Suddenly, Hiruko "accidentally" knocked over his teacup, sending hot water cascading across the table.
"My apologies!" He stood up quickly, feigning a frantic rush to wipe the spill, but in the chaos, his hand brushed lightly against Mei Terumi's wrist.
In that fleeting second, a micro-sampler hidden in his sleeve silently harvested a cell sample from the surface of her skin.
Mei knit her brows slightly, but her professional smile returned almost instantly. "It's quite alright. I'll just pour another cup."
Tsunade, ever perceptive, sensed something off. "Are you okay?" she whispered.
"Just a bit of travel fatigue. My hand slipped, that's all," Hiruko replied with a calm smile as he sat back down. Tsunade, recalling their "battle" from the previous night, flushed and said no more.
Midway through the negotiations, Hiruko dropped a key demand: "To ensure the safety of our factories, we hope the Mizukage will allow us to set up some defensive barriers around the perimeter."
"In exchange, Konoha is willing to share a portion of our barrier technology."
Yagura and Mei exchanged a glance. "What kind of barriers are we talking about?" Yagura asked.
"Primarily sensory and early-warning types." Hiruko pulled a scroll from his gear and unrolled a blueprint. "This is a new design of ours, capable of precisely identifying specific chakra signatures."
Tsunade shot him a surprised look; she had never seen these blueprints before. Clearly, Hiruko had been preparing this in secret.
As Mei leaned in to inspect the drawings, her long, reddish-brown hair fell forward. Hiruko feigned a gesture to help her tuck it back, and another single strand of hair fell into his palm, which he promptly pocketed.
"An interesting design," Yagura mused, studying the prints. "However, we'll need to test its effectiveness first."
"Of course," Hiruko smiled. "If the Mizukage doesn't mind, we can do a live demonstration. I hear the Mist possesses the power of the Three-Tails; it would make an excellent test subject."
The air in the room turned brittle. Mei's eyes sharpened with suspicion. "The Three-Tails is a vital strategic asset of this village, not a lab rat," she said coldly.
"I completely understand." Hiruko raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "It was merely a suggestion. If it's inconvenient, we can find another way."
Yagura pondered for a moment before speaking. "A small display of power is fine. It's good for the Konoha envoys to see the strength of our Hidden Mist." He stood up and gestured toward the door. "Follow me."
Tsunade grabbed Hiruko's sleeve, whispering, "This wasn't in the plan."
"Opportunity of a lifetime," Hiruko whispered back, a calculating glint in his eyes. "Knowing our ally's strength benefits us as well."
They followed Yagura to a lake outside the village. Yagura wove several signs, and his body began to transform. Soon, a massive, turtle-like creature surfaced. Three tails lashed against the water, sending up colossal sprays—the aura was staggering.
"So this is Isobu, the Three-Tails..." Hiruko's eyes shined as if he were looking at a rare treasure. He quietly activated the chakra collector in his sleeve. The device hummed soundlessly, drinking in the chakra ripples radiating from the Beast.
The Three-Tails let out a low roar, sending waves of chakra through the air. Hiruko felt the collector grow warm—success. He had gathered enough data.
"That's sufficient."
Yagura reverted to his human form, and the lake returned to its placid state.
On the walk back, Tsunade remained silent. It wasn't until they reached their quarters and closed the door that she turned on him. "What exactly are you planning? I've never seen those blueprints, and your interest in the Three-Tails was... unnatural."
Hiruko gave her a soothing smile. "It's all for Konoha, Tsunade. The new barriers help us monitor the Land of Water's movements, and understanding the Three-Tails allows us to protect the village if necessary. You know I always put the village's interests first."
Tsunade stared into his eyes, trying to judge the truth behind his words. "I hope so. I don't like being kept in the dark, especially regarding major matters."
"I promise you," Hiruko said earnestly, placing a hand over his heart. "When we return to the Leaf, I will give Minato a full report. Nothing hidden."
"Hmph!"
In the dead of night, Hiruko sat alone in his room, meticulously checking his haul. He carefully placed the hair and skin samples from Mei into a specialized preservative. Then he took out the chakra collector, which held a flickering blue energy—the chakra of Isobu.
"Perfect progress," he whispered to himself, eyes dancing with excitement.
Suddenly, a faint footstep outside broke the silence. Hiruko swept his evidence away, pretending to read documents.
"Lord Hiruko?" It was Mei's voice, gentle and laced with concern. "The Mizukage sent me to ask if you require anything else."
Hiruko opened the door. Mei stood in the hallway, the moonlight silvering her features. "You are too kind," he smiled. "Actually, I did have some technical questions for you... regarding the refinement of the Land of Water's unique medicinal herbs."
Doubt flickered in Mei's eyes, but she nodded. "If it won't take long, I can answer them."
As Hiruko stepped aside to let her in and the door clicked shut, a brief, predatory red light flashed in his eyes. The prey has delivered itself to the door.
"Miss Terumi, judging by the way you've been acting as a receptionist today..." Hiruko's tone shifted, becoming provocatively sharp. "It seems you haven't quite entered the Hidden Mist's inner circle of power yet."
Mei blinked, then her face bloomed into a radiant, seemingly harmless smile. "I'm not sure what you're implying."
But Hiruko knew better. Mei was the only ninja in the Mist capable of harming—and perhaps even killing—Yagura. Despite his own confidence in his strength, Hiruko wouldn't underestimate a woman who could hold her own against Uchiha Madara. Her two Kekkei Genkai—Boil Release and Lava Release—were massive power-ups.
Her only flaw was her youth. Compared to veterans like Tsunade or Ohnoki, she lacked experience and the mental fortitude that comes with it. In a battle of attrition, that would show.
"To put it simply," Hiruko continued, "your ability and your status don't match. You are hiding your true strength."
This was evident even in the original story. When Obito ruled the Mist and purged the Kekkei Genkai clans, Mei had survived. This showed she was well-protected and adept at hiding her bloodlines. She was "biding her time."
"Your ambition, however, goes far beyond this, doesn't it?"
Mei's expression shifted, though she quickly masked it. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Hiruko chuckled. "Your ambition, your resentment—it's written in your eyes. You will be the next Mizukage; I have no doubt of that. But before then, you need to prove yourself, don't you?"
He turned to look at her. She was eighteen, the same age as Kakashi, and had developed into a stunning woman with an undeniable "big sister" aura. But to an older ninja like Hiruko, she was still just a girl. And compared to Rin, her development was... explosive.
"In Konoha, my influence is nearly unparalleled," Hiruko said with the weight of absolute authority. "Aside from Minato—who is of one mind with me—my word is law. Therefore, I have significant influence over the selection of the next Mizukage."
He began "drawing a big pie" for her—making promises of cooperation and growth. He didn't issue a direct threat, but the subtext was clear: cooperate, and the path to the top becomes much smoother.
Mei stared at him, her guard up. Hiruko was only fifty-one, but he felt like an ancient mountain. "No matter how hard you work, you aren't yet a match for Yagura," Hiruko noted. "He is a Perfect Jinchuriki. You, a ninjutsu specialist, against a tank like him? The odds aren't in your favor. You might have to wait ten, twenty, even thirty years. Think about it. With my influence, I can raise your standing in Yagura's eyes."
As Mei lowered her head in thought, Hiruko secretly activated Kyoka Suigetsu. Under the illusion, he extracted a proper blood and tissue sample from her. He then used his medicinal expertise to instantly heal her body, leaving no trace.
A fresh sample was always better than scrapings from a teacup.
The next second, he deactivated the illusion. Mei blinked, feeling as though something was briefly missing, but found nothing wrong with her body. She shook her head and returned to pondering Hiruko's words.
Unlike the "blank slates" like Kakashi or Rin, Mei already had the ambition for the Kage seat. She was a rare talent. Hiruko realized that if she became Mizukage, he could effectively control the entire Mist. He didn't want total dominion; he just wanted an "easy-to-manage" ally for when the Otsutsuki eventually invaded.
Besides, Mei was likely destined to stay single anyway—few could handle that acidity.
The meetings in the Mist were efficient. As night fell and the moon hid behind the clouds, the village relied on artificial light. Hiruko heard soft footsteps approaching. Mei was bringing him "snacks."
Creak. The door opened. Mei carried a tray, seeing Hiruko sitting cross-legged in the center of the room. The stone architecture of the Mist was a sharp contrast to the Leaf's wood; the buildings here had to be built for high impact-resistance against Water Style users.
"My Lord, your late-night snack," Mei whispered.
Hiruko stood up and took the tray, eating slowly by candlelight. Mei watched his every move. Hiruko knew she was ready. In the "survival of the fittest" Mist, strength was the only currency.
He finished his meal, drank some water, and smiled. "Do it."
If you give someone a promise, you have to show them the power to back it up. Hiruko had that confidence.
Mei immediately dropped into a stance, weaving signs for a simple Water Style: Wild Water Wave. It had little damage but high impact. Hiruko simply raised a hand, manifesting Wood Style. A small tree erupted before him, the water being instantly absorbed by its branches. Then, vines proliferated, surging toward Mei.
Mei froze. Wood Style?! In the world's eyes, there had only been one Wood Style user: Hashirama Senju.
Hiruko's vines surged like a miniature version of the Veritable 1000-Armed Kan'on. They whipped across the floor, the wind of their passage whistling past her. Mei was strong—one of the strongest of her generation—but against Wood Style, which could absorb chakra, she felt a sense of helplessness.
Suddenly, white mist like steam from a kettle filled the room. Most would think it was Hidden Mist Jutsu, but this was far more dangerous. It was a BUG-level technique. If you didn't know the trick, it was a "first-sight kill."
The mist swallowed the room. But it was just another illusion of Kyoka Suigetsu.
In the next instant, Hiruko burst through the vapor. He appeared directly in front of her, his hand like an iron clamp around her throat, lifting her off her feet.
"Ngh!"
"Stop...!"
Beads of sweat formed on Mei's forehead as the air was cut off. "Let... go of... me!"
"Ah!"
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