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Near dusk.
The Hidden Mist Village was always wrapped in a layer of faint water vapor; even the sound of the wind brushing past the eaves carried a dampness.
Honoka walked quickly along the stone path toward i Terumi's residence, clutching a teleportation paper in her hand.
The villagers at the clearing were almost all gathered; only the forr Fifth Mizukage was missing. She hadn't appeared all afternoon—had she fallen asleep?
Honoka stood outside the courtyard gate and knocked lightly on the wooden door. Hearing no response, she pushed open the unlatched gate. The yard was empty. Only the moss in the corner still held morning dew, and the tea on the stone table had long gone cold. It was very quiet.
"i Terumi?" Honoka called out tentatively.
Just then, a very faint slurping sound ca from the main house. It was intermittent, like soone was holding sothing in their mouth and slowly sucking on it.
Honoka frowned and lightened her steps as she walked toward the room. The sound beca clearer, like... eating a popsicle?
Curious, she walked to the door, hesitated, then gently pushed it open.
The setting sun poured through the crack in the door into the dim room, illuminating the interior.
i Terumi was sitting at the vanity table with her back to the door. Her auburn hair was loosely tied behind her head, revealing a voluptuous back view. A round mirror sat on the table before her, and she was eating sothing.
She was indeed eating sothing.
"i..." Honoka paused mid-sentence as she saw clearly what was in i's hand.
It was just a white radish!
It didn't look like she was eating it...
"i, what are you...?" Honoka asked in confusion.
The sudden noise startled i Terumi. The white radish fell onto the table. Her heart skipped a beat, and she spun around.
Honoka picked up the white radish; it had been worn thin.
"You stayed in your room all afternoon just to hide and eat a white radish?"
Honoka's voice changed pitch as she looked at i with a strange expression. "You weren't exactly eating it, were you...?"
i Terumi's cheeks burned instantly, turning red from her ears to her neck. But having been the Mizukage, her ntal fortitude was well-trained. within two seconds, she suppressed her embarrassnt, and her face regained its usual composure.
She even raised a hand to adjust her collar. Her tone was flat, as if speaking of sothing perfectly ordinary. "Lady Honoka, I was training."
"Training?" Honoka froze, then seed to realize sothing. Her speech beca stuttered. "You... your training is a bit too diligent, isn't it?"
i Terumi looked at Honoka's reddening ears and suddenly curled her lips into a smile. Her eyes held a teasing charm as she slowly explained, "After all, we are ninjas. Many ninjutsu are released from the mouth. Think about it—Water Style, Fire Style—don't they all require it?"
She paused, deliberately slowing her speech as she watched Honoka's face turn redder. "If you don't exercise, you won't control the force well when releasing. Not only will the power of the jutsu be compromised, but you might also get injured. By doing this, I am training my control over ninjutsu. It allows for faster release to gain an advantage in battle, and also prevents injury."
Honoka was speechless. This forr Mizukage was talking nonsense. She didn't even have chakra anymore, yet she wanted to release ninjutsu?
But she didn't expose her.
Honoka's heart raced uncontrollably. Feigning calm, she said, "It's almost ti. I saw you hadn't co, so I ca specifically to notify you."
"Apologies." i stood up. "Lady Honoka, I lost track of ti."
She gathered her long hair. Now she just had to wait to go to the Rain Village and demonstrate her skills in practice.
Honoka looked away from the radish and turned around. "Since everything is fine, let's go."
The wind outside the courtyard still carried moisture. The two didn't delay and walked quickly toward the clearing.
In the village's largest open space, the villagers had gathered. Old people shielded children in their arms, and won tightly clutched bundles filled with belongings. Even the teenagers who usually loved to play pursed their lips, their eyes full of apprehension.
They were leaving the Mist Village, where they had lived their whole lives, for a Holy City they had only heard of by na.
Honoka stood at the front, spreading the teleportation paper flat in her palm. Her fingertips traced the charred patterns on it repeatedly. She looked up at the crowd behind her and saw many people secretly gripping the corners of their clothes.
She didn't speak to alleviate the villagers' anxiety. After all, it would only take a split second.
Honoka began to inject chakra into the teleportation paper. The palm-sized paper lit up with a faint fluorescence.
Teleportation activated!
Everyone in the clearing vanished instantly.
i Terumi instinctively closed her eyes. She felt a slight weightlessness. The sound of wind in her ears amplified suddenly, then vanished just as quickly.
When she opened her eyes again, the scene before her had changed completely. It wasn't as damp as the Mist Village; beneath her feet was firm brown earth.
The afterglow of the setting sun pierced through the clouds. Not far away, several figures stood waiting.
It was Alex, Konan, Hinata, Ino, and the others.
Honoka put away the dimd paper, took i's hand, and waved happily in their direction. "Lord Alex! We've arrived!"
Alex nodded slightly, his gaze rely glancing over the Mist villagers. "Honoka, you did well."
Then he looked at i Terumi beside her.
Was the Fifth Mizukage's mouth injured? Why was it so red...?
.....
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