Chapter 29: Somehow Becoming an Elder
Terumi Mei's face was bright red, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into. Her earlier behavior had been far too unbecoming of a Mizukage.
"Ahem, ahem."
Yuto gave a light cough, drawing everyone's attention back from Terumi Mei, and continued speaking:
"I'm not saying these things with any ulterior motive. I just want everyone to understand the current state of the Mist Ninja Village. I don't want to see any scheming or tripping each other up."
At this, Yuto turned his head to glance at the unconscious Utakata nearby.
Everyone present immediately understood. Clearly, Lord Yuto was somewhat displeased about the Six-Tails jinchuriki's defection.
However, two people in the room let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least from the current situation, it seemed Lord Yuto had no intention of holding them accountable.
Seeing the crowd tense up again due to his words, Yuto chuckled lightly:
"I've said enough for today. I'll leave the rest to the Mizukage. After all, this is her stage."
With that, Yuto placed the scroll that had been next to the booklet back in front of Terumi Mei. Though he hadn't opened it to see its contents, he could guess.
The scroll likely contained something akin to orders.
Terumi Mei was slightly taken aback seeing Lord Yuto return the scroll. She naturally understood that he was doing this to avoid undermining her authority.
A faint smile tugged at Terumi Mei's lips. It seemed Lord Yuto was underestimating her. She hadn't become the Mizukage, nor gained a certain level of prestige among the commoners, solely through strength.
Moreover, this matter had the support of Elder Genji. Thinking of this, Terumi Mei subtly glanced in Elder Genji's direction.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile flashed in her eyes. What was about to happen might even shock Lord Yuto.
Imagining the surprised expression on Lord Yuto's face later, Terumi Mei couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement.
"Ahem… ahem."
At that moment, Elder Genji, who had been half-squinting as if about to fall asleep, suddenly began coughing violently, drawing sidelong glances from the crowd.
A middle-aged man sitting next to Elder Genji suddenly looked deeply sorrowful, his tone filled with concern as he addressed him:
"Teacher, your health is getting worse. You can't keep going like this. You need to rest more."
As the middle-aged man's words fell, those with sharp instincts in the room immediately sensed something unusual.
Yuto, sitting nearby, showed a hint of confusion in his eyes. He glanced at the man who had spoken. According to the booklet Terumi Mei had given him, this man's name was likely Gonbei, a close confidant of Elder Genji.
The reason for Yuto's confusion was that he had a strange feeling that Gonbei's words seemed directed at him.
"Ahem… ahem. Yes, I'm getting old. My body can't keep up anymore."
Elder Genji nodded along with Gonbei's words, his face showing a look of lament.
Bang!
With a soft sound, everyone—except Terumi Mei, whose expression remained calm—looked at Gonbei, who had suddenly stood up, feeling somewhat puzzled.
"Lady Mizukage, you must be aware of Teacher's health. I urge you to make a decision as soon as possible."
After speaking, Gonbee sat back down, his face filled with worry as he looked at Elder Genji, as if the elder were about to go meet the previous Mizukages at any moment.
Yuto watched Gonbee's overly concerned expression, his lips twitching fiercely. This acting was too much!
Elder Genji was indeed getting old, but based solely on his vigor and spirit, Yuto could tell that the old man could easily live another three or four years without issue.
A faint sigh came from Terumi Mei's lips.
With a reluctant and worried expression, Terumi Mei looked at everyone and slowly spoke:
"In fact, Elder Genji has submitted his resignation several times before, but I rejected it each time. However, considering Elder Genji's health now, I have no choice but to make the following decision."
As Terumi Mei spoke, even the slowest among those present realized that a major change was about to occur in the Mist Ninja Village.
"From this day forward, Elder Genji will step down from his position as elder. At the same time, Elder Genji recommends Lord Yuto to become the new elder. This scroll contains Elder Genji's recommendation letter and my formal signature as Mizukage."
Terumi Mei spoke slowly, opening the scroll and showing it to everyone. At the bottom of the scroll, the names of Elder Genji and Terumi Mei were prominently signed.
In the section for the elder appointment, Yuto's name was written.
Seeing the contents of the scroll Terumi Mei presented, everyone's faces showed shock.
Even Yuto couldn't help but reveal a trace of astonishment. Who would have thought that Terumi Mei, without making a sound, had collaborated with Elder Genji to pull off such a significant move?
And as the person being appointed, Yuto hadn't even been informed beforehand!
For a moment, Yuto felt both amused and exasperated. Initially, he had worried that his return might affect Terumi Mei's prestige as Mizukage, but now it seemed his concerns were entirely unnecessary.
This young lady had not only quietly arranged everything for him, but from today onward, in a certain sense, he had become her subordinate…
Kinoshita Yoshiro and Tsuchida Masamitsu, seated at the meeting table, had drastic changes in their expressions!
For such an important matter, Elder Genji had not only failed to consult them but hadn't even leaked a hint of information to them!
They had been abandoned!
The same thought simultaneously crossed the minds of Kinoshita Yoshiro and Tsuchida Masamitsu.
Tsuchida Masamitsu's expression was grim, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. As a member of the leadership, he naturally had the right to object.
However, before Tsuchida Masamitsu could voice his opposition, Elder Genji gave a light cough and stood up calmly.
Elder Genji nodded slightly to Yuto and Terumi Mei, then turned to look at the others with a calm expression, saying:
"The position of elder is unlike other roles. The person who takes on this role must be of the highest caliber in terms of status, seniority, and loyalty to the village. At present, the only one in the entire Mist Ninja Village who meets these criteria is Lord Yuto."
With Elder Genji's words, even Tsuchida Masamitsu, who wanted to object, found himself unable to come up with a reason to refuse.
In terms of status, Lord Yuto was the First, and no one in the Mist Ninja Village surpassed him.
In terms of seniority, there was no need to elaborate—Lord Yuto's seniority likely exceeded even Elder Genji's.
In terms of loyalty, no one could compare to Lord Yuto. After all, in a certain sense, the Mist Ninja Village was established by him.
Hey readers! If you're eager to dive into advanced chapters, consider joining our Patreon. By joining, you'll get access to 20 chapters ahead and enjoy 8 new chapters per week. Plus, we have 8 more exciting fics with the same chapter release rate, giving you a total of 64 chapters per week! Join now and keep the adventure going!
Patreon: https://patreon.com/anish_44