Escape From Konoha

The residence of the daimyo in the Land of Water mirrored its counterpart in the Land of Fire, serving as a crucial parliamentary venue for the country. The Daimyo and important officials from nobles convened to discuss major issues concerning the country's interests. Their visitor was the newly appointed fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura.

Yagura's ascent to the position of Mizukage was far from conventional. Though details were scarce, they who had infiltrated Kirigakure's ranks understood the means Yagura had used to suppress the dissent within the village and assume the role of the fourth Mizukage.

The meeting concluded in a mere half-hour, and Yagura exited the Daimyo's castle swiftly. Yagura's quick emergence surprised Mei, who had been waiting outside the building.

"Mizukage-sama, did your negotiatios with the Diamyp end so soon?"

With more than half of the high-level officials' approval and support from Elder Genji, Yagura's designation as the Fourth Mizukage led to a natural shift in Mei's address towards him. Apart from her, four teams of Anbu, totaling sixteen guards, accompanied him.

"Negotiations are a waste of time. While they make me angry, it isn't the right moment to completely turn against them." Yagura replied, indicating his reluctance to stay there even for a moment longer.

"Has the issue of funding been settled?" Mei was less concerned about the daimyo's attitude, she was more focused on the financial issues. Rebuilding most of the village required funding from the daimyo. Without their support, restoring the destroyed structures would be impossible. Moreover, pensions and subsequent weapon purchases constituted a substantial budget.

"Don't worry, they're as eager as I am to prevent such information from leaking. Consider it as hush money. They need two days to secure the budget for rebuilding, and it will be delivered in three days.".Yagura nodded, his purpose of his visit had been mostly achieved.

"It seems this delicate balance will still be maintained for a while."

The traditional mission-based mode alone couldn't make a ninja village prosperous. In comparison to Konoha, the funds garnered through mission rewards put them significantly ahead of other ninja villages. However, Konoha still relied on the Land of Fire's Daimyo to obtain adequate funds for village development.

The annual expenditure budget of a ninja village, let alone development, was an astronomical sum merely for maintenance. Money was an essential factor in strengthening a ninja village's power. Konoha had always been ahead of the rest of ninja Villages, and their daimyo was also the crucial reason.

Konoha's cooperation model with the Land of Fire, compared to Kirigakure's ties with the Land of Waterwas too far apart. However, the trust relationship between Kirigakure and the Land of Water's mobles had broken down. To foster development and strength, Kirigakure needed find an alternative path and not solely depend on the Land of Water.

"It's quite troublesome."

Ninjas devoted significant time to honing their skills; wealth accumulation was something businessmen and women only do.

"After the funds are approved, I'll secretly invest a portion of the funds in the Land of Demons' industries. Then, I'll send people there to learn about business and how to govern. I'm particularly interested by the three systems of military, political, and economic affairs which Chiba Shiraishi mentioned. If necessary, I might even go there myself." While a brief statement, Yagura had laid bare his ambitions, making it clear that his intentions extend beyond the current situation.

"It appears that Mizukage-sama has already made up his mind." As Yagura's confidant and one of the few essential figures around him with connections to the Land of Demons, Terumi Mei was knowledgeable about the country. She understood the significance of Yagura's decision for Kirigakure.

"Kiri has nowhere to go. I didn't want to do that at first, but if they dared to do it for the first time, there will be a second or third time... I don't like leaving troubles for later generations to solve. Anyway, I will break with them sooner or later. Let's start directly from my generation."

"I understand. The, allow go to the Land of Demons to be in charge of supervision." Mei volunteered, confident in her ability to handle the mission.

"No, I'll assign people with unfamiliar faces to go there, making it seem less suspicious. You're an excellent ninja in the village, and if you often stay there. It's easy to leave people with clues, and it would be bad if you exposed something. Moreover, there's another important task that I need you to handle." Yagura shook his head, rejecting Terumi Mei's proposal to go.

"Important task? What is it?"

"I've already planned to recommend you to Elder Genji, and he will train you in all aspects. You will be one of the candidates for the future Fifth Mizukage."

Terumi Mei found this surprising. The village had just started the matter of selecting the Fifth Mizukage, and compared to her being a candidate for no apparent reason.... it seemed too urgent.

Yagura, who was the new Mizukage, wasn't yet thirty years old, and he could hold the position for at least 20 to 30 more years. Typically, the selection of the next generation and the candidate selection meeting would only commence a few years before the retirement of the previous Mizukage. However, his retirement was still a long way off.

"I can't stay in the Mizukage position for too long." Yagura sighed. While he had a large number of supporters in the village, there were also significant dissatisfaction due to the unconventional means by which he took the position.

Even in the international scene, several people criticized the way he became the Mizukage. They compared him to rogue nins who troubled their country and hoped that the Land of Water would punish him. After the establishment of the one country, one village system, he was the only ninja who obtained the position of the 'Kage' in the form of a coup.

Yagura wasn't surprised by this at all by some people's verbal criticism. Instead, he found it amusing people made a big fuss about this, trying to deny his actions. If no one denied it, then there would be a big problem.

"Those rumors in the village..."

"That's not all rumors. I'm well aware of the consequences of my actions. Abdicating as soon as possible is actually a form of self-protection to me. But before that, Kiri must undergo complete transformation. I'll do my best to assist you in completing the groundwork... Of course, on the condition is that you become the Fifth Mizukage."

Yagura hadn't yet found anyone in the village who could surpass Terumi Mei at the same age. Strength was just one aspect of the evaluation; popularity, character, and leadership abilities were also considered. But for now didn't mean there wouldn't be in the future.

So Yagura didn't elaborate too much, confident that Terumi Mei would inevitably become the Fifth Mizukage. After addressing matters, Yagura returned to Kirigakure with his accompanying Anbu.

The defeat of the Blood Mist faction was inevitable. Even if some of them hide or flee, Yagura was unconcerned about their actions.

These people have become like bereaved dogs, and exterminating them with the Anbu was sufficient. Kirigakure's current main focus was in restoration and development, fundamentally reversing the village's development, breaking away from the traditional model of one country, one village, and aligning with the Land of Demons.

However, for Kirigakure, who relied on the Land of Water for development, such changes were not brought about by mere words.

Kirigakure lacked a proper system and professional talents for sustainable development. Nurturing and introducing these require time and investment, more than just beautiful words for the change. The crucial aspect was putting these words into practical actions, having unwavering faith in Kirigakure's success, and the determination and will to prevail.

After returning to Kirigakure, Yagura promptly received a letter from Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning. The meaning behind Kirigakure's questioning was evident: five hundred Kumo ninjas collectively disappeared in the Land of Water.

"Hmm... too much talk."

The letter didn't mention anything about their collusion with Fuguki. Why had five hundred Kumo ninjas suddenly appeared in the territory of the Land Of Water? Dealing with Kumo wasn't new for Yagura. During the reign of the third Mizukage, he represented Kiri more than once and held talks with Kumo's officials.

Yagura anticipated Kumo's intervention in Kirigakure's internal disputes, attempting to cover up the facts with a seemingly absurd reason. If he were in their shoes, he would question in a similar manner. In international affairs, matters were complicated, and distinguishing between black and white was never absolute.

"Submit this letter to Kumo's envoy, and let their Raikage personally open it." Yagura wrote his reply in a letter and asked an Anbu to forward it to Kumo's messenger. He either ignored Kumo's questioning or had no time to pay attention to them.

"Yes, Mizukage-sama."

"Hurry up and report to Elder Genji, don't make him wait for too long." After the Anbu left, Yagura spoke to Terumi Mei, who stood beside him.

"It's just that i won't be able to continue my work in the Anbu." Mei was quite disappointed. She had joined Anbu less than two years ago and was now about to quit. She felt a strong reluctance.

"You don't need to worry about things here. If you want to come back, you can at anytime."

Although Kiri has many capable young ninjas, most of them still paled in comparison to Mei. However, Yagura couldn't refuse Genji's negotiation, and this change was ultimately beneficial for Mei. With Genji's support, Mei was undoubtedly the strongest candidate for the Fifth Mizukage. Allowing her, the future Fifth Mizukage, who understood and agreed with his approach, to go to Genji for special training, he couldn't find a reason to refuse.

"It seems that this is the only way to go. Then, I'll go ahead, Mizukage-sama. I hope you will do something to make the voice of dissatisfactions disappear."

Taking off the mask, revealing a delicate and beautiful face, Mei wore a slight smile. She shouldn't be able to work under Yagura for much longer.

After Mei left, the temporary office returned to silence, leaving Yagura alone to process the documents. Then opening a specific document, the name of a Kiri ninja immediately caught Yagura's attention. His fingers began to tap rhythmically on the table, making a crisp sound, as he thought about something seriously.

"Hoshigaki. Kisame... he's someone who can be used."

....

Boom!

Inside a building, there was a loud sound of the desk exploding.

The Fourth Raikage smashed the desk in front of him with a punch, his face filled of anger. Then, he crumpled up a letter with both hands, tore it into pieces, and threw it on the office floor like snowflakes.

Mabui, who was stood aside, just sighed lightly. It really was this reaction, and this scene was completely within her expectations.

"Damn the Fourth Mizukage!!! He's only been a Mizukage for a few days and he talks to me so arrogantly! He really doesn't take me seriously!"

Although the specific reason wasn't stated clearly, seeing the Fourth Raikage's angry appearance indicated that in the letter written by the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, he must have said some very unpleasant words against Kumo.

"Please don't get angry easily, Raikage-sama. We have changed your desk six times this month."

The Fourth Raikage looked at Mabui and said, "It's enough to deduct these expenses from my private budget."

"Compared to that, I'm more worried about your attitude, which has nothing to do with the budget. As the Kage of a village, it would be wise to not show such emotion." Mabui suggested. After all, the Raikage's behavior of smashing tables in anger wasn't a wise move at all. He easily gets irritable and impulsive, which was actually quite unbecoming. As the secretary, she could only try advise him.

"Don't speak any more nonsense!!. If we fight against Konoha and Kiri at the same time, what's our winning percentage?" The Fourth Raikage asked.

"Instead of engaging with Konoha and Kirigakure at the same time, I suggest signing an armistice agreement. Because fighting two villages at the same time, we don't have such ample troops."

Mabui smiled wryly. 'What a reckless Raikage-sama' Even though she knew that this was a momentary remark from the Fourth Raikage, she had to tell the him that this was an extremely cruel fact. If they wanted to deal with both Konoha and Kirigakure on their own, even if all the ninjas from Kumo were wiped out on the battlefield, it was still impossible to win.

"What if we have Konoha as the only opponent?"

Kiri's Mizukage's nonchalant attitude made the Raikage very angry, but he also understood who their biggest enemy was, and he wasn't completely overwhelmed by anger.

"Well...according to the exact information, Konoha's Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato sacrificed himself to seal the Nine Tails. So, if we should start a war with Konoha now, the pressure won't be as great as last time."

As for the outcome, Mabui refrained from making a judgment. With her current limited abilities, she couldn't use the available intelligence to deduce the entire war between Kumo and Konoha, and predict who would ultimately emerge victorious. Despite the loss of the Fourth Hokage, Konoha still boasted many powerful ninjas, including the Sannin, making them a crucial factor in determining the battle's outcome.

"Then, pass on my order and start a war council against Konoha immediately." The Fourth Raikage waved his hand.

"Yes." Mabui nodded with a serious face and then brought up something else: "By the way, Raikage-sama, there is one more thing. Its about the Nine Tails Rampage, which resulted in the sacrifice of the fourth Hokage. How should we handle the three Konoha S-rank rogue ninjas mentioned who are attempting to get involved with the tailed beasts of the major villages?"

Kumogakure possesses two tailed beasts, the Two Tails and the Eight Tails. If Konoha's claims were true, this situation required caution.

"The rogues are Konoha's own problem. There's no need for us to clean up after them. Besides, this is probably just a smoke screen Konoha is deliberately throwing to divert our attention. We can't fall into their trap."

The Fourth Raikage remained unmoved. There was no need to pay attention to a conspiracy like this. Even if the information were true, he would prove that Kumo wasn't comparable to Konoha, having the ability to protect their own village.

Mabui nodded, exited the office, and promptly mobilized the Jonins in the village to initiate a war meeting.

...

October 23rd.

Since the last war between Konoha and Kumo ended, Kumo officially declared war on Konoha again after a year. They stationed thousands of ninjas in the Land Of Tea, seemingly preparing to attack the Land of Fire.

Seeing that another war was on the verge of breaking out, Shiraishi in the Land Of Demons who heard the information was naturally delighted, viewing Kumo's move as a strategic stroke of magic. However, there was one thing that troubled him. That is, for some reason, Konoha suspected him, Ruri and Ayame of planning the Nine Tails attack behind the scenes, leading to the sacrifice of their Fourth Hokage.

For the first time, the three of them were thrust into the world's spotlight, attracting considerable attention. Had there been any Konoha ninja presence in the Land of Demons, Shiraishi might have wondered whether Konoha had gathered critical evidence confirming their location was within the Land Of Demons. Now when he thought about it, Konoha either made a mistake and were making guesses... or... on the night of the attack Nagato had deliberately left misleading and important informations to trap Konoha towards them.

Shiraishi leaned towards this latter possibility. The chances of an inadvertent exposure were too low; it must be some fabricated information from Nagato, cleverly associating it with the three of them. Otherwise, the personnels placed within Konoha would have leaked no information, making it impossible for them to make preparations here.

"Why do you seem troubled by this?" Ruri noticed Shiraishi's frown, thought he had encountered a problem.

"I just find it a little troublesome. After all, if Konoha wants to find us, it won't be an easy task. Even if they were lucky to find us, they need to send a ninja with corresponding strength. As far as I know, there's no such ninja within Konoha."

So, Shiraishi wasn't too concerned about this aspect. Though he had an interest in the tailed beasts, obtaining a complete tailed beast wasn't necessary for his research. However, the rest of the ninja village might not share the same perspective. Konoha's Hokage publicized his voice within the ninja world suggested that their influence was more positive and likely to gain people's approval. This was the limitation of being a rogue ninja.

"Do you plan to ignore it?"

"Well, don't bother with them. Konoha wants us to make mistakes and reveal our whereabouts. They're underestimating the power we hold. Let Konoha misjudge the resources and power in our hand. That's fine."

"It seems like it will be a prolonged battle."

"Yes, since that's the case, would you like to accompany me to the Land of Snow?"

Shiraishi laughed at this moment.

"Land Of Snow? Did something happen there?"

Ruri stopped and asked.

"I spent a year improving the previous chakra armor technology. Not long ago, the new series of chakra armor was developed. I'm going there to test the specific performance of the new chakra armor, to see if it can be mass-produced and equipped by ninjas on a large scale."

"The new Chakra armor...sounds interesting. I can go and have a look."

Ruri found it interesting and nodded in agreement.

"It shouldn't be too late. Let's set off in the afternoon. Just, we need to come back before the end of this month."

The comprehensive testing of the Chakra Armor's performance, its mass production viability, and subsequent research and development funds needed to be regulated properly. All of this would not be resolved within a few days.

As for why they needed to return before the end of the month, it was naturally because Ayane was about to give birth, and the results would be available within the two months of November and December.

As the father of an unborn child, Shiraishi naturally didn't want to be away from the Land Of Demons due to something in the next two months. It would be a pity if he missed the opportunity to meet his child for the first time.

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