411. We, the Hidden Rock, Are Not Without Successors

After the Konoha leadership made their decision, Aburame Ryoma, stationed in the Land of Water, immediately visited Kirigakure as an envoy.

Along with a series of supplies to aid Kirigakure's reconstruction, he also brought an invitation to the upcoming joint Chunin Exam.

"Konoha is hosting a joint Chunin Exam?" Terumi Mei, the acting Mizukage, looked at the invitation in her hands, her beautiful eyes filled with surprise.

"That's correct," Aburame Ryoma, his face mostly hidden under the hood of his coat, explained calmly.

"Lord Danzo hopes to use this opportunity to showcase the new generation of each village. At the same time, he wants to send a message to the world that the Five Great Nations are at peace and will not easily go to war."

"Peace among the Five Great Nations..." Terumi Mei's expression turned slightly strange upon hearing this.

After all, the brutality of the Third Shinobi World War was still fresh in their memories.

Talking about peace now felt somewhat hypocritical.

But of course, Terumi Mei couldn't voice such thoughts openly.

At least for now, Kirigakure needed peace.

So, she composed herself and replied, "I fully agree with Elder Danzo's vision. However, this is a significant matter, and I must discuss it with Kirigakure's leadership."

Aburame Ryoma didn't press further, simply nodding and saying, "Understood. I shall take my leave now."

After Ryoma left, Terumi Mei immediately convened a meeting with Kirigakure's leadership.

Ao, the Mizukage's assistant; Zabuza Momochi, the head of the ANBU; and Mangetsu Hōzuki, the leader of the Jonin squad, all attended.

After reviewing Konoha's invitation, Mangetsu Hōzuki was the first to share his thoughts.

"It seems we have no choice but to attend this joint exam," he said with a bitter smile, his expression tinged with helplessness.

After all, Konoha had contributed significantly to Kirigakure's reconstruction.

To be honest, without Konoha's aid, Kirigakure wouldn't have been able to rebuild so quickly.

Under these circumstances, Kirigakure had no valid reason to refuse Konoha's reasonable request.

It wasn't as if Konoha was asking them to go to war—it was just a joint Chunin Exam.

Refusing would be far too disrespectful...

Mangetsu's words resonated with everyone present.

Although Kirigakure's new generation didn't have many standout talents, they still had to show up and make an appearance.

Who knows? If Konoha was pleased, they might even offer more aid!

Seeing this, Zabuza, the head of the ANBU, proposed directly, "Haven't we all been struggling to decide which path to take? Why not use this opportunity to observe Konoha closely? If Konoha's development exceeds our expectations, we might learn from them. If it's all superficial, we can still draw lessons and find our own path."

Zabuza's suggestion immediately caught the attention of Terumi Mei and the other leaders.

Due to the defection of Fuguki Suikazan and other Blood Mist faction members, coupled with the Land of Water's daimyo's protection, Kirigakure's leadership had become divided on the village's future direction.

Ao and Mangetsu Hōzuki, representing the conservative faction, hoped to maintain Kirigakure's traditions inherited from the Warring States period and opposed drastic actions against the nobility.

Zabuza, on the other hand, led the radical faction, advocating for a complete adoption of Konoha's advanced systems.

He proposed opening the country's borders while purging the corrupt nobility, even if it meant directly confronting the remnants of the Blood Mist faction.

Caught between these two factions, Terumi Mei, the acting Mizukage, found herself in a dilemma.

She recognized the flaws in the Land of Water's current system and knew reforms were necessary.

However, she wasn't sure if Konoha's path was the right one or if it would bring even greater disaster to Kirigakure.

Kirigakure was like a crumbling building, on the verge of collapse and unable to withstand any further turmoil.

One wrong move, and it would be doomed.

But if she could see Konoha with her own eyes, perhaps she could find the answers she sought.

"Then let's follow Zabuza's suggestion and go to Konoha to see for ourselves what Shimura Danzo's new path is all about!" Terumi Mei declared with a sudden burst of determination, slamming her hand on the table to finalize the decision.

——————

Meanwhile, in Iwagakure.

Ōnoki looked at the invitation from Konoha, his expression slightly peculiar. "Konoha is hosting a joint Chunin Exam for the shinobi world?"

"Yes," replied his son, Kitsuchi, standing beside him.


"Konoha has announced the revival of the joint exam and plans to invite the other four Great Nations, including Iwagakure, to participate. Additionally, smaller villages like Amegakure and Kusagakure are also on the invitation list."

"I see..." Ōnoki stroked his beard, easily seeing through Konoha's intentions. "It seems that old fox Danzo is eager to show off Konoha's reform achievements."

Or rather, Danzo and Konoha weren't even trying to hide their goals. This was an open challenge, clearly telling the other villages, "We, Konoha, have set up the stage. Do you dare to come?"

If they didn't attend, tomorrow's headlines in the Shinobi World Joint News would likely read something like, "Such-and-such village avoids the challenge..."

This was something Ōnoki couldn't tolerate. It wasn't just about pride—Iwagakure's economy was already in trouble.

Military spending had been drastically cut, and if they were labeled as cowards, even their mission rewards would plummet.

Most importantly, Iwagakure's finances heavily relied on construction contracts from Konoha and the import of low-cost goods from them.

Offending Konoha would make life very difficult for Iwagakure...

Realizing this, Ōnoki's expression grew even darker. "What do the other villages think?"

He wasn't rushing to a decision, preferring to first observe the choices of the other villages.

Hearing this, Kitsuchi quickly replied, "Kirigakure has already stated that they will send their younger generation, led by the acting Mizukage, Terumi Mei. As for Sunagakure and Kumogakure, they haven't made any statements yet..."

"That young woman from Kirigakure, huh?" Ōnoki clearly had some intelligence on the acting Mizukage.

After some thought, he finally made his decision. "Then send word to Konoha that we, Iwagakure, will also participate! And we'll send our most talented young generation!"

Kitsuchi's eyes widened slightly, and he looked at his father, the Tsuchikage, and asked, "Father, are you planning to send Deidara to participate?"

Ōnoki didn't deny it, nodding slightly. "It's about time for that boy Deidara to go out and gain some experience. Let the other villages know that we, the Hidden Rock, are not without successors!"