"..."
Mei Terumi blinked.
She recognized the voice.
It sounded exactly like hers!
Aside from understanding the reference to "Uchiha Madara" in the first few sentences, she had no idea who the other descriptions referred to.
"Old fossil," "muscle-brain," "dead brat."
But the last part...
"What do you mean... 'an old woman who can only spray water'?!"
Mei Terumi lowered her head slightly.
Her face darkened as she gritted her teeth, a dangerous aura radiating from her body.
"Don't be impatient. You said that yourself," Makoto replied, keeping a straight face. "Besides, I agree that the statement is inaccurate."
"Oh?" Mei's emerald eyes lit up instantly. "You do? Then tell me..."
"You don't just spray water," Makoto nodded solemnly. "You also spray sticky mucus and highly corrosive acid mist."
"...So the 'old unmarried woman' part is correct then?" Mei's expression stiffened.
The dangerous aura returned, twice as strong now!
'Huh?'
Before she could explode, Mei froze.
'Wait. How does he know about my Lava Release and Boil Release?'
Right now, she was just an elite Jonin in a closed-off village.
She had never fought outside the Land of Water.
Her Kekkei Genkai were classified secrets known only to a few in the Mist.
'Could it be...'
Mei Terumi felt a chill run down her spine. She was actually starting to believe this kid's ridiculous story about being from the future.
She never expected she would become the Fifth Mizukage. Or that she would fight the legendary Uchiha Madara.
'Wait. Isn't Madara supposed to be dead?'
The amount of information Makoto had dumped on her was overwhelming.
After a long silence, Mei finally released her bite on her lower lip.
She looked at him with complex and confussion in her eyes.
"How you came back, or why—I know you won't tell me even if I ask," she said, her voice softer. "So just tell me... how did we meet? And where did this recording come from?"
"Is that all you want to know?"
"Just tell me."
"It's nothing special," Makoto shrugged. "In the future, during a joint Chunin Exam, the Five Kage gathered for a summit. I took photos with all of them."
"As for the recording... it was originally a video. The Sixth Mizukage attended the meeting, and you—having retired—tagged along because you were bored. We started chatting, you dragged me to a bar, and..."
"I was worried that if something happened, I'd need evidence to prove my innocence. So I recorded it."
"This is just the audio extraction."
'Heh.'
Mei felt a vein pop in her forehead. She wanted to laugh from sheer disbelief.
"Worried you'd need evidence?"
With her stunning beauty and charm, shouldn't she be the one worrying about men taking advantage of her? Was this brat implying she was a predator?
'Hiss—wait.'
"You just said... you're from how many years in the future?" Mei clenched her fists, staring at him intensely.
"Twenty."
"Ah."
Mei Terumi fell silent. The air around her seemed to lose all color.
'Twenty years later... and I'm still single?'
Today was supposed to be a historic day.
They were going to free the Fourth Mizukage, end the Bloody Mist, and welcome a bright new era.
But hearing this news, Mei felt like her future had just collapsed!
She lost all motivation to live.
"Don't be too sad. It's not your fault," Makoto comforted her, patting her shoulder awkwardly. "There are plenty of opportunities to change things now, right? Look, you were the first person I sought out in the Five Great Nations. That's because we eventually became... cross-generational friends in my time."
"Cough! Cough! Cough!!!"
Mei Terumi choked on her own spit.
She had just started to calm down, but the phrase "cross-generational friends" hit her like a physical punch.
It implied an age gap so massive it bridged generations.
It implied she was old.
It took her a solid minute to recover.
"What's that photo in your hand?"
She remembered that Makoto had pulled out a stack of photos earlier.
"Here. You can deal with it yourself," Makoto handed it over without comment.
Mei took a deep breath. She steeled herself for whatever horrors awaited her aging face.
She looked at the photo.
"!"
Even with mental preparation, Mei nearly fainted.
She threw the photo into the air and she opened her mouth.
Hiss.
A cloud of acidic mist erupted from her lips.
The photo disintegrated into ash before it even hit the ground!
Snap.
After destroying the evidence, Mei turn around. She marched up to Makoto, grabbed his shoulders, and physically turned his head to face her.
"Look at me!" she commanded, her face inches from his. "Remember how I look now! Forget your previous memories! Delete them!"
The current Mei Terumi was in her prime.
One emerald eye visible on her face, chestnut hair flowing, wearing standard ninja mesh and armor.
She looked dangerous and beautiful.
"Uh... Mizukage-sama," Makoto smiled wryly, not resisting the manhandling. "Before you try that, maybe you should borrow a Sharingan to wipe my memory properly?"
"Don't call me Mizukage. I'm not the Mizukage yet. Just call me Mei."
"Give me the tape," she demanded, holding out a hand. "Then I might consider listening to your proposal."
Makoto didn't resist.
He dropped the cassette into her palm.
Unlike the photo, Mei didn't melt the tape.
She pocketed it swiftly.
Then, her expression shifted. The frantic, insecure woman vanished, replaced by the cool, calculating leader of the rebellion.
"Speak. About the collaboration."
In the future Fourth Great Ninja War, Mei Terumi had the least seniority among the Five Kage.
She ascended to the position after Yagura died and the elder Genshi served as interim leader.
The reason she was chosen wasn't just strength—it was because she loved the village more than anyone.
Today's mission to save Yagura was proof of that.
So when this time-traveler mentioned cooperation for the sake of the Mist, she took it seriously.
She shelved her romantic despair for the sake of her people.
"First," Makoto began, switching to business mode. "The Land of Waves is now under our influence. Once you lift the Bloody Mist policy and reopen the borders, all diplomatic and trade matters can be routed through there."
"The Land of Water's biggest assets are seafood and tourism. You have sunny beaches and unique geography. In the future, this place will become a vacation hotspot."
"Although I haven't been to the future version of the mist myself, you showed me photos back then..."
Makoto reached for another stack of photos.
Swish.
Mei snatched them out of his hand instantly.
She wasn't taking any chances with unflattering angles!
But this time, the photos just showed scenery: bustling ports, happy tourists, clear skies.
"Such beautiful scenery..." Mei gazed at the images, her eyes softening. "Can the future really be this wonderful after the bloody mist clears?"
"Yes."
"Thank you," Mei said sincerely. "Knowing this will help us avoid many detours. I'll persuade Master Genshi and the Daimyo to steer the village in this direction. We will cooperate."
"No," Makoto shook his head. "Persuading Genshi isn't enough. I want you to become the Mizukage as soon as possible. You need absolute authority."
He looked her in the eye. "You don't think I traveled through time just to help you make money on tourism, do you?"
Mei's smile faded and she sighed softly.
"Is the future... still not peaceful?"
She had suspected as much.
A time traveler doesn't come back to fix the economy.
They come back to stop a war.