Smoke rose once more, dusk spreading across the land—
But this was not cooking smoke.
Kirigakure, true to its name, was perpetually shrouded in mist, sometimes thin, sometimes thick, never fully dispersing.
As twilight deepened and the sky gradually lost its light, under the watchful escort of Terumī Mei's squad, the Konoha envoy—the well-known shinobi Uehakuseki Hagoromo—finally arrived at the Hidden Mist Village.
"So it's another fortress-style village…"
That was Hagoromo's first impression of Kirigakure.
War capability was unquestionably the primary function of shinobi and shinobi villages alike, and this was naturally reflected in how villages were constructed.
Though each village differed in layout and style, all of them placed heavy emphasis on defense. Among the Five Great Villages, the only one built on an open plain with no natural defenses was Konoha.
Long ago, Konoha had possessed that confidence.
After all, the village once housed several monsters capable of wiping out an entire village single-handedly.
Kirigakure, by contrast, was built among jagged mountains. The village spread in a ring along the mountain base, its buildings mostly tall, cylindrical structures. Their heights varied according to the terrain, rising and falling with the land.
Critical areas were enclosed by stone walls, and the main entrances were massive tunnel-like passages.
Of course, no one seriously expected walls alone to prevent infiltration. Their true purpose was to serve as anchors for layers upon layers of barrier techniques.
Defensive barriers were standard equipment for every shinobi village, whether one of the Five Great Villages or a minor hidden village.
Come to think of it, Hagoromo was exactly the type of shinobi with absurd mobility.
He had only been active in the war for a few years, yet among the Five Great Villages, the only one he had not personally entered was Kumogakure.
As for the Cloud Village—
while he had never set foot there, he had left an indelible impression on the Land of Lightning.
If the villages ever exchanged intelligence on the so-called "White Yaksha," they might conclude that troublemaker was a more accurate title.
No matter where something major happened, there always seemed to be a Konoha shinobi like him involved.
Because Hagoromo's arrival in Kirigakure was confidential, they did not enter through the main gates. Instead, they used a concealed access point.
Mei personally opened the barrier, and the five of them entered the village.
"We're already inside Kirigakure," Mei said coolly.
"You can hand over the Hokage's letter now."
Once inside the village, there was no chance they would allow a foreign envoy to wander freely. They brought Hagoromo directly to a particular building, stopping him there.
At that first destination, Mei turned around and spoke plainly.
Hagoromo blinked.
Was she assuming he was stupid—or was she the one being careless?
If he were going to hand over the letter just like that, he could have done so the moment they met. Why would he risk his life traveling deep into enemy territory?
"My mission is to meet the Mizukage," Hagoromo replied evenly,
"and only then deliver the Hokage's letter."
He restated his orders calmly.
No matter what, he had to meet the Mizukage in person first.
Trying to take the letter from him now was impossible.
What rank was Mei, exactly?
Unless she was the village head herself, she had no authority to receive a Hokage's letter—especially one bearing the Fire Daimyō's seal.
Because of the special sealing applied to it, Hagoromo himself didn't even know its contents. In theory, it could have contained a line that read: "Kirigakure is free to kill White Yaksha on sight."
Still, he was confident of one thing—
he would not suffer the same fate as Pakura.
Mei clicked her tongue softly. Hagoromo's response was exactly what she had expected.
Hagoromo ignored the reaction entirely. A tongue click accomplished nothing. Even if she spat on the ground, he wouldn't care—her demand was unreasonable.
"Then the Konoha envoy will rest here for now," Mei said.
"I will immediately report this to the Third Mizukage. The timing of the audience will be decided by us."
The wording was domineering.
But from their perspective, once Hagoromo entered Kirigakure, he was already a fish on the cutting board. There was no need to forcibly seize the letter.
Hagoromo raised no objection. He walked straight into the building without hesitation, as though unconcerned about ambushes or traps.
In truth, he had nothing to fear.
No matter what Kirigakure intended to do with him—whether they meant to kill him or spare him—the opportunity to meet the Mizukage would inevitably be granted.
As Konoha's envoy, his movements would naturally be restricted.
Even aside from the secrecy of his arrival, allowing Hagoromo to roam freely would be absurd. Given a few days, he could likely map out Kirigakure's barrier systems better than a professional spy.
Give him a few more days, and he might even design a large-scale technique capable of collapsing those barriers entirely.
That would be a matter of technique.
As for brute force—
he could already do that now.
...
The next three days passed in calm silence.
During that time, Hagoromo remained confined to a single room, waiting quietly.
Outside the door stood Hōzuki Mangetsu and Hoshigaki Kisame. Farther away, a Byakugan kept watch—
after Hagoromo's initial move, they clearly didn't want that eye anywhere he could see or reach.
All of this was expected.
Hagoromo was not pretending to be calm.
He genuinely was.
Finally, on the third day, the summons came.
He was to meet the Mizukage.
Anyone capable of becoming a Kage would never lack the nerve to meet another village's envoy in their own territory.
Assassination?
With Kirigakure shinobi everywhere, what was there to fear?
If anything, Hagoromo was more worried they'd pull a "smash the cup as a signal" routine.
Escorted by Mangetsu and Kisame, Hagoromo was brought to a large hall—something akin to a shinobi assembly chamber.
There, he finally met the mysterious Third Mizukage.
In the spacious interior, five figures stood before him.
The Mizukage occupied the central position, slightly forward. The remaining four stood in pairs behind him, flanking either side.
All five were positioned higher than Hagoromo, looking down at him.
"So the one in the center is the Mizukage…
And the other four are probably advisers or high-ranking officials?"
"And they're applying pressure right from the start?"
Hagoromo didn't care.
He wasn't about to be intimidated by posture or presence.
According to his perception, aside from the five before him—and Mangetsu and Kisame—there were hidden guards as well, but their numbers were still within an acceptable range.
Nothing excessive.
Mei was not visible.
In fact, she was present—but concealed.
Should I try assassinating the Mizukage?
The thought flashed through Hagoromo's mind and vanished just as quickly.
Unfortunately, in a situation where peace talks were required, Konoha couldn't afford to eliminate the Mizukage.
On the contrary, he needed to stay alive.
If Kirigakure descended into chaos, who would have the authority to negotiate peace?
And besides—
This man is the Mizukage?
Did he really think White Yaksha couldn't see the emptiness of his soul, or read the truth hidden in the color of his pupils?
Hagoromo's sensory abilities were sometimes unreliable—
but in moments like this, they revealed far more than expected.
And now, certain truths lay completely exposed before him.
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