"Indeed, that Hyuga Ayane, it's said that not even the Fourth Raikage of Hidden Cloud is her match."
Each of the ninja blades held by the Seven-swords Ninja possesses special abilities. Now, having lost two of them at once and with no trace for years, everyone knows the chances of reclaiming them from the renegade ninja are slim.
If another ninja village had acquired the two ninja blades, they could be retrieved through normal diplomatic means, in a peaceful manner.
However, if they fall into the hands of renegade ninja, reclaiming them is not a simple matter.
Most importantly, they can't track the whereabouts of the other party, and there's no one to negotiate with even if they wanted to.
Fuguki snorted coldly, refraining from making grand claims about easily killing S-Class Renegade Ninja of Konoha.
Being able to defeat one of the Five Kage—the Raikage—speaks volumes about the opponent's strength. It's likely that only if the entire Seven-swords Ninja were in peak condition and acted together would there be a chance of victory.
The Seven-swords Ninja, and the "Five Kage," their reputations and strengths are on completely different levels.
As long as I control Hidden Mist, I can deploy a large number of ninja to hunt them down. I refuse to believe we can't reclaim those two missing blades! Fuguki thought with resentment, feeling annoyed by the high-ranking officials' underestimation of him.
Even if true, as a member of the Seven-swords Ninja, he cannot be belittled by others.
"Since Juzo is here, and everyone else is present, let's begin the meeting, Lord Mizukage."
Fuguki said.
The Third Mizukage's aged face furrowed, and he sighed inwardly, acknowledging that the time had come.
In the end, he had failed to live up to the dying wishes of his teacher, the Second Mizukage Hozuki Gengetsu, and had not led Hidden Mist to develop well.
For the future of Hidden Mist, it should be entrusted to younger people with more ideas for leadership.
"Elder Master, what are your thoughts?"
The Third Mizukage looked at the elderly man sitting nearby, who had been silent all along.
His face was even more aged.
The man's name was Elder Master, and he had a seniority even higher than his teacher, the Second Mizukage Hozuki Gengetsu. He was from the same era as the First Five Kage and was a renowned ninja in Hidden Mist Village during his youth, dedicating his life to its development.
"Let's begin. This era should indeed be led by the young. Konoha has chosen this path as well."
Elder Master had witnessed all periods of Hidden Mist Village.
In the past, the Second Mizukage Hozuki Gengetsu had emulated Konoha by establishing Hidden Mist Village's Anbu and Ninja School, resulting in a rapid surge in military strength.
Even Konoha, in this era, has made the choice to let the younger generation lead, so Elder Master naturally agreed with the election meeting for the Fourth Mizukage.
At least this way, the Hidden Mist Village could be infused with fresh vitality.
The Third Mizukage was ultimately aged, struggling with many matters, lacking the decisiveness of his youth.
This led to rifts within Hidden Mist, and the Third Mizukage could not escape blame.
"Then, let the election meeting for the Fourth Mizukage officially begin."
Having received Elder Master's approval, the Third Mizukage nodded. When even the most forward-thinking elder, Elder Master, believed the election of the Fourth Mizukage was imperative, it was indeed time for him to retire and let a worthy successor take over.
Though it's called an election meeting, the preconditions had already been set before the meeting.
The election process for the Mizukage of Hidden Mist Village is divided into three steps: public opinion poll, Jonin poll, and high-ranking officials' poll.
The public opinion poll, modeled after Konoha, is the most prioritized choice.
Following that are the votes from Jonin and high-ranking officials, which also hold a certain percentage.
"So, what are the results of the public opinion poll?"
One of the high-ranking officials inquired.
The official in charge of that area stood up from his seat and said, "Among all the candidates participating in the selection for the Fourth Mizukage, Jonin Suikazan Fuguki received the most votes. Furthermore, the results are similar among the Jonin, with him completely leading the other candidates."
"A victory without any suspense? It seems like something deliberately orchestrated."
A high-ranking official discontented with Suikazan Fuguki's style snorted, apparently questioning the outcome.
Suikazan Fuguki remained composed, not letting anger get the better of him. It's best to address the dissenting voices later rather than causing a commotion now.
Especially since he was the subject, causing an uproar now would only deepen others' doubts about his capabilities.
"However, these results indeed came from a legitimate voting process."
The official responsible for the statistics repeated.
"Who's to say you, as an intermediary, weren't bought off and colluded with someone?"
The previous high-ranking official smirked coldly.
"What are you insinuating? Are you questioning my integrity?"
The official responsible for the vote tally glared back in anger.
"Who knows what's going on in there? Compared to Suikazan Fuguki, I lean more towards Jonin Karatachi taking up the Mizukage position. His strength surpasses Suikazan Fuguki, and he has diligently assisted the Third Mizukage, amassing extensive experience. Upon assuming the Mizukage, he could immediately rejuvenate the village from its past shadows."
"Sorry to say, Jonin Karatachi's votes ranked only fourth among the candidates, a rather delicate position. Even with his strength and experience, if he doesn't have good rapport and is not favored by the public, that's as far as he goes. The will of the people is the most accurate arbiter."
The official in charge of the statistics shot a glance at Yagura, who was seated to the right of the Third Mizukage, expressionless and seemingly unconcerned.