104: Chapter 104 The Change of the Hidden MistOn the dock, the face beneath the mask of the Misty Shadows commander twisted repeatedly, and the veins on the back of his hand, which was gripping a kunai, bulged out.
The anger of being slighted burned in his chest, making his head spin.
He stared intently at Mei Terumi, who was being shielded by Naruto, and then glanced at the menacing merchant guild guards around him, especially the Iron Boat who was blocking his way with his arms crossed.
beat?
In the heart of the Apocalypse Merchant Guild, how could they possibly wage war against a force that could even confront the Akatsuki organization head-on, a force that was incredibly wealthy and armed to the teeth?
He, a mere undercover unit commander, could not bear this responsibility.
The elders' orders were to pursue and capture the suspect, not to declare war on any other faction.
His face turned ashen, and he forced himself to swallow the resentment he felt, his teeth grinding together.
"withdraw!"
A dozen or so dark figures arrived quickly and disappeared just as fast as they left, vanishing swiftly at the end of the dock.
Mei Terumi looked in the direction where those people had disappeared, her body swayed, and a strong feeling of exhaustion swept over her.
Before she could even react, she felt an arm wrap around her and pull her into its embrace.
"Huh, you can't even stand up straight anymore?"
Naruto's teasing voice rang out above her head.
Mei Terumi instinctively tried to break free; the position was too intimate, causing the humiliation she had just begun to subside to surge up again.
But Naruto held her tightly, giving her no chance to resist.
He lowered his head and took a deep breath.
Then, he exclaimed in an exaggerated tone.
"Smells good~"
Mei Terumi's face flushed bright red instantly, and even her ears started to steam.
That bastard!How could he.how could he do that in front of so many people.
She was so ashamed she wanted to hide in the ground, but she couldn't move her body.
The guards around them kept their eyes down, pretending they hadn't seen or heard anything.
Naruto looked up and laughed a few times, then half-supported and half-carried her as they walked into the headquarters building.
"Let's go, Lord Mizukage, I'll find you a place.to rest properly."
His ambiguous tone caused Terumi Mei's heart to race wildly.
————
Meanwhile, Kirigakure was in complete chaos.
With the assassination of the Master and the "defection" of the Water Shadow, the two pillars collapsed simultaneously.
The first to suffer was Ao, who had just been redeemed from the Land of Waves not long ago.
Early in the morning, two masked men barged into his residence.
"Senior Qing, we are acting on orders from the Elders to request your cooperation in the investigation."
Their tone was relatively polite, but their movements were incredibly swift; they stood on either side of him.
Qing's single eye was filled with anger, but even more so with a deep sense of powerlessness.
He already carried a "stain" because he was captured for "acting on his own initiative." After returning, due to the Chamber of Commerce's "black PR" campaign, he was almost completely branded as a die-hard Mizukage loyalist and a remnant of the Blood Mist Village.
Now that the Mizukage is in trouble, he, with his "bad record," is naturally the first person suspected of being detained.
He wanted to argue for the Mizukage, but looking at the ANBU's mask, which showed no stance whatsoever, he finally let out a powerless sigh.
At this moment, explanations are both weak and dangerous.
He silently put down the intelligence scroll in his hand and let the two secret agents "invite" him out of the room.
He knew that he was powerless to reverse the situation for the time being.
Unlike Ao's restraint, Chojuro's reaction was much more intense.
"Impossible!Lord Mizukage would never do such a thing!"
Upon hearing the news, he rushed into the elders' temporary office, his usually shy face now flushed red with arguing.
"This must be a setup!It's a conspiracy!Instead of investigating the real culprit, you're here convicting Lord Mizukage?"
He waved his arms, his emotions running high.
But all he received in response were the elders' indifferent and suspicious gazes, and a few words of advice to calm down and wait for the investigation results.
"You.you."
Chojuro looked at these faces that had once been so respectful to the Mizukage, now so unfamiliar, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
After the argument went nowhere, he left indifferently.
Back in his room, he looked at the twin swords, Hiramekarei, laid out side by side on the table, his gaze gradually hardening.
He's not good with words, he's not good at fighting, but he's not stupid.
The Mizukage has been unjustly accused, and the village has been turned upside down by the mastermind behind it all.He can't just wait like this.
He wants to find the real culprit in his own way and clear the Mizukage's name.
That night, Chojuro left a simple letter, took his flounder, pulled down his hood, and hurriedly disappeared into the thick fog of the night.
He was going to find the truth, to find the bastard who framed Lord Mizukage!Even if.he had to do it all by himself.
At this moment, in the elders' council hall.
The hot-tempered elder slammed his teacup to the ground, sending shards of porcelain flying.
"Useless!A bunch of useless trash!"
"They couldn't even catch one person!They were publicly reprimanded by the Apocalypse Chamber of Commerce and crawled back with their tails between their legs!"
The team leader, who was reporting, knelt on one knee, his head bowed low, and offered his explanation.
"Your subordinate is incompetent!But the Tianqi Chamber of Commerce has taken a tough stance, and your subordinate.dares not start a war without authorization."
"Don't dare?I think you're."
That's enough.
Sitting at the head of the table, Elder Mizuno, who was temporarily in charge of the Mizukage, interrupted in a deep voice, rubbing his temples.
"Now is not the time to pursue this issue."
The Apocalypse Chamber of Commerce's protection of Terumi Mei is tantamount to openly opposing us; we must first resolve our internal problems.
He turned to look at the other elder beside him who was in charge of intelligence: "How is the situation in the village?"
The elder, his fingers trembling, handed over a scroll: "The attacks.have not only not stopped, but have intensified."
"Last night, Elder Yuan's personal guards were murdered on their way home, and we found this next to his body."
Mizuno unfurled the scroll, inside which were several carefully processed photocopies of letters.
The handwriting closely matches that of Terumi Mei, and the content subtly mentions dissatisfaction with the elders.One letter even mentions, "If the Yuan Master blocks the way, perhaps extraordinary measures will be needed."The word "means" is so suggestive.
Dirty water, basin after basin, was poured over Mei Terumi, turning her skin black.
The council chamber was deathly silent.
Mei Terumi.would she really go this far?
Perhaps everyone has the answer in their heart.
————
The Chamber of Commerce, in an elegantly decorated guest room with a superb view.
Mei Terumi soaked in the warm water, the rising steam blurring her beautiful face and washing away the dust and blood from her days of travel.
She leaned against the edge of the bathtub, closed her eyes, and let the hot water envelop her exhausted self.
But in my mind, the scenes at the dock kept replaying.
Value.efficacy.oneself.
Her self-promotion at the Chamber of Commerce entrance just now was like a replaying spell, churning in her mind and making her ears burn.
Yes, from the moment she stepped onto this dock and asked for help, she was no longer the aloof Water Shadow.
She is everything to Naruto Uzumaki.
Face reality, Mei Terumi.
She said this to herself in her heart, with a bitter self-mockery.
She was once one of the Five Kage, standing at the pinnacle of the ninja world.How could she have ever been treated with such contempt and disrespect.
There's no going back to Wuyin, at least not now.
The elders considered her a traitor and wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible.
She's all alone, what leverage does she have left?
To survive, to uncover the truth, to reclaim everything lost.relying on him seems to be the only option at present.
She slowly stood up from the water, water droplets rolling down her smooth skin.
Pick up the brand-new bathrobe that was prepared next to you, made of soft and comfortable material, and slowly put it on and tie the belt.
The mirror reflected a face that, though cleansed of dust, was still stunningly beautiful, yet somewhat bewildered.
She took a deep breath, pushed open the bathroom door, and went out.
Naruto was sitting on the sofa outside, fiddling with a necklace in his hand, seemingly having waited for a while.
Hearing the noise, he looked up and focused his gaze on her.
After her bath, Mei Terumi's skin glowed with a faint pinkish hue from the steam.Her long, wet hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her large bathrobe couldn't conceal her stunning beauty, exuding an alluring charm that was completely different from the majestic Mizukage.
Naruto put away the pretty necklace in his hand, stood up, and walked towards her.
Mei Terumi's heart pounded uncontrollably, her fingertips clenched.This time, she didn't back down, but simply stood there, watching him approach.
Naruto stopped in front of her, slightly taller than her, and had to lower his head slightly to look her in the eye.
He reached out and gently brushed away the stray strands of hair from her cheek.
Mei Terumi trembled slightly, lowered her eyelashes, and did not flinch.
"Have you thought it through?"
She gave a soft "hmm" in a very low voice.
Naruto reached out and embraced her again, this time much more naturally.
Mei Terumi was initially stiff, but then slowly relaxed and, with a submissive air, leaned towards Naruto.
Naruto sensed the change in her and whispered praise in her ear.
"Good girl~"
She simply lowered her face even further, her earlobes vibrant and luscious, and quietly clenched the hem of his robe.
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