But after Mei Terumi's next words, Tsunade's furrowed brows immediately relaxed.
Mei Terumi stood up and walked over to Tsunade, clasping her hands warmly. For a moment, Tsunade's brain short-circuited.
What is this woman trying to pull...?
Mei Terumi raised her sleeve and gently wiped away a few tears, her face full of sincerity and gratitude, looking genuinely moved.
"Hokage-sama, if it weren't for you, our Hidden Mist Village might've ceased to exist long ago~!"
"These past three years, under your leadership, Konoha's continuous caravans have revitalized our Kirigakure. Villagers who'd never even tasted pork, beef, or lamb before now have access to land-based meats, and no longer need to rely solely on dried sea fish."
"Even basic goods are supplied with high quality and low cost, and many high-paying jobs have been offered to us as well."
"Though I'm the Mizukage, I've felt deep guilt all these years. I never found the right time to thank you properly, Hokage-sama. I'm truly ashamed. I hope you, Sister Tsunade, won't hold a grudge against a little sister like me."
Tsunade stood there, stunned.
Huh? I did all that?
...I did all that?! I'm incredible! Hahaha!
She coughed lightly, straightened her back, and placed her hands proudly on her hips.
"Mm-hmm! It's no big deal. As Hokage, it's my duty—and my grandfather Hashirama's wish—to bring peace to the shinobi world!"
"I'm just glad that the people of Kirigakure can live better lives. Haha!"
"Hey now, Mei-chan, there's no need to be so formal. Stand up, stand up!"
"From today onward, you and I are sisters! Konoha will always be your strongest ally!"
As she spoke, Tsunade threw an arm affectionately around Mei Terumi's smooth, slender shoulders, a wide grin spreading across her face.
At that moment, Mei Terumi slyly glanced toward Uchiha Hikaru and raised an eyebrow.
To Ōnoki and Rasa, that slight movement looked like sheer provocation.
To Ōnoki, her expression practically screamed:
"Old man, keep barking. I've led Kirigakure away from sixty years of stagnation straight into Konoha's warm embrace. What are you gonna do? Hit me? Hah~ Afraid of pissing off big bro Konoha behind me?"
To Rasa, it looked like a scathing rebuke:
"I gave you a chance, but you blew it. It's been years since the end of the Third Shinobi World War, and you've done nothing but pretend to ally with Konoha while playing dirty in the shadows. Why? Were Konoha's supplies not good enough? You'd rather let your own people suffer for pride and reputation? Look at us—Kirigakure is thriving now~"
Tsunade, meanwhile, was in absolute bliss.
I never expected Mei Terumi—ugh, our dear Sister Mei!
She's so considerate, grateful, and truly understands the weight I've carried as Hokage! It feels like conquering Kirigakure is basically complete!
Aside from the name, isn't it already basically part of Konoha? Hahaha!
Well, maybe I'll end up with more sisters. Guess Hikaru's just gonna have to sacrifice his face a bit...
As for Uchiha Hikaru, he silently covered his face.
What kind of green tea seduction literature is this!?
And Tsunade, with her massive strength and her one-track mind... how could she resist such sugary words!?
Wait a second… this flattery from Mei Terumi, it feels so familiar. Where have I seen this before...?
Ah! It's just like that employee I had back on Earth. What was her name... Karen?
Mei Terumi's smooth, subtle manipulation—she's a damn natural. She's got potential.
In front of Ōnoki, she remained poised and unyielding. With Tsunade, she was perfectly gracious. Gentle yet powerful...
Hikaru's gaze unconsciously wandered... straight into the deep valley of Mei Terumi's chest.
God damn... she really is a great woman in every sense of the word. A woman with ambition and assets! (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)
Mei Terumi herself, meanwhile, was laughing inside.
The First, Second, Third, and Fourth Mizukage...? Tch. I'm the greatest Mizukage in history!
With my wit and charm, I've made Kirigakure the strongest ally in the entire shinobi world—and yes, I joined in personally!
From now on, our villagers will eat well, take on proper missions, and—
—I'm finally with you again, Hikaru... (〃￣︶￣〃)
As for that fat pig of a Daimyō? Hah! Feeding off Kirigakure's lifeblood every day—just wait. Sooner or later, Hikaru will wipe out that useless waste of space!
At this moment, Tsunade, Mei Terumi, and Uchiha Hikaru all had their own thoughts—but without exception, they each felt like they'd won big.
Their actions had brought huge benefits to their respective villages and taken a major step toward peace in the shinobi world.
Meanwhile, the Raikage sat quietly, shooting a look at Killer Bee beside him.
"Bro, what should we do now?"
Killer Bee scratched his cheek and replied in a low tone:
"Yo, I dunno what to say, I gotta play it safe and walk away~ Konoha's cool with us these days, no need to make waves in shady ways." (￣～￣;)
The Raikage folded his arms and brooded in silence.
Mei Terumi's attitude made one thing clear: Kirigakure and Konoha were now tightly bound. With Uchiha Hikaru as a connection, they might even become... family.
In that case, the balance of the shinobi world was about to shift dramatically—returning to a time when one power stood above all others, like during the age of Hashirama.
Well… I'll just have to take things one step at a time.
Luckily, my relationship with Hikaru is still decent... but the dream of Kumogakure ruling the world might have to wait a couple more generations...
Konan silently noted all of this in her mind.
If Nagato wants to collect the Tailed Beasts, he'll need to start with the other three villages... and the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki.
Konoha and Kirigakure are now essentially one. Attacking either means facing both. It's best to gather the other six Tailed Beasts first—then launch an assault on Konoha.
At that very moment, Obito and Black Zetsu—controlling Hiruzen Sarutobi's reanimated body—had already crossed the border into the Land of Fire and were heading toward Konoha.
Behind them followed the Akatsuki's outer-circle forces: over a thousand mercenary ninja, drawn from all corners of the organization.
Obito had originally planned to recruit shinobi from Amegakure as well, but was flatly rejected.
Frustrated, he ended up "borrowing" 100 billion ryō from Kakuzu's private vault and posted a massive bounty: one million ryō per confirmed Konoha kill.
This instantly mobilized every external Akatsuki member.
While issuing the mission, Obito even ran into Kakuzu, who had just returned from a separate job.
Kakuzu stared at the announcement and muttered, "What a waste of money."
But since he believed it was coming out of Obito's own pocket, he didn't interfere.
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