In this world, in terms of natural defences, Kirigakure was perhaps at the top.
A significant part of this defence came in the form of water that surrounded the entire Kirigakure. While another element of its nigh-impenetrable defences stemmed from the vast mountain range that enveloped nearly all of Kirigakure.
At this instant, near the base of one of the mountains in the range, several newly set tents had made their mark on the land.
However, if a blind person were to wander there, they wouldn't discern anyone's presence, because everybody there was dead silent. A grim expression featuring their faces.
They had just witnessed Sanbi – The three tails, one of the nine-tailed beasts, collapse on the ground and settle down inside of its jinchuriki's body.
From how far they were, they couldn't discern anything but a speck of dust fighting the sanbi, but it seemed that speck of dust was victorious.
Even though most of them weren't sure who had defeated the third Mizukage, the fact that someone had managed to defeat a tailed beast after the god of shinobi still left them at their wit's end.
The people who did know who it was, however, were quiet for an entirely different reason. They were scared and overwhelmed by the realisation that a child with whom they shared a room less than two days ago was this strong.
They expected him to be strong; after all, he had nearly killed the Raikage, but the Raikage was still a human, the sanbi was not.
This realisation struck Mei the hardest because, unlike the others, she had underestimated Enkai considerably due to her underestimation of the Raikage's strength. At this point, she was genuinely wondering what kind of person she had shook hands with.
Woosh!
Mei turned her head in the direction of the whistling wind.
"Speak of the devil, no, maybe thinking of the devil is better." Mei smiled towards the approaching Enkai, perfectly masking her inner thoughts.
Enkai was carrying Yagura on his left shoulder, his right hand gripping Kubikiribōchō.
"Ao isn't here yet?" Enkai nodded and asked Mei, he didn't quite like Mei and believed Ao to be more suitable for leadership. If not for the fact that Ao is just not strong enough to be a kage, he would have forced him to be the mizukage.
"Ah, n-no. He isn't here yet." Mei stuttered when she saw the black menace walking towards her with a sword in his hand.
"Is that so?" Enkai said as he stabbed the sword into the ground in front of her before continuing, "Then I suppose I will go look for him."
"There is no need." Before Enkai could hand over Yagura to somebody he heard a familiar voice, "I am here now."
"Oh, great," Enkai said, glancing toward Mei. "Is everything ready for Yagura's treatment?"
"Yes, Chojuro guide him towards the tent." Mei nodded.
"Y-Yes, Mei-sama." Chojuro nodded his head multiple times.
At first, Enkai wanted to just hand over Yagura to Chojuro and talk about something important with Ao but when he saw Ao reporting the events of the battle to Mei he decided to accompany Chojuro instead.
"Alright, Chojuro-san, let's go," Enkai said with a broad smile. He couldn't help but feel empathy for the fool.
'His social anxiety must have scarred his childhood.' Enkai thought as he looked at Chojuro who was showing him around the tents with a flustered expression, and thought he will definitely help the poor guy.
When he entered the tent, eight people stared back at him. Two of them were nurses and the other two looked like they were at death's door.
Enkai looked towards Chojuro and asked with an almost regretful tone, "Are you sure these people are enough?"
"Y-Yes, Enkai-san. Although they might look a bit..unreliable, four of them are the best medic-nins in their field. As for those two elders; they are Kirigakure's best fuinjutsu masters." Chojuro shifted his head between the people inside of the tent and Enkai.
Enkai's comment seemed to have offended some of the people there and even though Enkai didn't care about it, Chojuro started bowing towards them and started apologising deeply.
Enkai saw this and slightly bowed his head as well, "I am sorry for my previous remark, I will mind my manners in front of you from now on." He said knowing full well he would never meet them again.
After he placed Yugura in the only bed there for observations, he left the tent with Chojuro. Chojuro was about to return to Mei's side when Enkai stopped him and said he wanted to talk about something with him.
Nervously, Chojuro accepted and trailed Enkai toward a cliff on the mountain. Once there, Enkai sat down and gestured for Chojuro to join him, who complied with a reluctant expression.
In the midst of the tranquil atmosphere, Chojuro found himself fidgeting as he faced Enkai, a person he knew was one of the strongest individuals in the world.
"W-What did you want to say, Enkai-san?" Chojuro stammered, his nerves betraying him in the presence of such power.
"Do you have feelings for Mei?" Enkai's words hung in the air, a question that seemed to echo with unexpected weight.
"W-What are you talking about!?" Chojuro's response caught in his throat, almost choking him. Enkai's inquiry struck him like a sudden storm, leaving him momentarily breathless.
Enkai turned to look at him, his blue eyes shimmering in the gentle light of dawn. The question lingered, unspoken yet loud, and he asked, "Do you?"
"N-No," Chojuro replied, his voice crisp, but his internal turmoil was anything but clear.
"Thank God!" Chojuro watched as Enkai let out a massive sigh of relief, a reaction that only deepened the mystery of the situation.
"...What?" Chojuro's confusion only grew.
"You see, I really love Mei. It was love at first sight—her cute face, the way she talks, the way she walks. It makes my heart flutter each time I talk to her," Enkai confessed, his words carrying the weight of genuine affection.
Chojuro looked at Enkai, who seemed to transform into sunshine and rainbows at the mere mention of Mei. A complicated mix of emotions churned within him; he didn't know what to feel.
"I was about to approach her about it when I saw you two and thought, 'You two look great together.' At times, I even thought you were meant for each other. I believed that even if I told her about my feelings, she wouldn't reciprocate because you are her lover," Enkai continued, his smile revealing a bittersweet truth. "But I don't need to worry about any of that now! Turns out you're not! Although you two seem really close, so maybe you can even help me get close to her."
Chojuro's mind raced, his heart pounding with a mix of fear, jealousy, and determination. "Y-You can't do that!" Words he never intended to utter escaped his lips, propelled by his heart's insistence.
"Oh? Why not?" Enkai's gaze bore into him, his eyes probing Chojuro's soul. "What's the problem, Chojuro-san? I love her, and I will make sure that she loves me too. So there shouldn't be any problems, should there?"
"There is a problem!" Chojuro cried out, his eyes welling up with tears. "Y-You are still a child; she will never accept you!"
"Hmm, that's true. I am thirteen right now, after all," Enkai admitted, his tone surprisingly calm given the circumstances.
"Ye-Yeah, s-see, you can't be with her," Chojuro stuttered, a fragile smile forming as he felt a mysterious satisfaction at Enkai seemingly giving up. But his relief was short-lived when he heard the next words that came out of Enkai's mouth.
"True, I can't be with her 'yet,' maybe I will seduce her when I turn sixteen."
"N-No, even at sixteen, you're still too young!" Chojuro retorted, desperation lacing his voice as he shook his head vigorously.
"Hm? How do you know that?" Enkai hummed, seemingly undisturbed by Chojuro's emotional turmoil.
"Mei-sama once said it to s-somebody who proposed to her once," Chojuro admitted, averting his gaze, unable to meet Enkai's eyes.
"Is that so?" Enkai's nonchalant response sent a shiver down Chojuro's spine. "Well, it doesn't matter. I am sure I can seduce her even if she says no. After all, I am confident, charismatic, and handsome—well, I will be when I become more masculine." Enkai chuckled, his laughter a bitter reminder of Chojuro's own insecurities.
As Enkai stood up, his external senses detecting someone nearby, he glanced at Chojuro. "Man, it's such a shame that I'll have to wait for two years before I can have my way with her. I sure hope no one comes into her life before me," he said, his voice laced with disappointment.
"Damn, it's such a shame that I can't even meet her for the next two years," Enkai lamented, his disappointment palpable.
"...What do you mean you can't meet her for the next couple of years?" Chojuro asked, his voice a mere whisper as he hung his head, his heart heavy with despair.
"I mean exactly that. I have a lot of work to do, things to take care of, people to meet, you know," Enkai said, his gaze fixed on the golden horizon.
Upon hearing this, Chojuro forcibly turned his head towards Enkai, shock and determination mingling in his eyes. Only to witness Mei approaching Enkai, who was already walking towards her.
In the quiet tension between Chojuro and Enkai, Mei's voice shattered the silence. It wasn't calling Chojuro; instead, it resounded with Enkai's name.
Chojuro's heart sank as he watched Enkai's casual response. "Welp, that's my cue," Enkai said with a smirk, his voice tinged with regret. "I will miss these days when Mei happily calls my name."
As Enkai left to join Mei, Chojuro sat there, his fists clenched in determination, vowing a silent vow that he must fulfill.