Chapter 279: The Shrewd Elder's Consensus
Inside the dark, damp cave, the tension was palpable.
Elder Gensui, the venerable old man, seemed to have aged more than a decade in an instant. The weight of his decision—the surrender of their Village's sovereignty—was immense.
He looked up, his cloudy, ancient eyes filled with exhaustion and profound sorrow.
"Do we... really have no other choice, Mei?"
"No, Elder." Mei Terumī shook her head decisively, her voice firm despite the shame she felt.
"I saw his power. I saw his intent. He has already destroyed one Great Nation. If we refuse, Kirigakure will be utterly erased. There will be no people left to rule, no soil left to rebuild upon."
The Elder closed his eyes and let out a long, shuddering sigh. The sound echoed in the cavern.
"I understand. If destruction is the only alternative to submission, then we must choose submission."
"Then... let's agree to his terms for now."
But as he made the concession, a sharp, shrewd glint—the cunning of a true politician, born of decades of survival—flashed in the Elder's eyes.
"However, we cannot merge into Konoha so vaguely. We must use this opportunity to our advantage."
"We can surrender, but we have one condition."
The Elder leaned forward. "Let him help us get rid of Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage!"
"Yagura's 'Village of the Bloody Mist' rule is the root cause of our Kirigakure's current internal and external troubles! As long as he remains in power for one more day, the Village will never know peace!"
"Only if he can achieve this—only if he can truly sever the root of the rot—can we truly stabilize and control the entire Kirigakure. Only then can we talk about peacefully surrendering to him."
Mei Terumī nodded quickly upon hearing this. Her strategic mind immediately recognized the brilliance.
This was indeed the best, most pragmatic method at the moment: to use Uchiha Akira's overwhelming power to solve the single biggest, unsolvable internal problem of the Village.
"Furthermore..." the Elder continued, holding up a finger.
"The matter of the Hidden Sand Village is too shocking. You must immediately send your most reliable, veteran spies to infiltrate the Land of Wind, and at all costs, verify the absolute truth of this matter!"
"Currently, Hidden Mist's intelligence network is almost paralyzed! We can no longer afford to be deaf and blind when the world is shattering!"
The Elder's fist heavily pounded the stone table.
"If... if the matter of the Hidden Sand Village being annexed is proven true..."
He paused, looking at the stunned faces of Ao and Chōjūrō.
"Then from now on, our Kirigakure will follow precisely what he says... Become Konoha's... Kirigakure Division."
After speaking, the Elder seemed to have all his strength drained. His entire being slumped with exhaustion.
But very quickly, he forced himself to cheer up again. Duty called.
The Elder stood up and tidied his slightly wrinkled long robe, regaining his dignity.
"Mei, come out with me."
"We will go and formally welcome the Fifth Hokage into the residence."
Mei Terumī was startled. "Elder-sama, you are going to personally..."
"Indeed." The Elder's expression was more serious than ever.
"Facing a powerful individual who can easily decide the life and death of our entire Village, any slight—any political misstep—may lead to disaster."
"The necessary courtesies must be fully, perfectly extended!"
"Our Kirigakure has already lost its substance; we absolutely cannot lose face as well, or lose our lives due to etiquette!"
Mei Terumī's heart tightened, understanding the Elder's chilling intention. This was a survival tactic: to exchange the lowest possible posture for a chance at survival.
Mei Terumī said no more, silently following behind the Elder. The two pushed open the manor's massive main gate and walked towards the figure of Uchiha Akira, who was waiting patiently outside.
Outside the silent manor.
The heavy wooden door was pushed open.
Uchiha Akira's peripheral vision caught the movement. He saw the two figures who walked out: the gaunt, ancient Elder, and behind him, the complex-looking, beautiful Mei Terumī.
The Elder stopped exactly three steps away from Uchiha Akira.
Then, under Mei Terumī's extremely shocked gaze, this venerable elder—who held the most respected position in the Kirigakure and whom even the current Mizukage treated with deference—bowed deeply to the excessively young man before him.
A full ninety-degree bow! His posture was utterly respectful, even carrying a hint of genuine humility.
"Kirigakure Elder, Gensui, respectfully welcomes Hokage-sama!"
Mei Terumī knew the Elder would lower his posture, but she never expected it to be this low! Her cheeks burned with a mix of shame and reluctant admiration for the Elder's sacrifice of pride.
But Mei Terumī ultimately bit her lip. She lowered her proud head towards Uchiha Akira, following the Elder's lead.
"Kirigakure Jōnin, Mei Terumī, respectfully welcomes Hokage-sama."
Uchiha Akira looked at the old man and the young woman before him with an expressionless, steady face.
After a long, tense silence, Uchiha Akira finally spoke.
"Rise."
The Elder, as if granted a great pardon, immediately straightened up. A fine layer of cold sweat had already seeped onto his forehead.
He looked up, his face filled with fawning, political smiles.
"It is truly an honor for our humble Kirigakure that Hokage-sama has personally visited."
"Previously, Mei and the others were ignorant and disrespectful in their shock. I hope Hokage-sama will be magnanimous and forgive our errors."
These words were spoken flawlessly, and his posture was one of utter subservience.
Uchiha Akira looked at the Elder. Old fox, he made a mental note. Calculating until the very end.
But he couldn't be bothered to beat around the bush with the other party.
"Let's skip the pleasantries."
"What is the result of your discussion? Be concise."
The Elder's smile faltered for a moment, then he said even more respectfully:
"Our Kirigakure is willing to accept the conditions you proposed. We are prepared to merge into Konoha and become Konoha's Kirigakure Division!"
"From now on, all of us in Hidden Mist will follow Hokage-sama's command!"
"Very good," Uchiha Akira nodded, satisfied with this quick outcome.
Seeing this, the Elder's heart settled slightly. He quickly struck while the iron was hot, stating his quid pro quo "request."
"It's just... Hokage-sama, the current situation in Kirigakure is a bit complicated. As you know."
"Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, has undergone a drastic change in personality and is implementing the terrifying 'Village of the Bloody Mist' policy."
The Elder bowed deeply to Uchiha Akira once again, showing his sincerity.
"I earnestly implore Hokage-sama to help us eradicate Yagura, this cancerous growth! We cannot move against a Jinchūriki."
"As long as you can help Mei Terumī ascend to the position of Godaime Mizukage (Fifth Mizukage), allowing her to integrate and stabilize the entire Village..."
"At that time, a complete, unified, and absolutely loyal Hidden Mist will be entirely at your disposal!"
These words were spoken with genuine emotion. It was both a desperate request and a cunning, veiled transaction. They were using Akira's overwhelming power to complete their own internal cleansing.
Akira scoffed inwardly after hearing this. He's certainly playing his cards well. Getting a new Kage installed for free.
However, he didn't care. This was already part of his plan.
Supporting Mei Terumī to the Mizukage position, making her his spokesperson for controlling Hidden Mist, perfectly aligned with his interests.
Akira's gaze swept across the Elder's face, which was full of careful calculations.
"Alright."
"Eliminating Yagura and supporting Mei Terumī's ascension is merely a trivial matter for me."
"I'll give you two days."
"At dawn two days from now, you will launch your internal coup. I will handle Yagura."
"Within these two days, Mei Terumī, your mission is to contact all the forces you can. The ones on the Elder's list. Bring them all to your side."
"I want to ensure that when we move against Yagura, no misguided, loyalist allies will jump out and get in the way."
The Elder's heart tightened. He dared not be negligent in the slightest.
"Mei! You heard the Hokage!" the Elder snapped. "The list I gave you consists of trustworthy Jōnin and clan heads! Go contact them immediately and inform them of the plan! The two-day window is absolute!"
"Yes!" Mei Terumī nodded heavily, her face now set with the resolve of a revolutionary.
"Very good."
Uchiha Akira's gaze returned, settling fully on Mei Terumī.
"Then, for these two days..."
Akira smiled, a challenging glint in his eye.
"...I'll stay at your place."
"The head of the Kirigakure Division, the future Fifth Mizukage, should have a respectable mansion, right?"
"And it will also be convenient for you to report your progress to me at any time. And," he added, a spark of pure mischief, "to ensure your loyalty remains focused."
What?!
Mei Terumī's mind buzzed. Her thoughts short-circuited. Stay... stay at her place!
A scorching blush uncontrollably rose to her cheeks.
The Elder was also stunned, but then, his politician's instincts took over. His face immediately filled with fawning smiles.
"Of course! Of course!"
"It is her honor! It is our honor for Hokage-sama to stay at Mei's humble abode!"
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]