Mitsuki Kōmei led Guo Er and Lian'er to the Nightmare Forest. It was the familiar time, the familiar place, and on the familiar old locust tree, the three of them sat together, teasing birds.
The Leech hidden in the distant stream was happily catching fish, but unfortunately, it was still as weak as ever, with no progress at all. The medicinal herbs still needed a bit more time to grow.
"Here they come! Huh? What's going on?"
Mitsuki Kōmei stared unblinkingly at the small Ninja entering the forest. The number was clearly wrong, a full two-tenths fewer than last year.
"The Third Mizukage is truly useless. With so many fewer students, is he even fit to be Mizukage? He should learn from his peers. They hide in their offices peeking at people bathing, and the will of fire burns eternally."
Mitsuki Kōmei gritted his teeth and hardened his heart. He made a decision, touching his conscience: no matter how many people participated in the assessment, the number of freebies would remain unchanged, even if only one was left for the Hidden Mist Village in the end.
The freebie quota could not be lowered. He would rather inconvenience anyone else than himself.
Outside the Nightmare Forest, the parents who had "lost" their children once again fainted from crying. Dissatisfaction with the Mizukage rose to another level. The conflict between commoners and Ninja Families further intensified.
Two months later, Yagura secretly sent back news: a minor incident occurred in Hidden Mist Village, triggering a series of conflicts within the Village.
The story had to start with the Mizukage's bloody policies.
Since the Hidden Mist Village's Genin assessment changed, the Ninja Academy added a new component: practical combat.
The original intention was good: to allow students to adapt to the rhythm of the battlefield and reduce the assessment's mortality rate. Teachers supervised the entire combat process, so danger was rarely an issue.
There are always exceptions.
During a practical combat session, Hozuki Shingetsu injured an opponent's eye, causing blindness.
In the Ninja World, replacing an eye is as simple as eating, so blindness was not a major issue.
The problem was that the opponent was a commoner. Commoners had limited resources, and the child's talent was not outstanding. Participating in the cruel Genin assessment would undoubtedly lead to death.
The opponent's parents planned to use this opportunity to have their son withdraw from school, save his life, pass the optimal age for Cultivation, and then have his eye healed.
The conflict between commoners and Ninja Families deepened daily.
Under the guidance of interested parties, a large number of commoners used this incident as a reason to demand an eye for an eye: Hozuki Shingetsu's eyes should also be blinded and not healed.
Hozuki Shingetsu possessed excellent talent, not inferior to the Second Mizukage Hōzuki Gengetsu, and was considered the future hope of his Family.
The Hozuki Clan certainly wouldn't agree. Hōzuki Yuzuki bluntly stated, "What is your child's status, and what is my child's caliber? It's absurd that you'd even consider a one-for-one exchange."
This arrogant statement ignited the conflict between commoners and Ninja Families.
The commoners felt that since the Ninja Families looked down on them, they also looked down on the Ninja Families. They decided to separate: "I won't buy your things, and you stay away from me."
The Ninja Families were no pushovers. "Separate? We're breaking up with you commoners. We won't team up with you for missions; we'll each do our own thing."
By this point, who Hozuki Shingetsu was, no one cared anymore.
Seeing that the situation was about to spiral out of control, the Third Mizukage stepped in to mediate. Originally, by giving a stick to one side and a carrot to the other, healing the commoner's eye, and offering some compensation from the Hozuki, the matter could have been resolved.
Any matter, once personal feelings are involved, often becomes more complicated. The Third Mizukage was in such a situation.
As the first Mizukage Byakuren's guard, the Third Mizukage and Byakuren had exchanged glances and were inseparable, seemingly on the verge of a happy ending.
Suddenly, Hōzuki Gengetsu appeared, a third party who intervened and later became the Second Mizukage, effectively turning the Third Mizukage into a mistress.
The Third Mizukage harbored strong resentment towards the Hozuki Clan, and now an opportunity for revenge had arrived! He slapped his thigh, "That person was right! It's all your Hozuki Clan's fault."
Hōzuki Yuzuki disagreed. He wanted to find someone to reason with. Several Clan Chiefs pulled an Elder aside and told the Elder, "Look, the Mizukage's judgment is a bit biased. Go and set him straight."
A powerful group, led by the Mizukage and supported by the Anbu, Medical Division, and Treasury under his control, adamantly insisted that the Hozuki Clan was at fault and that eyes must be gouged out, adhering to a domineering stance.
Multiple powerful Ninja Families united, believing the Mizukage's ruling was unfair. They did not accept it and demanded that the Mizukage provide a just solution.
As for the commoners, they could talk, but who would listen?
Mitsuki Kōmei found it very interesting. Far away in the Daimyo Manor, he enjoyed watching the drama unfold, feeling quite content.
"Kakuzu, accompany me to Hidden Mist Village. The conflict is nearing its end. We'll join in and add some excitement."
Mitsuki Kōmei used the Evaporation Jutsu to leave the Daimyo Manor and flew towards Hidden Mist Village. Kakuzu increasingly felt that he was unfathomable.
In the evening, the afterglow of the sunset illuminated the red clouds across the sky. In the Hozuki Clan territory, Hōzuki Yuzuki returned with a tired and dejected expression, followed by the young Hozuki Shingetsu.
Days of struggle ended in failure. Some Ninja Families couldn't withstand the pressure and eventually compromised. Losing a Genius was not their Family's concern, so they had no need to stubbornly fight for the Hozuki.
Pushing open the main hall door, Hōzuki Yuzuki instantly became alert, ready for battle.
In the dimly lit main hall, using the last bit of sunlight, Hōzuki Yuzuki saw a person sitting in the main seat drinking tea, with Kakuzu respectfully standing behind him.
Mitsuki Kōmei put down his teacup and smiled, looking towards the door. Hōzuki Yuzuki was vigilantly staring at Kakuzu behind him, while Hozuki Shingetsu tugged on Yuzuki's sleeve, his large eyes full of curiosity, staring unblinkingly at Mitsuki Kōmei.
"Hozuki Clan Leader, long time no see. Don't stand at the door, come in and sit!"
Mitsuki Kōmei waved his hand, and a gust of cold wind blew Hōzuki Yuzuki and Shingetsu in front of him. He waved again, closing the door tightly.
"Sit down."
Hōzuki Yuzuki sat down mechanically, clearly not having recovered from his shock. He never imagined that the Water Country Daimyo not only knew Ninjutsu but was also extremely powerful, leaving him utterly defenseless.
"You—"!
"Shh, knowing but not speaking is how you become good friends."
Hōzuki Yuzuki nodded vigorously. "You are right! May I ask what instructions you have for me today?"
"I'm here to show you a clear path!" Mitsuki Kōmei looked up and said seriously, "You must leave Hidden Mist Village, otherwise the Hozuki Shingetsu incident will continue to happen, do you understand?"
"Lord Shimotsuki, I understand! But we can't defeat the Mizukage, so we can't leave!"
Hōzuki Yuzuki was constantly tugged by Shingetsu's sleeve, and Shingetsu kept winking at him, but he didn't understand.
"Father, you're so silly! Since Lord Shimotsuki brought it up, he must have a way!" Hozuki Shingetsu, seeing that his father didn't understand his meaning, had no choice but to speak directly.
Mitsuki Kōmei was quite satisfied with Hozuki Shingetsu's performance. His mind was quick, and both his talent and intelligence were sharp.
"Lord Shimotsuki, please tell us what you need our Hozuki Clan to do."
Mitsuki Kōmei nodded, took out five Chakra Pills, and placed them on the table. "You will go to the Land of the Moon, settle down, and await my command. Furthermore, I will be taking Hozuki Shingetsu with me."
"Alright!"
"I hope you don't disappoint me!"
As Mitsuki Kōmei spoke, he performed the Evaporation Jutsu. He vanished, and his voice still echoed in the air.