She propped her chin with one hand, her reddish-brown long hair cascading down, her right eye obscured by strands, revealing only her emerald green left eye. She wore a blue strapless dress, her figure graceful.
She was Mei Terumī, an elite Jonin from the Hidden Mist Village, who possessed two Bloodline Limits and was highly likely to become the next Mizukage. She had discovered the Fourth Hokage's abnormality near the end of the Third Great Ninja War.
"I have no objections to the Elder's plan."
Mei Terumī subtly shifted her gaze, smiling as she said, "The Fourth Hokage was controlled by an unknown Uchiha powerhouse, which made our Hidden Mist Village's political image even more bloody. Now that we know the reason, we should naturally implement a policy of peace and openness to gradually improve the Village's current situation."
"It's just that the Fourth Hokage probably won't last much longer. Once he passes away, the Three-Tails will also disappear and it will take several years for it to reappear somewhere in the Ninja World."
"Without the Fourth Hokage and without the Three-Tails, our Hidden Mist Village's current strength is too weak."
"I heard that Kumogakure (Cloud Village) in the north has been developing quite well since the Third Great Ninja War."
"If this news gets out, our Hidden Mist Village will have a hard time."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the Hidden Mist high-ranking officials and Jonin present all changed.
They urgently wanted to change the Hidden Mist Village's image to the outside world, and they urgently wanted to redevelop and move towards peace, because the Village's power had been greatly diminished.
Only with peace would they have a chance to recover and develop.
However, the Hidden Mist Village and Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning were only separated by a sea, and Kumogakure's aggressiveness was the strongest in the Ninja World.
If the Hidden Mist Village's strength was exposed, with Kumogakure's style, they would definitely launch a war, or at least force them to pay a price.
"You can see things so clearly, Mei Terumī, you've really grown up."
The Elder, who now held the main power in Hidden Mist, first praised her, then asked, "What are your plans?"
People often said that the people of Kumogakure were all strong in limbs and simple in mind, but in fact, the Hidden Mist Village was not much better.
The Elder was also very pleased to have someone who was both strong and intelligent.
"There are two key points."
Mei Terumī held up two fingers and said, "First, continue to search for suitable Sealing Jutsu to extract and transfer the Three-Tails before the Fourth Hokage passes away, so that the Three-Tails does not disappear with him."
"Second, find a reliable ally so that we don't have to fight alone when facing Kumogakure."
The Three-Tails had already been sealed three times in a short period (specific sealers unknown, Rin, Fourth Mizukage), and was already very weak, closely linked to the life of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura.
If the seal was rashly released, Yagura would die immediately, and the Three-Tails would also perish with him.
Otherwise, the Hidden Mist Village would have found a suitable Jinchuriki to replace Yagura long ago.
And after Yagura woke up, he was merely lingering on, atoning for the Hidden Mist Village and trying his best to preserve the Three-Tails.
"Then what do you think we should do?" the Elder continued to ask.
Mei Terumī softly uttered two words:
"Konoha!"
"Yes, Konoha!" Mei Terumī straightened her thoughts and continued, "Although the Mizukage's condition was caused by the Sharingan, the Uchiha Clan no longer exists, so we can put that grudge aside for now."
"In Konoha, the Fourth Hokage and his wife died in the Nine-Tails' Attack, the Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin left, and the Uchiha Clan was also kicked out. Facing pressure from Kumogakure, Konoha even let the head of the Hyuga Clan's branch house suffer grievances, which shows that they are also quite weak."
"However, the Third Hokage is still there, and the heads of the great families like Ino–Shika–Chō, Inuzuka, and Aburame are also there. Although the Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin have left, they are still alive, so we can't say they are completely out of commission."
"This just gives us a good opportunity for an alliance."
At this point, Mei Terumī paused, waiting for everyone to digest the information, before continuing, "Konoha and Kumogakure have a grudge, so the Third Hokage won't refuse to ally with our Hidden Mist."
"If we ignore the Land of Lightning and Kumogakure in the north, for the Hidden Mist Village to develop, we can only lean towards the Land of Fire in the west and build good relations with Konoha Village."
"Konoha Village used to have a good relationship with the Uzumaki Clan, and their Sealing Jutsu was particularly impressive."
"If we get along well with Konoha and take the opportunity to request to learn from them, we might be able to find a way to extract the Three-Tails from the Fourth Hokage's body."
There were many benefits to building good relations with Konoha.
At first, a few people were reluctant, but after calming down and thinking about it, there was indeed no reason to object.
"Dada da ~"
The Elder's aged hands tapped rhythmically on the table.
After pondering for a moment, he turned to the person beside him and asked, "Fourth Hokage, what do you think?"
"I think it's good." Yagura emerged from the shadows, his face pale, making his baby face look even more terrifying.
"This is the Hidden Mist Village's best way out."
The Elder nodded upon hearing this, but he was still a little uneasy.
"But if we actively seek an alliance, it always feels a bit subservient."
"The Third Hokage is old, but Konoha's Anbu are still ambitious."
An alliance with Konoha was fine, but the Hidden Mist couldn't be in a disadvantaged position.
Otherwise, wouldn't our Hidden Mist be even worse than Sunagakure?
"Chunin Exams."
Mei Terumī suddenly blurted out.
The Chunin Exams, the Ninja Academy system, the Anbu system, and so on, were all created by that genius Second Hokage of Konoha, Senju Tobirama. His Water Release Ninjutsu was more proficient than all the Mizukage, but in the end, only Forbidden Jutsu remained.
Ninja ranks were divided into Genin, Chunin, Special Jonin, Jonin, and the Kage of each Village.
To become a Jonin, one had to have the strength of a Jonin, but having the strength didn't necessarily mean one could become one.
Ninja promotions were decided by the Kage or leaders of each Village.
The Chunin Exams were essentially small-scale combat exercises for the major Hidden Villages, used to assess the strength and potential of the younger generation of Genin, and then report to the daimyo of each country to secure more resources.
However, after the Third Great Ninja War, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Hidden Mist no longer hosted or participated in the Chunin Exams. Now, only Sunagakure and Konoha, along with some smaller Villages, were still holding them.
Sigh, invitations were sent out every year, but the Hidden Mist Village only slowly received the news a few days ago.
It was said that the next Chunin Exams would be held in Konoha Village, and it was still four months away.
"This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" The Elder's slightly cloudy eyes suddenly lit up.
"During the Chunin Exams, we can also gauge the current strength of Konoha and Sunagakure."
"If the situations are similar, we'll band together and support each other."
"But the question is, who is suitable to send?"
"I'll go!" Mei Terumī said without hesitation, taking on the task directly.
As soon as she said this, everyone present was stunned, their expressions extremely peculiar.
"Are you planning to directly take over as the Fifth Mizukage?!"
Mei Terumī was widely recognized as the most suitable candidate for the Fifth Mizukage in the Hidden Mist Village.
At twenty-eight years old, she had participated in the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars and had distinguished herself greatly.
She was proficient in Water Release Ninjutsu and also possessed two unique secret techniques, "Lava Release" and "Boil Release." Her strength was formidable, far surpassing ordinary Jonin.
As a Bloodline Limit inheritor, she was impartial to the Bloodline Limit families in the Village, thus gaining the support of many families.
Back during the Third Great Ninja War, it was Mei Terumī who discovered that the Mizukage might have been controlled by genjutsu. She had Ao use his Byakugan to check, and indeed, it was dispelled, which was a great service to the Hidden Mist Village.
Even the Elder, who had always held great power and whose status was comparable to the Mizukage, praised her highly and supported her proposed policy of peace and openness.
Her battle record, achievements, connections, and background—which of these wasn't outstanding?
She was the best candidate for the Fifth Mizukage, no question about it.
However, when the Elder and the Mizukage suggested she become Mizukage, she refused.
The reason, everyone knew, was that her original fiancé had sacrificed himself during the Bloody Mist policy, and due to this delay, she was still unmarried at twenty-eight.
Mei Terumī was eager to get married; her dream was to be a good wife and loving mother.
So she wanted to change the Hidden Mist Village, but she had never considered taking power.
But today, she had volunteered to go to Konoha as an envoy.
Normally, this wouldn't be anything special, but if it involved discussing an alliance with Konoha, her status would need to be significant, such as a Mizukage or an Elder candidate.
Because only an agreement signed by a future leader would be convincing.
"Don't get the wrong idea, everyone."
"Before I turn thirty, I'm not considering the Mizukage position."
Mei Terumī knew what everyone was thinking and explained with a smile, "I just want to go to Konoha and see if they are worthy of our alliance."
"During this time, you all should continue to promote the peace policy and select a few more promising young people."
"If there are no problems, I will write back, and the Elder can have Hōzuki Gengetsu bring people to Konoha to participate in the Chunin Exams and discuss the alliance at the same time."
Hōzuki Gengetsu was a descendant of the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu. He was skilled in Water Release: Hydrification, and was also a subordinate of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura. Becoming an Elder in the future was a sure thing, and he might even become Mizukage.
Mei Terumī had no interest in the Mizukage position at all right now.
Before she turned thirty, she just wanted to find a reliable man to marry.
If she really couldn't get married, she would be determined to stay in the Hidden Mist Village for the rest of her life.
Now, whether it was out of curiosity to investigate or to see what benefits she could gain, she planned to go to Konoha to talk to Lin Mo.
This guy, a transmigrator, was quite amusing. Perhaps he could become her other half?
Even if Lin Mo wasn't to her liking, he was well-versed in the Ninja World, so he could definitely recommend a few reliable men.
If he could set her up, wouldn't her wish be fulfilled?
She was definitely going to Konoha!
"Alright."
"You take a few people to Konoha first; it will also show our Hidden Mist's sincerity."
The Elder and Yagura exchanged glances, thought Mei Terumī's idea was good, and agreed.
This was indeed the best method at present.
That night, Mei Terumī, accompanied by two Jonin, set sail for the mainland.
In various corners of the Ninja World, many women who held diaries also began to act.
All of this was silently changing the landscape of the Ninja World.
Lin Mo, however, was still unaware of these events.
He had just roughly sorted out the intelligence when trouble found him.
"Bang!"
A snake as thick as an arm shot in through the window and bit Lin Mo's neck.
As the snake exerted force, Lin Mo disappeared with a "bang," leaving only a large log.
This was the Substitution Jutsu (Kawarimi no Jutsu).
"Who!?!"
The other teachers in the office finally reacted, pulling out their kunai and staring wide-eyed at the window.
"This has nothing to do with you."
A figure appeared at the window, her trench coat fluttering, looking quite striking.
When the teachers saw it was her, their expressions immediately changed.
This person was Anko Mitarashi, formerly one of Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru's protégé.
She had studied under Orochimaru years ago, making her technically the Third Hokage's grand-student, but because Orochimaru betrayed the Village, she had faced a lot of disdain in the Village, so her temper was not very good.
She was notoriously troublesome in Konoha.
Everyone subconsciously put away their kunai, afraid that Anko would hold a grudge.
At this moment, Lin Mo walked out from behind the desk, frowning as he asked, "Mitarashi Chunin, why did you ambush me?"
"Yesterday, the Third Hokage already appointed me as a Special Jonin," Anko said coldly.
Special Jonin was also a Jonin, at least it sounded that way.
"Then Mitarashi Special Jonin, why did you ambush me?"
Lin Mo deliberately emphasized the word "Special."
Anko was very displeased: "You're really annoying, you guy."
Lin Mo muttered to himself.
The two had never met before.
"Why did I ambush you... Of course, I wanted to teach you a lesson." Anko raised her head and said matter-of-factly, "Who told you to... !"
Anko originally wanted to say: "Who told you that I would get fat in the future? You'd better give me an explanation."
But as soon as the thought emerged, she felt an invisible hand clench her heart.
If she dared to speak it, her heart would be crushed.
Cold sweat broke out, and she realized that she couldn't mention the diary, nor could she directly tell Lin Mo what was written inside.
"Who did I provoke?" Lin Mo asked with a puzzled expression.
Anko Mitarashi's appearance was truly baffling.
"Who told you to be so charming!" Anko Mitarashi said coldly.
Although she couldn't question him, it didn't mean she couldn't act.
"So handsome, you might be a playboy. I'll teach you a lesson first, lest you go and harm others."
All the teachers present were stunned.
Lin Mo was also dumbfounded.
Yūgao Uzuki, hiding in the shadows, was even more shocked into speechlessness.
[This is too ridiculous.]
[As Orochimaru's former student and a Ninja, being a bit eccentric is normal, but this Anko Mitarashi is simply crazy.]
[Just because I'm too handsome and have the potential to be a scumbag, she wants to beat me up? Then if I'm nice to a beautiful woman in the future, will I be killed?]
[This experience is too bizarre!]
[...]
Lin Mo habitually jotted something down in his diary, or rather, vented a little.
Many girls laughed.
They knew the real reason Anko Mitarashi acted was the word "fat hag," but they couldn't say it publicly.
But the reason she gave was too far-fetched, truly making people both angry and amused.