# Chapter 5: Shadow
Walking through the Mist Village at night, although it was only around ten in the evening, the place was already silent. It seemed the Mist Village had no nightlife, after all, it was quite poor here.
Whoosh~
A black shadow suddenly appeared before Su Xiao. The entrance method of ninjas was always so elusive.
"Follow me."
The shadow vanished from its spot in an instant.
Su Xiao surveyed his surroundings. At least a dozen ninjas were monitoring him nearby, the weakest among them being chunin, with jonin making up the majority.
Su Xiao walked toward the direction where the shadow had disappeared. Following the shadow's guidance, he arrived before an oval-shaped building.
On the building was the character for "water." This should be the Mizukage's office.
The ninjas around him moved as he moved. Without needing to think, someone wanted him to enter the Mizukage's office building.
Although Su Xiao appeared to have regained his freedom, thinking he could leave the Mist Village was nothing but a pipe dream. There were far too many ninjas here.
Just as he stepped into the Mizukage's office building, a young boy blocked his path ahead.
"Follow me."
The speaker was a youth named Chojuro, wearing glasses and carrying a strange double-handled weapon on his back.
Hiramekarei: One of the Seven Ninja Swords, double-handled, fish-shaped blade.
Although young Chojuro usually got nervous, his expression was calm now. Even though he still lacked confidence, he was facing the villain who had assassinated the Fourth Mizukage. He was Mei Terumi's bodyguard and must protect her safety.
Chojuro walked up the stairs, heading toward the upper floors of the Mizukage building. Su Xiao followed behind.
After walking for a while, Chojuro stopped before the Mizukage's office and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Mei Terumi's voice came from inside the office. She was now only lacking the title of Mizukage; she already had the authority of the Mizukage. As long as the hardliners existed for one day, she could never become the Mizukage recognized by everyone.
Pushing open the door, the room was brightly lit. Mei Terumi sat behind a desk piled high with mountains of documents.
Su Xiao walked into the office. Mei Terumi looked up and actually smiled at Su Xiao.
"It seems you understand my meaning."
"Mm. State your terms."
"Good."
Mei Terumi got straight to the point, picking up a document beside her hand.
"Help me kill these people. As for the reward... I won't pursue the matter of your assassination of the Fourth."
Su Xiao didn't look at the document. Instead, he began scrutinizing Mei Terumi.
Mei Terumi didn't mind at first, but after a minute, the hand holding her pen as she reviewed documents furrowed her brow.
A few minutes later, the pen in Mei Terumi's hand creaked from her grip.
"Staring at a lady's chest like that is very rude. What a terrible man."
"Don't misunderstand. I was just guessing the color of your heart. It must be very black."
Mei Terumi looked up, coldly staring at Su Xiao.
"You can choose to refuse. In that case, you'll be sent back to prison until you die there."
Su Xiao picked up the document on the table and flipped through it. It contained information and photos of several people. These were several jonin. Without a doubt, they must be the ringleader-level figures among the hardliners.
"Let me say it again: I do things for you, you pay me. When you no longer need me, I'll disappear on my own."
He couldn't accept her previous proposal. "Not pursuing the assassination of the Fourth" was clearly a plan to kill the donkey once it had finished grinding the grain.
"You can't escape the Mist Village."
A pen twirled in Mei Terumi's hand. She stopped reviewing documents, seemingly considering Su Xiao's words.
"I know. But I don't want to die yet, so working for the future Mizukage is the best choice."
"Oh? Do you want to become my subordinate?"
Mei Terumi looked at Su Xiao with interest.
"That's impossible. I assassinated the Fourth Mizukage. There's no way I can appear in the open."
"Good that you know."
Mei Terumi continued reviewing documents. "What do you want?"
"Money, secret techniques, chakra-conductive metal, high-quality ninja swords. Any of these will do."
Su Xiao sat before the desk. He understood that Mei Terumi wanted him to eliminate dissidents—things that Ao and Chojuro couldn't do, he could.
For example, if Mei Terumi told Chojuro to kill a Mist ninja, even if Chojuro agreed and did it, killing a nominal comrade would create a grudge in his heart, causing problems sooner or later.
Su Xiao was different. As long as Mei Terumi paid the price, it was fine.
Su Xiao's goal was clear: leave the Mist Village. The reason was that it was too poor here, and there were no tailed beasts. His ultimate goal was the tailed beasts, nothing else.
"Secret techniques? Chakra-conductive metal? High-quality ninja swords? You're asking for the moon."
"Money will do too."
Hearing Su Xiao's words, Mei Terumi's beautiful brows furrowed. The Mist Village was very poor. Money was barely enough for military needs, let alone giving any to Su Xiao.
"Money is also impossible."
"Then high-level ninjutsu."
"That's... also unlikely."
Saying this, Mei Terumi looked a bit embarrassed. The fact was, every village's high-level ninjutsu was a treasure that couldn't be passed on.
"You want me to kill people for free?"
"Mm."
Mei Terumi answered with unusual bluntness.
"Do three things for me, and then I'll let you leave the Mist Village safely. How about that?"
This was Mei Terumi's proposal—a very "reasonable" and dangerous one.
"Don't worry. I'm very trustworthy. My subordinates are here. They wouldn't follow a leader who breaks promises."
Chojuro had been standing beside Su Xiao the whole time, ready to block him if he suddenly attacked. As long as he held Su Xiao off for a moment, Mei Terumi could deal with him.
"Three things..."
Su Xiao pondered for a moment.
"Two."
"Three. That's the minimum."
"Fine."
Su Xiao agreed. Mei Terumi smiled.
Su Xiao made a decision in his heart: agree for now. He couldn't stay in prison forever. Before completing the three tasks, he would find a way to leave the Mist Village. Mei Terumi would definitely kill him to silence him—definitely. She was the future Kage, and a Kage had to consider the village's safety, not be swayed by personal good or evil.
The "trustworthiness" Mei Terumi spoke of only applied to her subordinates. Su Xiao was not her subordinate.
"There's a civilian house next to the prison. You'll stay there. You can't go out during the day. I'll send someone to deliver daily necessities. You can only move at night, and only when carrying out missions."
The deal was struck. On the surface, Su Xiao would do three things for Mei Terumi, and she would let him leave the sealed-off Mist Village. In reality, Su Xiao would be under constant surveillance, and after completing the three tasks, his death would come.
Mei Terumi wouldn't trust the words of an "assassin," nor would she trust that assassin. To become the Mizukage, she was certainly not a simple woman.
Ruthless enough, strong, rational—that was Mei Terumi facing enemies.
Mature, dignified, gentle, friendly, occasionally throwing small tantrums—that was Mei Terumi facing subordinates.
Clearly, Su Xiao belonged to the category of Mei Terumi's enemy. The mere fact that he assassinated the Fourth Mizukage doomed him from developing further in the Mist Village. If the situation weren't so chaotic, Mei Terumi wouldn't have let Su Xiao leave the dungeon.
Su Xiao stood up to leave, but Mei Terumi suddenly spoke.
"You were just about to assassinate me, weren't you?"
"How could that be? You're overthinking it, Fifth Mizukage."
Su Xiao walked out of the Mizukage's office. As soon as he left, Ao stepped out from an adjacent room.
"Keep an eye on him. Any suspicious behavior..."
Mei Terumi didn't continue, but Ao already understood.
"Yes."
Ao vanished in an instant. His transplanted Byakugan was very suitable for surveillance.