"Knock, knock..."
Mei Terumī, who was handling official duties in the Mizukage's office, looked up. Her sensory abilities told her there was no one outside the door.
Her brows furrowed slightly—she knew the debt collector had arrived.
Then, with a slow release of tension, she let her signature smile return to her lips.
"Come in."
"Am I interrupting? You seem quite busy." Danzō walked in naturally, taking a seat across from her as he glanced at the pile of documents on her desk.
"If you know it's a bad time, then don't come," Mei said, setting down her pen and rolling her eyes at him.
"I attended your inauguration ceremony two days ago. You looked stunning in the Mizukage robes." Danzō ignored her irritation and offered a rare compliment.
"Is that so?" She knew she shouldn't care, but a small part of her couldn't help feeling pleased.
"Of course. Trust my judgment." Danzō met her gaze, his tone completely assured.
The atmosphere in the office suddenly became somewhat ambiguous.
"Alright, get to the point." Mei wasn't naive enough to believe Danzō had come just to flatter her.
The assistance Root had provided in recent times had shocked her. Most critically, everything had seemed to happen so naturally.
She had even secretly ordered her most trusted subordinates to investigate, but they had found nothing.
"Nothing too urgent. However, as a member of the organization, while enjoying its benefits, you also have responsibilities."
Danzō retrieved a document from the sealed space within his arm and handed it to Mei.
As she read through the proposal, her delicate brows gradually knitted together.
After a long moment, she looked up, her tone serious. "You want to control the Land of Water."
"Correction—not 'you,' but 'we.' And it's not about control, it's about bringing order to the Land of Water." Danzō set aside the scroll of Kirigakure's official affairs he had been casually flipping through.
Silence filled the room once more.
Mei's mind was in turmoil. What kind of organization had she joined? What were their true intentions?
At first, she had thought it was merely a loose alliance between certain shinobi and villages.
But after reading this proposal, she realized it was nothing like she had imagined.
If Kirigakure became deeply involved in this plan and it was exposed, the village might never have a place in the shinobi world again.
Danzō seemed to sense her thoughts.
"Relax. Even if the plan is exposed, it won't implicate Kirigakure. All you need to do is provide some minor assistance."
Danzō wasn't foolish enough to use Kirigakure as the direct means to control the Land of Water.
However, the village was an unavoidable factor. Now that Mei was one of his own, everything would be much easier.
"Do I have the right to refuse?"
"What do you think?"
"Fine, but if any of the organization's actions endanger the village, I won't assist."
Danzō looked at Mei's reluctant compromise with a hint of amusement.
"Now that we've finished discussing business, it's time to move on to more... pressing matters."
...
Half an hour later, a soft curse echoed from the Mizukage's office.
"Bastard of a man!"
Mei sat alone, her bare shoulders and back exposed. Through a Water Mirror Technique, she could see the vivid peony flower tattoo now adorning her back.
Her fiery orange hair, combined with the intricate tattoo, gave her a mesmerizing, almost bewitching allure.
She glanced at the ring on her finger and couldn't help but mutter another curse.
"Damn it... he did that on purpose."
Meanwhile, having teleported back to the Land of Rivers via the Flying Thunder God Technique, Danzō couldn't suppress the smirk on his lips.
"You seem pleased," observed Nonō Yakushi, who had hurried over upon learning of his return.
Danzō quickly composed himself. Looking at Nonō, still dressed in her perpetual nun's attire, exuding an aura of calm and warmth, he nodded.
"The Land of Water is moving according to plan. That's something worth celebrating."
Nonō simply smiled gently at him, saying nothing.
For some reason, Danzō always felt slightly uneasy around her. He quickly changed the topic.
"Nonō, it's been a while since you visited the Konoha orphanage. The next time I return to Konoha, I'll take you with me."
Then, as if recalling something, he handed her a small object.
"Here, take this. It's the latest result from the research on the Ryūmyaku. If you're ever in danger, just channel your chakra into this ring, and I will come to you immediately."
If there was anyone in this world who truly understood him, it was the woman standing before him.
A flicker of warmth flashed in Nonō's eyes before she began reporting the recent developments in the Land of Wind and Sunagakure, as well as the next phase of the plan for the Land of Water.
...
"So this is the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki?" Nagato extended his hand, palm open.
Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, floated slowly toward him.
"Why is the Three-Tails so weak?" Nagato asked, his Rinnegan analyzing the state of the beast.
"I already checked. There's nothing abnormal—just some residual weakness. It could be the aftermath of a battle or perhaps Uchiha Itachi's doing," Black Zetsu added, unwilling to dwell on the issue.
A White Zetsu clone, moving like pliable clay, slowly wrapped itself around Yagura.
"We need to focus on retrieving the remaining Tailed Beasts. The Gedo Statue can only absorb them in ascending order, so we start with the One-Tail..."
"Enough, Zetsu. I will handle it."
As Nagato walked away, Black Zetsu's gaze turned cold.
Ever since receiving the transplantation of Hashirama's cells and regaining his youthful vigor, Nagato had become obsessed with strengthening himself and further developing the Rinnegan's abilities. His interest in the "Eye of the Moon Plan" had noticeably waned.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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