The Mizukage Office Building of the Hidden Mist Village had changed dramatically in only a short time.
Inside the Mizukage's office, the room had been hastily rearranged to host an emergency meeting.
Several ninjas had carried in extra tables and chairs. Even a large blackboard had been placed against the wall, giving the room the strange atmosphere of a classroom rather than the headquarters of a powerful ninja village.
At the head of the table sat Uchiha Madara.
His mere presence filled the room with invisible pressure.
None of the Hidden Mist leaders dared to raise their voices.
Even breathing too loudly felt dangerous.
Madara sat calmly in the main seat, leaning slightly back in his chair as if he owned the place—which, at the moment, he practically did.
To his side sat Uchiha Su.
Su's posture was relaxed as he quietly observed the gathered ninjas.
His eyes scanned the crowd one by one.
He was curious whether he might recognize anyone from the future.
Aside from Hōzuki Gengetsu and Genji, Su eventually spotted someone familiar.
The man had a youthful face, but a long narrow scar stretched beneath his left eye.
He stood behind the Second Mizukage silently.
Although he tried to remain calm, the hostility in his gaze toward the Uchiha clan was obvious.
Su recognized him immediately.
This man would later become an important figure in the Hidden Mist.
Madara suddenly spoke.
"From today onward…"
His voice was quiet, yet everyone in the room listened carefully.
"I will temporarily take control of the Hidden Mist Village."
A wave of tension passed through the room.
Madara continued calmly.
"However, I will not assume the title of Mizukage."
Several Hidden Mist leaders secretly sighed in relief.
Madara's eyes shifted toward one of the Uchiha standing nearby.
"Uchiha Setsuna."
Setsuna immediately stepped forward.
"Yes, Lord Madara."
"You will serve as the Mizukage's assistant."
Madara asked calmly,
"Do you have any objections?"
Setsuna bowed his head respectfully.
"None at all."
"I will carry out the duties of the Mizukage's assistant to the best of my ability."
Across the table, Genji silently studied him.
This man would soon become his partner in governing the village.
Genji wondered what kind of personality Setsuna truly possessed.
Meanwhile, Gengetsu leaned back in his chair with a puzzled expression.
"In other words…"
He raised an eyebrow.
"I'm still the Second Mizukage, right?"
Madara nodded calmly.
"Yes."
Gengetsu scratched his head awkwardly.
That meant the title remained his, even though the real power clearly belonged to Madara.
Madara then added another instruction.
"Also…"
"Prepare a section of land inside the village."
"I want to build a Uchiha clan compound here."
Genji immediately bowed slightly.
"Understood, Lord Madara."
"I will arrange it as soon as possible."
Su watched the entire exchange with interest.
He noticed something surprising.
The Hidden Mist leadership did not appear overly resistant to the Uchiha clan's arrival.
Even the fact that Madara had essentially seized control of the village seemed to be accepted.
But after thinking about it, Su understood why.
The ninja village system had existed for less than twenty years.
Everything was still in a chaotic early stage.
Concepts such as strict village identity, formal governance systems, and deep loyalty had not yet fully developed.
Joining or leaving alliances was still relatively easy.
If another ten or twenty years passed, such a takeover would likely provoke far stronger resistance.
Of course, the biggest factor remained obvious.
Madara himself.
A walking natural disaster.
If someone possessed the power to slice mountains apart with a sword, resistance would simply be suicide.
Under such circumstances, most people preferred to accept reality.
Madara glanced at Su.
"Alright."
"You may speak now."
Su nodded respectfully.
"Yes, Uncle."
He stood up and stepped forward.
Looking toward Genji, he asked his first question.
"Which bloodline limit clans exist within the Hidden Mist Village?"
Genji answered immediately.
"The Hōzuki Clan."
"The Kaguya Clan."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The Kaguya Clan possesses the Shikotsumyaku bloodline ability."
"In ancient records they are sometimes called the Taketori Clan."
He continued listing them.
"And the Yuki Clan."
"The clan capable of using Ice Release."
Su nodded thoughtfully.
In later history, the Yuki clan would produce the famous ninja Haku.
After Genji finished speaking, Su waited.
But no additional names followed.
"That's all?"
Su asked in surprise.
Genji nodded awkwardly.
"Yes… that is all."
Su sighed slightly.
"I see."
He tapped the table thoughtfully.
"I remember that the Kaguya Clan suffers from a hereditary disease, correct?"
Genji nodded helplessly.
"That is true."
"Few members of the clan live past the age of thirty."
"Many die even younger if they fight frequently."
Su had already guessed the cause.
The Kaguya clan constantly pulled bones out of their bodies during combat.
Repeated exposure of bone tissue to air and bacteria likely caused severe infections and internal damage.
Genji continued speaking.
"Besides the disease…"
"The Kaguya clan has another problem."
He sighed.
"They are extremely violent."
"Most of them rely purely on brute strength rather than strategy."
"They occasionally create instability inside the village."
Su looked around.
"Were none of them summoned for this meeting?"
Genji shook his head.
"Considering their temperament, I thought it best not to invite them."
Su nodded.
Genji clearly understood the internal politics of the Hidden Mist very well.
It was no surprise that he would later become one of the village's most powerful elders.
Su asked another question.
"What about ninjutsu development in the village?"
Genji immediately became more confident.
"The Hidden Mist specializes in Water Release techniques."
"In terms of Water Release, we are unquestionably the strongest among the Five Great Villages."
Su immediately responded.
"The Second Hokage of Konoha uses Water Release better than all of you."
The room fell silent.
Genji looked as if he had swallowed something unpleasant.
"…."
Su continued asking several more questions about the village's structure.
After gathering enough information, he stood up and walked toward the blackboard.
Picking up a piece of chalk, he wrote several large words.
Hidden Mist Development Plan
Genji stared at the words in confusion.
Development plan?
He had never heard of such a thing before.
Su turned around and began explaining.
"Yesterday, when we arrived in the Land of Water, I observed the surrounding region carefully."
"What I discovered surprised me."
"The lives of ordinary citizens here are far worse than expected."
"In fact, conditions are only slightly better than those in the neighboring Land of Waves."
Several Hidden Mist officials frowned.
But Su continued speaking calmly.
"The strength of a ninja village ultimately depends on its ordinary ninja population."
"The Hidden Mist Village currently has a very small population."
"That means the probability of producing genius ninja is also very low."
He tapped the blackboard lightly.
"Consider the case of Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, and Might Duy."
"These individuals were all civilian-born geniuses from Konoha."
"The reason Konoha produces so many talented ninja is simple."
"It has the largest population base among the Five Great Villages."
Su pointed to a large map spread across the table.
"Therefore, we must make changes."
"The Land of Water cannot remain isolated."
He pointed toward several nearby islands.
"We should build cross-sea bridges connecting these islands to the mainland."
"Especially the Land of Waves."
Su remembered the future story where a bridge transformed the Land of Waves' economy.
If ordinary workers could build such a bridge—
Ninjas could do it far faster.
"With ninjutsu, construction work becomes incredibly efficient."
"Tasks that would normally require a month could be completed by a ninja in a few hours."
Su had always believed something.
Using ninjas solely for warfare was an enormous waste of talent.
Their abilities could revolutionize infrastructure, transportation, and agriculture.
At that moment, Gengetsu suddenly spoke.
"This plan may not be possible."
Su looked puzzled.
"Why not?"
Gengetsu scratched his head awkwardly.
"Because the ninja village does not have that authority."
"Only the Daimyo possesses the right to approve large national construction projects."
He continued explaining.
"We must report to the Daimyo first."
"Even your clan joining the village or your potential succession as Mizukage requires his permission."
Gengetsu frowned.
"Isn't this common knowledge?"
But Su tilted his head slightly.
"The Daimyo?"
He spoke calmly.
"How many divisions does the Daimyo command?"
Gengetsu blinked.
"…What?"
Su's voice remained soft.
"Do we really need his permission to do things?"
At the head of the table, Madara smiled slightly.
A rare expression of approval appeared on his face.
Meanwhile, Gengetsu was completely speechless.
And Genji's face suddenly turned pale.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)