Chapter 155

Hidden Mist Village, Mizukage Building.

When an Anbu ninja wearing a dog mask pushed the door and entered, Terumi Mei, who was still burying her head in handling official business, asked with a serious expression: "How did the matter go?"

"Konoha has agreed, but the Third Hokage stated that in the team we send to Konoha, the Kage can only be accompanied by one Jonin as a guard.

As for the Hidden Mist Genin who want to participate in the Chunin Exams, they must also obey the arrangements according to Konoha Village's exam rules."

Hearing Wen Shengzai's reply, Terumi Mei was not too surprised. The Kage of other ninja villages visiting a ninja village is a big deal to begin with, and with the Kage being an extremely strong combat force, it is quite normal for Konoha to be on guard.

Especially since the Hidden Mist Village and the Sand Village, along with the Konoha Village, are two of the five major ninja villages, and originally had their own Chunin exams, but now they are simultaneously proposing to conduct them jointly with Konoha. With the Third Hokage's suspicious and cautious personality, it would be strange if he didn't overthink it.

Because the Sand Village is located in the desert, resources are relatively scarce, and the number of ninjas has always been at the bottom level among the five major ninja villages. Because the number of Genin in the village this time is small, the Third Hokage could still slightly understand their wanting to go to Konoha to participate in the Chunin exams.

But what the hell is the Hidden Mist Village wanting to come to Konoha to participate in the Chunin exams for? You have to know that compared to other ninja villages, the Hidden Mist Village's Chunin exams are almost the most special and cruel among all major ninja villages!

The Chunin exams of other ninja villages test ninjas on various aspects of their qualities, while the Hidden Mist Village's Chunin exams are quite simple and brutal.

That is to let a group of ninjas kill each other until a certain number of examinees remain, which is considered passing the exam.

The Hidden Mist Village has a superior geographical environment, because it has the natural barrier of being surrounded by the sea on all sides. Although they have never missed a Ninja World War and are constantly having internal strife, in terms of the number of ninjas, they really aren't few among the five major ninja villages.

And it is because of such a population advantage that their Chunin exams dare to be played so simply and brutally.

But this year, the Hidden Mist Village expressed that they wanted the Genin in the village to come to Konoha to participate in the Chunin exams, calling it friendly exchanges between ninja villages, and even the Mizukage herself would come to observe the ceremony at that time.

When receiving Terumi Mei's letter, the Third Hokage was clearly stunned.

The Land of Water and the Land of Fire are far apart. If it were just for sparring between Genin, a Kage of a village would travel thousands of miles to observe the ceremony—he, Sarutobi Hiruzen, definitely didn't believe it.

However, not believing is one thing, but in the face of the Fifth Mizukage's request, could he, the Third Hokage, refuse?

Originally he could, but the Fourth Kazekage of the Sand Village had also made the same request to the Fifth Mizukage some time ago, and he, the Third Hokage, had already agreed.

If he refused the Fifth Mizukage now, then things would become quite troublesome...

Isn't this certain? You Konoha accepted the Kazekage's visit and the Sand Genin, but you refused our Mizukage and the Hidden Mist Village—do you think our Hidden Mist is inferior to the Sand, or does Konoha not take our Hidden Mist Village seriously!

The Third Hokage is old and no longer has the courage to fight one against four as before, and the current Konoha has reached the point where the new generation is not yet ready to take over, just like how they previously handed over Hyuga Hizashi to avoid the Cloud Village's trouble and settle things.

This time, facing the Hidden Mist Village that wanted to visit, Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally couldn't refuse.

The Kazekage and the Mizukage intend to come together; whether the Sand Village and the Hidden Mist Village have reached some agreement, the Third Hokage also doesn't know.

But to avoid unexpected situations, the Third Hokage added the additional condition that the Kazekage and the Mizukage can only bring one guard each to accompany them.

Refusing is impossible; as the leader of the five major ninja villages, if they didn't even dare to accept a visit from the Kage of other ninja villages, then it would inevitably damage Konoha Village's prestige.

Even if the Kazekage and the Mizukage are harboring evil intentions this time, with each of them only bringing one guard, the Third Hokage has enough confidence to hold the situation.

"Wen Shengzai, for this trip to Konoha to observe the Chunin exams, you will serve as the guard.

Because of the Byakugan matter, Ao is already on Konoha's blacklist. If he appears in Konoha as a guard, it might cause changes in the situation.

As for the Genin team going to Konoha, let Chojuro and the others go. Although this Chunin exam is not the focus, the Hidden Mist Genin cannot be outdone by Konoha and the Sand."

The action of going to Konoha to participate in the Chunin exams this time was actually proposed by Wen Shengzai to Terumi Mei.

And Wen Shengzai also directly revealed to Terumi Mei the existence of the "Konoha Crush Plan," as well as the fact that Orochimaru, the Fourth Kazekage, and even Danzo were colluding.

What, you ask how Wen Shengzai knew the source of this intelligence? Just kidding, he, Wen Shengzai, stayed with Orochimaru for so long, and it's quite normal for him to hold some special intelligence in his hands, right?

The Fourth Kazekage cooperating with Orochimaru is undoubtedly like seeking skin from a tiger, and the seemingly powerful Konoha is actually facing such internal and external troubles.

Now that their Hidden Mist is weak, the more chaotic the other ninja villages are, the better it is for them.

And this trip to Konoha also has a favorable factor for Terumi Mei, which is that she can finally solidify her status as the "Fifth Mizukage."

A ninja village cannot be without a Kage; at least when making it public, they cannot let other ninja villages in the ninja world know that their Hidden Mist Village has no Mizukage.

Visiting Konoha requires the status of "Mizukage," and at this critical juncture, even if some bloodline families within the Hidden Mist still have objections, they cannot stop Terumi Mei from ascending to power.

Not letting Terumi Mei be Mizukage? That's fine too, but the work of visiting Konoha will have to be left to those who refused.

Don't think that visiting Konoha is a pleasant business trip. Since the Hidden Mist elite held a meeting and learned the inside story of the "Konoha Crush Plan," they all know that this trip to Konoha is extremely dangerous.

If handled properly, they can indeed gain quite a few benefits for their Hidden Mist Village, but that is Konoha's base camp after all, the leader of the five major ninja villages; if any accident occurs..., it is not impossible to lose one's life there.

And ever since Wen Shengzai returned to the Hidden Mist and entered the Anbu, he has also used his powerful strength and methods to reorganize the Hidden Mist Anbu in the shortest possible time.

In less than a month, the eyes and ears planted in the Anbu by various clans and some guys who were just muddling along were all kicked out by Wen Shengzai.

Even those elders or high-level officials who came to the door afterwards were all beaten up by Wen Shengzai together.

The style of the Hidden Mist has always been strength first; if they can use their hands, they absolutely won't talk nonsense, so in a short period of time, Wen Shengzai completely integrated the Anbu and turned it into a force in Terumi Mei's hands.

And it was only after being beaten up that those Hidden Mist high-level officials and heads of bloodline families who previously thought Wen Shengzai was relying on bootlicking Terumi Mei to get ahead realized that Wen Shengzai was not just a simple pretty boy.

(End of chapter)