Uchiha Patriarch !

As Jiraiya roamed the streets of Konoha gathering intelligence on the "Demon Fox," the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, along with Sougen, stepped onto the streets of the Mist Village. The boy curiously observed this ninja village, which was vastly different from Konoha.

The most distinctive feature of the Mist Village was the mist itself—a fog that seemed to hang like a thin veil in front of one's eyes.

And there was something else:

It was desolate.

Before entering the village, they had looked down from a mountaintop and saw a village almost as large as Konoha. Yet, the streets were eerily empty, with barely a soul in sight. It was unclear if this was due to a lockdown for the Konoha delegation's arrival or for some other reason, but the Mist Village felt abandoned.

"Master, is this really the Mist Village?" Yakumo, walking beside Sougen, asked as she gazed at the deserted streets, wondering if they had somehow taken a wrong turn or even walked into a trap. She glanced suspiciously at the female Mist ninja leading them, a woman with long reddish-brown hair and a blue dress.

"This is indeed the Mist Village," Terumi Mei, the Mist ninja, replied, glancing back at the girl walking beside the Uchiha clan leader.

Mei had heard from the Mizukage about this child, Yakumo Kurama, the disciple of the Uchiha leader. The Kurama clan, once a prestigious family in Konoha, had a unique and rare kekkei genkai, though the family had now fallen into decline.

Even the Mizukage, Yagura, was unsure of what the Kurama clan's kekkei genkai truly was.

Perhaps…

They would need to ask Master Genji for more information.

"Then why is no one around? It's still daytime, after all," Fujika, walking alongside Yakumo, asked.

"Well…" Mei opened her mouth but couldn't find the words. The question hit too close to home.

Why were the streets empty?

It was because of the Mizukage's oppressive rule. Not only had the ninjas suffered under his reign, but the common people as well. It had become unbearable for the villagers to open their doors each morning only to see fresh bloodstains or, sometimes, bodies that hadn't been cleared away.

As a result, many villagers fled, either to the daimyo's estate or to the countryside. The Mist Village became more desolate by the day. If not for the Mizukage's harsh external travel restrictions, preventing people from leaving without permission, the entire population might have fled by now.

"Maybe everyone's just resting today!" Mei forced a ridiculous lie, knowing full well how absurd it sounded. But discussing such grim matters with children seemed even worse, so she chose what seemed like the lesser evil.

"But it's not even a rest day. Does the Mist Village have a different schedule?" Fujika pressed further.

"…I'm not sure, maybe something came up," Mei replied vaguely, her face showing a trace of bitterness.

Yakumo and Fujika exchanged glances, clearly unsatisfied with the answer and ready to ask more questions. Before they could, a hand descended from above and knocked them lightly on the head.

"Alright, Yakumo, Fujika, that's enough. Don't always rely on others to answer your questions," Sougen said, gently flicking the foreheads of the two curious girls. "You need to learn to think for yourselves. A ninja isn't just muscle; brains are important too. And learn from Naruto—don't go looking for trouble."

Naruto, who had been quietly observing, scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile. The boy, who would one day make art on the Hokage Rock to get attention, was now a well-behaved and thoughtful child, though he still retained a bright and clever spirit despite the hardships he'd endured.

Fujika pouted, clearly unhappy, but she fell silent for the moment, though the way she exchanged glances with Yakumo suggested the quiet wouldn't last long.

While the two girls' antics might have seemed like mere mischief, their questions had, in fact, revealed some valuable information. Sougen noted from Mei's evasive responses that the situation in the Mist Village was dire. Combining this with what they had seen on their way into the village, he couldn't help but feel pity for the Mist ninjas. Uchiha Obito had truly wreaked havoc here.

If things weren't so grim, Konoha might not have been able to win the war against the Mist ninjas without paying a heavy price, even with Sougen's considerable abilities.

Mei, for her part, felt a subtle sense of relief. These painful questions were hard to bear, and she was grateful that the Uchiha clan leader had intervened to stop his disciple and sister from prying further.

Quietly, Mei quickened her pace, leading them through the long streets and around several corners until they arrived at a large, sprawling complex in the northwest corner of the village. Unlike Konoha's haphazard, unplanned layout, the Mist Village's buildings were mostly cylindrical, with tall towers rising like sticks, their rooftops covered in lush greenery. It was hard to tell if these buildings had been abandoned or if this was simply the village's unique architectural style.

Mei stopped in front of the complex, and Sougen realized they had reached their destination.

— — —

Meanwhile, in the southern part of the Mist Village, in Master Genji's house, inside the tea room:

"Mizukage-sama, have Konoha's guests arrived?" Master Genji asked, sitting at a long table, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the Mizukage, Yagura, who was seated across from him.

"We entered the village together," Yagura replied, holding a ceramic teacup, steam rising from the green tea inside.

"So, Mizukage-sama, instead of hosting Konoha's guests, you've come to my house just for a cup of tea?" Genji asked, breaking the silence again.

"Might there be any loose ends from the incident at the port?" Yagura raised his eyes, his tone serious.

When the attack at the port first happened, Yagura had thought it was yet another assassination attempt. But when Uchiha Sougen was involved, he realized it wasn't just a simple plot against him. The Uchiha clan leader might have been the true target all along.

"Mizukage-sama, you can rest assured. All the masterminds behind the attack have been apprehended. You can interrogate them at your convenience," Genji replied calmly, his demeanor as steady as an ancient tree deeply rooted in the ground, unmoved by the storm.

"As long as it's resolved. The village can't afford any more losses." Yagura sighed, not probing further. He trusted that Genji wouldn't let Sougen have any more leverage to blackmail the village. "In your opinion, how should we handle our relations with Konoha?"

Master Genji, surprised by the question, raised his brows. "Mizukage-sama, this is a matter for you to decide. I am but an old man—"

"This isn't a joke," Yagura interrupted, setting down his teacup and straightening his back. "I've already explained the situation clearly in my letters. For the past five years, I've been under complete control, and I'm running out of time."

"Running out of time?" Gen asked, confused.

"I won't live much longer," Yagura said bluntly. "After five years of being manipulated by that one-eyed bastard's genjutsu, my mind is falling apart. My mental energy is draining away, and I can feel it. I have, at most, a year left. If I'm forced into battle, it'll be even less."

Short-term genjutsu might not cause much harm, but being controlled for five years had left Yagura's mental state in ruins. Unless someone with Tsunade's level of medical expertise could be found, his condition was irreversible.

But there was only one Tsunade.

And Yagura didn't have the will to prolong his suffering any further. Though he wouldn't run from his responsibilities, he had no desire to extend his life just to endure more pain and humiliation. His only remaining wish was to do something meaningful for the village before he died.

"I sincerely ask for your advice on how we should handle our relations with Konoha," Yagura said, his tone filled with genuine concern. "I'm leaving a mess for my successor, but I want to clean up what I can."

Master Genji lowered his head in silence for several moments before finally looking up. "As long as Uchiha Sougen lives, don't make enemies of Konoha. That's my advice."

"Then I can rest easy," Yagura said, relieved. "I will do my best to handle things with Konoha, but the future of the village will be in your hands."