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Things were developing in a direction Midorima had never anticipated.
According to Midorima's original plan, they were supposed to operate in the shadows, resorting to covert tactics rather than direct confrontation whenever possible.
Besides, they had Zabuza, a genius assassin—wouldn't it be a waste not to utilize him?
But on their very first night in the Land of Snow, they were ambushed by Dotō Kazahana. Not only were they caught completely off guard, but their entire plan was thrown into disarray—Dotō now knew of their presence, making stealth impossible.
Most importantly, they had also run into the trio from Konoha.
While being escorted by Sōsetsu Kazahana, the two groups didn't exchange a single word.
That was just as well.
If the crisis were resolved and both sides had the energy to bicker, that would be a real headache.
However, the current silence might also be a prelude to future disputes. After all, the animosity between them couldn't be resolved with just one fight.
No.
It would take several fights.
And that was under ideal circumstances.
If tempers flared and they decided to settle their grudges first, things would get very messy.
Upon returning to Sōsetsu's residence, servants brought tea and snacks. Midorima treated Zabuza and Mei Terumi's injuries before noticing Kurenai bandaging up Asuma. He approached and said, "I'm the team's medic. Mind if I take a look?"
Kurenai froze, giving Kakashi a puzzled glance.
She remembered that Kirigakure didn't have medics assigned to their squads—otherwise, their previous battle with Konoha would have been much harder.
It was like warriors charging ahead while healers patched them up from behind. If you didn't take out the medics first, much of your damage would be meaningless.
'I'll have to report this to the village,' she thought, mentally jotting it down.
"Hah, just think of me as an exception," Midorima replied honestly.
Kurenai nodded repeatedly, though inwardly, she scoffed.
Men always say 'just this once' when they're caught red-handed.
'As if I don't know.'
Seeing Kurenai's automatic nodding, Midorima guessed she didn't believe him and sighed internally.
Times are tough, and people's hearts aren't what they used to be. These days, even the truth gets dismissed.
Asuma's injuries were more severe than Zabuza's or Mei's, likely due to the Hidden Mist Jutsu. Since Midorima wasn't close enough to Asuma to expend his own chakra on healing him, he used [Activation] to stimulate Asuma's natural chakra recovery instead.
At first, Asuma refused, but once his arm was fully healed, his attitude did a complete 180.
If Kurenai hadn't been present, he might have given Midorima a bear hug.
The only side effect was a lingering fatigue, but he dismissed it as post-recovery exhaustion and plopped down on the tatami, waiting for Sōsetsu to return.
Kakashi was also injured, but his wounds were superficial—aside from Mei's, his were the lightest.
After treating Kurenai's injuries as well, Sōsetsu finally arrived with the court physician in tow. Upon learning that Midorima had already healed the others, he quickly expressed his gratitude.
"I must apologize for today… It was my failure." Sōsetsu pressed his forehead to the tatami in a deep bow.
Though the Land of Snow was a small nation, it was rare for a ruler to humble himself like this.
Midorima and the others hurriedly returned the gesture.
"The man from earlier—was that Dotō Kazahana?" Kakashi was the first to speak.
Konoha had accepted Sōsetsu's request, so they naturally needed to understand their target. Meanwhile, Midorima's group was here to hunt Kirigakure's rogue ninja.
Though their objectives overlapped significantly, the details were worlds apart.
"Yes. The man beside him is a ninja he hired as a bodyguard," Sōsetsu replied.
"Then… what preparations have you made?" Kakashi asked.
Sōsetsu sighed. "He is still my brother…"
"If you haven't prepared in advance, the three of us alone won't be enough to turn the tide." Kakashi knew his words might disappoint Sōsetsu, but this mission involved too many lives—three shinobi couldn't bear that responsibility.
Sōsetsu seemed to have expected this answer. "I understand… I only hope you can take my daughter and leave. This is a matter between me and Dotō. I don't want to drag Koyuki into it."
Midorima's lips twitched. The difference in temperament between Sōsetsu and Dotō was staggering.
If Dotō were the one sitting on the throne, Sōsetsu would've been sliced into sashimi long ago.
His gaze inadvertently drifted to the door, where he noticed a small gap—a little girl peeking inside.
"Ahem." Midorima coughed deliberately, interrupting Kakashi and Sōsetsu's conversation.
Both turned to him in confusion, only for Midorima to subtly glance at the door.
Sōsetsu immediately noticed Koyuki hiding there and excused himself, leading her back to her room.
"Captain, those ninja aren't ordinary," Kurenai said gravely.
Given their current strength, taking on an entire ninja unit was unrealistic. A direct confrontation would likely end in annihilation.
Kakashi was well aware of their predicament.
Forget opposing Dotō—even just extracting Koyuki while ensuring zero casualties would be extremely difficult.
Thus, the extent of Sōsetsu's control over the Land of Snow became critical.
His eyes shifted to Midorima. "You three didn't come here as tourists, did you?"
"But we're not here to help you either," Zabuza sneered.
"That doesn't matter. Since Dotō attacked you, that makes you his enemies. And the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Given the situation, there's no need for hostility." Kakashi tried to mediate.
"Exactly—the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So we should team up with Dotō and take you out," Zabuza threw Kakashi's words right back at him.
Midorima smirked. Zabuza's retort was perfect.
As part of Kirigakure's trio, his priority was maximizing their gains. Getting entangled in the conflict between Sōsetsu and Dotō wasn't the optimal move right now.
"Lord Sōsetsu is in grave danger!" Asuma interjected.
"What's that to us? We're not here to protect him," Zabuza scoffed.
Asuma opened his mouth but found no rebuttal.
Kakashi's gaze remained fixed on Midorima.
"What about you? What's your stance?"
"Before I answer, can you answer a few questions for me?" Midorima countered.
"Go ahead."
"I don't know what your mission is, but do you even understand the root of the conflict between the Kazahana brothers? Dotō is sharpening his blades, ready to strike at any moment. Meanwhile, how much of the Land of Snow's forces does Sōsetsu actually control? Do you know?"
Kakashi shook his head.
Midorima spread his hands. "If you know nothing, isn't this just a suicide mission? This isn't some simple task—it's a full-blown war. Once you're caught in it, there's no turning back. Forget completing the mission—survival itself would be uncertain."
*****
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