Chapter 105: Mei's Regret
Using the unparalleled speed of the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, Kai manifested amidst the mists of the Mist Village. He could have pop up directly inside Mei's chambers, but he respected her boundaries. It had been years since he last treaded these parts. With the years he had spent back in time, he was becoming a forgotten entity in the current world.
Many in the village believed Kai to be long gone. Even the mighty A had made that assumption, as evidenced by his attempt to bring Samui back into service. And the encounter with A? Kai doubted the Raikage had broadcasted that little episode; it wasn't exactly a highlight in A's storied career.
Walking through the village, Kai was met with a mixed tapestry of gazes. The Jounin, with whom he had worked in the past, wore expressions ranging from surprise to caution, and even blatant animosity. The man they remembered was a far cry from the Kai now. Once cold, dispassionate, mission-driven to a fault, he was a machine that operated with a blind eye to the casualties it caused, leading to numerous injuries or worse of his comrades. Resentment still lingered.
He ignored the hostile gazes directed at him as he kept walking. He had changed, true, but those changes were reserved for the ones who had a place in his heart.
He soon found himself outside Mei's chamber. Her secretary's eyes widened in shock upon spotting him, her pen slipping from her grasp. Without uttering a word, she hurriedly went inside, probably to inform Mei of his arrival.
Kai waited. The silence outside the room was almost palpable, broken only by the distant murmurs of the shinobi discussing his sudden appearance.
The door opened again, and the secretary gestured for him to enter. As Kai walked in, he found Mei seated authoritatively behind her desk, her demeanor exuding the very essence of the Mizukage she was. As their eyes met, there was a hint of anger in her gaze.
"Kai," Mei remarked, her voice tinged with disbelief and an underlying layer of irritation. "It's been a while. I thought you died."
"Sorry to disappoint," Kai answered with a fleeting smile. Mei's eyes sharpened immediately, suspicion evident.
She focused intently, drawing on her chakra to try and sense any inconsistencies in him. Could he be using a Henge? Perhaps this was all a Genjutsu? The Kai she remembered was devoid of humor, a straight-faced and mission-driven entity. This version of him, this... levity? It was alien to her. "Who the hell are you?"
Kai almost chuckled at Mei's reaction. Given his transformation over the years, he couldn't blame her. Her perspective was skewed, considering her understanding of him was based on the older, more ruthless version of himself. Time, and the relationships he'd forged, had sculpted him into a more empathetic being. Those years with Tsunade, Mikoto, Samui, and the ever-curious Mito had shifted his disposition from hardened steel to a more malleable alloy. The world viewed differently through the eyes of a father. When Reina came into his life, a product of his bond with Tsunade, his perspective had altered irrevocably. To those unaware of these changes, the Kai of now was a perplexing mystery.
"It's me, Mei," he reassured, his voice a low rumble of sincerity.
Mei studied him for a beat longer, still analyzing. Eventually, she nodded, though not without evident skepticism. "What do you want?"
Taking the opposite seat, he locked his eyes with hers. "Akatsuki," was his simple response.
The word made her pupils dilate. The name itself was synonymous with dread in the shinobi world. "What about them?"
The room's ambiance grew heavy at the mention of 'Akatsuki'. Mei straightened in her chair, her usually fluid demeanor turning sharp. This was no casual conversation. The weight of that single word was palpable, hanging between them like a dark cloud.
Kai met her gaze unflinchingly, the weight of his knowledge pressing heavily upon him. "They're gathering the tailed beasts," he began, each word measured and deliberate.
Mei's eyes widened just a fraction. "For what?"
"To create the Ten Tails. The culmination of their grand plan, the Eye of the Moon," Kai continued, his deep voice holding a trace of urgency. Mei could sense the severity behind those words, and it wasn't often that something could unsettle the Mizukage.
She leaned forward, her fingers interlacing atop her desk. "The Ten Tails is a myth, a bedtime story. And this 'Eye of the Moon'? Why would they go to such lengths?"
"It's no myth," Kai asserted, his tone final, leaving no room for doubt. "The Eye of the Moon is their strategy to cast the world into an illusion, crafting a false reality. Uchiha Madara is at the helm."
That name made Mei pause. Uchiha Madara was a legendary figure, someone she had believed was long dead. Her skepticism was evident, but she didn't voice it immediately, waiting for Kai to continue.
Kai's gaze was unwavering, the weight of his knowledge evident. "I've obtained reliable information confirming his involvement. Madara is not just a shadow from the past; he's a looming threat in our present."
She studied him, trying to discern any hint of deception. But Kai's face revealed nothing beyond the urgency of the situation. "And how, exactly, did you come across this information?" she probed, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Kai leaned forward, his every movement carefully measured, as he locked eyes with the Mizukage. "I took the Akatsuki leader into custody. He revealed a lot. While he's the puppet master behind many of Madara's schemes, there's another figure in the shadows, a presence that eludes me. This phantom, according to the Akatsuki's leader, embodies Madara's will."
Mei sat silent, her fingers drumming lightly on her desk. "And why bring this to my attention? Our village no longer has a Tailed Beast. We've already lost ours."
Kai's eyes never wavered. For a long moment, he held her gaze, unrelenting. She, initially meeting him with equal intensity, eventually lowered her eyes. It was then that Kai voiced, "You understand, Mei. This is more than just the Tailed Beasts."
Mei released a deep sigh. "What do you want from me, Kai?"
"I intend to speak with the other Kages. We need a summit, and we need it soon." Kai's voice was firm, the undertones of urgency apparent.
Mei shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Several moments of thick silence passed before she whispered, a tremor evident in her voice, "I owe you an apology."
Kai blinked, a rare sign of surprise from him. "For?"
Her eyes shimmered with a cocktail of emotions, from regret to a hint of defiance. "That night... I tried to bind you to Kiri, thought I could gain a powerful ally by... by spending a night with you. My motives weren't entirely pure, and for that, I am truly sorry."
Kai studied her for a while. His response, when it came, was simple, carrying the weight of acceptance. "I understand."
It was clear she wanted to say more, questions lingered at the tip of her tongue. But, reading the air, sensing Kai's disposition, she held back. Perhaps, she mused, some doors were better left unopened for now.
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