Kirigakure's Candidates for Battle

Mei Terumi picked up the profiles of Haku and Ranmaru, flipping through them while pursing her lips. They were just too effeminate. How she wished they were tall, strong, and imposing men! It would be so much more impressive to bring them to the Five Kage Summit in the future. But now? This? They exuded even more femininity than she did. If she brought them to the meetings, the other ninja villages might think Kirigakure was a village full of kunoichi.

Being the Mizukage was frustrating. Not only was she still unmarried, but she also had to deal with a bunch of odd subordinates. She lounged in her chair, lazily flipping through the profiles of the Konoha delegation.

She ignored the girls and the boys, focusing instead on the photos of two elite Jonin.

Kakashi... He didn't look like a serious person. Backup option, then.

Asuma?! Mei's eyes sparkled. This bearded man had a real masculine charm!

Ao was well aware of the Fifth Mizukage's quirks. He knew that her thinking had become rather erratic due to the Bloody Mist policy during her youth. After becoming Mizukage, the pressure had only made it worse.

At this moment, Ao shook his head repeatedly at her and whispered a few words.

The gist was: You can flirt with any man you want, but you absolutely cannot go after Asuma.

He's the Third Hokage's own son! If you two got together, how would you address the Hokage during the Five Kage Summit? Call him "Dad" right off the bat? Kirigakure can't afford that kind of embarrassment! Mei waved her hand dismissively, slumping back in her chair. "I know, I know. How boring. There's not a single decent man around."

Knowing this was just her usual behavior, the others didn't pay it much mind.

Gonbei picked up the documents beside him and began to examine them carefully. He was in charge of the village's ninja training program, effectively serving as the head of Kirigakure's Ninja Academy. Kirigakure's population was far smaller than Konoha's, and the enrollment rate had always been low. During Zabuza's generation, all the graduating students had been slaughtered, which terrified the village's ninja. For many years after that, the Ninja Academy struggled to recruit students.

After years of hard work, he had only managed to train one Chojuro. Gonbei cared deeply about the younger generation of ninja.

"Ice Release... Byakugan... These are children from Kirigakure's Kekkei Genkai clans," he sighed heavily. The Fourth Mizukage had been secretly manipulated, leading to many of the village's elite clans being wiped out in internal conflicts. Now, Kirigakure kept to itself, largely because it lacked confidence. Without the rise of a new generation, relying solely on the older generation was pointless!

Even Granny Chiyo, at seventy years old, knew it was time to retire and go fishing. And Genji, at ninety, surely wanted to live out his remaining years in peace. But he had no choice.

Genji coughed once. He was so old that he spoke very slowly. Everyone's eyes turned to him, waiting patiently for several minutes before he finally spoke. "Mitokado Homura from Konoha came to talk to me. He wanted us to participate in the Chunin Exams that Konoha is hosting later this year. I refused."

Everyone, including Mei, nodded in agreement. The Chunin Exams that Konoha organized were, in polite terms, a gathering of allied villages. In reality, they were all vassals. Sunagakure was willing to participate because they were the weakest. Kirigakure, however, was an island nation, easy to defend and hard to attack. Even with its declining talent pool, it was still stronger than Sunagakure. There was no need to grovel before Konoha.

Genji waited for a moment before speaking again, "But the young people Konoha has sent this time are indeed valuable. The Hidden Mist Village cannot fail to reciprocate."

Mei Terumi furrowed her brows. What was most important these days? Ninjas! Talented ninjas, especially those with Kekkei Genkai.

Both sides were well aware that Mitokado Homura, fearing they might play dumb, had specifically pointed out that Zabuza and Raiga Kurosuki were just extras. The real focus was on the two youths, Haku and Ranmaru.

Both possessed Kekkei Genkai and were relatively naive. By leveraging the bonds with Zabuza and Raiga, controlling them wouldn't be difficult. Once they were fully loyal to the Hidden Mist Village, the village would undoubtedly gain two new Kekkei Genkai families.

"Teacher, what do you mean?" Mei Terumi felt a pang of distress. Simply paying money or casually handing over a couple of low-level ninja techniques wouldn't suffice. They didn't lack such things. The Hidden Mist Village had to offer something of equivalent value in exchange.

Genji tremblingly pulled out a crystal-clear gem from his pocket, "The Hidden Mist Village is one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. We cannot be laughed at by Konoha. Cough... Let's open the Illusionary Maze left by the Second Mizukage. I heard Konoha has also sent a few children? Let them enter the maze with the children of the Hidden Mist Village and face the Second Mizukage's trials."

Mei Terumi immediately wanted to refuse, "Sir, if we do that, there's a high chance the Hydrification Technique of the Hozuki clan could fall into outside hands. Among the six Genin from Konoha this time, three are from secret technique families. Once..." Genji closed his eyes to rest, and Mei Terumi couldn't continue.

Once Genji made a decision, she, as the Mizukage, couldn't oppose it. Upon careful consideration, she understood the old man's plan.

Only the secret techniques of the Second Mizukage could rival two Kekkei Genkai families. This exchange was essentially trading secret techniques for Kekkei Genkai. It was hard to say who gained or lost more. Moreover, the old man was cunning. If you entered the maze and managed to obtain the Second Mizukage's secret techniques or ninja techniques, then you were skilled, and we would admire you. If you failed, it was your lack of ability. We gave you the chance, and you couldn't seize it.

This perfectly aligned with the ninja's values—everything had to be fought for and seized.

Mei Terumi thought for a moment and then turned to Gonbei, "Tell Chojuro to prepare to enter the maze and face the trials. Make sure the boy is confident. His skills are not bad; he must not embarrass the village!"

"Yes, Mizukage-sama."

She then looked at the usually silent Jonin, Midori, "Where has that boy Suigetsu Hozuki gone?"

"He said he left the village to search for a Ninja Blade."

Mei Terumi was frustrated, "I remember he's been gone for a long time? Could he have been killed?"

After considering the few young people she had, she found it difficult to even form a three-person team.

The representatives sent to battle would represent the face of the younger generation of the Hidden Mist Village. If they were defeated in one move, it would be too humiliating.

"Besides Chojuro..." Mei Terumi frowned in deep thought. There were so few suitable candidates in the village. Konoha could easily send six, while they only had two, and one of them was missing.

In terms of talent, they were lagging far behind.

Finally, she looked at Ao, "I remember that the combat abilities of Ice Release are generally quite good. How old is that child named Haku this year?"

"Fifteen years old."

"Inform him that the village has pardoned Zabuza's death sentence and will issue an official document. As a condition, he must fight for the village. Isn't that boy named Ranmaru a reconnaissance ninja? Have him join the battle as well."

Genji coughed lightly, and everyone immediately turned their attention to him.

"Ao, bring those two children here. I will speak with them personally."

"Yes, sir."

Genji personally took charge. For a seasoned veteran like him, manipulating someone as innocent and naive as Haku was no challenge at all.