In the mist-shrouded forest, Mei Terumī looked coldly at the several corpses before her. Their deaths were horrific, their flesh dissolved into a single mass. However, from the remaining scraps of clothing, it was clear they belonged to the Kaguya Clan.
"We actually managed to smoke them out. Nidaime(2nd)-sama's summoned beast is truly remarkable."
A nearby Hidden Mist Ninja patted the Ninjutsu scroll on his back, inside which the Great Clam was sealed.
It turned out that Mei Terumī's move wasn't just to test the trio of Amane and the others; it was a "kill two birds with one stone" plan to summon the Great Clam in the border region, while another team closed the net on external traps.
Now, these few had been killed by Mei Terumī herself after their intelligence had been extracted.
"After this incident, both sides should have a clear understanding of the situation."
Indeed, in the previous meeting, it had been unanimously decided to exterminate the Kaguya Clan. However, the method of extermination required careful consideration, as Mei Terumī's side was not yet considered the orthodox Hidden Mist authority.
To outsiders, perhaps their group—those who knew the Mizukage was being controlled—were the actual rebels.
Mei Terumī felt helpless and sorrowful, wondering how many people would be left even if they succeeded this time.
But thinking of the trio including Amane, as well as Chōjūrō and the others, she couldn't help but feel pleased. They all held hope of becoming the Hidden Mist's future talents.
Fresh water still flowed from the source.
Swish, swish, swish!
Several figures appeared before Mei Terumī. They were comrades covered in wounds and blood, wearing Hidden Mist Forehead Protectors, led by Nakamura Iku.
"Good work. What's the result?"
Nakamura Iku first glanced at the gruesome corpses on the ground, then reported, "It's settled. This was the third Kaguya Clan stronghold. They shouldn't be far from launching a general offensive."
Mei Terumī nodded. Counting the three strongholds they had just uprooted, the Kaguya Clan had been pushed to their wits' end.
But the next part was crucial. One wrong move and they would suffer massive losses. However, with proper calculation, the Kaguya Clan could become an unexpected asset.
One must know that since Kirigakure began persecuting the Bloodline Limit Clans, this group hadn't just been targeting Mei and her allies.
"Then take a good rest for a while. Nakamura Iku, come with me for a moment."
Mei Terumī gave a charming smile, making Nakamura Iku wonder if he had inadvertently revealed a flaw somewhere.
The two of them walked aside privately.
"I want to take Hibiki Tian Yin as my direct subordinate and disciple."
As soon as she spoke, Nakamura Iku's pupils constricted sharply!
[Was she too flashy after all?]
In just a few days, Amane had made a big name for herself; she was indeed still too young.
On the other hand, Nakamura Iku felt Amane had done well. Because of this, it would be much easier for Amane to succeed in the upcoming operations than for him, which was also why Nakamura Iku felt slightly conflicted.
Clearly, Amane wasn't afraid of death.
On one hand, it proved her devotion to Lord Danzo; on the other, she seemed to have forgotten the original orders.
"It is that child's good fortune to be favored by Lady Terumi, but surely you don't intend to take her to the battlefield now?"
Facing Nakamura Iku's somewhat sharp gaze, Mei Terumī shrugged and said helplessly, "How could I? Although she's qualified as a Sensing Ninja to be on the battlefield, her shortcomings in other areas are far too obvious. And..."
Mei Terumī's eyes held a sense of familiarity and determination.
"The Hidden Mist Village cannot return to being the Village of the Bloody Mist. She's only a seven-year-old child."
Hearing this, Nakamura Iku couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
What of it if she's seven? Rather, this age is the best time for molding. With proper guidance and methods, she will surely become a sharp tool like those in Root!
What was wrong was the mindless internal slaughter during the bloody mist era, not that kind of bloody, high-pressure conduct.
Mei Terumī's womanly compassion made her no cause for concern.
"I see. If that's the case, then I'll leave the child in your care."
[In that case, Jiu's move has truly become a brilliant play. Was it her calculation or just a coincidence?]
Seeing Nakamura Iku agree, Mei Terumī felt a slight sense of joy.
What Mei Terumī valued most was this Hibiki Tian Yin, whose background was questionable.
The original plan for her assessment was to use the Great Clam to cast Genjutsu, then have subordinates masquerade as enemies to fight her. But the first unexpected thing was that her movements were discovered before implementation, so Mei Terumī decided on a whim to swap Amane in.
This discovery by Amane meant she could immediately serve as a Sensing Ninja on the battlefield, and unless her luck was terrible, she should be quite effective.
This was the judgment of someone who had experienced the last Ninja World War.
Secondly, possessing a Chunin-level Chakra capacity at only seven years old meant Amane's future growth ceiling was very high. On top of that, being able to extend a normal Sensing Technique to the kilometer range showed her Chakra control was also exceptional.
Thus, in Mei Terumī's view, even if Amane couldn't learn her Bloodline Limit in the future, she would very likely become an outstanding Jonin—a candidate for Kage.
"Hahaha, then it's settled."
With her mind made up, Mei Terumī had already devised a training plan. This was her first time taking on a subordinate and a disciple; she had to make a name for herself!
First was Ameyuri Ringo.
This child was a genius, and a rare Hidden Mist Ninja specializing in Lightning Release. Like Chōjūrō, she had been pre-selected as a candidate for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist early on.
Therefore, the focus would be on training her Lightning Release Kenjutsu. Given that Ringo Yuriko had already mastered Lightning Nature Transformation, she would likely be qualified to use the Kiba swords in half a year at most.
Thinking of this, Mei Terumī couldn't help but feel a wave of sorrow.
Currently, the seven swords were mostly with the controlled Mizukage. The Kiba and the executioners blade were no longer in the Hidden Mist.
Jūzō Biwa and Raiga Kurosuki, along with Suikazan Fuguki, were survivors of the last Ninja World War. Later, due to their dissatisfaction with the Hidden Mist, they defected, and these two swords were lost as a result.
Next was Minazuki Yoru.
The simplest one—a child who only needed life-and-death combat experience to soar.
She would arrange for several prisoners of war to stage "accidental" encounters and battles with her, repeating this a few times. For her regular training, she would just hand over the Yuki Clan's documents.
And finally, Hibiki Tian Yin.
Mei Terumī planned to test her Ninjutsu talent first; priority should still be given to expanding her offensive methods.
If this step proved effective, she could further study Water and Lightning Nature Transformations. If her talent for Ninjutsu was slightly inferior, she would focus on Sensing Techniques after learning a few offensive jutsu.
[With Chunin-level Chakra, let's try the Great Waterfall Technique, Water Dragon Bullet, Water Encampment Wall, and Exploding Water Colliding Wave.]
One A-rank and three B-rank; for a beginner, this was practically insane. But these were the most common moves for Water Release Ninja in battles above the Chunin level, except for the Water Dragon Bullet.
And the Water Dragon Bullet was what Mei Terumī truly intended to use to test Amane's talent.
Firstly, as a B-rank Ninjutsu, its Chakra consumption was something Amane could afford. Secondly, and most importantly, a Ninja who hadn't studied Shape Transformation or Nature Transformation would need to perform a huge number of hand seals!
This was a test of both Ninjutsu talent and talent for hand seals—killing two birds with one stone.