As the battle reached its peak intensity, Hikari and the Third Mizukage tested each other's endurance and abilities.
The relentless pace and the sheer power expended in the duel took their toll, especially on the older Mizukage, whose reserves were not as robust as Hikari's.
Despite Mizukage's formidable experience and mastery of natural energy, his aging body could not sustain the prolonged exertion required to counter Hikari's youthful vigor and newly enhanced skills.
In the final moments of their confrontation, as they darted across the shattered landscape of Kirigakure, moving from hill to building with blinding speed, the Mizukage's attacks became increasingly desperate, his movements slower, and his body visibly flagging under strain. Hikari, sensing the opportunity, intensified his assaults, pushing the Mizukage to the brink.
Ultimately, it was not a decisive blow that ended the battle but the cruel reality of physical limits. The Mizukage's body pushed beyond its capacity to handle the intense expenditure of chakra and succumbed to exhaustion.
He faltered mid-assault, his energy dissipating into the air as he collapsed, unable to sustain the fight any longer.
The Mizukage lay motionless, his life fading as chakra exhaustion claimed his final breath, just inches from delivering what might have been a finishing strike to Hikari.
Mei Terumi, who had been observing from a safe distance under Hikari's earlier instruction, watched in awe and horror. The speed and ferocity of the fight were unlike anything she had ever witnessed.
Their movements were blurry, and their techniques were a cascade of energy that she could barely follow with her eyes.
The sudden end of the Mizukage, a figure of immense power and authority, shocked her to her core.
As she processed the scene before her, Mei felt a complex mix of emotions. Relief that the battle was over mingled with a deep uncertainty about the future. With the Mizukage gone, Kirigakure was now leaderless, and its future was uncertain.
Hikari's role in the Mizukage's downfall and his earlier words to her hinted at a new path that might lie ahead, not just for her but for the entire village.
Standing amidst the battlefield ruins, Hikari looked at Mei solemnly while breathing heavily.
With his energy severely depleted and his body pushed to the brink, Hikari nevertheless recognized the urgent need to continue his efforts.
The battlefields of Kirigakure still raged, and his clan and allies still engaged in desperate skirmishes against a numerically superior foe.
While the Mizukage's death was a significant blow to the enemy's morale, it was not enough to secure victory.
Hikari knew that if not quickly controlled, the leadership vacuum could lead to chaos or a rallying of forces against them once again. He needed to cement this overthrow completely.
Steadying himself, Hikari focused on gathering the remnants of his chakra, preparing for the critical tasks ahead.
He knew that there was no time for rest; every moment he delayed could mean more lives lost among his clansmen.
His mind ran through the next steps: assassinate or pressure the remaining high-level figures of Kirigakure personally and solidify the takeover, leveraging the demoralization caused by the Mizukage's sudden, unexpected death to their advantage, while also trying to still act 'tough and energized' like this was nothing to him.
Turning to Mei Terumi, recognizing her importance in the following plans, Hikari decided to bring her along, both to shield her, just in case, and to start molding her understanding of the new realities shaping their world. He also briefed her openly on his goals so potential misunderstandings didn't arise later when the time came for her to play her part.
"Let's go, we will talk on our way...", Hikari said to Mei, his tone conveying urgency as he managed to take hold of his inner chakra pathway system and mask his well-being again.
After a few seconds, Mei nodded hesitantly, her face now looking at his stoic face and analyzing him carefully once again.
She also noticed how he assumed the 'position of strength' once again right away after looking so tired from his fight just a moment ago. She didn't know how he managed to mask his internal chakra pathway system circulation so well.
She didn't know how much strength he still had left, nor his purpose, but her instincts told her to follow him for some reason, both for his previous words and her village, knowing that this young teen close to her age would now be the most important in terms of determining Kirigakure's fate, as the leader of the invading troops, now that the Mizukage had been lost.
As they moved swiftly toward the heart of the village next, and she looked at him curiously and slightly apprehensively the entire time, Hikari opened his mouth again and began to slowly share his insights and plans, explaining the strategic importance of their next actions.
This conversation was crucial; it was not just about briefing Mei on the situation but also about assessing her capabilities and willingness to step into a role that might very well define her destiny and that of Kirigakure. This made it more likely that his plans for the future of this village would succeed and that the overthrow would flow completely seamlessly shortly after.
As they navigated through the damaged streets and avoided ongoing conflicts, Hikari slowly detailed the necessity of removing the remaining key figures of the old regime next as well, "The structure of power here needs to change if you want to progress as a village. The current regime had obviously been way too divisive and overboard on nearly all issues...",
"We must hurry. We are now going toward the village center to take control of the situation completely after Mizukage's fall. That is the key to every successful takeover. You must be fast and decisive and utilize moments with the utmost urgency and precision, as the first few minutes are crucial. " He explained, "With Mizukage gone, those loyal to him might still try to retain control. We need to ensure that doesn't happen and prevent further bloodshed."
"Mei Terumi, what you've been told your entire life... it's been mostly a lie and carefully woven brainwashing program. I happened to accidentally pick up on this all after extracting the memory from the brain of the Hozuki Patriarch after defeating him previously. That's why I recognized you so easily and know your name. He was one of the key figures among the Mizukage's faction and obviously knew about such 'policies' he and Mizukage dealt with.",
"That can't be true! Are you saying that my entire life... everything I believed... was crafted by them until now? For what? Just to use me? Do you have some proof?", Mei's voice cracked slightly under the weight of her emotions. The realization that her life was not her own—that she had been a pawn in a much larger game—stirred a deep sense of betrayal within her.
"I'm sad to inform you that it's the truth. Additionally, you are also the one they focused on the most due to your unique dual abilities, and that's why they treated you the best and let you live relatively normally in comparison to other more brutal methods they could've used for brainwashing as they did on some other bloodline-holding kids, especially from Kaguya and Yuki clans... It's just that they are in their Anbu, never to be seen in the light of the day, always working for them in the dark like a slave, and only you were allowed to live in the open as the ordinary shinobi. Your entire life story was, therefore, carefully fabricated.",
As Hikari nodded affirmatively, Mei's gaze hardened. "And my parents... they were just casualties in this war against kekkei genkai holders... Not "heroes, "not even members of this village at all?" she asked, the pieces of her fragmented past beginning to form a clearer image. Her voice grew steadier, fueled by a rising anger toward those who orchestrated this.
Hikari continued, his voice steady, ensuring each word sank in, "Yes, your parents were not Kirigakure shinobi at all, nor have they fallen in the battle for the sake of it, as you were always told by everyone who probably looked strangely at you from the beginning, I'm sure you noticed something strange. They were victims of a broader scheme by the Mizukage and the central island's Daimyo to control or eliminate kekkei genkai holders, gone as a part of their overall genocidal policy against such people. They were probably killed by them instead."
"Just consider this: how likely is it that damn nearly every single kekkei genkai holder would either betray this village or 'fall in battle for it'? Why are there not more adult kekkei-genkai holders filling the ranks of this village's shinobi force in the open?",
"The current Kirigakure and the Daimyo are not sacred or eternal. They haven't always been part of the world. Kekkei Genkai clans have every right to choose not to join them and be a part of it after the village's recent formation; they aren't the property of the central Daimyo.",
"Therefore, it's unjust to persecute them, to hunt them down and steal their children like you, raising them as indoctrinated servants in some special "programs". Everything will become clearer to you even more once we interrogate key figures next and uncover more definitive evidence you might want at this point. Just stay open-minded...",
Hikari continued, "You were taken to be raised as loyal soldiers of Kirigakure, indoctrinated to forget their origins and to serve without question. Your parents were strong practitioners of lava and boil releases, respectively, part of ancient clans of these lands, nearly wiped out in various organized massacres by them. Their remnants now fight alongside Kaguya and the Yuki here, funnily enough...", He added, linking her past to her potential allies in the present.
Mei's mind reeled, but she clung to the thread of Hikari's narrative, "So, the people I was fighting against previously... They could even know of my parents...?", She asked, her voice tinged with a mix of hope and sorrow, "All this time... I thought I was serving my village, protecting it. To hear that it was all a lie, that my life was just a tool... It's a lot to take in. How do you just accept that everything you believed was crafted for someone else's agenda?"
"Yes, and once this battle is over, you could talk to them. And once you've gained more influence and experience as a Mizukage, I advise you to also try and look for the remaining survivors of the two clans, dispersed all over the world, living in hiding in fear all day, and bring them a better life here instead. That could be part of your new purpose now that you know everything. There is no use in lamenting now, this is the shinobi world, it's very cruel. You can only move ahead. Because, as soon as you stop moving, you will die, and I'm sure your parents wouldn't want you to do that. They would want you to fight and stay strong.",
Hikari suggested firmly, "Your unique position bridges two worlds—the ordinary civilians and the kekkei genkai users. Raised by the Mizukage's regime but born of persecuted clans, you have the potential to transform Kirigakure from the Bloody Mist to a place of fairness and strength and slowly mitigate all the bad blood that happened between these two groups. I'm talking about ordinary civilians here, but key supporters of Mizukage would still have to die."
He paused, letting his words sink in before concluding, "Becoming the next Mizukage could enable you to enact real change, to lead this village into a new era where no child suffers as you did and where kekkei genkai holders are no longer feared but respected in this nation."
Mei listened to it all, her resolve hardening with each step, her eyes opening. The revelation of her origins, the true nature of her upbringing, and the potential path forward as a leader—was overwhelming but also clarifying. Hikari's proposal painted a vision of a future where she could make a huge difference, not just in avenging the wrongs of the past but in shaping a more just and inclusive Kirigakure and finding her remaining kin, creating them a new home.
"I will do it..." she said, her voice now firm with newfound purpose as they neared their next point of engagement. I'll fight for those who can't, and I'll seek the truth about my parents. And one day, I'll lead this village to be better than it ever was. I still don't want to abandon it!"
Mei's expression shifted from confusion and sorrow to determination. She clenched her fists. "Then I have a lot to do. Not just for myself, but for everyone in this village who's been lied to, used, or hurt like I was..." she declared, her new purpose giving her a sense of direction.
Hikari smiled slightly, approving of her resolve. He inwardly noted that she truly was a 'natural born' leader and that that's why he convinced her so easily: "That's the spirit, Mei Terumi, the new Mizukage. I will make sure that you get elected as soon as possible. With your unique position and abilities, you can bridge the divide between bloodline holders and civilians. You can transform Kirigakure into a place where fear and prejudice no longer dictate any policy."