"Hokage, isn't this a little too..."
Yama hesitated. The Kaguya clan and the Hyuga clan had a pretty good relationship. Wasn't he basically pushing the Kaguya clan into a pit of fire?
He had heard that the Third Mizukage did not have a good relationship with the bloodline clans inside the village. Going there at a time like this to add fuel to the fire was a little too inhuman.
"Yama, I understand what you mean."
"But you need to broaden your perspective. Although doing this will make the Kaguya clan's situation in the Mist Village more difficult, as long as they embrace the democratic and free Leaf in time, won't all their problems be solved?"
"After I took over the Leaf, you should know better than anyone how many benefits the Hyuga clan received."
Yama nodded. Haru had indeed brought the Leaf to an unprecedented height.
If the Kaguya clan developed in the Leaf, it would definitely be far better than developing in the Mist Village. Temporary hardship in exchange for long-term clan development was certainly worth it.
"As you command, Hokage!"
Yama no longer objected. He prepared to leave Haru's...
No, this was his own room.
"Then prepare properly this afternoon. Set out tonight. Sneaking out in the middle of the night for a secret meeting is what makes it interesting. The Mizukage will definitely... hahaha."
The corner of Yama's mouth twitched. The Hokage really was... humorous.
After that, Haru patted Yama's shoulder and left Yama's room, planning to return to his own room for a nap. He had drunk at noon and then taken a bath, so he really was a little sleepy.
Night.
Haru and Yama arrived near the Mist Village's station.
"Yama, have a safe trip. Make sure you express your meaning subtly. Don't be too direct."
"At the crucial moment, use that fake-sweet tone and say the opposite of what you mean."
Before Yama left, Haru was still worried, so he gave him a few special reminders.
"Hokage, what does fake-sweet mean?"
Yama was somewhat confused. He had never heard this kind of phrase before.
"Uh... It basically means a bad woman. Explaining it is a little complicated, so an example will make it easier to understand."
"Suppose you have a girlfriend, and the two of you have a fight. Then, suddenly, a girl with bad intentions appears beside you and says things like this."
"Don't talk about him like that. He's already trying very hard."
"If you say that, won't he get angry?"
"..."
"Do you understand?"
Yama half-understood and nodded blankly. So that was fake-sweet? Could that really count as a bad woman?
That clearly sounded like an understanding little sister!
Forget it. Since the Hokage gave the order, he just had to follow it.
Yama infiltrated the Mist Village's lodging area. He deliberately passed near the Mizukage's room, moving boldly enough to make sure the Mizukage would definitely discover his tracks. If the Mizukage still failed to notice him, then the Mist Village was doomed sooner or later.
"The Hyuga clan?"
When Mizuto saw those distinctive pale eyes, he immediately recognized Yama's identity, but he did not startle the snake.
A member of the Leaf's Hyuga clan coming to the Mist Village's station late at night had to be plotting something.
Mizuto calmly followed Yama and saw him sneakily arrive outside Genzan's room. After looking around, Yama knocked and entered the room.
The Kaguya clan and the Hyuga clan were on good terms. Everyone in the Mist Village's upper ranks knew that. If Yama wanted to catch up with Genzan, he could have visited openly during the day.
Coming to Genzan's room this late at night meant there was definitely something dirty going on.
Mizuto instantly smelled conspiracy and quietly approached the door.
"Yama, coming to my place this late..."
"To catch up with you!"
Like a magician, Yama produced a jug of local sake. It was mellow on the tongue and tasted excellent.
Between men, the best way to open a topic and further close the distance was naturally to drink.
Although Genzan was surprised by Yama's sudden visit, the Kaguya clan and the Hyuga clan had a good relationship. He simply assumed Yama had specially come to drink and catch up with him, so he did not make a fuss. He called for the inn attendant to buy some side dishes to go with the alcohol.
After several rounds of drinks, peanut shells were scattered all over the table. The two of them chatted casually while slightly drunk.
Without anyone noticing, Yama guided the topic toward the development of their clans inside their respective villages.
"Genzan, the Hyuga clan has developed especially well in the Leaf over the past twenty years. Especially after the Third Hokage took office. The clan has been rising higher and higher."
"That impressive?"
"You don't believe me? Do you know how much money the Hyuga clan earned by following the Hokage into business half a year ago? A full 1.5 billion!"
"How much? 1.5 billion?"
Genzan's voice suddenly grew louder, and he immediately sobered up quite a bit. The Hyuga clan had struck it rich!
That was 1.5 billion!
"That's nothing. Just a small sum. The Hokage takes special care of the Leaf's bloodline clans. Whenever he does business, he always calls us in. This year, the Hyuga clan's dividends alone are more than 1.5 billion. Next year, it will definitely be even more."
"Only by following the right village and the right leader can a clan develop and grow."
Yama sighed with emotion, his words carrying an obvious hidden meaning.
Genzan looked at Yama with envy all over his face. The Hyuga clan had really traded a musket for a cannon and become filthy rich. The ninja village system had only been established for a little over twenty years, yet the gap between the Hyuga clan and the Kaguya clan had already become this wide?
Back during the Warring States period, the two clans had clearly been about the same.
Now the Hyuga clan did not even take 1.5 billion seriously.
A small sum. A small sum.
He was so jealous.
Looking at the spirited Yama, Genzan thought of the unfair treatment the Kaguya clan had suffered in the Mist Village. Not only had their funds been cut, but the budget the Mist Village allocated to the Kaguya clan this year was not even a fraction of the "small sum" Yama mentioned.
Recently, they had also suffered a false accusation. Somehow, a rumor had appeared in the village, aimed directly at the bloodline clans. It claimed that bloodline clans were cursed, and that wherever bloodline ninja existed, death and war would inevitably follow.
What kind of nonsense was that?
Wherever there were ninja, where was there no death and war? Yet they insisted on dragging bloodline ninja into it.
Disgusting!
The bloodline clans of the Mist Village had jointly complained to the Mizukage, demanding that the rumors inside the village be stopped. This unhealthy trend had already seriously affected the reputation of the bloodline clans inside the village.
The bloodline clans had bled for the Mist Village and made contributions to the Mist Village. If the rumors were allowed to keep spreading like this, perhaps even employers who posted missions would become unwilling to let bloodline ninja carry out their tasks. Those nobles and merchants valued their lives very much.
But what they received was the Mizukage's perfunctory answer. He said he would investigate, that he would handle it, yet the issue had been dragged out until now without being resolved. Instead, the rumors were growing more intense!
It had to be that damn Mizukage manipulating things from behind the scenes!
For a moment, the alcohol rushed to Genzan's head, and he slammed the table hard.
"That beast of a Mizukage really isn't human!"
"Damn him..."
"He's simply *****"
"He's just an ordinary ninja. What right does he have to throw his weight around in front of bloodline clans?"
At the drinking table, Genzan used his drunkenness to curse Mizuto up and down.
Outside the door, Mizuto, who was secretly listening, had a terrifyingly dark expression. From birth until now, no one had ever dared humiliate him like this. His fists clenched tightly, and he really wanted to push open the door and teach this reckless Genzan a lesson.
However, Mizuto held himself back. For now, he still had to endure a little longer. Before figuring out this Hyuga clan member's purpose, he could not act rashly.
"Genzan, stop cursing!"
"If the Mizukage knew, wouldn't he get angry?"
"The Mizukage is already trying very hard. You can't..."
Yama kindly advised him, fully entering that fake-sweet role. However, the Kaguya clan had straightforward tempers, and now Genzan's anger had already been drawn out. Yama could not stop him at all.
"Yama, you don't know what that dog Mizukage has done. If you were in my place, you'd curse him too!"
"Not only did he cut the funds that originally belonged to the bloodline clans and move them over to those ordinary ninja, but he also recklessly spread rumors inside the Mist Village, slandering us bloodline clans as disasters that bring death and war!"
"Now the entire Mist Village, from top to bottom, is excluding us bloodline ninja."
"When we bloodline ninja were charging into battle for the Mist Village, that beast Mizuto was probably still playing in the dirt somewhere!"
"This is absolutely outrageous!"
Yama calmly drank his alcohol while listening to Genzan's complaints.
"Genzan, no matter what, Mizuto is still the leader of your Mist Village. You really shouldn't speak about him behind his back like this."
"This will only make the relationship between you more... Of course..."
Yama fully displayed the essence of that fake-sweet style. On the surface, he seemed to be speaking up for the Mizukage, but in reality, he was adding fuel to the fire. He was carrying out Haru's orders perfectly.
"Yama, it's easy for you to say that when it's not your problem. The Hyuga clan was lucky enough to run into a leader born from a bloodline clan. He's generous, broad-minded, and willing to spend freely. How is that anything like that dog Mizuto? All he knows is how to make things difficult for us bloodline clans."
"We bloodline clans won't let him off. Sooner or later..."
Genzan drained another cup of alcohol and spoke viciously.
"Sigh. Looks like you bloodline clans really aren't welcome in the Mist Village. It's nothing like the Leaf, where the Hokage greatly favors bloodline clans."
Yama followed along with Genzan's words. When Genzan heard this, he seemed to understand something. It was as if he had figured out why Yama had come today, so he spoke in a joking tone.
"If the Kaguya clan can't survive in the Mist Village one day, maybe we'll have to defect to the Leaf to make a living. When that time comes, your Hyuga clan will need to look after us."
"If you become rich, don't forget me!"
Yama pretended to be frightened and waved his hands repeatedly.
"Genzan, you can't say something like that carelessly. If your Mizukage found out, he would be heartbroken!"
"The Mizukage..."
Another round of fake-sweet remarks left Genzan confused. Could he have misunderstood Yama's meaning?
"Hmph. We bloodline clans won't keep putting up with that dog Mizuto. If this continues, we bloodline clans will sooner or later fall out with him completely. If we fail, the Kaguya clan really might have to seek refuge with your Leaf."
"We bloodline clans will definitely tear Mizuto to pieces!"
"..."
Genzan drank several cups in a row. By now, his words were already slurred, and his mouth had no guard on it. He dared to say anything out loud.
Yama felt that the time was about right. Just as Genzan was passionately cursing the Mizukage, he quietly activated his Byakugan and saw Mizuto hiding outside the door, eavesdropping.
"Who's there? Come out!"
Yama opened the door with lightning speed. Mizuto had been too immersed in listening and too furious to think clearly, so he was instantly caught off guard and had no time to escape.
"Mizukage?"
"Mizukage!"
Genzan was startled by Yama's cry and jumped up from his stool. His eyes carried fear as he looked outside the door, only to see the Mizukage staring at him with a gloomy expression.
Why did that dog Mizuto have such a disgusting habit of eavesdropping outside doors? Had he only just arrived, or had he been there the entire time?
If he had been there the whole time...
Hiss.
Genzan could not guarantee that he would live through tonight.
Just a short while ago, he had cursed Mizuto up and down and said all kinds of treasonous things.
Tearing the Mizukage to pieces, inciting the bloodline clans to launch a coup, defecting to the Leaf.
"Hmph. Mizukage?"
"Do you even see me as your Mizukage? Weren't you just having a great time cursing me? Weren't you going to tear me to pieces? Come on, then!"
Since Mizuto saw that he could no longer hide, he simply attacked directly. In any case, he was not the one in the wrong. This damn Kaguya clan ninja had said plenty of treasonous things.
Even if he killed him right now, there would be no problem.
As long as he exaggerated the seriousness of the matter, he could even drag in the bloodline clans behind him. That would give him another chance to weaken those damn bloodline clans. This opportunity had been handed over by them themselves, so they could not blame him for being ruthless.
Mizuto revealed a dark gaze, staring at Genzan as if looking at a dead man.
"Mizukage, Genzan drank too much earlier. Everything he said was just drunken nonsense. Please don't take it to heart."
Yama symbolically helped Genzan defend himself with a few words.
Mizuto looked at Yama. This fellow was quite honest and sincere. When Genzan had been cursing him earlier, Yama had even stepped forward and defended him a few times.
The Leaf's bloodline clans were so much easier to deal with. They even knew how to understand the hardship and helplessness of their leader. Unlike the bloodline clans in the Mist Village, who were nothing but rebels and traitors.
"Drunken nonsense?"
"Genzan, was what you said drunken nonsense?"
"What should someone like you be called? Calling you a beast should not be too much, right?"
Genzan's expression turned ugly, and he clenched his teeth. Showing off felt good for a moment, but afterward came the crematorium. That dog Mizuto really knew how to curse.
"Huh? Speak!"
"Are you a beast or not?"
"..."
Mizuto returned the insults Genzan had thrown at him word for word. Seeing Genzan deflate like a leaking ball, he felt a burst of satisfaction.
Weren't you cursing so happily just now?
Go on. Keep shouting.
"Mizuto, don't go too far!"
Genzan clenched both hands into fists, doing everything he could to suppress his anger.
Being humiliated like this in front of a friend made it feel as though his face had been thrown onto the ground and ground into the dirt. He had no dignity left at all.
"I'm going too far?"
"Have you bloodline clan ninja ever taken me, the Mizukage, seriously?"
"Hmph. You bloodline clans are clearly plotting rebellion on purpose, scheming to seize my position as Mizukage, stirring up trouble and using underhanded tactics because you won't be satisfied until you replace me!"
The Mizukage angrily pointed at Genzan and cursed him.
Yama stood to the side like a minor extra.
Watching this scene was truly satisfying!
(End of Chapter)
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