was meant to prevent something like that from happening again…"
Ao spoke awkwardly, bowing his head.
What happened under Yagura's rule was a deep embarrassment to all Mist ninja—let alone speaking of it in front of the First Mizukage himself.
Though Ao didn't go into detail, Yuto knew the entire story far better than anyone else.
A sudden surge of killing intent erupted from Yuto's body—but it vanished almost instantly.
Cold sweat appeared on Ao's forehead. Though it had lasted just a moment, he clearly sensed Yuto's terrifying wrath.
Yuto said calmly, "Let's go."
Ao immediately quickened his pace to follow.
—
Mizukage's Office
Yuto sat on a sofa, casually flipping through some documents in his hands.
Chōjūrō approached with visible excitement in his eyes, holding a file.
"L-Lord Yuto… here are the documents you requested."
He had already learned Yuto's identity from Ao. As someone who had admired this hero since childhood, Chōjūrō could barely contain himself.
Yuto nodded and smiled gently.
"Thanks, Chōjūrō. No need to be nervous."
Chōjūrō shook his head vigorously.
"I-I'm not nervous!"
Yuto chuckled softly but said no more.
Through the documents provided by Chōjūrō, Yuto had already deduced the current timeline.
One report from Konoha mentioned that the Chūnin Exams would be held in three months. This confirmed that it was currently the 60th year in Konoha's calendar.
The story was just beginning.
Yuto found it amusing.
His awakening had come at just the right time—not too early, not too late.
Step—step—
Hasty footsteps echoed in the hallway, followed by the door being flung open. Terumi Mei entered, breathing slightly fast.
"Lord Yuto, you've returned—why didn't you notify me?"
"I had Ao and Chōjūrō with me. Besides, you're the Mizukage. You've got important matters to handle. From the look of things, I'd say they've already reported everything on my behalf."
Yuto smiled lightly as he spoke.
Terumi Mei nodded slightly, her tone sharpening:
"Elder Gen isn't the problem. But several smaller clans are showing signs of resistance."
Yuto's expression remained calm, unsurprised.
"That's to be expected. My presence will inevitably disrupt the current power structure. That's something many would prefer not to happen."
Knock, knock—
Just then, a knock sounded from the door.
Yuto and Terumi Mei exchanged glances, both showing a hint of surprise.
Chōjūrō quickly stepped forward and opened it.
A visibly anxious ninja knelt on one knee before Terumi Mei.
"Mizukage-sama! The Six-Tails Jinchūriki—Utakata—has defected!"
"…What did you say?"
Terumi Mei's face changed, disbelief written across her expression.
Compared to her, Yuto remained much calmer. He looked at the ninja and asked,
"When did the Jinchūriki defect?"
The ninja hesitated slightly, glancing at Yuto before replying—seeing that Terumi Mei didn't stop him:
"Based on the timeline, it happened early this morning. Two chūnin on guard duty have been found dead. Utakata has likely been on the run for half a day. However, he probably hasn't left the Land of Water yet. Shall we send out pursuit teams, Mizukage-sama?"
Yuto looked up and noticed the grim look on Terumi Mei's face. He shook his head gently and said,
"Notify all Hidden Mist senior officials. We meet tomorrow morning."
Boom!
A heavy, oppressive aura suddenly filled the entire office. For a moment, it became difficult to breathe. Everyone could clearly feel the terrifying pressure radiating from Yuto.
---