Chapter 83 – Conversation

When Terumi Mei woke up, she found a wet cloth—ripped from Kiyosuke's clothes—laid over her forehead, and a slightly scorched animal pelt covering her body.

A fire crackled nearby, and Kiyosuke sat beside it, roasting meat over the flames.

Seeing her awake, he handed her a coconut shell filled with herbal concoction and said,

"Lucky for you I was nearby. Even luckier, this island happens to have herbs that bring down fevers. Drink this and let yourself sweat it out."

"…What is this on me?"

"I ran into that thing while I was looking for herbs. Took it down. Seems this island isn't as small as it looks."

After all, large animals don't usually live on small islands. The environment can't support them, and it's not like they can just swim over here. Unless, of course, someone brought them here in the past.

"Drink it. Took me some real effort to find the right stuff."

He pushed the coconut shell toward her again. The dark, murky liquid inside made Mei shudder. She eyed him suspiciously.

"You're not trying to poison me, are you?"

"Hey now, come on. If I wanted to kill you, I could've slit your throat while you were burning up. Why would I go through all this trouble? Hurry up and drink it already."

Terumi Mei hesitated, lips pressed together, her cheeks slightly flushed—though whether it was from the fever or the fire, she wasn't sure.

"…Thanks."

"No need to thank me. You saved my life, after all."

"It's so bitter..." she grimaced after the first sip, her face scrunching from the taste. It was worse than a soldier pill.

"Bitter? Then close your eyes, pinch your nose, and chug it down. Not like we're in a position to be picky."

Spoiled noble girl. Does she even realize where we are?

Terumi Mei stared at Kiyosuke and gritted her teeth. Couldn't he at least say something nice to cheer her up?

Still, she wasn't the type to fuss about small things. With a deep breath, she downed the rest of it. The bitter taste was awful, but once it settled in her stomach, it did warm her up a bit.

Kiyosuke handed her a coconut.

"Here. Take a sip. It'll wash out the bitterness."

"Mm."

She took it, drank, and the awful taste in her mouth faded right away.

Feeling a bit better, she heard Kiyosuke say,

"Get some rest after this. Let yourself sweat it out, and you should be fine. Though honestly… you're a shinobi. How'd you even catch a cold?"

Mei shot him a tired glare.

"Shinobi are still human. And we were both soaked for hours. Why didn't you get sick?"

"Maybe I just have better constitution?"

As soon as he woke up, he'd used the little chakra he had left to evaporate the seawater on his body. Mei, on the other hand, had been stuck in wet clothes the whole time.

Wait a second—did I wake up too late? I missed the view!

Feeling a pang of regret, he turned back to the fire and picked out a nicely cooked piece of meat, handing it to her.

"Should be decent. Eat and then sleep a while."

Mei accepted the roast meat skewered on a peeled branch.

"Thanks," she said softly, blowing on it before taking a small bite.

"You sure it's okay to take care of me like this?" she asked between bites. "We're from enemy villages."

"You saved my life. I owe you one. Besides…" he glanced at her with a grin, "you're way too pretty to just die out here. And anyway, my village doesn't know where I am. They probably think I got captured or killed."

"You're awfully optimistic." She bit into the meat again, her eyes lighting up.

"…Wow, this is actually really good."

"Of course. It's just basic sea salt, but even that helps."

"Still not as good as the food back home. My family's chef is better."

"Well, of course, you're a noble lady. Folks like us never get to taste that kind of luxury. But hey—Konoha's Ichiraku Ramen? Now that's a masterpiece." He took a bite of his own skewer and sighed.

"I'd kill for a bowl of Ichiraku right now."

"Is it really that good?"

"It's the best. And especially now? I want it even more."

"…I want to try it someday."

"Then when this is all over, if you ever come to Konoha, I'll take you there."

"…'When this is all over,' huh." She shook her head.

"Let's talk about the future when we actually get there. The war's still going, and Konoha would never welcome someone from Kirigakure."

"Wars always end eventually. The real question is… will Kirigakure open up afterward?"

Kirigakure had been closed off for years, practically eating itself alive. If it weren't for the Third Mizukage holding things together, they probably would've torn themselves apart already.

Mei's expression froze. Everyone in the shinobi world knew about Kirigakure's brutal, bloody policies. For some, wartime was easier than living in the village.

"You guys in Kirigakure…"

He swallowed his bite and said,

"Your village needs to open up. If it doesn't connect with the world, it'll just stagnate."

Mei's eyes brightened at that. She nodded.

"You're right. Kirigakure should open up. But it won't."

She fell silent. After all, it was her village's problem. Talking about it with a Konoha shinobi wouldn't change anything.

Kiyosuke handed her another skewer.

"Kirigakure will open up someday. And you'll be the one to make it happen."

"…Me?" Mei blinked, puzzled.

"You've got two Kekkei Genkai. A powerful clan behind you. Natural talent, growing popularity… If anyone has a shot at becoming Mizukage, it's you. I bet the Hōzuki and Kaguya clans didn't respect you at first. But now? They call you Lady Mei. You've earned their loyalty. If it's you, I think you could revive the entire village."

"I-I'm not that amazing…" she murmured, cheeks burning and heart pounding. Not because of Kiyosuke himself—but because of what he said.

Mizukage…

"Of course," Kiyosuke added, "you'd still have to wait for the Third Mizukage to die. Oh, and the Fourth too."

That set her off.

"You damn Konoha bastard! Are you wishing for our Mizukage to die?!"

Kiyosuke waved it off nonchalantly.

"Just making a point. If the Third dies in this war, they're not going to appoint you. You're too young. They'll pick someone else. And by the time you're finally considered, the Fourth will already be in charge. Unless he dies too, you'll never get the position—even if you're old and gray by then."

…It kind of made sense.

"Why not the Fourth?" Mei frowned. The Third Mizukage had always been cautious—he'd never risk the village's future. But the Fourth…

Kiyosuke met her gaze.

"Because he'll focus on internal affairs. Not foreign diplomacy. I'd bet anything your village is a mess right now, barely holding itself together. He'll spend years cleaning that up. Outreach? Not happening."

He paused, then added under his breath,

...Not to mention, in the future, that guy gets controlled by Obito and practically runs Kirigakure into the ground. Guys like him—so rare nowadays. You're lucky to have survived.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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