The "Kage" is the highest leader in a ninja village.
Even if there are powerful individuals in the village who can challenge the authority of the Kage, when the Kage truly decides on something, those powerful individuals must bow their heads in submission. The only way to resist is to overthrow the disliked Kage from their position and replace them with a new one to lead the village.
It's undeniable that the authority of the Fourth Mizukage has greatly diminished.
But he is still the Mizukage.
Here and now, no one has the power or courage to overthrow him from his position as Mizukage. So, when he decided to establish friendly relations with Konoha, the Mist ninja, whether they liked it or not, had no choice but to comply and take action.
Messengers were sent out quickly, and the Mist ninja from two other bases were summoned back.
Then, after the Mist army and the delegation from Konoha stayed on an unnamed island for five days, they set off for the Land of Water, a land shrouded in mist and hidden from the world. It made sense for the Mist army to go, but the Konoha delegation was an interesting case.
Out of the 127 members of the Konoha delegation, apart from a few young wolves who had snuck in, every single one was a fierce warrior. Over 100 elite Jōnin were in the group. It was as if Sougen had pulled away the best forces from Konoha's main army and the eastern border defense troops.
After all, the Mist ninja had already been defeated.
It was expected that the eastern border defense troops wouldn't face any large-scale conflicts for a long time. Their job would be to catch endless spies and fight off endless pirates. Keeping the extra Jōnin there would be a waste.
So, Sougen heartlessly packed these valuable human resources into this freshly assembled delegation, still hot from the oven.
The Mist had lost the battle.
However, true peace was still a long way off. As the victors, they had to collect their spoils of war and show off Konoha's military might, teaching the crafty Mist ninja to understand the reality of the situation.
But bringing an army for a victory tour seemed excessive. It might provoke the Mist ninja, who valued their honor above all else, into taking hostile action, which could spark another war between Konoha and the Mist. Though Sougen was confident in winning, a broken Mist Village would lose much of its value to him.
Therefore, Sougen disguised the group as a "diplomatic delegation."
And he even brought three young kids along.
---
At sea, ships flying the flags of the Mist Village and Konoha sailed through the waves.
On the deck, a sickly-looking blonde boy leaned against the railing, staring at the white foam stirred up by the ship as if entranced. A girl, who had already run from the bow to the stern twice, happily playing, couldn't help but feel worried.
"Naruto, are you okay?"
Uchiha Fujika approached and gave Naruto a hard pat on the shoulder. "You've been looking really out of it lately!"
"Fujika?"
Naruto blinked and snapped out of it. "I'm fine, really. I was just daydreaming… By the way, Fujika, is Sougen around?" He hesitated but eventually worked up the courage to ask about Sougen's whereabouts.
"My brother?"
Fujika tilted her head in thought. "I think he went to play chess with the Mizukage. Why, do you need to see him? I can take you to him."
"Playing chess? Will I be interrupting him?"
Naruto asked nervously.
"You won't. Don't worry! My brother plays chess just for fun!" Fujika waved her hand and dashed off like a little cannonball, calling out from a distance, "Naruto, what are you standing there for? Hurry up!"
Naruto scratched his head and jogged after her.
As soon as Naruto was out of sight, Kakashi silently appeared from the shadows, following closely behind Naruto to protect the son of his teacher. He had been strongly against bringing Naruto to the Land of Water, but his objections carried no weight. He had no choice but to accept Sougen's decision.
The only thing he could do was join the delegation and personally protect Naruto.
---
At this moment, Sougen was indeed playing chess with Yagura. They chatted casually while playing, occasionally discussing serious matters. "I've sent a letter to the Elder. By the time we reach shore, I should have his reply."
"Let's hope your Elder can see the current situation clearly. Otherwise, things won't be pleasant for anyone."
Sougen held a black piece. He wasn't concerned about who went first; he just preferred the deep color of black.
"The Elder is wiser than I am. He will make the best decision for the village. He witnessed firsthand the might of the First Hokage and the ancestor of your clan when they brought peace to the ninja world. There's no need for you to worry, Lord Uchiha."
Yagura made his next move cautiously.
"An old sage, is he? I look forward to meeting him," Sougen smiled as he placed his piece on the board.
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed through the room.
Even before seeing who it was, the familiar light steps gave it away. Kurama Yakumo, who had been quietly watching the game, turned her head toward the sound. Even Yagura smiled, "It seems your sister is here again."
"Fujika?"
Sougen glanced up and spotted his sister approaching. Fujika was lively and active, unlike Yakumo, who could patiently watch them play chess. Usually, she'd be off playing somewhere, and it would take her at least two hours to return. But it had only been about half an hour—what brought her back so soon?
Then he saw a blonde boy following behind her, and it all made sense.
"Fujika, Naruto, come here."
Sougen motioned for them to come closer.
As they reached him, Sougen asked, "Is there something you need?" His gaze briefly lingered on Naruto, who looked nervous and out of place, unlike the carefree Fujika.
Sure enough, Fujika immediately explained the situation.
"Brother, Naruto said he needed to talk to you, so I brought him here."
"Oh? So, Naruto, what is it?" Sougen held his chess piece in hand, not placing it on the board yet. Yagura, too, was curious about what the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki wanted. Unlike most Jinchuriki, Yagura had chosen to become the Three-Tails Jinchuriki to gain power, making his situation very different from the others.
Under the scrutiny of the room, Naruto felt awkward. He scratched his head, hesitated for a couple of seconds, took a deep breath, and finally gathered his courage to ask, "Um, Sougen, can I become your apprentice and learn ninjutsu from you?"
Apprentice?
Yagura's face lit up with an amused smile. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki asking the Uchiha clan leader to be his teacher? Wasn't this like delivering the Nine-Tails on a silver platter?
Kurama Yakumo also widened her eyes in surprise, while even Fujika looked at Naruto in disbelief.
No one had expected this!
"Apprentice?"
Sougen blinked, his face showing no emotion as he asked, "Why do you want me to be your teacher? Doesn't the Ninja Academy train you well enough? Or do you think it's too basic? What's the real reason you want to learn from me?"
"Um…"
Naruto glanced nervously at Yagura and Yakumo, unsure.
"Just say what's on your mind."
Since Yagura already knew about Naruto's dual identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the Fourth Hokage's son, there wasn't much Naruto could say that would be a secret.
"I want to become Hokage!!"
Naruto shouted his goal.
"Is that the future you've decided for yourself?" Sougen's expression remained calm. "To become Hokage?"
"That's right! I want to become Hokage. I want to see for myself the world my father once saw." Naruto's voice softened at the end. He now knew about his parents' identities and, after witnessing the horrors of war, had made up his mind to follow in his father's footsteps.
"Sougen, you're the strongest ninja I know. If I learn from you, I'm sure I can become Hokage." Naruto explained.
"I see."
Sougen nodded in understanding. "But unfortunately, Naruto, I'm not the right teacher for you."
"Most of the Uchiha techniques rely on our eyes, and without these eyes, it's impossible to learn many of them." Sougen ignored the change in Naruto's expression and continued, "There's someone else more suited to be your teacher."
Naruto hung his head, disappointed.
"Lift your head, Naruto. While I won't be your teacher, I can teach you a very interesting ninjutsu!" Sougen said with a smile.
Naruto immediately looked up, his eyes filled with new hope!