Chapter 298: A Little Boy in Each Hand, Two Uglies Following Behind
Coast of the Land of Water.
Mei Terumi, who had just become the Fifth Mizukage, accompanied by a teeth-gritting Mangetsu Hozuki and the 'overage shota' Yagura, sent off Masahiko's trio.
Making a trip to the Mist Village, besides abducting Kimimaro, he also brought along Kisame as a bonus.
"I'm giving you three days to pay off your debt!" Masahiko shouted back over his shoulder.
"Rest assured, Senior," Mei Terumi replied.
Mangetsu Hozuki, however, gave a cold snort, turned, and went back to visit his heavily injured father.
After the Fifth Mizukage's inauguration ceremony, the former Fourth Mizukage, Hangetsu Hozuki, confidently went to Masahiko to 'ascend to heaven'. He felt that with his Hydrification Technique, even falling from an altitude of over a thousand meters wouldn't result in injuries too severe.
Masahiko expressed that he was too young.
Opening Sage Mode, Masahiko sent him up to an altitude of four thousand meters...
It took a full minute for him to fall back down. Even with a group of Water Release ninjas using ninjutsu to catch him, and his own Hydrification, he still ended up heavily injured and on the verge of death.
He didn't even think about it. Between leading the attack on the Land of Whirlpools previously and calling Masahiko an "old immortal of the Land of Whirlpools," how could Masahiko possibly let him off lightly?
At nearly fifty years old, suffering such heavy injuries meant he would pretty much have to "retire permanently."
"God, are we going to your kingdom? Ah!" Kimimaro stumbled and almost fell into the water.
Masahiko helplessly grabbed Kimimaro. "Be careful, don't get distracted."
After Masahiko's land reclamation, the sea distance between the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Water was less than ten thousand meters. If not for the mist, the two countries could truly see each other across the sea.
Masahiko didn't directly fly back with Kimimaro because he discovered that Kimimaro, who had roughly Chunin-level strength... couldn't walk on water.
"It's not my kingdom, it's my country. No, our country."
Kimimaro's face was full of excitement, but he didn't dare to get distracted by speaking, carefully controlling his body to walk on the sea surface.
Masahiko looked back. Mei Terumi and Yagura were still watching from the coast of the Land of Water. The current distance was about... two hundred meters, and they had been walking for about... twenty minutes.
"Truly a vast distance, the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Water."
Kisame's face looked grim, the feeling of a bleak future deepening... Truth be told, his face had never looked good.
"Senior, shouldn't basic skills like water walking be practiced at any time? Why must he practice at a time like this?"
Masahiko shook his head. "You don't understand."
Kisame: "..."
How the heck am I supposed to understand?
Half an hour later. "Kimimaro, you're improving. We've almost covered half the distance, keep up the good work."
Masahiko offered a word of encouragement, looked around, formed a claw with his right hand, and sucked a large fish out of the water.
Mobilizing Fire attribute chakra, he quickly roasted the fish and handed it to Kimimaro.
"It's noon. Eat something, rest a bit, and then we'll continue."
"Thank you for God's gift!"
Masahiko shook his head. This child...
He caught another fish and handed it to Kisame.
"You eat some too."
Kisame was startled. "Thank you, Senior, but I don't have Fire attribute chakra."
Masahiko was stunned. "Sharks eat cooked food?"
Kisame didn't want to talk to him and rolled his dead-fish eyes at him.
...
It wasn't until evening that the trio returned to the Land of Whirlpools. After more than half a day of training, Kimimaro had fully mastered the basic skill of water walking.
Masahiko didn't notify anyone in advance of his return. He waved off a few elite patrol members who saw him.
Despite such a low-profile operation, there was still someone waiting for him on the shore, which moved him very much...
"Isn't this Zabuza the Swordless? Want to join our Land of Whirlpools?" Masahiko teased with a smile.
"Kisame Hoshigaki?" Zabuza was very prideful. Ignoring Masahiko, he looked at Kisame, the 'Mist Village celebrity'.
Masahiko didn't mind and struck back: "I invited Kisame. You're just a bonus that came with the little girl next to you. The treatment is vastly different."
Even knowing Haku was a boy, Masahiko willfully called him a little girl...
"Mr. Zabuza," Haku spoke softly, looking as if he was afraid of hurting Zabuza's pride.
"Tch!"
"How many days have you been waiting here for me?" Masahiko asked with a smile.
Zabuza didn't reply, so Haku whispered, "Three days."
"Haku, don't talk too much."
Watching Haku carefully press his lips together, Masahiko shook his head helplessly. Not only did Haku look like a girl, but his movements were also like a girl's. Yet unreasonably, he was a boy...
As if suddenly remembering something, Masahiko turned to Kimimaro and pointed at Haku. "Remember, that is a boy."
Kimimaro nodded with an innocent look, and Kisame rolled his dead-fish eyes again.
"Let's go, follow me. Your Old Ancestor will give you official positions."
Masahiko took Kimimaro's hand, walked over to Haku, and took his hand too.
A little boy in each hand, with two uglies following behind—this was the entire harvest of this trip to the Mist Village...
Inside the Clan Head's hall, Masahiko led the four to find Nagato and Minato.
The 'Double Door' duo had been working together closely recently and had a good relationship. Under the guidance of the Fourth Hokage, Minato, Nagato's administrative abilities had finally improved.
Aside from the "yo yo yo" that he just couldn't change, he was looking more and more like a qualified leader.
"Yo! Teacher!"
"Great Elder!"
The two had long received news of Masahiko's return and knew he had brought back a few Mist ninjas, so they waited here for him.
Masahiko nodded and pointed at Kisame and Zabuza. "These two were originally Mist ninjas, you should recognize them. Now they have chosen to abandon the darkness and embrace the light, joining our Land of Whirlpools."
Zabuza twitched his... forehead, and Kisame rolled his dead-fish eyes.
Masahiko ignored them and continued.
"Adding Kisame Hoshigaki's Samehada, we now have five ninja swords. It's time to form the Ninja Swordsmen. I will figure out a way to get the remaining two swords."
Actually, in the Mist Village, Masahiko had the chance to ask for the twin swords Hiramekarei, but he looked down on that sword a bit.
The sword was too heavy, and its power depended on the number of enemies killed. Such a thing was somewhat useless.
"Give the Executioner's Blade to this guy without eyebrows. You two can choose the candidates for the other three swords."
Zabuza looked surprised. He didn't care about the comment about his lack of eyebrows; he just didn't expect to get a ninja sword so easily. He originally thought he would have to do something to 'show his loyalty'.
Nagato nodded, indicating he had noted it down, then hesitated slightly.
"Teacher, the Ninja Swordsmen..."
Masahiko scratched his head. "The Ninja Swordsmen don't need to have specific missions, nor do they need to act collectively. Just treat it as a special title for Jonin, the kind who take missions individually."
"Understood."
Masahiko nodded and looked at Kimimaro and Haku.
"These two children have special talents; the Ninja Academy's education methods aren't quite suitable for them. I will guide them for a period of time, and then I can hand them over to Konan or Kushina... or even you two."
Thinking for a moment, his gaze lingered on Haku's feminine little face for a second. "It would be best to find a girl to join them... one who is a bit pretty."
If Kimimaro and Haku spent too much time together... Masahiko was truly a bit worried.
☆☆☆
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