While Senju Mori was diligently cultivating in Shikkotsu Forest, Yuki Shingen, who had been released, finally returned to his longed-for homeland after many twists and turns.
However, the moment he stepped onto the Land of Water, Yuki Shingen keenly sensed something was amiss.
Many new defensive fortifications had been built along the coastline, and the number of watchtowers had increased.
But the Ninja stationed there no longer had their usual sharp edge; instead, their faces showed a gloomy numbness, and the patrol teams' steps seemed heavy and lifeless.
As he, with complex emotions of surviving a catastrophe, dragged his weary body to the familiar entrance of Hidden Mist Village, his heart sank, and a chill instantly rose from the bottom of his heart.
The guards at the Village entrance had been replaced by two completely unfamiliar faces, their eyes cold and wary, devoid of the usual casualness between fellow Village Ninja.
"Stop! Name, affiliated unit, mission number!"
The guard barked sternly, his hand already on his Ninja tool pouch.
Yuki Shingen suppressed the unease in his heart and, according to the rules, reported his name, affiliated unit, and mission number one by one, and briefly explained his situation of escaping after being captured.
"Yuki Shingen, formerly directly subordinate to the reconnaissance unit of the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu-sama, mission number 'Frost Seven.' Previously captured by Uzushiogakure during a mission, now having found an opportunity to escape and return."
However, the suspicion in the other party's eyes deepened.
"Captured by the Uzumaki Clan, and still able to return so 'intact'?"
The suspicion in the other guard's eyes almost solidified as he coldly scrutinized Yuki Shingen:
"According to the latest regulations issued by the Third Mizukage-sama, all Ninja who return to the Village after being missing must immediately undergo isolated scrutiny by the Anbu!"
"We need to ensure that you have not betrayed the Village, have not been controlled by the enemy, or brought any hidden dangers to the Village!"
There was nothing wrong with accepting the Village's investigation, but thinking of Senju Mori's words, combined with the cold and rigid attitude of the two guards in front of him, Yuki Shingen naturally dared not meekly surrender.
As he spoke, his hand also reached for the Ninja tool pouch at his waist, firmly gripping a Kunai inside.
"I am a Jonin of the Yuki Clan; my loyalty to the Village needs no questioning!"
Yuki Shingen tried to argue, but the other party was clearly unmoved, also adopting a stance ready for battle.
Just as the atmosphere was at a stalemate, a rush of hurried footsteps approached.
Several Ninja whose robes bore the ice crystal crest of the Yuki Clan and a squad of Hidden Mist Anbu in grey uniforms with animal masks arrived at the scene almost simultaneously.
"Shingen is a Ninja of our Yuki Clan; our clan fully guarantees his loyalty!"
The leading Jonin of the Yuki Clan stepped forward, speaking in a firm tone, directly shielding Yuki Shingen behind him.
"Guarantee?"
The Anbu captain let out a cold sneer, his voice sounding particularly grim through his mask.
"Before it is confirmed whether he leaked Village secrets, whether he was subjected to genjutsu or seals, no one has the right to guarantee! This person must be taken back by our Anbu for interrogation!"
In an instant, the Chakra within both sides erupted, and cold killing intent clashed with biting chill in the field; the air at the Village entrance seemed to solidify.
The two forces collided fiercely, the atmosphere on the scene was tense, and a battle could break out at any moment.
Just then, an elder of the Yuki Clan with graying temples finally arrived, his tone, though equally cold, was slightly more polite as he said to the Anbu captain:
"Shingen is a member of my Yuki Clan. Even if there are oversights, our clan rules will handle it. How to identify and how to discipline are internal affairs of our clan, no need for the Anbu to trouble yourselves."
The Anbu captain then let out a short, cold laugh and re-sheathed the Ninja sword he had just drawn.
"Elder Yukio, you exaggerate. We are just following routine. After all, ensuring the Village's safety and eliminating all possible hidden dangers is the duty entrusted to us by the Mizukage-sama."
Ultimately, under the firm stance of the Yuki Clan members, the Anbu captain snorted coldly and retreated with his subordinates, disgruntled.
But before they left, the gazes they cast towards Yuki Shingen through the holes in their masks were filled with even denser and undisguised hostility, as if looking at a potential traitor.
Escorted by his clansmen into the Village, Yuki Shingen felt as if he had stepped into a strange world.
Pedestrians were sparse on the streets, and the occasional Ninja he encountered were expressionless and hurried, with no communication between them. The entire Village was as silent as a huge tomb.
He passed a once-familiar izakaya, only to find it empty inside. The owner mechanically wiped glasses behind the counter, his eyes vigilantly scanning outside the window.
The training ground, once filled with the shouts of children playing and Ninja sparring, now only had a few figures, all engaged in silent and arduous training.
In stark contrast to the atmosphere during the time of the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, which was outwardly strong but internally vibrant, what replaced it was a suffocating coldness and oppression... That night, deep within the Yuki Clan's territory, in a secret room with a sound-insulating barrier, the atmosphere of the clan meeting was even colder and heavier than the winter outside.
"That bastard 'Kiyoshi' is utterly unrestrained!"
"He is simply systematically purging all of Hōzuki Gengetsu-sama's old subordinates, completely excluding us, and planting his own cronies throughout the entire Village."
An elder with graying hair spoke in a hoarse voice, his face filled with fatigue and anger.
"Several key positions held by our clan in the intelligence, Anbu, and guard units have all been transferred for various reasons, replaced by his direct subordinates. He is constantly testing our bottom line."
"How is this still our Village? It's practically a prison used to monitor and confine us!"
A young clansman couldn't help but growl, slamming the table in frustration, his fists clenched white.
"Even more troublesome is the Kaguya Clan."
Another, calmer elder interjected, his brows deeply furrowed.
"Those madmen with only battle on their minds have repeatedly declared they cannot tolerate the current situation and are secretly conspiring to stage a coup, attempting to overthrow 'Kiyoshi's' rule by force."
"Although the Hozuki Clan is also extremely dissatisfied with the current situation, they seem to still be weighing the pros and cons and have not clearly expressed support for such an extreme, mutually destructive approach."
"Coup?"
The Yuki Clan leader presiding over the meeting, a woman with a temperament as calm as ice and snow, slightly furrowed her beautiful brows.
"This is no longer the era of battle-maniacs who only know how to fight. Relying on the brute force of a family and individuals to confront a coordinated and massive organization is simply courting death."
"Rashly initiating action when friends and foes are unclear will only drag all of us into the abyss."
And Yuki Shingen's hand unconsciously reached for the cold, hard Kunai in his bosom. The words of the Third Hokage, Senju Mori, echoed in his ears once more.