Naruto: I'm really not an evil scientist!

Because she was very aware that if she fainted at this moment, then Wuyin would be finished, just like a building that had lost its last support and collapsed.

From the little ledger test she gave Yagura earlier, she had already keenly realized that the current Yagura was not the real person—or rather, he had been controlled by someone.

When faced with her deliberately scribbled ledger, Yagura showed no reaction whatsoever. His eyes were as calm as still water, without a ripple, as if the errors in the ledger had nothing to do with him.

However, the real Yagura would never let such a mistake go so easily. He was like an accountant who was extremely meticulous, scrutinizing every single account and tolerating no error whatsoever...

Knowing that guy's personality, even if there's just one coin missing, he'll fight the accountant to the death, determined to get to the bottom of things, like a persistent hunting dog that won't give up until it finds the truth, no matter how many difficulties lie ahead.

Based on the previous intelligence, Mei Terumi immediately realized that Yagura was in trouble.

However, the mastermind behind the scenes was unexpectedly powerful. Before she could even react, she was defeated and imprisoned here, like a weak lamb facing a ferocious wolf, powerless to resist.

To make matters worse, they also wanted to kill Mei Terumi on charges of treason.

Fortunately, Mei Terumi was usually well-liked, like a warm sun radiating gentle light and warming those around her. In addition, the order was so unreasonable that it was opposed by many members of her own faction, which is why Mei Terumi barely managed to save her life.

But Mei Terumi knew very well that this was only the beginning.

Once those opponents have been eliminated by that mysterious person, it will be her turn... This won't take long.

The thought of Kirigakure being inexplicably controlled filled Mei Terumi with anxiety. She was as restless as an ant on a hot pan, pacing around in circles. Unable to find help from any side, she had no choice but to ask Konoha for assistance. After all, Tsunade was the Fifth Hokage, and Hiruko, as the Hokage's assistant, might be able to lend a hand.

Mei Terumi knew perfectly well that this was a path to death.

It's not that I'm worried that Hiruzen won't abide by the contract.

As the Hokage's assistant, supporting Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, this guy has a zero default rate so far, so his credibility is definitely commendable. He's like a solid fortress, giving people peace of mind and making him trustworthy.

But she was also well aware that a powerful figure like Hiruko would be very dangerous once he started targeting Kirigakure.

Even if Kirigakure survives, they will likely only be puppets to be manipulated, like soulless wooden dolls that can only act according to the will of others... Mei Terumi is extremely conflicted about this.

She both hoped that Biluhu would come and hoped that he would not.

The words Yagura spoke to her before he was controlled further confused her, leaving her in a tangled mess, like a knotted ball of silk that she couldn't untangle no matter what she did.

If we can't defeat Konoha, then marrying him, or even joining the alliance, might not be a bad way out... Rationally speaking, this is indeed a solution.

It's shameful, but it's useful, like an imperfect but effective tool.

but……

Time passed silently, bit by bit. To achieve the best effect of torturing the prisoners, there was not a sound in this huge cage; it was eerily quiet, and there was no concept of time.

It was as if a year, a hundred years, a thousand years had always been the same; time seemed to have frozen here, and everything had fallen into an endless stillness.

This is even harder to endure than solitary confinement. At least in solitary confinement, you can feel the passage of time, but here you can't feel it at all, as if you've been forgotten by time in a corner.

Moreover, as her chakra continued to decline, Mei Terumi's mind began to wander, like a ship that had lost its way in a storm, drifting aimlessly on the vast ocean, not knowing where to go... Just as she was losing consciousness because she didn't know how much longer she could hold on, a tall man with the salty smell of the ocean appeared outside the cage.

"Kisame... Kisame!" The newcomer was none other than Kisame, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

Previously, due to Yagura's emphasis on them, the two had a fairly good relationship, like two comrades-in-arms who had fought side by side and gone through many battles together.

Now that Kisame has arrived, he shows no sign of killing intent, which brings a glimmer of light to Mei Terumi's gloomy mood, like a ray of dawn appearing in the darkness, bringing her a sliver of hope.

...But at the same time, she also knew very well that Kisame would not help her.

As a companion, Kisame is very reliable.

Once he accepts a mission, he will definitely complete it, even if it means sacrificing his own life, just like a loyal guardian who vows to protect his mission to the death and never abandons it.

If it were an enemy... this stubborn and powerful enemy would be the nightmare of all enemies.

Don't let Kisame's ferocious appearance fool you; he's not a good person.

But in reality, he was the most old-fashioned kind of ninja.

Like Onoki, he was stubborn and inflexible, like a rock that was hard to move. No matter how the outside world changed, he always stuck to his principles.

"You're still alive..." Kisame stared at the disheveled and fallen female ninja in front of him, his tone like the clash of blades, devoid of any emotion, as cold as the winter wind that stung his face.

This is certainly not because Kisame and Mei Terumi have a grudge... In fact, it's a strict form of protection.

Each ninja village has its own unique techniques to subdue prisoners or simply to inflict pain.

Either of these methods could make ninjas wish they were dead, as if they were in hell, enduring endless torment.

Female ninjas were especially so.

Under control, Yagura spared no expense in torturing the Hidden Mist ninjas with the cruelest methods, like a ruthless executioner wielding his butcher's knife without mercy. But if Kisame were standing here... well, he would only stand here.

Mei Terumi knew very well that Kisame would not let her go.

She had tried before, like a moth drawn to a flame, all in vain. Not only did she fail, but she also ended up badly injured.

But as the hope of survival dwindled, Mei Terumi still wanted to try one more time, like someone searching for light in the darkness, unwilling to give up the last glimmer of hope, no matter how small it might be.

Chapter 398 Sunk Costs

"Kisame, you have to believe me, the Mizukage has really been controlled!"

“You’re an experienced ninja too. You’ll know once you try it!” Mei Terumi said eagerly, her eyes full of anticipation.

Upon hearing this, Kisame simply closed his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Ninjas are tools, and under no circumstances should they be attacked by Kage... If even this taboo can be broken, then how can Kage command ninjas?"

Just like the laws of a country, if they are trampled upon at will, the country will descend into chaos, and social order will be completely destroyed.

“If rules can be broken and there are exceptions, then they are no longer rules! Just like a strong city wall, once there is a breach, it will be breached by the enemy, and then the whole country will be in danger.”

Ninjas are soldiers.

They not only waged fierce wars, but sometimes also carried out even more ruthless espionage activities, like shadows hidden in the darkness, silently completing their missions without being detected by anyone.

In these activities, the ninjas suffered a high casualty rate, sometimes even a one-way trip to death, like walking on a thorny path where they could lose their lives at any moment and be covered in wounds from the thorns.

In the military, if victory in a war can be achieved by sacrificing only a thousand men, should those men be sacrificed?

But ninjas are human too; who would willingly die? At this point, the only option is to suppress the ninjas' resistance with cold, ruthless rules, just like ruling a country with an iron fist, so that no one dares to disobey.

Based on this, the authority of the shadow must never be challenged.

When the Kage are unable to subdue the ninjas, many things spiral out of control, like a ship without a helmsman, lost at sea and at the mercy of the wind and waves...

"I am willing to bear all the blame; I only want a chance to prove myself!"

"I can go with you to see Lord Mizukage. If my judgment is wrong, please kill me immediately. I will not resist!"

Mei Terumi's eyes were firm, and her tone was resolute. Her unwavering gaze seemed to pierce through all obstacles, allowing Kisame to see the determination in her heart.

Upon hearing this, Kisame raised his eyelids and then lowered them again.

Mei Terumi knew that the worst had happened.

Some people have already become indifferent to the truth; to them, it's all just an excuse for factional infighting—perhaps in their hearts, it would be better if Yagura were a fake.

Because then they would have an absolute reason to overthrow Yagura and everything Yagura had created, like a pack of greedy beasts vying for more territory to satisfy their own desires.

There really are such people hidden in the mist.

And there are quite a few of them.

Heresy is more hateful than paganism.

Although Kirigakure itself is not a religion, the reasons are similar.

Yagura's reforms in Kirigakure last year were very effective, benefiting many Kirigakure ninjas. Like a timely rain, they nourished the parched land and gave the ninjas new hope.

However, not all ninjas were reformists.

Take the militant faction, for example.

The greatest common denominator of the militant faction comes from fighting. Without war, their prestige and what they can gain will naturally be halved, like a tree that has lost its water source, gradually withering and losing its vitality.

Sometimes, they would even prefer to harbor bandits to enhance their own prestige.

Overall, Yagura's reforms to Kirigakure were positive.

But if everyone goes to develop the economy and make money, can a ninja still be considered a ninja? This is also the thinking of the conservatives.

As people get older, they tend to dislike change and new things. They may even refuse to replace cute school swimsuits for girls with one-piece swimsuits that better protect their privacy. They are like a group of stubborn old-fashioned people who cling to the old things and refuse to let go, even if those things are no longer suitable for the development of the times.

The two major factions were already dissatisfied with Yagura's reforms, but they had no choice before. Many ninjas supported Yagura because they benefited from them.

But now that Yagura is acting recklessly, those ninjas who originally supported him are naturally starting to drift away... Isn't this the perfect opportunity to attack Yagura?

Whatever the reason, some people want to take advantage of Yagura's recklessness to bring him down and replace him with one of their own. It's like a meticulously planned conspiracy being carried out in the dark.

"Do you really have to wait until Kirigakure is destroyed before you're satisfied? Do you really have to wait until your death to regret it?"

"Until the moment of death..."

"You bastard, besides obeying orders, have you never thought about what you want to do?!" Mei Terumi shouted hoarsely, her voice echoing like thunder in the cage, as if to shatter the endless darkness and oppression.

Kisame remained silent, for he had indeed never thought about this question before.

From the moment he became a ninja, his education, the people around him, and the words of his predecessors all told him that the first priority of a ninja is to complete the mission.

Apart from that, everything else is impure, just like impurities that need to be removed so as not to affect the completion of the task.

In order to complete the mission, any means are permitted.

In other words, if a ninja cannot even complete a mission, then he loses all meaning in his existence, like a useless tool discarded in a corner, ignored by everyone.

To prevent our comrades from leaking information, we should kill them first.

Kisame had always agreed with this, but hearing Mei Terumi say it, he was inexplicably moved.

An indescribable feeling began to fill his mind.

For a moment, he felt like a bubble, a false existence.

He only needs a light prick from a needle... no, even just the slightest breeze, and he will shatter completely, leaving no trace in this world.

Although most ninjas go through this process... for some reason, Kisame was particularly concerned about this matter at this moment... it was like a dream, and he was still moved after waking up... such a strange and direct feeling was like a lightning bolt that struck his heart, leaving him unable to calm down for a long time.

"I don't know what I want to do... So, Mei Terumi, what do you want to do?" Kisame finally asked, his voice filled with confusion, as if he were searching for direction in the darkness.

"I want to live! To rescue Kirigakure from that guy who controls the Mizukage! To kick that bastard Hiruko back before he comes to save me!" Mei Terumi said without hesitation, her tone as firm as steel, leaving no room for doubt.

Kisame suddenly found Mei Terumi's idea very interesting.

"Do you... want him to come and save you? Or do you not want him to come?" "...Don't ask such pointless questions."

"No matter how powerful this guy is, he's still human and needs to rest. He won't risk his life for us. We still have time!" Mei Terumi said irritably, her eyes filled with disdain, as if she had her own judgment about Hiruko.