Unlike the Land of Fire, Land of Lightning, Land of Earth, and Land of Wind — all situated on the continent — the Land of Water, one of the Five Great Nations, lies across the sea, a country made up entirely of islands.
More than forty years ago, a shinobi named Byakuren, who had yet to become the First Mizukage, received a commission from the daimyō of the Land of Water, who at that time ruled only the island of Kirigakure. Gathering a band of like-minded companions, he crushed the other island factions. While the continental nations were consumed by constant warfare, Byakuren seized the opportunity and unified the islands — transforming the Land of Water from one island nation among many into an archipelagic superpower, joining the ranks of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
Kirigakure Village
thus became one of the Five Great Hidden Villages.
However—
because of limited advancements in maritime travel, the Land of Water's isolation across the ocean left it disconnected from the mainland nations. Where the others traded and communicated freely, the Land of Water and Kirigakure became synonymous with secrecy and seclusion.
For countries as distant as the Land of Earth, information about the Land of Water was scarce — not completely nonexistent, but so little that it barely made a difference. Thus, even the Koeda Clan knew almost nothing about it. Though their ancestors had once lived as seafarers during the chaotic age of island wars, the clan's later generations — especially Kyoichi, who was born and raised in Iwagakure — knew nothing of those old maritime days.
To him,
this country was shrouded in mystery — and full of wonder.
"Kyoichi, that's Kirigakure ahead."
From the top of the mast, Kyoichi balanced on a wooden plank, training his sense of equilibrium. Mei Terumī stood watch at the lookout, pointing toward the faint outline of an island in the distance.
"Kirigakure and the capital, Mist City, are both on that island," she said. "I forgot to mention — Mist City is the capital of the Land of Water. It's less than fifty kilometers from the village."
"Mist City?"
Kyoichi squinted toward the horizon, curiosity sparking. The name conjured images of towering chimneys spewing thick, dark smoke into the sky. But he quickly dismissed the thought — here, "mist" was likely quite literal. The island was perpetually wrapped in heavy fog; no doubt Kirigakure took its name from the same phenomenon.
"Why? Interested?" Mei smiled. "If you are, you can visit when you get a break. It's much livelier than the village… though personally, I don't like Mist City much. Too many nobles — always stirring up trouble and ruining the mood!"
"Not interested, exactly," Kyoichi replied. "Just curious. It is the capital of the Land of Water, after all."
"I see." Mei accepted his answer easily.
"By the way, yes — it's called Mist City because of the constant fog. I asked Elder Genji about it once. The same goes for Kirigakure's name — both come from this endless mist. They say the First Mizukage developed the Hiding in Mist Technique based on this very environment. With that jutsu alone, he cut down hundreds of enemies in his prime…"
As Mei spoke of her village's founding history, her tone grew bright and animated, her voice almost bubbling with pride.
Kyoichi didn't interrupt; he listened quietly. From her, he could learn things that men like Biwa Jūzō never could tell him — not because Jūzō refused, but because the man's education was… lacking. He was a warrior who lived by instinct, not study — the kind who knew that it worked, but never why it did.
Aside from Jūzō, the only others on the ship worth talking to were Mei Terumī, Hōzuki Mangetsu, Kirigumo Ryūsei, Suiren, and his cousin Yūsuke.
Though Ryūsei came from the Kirigumo clan, relations between the Koeda and Kirigumo had yet to recover to the closeness of decades past. The older generation still shared bonds of memory, but among the young, those ties had to be rebuilt from scratch.
So Kyoichi chose to learn from Mei.
And indeed, her chatter revealed much that was otherwise hidden — secrets of Kirigakure's inner workings.
For example: that Elder Genji within Kirigakure, who shared supreme authority with the Mizukage, was not very satisfied with the current Fourth Mizukage, Yagura. It was only because there was no better choice at the time that Yagura had ascended to the position
There were many such hidden truths, and by the time their ship neared land, Kyoichi had already gained a rough understanding of the "ecosystem" within Kirigakure.
First,
the saying that "the Mizukage and the elder master share power" was not exactly accurate — it was more like Genji> Mizukage. Offending the Mizukage wasn't necessarily fatal; one could still seek the Genji's protection. But to offend the Genji… even the Mizukage could not shield you from ruin.
So in Kirigakure, the wisest move was not to cling to the Mizukage's favor — but to the Genji's.
Second,
the Land of Water's hatred of Kekkei Genkai users was largely a sentiment of the lower-class war-torn populace. Inside Kirigakure itself, the opposite was true — clans with bloodline limits or hereditary techniques actually prospered.
As long as the Koeda Clan didn't make grave mistakes, life in Kirigakure wouldn't be difficult. And if they could win the Genji's favor, the clan might not only regain its former glory but even surpass it.
In short — there was hope.
"Mei! We're almost ashore!"
Kyoichi stood, balancing easily on the plank — it didn't even tremble beneath his feet.
"Those people by the harbor — they're here to meet us?"
From his perch, he could clearly see the figures gathered at the docks.
"Probably…" Mei stretched her neck, trying to get a better look. "Can't really make out their faces, but yeah — they're most likely here to greet us."
Even if she couldn't see them clearly, Mei spoke with confidence.
After all — it was obvious that people would be waiting for her.