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Terumi Mei knelt in the living room, her face flushed as the sound of running water from the shower echoed in her ears.
It wasn't as if she had never been to Midorima's place before, but those visits had been brief—nothing like this. Now, the two of them were alone in the same house, with only a wall separating her from the shower where he was washing up. It was impossible not to let her thoughts wander.
She knew, of course, that after coming back covered in dirt, Midorima would naturally need to clean up and change. But why had she so foolishly stayed behind? She could have just come back later.
Her mind felt like it had short-circuited, stuck in an endless loop over the same question.
Just then, Midorima stepped out of his room, dressed in a yukata and drying his hair with a towel.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," he said, sitting cross-legged in front of her.
"It's… fine."
Mei had been lost in her thoughts when the scent of soap suddenly reached her. She looked up to see Midorima sitting before her, his hair still slightly damp, and for a moment, her mind went blank.
His skin wasn't as pale as before, but his energy and spirit seemed much better.
He looks healthier now, she thought silently, studying him.
"So… what were you up to all this time?" Mei pushed aside her wandering thoughts and focused on Midorima.
"The selection exams are coming up, so I did some intensive training," Midorima replied smoothly. "I represent the medical ninja. Even if I don't end up making it into the Seven Swordsmen, I can't embarrass them."
He had already prepared this excuse on the way back. The truth about the Third Mizukage was something he couldn't reveal yet.
If the Third's current state was simply due to rage-induced mental instability, that would be one thing. But there was a chance he had been sabotaged—and after some consideration, Midorima suspected the latter was more likely.
Otherwise, even if the Third could no longer serve as Mizukage, Kirigakure wouldn't have just let him wander outside the village. He'd either be living comfortably in retirement or locked away in a cell.
Mei didn't press further.
During the weeks Midorima had been missing, she had been filled with worry, with so many questions she wanted to ask him. But now that he was sitting right in front of her, all those words seemed to vanish.
"By the way… did you know? A lot of people have been looking for you," she said quietly.
"Really?" Midorima scratched his head. He didn't have many close connections in Kirigakure.
"Seriously. Shimomura-sensei, Zabuza… they all wanted to know where you were. Especially Igawa Bu."
Mei's voice dropped to a murmur.
Truthfully, she had also been one of those searching for him. Otherwise, she wouldn't have made a habit of glancing at his house every morning on her way to training.
Today had been no different. She had woken up early for practice, passed by Midorima's home, and spotted a suspicious figure lurking around. She had moved to intercept—only to find it was Midorima himself.
"Ugh…"
Just hearing Igawa's name gave Midorima a headache. How long had it been since his son died? And yet, the man was still fixated on him?
If he spent half that energy on starting a new family, he'd probably have another kid by now.
"Anyway, has the tournament date been set yet?"
Right now, Midorima's standing was worlds apart from Igawa's. He could only defend passively—any real counterattack would have to wait until he became one of the Seven Swordsmen.
To free himself from Igawa's threats, joining the Seven was an absolute must.
"The venues are decided too," Mei said. "There are four arenas, one in each corner of the village. But they'll only use two at a time—the other two are backups, in case the first ones get destroyed mid-match."
Midorima nodded. It was rare for Yagura to think that far ahead.
For a high-level ninja tournament in Kirigakure, preparations had to be thorough. A single large-scale jutsu could easily obliterate an entire stadium—not just damage the fighting area.
"I heard they're even selling tickets. And they're not cheap," Mei added after a moment's thought.
Midorima's expression darkened.
Has Kirigakure's budget gotten so bad they need to monetize the event?
Well, ticket sales aside, Yagura's decision would probably boost the village's economy. Spectators meant additional spending—food, lodging, souvenirs—all of which would bring in revenue.
And it wasn't just Kirigakure's own citizens who would attend. People from across the Land of Water would likely come too.
In that sense, Yagura had some business sense after all.
After talking with Mei, Midorima had a much clearer picture of Kirigakure's current situation.
Mei, noticing his fatigue, soon took her leave.
Midorima walked her to the door, and they exchanged farewells.
"I'll assume your disappearance was just you preparing for the exams," Mei said, looking up at him.
"It was," Midorima replied helplessly.
"Then you'd better not get eliminated before you face me!" She raised a fist in mock threat.
"What if you're the one who loses to me?" Midorima shot back.
Mei scrunched her nose. "As if."
She turned to leave but suddenly spun back around. "Let's make a bet."
"A bet?" Midorima blinked in surprise.
"Whoever wins has to grant the other person one request."
"…Huh?"
Midorima had been intrigued at first, half-expecting her to wager something like her Boil Release or Lava Release techniques. Now he realized how naïve that thought had been.
Those were kekkei genkai—even if he knew how they worked, there was no guarantee he could use them.
But this bet… it was so cliché.
"What's wrong?" Mei's expression instantly cooled.
"Nothing," Midorima waved a hand. "But what if we never end up fighting? Remember, there are three slots this time."
Now that he thought about it, Mei wielding Samehada on her back was a pretty ridiculous image.
"True…" Mei tilted her head. "Then I'll just count it as my win."
"Wait, what?!" Midorima was stunned.
Since when did bets work like that?
Before he could protest, Mei had already vanished without a trace.
Midorima could only shake his head in resignation.
It wasn't like he had much to lose anyway.
Right now, what he needed most was sleep.
During his intensive training, Kirigakure had undergone major changes. The most obvious was the renovation of the village's largest training ground, which had been expanded to include spectator seating.
Rumor had it the arena could now hold up to five thousand people.
Considering the need for a safety buffer between the fighters and the audience, a venue of that size was already massive for Kirigakure.
Meanwhile, makeshift stalls had begun popping up around all four tournament sites—selling everything from snacks to trinkets and even clothing. The salty aroma of grilled octopus balls filled the air.
Even though visitors from other parts of the Land of Water were used to seafood, Kirigakure's vendors lured them in with the allure of "secret recipes," drawing surprisingly large crowds.