A Sage's Pursuit of Power

Mei Terumī felt herself sinking deeper and deeper into an inescapable quagmire.

Initially, seeking political asylum in Konoha was a desperate move. Later, agreeing to carry out tasks for Kamikawa Aoba and Konoha in exchange for survival was something she could accept.

But as time passed, she began to feel that something was amiss.

The first sign was the growing silence among her subordinates.

When they first arrived in Konoha, the Kirigakure ninjas who had followed her were full of passion and conviction. They believed in Mei, trusted that she could lead them to reclaim Kirigakure.

So they followed her orders, working hard for the day they could return to their homeland.

But as time passed, this passion began to wane. And Mei discovered a singular, or rather, a series of very troubling issues.

Konoha's conditions were simply too good.

Yes, not bad, too good.

After taking on missions for Konoha, she fully realized the vast disparity between Kirigakure and Konoha. This gap wasn't just in terms of combat power but extended to countless details outside the battlefield.

First was money.

In Konoha, the pay for completing missions was 20% higher than in Kirigakure.

The Five Great Nations had long since agreed on a standardized pricing structure for missions based on their difficulty, with all villages adhering to a set range.

After mission completion, ninja and their villages split the earnings 50/50. But in Konoha, it was different.

Modern Konoha no longer relied on missions as a primary source of income. They took on numerous tasks simply to maintain their presence and provide training opportunities for younger ninja.

Ever since the village began maritime trade and mining, Tsunade had found herself with more money than she could spend. The split for ninja missions was raised to 70%.

This meant that for the same level of mission, completing it in Konoha earned ninja 20% more.

Next was the medical and logistics system.

It had taken Mei herself quite some time to accept the fact that Konoha's medical system existed on an entirely different plane compared to other villages.

During many of the missions they'd undertaken, mistakes were inevitable. Several of Mei's elite subordinates had been gravely injured and were on the brink of death.

In Kirigakure, the kindest thing you could do for someone in that condition was to put them out of their misery. But in Konoha, all of them were treated, fully recovered, and even returned to active duty.

Then there were Konoha's ninja tools, intelligence systems, and even its cuisine—each was a blow to the pride of Kirigakure's ninja.

In short, life in Konoha was far better than in Kirigakure. It was so comfortable, it made them forget their purpose.

Mei now even knew of an ice-style ninja among her subordinates who had started dating in Konoha...

Mei was certain this was all part of Aoba's scheme.

After all, most of the ninjas she had brought with her were top-tier elites, many possessing secret techniques or kekkei genkai.

These ninjas were inherently valuable resources, and Aoba must have been coveting them. His methods were deliberate and calculated.

But Mei also knew this was an open scheme, an unsolvable one.

Sometimes she even wished Aoba's tactics were more heavy-handed; at least then, she could confront him openly and lead her subordinates away with clear justification.

But now, how could she leave? Could she say, "Konoha is treating us too well, so I have to take you all back to Kirigakure"?

She couldn't do it. These subordinates had already endured so much hardship leaving their homeland. Now that they were finally able to enjoy a peaceful life, Mei couldn't bring herself to destroy that for them.

Yet doing nothing was equally unacceptable. The call to reclaim Kirigakure would eventually ring hollow. After all this time, she still had no idea how to achieve that goal.

According to the intelligence provided by Kamikawa Aoba, Kirigakure was now under the control of the resurrected Madara Uchiha. This information had been corroborated by their operatives inside the village.

No matter how confident she was, Mei knew exactly what kind of person Madara was. There was no way she could defeat him.

The most troubling part was that Madara was a rogue ninja from Konoha, and now she was living under Konoha's protection. Her position was both awkward and precarious.

When she accepted Aoba's mission to assassinate the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, Mei realized her time was running out.

Konoha had already begun targeting the Daimyō, signaling the start of an unprecedented expansion.

A dark thought gnawed at her: what if, one day, she succeeded in returning to Kirigakure, only to find that the village no longer existed?

Even though Konoha's current opponent was the legendary Uchiha Madara, Mei couldn't shake the feeling that Madara might not be able to outmaneuver Kamikawa Aoba.

Mei Terumī was a traditional ninja. Ambitious and powerful, she was someone who, without Aoba's interference, would have undoubtedly left her mark on the ninja world.

But now, the times had changed, leaving her unsure of her place.

In the woods outside Konoha, Mei ran swiftly through the darkness, heading toward Kirigakure.

Yes, she had decided to return, alone.

It was a painful decision, but for Mei, it was also a cruel necessity.

She couldn't ask her subordinates to abandon their current lives and follow her to their deaths. But she also couldn't sit idly by as her village remained under enemy control.

There was no perfect solution to this dilemma. So she made her choice.

She would do what a Kirigakure ninja should do, leaving everything else behind.

As she ran, she sensed someone pursuing her.

Whoever it was had to be exceptional to keep up with her pace. Mei's figure stopped on a large tree branch, and she turned to face her pursuer.

It's him…

The one who had pursued her was, of course, Aoba Kamikawa. Although the Kirigakure ninjas under her command appeared to move freely, their every action was under Aoba's surveillance.

Mei Terumī's departure might have eluded the Anbu, but it was impossible to escape Aoba's notice.

"Out for a stroll this late? I'd say you've gone far enough," Aoba said, standing a short distance away.

Mei remained silent, staring at him.

Her feelings toward Aoba were incredibly complicated. When she first heard his name, she thought he was another prodigy, akin to Konoha's White Fang.

But she quickly realized something was off. Aoba was fundamentally different from White Fang.

The most obvious difference was that shortly after becoming a jōnin, Aoba had already become a Hokage advisor and assistant, cementing himself as one of the key power players in Konoha.

Compare that to White Fang who famous on the battlefield, but back in the village, he was just an ordinary jōnin, unable to even defend himself against a few malicious rumors.

For a ninja, White Fang's achievements were the pinnacle of success. But for Aoba, they were merely the beginning.

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Currently on Chapter 280 - The Strongest Duo in the Ninja World