Chapter 78: , he secretly sighed, what a pity

Undoubtedly, Mizunuki Ryosuke was extremely resistant to the position of Water Shadow.

Being a "mediocre" Kage-level powerhouse was undoubtedly already Mizunuki Ryosuke’s limit.

And becoming the Water Shadow was something Mizunuki Ryosuke absolutely could not accept.

Not to mention that a tall tree catches the wind, once one becomes a "Kage."

This identity not only represents honor and status, but also means that one will shoulder the entire responsibility of a ninja village!

Endless schemes and crises would also follow this identity.

Not to mention the distant future, let’s talk about the immediate one.

If Mizunuki Taki hadn't been the Water Shadow, he would never have died in this battle.

Although the potential danger to the Mist Village, Uchiha Madara, had been largely neutralized by Ryosuke, this did not mean in the slightest that Mizunuki Ryosuke could rest easy.

Becoming the Water Shadow at this moment and taking over the Mist Village, which could absolutely be called a "mess,"

the difficulty and hardship involved need not be stated by Mizunuki Ryosuke.

According to his usual personality, he would definitely have refused without a second thought.

But at this moment, Mizunuki Ryosuke was uncharacteristically hesitant.

The position of Water Shadow represents danger, but it also means opportunity.

Sometimes, blind avoidance is useless; only by actively facing and planning can one remain invincible.

As the saying goes, one is often not in control of one's own destiny in the world of martial arts; today is already different from the past.

Where in the world is there absolute safety or danger?

Becoming the Water Shadow, while facing multiplied risks, also brings immense power and influence.

At this moment, Ryosuke was caught in unprecedented hesitation.

The others, of course, did not know what was in Ryosuke’s mind.

During the time Ryosuke was dazed, Tian Tian Yuanshi had already detailed the losses the village had suffered in this internal strife.

All the Jonin present showed solemn expressions upon hearing this.

In fact, one could see it just by looking at this Jonin meeting: before the internal strife, there were about three hundred Jonin in the Mist.

And now, except for the twenty or so Mist Anbu Jonin who participated in the rebellion and were awaiting judgment, all other Jonin were present, and only one hundred and forty remained.

The death and injury of a full half of the Jonin had already shaken the very foundations of the Mist.

Coupled with the deaths of the Water Shadow and the Mist Anbu Chief, the losses suffered by the Mist this time were immeasurable.

Not to mention that the majority of casualties in the war were among the Chunin.

One shocking number after another was revealed by Tian Tian Yuanshi, making the atmosphere of the entire meeting incredibly heavy.

"To summarize, the village is currently at a very critical moment."

"We must select a new Water Shadow as soon as possible to deal with these problems."

"Before that, I will do my best to maintain the operation of the village."

After finishing these words, the segment everyone cared about most finally arrived.

At this moment, everyone’s eyes were fixed on Tian Tian Yuanshi, waiting for him to announce how the new Water Shadow would be selected.

With Tian Tian Yuanshi publicly announcing his withdrawal from the Water Shadow election, everyone basically assumed that the next Water Shadow would be one of the three: Hozuki Mangetsu, Mizunuki Eiro, or Mizunuki Ryosuke.

"Before that, I want to give recognition to three ninjas who performed excellently in the battle of the internal strife."

As Tian Tian Yuanshi spoke, his gaze swept across the faces of Hozuki Mangetsu, Mizunuki Eiro, and Mizunuki Ryosuke respectively.

"First is the Jonin Mizunuki Eiro."

"Not only did he lead the Mizunuki clan to hold off the rebellion of the Kaguya clan, but he also worked with the Mizunuki Great Elder to kill the rebel Kaguya Ichiro."

"Mizunuki Eiro, worthy of the name of a genius."

As Tian Tian Yuanshi’s voice fell, he took the lead in applauding, and the other Jonin also expressed their congratulations to Mizunuki Eiro.

To this, although the young ninja still looked very arrogant, the excitement in his eyes was clearly revealed.

"Hozuki Mangetsu, the one who inherits the Hozuki name."

"He led a large number of ninjas to resist the rebels' attack on the front lines."

"And he single-handedly held off the rebel Gouju Yagura, buying time for the Third to unseal the Three-Tails."

"At the same time, he also quelled the rebellion of three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."

"He killed the rebels Kuriarare Kushimaru and Suikazan Fuguki."

"In this battle, Hozuki Mangetsu’s contribution cannot be ignored; he is worthy of the title of the Mist’s number one genius!"

Speaking of this, even on Tian Tian Yuanshi’s serious, zombie-like face, a trace of approval could not help but flash.

Upon hearing this, all the Jonin showed astonishment; even the ninjas who had participated in the previous battle were moved by Hozuki Mangetsu’s brilliant record.

A moment later, applause broke out, and the eyes of everyone looking at Hozuki Mangetsu carried a hint of admiration.

Many of the older, more qualified ninjas seemed to see the shadow of the Second Water Shadow, Hozuki Gengetsu, in Hozuki Mangetsu.

Finally, Tian Tian Yuanshi took a deep breath before slowly speaking.

"Finally, before speaking of this ninja, I must first express my respect to him."

Saying this, Tian Tian Yuanshi suddenly stood up and bowed to Mizunuki Ryosuke beside him.

Tian Tian Yuanshi’s sudden action startled everyone, including Mizunuki Ryosuke.

Then, before anyone could react, he slowly spoke.

"Mizunuki Ryosuke, a special Jonin who was unknown."

"Before this battle, he was just the most ordinary of ordinary ninjas in the Mist Village."

Tian Tian Yuanshi’s words caused everyone to shift their gaze to Mizunuki Ryosuke.

In the eyes of most Jonin, Mizunuki Ryosuke’s name and appearance were extremely unfamiliar.

Only the Jonin who had specifically participated in the battle on the lake knew of this young man’s terrifying strength.

"However, in this battle to quell the rebellion."

"He was the first to discern the rebellion plan of Mist Anbu Chief Gouju Yagura, led a squad alone to wipe out an elite squadron of Rock ninjas, and collected evidence of Gouju Yagura’s rebellion."

"It was precisely because of the intelligence he provided that the Water Shadow and I were able to discern Gouju Yagura’s rebellion."

"For this alone, Mizunuki Ryosuke deserves the top merit!"

Tian Tian Yuanshi said every word clearly; at this point, all the Jonin finally understood that it was Mizunuki Ryosuke who had first discovered the Mist Anbu Chief’s rebellion, and they all looked at the young man with surprised eyes.

At this moment, Tian Tian Yuanshi was filled with respect for Mizunuki Ryosuke.

Recalling every plan Mizunuki Ryosuke had made throughout the entire event, Tian Tian Yuanshi felt as if the other party could foresee the future.

Such wisdom made Tian Tian Yuanshi only able to say that it was terrifying.

If not for Mizunuki Ryosuke’s planning, the final outcome would have been unknown.

It could be said that Mizunuki Ryosuke single-handedly erased the advantage Gouju Yagura had meticulously prepared.

It was just that these details were extremely far-reaching and involved many secrets, so they were destined not to be made public.

But as a witness to the entire event, Tian Tian Yuanshi could only secretly sigh, what a pity.