Kirigakure.
In the top-floor conference room of the Mizukage Building,
Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumi sat alongside the village's elders and senior leadership. Nearly all of the Hidden Mist's top officials were present. The entire room was shrouded in a heavy, suffocating tension.
"So... the day has finally come."
The village's elder, voice trembling with age, broke the silence.
Just one day ago, intelligence had arrived: after four years of quiet, Konoha had once again taken action. Led by Kakashi of the Sharingan, a large number of Konoha shinobi had entered the Land of Earth.
Negotiations with Iwagakure had ultimately failed. Kakashi had led a decisive assault and completely crushed the Iwagakure. With Iwagakure now wiped from the map, only one of the Five Great Hidden Villages remained, Kirigakure
Though separated from the Land of Fire by a vast sea, any seasoned ninja could now feel the almost suffocating pressure emanating from Konoha, from the heart of the Land of Fire.
Everyone in the room already understood it deep down:
The unification of the ninja world was now inevitable. After centuries of fragmentation, the shinobi world would once again be united.
The Five Great Nations and their Hidden Villages would soon be nothing more than history.
The only question left was: how much time remained?
Judging by Konoha's current state, a portion of its forces would be tied up managing the conquered Land of Earth and overseeing Iwagakure's integration. That meant they likely wouldn't attack Hidden Mist immediately.
But that grace period wouldn't last long. In two, maybe three years at most, Konoha would turn its eyes to them.
And when that time came... they would have no means of resisting.
In truth,
Hidden Mist was now like someone drowning, flailing at the surface. All it would take was for Konoha's hand to reach beneath the water, tug their leg, and drag them down into the depths.
"Mizukage, what's your opinion...?"
The elder, face etched with deep wrinkles and age spots, turned toward Mei Terumi with frail eyes.
Mei Terumi swept her gaze slowly across the room, a faint glimmer of resignation flickering in her pupils.
She remembered what Kaede once said to her: that the unification of the shinobi world was only a matter of time. Back then, she'd found it hard to believe, but now it was standing right in front of her.
Truth be told, what she felt in her heart now was: If it's a man like him... I wouldn't mind being conquered. Since the storm was already at their gates, there was no point in resisting anymore.
"Konoha can no longer be opposed."
Her words were calm but final.
The tension in the room tightened further. The shinobi present clenched their fists. Chojuro, standing behind her, grit his teeth with clear frustration.
"We're separated by the ocean from the Land of Fire," someone protested through clenched teeth. "If we rely on the sea as a natural barrier, it won't be that easy for Konoha to launch a full-scale assault."
No one else spoke.
Everyone knew that was just self-deception. Empty bravado meant to preserve their pride for a little while longer.
Use their heads as a defense line?
Konoha's strength now was simply overwhelming. Even just the Fifth Hokage, Hatake Kaede, who stood alone at the peak of the shinobi world, was a force far beyond anything the Hidden Mist could contend with.
They still remembered the battle years ago, when Kaede fought Uchiha Obito right in their own village, the sheer scale of that battle was seared into their memories.
And even setting Kaede aside,
There was Kakashi of the Sharingan, Shisui the Teleporter, the Three-tails and Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, Orochimaru's dark hand, the genius Uchiha Itachi, the Blue Beast Might Guy, the angelic Konan...
Each one of them rivaled or surpassed the former Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. In particular, Kakashi of the Sharingan, Kaede's own brother, had in recent years shocked the entire ninja world with his strength.
And more than that,
All seven of the Hidden Mist's legendary swords were now in Konoha's possession. Every single Tailed Beast was also in their hands. Just imagining their military strength was enough to make one despair.
"The unification of the shinobi world is now an unstoppable force. It's a tide we cannot resist. So rather than wait for Konoha to knock on our door... we should take the initiative."
Mei Terumi spoke in a low voice, "I will depart for Konoha in a few days to negotiate the terms of becoming a subordinate village. That way, the Hidden Mist might be able to preserve more of itself."
"Mizukage-sama…"
Ao's fists clenched at her side.
Mei Terumi had only recently taken the position of Fifth Mizukage. And now, she would have to go to Konoha to surrender, becoming the last Mizukage in the history of the Hidden Mist.
She was still so young, and yet she was being forced to carry such a burden.
All around the room, the jonin sat in grim silence, fists clenched tightly.
"Let me go."
Ao looked at her. "Mizukage-sama, please stay here in the village. Let me handle this."
Mei Terumi stared at him. "No. I'm the Mizukage. This is my responsibility."
Ao stood up, determination flashing in his eyes. "Then let me take the fall. Let me be the one remembered as the traitor. You're too young to carry the shame of surrendering the Hidden Mist."
Chojuro gritted his teeth and growled, "Mizukage-sama... we should just fight them!"
Mei Terumi: "..."
Right now, she really wanted to throw both of them out of the room.
Just as she sighed and rubbed her temples,
A sudden, unfamiliar chakra surged outside the meeting room.
And then,
Boom!!!
The entire conference room exploded into rubble!
Dust filled the air. Ao, Chojuro, and the others leapt out in alarm, their expressions quickly shifting.
Konoha is attacking already?!
But the moment they got outside, they all froze.
The one who had attacked the meeting room, floating above them in midair, didn't match any known Konoha ninja!
"So many interesting chakra signatures…"
Otsutsuki Urashiki floated in the sky, a red fishing rod resting lazily across his shoulders. He smiled down at the scattering shinobi below.
"Before I collect the God Tree's fruit, I suppose I'll help myself to a little... appetizer. And gather some intelligence while I'm at it."
"Who are you?!"
Mei Terumi's face changed, eyes locked on the floating figure, a sharp sense of danger flaring in her chest, an instinctual threat she couldn't ignore.
"Hehehe… my name?"
Urashiki chuckled. With a flick of his rod, the red line shot forward like lightning, piercing Chojuro's chest.
"Chojuro!"
Ao cried out in shock, activating his Byakugan and locking onto Urashiki, only for his whole body to tremble violently. The ocular pressure coming from Urashiki's gaze overwhelmed him instantly.
Urashiki gave his rod a tug, and a glob of chakra was pulled from Chojuro's body into his hand. He turned toward Ao with interest.
"Byakugan?"
"Hmph… You don't have Hyuga blood. That eye must be stolen."
Seeing Chojuro's chakra fade, rage flared in Mei Terumi's eyes. She formed a rapid series of seals and spat toward Urashiki.
"Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique!"
"Upset already?"
Urashiki laughed mockingly and soared higher into the sky, easily dodging her attack.
"Now then, let me ask a question…"
During his brief skirmish, Urashiki had gathered plenty of intel. He now knew all the Tailed Beasts were gathered in Konoha. That this world once revived the Ten Tails by uniting all its chakra, and that the one who stopped it was a single man.
The strongest shinobi in this world.
His name was Hatake Kaede.
"So if I just absorb his chakra… then collect the Tailed Beasts… I can replant the God Tree."
Urashiki's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Mei Terumi, panting and depleted, glared up at him coldly. "I don't know where you're from, but someone like you... will never defeat him."
Urashiki scoffed. "My, how frightening that sounds…"
But just as he was about to stop playing and drain Mei Terumi's chakra,
His expression froze.
He turned sharply.
Behind him, dozens of meters away, space suddenly split open into a dark rift. A figure stepped out from within.
Bathed in golden light, cloaked in Six Paths Sage Robes, his blue eyes glowed with a strange, swirling pattern.
Hatake Kaede had arrived.
The Sage of Six Paths had sent word, and Kaede had come to the Hidden Mist without delay.
"Yomotsu Hirasaka… and that chakra…"
Urashiki narrowed his eyes at the figure behind him. "So, the one who inherited that traitor's power... you're Hatake Kaede, aren't you?"
That was Otsutsuki chakra.
This man was fundamentally different from the shinobi below.
"Just you?" Kaede floated in midair, eyes calm as he looked at Urashiki.
He raised his left hand. Black and white light surged forth and condensed into a sword, which he grasped tightly.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria