"I... I'm willing to become your subordinate..."
The mature woman with long brown hair closed her eyes in humiliation, accepting this shameful condition.
Snap! Naruto snapped his fingers, and with a satisfied smile, he reached out and gently ruffled Mei's hair.
"You should've agreed earlier, right?"
"You...!" Mei's eyes snapped open, glaring angrily at the blond youth in front of her.
For a girl, getting her head patted might be a reward, but for a mature woman like her, it was purely an insult.
Especially when she was under his control.
He clearly regarded her as a trophy, a pet...
Naruto chuckled lightly, withdrawing his hand under Mei's furious gaze. He pointed outside at the blazing flames and said,
"That fire just attracted a lot of shinobi. I suppose you don't want them seeing me here, do you? So, go take care of them."
If looks could kill, Mei would have slain Naruto dozens of times by now.
She cast him a sharp, blade-like glare before gritting her teeth and quickly walking to the window.
Outside, she could see the anxious Kirigakure shinobi.
"Quick! Use Suiton (Water Style)!"
"It's still raining... How did the fire even start...?"
"Don't worry about that! Put out the fire first!"
The Kirigakure shinobi began forming hand seals, ready to use Suiton to extinguish the flames engulfing the Mizukage Tower.
But before they could unleash their jutsu, they were stunned to see the raging fire suddenly extinguish on its own.
Right after, the elite jonin widely regarded as the likely Fifth Mizukage, Mei, leaned halfway out of the Mizukage's office window.
Her alluring figure on display, she spoke with a slightly breathless, apologetic tone:
"Everyone, I'm sorry... I was practicing a jutsu and accidentally set the Mizukage Tower on fire... I'm sorry for the trouble..."
"Uh...!"
The mature and seductive woman suddenly let out a startled cry, her face flushing bright red.
Her eyes flared with anger as she gritted her teeth.
Still, she continued:
"Really sorry, but there's nothing to worry about here. Everyone, please get back to your duties."
The Kirigakure shinobi exchanged glances, finding her behavior rather strange.
One of them couldn't help but ask:
"Mei-sama, are you sure you're okay? Your voice sounds a little... odd."
"I'm fine..." Mei gritted her teeth, her face reddening even more.
But as she spoke, her upper body leaned further out the window.
The Kirigakure shinobi grew even more suspicious, noticing her expression.
"Mei-sama, is something happening inside the room?"
"Should we... check it out?"
"That's the Mizukage's office, Mei-sama. What are you doing in there?"
Hearing their voices, Mei's face grew even redder, her breath coming in shallow gasps, as if she were extremely furious.
Just as the shinobi grew increasingly suspicious, a green-haired youth with a calm expression appeared at the window beside her, saying coldly:
"There's nothing going on. Mei is discussing Kirigakure's policies with me. She wants to become the Fifth Mizukage, but I haven't agreed."
The moment the shinobi saw the green-haired youth, they all gasped sharply.
They recognized the boy instantly.
The Fourth Mizukage — Yagura!
The strongest Mizukage in Kirigakure's history, known for his cruelty.
None of them dared to ask further, quickly turning away to resume their tasks, terrified of attracting Yagura's attention.
Though they had questions, the situation now made sense.
"Looks like Mei-sama and the Fourth Mizukage-sama had a disagreement..."
"That's not unusual. Mei-sama has always opposed the Blood Mist policy and wanted to reform it..."
"Probably had a heated argument... maybe even a fight. That would explain the fire..."
"I wonder who had the upper hand in that clash..."
"Of course it's the Fourth Mizukage-sama. Didn't you hear how Mei-sama's tone changed?"
"Trying to seize power, huh? She must be crazy... That's the Fourth Mizukage we're talking about. No wonder she looks so flustered..."
"..."
Listening to the whispers from afar, Mei's face burned bright red as she glared at the "Fourth Mizukage." She angrily slapped his hand away and said:
"You bastard! How dare you do that while I'm talking...!"
The "Fourth Mizukage" smirked, wiping the water droplets from his fingertips.
"Don't say it like that. I think your body liked it too."
"You...!"
Mei's chest heaved with anger. She wanted to kill the "Fourth Mizukage" right then and there.
But feeling the suppressed chakra sealed within her, she was overcome with a sense of powerlessness. She could only glare at him with tearful eyes.
With a soft poof, the "Fourth Mizukage" turned back into Naruto.
Naruto took Yagura's seat, propping his leg up casually. Behind him, Guren obediently massaged his shoulders, while Uchiha Izumi brewed a pot of tea.
Seeing Naruto so relaxed, Mei felt her fury boil over. She gritted her teeth and asked:
"Why did you say I should be the Fifth Mizukage? Didn't we agree I'd be your subordinate?"
Naruto took a sip of tea, smiling.
"Yeah, but being my subordinate and being the Fifth Mizukage aren't mutually exclusive."
Mei blinked, then her expression shifted as she understood. Her eyes flared with anger as she stared at Naruto.
"You want me to become the Fifth Mizukage, listen to your orders, and let you control the entire Kirigakure!?"
"Absolutely not!"
"Forget it! The Mizukage is supposed to protect Kirigakure! How could I possibly accept such a condition!?"
Her angry voice trembled with indignation.
Naruto glanced at Mei with an amused look.
"Do you even have the right to refuse?"
"If you don't agree, I can destroy Kirigakure right now. After all, there aren't any strong shinobi here."
Guren and Uchiha Izumi both cast cold glances at Mei.
Of the Five Great Nations, Kirigakure was currently the weakest. Without a Kage, its only top-tier combatant was Mei herself.
Calling it one of the Five Great Nations was an exaggeration—more like a small village.
If it weren't for its location on an isolated island far from the mainland, Kirigakure would've been overtaken by some other small village long ago.
They all felt that if they put in a bit of effort, wiping out the village wasn't impossible.
Mei's face turned pale, then flushed, then pale again.
After a moment of hesitation, she closed her eyes in despair and said:
"Fine... I'll listen to your orders and become the Fifth Mizukage."
"Good!"
Naruto grinned, pulling out a maid outfit from his space portal.
"Then go ahead and change into this first!"
"You...!"
Mei's face flushed so red it looked like she was bleeding.
"You can't... How can you... You're so handsome, can't you be a little gentler?"
She tried to coax Naruto in a soft, flirtatious tone, hoping to catch him off guard.
But Naruto winked at her and said with a smirk:
"Sorry, but having only gentleness doesn't make a good man!"
Mei felt a wave of anger rise within her.
She remembered that line—she had said it before, and now it was being used against her...
Her face flushed as she stared at the maid outfit.
(End of Chapter)
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