The courtyard wall stretched across half the street.
At the grand front gates, guards stood like statues—eight of them, serious and alert.
"What's going on here?!" one of them barked.
Three figures approached. At the front was a tall man with sunglasses and a carefree smile.
The guards tightened their grips on their weapons, but the man calmly adjusted his shades and said, "Let me introduce myself."
"I'm Scar, leader of Tekkadan. I've come to propose to Ms. Terumi Mei."
"Propose?!"
"Propose?!" the guards echoed, stunned.
A couple of them were so shocked they dropped their swords.
If Scar had said he was here for an assassination, they might have been less surprised. But a marriage proposal?
Scar grinned. "Could you please let her know I'm here? Once she sees me, I'm sure she'll say yes and cry tears of joy."
Totoro, the head guard, was not impressed. "Are you out of your mind? Who do you think you are? A guy like you proposing to our lady? Get lost before I have you thrown in jail!"
Scar sighed dramatically. "No wonder Terumi Mei is still single. With guys like you around, who'd ever get close to her?"
He raised his voice. "How would you know if she agrees or not unless you tell her? That decision should be hers, not yours!"
Scar stood tall, his confident aura pressing down on the others.
Some guards glanced at Totoro, unsure what to do.
Totoro hesitated. The guy had guts. Maybe he was serious.
"Wait here," Totoro said, then turned and walked into the courtyard.
He didn't go to Mei. Instead, he found her father, Terumi Kou.
"Sir... someone is at the gate asking to propose to Lady Mei."
Kou blinked in disbelief. "Propose?"
He was about to order the guards to send the lunatic away but paused.
Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing.
Since returning from Konoha, Mei had joined the rebellion against Mizukage Yagura. But Yagura found out, crushed their plot, and jailed her allies.
Only the Terumi family's influence and Elder Genji's pleas kept Mei from being labeled a traitor.
If she married, it might help stabilize things.
Kou thought it over and nodded. "Bring him in."
Totoro blinked. "What? You're letting him in?"
Kou gave him a look. "Hurry up and invite him."
Totoro returned to the gate, still dazed. "Mr. Scar, please come with me."
Scar beamed. "Ah, guess good looks still count for something. Let's go."
Shun and Tabby followed, but Totoro raised a hand. "Your followers should wait outside."
Scar nodded. "It's fine. Shun, Tabby—stay here."
"Right," they replied.
Totoro led Scar through the courtyard, unaware that several Anbu ninja had already seen the scene unfold. One slipped away and reported to Mizukage Yagura.
"My lord," the Anbu said, kneeling. "A man from Tekkadan has arrived at the Terumi estate to propose to Terumi Mei."
A photo was placed on the desk.
Yagura glanced at it and said flatly, "Put it down. Withdraw."
The Anbu left.
A side door opened. Obito stepped out from the shadows.
Controlled like a puppet, Yagura sat motionless.
Obito, still masked, picked up the photo.
He had a long white hair, blue eyes, tall and muscular form.
He didn't recognize the man—or the two companions.
"Proposal?" Obito muttered. "What is Tekkadan? Never heard of it."
He shrugged. It didn't matter. Nothing would stop his plans to imprison Terumi Mei indefinitely.
Obito ordered Yagura to send an assassination team after Scar.
Why was Obito even here?
Because Mei had to be kept silent.
It was Mufasa's fault this had all become complicated.
Mufasa's bold moves had disrupted the Akatsuki's rhythm.
Ame's 80-billion-ryō in debt made by him and unpredictable actions had shaken things up too early.
Obito wanted to collect the Tailed Beasts and merge them into the Ten-Tails, then cast Infinite Tsukuyomi.
But Nagato was different. He thought they should strengthen the village first.
"The Kazekage already humiliated us twice," Nagato had said. "We need more power before we move."
Obito didn't argue. For once, Nagato made sense.
So Obito took his role seriously.
If he could use Mist Village and ally it with other Land of Water forces, they could form an aquatic power bloc.
Domination of the seaside market was a side bonus.
They'd be a match against the Suna.
Strangely, Mufasa had given Obito a sense of direction.
For years, Obito had controlled the Mizukage with no clear plan. He'd exiled rogue shinobi like Zabuza, Haku, and others... but accomplished little else.
Now he had purpose.
Obito had made progress.
And oddly enough, it was all thanks to Mufasa.
...
Totoro led Mufasa through the winding paths of the Terumi estate. After several turns, they finally arrived at a wide, elegant Japanese-style room.
Inside sat Terumi Kou, the head of the family.
He wore a traditional kimono and quietly whisked matcha in a tea bowl, his expression serene and focused.
Through the open side door, the courtyard shimmered in peaceful stillness.
Fine white stones lined the path.
A couple of pine trees swayed gently in the breeze. Water trickled from a bamboo fountain, creating a rhythmic, calming knock.
Mufasa didn't disturb the scene. He knelt quietly at the side, mimicking the formality.
But after a few minutes, he shifted uncomfortably and decided to sit cross-legged instead.
Kou noticed, offering a subtle smile before handing him a cup of matcha. "Please."
Mufasa took the cup and downed the tea in one go.
Kou raised an eyebrow.
Did this man know nothing of tea etiquette? Matcha wasn't meant to be chugged.
When Mufasa had first entered—with long white hair, blue eyes, and tall, muscular frame—Kou thought he might be a proper suitor.
But now...
This guy clearly traveled too much to understand manners.
Probably some rogue merchant.
Definitely not a match for his daughter.
"You may go," Kou said curtly.
Mufasa blinked. "Huh?"
"You are not suitable for my daughter, Terumi Mei. Please leave."
"Why not? I'm good-looking, successful, and the leader of a strong team."
Kou narrowed his eyes. "What team?"
"Tekkadan. We've got four members right now. Our main business is tourism."
Kou nearly choked on his own breath.
Tourism?!
The Terumi family was one of the most powerful in the Land of Water, and this guy ran a travel agency?
Kou's face darkened. "Leave now. Or I'll have you thrown out."
He regretted even entertaining the idea. His daughter's freedom didn't mean he'd let her marry just anyone.
She needed a proper match—maybe even a political alliance.
Mufasa had no choice but to leave.
As he stepped outside, Totoro followed him. But before anyone could stop him, Mufasa leaped onto the roof.
From there, he pulled out a giant loudspeaker and shouted:
"TERUMI MEI! COME OUT!"
"I'M HERE TO PROPOSE!"
"IF YOU MISS THIS CHANCE, YOU'LL BE SINGLE FOREVER!"
"AN UNWANTED OLD HAG!"
"YOU'LL DIE A VIRGIN!"
Totoro's jaw hit the floor. "What is he doing?!"
Inside her house, Terumi Mei was peacefully reading.
But her brow twitched as Mufasa's voice reached her ears.
She recognized the voice—though it was deeper now.
But the last line? That did it.
OLD HAG? DYING AS A VIRGIN?
Her book slammed shut.
Flames practically erupted from her eyes as she jumped out the window and landed on the roof like a furious lioness.
Mufasa was still yelling.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Terumi Mei didn't need to speak.
She opened her mouth and launched a massive fireball at him.
"WHOA! WOMAN CHILL!" Mufasa yelped.
He dropped the speaker and rushed toward her. But she wasn't done.
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"
Steam hissed from her mouth as corrosive mist began pouring out.
Mufasa panicked. "Whoa whoa whoa! Time out!"
He lunged forward and clapped his hand over her mouth.
"Stop boiling people! Your mist is hot enough to melt skin!"
Mist seeped between his fingers. Mei glared.
She was ready to drop-kick him—until he pulled off his sunglasses.
She froze.
"It's me," he said.
Eyes don't lie. Mei gasped.
"You… it's really you."
Below, Kou arrived with half the house guard.
"Daughter, don't worry! We'll kill that madman!"
"WHAT?!" Mei shouted. "He's not a madman—he's MY man!"
"I'm marrying him!"
"Unless HE doesn't want me!"
Kou stood there, speechless.
Totoro looked like his soul had left his body.
=??(●???●)|||
He was right.
Miss Mei really did cry out to marry him.
"Let's go," Mei said, grabbing Mufasa's hand.
She dragged him back into her house.
Kou reached out as if to say something—but no words came. He sighed.
"Daughters... you raise them with everything... and then they leave you like this."
Inside Mei's room, Mufasa and Mei sat cross-legged.
Not romantically—yet.
They were strategizing.
"Tell me," Mufasa said. "How did it get this bad?"
The Mist Village was always a mystery—isolated and rarely open to the outside world. Planting spies was difficult. Even vendors and fishermen only gave scraps of intel.
But what they learned was troubling: Mei had been imprisoned, stripped of her rank.
Mei gritted her teeth.
"Ao… that bastard. He's the traitor. He sold me out the moment he returned."
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Word count: 1523
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