With the ANBU gone, silence returned to the Mizukage's office.
After a long pause, Mei Terumi turned curiously toward Yuto, who lounged lazily on the sofa.
"Yuto-dono, why announce Kinoshita Jiro as missing instead of immediately branding him a missing-nin with a bounty?"
"With an S-class bounty, plenty of people would rush after him."
Yuto stretched and gave a faint smile, glancing at her.
"Of the other four great villages, which do you think poses the greatest threat?"
Threat?
Mei blinked, thought briefly, then answered: "The Hidden Cloud."
Her reply didn't surprise him. Not only her, but most of the shinobi world would have said the same.
When he didn't respond, she continued: "The Stone and the Leaf aren't weak, but their Kage make the difference.
Ōnoki is stubborn. He doesn't act unless he's absolutely certain. That kind of man rarely makes mistakes, but he's paralyzed by caution.
As for Sarutobi Hiruzen, he's the most famous pacifist among the Kage. Of all the villages, the Leaf is the least likely to start a war."
Yuto raised his brows at her analysis, impressed.
She noticed and smirked proudly.
But Yuto chuckled and struck back:
"Have you checked the records of every Shinobi War? Wins and losses vary, but look at Konoha's casualties."
Mei froze. Then her face turned grim.
"No matter which war… Konoha always suffers the least."
A cold gleam flickered in Yuto's eyes.
"Exactly. That's why I want to see if Konoha can withstand the assault of four villages at once. And Kinoshita Jiro… is the fuse I've set."
He left it at that.
If Konoha were destroyed, Yuto could step out of hiding openly.
If it endured even four villages at once—then that was something else entirely.
And the other villages were his test subjects.
Knock. Knock.
Soft knocks broke the silence.
Yuto and Mei exchanged a look and smiled.
"Seems the Seven Swordsmen selection is finished," Yuto mused. "Let's see who made it."
"Come in," Mei called.
The door creaked open. Chojuro entered with Ringo Ameyuri and Ranmaru in tow.
"Yuto-dono."
"Mizukage-sama."
All three bowed.
Yuto glanced at Ameyuri, unsurprised. But when he saw Ranmaru, his face showed shock.
"…Ranmaru? What's going on here?"
His curiosity matched Mei's own.
Ranmaru fidgeted nervously. "Um… well…"
Chojuro quickly stepped in, explaining what had happened.
Mei's eyes lit with realization. She studied the little boy carefully, then looked back at Yuto.
If she guessed right, that strange power was linked to him.
"Remember Orochimaru's four subordinates? It's like that. How much it boosts depends on the person."
Yuto shrugged lightly.
Instantly, sharp gazes turned on him.
Power like that was something few shinobi could resist.
"There are side effects," he warned. "Ranmaru's fine because his kekkei genkai restrains it. Otherwise, the seal mutates the body—twists its shape. If that doesn't bother you, then fine by me."
At the mention of mutation, Mei and Ameyuri quickly looked away. Neither wanted to turn into monsters.
Chojuro never seemed interested from the start.
"Ahem. The Seven Swordsmen trials only yielded two successors, but that's all we have. Chojuro, train Ringo Ameyuri and Ranmaru with their blades for now."
Mei coughed softly, giving the order.
Chojuro grimaced. Their strength wasn't easy to handle. But one look at Mei's eyes, and he could only nod helplessly.
...
Deep in a dense forest.
Kinoshita Jiro leaned against a tree, panting heavily.
From the moment he fled the Hidden Mist, he hadn't stopped, racing for the border of the Land of Water.
He knew only Mizukage Mei, Yuto, and a handful of others were aware of his true mission. Even his clan's elder only half-understood.
"Half a day more… then I'll be out of the Land of Water…"
He muttered between breaths.
FWIP!
A kunai whistled from the side, striking his body—
POOF!
It vanished in smoke, leaving only a log. Jiro reappeared in another tree.
"Damn it! Mist ANBU, already?! They're faster than usual…"
He cursed, darting off again.
Moments later, masked Mist ANBU landed at the spot he'd just vacated.
One picked up the kunai, silent, staring after him.
"Eagle."
The leader gave a quiet order.
A shinobi wearing a hawk-shaped mask stepped forward. Though hesitant, he quickly wove seals.
"Suiton—Water Dragon Bullet!"
BOOM!
A roaring dragon tore across the forest, gouging the ground into a massive crater.
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