It was a dark evening in Kirigakure. The mist seemed thicker than usual and the humidity was extremely high. In the Mizukage residence, a tall, blond man sat on the Mizukage chair, combing his hair with his hand, waiting…

The Mizukage office was pretty big, with light blue walls and a symbol of the Land of Water above the huge brown wooden door. In the middle of the room, a blue sofa stood and in front of it, huge windows showed the exterior, a dark and gloomy evening.

Suddenly, the man got up and started to walk, apparently without a target. He seemed lost in thought, looking to the grey sky and sighing.

"You can enter, Kanashimi! I know you are there"

The door slowly opened and a tall, young man with a long black hair entered the room. He was dressed in a black shirt with a grey robe on him.

"I am sorry to disturb you, Gengetsu-sama; I just came here to talk". Kanashimi spoke in a quiet voice.

Kanashimi's interlocutor was none other than Gengetsu Hozuki, a man groomed to become the Second Mizukage of the Hidden Mist.

"Not a problem, boy. So… what happens now…? How is he?" asked Gengetsu, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"With all due respect, Gengetsu-sama, but I thought you wouldn't care about Lord First. I would've thought that you counted the seconds until he would die." Kanashimi spoke slowly, smiling coldly. That calm demeanor was something that Gengetsu hated at the younger shinobi. Kanashimi was philosophical, diligent and withdrawn, so it was very hard for the blond man to discern the true intentions of the younger man.

"Kanashimi, contrary to whatever you or the others believe, I deeply respect Lord Byakuren and I am deeply saddened by his illness. In any case, well… We will all going to die, one way or another, so death is something that we are used to… And someone like you, Kanashimi, would know even better." Gengetsu smiled, knowing that he touched a sensible cord inside Kanashimi. The blond liked him but loved to tease him.

"I know you find this very funny, Gengetsu-sama, but let's not forget that in that day, you lost your parents too. So it would be quite inappropriate to joke about something like this. Death is not something that we should take so lightly". Gengetsu lifted his eyebrow and glared at the brunette. "We are shinobi", Kanashimi continued, "and we are accustomed to death and with the killing. However, we are human. Contrary to what people consider shinobi are, we are human, and we have feelings. In the moment we would kill and we wouldn't feel anything, we would renounce our humanity. And that humanity is what keeps the peace in this world…"

"Ha, ha, ha, you're incredible!" Gengetsu suddenly exploded in laughter. Kanashimi was not surprised, as he knew his superior very well. "You don't know nothing, my boy! So, as we have this evening at our disposal, you're about to get schooled! My parents were assholes, not the bossy, controlling freak type of assholes, but downright abusive bastards type of assholes. So I am glad that they were killed! Hell, I would have killed them myself, but that would have created a commotion within the village. And so, I am not as affected as you think! My heart is filled with joy!"

Kanashimi listened to Gengetsu and closed his eyes, as he always tended to do when he tried to process information. The older man broke the silence after a few minutes: "Kanashimi, don't get me wrong! I love this village, and I will do anything to protect it! And I am a tolerant guy as well, some say way too tolerant. However, I hate two things in this miserable life of mine! That ragged mummy, that snake in the grass dick of a shinobi of the Hidden Stone and abusive parents!"

Kanashimi smiled. He knew Gengetsu was a noble soul, despite his coarseness and his obscene language and flamboyant behavior. And he was an incredible shinobi, so he is perfect for ruling the village. What Kirigakure needs now is stability and a strong hand to rule it as the Mizukage. He raised his eyes to the bookcase near the Mizukage's chair and walked towards it. He took out a book and then sat on the couch, reading it. Gengetsu read the cover: "Mixed feelings towards ourselves". "Wow! I don't know what bugs me more, the fact that you read it or the fact that the book was in Lord Byakuren's bookcase!" Kanashimi's answer came quickly: "I think you should be bugged about what would happen next, Gengetsu-sama… Or should I say, Mizukage-sama?" Gengetsu quickly asked: "What do you mean?" Kanashimi spoke without even raising his eyes from the book "Lord Byakuren just died. I can't sense him anymore with my Life Detection Technique." Gengetsu froze… he knew that Kanashimi never misses something when he senses someone with this technique of his. This information was confirmed quickly by the arrival of a young, bald-headed shinobi, dressed completely in white: "I am sorry to interrupt you, Gengetsu-sama, Kanashimi-sama! With regrets, I inform you… Lord Mizukage Byakuren just passed away. You should get ready, sir. The Kiri council's emergency session will start soon.

"And shit keeps piling on my head…" Gengetsu sighed. Kanashimi smiled again. "Good luck, Mizukage-sama! You will need it!"