"Trash!"
"All of you—trash!"
"The dignified Hunter-nin Corps actually failed a mission against a freshly graduated Genin!"
Mizukage Office.
Danzō's furious roar echoed through the chamber as he swept his arm across the desk, turning himself into a one-man force of destruction. Documents, inkstones, scrolls, and ornaments were all sent crashing to the floor.
Just moments ago, he had received the report.
All contact with the Hunter-nin Corps had been lost.
No further explanation was necessary. Everyone understood what that meant. They were dead.
Of course, Danzō did not care in the slightest whether those pursuers lived or died. Their lives held no value to him at all.
What mattered was that the mission had failed.
In Danzō's eyes, Ninja were nothing more than tools created to complete missions. Tools did not need emotions. Tools did not need dignity.
But a tool that failed to accomplish its task? That was garbage.
Such Ninja were not even fit to be discarded. At best, they could be recycled—used as material for experiments.
After venting his fury, Danzō slowly regained his composure. Anger, after all, could not change reality.
"What's done is done." His voice grew cold. "Send people immediately. Find out exactly what the Hunter-nin Corps encountered."
"A single Terumī Mei could not possibly have wiped out an entire squad on her own."
"Reclassify the hunt for Terumī Mei as a long-term mission."
A long-term mission meant there would be no specially assigned team.
Any Kirigakure Ninja who encountered her in the future could attempt to capture her on the spot—if they were capable.
To Danzō, Terumī Mei was indeed valuable. A ninja possessing two Bloodline Limits was rare, even among the Five Great Villages.
But she was not his top priority.
What truly mattered now was purging the remnants of Elder Mon's faction within the Hidden Mist Village and then preparing for war against Konoha.
War was never a simple affair.
It could not be declared on impulse.
Danzō had personally lived through two Ninja World Wars. He knew better than anyone what preparations were required before the first blow was struck.
Thus, under Danzō's orders, the Hidden Mist Village began to move. And it did not take long for the other villages to notice.
Konohag was the first to receive intelligence.
---
Hokage Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the report delivered by the Anbu, his brows deeply furrowed, his expression heavy.
"Hiruzen, what happened? Why summon me so urgently?" Akimichi Torifu asked the moment he entered.
Since becoming an advisor, his days of leisure were long gone. Administrative affairs alone were enough to exhaust him.
And with fellow advisor Tsunade currently away in the Land of Fire's capital, his workload had only increased.
"Torifu, take a look." Hiruzen handed him the report with visible concern.
The moment Torifu saw Hiruzen's expression, he knew it was bad news.
After scanning the contents, his face darkened as well.
"The Hidden Mist… is preparing for war again." As a veteran of two Ninja World Wars, Torifu immediately grasped the implications.
Konoha, possessing the richest land and resources in the Ninja World, had always been the primary target.
In other words, the Hidden Mist Village was preparing to strike Konoha.
If it were only the Hidden Mist, Konoha could suppress them without much difficulty.
But the balance of the Ninja World was fragile.
Once the Hidden Mist made its move, the other three Great Shinobi Villages—having largely recovered after years of rest—would almost certainly join in.
And as always, they would aim their blades at Konoha. That was what truly troubled the two elders.
No matter how powerful Konoha was, it could not withstand repeated assaults from all four Great Villages at once.
"Hiruzen," Torifu asked gravely, "what do we do now?"
After a brief moment of contemplation, Hiruzen gave his decision.
"We must not be the ones to start the war. Reinforce the borders. Dispatch additional Ninja units."
Torifu was not surprised. Konoha had always presented itself as a peace-loving village.
If it struck first, its moral standing would collapse, and the other four villages might unite against it immediately.
Even allied minor villages could turn away.
The Ninja World could accept a powerful leader. But it would never accept one who was both powerful and openly ambitious.
Such a presence would make everyone uneasy.
Following Hiruzen's order, Anbu Ninja swiftly departed to relay commands.
Before long, Ninja units assembled and began moving toward the borders.
Since this was only a defensive deployment, there was no need yet for famed figures like Aoshi to personally lead them.
Still, a council meeting was unavoidable.
Everyone needed to be informed and mentally prepared. Waiting until war actually erupted would already be too late.
As a result, even Tsunade who had planned to remain longer in the capital hurried back to Konoha immediately.
As a member of the Hokage Guard, Aoshi naturally attended the meeting as well.
Yet no one realized that the Aoshi present in the meeting room was merely a Shadow Clone. His real body had already slipped away to the Secret Base.
"It's you! Konoha's hero—Hirakawa Aoshi!" Terumī Mei exclaimed the instant she saw him.
Although she had never left the Hidden Mist Village before, Aoshi's reputation had long reached her ears.
Through Elder Genshi's channels, she had even seen his photograph. She recognized him immediately.
The moment she saw him, Mei instinctively suspected that Konoha was plotting something.
Aoshi could not read her thoughts, but her expression betrayed everything. She was still far from the calm, composed woman who would one day become Mizukage.
Right now, standing before him, she looked unmistakably young—and inexperienced.
"If you don't trust me," Aoshi said calmly, "you're free to leave."
Terumī Mei froze. She coughed lightly, hiding her embarrassment, then made a decision that even surprised herself.
"Please accept me as your disciple!"
Although shocked to suddenly encounter Hirakawa Aoshi, Mei quickly realized that this was an opportunity she could not afford to miss.
He was a renowned ninja, possessed a Secret Base, and commanded powerful subordinates.
Whatever his ultimate goal might be, clinging to him was her only hope of one day returning to the Hidden Mist Village and avenging Elder Mon.
And the best way to secure that chance, was to become his student.
In the Ninja World, the bond between master and disciple often surpassed even blood ties. Moreover, as a newly graduated Genin, she needed a Jonin mentor anyway.
Though the request was unexpected, Aoshi nodded.
"Very well. From today onward, you are my disciple."