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The List of The "ANBU" Member:
-ar4ngel
-Cain
-Ryan biggins
-Kreios
-Sabo
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"Mei, do you believe in fate?"
Midorima Asachi lifted his fishing basket, stepping onto the shore from the cold, wet sea rocks. He glanced up at the sky, pale like the belly of a fish as dawn began to break.
The first task of the morning was always fishing—it determined whether they would eat that day.
The salty stench of the sea breeze made him grimace, even though he had been in this 'Naruto' world for over a year now.
"Fate? No."
The girl with reddish-brown hair shook her head, holding her own fishing basket. She hopped lightly across the rocks and landed beside him.
The morning wind tousled Midorima's hair, and in the golden light of the rising sun, Mei felt her heart skip a beat.
Midorima studied her absentmindedly.
Unlike him, she didn't need to wake up early just to survive. The only reason she'd be out here at this hour was to train in ninjutsu—the fish were probably just a bonus.
Thinking about her future, Midorima hesitated, then sighed deeply instead of speaking.
"What? Is there… something wrong with my fate?" Mei asked nervously.
"I studied the stars last night and did a little divination for you," Midorima said, staring at her. "You'll achieve great things as a kunoichi, surpassing many… You might even become the Mizukage."
"No way! You're lying again!" Mei's gaze flickered toward the fading night sky, though she couldn't help stealing a pleased glance at him.
'Midorima… He's a good guy, and… even though he's young, he's already got the makings of a handsome man. Maybe in the future…'
A blush crept up her cheeks, burning all the way to her neck.
"But…"
"Hmm?"
"You… lack men in your destiny."
Midorima swore to the heavens—this was as true as her becoming Mizukage.
"What?"
"I mean, you won't find a man to marry—Hey, calm down! Why are you hitting me?!"
Before he could finish, Mei hurled her fishing basket at him.
She didn't care about the fish anymore—this annoying little brat had to die!
Midorima caught the basket and bolted, Mei hot on his heels.
"Mei, I thought you didn't believe in fate! Just pretend I was talking nonsense!" Midorima yelled as he sprinted.
"Then what about my Mizukage future?!" Mei shot back indignantly.
The two raced through the village, one chasing the other.
Midorima reached Mei's house first, setting her basket down and knocking on the door before darting away.
Fuming, Mei was about to give chase when the door swung open. A beautiful woman with the same reddish-brown hair stepped out, locking eyes with Mei before glancing at Midorima's retreating figure.
"Did you bully Midorima again?"
"I—"
Mei opened her mouth, speechless with indignation.
'How dare he make me look like the bad guy?! Damn you, Midorima!'
Meanwhile, Midorima sprinted all the way back to his home—a modest house in the eastern corner of Kirigakure.
In this world, having both parents alive was a luxury, especially in a remote village like the Hidden Mist. To maintain its status as one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, sacrifices were inevitable.
Midorima's parents were among them.
This wasn't a coincidence—it was statistics.
If the Second Mizukage's reign had been relatively stable, the Third's rule marked the beginning of the "Bloody Mist" era.
The graduation exam became a "survival game"—comrades who had trained together were forced to fight to the death.
It was eerily similar to Konoha's Root Division's brutal internal tests.
Midorima sometimes wondered if Kirigakure's leaders had copied Danzo's insane policies, mistaking them for the secret to Konoha's strength.
He didn't care whether the higher-ups had brains or just lumps of intestines in their skulls—though, anatomically, the two weren't too different—but one thing was certain: the Third Mizukage had approved this madness.
There were dissenters, but no one truly ended the cruel system… until Midorima took the graduation exam.
Not because he had some overwhelming aura that shamed the village elders into realizing their incompetence, but because his exam year produced a monster—Zabuza Momochi.
In that exam, Zabuza slaughtered over a hundred candidates.
Even the village leaders must have realized that a few more "thousand-kill" maniacs would leave Kirigakure with no shinobi left.
After some debate, Yagura proposed abolishing the "childish" rule, earning him enough support to become the next Mizukage.
If Zabuza was the catalyst for change, Midorima played a minor role—about 1%.
Because in that exam, Midorima was one of Zabuza's victims.
The original Midorima had died that day, his chest split open by Zabuza's blade.
The current Midorima was a transmigrator who took over the body, surviving only thanks to his '[Cell Laboratory]'—a system that enhanced cellular regeneration.
He spent a month bedridden before he could walk again.
Returning to the academy, he took the graduation exam the following year, ending up in Mei Terumi's class.
During the exam, Mei was severely injured.
As a "justice-driven" shinobi, Midorima couldn't just stand by—especially since, despite her "lack of men" in fate, young Mei was undeniably cute.
For both practical and personal reasons, he healed her, restoring her mobility quickly.
Maybe that act made Mei truly notice him. But it also brought a new problem—the Medical Corps recruited him.
The Medical Corps was too safe, too oblivious to the coming storm.
And Midorima's goal was to escape Kirigakure, by any means necessary.
Even if it meant becoming a missing-nin.
He wasn't born a traitor.
But as a transmigrator, in a body that Zabuza had once killed, he held no love for the village.
Unlike Zabuza, Midorima wouldn't slaughter a hundred people just to force the elders to confront their idiocy.
He had only been here a little over a year—his attachment to this land was shallow.
But the real reason for his decision was simple: he knew what was coming.
If even Zabuza—who loved Kirigakure—had to rebel against the Fourth Mizukage and flee after failing, then the village was already on the brink of collapse.
Midorima had no confidence in surviving the "Bloody Mist" era unscathed.
As for Mei? She was the heroine of that era—and heroines don't die.
For her, finding a husband might be harder than ending the Bloody Mist.
Midorima's joke was really a warning—he didn't want her to walk that lonely path.
'Even Choji found love. Surely Mei can do better than that, right?'
That's what Midorima told himself.
After a quick meal, he grabbed his bag and headed to the Medical Corps.