Yuki had no time to speak.
Her lips were suddenly claimed by Chiba's, every unfinished word silenced before it could ever take form. In that instant, language lost all meaning. Inside the clan head's office of the Yuki Clan, they were pulled into a struggle of an entirely different nature,one without hand seals or jutsu, driven instead by breath, warmth, and the slow collapse of restraint.
The air grew heavy, saturated with a quiet, unmistakable heat. It felt as though spring itself had bloomed indoors, thick and intoxicating, wrapping around them until resistance became meaningless.
The conclusion came naturally.
Chiba remained composed and unshaken, his presence steady and overwhelming. Yuki, by contrast, was completely undone. She rested against his chest, her body soft and warm, cheeks flushed a deep crimson as she struggled to steady her breathing. Her fingers pressed weakly against him, as if in protest, yet made no real effort to push him away. Summoning what little strength she had left, she tapped his chest lightly.
"You're awful… I only wanted to talk to you about Haku," she murmured, her voice trembling. "I never thought you would…"
Chiba smiled, lowering his head just enough for his breath to brush her ear. "Sister Yuki," he said quietly, "lying to yourself is far worse than lying to me."
Her heart pounded violently, embarrassment and a dangerous sweetness tangling in her chest. "You… you really are a bad man."
"A bad man?" Chiba chuckled softly. "I'm the man who protected this clan. The man who gave it a future."
Yuki had no answer for that. Instead, she buried her face against him, her body responding far more honestly than her words ever could. That subtle movement,fragile, unguarded,was more provocative than any confession. Chiba's hand tightened slightly at her waist. There was no reason to hold back any longer. Without hesitation, he drew her closer, his presence firm and commanding, leaving no room for retreat.
Her breath hitched. "So cold…" she whispered instinctively, her fingers clutching his clothes as though afraid to let go.
Far away, in the Land of Water, within Kirigakure.
The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, sat behind his desk, his expression dark and volatile. "What did you say?" he demanded coldly. "Neither of them returned? Zabuza's predecessors,the Seven Ninja Swordsmen dispatched on that mission?"
"And the entire envoy unit has vanished as well?"
An ANBU operative knelt below, his voice tense and unsteady. "Yes, Mizukage-sama."
Silence followed,then rage erupted. Yagura slammed his palm down, the desk cracking violently beneath the force. "It was nothing more than the Yuki Clan," he snarled. "A remnant bloodline barely clinging to survival. Less than a thousand people. Only a handful of combat-capable ninja."
His eyes burned with madness. "And yet two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, along with a full envoy force, failed to return?"
"Find out what happened," he commanded. "No matter the cost."
"Yes, Mizukage-sama!"
The shadows of Kirigakure stirred, unseen currents beginning to shift beneath his feet.
Watching the bloodlust and cruelty in Yagura's eyes, an elderly man with white hair frowned deeply and quietly withdrew from the chamber. Soon, he gathered several trusted individuals,Ao, his partner Chōjūrō, Kengō, and the only surviving member of the First Generation Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the wielder of Samehada, Kisame Hoshigaki. Alongside them stood promising young talents: Mei Terumi, Ringo Ameyuri, and the prodigious genius Mangetsu Hōzuki.
This elder was Genryūsai, the most respected authority in Kirigakure.
He let out a heavy sigh. "The Mizukage-sama grows more violent by the day. If this continues, Kirigakure will collapse entirely." His gaze swept across the room. "What are your thoughts?"
Silence answered him. The topic was far too dangerous; one careless word could invite death. Anyone who survived the era of the Bloody Mist understood that truth. Yet Mei Terumi stepped forward, her voice calm and steady.
"Elder Genryūsai… have you heard the rumor spreading through the village?"
He turned his attention to her. "What rumor?"
Genryūsai valued the younger generation deeply. Only they still carried hope,only they might break the tyranny of the Bloody Mist. And Mei Terumi was among the finest of them.
"They say," Mei continued evenly, "that the Fourth Mizukage has been placed under a powerful Genjutsu (Illusion Technique). That is why he has grown increasingly cruel,and why the Bloody Mist has intensified."
Genryūsai's expression changed instantly. "This is not something to be spoken lightly. Is the source reliable?"
Mei shook her head. "No. It is only a rumor. But I believe it is possible. The Mizukage-sama's change was far too abrupt."
The others turned to look at her. She truly dared to say it,and she was prepared to stand by her words.
Genryūsai asked slowly, testing her, "If it were you… how would you deal with this?"
Mei answered without hesitation. "Kirigakure is already on the brink of collapse. If a gravely wounded man has even a single chance to live, I would seize it. I would find a way to verify the truth. For example,Ao's Byakugan (White Eye) may reveal the answer."
Ao's heart skipped. "I…"
Genryūsai nodded. "Well said, Mei Terumi. This village needs young people like you,those whose hearts have not yet rotted."
He looked around the room. "It's decided. Mei. Ao. Confirm the truth of the Mizukage. Report directly to me."
"Yes, Elder!"
Kirigakure entered the most turbulent prelude to change in its history. And at the same time, others were not idle. Zabuza Momochi and his followers were already plotting rebellion in the shadows,their objective clear: assassinate the Mizukage, seize power, and overthrow Kirigakure.
The winds of chaos began to howl across the Hidden Mist.