Uchiha Patriarch !

"I did receive the item." 

Sougen fiddled with the glass bottle, gazing at the white eye soaking in the nutrient solution. "I can feel your village's sincerity. I happen to have some good news for you as well. The Hokage has sent me a reply. If the Hidden Mist Village is willing to support us in Konoha, then... we could consider reducing or delaying the war reparations."

As for how much they would reduce? 

How long the delay would be?

That would depend on how generous the Mist Ninjas were, and how the negotiations between both sides turned out. The higher-ups would set the main principles, and the details would be worked out by others, eventually coming up with a plan that both sides could agree on. There would be no need for the big shots to argue endlessly over the matter.

"This is good, very good." 

Kushimaru Yagura breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as he handled the many issues brought on by their defeat and carried the blame for being weak and selling out the village's interests, he could step down peacefully, handing over leadership to the Fifth Mizukage, someone unstained and capable of bringing hope and a future to the village.

To be honest, the ANBU had already reported multiple times that some ninjas in the village were secretly gathering, and unsurprisingly, these gatherings were about plotting his assassination.

Since Kushimaru Yagura became Mizukage, this kind of thing had almost become a tradition in the Hidden Mist Village.

However, this time, Yagura did not launch a bloodbath, even though ANBU had already collected names of those careless enough to be caught. Despite his clear-headedness, the Fourth Mizukage restrained the frustration and murderous intent in his heart. He no longer wished to turn his blade on his fellow villagers.

Whether he liked it or not, Yagura had to admit that many of those plotting his assassination truly loved the village. Though there were a few with personal ambition, most were acting out of a genuine desire to improve the village. From their perspective, he, as the Fourth Mizukage, was undoubtedly to blame for the state the Hidden Mist Village was in.

And frankly, they weren't wrong.

The village's current condition was a result of complicated historical issues, but as a puppet of outside forces, he undeniably bore a significant part of the responsibility.

"Uchiha Clan Leader, there's another matter."

Kushimaru Yagura gathered his scattered thoughts and brought up another issue. "Regarding that one-eyed man claiming to be Uchiha Madara, does your side have any plans?" This was the foundation of the cooperation between Konoha and the Hidden Mist. Without this, they would simply be victor and vanquished.

Don't even talk about forming an alliance; with enough time, the hatred between the two villages would only ferment into a new war.

But now, with a common enemy, someone who was against both major villages and possibly Uchiha Madara himself, Konoha and the Hidden Mist had been forced to join forces. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. While Konoha and the Mist had their conflicts, these were out in the open. In contrast, the hidden enemy, capable of overthrowing an entire ninja village, was a far greater threat.

"As for that matter..." 

Sougen pondered for a couple of seconds. "I've been away recently and haven't returned to the village for meetings. The Hokage has already tasked the ANBU with investigating it secretly. However, if you ask me, I would suggest that Konoha and the Hidden Mist each select a small group of elite ninjas to form a Joint Investigation Unit, specifically tasked with tracking down this impostor claiming to be Madara, rather than relying entirely on the ANBU."

At present, Konoha's ANBU had become too bloated and sluggish, burdened with too many responsibilities that had significantly lowered its efficiency.

"A Joint Investigation Unit?"

Yagura was still considering the proposal when Genshi, the elder, nodded repeatedly. His raspy voice broke the silence: "Establishing a Joint Investigation Unit is a great idea! It would be best to choose some talented young ninjas to join. Mizukage-sama, I believe Mangetsu and the others would be excellent choices." A pleased smile appeared on the elder's face. If they didn't have the strength to oppose Konoha, then they should find a way to make Konoha their ally, at least in his view.

Unfortunately, past Mizukages were too fixated on opposing Konoha. It was true that the Land of Fire was the wealthiest of the Five Great Nations, and defeating Konoha would bring the greatest profits, but only if they could actually win. If not for Konoha's frequent distractions with enemies on all sides, the Hidden Mist would have gained little, or even suffered losses.

Perhaps a shift in strategy—working with Konoha to go after the Cloud, Stone, and Sand villages—wouldn't yield as much as defeating Konoha, but it would be far better than repeated costly attacks that ended in failure.

A flicker of doubt crossed Yagura's eyes.

The idea was good. Even if they didn't manage to track down this so-called Madara, having an official joint task force would help ease tensions and resentment between the two villages. But why was Genshi so enthusiastic about this? 

"This is just my humble suggestion. The final decision rests with the Hokage. All I can do is offer my opinion." Sougen smiled, waving off the discussion, indicating that it was far too early to talk about personnel choices.

Still...

Selecting talented young ninjas to join this new unit? 

Sougen silently agreed with the idea.

As he spoke, Genshi's dry lips twitched slightly.

Leave it to the Hokage to decide? 

If he wasn't so old and slow, he might have laughed aloud. If he remembered correctly, Konoha was currently led by an interim Hokage. Fortunately, it was only temporary. When the actual Fifth Hokage took over, that would be the real challenge. In any village, powerful clans like the Uchiha were often seen as a thorn in the side of the Kage.

No one liked having such uncontrollable forces around, just as future Mizukages would undoubtedly dislike him, the "old man who refuses to die."

And that included Yagura.

Even the next Mizukage wouldn't be an exception.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, the elder's smile faded, replaced by a sigh of resignation. Hopefully, Mei Terumi wouldn't disappoint him. If possible, he would prefer to spend his remaining days in a temple, meditating in peace rather than dealing with these daily struggles.

(End of Chapter)