Although Kirigakure's questionable made Shisui somewhat uneasy, he did not act recklessly.
They arrived at Kirigakure in the afternoon. After a modest dinner, the team chatted briefly and then went to sleep. That was how the first day passed.
On the second day, in the early morning, Shisui woke up at six out of habit. When he stepped out of the inn, he noticed two Kirigakure Shinobi outside.
Yesterday, there were only two Kirigakure Shinobi nearby, but today there were four.
'Is this an intimidation? Do they want to silently warn us not to leave the inn? Or is there another purpose?' Many speculations flashed through Shisui's mind in an instant.
Although many speculations arose in his mind, Shisui's expression remained unchanged, as calm as usual.
Shisui walked up to Kirigakure Shinobi from the previous day and asked, "May I inquire about what we talk about yesterday? When can we meet the Mizukage?"
Kirigakure Shinobi glanced lazily at Shisui and casually said, "Didn't I tell you to wait? You sure don't get tired of asking, do you? Also, who says you can come out?"
Shisui frowned slightly. Although he had a good temper, this involved matters between villages.
The crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan appeared, and Chakra surged in Shisui's body. An eerie killing intent faintly enveloped the four Kirigakure Shinobi.
The enemy would look down upon them if he simply complied to all of their request. He represented Konoha and the Five Kage Summit; how could he let them underestimate him!
"What... what are you planning to do?" When the Kirigakure Shinobi were stared by Shisui's Sharingan and felt the overwhelming pressure from Shisui, they shivered, and their bodies became cold and numb. Even after they mustered all their strength, they could only barely speak.
"This is... Kirigakure, not Konoha. You should consider the consequences of your actions." Kirigakure Shinobi couldn't stop shaking as he looked at Shisui with a hint of fear.
At this moment, they realized that not all Shinobi were the same. When a Shinobi was strong enough, even a mere gaze could render ordinary Shinobi unable to move.
Clearly, the Konoha Shinobi before them was that strong, while they were just some ordinary Shinobi.
All they could do now was hiding behind their village, hoping that Shisui would reconsider. After all, Kirigakure was one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries.
Shisui slowly put away his aura, and stared coldly at the four, "I have no intention of causing trouble, but I hope you can understand. I'm here on Konoha's behalf and I'm also here to invite Kirigakure for the Five Kage Summit. I hope you'll act with due respect."
"I'll inquire about the response shortly. This isn't something we can decide." Kirigakure Shinobi's attitude suddenly changed, and he said the truth.
They wouldn't trouble Konoha's envoy without a reason. It was their superiors who instructed them to act this way.
After the Kirigakure Shinobi spoke, Shisui's expression became less icy, and his gaze wasn't as terrifying. They could finally relax a bit.
Perhaps because Shisui's aura was too strong, they were afraid of him albeit momentarily. Now, upon careful consideration, this was Kirigakure, and even if Shisui was powerful, he wouldn't dare to kill any Kirigakure Shinobi in public.
But upon recalling Shisui's terrifying gaze, the Kirigakure Shinobi decided to be cautious; it was Kirigakure that was strong, not him. Besides, the high-brass weren't worth sacrificing himself for.
Many ordinary Kirigakure Shinobi were disappointed with the current state of the village, but they lacked the courage to escape or change the village's situation. They had no choice but to do as ordered.
"I can't calm down until I finish my daily exercise. Is it okay to go for a jog nearby?" Shisui calmly said, but his Sharingan hinted at Kirigakure Shinobi that refusal wasn't an option.
"No problem," Kirigakure Shinobi nodded sincerely.
It couldn't be helped; this was a habit. Refusing might be uncomfortable and could even lead to deteriorating strength. As a Shinobi of Kirigakure, they felt a unique sense of responsibility and had to consider the needs of others, not out of fear.
Shisui deactivated the Sharingan and then returned to the inn. He left a clone behind before walking out and started jogging.
Once he was out of Kirigakure Shinobis' sight, Shisui stopped. He wasn't really planning to jog but rather to gather information about Kirigakure, hoping to find something useful.
Kirigakure was situated in deep mountains, and the village was often shrouded in mist.
Perhaps due to the good weather today, even in the early morning, the mist wasn't thick. There were already many pedestrians on the streets.
Shisui observed the layout of Kirigakure's buildings and the expressions of the residents.
Because of the Transformation Technique, Shisui looked like an ordinary person, so people around him didn't pay special attention.
Shisui was no master of stealth, but he knew he couldn't go around gathering intelligence in Kirigakure wearing Konoha attire.
Like an ordinary person taking a stroll, Shisui wandered randomly within Kirigakure for about an hour.
By this time, the mist had become extremely thin, not hindering people's line of sight anymore.
Shisui looked up in the distance, where a circular building stood tall with a grand arch.
Even if he hadn't been to the Land of Water before, Shisui could guess that it was most likely the Mizukage Building.
The tallest building in Shinobi villages was usually the Kage building, symbolizing the Kage's status and providing a broad view of the entire village.
That was how Shisui made his guess.
Shisui decisively turned around to head back. It had been about an hour, and if he wandered for too long, those Kirigakure Shinobi might start looking for him.
Before going back, Shisui had prepared by reviewing the latest information that Konoha had collected on Kirigakure.
Some of Kirigakure Shinobi that became Missing-nin still retained their loyalty to Kirigakure, so they didn't disclose much about the village. However, other Kirigakure Shinobi leaked information about their village, so the chaos that took place in Kirigakure was no longer a secret.
Not many people knew about it unless they specifically paid attention to Kirigakure's situation. Most were unaware, as Kirigakure barely interacted with other villages.
From Konoha's information, Shisui learned that the Fourth Mizukage implemented a high-pressure policy and brutally oppressed Shinobi Clans with Kekkei Genkai.
Shisui felt that if this continued, it might impact the entire Land of Water and terrorize Shinobi with Kekkei Genkai.
The brutal policies left many Shinobis bewildered. Even the Shinobi that didn't have Kekkei Genkai felt that those policies were too much.
The failed resistances were met with a massacre, prompting some of them to turn into Missing-nin, while those who couldn't or didn't want to leave had to live in Kirigakure miserably.
Initially, Shisui didn't feel anything. However, as he observed the residents of Kirigakure, he noticed that most residents wore so quiet, doing their activity as if apathetic to everything. Despite a significant population, the village felt strangely desolate to Shisui.
Such a situation was not something he had witnessed in Konoha, but it reminded him of the expressions he had seen during wartime in smaller village.
However, Kirigakure wasn't at war at least now, and it was one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, not some random village.
"It seems the situation in Kirigakure is much more serious than I imagined," Shisui thought silently on his way back.
No wonder that two of the three remaining Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had become Missing-nin. People who loved the village probably found it hard to bear.
As Shisui approached the inn where they were staying, he dispelled the Transformation Technique, reverting to his original appearance, and calmly entered Kirigakure Shinobi's line of sight.
"You're finally back. Breakfast would have gotten cold if you didn't return soon," one of the Kirigakure Shinobi said with relief. If the leader of the Konoha envoy sudeenly disappeared, they would have a hard time explaining to their superiors.
Shisui nodded faintly and went back into the inn.
Inside, the Konoha Shinobi greeted Shisui.
After finishing their meal, Shisui gathered everyone and shared the information and analysis he had discovered in the morning.
Everyone was surprised. While they knew Kirigakure had some problems, they didn't anticipate it being such a significant issue. After all, Kirigakure was one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries like Konoha.
However, according to Shisui, the current problems in Kirigakure were substantial, affecting even ordinary villagers.
"I didn't expect that to be the case. But Kirigakure wouldn't treat us this way just because they have problems, right? Since they've encountered such significant issues; they should be more cautious in handling other villlages, shouldn't they?" One of them found Kirigakure's attitude confusing.
He couldn't understand why Kirigakure, dared to show such arrogance to Konoha despite being weakened.
"I don't know either. This is too weird," Shisui shook his head.
However, the fact that Fourth Mizukage could enforce those policies that weakened the village indicated that there might be something off about him.
Shisui could relate with Kirigakure's policy to oppress a Clan with Kekkei Genkai to some extent, as Konoha had its own fair share of problems with the Uchiha. Those conflicts were complex, involving the Uchiha ancestor Madara, the Uchiha's strength, their personalities, and many factors unrelated to the Uchiha.
Shisui, who was caught between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan, tried to resolve the conflicts, but he wasn't strong enough to do so, and there was nothing he could do, that was until Nagasawa stepped in. Nagasawa's various strategies successfully prevented the conflicts between the two sides and gradually mend their relationship.
Therefore, Shisui was grateful to Nagasawa for everything he did for the Uchiha Clan. Nagasawa had a special place in Shisui's heart.
After witnessing the tragic state of the Clan with Kekkei Genkai in Kirigakure, Shisui's admiration for Nagasawa grew even stronger.
If the conflicts between the Uchiha and Konoha were left unaddressed, it would inevitably lead to one side raising a blade against the other, resulting in a decline in Konoha's strength regardless of the final outcome.
"No matter how dire Kirigakure's situation is, it doesn't concern us as long as we can meet the Mizukage and fulfill our mission. Since you've intimidated Kirigakure, we should be able to meet the Mizukage soon. If Kirigakure still shows no good will by then, we can simply return and report the truth," said Yanagi in a solemn tone.
Shisui nodded. Their mission was to invite the Mizukage to participate in the Five Kage Summit. If the Mizukage intentionally avoids them, they won't foolishly wait in Kirigakure.
Konoha didn't have to beg for Kirigakure to attend. With the unanimous agreement of Tsuchikage, Hokage, Raikage, and Kazekage, what could Kirigakure do?
Perhaps because they were genuinely intimidated by Shisui, a Kirigakure Shinobi immediately notified Shisui's team about their superior's response.
"You can meet the Mizukage three days from now," Kirigakure Shinobi conveyed the high-brass' response.
With a definitive answer, all of Shisui's team members felt much relieved.
As long as the time was set, a slight delay wouldn't matter. They only feared that Kirigakure might play dead and drag things out.
Although the time was confirmed, based on what Shisui observed in the morning, he developed some interest in Kirigakure. In the evening, he went out for an hour to explore.
As they waited, Shisui maintained this routine. In the morning and evening, he would stroll around Kirigakure for an hour.
While going out, Shisui noticed something peculiar – the number of Kirigakure Shinobi around the inn had increased from four to twenty. However, the additional sixteen Shinobi lurked in the shadows.
Considering the exceptional strength he displayed, Shisui speculated that Kirigakure increased their surveillance due to fear. However, upon further observation, Kirigakure didn't send additional reinforcements.
Soon, two days went by, and in one more day, they could go meet the Mizukage and complete their mission.
Excitement filled the air, and someone suggested celebrating with a drink, but Shisui refused and gave them a lecture. He believed that the final moments were when one should be most cautious.
When everyone went to sleep, the two Kirigakure Shinobi silently killed the first two Kirigakure Shinobi that guarded the inn and entered the inn.