Chapter 173: The Unexpected Visit of the Fifth Hokage
Of course.
That was to be expected.
The Fifth Mizukage—Mei Terumī—would never take the initiative to say it outright.
After all, her subordinates proposing the idea and her personally suggesting it were two completely different matters. Moreover, as Mizukage, she needed to maintain her dignity and composure.
"Still…"
Under these circumstances, Mei deliberately put on an embarrassed expression and said with slight hesitation,
"Kirigakure is still one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. If we surrender just like that, wouldn't it be humiliating? We'd be the laughingstock of the entire world."
"There's no shame in it."
Upon hearing this, the Hōzuki Clan patriarch immediately panicked and spoke up hastily,
"Knowing when to yield is the mark of true wisdom. Konoha is overwhelmingly strong, and the Fifth Hokage—Uchiha Yuta—is unfathomably powerful. Choosing to align with Konoha is the wisest decision Kirigakure can make."
"That's right," another elder added. "Here in the Mist, we make decisions that ensure survival. What others think doesn't matter."
"Lady Mizukage, as one of the Five Great Villages, we should be the first to act. Surrendering now is in our best interest."
"Exactly. The early bird catches the worm. It's time for Kirigakure to choose a side."
"...."
With the Hōzuki patriarch breaking the ice, the rest of the high-ranking officials—Ao, Chōjūrō, and others—hesitated briefly, then all voiced their support in unison.
The message was simple:
Surrendering to Konoha is the smart move.
Besides,
If you can't beat them, join them. There's no shame in that.
"Ugh…"
Mei couldn't help but feel speechless again.
All she wanted was to gauge their thoughts—yet now her village's elders seemed more eager to pledge themselves to Konoha than to their own land, like they were ready to live as Konoha shinobi and die as Konoha ghosts.
Still,
Even if she couldn't accept it emotionally,
Mei could understand their reasoning.
Right now, Konoha's strength was overwhelming, and Uchiha Yuta—the Fifth Hokage—was a force beyond comprehension. Kirigakure simply didn't have the power to resist.
"…Fine!!"
After a long moment of silence, Mei finally took a deep breath and said solemnly,
"I will contact the leadership of Konoha and formally declare Kirigakure's surrender."
"Whew…"
As she said this, she felt a heavy weight lift from her chest. It was a decision made out of necessity.
"Yes, Lady Mizukage!"
"Yes, Mizukage-sama!"
"Yes, Lord Fifth!"
"..."
Ao, Chōjūrō, the Hōzuki Clan patriarch, and the others all showed expressions of relief and quickly nodded in agreement.
They knew all too well:
Once Kirigakure attached itself to the strength of Konoha,
many problems would disappear. The village would rise again, and its overall power would increase significantly.
"Good… Very good."
Suddenly,
A calm voice echoed through the office.
Before Mei, Ao, or Chōjūrō had time to react—
The door swung open.
A figure clad in a flowing white Hokage cloak appeared inside the office in an instant—
Uchiha Yuta, the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure.
Dead silence.
The room fell into an eerie stillness.
Staring at the man who had just appeared—
The Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumī, along with Ao, Chōjūrō, and the Hōzuki patriarch, all froze in disbelief.
"A-Ahh…"
A few moments later,
Mei was the first to react, letting out an involuntary gasp.
She leapt to her feet from her chair, staring at Uchiha Yuta as though she had just seen a ghost.
Was this a joke?!
They were just talking about the Fifth Hokage—
And now he was standing right there in their office?
It was terrifying!
Everyone in the ninja world knew:
The current Fifth Hokage was invincible. His ambition to unify the shinobi world was no secret.
"T-The Fifth… Fifth Hokage?"
"Wait—he actually came to Kirigakure?!"
"..."
Ao, Chōjūrō, the Hōzuki patriarch—all of them trembled slightly and cried out in shock.
No one could have predicted this.
The mere presence of the Fifth Hokage was enough to freeze the blood in their veins.
"What… What do you want?"
Mei Terumī was the first to muster her courage. Her body trembled, but she gritted her teeth and said,
"Konoha and Kirigakure have never interfered with each other's affairs."
"I don't want anything."
Uchiha Yuta shrugged casually, his tone relaxed,
"I was just bored, so I decided to pay a little visit to the Mizukage's office for fun."
Just for fun?!
In reality, Uchiha Yuta hadn't expected this at all:
Kirigakure's upper ranks were already considering surrendering.
Even Mei herself seemed on board with the idea.
This gave him… ideas.
"For fun…?"
Mei's expression twitched. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything.
Her heart was a mess.
Bang!
That was the sound of someone collapsing.
One of the elders—perhaps overwhelmed by the shock of seeing the Fifth Hokage—went weak at the knees and fell to the ground with a thud.
"Hokage-sama…"
The Hōzuki patriarch panicked and quickly dropped to one knee, speaking with utmost respect:
"We were just discussing how to formally surrender to Konoha."
"Kirigakure is ready to submit to Konoha's leadership."
"The strength of today's Konoha more than justifies our decision."
"The Fifth Hokage will surely lead the ninja world into a new era."
"..."
One after another, Ao, Chōjūrō, and the other high-ranking officials followed suit, kneeling respectfully.
Their voices were filled with reverence—
Their allegiance was already clear.
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