After ending his inauguration ceremony as the Fourth Mizukage, the first thing Rei Kaguya did was open up the usage rights for Hyuga Makoto, who possessed the bloodline of the Hyuga main family.
Although Rei Kaguya, in order to ensure that Hyuga Makoto could be sustainably drained dry, did not immediately raise the intensity of his work to the maximum, when he saw the five female shinobi who had first obtained usage qualifications happily carry bentos into the room, he still could not help silently mourning Hyuga Makoto's kidneys for one second.
Watching this scene, Mei Terumi, who had only returned from the front line a few days ago before being caught by Rei Kaguya and used as his secretary, could not help rolling her eyes and grumbling in annoyance.
"That is about enough, Rei. Do not act as if you were not the one who ordered him to be turned into a tool for reproducing the Hyuga bloodline…"
"I am only offering a polite moment of silence. After all, I do not have experience in this field. Sayings like 'there is no field that cannot be plowed broken, only oxen that can die from exhaustion' are all things I heard from others. Since many people say that, what is wrong with me feeling a little sympathy for the only large livestock currently in our village?"
Rei Kaguya casually replied while flipping through another document that required the stamp of the newly appointed Mizukage.
"Hmph~ As long as Lord Fourth lets the word out, tonight your room can be filled with twenty beautiful female shinobi looking at you affectionately, waiting to reproduce descendants with you. Do you believe it?"
Mei Terumi pouted and said huffily.
"If you do not mind, you can spread those words."
Rei Kaguya replied without even raising his head.
"W-W-What do you mean if I do not mind!? You, you, you, you…"
Mei Terumi was directly thrown into a state of helpless confusion by Rei Kaguya's single sentence.
"Your current position is my personal secretary. You need to learn to help me share and handle those matters that can be handed over to you to decide independently, not stand in front of me and sourly say foolish things like I can become Kirigakure's number one pile driver as long as I want."
As Rei Kaguya rapidly handled the various documents left behind by the Third Mizukage, he expressionlessly changed the topic for Mei Terumi, who was currently silent and overheating.
"All right, let us not talk about matters that are still too early for the two of us. Have you considered the matter I mentioned to you before, Mei?"
"You mean the matter of partially disclosing the corresponding ratios of chakra nature transformations that compose Kekkei Genkai?"
When this matter was brought up, Mei Terumi, as a Kekkei Genkai shinobi, immediately developed a much more complicated expression.
She took a deep breath and looked seriously into Rei Kaguya's eyes with her emerald-green ones, asking word by word,
"Why did you suddenly think to ask about this, Rei? Based on your attitude toward the Hyuga and Uchiha clans, if you want to spread the Boil Release of our Terumi clan and the Ice Release of the Yuki clan, should you not encourage our clansmen to intermarry with other shinobi?"
"Because your Kekkei Genkai are different from ocular jutsu formed through mutated bodily organs like the Hyuga and Uchiha. In reality, they can be analyzed and reproduced."
As Rei Kaguya spoke, he began forming seals for Wind Release and Water Release in his hands.
Then, under Mei Terumi's astonished gaze, he extended his hand toward her and shouted in a low voice,
"Ice Release: White Coffin."
Piercing cold flowed out from Rei Kaguya's palm.
Then it rapidly condensed and transformed in the air, becoming transparent, ghostly blue ice crystals that tried to seal Mei Terumi inside.
Although judging by the current speed at which the ice crystals spread, Mei Terumi would still have had plenty of time to yawn, stretch, and use the Body Flicker Technique to escape the sealing range of White Coffin, she still stood there blankly.
She allowed the White Coffin's ice crystals to freeze her inside, and because of that bone-piercing chill, she could not help trembling all over.
"See? Although I only accidentally grasped the method of combining Wind and Water chakra natures and sublimating them into Ice Release during my training, compared to the members of the Yuki clan, both the strength of my ninjutsu and the speed at which I generate ice crystals cannot be mentioned in the same breath…
"But this is indeed no different from their Kekkei Genkai. It is true Ice Release."
As Rei Kaguya spoke, he reached his hand into the ice layer that was growing thicker and thicker, touching Mei Terumi's shoulder where she was frozen inside.
Feeling the real touch of Rei Kaguya's palm, as well as the surrounding bone-piercing chill that absolutely could not be fake, Mei Terumi, who had sparred against many Yuki clan shinobi during her time in Anbu, slowly opened her mouth inside the crystal White Coffin.
"Release."
The White Coffin sealing Mei Terumi instantly dissolved, vaporized, and disappeared into the air of the Mizukage's office.
If she had not seen and experienced it herself, Mei Terumi would never have believed that she had just been sealed inside a large block of ice crystal.
"Do you want a cup of hot tea to warm up? My current chakra carries a little natural energy. If I use it for Ice Release, the effect of seizing heat should be even stronger than that of the Yuki clan…"
Rei Kaguya poured a steaming cup of black tea and handed it to Mei Terumi.
Only then did Mei Terumi belatedly feel the stiffness in her body and the sluggishness of her reactions.
After clumsily taking the black tea and drinking a small sip, Mei Terumi let out a long breath and asked with complicated emotions,
"When did you start thinking about turning the Kekkei Genkai of bloodline families like ours into power that can be learned, Rei?"
"Probably when a teacher in the Ninja Academy introduced the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, who died together with the Second Mizukage. While doing so, he also mentioned the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, who had no blood relationship with Mu, yet had also mastered Dust Release, a Kekkei Tota one rank above Kekkei Genkai."
Rei Kaguya casually handed a specially made biscuit to Mei Terumi.
Looking at her weak expression as she nibbled the biscuit in small bites, he spoke calmly.
"From that time onward, I was thinking. Since even Kekkei Tota, which are stronger than Kekkei Genkai, can be passed down to others, then popularizing this power that surpasses ordinary shinobi to the jonin in the village who meet the conditions for usage, but can only use conventional ninjutsu because they do not know the exact chakra synthesis ratios, should also be possible."
"…You really have been thinking about major things capable of making people's jaws drop since you were a child."
After swallowing the biscuit and feeling her body and chakra become warm and active again, Mei Terumi raised her hand and lightly punched Rei Kaguya.
Then she leaned close to his ear and whispered softly,
"But if we hand over the synthesis ratios of the Kekkei Genkai we possess to you, what can we obtain from you in return?"
"Kekkei Genkai families are both stubborn and greedy. If you make them hand over the secrets of their Kekkei Genkai but do not provide equal or even higher compensation, even if you possess power that makes them absolutely unable to resist, they will hate you to the bone in private and try every possible method to retaliate against you…"
"Your chakra attributes, if I remember correctly, are Fire, Earth, Water, and Lightning, right, Mei?"
Rei Kaguya did not answer directly. Instead, he threw the responsibility of answering the question back to Mei Terumi through a question of his own.
"Yes. So what?" Mei Terumi tilted her head slightly, secretly guessing what answer Rei Kaguya would give.
"Then are you interested in learning Lava Release, which is sublimated from Fire and Earth, and Magnet Release, which is sublimated from Lightning and Earth? If I have enough research materials, perhaps I can even develop another Kekkei Tota different from Dust Release, which uses Wind, Fire, and Earth, and teach it to you."
Hearing Rei Kaguya draw an enormous pie for her without the slightest hesitation, Mei Terumi burst into laughter.
Her whole body leaned softly against Rei Kaguya. While working hard to control her emotions, she asked in a trembling voice,
"Then what if my chakra attributes only satisfy Acid Release's Water and Earth? In that case, I would not be able to eat the pie you drew, Rei."
"One cold fact. The basic attributes of Wood Release are also Water and Earth. It is just that the specific ratio has temporarily only been successfully mastered by Hashirama Senju alone."
Feeling the soft warmth leaning against him, Rei Kaguya raised the corner of his mouth and drew another incomparably tempting pie.
"…If you draw too many pies but cannot fulfill them, you will suffer a severe backlash, Rei."
Mei Terumi was silent for quite a while before finally coming up with this sentence to refute him.
"Just tell me whether you will give it or not."
"I can give you the Acid Release I personally possess, but the Terumi clan's Boil Release is not allowed… That way, at least when you fail to produce results to fool everyone, only I, the sole victim, will come to demand an explanation from you."
Listening to Mei Terumi's thoughtful and considerate answer, Rei Kaguya chuckled and hugged her slender waist.
Smelling the scent of her hair, he said cheerfully,
"As expected of a woman with the caliber to become a Kage. For the personal sacrifice you have made for Kirigakure's development, I will do my utmost to compensate you, Mei."
"Come on. If you can fulfill more than half of your promises, that will be the best compensation for me."
Feeling Rei Kaguya's powerful heartbeat, Mei Terumi closed her eyes.
Where Rei Kaguya could not see, her face turned red as she answered insincerely.