The nearly decade-long civil war in the Land of Water had finally come to an end. With the death of the Fourth Mizukage and the disappearance of the Three-Tails marking its conclusion, this internal conflict was finally over. Kirigakure also ushered in a new era. Terumi Mei had naturally become the de facto leader of Kirigakure; the title of Fifth Mizukage was already hers in all but name, with only the inauguration ceremony remaining.
Meanwhile, Kirigakure was in the midst of a fervent reconstruction. Due to the preceding battles, Kirigakure had suffered severe damage, with many buildings reduced to rubble during the shinobi conflicts. Reconstruction was therefore essential, and the Daimyo of the Land of Water had also sent a great deal of supplies to aid in rebuilding Kirigakure.
The Daimyo of the Land of Water also disliked the Fourth Mizukage. Not only had the Fourth Mizukage's tyrannical rule caused a significant decline in the Land of Water's national strength, but his various actions and hardline stance after taking power had also demonstrated a blatant disregard for the Daimyo's authority. Thus, in his heart, the Daimyo couldn't wait for the Fourth Mizukage to step down sooner.
In a newly built residential area of Kirigakure, Su lay quietly in bed, dressed in pajamas. His dark pupils stared blankly at the ceiling, his thoughts unknown. Deidara had run off somewhere to research his new art.
Due to overusing his Sharingan in the previous battles, Su had been arranged to recuperate quietly in this peaceful area, nursing his body back to health.
In truth, Su's body wasn't seriously injured; it was merely fatigue from excessively consuming dōjutsu power1 and chakra. The problem with his eyes was the crucial issue. Su's vision was now very blurry; the chandelier on the ceiling in his line of sight swayed unsteadily, constantly appearing as multiple phantoms.
A closer look at Su's eyes would reveal that the edges of his originally jet-black pupils were now tinged with large patches of white – clear proof of severe vision degradation.
"Is this the curse of the Sharingan? I didn't notice it at first, but now it's hit so fiercely." Su sighed and slowly sat up. He tried to pick up a glass of water from the bedside table, but the scene before him blurred again, the glass appearing as several phantoms.
Clang!!!!!! The glass fell to the floor and shattered, soaking the ground. Shards were scattered everywhere. Su's hand froze in mid-air as he stared blankly at the broken cup.
Just then, the door opened, and a young woman walked in, looking somewhat flustered. Her face, full of worry, turned towards Su as she asked anxiously, "Lord Su, what happened!!?"
The woman was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with long green hair and blue eyes. She was very pretty. She had been an exceptionally skilled medical-nin in the allied forces, but now she was an official medical-nin of Kirigakure, and a Jonin-level one at that. It was Terumi Mei who had instructed her to help Su recover from his injuries here.
It could be said that most people in Kirigakure were extremely respectful towards Su. This wasn't just because of Su's immense contribution to the allied forces' victory, but even more so because of his formidable strength, which countless shinobi deeply admired. After all, this was a world where power spoke, whether between nations or between individuals.
Although he wasn't currently a shinobi of Kirigakure, he was being treated as a distinguished guest of the village, receiving the highest level of courtesy Kirigakure could offer.
"It's nothing, just a bit tired, that's all," Su replied, snapping back to reality with a faint smile. He didn't really want others to know about his eye problem. It wasn't that he didn't trust Terumi Mei and the others, but this matter was too critical for him; the fewer people who knew, the better.
Although this world was extremely treacherous and cruel, one had to try to trust others; otherwise, it would be impossible to move forward an inch. People who trusted no one would ultimately not achieve good results, because perfect people simply didn't exist. Everyone had flaws, and those flaws could only be mended with the help of others. No one could be perfect in every aspect.
Take Su at this moment, for example. He didn't know medical ninjutsu. His injuries and problems required the help of medical-nin, and even his eye problem needed a medical-nin.
Feeling his incredibly blurry vision, Su made a decision in his heart. Just then, a knock came from the door. "Come in," Su said faintly.
Terumi Mei and Ao walked into Su's room, carrying some fruit and food. Terumi Mei was now the leader of Kirigakure, the Fifth Mizukage, and the aura of a superior about her had grown even stronger. A faint smile graced her beautiful face, and Ao, also smiling, followed behind her.
"How are you doing, little handsome? How's your recovery?" Terumi Mei asked Su with a charming smile.
"Not bad, my body's mostly fine now," Su replied with a smile.
"That's good to hear. Kirigakure owes you a huge favor, you know," Ao said with a smile.
"No need to say that. After all, I was also born in the Land of Water, and the Fourth Mizukage is dead. My objective has been achieved," Su said, smiling.
"You were born in the Land of Water?" Terumi Mei was somewhat surprised to hear Su's words; she knew Su was an Uchiha.
"Mn, after my father fled Konoha, he came to the Land of Water and lived in seclusion. I grew up in the Land of Water as well," Su explained.
Hearing Su's words, both Terumi Mei and Ao's eyes lit up. Terumi Mei, with a stunningly beautiful smile, asked expectantly, "Little handsome, in that case, you don't have a place to settle down yet, do you? Are you interested in joining Kirigakure?"
Hearing Terumi Mei's words, Su gave a playful smile. "My father and mother were both rogue ninjas from Konoha. Would Kirigakure dare to take in me, the son of rogue ninjas? Especially since I possess the Kekkei Genkai of Konoha's Uchiha clan. Isn't Kirigakure afraid of Konoha?"
"Hehe, Konoha is also in a period of weakness right now, not much better off than Kirigakure. Even if they found out, what could they do? We in Kirigakure are not afraid of Konoha. Besides, due to its geographical location, Konoha can't do much to Kirigakure anyway," Terumi Mei said, her face full of confidence.
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