The news hit like a shockwave: the Hidden Leaf Village of the Land of Fire and Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning had declared war on each other.

In an instant, it swept across the entire Shinobi World.

Every faction, large and small, began to stir.

The Land of Water. Kirigakure.

Having wrapped up a full day's work, the Fifth Mizukage mei terumi stretched out a long, indulgent stretch inside the office and let out a slow breath.

"Ahh~~~ Being Mizukage really isn't a job fit for a human being! I have absolutely no idea when I'm ever going to find someone to marry. Alas... I'm already closing in on thirty, so why hasn't a single person come to court me?

Is marrying a Mizukage really such a bad deal? Or am I just not pretty enough?!"

Mei terumi picked up a small mirror with a somewhat wistful expression and turned it left, then right, studying the reflection.

"I am absolutely gorgeous! Those useless men simply have no appreciation whatsoever! Alas... wherever could my future husband be..."

The Fifth Mizukage muttered to herself with a touch of melancholy.

As a woman, mei terumi had shouldered the enormous burden of leading Kirigakure through a time of crisis, and only the heavens knew how utterly exhausting these years had been. Especially as a woman. If the strength hadn't been sufficient, there was no way of ever commanding anyone's respect.

And on top of that, Kirigakure had endured the era of the Village of the Bloody Mist. When mei terumi first became the Fifth Mizukage, the village had been in a state of complete chaos.

It was fortunate that Chojuro, Ao, and the other shinobi had remained absolutely loyal all this time.

Otherwise it really would have been a headache beyond all bearing.

At that thought, mei terumi let out a long sigh.

"Alas... I really do want to get married... Is a solid pair of shoulders to lean on really so much to ask for..."

Knock knock knock.

The languid look vanished the instant the knock came. The whole demeanor sharpened.

"Come in!"

The door to the Mizukage's office swung open. An elite shinobi wearing goggles walked in, a pair of swords strapped across the back, appearance plain and unremarkable.

None other than Kirigakure's elite jonin — Chojuro.

Also a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and the wielder of Hiramekarei, the twin blades, among the seven.

"Lady Mizukage..."

A trace of urgency was plain on Chojuro's face. A quick greeting to the Fifth Mizukage came first.

"Oh... Chojuro. What is it? Has something happened? Why the anxious look?"

"Lady Mizukage, something major has occurred!"

Chojuro slid a document onto the desk as the words came out.

Mei terumi didn't reach for it right away. Instead, a puzzled look settled on the Mizukage's face while studying Chojuro.

"What exactly happened?"

"Lady Mizukage, the Hidden Leaf Village of the Land of Fire and Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning have declared war on each other!"

"What?!"

BANG!

Mei terumi's hand slammed hard on the desk. The whole frame shot upright in utter astonishment.

"Lady Mizukage, you heard correctly. The Hidden Leaf Village and Kumogakure have declared war on each other. When I first received this news, I didn't quite believe it either — I only came to report after thoroughly confirming the source.

The Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village has already issued a formal Hokage declaration. The Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure has likewise issued a formal document.

And Kumogakure has already assembled its forces. Those forces are already advancing toward the Hidden Leaf Village..."

Mei terumi's brow furrowed deeply.

"Wait... you said which generation of Hokage from the Hidden Leaf Village?!"

"The Fifth Hokage... by the name of Hirofumi Ito!"

Mei terumi stared at Chojuro with utter bewilderment.

"What in the world is a Fifth Hokage?! Shouldn't the Hidden Leaf Village's Hokage be the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi?!"

Seeing the Mizukage's shock, Chojuro felt helpless but also completely understood it. After all, disbelief had been the first reaction upon receiving this news too.

But after gathering information from multiple sources and piecing together a considerable amount of intelligence, the picture had finally become clear: the Hidden Leaf Village had undergone enormous changes recently.

"Lady Mizukage, I understand this may all be very difficult to believe. But this is the truth.

These documents contain a great deal of detailed information. In short, the Hidden Leaf Village appears to have undergone earth-shattering changes, and there are some things involved that are genuinely incredible.

It really can't be explained in a sentence or two.

Just read through the intelligence in the documents and you'll understand..."

Mei terumi reached without another word for the document Chojuro had placed on the desk and proceeded to read through it with absolute seriousness.

But with every page, a storm was building inside.

Has the Hidden Leaf Village gone completely insane?!

What in the world is any of this?!

Hiruzen Sarutobi died, then Danzō Shimura became Hokage, then Hiruzen Sarutobi came back to life, then Danzō Shimura died, and then right after that some unknown young man named Hirofumi Ito became the Fifth Hokage?!

What on earth is any of this?!

And that wasn't even the most astonishing part.

The most outrageous thing, the intelligence also stated that numerous powerful figures from the Hidden Leaf Village who had already died had been resurrected. The First Hokage. The Second Hokage. The Third Hokage. The Fourth Hokage.

What in the world?!

And on top of that, these people held a concert in the Hidden Leaf Village?

Those brainless fools from Kumogakure actually attacked the Hidden Leaf Village's concert. Tried to abduct the village's women. And the targets those idiots set their sights on were none other than the First Hokage's wife and the Fourth Hokage's wife.

Along with the first princess of the Hyūga Clan.

And the Fifth Hokage's girlfriend?!

No... what even is any of this?!

Mei terumi had the distinct feeling that every single character in this intelligence report was one recognized on its own. The moment those characters combined into sentences, though, not a single word made sense.

After finishing the documents, mei terumi slowly looked up and fixed Chojuro with a look that could only be described as deeply, profoundly strange.

"Chojuro... did you take the wrong medicine?!"

"Lady Mizukage, what do you mean by that?! Why would I be taking medicine for no reason?!"

"If you didn't take the wrong medicine, how could you hand me a report this absolutely ridiculous?! You don't actually think I, your Mizukage, am an idiot, do you?!"

Chojuro let out a helpless, wry laugh.

➤ Next: Kirigakure Watches and Waits

Chapter 246 - Kirigakure Watches and Waits

Hearing that their own Mizukage was wondering whether she'd taken the wrong medicine, Chojuro couldn't help feeling a little exasperated.

Not that Chojuro blamed her. When the news first came in, Chojuro had wondered the same thing about the ninja who delivered it, and had asked those guys the exact same question Mei Terumi was asking now.

"Mizukage-sama! I didn't believe it either when I first got this intelligence!

But... it's real. All of it.

Truer than the water in our own Land of Water.

Otherwise I wouldn't have spent all that time verifying the source before coming to report it to you..."

Mei Terumi felt like twenty-odd years of her worldview had just been smashed flat.

She dropped into her chair with a thud, her face written over with pure disbelief. Her two prominent assets bounced with the impact, as if sharing in her incredulity.

Standing before her, Chojuro had no attention to spare for the view.

Because the entire Shinobi World had veered somewhere completely uncontrollable.

Kumogakure and the Hidden Leaf Village had declared war on each other out of nowhere. Sunagakure looked to be massing forces, likely on the edge of starting something too. As for Iwagakure, no one had any idea what they were thinking. Onoki only got stranger with age, and not only was Onoki old, Onoki was formidably powerful. Yet at this exact moment, not a single move. Just silence.

What was that old one actually planning?

And then there was Kirigakure. Where did they stand?

Pick a side between the Hidden Leaf Village and Kumogakure? Stay out of it entirely and play it safe? Or sit back while the two of them bled each other dry and walk away with something to show for it?

Chojuro's head was starting to hurt.

"Mizukage-sama... what do we do from here?"

Mei Terumi's eyes stayed locked on the documents spread across her desk.

"What do we do? How would I know what to do?! We're completely in the dark about what's happening over in the Hidden Leaf Village right now.

They swapped out their Hokage without warning, and none of the other villages were told a thing, not a single word came from the Land of Fire's side either.

I'm starting to wonder whether this Fifth Hokage even bothered to tell the Land of Fire's daimyo after taking office!

And on top of that, Kumogakure and the Hidden Leaf Village have gone to war out of nowhere.

Then there's this other piece from the Hidden Leaf, the business about legendary dead being revived. No idea whether it's true or not. But if it is true, Kumogakure is in serious, serious trouble."

Chojuro nodded at that, then hesitated before speaking up.

"Mizukage-sama, the strangest part is that Kumogakure has already moved. Their forces are already advancing into the Land of Fire. And the Hidden Leaf Village has done... nothing.

They haven't even sent forces out to intercept.

It's like nothing is happening at all."

Mei Terumi closed both eyes and thought for a long moment.

"At their current march speed, how long before Kumogakure's forces reach the Hidden Leaf Village?"

"Mizukage-sama... based on what our spies are reporting, if they keep this pace, they could be at the gates of the Hidden Leaf Village by tomorrow morning."

"..."

Mei Terumi let out a long, slow breath.

"Chojuro. Kirigakure's foundation is thin. Especially after everything that came out of the Village of the Bloody Mist period, we've only just barely started to get our strength back these past two years.

We can't take a serious hit. So war, if it can be avoided, we avoid it.

But we can't just sit on our hands. Get the word out. Have the village's ninja go on alert.

Kumogakure and the Hidden Leaf Village probably don't have the bandwidth to worry about us right now. But we still need to keep an eye on Iwagakure and Sunagakure.

Especially that old one, Onoki. Absolutely driven by ambition. We need to be careful about whether that one tries to use the chaos as cover to come at us.

Whatever happens — make sure our defenses are in order."

She paused.

"Yes! Mizukage-sama! I'll issue the orders immediately!"

"Wait. Along with the defensive preparations — start war readiness as well."

Chojuro stopped cold.

"War readiness?!"

"That's right."

Mei Terumi nodded.

"Kirigakure is the weakest of the Five Great Nations right now. But if Kumogakure and the Hidden Leaf Village tear each other apart, maybe we get something out of it.

That's how war works. Interests are the only thing that lasts. Even if nobody comes after us, once they're too unsteady to stand, there's no reason we can't bite off a piece for ourselves.

They want to be the snipe and the clam? Then why can't we be the fisherman?"

"Yes — Mizukage-sama!"

Chojuro took Mei Terumi's orders and left.

Mei Terumi stayed at her desk, rubbing her temples.

Looking at the pile of documents in front of her only made it worse.

"Ugh! What even is all of this?!

What is the Hidden Leaf Village doing over there? And what is this Fifth Hokage, Hirofumi Ito, supposed to be?!

Becoming Fifth Hokage out of nowhere without telling any of the other four Kage, fine, whatever. But there wasn't even any news from the Land of Fire's side!

Is the Land of Fire plotting something with the Hidden Leaf behind everyone's back?!

Or did the two of them have a falling out?

And is the revival of those legendary figures actually real?!

This is such a headache!

Ugh! I want to get married!

If I were married, I wouldn't have to torture myself over any of this, would I?!

Why is it that at a time like this I'm a woman with no shoulder to lean on?!

...Looking around, the entire Land of Water is full of hopeless duds. Where in the world is my future man..."

She muttered to herself for a while, then glanced down and took stock of her own enviable figure. A small flicker of satisfaction crossed her eyes.

"Really though... a beauty like me, and nobody's come to propose? I just want to find someone strong and handsome to marry!"

➤ Next: Nagato's Mood Is Terrible