On the other side of the village, within the Hōzuki clan compound.
The Hidden Mist Village was built among the mountains, with a well-developed water system where the village sat nestled against the slopes and overlooking the water. On the far side of the valley lay a massive lake, and in the center of that lake was an island.
The Hōzuki clan, masters of Water Style secret techniques, had established their home here. Even within the Hidden Mist, it was considered one of the most secluded and secure locations.
At this moment, a secret meeting of the Hidden Mist Elder Council was underway.
"We have received word that Iwagakure has invaded the Land of Fire with a thousand elites. They have already crushed the last garrison led by the Hidden Leaf's western front commander, Hamaki Mimura. The situation in the Land of Grass has completely deteriorated."
"Based on this, it is expected that the Third Hokage will personally head to the front lines."
"The Hidden Mist only needs to increase its troop strength and push the battle line forward. By coordinating with Iwagakure in the Land of Grass and Amegakure in the Land of Rain, there is a high probability we can drive the Hidden Leaf into a total dead end."
"We could even push the front line all the way into the heart of the Hidden Leaf Village itself!"
In the circular briefing hall illuminated by bright fluorescent lights, an old man with a messy beard spoke with gleaming eyes. He scanned the few elders seated around the table. From top to bottom, they represented the Yuki clan (whom he spoke for), the Terumī clan, and the Hōzuki clan. At the head of the table sat a bald old man in a yellow robe, a snake-headed wooden staff resting by his side.
The old man's eyes were half-closed, appearing as though he had no interest in the topics being discussed at this vital meeting.
The messy-bearded elder from the Yuki clan looked up. "Everyone, this truly is a golden opportunity. The conditions offered by the Kaguya and Shiro clans are excellent across the board. What do you all think?"
However, the elder from the Hōzuki clan shook his head and spoke calmly:
"Baishun, you'd better wake up. The Hidden Mist's military strength is only a third of the Hidden Leaf's. The battle we fought against Sunagakure has already cost us dearly. Furthermore, the 'Elite Selection' system we've practiced for so many years means we have no way to supplement our numbers."
"Our current temporary advantage is only because the world is in chaos; we simply happened to catch them at the right time."
"Once the Hidden Leaf stabilizes the situation in the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass, they will quickly be able to free up forces to deal with us."
"An overseas campaign requires resources, transport, and logistics—every bit of that costs money. We don't have it, and the Daimyo doesn't have it. Besides, the Daimyo didn't even support this war; it was the 'persuasion' of the Third Mizukage that forced his hand."
"The Third Ninja World War has been raging until now. Are you pretending not to see the massive deficit on the ledgers!?"
"What is most important now is to digest the spoils we've already seized and pressure the Land of Fire into ceding part of their coastal territory!"
"But..." The elder named Baishun frowned, about to argue, when—Thump! Thump!
The sound of a staff striking the floor rang out. A cold, ancient voice drifted across the room. "Next topic."
It was Elder Genji, sitting at the head of the table, who had finally spoken.
The three elders present fell silent simultaneously. They looked at each other for a moment, then toward Genji, and finally toward the doors of the meeting room.
The doors were pushed open. A young girl with fair skin, reddish-brown curly hair, and clear emerald-green eyes entered. She wore a blue off-the-shoulder dress and was accompanied by a Mist ninja in the uniform of the Intelligence Division.
"Elders," she began.
"The location of the Three-Tails Jinchuriki has been confirmed. Currently, he is by a lake in the eastern part of the village."
Upon hearing this intel, Elder Genji, who had been sitting at the head of the table, snapped his squinted eyes open, revealing a pair of amber eyes swirling with a cold light.
"Terumī Mei, is this intelligence verified?"
Beside Terumī Mei, the deputy commander of the Mist Intelligence Division nodded and spoke solemnly:
"It is! Usually, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki disappears for a period every six months, and no one except the Third Mizukage knows where he goes. Now that the six-month limit has arrived, he has not left the village!"
Hearing this news, though the elders already had their suspicions, they suddenly stopped talking. They looked straight at Elder Genji, who sat at the head of the table, leaning on his snake-headed staff in deep thought.
Everyone present was a core member of the Mist Elder Council. To some extent, they had all participated in the secret arrangements Genji had made—including planting people in key village departments, nurturing confidants, bribing every graduating class of the Academy, and even... supporting the 'Slicing Rain' coup organization led by Yagura Karatachi.
Everyone present harbored a guess: this old man was planning a coup. A coup to overthrow the Hidden Mist's leadership, rewrite the 'Blood Mist' policy enacted since the Third's rise to power, and usher in a brand-new era for the village!
However, despite laying the groundwork ten years ago and clearly accumulating enough power five years ago to oust the Third Mizukage at any time, the forces of the coup had been suppressed and hidden by Genji. He had even stood by while the Third Mizukage used the Hunter-Nin to eliminate dissent, purging the various clans' plants within the departments until the Mizukage controlled half of the village's influence, suppressed the Daimyo, and launched the war against the Leaf.
Yet Genji remained unmoved. The only constant was that every six months for the last ten years, he held this meeting on the island in the Hōzuki compound.
The content of the meeting was simple: monitoring the whereabouts of the Three-Tails Jinchuriki.
No one knew what Genji was waiting for, nor did they understand what he was afraid of. But today, this elder who held the true reins of power in the Mist stood up from his chair, his body trembling. Even the snake-headed staff in his hand tapped incessantly against the floor, creating a rhythmic echo.
"Good!"
"Good!"
Terumī Mei immediately stepped forward to support Genji, asking softly, "Elder, what is it?"
Genji took a deep breath. For a moment, countless images seemed to flash through his mind: a man with long black hair, arms crossed in arrogant defiance; a massive blue giant; a ferocious Nine-Tails; a terrifying attack that struck from the Land of Fire all the way to the Mist's shores... and after that, every time he tried to change the Hidden Mist, he was seen through and crushed countless times by those Sharingan hiding in the darkness. He had been forced to flee in terror, painfully cutting ties with his own blood relatives, eventually ending up alone...
Uchiha Madara!
Genji couldn't help but tilt his head back, his mouth curling into a wide, uncharacteristic grin as he laughed hysterically:
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha—cough, cough!"
"That man... is finally going to die!"
"That man... what do you mean?" Terumī Mei was stunned, not quite understanding who the "man" Genji referred to was.
However, Genji brushed aside Terumī Mei's supporting hand and stood firmly on his own. His cold gaze swept across the faces of everyone in the hall, and he slammed his snake-headed staff heavily onto the ground.
Thump!
He spoke with decisive, cold authority:
"Terumī Mei, you are to contact the Root members sent by Danzo in the name of 'Slicing Rain'."
"Tell him that as long as he can break the Third Mizukage's jutsu and help us overthrow him—"
"We will cease hostilities immediately! I will order all Mist forces to withdraw from the Land of Fire!"
The Hōzuki elder frowned nearby. "Genji, are we really going to cooperate with Root?"
Genji's eyes were like ice, his face calm as he uttered the most heartless words:
"Once we are finished using that Root ninja who masters Wind Style, kill him immediately!"
"That 'Ghost'... should be the one who personally gouged out and transplanted the eyes of the Hyūga Main House—Hyūga Yu!"
"He is dangerous. Perhaps even more dangerous than Danzo Shimura!"
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