Terumi Mei also felt a lingering sense of dread.
She was very clever, and immediately understood the implication in Uzumaki Senshi's words: only tasks he personally accepts are his responsibility.
As for Kakuzu's tasks—Senshi would "only kill, not bury," so to speak.
It looked like any missions in the future had to be entrusted to Senshi himself.
Terumi Mei silently rejoiced that her own task hadn't been posted on the black market.
Though Senshi's sudden appearance took Karatachi Tachii and Hōzuki Getsuki by surprise, this was still the heart of Blood Mist territory.
No matter who Uzumaki Senshi was—now that he'd arrived, he wouldn't leave here!
Karatachi Tachii bellowed, giving an immediate order:
"Kill them!"
Meanwhile, Hōzuki Getsuki pointed directly at Senshi and told Kondō Ryū:
"Kondō Ryū, deal with that man!"
Kondō Ryū: "Huh? I'm the one to fight Uzumaki Senshi?"
At hearing Elder Hōzuki Getsuki's command, big question marks floated above Kondō Ryū's head. Certainly, Senshi had blindsided him just now, sending him flying. But as an elite jōnin of the Kiri, he'd been utterly unable to respond when Senshi attacked. Didn't that fact alone show how monstrous this young ninja's strength was?
They had already measured each other in that single blow, and the gap was clear.
If Kondō Ryū were able to handle Senshi, Hōzuki Getsuki would've already proclaimed him the Fifth Mizukage or something.
"Kondō Ryū, why are you hesitating?"
"I told you to take care of that self-proclaimed Uzumaki Senshi!"
After a brief pause, Kondō Ryū steeled himself:
"Yes, sir!"
Swish—
Right after uttering that, he flickered at Senshi. But everyone saw how Kondō Ryū attacked and was instantly defeated!
"Lightning Release: Backhand Chop!"
The moment Kondō Ryū tried to Body Flicker close, Senshi's hand—wrapped in lightning chakra—slammed him. In the next instant, Kondō Ryū was blown away even faster than before, crashing down beside Elder Hōzuki Getsuki, his life or death unknown.
Anyone else from the Kiri who leaped forward to attack Senshi met the same fate.
Zzzt! Zzzt! Zzzt!
In Hōzuki Getsuki's office, bright-blue arcs of electricity flashed back and forth.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
"Aah—!!"
Right now, everyone present was an elite of the Blood Mist. But in Senshi's eyes, they were like sheep being attacked by a tiger. Rampaging around, he flung the entire throng of Blood Mist elites into disarray. Almost in the blink of an eye, he subdued all of them.
Terumi Mei and her group just stared, slack-jawed. They hadn't even had time to lift a finger; the fight was already over.
Karatachi Tachii and Hōzuki Getsuki, along with the rest of the Blood Mist members, were all equally dumbstruck. They already knew Senshi had to be Kage-level, but…did the Kiri truly have enough money to hire someone this formidable?
Meanwhile, Senshi, having finished off the last of them, turned to Hōzuki Getsuki and Karatachi Tachii with a relaxed smile:
"Hey, you old codgers—what's next? Still insisting on your 'Blood Mist Village'? You claim it's all for the village's sake, but in the end you just can't bear to lose your own power, right?"
Karatachi Tachii, Hōzuki Getsuki, and every jōnin or elite jōnin left in that office froze like statues. They had, after all, seen how Senshi had captured Terumi Mei's group—an undeniable display of his might. But now, witnessing him casually thrash their entire lineup of upper-level shinobi… It was all too unreal.
Those many jōnin and elite jōnin, each with formidable skill in normal circumstances, had turned into mere decorations against Senshi. Even Kondō Ryū, whom Hōzuki Getsuki had high hopes for, had been instantly dealt with. The room fell into dead silence.
Inside that spacious office, everyone stared at Senshi in utter shock. Hōzuki Getsuki and Karatachi Tachii bore unmistakable fear in their eyes.
After a long hush, Hōzuki Getsuki hurriedly broke the silence. Rather than addressing Senshi, he spoke to Terumi Mei:
"Terumi Mei! I've bled for the Kiri, I've made contributions, I've risked my life for it. You can't kill an old man like me!"
He wasn't lying; he really had achieved much for the village. Hearing him, Karatachi Tachii chimed in:
"I've done the same!"
They were afraid. Standing before this monstrous "human Tailed Beast" known as Uzumaki Senshi, fear gnawed at them. Senshi's power far exceeded any usual means of dealing with him. Even the Kiri's most legendary First or Second Mizukage would be no match for him.
At that moment, Senshi didn't continue attacking. After all, the long-term contract he'd signed with Terumi Mei and her people only required him to subdue the internal threats—no need to kill them outright.
Moreover, he knew the Blood Mist folks were stubborn survivors. Even after the Fourth Great Ninja War, remnants of the Blood Mist faction would occasionally pop up, wanting to revert the village to the Blood Mist era. Meaning there would be more "jobs" in the future. Keeping them alive now would guarantee more trouble later—which, from Senshi's perspective, meant more tasks to profit from. You had to "harvest them" strategically!
In Senshi's mind, he was amused at the idea that the future Mizukage would pass down a saying: Whenever the village is cornered and helpless, call upon Lord Uzumaki Senshi! Or something similar.
While Senshi was entertaining those mischievous thoughts, Terumi Mei fixed Hōzuki Getsuki and Karatachi Tachii with a cold stare:
"If you can keep your men in line—ensuring the Blood Mist remnants don't damage the village or hinder Lord Genji's work—then, in light of your past service to the village and any potential usefulness you still have, I'll spare you this time."
Truthfully, she did want to slice both of these old men down, but couldn't. If the Blood Mist lost its leadership and fell into chaos, the village could face even worse disruption. Without Hōzuki Getsuki and Karatachi Tachii, who knew what lunatic moves these renegades might attempt?
Besides, the Kiri had remained weak for too long, and the Blood Mist shinobi were still an important force safeguarding the village. It was better to reign them in, making them subservient, rather than simply kill these two.
Even from the standpoint of the village's future and safety, the two couldn't just be eliminated. Terumi Mei herself wasn't aware what a prime candidate she was to become Mizukage. Even though she wasn't Mizukage yet, she was already tackling problems from a Mizukage's perspective.
Recalling how she'd earlier saved the four of them from Senshi's hands with a moment of quick thinking, and now with how she was handling Hōzuki Getsuki and Karatachi Tachii, one could say she was doing an excellent job at every step.
Realizing all this, Gonbee, Ao, and Chōjūrō looked at Terumi Mei with admiration and relief. There was hope yet for the Kirigakure—this beautiful, brilliant, and capable woman really did seem fit to be Mizukage.
Even Hōzuki Getsuki and Karatachi Tachii were slightly moved. If Terumi Mei had supported the Blood Mist approach, they likely would have backed her the same way they'd followed the Fourth Mizukage. But in their eyes, she had been "brainwashed" by that old codger Genji, wanting to do "reforms," which they found laughable. Of course, neither of them dared say that out loud, not with Senshi—this "human Ten-Tails"—looming over them.
After a brief moment's hesitation, Hōzuki Getsuki and Karatachi Tachii finally nodded:
"Very well, we'll rein in our subordinates and help defend the village. But that doesn't mean we've betrayed the ideals of the Fourth Mizukage! If the village fails to improve under Genji or anyone else, we'll always seek to restore the Blood Mist. For that, we and every Blood Mist ninja are willing to sacrifice our lives!"
Hōzuki Getsuki's statement rang loud and clear. Strictly speaking, they did have motives—public and private—for pushing the Blood Mist approach. One might see the shinobi world as placid now, but before each of the previous three Great Ninja Wars erupted, things also appeared calm. The Kiri's only hope of escaping that destruction was to close its gates and grow strong alone!
Terumi Mei saw no point in debating these two old fanatics further. They had their "Will of Water," she had the welfare of the village. There was nothing left to discuss, logically speaking.
And who decided that the "Will of Water" belonged only to the Fourth Mizukage, anyway?
Having confirmed that these two old men would restrain their men and guard the village, Terumi Mei and her allies didn't linger. Senshi, for his part, had finished his "strategic deterrence mission." The Blood Mist folks would likely dream of him as their boogeyman from now on.
After that mission wrapped, Senshi's group returned to the Kirigakure. Now, Senshi was treated as an honored guest. With Terumi Mei mediating, he'd solved a pressing headache for the Kiri. Even though he'd basically just "shown up" at the Blood Mist base and played his part, for quite a while the Blood Mist faction would remain subdued.
Looking at Senshi, Terumi Mei politely invited him:
"Lord Senshi, on behalf of the Kiri, I'd like to host a banquet for you and your companions."
"Banquet?" Senshi's eyes lit up. He believed that "If you're not enthusiastic about feasting, there's something wrong with your thinking!" But at the same time, feasting was important and so were missions—should he delay a job for the sake of a banquet? While he was inwardly wrestling with this, Kisame broke in:
"Uzumaki Senshi, haven't you forgotten we still have serious business to do?"
"Serious business?" Hearing Kisame's reminder, Terumi Mei and the others instantly tensed up. Of course, they all realized Senshi, Kisame, and Kakuzu—three extremely dangerous ninjas, with Kisame and Kakuzu being S-rank rogues—could not have come to the Kirigakure simply for sightseeing. A group like that was bound to have a purpose.
Senshi shrugged:
"Serious business? Oh, right—don't worry, it's nothing big. I've already prepared."
Certainly, he hadn't forgotten the mission assigned to him by the Akatsuki and the long-term commission from Mui—both related to a Tailed Beast.
~~~
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