Drabble series that also serves as a character study for the Fifth Mizukage.
Years
Terumi Mei is 31 years old when the first Five Kage Summit in generations is called into session.
She has held her title as Mizukage for quite some time now. She has been as professional and diplomatic as a leader of a shinobi should be. As such, she expects her four other counterparts to be just as politically graceful.
What she witnesses is considerably less.
The Raikage is, for all intents and purposes, a man with the temperament and mentality of a four year old throwing a tantrum. Self-control, in all its glory, is lost on him. True, his younger brother has been kidnapped. Yes, this poses a great threat to Kumo, as well as providing a personal wound to him. However, calling a summit of the leaders of the Five Great Nations to supposedly talk over this issue with civility, only to have fingers being pointed at them left and right? Ridiculous.
In reality, displaying such a violent disposition not only does damage to his personal reputation, but the reputation of his village as whole. It shows that he is terrible under pressure, and that, with the right cards in place, he can easily be manipulated. Mei cannot even begin to figure out how exactly A got into the position in the first place. Just because one has immense strength, it does not mean they are automatically fit to wield power.
(Because there is a difference.)
Onoki is not much better, lording over the other five Kage due to his seniority. The Great Fence Sitter practically patronizes the whole lot of them, attempting to give off the image of one who knows the game and does not even bother to play by the rules, simply because he is that good at it. Personally, Mei feels that he fails miserably at this, more so maintaining the appearance of an old man trying to hold on to what little authority he has left and struggling to keep up with an ever changing world.
He will die soon enough. She won't worry about him that much.
It is Danzo she is most put off by. The newly titled Sixth Hokage is a man she has only heard whispers of. And all of them are not particularly good.
He is a man known by a moniker that is equally ominous. 'The Shinobi of Darkness', a title earned through his continuous execution of questionable and morally ambiguous methods that serve to keep his village afloat. Personally speaking, she cannot stand the man. She is aware of his methods, many of which are absolutely horrifying and which, despite being for an ultimately noble purpose, she would never employ herself. Politically speaking, Mei admires him. The business of running a village is not something to make light of, and Shimura-san has done everything within his power to secure his homeland. But just by looking at him, Mei knows that whatever negotiations Kiri and Konoha may have had, are already foregone, as long as he is in power.
Tsunade is apparently in a comatose state, and may not be awaking for quite some time. A shame, really. The Sannin had offered to talk about opening up relations between Kiri and Konoha, especially since both of their economies would benefit from trade. In addition, Mei had genuinely liked the older woman, finding a good companion to talk about typical annoyances and classic loves. Sake and of that sort.
If Kiri had been aligned with Konoha that also meant it would be allied with Suna by default, which further added the appeal to Tsunade's offer. After all, Suna and its shinobi are known for two things and two things only, on the battlefield: terrifying cruelty and ferocious loyalty.
Speaking of Suna…
Out of all the people at this summit, it is the Kazekage, ironically, that gains Mei's political and personal respect. This should say a lot, since a sixteen year old has actually managed to maintain his dignity and composure, while two full grown men act like idiots, and the only other adult who is not the damn mediator is the epitome of darkness itself.
Sabaku no Gaara is an interesting character, to say the least. In the span of four years, he has gone from the hated monster of his own village, to the most respected man in Kaze no Kuni. Mei will not call him a boy, simply because he is not, at least where it most counts. Gaining a village's trust alone is a rather daunting task. But doing so while also attempting to correct your own mistakes and turn an entire nation's opinion towards you to the positive? And in the short amount of time he has done it?
Well, let it never be said that Mei has never seen miracles before. She doubts it will be the last.
Still, it does not change the fact that he is the youngest Kage, not only in Suna's history, but in the collective history of all the Five Great Nations. He has much to learn about certain aspects of politics, but Mei can already see that he is already making an effort to know as much as he can about it. He also seems to be a fast learner, which will no doubt serve him well in years to come.
Cautious, intelligent, but still hopeful. She imagines that this is what he was like when he took the position at age fifteen. She was like that too, once. But whereas Sabaku-san had taken over a nation in relative stability in most aspects, Mei had inherited a country on the brink of Hell when she was named the successor to the land where blood is infused with the water.
Terumi Mei is sixteen years old when she is named Mizukage.
After a long and horrific reign, the Fourth Mizukage has now passed into the after-life. Which version of it depends on the opinion of the individual person. Though most would agree that Yagura was probably met with a warm reception from his fellow demons and monsters.
Mei is not one of them.
Despite his moments of apparent insanity and controversial decisions, Mei is quick to realize that it may not have necessarily been Yagura that orchestrated such cruel legislation.
Though, most would argue that Mei is too biased to give a clear enough judgement. After all, was it not Yagura – the same Yagura who had sent hundreds of children to their deaths in the form of the graduation exam – that took in two scrawny and starving orphans? And a grotesquely shark looking boy and a girl with not one but two kekkei genkai, at that?
This happens to be the opinion of many who are on the Great Counsel of Kiri. Yet, for reasons that still elude her, they have chosen her of all people to lead a village, and, essentially, a country (because the daimyo's no more than a figure head, after all).
As Mei faces the large crowd that has gathered outside of the building that serves as the political center of Kirigakure, as well as the Mizukage's residence, she can't help but feel slightly nervous.
Oh hell, who is she kidding? She's practically constricted from the amounts of anxiety building up within her.
These fears are somewhat tamed when she sees a friendly face amongst the throng of people below.
Hoshigaki Kisame is, by most accounts, the ugliest 18 year old in the history of the world. Dilated pupils, gills, and blue skin earned him the childhood nickname 'Blowfish'. As the years went by, and his prowess as a shinobi earned him rank in the Seven Swordsmen, he became known in Kiri and foreign Bingo Books as Ketsueki Same no Kiri.
The smile he gives Mei could be mistaken for a shark showing its teeth to its prey, right before the kill. However, Mei knows him better than most and knows the message of that smile.
It'll be alright, little sister.
A lie based in the best of intentions. But a lie nonetheless.
The office of the Mizukage has been tarnished. That is one of the first problems that come to mind. But it is not the only one.
Kiri's population, as a result of the barbarism that was the graduation exam, has decreased significantly. Though the practice of murdering one's classmate was eventually done away with, there are still many in Mizu no Kuni that are reluctant to become shinobi. As a result, Kiri's military strength has reduced significantly.
There's also the issue of foreign relations. True, the island nation has, since the very beginning, had a certain degree of sequestration about, and most of the time it was to its advantage. But ever since the Third Shinobi World War, the Land of Water has essentially become a pariah in the political landscape. It has had virtually no relations or allies on the mainland, which poses a significant problem if war breaks out with a stronger and more aggressive nation such as the Land of Lightning. However, the scars of the last war are still present. If Kirigakure wishes to open relations again, it must start slow. Amass allies in smaller countries. Though separately, they pose no threat, together, they could draw the attention of another great nation. Despite her knowing next to nothing about the other Four Great nations, Mei's willing to place her bets in Konohagakure as a major ally in the future.
The issue of isolation also has financial ramifications. Though trade is still present, it is not as strong as it once was, and nowhere near where it should be. If this trend of limited trade continues any longer, the people of Mizu no Kuni may find themselves in starvation and on the verge of economic collapse.
The kekkei genkai genocides reached all Five Great Nations, but Mizu no Kuni's seemed to be the most brutal. As such, many of the kekkei genkai clans are distrustful of the new government, fearing that a systematic annihilation will soon be in order. The civilian and non-kekkei genkai clans are no better. Even after all these years, and so much useless bloodshed, the memory of the kekkei genkai clans being used as mercenaries and assassins is still etched into their minds. On both sides, there have been talks of leaving Mizu no Kuni altogether. Why should they lend their strength to a country that has done nothing for them? They'd be better off in a place less hostile, such as Hi no Kuni. For more extreme factions, an overthrow of the government seems to be a more favorable solution. After all, Mizu has been, and always will be, their beloved homeland. Why should they be forced out of it, when they can simply force the bastards who got them into the situation in the first place to leave? The most popular rumor, however, is an all-out, three way civil war between the kekkei genkai clans, the non-kekkei genkai clans, and the government itself.
Mizu no Kuni is dying. And no one knows how to save it.
It'll be a miracle upon miracles if someone actually can.
It's a longshot. A massive longshot. One that everyone expects will never happen, much less succeed.
But she has seen good things come from this country. She has heard stories of how, long ago, Mizu was the beloved queen of the world, and Kiri, its crown jewel.
She can fix this. She'll start with Kiri's economy and the clans simultaneously. People will only be aggravated if there is no money flowing from their pockets, and no food on their table. And the economy won't improve if people don't learn how to communicate with one another.
Mizu no Kuni is dying. And no one knows how to save it.
But Terumi Mei is sixteen years old when she is named Mizukage, and she'll be damned if she simply abandons her country to the world and its wolves.
So what do you think?