Naruto: Uchiha Youngjo's Konoha Spring

Chapter 297 Mei Terumi is captured

"However, will there be any problems if we just leave this guy in the Kamui dimension like this?" Although Kakashi agreed with Uchiha Touko's plan, he still had some doubts about throwing Uchiha Madara, a dangerous individual, directly with a group of vegetative people.

"Don't worry, these White Zetsu are definitely professionals at acting, if nothing else." Uchiha Touko laughed.

"Alright then." Kakashi nodded. "Fugaku's injuries should be almost healed by now. It's time for him to return to the Land of Water to take charge of the overall situation. Although Shisui is strong enough to hold his own, it's too much of a strain for him to command large-scale battles."

"The situation on the main battlefield with the Land of Lightning has stabilized. The people there have warmly welcomed our occupation of the Land of Lightning's territory. For the time being, you shouldn't have much to do there. Therefore, I plan to send you to take charge of the campaign against the pseudo-Hidden Mist Village in the northern part of the Land of Water," said Uchiha Touko.

"Where's Fugaku?" Kakashi asked, puzzled.

“I have other plans for Fugaku, and he himself has also expressed to me that he wants to go to the Land of Lightning to find the Cloud Village that ambushed him and get revenge.” Uchiha Touko nodded, then looked at Kakashi, “Furthermore, you need to use this war to accumulate merits.”

"Me? To rack up merits?" Kakashi was taken aback.

“Yes, after me, the Sixth Hokage, it’s your turn.” Uchiha Touko said with a smile. “So, you need to accumulate enough merits in this war, which may be the last in the entire ninja world in a hundred years, to earn the recognition of the rest of the village.”

"Me, the Sixth Hokage? Touko, you must be joking." Kakashi looked at Uchiha Touko in disbelief. "You're several years younger than me."

"The new enemy that has appeared in the Land of Earth this time is not someone we can easily deal with. I must intensify my training from now on; I don't have the time to deal with the miscellaneous affairs of the village," Uchiha Touko said solemnly.

"You make it sound like you handle a lot of documents all the time," Kakashi said with a deadpan expression.

After a while, Kakashi finally spoke up: "If you need me, I can be the Sixth Hokage. However, even if you step down from the position of Fifth Hokage, you are still the Grand Minister of State of the Land of Fire. The court is not like the Hokage Building. Without you keeping those civil officials in check, they probably won't behave themselves."

"Before I leave, I will take care of Miura Kazuo's faction. Over the years, he and his cronies have taken advantage of the Land of Fire's development to do all sorts of dirty work. Now that they've fattened up, it's time to slaughter them," Uchiha Touko said.

“After that, I will have Neji take charge of matters in the imperial court,” Uchiha Touko said.

"It seems you've made all the arrangements." Kakashi nodded and didn't ask any more questions. "Then I'll report to Kirigakure tomorrow? But what do you plan to do with Takagi Seijin?"

"If he knows what's good for him, we can let him live a wealthy life from now on. If he doesn't, then you'll have to figure it out yourself," Uchiha Touko said with a shrug. "He's no longer of any use to us."

……

After Kakashi arrived in the Land of Water, Takagi Seiwan immediately came to greet him warmly. To him, whoever was the current commander of the Konoha garrison was his adoptive father. Moreover, Kakashi's status in Konoha was even higher than that of the previous garrison commander, Uchiha Fugaku. Didn't this mean that Konoha was finally planning to help them unify the Land of Water?
[As long as I can keep Kakashi in check, once Konoha defeats that damned Mei Terumi, I can truly live up to my title as Mizukage.]

Takagi Seiwan kept calculating, while Kakashi didn't have a good look on these insects. After arriving at the front line, he immediately handed over his work to Shisui, and then the Konoha garrison began to take full control of the battlefield in the Land of Water.

In just one week, the Konoha army and the Southern Mist Village army, which was responsible for cheering and providing rare battle achievements for the Northern Mist Village, had already pushed the battle line to the last line of defense of the Northern Mist Village, in front of the Blood Reef Wall.

The fog, thick with the stench of rust and dead fish, pressed down on the last line of defense of the Hidden Mist Village. This fog, once a natural barrier for the Land of Water, could now protect no one. Outside the barrier, the shouts of Konoha ninja and the booming of ninjutsu explosions came through the thick fog, sounding as dull as a death knell.

Inside the command post of the stronghold, the air seemed to freeze. The glaring red arrow on the map, representing the Southern Mist Village and the Konoha Allied Forces, had pierced deep into the narrow blue area representing their own position like a venomous snake.

At that moment, a Jonin rushed in, his headband askew and half his face covered in dried blood and mud.

"Lord Mizukage! The eastern reef area... has fallen! Uchiha Shisui's Susanoo..." His voice was hoarse, trembling on the verge of collapse, "We simply can't hold them off!"

Mei Terumi stood in front of the huge map, her back to the broken window, outside which was a thick, gray-white fog that swallowed everything.

She was still wearing that deep blue robe that symbolized the water's shadow, but the hem of the robe was covered with mud and dark brown bloodstains. The once domineering sharpness between her brows was now covered by a deep-seated weariness, like an ancient stone sculpture repeatedly washed and eroded by the sea.

"From Kumogakure..." Mei Terumi's voice was hoarse, yet unusually calm, "Still no response?"

Ao, the sensory ninja in charge of communications, had his right Byakugan eye completely vacant after Konoha traded it for two prisoners. He painfully closed his normal eye and shook his head. "The Raikage... completely cut off communication. The last piece of information... their troops withdrew from the border three days ago."

Inside the command post, only heavy breathing and the faint, ever-approaching explosions could be heard.

The Hidden Cloud Village, which had promised a "steadfast alliance," took away their last piece of driftwood in their deepest despair.

“They’re too busy taking care of themselves.” Mei Terumi shook her head, then took a deep breath and silently thought, “Think about what Uchiha Touko would do.”

Mei Terumi slowly turned around, her gaze sweeping over the young and old faces, which were filled with fear, resentment, and the numbness of impending death. The once infamous "Village of Blood Mist" had long since faded under years of hunger and blockade, leaving only this group of exhausted and wounded warriors guarding this forgotten, cold corner.

Mei Terumi walked to the center of the command platform and slammed her hands down on the cold metal surface, making a dull thud.

She raised her head, and in the depths of her emerald eyes, the last trace of hesitation was replaced by an almost burning resolve.

"The backbone of the Land of Water has never been supported by the charity of others! The dignity of Northern Mist Village must be washed away with blood!" She suddenly drew a kunai from her waist and nailed it hard to the map representing the location of the Southern Mist Village command post.

"Send the order! Assemble all mobile ninjas! Abandon all outer outposts! There is only one objective—"

Her voice was like a sharp blade, resolute and decisive:
"Southern Pseudo-Kirigakure Command! The head of the traitor Takagi Seiman! Code name—'Blood Mist'!" Mei Terumi's choice was very rational. Compared to Konoha, which was known for its strict military discipline and numerous strong fighters under Kakashi's command, her former colleagues in the south were undoubtedly easier targets. Breaking through from their side and then making further plans was much easier than directly confronting Konoha head-on.

Before breaking through, he had to get rid of Takagi Seiman, this traitor from the Land of Water, otherwise there was no guarantee that this guy would continue to betray their country's interests in the future.

At the breach in the Blood Reef Barrier, the last remaining Northern Mist ninja gathered, like a pack of wolves cornered at the edge of a cliff, silently following the deep blue figure ahead. Mei Terumi charged at the forefront, her hands moving like butterflies, her speed leaving afterimages.

"Boiling Release: Skillful Mist Technique!" She opened her mouth and spewed out large swaths of scalding, boiling, and highly corrosive acidic steam, like a molten lava torrent bursting its banks, roaring and sweeping towards the Southern Mist ninjas who were trying to surround her. Screams instantly rang out as bodies twisted and dissolved in the thick mist, and the defensive formation was forcibly torn open with a bloody, smoking gap.

"Charge! The target is just ahead!" Mei Terumi's voice was hoarse but extremely penetrating, like the sound of a war drum.

The remnants of the Northern Mist Village erupted in deathly cries, following their Mizukage, crashing their flesh and blood into the second line of defense hastily constructed by the Southern Mist Village. Water Release techniques collided violently in the narrow rocky passage, exploding into cold debris and scorching steam. With each step forward, they trampled the corpses of their comrades and enemies.

Like a broken knife that had been forcibly quenched after being heated to a red-hot state, they exchanged their own destruction for a moment of sharpness. With this madness of mutual destruction, they actually broke through several lines of defense and rushed straight towards the command post built on a huge black reef, where the flag of Nanwuyin flew!
The phantom of victory seems to be just around the corner.

"boom--!"

A massive earthen wall, etched with neatly arranged dog heads, rose abruptly from the ground without warning, blocking the path between the charging Northern Mist ninja and the command post. The wall, as thick as a mountain, brought the charge to an abrupt halt; the leading ninjas, unable to stop in time, crashed into it, letting out piercing screams.

"Tu Dun·Tu Liubi!"

A deep, steady voice rang out atop the earthen wall, and Kakashi Hatake appeared atop it, his Sharingan beneath his headband slowly rotating as he coldly surveyed the area below. Behind him stood even more Konoha headband-wearing ninjas, like solid rocks, firmly guarding the last passage to the command center.

Mei Terumi's heart sank into an icy sea. She looked up sharply, her gaze passing over Kakashi and fixed on the figure of the person next to Kakashi.

Takagi Seungman.

He wore a well-tailored water shadow robe, a stark contrast to Mei Terumi's disheveled appearance. He was calm and composed, even exuding the air of a victor.

Takagi Seiwan smiled and slightly raised his hand. His voice, amplified by the vibrations of chakra, clearly resonated throughout the bloody battlefield, carrying a false sense of pity.

"Mei Terumi! Look around you! Look at the death you have brought! Isn't the blood of our fellow countrymen in the Land of Water enough? Lay down your weapons! I, Takagi Seiwan, in the name of the rightful Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure, promise to give you and your men humane treatment! The war is over! Let us rebuild a unified and prosperous Land of Water together!"

His words, like a meticulously sharpened blade, precisely pierced the last remaining wavering in the hearts of the remnants of the Northern Mist Village army.

A hint of confusion and struggle flashed in the weary eyes of some ninjas.

"Unification? Prosperity?" Upon seeing this, Mei Terumi's voice suddenly rose, filled with boundless anger and scathing mockery. The next moment, she abruptly raised her hand, pointing at Takagi Seijin, "The Konoha ninjas waving their flags and shouting behind your back, are they what you call 'orthodox'? The blood of my fellow countrymen from the Land of Water flowing at your feet, are they the foundation of your promised 'prosperity'?"

Her gaze, like a poisoned ice spike, swept over Takagi Seiwan's sanctimonious face, over the Konoha ninjas standing guard behind him, and finally landed on her only remaining subordinate beside her, covered in blood but still gripping his weapon tightly.

"The dignity of my Land of Water," she said, each word heavy with unwavering resolve, "I would rather perish beneath the raging waves of the Frozen Strait than live a wretched life kneeling before your and Konoha's charity! If we fight, we will fight to the last man! You want me to surrender?"

"Takagi Seiwan, you are not worthy!"

"Stubborn fool!" The pity on Takagi Seiwan's face vanished instantly, leaving only a cold killing intent and a hint of annoyance at being exposed. He then turned to Kakashi and said, "Lord Kakashi, I told you there's nothing to say to these rogue ninja who assassinated the Fourth Mizukage and then defected. I ask the heavenly soldiers of Konoha to help me capture these rogue ninja. Afterwards, Kirigakure will surely offer a generous gift."

Kakashi waved his hand expressionlessly, and Konoha's elite troops, like tigers descending the mountain, precisely and fatally cut into the chaotic ranks of Northern Mist Village. Subsequently, the few elite troops of Southern Mist Village emerged from behind the reefs on both sides, cooperating with the Konoha ninja to form a perfect strangulation net.

"Water Release·Water Dragon Bullet!"

"Art fire escape ho fireball!"

"Thunder Escape·Earth Walk!"

The light of ninjutsu intertwined into a net of death, and the remnants of the Northern Mist Village were torn apart and pulverized like withered leaves caught in a storm's vortex. One familiar figure after another fell before Mei Terumi's eyes.

"Protect the Mizukage!" Chojuro roared as he lunged at the kunai rain that was aimed at Mei Terumi. His twin swords, Hiramekarei, had been stolen during the previous battle, and now he could only hold onto a standard short sword to barely defend himself. In no time, his body was riddled with holes.

Mei Terumi's eyes widened in fury as she desperately channeled her last ounce of chakra. "Lava Release: Lava Monster Technique!"

Scalding, viscous, highly acidic lava gushed from her mouth, attempting to burn through the approaching Konoha ninja.

However, the next moment, a flash of silver light appeared, and Mei Terumi's right shoulder was pierced by a steel ball...

When she woke up again, Mei Terumi found herself sitting in a prison van. The chill of the iron cage seeped into her bones through her thin prison clothes.

Each jolt brought a tearing pain to her right shoulder blade, and an even deeper chill came from the heavy shackles on her wrists and ankles. The specially made metal not only imprisoned her body, but also constantly absorbed and suppressed the little chakra left in her body.

(End of this chapter)