Escaping the Mist Ninja starts with backstabbing your teacher.

The Land of Rivers, the Mist Ninja Camp.

A small team had just arrived when their leader was immediately recognized.

"Lord Qing, what brings you here?"

As one of the key figures in the recent controversy surrounding the betrayal of Kirigakure and the acquisition of the Byakugan, the events that befell Ao have long been circulating among the Kirigakure.

However, Qing, whose eyes were bandaged, didn't care about the reactions of the other ninjas. He was only there to carry out a mission, so he just nodded in acknowledgment.

Having recovered well from his injuries, and with his white eye removed, he no longer needed to worry about being spied on, so he felt much freer.

Behind him, a girl with reddish-brown hair looked rather preoccupied.

Ao also noticed the girl behind him and calmly said, "Don't worry about what others think, Mei Terumi!"

"You requested to participate in this operation, but I think it's impossible for you to use this opportunity to find him."

"As his teacher, I once thought I understood him, but clearly the answer is not so."

Qing's voice was tinged with a sigh as she recalled the events of the past, which now seemed to have been a premeditated scheme.

All he did was ultimately to seize the Byakugan and use that opportunity to escape from Kirigakure.

"Izumi Kawa..." Mei Terumi murmured as she recalled the past, "He didn't really kill you and the other comrades; there must have been other reasons for doing so."

Seemingly reinforced by some conviction, Mei Terumi raised her head, looked at Ao, and continued very seriously, "That's right, Ao-senpai."

"He not only didn't kill you, but he also treated you and saved your lives."

"This kind of behavior is not what someone who truly wants to defect would do. He could have simply killed you all and left."

Facing the still somewhat naive Mei Terumi, Ao slowly shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Stop thinking about those unrealistic things."

"Izumi's betrayal of Kirigakure and his becoming a rogue ninja is a fact that has already been established. Even if you don't believe it, it won't change anything."

"Unless you can actually find him, find out the reason, and bring him back to Kirigakure, there's only a slight chance."

"And the only way to exonerate him is for you to become the Mizukage."

Will you become the Water Shadow?

Mei Terumi clenched her fists, as if she had made up her mind. She not only wanted to find Izumikawa, but also planned to become the Mizukage.

If it is proven that he did not truly intend to betray the Mist Ninja, she will be able to protect him.

"Senior Ao, I will become the Mizukage!" In response to the girl's confident answer, Ao simply chuckled and shook his head slightly.

Although he acknowledged Mei Terumi's talent, becoming the Mizukage was not so simple, especially since she was a bloodline ninja.

Within Kirigakure, the conflict between ordinary ninjas and bloodline ninjas had long since reached a point of extreme hostility.

The Third Mizukage has been absent for so long, allowing the two sides to remain in conflict. Sooner or later, problems will arise in Kirigakure.

Unfortunately, no one could alleviate the situation, and no one knew what the Mizukage was thinking.

With mixed feelings, Qingxin wondered what the future held for Kirigakure. Then, she led Mei Terumi and the others directly into the camp.

The war has dragged on for so long that the outcome is already clear. So much money has been spent, so many people have been sacrificed, and even the Three-Tails has been used, yet no results have been achieved.

Even if the Third Mizukage persists, the higher-ups of Kirigakure will no longer want to fight.

Separated by the sea, the Kirigakure village launched an offensive, resulting in a considerable amount of resources being transported and consumed.

……

On the border of the Land of Fire, in a dense forest, Izumi and Yekura moved rapidly, their destination the Land of Grass.

As the two were moving forward, Ye Cang frowned, as if sensing something. He looked up and conjured a fireball in his palm.

Izumi sighed inwardly, turned around and landed beside her, placing his hand on her wrist. Then he looked up at the sky and waved to her.

A black dot was growing larger and larger; it was a petrel that flew in and landed on Izumi's shoulder, nuzzling him affectionately.

"This is my summoned beast; it helps people send me messages."

Upon hearing this, Yekura dispelled the fireball in his hand, leaned against a tree trunk to avoid suspicion, and waited for Izumi to finish his private matters.

Izumi removed the object from Kaien's leg and let him go, as he had no intention of replying to him.

The sender was none other than Mei Terumi, his only friend in Kirigakure. The sea swallow was a gift he gave her, a ninja beast used for communication between the two.

He opened the letter and quickly glanced through it. The contents were as he expected, full of questions and confusion, and he hoped to give her an explanation.

Explanation?

Often, explanations are meaningless, just like in the current situation.

Could he tell Mei Terumi that the Third Mizukage was being controlled by someone?

Could he also say that the future Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, would also be controlled, and that all the bloodline clans of Kirigakure would be wiped out?

Clearly, there are things he can say to Yekura, but not to Terumi Mei, who lives in the same village, because their status and positions are different.

After a moment's hesitation, Izumi sighed softly and slowly shook his head: "Please burn it for me!"

Snapped!

Upon hearing the other party's words, Yecang snapped his fingers lightly, and flames immediately rose from the letter. As the breeze blew, the ashes gradually dissipated in the air.

With the last vestige of life, Izumikawa loosened his grip, watching as the other corner burned away in the wind, turning to ashes.

"Let's keep going!"

"Um!"

The two set off again, heading towards the direction of the Grass Ninja Village. The closer they got to the Grass Ninja Village, the more signs of human habitation they saw, and they would occasionally encounter ninjas.

Just before they arrived, at a certain distance away, the two changed their clothes again, becoming a brother and sister, and began to walk towards Kusagakure.

……

Grass Village, as a ninja village in the Land of Grass, is actually not as powerful as Rain Village, and the village itself is not very large.

However, it was ultimately a ninja village of one country, with no ninjas from other countries nearby, and its weaponry and the quality of its ninjas were both very weak.

After all, as a buffer zone and a battlefield, it would be easy for any of the five great ninja villages to destroy it, but there's no need for them to.

As long as you behave yourself and stay in a corner, nothing will happen.

"Get out! Get out of here! What kind of village are you visiting if you have no money? Is this a place for an old woman like you?"

At the entrance of Kusagakure, an old man was kicked to the ground by a Kusagakure ninja guarding the gate. The ninja's attitude was so appalling that they didn't even consider him a human being.

"You can get in if you pay, otherwise get out. There's war going on everywhere outside, but my Grass Ninja Village is unaffected by the conflict. It's not that easy to get in."

Not far away, everything that happened was seen by Izumi and Yekura, and both of them looked at each other with a slightly cold gaze.

Yekura muttered in dissatisfaction, "Is this a ninja village or a bandit stronghold?"