Although the meeting sparked plenty of discussion, the crowd wasn't nearly as shocked as they had been when they first heard about the war between Kumogakure and Konoha. Clearly, no one was surprised that Kumogakure had opened a new battlefield.
After the meeting ended, the Jōnin left the Mizukage's Office in pairs, chatting among themselves. Asuka walked down the corridor alone, quietly considering the possibility of the Hidden Mist Village joining the war.
Suddenly, a figure stepped in front of him and blocked his path.
"Lord Asuka, Elder Genji invites you for a talk."
Asuka looked at the ninja in front of him and realized he didn't recognize him. He was most likely a ninja directly under Genji. Without refusing, Asuka gestured for the man to lead the way.
Before long, the two arrived at a quiet, traditional house.
After walking through several winding corridors, Asuka reached a small pond where an old man was sitting beside the water, feeding goldfish.
The old man was none other than Genji.
Sensing Asuka's arrival, Genji waved him over.
Asuka stood quietly beside him. Genji did not rush to speak. Instead, he finished scattering the fish food in his hand, clapped his palms together lightly, and then turned to look at Asuka.
With a gentle smile, he said, "You must be Asuka. You are indeed as talented and handsome as Sora described."
"You flatter me, Lord Genji," Asuka replied respectfully.
"I hear from Sora that you wish to participate in the war?"
"Yes, Lord Genji. I believe the scale of this war will only continue to expand. If the Hidden Mist joins the war early, we can obtain the greatest possible benefits."
"It seems you have your own thoughts about this war," Genji said thoughtfully. "Do you know why I agreed with the Third Mizukage to temporarily stay out of it?"
"This subordinate does not know."
"Because our Hidden Mist Village is inherently weaker," Genji said slowly. "Whether it is Konoha or Kumogakure, their strength far exceeds ours—especially when it comes to high-end combat power."
"Our village seriously lacks Kage-level experts. Aside from the Third Mizukage, the only ones capable of holding their ground are mostly the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
"Because of this, I originally decided to observe the situation in the ninja world and wait for the right moment to strike."
Hearing this explanation, Asuka nodded repeatedly. The old man truly deserved his position managing the village's affairs.
"However," Genji continued, "your appearance has brought a turning point."
"To be able to fight a Kage-level opponent at such a young age without falling behind—if someone like you were to lead the Hidden Mist into war, I believe it could bring new changes to our village."
"Does that mean you agree to the Hidden Mist joining the war early?" Asuka asked.
"Exactly," Genji replied.
"Young man, I understand your ambitions. Having ambition is not a bad thing."
"I have lived for many years and watched the Hidden Mist Village grow step by step into one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. I know this village better than anyone."
"Although the Bloody Mist Policy proposed by the Third Mizukage has many flaws, the current Hidden Mist has no better choice. Sometimes we must drink poison to quench our thirst."
"The Hidden Mist Village has not tasted victory for a long time."
He looked directly at Asuka.
"But your appearance has shown me a glimmer of hope."
"So I have decided to take a gamble."
Looking at the frail old man in front of him, Asuka noticed a faint spark burning within that aging body.
It was the old man's love and faith in the Hidden Mist Village.
With a solemn expression, Asuka made a promise.
"Lord Genji, I promise you—while I am here, the Hidden Mist will shine again!"
The two continued talking for quite a while. Most of the time, Genji spoke while Asuka listened.
Perhaps because he had finally seen hope, Genji showed a talkative side that didn't quite match his lofty status.
By the time Asuka finally took his leave, several hours had passed without him even noticing.
---
After returning home, Asuka did not begin training as usual.
Instead, he went to the yard and quietly organized his thoughts.
"Now that Genji has agreed to join the war, the ninja clans will surely follow. With Terumi Sora persuading them, more clans will inevitably support the decision."
"That means the only remaining obstacle is the Third Mizukage."
"But given the current situation, he won't be able to stop it."
Asuka understood clearly that the strength he had displayed had given the Hidden Mist a huge boost in confidence.
The various factions within the village could no longer suppress their desire to enter the battlefield.
Sooner or later, the Third Mizukage would have to compromise.
And just as Asuka expected, that day finally arrived.
Following the Mizukage's call to arms, Asuka once again stood inside the Mizukage's Office.
The Jōnin around him all wore excited expressions. Through their own channels, they had already guessed the purpose of this gathering.
From the main seat, the Third Mizukage looked at the assembled ninjas and spoke slowly.
"Everyone… the war has begun."
The room immediately erupted in exclamations.
Even though they had expected this outcome, hearing the declaration directly from the Mizukage still shocked them.
"Lord Mizukage, which village are we fighting?"
"Yes, Lord Mizukage! Are we declaring war on Iwagakure as well?"
The Third Mizukage raised his hand, silencing the crowd.
"Our target is not Iwagakure."
"If we are going to wage war, we must aim for the country with the richest resources."
"We are declaring war on Konoha."
His announcement was like a stone thrown into a turbulent sea, instantly sending waves through the entire room.
The already lively atmosphere became even more intense.
"I will now begin the pre-war deployment," the Third Mizukage said as he stood up.
One by one, he issued detailed orders, assigning tasks to the many Jōnin present.
Asuka was given a particularly heavy responsibility.
He would serve as the commander of the first surprise attack force, leading the Hidden Mist's vanguard in an assault against Konoha.
After the meeting ended, the Hidden Mist's war machine immediately began operating at full capacity.
Weapons and supplies were transported in an orderly flow toward the border between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire.
As the commander of the vanguard, Asuka had the authority to choose the ninjas who would join his force.
Without hesitation, he selected most of the ninjas from the Fourth Squad.
As the days passed, the atmosphere within the village grew increasingly tense.
Fully armed ninja squads continuously departed for the border.
Finally, Asuka received the order to move out.
On the night before departure, Asuka gathered the members of the Fourth Squad for a meal.
Raising his glass, he looked at everyone around the table.
"This mission is different from anything we've done before."
"This is a war between nations."
"As the vanguard force, the dangers we will face are obvious."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"After this mission, some of us may never see each other again."
"But I promise I will do everything in my power to bring everyone back safely."
His words made the atmosphere heavy for a moment.
Soon, however, the squad members began laughing and joking again.
"Captain, I won't die on the battlefield. I'm still waiting to come back and get married!"
"Don't worry, Captain. I'm tough as nails. I won't die that easily."
"Exactly! Haven't we all seen the Captain's strength? I believe he'll definitely bring us all back."
Encouraging each other, they drank freely.
Before long, many of them were drunk.
Early the next morning, just as the sky began to brighten—
No one knew how many of those present would still be alive after the war.
Asuka led the fully armed ninja force out of the village.
---------------Author---------------
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