I, Uchiha, will not be whitewashed!

Chapter 99: Everything Under Control!

Hotel room, night.

Mei Terumi sat by the window, holding a cup of tea in her hand. The tea had gone cold, but she didn't drink it.

A bearded Jonin walked in from outside, his footsteps light, but his expression was not good. He placed the battle report from the Forest of Death on the table, took a step back, and said nothing.

The jonin with the scar on his face followed behind him, and the door closed.

Mei Terumi put down her teacup and picked up the battle report.

The note stated that Chojuro's team was eliminated in the Forest of Death, and the eliminated player was Tsukishiro Ichiko, a genin from Konoha, whose file could not be found.

Mei Terumi finished reading the battle report and put it down. "No such person found?"

"The file is complete, and the resume has no flaws. But when I asked the teachers at the Konoha Ninja Academy, none of them had taught this student." The bearded man's voice was low.

"They must be from Konoha's Anbu." Mei Terumi stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window was the night view of Konoha Village, with scattered lights and most houses already asleep.

Chojuro is her chosen junior, Hirame Flounder's successor, and a future candidate for Mizukage.

Among his fellow genin in Kirigakure, his strength was far ahead of others. But this was Konoha, their home turf, so being targeted was inevitable.

She knew all along that this bet wouldn't be so simple, and that Konoha wouldn't obediently return the Executioner's Blade.

Unexpectedly, the one who eliminated Chojuro was not Gaara of Sunagakure, nor the genius Uchiha of Konoha, nor Minato Namikaze's son, but a Konoha genin whose records couldn't even be found.

The Jonin with the scar on his face spoke up: "Lady Mei Terumi, Konoha is clearly targeting us, should we—"

He made a gesture.

Mei Terumi's voice wasn't loud. "A bet is a bet. Chojuro's skills are inferior, there's nothing more to say."

"But the decapitation sword is 6"

"This isn't over!" Mei Terumi said in an unfriendly tone, slamming her finger heavily on the table.

The bearded man and the man with the scar on his face exchanged a glance and dared not speak again.

Mei Terumi is beautiful, but also terrifying.

This is not only reflected in their strength, but also in their personality and style of doing things.

Mei Terumi stood up, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains. The night view of Konoha Village unfolded before her, dotted with twinkling lights. She remained silent for a long time before turning away.

The Jonin with the scar on his face spoke up: "Lady Mei Terumi, Konoha is clearly targeting us, should we—" He made a gesture.

Mei Terumi's voice wasn't loud. "A bet is a bet. Chojuro's skills are inferior, there's nothing more to say."

"But it's a decapitation blade."

"The sword must be returned." Mei Terumi interrupted him, her tone leaving no room for argument. "The ninja sword is the face of Kirigakure, and it's the key to my becoming the Mizukage. I lost the bet, but the sword cannot be lost. This matter cannot be left like this."

The bearded Jonin said in a low voice, "But we lost the bet, and Konoha has a reason not to pay us back."

"I accept losing the bet. But the sword belongs to Kirigakure—"

"Konoha wants to stay? Not so easy." Mei Terumi stood up, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains.

The night view of Konoha Village unfolds before my eyes, with lights twinkling like stars.

She gazed at the twinkling lights for a long, long time, then calmly turned away.

Her beautiful eyes, hidden in the darkness, gleamed with a dangerous light.

"Zabuza and Haku can be abandoned. But the Executioner's Blade must be brought back to Kirigakure. This is the bottom line for our mission, and it is also my achievement."

She looked at the two people.

"Go back and prepare. I will personally go to see Minato tomorrow. I need to discuss the sword with him again. This time, we won't talk about the bet, we'll discuss terms. If Konoha wants Zabuza and Haku, we can keep them. But the Executioner's Blade must be returned to us."

"Lady Terumi, will Minato agree?"

"Disagree? It's just that the price isn't right. Although he's very assertive, he's a sensible man. He knows that the Executioner's Blade can't stay in Konoha Village."

Mei Terumi's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail driven into a wooden board.

"I don't blame Chojuro for losing. But we can't let his loss tarnish the reputation of Kirigakure. We can't let a child disgrace the village."

The two exchanged a glance and left the room.

Mei Terumi sat alone by the window, her fingers tapping lightly on the table.

Chojuro lost. She had expected to be targeted, but she never expected that the person who eliminated him would be a Konoha genin who had never been seen before.

Moonlight.

She remembered the name.

The Executioner's Blade is her bottom line. She can give up Zabuza and Haku, but she must get the blade back.

She picked up the glass of cold tea and drank it all in one gulp. The bitterness lingered on her tongue, and her gaze, looking through the window, fell on the Minato statue on the Hokage Rock in the distance.

"Hokage, I hope you're smart enough."

In the Hokage's office, Minato stood by the window, holding the battle report that the Anbu had just delivered. After reading it, he placed it on the table, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth—not a smile, but a confident composure.

"Who did it?"

"It was a genin named Yuebai. He single-handedly eliminated an entire Kirigakure squad." The ANBU member knelt before the table, his voice low. "The file shows Yuebai was a Konoha genin, but we can't find any records of him being a jonin instructor or graduating."

Shuimen did not pursue the matter further.

He didn't need the Anbu to investigate; he already knew who it was: Tsukishiro, Senbon, and Hikari.

Shuoge moved faster than he expected, and Bai was stronger than he anticipated.

He turned around, walked back to the table, sat down, and pushed the battle report aside.

"Understood. You may leave."

The ANBU withdrew, and the door closed. Minato leaned back in his chair, gazing out the window. The sunlight was perfect, illuminating the Hokage Rock; his portrait was on the far right, his features gentle.

If the third generation were still in power, the executioner's blade would probably have already been returned, without the other party even having to ask.

The three generations always said "peace first," and the sword was returned, the people withdrew, and the turmoil subsided.

What I got in return was not respect, but contempt.

The Hidden Cloud Village dared to abduct Hinata Hyuga, the Hidden Stone Village dared to frequently provoke at the border, and the Hidden Mist Village dared to seize Konoha's ships and goods—all because they knew the Third Hokage would not retaliate.

But the person sitting in this position now is not the third generation.

Minato picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.

The tea had gone cold, but he didn't notice.

The Hidden Mist's swords are in Konoha's hands, and the Hidden Mist's genin were eliminated in the Forest of Death. Mei Terumi will not let this go.

She will come again, but this time she won't use morality to pressure people.

The bet was in black and white, and Mei Terumi personally agreed to it; the moral high ground lies with Konoha.

If she comes again, she can only come to negotiate with interests in mind.

Trade agreements, intelligence sharing, and border disarmament are all more valuable than a knife.

The decapitation sword can be returned, but Kirigakure must show sincerity.

What three generations could give up, he cannot.

He could not tolerate what three generations could tolerate.

Konoha has been bullied for decades; it's time for it to end.

"Terumi wants a knife? Fine." Minato put down his teacup, his voice low. "Bring something in exchange. Threats? Konoha only accepts trades."

This is not a retreat, but an effort to make Konoha stronger.

The streetlights streamed through the window into the room, making the profile of the water gate stand out sharply in the light and shadow.

He picked up his pen and continued reviewing documents, the pen tip scratching on the paper.

His face showed complete composure, as if everything was under his control.