Arrival at the Hidden Mist Village

Life at sea was incredibly dull. Two Jonin were tasked with guarding the prisoners, who, of course, were Raiga Kurosuki and Zabuza Momochi. Haku and Ranmaru were fiercely loyal to their respective masters and wouldn't leave unless their masters were rescued or ordered them to go.

For the first two days at sea, Naruto was quite excited, constantly chattering about how Tazuna and the villagers were building the "Great Naruto Bridge." The others responded half-heartedly.

Ino could only conclude that people in this world had an extraordinary obsession with "bridges" or perhaps with the connections between people.

The first head of the Yamanaka Clan had followed the Sage of Six Paths to build bridges. Team Minato had blown up a bridge during the Kannabi Bridge mission. Naruto had built a bridge in the Land of Waves. Then, during the Tenchi Bridge battle, they started blowing up bridges again. Finally, Danzo had gone and sealed a bridge. These few bridges had been through so much back and forth—had anyone ever considered how the bridges felt?

Naruto had always gotten along well with Shikamaru and Choji back in school, so Ino had no choice but to listen along. In just three days at sea, Naruto had brought up the Great Naruto Bridge eleven times.

By the end, Ino was thoroughly annoyed. She waved her hand and said, "You guys chat. I'm going to train."

After more than half a month, the group finally arrived at the port of the Land of Water after a long detour. They then traveled day and night with their prisoners, reaching the Hidden Mist Village in three days.

Team 10, experienced in the art of "internal competition," had trained with a good balance of intensity and rest. Plus, with Choji cooking for them, they were at least in decent spirits, if not exactly brimming with energy.

Team 7, however, was not faring as well. They had been pushed too hard. Both Naruto and Sasuke had bloodshot eyes. To those who didn't know better, they might have been mistaken for escaped prisoners who had been running non-stop, rather than members of Konoha's diplomatic envoy.

"Why does everyone look so exhausted? Kakashi, what's going on?" Mitokado Homura, the bespectacled Konoha advisor, questioned Kakashi and Asuma.

What could Kakashi say? "Sorry, my bad, I'm guilty!" Homura didn't have time to elaborate, so he simply gave a brief reminder: "During this exchange with the Hidden Mist Village, we can't be too aggressive, but we also can't appear weak. We need to showcase our strength. You Genin are the key to this mission. Remember, you're not just representing yourselves but also the village. Pull yourselves together!"

With that said, who dared to argue? Not just the six Genin, but even Asuma, the Hokage's own son, quickly stubbed out his cigarette, straightened his face, and put on his most seasoned expression to appear mature.

The Hidden Mist Village welcomed them with a Jonin named Ao, a man in his forties who appeared quite composed.

Ino specifically glanced at his right eye, which was covered by an eyepatch. If she remembered correctly, it housed a Byakugan transplanted from the Hyuga main family.

Ao's demeanor was neither subservient nor arrogant. He was familiar with the two rogue ninjas, Raiga Kurosuki and Zabuza Momochi.

The first order of business was the handover. The two rogue ninjas were handed over to the Hidden Mist's Anbu. Whether they were to be killed or tortured was no longer Konoha's concern. Along with them, Haku and Ranmaru, the "attachments," were also transferred.

Two elite Jonin, two ninja swords, and two exceptionally talented young individuals—Konoha's gift was of considerable value. The enigmatic elite Jonin and the ninja swords were nothing special, but the true worth lay in Haku and Ranmaru, two men possessing Kekkei Genkai. According to traditional views, if both parents were ninjas and the father had a Kekkei Genkai, the probability of passing it down through bloodline inheritance was as high as sixty percent.

Find them ten wives each, let them procreate vigorously, and in twenty years, the Hidden Mist Village would have a significant number of ninjas with Kekkei Genkai.

What? You say Haku and Ranmaru don't like women? That's not within the consideration of the Hidden Mist Village's higher-ups! Whether they like it or not, it must be done. If the men aren't proactive, the women can take the initiative! Ao spoke with both of them briefly. Ranmaru was still young, and his personality was hard to gauge.

Haku's personality, however, was truly excellent! Calm-minded, with considerable combat intelligence, and a powerful Kekkei Genkai. Most importantly, he obeyed orders and followed commands. Aside from being somewhat effeminate, he was practically the perfect tool. The Hidden Mist Village needed talents like him.

Ao didn't mind Haku's effeminacy. Back in the day, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, was also androgynous. Ao had grown accustomed to it. So what if he was a bit feminine? Zabuza, the tough guy, felt surrounded by effeminate men, so he took the Executioner's Blade and attempted to assassinate the Mizukage. We thought it was fine!

Ao solemnly promised that while Zabuza's attempt to assassinate the Mizukage couldn't be erased, as long as Haku remained obedient, the Hidden Mist Village wouldn't kill Zabuza.

After a brief consideration, Haku agreed to the condition.

Ao was considered a moderate within the Hidden Mist Village. He had been tasked with receiving the rogue ninjas to avoid conflicts between other ninjas and Konoha. He secretly used his Byakugan to inspect Raiga Kurosuki and the other three. The results were satisfactory—they were merely weak, and Konoha hadn't tampered with the captives. Their sincerity seemed genuine for now.

He led the group to rest in the village and straightforwardly reminded them to stay within the designated areas and not wander around.

Mitokado Homura understood this was a given. When Konoha hosted the Chunin Exams, they also didn't allow ninjas from other villages to roam freely. He nodded, indicating their willingness to abide by the Hidden Mist Village's rules.

Ao took his leave and soon reported to the village's current authority, Advisor Genji, and the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, who had been publicly claiming to be in training.

Currently, the real power in the Hidden Mist Village lay with Advisor Genji. Mei Terumi had no objections, primarily because the Fourth Mizukage had left behind a disastrous mess. The Village of the Bloody Mist had a notorious reputation, and the village's internal affairs were plagued by vendettas, revenge, and rebellions.

Mei Terumi was highly capable, but not to an extraordinary degree. She needed Genji's prestige to help her suppress the numerous conflicts within the village. The old man had served under the First Mizukage and was now ninety years old. In a world as brutal as the Shinobi World, how many more days did he have left?

Mei Terumi wasn't worried about Genji holding too much power. Time was on her side. Once the time came, the minor conflicts between them would cease to exist.

The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, sat in the main seat, while Genji, leaning on his cane like a flickering candle in the wind, occupied a side position. The room also housed two of Genji's trusted aides, the village's veteran Jonin, Midori and Gonbei, along with Ao. These five individuals represented the highest echelons of the Hidden Mist Village.

Ao was responsible for receiving the delegation from Konoha. He promptly reported his observations and findings to the group.

"Overall, the Hidden Leaf Village has shown sincerity this time. Setting aside the issue of the Ninja Swords, the loyalty of Raiga and Zabuza to the village is questionable. Reintegrating them would undoubtedly pose significant risks. I recommend long-term surveillance for both. However, the youths named Haku and Ranmaru are quite promising, with talents second only to Chojuro. I believe these two young individuals should be our primary focus."