Linto looked back at the dozen or so samurai who were still standing there and at a loss.
They were behind, a step slow, and did not have time to follow their master to "break like jade."
"Aren't you leaving?" Linto asked.
The samurai looked at each other.
Some knelt down on both knees, facing the direction of the Daimyo's death, and committed ritual suicide.
Some turned around and fled.
In the end, only one person remained. He walked up to Linto and bowed nervously.
"Master, can I take...the Daimyo's head back?"
Linto waved his hand: "Do as you please."
The samurai bowed deeply to Linto again, took off his clothes, wrapped the Daimyo's head, picked up his sword and turned away.
It was over.
Linto threw away the sword in his hand, looked at his dirty clothes, and decided to go back and take a good bath.
Just then, the sound of footsteps approached, and Linto turned around.
Terumi Mei rushed into his arms.
Linto awkwardly opened his arms, at a loss, not knowing whether to push her away or give her a hug in return. Suddenly, he heard a faint sob.
Hot tears dripped onto his chest, and Terumi Mei choked and said:
"That's great...it's over, thank you, Linto..."
Linto's awkwardness gradually faded: "Yes, it's over."
The Blood Mist Village was over.
Not only the Blood Mist Village of Kirigakure, but also the tragedy of the Land of Water.
The Daimyo had three sons, and no matter who took the throne, they would carefully consider the cause of their father's death and restrain their desires.
This was not an embrace with lust.
It was a celebration among survivors after experiencing hell together, stepping over the corpses of demons and walking out of the disaster.
The loyalists slumped to the ground dejectedly.
The reformers hugged each other and cried, cheering loudly.
The joy did not only belong to them. The news of Yagura and the Daimyo's death spread like a gust of wind through the streets and alleys, throughout the village.
Kabuki Street.
Iwamine Masako sat by the window, lit a woman's cigarette, took a puff, and placed it on the windowsill.
"To commemorate the poor women who died on this street."
She hugged her knees, looked towards the center of the battle through the curling smoke, and recalled Linto's smile.
"Master, you are really amazing."
Residential area.
Runa and Chojuro held hands, standing on the roof, looking at the stars overhead.
"Sister Runa, is this a miracle?"
"Yes."
"Our miracle."
She said, gently kissing Chojuro on the cheek.
...
Similar conversations took place in the streets and alleys.
Zabuza sat on the ground tiredly, giving Linto a thumbs up from afar, and said, "You're really something."
Linto smiled. His arm was no longer stiff. He patted Terumi Mei on the back gently and whispered in her ear:
"The Blood Mist Village is over, but your work has just begun...Fifth Mizukage, Terumi Mei."
"Huh?"
Terumi Mei suddenly looked up.
"Me?"
Linto shrugged: "Is there anyone else besides you? When you become Mizukage, we can talk about the final 'reward'."
Linto had three conditions for taking action.
A piece of land to build a village.
Terumi Mei becoming Mizukage.
And a promise. As for what the promise was, Linto had never mentioned it.
Terumi Mei saw the seriousness in Linto's eyes, let go of her embrace, and said in an equally serious tone: "No matter what the promise is, I will agree."
Pain's Six Paths looked at the cheering crowd and said to Konan beside him: "He...is indeed special. They remind me of some people from the past. If I had been stronger back then, maybe I could have made everyone laugh like this too."
Konan shook her head: "Everyone has their own path to take, their own problems to solve. It's just that we weren't so lucky back then. We encountered some unsolvable problems. What are you going to do about 'him'?"
The "him" Konan was referring to was Obito, who had fled.
This man who called himself "Uchiha Madara" would not give up after today's defeat.
Pain was his collaborator. Would he help him deal with Linto next?
Or would the cooperation end here, and the two go their separate ways?
Konan hoped for the latter.
"I will talk to him."
Pain said: "However, as for how to judge, I'd like to wait until you come back from your 'observation' and hear your opinion of Linto during this time."
"Okay."
Pain looked at the cheering crowd. Some complex emotions flashed in his indifferent Rinnegan, and then all disappeared.
He was no longer the emotional Nagato of the past.
He was the leader of Akatsuki.
He was the god of Amegakure.
He was Pain, who represented pain.
Pain's gaze finally fell on Linto.
"I hope we won't become enemies."
With that, he turned and left.
...
It was a busy night.
Victory did not mean the end of work.
Under the influence of the Three-Tails and Chibaku Tensei, large areas were turned into ruins, and many people were buried in the rubble. The ninja launched rescue operations.
Thanks to Aerosmith's carbon dioxide detection, by the morning of the second day, all the survivors had been rescued and were receiving treatment in a temporary medical area.
What followed was reconstruction, the Mizukage election, the trial and liquidation of the loyalists, and the disclosure of the truth to the public.
Linto did not participate in any of this. He, Sasuke, Momo-chan, Mayuri, and Konan were enjoying a rare moment of rest at the Onsen Izumi Inn.
Linto saw Terumi Mei again a week later.
Wearing the Mizukage robes, Terumi Mei had a touch more majesty than before, and her eyes were sharper. Now that Kirigakure was in ruins, every decision she made had to be decisive and swift.
However, as soon as her subordinates closed the front door, Terumi Mei immediately took off the Mizukage robes and threw them aside, slumped on the table, disregarding her image, and poured out her grievances to Linto.
"I shouldn't have agreed to you to become Mizukage."
"Sister, eat."
Momo-chan handed over an orange.
Terumi Mei spread out her hands, indicating that her hands were too tired to peel the orange, and turned her head to look at Linto pitifully.
Linto chuckled, took the orange, peeled it, and placed it in her palm.
"You've worked hard."
"Yes, it's hard."
Terumi Mei ate the orange and let out a soft sigh of satisfaction: "But seeing the village getting better little by little makes me feel like all the hard work is worth it."
She clapped her hands, took a deep breath, and sat up straight again.
"I'm here this time because I have two things to talk to you about."
"One is that everyone is planning to hold a celebration banquet tomorrow night and would like to invite you to attend."
Sasuke cheered: "Yay, a feast!"
"The other is that I'm here to pay the third 'reward'."
Terumi Mei stared into Linto's eyes:
"What exactly is the promise you're talking about?"
Not only was Terumi Mei curious, but Sasuke, Momo-chan, Mayuri, and Konan in the room also turned their gazes, waiting for Linto's answer.
What would the so-called "promise" be?
The wealth that Yagura had accumulated?
The power to mobilize Kirigakure ninja to kill enemies?
Or perhaps...
A beauty like Terumi Mei?
Everyone couldn't think of anything else that would be worth Linto's serious attention.
Linto didn't beat around the bush:
"I hope that you will let the ninja of Kirigakure no longer only serve the powerful and wealthy, but can spare some manpower to take care of the common people in the Land of Water."
"I hope that you will not be bound by the boundaries of the Five Great Nations, and maintain certain friendly relations with the ninja villages of other countries."
After speaking, Linto picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea.
Five pairs of eyes stared blankly at him.
Terumi Mei asked, "Only these?"
"That's all," Linto said.
"Taking care of the common people in the Land of Water and doing diplomacy with other ninja villages...but why?"
Terumi Mei did not understand.
Linto put down his teacup and instead posed another question:
"Who do you think our enemy is?"
---
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