Kumogakure was quite busy this time of the year. It was the harvest season and that, for a mountain village like Kumo, meant their ninjas run back and forth between bodyguarding, bandit extermination, and supply delivering missions for farmers and various traders going and coming to sell their crops. It didn't help the situation that the Raikage left some days prior to the peace treaty. While the ninjas were grumbling about signing such a worthless piece of paper that eventually meant nothing, the civilians were quite happy. Alas, it was happiness brought by ignorance. Not that the ninjas would enlighten the civilians about it.

If anything, the Raikage wanted nothing more than to storm Kirigakure in revenge for the death of his beloved. To kill every single man and woman from Kiri who was part of the Nagori Isles invasion. To kill Ringo Ameyuri who was the commander... ​​

His rage was legendary after that mission. He single-handedly reduced an entire mountain to rubble and cemented the public opinion on his position as the Third Raikage's successor. What many didn't know, however, A was also afraid.

Afraid of Rei of Kiri, the monster that man-handled him and Killer B as if they were children.

Mei, wearing a straw hat and a bit battered old-looking civilian clothes, merrily strolled through the gate to Kumo, not even being stopped by the guards since she was just one of the numerous children of farmers coming and going to help their parents to sell the crops. As long as they couldn't feel chakra from her, everything was just peachy.

Just like that, Mei infiltrated Kumogakure. Through the front gate, inwardly snickering that Rei's chakra hiding technique and some old clothes were all she needed to get in.

'But really, the Kumogakure is incredibly beautiful.' Mei looked up the houses built either on the tops or on the sides of the mountain and the bridges connecting them. It was an ethereal sight and she really believed no other village could surpass Kumo when it came to the natural beauty of the place. 'Not really it has anything on Rei's dimension though...' Mei scoffed and turned to enter a side alley.

Apparently, that was not such a bright idea since the second she was far enough, five thugs who obviously followed her into the alley blocked her path. They were about to open their lust-fully grinning mouths but... Mei couldn't really be bothered. Five kunais and five thuds later, she was again on her way, deeper into the alley.

When she decided she was sufficiently out of sight and nobody followed her...

"Boil Release: Steam Clone Jutsu."

The air thickened until a small amount of smoke soundlessly burst out, not unlike when someone creates a shadow clone, but unlike shadow clones, this smoke didn't reveal a body, rather it gathered into a smoke-like figure of Mei.

"Here," Mei handed each clone a pouch with a set of hundred spying seals which the clones quickly absorbed into themselves, causing it to sink into the smoke. "put this all over the village. Especially in restricted areas." Mei ordered and the five figures vanished as if dissipating.

'Ha! Who said I can't be subtle! Take that Konan!' Mei smirked, remembering Konan's distraught expression when she showed the woman this sneaky use of her Steam Clones. They can dissipate into the air, becoming wisps of barely noticeable chakra, and get wherever they want, capable of squeezing themselves even through the smallest of crevices. The only thing capable of showing them were incredibly strong seals... which meant Mei's clones were much, much better than Konan's when it came to sneaking around.

Needless to say, Konan's eyebrow twitched for days on end, much to Mei's delight, when that little tidbit became clear. And then... much to Mei's displeasure, Konan came with the marvelous idea of... 'let Mei take care of the spy network!'... and just like that, the tables turned and now it was Mei who was perpetually scowling and Konan who was smirking like a loon at her suffering.

After all, Mei hated sneaking around. Melting something? Easy. Bathing enemies in lava? Sure! Drowning somebody? Fun... But sneaking around? Nu-uh! Having hundreds of clones sit around in a room, shifting through the material on spying? Bleh. Maintaining a spy network? No. Freaking. Way!

Fortunately or unfortunately, Rei intervened, and Konan stayed in charge of the spy network while Mei became the person who was tasked to spread the spying seals. Not that it lessened the playfully condescending smirks of Konan that threw into Mei's face that insufferable message of 'I am still more useful to Rei!' Konan liked to subtly portray.

Despite everything, Mei could only wistfully smile as she really couldn't imagine her life without these small rivalries between herself and her sisters.

Hours passed quickly while Mei toured the civilian-accessible parts of Kumogakure, trying out the local cuisine, getting to know some people, and just eavesdropping to get some information while she waited for her steam clones to be finished. Finally, three hours later, all five hundred spying seals were installed, no one from Kumo the wiser.

'And now, the last part of my mission.' Mei nodded to herself and used a SelfWithdrawing seal her clone put near her target.

...

Yugito Nii was a twelve-year-old and already a ninja of Kumo for two years. She was not like Uncle B despite knowing they were the same. He was a hero while she was mocked. He was the right-hand man of the Raikage while she...

Her throat hitched as she remembered her unpleasant memories and the slashes of her sword became faster, more ferocious, scarring the poor wooden dummy on the empty training ground far away from the village.

She wanted to run. Slash. She wanted to prove herself being useful. Slash. She wanted to gain respect. Slash. She wanted to be treated normally. Slash. She wanted to get stronger. Slash. She wanted her suffering to stop. Slash. She wanted many things but...

That was when an amused snort woke her from her anger-induced rampage. "You really love slashing things up, don't you? You would get along well with our resident sword loon." A feminine voice alerted Yugito to the presence of somebody unknown to her.

Her body instantly tensed as she quickly turned around only to blink when she spotted a bit older auburn-haired girl in civilian clothes. Worse yet, the girl didn't seem like a ninja. Her posture was far too relaxed and lazy. She didn't give off that tense feeling other ninjas do. She was a perfect picture of a harmless civilian.

"Who are you and how did you get here? This place is off-limits." Yugito evenly warned only to get a pointed and piercing look from the girl.

"Oh~, is that so? Fine," The girl uncaringly shrugged. "I am Mei, by the way." She sat down into the grass and Yugito barely prevented herself from gaping. The civilian girl just completely ignored her warning! "If you don't introduce yourself I will call you Grrr-chan, ya know? Since you were growling at the poor wooden dummy."

That pulled Yugito out of her reverie. "I am Nii Yugito, genin of Kumogakure." She nodded but totally ignored the girl when she patted the patch of grass next to her, signaling Yugito to sit. Yugito just stood a few feet in front of the girl, prepared for a fight.

"You can call me Mei. I came here because I am interested in you." Mei stated with a hum in her tone, causing Yugito to flinch and almost take a step back due to how intensely Mei's eyes trialed over her body. "I see you were trained on what it means to be a kunoichi from an early age." Mei lightly said, a bit of... a feeling Yugito couldn't quite put her finger on... in her tone.

"Yes, I have trained since I became six years old." Yugito nodded. It was not like the entrance age to Kumo Academy was a secret.

Mei only snorted derisively at that. "I am not talking about that." She shot Yugito a knowing look that made Yugito's breath hitch, and her body tense. She took a step back while taking a stance with her sword, preparing to pounce at Mei at any indication of hostility. The girl might look, seem, smell, even feel like a civilian but Yugito now knew the girl was certainly NOT just a civilian.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Yugito stated and Mei raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why are you taking a battle stance, then?" She asked with apparent amusement, causing Yugito to scold herself. "You really are only a kid..." Mei chuckled, making Yugito irritated at being called a kid. "But tell me... how long are they raping you?"

As if a bucket of cold water was poured over Yugito. "I... I ha-... no idea..." She sputtered, her mind a complete mess while she tried to make herself appear small as her body uncontrollably shook. That was something she desperately tried to hide and not even her teammates knew about.

Mei just gave the poor girl a pitying look. 'Female jinchuuriki... I should have expected this, shouldn't I?' Mei wistfully lamented. She thought Kumo would treat the girl properly due to Killer B but, apparently not. 'And here I wanted to just come here, grab some of Nibi's chakra and be on my merry way...' She sighed in irritation.

"Stop!" Mei's firm voice rang through the training ground, stopping the distraught Nibi Jinchuuriki in her tracks as she fearfully looked at Mei. "I was spat on, stepped on, beaten, starved, cursed, had rocks thrown at me, and the only thing that saved me from being raped is my master. Quite honestly, I thought you would avoid that fate since Killer B is so famous and seen as a protector of the village." Mei tilted her head in a pondering manner and Yugito could only listen, unable to tear her eyes away from her. "Hmm... I see, it was the war, wasn't it?" Yugito flinched, "Neither Killer B nor A could watch over you so the people who didn't like you had easy access and a free hand to do whatever they wanted with you. Typical... If I had to guess, it was Kumo Councilmen who love to abuse you, no? That's why you have to keep your mouth shut or face the consequences." Mei slowly guessed what exactly happened to Yugito.

Yugito started shaking again and tightly closed her eyes only to feel herself being gently hugged, something she never felt before. It didn't take even a second for Mei to feel Yugito melting into the embrace, creating a sour taste in Mei's mood. "I am Mei of Kiri," Yugito's eyes shot wide at that, "I can protect you and give you a home where you will be appreciated. The question is... Do you want to be protected?"

Mei reached her hand towards the crying Yugito in a silent offer.