"Elder Yuan Long, watch your words. We're merely purging a blight from our ranks—don't pin a rebellion on us!" Akiya Taku's voice was calm but edged with steel, his gaze unwavering. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
With that, he and Terumi Mei strode out of the courtyard, their steps bold and unapologetic, a retinue of ANBU trailing in their wake. Left behind were Yuan Long, his face contorted with grief, and the lifeless body of Chita Yasu, a stark reminder of Mei's wrath.
Yuan Long's influence was vast, but it was tethered to the Mizukage's authority. In moments like this, his power faltered. The ANBU answered to Akiya, not him, and Mei's justification for Chita's execution was ironclad. He was helpless, a titan brought low by his own son's folly.
"Damn you!" Yuan Long's voice cracked, a wail of anguish tearing from his throat. Chita was his only child, and now he faced the agony of a parent outliving their heir. His eyes burned with hatred, fixed on Mei's retreating figure. "I'll make you pay, Terumi Mei! Lord Mizukage will deliver justice!"
But his hopes were dashed. Yagura Karatachi, informed of the incident, summoned both parties to a public hearing, his judgment swift and impartial. Mei was sentenced to one month of confinement for "improper handling" of the situation, her salary docked for the same period. The verdict stunned Yuan Long. Yagura didn't condemn Mei for killing Chita—only her method.
Mei's defense was devastating. She presented a litany of Chita's crimes: embezzling emergency supplies, harassing female ninja, and exploiting injured patients. The evidence was damning, igniting outrage among Kirigakure's shinobi. Yuan Long, already on shaky ground, lost all leverage. His son, revealed as a vile predator, was a stain on his legacy.
Yuan Long's world crumbled. My son, a monster? Impossible! But the truth was undeniable, a bitter pill he couldn't swallow. As Mei passed him on her way to confinement, she leaned in, her voice a soft taunt. "The darkest shadows lie beneath the lamp, Elder. You're so busy with your duties—when would you have time to notice?"
Yuan Long's fists clenched, his knuckles white, his glare venomous. "Don't get smug, Mei. As long as I draw breath, you'd better watch your back."
His words dripped with malice, a serpent coiled to strike. With his son gone, he had nothing left to lose—a dangerous man unbound by restraint.
Mei's smile was radiant, her confidence unshaken. "I'll be waiting, Elder. Let's see who stands tall in the end."
Confinement was a punishment for most, a month of isolation and shame. But for Mei, a former ANBU commander, it was a homecoming. The prison was staffed by her loyalists, her influence woven deep into its walls. She'd walk its halls as a queen, not a captive.
Two Days Later
Ye Liangnai stirred, his consciousness clawing back from the abyss. The medical ward exhaled in collective relief, the staff's tension easing. They'd feared the worst—if Ye Liangnai had died, Mei's vengeance would've been apocalyptic. Chita's execution, a heavyweight Elder Council member felled with only a month's confinement, had shown them her terrifying reach. Crossing her was a death sentence, lightly reprimanded at best.
"What? Sis is in prison?" Ye Liangnai's voice was hoarse, his eyes wide with disbelief as he processed the news. What the hell happened?
The full story left him speechless, his jaw dropping. "Holy—Sis just killed Chita Yasu? The Elder's son? That's… insane!" A grin spread across his face, pride swelling in his chest. "That's my sister—fierce as hell."
Chita was scum, a blight on the village, and Mei had erased him without hesitation. Ye Liangnai couldn't have been prouder of her protective, powerhouse nature. But a shadow lingered. "This means we've made an enemy of Yuan Long for good. Gotta stay sharp."
Two days later, fully recovered, Ye Liangnai visited Mei in confinement, their reunion brief but warm, her confident smile reassuring him. He reported to ANBU headquarters, where he was assigned a new mission to begin in three days. Returning home, he threw himself into recovery and training, his muscles still knitting, his resolve burning brighter. Changing Kirigakure's future is a long road, but I'll walk it.
The village's shinobi now looked at Ye Liangnai with a mix of awe and envy. Who wouldn't want a sister like Mei, a shield of unyielding strength? But the Elder Council's glares were daggers, their hatred for him palpable. Chita's vacant seat was filled by Byakugan Ao, a staunch ally of Mei's, tipping the scales further in her favor.
Mizukage's Office
Uchiha Obito, cloaked in Yagura's guise, surveyed the village's growing unrest with glee, his laughter a low, sinister hum. "Fight, tear each other apart. Break Kirigakure into pieces, and I'll sweep up the ashes."
He believed himself the puppetmaster, every move bending to his will. Unbeknownst to him, Ye Liangnai was no pawn. Armed with knowledge of the original story, he was a player with the script to the entire game, quietly building his strength to expel Obito and restore Kirigakure's glory.
Somewhere in the Ninja World
Ringo Ameyuri leaned against a tree, her body battered, blood seeping from fresh wounds. Beside her, Hozuki Suigetsu and Shima Isshin were equally worn, their breaths heavy from a grueling mission.
"Well done," their captain said, his voice warm with approval. "Another high-difficulty task completed."
But Ameyuri's fists clenched, her eyes blazing with frustration. "It's not enough! Nowhere near enough!" She slammed a fist against the bark, her voice fierce. "Ye Liangnai's out there killing Special Jonin-level enemies. I can't lose to him!"
Suigetsu and Isshin nodded, their gazes sharp with competitive fire. They refused to be outshone.
Their captain sighed. "Patience. Rushing leads to ruin. Ye Liangnai's a freak, but he's twelve. By the time you're his age, you'll surpass him. He'll be the one looking up at you."
The words soothed their pride, and they nodded, their resolve hardening. They might be stuck fighting Chunin-level foes now, but the future was theirs. They'd outshine Ye Liangnai, no question.
Three Days Later
Fresh from his recovery, Ye Liangnai focused on rebuilding his strength, prioritizing muscle conditioning and blood restoration over intense training. Still, he earned 30,000 Enhancement Points, which he invested wisely. He enhanced his final attribute—strength—and used the remaining 11,000 points to bolster two techniques:
Ninjutsu: Water Formation Wall
Secondary Enhancement Cost: 5,000 Points
Enhanced Effects: Chakra consumption halved, density increased 3x, casting speed increased 2.5x
Enhanced Rank: A
Remaining Enhancements: 0
Genjutsu: Binding Illusion
Secondary Enhancement Cost: 6,000 Points
Enhanced Effects: Chakra consumption unchanged, control effect and duration increased 3x (base duration: 3 seconds)
Enhanced Rank: A
Remaining Enhancements: 2
Rising from the bath, Ye Liangnai toweled off, his body humming with newfound power. Donning his ANBU gear, he headed to headquarters, a confident smirk tugging at his lips. "With these upgrades, even a Jonin would struggle to take me down quickly."