Mizukage's Pokémon Ninja Scroll

Chapter 11 Jonin Meeting

Inside the Mizukage Building, in the council chamber where Jonin meetings are held.

The Third Mizukage sat at the front of the conference room, with Elder Yuanshi seated to his left.

The Jonin who received the notification from the village gradually arrived at the location.

"Lord Mizukage, all the Jonin who are not currently on missions in the village have arrived."

The Jonin squad leader, Yagura Karatachi, quietly reported to the Mizukage.

His slightly aged face revealed no emotion; as the Third Mizukage who had participated in the first Five Kage Summit, he was the oldest of the five current Kage.

The Third Mizukage has ruled Kirigakure for nearly forty years. His long reign and brutal Blood Mist policy have deeply ingrained his authority in the hearts of the people.

Although he was just sitting in a chair, he exuded an undeniable aura.

His slightly graying hair was meticulously groomed, which seemed to reflect the old man's rigor and self-discipline.

Those sharp eyes seemed to be able to see into people's hearts, scanning the faces of the heads of the various ninja clans, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and the young Jonin below.

Suddenly realizing that there were very few ninjas left who had actually come from the Warring States period, the Third Mizukage felt somewhat disheartened.

"Elder Yuan, please explain the situation."

"Yes, Lord Mizukage."

Elder Yuan, leaning on a cane that was even taller than himself, stood up and spoke.

"We received an urgent report this morning that the Fourth Kazekage has taken office, and Sunagakure has condemned Konoha for secretly assassinating the Third Kazekage. Furthermore, they are pushing the Land of Wind to formally declare war on the Land of Fire."

This news did not cause much of a stir, after all, the Kazekage had been missing for more than two months, and there were subsequent reports that Konoha was involved in the matter.

Some of the more astute Jonin have already realized that war may not be far off.

Seeing this, Elder Yuan continued speaking.

"Just as the meeting was convened, the second intelligence report was delivered. The advance force from Sunagakure has already entered the Land of Rivers, and the support ninjas from Konoha should arrive at the border of the Land of Fire soon."

The Land of Rivers is a small country located between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire. In times of peace, it serves as a buffer zone between the two great powers, but in times of war, it often becomes a battlefield between them.

Upon hearing the latest information, the Jonin below began to murmur slightly.

It seems that Sunagakure had planned this declaration of war long ago.

Although the Land of Fire was under attack, the advance troops had already entered the Land of Rivers, and Kirigakure hadn't received any advance notice.

Clearly, Sunagakure does not intend to stop the war within the Land of Rivers this time, but rather to penetrate deep into the Land of Fire and take a big bite out of Konoha.

"Neither the Land of Earth nor the Land of Lightning has issued any statement yet. The purpose of this meeting is twofold: first, to convey the intelligence we have received from Kirigakure and our internal opinions on this war to the Daimyo."

"Secondly, regardless of the outcome of the meeting, Kirigakure will enter a state of war preparedness. Starting tomorrow, some of the village's daily tasks will be reduced to ensure sufficient combat power when needed."

After saying this, Elder Yuan coughed twice and turned to look at the Third Mizukage.

"I know Onoki and Midai E. Neither of them are exactly the quiet types. They'll definitely make some moves later."

The Third Mizukage added his own comments after Elder Yuanshi finished speaking, but it's likely that only this Mizukage could address the 50-something-year-old Onoki as "kid".

"Third Hokage, preparations for war are not a problem; our Kaguya clan is ready to fight at any time. However, I will not be able to explain to my clan if the number of missions is reduced."

The speaker was Kaguya Ryuya, the current patriarch of the Shikotsumyaku clan.

The other Jonin were already used to this scene. For this family that wasn't very bright and only knew how to fight, everyone took whatever they said as perfectly reasonable.

"This is not what we're going to discuss at this meeting; this is an order from the village."

The Third Mizukage wasn't angry; he simply raised his voice slightly to express his dissatisfaction, clearly not wanting to argue with such a brainless fellow.

"Then, Third Hokage, should we allow some students from the Ninja Academy to graduate early?"

A ninja from a bloodline clan standing next to Kaguya Ryuya mentioned this.

"A new batch of genin will graduate in another month. The war hasn't even started yet, so it shouldn't be that serious yet, right?"

Upon hearing the ninja's suggestion, Yagura Karatachi immediately spoke up in a somewhat nervous manner to object.

"There's no need for that right now."

The Third Mizukage gave Yagura a meaningful look, but also agreed with his words.

Some familiar Jonin had already started discussing it in small groups.

"Third Hokage, Kirigakure has been developing well in recent years, and given our geographical location, no major power would actively attack us. Is it really necessary for us to get involved in the battlefield on the Leaf Village continent?"

Among the Jonin present, Ao was one of the younger ones, but he still took the initiative to express his thoughts.

"The Daimyo has always held a strong grudge against our Hidden Mist Village for not participating in the last Shinobi World War. He has repeatedly mentioned his desire for us to seize several ports in the Land of Fire in order to expand the trade market of the Land of Water."

This time, it was Elder Yuan who answered. As an elder who frequently handles village affairs, he often communicates with the Daming Prefecture.

"Ao, what nonsense are you talking about? The Second Shinobi World War was only a few years ago. Konoha must not have recovered its strength yet. Now is the perfect opportunity for our Hidden Mist Village."

The towering figure of the Watermelon Pufferfish Demon looked down at Qing, his tone seemingly disdainful.

"Indeed, neither the Land of Earth nor the Land of Lightning will let go of the opportunity to take a bite out of Konoha. The Land of Fire has occupied those territories for too long."

Pipa Juzo also chimed in with a cruel smile.

Although they were all members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and each of them was not entirely convinced of the other's merits, they were clearly of the same mindset when it came to killing enemies on the battlefield.

In response, many more Jonin also echoed and agreed.

Clearly, most of the ninjas in the Blood Mist Village still harbor some resentment about Kirigakure's absence from the last Shinobi World War.

However, due to the suppression by the Third Mizukage, there was not much they could do.

Fortunately, only a few years have passed, and it's clear that the conflict between Sunagakure and Konoha is no longer a small-scale conflict.

With a major war imminent, actively participating in this war is what these warmongers in Kirigakure want.

"It seems everyone still yearns for war. In that case, I will inform the Daimyo's office after the meeting. Issue a condemnation of Konoha in the name of the Land of Water as soon as possible."

At this moment, a hint of cruelty also appeared in the slightly aged eyes of the Third Mizukage.

At the first Five Kage Summit, the guards brought by the Kage from each village all became the second Kage of their respective villages, but he himself became the third.

Although the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu, was supposed to be a bodyguard at that time, he was too injured and unconscious to attend because of a battle with his nemesis, the Second Tsuchikage, Mu.

Only then did he have the opportunity to accompany the First Mizukage, Byakuren, to the Five Kage Summit.

Moreover, that guy, in the end, also accompanied the First Tsuchikage to the meeting covered in bandages.

However, the Third Mizukage remained resentful about this matter and constantly sought to prove that he was the more qualified Mizukage.

However, during the First Shinobi World War, the bearded man, who was then the Second Mizukage, and Musou both died in battle.

Although he was appointed as the Third Mizukage in a time of crisis, Kirigakure was no longer able to participate in the war and was forced to retreat to the Land of Water, which prevented the Third Mizukage from proving himself at the best opportunity.

Then, during the Second Shinobi World War, Kirigakure had just experienced a rebellion, and its strength was somewhat lacking.

They could only keep each other in check with the Land of Lightning, which had not participated in the war, while watching the other three major powers fight fiercely.

In the end, even Hanzo the Salamander from Amegakure earned the formidable reputation of a 'demigod' by stepping over the three great nations.

The Third Mizukage, who had been unable to prove himself in the ninja world, was actually the one among those present who most wanted the Land of Water to participate in the war.

At this moment, Kirigakure was already well-equipped and powerful, and the aging Third Mizukage would never miss such an opportunity again.

No shadow ever dies in this position!

The oldest Kage, who had fought his way through the Warring States period, could no longer hide the ferocity in his eyes.

"Everyone! Prepare for war!"

(End of this chapter)