"Terumi Mei, I didn't expect to see you here."
Standing at the doorway of a wooden house, Terumi Mei removed her rain hat, revealing her exquisite face. Her long hair, thick as seaweed, was simply tied up. Her skin was as white as ivory, and her eyebrows and eyes were like two clear lakes. Coupled with her tall and curvaceous figure, she exuded a mature and elegant temperament, as if a white cloud had descended from the heavens.
Terumi Mei looked up at Uzumaki Raiden, her beautiful eyes flickering slightly. Silently, she placed her left hand behind her back, signaling her subordinates in secret.
Upon receiving Terumi Mei's signal, the previously relaxed expressions of the Mist Ninjas shifted instantly. The team quietly spread out, forming a subtle encirclement around Uzumaki Raiden.
"Konoha's Fourth Hokage, what brings you to this place?"
"Mr. Uzumaki, may I ask you something?"
Terumi Mei's eyes remained fixed on Uzumaki Raiden. Her red lips parted slightly as she spoke in a soft voice.
"Just passing through. But you Mist Ninjas—why are you here?"
"Could it be that you're looking for me?"
Uzumaki Raiden finished speaking with a slight frown, releasing an overwhelming pressure toward the Mist Ninjas.
Chojuro, who stood beside Terumi Mei, was already on edge. The moment Uzumaki Raiden unleashed his terrifying aura, he instinctively reacted, drawing his sword from beneath his rain cape and charging forward.
"Chojuro!"
"Everyone, stop!"
Chojuro's sudden movement took everyone by surprise. His actions immediately drew the attention of the rest of the Mist Ninjas, who instinctively gripped their weapons and moved in coordination with him, surrounding Uzumaki Raiden.
Terumi Mei was the only one who remained composed under Uzumaki Raiden's aura. When she saw her subordinates' movements, she shouted for them to stop, but at this point, her voice had no effect.
Those caught in fear had only one thought in their minds: Strike first to gain the advantage.
"What is this?"
Uzumaki Raiden murmured, raising his right hand. A whip of lightning shot from his palm and struck Chojuro in an instant, sending the young Mist Ninja flying. The rest of the Mist Ninjas, who had rushed forward, didn't even have time to activate their jutsu before they were struck by successive lightning whips and sent sprawling to the ground.
In just one exchange, all the Mist Ninjas brought by Terumi Mei had been knocked down and lay motionless in the rain.
"Stop! We are not your enemies!"
Seeing her subordinates defeated, Terumi Mei called out urgently, fearing that Uzumaki Raiden would continue his assault. However, he had no intention of killing them—only incapacitating them temporarily. He turned his gaze toward Terumi Mei.
"Your purpose?" Uzumaki Raiden asked, waiting for her response.
"We came to the Land of Rain in pursuit of a wanted criminal. We had no idea you were here, let alone that you would think we were targeting you."
"I understand your strength well—I would never attempt such a futile plan."
Terumi Mei glanced at her subordinates. Seeing that they were all still alive, she sighed in relief before answering. Though Uzumaki Raiden seemed calm, she knew all too well how terrifying he could be. If she refused to answer, things could take a dangerous turn.
"A wanted criminal?"
"I heard that you're now the Mizukage of the Mist. What kind of criminal requires someone of your stature to personally pursue them?"
"Let's hear it. Maybe I can help?"
Uzumaki Raiden's face bore a smile, though he clearly didn't believe Terumi Mei's words.
It wasn't that he was trying to be difficult. Everyone knew Mist Village and Konoha had a history of conflict. Moreover, this was the Land of Rain, a border nation to the southwest of the Land of Fire. The sudden presence of a Mist Ninja squad, led by the Mizukage herself, was naturally suspicious.
Not to mention, the excuse of hunting a wanted criminal was unconvincing. What kind of fugitive would require the Mizukage's personal intervention? For all he knew, the Mist Ninjas were secretly plotting against Konoha in the Land of Rain. That was why Uzumaki Raiden intended to uncover their true purpose. If Terumi Mei's answer didn't satisfy him, he wouldn't hesitate to bring them to Konoha for questioning.
"Wanted criminal..."
Terumi Mei hesitated instead of answering immediately, looking troubled. Seeing this, Uzumaki Raiden slowly placed his hand on the hilt of Sakegari no Tachi, ready to strike if necessary.
Noticing his subtle action, Terumi Mei rolled her eyes and said, "Don't threaten me. I'll tell you. It's not something particularly honorable, so I had my concerns, right?"
"Besides, this criminal has ties to Konoha. I'm organizing my words."
Hearing this, Uzumaki Raiden moved his hand away from Sakegari no Tachi, nodding slightly. By now, the Mist Ninjas had recovered and were back on their feet, silently positioning themselves behind Terumi Mei, their eyes filled with wariness toward Uzumaki Raiden.
Chojuro, still clutching his sword tightly, pointed its tip toward Uzumaki Raiden.
"Boy, I don't like having weapons pointed at me."
Just as Terumi Mei was about to speak, Uzumaki Raiden's voice rang out. Following his gaze, she saw Chojuro nervously staring at Uzumaki Raiden, overwhelmed by the pressure.
"Chojuro, put the sword away."
"It's fine."
Terumi Mei placed a reassuring hand on Chojuro's shoulder.
"But, Mizukage-sama—" Chojuro started, still uneasy. He feared that Uzumaki Raiden would attack at any moment.
"If a man like him wanted to strike, you'd all be dead already."
"Don't worry."
Terumi Mei gently pressed down on Chojuro's sword hand before turning to Uzumaki Raiden. "I apologize—Chojuro is still young and lacks experience."
"I'll make sure to educate him properly when we return."
"The criminal we're chasing has strong ties to Konoha."
"He is Konoha's rogue ninja, Uchiha Sasuke."
Terumi Mei spoke softly. As she did, she pulled a scroll from her robes and unfolded it. The scroll contained an official document from Konoha, notifying the Ninja World that Uchiha Sasuke had defected and was now a wanted criminal. A photo of Uchiha Sasuke was also attached.
The scroll also recorded Sasuke's actions after leaving Konoha. It revealed that his first destination after defecting was the Mist Village, infamously known as the "Village of the Bloody Mist."
In Sasuke's first battle after leaving Konoha, he encountered two Mist Ninjas. The first Jōnin-level opponent he faced was none other than Zabuza Momochi. This left a strong impression on Sasuke—he saw Mist Ninjas as powerful and worthy adversaries.
Driven by his thirst for strength, Sasuke ventured deeper into the Mist Village.
There, he killed many Mist Ninjas. At first, Mist Village paid little attention to the Konoha defector. However, as Sasuke lingered, more and more Mist Ninjas fell by his hands. Even the Anbu sent to eliminate him were slaughtered.
It wasn't until then that Mist Village finally took the situation seriously. But by the time they acted, it was already too late. The Jōnin they deployed were no match for Sasuke and were easily cut down.
This posed a direct challenge to Terumi Mei's authority as Mizukage. After several failed attempts to intercept him, she finally took matters into her own hands.
Once the Mizukage herself made a move, Sasuke found himself overwhelmed. Gravely injured, he barely escaped from Mist Village and fled to the Land of Rain. However, Terumi Mei refused to let him slip away so easily. She led an elite squad of Mist Ninjas in pursuit, chasing Sasuke deep into the Land of Rain.
Now that the Ninja World had entered an era of peace, conflicts between villages had become discreet, and tensions between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water had significantly diminished. However, Terumi Mei was determined to uphold Mist Village's reputation, making Sasuke's capture one of their top priorities.
"Sasuke."
After listening to Terumi Mei's account, Uzumaki Raiden stroked his chin, lost in thought.
Seeing the pensive look on Uzumaki Raiden's face, Terumi Mei's expression tensed slightly. Though Sasuke was Konoha's rogue ninja, she knew that he was still an Uchiha—a member of the same clan as Uchiha Itachi, who had been this man's disciple.
Furthermore, Sasuke's father had once led Konoha's Police Force, making him a prominent figure within the village. With such deep ties, there was no guarantee that Uzumaki Raiden wouldn't try to shield Sasuke. In fact, Terumi Mei even suspected that Konoha might have deliberately let Sasuke go, using him as a weapon against other villages.
"Fourth Hokage-sama, I heard that since Uchiha Sasuke defected, Konoha has never taken any real action to capture him."
"Does Konoha not consider it necessary to deal with a rogue ninja?"
Her words carried a deeper meaning—she was probing for Konoha's stance on Sasuke.
"You know, I'm retired."
"Konoha is now under the leadership of the Fifth Hokage, Namikaze Minato."
"As for how Sasuke's defection was handled, I wouldn't know."
"But Uchiha Sasuke is still a traitor to Konoha. Now that I know about this, I can't simply stand by. After all, he's caused significant damage to Mist Village, so I should find a way to make amends, right?"
"Very well. I will join you and help capture Uchiha Sasuke."
Uzumaki Raiden smiled as he spoke, but Terumi Mei frowned inwardly, cursing in her heart.
"Help us catch Sasuke? Who knows what you're really planning?"
"If Konoha truly intended to deal with him, you would have done so long ago. Why wait until now?"
Though Terumi Mei's thoughts were sharp, she maintained a polite smile and gently declined.
"How could we possibly trouble you?"
"You are Konoha's Hokage—you must have many responsibilities."
"Besides, if Konoha intends to handle Sasuke's matter, it wouldn't be appropriate for Mist Village to interfere, would it?"
"We'll return to Mist Village immediately. Hokage-sama, I trust you will take care of Sasuke as you see fit."
Terumi Mei didn't want Uzumaki Raiden tagging along. If he had ulterior motives and turned against them, they wouldn't even have a chance to escape.
"No, no, no. A rogue ninja is a rogue ninja, regardless of which village they came from. Such matters should be taken seriously by all."
"Even though Sasuke defected from Konoha, as fellow shinobi, I ask for your cooperation."
"I haven't fought on the front lines in years, and my battle skills may have dulled. You must help me!"
"Come on, come on. It's late, and the rain is getting heavier. Let's head inside, rest for a bit, and then we'll continue tracking Sasuke tomorrow."
Uzumaki Raiden gestured toward the wooden house before stepping inside.
Terumi Mei and her team understood his true intentions—he didn't trust them and had no intention of letting them move freely within the Land of Rain.
As Uzumaki Raiden disappeared into the cabin, Chojuro moved closer to Terumi Mei, whispering, "Mizukage-sama, what should we do now?"
"This guy is just making excuses. I don't know what he's planning, but it's dangerous to be around someone like him. Should we slip away quietly?"
Chojuro cast a cautious glance at the wooden house, but Terumi Mei shook her head.
"He's keeping an eye on us. If we leave now, he'll only grow more suspicious."
"If he wanted to harm us, he would have done it already."
"Let's rest for the night and resume the search for Sasuke tomorrow. I want to see how he reacts when he meets Sasuke."
With that, Terumi Mei strode into the wooden house.
As she stepped inside, a musty odor filled her nostrils. Though she was a battle-hardened ninja, she still found the smell unpleasant. After waving away some of the stale air, she settled into a relatively dry spot in the living room.
The other Mist Ninjas remained outside, unwilling to enter Konoha's territory so easily. Only Chojuro followed Terumi Mei inside as her personal guard, while the rest stood on alert around the house.
Uzumaki Raiden noticed the Mist Ninjas' cautious behavior but didn't mind. He simply sat cross-legged in the corner of the room, closing his eyes.
As night fell, a bonfire crackled in the cabin, casting flickering shadows against the walls. Outside, the rain intensified, pouring down in heavy sheets.
Terumi Mei, dressed in her signature blue attire, knelt by the fire, absentmindedly poking at the flames. Across from her, Uzumaki Raiden sat motionless, seemingly meditating.
Chojuro, on the other hand, had already stretched out on the floor and dozed off.
Terumi Mei's silhouette danced on the wooden walls, her expression unreadable. No one knew what was going through her mind at that moment.
(End of Chapter)