Raven leaned forward, her voice calm but weighted, carrying the weight of secrets unspoken. "Mei, I know about your past. I know your family was eliminated under the Bloody Mist policies. The people feared your dual kekkei genkai, and the Mizukage himself ordered the extermination of your bloodline. I know you survived when none of them did, and I know you carry the weight of being the last of your clan. But your suffering does not have to define your future."
Mei's turquoise eyes narrowed into blades. Without hesitation, she snatched the fork from her ramen bowl and drove it against Raven's throat, pressing until the tines dug lightly into skin. At the same time she slammed her elbow into Raven's chest, forcing her backward across the wooden counter of the stall. Steam rose from the broth between them, curling in the air as her voice broke into a snarl.
"What do you know about my pain? What do you know about my family's suffering? Have you ever watched every member of your clan slaughtered in front of you?"
The vendor froze in place, his hands shaking as he dropped the ladle back into the pot. Yumi's tails lifted instinctively, a ripple of killing intent rolling off her form, but Raven lifted one hand ever so slightly, signaling her not to interfere.
She met Mei's glare without flinching, her voice quiet but unshakable. "Yes. I have."
The rage in Mei's eyes faltered. Her breath caught, and for a moment she stared into Raven's Rinnegan, searching for mockery, searching for weakness. What she found was grief—bottomless, raw, and carved into the lines of her soul. Slowly, reluctantly, Mei lowered the fork. Raven sat up again, her cloak falling back into place as though nothing had happened.
Mei's tone softened, though suspicion laced every word. "Then tell me. What have you lost that could possibly compare to the death of my entire family?"
Raven exhaled, her voice low and even. "My entire village was wiped out. My clan was hunted down until none remained. I watched as everything I loved burned away. My husband was taken from me, and the only living remnant is my son. He survived… but none of them know I did. I protect him from the shadows."
Mei studied her, silent for several breaths, as if trying to pierce through to the truth. Finally she asked, quieter now, "So you are saying you live like a guardian angel, unseen, watching over what remains of your bloodline?"
Raven allowed the faintest curve of her lips. "Of a sort. I remain, I endure, and I protect. That is all I can do." She leaned closer, the ramen steam blurring the distance between them. "We have both lived through loss, Mei. But it is not the past that will define us. It is the future we choose to shape."
Mei's turquoise eyes flickered, but she did not look away. Instead, she picked up her second bowl of ramen, eating more slowly now, as though buying herself time to think. "So you claim someone is controlling Yagura. But what could possibly bend a Mizukage's will? He is no weakling."
Raven's gaze sharpened like a blade. "Have you ever heard of the Uchiha clan's Sharingan?"
Mei froze. The fork in her hand hissed and began to melt, steam curling upward as her chakra boiled out without conscious thought. Her turquoise eyes widened in shock.
"I never once considered the Mizukage could be under the influence of a Sharingan…" she murmured, her voice taut with realization.
Raven nodded once. "You understand the implication. If a Sharingan user is behind this, then escape is nearly impossible. But I can help you. I can give you the chance to free your Mizukage—and your village—from this bloody nightmare."
Mei took a long breath, her chest rising and falling as she forced her chakra to settle. She dropped the warped fork onto the counter with a metallic clatter and fixed Raven with a steady look. "Very well. You have my attention, Raven. Let us go somewhere more private to discuss this."
She stood, her auburn hair swaying as she moved, and placed a crisp ten ryō bill onto the counter. Her voice softened just enough for the trembling vendor to hear. "I will be back later for more ramen."
The vendor nodded quickly, relief plain in his eyes. "Of course, Mei. See you soon."
Mei turned back to Raven and Yumi, her expression unreadable but her voice decisive. "Follow Me."
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