ã€ŠReborn in the Mistã€‹


 Yagura Karatachi, Reporting for Duty

    The gentle sea breeze from my balcony helped blow the green tea cold. I took a sip and fought back the cringe as I swallowed. Harusame¡¯s Jinchuriki herbal remedy was the most bitter thing I have tasted in a month, but only for a second. It settled in my stomach and a nigh orgasmic wave of relief spread through my gut and soothes down my thigh to my punished knees.

    It¡¯s the only thing that can give me a break handling Isobu¡¯s chakra clashing with mine. A long month now since that day and it should have subsided to my will by now, according to Harusame anyway.

    I see the concerned looks he passes at me each time we have a training session and against my better self¡ª Me. I. Myself. Jason¡ª I demanded he spit out his thoughts or else¡­well, better not say.

    Regardless, he¡¯s worried about the seal and rightfully so. A freshly formed Isobu in a new seal, weaker than the one Konoha¡¯s Habenero has holding the Nine-Tails and its Jinchuriki¡ª Me, Myself, I. Jason¡ª has only been manipulating chakra for all of thirty days.

    Good thing he doesn¡¯t know that. From what I can feel, the maelstrom of Isobu¡¯s chakra in me isn¡¯t even from a direct attempt at breaking free of its host. The Three-Tails chakra is simply that abundant and powerful that it strains my feeble attempts at replicating Yagura¡¯s perfect chakra control.

    As it turns out, manipulating a source of natural, spiritual energy isn¡¯t intuitive. I barely manage to get a night¡¯s rest with Harusame¡¯s remedy and every non-resting second is spent reacquainting myself with Yagura¡¯s Karatachi¡¯s vast knowledge of Ninjustu, Taijutsu, Bojutsu and to an extent, Fuuinjutsu.

    My suffering makes me sympathize very much with Gaara. I took another sip of tea and set my thoughts to the future Kazekage. Actually, would he be the future Kazekage? With what I plan for this timeline now that I¡¯ve been dragged in it, I¡¯d like to keep Rasa alive and foil Orochimaru¡¯s plans.

    Cupping my mug, I sighed and sunk further into my cushioned chair. The Hidden Mist village was draining the life out of me already with Isobu, not only that it was a pretty cold and unfriendly place to live in without being a Jinchuriki but I thought I could do something to help the screw the bad guys without dying myself.

    Although, since that cheesy god put me in Yagura doing anything without Madara or Obito involved is going to be tough. It might just be a month in but I¡¯m weak enough to know that I couldn¡¯t fight either of them if it comes down to it.

    I should have some time though. I¡¯ll prepare and get even stronger.

    It took me all of a day to confirm that Copy Ninja Kakashi had indeed foiled the Mist¡¯s plans to destroy Konoha with Isobu. With this I know I have a good sixteen years before things really get screwed and the Fourth Great War starts.

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    A war Yagura doesn¡¯t live to see¡­

    A squawking messenger raven distracts me from ominous thoughts, it flutters down to me, losing onyx black feathers as it lands on my extended arm. I retrieved the scroll from the bottle on its feet and unfurl it to read letters scribbled only moments ago judging by its smear, glisten and smell.

    I never knew it was possible to know that much about a message in a bottle but for Yagura it is. His personality and experience regularly slip and fuse with my own and sometimes his memories as well. It¡¯s another reason Isobu hasn¡¯t broken free to rampage¡ª Yagura prepared to become a Jinchuriki, I didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Gear up and submit to Mizukage tower¡¯s rooftops.¡± I read aloud and flipped the paper around to confirm the wax seal is indeed that belonging to the Mizukage.

    Except if it were the Mizukage then why is he referring to his tower so formally? It can¡¯t be how things are done in Kiri, having lived here a month in a precarious condition that more than often had the Mizukage summoning me, I would know.

    Or would I? At this point I¡¯m not sure how much of me is me and how much is Yagura, though both find it evident enough that the scribbles were written in haste but then delivered by raven¡­why? If the message contents are truly urgent then a shinobi would have been sent with it, far faster even for communication within the village.

    I shook my head free of complicating thoughts and simply got on my feet. The part of me that is Yagura finds just about everything about the Mizukage suspicious and I couldn¡¯t find it in my heart to say its unwarranted. The Sandaime was being controlled by Madara after all and soon Yagura will meet the same fate.

    A part of me wanted to skip this entire battle of wits and vacation in the Land of Hot Springs where I won¡¯t be found for years. But Madara¡¯s Akatsuki will never stop hunting Jinchuriki and Kiri is known for their Hunter-nin squads, I doubt I would last long on the run.

    Besides, I needed to become Mizukage as well if any of my ¡®beat up the bad guys¡¯ plans are to work. I could try some out as a rogue nin but being the Kage of one of the great five nations added a legitimacy little else could provide. It also added an army.

    I found my closet and quickly went from shirtless to sleeveless. Yagura¡¯s favourite colours; grey and green filled the compartment though only three of his grey shirts had a headband sewn into them. The remnants of Yagura within me identifies them, alongside his poncho, sleeveless armour mesh and the near six-foot club with a green flower neatly decorating the larger of uneven hooks as his main gear even though through his memories and wardrobe I know he¡¯s been fitted in ANBU and classic Kiri nin gear before.

    It¡¯s a short process dressing up in Yagura¡¯s green-grey attire and the material is light, with only the short mesh armour and excessively long club weighing me down and even then I find his body, now mine, is more than strong enough to bear it and more.

    I spared a glance at myself¡ªYagura now no longer Jason¡ª in the mirror. A stern, baby face stares back at me wordlessly and I idly move my mouth open, testing once again if this is truly reality.

    It is.

    ¡°Yagura Karatachi, reporting for duty.¡± I said, my voice slightly deeper than I¡¯d expect of such a young face but of course, Yagura only looked young in my memories of him. Standing before me was him at the ripe age of eighteen and the Third Great Ninja war had just ended.

    My fa?ade of confidence drops at the thought of the long fifteen to sixteen years to come but I manage a smile as I reassure myself and start heading out the balcony, ¡°Goodluck Jason, you¡¯re going to need it.¡±

 Candidates Assembled

    The ninja run used to be a cringe worthy move kids would pull out during recess as they threw meaningless hand signs and paper shuriken at each other.

    For me it¡¯s a legitimate challenge I am hoping no one picks up on. Guiding chakra from my feet to propel me through distances with quick releases of said chakra is an exhilarating and dangerous exercise in chakra control, one I¡¯ve barely remastered since waking up in Yagura¡¯s body.

    His chakra, now mine, is like water and to be honest a little hard to put down in one place. Releasing it in a burst though is easy but a bit difficult to stop once I¡¯ve got started, it¡¯s like sticking a thumb over a pressure hose and trying to fire bullets of water with it.

    Still, I managed well enough to leap across Kiri¡¯s cylindrical buildings and avoid falling into the many greeneries and gardens growing at their sides and rooftops. I prided myself in my manoeuvrability as well, reacting to changes in the ever present mist soaking the village as Yagura¡¯s memories fill in the blanks about monuments like the Ninja Academy, hospital and the Mizukage¡¯s tower I was headed towards.

    Like majority of buildings in the village, the Mizukage¡¯s tower had a wide cylindrical form that sprouted alongside several other subsidiary structures around it. Yagura considers the arch under it and the tall reaching stairs a part of the monument and so I did too.

    Landing on one of them I have a closer look at the Mizukage¡¯s tower, specifically the rooftops I¡¯ve been summoned to. I have to pause and stare because the amount of chakra oozing off the gathered is overwhelming.

    While I might be nigh useless at this chakra-ninjutsu lifestyle I¡¯ve begun living, Yagura¡¯s body still belongs to a Kage-level jounin capable of great sensory feats. Sensing the intimidating excess of chakra gathered on the Mizukage¡¯s rooftops is child¡¯s play for what remains of his subconscious, what isn¡¯t is identifying who is part of said gathering.

    But I don¡¯t bother trying to decipher who before leaping up to join, none of the chakra signatures read as hostile or unfamiliar and there really wasn¡¯t any need to.

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    ¡°Jinchuriki, must we wait for you every time?¡± Fuguki said as I land in a crouch. As usual he carries Samehada, the Shark Skin Blade at his back and his orange hair flairs slightly with soaked mana¡ª presumably readying a jutsu like the rest of the Kiri shinobi present.

    To the left of Fuguki stood Raiga in full ANBU gear and mask, how I knew it was Raiga I¡¯m not entirely sure but the twin Kiba Blades sheathed at his waists all but confirm it. He isn¡¯t exuding that much chakra compared to Fuguki or even Juzo beside him though if he is it¡¯s completely overshadowed by the chakra battery that is Kisame.

    The true wielder of Samehada¡­except he¡¯s so young.

    The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist or at least what¡¯s left of them since the Third war has few familiar faces. I only remember the huge brute Fuguki because Kisame killed him to acquire the Samehada. Juzo I recall clearly because at some point in the main timeline, Yagura kills him for deserting the village. Raiga honestly felt like a nobody, even the way his chakra signature is buried underneath the beasts of shinobi around him made his presence rather underwhelming.

    ¡°Have some respect, Fuguki. Yagura stands far more accomplished than any of your swordsmen now.¡± Ao warned, his right eye still bandaged from receiving a byakugan, though I wondered if the bandage does anything to prevent him seeing all.

    Probably¡­it¡¯s not activated is it? Doesn¡¯t seem so.

    Beside Ao is none other than Mei Terumi herself and like Kisame she¡¯s strikingly young and garbed in standard Kirigakure gear with two ninja tool packs at her side. Her auburn hair doesn¡¯t flow as long but even at shoulder length it¡¯s spiky as ever, like a prelude to her boiling chakra natures and beautiful¡ª

    ¡°Yagura-senpai.¡± She waved, catching me off guard with the greeting. I waved back and rose to my feet. She had to be about sixteen years old at this point in the timeline and she looked it. Young, inexperienced and lacking the confidence of the Godaime Mizukage she would come to be¡ª or maybe not given I have other plans.

    ¡°Good, everyone¡¯s here now.¡± Harusame marched in with an old, hunched over man with a thin white beard and walking stick.

    I recognized the old man instantly as the Funato clan head and descendant of the First Mizukage. He wore a slight smile and squinted at all present as he takes place at the centre.

    ¡°Yagura, Mei, Ao, Swordsmen of the Mist.¡± He began speaking, his voice coarse and aged but held the might of the founding clan behind every word, ¡°I have gathered you all here to follow the will of the third Mizukage.¡±

    ¡°The will of the Third?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask the question on everyone¡¯s mind.

    The old man peeled one eye fully open and glanced up at me, ¡°The Third Mizukage¡¯s will for his successor. He has passed.¡±

 Sandaimes Will

    I felt it was too soon for the Sandaime Mizukage to die. Too soon for me, for Yagura to step in and fill the seat as the fourth Mizukage. Yagura¡¯s appointment is keenly tied into my timeline of events I need to push forward or avoid¡ª the five Kage summit happens to be my cold bullet to Madara and Obito¡¯s plans for this world, as Mizukage I could easily request one be arranged and with reasonable Kage like Minato and to a lesser extent A the fourth Raikage.

    Though now that I think about it, calling a summit so soon after the war might not sit well even with Konoha, especially when the request is coming from the village that tried to destroy them with their tailed beast. Hell, I might as well not count on Minato being reasonable at all since it was his student we- I mean Kiri used to mount that attack.

    What would I even tell him? Your lost student plans to take over the world with Madara Uchiha?

    Yeah, no, this is going to be harder than I thought. I¡¯m going to need time to ease into blowing the lid off this Infinite Tsukuyomi plot and I¡¯m going to need more than Kirigakure behind me to do so.

    ¡°How did it happen? Where is the body?¡± Fuguki immediately demanded after a shared moment of silence.

    The old Funato clan head shakily stepped forward with his cane and spoke, ¡°The Mizukage died unexpectedly but has left instructions for the choosing of his successor.¡±

    Harusame, my Jinchuriki training master and the person I¡¯ve spent the most time with since waking stood behind the old man wearing a grim look. He inhaled deeply before revealing a scroll from his sleeve but before he can unfurl it¡ª

    ¡°You haven¡¯t answered the question, old man.¡± Fuguki brandished Samehada at the clan head, the bandages at its tip unfurl and an unmistakeable row of teeth shudder with excitement.

    ¡°Fuguki! What do you think you¡¯re doing right now?¡± Ao stepped forward enraged at the swordsman¡¯s audacity.

    Behind him Mei¡¯s youthful visage contorts with concern and I feel like I can read her mind. Despite having other priorities¡ª staying alive long enough to see Obito defeated¡ª Yagura¡¯s lingering subconscious causes me to feel grief at the Mizukage¡¯s loss as well. Bloody his reign might have been but he was still the Mizukage and a close ally to Yagura and many gathered here it seems.

    ¡°What does it look like? Answers, now!¡±

    Harusame cautiously pushes Samehada away from the old, unbothered looking clan head with a kunai and shakes his head, ¡°This is no time for in-fighting, both of you, calm yourselves and listen.¡±

    Fuguki and Ao exchange tense glares. Juzo, Raiga and Kisame who¡¯ve fallen beside their teammate with their legendary swords and a katana drawn share uneasy glances as well, all ready to fight or submit according to what Fuguki does. Fortunately, he chooses peace, for now, and sets Samehada to his back.

    He grins a shark¡¯s grin at Ao, ¡°All ears.¡±

    The old clan head strikes his cane, ¡°Sandaime-sama was found dead in his seat this afternoon by his secretary. She is being interrogated at the moment and the office has been swept for any trace of malice, thus far none has been found.¡±

    ¡°That sti-¡±

    Another cane strike stuffs the words back into Fuguki¡¯s mouth before he can voice them. He scowls but the clan head simply looks ahead, ¡°The autopsy shows nothing conclusive, no poison, no jutsu, no injury, no sign of trauma, no certain cause of death. But one thing is clear¡­the Mizukage has perished.¡±

    Once again, everyone present swallows the old man¡¯s words, digesting it with soft and unsure glances at one another. Mei¡¯s consternated look continues to worsen as fear for her village grips her and Ao remains stoically silent ever watchful of Fuguki and his swordsmen.

    ¡°Are we under attack?¡± Mei stands out from Ao¡¯s shadow, her voice soft but resilient as the look in her eyes.

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    The clan head peers open an eye to gaze at her and he cracks a smile, ¡°Worry not, young Kunoichi, the war is ended.¡±

    Juzo snorts, ¡°Number of times I¡¯ve heard that¡­not exactly a good thing anyhow.¡± He slams the Executioner¡¯s Blade into the roof and leans against it, wearing a bored look now that the tensions diffused.

    ¡°Even if we are, let them come. We¡¯ll show them the might of the swordsmen of the mist!¡± Raiga exclaims, pulling his ANBU mask to the side to reveal his battle ready grin.

    Bloodlust, so much of it in this village.

    Keeping a level head, Ao asks, ¡°What is the will of the Mizukage?¡±

    Again, the clan head strikes his cane and all listen with rapt attention, but he is not the one who speaks. Harusame unfurls the scroll and clears his throat, ¡°It is the will of the Sandaime Mizukage that the traditions and precedents for class advancement he has set during his tenure be followed in regard to the choosing of his successor. All worthy candidates within the village are permitted a month preparation and no more before facing their final tests. As always, candidates may decline to participate.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Does that mean what I¡­huh?¡± Juzo starts to stutter.

    Kisame who has yet to utter a word steps beside Juzo, nodding, ¡°Yes, it means exactly that. But I wonder how easy it is to qualify as candidate given present company.¡± His eyes fall on Mei and Ao as he says this, piecing them apart as unworthy of being part of what is essentially the Third Mizukage¡¯s way of saying ¡®Want it? Fight for it.¡¯

    I feel Ao¡¯s gaze fall on me for a moment and I meet it, his eyes betray nothing and he soon turns away as he steps back from the informal circle of Mizukage candidates.

    ¡°Another bloody mist trial and this time for Kage? Count me out then, I won¡¯t kill good shinobi for power.¡± Resolute in his words he turns to Mei, ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°What about you, Yagura Karatachi?¡± Fuguki demands before Mei can utter a word, his sharp tooth baring a slight scowl as he watches me carefully, ¡°You haven¡¯t said too much since you arrived, not feeling like a gentleman tonight?¡±

    Honestly, the Mizukage pulling this kind of shit stunt left me baffled and quite pissed. It¡¯s like every day living in this misty village got harder and now it¡¯s clearly a massive pain in the ass for me.

    While I¡¯m certain the Mizukage¡¯s death has something to do with Madara¡¯s own and the end of the genjutsu cast on him¡ª essentially the very same thing that happens to Yagura¡ª I am not as certain who is responsible for this cruel rite of passage.

    My gut tells me it¡¯s Madara¡¯s farewell attempt to further cripple Kiri¡¯s fighting capability by subjecting even Kage candidates to the bloody mist trials.

    Kill everyone to become what you seek.

    I look at my fellow Kage candidates; Fuguki, easily an S-rank even without Samehada. Juzo, also a capable near S-rank shinobi but less intimidating than Fuguki even with Kubikiribocho. Raiga with the Twin Kiba doesn¡¯t break S-rank but he¡¯s still an opponent worth looking out for. Kisame, younger and without the Samehada poses as much a threat as Raiga, perhaps more if he has even half the jutsu I faintly remember him capable of unleashing without Samehada¡ª his massive chakra reserves rival Fuguki¡¯s already as well.

    With my paltry knowledge and experience handling chakra, casting Ninjutsu and non-existent fighting ability, things aren¡¯t looking so hot for me right now and I need to become Mizukage.

    If Ao or Mei don¡¯t participate then of the swordsmen of the mist, Fuguki is the most likely to cut down everyone and seize the title if I don¡¯t do something.

    I¡¯ve already considered not doing anything about the Fourth Mizukage title and letting someone else take it. After all, I¡¯m not exactly Kage material either, I am literally impersonating Yagura in his own body and I¡¯ve never held government position in either life. It might be a better idea to work against Obito from the background even if I don¡¯t wield absolute power over one of the five great nations.

    But I remain resolute in my decision, ¡°I won¡¯t kill any of my comrades but I won¡¯t sit back and watch you become Mizukage either.¡±

    My words seem to bolster Mei to a decision as well, ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight anyone either, not to the death.¡±

    Fuguki snorts at both of us and swings Samehada in a dramatic arc so it rests on his shoulder, ¡°I will do what I must.¡±

    ¡°Juzo, Kisame, Raiga, what will you choose?¡± the old man strikes his cane, demanding swift response.

    The three swordsmen share a look amongst themselves. Kisame wordlessly sheathes his katana and Raiga sighs but sets the Twin Kiba aside as well. Only Juzo eyes me and Fuguki with a gleam of bloodlust.

    In the end he says, ¡°Yagura, a fresh Jinchuriki and Fuguki-sama¡­huh.¡± He licks his lips and cackles, ¡°Not worth my life.¡±

    Another cane strike cracks through the air at that and the old man pins me with both eyes, ¡°Yagura-kun, the Third¡¯s will demands blood for the honour, you must abide.¡±

    If this is how it happened in the canon I don¡¯t know and I¡¯m sure I never will, all I have is the world in front of me and the knowledge of its perilous future¡ª my perilous future.

    Even if I secede and let Fuguki have the title, Obito will still manipulate him with genjutsu to fund the Akatsuki and come after me because of the Three-Tails anyway. If anyone should be Mizukage, it has to be me.

    Looks like I might have to kill Fuguki after all.

 Goodbye Sandaime! Hello Sandaimeéˆ¥æªš Daughter!

    The Third Mizukage¡¯s funeral was a solemn and silent event. A heavy rain fell as it should at all funerals, whether it was naturally occurring or not I wasn¡¯t sure nor did I care. My thoughts were keyed on something else.

    Family.

    It has been over a decade since I enjoyed the show, story and lore of the world I am now inhabiting. Even as an avid, arguably day one follower of the series, my memory of events, systems, clans and generally how things worked turned shoddy in the passing years, especially as I matured.

    Under the petering rain and chilling wind, I hung my head in a low bow as I, one of the most talented shinobi from one of the major clans within Kirigakure stood to pay respects to the late Third Mizukage.

    I don¡¯t believe I ever realized it but the village hidden in the mist was truly one founded on absolute command and loyalty to those in said absolute command. As such, standing beside me paying their respects are talented shinobi and kunoichi from clans such as the Hozuki, Hoshigaki, Funato and in significantly lesser prestige, the Yuki clan.

    Even the Daimyo had sent a representative from his clan but they didn¡¯t have much a place in Kiri, not truly. The true power was vested in the balance of the five clans, Karatachi, Yagura¡¯s clan included.

    As such, everyone else had a place at the back of the line and not just at the Mizukage¡¯s short and sweet funeral, but in all things. A caste system isn¡¯t at all what I expected when I woke up in this world but Kiri continues to prove to me that things can always get worse.

    Done with my silent prayer for the Sandaime¡¯s genjutsu tortured soul, I back away and walk under the umbrella my aide has waiting for me.

    Daichi is a tall grey haired man with the same shade of eyes as Yagura¡ª me¡ª and carries himself with a bit too much excitement in his step for someone attending a funeral.

    But I knew why. I¡¯m not ignorant to the stares and attention I¡¯ve received since my attendance. More than a few people want a word with the top contender for the Fourth Mizukage position. Or any contender for that matter as I notice Fuguki¡¯s in attendance as well and expresses no restraint conniving.

    No, it hasn¡¯t been officially announced but with clans like Funato and Hoshigaki in attendance, it¡¯s not hard to see how word might have got out. I refrained from making prolonged eye contact with anyone lest they take it as a sign to approach and beseech for future favours or more likely, pardons.

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    My aide, who happens to be of the Karatachi clan, doesn¡¯t feel the same, in fact I think he has another mission here besides escorting me. Yagura finds this annoying as much as I do but resigns it to be another one of Uncle¡¯s schemes of which I¡¯m still trying to piece the full memories together.

    He shepherds me into the path of the Hozuki clan mother, Nana Megumi. She¡¯s almost as old as the Funato head except she managed to retain some charm by standing up straight with the composure of an active shinobi.

    Even though she¡¯s a granny, it¡¯s Yagura¡¯s cruel fate to be youthful and short. There¡¯s just no helping that. It¡¯s no one¡¯s fault damn it!

    She smiles down at me, lips twisting with the faux warmth of a parent and for a moment I fear she¡¯ll reach down and pinch my cheeks. Instead her smile dissolves at a thunder clap she sneers, ¡°Lost respect for your elders already now have you, Mizukage boy.¡±

    Daichi bristles beside me but quickly reminds himself of his place. His mission was to shepherd me to her and he¡¯s done it, no need to risk his life any further.

    Reminded of my own place, I dipped my head in an extra low bow, ¡°Forgive me Nana, I am distraught with grief.¡±

    To be fair, since I decided to consider killing Fuguki for the title in three weeks¡¯ time, my training with Harusame only made me confident of my future rank as Mizukage.

    Even if he fends off Yagura¡¯s impressively reliable muscle memory and defeats me, I am certain that another near-death experience would lead to Isobu¡¯s release. Isobu will decimate whoever is in front of him, even if it¡¯s the chakra eating sword.

    Besides, getting into my Jinchuriki seal and attempting Talk no Jutsu with my future knowledge was on my list as well. Tail beasts aren¡¯t unreasonable creatures, in fact, I recall Isobu being one of the friendliest.

    Talking to him and getting him to stop trying to passively dominate my chakra in place of full cooperation will ensure I start off my reign with a powerful nuclear deterrent.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t engaged in anything right now are you?¡± Two women step out behind her, one a mourning mother who reminded me of the Third. His wife.

    That must be his daughter then.

    Rina Hozuki. She wore the same plain black for the funeral but her emotionless face and pearled dark violet faded hair reminded Yagura of her reputation as a shinobi, even as a Chuunin.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I thought to what I had planned, more exercise and training, basically the same as last month. A shinobi¡¯s regiment, even if it¡¯s mostly meditation and chakra moulding with Harusame, is not anything I¡¯d have signed up for.

    Which is why I didn¡¯t. It sucked even more because while his lessons provided awareness in my chakra and even Isobu¡¯s within me, he hasn¡¯t mentioned anything about casting jutsu!

    Yagura¡¯s muscle memory only went so far and each time I tried what he remembers as his most basic jutsu¡ª Water Style: Water Dragon¡ª it broke down before the dragon¡¯s head could exit the lake.

    Rina¡¯s a talented one with Water Release, if this invitation is what I think it is then I could simply watch her train and study the way she moulded her chakra.

    ¡°No, not anything important enough to decline your company, Nana.¡±

    She chuckled and I thought it genuine, ¡°Good, come then. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re acquainted with my granddaughter, Rina.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve had words.¡±

 Requiem for Whirlpool

    ¡°Anndd? What did you say?¡± Uncle Aoto leaned in over the chabudai, an excited grin splitting his face as he eyes twinkle with curious glee.

    As I suspected, my aide¡¯s actions were governed by his orders, Uncle wanted me to meet with the Hozuki¡¯s, specifically the remnants of the Third Mizukage¡¯s family.

    Dutiful nephew and clan member that I am, I did, ¡°I said I¡¯ll think about it, Uncle, did you want me to say yes?¡±

    He snorts and poured another shot of sake into our cups; I drink when he drinks, ¡°No, no! Of course not, but you entertained the idea, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    We downed cups in sync and I shrugged, my face twisted in distaste but a growing fondness for the drink, ¡°I offered to spend more time with Rina, I¡¯m too young for a marriage right now and I think I¡¯ll be very busy with training for¡­a long time. So I offered to practice Water Release with Rina.¡±

    Uncle Aoto shook his head, waving his hands as well as his lips pursed at the sour tang of the drink and my words. He¡¯s a broadly built man, not at all anything like stout Yagura save his iconic mane of grey hair and a stitched line tracing down both his violet coloured eyes.

    ¡°Too young for marriage? Nonsense!¡± He begins to pour another shot and I consider lamenting as I feel my senses begin to dull, ¡°Yagura, you¡¯ve shot us to the height of all Kiri, no, all of the Land of Water. You can¡¯t waste any time choosing a bride to carry your legendary lineage.¡±

    He snickers a bit and hiccups. Aoto Karatachi wasn¡¯t always this jovial according to Yagura¡¯s memories, within them the man seated in front of me was a hardened shinobi that contributed more than his share as star prodigy alongside Yagura¡¯s mother in the early days of the Second Shinobi War.

    To be honest, although his machinations are the kind I can¡¯t help but get wrapped up in, I appreciated that the clan head I served wasn¡¯t awful. He had a sense of humour but more than that, an opportunistic and straightforward mindset, one that influenced Yagura¡¯s upbringing as a shinobi quite heavily.

    Bashfully, I chuckled and deflect, ¡°That¡¯s true, yeah, but first I have to actually become Mizukage no? I¡¯m going up against Fuguki Suikazan, an experienced shinobi and one of the Swordsmen of the Mist. I have to prepare.¡±

    Uncle minded me with an understanding look as he rubbed the stubble on his chin, ¡°Preparation is a given but you are Yagura Karatachi, one of my very best, no, the very best Karatachi. The Suikazan clan has little name to hold onto beyond Fuguki¡¯s and his is not very impressive. There¡¯s no chance in hell you¡¯ll lose to a second-rate!¡±

    As bright and cheery as the Karatachi clan head was, he is also a member at the top of the caste system kept in place and as such enjoys the many privileges with great comfort.

    ¡°Rina might not be the one you choose to marry Yagura, she may not even be the right choice. But you must solidify your reign with a prestigious heir and though as the future Mizukage I will have little power in bringing you to do so, you surely understand the importance this holds to the clan.¡±

    He unfurled his feet and got up to the chamber behind him and slid it open as he spoke, ¡°If you are so concerned about Fuguki then this should put you at ease¡­if you can master it in time anyway.¡±

    When he returns he does so with a large, heavy scroll. He doesn¡¯t let me stand to take it and instead sets it down beside me for me to examine the minute words written along the edges of the many maelstrom symbols.

    Making them out I read aloud, ¡°Requiem for the Whirlpool?¡±

    He nods excitedly, ¡°That is the gift your grandfather prepared for me when he chose me as successor. I¡¯m no longer an active shinobi and so it should obviously go to the most prodigious talent of our clan. I wanted it to be your inauguration gift but here it is, don¡¯t ask for another.¡± He winks.

    I continued to study the inscriptions on the scroll and it didn¡¯t take long for me to realize what it was. Wide eyes shoot up to him as I gasped, ¡°A Summon? What kind?¡±

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    He grins and presses a finger to his lips, ¡°I am not one to spoil the fun of discovery and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy making this discovery on your own.¡±

    The wording of the sentence and his lecherous grin made a shudder run through my spine as I wondered what other silly plan he¡¯s concocted. Still, a summon is something Yagura doesn¡¯t have and as far as I¡¯ve seen, in this universe, they¡¯re some of the most useful and powerful beings even capable of withstanding a tailed beast.

    I rise and bow deeply to him, ¡°Thank you, Uncle, I will put it to good use.¡±

    He nods and waves me to sit back down and drink, ¡°I¡¯d rather have you put something else to good use but it¡¯s your choice!¡± He raises his hands in surrender as though he truly has on the matter but he¡¯s only just begun.

    Snickering at his antics I decide to toss him a bone, ¡°I will see about getting married within a year of my reign, should I reign. I won¡¯t dismiss your suggestions either.¡±

    That seemed to brighten the man more than anything and he raised his glass to me, ¡°To many children then! Kampai!¡±

    I clinked my glass with him but didn¡¯t follow his toast. Yagura¡¯s only eighteen at the moment and is about to be saddled with the weight of an entire country¡¯s political and military workings. Having children is out of the question.

    As if reading my mind, the partly drunken clan head leaned heavily on the table and rasped, ¡°Hozuki is the best clan to marry into, Yagura, not only for the prestige and might of Karatachi and Hozuki united but also for your sake. They will have no reason to come against you if you favour them with such a deal.¡±

    Uncle doesn¡¯t need to spell it out for me, I¡¯ve felt more than a dozen set of eyes watching my movements at any given time and not all of them are confirmed as ANBU. I fully expected that at some point someone will make an attempt on my life for whatever reason. Kage¡¯s are high-valued targets even more so in Kirigakure.

    ¡°The Hozuki and Funato have kept the office of Mizukage in their grasp, they won¡¯t see it slip without sufficient concessions, even to a fellow founding clan.¡± Uncle droned and sighed. He downed one more shot of sake and stepped out to the large koi pond for some air.

    The first Mizukage being of the Funato clan cemented their importance greatly but the Second and Third Mizukage¡¯s were of the Hozuki, with the Third marrying a woman from the Funato clan.

    His sole heir being Rina, a Chuunin with great prospects but not nearly enough to bolster her clan¡¯s standing the way Yagura does with the Karatachi, the Hozuki hold out some hope at retaining a measure of their power through a marriage the same way the Funato clan did.

    It is a win-win for both Karatachi and Hozuki if I do find a wife in Rina but unfortunately, I have more pressing things to worry about at the moment. Surviving Fuguki, Obito and whoever else might want to assassinate me before I get a chance to do anything as Mizukage.

    Something disturbs the air, shifting it as it takes space and I turn to Uncle, finding him standing up with his back straightened and head held high. He stares down a set of three ANBU who have materialized atop the pond, their feet barely making a ripple.

    I am immediately on my feet and at my Uncle¡¯s side. Two ANBU wore masks with red and blue swirls that rose from the end or came from the bottom, neither obscured the wavy symbol of Kiri etched at the top. In classic ANBU fashion they had on sturdy flak jackets and baggy black trousers that tuck in at their ninja sandals.

    The one with red swirls had a katana strapped to their back and the blue swirls had a massive shuriken. Their leader was much subtler.

    She had her jet black hair fall at over her shoulders in two pigtails and was cloaked in a midnight black material that billowed at her arrival and concealed her weapons and even hands underneath it. Her mask stood out from the others though as the sleek porcelain contours out with the design of an owl, piercing golden eyes peered out of the eye-slits and seemed to narrow with the owl-mask¡¯s beak.

    ¡°Aoto Karatachi, you are to come with us now, we have pressing questions.¡± The owl-mask spoke with an indifferent command, as if her announcing was only a courtesy.

    ¡°Am I under arrest?¡± Uncle beams, maintaining composure as though he hadn¡¯t been half drunk a moment ago.

    ¡°That remains to be seen.¡±

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± I stepped out of Uncle¡¯s shadow and demand, ¡°On whose authority are you seizing my uncle?¡±

    ¡°Are you resisting?¡± The owl mask doesn¡¯t look away from Uncle as she asks this but the water beneath her feet ripple and Yagura knows she¡¯s tensed and ready to carry out her orders by force if necessary.

    Had I truly been Yagura I would¡¯ve stubbornly welcomed the challenged but all I could do is grit my teeth.

    ¡°The council ordered this investigation, we move on their behalf.¡± The red swirly mask said in a softer tone, clearly not ready to get into it with a Kage-candidate and a clan head.

    ¡°Ahh? Is that what this is about?¡± Uncle mused and clapped his hands, causing all three ANBU to flinch, ¡°You should have said so then! ANBU, always so rude. Don¡¯t worry about me Yagura, this is just an internal investigation on the Sandaime¡¯s¡­suspicious passing, yes?¡±

    He turned the question to the owl-mask who bristled ever so slightly before nodding, ¡°We will try to be brief but resisting is not wise.¡±

    I felt her response targeted me in particular, as if telling me to stand down. I would, of course, if this is about the Mizukage¡¯s death I knew exactly who killed him and how, not that any of them would believe me if I told them.

    So I shut my mouth and returned a curt nod, watching as the ANBU lead Uncle Aoto away through the rooftops.

 Turtle Island

    Breathe in¡­.out¡­Breathe in¡­out¡­Breathe in¡­ ¡°Achoo!¡± Another terrible sneeze knocks me out of my meditative position. Sniffling I close my eyes again try and ignore the stink eye young Utakata is giving me across the temple room and the tired sigh from Harusame.

    Barring my fierce and uncontrollable reactions to the healthy pollen drifting in from the lush green lands of Kirigakure¡¯s Turtle Island, I haven¡¯t exactly been the best student and after a month and a half, it¡¯s beginning to show.

    Harusame¡¯s footfalls approach and I ready myself for another in-depth one-on-one class with him repeating everything he¡¯s said over the past month and a half and me not comprehending most of it.

    ¡°Yagura-kun.¡± His voice is soft and calm, though the strain of teaching me bubbles underneath, ¡°Are you sure you wouldn¡¯t rather practise your chakra moulding? Communicating with a Tail Beast is an¡­advanced skill.¡±

    He minds his wordings because student or not, I am still a Kage-candidate and in another two weeks he¡¯ll be answering directly to me¡­assuming I survive Fuguki of course.

    But I don¡¯t need him mincing his words or tiptoeing around me, not yet anyway. I love power and the instinctual fear that people attribute to it, but not when it hinders me from acquiring even more power. To be fair, a lot of that love may come from Yagura himself.

    Harusame¡¯s chakra moulding techniques have been very useful to me and I didn¡¯t notice the benefits until I tried walking on water¡ª it was surprisingly easy and it was all me doing it, none of the Yagura muscle memory shit.

    Casting jutsu successfully is the next thing on my list but I¡¯ve held off on attempting any since the ANBU charted Uncle away. Turtle Island and its massive temple is the only place in Kiri where the prying eyes are few and my failures won¡¯t be marked against me. It is also the only place where Jinchuriki, Utakata and I, can train with our Tail Beast chakra without fear of wreaking havoc.

    That said, Utakata is the only one of us that can manage to summon his Tailed Beast¡¯s chakra. Under Harusame¡¯s instructions he doesn¡¯t exceed a single tail of the chakra cloak and on some days he doesn¡¯t even summon a tail, merely coating himself in the immense chakra and familiarizing himself with it.

    No such luck for me. ¡°No, I can continue chakra moulding in my own time, even in my own home but if I am here.¡± I gesture to the large temple with statues of ancient, cloaked men and symbols of Kiri, the Three-Tails and Six-Tails, ¡°Then I have to study the three tails.¡±

    With only two weeks left to battle Fuguki for the title of Mizukage and zero successfully cast jutsu, the only logical thing left for me to do is to activate my trump card¡ª Isobu.

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    That said I do have another trump card, the summoning scroll Uncle Aoto gifted me details instructions of how to go about acquiring the summons favour and unlocking their technique¡ª a terrifying genjutsu that traps whoever¡¯s in it in a reality of boundless pleasure and decadence.

    But to use their jutsu I have to first find them in the Land of Whirlpools far off the coast of the Land of Water and Kirigakure. Going after a one-hit KO genjutsu with two weeks to spare isn¡¯t going to be possible and so I have to access my Tailed Beast.

    Utakata seems to have had enough and scoffs. He dusts off his butt and scowls at me, ¡°Chakra moulding is the first step to protecting yourself against Tailed Beast chakra. You can¡¯t skip steps just because-¡±

    ¡°Utakata! Silence! Show some respect to your¡­¡± Harusame seems just as unsure about my chances as I am and stutters, ¡°Your elders. Yagura may have become a jinchuriki only recently but he has been an active shinobi far longer than you¡¯ve been alive!¡±

    It¡¯s a bit of a stretch to say but enough to have Utakata flush with embarrassment and shuffle away. He¡¯s only about twelve years old and a recently promoted Chuunin but his experience as a Jinchuriki is all that matters to the village and all that matters to him as he prides himself in his control.

    Harusame and I watch him storm off but once he leaves Harusame¡¯s gaze softens, ¡°Forgive him, Yagura-kun, he has suffered the burden of the Six-Tails and only wishes to help.¡±

    I could believe that. Utakata is nothing like the stoic missing-nin I watched take on Pein and his Six Paths, no, he is a child here and much of his emotions still remain, thankfully.

    ¡°Yes, of course. He is right about skipping steps; I should play it safe but I simply don¡¯t have the time. Has he managed to speak with the Six-Tails?¡±

    Harusame shook his head, ¡°Beyond the nightmares and chakra flares, he hasn¡¯t mentioned communicating with the beast. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t advice that he does such.¡±

    Harusame¡¯s eyes narrow at me at his last words and I know the advice applies to me as well. I shake my head and offer a charming grin, ¡°Trust me.¡±

    He looked surprised and sighs, resigning to do so with a nod, ¡°I will brew some of my special tea for you then, I am sure it will help your endeavours.¡±

    At that I tried not to lose my smile to cringe, Harusame¡¯s special herbal brew remains the most disgusting thing I¡¯ve ever tasted but I cannot deny that it helps. All the chakra churning and moulding I do helps refine my chakra control but its main objective is to familiarize myself with the seal.

    Harusame¡¯s Three Pillar seal. Flooding my chakra through each individual pillar and casually brushing against the Three-Tails chakra like a beach wave swallowing sand. So far I¡¯ve only managed to sense the Three-Tail¡¯s chakra as I wash my chakra through the Three Pillar seal, but with my improving chakra control it¡¯s getting better.

    Now I can nibble at the Three-Tail¡¯s chakra but since my body isn¡¯t at all used to controlling or holding such volatile power outside the seal it quickly disperses through my chakra network and sometimes leaks out of my body.

    Such inefficient control strains the considerably weakened seal and causes my body to burn up, his herbal remedies soothe the reactions and also help me tune into my meditation.

    Still, I¡¯m not looking forward to tasting it so often. The quicker I reach within my seal and talk to Isobu, the better.

    Breathe in¡­out¡­Breathe in¡­out¡­

 Death to Hozuki

    By now the entire village knew of the Third¡¯s death and many speculated the cause. Without an official announcement and how soon he was buried, rumours began to propagate unheeded. Of which assassination seemed to be the most popular theory.

    But who could manage such? To find the village hidden in the Mist, slip past the natural defences, bypass the hordes of ANBU on high alert since the end of the war and kill the strongest shinobi in the entire village without raising a single alarm.

    While many claimed that the perpetrator came from one of the villages many enemies abroad, it is no surprise that the ANBU conducted an internal investigation first and foremost, after all, a village built on the backs of the lower caste will have multitudes of enemies within it.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the oppression of the low caste clans to reach my ears. Dozens of innocent men and women, Kirigakure¡¯s own shinobi were being slaughtered on the slight suspicion of harbouring hatred to the Sandaime, his family and clan.

    And it all started with a death threat.

    I stared at the crumpled piece of Paper Bomb that had the threat written at the back, ¡°Down with the Hozuki¡­Peace to Kirigakure..huh.¡± I mused and passed it on to Mei and Ao who sat beside me in one of the Mizukage¡¯s council rooms.

    Of the Seven Swordsmen only Fuguki was present and he examined it closely as well before passing it back to the source¡ª the owl mask ANBU that charted Uncle Aoto away.

    She slipped it back into a transparent evidence bag before pocketing it. She stood beside the old Funato clan head and Nana Megumi who was the first to encounter the message and call for help.

    ¡°Obviously it wasn¡¯t meant to explode, the message was meant to be received and terror stricken into our grieving hearts.¡± Nana Megumi began, she didn¡¯t speak like someone who was especially aggrieved but that was neither here nor there.

    The Funato clan head concurred with a strike of his cane, ¡°And in the hearts of us all. My dear granddaughter received a message as well, this one attached to a flung kunai.¡± He nodded at Rina who sat beside Nana Megumi and the Chuunin, surrounded by many oppressive figures hesitated to speak.

    ¡°Mother would have come herself but the message¡­they are wicked words.¡± She said as she shifted on her mat and produced the weapon in question, ¡°It came in through a window while we served dinner, embedded itself right in the turkey mother was carrying to the table. I destroyed the message the moment I saw it but mother remains distraught.¡±

    ¡°What did it say?¡± It was Fuguki that spoke, his back straight and arms folded with a deepening sneer on his lips.

    Rina shuddered, ¡°It said, ¡®May the blood of your innocent unborn drown you.¡¯¡±

    At this everyone bristled, even I as I didn¡¯t know that¡ª

    ¡°The Third would have another child?¡± Mei nearly exclaims, part excited but mostly horrified at the implications, ¡°How did they¡­who are these people?¡±

    ¡°Scum. The worst of scum. Fiends without heart, terrorist!¡± Nana Megumi¡¯s wrinkled face drew into a scowl that promised a painful death to whoever was behind these messages.

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    Hands crossed behind her back, Owl mask cleared her throat, ¡°We have increased security on both families but and moved them into the Hozuki compound proper. If this happens again, they won¡¯t get away with it.¡±

    Ao scoffs, ¡°Haven¡¯t they already? They¡¯ve murdered the Sandaime and now threaten his entire family. What progress have you made identifying the culprits besides slaughtering more innocents?¡±

    Owl mask shifted her gaze to Ao and coolly replied, ¡°Whomever we¡¯ve captured and or executed are not innocent.¡±

    I had to speak to that, ¡°Maybe not of petty crimes but of this? Are you saying the low caste Genin and Chuunin you took had a hand in Sandaime-sama¡¯s murder?¡±

    Owl mask¡¯s hands fell at her side as clenched fists and I felt her gaze harden on me behind her mask. I tried not to squirm and she breathed, ¡°His secretary¡¯s testimony fails to impress us. She was recently promoted to her station as well, as part of many of Sandaime-sama¡¯s mercies to her kind.¡±

    The Funato clan head stroked his thin beard as he groaned, ¡°Never mind that, in regards to your summons, Mei, Yagura, Ao, Fuguki, I will ask each of you aid the ANBU.¡±

    A mission? Even though I knew the Mizukage¡¯s true killer I couldn¡¯t refute the death threats. Someone had to be behind all of this. In the anime only Mei, Fuguki and Ao are glimpsed on screen, I don¡¯t know how Madara and Obito¡¯s schemes affected the individual lives of background characters.

    A little harsh to call them background characters. I winced at my thoughts. But the fog of war remained and I was getting caught in it. If I were the full-fledged Elite Jounin, Yagura Karatachi, in fullness this situation wouldn¡¯t be so uneasy.

    I¡¯ve literally only practised [Water Style: Water Dragon] because I thought it was too cool to try anything else. In hindsight maybe starting Ninjutsu practice with an A-rank jutsu known for its long series of hand signs wasn¡¯t the brightest idea.

    Madara is dead. If Obito is any more diligent than I am he¡¯s gathering the Akatsuki by now¡­but what if he isn¡¯t?

    Yes, what if? What if none of this is going to go how I think in my head and Obito is venting his frustrations of Kirigakure already. Owl mask is pretty prejudiced already and he could be taking that to his advantage, weaken Kiri even further before hammering the nail and sending me into an unbreakable genjutsu.

    Fuck. This had better not kill me.

    ¡°Mei, Ao, follow Owl-san here to investigate Konoha¡¯s involvement.¡± The old man glanced at Fuguki and I, ¡°Only a week remains till we carry out the succession, Fuguki, guard Megumi-dono. Yagura, protect Sandaime-sama¡¯s family.¡±

    ¡°Forgive me, I believe it will be best that I watch Sandaime-sama¡¯s family as well. I will assign a squad to Ao and Mei to investigate abroad.¡± Owl mask requested and I worried the reason for her animosity thus far is the truth of my own incompetence.

    Either way, I am partly incompetent and I would appreciate the assist if there is an attempt on Rina and her mother¡¯s life. Practising Water Dragon meant I practised both hand sign speed and precise chakra control.

    I¡¯ve only cast it once successfully¡ª though it failed a moment afterwards because I couldn¡¯t control my excitement¡ª but there are less complex jutsu I can cast more easily with at level I am, if only I bothered to try.

    Gotta practise more jutsu then. Got it. ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea too. Owl-san likely has some unfinished internal investigations as well.¡± I said.

    Old man Funato didn¡¯t look concerned, ¡°As you wish. Let us bring justice to our Kage and soon.¡±

    He struck his cane and everyone stood to bow. Nana Megumi shifted her mat closer and sat while the rest of us filed out of the room into the blue hallway.

    Fuguki cast me a sideways glare but doesn¡¯t so much as bother to say a word of aggression or arrogance even in the face of our coming death match. Mei and Ao remain back to talk to Owl mask, it¡¯s unfortunate too because from the tone and urgency I doubt I¡¯ll be seeing either in the coming weeks.

    Darn it. My one chance to ask for a training session with her. Okay, maybe I had ulterior motives to wanting to talk to her, who can blame me? Her hair had begun to grow into an auburn mane and the sensual, cherry sway of her waist seized my gaze. Uncle Aoto did say I should marry.

    ¡°Yagura-senpai.¡±

    Speaking of marriage, last to exit the room, Rina approached me with a fierce and determined fire in her eyes. Her hands clutched the kunai that bore that god awful message, ¡°Please, make me strong!¡±

 Water You Capable Of?

    The Hozuki clan grounds are wet. Sections of it are split into pools and waterfalls of various sizes and the homes, halls and training areas are smack dab in-between with some even constructed atop a shallow river or small lake.

    It isn¡¯t uncommon to find children and adults spending time fishing out of the bodies of water surrounding their homes but it¡¯s far more common to find members within the waters themselves. More than once I¡¯ve been scared out of my body when I look down and find the face of a child staring up at me in the water like some water spirit or something.

    Since I¡¯m on protection duties, I¡¯ve had to move in with Rina and her mother. Their floating home has more rooms than even their servants have use for so it was easy settling in. For practical concerns, Fuguki moved in alongside Nana Megumi¡ª although she seemed upset to have to leave her main quarters at the centre of the compound.

    I didn¡¯t see Owl mask often but I did sense her presence here and there, especially when I was with Rina. In the two days I¡¯ve been here, Fuguki and I rarely cross paths, a thing I am grateful for because when we do cross paths Samehada¡¯s loud purring and sometimes outright lurches at me make me very uncomfortable.

    ¡°Samehada can¡¯t wait to have a taste.¡± He¡¯d said when it first happened and I barely managed to dodge in time. I scolded him as unprofessional of course, it¡¯s the best thing I could do and since then he¡¯s kept Samehada from lurching at me.

    Knowing how delicious that living sword thinks Bijuu chakra is I could be faulted for baiting it. I wasn¡¯t expecting to be assigned on a protection mission or any mission at all for that matter, after all, I¡¯d just become a Jinchuriki and Kage-candidate, I couldn¡¯t be exposed to dangers willy-nilly.

    Unfortunately, here I am, away from Turtle Island where I can make good practise with the time left until I face Fuguki in mortal combat. Desperate, I continued on with my chakra moulding training, but with Owl mask, Nana Megumi and Fuguki nearby I didn¡¯t dare practice stealing Isobu¡¯s chakra.

    But I believed I could still find my way to Isobu without poking at him through the seal. The progress I¡¯d gained in my week on Turtle Island made me familiar with his chakra, I could sense the direction the Three Pillar Seal siphoned fractions of it to convert into usable chakra.

    If I¡¯m right, then all I had to do was follow the trail and meditation would help me key into it.

    ¡°Did you see! I got all targets under three seconds! Yagura-senpai?¡±

    If only I had the peace of Turtle Island. I refrained from groaning as I peered my eyes open and found Rina grinning up at me all sweaty. I sat atop one of the taller target posts with only a metal tray to keep my balance. She found it very impressive when I first threw myself on here but in truth I¡¯m barely doing anything asides trusting my body not to fall over.

    Rina pointed over at the posts on the other side where she practiced her [Shurikenjutsu] as per my instructions. To her credit she consistently hit all targets, even the ones held up in what few trees the training grounds could foster.

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    Far from the grieving girl I met at the Mizukage¡¯s funeral, Rina wears gripped black training shorts and an ash grey cropped jacket-top that had pockets for senbon needles and shuriken.

    She¡¯s already on the move retrieving the fallen and embedded ninja tools from their targets.

    ¡°Improve it to a single second.¡± Is my half-hearted instruction and by the look on her face I can tell she saw it coming.

    Still, she doesn¡¯t complain and carries on with practicing her throws. I know this isn¡¯t the kind of mentorship she wants out of training with the infamous Yagura Karatachi but until I can live up to his name, it¡¯s going to be the best she¡¯ll get.

    In hindsight I should have shut her down entirely but how could I possibly? She lost her father, a man she believed to be the strongest around in a mysterious and suspicious manner, and now her family is facing blatant death threats in the aftermath.

    Of course she¡¯ll want to get stronger. I don¡¯t need to be a mind reader to know or sympathise with what she¡¯s feeling. But it doesn¡¯t change the scope of my abilities to help. [Shurikenjutsu] is one of the most muscle memory reliant skills I¡¯ve found in my repertoire, right alongside Bojutsu and to a lesser extent, Taijutsu because Yagura never quite favoured it.

    Plus, [Shurikenjutsu] is vague and easy to critique if she ever bothers to ask for help improving, which in the past two days, she doesn¡¯t. It¡¯s a simple skill capable of being self-taught.

    Satisfied with myself I recede back to my meditative state and continue seeking the right Bijuu mana thread that will lead me into a conversation with Isobu. It¡¯s becoming more frustrating each time I fail because as far as I know, Naruto never struggled so much to communicate with Kurama and the first few times he wasn¡¯t even trying.

    Hmm, maybe that¡¯s the problem. I¡¯m trying too hard instead of letting Isobu come to me.

    I tried to think of it from Isobu¡¯s perspective. If I was just re-sealed into yet another Jinchuriki the only opportunity I¡¯d be looking for was one to seize control and escape, not talk. If that¡¯s true then I need to somehow make myself vulnerable enough for Isobu to bite the bait, of course, there¡¯s no guarantee he won¡¯t succeed and escape.

    ¡°Yagura-sensei.¡±

    I let out a breath as Rina interrupts before I can even get back in the zone. ¡°Yes, Rina?¡±

    Her lips press together as she nervously looked up at me, ¡°Could we train Ninjutsu instead? I¡¯m not really a ninja tool user, only in emergencies.¡±

    ¡°Emergencies are exactly why you¡¯re training in them now, didn¡¯t you say I should make you strong?¡± Is my swift rebuttal as she practically makes the argument for me.

    Looking deflated she murmured, ¡°Yeah but I thought you¡­train in that and then I¡¯d be stronger.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡± I squint down at her, not catching the middle part of whatever she said.

    Inhaling and setting her fidgeting hands straight at her side she glared up at me and spoke in a clear, direct voice, ¡°I said I thought you could help strengthen my Hyrdification.¡±

    At this I raise an eyebrow. [Hyrdification] according to both my memories and Yagura¡¯s is a Hozuki clan secret technique, a [Hiden Art] not unlike Yagura¡¯s own [Water Mirror] technique, which should be the easiest jutsu for me to cast but¡­I don¡¯t know the full secret, at least not yet. Browsing through Yagura¡¯s memories on a subject like Ninjutsu takes time and practise.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I could help with that, Rina. Wouldn¡¯t Nana Megumi be a more fitting teacher if that¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for?¡±

    Her gaze faltered for a moment before finding my eyes again, ¡°No, maybe you can¡¯t help me with my clan technique but I know you¡¯re the only one that can make me strong, strong like my father.¡±

    Ahhh, I see what this is about then. ¡°Huh, alright then. Show me what you can do.¡± I said and hopped off the post, with a Tiger hand sign I summoned my hooked Bo-staff from the scroll I carry around and twirled it with deft, ¡°Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, show me what you¡¯re capable of, Hozuki Rina.¡±

 Whet Stone

    I tossed my Bo-staff from hand to hand and paced around Rina as she paced around me. Her eyes were steely firm, her breath even and legs set apart ready to bolt.

    Like most people she stood a head taller than me and I smiled up at her, watching the nervousness behind her eyes lock away behind something else, a fury and thirst for power and perhaps vengeance.

    When she explained she wanted to be strong like her father I immediately understood what she wanted and so I ask, ¡°What do you believe about these rumours?¡±

    Confused, her backward hold on her kunai loosens for a moment before she pieces together what rumours I¡¯m talking about. Eyes narrowed, she takes a step, ¡°I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s possible, Father was the strongest person and¡ª¡±

    I lurched at her before she could complete her reply. Bringing my bo-staff down on her head, her eyes go wide and she dashes out of the way and my smite craters a small part of the ground instead.

    Startled, she leaps around the field away from me, skidding to a stop near the water and flurrying through hand-signs as I tell her, ¡°Nothing is impossible.¡±

    Yagura recognizes the hand-signs she flips through¡ª Ox, Snake, Ram¡ª and before her chakra takes hold of the water to divest it to mist¡ª I remember exactly how to deal with this jutsu.

    ¡°Water Release: Hidden in the Mist.¡±

    I grinned and kept my Bo-staff close as a heavy smog thickened around me, obscuring even the ground and any identifiable markers of the training ground.

    With this I¡¯ve already begun to enjoy Rina¡¯s company. In my earlier challenges casting the [Water Dragon] I theorized I¡¯d have an easier time if someone would just show me how it¡¯s done right, if someone would cast a jutsu Yagura already knows so well and remind him of how it¡¯s done.

    Sure, I¡¯m no Uchiha and I can¡¯t see or precisely sense how chakra flows for any jutsu cast by someone else. But hand-signs are just that, they might not control how chakra moves directly but they¡¯re the blueprint for starting most jutsu. Yagura, even body-snatched by me, remains a master at Water Release, it¡¯s one of his biggest claims to the Kage title, the fact that he can wield Water Release like a fricking water bender.

    What are hand-sign¡¯s but a reminder? What is a spar but an exercise in murder?

    The mist shifted some feet away even as I wince at my own bloodlusted thoughts. Water bender or not, Yagura is a Kirigakure shinobi and if the memories of dealing with this technique are as real as they feel then he certainly wasn¡¯t the kindest person.

    I wonder how long before I¡¯m exactly the man in these memories. Given how easy it¡¯s becoming to wield his power I wouldn¡¯t wager long. These aren¡¯t the times for peaceful rulers.

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    Another shift in the mist nearby causes me to narrow my gaze around the thick impenetrable wall of fog around me, ¡°You¡¯re not good enough at Silent Killing to use it on me, Rina.¡±

    Entirely a boast. Yagura¡¯s hearing is insane and I can make out the scratch of her footsteps as she glides off the ground but if I didn¡¯t already remember how to dispel her [Hidden in the Mist] technique I¡¯d be a sitting duck.

    My ears twitched at a sound behind me and I shifted my Bo-staff appropriately, deflecting a flurry of senbon meant to skewer me. Another disturbance in the mist comes from the front but at the same time shuriken and senbon soar at me from seemingly all angles.

    Shurikenjutsu¡­or something else? I mused and rotated my Bo-staff in place while plucking some shuriken out of the air for myself¡ª a skill I didn¡¯t know I had until now. I launched three plucked shuriken at speed to my left, right and behind me while I glared at the impenetrable fog in front of me.

    The clang of kunai deflecting shuriken confirmed my thoughts but before I can lurch at her position Yagura¡¯s entire body clenches up with indecision and countering commands. I learn why instantly.

    Rina¡¯s foot surges under me from a puddle of water I¡¯d failed to notice, slamming into my gut and thrusting me into the air while she reforms from the water to lurch at my prone, vulnerable form with a kunai, victory shining in her eyes.

    I let Yagura¡¯s body do as it pleases in my hasty defence and I come up with a half Tiger hand sign. The mist around us condenses to water in an instant and whips of water latch onto Rina¡¯s lurching hand.

    She struggles as I land, breath choked out of me by her kick with my fingers pressed into the half Tiger. Another thing I¡¯d never done, I could feel my chakra within the whips holding her back and I knew all I needed to do to solidify my victory was a bit more chakra, so I fed it more.

    The whips grew huge as the mist thinned¡ª I was seizing control of the water in the air from her for my own uses¡ª and before Rina knew what was happening she was locked in a floating orb of water.

    ¡°Water Prison.¡± I grinned at Rina now trapped in the heavy and sturdy ball of water, ¡°Not bad, not bad at all.¡±

    She gave up a sign of surrender and the mist begun to rise and fade away. Behind me I heard water splashing and turned to find a Water Clone of Rina being dispelled. I smirked.

    She could have kept going, I didn¡¯t know about that. I had suspected considering how her senbon and shuriken moved at me but nothing took my mind to a clone. I released my own [Water Prison] technique, sad to see its perfect form go and Rina collapsed to the ground out of breath.

    ¡°You give up too easily, Rina.¡± The Yagura in me critiqued, ¡°You can breathe in water, can¡¯t you?¡±

    She nods and picked herself up, squeezing the water out of her shoulder-length purple chrome hair. ¡°It¡¯s harder when the water is dominated by someone else¡¯s chakra and I can¡¯t seize it back.¡±

    I nodded at that and released my summoning on the Bo-staff, ¡°I see¡­well, you¡¯re certainly capable. I see room for growth.¡±

    She grinned, looking relieved at the mention, ¡°Really? So you¡¯ll teach me from now on?¡±

    As far as I know, taking on a student is a big responsibility and I¡¯m only a couple of days away from being declared the Fourth Mizukage and there were many issues within Kiri I needed to take care of even before moving onto my schemes against Obito and the Akatsuki.

    I shrugged, ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything except that sometimes I¡¯ll say yes when you ask. Sometimes.¡±

    She fell into a deep bow and yelled, ¡°Thank you for the opportunity, Yagura-sensei!¡±

    I cringed and fell onto my butt. As it turned out, sparring and training with a partner does help far more than by myself. I wouldn¡¯t ever let her know but I was looking forward to more training sessions

 En Garde

    Fuguki leered down at me across the dinner table, his small eyes, the six green stripes along his face and shark-like teeth contrasted so much with his tied up orange hair that made him look like a really ugly schoolgirl.

    The thinly veiled killing intent radiating off him did lessen the effect a bit but not by much, not since Nana Megumi pulled us both by our cheeks to take a seat at her table. It makes sense if it¡¯s just me¡ª I pass off as a child anyway¡ª but him too? Far too hilarious to let him intimidate me.

    In a way it did humanize Fuguki to me a bit more. All this time I¡¯ve only seen him as a filler character that I wouldn¡¯t mind murdering if it got my butt in the Mizukage¡¯s office. But watching Nana Megumi insist he¡¯s been working and training far too seriously and to eat reminded me that in this timeline, Fuguki is only in his mid-twenties.

    Despite being quite young he survived the receiving end of Might Duy¡¯s [Eighth Gate of Death] and managed to rescue both Juzo and Raiga, not to mention retrieving the other legendary swords¡ª a thing I¡¯m very grateful for.

    He played a major role in the war for Kirigakure and even now seeks to better it in his own skewed reality, all in service of the village. Recalling how he ended up dead, I figure he¡¯s Kirigakure¡¯s Danzo, a shady figure pulling strings for the benefit of the village no matter how anyone else perceives him to be pure evil.

    He isn¡¯t though, he¡¯s just an ugly school girl. I tell myself as Rina guides servants to plate the tables and fill them with assorted sea foods. They placed a hot pot of vegetables, tofu, squid and some clams tied up in noodles. Cluttered another side of the table with mouth-watering grilled fish and cod as well as a platter of sushi.

    The dishes kept coming but I lost track once mine arrived. A servant bowed her head deep as she does, hiding the knowing smirk on her lips as I uncover the only dish they¡¯ve known me to appreciate. Seafood Donburi.

    It might be an exaggeration to call it Seafood Donburi but what else would you call a bowl of rice littered with shrimp and marinated in a glazed sauce? Yagura and I had very conflicting tastes, having grown up here he¡¯d love just about every fishy meal Rina¡¯s placed here but coming from a meat loving culture myself, I can¡¯t help but protest my limited meal choices.

    As such, noodles, rice, shrimp and the occasional squid have been a consistent part of my meals.

    Rina took her seat at Nana Megumi¡¯s right hand, her mother sat at her left and Fuguki beside her. Of everyone assigned to the protection mission only Owl mask was absent from the table¡ª ANBU don¡¯t stop working till the end. Nana Megumi had a pleasant smile once Rina got seated, clasping her granddaughters hand and whispering a small thanks. Since that message was delivered Rina¡¯s mother didn¡¯t look the same, in fact, she looked almost dead herself.

    Listless eyes, cracked lips, a stench that followed and a general lack of enthusiasm for anything, not even the child growing within her. It was troubling to watch her slip further into such a state but as much as I sympathized there was nothing I could do for her. It made Yagura feel weak.

    He knew these people and had feelings and opinions attached to each of them before I came along and slapped ¡®background character¡¯ status on their heads. Though as time passed I began to feel and think about them beyond my schemes as well.

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    Nana Megumi went to grasp her daughter-in-law¡¯s hand but was quickly repulsed. Rina¡¯s mother was of the Funato clan and didn¡¯t share many features with her child. Her lack of hair colour beyond black was one indicator another was the hot and very hot relationship she seemed to have with Nana Megumi.

    ¡°Ahem, tomorrow is a big day for Kiri.¡± Nana Megumi says as everyone settles. She turns her gaze to Fuguki and I, ¡°Both of you are brilliant shinobi and have served loyally for years, thank you. No matter the outcome of tomorrow¡¯s duel know that you are precious.¡±

    Fuguki managed a normal looking smile at this and bows his head, ¡°It has been an honour to serve, it will be a greater honour to serve as Mizukage.¡± He glances at me from the corner of his eye, barely holding back a glare.

    Ignoring it I smiled although more reservedly as I spoke, ¡°Thank you, Megumi-dono, but I believe it¡¯s a sad day for Kiri to lose even one shinobi, not to mention one as skilled and renown as Fuguki.¡±

    A rumble of a growl erupts from him at my words, ¡°You believe yourself victorious already, how foolish.¡±

    ¡°No, I believe it will be foolish for either of us to die.¡± I said firmly meeting his sharp glare, ¡°If I become Mizukage tomorrow I will need strong shinobi most of all and it would pain me greatly to have callously killed one. Would you not feel the same?¡±

    Fuguki hesitated to answer for a moment and Nana Megumi cut in, ¡°It is my son¡¯s will that the match be to the final end. That was his will.¡±

    His will is flawed. But alas, I bite my tongue and didn¡¯t say what I felt would be truly necessary for the bloodlusted clan head to hear; her son was under immense genjutsu and half of the things he initiated was batshit crazy.

    ¡°I only mean to¡ª¡±

    Megumi narrowed her eyes at me and I wisely kept shut. She tried to resurrect her fallen smile as she glanced at her silent and exhausted granddaughter who had begun taking up her mother¡¯s duties and cleared her throat again, ¡°Enough of that, let us eat and be full for the future the Yondaime Mizukage will bring.¡±

    Fuguki and I shared a look and I felt myself lose more of my will to kill the S-rank, high value, swordsman of the mist.

    Maybe if I win decisively no one will da-

    My thoughts are cut off by a sudden explosion outside, the tremors rattle food off the table before anyone has a chance to get a good bite and Rina¡¯s mother screeches in abject terror.

    ¡°No! No! Not my baby! Leave me!¡± She continued screaming even as Nana Megumi and Rina fall to her aid.

    Fuguki and I are immediately up on our feet, without thinking I order him as I summon my Bo-staff in a poof of smoke, ¡°Stay with them and I¡¯ll have a look.¡±

    ¡°No, you stay back and protect them I wil-!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no time for this!¡± I shut him down entirely as my eyes close before declaring, ¡°There are three groups closing in on our position, I think we might both need to go out.¡±

    How do I even know that? How can I see through the mist? I left my ponderings on Yagura¡¯s insane capabilities that keep appearing on instinct for later as Owl masks materializes in a cloud of mist.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Fuguki barked out the moment she appeared fully.

    ¡°It¡¯s being handled.¡± She says stoically though I note the quiet dripping of blood from her shoulder.

    ¡°Is it? There are three groups of two coming our way right now.¡± I rebut, keying into Yagura¡¯s strange mistborn senses. ¡°Okay¡­three are being engaged by your units now.¡±

    Her gaze falls on me and she snorts through a pained grunt as she raises her fingers to form hand signs, ¡°Sensor-nin, good then. Yagura come with me, Fuguki, protect them.¡±

    A flash of disgust spreads over Fuguki¡¯s face at the assignment, he glances back and Rina and her mentally broken mother howling for her unborn child to be safe. His jaw locks but he gives Owl mask and I curt nods, ¡°Do well.¡±

    Owl mask completes her jutsu and chakra surges out throughout the room, a frosty hue and temperature takes every corner at her final sign, ¡°There, you¡¯ll have some help¡­if you need.¡±

    No more words are shared as Owl mask and I dash out the house and onto the rooftops, ready to greet our visitors. Meanwhile I couldn¡¯t believe the gall of our attackers.

    It¡¯s the last day before I become Mizukage, why couldn¡¯t they just fucking wait?

 Killer Instinct

    Yagura was a beast.

    I twirled around the pathetic attack, the bone user¡¯s arm overextends as I slip into his guard and deliver an uplifting uppercut to his stomach and then strike him down with my Bo-staff. The sound of bone crunching against my staff and the sight of blood spill as he coughs from crushed ribs fills me with unimagined glee.

    A flurry of bone parts threatens to pierce me from the right but a glass pane of ice rises up to shield me. I glance behind me where Owl mask fends off a man with protruding bones and hiss as he nearly has her pinned down with his extended rib cage boxing her in.

    Without thinking about it my fingers flip through hand-signs and chakra answers my will, ¡°Water Release: Water Bullet!¡±

    Pursing my lips, a high pressured wave of water emits out at our opponents, cutting through the ground as I struggle to control the pressure for a second before I set it right upon my target.

    His disfigured body of bone suffers a direct impact but to my annoyance my pressured stream doesn¡¯t cut him in half, more bone seems to construct underneath his skin, hardening him against my attack. I fuel my jutsu with more chakra, intent on seeing the man¡¯s blood soak. His protruding bone ribcage snaps off, pieces flying off randomly as they lose against the pressure of my jutsu.

    Tossed through the Hozuki clan grounds like a ragdoll the man struggles to get on his feet again in the time my jutsu elapses. A large part of me wanted nothing but to chase after him and ensure he bleeds for attacking us but I have other concerns, namely myself and allies.

    Around me is a mess of water and bone. Rina¡¯s house was cut in half despite our best efforts, a mountain of bone shattered through the right half with the left half only protected by Fuguki¡¯s jutsu. Where there would be an opening to invade the home through windows and breaches, there¡¯s a large collection of orange hair and ice instead.

    I ran over to Owl mask and crouched beside her as she groaned. Of all of us she expended the most chakra and ironically had the least. Without her jutsu though, I doubt we could have protected the Third¡¯s family as well as we have.

    ¡°Lay down.¡± I ordered, forcing her shoulders back on the bloodstained waters around us.

    ¡°Kill him.¡± She gritted out.

    The man in question doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s capable of causing any more trouble than he has, though he has caused trouble. Eyes narrowed at him as he pulls onto his feet, I flip through familiar hand-signs and the water around me surges at him.

    He screams and bursts with chakra but unlike the frightening creature of bone anatomy he transformed into, he only manages two bone swords. But it doesn¡¯t matter. The water splashes into his face unheeded, drowning him with force as my will forms a [Water Prison] to trap and control him.

    I¡¯d used this jutsu earlier in the fight as well but to greater efficiency. The first [Water Prison] was a small ball no larger than a football and coloured dark crimson. With the pressure within the [Water Prison] I can crush whoever is trapped inside until all that¡¯s left of them is the size of a football.

    Yagura is a beast.

    I snatched some supplies from Owl masks pouch and quickly got to staunching her many lacerations and stab wounds. I hadn¡¯t come out unscathed either. My left arm is almost split in two from the litany of bone spears and other projectiles, not to mention I¡¯ve been stabbed twice when the enemy got passed my ranged attacks.

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    Still, Yagura managed to prove superior against them even at close combat quarters. The insane amount of bloodlust that surged in me with each close encounter fuelled a passion for battle I never realized Yagura had.

    I split some of Owl masks bandages around my stomach, thanks to Isobu¡¯s chakra the injury on my left arm is already sewing up itself.

    I¡¯ve been underestimating myself, or rather Yagura. When I sensed the enemy through the mist and leaped out onto the now partially destroyed rooftops to face them, I was crossing my fingers in the hope that I didn¡¯t die. I didn¡¯t think I had a chance against actual enemy combatants until I faced them.

    And it was glorious. The striking pain of being sliced and stabbed, the pressure of keeping distance and preventing the porcupine-like enemy from getting the advantage, the magnitude of their jutsu to destroy half of an Ice Warded home even with Fuguki inside.

    The thrill had me licking my lips, excited to cut down more. All this time I¡¯ve judged Fuguki, the clans and even the Sandaime in silence, thinking them all as bloodlusted beasts and I a paragon of fairness but here I am, my heart racing for more blood to spill.

    Yagura is a beast. You¡¯d have to be to be so strong in a place like this. Having had a taste of my very first kills I find little remorse in my heart for my actions; the line between Yagura and I continues to blur.

    ¡°Kill them.¡± Owl mask groans, slapping my hand away as she pulls herself up. Even with her mask on I could feel a heated glare fix on the last man I¡¯ve kept as prisoner.

    I shook my head and ordered the [Water Prison] closer to me, ¡°No, we need one alive at least.¡± I said, studying the partially drowning man.

    [Water Prison] is a very versatile jutsu, with it I can ensure he drowns or that he doesn¡¯t, I can knock him out or crush him to the size of a football, but most importantly I can keep him exactly like this for as long as my chakra will allow.

    Floating inside the ball of water is a man of the Kaguya clan. If their Bone manipulating techniques weren¡¯t obvious enough the zigzag pattern splitting their hair and the red dots on their head gave them away.

    ¡°Why?¡± Owl mask gritted, terribly low on chakra judging by her heavy gasps.

    ¡°Exactly that,¡± I tell her, ¡°The Kaguya clan attack so blatantly, not even bothering to hide their faces. We must know why.¡±

    Owl mask lifts her mask and chewed on a pill, ¡°We already know why. To kill Sandaime-sama¡¯s family, to finish off his lineage!¡±

    Whatever she took seemed to increase her chakra and she stood stronger for it, strong enough to be bothersome. ¡°You think they killed Sandaime-sama too?¡± I scoffed and sat down with my legs crossed, ¡°No, they¡¯re insufficient for such. Recall Ao, we should interrogate this one with him present.¡±

    ¡°You have no power ordering me around.¡± She hissed through the pain of her wounds, stepping closer to me and the [Water Prison] her chakra summoning a frosty kunai from the water all over.

    ¡°No, and you can certainly do as you please right now without breaking any rules. But if I become Mizukage¡­I won¡¯t forget this.¡±

    That halts her in place and I feel her intense glare sublime into something of fear and a tad bit of respect as she allows her ice kunai to collapse back to water, ¡°Very well then, I¡¯ll recall Ao.¡±

    I gave a grateful nod and looked around the mess we¡¯ve made of the compound and sighed. Suddenly three ANBU fell from the rooftops to Owl mask, all crouching in subservience.

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    ¡°Report.¡± She groaned out.

    ¡°Sir! Funato, Yuki, Hoshigaki and Karatachi clan compounds have suffered similar attacks.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I nearly exclaimed. It¡¯s one thing for the Hozuki to be attacked but all five clans set upon by the Kaguya? ¡°What of my uncle? Where is he?¡±

    The ANBU spared me a look before glancing back at Owl mask who nodded. ¡°Aoto-dono is safe. He and other Karatachi members fended off the attack with ease¡­but there have been casualties amongst all clans save for the Hozuki.¡±

    ¡°How did this happen? How did they even get past our security? This¡­this is too suspicious.¡±

    Owl mask nods along with my deductions and turned her gaze to the Kaguya I have imprisoned, ¡°I agree. It¡¯s too coordinated for a clan of their kind, they don¡¯t seem to know anything else apart from combat.¡± She ordered her operatives, ¡°Send message to Ao, he shouldn¡¯t be far off the path towards Konoha now. We need him here.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    With that one ANBU disappears in a cloud of mist. Owl mask turned to the others and started giving out organizational orders but all my focus was entirely on my grinning prisoner.

 Final Countdown

    The village wasn¡¯t expecting an attack. Not one of this scale, targeting all five great clans simultaneously a month after the Mizukage¡¯s death was not something any one on the council could have predicted.

    The Funato clan head was nearly assassinated. The Yuki clan suffered three murders in their defence. The Hoshigaki had Kisame come to their defence, their prodigy who single-handedly dispatched all six invading Kaguya clan shinobi. And the Karatachi had Uncle Aoto cut his would be assassins to ribbons.

    Needless to say, things were looking dire and the Funato and Hozuki clans had taken the brunt of the unexpected attacks.

    Given what today was the Funato and Hozuki clans did not appreciate the extra pressure as along with recuperating from the attacks, they had to organize the village to welcome the Daimyo himself. And yet the air was filled with unease, the second rate clans smelled weakness in their ruling class and the low caste remained wild and eager to revolt as ever.

    ¡°Megumi-dono, Funato-sama, please, retreat to Turtle Island until we can assure the safety of the village. The Daimyo-¡±

    Funato snap struck his cane, silencing Uncle before he could finish, ¡°The Daimyo must be welcomed by the ruling council. It is vital that I be there, that we be there.¡± He quickly added as Megumi glanced at him, ¡°Karatachi cannot receive him alone and then present Yagura as Kage-candidate.¡±

    Seated in the corner of the councillor office where we last congregated on the death threats, I pondered the obvious implications Uncle greeting the Daimyo and preceding over my match with Fuguki would present. Especially since I was certain to prevail. It would be as if the Karatachi had taken over the nation overnight.

    Last night¡¯s events may have left me sour and tender compared to Fuguki who only had to stay inside and protect the Third¡¯s family, but during that fight I tasted a drop of what I could truly achieve with Yagura¡¯s body.

    Petite as he is every punch I threw landed with a mighty force behind it. I figured Yagura would be physically fit considering the weight of the Bo-staff, but I¡¯m realizing I might have outright underestimated his capabilities because the strength I wielded felt unreal.

    Every jutsu I casted successfully drew me closer to my Water Affinity, I could sense the hum and build-up of water molecules in the atmosphere if I meditated and passively I could fish out the closest body of water where ever I am. Along with never going thirsty again, I could now casually convert my chakra to Water Release.

    It¡¯s been two months now and I honestly thought I¡¯d have more trouble figuring this out but it¡¯s all come so naturally. I guess his genius is now mine.

    That said, I wondered about Uncle. He¡¯d been added to the council near the end of the Third¡¯s life and now he¡¯s to welcome the Daimyo and present the candidates for Yondaime Mizukage. Even though I trusted the man fully and knew the true person responsible for the Third¡¯s demise, his meteoric rise to power can be seen as suspicious and worse, treasonous.

    Fuguki sat beside me, his face an unreadable blanket. We parted ways on lighter terms having worked together to protect the Hozuki but while he¡¯s no longer rude his unfriendliness remains. I still didn¡¯t want to kill him though.

    I¡¯ve had a month long to think about it and I decided that there has to be something I can do to keep him alive. I scarcely recall but I know he served Yagura during his tenure as Mizukage¡ª albeit genjutsu Yagura but still¡ª and only perished when Kisame murdered him for his deception.

    Future deception or not, having another Kage-level shinobi running around in service of Kiri was a boon I couldn¡¯t casually throw away. What will convince them?

    ¡°What would you rather do then? Stay out in the open? You¡¯re clearly a target and you¡¯re placing yourself right next to the Daimyo! Kiri cannot lose a Mizukage and a Daimyo because of recklessness.¡± Uncle continued to argue.

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    Nana Megumi snorted, ¡°Your nephew doesn¡¯t believe those rascals are responsible for the Third. We may be targets but even so, we¡¯ll be guarded by the best, the Daimyo too won¡¯t be left alone. Aoto, we must be present.¡±

    Uncle glanced back at me with a scowl and shook his head. Breathing out a sigh he heaved and nodded, ¡°Fine then, but don¡¯t blame me if things go south.¡±

    Nana Megumi smirked, ¡°If you all fall then I will defend myself and the village.¡±

    The door flew open and a man announced with a deep bow, ¡°Funato-sama, the Daimyo¡¯s procession has been spotted. He will be at the gates within the hour.¡±

    He struck his cane with a satisfied grunt, ¡°Good, carry on with our original plans. Increased defence, everyone should be on high alert.¡±

    ¡°And make sure to keep a close eye on our Kaguya prisoner.¡± Nana Megumi quickly added.

    The man nodded and rushed back out. Uncle glanced at Fuguki and I with a soft, concerned look. I knew what he was thinking and I couldn¡¯t help return his gaze with a warm smile. A week or so ago he was confident that I would win, but since we spoke last night and he learned I haven¡¯t unlocked the secrets of his summon scroll, I think his confidence falters a bit.

    ¡°Fuguki, Yagura,¡± the Funato clan head begun, bothering to gaze on each of us with both his eyes open, ¡°Today one of you will die and the other will become Mizukage.¡±

    Bluntly put. I felt like I should argue some more against such a demand for life but this didn¡¯t seem like the right place. Not only would I shame Uncle with what can be perceived as cowardice, the Funato head and Megumi could easily decide to crown silent and obedient Fuguki.

    Nana Megumi let out a low grunt, begrudgingly accepting the murder-hobo demands of her perished son, ¡°I wish it wasn¡¯t so but we should honour him, his reign and the glory he won for our sake.¡±

    Uncle made a face, he thought differently but I¡¯m not sure how differently. I¡¯m beginning to think that only Mei and Ao are the only ones who see no point in this useless killing match. And they have no power to change it, at least not yet.

    I sighed loudly, ¡°I wish so to, Nana Megumi, it would be a shame to never see Rina again.¡± Her eyes flashed with an emotion but I quickly doubled down in laying my seeds of discourse, ¡°It would be an even greater shame if Fuguki and I were to somehow tie. I fear for the future of Kiri should it lose the both of us, who would be Mizukage then?¡±

    Her head snaps to face the Funato clan head and Uncle hid a sly smirk. Fuguki glanced down at me, a puzzled look crossing his face as his mouth opened to say something but he wisely nodded and faced the clan head.

    ¡°I tend to agree, Funato-sama.¡± Fuguki said in a measured tone, ¡°If Yagura and I were to both fall, not only would neither of us be selected but we would send Kiri into further crisis with the release of the Three-Tailed Beast.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even thought that far. Good job, Fuguki!

    He continued, ¡°Moreover, I don¡¯t believe any of the other candidates are sufficient representation of Kiri, they are skilled yes, but known and feared? Kirigakure mustn¡¯t reflect weakness with our Kage, now more than ever the Shinobi world must learn that we are not to be trifled.¡±

    The Funato clan head hummed in thought as he stroked his beard, Megumi whispered fiercely beside him, already convinced of the clear danger matching up two Kage-level shinobi presented to the village.

    ¡°Hmm, I see merit in your arguments, Fuguki, Yagura. But should Yagura-kun fall Harusame will simply reseal the Tailed Beast.¡±

    Uncle¡¯s face contorted into a deep scowl at his words, ¡°Do not speak carelessly about this, Funato-dono. Yagura was selected after careful consideration, he volunteered to host that beast for the sake of the village and now Harusame will simply reseal it in another?¡±

    Nana Megumi, seeing Uncle become angered sought to intercede but he spoke loudly over her, ¡°And who would the vessel be? Who else can host a Tailed Beast and use it against our enemies? The Utakata boy has trained his whole life and yet he still fails to satisfy expectations. We cannot keep killing and replacing assets, we¡¯re losing time to the other great nations!¡±

    A tense mood hung over the room, thick as the mist protecting the village. The three councillors shared looks and the Funato clan head spoke after a moment, ¡°I only wish to preserve the culture Lord First left behind. If we cannot honour the Mizukage¡¯s right and will to name his successor, then what cultures shall we honour?¡±

    My ears perked at his wording and before anyone can get a word in I said, ¡°But Sandaime-sama didn¡¯t name a successor did he? He gave instruction on how we should be chosen but that¡¯s not a right the Mizukage has after death, is it? Otherwise what¡¯s stopping the next Kage from saying the candidates should be Genin?¡±

    Uncle¡¯s mood quickly lightened at my point, he grinned and exclaimed, ¡°Exactly!¡±

    Nana Megumi snorted at me and shook her head, ¡°Very well, Funato-dono, Karatachi-dono, how about we simply present whoever is the winner of a fair and non-lethal contest to the Daimyo?¡±

    ¡°I find that acceptable.¡± Uncle agreed and we all looked on to the Funato clan head.

    He sighed and lightly tapped his cane, ¡°The council has voted then. So be it.¡±

 Repulse-nin vs Samehadas Chosen

    Kirigakure was abuzz in celebrations. The streets filled with vendors travelled from all corners to sell their vanity wares, fishermen showing off their proudest catch, chefs and grill masons selling sweet seasoned food.

    Buildings and stalactite mountains alike were decorated with blue streamers, paper puppets, warm lanterns filling the streets with their scent and exotic animals caged up and put on display. Citizens took to the streets of the Capital and Central districts with mirth, eager to celebrate something for once in the long year of blood and tears.

    Drummers, pipers and other instrumentalists heralded the Daimyo¡¯s coming. Scantily clothe belly dancers and oni-masked singers performed choruses and muscular oiled men flexed and choreographed harmless fights beside his palanquin.

    Contrast to the atmosphere of mirth were the sixteen royal guardsmen that walked at various points along the royal procession. They coordinated security with shinobi skipping across the rooftops above them and while the Daimyo waved cheerfully at the people, blessing and throwing kisses to maidens close enough to swear they felt his breath, all of Kiri¡¯s higher-ups held theirs in anticipation.

    I watched his entrance from within the Mizukage¡¯s Tower, the councillors had gone out to greet him at the capital gates at the north, a thing Nana Megumi expressed gratitude for because had the Daimyo come from any other gate they¡¯d have to shepherd him through the abysmal lands and homes of the Caste district.

    Even if it was the Daimyo, it¡¯s unlikely the disgruntled and oppressed low caste would behave themselves, in fact, there¡¯s all evidence showing that they won¡¯t and would see it as an opportunity to voice those concerns to a power equal to that of the Mizukage. Not at all a bad idea, leaders ought to hear the people¡¯s protests, but in the current atmosphere it would have been a security issue the moment more than two approach that regal palanquin seeking answers to the ancient problems plaguing them.

    I sighed at the thought of what waited me as Mizukage and glanced back at Fuguki who waited to be called along with me. He might have seen reason to back me up in that last meeting with the Funato clan head but I still didn¡¯t trust him with Kirigakure. If he became Mizukage I¡¯d have to deal with the threat of the Akatsuki through him and he seemed stubborn already.

    Forgetting issues as large as the Akatsuki, there were issues at home, the segregation, classism and outright xenophobia towards other islands, these issues paralyze Kiri and Fuguki is so ingrained in the system that I simply don¡¯t see him lifting a finger to change things for the better.

    No offence, of course, still a great shinobi. But a shinobi that¡¯s meant to follow me. I pulled on my gloves and sighed again, this time at my own power hungry thoughts and reassure myself that things will be fine, that they simply have to be this way first and this is who I have to be to ensure the better, easier times come sooner.

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    I resurrected Yagura¡¯s old ANBU gear for the occasion, my Bo-staff strapped onto my back, two pouches full of shuriken and senbon needles, a couple of kunai and a set of paper bombs. I also had a three pill bottles whose function I couldn¡¯t remember but one looked familiar, like the pill Owl mask took to bolster her chakra reserves.

    My forearm and shins were guarded with quality metal bars, I wore a flak armour vest instead of my usual layer of chainmail¡ª though I could have worn both, it got too heavy¡ª and I tied my headband proudly on my forehead, it pushed back my grey bangs and made the pink of my eyes stand out even more.

    ¡°Yagura-san, Fuguki-san, the Daimyo will see you now.¡± A young woman announced behind me. I turned and recognized her as one of the Hozuki by the way her hair colour shades.

    Fuguki and I share a look and then simultaneously we give curt nods to the woman. She bows steeply and exits the lounge.

    It¡¯s not the first time Fuguki and I have been alone, he towered over me in height, at least three feet taller than me which meant he stood at nearly a two metres tall. I craned my neck to meet his gaze, he hadn¡¯t changed anything about his attire or made any special preparations I can tell of, Samehada waited at his back with barely restrained bloodlust.

    ¡°Yagura,¡± He started, his voice booming deeper than mine could ever hope to be, ¡°You are¡­a good shinobi.¡±

    My eyes widen and I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Thank you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re confident you will win, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    At this my lips purse in quiet thought. I hadn¡¯t succeeded in connecting with Isobu like I originally planned and I couldn¡¯t sign a summoning contract for that one-hit KO genjutsu, I wasn¡¯t as strong as I wanted to be.

    But for Fuguki, what I had would be enough. I found his gaze and held it, ¡°Yes, I must.¡±

    He studied me for a moment before letting out a breath as he grunted, ¡°Do not shame me, if you are to defeat me then do so with all your strength, do not hold back. I will not.¡±

    Fuguki turned away before I could offer up a response to what I translated as shinobi talk for ¡®I respect you.¡¯. I followed up after him and together the large hall doors part for us to meet the Daimyo.

    Besides Fuguki¡¯s towering height I felt like a child walking in with their parent but quickly banished the thought as an aide announced us.

    ¡°Yagura Karatachi and Fuguki Suikazan, Daimyo-sama.¡±

    ¡°Ho?¡± The Daimyo¡¯s eyes parsed the both of us, going up¡­and then down. ¡°This is the¡­the one renown as the Repulse-nin? Hmm, very young yes? Yes?¡± He looked around the long table that had the councillors on the right side and a trio of eunuch looking men I¡¯ve never seen before.

    The Daimyo himself was a young man no older than his late thirties, two pretty women stood at his side with a fan and the other with a platter of cakes and sweets.

    ¡°Not too young, Daimyo-sama, he is also the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, his power only grows as he does.¡± Uncle quickly comes to my defence.

    ¡°Hmm? And the large one?¡± He pulled a dango from a stack and snacked on it.

    ¡°Fuguki Suikazan, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and wielder of Samehada, the strongest blade of the Seven.¡± Nana Megumi introduced.

    The Daimyo let out a high-pitched squeal of excitement, ¡°Mmm! Ichidaime¡¯s favourite weapons, my grandfather favoured him so much and he wielded that Samehada too. Good good. Who will be the Yondaime then? Repulse-nin or Samehada¡¯s chosen one?¡±

    Well, that would be me of course.

 Gladiators

    ¡°Halt!¡±

    The word put a cap on my surged adrenaline, sputtering, I looked past Fuguki with Samehada halfway unfurled, his grin has only grown and his focus remains on me as we stand off atop the beach waters.

    Bar Beach¡ª rocks of all sizes rise from the surface as the wave from the greater ocean washes against them and the shoreline leading into Kiri. The Funato clan arranged the event well, with celebrations reaching their peak in the village the most important individuals gathered to watch the next Mizukage rise.

    I glanced at them on the stands. Several ANBU¡ª including Owl mask who I thought would be recovering from yesterday given I still am¡ª around a dozen Jounin excluding Mei and Ao, and a handful of Chuunin, even Rina as she sat on the main stage with her grandmother, Nana Megumi.

    Lord Funato and the Daimyo were whispering things to each other after calling for us to stop, I wondered what it was and couldn¡¯t shake the feeling in my bone it meant nothing good for me.

    As soon as Raiga, Juzo and Kisame approached them in bows, I snapped back at Fuguki¡¯s enlarged grin, his laughter barely restrained for the seriousness of out bout.

    ¡°You¡­what have you done?¡±

    He smirked and tossed Samehada from hand to hand, ¡°It¡¯s all within the rules, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°What are yo-¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡± The Daimyo calls for attention and we turn to him together. The young man looked upon us from the beach and announced, ¡°Some last minute changes to our contestants and the rules, it will be the last don¡¯t worry.¡±

    I noticed Harusame bowing to listen to Nana Megumi¡¯s words, the crunch of his face and Utakata¡¯s discomfort told me more than I wanted to know, than I wanted to be true.

    ¡°According to Sandaime¡¯s will this will be a battle royale amongst the most prominent candidates that volunteer to participate. Since the death conditions have been stripped I have seen favour to allow the other swordsmen of the mist participate as they should. Killing your opponent is¡­¡± he turned to Lord Funato then continued, ¡°Yes, it is frowned upon but is not the main victory condition. Kisame, Juzo, Raiga, join your opponents in the waters.¡±

    Fuck me.

    Raiga gladly leaped from stone top to land at Fuguki¡¯s side, twirling his Twin Kiba¡¯s and matching his shit eating grin. Kisame sunk through the sea, finding his abode within it like the shark he is, he circled underneath my feet for a moment before resurfacing some ways behind me. Juzo strolled across the middle, glancing at Fuguki and I as if weighing the scale against aligning with either of us. He snorts and remains in the middle.

    The Daimyo¡¯s voice shrieks out with my tripled heartbeat, ¡°The victory condition is¡­Last man standing! Begin!¡±

    No one moved. Not even Fuguki. I gripped my Bo-staff dearly, my mind spiralling from how this went from manageable to fucked in all but two seconds. I remained keenly aware of Kisame behind me and quickly ranked my opponents by priority while I broke the cold tension.

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    ¡°You guys see Harusame over there, don¡¯t you?¡± Raiga, the first to turn a side glance is the least of my problems. His lightning Release with the Kiba might be a pain but just thinking about his technique has Yagura¡¯s mind pumping out Wind Release techniques I should be capable of.

    None answer me, not even Juzo who still looks like he¡¯s deciding who to aid in the start of the fight. I considered him the second threat because of Kubikiribocho, that large blade is capable of cutting through insane materials, I can¡¯t let it harm me.

    ¡°He¡¯s here for me, should the Three-Tails be set free to rampage, he¡¯ll step in and seal it right back.¡± I pat my stomach for emphasis, ¡°But he won¡¯t be quick enough to save anyone in its path, I doubt he will.¡±

    Fuguki snorts, his ever present grin dropping at last as he shifts, ¡°I fear no beast. Juzo, shall I cut you down as well?¡±

    Juzo swings Kubikiribocho to form against Fuguki and Raiga in response, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? The rule is last man standing!¡±

    He shutters forward and I don¡¯t spare a second turning on my heels and sprinting towards Kisame. Gotta take out the annoyances first!

    Kisame is bobbing inside the water, shirtless already and gathering an immense amount of chakra that suffuses the water around him. I curse my luck for not having lightning release to punish him for such vulnerability and instead bring my Bo-staff down on his exposed head.

    The water explodes, casting me into the air for a moment as Kisame swims within a giant water diving shark cloak. Even without having experienced him at his peak S-rank future self I can tell this is a prototype of his technique, weaker, less chakra¡ª He won¡¯t keep up this up for long, not without Samehada!

    ¡°Water Release: Shark Bullet!¡± With a thrust of his arm Kisame sends the watery effigy of a shark after my falling body.

    At this time all I can think of is how brilliant it would be to know the secret to my clan secret technique. Gritting my teeth and setting my Bo-staff aside I flip through Tiger-Ox-Tiger-Rat hand-signs as fast as my fingers will move and chakra kneaded in my stomach swells into a water within my mouth, ¡°Water Release: Water Bullet!¡±

    Our two techniques clash in a watery display and I continued plummet, turning around just in time to glance Juzo wildly dancing around Fuguki and Raiga¡¯s lightning.

    My body breaks through the water and I start kicking towards where I last sensed Kisame¡¯s chakra¡ª I considered disturbing Juzo¡¯s fight with the others but thought better of it, Kisame is less experienced and powerful than Fuguki who has the Samehada, no point getting my chakra drained so early in the battle.

    Kisame seems to have the same idea because as I swam after him he responded to my approach in kind. ¡°Kuchiyose no Justu!¡±

    Suddenly poofs of smoke crowd around me and if I weren¡¯t holding my breath underwater I¡¯d curse my choice of first opponent. Sharks big and small dashed after me, snapping and gnawing for a taste of my blood.

    I know it¡¯s exactly what he wants but rather than let his summons make mincemeat of me I swirl water around myself similar to [Water Prison] and ejected from the shark trap.

    As I thought, Kisame leaps after me, his gaze narrowed in steep concentration as he brings his katana to bear. But if he thinks he¡¯s going to put me on the defensive¡­

    ¡°Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!¡±

    His eyes widen in surprise as the [Water Prison] encasing me surged out in form of an enraged water dragon. It smashed into him and releases me so I land back on the water surface, watching with reserved satisfaction as I directed the water dragon with a single half-Tiger hand sign to gnaw and blast him against one of the larger rocks.

    All that practise was worth it. I breathed a heavy sigh as Kisame¡¯s body cratered against the rock, nearly shattering it from the impact of my [Water Dragon]. His summons disappears underwater but I¡¯m still cautious so I flip through familiar hand signs and water rises to encase him in a [Water Prison] with very little space for movement. It¡¯s easily become my second favourite jutsu.

    One down...three more to go.

 Caught Lacking

    ¡°Raiga!¡±

    Crackling with lightning armour, Raiga braces against Samehada¡¯s strike, buckling under the weight of the chakra eating blade. His armour withers from mere proximity with the legendary Shark Skin Blade and his open injuries from it only serve up more of his chakra to the weapon and its user.

    Fuguki rips Samehada away, grinding Raiga¡¯s chakra as he lifts the sword in time to parry Juzo¡¯s wild strike. ¡°Bwahahah! Water Release: Senbon Barrage!¡±

    Relentlessly ignoring the massive chakra drain Juzo released a fury of sharp moving senbon right in Fuguki¡¯s face before he kicked away. Samehada absorbs most of the chakra but several manage to find purchase, skewering through Fuguki¡¯s cheeks and slicing into his neck before he can move his orange hair to bolster his defence.

    Raiga and Juzo skirt further away, keeping distance from the chakra draining leader of the Seven Swordsmen. Fuguki roared and lashed out against the water, twisting it with his chakra so a whirlpool grows around him.

    In response, Raiga¡¯s Kiba bursts with lightning again and a ball forms between the tip of the blades above his head, ¡°Lightning Ball!¡±

    Hasty, Raiga launches ball after ball into the growing maelstrom pushing he and Juzo further out, threatening to swallow them unless¡ª

    ¡°Wind Release: Divine Wind!¡±

    ¡°Water Release: Water Torrent!¡±

    All three swordsmen turn their attention above as Fuguki¡¯s maelstrom dispels in place of a greater technique. The great winds sweeping over the water form tornadoes up to five metres in height that then smash into the torrential swirls of water that whip and grind rock to nothing.

    My clone and I land safely away from the terrestrial destruction we¡¯ve wrought and even though Fuguki manages to escape¡ª wrapped in a thick of orange hair¡ª I can¡¯t help but marvel at the effectiveness of combining Water Release with Wind Release. The two jutsu on their own barely cut it as B-rank but together¡­

    It¡¯s also my first time casting most of these techniques¡­as myself anyway. That said, I could already feel a drain on my stamina from casting concurrently and a bit ineffectively. Immediately after ensuring Kisame was out for the count I rushed back here to get the drop on Fuguki and hilariously found all three fighting each other.

    Kirigakure isn¡¯t a village built on teamwork, I shouldn¡¯t have gotten so nervous. From what I observed Raiga is on his last legs having the least amount of chakra to sacrifice to Fuguki in the first place. And Juzo¡­I can¡¯t predict him.

    Water rains as my jutsu exhausts the last bit of chakra sustaining it. I squint into the mess, searching for signs of my opponents while my clone watches my back. Yagura¡¯s library of jutsu is so much more accessibly when I¡¯m in battle for some reason, likely battle trauma or just the wave of bloodlust I feel rising within me every time I successfully land a technique or blow.

    Either way, [Water Clone] felt strange, I knew it wasn¡¯t more conscious than a released jutsu but I also felt it could get more complex if I kneaded the chakra I used to create it in a more refined manner. For my purposes though, I merely needed some extra help casting the secondary jutsu.

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    An unease spreads through me as I continued to watch the area my jutsu tore through, I can¡¯t see as good as I should and a rolling thunder carries through the air, tensing with electrical charge.

    Raiga¡¯s still moving¡­somewhere. I gripped my Bo-staff and continued to knead chakra throughout my body as I watched for opponents nearing me. As I thought, the entire thing is suspicious and an unnatural mist rolls over the water. I consider leaping over to higher ground but there aren¡¯t many rocks left to stand upon.

    The air grew tense and I considered casting a Wind Release technique to clear out the thickening mist when suddenly a lightning bolt fell from the sky onto my clone, dispersing it and stinging me with excess lightning.

    I grimaced but a sixth sense told me to guard instead so I buckled my Bo-staff just in time to catch Juzo¡¯s Kubikiribocho as he leapt up from the water, ¡°Yagura-sama!¡±

    My teeth gnashed together under the weight of the blow, I thought he¡¯d cut through my Bo-staff entirely but it held. With scary ease, Juzo lifted the executioner blade and struck again and again, each strike eating at my stamina and rattling my body so much that I lost control of the chakra I¡¯ve been kneading in preparation.

    Cackling, he twirls and kicked at me, this one I managed to duck under but I quickly regretted it as Kubikiribocho came tearing through the water, chakra coating it and bolstering Juzo¡¯s muscles as he struck dead centre on my Bo-staff.

    This time I¡¯m thrown off my feet, the blow carries me through the air and shattered remains of the rocks my jutsu tore through. Behind one of them is Fuguki.

    Shit!

    With no time to react, a completely unfurled Samehada rips against my skin as Fuguki receives me from Juzo like a baseball. He sends me skidding over the water, seeping blood into it as I bounced off before finally sinking in.

    Desperate, I kicked onto the surface where I found Raiga waiting, my eyes go wide as the Twin Kiba crackle with lightning. In an exhausted voice he mutters and their light grows, ¡°Lightning Burial: Banquet of Lightning!¡±

    The bolts come charging through the water before I have a chance to pull myself up and in a numbing flash of light I lose all sensation. Water grips my lungs, flooding them fully as I let out the last of my breath involuntarily.

    My eyes blink through the darkening water, I search for my Bo-staff in my line of sight but all I see is Fuguki fending off Juzo. For a moment I wonder who¡¯s going to confirm I¡¯m out for the count, Harusame maybe? A Hozuki more likely. Or maybe Raiga since he¡¯s spent all his chakra and there¡¯s literally nothing he can do against Fuguki.

    No one comes though and I continue to sink until I reach the darkest depth where none of the sun¡¯s light reaches. My back bounces off something before landing firmly against it. Sensing my fingers regain feeling I spread them around the surface and find its rough and harder than anything, almost razor sharp even though I¡¯m just gliding my lightning stiffed fingers over it.

    I try to summon chakra but very little responds. Fucking Fuguki.

    Again, I wonder if I¡¯ve had myself fooled this entire time, if I never had a chance at becoming Mizukage even though I¡¯m impersonating the one person that should.

    An impersonation is not the same, it can never be.

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± I hear myself say and blink in the darkness, ¡°You have to be the truth, you have to face the reality and stop treating this like a predetermined game.¡±

    I¡¯m sure of it. That¡¯s my voice¡­or Yagura¡¯s voice? Yes, but I¡¯m underwater?

    Someone snaps their fingers and a soft light emits in the distance, illuminating the cold, dark sea as they drew closer. The light comes from my Bo-staff and the green flower petal at its neck, a man with a stern, cold baby face is carrying it.

    ¡°When will you stop faking?¡± He asked, no¡­I asked.

    The light from the petal spread, chasing the darkness and enveloping me in a cool warmth that raises me to my feet. I glanced around, trying my best not to have an aneurysm as I stared at myself and then at the creature beneath my feet.

    ¡°Three Tails¡­oh shit, I¡¯m rampaging, aren¡¯t I?¡±

 Wake Up to Reality oréˆ¥?o?

    ¡°I¡¯m not real.¡± The second Yagura groaned for the third time. He felt pretty real to me though and even though we share the same shape I think he¡¯s more real than I am.

    ¡°You have to be the real Yagura, cuz I¡¯m not.¡± Is my consistent rebuttal but the scowl on the real Yagura¡¯s face doesn¡¯t fall.

    I looked below my feet where the Three-Tails slept with its tails pinned to the ocean floor by massive pillars. He doesn¡¯t seem to notice us hovering over his head and arguing over who¡¯s the real person and that¡¯s quite unfortunate, I was hoping to talk to him as well.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing it again.¡± The real Yagura swam in front of me, refusing to leave my sight. ¡°Trying to ignore me, deny what¡¯s happening right in front of you, distract yourself from your reality.¡±

    I dart aside for some breathing space and scoffed, ¡°I¡¯m not doing any of that. Actually, I think I¡¯m facing my reality quite head on right now. How can I wake him up?¡±

    The real Yagura rolled his eyes, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to tell you, you have to face the reality that there is no separation between Jason and Yagura, not anymore.¡±

    Hearing my old name from someone else seized my train of thought completely, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Yagura smiled a bit, finally having my attention, ¡°I am not the ¡®real Yagura¡¯, you are. I am your mental creation, you separated a fragment of the knowledge encompassing¡­Yagura.¡±

    I blinked, piecing his words together as I looked between his eyes that were an exact copy of mine, ¡°You¡¯re saying that I made you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you refused me.¡± He sounded a bit injured saying so. ¡°You stuffed me into the seal and only call on me when you¡¯re fighting and even then, you reject a great portion of who you are to satisfy the expectations of who you were. You¡¯re not Jason anymore, you¡¯re Yagura.¡±

    Again I blinked and took a moment to process his string of words, digest what he¡¯s saying. ¡°I know who I am and I know my reality. I¡¯m facing up to it, I have a plan, I have a lot of plans.¡±

    ¡°And how are you going to back them up? Keep pinching into me when it comes down to a fight? How are you going to protect the village if you can¡¯t even face the true version of yourself?¡± The real Yagura challenges.

    Annoyed I snort, ¡°What the fuck are you even saying? You get genjutsu¡¯d in the real version of this and now I¡¯m here to save your ass!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your ass now. Have you considered you¡¯ve always been Yagura? That you¡¯re the one who gets genjutsu¡¯d despite knowing all along who is coming after you and how?¡±

    My head ached from the implication of his words, or maybe that¡¯s the Bijuu chakra flooding my body and making me run mad on the outside. I gulped and stared at my doppelganger in thought, biting the side of my cheek.

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    I hadn¡¯t considered that I could be the real Yagura, the one that got genjutsu¡¯d¡ª come to think of it, I don¡¯t see much of the events prior to being genjutsu¡¯d in the show, there¡¯s no way of knowing for sure.

    One thing greatly unnerved me about this theory though, ¡°You said I won¡¯t be able to talk to Isobu until¡­¡±

    ¡°Until you accept the parts of you your past deems¡­unfavourable.¡± His eyes hardened as he spoke and I knew what he meant.

    Since I started training, no, since I woke up in this body I¡¯ve been slipping more and more into Yagura¡¯s personality. Soft spoken, gentlemanly but strong, immensely strong and bloodthirsty.

    ¡°Yagura wasn¡¯t¡­he wasn¡¯t a good person.¡± I swallowed.

    My doppelganger pressed a hand on my shoulder and sneered, ¡°See? If you really faced reality, then the personality you¡¯d have locked up here would be Jason¡¯s. His expectations, his morals and standards have no place in the shinobi world. They have no place in Kirigakure.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make a place. I¡¯ll change Kiri for the better, I¡¯ll stop Obito and his Akatsuki and-¡±

    Frustrated out of his imaginary mind, my doppelganger clenched his fist and buried it in my cheek. ¡°You fool. You¡¯ll get yourself killed again and this time, there won¡¯t be a merciful god waiting to recycle your life.¡±

    He hovered over me as I massaged my cheek, ¡°Accept all that you are with no bias, know that this place, this world and village will not bow to a weak-willed man. Already your enemies move against you and yet, here you are, taking measured cups of strength to face challenges that require absoluteness. You will never become Mizukage this way.¡±

    Here I laughed, ¡°I already am. Harusame hasn¡¯t locked away the Three Tails chakra making me rampage, I can sense it, I can sense that much. I¡¯m fighting Fuguki and Juzo right now and I¡¯ll win.¡±

    Yagura doesn¡¯t look impressed, ¡°A chakra mad version will win? You should have simply killed Fuguki, fought him till his arms and legs were broken and then spared him if you choose to be so kind to your opponents.¡±

    ¡°I will not besmirch your efforts, you have trained well and adapted a sliver of the power you so reject. But if you don¡¯t reconcile with me then Isobu will be forever lost to you, even if you master his chakra. He will not be there to knock you out of genjutsu when you need and I bet that¡¯s what happened the first time around.¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°This is why¡­I don¡¯t want to be Yagura. He¡¯s too¡­fierce, too ready to do anything and-¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re not, you¡¯re afraid that there¡¯s more of him than there is more of you. But that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. Before you and he died your lives were separate, but now here you are and you can¡¯t continue living the old life you had, there won¡¯t be an easy way out, accepting that until you build Kiri into a place where someone like Jason can live will require every bit of Yagura on the front is the only way. Stop pretending.¡±

    When I¡­Jason died, I lived a life of¡­depression and hunger for purpose. When that god plucked my soul and asked me what I wanted for a new life, I told him I wanted purpose, I wanted a place where I could be strong. I certainly didn¡¯t ask him to place me in the most precarious situation one can be in in the Narutoverse but here I am.

    I have a purpose now but¡­I¡­

    The light on Yagura¡¯s Bo-staff flower flickers and he narrowed at me, ¡°Seems my time with you is running out, make a choice, Jason, if you want to change anything you¡­you cannot hesitate, not anymore.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± I called out, desperately looking around the darkening ocean as my thoughts raced, ¡°What if I can¡¯t live with it? Yagura¡­I¡¯ve seen him be cruel and then kind but the blood is never washed away, it¡¯s on my hands and they all respect me for it.¡±

    Yagura¡¯s scowl only deepens as the darkness consumes, ¡°Then you¡¯d better give up on being Mizukage, only those willing and capable should be Kage and if that¡¯s not you, then the best change you can bring to Kiri is by stepping away from it.¡±

 Greedy Acceptance

    I was thrust out from my Jinchuriki seal not because I was losing to my opponents, or waking up from Harusame¡¯s reinforcing the seal, no, in fact, Harusame had yet to come close to where Juzo, Fuguki and I fought.

    Samehada¡¯s weight tore into my stomach, grinding the flak ANBU vest I wore to ribbons as its teeth gnawed at my flesh and ate away the Three-Tails chakra. The blow sent me flying and the lessened amount of Bijuu chakra cleared my head enough that I plummeted into the water as I woke up fully.

    I still felt it. The torrential rage of the waters Isobu¡¯s chakra holds absolute command over, his chakra within water felt as wide and strong as the oceans themselves.

    Yagura¡­

    With the strict warnings from the split personality I have lounging in the seal still fresh in my head, I leapt out of the water with ease. Isobu¡¯s chakra had already done some major damage to my clothes, skin and muscles, rippling them to lengths and girths that hurt but remain strong nonetheless.

    The clang of swords awaits me at the top of the ocean, Harusame lands beside me his fingers blurring with chakra as he wastes no time thrusting them at me, ¡°Three Sealing-!¡±

    ¡°Harusame!¡± I still had a single tailed chakra cloak boiling over my skin and muddling my features so my voice came out as a growl and the gaze I set on him far more intense by the look of terror that scars him upon seeing it.

    ¡°Yagura..?¡±

    ¡°Leave, I will finish this.¡± Even though I said so I wasn¡¯t sure how I¡¯d do so. I felt my chakra reserves had been drained from Fuguki¡¯s strikes with Samehada but the Version-1 chakra cloak provided enough for me to move on them regardless.

    I just have to be careful of Samehada¡­or do I? With a one-tail chakra cloak boiling over me I exhaled and inhaled, bringing my chakra to the surface and moulding it so it grinds against Isobu¡¯s. A measure of balance returns as I sense Fuguki¡¯s curious gaze land on me.

    I raise a smirk and flex my fist. Accept that you¡¯re Yagura right? Okay then, I am Yagura. I told myself as I pressed my fingers into a hand-sign and summoned my Bo-staff from the depths of the water to my hand. Fuguki¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    Juzo, miraculously still hanging on, slammed his blade against Samehada and spat out a shot of water that only managed to wet Fuguki¡¯s hair further. He¡¯s exhausted but still fighting if only out of spite. Fuguki roars, his hair spiking out viciously at Juzo, skewering through all the open spaces in Kubikiribocho and angling to stab the wielder.

    I twirl my Bo-staff as the last of the Version-1 cloak chakra is grinded and moulded into my own, refilling my reserves to match Fuguki¡¯s stolen one with ease. I shut my eyes and call on the knowledge with all its implications, wincing as memories of slaughter and murder fill my mind. I gritted my teeth and accepted it wholeheartedly.

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    Two hand-signs later and three water dragons roar to life from the waters, ¡°Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!¡±

    Kicking off the water I sprinted faster than I ever thought myself capable of, my three dragons roaring after me. I directed one at Juzo who¡¯s skewered like a kebab on Fuguki¡¯s hairs and still stubbornly swinging his blade¡ª If I don¡¯t take him out now he¡¯ll force Fuguki to kill him.

    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration, Fuguki, Juzo, Raiga and Kisame, they¡¯re nothing like the compassionate Konoha shinobi I watched in my past life. They¡¯re killers who will murder and massacre in the name of their village and in the name of strength.

    The water dragon roared and swallowed Juzo before Fuguki could deepen his strikes. I slammed my Bo against Samehada, catching Fuguki¡¯s attention for a second before my second water dragon roared below him, leaping at his feet from beneath the waters.

    His eyes curse me as the jaws of the dragon carry he and Juzo into one another, dispersing in an explosion of water. Not trusting that to be enough to incapacitate two of the strongest Seven Swordsmen, I set the third dragon on their plummeting bodies.

    Fuguki wrapped himself in hair at the last moment and the torrential wave of water from the dragon smacked Juzo¡¯s unconscious form against a loose rock. I whipped through hand-signs, knowing Samehada feeds chakra right back into Fuguki to heal his wounds and recover his reserves.

    At the last hand-sign I pressed my fingers together, bracing against the bloody memories of this jutsu¡¯s use. ¡°Wind Release: Blade of Wind¡±

    My dragon swirls Fuguki into the air, tossing him higher and higher before dispersing in a shower and giving way for my manipulated blades of wind to lacerate and rend at Fuguki¡¯s hair covered form.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a haircut if that¡¯s what it takes!¡± I yelled out, pressing more chakra into my nigh invisible blade of wind. The A-rank jutsu seeps a lot of chakra from me but I have enough to spare and the drive to steal more from Isobu if that¡¯s what it takes to put Fuguki down.

    He crashed into the water, purposely expelling chakra as he does so a wave taller than the largest rocks explodes outwards. I cursed and released my Wind technique to clench my Bo-staff as the semi-tsunami comes crashing down at me.

    With a twirl and flick of my Bo I cut the tsunami in two only to find Fuguki riding a giant shark towards me. He flips through familiar hand-signs but before I can remember the jutsu dozens of linear waves glide ahead of him, judging by the pressure I know they¡¯d rend through my flesh if I let them.

    Eyes narrowed I decide now of all times to become the revered Repulse-nin.

    Sensing my decision, my body moves on its own, channelling chakra through my pathways in a complex manner as my hand releases a circular pool of water in the face of Fuguki and his incoming attacks.

    The water becomes clear as a crystal mirror in but a second and without thinking about it I brought my Bo-staff¡¯s large hook down on it, pulling the mirror towards me in a violent ninety-degree angle.

    ¡°Hiden: Water Mirror!¡±

    In response a doppelganger of Fuguki, the giant shark he¡¯s riding and all fourteen razor sharp water waves erupt out of my mirror and roar towards their copies.

    Fuguki doesn¡¯t have the chance to react or even manoeuvre out of the way¡ª I bet he wasn¡¯t expecting me to use the Karatachi Hiden since I haven¡¯t all this time. Either way, he slams face first into the doubles with enough concussive force to knock him off his now bleeding summon.

    Seizing the opportunity, I flick my finger into a half-Tiger seal and a watery whip wraps around Samehada, tossing it far from either of us. I pressed my Bo-staff against his hairy, injured back, feeling the stress of speed casting so many times catch up to me as I gasped, ¡°Submit.¡±

    He rolled over and I let him do so cautiously, his eyes burned with desire to fight, to put me down and curse my name but he¡¯s on his back and at any moment I could have water dagger through him or drown him in a [Water Prison].

    ¡°I¡­submit, Mizukage-sama.¡±

 Bar Beach Inauguration

    I had an hour to freshen up and have a bite of something before heading back to Bar Beach in my usual grey-green gear and poncho. I was dead tired from subduing the Three-Tail¡¯s chakra, getting knocked into Version-1, and spamming jutsu. But the world waits for no one, not even the Fourth Mizukage.

    When I returned, Bar Beach was full of people. At a glance I recognized many of them to be from the five clans or some of the lesser prestigious clans that resided in the Central District. No one from low caste clans was present and with figures like the Daimyo present it¡¯s no wonder.

    No wonder¡­I scoffed at my thoughts as I discreetly placed myself at improved stage the most important figures sat at. Nana Megumi, Lord Funato, Uncle Aoto and the clan heads of the Hoshigaki and Yuki clan greeted me as I took my reserved seat beside the chatty Daimyo.

    Uncle returned my hat and haori, both bore the symbol of water and my haori read out my full title along its length¡ª Yondaime Mizukage. I wore both and found neither lacking, it¡¯s as if they¡¯d prepared the traditional outfit ahead of time and with me in mind as the wearer. My ascension was never in doubt.

    I¡¯d done it. I overlooked the beach as it filled with performers and vendors, the darkened sky littered with fireworks, lightning effects and other harmless but flashy jutsu. At my presence servers lined up a buffet of choices and for once I had enough to eat even while being picky.

    Even though I was hungry I tried to restrain myself, if only to keep from staining my fresh haori with beef and pork juices. The Daimyo seemed to notice my reservation and simply began offering me pieces from his plate, lobster, clam, salamander even. My polite declines were met with raucous laughter that had me accepting the next time he offered.

    As scantily clad women with bangles and braces attempted to hypnotize us with their swaying hips, I couldn¡¯t help but think to how the last moments of the succession went, of Yagura¡¯s warnings to me.

    He¡¯s not wrong. I have rejected a large part of Yagura, the part that bubbled within me to bask and enjoy the glory and power I now wielded as a Kage. Already many of my goals were within my reach, there was little I couldn¡¯t accomplish from where I sat now and if there was I had a village of loyal shinobi to direct my will.

    The gaze that fell on the dancers and the thoughts that passed through my head with the gaze left me wondering how much of me was left, how much of Jason was still important in this world. Yagura was the one who brought me here, not Jason, I haven¡¯t accomplished anything as Jason and so far he only spared me the horrors of Yagura.

    My head felt like splitting again as I my personality and way of thinking started to drift and align more with Yagura¡¯s warnings.

    A performer guides a tamed lion twice his size into doing leaps through rings of fire. Another even let the lion have his head for a moment before pulling out of its maw unharmed.

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    The Daimyo gave applause excitedly and out of mob logic rather than anything, I gave my applause as well.

    I heaved a sigh as my eyes glazed over the many eyes settled on my figure in the crowds. Not all of them wore genuine smiles or were smiling at all. Yagura said I already have enemies acting against me, I wondered what he was talking about but I couldn¡¯t be bothered following up when he was telling me I¡¯d have to accept my murderous, bloodthirsty side or never have access to Isobu.

    But now, in the haze and noise of my immediate coronation as Mizukage, I found nothing but time on my hands to wonder. Could it be the Kaguya?

    They had mounted attack only yesterday but something about the way Yagura said it made me think it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to unravel. It will be something I¡¯ll have to look into as Mizukage now, why they attacked and what to do.

    What to do? You know what to do. I bit my lip at that. I knew what Yagura, no, any Kiri shinobi would do¡ª get vengeance, exterminate them. They¡¯d threatened the safety of all five clans in one night and the night before the Mizukage succession too, it can¡¯t be a coincidence.

    And even if it was how dare they attack Kiri? I felt Yagura¡¯s patriotic side flare and sighed again. Is there any point in holding back? He could be right the reason Isobu didn¡¯t break Yagura out of genjutsu was simply because of me and my stubbornness to accept my true self.

    I¡¯d been working off the theory that it was because Obito¡¯s genjutsu is simply that strong but¡­is it?

    ¡°Mizukage-kun, you look dreadful, are you alright?¡± The Daimyo¡¯s sudden consideration catches me off guard and pulls me from my thoughts.

    I smiled at him and felt my eyelids drag, ¡°Just thinking of the future and I¡¯m a bit tired.¡±

    He grinned and cracked a crab leg, fishing out its flesh with glee. Whilst chewing he nodded, ¡°Of course, with a performance like that anyone would. I was told you even subdued that pesky Three-Tailed during the fight and then went on to handily defeat that Fuguki.¡±

    ¡°My duty.¡± Is all I said.

    ¡°Ah ah ah, no busy talk tonight, Mizukage-kun. Tonight we celebrate your achievement and that the Land of Water has a new protector.¡± He handed me a crab leg and I restrained a sigh behind a smile as I took it and cracked it open. Rather than let me eat it he snatched it out of my hand and slurped. ¡°Mmm!! Crab from these waters are always richer in texture, you must share your villages secrets for raising them right.¡±

    I snorted but nodded, ¡°Of course, Daimyo-dono, I will look into it.¡±

    The impromptu party continued to rage with everyone eating their full and casting full glances at the new Mizukage, I felt their judgement behind their eyes, the expectations and hopes for a greater Kiri all lying in their image of me.

    At this time the dancers, acrobats and other performers were dismissed, leaving space for the nobles of second rate clans to come bend the knee to their Mizukage.

    The five clan heads had been the first to do so right after Fuguki conceded, even Uncle took to his knee and bowed his head at my feet. The second rate clans bowing now included those like the Suikazan who¡¯d just lost possibly their one and only chance to change how power in Kirigakure functions.

    Fuguki¡¯s clan head was a young woman with bright orange hair and shark teeth, her face betrayed her grown age even though her healthy figure did not. She kept herself low and humble as she presented her pledge, ¡°I swear eternal fealty to Kirigakure and its Mizukage, my blood is yours. Hail Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.¡±

    In a startling show of devotion, she slit across her palm with a kunai and waited for my response. I sat in shock for a second but for my brain booted up and I simply said, ¡°I accept your pledge and sacrifice.¡±

    With grace she stepped out of line with a bow for a middle aged man to step up and kneel. I suddenly realized I was going to be out here for a lot longer than I anticipated and once again restrained myself from groaning.

    All hail Yondaime Mizukage huh?

 As Pretty as Hozuki

    Rina held her breath and the Ram hand-sign in steep concentration. She breathed in the fresh water of the medium sized pond she invaded with her presence, making sure not to lose sight of the chakra bubbling between her feet and the water¡¯s surface tension.

    She exhaled and shifted her hand-sign to that of the Bird, then with confidence switched to Hare and then another Ram. She felt her chakra respond to her [Hiden] and her body liquefied into the pond with a splash.

    The marine life gave her wide berth as she joined them on their plane of existence. She looked up, finding everything massive in comparison to a moment ago but she hasn¡¯t the time to marvel at the after effects of her technique. In this state she¡¯s more or less invulnerable to all but Lightning and Fire release but more importantly, with her proficiency she¡¯s as useful as a puddle of water.

    Her creamy, liquefied head bobbed out on the surface of the pond as she furrowed in concentration, willing her chakra, her liquefied body to command the body of water as an external limb. She envisions releasing bolts of water or even just shuriken at the training posts nearby but she¡¯s been at it all week and no such luck.

    Even now, even after father¡¯s gone I¡¯m still so¡­

    ¡°Rina!¡± Nana Megumi¡¯s shrill yell startled her before she could begin brooding. She glanced towards the house they moved into after the Kaguya attack and found the old lady looking more her age than ever.

    She was hunched over with her hand clasped behind her back, a trait she¡¯s beginning to pick up from spending so much time with Lord Funato. A deep scowl spoils her features until all Rina can see is her father¡¯s disapproving squint.

    ¡°Come get these things, quick.¡± The old clan head barked, tossing her slippers as she trudged into the house with the weight of the village and clan on her shoulders.

    A young Hozuki boy held onto paper bags, waterproofed files and other groceries. As Rina reconstituted herself from the water she caught his otherwise impassive, blank stare rattle with a frown and she could tell he was criticizing her technique.

    Mangetsu Hozuki. Hydrification Prodigy. Second Coming of the Demon. Nidaime Reborn.

    He was only six years old.

    Rina took the waterproof files from his burdened hands, at a glance she spied a proposal for a promotion as well as military action among them. Her eyes don¡¯t linger long as Mangetsu bows and mumbles, ¡°Rina-senpai.¡±

    If the promotion had anything to do with him she doubted she¡¯ll have the luxury of that honorific for long. Squinting, Rina helped ease his burden further and snatched some of the groceries, ¡°Come, Mangetsu-kun, pantry is just in here. How are you?¡±

    The boy followed her over the corner where a separate building from their living quarters stood. At six years he looked very much his age and had very little in the way of height, yet there wasn¡¯t much of a cuteness to him either. He had a stern, strong outlook that said he was ready to be tested at any moment.

    He used chakra to hold onto and heave most of the groceries after her, she didn¡¯t spare him any more of the burden not because she secretly thought of the six-year-old as a rival but because she knew he¡¯d find it insulting if she did any further.

    ¡°I am well.¡± He whispered behind her and she nodded, glancing back at him.

    ¡°Having fun with your brother lately?¡± Rina thought to ask as they reached the pantry and servants shuffled out to retrieve what they¡¯d brought. She caught his face light up for a second at the mention of his brother and a smile tugged at his lip.

    ¡°He still doesn¡¯t walk very well.¡± Is his amused response as he promised, ¡°But I¡¯m training him, he¡¯ll be strong soon.¡±

    Rina was pleased to hear that, she dusted her grocery stained fingers before pulling out the files from under her armpit. Again, she spied details on the proposal, deployment of teams towards a threat in the Land of Water. Rina didn¡¯t have to read the classified document to know what threat it could be talking about and she glanced down at Mangetsu.

    She was tempted to ask, it would be obvious why she was asking and being tactful with a six-year-old felt excessive even for a prodigy like him. Instead she bit her cheek and marched around to the main house with him in tow.

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    He stopped at the threshold though, bowing as Rina turned around to catch him lingering. ¡°I should return to Suigetsu now but¡­I¡¯ll be available.¡±

    She didn¡¯t need to ask what he meant by that and simply nodded as he excused himself. She switched her sandals to slippers before stepping into the house and as soon as she did¡ª

    ¡°Rina! Rina!¡±

    ¡°Yes nana!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s taking you so long? Come, there is much to discuss.¡±

    Rina hustled into Nana Megumi¡¯s room. It was a plain space with a shrine for her father, Nana¡¯s son, at the edge burning with incense. Pictures of her four other children were lined up at the shrine as well as her deceased husband.

    Every time Rina saw it she felt a pang of heartache spear through her, the sight of her father, the uncles and aunts she knew for a brief moment in her life but most of all the thought that despite all her strength as clan head, Nana Megumi was alone.

    Rina was Hozuki, yes, but her Funato clan mother had raised her with her father. Nana was always distant, busy running the village beside her son, taking account for losses in the clan and looking out for everyone. She was more clan head than grandmother and Rina suspected that¡¯s why Megumi and her mother never quite got along.

    Nana Megumi half-laid on a tatami mat, several pillows scattered around it to help prop her back however she wished. She sat up straight and shifted to the small table that already had some brewed tea settling on it.

    ¡°Pass that here.¡± She gestured for the documents as she lifted her cup for a sip. Her grip remained strong all these years but with only a month passed after outliving her last child and a week since surviving the Kaguya, Rina forgave the slight tremor in her wrist.

    Rina curled her feet under her and sat with a straight back as befitting of a Hozuki woman. She hated sitting like this. At home, with her mother, they had chairs with back rests and arm rests and couches too but with Nana, there never seemed to be a chance to breathe.

    She sat in silence, patiently waiting for her grandmother to finish reviewing her work. It didn¡¯t take long; she only took out a couple documents from the folder to glaze over as she sipped her tea but when she looked up at Rina again she settled a confused frown at her granddaughter.

    ¡°Is jasmine tea not good enough?¡±

    Rina blinked at the still steaming kettle like it just materialized. She motioned to pour some but¡ª

    ¡°Leave it, you can drink yours with the Mizukage.¡± Nana said as she slurped and set the documents aside with a sigh.

    Rina perked at this, eyes wide an eager, a look her grandmother approved of with a smirk. ¡°I noticed the two of you together last week, a lot of time spent.¡±

    Last week she¡¯d gathered the courage to ask him to train her and he said yes. She expected less than a disgusted grunt but he actually said yes and spent time training her. Sure it was nothing more complex that fine [Shurikenjutsu] but they sparred a few times and she had a lot to learn from the pointers he gave afterwards.

    Rina was already feeling stronger for that alone.

    ¡°Yes, I begged him to train me.¡± She said meekly minding her fingers, she had blisters from where she braced her kunai against his Bo-staff¡¯s hefty blows. ¡°I think I¡¯m getting stronger already and he¡¯s a master of Water Release, like, a true master.¡±

    Nana Megumi¡¯s reactions to her words varied from a kindly, amused smile, confusion and then her all too familiar scowl, ¡°He¡¯s training you?¡± Rina felt her gaze pierce like she was suspect of a frivolous crime, ¡°Why? Hmm, no, maybe¡­¡±

    Her grandmother again sat with her thoughts, a shrewd gleam came alight in her eyes as she sipped her sweet jasmine and turned, ¡°Good work, but you can do better. This makes things easier though, go to the Mizukage at noon tomorrow, wear something clean, pretty but don¡¯t try.¡±

    ¡°Nana?¡±

    The older woman pulled and tilted Rina¡¯s chin, examining her features as she instructed, ¡°You¡¯re there on my appointment, tell him I took a day to sit with your mother instead but if you dress up well he won¡¯t even ask.¡±

    Unable to bury her dignity another second, Rina pulled away and gritted, ¡°You want to sell me now?¡± She¡¯d understood the need to broker a deal with the next Mizukage whoever that would be and out of the two Kage-candidates Rina chose Yagura.

    Not only for the prestige of his clan as one of the five but because the chances he¡¯s still got some child left under all that shinobi was greater than Fuguki¡¯s. If she¡¯s to be betrothed it¡¯s better her spouse has the potential for goodness and over the last two months, since Yagura became a Jinchuriki in fact, he¡¯s had a far more approachable demeanour, he didn¡¯t radiate killing intent and didn¡¯t look like he had something to prove anymore.

    It made for a good strategy against enemies, a cherry persona, no matter how fake paired with that childlike form of his would get most people to drop their guard.

    A slight but perceptible contrast to the faux gentleman persona she and other shinobi in their grade had observed about him. And it was doubly proven when he said yes to training her, he wasn¡¯t a mask waiting to reveal horrors, he was genuinely a calm, charming and impressive person to be around.

    It all makes what her grandmother is implying she do that foul, ¡°He isn¡¯t that type of man. I won¡¯t just¡­present myself and he¡¯ll leap at me like a vicious beast! He¡¯s a nice guy!¡±

    Her grandmother stared at her with a disappointed mope. She shook her head, ¡°All men are beasts. The Mizukage is no different but he is an exception.¡±

    Rina got confused, ¡°The exception?¡±

    Nana Megumi nodded and smiled at her interest, ¡°Because you can¡¯t sell a Kage what is already his, you can only show him which to value more.¡±

 Jason, Determined

    The high winds blew against my skin, bringing with them the cold and scent of Kirigakure. My gaze pierced through the mist gathered and clumped around the edges of various important buildings, it obscured the view of the sky for the common man and disoriented lesser shinobi.

    Quite a bit clouded around the Mizukage Tower, my tower. I sat at the edge with one foot held up to my chest and the other dangling over, in the briefest moments of respite I¡¯ve found over the last days the top of my tower held the most serene atmosphere to manage my mood.

    Lights flickered below the mists, my people, citizens I¡¯ve been charged to protect carry on with their nights many still riding the celebratory wave of my public inauguration. It was a brief affair arranged only for the satisfaction of the lame man, for the vulnerable civilian looking out for their families in this time of world strife.

    The gaze they set on me then felt far more intense than any major or second rate clan had, they looked onto me as their beacon of hope, several crossing their fingers as they wished for positive change and others simply wishing an end to insecurity.

    The pressure of their gaze led the way to my first order¡ª no curfew. The night the Kaguya clan attacked the major clans the village was thrust into a state of emergency, but due to the Daimyo¡¯s visit literally the next day, it couldn¡¯t be enacted in full. The Daimyo left as soon as the third day after my swearing in at Bar Beach and though my advisors¡ª Uncle, Nana Megumi and Lord Funato¡ª complained it would place them in jeopardy¡­I wasn¡¯t thinking about them when I gave the order.

    In truth, it was a multi-faceted test, to find the limits of my executive powers and to bait the Kaguya. It might feel like a whole month or two has passed since their attack but it¡¯s barely been a week, I haven¡¯t forgotten about them.

    But still, they haven¡¯t taken the bait and they haven¡¯t anything to do with my mood lately. I bit into my cheek as the sweet scent of fried shrimp wafted into my nostrils from¡­somewhere in the village, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to actually track it down when I¡¯ve tested that I can simply order mine made right here in the Tower.

    I wasn¡¯t hungry anyway. I was tired and lazy and I didn¡¯t want to leave my spot at the edge of the Tower for anything. My mind played the conversation with the real Yagura over and over in my mind, the sight of Isobu, asleep and unconcerned filled my thoughts and the presence of his chakra within me boiled against every delusional idea my brain spat out at me.

    This feeling was all too familiar to me but to Yagura, it was jarring. In the past two months I¡¯ve never felt more like Jason than I do now, depressed, lethargic, unwilling to progress. Yagura felt disgusted at the sensation but he couldn¡¯t do anything about it, it was paralytic and only time would tell at this point.

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    But one thing was certain, I wasn¡¯t sure what I was doing anymore. Somehow, all my fiery passion to reinvent Kiri, to fight against Obito and his Akatsuki, to protect my village, it all vanished as I became the Fourth Mizukage.

    No, those ambitions still lay within me but more in Yagura than Jason and right now, all I feel is pathetic old Jason. And I¡¯m not even sure why. I have a theory though, one that excuses me of my laziness and it was that my sense of reality was broken.

    I mean, how couldn¡¯t it be? I thought of myself as two people in differing conditions and both in others. The real Yagura challenged my sense of reality for what has to be the third time by revealing that in all likelihood, I was going to chart the same course for Kirigakure he was fated to.

    The fate of the Bloody Mist.

    No amount of arguments I came up with could refute that possibility without willingly blinding myself to it. I heaved a sigh and tried to gather the will to continue fighting, to dare to change fate if there is such a thing, after all, that¡¯s literally one of the many lessons watching Naruto imparted.

    But I merely felt like crying and Yagura hated me for it.

    With some skill of my own I sensed a presence fall behind me, I didn¡¯t need to turn around to know some ANBU or another knelt at my back, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Funato-dono is asking for you.¡± It was Owl mask, she had a deep, icy pressure behind her voice whenever she spoke, like she held the frost in her throat ready to release it at any moment.

    I snorted. I spent two days entertaining the Daimyo and receiving gifts before Funato grabbed me for lessons in being a Kage. Though calling them lessons are a bit of an exaggeration, many of the things he showed me were things the Third Mizukage already exposed Yagura to.

    Still, he had his use, particularly in placing Kirigakure¡¯s many keys to power in my hands and if I didn¡¯t feel so terrible about this reality, about myself, I would drop down to indulge him.

    ¡°Tell him I¡¯m¡­¡± I trailed off in thought as I failed to conjure a satisfactory excuse and simply sighed, ¡°You didn¡¯t see me.¡±

    Owl mask restrained a snort of her own and nodded behind me. Although she wasn¡¯t among my advisors her position as head of the ANBU placed her near me in matters of village and national security. I¡¯ve only gotten around to reading a couple of her organizations reports but they were brief and without detail, the barebones Funato introduced to me one fine morning.

    In truth, ANBU reports couldn¡¯t be recorded on written material and so much of their debriefings were oral and direct to their immediate superior or whoever called on them to give a report.

    ¡°Sir,¡± she starts, unlike Fuguki who has no trouble using my title, it¡¯s come a little slower to others, ¡°Ao has returned.¡±

    My jaws clenched at this, Ao¡­I had plans for him, Jason did, not Yagura. For a moment I felt excited and rose to my feet. The winds blew through my hair and fluttered my black shirt and grey trousers, I cracked my fingers and my wristbeads rattled in anticipation as I met Owl mask¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Good, it¡¯s about time we pay a visit to our prisoner.¡±

    Ao¡­his existence made me feel confident, he was the one who broke Yagura out of genjutsu in the fated reality. His existence made it feel not so bleak that I couldn¡¯t accept Yagura into my main personality, that I couldn¡¯t accept the fierceness of a Kage-level shinobi.

    Clinging onto the feeling of progress, of fighting against the strings of fate and against Yagura himself, I leapt after Owl mask, following her lead down into the Tower.

    I can be both, I don¡¯t have to become Yagura completely. I can change. I will change!

 Posturing

    ¡°At your service, Mizukage-sama.¡±

    Ao wasn¡¯t at all surprised to find me as Yondaime or maybe he was and is good at hiding it. ¡°Good to have you, Ao, I have a lot in mind for you.¡± He looked up from where he knelt as I patted his shoulder, a glint of worry, hope and a healthy amount of fear flashed in his eyes.

    I smiled, ¡°For now let¡¯s just visit our prisoner.¡±

    Owl mask who¡¯d been waiting for us at the end of a narrow, wet and dark corridor shifted her weight as she saw us coming. My eyes wandered about the place, long, thin and thick wires sprawled across the ceiling and cut under the walls, apparently it¡¯s a security feature as well as a source of power.

    Should any prisoner somehow manage to escape their cell, lethal volts of electricity will flood in through their body, it¡¯s even been tested against particularly stubborn Hozuki and Lord Funato boasts it can paralyze and kill some if necessary.

    Needless to say, there¡¯s no getting out for any of Kiri¡¯s shinobi prisoners.

    The large door opened after two of Owl mask¡¯s out of sequence knocks, unlocking the latches alone took a moment and the grunts and curses of the man beyond could be heard until the last bolt is set aside and the door swings open.

    Greeting us on the other side is a tall, demon masked man wearing a heavily bloodstained leather apron and clinging onto a pliers with his armpit. I felt his eyes land on me and widen behind his mask, ¡°Lord Mizukage! I wasn¡¯t expecting you so soon.¡±

    Owl mask pushed past him, letting Ao and I follow after into the square room. One side of the room was complete with a menagerie of tools, weapons, breathing masks for poisons and buckets of filthy and clean water.

    On the other side were three Kaguya men, stripped naked and chained to the wall directly or strapped onto a metal slab of a bed. All had wounds pouring blood and two were missing most of their toes and fingers.

    It was clear what was happening here and standing as my Jason persona I had trouble stomaching the stench of piss, shit and bile. The smart thing would be to tap into Yagura¡¯s brutality, this is nothing to him, nothing he hasn¡¯t done or couldn¡¯t stand but I held back and bit my tongue and tried not to hold my breath.

    The entire reason I came here was to prove Jason was needed just as much as I needed Yagura. I wanted to be needed even if I¡¯m the only person I needed to prove it to. My mental health is too complicated.

    ¡°I hope none of them are dead yet.¡± I said, glancing around the rest of the room. Like outside the floor was soaked with water but the wires were better placed here so I figured the water was simply a product of the demon mask interrogator, ¡°Actually, who are you?¡±

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    The man bristled at my cold response but provided an answer instantly, ¡°No, I have followed your strict orders to keep them alive until Ao-san¡¯s arrival. I am Eiko, Lord Funato picked me from the Intel and Comm¡¯s division for this task.¡±

    I nodded as he muttered off his qualifications and rank while I stepped closer to the poor fiends that attacked my village. Their disfigured features went beyond missing toes and fingers, one had his entire set of teeth clipped out and scattered on a tray beside the metal slab and another laid with his back out, literally missing his spine.

    I frowned as I glanced at the one I caught personally. His arms were chained to the wall behind him such that his body leaned forward constantly. His head hung, a slop of hair messed up beyond recognition and a pool of vomit not far from him.

    While tired and exhausted from whatever Eiko was putting him through, I couldn¡¯t miss the fact that unlike his fellow Kaguya none his fingers, teeth or spine was missing.

    ¡°This one is different.¡± I stated the obvious and hearing my voice close to him the imprisoned Kaguya raised his head, revealing bloodshot eyes, a cracked nose and a part of his skin shaved off entirely to show off his bleached white skull.

    ¡°Yes, he is. I heard you personally caught this one, Lord Mizukage, given what I¡¯ve found out about his¡­quirks, I¡¯m not surprised it took you to do so.¡±

    I shrugged, ¡°Owl mask here weakened him. Now what makes him so different?¡± I squatted in front of the man, watching his weak grin grow as he glared at me.

    Of course, I already knew what made him different, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t recognize the [Shikotsumyaku] that nearly killed Gaara and Rock Lee, not after facing a version of it myself. This was what Jason was here for.

    Eiko began rambling on about the levels of the Kaguya¡¯s bone manipulation ability, highlighting even their survival without a spine as a feat he¡¯s yet to fully understand, hence his finger and toe snipping experiments.

    I beckoned on Ao as I stared at my prisoner, he leaned beside my squatting form ready to receive orders, ¡°How¡¯s that Byakugan of yours?¡±

    Again, Ao didn¡¯t seem surprised that I¡¯d asked, ¡°It is well, sir, the transplant was successful even on the battlefield and all inflamed reactions from use have ceased.¡±

    I nodded and stood at my full height, ¡°Byakugan has the ability to see through genjutsu, even that cast by the Sharingan.¡±

    ¡°Yes, though I am not sure how versed I-¡±

    ¡°However it needs to happen, you will do it. In fact, do it now, check everyone in this room for effects of genjutsu.¡±

    I sensed Owl mask shift in silence behind us but say nothing, clearly not comfortable with the use of the Dojutsu in her presence but steadily outranked. Ao doesn¡¯t waste another second, chakra floods his eye as he activates the Byakugan.

    Veins bulge as chakra floods through them to supply the legendary eye. He passes his gaze over each and every one of us until he releases the technique with a huff.

    ¡°There is no one under genjutsu here, Lord Mizukage.¡±

    I folded my arms and sighed, ¡°Worrying¡­Eiko, I want a detailed report on your findings here and not just about their ability, I want names, places, answers to pressing security matters. If it¡¯s too sensitive for a written report, come yourself.¡±

    Sick of the place I marched out with Ao and Owl mask following after me, ¡°Ao, from now on, until I say so, you¡¯re never to leave my side.¡±

    This catches him off guard at least, ¡°Yes sir, of course, it would be an honour.¡±

    Again I sighed, I just hoped Obito wouldn¡¯t kill him right off the bat.

 First Moves

    I commanded myself not to be depressed.

    Jason wished it were a joke but after reading through Eiko¡¯s full ¡®Suspect Debrief¡¯ report there was no choice than to channel Yagura as I sat in my office and faced the dawning responsibilities that weighed on my shoulders now.

    It¡¯s enough. I¡¯ve procrastinated enough. I have thirteen years till the Akatsuki become an active threat to all shinobi nations, a generous amount of time given I¡¯ve secured my position as Mizukage.

    But with great power comes great responsibility and each and every day I walk into my office I¡¯m reminded of the cumbersome challenged I¡¯ve signed up for. Running Kirigakure will not be easy, even with the powers of a murderous dictator.

    I set aside Eiko¡¯s report and massaged my temples. Dawn had yet to break but I was already behind the desk looking through many of the leftover decisions, issues, requests and missions among others that the Sandaime left behind for me.

    Heck some of them even date all the way back to the Nidaime, Gengetsu, which I think is a feat of bureaucracy in its own right. I had missions to assign, reports to read, prospective genin, chuunin and jounin to promote and a ton of other domestic issues regarding the civilians in the village itself.

    Sometimes, being the centre of power and administration wasn¡¯t the best idea for running a government. Fortunately for me I had Lord Funato to keep me company and share my burden. Nana Megumi¡ª or Lady Megumi as I¡¯m meant to call her now that I outrank everyone¡ª is meant to be here as well but she has a right to prioritise managing her clan instead.

    The same goes for Uncle Aoto, he¡¯s the one who should be here going through all this paperwork, sieving the details for me but he said something about my office being too drab and uncomfortable even for the task of managing the village.

    I couldn¡¯t blame him, my office had my desk backing a panel of large windows overlooking Kiri¡¯s hazy mountains and the myriad of cylindrical buildings built into or along them¡ª if I squinted I could see the coast. There was one long sofa and a table for tea but Lord Funato was looking through documents there now. A brown wall with the photos of past Kage, mine was already up there and the picture looked just as drab as the office it occupied.

    Still, I¡¯m briefly amused by the thought of ordering him over but quickly get over it. I can do this, it¡¯s only been a week so far and if I could become Mizukage in the first place¡ª after only two months of being in this world¡ª then being a good Mizukage shouldn¡¯t be so difficult.

    A short knock came at the door and Owl mask walked in a moment after, ¡°Mizukage-sama, Funato-dono.¡± She went to kneel but I raised a hand and waved it off.

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    Owl mask. Our relationship threatened to start off on the wrong foot but as a professional shinobi looking to bring the best for our village, it¡¯s easy to guide her back to seeing things my way. It also helps that she was present for my clash with the four of the Seven Swordsmen in a battle for the title I know hold.

    The respect is well earned.

    ¡°Good to see you¡­¡± I pulled a sheet of paper from underneath a pile and read, ¡°Reina Yuki.¡± She tensed a bit at hearing her name from my lips but quickly relaxed, it wasn¡¯t a surprising thing that I¡¯d learn the name of my ANBU commander.

    But in response she pulled her mask to the side, revealing a beautifully scarred face of a young, battle hardened woman. She has fierce golden eyes that send a jolt as I gaze in them. Her lips are thin but glossed so their plum doesn¡¯t go unappreciated. Long, curled lashes bat those eyes at me and I breathe.

    Pulling myself together, ¡°I have a task for you, well, it doesn¡¯t have to be you.¡±

    ¡°The ANBU only need your word, Mizukage-sama.¡±

    I cleared my throat, ¡°Right¡­are the ANBU operating in Amegakure in any capacity?¡±

    Both she and Lord Funato draw confused looks at this. She squints for a moment then shook her head, ¡°We withdrew quite some time ago. If I may ask, Mizukage-sama, what is the interest?¡±

    In that instant Yagura knew I could simply say I intended to invade and everyone would grit their teeth but follow procedure to seeing my wish come true but no¡­I¡¯m not going mad yet.

    When I looked at the heaps of work my rank as Yondaime Mizukage demanded, I knew I couldn¡¯t beat around the bush sorting through it before facing the existential threat¡ª Obito and his Akatsuki.

    ¡°I need eyes there, Reina.¡± I leaned forward and measured my words, ¡°I want to know what¡¯s happened in the past six months, what the Salamander is up to, their military and economic might. In fact, get me the latest report on them, I¡¯ll need to have a look at that.¡±

    She gulped. Lord Funato left the sofa and was wobbling over with his cane, ¡°Amegakure, Yagura¡­what are you planning?¡±

    Yagura spared him a short glance before snapping back to Reina who was still processing. She straightened and nodded sharply, ¡°Given the nature of Hanzo the Salamander an infiltration like this classes as SS-rank, we¡¯ve dispersed many of our operatives fit for the task to the great nations, I will assign myself and Raiga to this task.¡±

    I gave a hum at that. Hanzo¡¯s nature being unforgivingly murderous if you don¡¯t match up to his expectations. He would only spare the strong and while Raiga and Owl mask were certainly capable shinobi, I don¡¯t see either of them walking out from an encounter with the Salamander of the Hidden Rain.

    Moreover, the reason I¡¯m doing this is so I know what state Nagato is in right now. My head began to hurt as I wondered if Hanzo has died at Nagato¡¯s hands yet, I know Obito helped in that regard but I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s gotten around to doing so yet.

    I only knew what was coming if I failed to make a move. It was early sure, but I couldn¡¯t give the Akatsuki breathing space to breed.

    Finally, under expectant stares from Lord Funato and Reina waiting for me to approve, I said, ¡°Reassign Mei and her team to Amegakure.¡±

    Lord Funato¡¯s cane struck as he snapped, ¡°Yagura-kun!¡±

    Even Reina tensed up as I turned to face him. He heaved, both eyes wide open and questioning, ¡°The justification of investigating Sandaime-sama¡¯s passing will only slide with so many villages, least of all Konoha. Investigating Ame, should they find out, will only serve to infuriate resting dogs to bite.¡±

    I digested his words fully and blinked towards Reina, ¡°Go, send them their new orders.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    Lord Funato watched her leave in stark wide disbelief before snapping at me again, ¡°Explain.¡±

 If Dead, Not Good

    ¡°I am not changing my mind, Funato-dono.¡± I answered, cutting straight at any hope he might harbour as soon as Owl masks left.

    The old man was justified in his nervousness as triggering an international incident so soon into my reign but that¡¯s the thing, it was my reign. Maybe that¡¯s a bit too much Yagura.

    I shook my head as his cane trembled in his grip. To be fair the ANBU teams we sent to the other nations would be received openly as per my orders. Through Owl mask, the ANBU commander, I¡¯ve long since had their orders switch from covert investigations to emissaries from Kiri, bringing the news of the Fourth Mizukage to the relevant individuals on the world stage.

    It¡¯s a common practice amongst the hidden villages to do this when there¡¯s a new person in power and we¡¯d have needed to send a new team with the message if I hadn¡¯t given the order.

    They¡¯ll be accepted in, given lodgings and gifts to return with if the visited Kage feels so generous¡ª but I doubt. In their time there, Owl mask assured me they¡¯ll be able to carry out their investigations into the Sandaime¡¯s death and would be the best people to gauge each Kage¡¯s reaction to the news.

    As usual, I didn¡¯t care about any of this since I was certain Madara¡¯s death triggered the end of his Genjutsu hold on the Sandaime and not long after, his death. What I did care about was Amegakure and Konoha.

    ¡°But why? Why Amegakure?¡± the clan head demanded to know my reasoning.

    I thought briefly about coming clean, revealing the existence of the existential threat to all of the shinobi world cooking doom and destruction in the rainy pits of the Hidden Rain. But I didn¡¯t know where I¡¯d start from and frankly, I didn¡¯t need more than one person with full knowledge about this threat, at least not at this stage.

    ¡°Amegakure isn¡¯t simply a suspect, they¡¯re a prospective ally.¡± I began and the man wobbled closer, eyes wide and curious. ¡°Should Hanzo prove innocent I want to consider forming an alliance with his little nation, they haven¡¯t the best relations with the great villages but that can change, starting with me.¡±

    It was something I¡¯d thought about in the earliest days of my new life here, back when getting enough sleep and not having a burning seal were the largest of my problems. Since I can¡¯t reasonably call a Kage Summit for a threat only I know exists, then I¡¯ll simply have to cajole Obito into revealing himself far earlier than he¡¯s prepared to.

    Worst case scenario at this point is, he¡¯s killed Hanzo with Pein and Konan taking charge of the village. Meaning there are only three members of the Akatsuki at the moment to worry about.

    I gritted my teeth at the thought, I hadn¡¯t mastered Isobu yet and I¡¯ll surely be needing his strength to go up against any one of these three, even when they¡¯re so young¡ª I¡¯m not so different after all.

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    Best case scenario, I have more time than I thought and Hanzo is still in charge, perhaps Obito is preparing to attack Konoha and release the Nine-Tails. I wasn¡¯t sure, I couldn¡¯t be sure from where I sat alone and that¡¯s why this investigation is so paramount.

    ¡°What good will come from aligning with Ame? I only see Konoha interpreting this as a staging ground for an invasion.¡± The aged shinobi who has seen all three wars at this point looked me dead in the eye and asked, ¡°Is it?¡±

    I smirked, ¡°Hanzo only need to be receptive. Kirigakure will offer protection and be the first of the five great nations to respect and recognize his efforts. What he¡¯ll be willing to do for such support¡­I wonder.¡±

    And here I thought his eyes couldn¡¯t go any wider.

    He trembled forward, caution glinting in his eyes as he attempted to say something only for my door to swing open. Our attention is drawn to none other than Rina Hozuki dressed in a fine kimono, its deep indigo fabric adorned with colourful koi fish patterns. The traditional garment hugged her slender figure gracefully, accentuating her elegant posture as she made her way, the soft clap of her wooden sandals the only sound in the office.

    She sensed the tense vibe radiating off of Lord Funato as she looked between us. She bowed slightly, ¡°Mizukage-sama, Funato-dono.¡±

    Her glossy violet faded hair was styled into an intricate updo, adorned with a few carefully placed yin-yang hairpins that matched the motif of her kimono¡¯s dancing koi fish.

    Lord Funato looked so incensed and confused to see her standing there and I was with him on the confusion part, then I looked at the time and sighed. ¡°Lady Megumi¡¯s tea, I promised.¡±

    I glanced at her hands and found she only carried a small purse that could only fit loose change and maybe a comb but not the documents her grandmother was insisting I have a look at a day prior.

    ¡°Lord Funato, we¡¯ll have to discuss this another time, your advice will be much appreciated.¡± I said and gestured for Rina to take a seat on the only couch in the drab office.

    If the old man had many teeth left I¡¯m sure I¡¯d hear them grinding as he passed a look between myself and Rina before taking his sweet time leaving. He glanced at the documents he was reviewing and said with barely hidden bile, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving those.¡±

    The door closed behind him and Rina glanced from her fidgeting fingers to my smiling face. I felt a little awkward as I joked to break the building silence, ¡°You¡¯re a bit too beautifully dressed for Shurikenjutsu training, Rina.¡±

    She chuckled softly, ¡°Grandmother gave up her appointment with you so she could spend more time with mother, she¡¯s tasked me with¡­introducing you to topics of concern to the Hozuki as well as her advice for the Kaguya attackers.¡±

    Hearing all that made my brow heavier somehow, I frowned at the stack of papers and scrolls on my desk and nodded. ¡°Very well, a promise is a promise but let¡¯s discuss these in a finer venue, my office isn¡¯t tea party host worthy yet.¡±

    By the way Rina¡¯s dressed I¡¯ve already seen through the Lady Megumi¡¯s true aims here, her concerns and advice are always things she can offer to me at dawn like Lord Funato, still, I¡¯d leave an ear open to listen for anything valuable.

    ¡°Of course, I know a place¡­that is, if you don¡¯t?¡± Rina hesitated, clearly not in full sync with her matriarch¡¯s intent.

    ¡°No, no, all the better, less thinking for me. Lead the way please.¡±

    Even if nothing of note comes from this, it should be a relaxing night out in Kiri and time away from channelling Yagura to deal with politicking.

 Rinas Honestea

    The moment they¡¯d stepped out of the office Rina felt she¡¯d overdressed. In comparison to her ¡®date¡¯ she was completely formal, slow and of course elegantly beautiful.

    Yondaime-sama did deign to wear his haori and hat¡ª  ¡°Got to keep it on, hope you don¡¯t mind? The village has to have an easy time identifying their leader.¡± He¡¯d said. Meaning if it were possible all he¡¯d want to wear is the grey and black up and down paired with his infamous green poncho.

    Rina didn¡¯t think like her grandmother, these schemes to bring her closer to the Mizukage are far too over the top and worse, obvious. She¡¯d complained, made her point that it¡¯s just shameful to cling onto power so blatantly but what choice did she have in the matter?

    All Rina could do was follow orders and hope the Mizukage would give Nana Megumi a definitive answer. At least, he didn¡¯t seem to mind how slow she was walking to their destination, in fact, she regularly caught him staring out at the sky, the people and their businesses. Occasionally stopping to pat a child¡¯s head or give them a coin to buy some sweets with while their parents fervently bowed and thanked him for his mere presence.

    He had a slight smile on his lips right now too. She looked ahead and found the teahouse waiting ahead of them, one of the finest establishments in the Central District. It sat just across the lake her father blew into existence and was very well kept to compete with the Funato and Yuki businesses.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Rina said, excited to stop walking at last. Inconveniencing the Mizukage aside, her feet hurt from the inefficiency of walking such a distance in wooden sandals.

    The scent of freshly brewed matcha greeted them as some servants in oversized white clothes bowed in sync and pushed the round doors open. The interior was much larger than the outside, of course, but that could easily be an illusion as there weren¡¯t many customers left within it.

    Glancing at the anticipating tea house workers, Rina guessed that just like how Nana Megumi had set the appointment she¡¯d also set it up so the establishment is scanty but present enough with folk bound to whisper about the Mizukage and the girl at his arm.

    ¡°Welcome to our Komorebi Tea Haven, Mizukage-sama, Lady Rina.¡± The director bowed deeply, his grin at his luck nigh uncontained.

    ¡°It smells nice in here.¡± Yagura said, ignoring all the eyes peering at who¡¯d just come through. Both upper and lower floors had guests leaning out of their seats or taking unnecessary strolls to have a proper look.

    The director let his grin burst, ¡°Ahahah, we try. Where would you like to be seated? Lady Rina is a regular here and has her own private booth at the top floor.¡±

    What? Since when?

    ¡°Oh really?¡± Yagura looked up at her and she quickly put on a pleasant face to hide her shock as she nodded, ¡°Well then, lead the way. By the way, do you only serve tea here?¡±

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    ¡°We serve sweets and some light meals along with our special brews, are you interested?¡±

    Yagura shrugged and she wondered if he¡¯d been eating well since he took office. This counts as the second time since then she¡¯s met him, the first being to congratulate him.

    The director swiftly brought them to the top floor and Rina pieces together what he¡¯d meant by her own private booth. She stood in front of it, the place she and her father used to sit and watch the leaping fish in the lake he blew into reality for her giggles.

    It offered a beautiful view of the village, at least a part of it. The Mizukage Tower couldn¡¯t be seen from this angle and that¡¯s why she liked it so much as a kid, with the tower out of sight her father would spend more time until some nosy ANBU would interrupt.

    They took their seat and Rina sighed, she hadn¡¯t been here since the start of the Third Shinobi War, he promised they¡¯d sit together again but she¡¯s here with his successor instead.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Yagura asked, placing his hat down on the table and fingering through the menu.

    Her first instinct was to say yes and get on with this tea date, recite all the information Nana Megumi made her memorize and go home to cry in peace but those pink eyes were just too soft and welcoming for her to lie.

    ¡°I¡­I used to come here with someone very important to me.¡± He blinked, but didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°We were supposed to visit again but it¡¯s too late. Hah, I just miss him.¡±

    Yagura stared at her intently for a moment before turning to the lake where some children in noble clothes practiced their water walking to embarrassing results.

    ¡°I understand. You have their memories with you though, yes? All the times you did pay a visit together, all the times you shared.¡± When she nodded he placed the menu down and smiled, ¡°Tell me then, this is the perfect chance to relive some of them.¡±

    She actually laughed, ¡°You¡¯d want to hear that? I still have a report from Nana to give you.¡±

    He breathed the sweet smelling air and relaxed into his seat, ¡°I think we have time.¡±

    Rina¡¯s smile grew, she sniffed and nodded shyly as she composed her thoughts, seeking out the least embarrassing moments from her time her with her father.

    ¡°The first day I came here there wasn¡¯t a lake yet, it was just¡­grounds I think. Someone wanted to build a park or something I¡¯m not sure but when I came it was just grounds and while we had tea, I complained there was nothing beautiful to look at.

    ¡°He said that seeing Kiri at this height was beautiful in its own right, but I was much younger then and felt I¡¯d seen everything even though I hadn¡¯t, I wasn¡¯t impressed by my village. I said it would be better if there was a picture of my mother to look out at.

    ¡°When I explained that I didn¡¯t simply want a portrait in the booth but out there on the lands so I could gaze from above, he laughed and laughed and laughed until I felt very silly and refused to eat anymore of his sweets.

    ¡°Then, he promised me that he¡¯d make it possibly to look out at my mother¡¯s beauty and that it was a brilliant idea. He promised the next time I¡¯d be here he¡¯ll show me something beautiful to look at while I drank tea with him.¡±

    Yagura leaned forward, ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And he created a lake and called it a mirror. We sat outside the next time, all three of us and our reflection¡­our family was beautiful to look at.¡±

    Rina¡¯s wistful eyes met Yagura¡¯s and held them, she stared into him as she felt him gaze into her and for a moment¡ª

    ¡°So! Have you decided on what tea you¡¯ll be having?¡± The director returned with an annoying chirp, snapping them both out of the trance.

    Yagura glanced between them a bit lost and caught off guard before arbitrarily choosing sencha tea and some donburi. She ordered the same with a side of sweets.

    With the director banished once again Yagura straightened and cleared his throat, ¡°So, what is this about the Hozuki¡¯s concerns?¡±

 Mei I Have That Mission?

    When the dignitary doors of their residence flew open and the Captain immediately activated the soundproof seals they¡¯d slapped everywhere the day Konoha let them in, Mei knew it wasn¡¯t going to be good news coming out of his lips.

    ¡°Mei! Hana!¡± Captain Sato yelled for them and Mei could hear Hana scramble in the other room as she did too.

    They put themselves before the Captain and his Vice, Daiki. Both had just returned from what must be another fruitless walk through Konoha trying to slip away from the many eyes that laid on them the moment they entered the village.

    Their infiltration mission would have paved a disastrous path had their orders not been altered a mere day away from its execution. The new orders brought mix reactions from all of the team when they first received it, mostly because it meant it the change was coming directly from the newly chosen Mizukage.

    Much like herself, Captain Sato and the others were curious which of the two powerhouses had won and which had died. Unfortunately for Mei and Hana, their Captain and his superiors decided it would be funny if they left them guessing.

    The Owl Masked ANBU Commander had answered Sato¡¯s questions about the Fourth Mizukage¡¯s inauguration and the current atmosphere without any of this shenanigans but Mei couldn¡¯t confirm any of the crucial details.

    Still, that they were instead to present themselves as dignitaries from the Mizukage meant she would inevitably learn the name of the Yondaime, even if it was at the same time as the Hokage.

    And it was. Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash of Konoha wasn¡¯t all too pleased to have Kiri shinobi in his village, especially those that were clearly all part of its ANBU.

    His reaction when Captain Sato announced Yagura Karatachi as Yondaime Mizukage and pronounced the Sandaime dead in the same breath was a delight to see though. From shocked to sympathetic then back to concealed disdain in a flash.

    Mei went through a similar reaction, though she knew to withhold back involuntary inflections like that since she knew she¡¯d be in for some news. For the most part she was relieved and then a bit worried, Yagura shared a piece of her visions for Kiri but unlike her he had too little reservations in how he pursued it, even volunteering to become a Jinchuriki despite knowing the risks.

    The Hokage gave his condolences and they were offered a place in Konoha. The Yellow Flash himself had just taken seat as the Fourth Hokage, his face nearly fully carved in that ridiculous mountain side. And so he offered to establish a communique with his fellow Yondaime, connecting the two rival nations in a firm and direct wish for reconciliation.

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    Mei saw it in those enchanting blue pearls of his, he meant every word, he wanted Kiri and Konoha to coexist rather than cannibalize. What a cute man.

    Captain Sato stiffly nodded, appreciating the offer and promising to relay it back home. Whether he¡¯s done so, whether Yagura has gotten word, she doesn¡¯t know, but they were about to receive new orders judging by the constrained and pitied look the Vice Daiki was giving her.

    ¡°There¡¯s been some change of plans.¡± Sato began and Mei spied Hana straighten up, fully enthused for a change of pace.

    Communication with the village takes a while even with the fastest ravens, it would get better if the Mizukage accepted the Hokage¡¯s offer, aligned villages could easily set up embassies with the right tools and jutsu to communicate faster.

    Until then they were stuck making day to day attempts to escape their three dozen ANBU watchers¡ª at least by the latest count¡ª while they tried to carry on with their original mission to investigate Konoha¡¯s involvement in the Sandaime¡¯s death.

    At this point though and after see that handsome, prize winning catch of a Hokage, Mei didn¡¯t think him capable of being behind such. But of course, Konoha has many powerful figures with their own agendas, continuing the investigation was paramount.

    ¡°Yondaime-sama wants to investigate Amegakure, this time it¡¯s a full infiltration.¡± Sato said and Daiki beside him sighed. Mei had a set of questions already but stood in place until Sato finished, ¡°Our team will split in two as there are pending matters in Konoha, Hana and I will see to that. Daiki, Mei, you¡¯ll travel to Amegakure as early as dawn and take up identities as a married, childless couple looking for a cheap and relatively safe place to build a life. Mei, you will take lead on this mission and the Commander will be your direct contact. That is all.¡±

    Mei understood now why Daiki had been pitying her so, she¡¯s being torn away from all of Konoha¡¯s¡­potential and being force to play house with him. But worse than that, this was easily an S-rank mission¡ª infiltrating the house of Hanzo the Salamander, it¡¯s unlikely they¡¯ll have backup and she¡¯s taking point over the Vice-Captain of the current team, how? Why?

    ¡°Why me? I only stayed in ANBU a year, I don¡¯t have as much experience.¡± She¡¯d left the ANBU after having her fill of its scummier ways, it was there she met and became acquainted with Yagura. He was one of the few breathes of fresh air but even then, he was polluted with a burning desire for power and recognition.

    Sato just stared at her and shrugged, ¡°I asked the same thing and apparently it¡¯s because Yondaime-sama mentioned you by name for this mission, goodluck, don¡¯t disappoint him.¡±

    Daiki managed a smile, he was always reserved. ¡°I¡¯m in your hands¡­darling.¡± He blew her a kiss and Mei scowled while Hana and Sato chuckled.

    Hana leaned in and whispered, ¡°Guess the Hokage will have to fall in love with me instead, enjoy the rain Mei-chan!¡±

    Mei looked at her appalled and then, betrayed. With a fury she raised her fist and ran after the already bolted Hana, ¡°He¡¯s mine! Don¡¯t you dare!¡±

    Mei let herself indulge, but brewing in the back of her mind were many, many concerns about this new mission. Daiki is right, Yagura is trusting me to do my part, we share the same vision after all.

    Yes, she can do it, they can do it. Kirigakure will never be the same again and then maybe she¡¯ll find some good men to spend the rest of her life with.

 To Breakthrough

    Breathe in¡­Breathe out¡­Breathe in¡­and out. My mind was centred, my soul is full, my heart is rich and my hands are empty, ready to receive. My breath hitched as I prepared to ask, to receive. My soul delved and I felt my feet lose the ground beneath them, the darkness of my shut eyes filled with the cool soothing¡¯s of an ocean and then the imposition of monstrous chakra.

    I let both take hold of me, refusing to give into the fear, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of, I asked for this, I came here. I am here. My eyes fluttered open and stung from the ocean soaking every inch of me, a shimmering light in the persistent darkness grew as I floated above what I came for.

    He won¡¯t let me have it.

    ¡°No, no I won¡¯t.¡± He said, appearing larger than I¡¯ve ever seen myself in a mirror, than I¡¯ve ever thought of myself. He presses a giant hand over the power, the horde of chakra I¡¯ve come begging for and it all disappears in a vicious whirlpool.

    I gritted my teeth and began to flee but it¡¯s hardwork running away from an ocean master. Multitudes of himself forge out of cyclones, all staring disapprovingly as I swam, struggled to the surface if there is one any more.

    ¡°When will you stop running? When will you stop pretending?¡± his multitudes demand, their brows furrowed in deep sneers of disgust.

    I choked on my held breath, desperate for air that doesn¡¯t exist I kicked and pushed and pulled at the water to escape but only met him again.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who came in here. You think it will be so easy to have this power? You must earn it, you must face the challenge to seize it. But you are not ready!¡± His giant form drew the equally massive Bo-staff and he struck, bringing a wave of water down on my head before the Bo itself smites me out of my meditative trance.

    I leapt out of the pool gasping for air, my lungs greedy for it and my vision blurred by the droplets soaking my hair in my eyes. I kicked and splashed until Harusame appeared above me, standing on the water he yanked me out with one arm and held me.

    ¡°Mizukage-sama! Breathe, breathe!¡± He demanded as he slapped my back and forced what water was already trapped in my lungs out.

    Eventually I caught my breath enough to pull chakra to my feet and stand alone. I stumbled away from the lake, my seventh attempt at reaching Isobu thwarted yet again by none other than Yagura himself. Or, according to him, me.

    But I couldn¡¯t believe that, I didn¡¯t want to. It made more sense to see him as Yagura and myself as¡­what am I? Who am I? These questions have plagued me for another week and I¡¯m no closer to getting an answer, I¡¯m not even sure I want one anymore.

    I just want to speak to Isobu or at least master his chakra. I threw myself against the grass as my chest heaved for air and my seal burned my stomach. I could smell Harusame¡¯s vile remedies brewing already but this time I¡¯d asked for them.

    The longer I sat as Mizukage the more I felt my strength was insufficient, no, the more obvious it became. The Kages that stand behind each of the hidden villages in this timeline were intensely powerful people.

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    There was Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage who has consistently fought and subdued the One-Tailed beast, a feat not many can lay claim to especially singlehandedly.

    Onoki ruled the Hidden Stone as Third Tsuchikage, a man well aged to have seen the birth of all the major villages, to have fought against Madara himself. There is something to be said about a man who lives long in a profession where people die young.

    Ay, the Fourth Raikage and the second fastest person on the planet, a man so fierce he weathers no insult, takes no bullshit and fights with his fists ready to squash whoever may dare threaten his village. His lightning cloak, a version of his father¡¯s own and yet to see its full potential has the strength to take on and shield him from nearly anything.

    And finally, the Hokage or Hokage¡¯s as Konoha seems to be the only village that managed to have two generations of Kage living and breathing at the same time. Hiruzen, the Professor who has learned all jutsu known to Konoha itself and Minato, the Yellow Flash, a name that speaks for itself.

    In contrast, Yagura Karatachi or at least, the Yagura Karatachi I was playing wasn¡¯t all that intimidating. True Yagura held mastery over both Water and Wind Release and was dipping further into Yin Release when he became a Jinchuriki.

    In truth, if tested, I only have power equivalent to that of an expert Jounin and that¡¯s when I channel his personality and memories, a thing I¡¯m not too fond of doing. When I don¡¯t I¡¯m about as useful as a well-rounded Chuunin looking for a promotion.

    I suppose that¡¯s not bad but lately, more and more security concerns were making their way to my desk. Not to mention, I casted the die and took the first move against Obito and the Akatsuki, I didn¡¯t know waiting for a report would take so long or that it would make me so anxious.

    And so, here I am, back to seeking an ultimate, quick draw, easy win power to soothe my mounting anxieties. If only Yagura would let me through.

    ¡°Mizukage-sama, you can¡¯t push yourself so much, this exercise is extreme enough for your stage.¡± Harusame continued to complain as he set a cup of his remedy on the grass next to my head. ¡°Let¡¯s try taking it from the top again, chakra moulding.¡±

    I groaned at that, sat up and gulped the scalding hot tea before it got cold enough to tastes all the awfulness. By this time Harusame¡¯s gotten used to seeing me do so and simply shook his head as he took the empty cup.

    I breathed out the heat as I stood akimbo, ¡°No, theirs is too much to do to waste time inching forward. If I can¡¯t summon its chakra on my own, then it¡¯s time, Harusame.¡±

    His eyes soften as he looked on me, ¡°Mizukage-sama¡­¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you saw me out there, I can handle its chakra. I won¡¯t rampage.¡±

    Still, he looked conflicted, but I couldn¡¯t blame him, I was essentially asking him to put his life on the line, to trust that I¡¯m capable of holding back a Tailed-Beast. In truth, this is a very Yagura thing for me to do but technically, it¡¯s not. Since I know Isobu is asleep and the real Yagura is the first line of defence behind the seal all I need is to bypass him, grind some of Isobu¡¯s chakra into my own and¡­

    ¡°This¡­if we do this the entire village will be at risk, not just me. The Three-Tails is fully capable of ending my life even with a single tail, one mistake, one slip up and it¡¯s over.¡±

    I gritted my teeth, trusting that as stubborn as Yagura is he won¡¯t stand in my way, not if I do this, not if there¡¯s a true risk of everything being over.

    Steely eyed, I nodded, ¡°I¡¯m sure, make the preparations.¡±

    No sooner had I given the order did an ANBU shimmer to my side, kneeling at my feet with his head bowed I sighed, ¡°What is it now?¡±

    He shifted at Harusame¡¯s presence and the Fuinjutsu master didn¡¯t need to be told to give us privacy. He bowed and left the secluded meditation pool to carry his orders.

    Once he was gone, Ao took off his mask and by his expression alone, I could tell this was a serious matter, ¡°Lord Funato has called for an emergency meeting with the council, news from Konoha.¡±

    Every muscle in my body tensed at that, I wanted to ask Ao more but I knew he wouldn¡¯t have the answers. ¡°Very well, let¡¯s go.¡±

 Settling Matters

    ¡°We should decline.¡± Lord Funato¡¯s cane struck definitively as he eyed his fellows.

    Lady Megumi looked more aged each time I saw her and this news continued on that trend, despite myself I was concerned for her well-being. Uncle had a plain, unreadable poker face on, he mostly looked irritated they¡¯d called him from the clan grounds for this but Yagura knew that too was a poker face.

    These are exactly the kind of matters he¡¯s always wanted to consult on and my being Mizukage made his place here all the more valid, if a bit skewed by rumours of favouritism.

    None of that stopped him from voicing his opinion though, ¡°Why? Because it¡¯s what we¡¯ve always done?¡±

    The old clan head harrumphed, ¡°Jest all you want but it is these foundations that has kept Kiri safe and whole.¡±

    Uncle Aoto snorted but said nothing, his meaning gone unspoken. The delusions of the aged continued to show right alongside his stubbornness. I massaged my temples because unlike him I hadn¡¯t the restraint for a poker face.

    An olive branch, an opportunity for reconciliation with the strongest of the hidden villages, the winner of the Third Shinobi war. With Minato Namikaze. That wasn¡¯t something you declined.

    I made my displeasure at his quick dismissal known with a scowl and considered Lady Megumi. I already knew what my orders were going to be but the key to leading is giving attention, at least, I felt so.

    ¡°Lady Megumi, what do you think we should do?¡±

    She sent a somber gaze at me and smiled wryly, ¡°Ahh, forgive me, Mizukage-sama, I thought I was merely here to listen to your decision.¡± She sniped, narrowing her eyes at me.

    I immediately regretted opening the conversation to her. I knew what this was about as well, Megumi laid that trap well. ¡°The Kaguya case is-¡±

    ¡°Oh no, forgive me, I have accepted your decision on that case, Yondaime, I only regret to see what will come of it. If you wish a ryo for my thought on this, then I can only tell you to heed history.¡±

    Lord Funato smiled and even Uncle shifted uncomfortably at the woman¡¯s guile. ¡°I too have disagreements with your decision on the Kaguya, but this is not about the Kaguya, Konoha is a much more delicate body than those annoyances as you called them.¡±

    I sighed and looked at their faces, even Uncle had some doubts about my decision to hold off on massacring the entire Kaguya clan for the attack before my succession.

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    Much like this decision, I made it based off of what would be best for the future, not the immediate interests of Kirigakure; vengeance. There still wasn¡¯t anyone labelled as suspect for the Sandaime¡¯s death and so the Kaguya made themselves a convenient scapegoat to appease the bloodthirsty clans and masses of the Mist.

    Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t with them on that bloodlust. ¡°You¡¯re exactly right about that, Lord Funato, which is why I believe it¡¯s high time we cease with the hostile and avoidant relations with the other villages.¡±

    Funato frowned but I didn¡¯t give him a chance to speak over me, ¡°You complained about my action in Amegakure as well, Lord Funato, Konoha offering a medium of diplomacy on a silver platter is an opportunity to diffuse any misunderstandings about our operations in the Amegakure if Konoha should find out.

    ¡°Besides, I am curious about the Yellow Flash of Konoha, the tales of his legend are tenfold as both Iwa and Kumo will confess. Given our failed operation against Konoha in the last leg of the war I doubt he expects us to accept this¡­generous offer.¡±

    Uncle gave that a thoughtful hum and nodded along, ¡°Konoha is prideful and wouldn¡¯t turn on their offer, especially not a one from their new Kage, it would reflect weakness, indecision and deceit. Not a great way to start a relationship with us.¡±

    I smirked and sat back, glad to have a voice of reason on this council of mine. Like every Kage before me I have the power to add more councillors so long as the number remained odd. I wondered who I¡¯d like to add and only Mei that comes to mind leaving the odd slot empty.

    Funato¡¯s frown deepened, ¡°These are fair and sound points, Karatachi, but Kiri has never left itself so vulnerable to outside influence, we already have insurgents plaguing the Land of Water, concerning ourselves with-¡±

    Lady Megumi sighed loudly and shook her head at Lord Funato, ¡°Mizukage-sama has already made his decision, Funato-dono. Our words walk in one ear and out the other, Kaguya, Ame, and now Konoha, I fear the words of elders have no value.¡±

    Funato seemed shaken by her words, his grip on his cane hardened and I thought he was about to strike it again but instead, he started to stand.

    ¡°Lord Funato!¡± It was Uncle who shouted, his eyes darted to me and squinted in a way that told me explicitly to suck up, ¡°There¡¯s no need to leave yet, I¡¯m sure we can help the Mizukage see our way on some matters if not all. The council does not exist alone to counsel on Konoha after all.¡±

    He laughed sheepishly and Funato miraculously cracked a smile. The old man turned to me, disappointment clear on his face, ¡°As the Mizukage wishes, it shall be. As Hozuki-dono has said, we offer ancient wisdom it is your choice to heed it or not.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I appreciate that wisdom.¡± I said with a tight lipped smile. Judging by Uncle¡¯s reaction there are consequences to stepping on these old folks toes too much, I have to remind myself that even a Kage is subject to be overthrown or assassinated for a more favourably candidate.

    My power only extends as far as I can throw the clans of the ruling caste. As a Karatachi my clan will stand with me, I know Uncle will. But the others, I see I have to choose whether to cajole or terrorize them into submission.

    ¡°Say, Lady Megumi, how about we revisit my intentions for the Kaguya, I want you to understand and¡­I may have been hasty in rejecting your proposals.¡± I catch Lord Funato peeking at me expectantly but unfortunately I say nothing regarding my decisions on Ame and Konoha, those will stand.

    Uncle Aoto smiled brightly at everyone, ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s a great idea.¡±

 I Dream Of Peace

    ¡°I really don¡¯t like your office.¡± Uncle stated honestly, ¡°When are you going to spruce this place up?¡± He lingered, pacing about the office and poking stuff as though there wasn¡¯t a couch to sit at.

    In truth, I felt the same way about the office, I had particular preferences that followed me from my past life to this one and I¡¯d like to see them met. It¡¯s simply a matter of time and importance, gathering the necessary things and finding the time where I wouldn¡¯t mind being disturbed as I worked.

    ¡°It¡¯s on my list of things to do...just near the bottom. Not a lot of spare time on my hands as Mizukage yknow?¡± I raised an eye from the promotion request I was reading, I sighed and pulled out my official seal and stamped it blue with my approval.

    Uncle scoffed and sent an accusing look at me, ¡°Spare time? Hm, I guess visiting a tea house with a certain Rina isn¡¯t a waste of time then.¡±

    I groaned, ¡°That¡¯s how I got Lady Megumi¡¯s proposals, even this one.¡± I pointed at the approved request and Uncle¡¯s accusatory gaze softened. ¡°Mangetsu Hozuki¡­Chuunin. What do you think?¡±

    Uncle Aoto sighed as he shrugged, ¡°He¡¯s a prodigy, it makes sense to promote him, even if you¡¯re only doing it as a compromise. Did you plan this?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Plan what?¡± There were a lot of things I was planning.

    ¡°Forcing Lady Megumi to compromise, you rejected her proposal to hunt and exterminate the Kaguya, a thing many clans agree with, but you also rejected Mangetsu¡¯s promotion. And now, you¡¯ve approved it¡­¡± He trailed off, looking at me expectantly.

    Of course, I could fill in the blanks of what he means, what he thinks I orchestrated. In fact, that sounds like a genius plan to have had but really, when Rina in all her beauty voiced the plans for the Kaguya clan extermination from the Land of Water and in the same breath asked for Mangetsu, a six-year old to be promoted so he can participate...well, let¡¯s just say I¡¯d heard enough.

    As a result of the last council meeting, I¡¯ve explained my reasoning for not wanting to exterminate the Kaguya. Kirigakure is a village founded on the backs of the invaded clans, the low caste as they¡¯re called once integrated. Since that tradition still exists there¡¯s no need to genocide a clan wielding such a powerful Kekkei Genkai. Eiko¡¯s report on their physiology corroborates these facts.

    However, Yagura knew there¡¯s nothing I could say to that¡¯d make keeping Mangetsu as a Genin sound like a good idea to anyone on the council. Kiri has just suffered a war and bolstering our military ranks with capable shinobi is one of the most important tasks I have as Mizukage.

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    I shook my head, ¡°No, it was no scheme. I simply didn¡¯t find any of it a good idea but I am willing to compromise.¡±

    Uncle stood at my desk, fists pressed against it as he leaned in with the most serious look I¡¯ve seen on him since the meeting, ¡°Yagura, you should know by now that the clans are powers even the Mizukage has to bargain with. Sandaime-sama was a ruthless man and as he married Lord Funato¡¯s granddaughter he had the backing of both the Funato and Hozuki clans and he also had war.¡±

    I dropped my pen and sat back to listen.

    ¡°A war, believe it or not, is an ally to every Kage. Wartime means no one dares question your measures, wartime means your word is truly law as it should be. But Yagura, the war is over, you mustn¡¯t test the waters too frequently or else you will be bitten.¡±

    I flexed my clenched jaw and asked, ¡°I have the Karatachi behind me, don¡¯t I?¡±

    His fierce gaze lightened and he smiled, ¡°You better believe it.¡±

    Grateful I nodded, ¡°I appreciate your wisdom, Uncle, I will ensure my best to stave off threats to my¡­peaceful reign.¡±

    ¡°As long as you¡¯re visiting tea houses you should consider getting married, Lady Megumi is certainly amenable.¡± There he goes again with the marriage topic.

    ¡°I noticed. But I¡¯d like to find a wife that isn¡¯t just a mouthpiece for her clan, Rina doesn¡¯t seem to be that just yet but if Lady Megumi keeps this up then¡­well, she can forget having a Karatachi groom.¡±

    Uncle hummed in thought, clearly not in total agreement but unwilling to push the matter. Folding his arms, he asks, ¡°So, who will you send to the Kaguya?¡±

    At this I grinned. Of the many plans I¡¯ve been dreaming up this is one I¡¯m anxious to test as soon as possible. The Kaguya attack happened nearly two weeks ago and I¡¯m sure to some within the village it looks like I¡¯ve been dragging my feet to decide just what kind of retaliation I wanted to send down.

    But as Uncle has said, without a war or marriage to another powerful clan, I needed allies within to prop my fresh reign and so, I look to the neglected albeit powerful clans of Yuki and Hoshigaki.

    ¡°Reina Yuki, Elite Jounin and current Commander of our ANBU, exemplary service. Kisame Hoshigaki, prospective Seven Swordsman of the Mist, hasn¡¯t been assigned any of the free blades, not even while he was being tested for the succession.¡± I raised a knowing eyebrow as Uncle¡¯s eyes widened in realization.

    He grinned, ¡°I think I¡¯ll help you decorate this office, I¡¯m missing all the fun by staying away.¡±

    ¡°You should come more often; I wouldn¡¯t mind picking your brain on some of these. Konoha for example.¡±

    At this he outright laughed, ¡°That¡¯s your burden to bear, Mizukage-sama. A peaceful Mist is what you want huh? Let us hope this Yellow Flash of theirs isn¡¯t anything like Sarutobi, though the man still lives, his influence over the village is not dead. My advice? Expect nothing but disappointment.¡±

    Harsh words but truth filled them all. There was an even bigger obstacle to peace between villages than the Third Hokage to consider, a vile man willing to pay any cost as long as Konoha came out on top of the dogpile.

    Danzo Shimura.

 Kaguya Crisis

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t we know about this two weeks ago?¡± I demanded, scroll clenched in my fists.

    Owl mask bowed deeper her voice steady and unflinching as she reported her failure, ¡°Reports of attacks on the five clans took priority and afterwards, with the Daimyo and the succession, our operatives prioritized calls from the Central District. We¡¯re investigating and widening our patrol to execute the hidden Kaguya to the last man.¡±

    I wanted to scream but instead I held back the boiling knot of anger in my throat. Beneath it I found the compassion to give the order to capture them instead but that would only make me look weak and Yagura wasn¡¯t comfortable with that¡ª there was no redeeming them for what they¡¯ve done.

    Not these ones but we can still stop a genocide.

    ¡°Bring me one.¡± I ordered as I stood from my desk, my haori flowed behind me as I marched past her kneeling form. I tapped her shoulder as I sped out and she fell to my side. ¡°How many breeches did you say?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-nine as current count, we may discover more but based on what¡¯s been coming in from the Caste District, that¡¯s the working number.¡± She said, matching my pace as we strutted out of the Tower, working shinobi bowing or flinching to greet as I approach.

    ¡°Twenty-nine and we¡¯re estimating teams of six like the ones that attacked the clan compounds.¡± My knuckles whitened as I did the math, ¡°That means a hundred and seventy Kaguya are roaming about my village. That may well be the entire Kaguya clan, are you sure the reports on their village is accurate?¡±

    She hesitated and it infuriated me. Sensing the killing intent radiating off me she snapped to answer, ¡°They are outdated, keeping up with the trends and numbers of changing nomadic tribe and clans of shinobi isn¡¯t easy.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for excuses, Owl.¡±

    The lower floor of the Tower got busy with Chuunin and others taking care of things so she fell silent without another word. I didn¡¯t say a word to the numerous faces that did double takes and stammered in search of the right greeting or those who bowed, smiled and did everything perfect. As long as they got out of the way it was fine.

    Down the stairs and onto the ground floor where four feet statues of the past Mizukage greeted any and every one on entry. Between them are two tall desks filled with scrolls and manned by friendly faced but exhausted Chuunin who handed out trivial missions. There were another two desks on the floor above but for B-rank missions and for filing mission requests of that rank and above.

    The large, conference sized space of the reception was filled with Genin and their Jounin who looked on in awe and surprise respectively. Surprising because I usually don¡¯t bother coming down here, I didn¡¯t see myself bothering with Genin anytime soon and I could leap off building to get where I wanted.

    But in my anger my legs carried me out this way. It was fine though, Owl mask had little to say and the aura of rage I tried to suppress said it all. Besides, my destination was across the street.

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    We marched out at brisk pace to the Sensor Division HQ. A large teardrop shaped blue building that only had two storeys despite its impressive size. But as the guards at the front saluted and hurriedly opened its long doors, the reason is immediately apparent.

    A massive sphere of water floated in the middle of the room. The entrance opened to a chakra-glass protected walkway and stairs on either side that led down to a large hall occupied by skittish Sensor-nin and their assistants. All of whom were working double time to analyse and process readings sluggishly printing out from machines.

    My presence was felt before I was seen. The scattered chatter and back talk ended abruptly as the room full of Sensor-nin sniffed out my imposing chakra and mood with ease.

    I took the floor with Owl mask trailing behind me. The room was silent as I took their faces in, they gulped and cursed under their breaths as they shied away from my gaze.

    ¡°Who is responsible?¡± Yagura sneered out through me.

    A man in simple flak gear step out into view, his fingers twitching beside him. He crossed over the small stream of water feeding the water sphere and began approaching as he stuttered, ¡°Yondaime-sama¡­I...the issue with the sphere it¡¯s not so simple there were too many figures moving around at one a-and and I, I mean we couldn¡¯t- even Osamu couldn¡¯t-ack!¡±

    Before he had a chance to flinch or even more to protect himself, my palm was buried in his gut, causing him to fold over my arm and lean. I threw him off and he fell to the ground coughing and puking out whatever he had for lunch.

    ¡°Kneel and don¡¯t get up until every one of them is accounted for.¡± I turned to face the rest of the Sensor Division, the grim acceptance of punishment evident on their faces. ¡°What are you waiting for? Someone give me a report and get back to searching for every last damned Kaguya killing and raping in my village!¡±

    I turned my attention to Owl hanging like a shadow behind me, ¡°Go, announce an emergency. Shut down every gate, no one goes in or out. Alert the Jounin stations and get me Eiko.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    She vanished in a haze and I was faced with a chubby man that hadn¡¯t bothered wearing shinobi gear and donned a simple white labcoat over his stretched black attire.

    ¡°Osamu reporting, sir! I was- uh, yes, the situation is¡­difficult to describe.¡± Osamu¡¯s eyes darted everywhere but mine as he quickly introduced himself. ¡°Our current capabilities with the Water Sensing Sphere are quite limited, we can only sense around an area for specific targets whose chakra signatures we¡¯ve confirmed via field operators or we can search a specified area for irregularities and flagged chakra usage. But as far as the Kaguya are concerned we haven¡¯t enough data to accurately seek out chakra natures and movements similar to those that attacked the clans.

    He gulped, squirming under my gaze, ¡°So, basically we need to find more Kaguya to, um, you know, calibrate the Sphere and, uh, make it better at sensing them accurately. But, even then, the Sphere can¡¯t search all of Kiri at once, so, uh, it¡¯s gonna take, um, at least two... or, uh, maybe even four days to do it properly. For now, all we can really do is, like, search out in the field and report back to the Sensor Division whenever there are encounters so we can study their, uh, chakra patterns.¡±

    Four days to scan the entire village? Too slow, much too slow. It¡¯s no wonder the Third fell victim to Madara. I bit my lip and glared at the Water Sensing Sphere, adding it to the list of things I ought to improve about the village.

    ¡°Go back to work.¡± I said, tired from being angry. I glanced at the unfortunate man that lost his lunch to Yagura¡¯s palm strike, he was kneeling as I ordered, his mouth dripping with unwiped vomit.

    I cringed and turned away. My third week as Mizukage was starting out with hell.

 Bone Hunting

    My Bo-staff¡¯s large hook grabbed hold of the man¡¯s neck and I yanked him onto my Wind Blade. He gasped and gurgled blood as his knees gave out beneath him. Yagura dragged the Wind Blade diagonally, cutting through his organs and slicing out his pelvis.

    He crumpled at my feet and just as I was about to leap off to find the next, he grasped my feet, clenching onto it like it¡¯d do anything. I spared the man I¡¯d just laid at death¡¯s door and found that same disgusting grin every damned crazy Kaguya wore.

    His mouth was brimming with blood as he choked out, ¡°We..weee¡­we will be¡ª¡±

    I snatched my feet away and sneered down at him, tempted to bring his death closer still but Ao shutters nearby, his fingers held in a Tiger hand sign and so I move on, ¡°Have you found the next?¡±

    I¡¯m glad I recalled Ao to my side long ago, his Byakugan made patrolling and exterminating the invasive Kaguya a breeze. Yagura¡¯s Mist Perception allows me to perceive people and items moving through the mist but it doesn¡¯t let me differentiate between them. Ally and foe ring the same bells and so I tried not to rely on it.

    The emergency I ordered forced everyone into their homes, all shops and services closed. Every active and available Chuunin and Jounin was moving across in teams of three with orders to search and exterminate the invasive Kaguya. It¡¯s not at all the kind of orders I wanted to give considering a massacre is exactly what I wanted to prevent.

    But alas, I am Mizukage. My duty was to protect this village.

    Standing atop a rooftop and gazing through his Byakugan, Ao nodded and I leapt to his side. He pointed, ¡°There are three further north on this street and another two over to the west but someone¡¯s engaged them already.¡±

    The streets are drained of life but full of mist, thicker mist than usual as the [Hidden in the Mist] technique shapes the entire village into a battleground favouring Kiri shinobi.

    ¡°Are the Kaguya bone-users?¡±

    Ao frowned, brows furrowed in concentration as the Byakugan¡¯s use ate more chakra, ¡°Yes, at least C-tier users, the three at the north are made up of D-tier users though.¡±

    Eiko¡¯s report was truly valuable. His breakdown on the Kaguya clan¡¯s bone manipulating technique classified them into tiers of ascending threat levels. They were rare, truly, but not so rare that I wasn¡¯t already tired of seeing them.

    His classifications put the Kaguya into four tiers. D-tier, bone users that could grow and enhance their skeletal structure, giving protection where there shouldn¡¯t. C-tier were the users that could emit their bones outside their body to a lesser degree, usually only wielding a bone sword still attached to their skeleton.

    B-tiers were the users who seemed to have mastered the technique enough to mass produce their bone weapons for the numerous clan members that didn¡¯t express the dangerous Kekkei Genkai. The A-tiers were those that begun to resemble Kimimaro, the ones would could easily regenerate chopped off fingers and toes, the ones that didn¡¯t mind if their spine was broken or their skulls shattered.

    The A-tiers were the true threats as [Shikotsumyaku] manifested well in them, giving them power to produce bone even outside their body to display sheer destructive power. So far I¡¯ve only faced one of these A-tiers and that was over two weeks ago when they attacked the Hozuki.

    Judging by the ratio of normal clan members to bone users reported anyone could discern the Kekkei Genkai was rare but the A-tiers were particularly so. A fortunate thing to be honest as I didn¡¯t know how many of the Kiri shinobi running around could stand up against them in an encounter.

    ¡°To the C-tier then.¡± I said and Ao quickly led the way, leaping through the rooftops.

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    Eiko¡¯s report on the Kaguya¡¯s bone-user capabilities was distributed amongst the rank and file, Jounin and Elite Jounin leading teams would inform their mates what to be wary of should and encounter occur but after that, it was left to the Kiri shinobi to bring them down.

    Knowing how dangerous they are I personally prioritized hunting down the highest tiered bone user. Whoever was facing those two C-tier¡¯s now couldn¡¯t be having a good time.

    I wanted to asked Ao if there weren¡¯t any more Kiri shinobi facing them, I¡¯d ordered Elite Jounin and Jounin to pair up in teams with Chuunin so the only reason a singular person would be fending off two C-tiers is if their entire team was taken down.

    Fist clenched around my Bo-staff I refused to voice out the concern lest it become reality but Ao seemed to sense my apprehension, ¡°Only a bit further, Yondaime-sama.¡±

    I nodded and glimpsed the pale moon peeking out above the village, shining bright enough to illuminate our steps through the mist. It¡¯s been a whole day of this already without rest. According the Sensor Division just over seventy of the hidden Kaguya had been snuffed out of their hiding places and executed.

    My gut tumbled every time I heard a report of such a finding. Over the two weeks the Kaguya had slipped in and camped, they¡¯d made quick work slaughtering civilian and even some shinobi families in the Caste District where our attention was least expected.

    Several homes were invaded and occupied by the damned Kaguya. They raided and left to carry out more atrocities throughout the Caste District without a single report appearing on my desk until a few of them dared trifle with the rich and prosperous stores owned by prominent clans in the Business District.

    So many of their victims are¡­were victims of Kirigakure. I wondered how about my plans to integrate the sane population of the Kaguya clan into Kiri and I doubted it would fly at all. It was my intention to find a place for them in the Caste District but after this incident, even the Castes wouldn¡¯t sit idle if relatives of their murderers and rapists came to make a home.

    Fuck, this is messed up.

    Finally, Ao came to a halt but I leaped forward, already hearing the cries of battle raging below. Soaring over the rooftops I have a look at the scene below and quickly identify my enemies.

    One C-tier stood behind and cackled as she supported her partner¡¯s wild swings and dances with finger bone projectiles. Her partner disturbed a young child managing to block his flailing strikes with a kunai that was quickly getting chipped.

    I sneered and descended. The projectile user took note of me first but Ao didn¡¯t spare a moment and quickly engaged her. With his Byakugan on her movements were paltry to decipher even though I¡¯m certain her skin would be harder than steel.

    Yagura dashed out with a vengeance, the Bo-staff swung out in an arc that smashed through the bone-user¡¯s legs, sweeping him off them as they cracked and bent awkwardly. As he fell the child he¡¯d been trying to murder is revealed and before me stands a chakra exhausted but relatively unharmed Mangetsu Hozuki.

    ¡°What are you-!¡± My shock is doubled as the crippled Kaguya leaped out and stabbed my foot with a bone sword.

    Instinctively I tried to move away but he snaps it off, leaving it impaled in my foot and me pinned to the ground as one of his legs snap back to form in time for him to push forward. His throat protruded with another oddly placed bone sword looking to poke out my eye.

    He doesn¡¯t get the chance as Mangetsu snatches his head of hair and presses his kunai to the man¡¯s strangely built throat. Using all his strength Mangetsu buries the chipped and blunted kunai deep in the man¡¯s throat before any more bone reinforcements can form out of his body.

    Blinked back to my senses I snatch Mangetsu out of the way with one arm and hammer my Bo-staff into the Kaguya¡¯s skull before he can get a grip on the kunai lodge in his throat. His head caves in, soaking hair and my Bo-staff with his blood as the light in his squished eyes goes out permanently.

    ¡°Mangetsu! What are you doing here?¡± I snapped at the child I still held up with one arm. I glanced over my shoulder and found Ao had already finished dealing with his opponent with minimal water damage to the surroundings.

    The Hozuki prodigy just stared blankly at me, ¡°Mizukage-sama ordered all available Chuunin to take to the field.¡±

    Right, fuck me, I promoted this child to Chuunin. ¡°Yes, but in teams, where is yours?¡± I asked and set him down.

    He looked left then right and pointed down the street. I couldn¡¯t see what was down there but I had a feeling. I reached down and yanked the bone sword pinning my foot and hissed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯ve done well. We¡¯ll be your new team now.¡±

    His face betrayed no emotion but looking at him reminded me of¡­Rina! I blinked over at Ao, wondering if I should ask him to search for her, alternatively I could just ask the Sensor Division where she¡¯d been deployed through the earbud but I restrained myself.

    Now wasn¡¯t the time for favouritism or weakness. I¡¯d ordered every Chuunin to the field and so every Chuunin took to it. ¡°Ao, he¡¯ll be joining us, give him a pill. Where¡¯s the next set?¡±

 Ending the Threat

    ¡°Give up! Give up now while you still have the chance!¡± Owl mask yelled down at the large fishing dock, ANBU crowded around it, perched atop light posts, rooftops and even the sails of anchored ships. ¡°Come out, kneel and accept the chakra seal as you surrender and you will receive consideration from the Mizukage!¡±

    My generosity knew no bounds. I stood at the forefront of the house that served both as home and workplace to the lower caste folk living here. Ao stood behind me with a box of Harusame¡¯s Chakra-Suppressing Seals in hand, we could beat them into submission but according the Sensor HQ there was another A-tier lurking in the occupied house.

    It took hours but Sensor HQ finally got their act together and studied enough Kaguya chakra that they could thread the pattern and identify them from a crowd of shinobi. They quickly alerted us to this place, where the largest gathering of Kaguya clan members was.

    Somehow over thirty Kaguya had fit themselves into the house, it was a large house considering it doubled as a fishing dock for active sailors and fishermen but not large enough that I held hope the Kaguya kept any of the original owners alive as hostages.

    The fact they haven¡¯t bothered to negotiate¡­

    I was beginning to wonder if this was some kind of butterfly effect or time paradox. It felt like the universe¡¯s schemes for the Kaguya¡¯s genocide were firmly in place and no matter how much I delayed or had compassion for them, their deaths were written and meant to be played out.

    Owl mask assured me that her ANBU reports a clutch of the Kaguya clans people but given this secret invasion of theirs I figure all that makes up the clutch would be women and children.

    And even then, I wondered. The silence after another round of Owl masks demands grew and the horde of ANBU gathered were tensed, waiting for my word to move into the house and end every Kaguya life within. Instead I looked over my shoulder and asked Ao, ¡°What do you see?¡±

    He promptly activated his Byakugan and peered into the lair, ¡°Same as last, they¡¯re eating, lounging and discussing. Some have taken up guard near the windows and doors but otherwise they¡¯re ignoring us.¡±

    In that moment I wanted to give the order more than anything. Lounging? After killing so many innocents? My people? Jason calmed me down, a slaughter wasn¡¯t the solution I was looking for here. No matter what, I didn¡¯t want to be the Yagura that follows the Sandaime¡¯s Bloody Mist trend.

    So I shut my eyes, breathed out and started walking towards the house. The ANBU flinched to move but restrained themselves, I hadn¡¯t given an order. With my Bo-staff well in hand I knocked on the barricaded door and spoke.

    ¡°Shinobi of the Kaguya, I am Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi. You have my attention.¡±

    For a moment silence continued to prevail as it had but then something shifted by the door, the all too familiar noise of tumbling furniture before the door knob twists and opens enough for a grinning face to peek at me.

    ¡°A child? The Mizukage is a child! Bwahaha!¡±

    I frowned and the laughter ceased as the killing intent Jason suppressed as I approached surged out like a flood. The man at the door was stunned silent as fear paralyzed him, so much so that he forgot to keep a hold on the door and it swung open for me.

    ¡°Who speaks for the clan?¡± I already knew. At the end of the furniture scattered corridor was a silhouette of a strong man. He stood and turned with a possessed looking grin on his face as well.

    ¡°And you¡­speak for the entire¡­Hidden Village. Hahah, haha, ahahaha!¡±

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    They all seemed genuinely disturbed. I crossed the threshold without my ANBU and instantly felt dozens of eyes on me. True to Ao¡¯s word they were crawling in every nook and cranny of the scattered house.

    ¡°You attacked my people, you understand you¡¯re not going to live, don¡¯t you?¡± I informed him as gripped my bat and settled into a ready stance. ¡°I have only come to ask you two things.¡±

    The man crossed over one obstacle before deciding to simply push them away with his strides. He was tall, far taller than the average Kaguya not to mention well-toned.

    He stopped at the front of the second door on the left, his eye shifting into it before darting back onto me, ¡°Ahh, you have come to beg mercy and bread, a fine choice. Your people only have fish.¡±

    I narrowed at him, ¡°Why have you attacked us? Are there more Kaguya out there or have you brought your whole clan to die with you?¡±

    Shuffles from the rooms became louder as more of his men approached, they peeked out and stared but didn¡¯t make a move, their bloodlust barely disguised in their eyes.

    ¡°Why? Why else but to show all of the Land of Water that the Kaguya are superior to all! Even their so called Hidden Village.¡± He pressed his fingers to his head as he chuckled, then cackled, ¡°You know, finding this damned place was the hardest part, there¡¯s mist everywhere and you can¡¯t see your own foot half the time. But then, then the battle begun, one person becomes two and two becomes three and in time there was a line of corpses long enough to lead us right¡­here.¡±

    He licked his lips at me and dared step forward, ¡°Who do you think is at the end of that line, Mizukage?¡± Chakra flexed within him and bone swords began to protrude out of him.

    ¡°Very well, then, are there still Kaguya out there?¡±

    He snorts, ¡°You fear retribution from my grandmother? Tahahahaha! Let¡¯s kill him, Kaguya warriors! Let¡¯s kill them all! Let¡¯s have it all!¡±

    He lurched at me and I twisted, instantly batting him away while raising a handsign¡ª ¡°Good then, this won¡¯t be genocide. Die.¡± ¡ª my chakra long fed into the waters below and around the house exploded into it as Kaguya members surrounded me on all sides.

    It was too late for them though, I held my breath as water broke in, quickly flooding the entire house, shattering through wood, iron and every obstacle in order to fill it to the brim and drown every single Kaguya.

    ¡°Water Release: Giant Water Prison.¡±

    The fools fought hard even as the water began to raise them away from their footing, I controlled the water and drew myself away from it, stepping out of the house to watch with some fascination as my favourite jutsu enveloped it entirely.

    With a little more chakra from my massive reserves I contained the jutsu as the foolish clan head and his minions flung bone out through the water. The house creaked and groaned, complaining as the pressure doubled, shatter the foundations.

    Even with my borrowed skill I wasn¡¯t channelling Yagura as much as I do, I didn¡¯t need him for this, I didn¡¯t need to depend on him to bring them retribution. My jutsu strained under their barrage of assaults, conflicting chakra in a confined space, all fighting to be the dominant force.

    I could feel some of them trying to cast Water Release techniques but I gripped my Bo-staff, using it to guide my chakra better and follow my unspoken will. Their techniques proved useless, weak, fodder.

    Warbling above all our heads the [Water Prison] trapping the entire house began to visibly shrink as I twirled my Bo-staff at it. A little maelstrom fuelled further by my Wind Affinity churned the house and in seconds it lost all resemblance to a place of living, the transparent blue turning red as Kaguya fed the maelstrom of splintered wood, fish hooks and dozens of blades typical to a fisherman¡¯s home.

    Defiant to the very last, a burst of bone splintered through my [Water Prison] agitating the silent ANBU watching me work. I didn¡¯t care for any more struggles though and with my Bo-staff I raised the warbling sphere of bloodstained water, ignoring the bones piercing through its surface.

    I raised it over twenty feet before, with some strain, shifted it over the street on my left. It was a wide and empty concrete walkway with no one in sight and nothing of value, the ANBU present sensed my intentions and made themselves scarce.

    With a final swing of my Bo-staff I brought the [Water Prison] crashing down from on high. The explosion and swell of water fractured the ground as it dispersed, flooding the street and flowing back into the sea I pulled it from.

    The splintered bone construct broke here and there but remained, I glanced over at Ao, he still held the box of seals and wore a solemn look on his face watching bloodied water rush against our feet.

    I breathed deeply and found Mangetsu behind him, looking up at me with no small amount of awe. I clipped my Bo-staff to my back and gave a general order, ¡°Make sure they¡¯re dead.¡±

    Jason held hope this would be the last time a Bloody Mist incident like this occurred but reality seemed to have a different story in mind. Still, I latched onto that hope, he mentioned a grandmother so the old and infantile Kaguya could still remain.

 Something About the Rain

    It was Sunday and so it rained. Mei found it odd that a single day out of the week was designated for rainfall in the village, it contradicted everything she¡¯d learned about it prior.

    They rented an already furnished flat for their needs, a generous amount of ryo from the mission pot but it was worth it because while their neighbours might not be the friendliest they were easy to interrogate under the pretence of new residents. It was the old couple next door that informed them of the scheduled rain, they found it odd but the only explanation they got was that it was the ¡®Angel¡¯s Gift¡¯.

    Mei¡¯s partner, or rather, darling husband Daiki simply found it refreshing, said it gave people time to do their laundry, kids the chance to play without getting ill and so many other pointless defences. He knew as well as she did that rain wasn¡¯t commanded and if it was, at this scale, it had to be a jutsu.

    Daiki was better than she was at playing house, which Mei found surprising given all her dreams of a family. But this wasn¡¯t a true family so she forgave herself for not feeling as comfortable as he. Daiki was more experienced with infiltrations having spent more time in the ANBU than she dared.

    It was good though, he was easy to work with and together Mei believes they put up a show convincing enough of the eyes trained on them. But that¡¯s another thing, since they passed the multitude of examinations before being allowed to enter, there have been a number of eyes on them.

    Not enough to make her worry about the mission being found out, no, just a healthy amount of surveillance she¡¯d expect from any competent shinobi village. Except, that changes entirely on Sunday.

    Mei stared out the window, it was almost noon and yet the skies were darkened with so many rain clouds it might as well be night. Idly she drew her knife through the slab of meat they¡¯d be having for lunch and dinner all while musing the rain.

    She¡¯d stepped out to enjoy it when it started at midnight but when the first drop fell to her cheek she knew something was dangerously wrong with it. It fell from the sky like a god had thrown out a bucket from the heavens and for over eight hours its intensity never eased up. There weren¡¯t any playful drizzles before hail or even lightning arcing through the clouds to announce its presence.

    Nothing but rain.

    The entrance door opened and she felt Daiki¡¯s presence, heard him dripping all over the floors. He sighed, tired from a long, cold day of pretence.

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    ¡°You¡¯re back early. How was the job hunt?¡± she yelled out from the kitchen, snapping back to reality and eagerly chopping up the meat and moving on to the vegetables.

    Daiki groaned, ¡°Ah¡­they aren¡¯t looking for anything I can offer and they¡¯re wary of me. Apparently today is a holy day, everyone with a roof has a shrine lit for the Angel.¡±

    The denizens of the rain were extremely isolationist, it¡¯s a miracle they even got in but even then, to find work, find a place to stay or even begin to ingratiate with the systems here as an outsider was a challenge of its own as the people could always tell who was new and who wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°How was it here?¡± Daiki asked, coming in the kitchen and leaning by the counter. He plucked a slice of onion and chewed.

    As mission leader Mei decided it would be best if she played the role of a housewife, often going out on strolls with her patchwork basket to shop for foodstuff bits at a time. She was still young enough that it would garner suspicion if she went out looking for jobs like Daiki but at the same time not quite old enough that she¡¯d relate with the other housewives nearby.

    She¡¯d made some acquaintances in the market after a couple visits, they were easing up to her and the healthy ryo she provided also made her some quick friends. In time she¡¯d grow comfortable with the loosest lips and many of the questions plaguing her about this ¡®Angel¡¯ of theirs and whatever happened to Hanzo would be answered.

    Mei looked over at Daiki, waving the knife at the rain, ¡°Did you feel anything? Aside from cold I mean.¡±

    He thought, eyes watching her knife swings closely, ¡°Uhm, like when I stepped out? Hmm, not really. What are you thinking?¡±

    She sighed and went on chopping, ¡°You know what I¡¯m thinking.¡±

    He stayed silent for a moment before shifting closer, his hand glided over hers and forced them to drop the knife as he seized them. ¡°Come, I¡¯m soaked in the rain and I have only you to warm me up.¡±

    Daiki was a handsome man even if he wasn¡¯t her type, but her type didn¡¯t matter, this was a mission and so she let his arms wrap around her in a tight, warming hug. He kissed her cheek and whispered, ¡°You know now isn¡¯t the time, let¡¯s be patient.¡±

    Advice from a more experienced officer. She planted a kiss on his lip as they pulled apart, patting his cheek affectionately she said, ¡°Go, change up and I¡¯ll have lunch ready in a few.¡±

    Daiki grinned like the happily married man he wasn¡¯t and left her to finish up with lunch prep. He was right, it was too early to make any major investigations, besides, they¡¯d sent back word to Kiri about the successful infiltration and have yet to receive further orders. There wasn¡¯t any need to be hasty.

    Yet, Mei felt something was bubbling just under the surface here and perhaps it was just her inexperience but it was unsettling how everyone in the rain pretended like Hanzo didn¡¯t exist. And what was all this talk about the Angel? Were they the one behind the scheduled rain?

    The question that plagued her most though was what Yagura was thinking, what did he know? What were his intentions for this place? Why were they here?

    Mei sighed at her furrowed brows and tried to relax, it wouldn¡¯t do any good to earn wrinkles over something she had no control or say in. Still, she¡¯d already begun wishing she were home, she missed her village and though it¡¯s barely been a week since they infiltrated, Mei could tell this would be a long mission.

 Sharp Toothed Negotiations

    Junko Hoshigaki could only see two sides to what was happening, the good and the very bad.

    Servants shuffled around the compound hastily attending duties they had left over but Junko knew it was futile. She was hastily moving out of the mansion, throwing on the only proper jacket she could find in time and tying her hair up so she¡¯s moderately presentable.

    Still, despite the minute head start they got from the gatemen there wasn¡¯t enough time to cover up just how much of a mess the clan compound was or even summon her advisors to join her in meeting the Yondaime Mizukage.

    She jumped onto the roof and peeked the familiar outline of the Mizukage¡¯s blue hat and the imposing symbol of all water on it. She squinted and noted the two people at his side, both standing taller than the Mizukage himself¡ª they¡¯d said he was short.

    Junko quickly placed the face of Ao, the one said to have gotten himself a Byakugan, a usable one at that. He looked well and comfortable at the Mizukage¡¯s right-hand. The other was one wearing a demon mask, Junko struggled to place it for a moment but couldn¡¯t deny the familiarity. She had no idea who was behind it though.

    The Mizukage began to look up at her position and Junko quickly made herself scarce, landing on the ground and clapping aggressively at her servants, ¡°Quick now, finish what you¡¯re doing now and get out. Tell the kitchen they¡¯d better prepare, sencha tea, get it!¡±

    Junko pressed her clothes down in a stray mirror as they huffed through their work. One servant nearly spilling a water bucket all over the floor. Good help was so hard to find. But then she would have good help if it weren¡¯t for¡­nevermind. She opened the doors a foolish servant had shut, letting air run in and out unheeded before hurriedly shifting a couch in place all.

    Finally, she stopped by the large tank hosting her long-time friend and asked, ¡°How is it? Not bad?¡±

    Samekiru took his time swimming around and Junko¡¯s kicked her knee impatiently until the giant white shark within the tank that took up all most of the vertical in her home measured a grin at her.

    He had a scarred eye that had glazed over but he refused to transplant and a gruesome cut down his nose and along the bottom of his stomach. He shook his head and booped the glass between them.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not Kisame or actually, maybe it is I-¡±

    Before she could form two sentences of conversation with her longest companion a stray guard of hers announces behind her, ¡°Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, sir.¡±

    She caught a glimpse of Yagura in the reflection of the tank before she turned around, presenting her best, friendly looking smile at the man. Her feet carried her forward to kneel without her having to think about it, ¡°Lord Yagura, it is good to see you again.¡±

    He rested a hand on her shoulder, grateful for her acquiescence but found it unnecessary, ¡°I hope so, I know I¡¯ve come quite unexpectedly.¡± He glances around the large parlour, examining the many trinkets and treasures from her time at sea.

    Junko rose and turned to Ao, ¡°It¡¯s also good to lay eyes on Kirigakure¡¯s one and only Dojutsu user, how is it?¡±

    Ao stiffened, his eyes dart between the Mizukage and herself but before his lips part Yagura spoke, ¡°You can find out on your own time, Hoshigaki-dono, I am unfortunately not here for many pleasantries.¡±

    Of course he wouldn¡¯t. Junko pressed her smile and quickly offered her Mizukage a place to sit, his companions however chose to stand like statues behind him. She called for tea, insisting that it is the least she can and must muster for the grace of his presence in her home alone.

    While that was being made, she took in the young man that she¡¯d slit her wrist in oath to. His inauguration day had left little of him to the common noble and though she is the face of the Hoshigaki, one of the five major clans, she knew better than most that they weren¡¯t as well positioned as any of the clans sitting on his council now. Funato, Hozuki and Karatachi.

    There¡¯s major five and then there¡¯s great three.

    She let her smile lax a bit as she started with the small talk, even with the statues behind him he would accept this much, wouldn¡¯t he? ¡°How goes the search? I got the report about these Kaguya and I¡¯ve ensured any hidden amongst us were put to use.¡±

    His eyes narrowed at her for a fraction then shifted focus behind her. Junko didn¡¯t need to turn around to know he felt someway about the giant shark lounging with them in the parlour but she also didn¡¯t need to address it if he wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°The Sensor Division has recovered some sense and put it to good use.¡± He began in a measured tone; it was heard to read him beneath the full veil of his Kage attire. ¡°There will be changes made to many functions of Kiri after this is fully resolved.¡±

    Junko nodded with sympathies, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s unfortunate you¡¯ve come in power at such a tumultuous period, first the Third and now this? It makes you wonder doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    He answered without missing a beat, ¡°It is quite the opposite, Hoshigaki-dono, it¡¯s fortunate that I¡¯ve come when I have. It is starkly clear that Kiri is in need of some change and that¡¯s part of the reason I am here today.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Junko tensed measurably hearing this. As she thought, this could only end in two ways¡ª good or very bad. She hadn¡¯t the time to forge a bond with the Mizukage prior or even after the fact of his inauguration. And now he¡¯s sitting in her parlour after arriving unannounced, without schedule or even a little parley of words.

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    Moreover, he was wearing every bit of legitimacy he swore to as Mizukage. His haori, hat and the veil all spectacularly white, the one man in all of Kiri with a Dojutsu and a mysterious man donning a demon-mask whose origins was on the tip of her tongue.

    Junko was unlike her fellow major clan heads in various ways but most noticeably she was youngest of all. But despite it she has seen enough of clan and village guile to know when a person is making a show of force and power.

    She¡¯d participated in the Second Shinobi was as a hastily promoted Chuunin and proved her worth just as quickly¡ª! She snapped her finger at the demon-mask man and grinned a toothy grin.

    ¡°I remember where that mask is from now,¡± she said and watched the mysterious figure tense before realizing the young Mizukage was getting to his point of visit. ¡°Oh, yes, don¡¯t mind me please, it¡¯s just been bugging since I laid eyes on it.¡±

    He gave her an odd look beneath the veil but continued, ¡°Yes, well, he is key in why I¡¯ve come today. Hoshigaki-dono, I want you to be part of the change I¡¯m building and so I¡¯ve come to offer a boon.¡±

    A boon? No doubt the price paid will be just as great. Junko said nothing as her lazy servants finally shuffled out to set the table with sencha tea and some sweet biscuits, ¡°I heard you enjoyed sencha, Mizukage-sama, please enjoy.¡±

    At this he outright frowns and Junko gulped, she was treading truly unfamiliar ground. Did he not like sencha afterall? No, no, her advisors had literally chanted the word in her ear when word of his outing with the Hozuki girl happened.

    Still, he isn¡¯t rude and bothered himself with a single sip before setting it down and getting right back to what he was saying, ¡°I will be blunt. I need the Hoshigaki to house some of the Kaguya for a time.¡±

    Junko almost spit her own tea, only calm prevailed in time and she got away with a wet nose, ¡°House? The Kaguya?¡±

    Were they not the source of his stresses at the moment? Junko couldn¡¯t figure the man out but she did anticipate what this would be about, this wasn¡¯t as simple as a request, this was an order. He might not have come with a battalion of ANBU but denying him as he¡¯s dressed in all the effigies of the Mizukage and the Daimyos will would not be wise.

    Junko restrained the bubbling frustration within her, ¡°I see¡­and am I privy to knowing why this is happening? The Kaguya have slaughtered people of our village, why shelter them?¡±

    If he was phased by her hesitance, he didn¡¯t show it, instead he merely leaned in and took another sip of tea¡ª look at that, he does like sencha. ¡°I should emphasise that the ones you will shelter are not combatants, they will mostly be old folk and infants.¡±

    Junko couldn¡¯t miss him talking like she¡¯d already accepted, then again, what choice did she really have? Hmmm¡­choice. ¡°Why is this task specific to the Hoshigaki? We have no love for the Kaguya and their ilk. Why not the Karatachi compound or Hozuki?¡±

    The Mizukage sighed and began taking off his hat. He laid it down beside him and met her gaze. He was as boyish as Kisame described and yet this boy had beaten him down and gone on to do that same to that hairy Suikazan.

    ¡°Some people are more amenable to change than others, Hoshigaki-dono, you may refuse but I will simply move on to the next solution.¡± The unspoken fact that he wouldn¡¯t forget her turning back on him was not missed. He glanced back at the demon mask then at her, ¡°You should know I don¡¯t come empty handed in my request, I have a suitable reward in mind for everyone joining me for change.¡±

    Ahh, so I might get the good ending after all. Junko kept her burst of optimism from her face with a sip from her cup, a bit too eager and she drank the entire thing like a shot of sake, eliciting a curious but understanding look from the Mizukage¡ª not something she expected to see as a reaction to what everyone calls a bad habit.

    ¡°What do you have in mind? A place on the council?¡± She said, fiercely meeting his eyes. She caught him flinch and a pleasantness warmed her¡ª this wasn¡¯t so bad after all, he was difficult to read but had little patience for guile, a long conversation would make his stoic of authority easier to pierce.

    ¡°Not as such, no, I was thinking more of an assuredness of Kisame¡¯s inheriting the Samehada. Fuguki isn¡¯t dead yet but I can assure you Kisame will have his hands on Samehada when he takes his last. In the meantime, he¡¯ll take every available opportunity to train and master the blade.¡±

    Junko wasn¡¯t sure if he was offering a boon or threatening the one they already had. The First Mizukage¡¯s legendary blades were more than just powerful weapons, they were a status symbol, a crest that carried your name, family and clan to heights they¡¯d previously be denied.

    That¡¯s why so many died trying to pass the trials to simply join the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist as trainees in Kenjutsu. Kisame had already mastered basic Kenjutsu and earned his place among the Swordsmen, even if he was yet to master any of the other available blades, the Samehada was clearly made for him and even Fuguki seemed to think so.

    Suddenly promising what Kisame was already privy to was¡­dubious. It felt empty, void even seeing that if she refused as Mizukage he could easily stand in Kisame¡¯s way of inheriting when the Suikazan does perish.

    As great as the Hoshigaki were at monopolizing a majority of Kiri¡¯s fishing industry, having Kisame as one of the Swordsmen, even a prospective, provided a great boon to the clan¡¯s prestige and worth within the village.

    Junko wished her advisors were here as she tried to mind her words, ¡°Is that all? Kisame is already next to claim it, he can practise when he inherits.¡±

    ¡°If.¡± The Mizukage laid thick, ¡°There would be trials for Samehada when and should Fuguki die. Whoever has the best affinity would be the wisest choice.¡±

    ¡°The wisest choice is Kisame.¡± Junko almost hissed, but at this point the Mizukage could see and hear her frustration, ¡°What makes the Kaguya so important that you would impede what is already done?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t just about the Kaguya, this is about change, Hoshigaki-dono and if you wish to change Kiri, truly, then you will see to my wishes and wait.¡± Yagura said and calmly gestured over to the demon mask, ¡°He has studied the Kaguya extensively and alongside the seals Harusame has provided, any Kaguya under your roof will be yours to groom and govern, within reason of course. You will be their warden, my trust placed in you.¡±

    Junko had enough and did away with her hesitance and fear, ¡°Yondaime-sama, I will be blunt since you have. The Kaguya are of no value to me, as slaves or otherwise, they are no Hoshigaki and they are not legendary blades. But I am amenable, I have some conditions.¡±

    Yagura nodded, fully expectant that she would. ¡°I know you want a place at my council, but it is not the time.¡±

    ¡°No, no, I understand I wouldn¡¯t be your first choice even with the Hoshigaki behind me, you seek change not stagnation.¡± Yagura smiled, a first and no an unpleasant sight, ¡°Instead I¡¯ll ask you to take one of my own into your fold as you trust the Kaguya with me.¡±

    ¡°As a student?¡± He asked, suddenly irritated.

    ¡°No, as an aide and as a shoe-in for the Seven Swordsmen when Kisame decides he¡¯s ready. He is young and has yet to master his Kenjutsu, he will be ready but all I ask is that he skip the trials.¡±

    His eyes narrowed and Junko¡¯s palms sweated waiting for his response. She was essentially asking for a free slot to stand to inherit or even claim one of the available blades. More prestige, more power.

    Yagura nodded and stood almost immediately his hat touched his head, ¡°I see, I will take your words to consideration, Hoshigaki-dono. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I must attend to other matters.¡±

    Other matters? Likely the Yuki clan next. She didn¡¯t let her thoughts betray her though and quickly bowed to the young Kage as he left with his silent statues. Even without her advisors nearby, Junko had a good feeling about this.

 Kirigakure Cares

    Owl mask¡­no, Reina Yuki stood alert at my desk shamelessly asking for a change to her mission parameters. I couldn¡¯t deny it was odd hearing Reina speak with the voice I¡¯ve affixed to Owl.

    Her dressing was another matter, she wore a slate grey vest with two scroll pouches and two pockets on the chest. It provided a measure of protection with light padding at the front and back. Her sleeves were almost baggy as were her trousers, she stuffed the excess down with wraps of bandage at her ankles and wrists.

    Rather than her usual twin braids, she had a high ponytail extended by blue band. I¡¯ve never seen her with makeup but I glimpsed a glint of lipstick, not to mention the purple stud earrings accentuating the appeal of her cheeks and bare neck.

    Kisame stood behind her with a half-grin that told me he was not concerned what his mission was as long as it led to what his clan head promised. He was geared in a similar fashion except his height made his trousers jump at the ankle and I didn¡¯t feel weird look at him.

    ¡°You have quite the gall, Jounin Reina Yuki.¡± I sneered, honestly taken aback by her request. I¡¯d given her the order to follow up on her own intelligence reports and meet with the Kaguya nomads after I wrapped up the infiltrators main clutch of madmen.

    There was still some clean up left to do but sensing their annihilation draw closer many of the stragglers escaped into the forests and swamps around Kiri. Hunter-nin were dispatched alongside ANBU and select teams of Jounin.

    We also captured a good pair of them as some Jounin quickly realized genjutsu was the best way to deal with the Kaguya. Their physical prowess and lethal Kekkei Genkai set at bay with some of the simplest mind tricks.

    ¡°Elite Jounin, sir.¡± She cheekily corrected and I felt assaulted, Owl wasn¡¯t one to drop even the lightest joke. She still wore a strict visage, one that matched well with my image of her but there was just the sliver of mirth and mischief caught in her eyes and the twitch of her lip.

    ¡°Funny.¡±

    ¡°Mizukage-sama, if there are only the old, infirm and infants in these camps as the clan leader said, then there is no need to open diplomatic relations with them. The only choice they have is to answer Mizukage-sama¡¯s will and return to Kiri with us or they die, either to brigands or to the Yuki clan¡¯s blade of retribution.¡±

    It felt like she had never said so many words but I quickly realize the key difference. She¡¯s never said so many words with emotion. Everything she¡¯s said is clearly tied to her own personal feelings even though she¡¯s thinly disguising it as a professional and practical matter.

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    ¡°It would be prudent not to waste resource and time negotiating their inevitable surrender and annexation, they should ask for nothing and be grateful Mizuakge-sama is so forgiving.¡±

    Scratch that, she¡¯s not being subtle at all. I narrowed my gaze at her unflinching critique, ¡°Is that Owl or Reina Yuki speaking?¡±

    ¡°There is no distinction.¡± She answered without pausing to think.

    I breathed and glanced at Kisame withholding a snort. In truth, that was exactly how this is meant to be done. In a few nights Kiri has wiped out whatever force of men the Kaguya had and should they have any leftover they¡¯d be wiped out too if they rejected my offer.

    There was no leaving them alone in this situation. Either they lived with curse seals under my boot or they die under the will and bleeding wishes of Kiri¡¯s powerful clans.

    ¡°Do as I tell you, Jounin. Go, meet them and relay your conversation, their attitude and state of being back to me. Investigate if there¡¯s any reasoning to the Kaguya¡¯s attack as well, you are my liaison to whatever remains of the clan, if you¡¯re incapable of the task let me know now and I¡¯ll assign someone else.¡±

    She said nothing for a moment, her hands clasped behind her back and her lips forming a thin, frustrated line. Frankly, I don¡¯t know what she was so cross about, she¡¯s the one that failed to intercept the Kaguya, taking out your anger on a relations of a criminal you failed to catch isn¡¯t justice as much as she and Yagura want it to be.

    ¡°Understood, sir.¡± She straightened and avoided my eyes as she said this.

    ¡°Good, dismissed. Send whoever¡¯s out there waiting on your way out.¡± I waved the two on with their mission but Kisame was hesitant in his step, then I remembered, ¡°Ah, Kisame, I¡¯ll let Fuguki know, you¡¯ve mastered the Blade haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Mastered no, but I am one of the few permitted with wield it.¡± He said, relief spreading through his shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯ll speak with him before you leave then or actually¡­¡± I snatched a piece of paper and scribbled a little note detailing my wish for Kisame to wield the Shark Skin Blade on this mission and stamped it with the Mizukage¡¯s seal. ¡°Here, go give him that, if he has a problem he knows his way here.¡±

    At the moment I was swamped with paperwork, especially concerning the deaths, destruction and many, many complaints from the Caste District. Usually these would go through some assistant downstairs, sorted by importance before arriving at my desk, usually with a representative from the area.

    But since the security failure I asked to have first look on requests and complaints coming through from the Caste District, I couldn¡¯t trust those downstairs to be fair even in the aftermath of their failure.

    Owl couldn¡¯t even truly see the error of her ways. I¡¯ve got my work cut out for me changing this village.

    Reina and Kisame left once I gave the note and a moment later the door swung open to the Chuunin Hoshigaki I¡¯d gotten from the clan head, Junichi. He was soft cheeked and bright-eyed, not a trait I saw often in Kiri shinobi so I accepted him. Junichi bowed quickly and announced, ¡°Sir, the council members have gathered and await your presence.¡±

    I nodded and waved him away. Yet another council meeting, our discussions have rolled over days with little progress and I was getting tired of being told the same thing. Today would bring another round of banter I wasn¡¯t in the mood for but I had to deal with these needless struggles or I¡¯d have no gain.

    What I was asking for was hard for anyone of them, Uncle included, to swallow and I understood that. However, I am the Mizukage and if I say the Kaguya remnants will have a place in my village then best be sure they will.

 In or Out

    Minato felt troubled, extremely so. He hadn¡¯t felt this conflicted since he had to think of what to do with Kakashi and in the end assigned him to guard Kushina and be reminded of life¡¯s renewal. He couldn¡¯t say how effective his method was but, at least he¡¯s less prickly now.

    But this was an entirely different kind of troubled, one that would dictate the future of not just Konoha but Kiri as well. He¡¯d never thought that they¡¯d come out of their isolationist ways in his time, much less that he¡¯d have to deal with it.

    But it¡¯s happened, like a fluke or whim of fate. Minato had vision of a connected world, where shinobi of all nations put aside their differences and worked together but he was no na?ve child.

    He was the Fourth Hokage and so he always shook out for a chance at peaceful coexistence all while preparing for war. Jiraiya and even the Third had counselled as such, there will always be those seeking to destroy.

    Still, when he offered Kiri¡¯s representatives a chance to forge stronger bonds he couldn¡¯t say he was fully genuine. They were the village responsible for the loss of Rin, what they did to her was¡­what they forced his students to go through¡­,Minato held some hate and couldn¡¯t deny he felt relief and justified hearing that their Sandaime had passed.

    He wondered if his successor was personally responsible but according to what the ANBU monitoring the Kiri representatives report, it doesn¡¯t seem like he was.

    Yagura Karatachi was a fellow youthful Kage, Yondaime of his time as well and strangely, he was acceptant of Minato¡¯s empty offer at burying the hatchet and communicating better. This was what troubled Minato. He couldn¡¯t believe it truly, someone had finally accepted his hand and it was a young man leading one of the most mystifying hidden villages.

    Whether to be excited or anxious, Minato wasn¡¯t sure how to feel much less what to do. He could only lean on the word of his wise predecessor.

    Hiruzen sat nearby his desk and Minato waited patiently for his response. He took a drag from his pipe and blew with satisfaction, his eyes fluttered open in satisfaction and he hummed.

    He adjusted his idle cloak, no longer Hokage he wore a simple red and white robes that dignified his retired position. Minato waited patiently as he took another long drag and puffed out a cloud of tobacco, he has frankly never been a fan of the stuff and he personally didn¡¯t want his office stinking of it when Kushina inevitably dropped by, but for a sliver of wisdom, he¡¯d bear with it.

    Finally, the Sandaime bothered a glance at him and smiled that knowing smile of his, ¡°Minato-kun, tell me, what about this disturbs you the most? Is it your personal conflicts with the Mist? The shock at your offer being accepted so easily? Or is it that you don¡¯t understand the young Mizukage and fear him to be as ill willing as his predecessor? If it is none of this, tell me what it is.¡±

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    At this Minato sat back, a slight frown marring his features as he pondered. He¡¯d asked himself this as well and frankly it was a hotpot of everything the Third had just said.

    A part of him felt ill dealing with the Mist after what they¡¯d done to Kakashi and Rin. It was a new man wearing the mantle, a young one at that so there¡¯s hope that he genuinely wants to improve relations as Minato does. But the Mist is mysterious and the news he¡¯s heard about them has never been so good as it is now, it might be too good to be true, even if a new Kage led them.

    At the end Minato felt himself coming back to the established feelings and thoughts about them he¡¯s had for years, an opinion that¡¯s only worsened as time passed. But this was the opportunity of a lifetime, the chance to amend this warring world by even a fraction.

    Minato could see it, with their peace treaties with Suna and this coming from Kiri, together the three hidden villages could accomplish a lasting peace, one that his child would be born into.

    Minato shakes his head and leaned forward, ¡°It¡¯s the chance that this might be real opportunity and somehow, something from somewhere will make it fail to be reality. Even if that something is myself¡­Team Seven aren¡¯t the only ones Kirigakure has hurt. Kushina¡­the Uzumaki didn¡¯t deserve what happened.¡±

    At the mention of the Uzumaki the Third¡¯s smile drops a fraction. The Second Shinobi war was an arduous one with many brutalities he regretted, the Uzumaki among them.

    He dragged his pipe and blew, ¡°So, you wish this to be true then but you fear failure, you fear a trap.¡± Minato nodded. ¡°You also fear your own prejudices but on that I can tell you firmly, as Hokage your interests are for the village alone, your personal biases must not cloud the Will of Fire and the pursuit of the Konoha Lord First intended.¡±

    Minato inhaled deeply, ¡°I should do it then? I should accept this¡­beginning of an alliance?¡±

    The Third chuckled, ¡°Do not be so hasty, an alliance may not come of this at all, the Mist is a very private and solitary village. They do not like to rely on others. However, if this Fourth Mizukage is honest then it would be wise to pursue, even if it only leads to smoother communications, it is a step forward, more than any Hokage since the Shodaime-sama has taken with respect to them.¡±

    Minato smiled, appreciative of the Third¡¯s high praise, ¡°Thank you for your counsel, Sandaime-sama, if you¡¯d like I¡¯ll keep you updated on this.¡±

    The Third nodded graciously, ¡°Of course, but keep it minimal, I¡¯m trying to make the best of my retirement. Bwhahaha!¡±

    They shared a more words in lighter subjects, Minato asked after Biwako and Asuma and the Third shared his plight as a father returning to a home that¡¯s long since learned how to function without his direct input. He blessed Minato with some parenting advise but quickly noted his drifting mind and made himself scarce, wishing him goodluck with all endeavours.

    Despite the conversation, Minato felt himself grow anxious still. He knew what he was going to do but felt at the very least he ought to talk to Kushina first before giving Kiri¡¯s representatives any orders or even thinking of a group to send to the Mist as liaisons for what will be the start of a tense relationship.

    He had the urge to speak to Kakashi as well but felt it pointless to drag up awful memories when he was intentionally trying to distract the boy from it and allow him to begin healing.

    Paranoia and anxiety made him consider sending out ANBU ahead to infiltrate and report on who Yagura Karatachi was as a Kage. As a shinobi he already has a number of credits and battlefield legends to his name, but as a person, as a leader¡­everything was vague.

    Minato stared at the heap of work in front of him and could only see it double as soon as these processes went into play. He sighed and picked up his pen to work.

 Aftermath

    ¡°Thank you. Blessing be onto you for saving us.¡± The man bowed as he thanked me profusely.

    I hadn¡¯t done anything to save his family personally, not really, so I simply offered his injured wife who¡¯d been late from work that fateful day a smile and him a pat on his bowed shoulder as left their room.

    Two doctors hovered around me and Ao despite the spirit of haste that subsumed the hospital. I didn¡¯t mind, they made themselves available should I have any questions, demands or wish to address my bandaged foot. Besides, they promised most of the cases coming into the hospital aren¡¯t emergency cases like it was that day and just about everyone has gotten a moment with a professional.

    I was glad to hear that. The official report on our losses should have been on my table but I frankly haven¡¯t sat in office for some days now. Just about every time I get the chance to work in the Mizukage Tower, said work includes assigning missions I remembered were time sensitive or attending council meetings.

    But as far as I¡¯ve seen and as far as the doctors shadowing us have told me, only about twelve Chuunin and three Jounin died in the Kaguya Extermination. A lot more were left injured however and that affects Kiri¡¯s manpower and morale by a significant amount.

    If I hadn¡¯t destroyed them all then and there¡­ Well, the worst that could have happened is that more Kiri shinobi would¡¯ve been lost to them since, again, the ANBU prioritized surrounding me than fishing out the enemies running loose. Something I have to work on correcting once I find the time.

    The Kaguya on the other hand were, well, exterminated. As per my orders the Jounin teams that could manage it captured rather than executed and there were quite a few of those teams because I now had thirteen more imprisoned Kaguya.

    I told Eiko I only needed one and so he¡¯d have twelve to satisfy his many curiousities about the Kaguya and their Bloodline Abilities. I intended to visit my prisoner in time and interrogate them on what I can expect of his clan, except the obvious Bone murder and pillaging, of course, but first, I thought I had a duty to show face to those injured in line of carrying out my orders.

    Most of them were Chuunin and Jounin that responded to the call early and quickly found themselves opposite a Kaguya with little information on their Kekkei Genkai. Another large set were the civilians that were caught in the middle of fleeing into their homes, the ones that served hostage to the Kaguya invading their homes and others who fell into collateral damage as Kiri shinobi meted out justice to the Kaguya.

    Of the surviving civilians Kiri had a responsibility to take care of their health expenses as well as provide temporary housing for those that had no home to return to, which was a fair amount. As Mizukage, approving housing and continued health care was one of the things that awaited me when I resumed working at the Tower.

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    Ao and I strolled through the hospital, the doctors showing us the rooms with shinobi in recovery. I¡¯d peek in, thank the men, women or boys and girls lying in recovery and they¡¯d thank me for their presence. Several of them suffered stab wounds and cuts with only a few suffering heavy trauma in the form of severed fingers or broken bones.

    I let them heal as I got the feeling they weren¡¯t too comfortable having the Mizukage look upon them in their weakest and pathetic states, whereas the truth couldn¡¯t be further from it. I made sure to let them know I am grateful for the service before moving on.

    The next room Ao and I are shepherd to has a familiar face, one I wasn¡¯t expecting to see. She wasn¡¯t expecting to see me either by her reaction. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open as she stuttered, ¡°Mizukage-sama¡­¡±

    Rina wore a simple polka dot hospital nightwear and was taking in fluids from a drip stand. She held onto the metal bar of the stand to pull herself from bed but I was already pushing her shoulders so she lays down.

    ¡°Rina¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what to say here. Many of the shinobi I visited today weren¡¯t any I knew personally, I wore the face of the Mizukage and paid them the respect and honour they were due for serving their village. But I was stiff, informal and quite distant, Rina and I weren¡¯t much closer but there were more threads tying us than some random Kiri shinobi.

    Since I couldn¡¯t find the right words, Ao took care of it for me and demanded information from the doctors still shadowing us, ¡°How is she? How did she end up here and when will she recover?¡±

    The doctors straightened up, caught off guard since we hadn¡¯t bothered speaking to them since but quickly recited the state of her well-being from a chart at the end of her bed.

    ¡°She suffered multiple stab wounds to her back and legs, we¡¯ve already seen that the pressing wounds have been sealed and ensured the internal bleeding stopped. She should recover fully in a week to three with consistent care.¡± The doctor replied, looking relieved that there was little left to do with her, ¡°She lost a lot of blood though so we¡¯re trying to replace some of that fluid before setting her back on solids.¡±

    I nodded and turned back to Rina who had a turned away from me to hide the very visible blush on her cheeks. I smiled and held her hand, ¡°Thank you, Rina, for protecting Kirigakure.¡±

    Still hesitant to look me in the eye she nodded and turned enough I¡¯m sure she could make me out in her periphery, ¡°It was my honour, Mizukage-sama¡­but I should have done more.¡±

    Whether that was the reason she avoided looking me in the eye or something else, I didn¡¯t want our interaction to end there, too formal and stiff. So I thought and decided, ¡°When you¡¯re healed up, pay me a visit and we¡¯ll train in a topic of your choosing.¡±

    That caught her interest because her head snapped all the way to awe up at me, ¡°Really? Any topic? Even Ninjutsu?¡±

    I smiled and patted her hand as I got up to leave, ¡°Any.¡±

    She grinned, ¡°I will.¡±

    Ao and I left afterwards, I felt glad and satisfied to see Rina that I figured it was about time the doctors herded me to the second reason I visited the hospital. The Yuki Clan head ran the place and according to rumours as well as Yagura¡¯s memory, he was the most compassionate of all five main clan heads.

    I just hoped he had some compassion for the clan responsible for many of the injured shinobi resting in his hospital, I needed a place to host the Kaguya clan remnants and so far, I was running out of clan heads to ask.

 Hospitality

    Hidaki Yuki was clearly older than Uncle but not as much as Lady Megumi or even Lord Funato. He fell in that anxious spot where old age begun to creep in his bones but not enough to hinder him so much that he¡¯ll have to make consideration for it.

    He had a charming smile and bowed like a man thrice younger than him. He was tall and did well to retain his physique as an active shinobi¡ª that said, his activities these days were relegated to managing the hospitals and clinics under his clan¡¯s charge rather than active missions.

    His office was spacious in truth but was cluttered with shelves stacked to the brim with documents and boxes of tools I couldn¡¯t recognize or understand, I supposed they were medical Ninjustsu instruments and kept them out of mind as he apologized for the mess.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright, Yuki-dono, I understand more than you know.¡± I waved his concerns and he sheepishly offered Ao and I a place to sit. Ao remained standing.

    ¡°So, what do I owe this honour? Aside from the attacks of course.¡± He had a dark sense of humour. He sat at his desk with fingers criss-crossing over each other rather anxiously and I felt Yagura whisper that he already knew why I was here.

    But of course, it¡¯s not like I was hiding my intentions, though I suppose word getting out through the grapevine that I was searching for a place for the soon to be subjugated Kaguya to reside while I instruct a proper compound built would give him ample time to mull over his desires.

    At the same time, I¡¯ve had more than enough time to research and background each of the five clans for the most suited to the task of policing an entire other clan. The Yuki clan was not the best suited for such a task but given what the Hoshigaki are demanding, well, I¡¯d better find out what he wants from the Mizukage.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be straightforward since we¡¯re both busy men. I want the Yuki clan to host the Kaguya remnants, no, not the ones imprisoned from the attack, the old, infantile and civilian left behind are the ones I wish to host.¡± I said plainly and watched his body from a reaction.

    His criss-crossing fingers halted and his eye twitched a bit but nothing too significant. He sat back and thought, ¡°Hmm¡­you are right to come to us for such, Mizukage-sama, we have ample room in our compound and frankly, we wouldn¡¯t mind the company.¡±

    This was true. I liked he was being honest as well. The Yuki clan has suffered the most out of the five. Their people were culled during the past Daimyo¡¯s war against Kekkei Genkai, a war Kirigakure was a part of only on paper because the Mizukage refused to martial against the Daimyo or go fight a rather hypocritical war against Kekkei Genkai users.

    Still, the Yuki would not see their people massacred and they went out to battle regardless of the Mizukage¡¯s opinion and so, they die saving what few of the prosecuted they could. As far as Yagura knows, it is the Yuki that are responsible for saving the likes of the Terumi, the cost was great however and even now they suffer for it as the Third Shinobi war went on to half their numbers.

    He leaned forward and sucked a breath, ¡°Let me ask¡­is this an order from the Mizukage or a request?¡±

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    Uncle has done well to let me know that there are some toes I should be hesitant to step on, even as Mizukage, and it seemed this was one of those situations where I had the choice to flex that power for all it¡¯s worth and get what I want or¡­be diplomatic.

    ¡°A humble request, you are not my first or only option.¡± I said, subtly letting him know I could easily figure something out if he spat out some insane demand.

    He nodded and nodded, blinked and said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve been so transparent, allow me to do the same, Mizukage-sama.¡± I listened closely. ¡°My clan has the space and in fact, if it¡¯s possible we wouldn¡¯t mind engaging some of these Kaguya civilians in marriage, the Yuki clan needs to bolster our numbers after all.¡±

    His stress on the last part is where I keep note. ¡°That¡¯s gracious of you, considering¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, considering they¡¯re murderers and pillagers like the Hoshigaki, hahahaha. I understand the implications of allowing Yuki blood stain with such low landed clans. However, this is a clan that has the attention and compassion of the Mizukage himself, surely there¡¯s something special there, something worthwhile.¡±

    He allowed himself a devious smirk as my eyes narrowed, ¡°Still, the stain remains and the Yuki, while in need of a population boost, will not risk our reputation on a clan that ought to be in the Caste District. So, we¡¯ll need some incentive.¡±

    I breathed and waited silently for him to give his demand.

    ¡°Yagura-sama, we want you to lead by example, to show all of Kiri that the Yuki has not lost its prestige to the waning days. That we are worth as much as any other of the five clans.¡±

    Impatient, I asked, ¡°You want to be on my council?¡±

    He snorted, ¡°No, I mean¡­yes, but not for this favour, no. By right we ought to be there anyway but I digress. What I want from you is a child, Yagura-sama.¡±

    ¡°A child?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we asked your Uncle for a match with you and our scion years ago but he refused. We asked the Hozuki, Funato and even the damned Hoshigaki and they all refused to set a match with us, one of the five clans!¡± He took a breath and calmed himself, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the outburst but¡­realizing that the village your clan has served for decades would see you die out without raising a finger to do a thing is¡­infuriating. So yes, I want a child.¡±

    His eyes were steely suddenly, nothing like the charm and grace that greeted me earlier, no. I understood where he was coming from though and I knew his demand wouldn¡¯t be one I could try to bargain away with something else, I didn¡¯t have much to give to begin with, at least, not anything they¡¯d actually want.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m comfortable with that.¡± I said, thinking about how I¡¯d just left Rina, the girl the Hozuki keep throwing onto me. Uncle said a marriage with the Hozuki or Funato would be ideal but nothing about the Yuki. I could see why though, they hadn¡¯t the numbers to support me in a case of civil war or an attempted coup and so a marriage alliance with them meant I¡¯d be giving more than I¡¯d receive.

    I wasn¡¯t intending to fall victim to a coup but with Kirigakure you never know. Plus, accepting a marriage alliance from them might scorn Lady Megumi and Lord Funato as both Hozuki and Funato blood ran through Rina¡¯s veins. She¡¯s truly a golden egg and yet¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am well aware of the Hozuki¡¯s intentions for their heir. Oh! Pardon me, Lord Yagura, I should have offered you some tea while we discussed.¡±

    I scowled at this, ¡°Enough, I haven¡¯t accepted any proposals or given any. I¡¯m not of the mind to wed or rear children.¡±

    At this his eyes go wide, ¡°Oh no, you mistake me, Lord Mizukage, we understand well that a marriage alliance with you would require much from our side, more than we could possibly offer at the moment. So all I am asking here is that you have a child with our scion and acknowledge it as yours¡­to be direct, let that child who we will raise, be the reason you favour the Yuki clan.¡±

    My mouth hung ajar for a moment as I blinked at his brazenness, I¡¯d need to talk to my Uncle about this as it was¡­quite unusual, but first, ¡°And who do you have in mind to be the mother? Who is this scion of yours?¡±

    Hidaki Yuki wore a pleasant, well-meaning smile as he sat back and said, ¡°Why, the very Reina Yuki you¡¯ve sent to the Kaguya of course.¡±

 Consequence of Power

    I sat in the serene environs of Turtle Island¡¯s temple. One hand held an ink wet brush and the other held back my sleeve as I drew binding seals on the large sheet of paper Harusame provided me.

    I¡¯ve been Mizukage for about a month now¡­three months since I woke up in this world. Turtle Island has become the only place where I can have a day of peace without worrying about someone looking for me.

    If there was someone searching for me, my location was known to few trusted ANBU. Asides from needing the required authority and clearance to question an ANBU about the Mizukage, getting all the way over to Turtle Island would be a challenge in its own.

    This way I know whoever interrupts this soft tranquil of mine would do so only if it¡¯s absolutely needed.

    I took a breath and leaned away from the paper to give my curved back a break. Harusame hovered behind me, his eyes judging the worth of my work as he stroked his chin. He sat down and pointed at points on the signs I was drawing.

    ¡°This one is too long, this too short and this doesn¡¯t look at all like the symbol meant to be there. An amalgamation of nonsense will give you nonsense, Yagura-sama.¡±

    He snatched the sheet away, crumpled it and set it ablaze in his hand before providing another one from his stack. ¡°Be generous with your strokes and consisted with how wet your brush is.¡±

    I refrained from rolling my eyes at his words, I¡¯d seen him use his fingers to draw a perfectly functional seal in seconds, I knew I¡¯d need more than consistency to get a hang of [Fuuinjutsu].

    He watched me intently as I stared at the blank page, filling it with the maelstrom of thoughts, ideas and wishes. He cleared his throat seeing I haven¡¯t made a move to start drawing again and sat beside me, ¡°Perhaps we continue with Tailed Beast taming?¡±

    I looked up at him and sighed. I¡¯d asked Harusame to prepare to loosen my seal almost entirely so I could press Yagura with the threat of Isobu¡¯s release. Yagura wouldn¡¯t allow Isobu to run loose through the Land of Water, plus, if he did get loose that would mean the end for both of us¡­or I guess just me.

    I was fully prepared to go ahead with this plan because as I saw it, I¡¯d have the best opportunity to talk to Isobu in that situation, Yagura couldn¡¯t deny that as much as he wants. But the events of the past weeks have been¡­tiresome to say the least and I¡¯m not comfortable leaving things unsettled to force a conversation with Isobu.

    Reina sent her first report yesterday and even as I read her description of the small hut and mud-housed community the Kaguya left behind, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had any inkling what her clan head planned for her. It mattered a lot if she did, it meant she was willing to leave her position as ANBU commander to be¡­pregnant with Yagura¡¯s child.

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    I shuddered at the thought and quickly set it out of mind as I raised a faux smile to Harusame, ¡°No, no, I need peace to think about things right now. I will let you know when we can begin Tailed Beast taming again.¡± I picked up my brush and held back my sleeve, ¡°This is far more urgent.¡±

    The day I exterminated the Kaguya at those docks I¡¯d simply intended to temporarily seal away the chakra of whichever of them had the sense to surrender. Unfortunately, none of them did but my plans for sealing away their chakra remains.

    I¡¯d given thought to the Kaguya since I first met Eiko and read his report on their ability. It was one thing to remember its capabilities from what young Kimimaro expressed in the show but it was another thing entirely to have it broken down by a professional.

    The Kaguya were dangerous folk. While I doubt Kimimaro has even been conceived at this time, the threat the clan posed to the Hidden Mist and the Land of Water could not be denied. And so while everyone figured the best thing to do with such a people was to exterminate them, I asked Harusame to help me seal away their Tenketsu.

    It was my responsibility as Mizukage to not only protect the Hidden Mist but also the Land of Water, but Jason could only tolerate one necessary extermination. It is similar to what the Hyuuga clan do when they fight but Harusame assures me it will last years if maintained properly.

    By sealing the Tenketsu of both young and old Kaguya coming to Kiri in this way, I¡¯d ensure that none of them were capable of wielding their Kekkei Genkai against us, at least not until the second generation were born.

    I was thinking far ahead because I could afford to do so. It was one of the few things that brought me to smile nowadays, thinking of how much time I have to plan and how much I can set in motion.

    The second generation growing within a Kiri I rule over would ensure that the Kaguya¡¯s dangerous bloodline is separated from the warlike mentality their exterminated ancestors had. I¡¯d create capable shinobi, ready and willing to serve Kirigakure.

    I just need to find a place for them to live now. Uncle said it was out of the question, he shut me down before I even had a chance to start convincing him of the advantages. But he had a good reason to reject them though. The Karatachi didn¡¯t have a Kekkei Genkai and the environs to attend to the needs of those with Kekkei Genkai, whether sealed or not was not the same.

    I hadn¡¯t bothered asking Lord Funato, I could already see the rejection written all over his face. I knew if I asked Lady Megumi she¡¯d demand I get dressed and wed her granddaughter that instant. I had nothing against her or Rina, in fact, I found Rina to be an attractive young woman with her head in the right place.

    But marriage, sex, children, family. These things invoked stark reminders that I am not Yagura. Even though my being here was unintentional, I can¡¯t bring myself to make decisions on that part of Yagura¡¯s life, the parts that were unknown, the parts hidden without an answer.

    And I also didn¡¯t feel comfortable using women that way. Yagura would scold me for clinging onto my modern sensibilities but it¡¯s those sensibilities I believe will change this nation.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­an improvement.¡± Harusame said, tilting his head side to side as he examined my latest attempt at the binding seal. While I wouldn¡¯t be the one to place it on the Kaguya, I understood the dangers of using powers I didn¡¯t fully understand, besides, [Fuuinjutsu] was an intrigue facet of Ninjutsu to study.

    I set my brush down and threw my back against the grass, sighing at a frog leaping off one water lily to another. My first month as Mizukage was coming to a close and there was more work to do than when I started.

    Should I fully accept the Hoshigaki offer?

 Uncles Wisdom

    ¡°Nephew, you are softer than I thought.¡± Uncle Aoto teethed out as his fingers drew back a taut bowstring. He breathed, his muscles tensed even through austere blue robes. His narrowed sights sharpen and the arrow sets loose, zipping at the wave fraught target bobbing along the small lake.

    His arrow exploded through its target, splintering a buffet of caught bait and showering the waters with quartz stones. He lowered his aim and turned to me as I raised mine, narrowed my eyes and took a breath.

    Archery was something of a past time for Uncle Aoto and Yagura, it started as something of a joke as Yagura returned from a mission excited about his opponent¡¯s skill with the bow and how it was more cost effective to loose wooden staves rather than precious metal kunai and shuriken.

    He decided to learn it on the spot and who else to teach him than his most-knowing mentor and Uncle? Except, Aoto had never bothered with traditional weapons, he was a shinobi, his entire body was a weapon. So they took it up together and have been practicing whenever the urge struck.

    Exhaling, I released the arrow and it soared toward my own water turbulent target. The arrow pierced through its mark, digging in deep and nearly passing through the other side but it didn¡¯t shatter the quartz like Uncle¡¯s did.

    I narrowed my sights on the block of quartz housing the fish bait and after a moment the stone split in two and released its contents. ¡°There, just needed some time.¡± I set my bow aside and turned to Uncle, expectant, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Uncle walked back into the large tree and its canopy, setting his back against it as we waited for the servers to set new targets.

    He sighed and let his bow drop as he motioned for me to come closer, I did and in a hushed voice he said, ¡°You are beginning your reign quite mercifully. I understand Lord Funato and Lady Megumi will be harder to coerce to your will and you really shouldn¡¯t try to break them either, but the others?

    He hummed and stroked his chin, ¡°You have to be careful who you decide to take from and yes, you will be taking, it won¡¯t be a negotiation. But you should also know the full scope of your options. Ask yourself, what are you doing?¡±

    I gave it thought for a moment and ignored the proud look Uncle was trying to hide. He¡¯s been that way for a month, well, it¡¯s gotten better now since he¡¯s learned to restrain himself from sudden gleeful outbursts.

    ¡°I am¡­saving a clan from extinction, saving their Bloodline and giving them a place in Kiri where they can be useful.¡± I said finally.

    Uncle Aoto nodded along but then asked, ¡°And what else?¡±

    I blinked and he snorted.

    ¡°Are you so busy you don¡¯t consider what you will be doing to Kirigakure as well?¡± I wanted to raise a defence but I wisely kept shut and let him speak, ¡°You are going around asking these clan heads to give up a part of what has been theirs for decades and for whom? A clan responsible for many deaths in Kiri. Even if you set aside their crimes they are still outsiders, an unknown to Kiri, these lands do not have as many memories of friendship and coexistence as it does war.

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    ¡°You are right in your vision, bringing in clans with Kekkei Genkai will strengthen Kirigakure¡¯s against the other four but given your plans for sealing away their tenketsu to appease whoever is so unlucky to house them, well, I only see it paying off decades in the future. But in the present, you will have a mess to clean up.¡±

    Uncle was right, of course. I had considered the effects bringing the Kaguya would have on the village but only to the clans that would be sharing space with them most of the time.

    And perhaps the ratio of reward to trouble was a bit skewed in favour of trouble. Jason¡¯s ambitions to revamp Kiri from what I remember to what it could be may have been a bit hasty.

    ¡°You have to lay the groundwork, Yondaime-sama.¡± Uncle said my title with elation only he could express. ¡°To do so, you have to know what your options are so you can pick the best one and let me tell you now, you have far better options than giving into the Hoshigaki or having a bastard with the Yuki.¡±

    I do?

    Uncle seemed to have caught the surprise on my otherwise stoic face and his grin grew as he picked up his bow and nocked an arrow, ¡°Of course, but I¡¯m sure Lord Funato wouldn¡¯t have explained this all to you, it can¡¯t be helped, no one expected one of your first acts to be so¡­radical.¡±

    The arrow flung at the quartz bobbing along the water and like his last shot, exploded through and showered the surrounding in bait and stone. I took that as the sign to take my turn and nocked my bow, though my thoughts were far away from it.

    I breathed and let the arrow loose as quick as I could to continue the conversation and this time it burrowed right through the quartz, letting nothing in its path hinder it and leaving the round quartz to fall over into the water. I didn¡¯t care. ¡°What are these options?¡±

    He smirked at me, ¡°Why, you could ask permission of the Daimyo to expand Kirigakure¡¯s territories and carve out an entire estate compound for your Kaguya. But I doubt he¡¯ll be in a generous mood, you¡¯d have to bargain for such and if I were in your shoes I¡¯d bargain with the Daimyo for something else.

    ¡°You could also downsize the civilian districts, commercial and residential. It wouldn¡¯t take much to fit in a new clan compound but you¡¯d be driving out the people that suffered the attack to make a home for their attackers. Mad I say.

    ¡°Believe it or not, you could go ahead and expand Kiri anyway, your predecessors often did. The Daimyo is not such a powerful man any longer, war takes its toll and he knows without Kirigakure protecting him¡­well, that¡¯s a discussion for another day.¡±

    I really wanted to hear more about that but I kept my mouth shut and my ears open instead, ¡°Any other options?¡±

    He nodded and drew closer, ¡°Two. The Mizukage¡¯s Estate still exists, the Funato clan is in possession of it but truly it belongs to the Mizukage. I don¡¯t know how many you¡¯re bringing in but the First Mizukage built that place when there was an abundance of space. Just clean it up a bit and build some homes around it for your Kaguya.¡±

    I knew of the Mizukage¡¯s Estate, it¡¯s one of the things Lord Funato was transparent about during my first week as Mizukage. He offered to get it ready for me to move in and warned that only the First and Second had stayed there, and the Second didn¡¯t stay long because he felt it too big.

    I¡¯d rejected as well without even looking at the property because I felt anything bigger than Yagura¡¯s apartment was overkill. I moved into the Mizukage Tower instead, a medium sized room and parlour with a very necessary balcony and instant proximity to the work I¡¯d been so passionate to start at the time.

    Still, why didn¡¯t I think of that? I huffed and nodded gratefully, ¡°That seems like the easiest thing to do now but¡­what¡¯s the last option?¡±

    Uncle cackled boisterously until a sinister undertone over took it as he asked, ¡°You want to know?¡±

    ¡°Now I really do.¡±

    He grinned, ¡°Well, you could kill two birds with one stone by cleaning up the Daimyo¡¯s unsavoury political affairs. End his civil wars, eliminate the independent islands and seize the territory for Kiri, he¡¯d be so grateful he won¡¯t even realize you¡¯re accruing more land and respect that he. Hmm, perhaps it¡¯s three birds and not two.¡±

    The last option was one Kiri was most familiar with, war. And as much as Jason wanted to avoid conflict and meaningless violence, it was the truth of this world, the truth of the Land of Water.

    I¡¯ll just have to change that truth; my hands are already bloodied anyway.

 Right for the Job

    ¡°Thank you, Raiga.¡± I said as I unfurled a mission report over Reina¡¯s on my desk.

    With Reina and Kisame shepherding the Kaguya to Kiri, the ANBU Commander responsibilities fell to the Captain of her choice. I¡¯d glazed through her progress report on convincing the Kaguya remnants that I was offering them the only way out of their predicament. She expressed they were stubborn, actually, unruly was the word she used.

    Still, Kisame present with a Shark Sword seemed to cower even the most foolish of the Kaguya men that were left behind, that and the realization that the best of their kind had been decimated.

    Kisame also gave a report. I didn¡¯t ask him to and it¡¯s quite unusual to give your own report separate from the mission leader. His report contained a list of names, ages and a short description as well as an assigned threat level.

    I hadn¡¯t thought to ask for any of that from Reina but I¡¯m grateful Kisame took the initiative to do so, even if it¡¯s a bit odd he¡¯s sending parallel reports.

    The report Raiga handed to me now was different though and not even directly from him. It was from Mei and her partner, Daiki. I¡¯d sent them to Amegakure and almost forgot in the heat of all the politicking and massacring I¡¯d been up to in the past week.

    Before that I was anxiously looking forward to what my agents had to say about Amegakure, after all, it would let me know exactly what has happened within the Akatsuki and what was yet to happen.

    I scanned through it, there were only three short-hand sentences and the first spoke decisively¡ª ¡®No Hanzo, two unknown figures in charge, Angel and presumably a god.¡¯

    I gulped. That was all I needed to know really, Hanzo was dead and Nagato has occupied the Rain for himself. Still, I kept reading as Mei had more to say in the second sentence¡ª ¡®Hanzo loyalists remain, all labelled terrorists and executed ASAP, majority in hiding.¡¯

    At this I briefly considered reaching out to these loyalists but I threw the thought away, as painful as it is, the truth is Amegakure was better off under Nagato, if he were less crazy and didn¡¯t seek to seal tailed beasts that would be great. He¡¯d be a sensible world leader to approach.

    Besides, interfering like that would only subject us to more of his ire. Sure, Kirigakure wasn¡¯t one of the Hidden Villages that used Amegakure as a battleground but we were one of the five and that alone condemned us.

    I bit my lip as I read the last line¡ª ¡®S-rank barrier technique, the rain is a tool, Sundays always, random sometimes.¡¯

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    It took me a moment to comprehend what she meant by that. She didn¡¯t have a lot of space to work with writing these reports so I couldn¡¯t ask for more details without offering a way to accommodate them. But after a third read I understood what she meant as Jason reminded me as well.

    The rain itself is the villages protection. A slight disturbance and that¡¯s the end, Nagato would find out and not hesitate to kill Mei and her partner.

    The thought sent a shiver through me, I understood I was taking a risk by sending Mei into Amegakure and I did so anyway because I believed she wouldn¡¯t die purely because it wasn¡¯t her time to. Perhaps her partner would suffer but she shouldn¡¯t¡­right?

    I shook my head as Yagura gave the sensible thought that everything became different from the moment I took his place and that people aren¡¯t protected from death because I didn¡¯t believe they would die. I should be more careful.

    Should I ask them to withdraw? It¡¯s been almost a month since I gave the mission order and now I¡¯m getting the first report. I already knew who was in charge but¡­

    Chewing my lip, I lost myself in thought of what to do about the situation. Nagato wouldn¡¯t respond kindly to infiltrators and I didn¡¯t want to lose a shinobi as valuable as Mei, she represented much of the potential Kirigakure had and that couldn¡¯t disappear.

    I doubted there was anything to gain from keeping her in Amegakure since I already got what I wanted in this first report. It would make sense to continue the mission if Nagato was someone you could tail and monitor but the fact that after nearly one month living as civilian and she only knew decisively about Konan¡¯s existence meant there was no point in hiding any longer.

    I looked up from the report and remembered Raiga still stood at attention in front of my desk. My gaze found him and a plan began to brew in my mind one that might be a bit dicey considering.

    But I have to make a move. Given that news of Konoha¡¯s near destruction hasn¡¯t reached me from my liaisons there, I bet Obito was still preparing to mount his attack. And if he hasn¡¯t yet¡­

    ¡°Raiga.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± He was stiff as a board behind that mask of his. He wore strict Kiri ANBU attire and the same wavy mask many of my protectors donned.

    ¡°How would you like to visit Amegakure?¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    I set the report down, sighed and crossed my fingers as I gave this idea of mine a final thought, ¡°I need someone to broach the leaders of Amegakure on my behalf. Do you think you¡¯re up for it? You would have back up from Mei and Daiki but you shouldn¡¯t rely on it, they have their own mission.¡±

    He shifted his mask to the side, revealing an unsure look that had me narrowing my eyes at him. He met my gaze and said, ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t believe I¡¯d be useful on such a mission unless¡­¡± he caught my raised eyebrow and spat it out, ¡°Unless you want these leaders assassinated.¡±

    I scoffed, the chuckled, then cackled madly at the thought of Raiga trying to assassinate Nagato as I sat back and shook my head, ¡°No, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t be the best choice for what I have in mind. Good work though, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so honest about your limitations.¡±

    He shrugged. Raiga had never been one to share many words with me, less so after the succession trial. I nodded gratefully, asked him to forward any more reports from Mei and dismissed him so I could return to my thoughts.

    Raiga was right in a way, I couldn¡¯t just assign the first person I saw, no, I had to think carefully about who I would do best on a mission of peace to Amegakure.

    Nagato maybe far gone but the Angel, Konan is not. ¡°Hmm, perhaps this is an undertaking for Yagura Karatachi himself.¡±

 A Promise, Not a Threat

    I¡¯d made my decision to visit Amegakure myself. Of course, I¡¯d be accompanied by a strong force of shinobi and I¡¯d have Mei and Daiki working on the inside. But like many of my plans this was but a far off intent, I wasn¡¯t so arrogant to think I could take on the Six Paths of Pein as I am.

    Jason wasn¡¯t all comfortable with the idea but at the same time gave faith to it. It was certainly dangerous to approach but given how the Akatsuki operated¡ª capturing Tailed Beast chronologically¡ª it meant I¡¯d be safe from capture until the One-Tailed and Two-Tailed beasts were taken first.

    But that was no excuse to relax, especially if I wanted to get the edge up on Obito. I wasn¡¯t sure how long until he attacked Konoha but I had Kiri shinobi there and could simply ask them for information. Either way, I felt it wouldn¡¯t be until my sixth month as Mizukage, then I could start poke-nosing into Konoha¡¯s business.

    For now, I needed to sort out mine and Kiri¡¯s. In preparation to meet with hopefully Konan and not Pein, I needed to ensure Isobu was on my side and that I cashed in on Uncle¡¯s inauguration gift. And even before all that I had to ensure everything with the Kaguya was settled so with Lord Funato guiding me, I headed out to inspect the Mizukage¡¯s Estate.

    I gave very little consideration to Uncle¡¯s last option¡ª warring throughout the Land of Water¡ª because this was easy, less time consuming and it spared lives. Kiri was just coming out of a war, I wasn¡¯t keen on throwing it back into the fires so soon. I¡¯d barely gotten used to being Mizukage to begin with.

    I glanced back at my assistant, Junichi Hoshigaki, who I often forgot existed. The young man was taller than I as most were but the way he slouched, his dart-eyed ways and his ever present short notebook and pencil cast him in a lower light than his rank as Chuunin, and station as my assistant, would¡¯ve.

    He caught my gaze and fidgeted, straightening his back and putting on a stern face for passer-by¡¯s who couldn¡¯t keep their eyes away. I tried not to be too disappointed, I didn¡¯t have a proper assistant until him and random Chuunin would man the desks outside my office as well as inform me of visitors or Jounin looking to put in mission requests.

    It was inefficient and most times I wasn¡¯t in the mood to humour any additional requests or visits, a fact that many of the temporary assistants failed to understand. Junichi though, he understood that when I said something I meant it and I appreciated that at least.

    He¡¯ll get better, unlike some people¡­

    Lord Funato has been nothing but a sour puss. I realize that he wasn¡¯t simply against hosting the Kaguya in his clan compound, he was against hosting them in Kiri entirely. It made sense now why only Uncle gave me valuable advice on what to do about the situation and even then, I had to ask.

    His presence beside me scared away many of my usual fans, shinobi and civilian alike. I wasn¡¯t fool to the fact that of all the clans in Kiri, his held the most power as the First Mizukage was born of their clan. Such a reputation goes a long, long way.

    At the moment, he was escorting me to a property that his ancestor built, likely with the Funato clan in mind as well. And to see it given to Kekkei Genkai wielding barrel scum, it must pain him so.

    Unfortunately, I felt no sympathy in his plights, the Mizukage¡¯s Estate was rightfully mine and had I known I could utilize it to my wish as I do now, I¡¯d have done so without bothering to ask for his help. It angered Yagura that he used my ignorance of the fact to his own ends but I let that anger disperse with each step towards to property.

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    The Estate occupied a large piece of land east of the Central District. Botanical gardens of vibrant colours adorned its perimeters, while elegant stone pathways guided visitors through the lush greenery. Towering trees whispered ancient tales as gentle breezes carried their secrets through the air.

    The people here were sparse and many stopped to greet Lord Funato first before turning to bow to me. Greeting him first was a non-issue for Jason, he was older, the clan head to many of them and by the reaction of garden¡¯s proprietor I bet he was its source of funds as well.

    But for Yagura it was a clear sign that my authority as Mizukage wasn¡¯t being respected enough. I chalked it up to my short reign and set it out of mind. The surroundings were beautiful and well taken care of, preserved actually, as the scenery felt like something from an aged past even to Yagura.

    We walked into the property proper and though I¡¯d caught a glimpse through the trees and over the fence, the magnificent mansion sitting at the heart of the Estate was a breath taking sight to witness.

    Its grand fa?ade was a testament to the Funato clan¡¯s influence within Kiri, especially given the fact that the entire place was empty, devoid of life save the guards at the gates and the caretakers.

    I shook my head as we strolled past swats of lush grasses, a pond and crossed a little bridge that drew over a fast flowing stream. The mansion itself bore Kirigakure¡¯s symbol upon its face, large and screaming in the same manner as the Mizukage Tower.

    Lord Funato struck his cane as we sighted the doors leading in and he spoke for the first time since I told him our destination, ¡°Here it is, your Estate.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t any emotion in his voice but I could tell he wasn¡¯t terribly pleased with what was happening. He took a breath and clacked further in, he was silent but I knew he had words for me so I turned to Junichi who has been marvelling and gasping.

    ¡°Stay out here for a bit will you and make notes for the best places to put training grounds and-¡±

    ¡°And homes? I¡¯ve got it sir!¡± He said, alert and eager to work.

    I hummed and let him be to follow after Lord Funato. He pushed open the doors with his cane, the mansion was well taken care of but still quite dusty. He didn¡¯t seem bothered and continued to walk on in silence.

    I observed as much as my eyes could cover, it was beautiful, like most of the property and already had furniture wrapped over to fend the dust. Parts of it were made of wood and other rooms were of concrete, I wasn¡¯t sure how that was managed but I appreciated the extra protection the building brought.

    Lord Funato walked through halls, stared at excessively large alcoves and pondered beside a dried up fountain. I fell at his side and wondered if he¡¯d speak or if he waited for me to.

    In the end, I broke the silence, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± His silence was an open invitation for me to continue, ¡°You¡¯re worried, worried sick that I¡¯m bringing in the enemy to camp at our backyard. You¡¯re thinking I¡¯m too soft, too young to make the hard call¡­but I already have.¡±

    At this he raised his head ever so slightly.

    ¡°Kirigakure is going to change, Lord Funato and we¡¯re going to change it together. I-¡±

    ¡°I am thinking¡­of my family, my clan and its legacy. What we have contributed to this village is¡­well, you know. You are the next, you are the present. I stare at all of this¡­old and decrepit standings that have gone without use and I see myself in them.

    ¡°You say Kiri will change, that we will do it together, but Yagura-kun, you¡¯re already doing it on your own. Perhaps, my days of leading the clan should have come to an end long since, perhaps it is time now to let go and allow the ancient and forgotten to have a true use. For I cannot help you, Yagura-kun.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t expecting that but¡­ ¡°And why not? I believe you can, in fact, it¡¯s why I asked you to bring me here. Who else will see this place transformed but you?¡±

    A lie. I brought him here to shove it in his face¡­just a bit.

    He shifted and pressed a sharp gaze on me, ¡°Transformation is for those that are willing. I will ask one thing of you, as Mizukage.¡±

    ¡°Anything.¡±

    He shuffled closer, ¡°Before you bring in your change, make those responsible for the threats against my granddaughter and my great-grand child answer for their crimes. I have not forgotten and until I am certain those responsible are seized¡­I will have no rest and neither will you.¡±

    <hr>

 Criminal Investigations

    I¡¯d begun to feel the pressure of the Mizukage¡¯s mantle more than ever. Lord Funato¡¯s blatant threat couldn¡¯t be ignored and yet I couldn¡¯t be indignant about it either. He was right to be furious with me, Lady Megumi too but I didn¡¯t know if she shared the same fierceness as Lord Funato. Given it¡¯s her direct lineage that was threatened, it was safe to assume she did.

    I¡¯d all but dismissed the investigations into the Third Mizukage¡¯s death, there was nothing to be found anywhere and even as I knew the culprit I hadn¡¯t the slightest clue where to start searching for evidence. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said for the death threats levied against the Hozuki and the Sandaime¡¯s family.

    There were two pieces of evidence to work from¡ª the kunai and the inactive paperbomb, both were carriers of the threats and were seized by ANBU for intensive investigations. Under Owl mask and Lord Funato¡¯s directives many of these investigations were centred around the low caste that has long suffered under the heel of the great clan families.

    I couldn¡¯t blame them for starting there, the low caste would have the most motive to send such vile threats but that didn¡¯t mean any of the imprisoned or murdered small folk were directly complicit in the crime. Which is why I pardoned many of them as one of my first acts as Mizukage, a move that didn¡¯t quite sit well with Owl mask, Funato or Hozuki.

    I demanded solid, uncompromising evidence before making any arrests for that specific crime, an assignment the ANBU has had to push to the backseat after the first and second Kaguya attacks. And with Owl¡¯s absence, Raiga has been rather slow on picking up the slack.

    But at last, they got something that could stick, a solid lead and with Lord Funato¡¯s promise ringing in the back of my head, I had to follow up personally. I knew what kind of trouble he could bring, especially if he drew Lady Megumi and the Hozuki into his¡­protest.

    And so, Raiga led the way to the Intel and Comm¡¯s Division HQ where fifteen men and women were detained as suspects. The I&C HQ was a clean and proper building with several office spaces and cordoned off rooms like the one I stood in. Only personnel of certain rank within the division itself could be present but as I am Mizukage, all doors open to me.

    There was a general chamber where many of the suspects were detained in cells while I&C special personnel carried out interrogations. The interrogation room itself was split in two by a double-sided window that let me observe without being observed myself.

    Within, a man sat on a rather uncomfortable metal chair, there was a similarly ugly looking table where pictures of proofs were laid out before him as the I&C specialist interrogated him. Raiga prepared me a copy of the same photos and I looked through it while the specialist barked and accused the sweat sodden man of treason, terrorism and all other sorts of criminal acts.

    It was an intimidation tactic, heating up the room, awful chair and a barking dog of an interrogator. The man himself was a simple weapons smith from the Central District and up until now had been a well trusted source of weaponry for the shinobi population.

    The photos were of the kunai and paperbomb that carried the death threats. There was another set of photos, those that stood as proofs that the man was involved in some capacity as they compared his crafted kunai with the one that carried the threat.

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    Like many craftsmen, the weapons smith ingrained a signature in his works and it was that same signature that was found on the death threatening kunai. Still, there were over a thousand shinobi running around in Kirigakure, anyone of them could have been patron to the man¡¯s workshop and carried out the scare tactics on their own.

    Not to mention the timing. I&C were hoping the culprit purchased the weapon at least a month prior to carrying out the attack, it¡¯d be easy to narrow his customer base that way but that¡¯s still asking a lot.

    Raiga shifted as I passed the photos back to him and stepped closer to the window, I tapped it and the specialist paused his intimidations to step out. He was a tall, slender man with a firm build that telegraphed his lifestyle as a shinobi even though he wore plain clothes. He had sloppy brown hair and a brow of sweat from the artificially increased heat in the room, but nothing like his subject was.

    He bowed deeply and stood at attention, waiting for my word but I simply continued to stare at the unfortunate man sitting in there. Something in my gut told me he was innocent. He flipped through the photos, shaking his head in disbelief and wiping his face of sweat that threatened to dehydrate him.

    ¡°What can you tell me about the subject?¡±

    The specialist nodded, ¡°Sir, he is Kosuke, a clanless retired shinobi. He opened a workshop in the Caste District during the reign of Lord Second and was one of the few weapons smith at the time to receive discounts for iron even though the war was at its height, he is extremely skilled at his craft and that value was recognized as Lord Third administration sponsored the opening of his current workshop at the Central District.¡±

    ¡°What rank?¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°You said he was retired from the force; what rank did he stop at?¡± I said without turning away from Kosuke as he fidgeted with his wobbly chair before abandoning it entirely to pace the breadth of the room.

    ¡°Genin, sir.¡±

    I hummed at that, ¡°Any idea what made him retire?¡±

    ¡°He has a prosthetic leg, sir, lost in battle.¡±

    I noted that and sure enough, his gait was uneven and rigid on one side. Finally, I turned away and met the specialist, ¡°What do you think you¡¯ll find here?¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    I frown and he gulped, I explained nonetheless, ¡°What are you hoping to get from interrogating him? A list of his accomplices? Are you certain he¡¯s responsible? I understand he crafted the blade but if he¡¯s as valuable a smith as you say, even my own weapons pouch must have a kunai or two from his workshop. Anyone could have thrown that kunai.¡±

    The specialist nodded, ¡°Yes sir, we realize that as well, that¡¯s why at the moment we¡¯re looking into his customers during the period the threat was issued. There are quite a few, including clans buying wholesale but we believe the perpetrators were clanless shinobi upset with the reign of Lord Third.¡±

    He didn¡¯t have to say why they suspected clanless shinobi, everyone present was keenly aware of the era of the Bloody Mist the Sandaime began to usher in after Gengetsu Hozuki¡¯s death. I still couldn¡¯t tell if that was the doing of Madara or the Sandaime.

    But it didn¡¯t matter, there was a lot of animosity brewing between clans and clanless shinobi, there¡¯s a general breath of hope for eased tensions as my reign begins but if I start prosecuting people based on clan affiliations¡­

    My face twisted, I regarded the man with concern and demanded, ¡°Name and rank.¡±

    Terror flashed in his eyes and for a second they skirt their sockets as he wonders where he¡¯s failed. He gulped and tried to look straighter than ever but there was no flaw, ¡°Chuunin Takeda Karatachi.¡±

    My frown deepened, ¡°Karatachi¡­Detail every patron, I don¡¯t see any reason to exclude clan purchases, do you?¡±

    His breath hitched and he shook his head fervently, ¡°Forgive me, Yondaime-sama, I will correct that oversight immediately.¡±

    I nodded, ¡°Do so.¡±

    Kosuke fought back tears in the interrogation room¡ª he knew the implications of such accusation, had I been the Third or had the Council ruled in interim as they did during the succession month, he would be dead already. And for a crime like this, his sentence could have extended to his family.

    ¡°Now tell me, Chuunin Takeda, you¡¯ve rounded up fourteen prominent Fuinjutsu users. How will you discern who it came from?¡±

    Chuunin Takeda was so confident, his earlier terror of me cracked into a smirk, ¡°I was thinking of something else actually¡­¡±

 An Odd Team

    Genma chewed so hard his senbon bent between his teeth. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s forced the straight metal weapon to bend like so and he was certain if troublesome situations like this kept creeping up in his life, it wouldn¡¯t be the last.

    He hefted the gift wrapped package, pulling the weight with him as they walked as carefully as they could through an all obscuring mist. This was the last place he wanted to be but duty called and he answered.

    How could he, no, how could anyone say no to the Fourth Hokage? The hero of the war, venerated saviour of the Hidden Leaf? Genma couldn¡¯t, it was especially hard to refuse or even think of refusing given the man had begun teaching he and a select two his legendary jutsu.

    The very same that won the war. Genma had little expectations for what he¡¯d be able to accomplish upon learning it, if he did anyway. Lord Fourth had already warned that the jutsu was extremely difficult to pull off and the reason he was teaching a trio rather than passing on to an apprentice or student, was because of their role as the Hokage¡¯s guardsmen.

    Another relatively new position fashioned on the Fourth¡¯s whims but one he was a part of, one his records would reflect. He could all but smell his Jounin promotion if this mission goes well but Genma couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of unease as they continued to creep through a craggy valley swollen with mist.

    A crow fluttered onto Aoba¡¯s waiting forearm, the creature twisted its head as it chirped and Aoba stared intently at it through those shadow gutted, red framed sunglasses of his. He fed the bird and released the summoning as he turned to the rest of the team.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting close,¡± He said, reporting directly to the mysterious man set in charge of their entire mission. ¡°There are clumps of shinobi nearby and there¡¯s something like a base or station coming up on our right soon. Nothing about gates or a village though.¡±

    Genma didn¡¯t have a problem working with anyone and Aoba was no exception to that, but he did wish the Lord Fourth had at least assigned Raido or perhaps even Iwashi. More than anything though, Genma wished their assigned team lead was a man he was more familiar with rather than a nobody that seemingly comes highly recommended.

    Genma¡¯s been an active shinobi and participant in the last war, he was a veteran eagerly awaiting a promotion to Jounin in these tumultuous times of peace, much like many of his rank and generation. But for all that battlefield experience he¡¯s never once glimpsed or even heard of the man named Kinoto.

    Their team leader had moderate spiky black hair and had stunningly dark eyes that held more mystery than Genma wished to notice. He was tall and could have been a year or five older than Genma himself, his muscular stature spoke to a fully developed and grown body rather than his own which was phasing out the final trials of puberty.

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    He had a tanto strapped to his back and two well stocked weapon pouches hung from his flak jacket.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be meeting those shinobi soon, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve taken note of your crow summon already. Let¡¯s keep moving but remember, be cautious, be ready.¡± Kinoto said.

    ¡°¡°Sir.¡±¡± Aoba and Genma chorused, they shared a tense look but in the oppressive atmosphere neither of them wanted to talk.

    As comforting as some words would be right about now, there wasn¡¯t much left to say. Genma had worked with Aoba on some missions before and they¡¯d even met on the battlefield, both fighting against Konoha¡¯s enemies. Beyond that the journey from the Land of Fire to the Land of Water was a long one that took three days on foot and nearly two weeks on the sea due to complications.

    In that time Aoba and Genma kept each other company as their team lead, Kinoto, didn¡¯t seem to understand the concept of team rapport at all. In fact, Genma would go as far as to say he looked down on it.

    Kinoto may smile every now and then but there was no emotion behind those eyes, no truth to his imitation, not even a sliver. The man gave him as much chills as the implications of coming to the Land of Water did.

    The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist battling to life and death against Might Duy would never leave his memory as moments before that it was his life on the line and he was most certainly going to die.

    Genma hoped whoever was coming to greet them¡ª if there would be a greeting and not a battle¡ª wasn¡¯t any part of the Seven Swordsmen. He did the math in his head when Lord Fourth told them their mission and he already knew that in all likelihood he wouldn¡¯t get to cross paths with any survivors of the fearsome Might Duy because Kirigakure wouldn¡¯t send such high valued shinobi to escort them unless it was to their death.

    No, he¡¯d have a greater chance running into them within the village. At the thought, Genma wondered what Kirigakure was like? What kind of place was their enemy¡¯s home?

    He shook his head, spat out the bent senbon and replaced it with another. He thanked Might Guy¡¯s father for being there that day and more than anything, he thanked his lucky stars that Might Guy was on his team to begin with. Now he just hoped his lucky streak wouldn¡¯t turn sour now.

    They¡¯d walked quite some ways into the valley and as Genma begun to feel pressure from the presence of shinobi, the mist began to clear. Not completely but enough that he wasn¡¯t concerned about losing a teammate to it.

    A figure approached from the depths ahead, pushing the mist aside as they raised their hands and waved a red scroll tied with what looks like the Mizukage¡¯s seal. Kinoto and Aoba relaxed seeing the man but Genma¡¯s muscles remained taut even as Kinoto returned the gesture and waved a blue scroll with the Hokage¡¯s seal on it.

    Their team met the man and he greeted them. Kinoto was quick to introduce them all, ¡°This is Aoba Yamashiro, that¡¯s Genma Shiranui and I am Kinoto, the leader of this delegation. The Fourth Hokage has sent us in peace and with gifts.¡±

    Receiving his cue, Genma stepped up and prepared to hand the gift wrapped box to the man that¡¯d introduced himself as Ganryu but he halted the approach and said, ¡°That will have to wait. It¡¯ll pass some inspection when we get to the village before we hand it back to you and let it you present it to Mizukage-sama yourselves. Now, if you¡¯ll follow me, unless you have another way through this mist, I¡¯ll be your guide. Welcome to Kirigakure.¡±

    Genma snorted and chewed harder on his senbon, grateful to have a guide out of the mist and relieved the worst case scenario is not to be. Now just to avoid any Legendary Swordsman¡­easy enough.

 A Drowned Past of Hatred

    Jason never like to think about it but among the many atrocities committed by my village, by Kirigakure, the annihilation of the Uzumaki was the most horrendous and beneficial.

    The ¡®Drowning of the Whirlpool¡¯ was one of the Third Mizukage¡¯s greatest accomplishments. The long lived clan of shinobi exceptionally skilled at [Fuuinjutsu] threatened Kirigakure and the Land of Water with their presence but more importantly, with their alliance to Konoha.

    Yagura himself wasn¡¯t much more than a waddling child when the Second Shinobi war was at its height, but he¡¯d been a studious child and quickly learned the praises of the Third Mizukage, a man he held some fraction of admiration for.

    It would seem that the tactic of sealing a Tailed Beast into an enemy shinobi and having them return to their village with it had at least one success story and that was Uzushiogakure.

    Lord Third had his practice run with the Six-Tailed Beast, Saiken, sealing it in an unfortunate Uzumaki and unleashing it on the village hidden in the Whirlpools, having it break down the gates, wards and all defences. Before any Uzumaki could seal the beast, Kirigakure forces were already bearing down on the island with the Third Mizukage leading the charge.

    The following destruction, chaos and collapse of the Land of Whirlpools meant most of the valuable Uzumaki techniques and a significant portion of their wealth was lost, accidentally destroyed by Kiri or by the defiant Uzumaki clan facing their doom.

    Still, there was more than enough left over that Lord Third could found an entire school of [Fuuinjutsu] with Harusame at its head, not to mention the hordes of stolen wealth. In fact, there were still some riches, scrolls and records of ancient jutsu trapped in the ruins, I often think about searching there but there¡¯s a time for everything.

    Lord Third¡¯s school of [Fuuinjutsu] meant just about every new Fuuin-nin born after the Drowning of the Whirlpool was a student of Harusame¡¯s, including Eiko surprisingly but I supposed that demon mask he wears constantly should have given it away.

    Chuunin Takeda came up with a brilliant and yet simple idea to fish out who was responsible for the paperbomb with this knowledge. And so I found myself sitting with Harusame and Raiga all while Eiko oversaw a quick and impromptu examination for all the Fuuin-nin that were summoned to the Intel and Comm¡¯s Division HQ.

    Chuunin Takeda¡¯s idea was to remove any threat of torture or interrogation and simply ask the many students and graduates which one of their peers made the paper bomb. Harusame himself had been brought it to determine whose work it could be and from his words we narrowed down to three suspects, of which the most interesting belonged to the Yuki clan.

    I held her file in hand and flipped through it, ¡°Genin Hisako Yuki¡­huh.¡± Harusame shifted uncomfortably, he was the one to pick them out but his class would corroborate the chosen once Eiko is done with the examination.

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    ¡°Yes¡­she and her friends have very similar brush strokes, often making the very same mistakes as they copy off one another. They are good students nonetheless, Mizukage-sama.¡± Harusame said.

    He¡¯s worn a deep frown since he was summoned and I couldn¡¯t blame him, to learn that his own students were suspect of such crimes wouldn¡¯t reflect well on him. I didn¡¯t bother assuring him of his own innocence and blamelessness, no, I was focussed on the theory of mine that¡¯d been born on a whim and yet, was looking to prove true every second that passed.

    When Chuunin Takeda almost left out clans from the kunai investigation, something deep within Jason¡¯s memories spurned against the many proofs of Yagura¡¯s, not to mention the reality he was living with the Funato clan head breathing down his neck.

    Jason recalled then that not every clan within the village got along with each other and that went beyond just the Caste District and low caste clans. It went all the way to the top of the caste system and now it was staring him right in the face.

    Despite being a part of the highest caste, the Yuki were still feared Kekkei Genkai users amongst the Land of Water and to an extent, Kirigakure itself. They weren¡¯t as prestigious as any of their peers in the top caste, they weren¡¯t as wealthy or even as many either.

    As their clan head had confessed when I spoke to him, they were in need of new blood and part of Hidaki Yuki¡¯s plan was to have the newly crowned Mizukage offer that lifeblood, a plan that has failed woefully like many others.

    Still, that doesn¡¯t give the Yuki clan any motive to target the Hozuki, there had to be something deeper, something that had been underway long before I came into the picture.

    If I were all of Yagura¡­would I remember? Refusing to accept Yagura completely locked me out of many valuable memories, muscle memory and trained habits were all attached to the body I was inhabiting but the mind was different. Secrets of the mind would be stranger to me unless I actively channelled Yagura and the more I do, the more I felt Jason churn and meld into his personality.

    Too much and I might not even recognize myself. Would I even retain my memories of the future? I didn¡¯t have the answers but my gut was telling me I was on the right track.

    It would take more than a misguided Genin to implicate the entirety of the Yuki clan in this mess and so, alongside the Fuuin-nin examinations the sales records from the weapons smith would be part of the deciding factor.

    Even then, if the clan is complicit as I fear they could simply shrug off the accusations, levying their might as a major clan in control of important sectors to Kiri. I needed to be absolutely sure, I needed to nip this in the bud before it got out of control.

    ¡°Raiga, I want to speak to whoever this exam says is responsible¡­I have a bad feeling.¡±

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    I picked up another of Harusame¡¯s suspects and began to flip through it when the door swung open. Ao stood in ANBU fit and masked. He reached my side and whispered into my ear. My eyes widened in surprise and no small measure of relief at his words, I tossed the file back on the table and stood.

    ¡°Handle things here Raiga, Harusame.¡± Harusame stood and bowed as I left with Ao and the shadow of my numerous ANBU guards.

    I was beginning to lose hope when I hadn¡¯t heard back from Konoha but it seems they¡¯re returning the favour with a delegation of their own. Still, a heads up through the Kiri shinobi I have in their village would have been the nice and proper thing.

    Nonetheless, I was nervous, eager and optimistic about what this visit meant for Kirigakure and for the shinobi world.

 Turntables

    I ran my hand across the book¡¯s binds and traced my fingers along the only words on the plain brown hardcover¡ª ¡®The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi¡¯. I couldn¡¯t help the wide smile as I compared it to its counterpart, ¡®Icha Icha Paradise¡¯ which had a bright orange colour as well as a passable illustration of a man running after a woman.

    I felt a pang of sympathy resonate from Jason as I pieced the history behind the pornographic books creation. It seems that no matter the world, porn would sell better than a passionate story of courage and defiance in the face of overwhelming odds¡ª at least, that¡¯s what Jason believed the Gutsy Shinobi to be about.

    Nevertheless, I¡¯d get to find out first-hand the story Jiraiya the Gallant had to tell in his youth. I raised my smile to those present in the room¡ª Uncle, Lord Funato and Lady Megumi had all assembled to receive the Konoha shinobi before I even stepped into the Tower.

    I shared their eagerness but they still had to wait for me to actually send someone out there with my stamp and seal before they had a chance to meet the three Konoha shinobi that came bearing gifts from the Fourth Hokage.

    It was fortunate that Uncle made good on his promise to help spruce the office up. At last, I have more than one couch, a large fluffy carpet simulating tumultuous ocean waves decorated the floor. I had two shelves of scrolls on each side of the room and a stool for my aides/clones to sit at and look through documents.

    The centre table in the middle of my new couches was a rectangle of glistened glass. A small candle chandelier hung over it, perfuming the air with sweet lavender incense.

    Secret safety mechanisms littered among the improved decorations but that was for me alone to know. And I knew that thanks to Harusame¡¯s sealing technique, the floor beneath the feet of the Konoha delegates would trigger a binding at my command.

    Of the three, Jason only recognized one; Aoba, and even then I knew little about his abilities, rank or age or even notable achievements if any. All Jason knew is that he wielded crows and looked like one.

    Their team lead especially didn¡¯t raise any vibe of familiarity, Jason was stumped or had simply forgotten if such a character ever existed. He was stern faced even when the environment was generally pleasant and welcoming. He sat across me and bore holes into my person like he was studying me, even the few words I¡¯ve spoken, his eyes followed my lips as if memorizing it all.

    He creeped me out and I thought that wouldn¡¯t be possible anymore. I set aside the lovely books, smiling brightly so none of the Konoha hate each of my councillors harbour simmered out to the surface as I fished into the gift box for the second set.

    The second gift came in a lavish custom made box of its own, it had a luxurious blue colour and Kirigakure¡¯s symbol etched into the fine velvet. Within I found a tobacco set and its centrepiece pipe, a finely crafted smoking instrument carved from polished, heat-resistant ironwood. It was engraved at the bottom with the typical Land of Fire imagery, or perhaps it would be the Will of Fire.

    Next was the tobacco pouch, it didn¡¯t look very special but it was the same blue as the box and had Kiri¡¯s symbol on it as well. The ornate fabric was already full of the finest tobacco. Beside it were a tamper and a scraper for maintenance purposes, they too were crafted with their longevity and utility in mind.

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    Finally, when I¡¯d picked up everything I found that the previous items laid within a collapsible decorative stand. I grinned and set it up, placing the pipe to sit elegantly. The stand itself was a miniature of the Hokage Monument and the pipe could be manipulated to let the Third Hokage have a puff or two. It was brilliant and I loved it.

    This is a very good start.

    ¡°Hahah! This must be from your Third Hokage.¡± I said, breaking what was becoming an uncomfortable silence as my councillors just watched the Konoha delegates, ¡°A brilliant gift from a brilliant man, I like this.¡±

    Kinoto, the delegate head and the man I¡¯d be dealing with most often smiled a crooked smile, ¡°Indeed. It is a gift for a brilliant man as yourself, Mizukage-sama.¡±

    Flattery..alright. At this point in my reign I was getting used to being brown-nosed but it caught me off guard because I didn¡¯t expect it from a foreign shinobi, even those sent on peace-forging missions.

    Kinoto leaned forward and gestured to the unwrapped gift bag, ¡°There is one more gift for you, Mizukage-sama, one from Lady Uzumaki herself.¡±

    I felt my councillors tense at the mention of the Uzumaki but my smile remained, I was in too good a mood to let the past ruin it, even though it was a gruesome past.

    The last gift came in a sealing scroll, not surprising an Uzumaki would seal her gift rather than package it. I unravelled it and was about to activate the seal when I paused and looked up at Kinoto, ¡°Do you have any idea what¡¯s in here? I don¡¯t want it to be pounds of water or¡­¡±

    The other Konoha shinobi looked slightly offended at the accusation but Kinoto¡¯s crooked smile remained as he waved my concerns, ¡°No, no such thing, we are threading a dangerous¡­I mean¡­delicate relations.¡±

    I knew there¡¯s little chance that Kushina would try something funny with her husband¡¯s name on the bill. Still, Yagura was keenly cautious, even if I¡¯m quite disarmed at the thought of a gift from her.

    Chakra pulsed through the unfurled scroll and three big bags of seeds, a lunchbox of fruit and a note appeared in a puff of rapidly absorbed smoke. My councillors were curious as I picked and began reading the note.

    ¡®The willingness to forgive is not forgiveness. Enjoy the fruits, they¡¯re good for youthful warriors, y¡¯know?¡¯

    I¡­that wasn¡¯t what I was expecting either. The message was clear though, it would be a long road to forgiveness and cooperation but just the fact that Konoha came to the table is a start, of course, the real test begins with this delegation¡­

    ¡°Junichi!¡± I summoned the young man from outside my office, he snapped into the office and gave a bow at the assembled Councillors and the delegates submitting himself to my side. ¡°Send the seeds to the Estate contractor, I want a garden.¡±

    Junichi would usually be at my side but he was a Chuunin and not of my clan and I didn¡¯t know what would come of this meeting, so he was stationed right outside the door as an extra guard. Information security was very important and as much as I tolerated the Hoshigaki, I could tell they¡¯d twist anything to their advantage, just like any other clan.

    He gathered the bags and heaved them out with him. I smiled at Kinoto as Junichi shut the door behind him, ¡°Thank you for the gifts, I am happy to receive them. I hope your Hokage will pardon my liaisons for coming empty handed¡­it was an impromptu situation.¡±

    Kinoto shook his head, ¡°Of course, we understand more than you know¡­¡± a knowing smile creeped onto his face and I shivered in wonder. That was it, there was something else going on here¡­they must know about the Amegakure team.

    I expected them to but now that it¡¯s in my face I wonder what our following discussions will lead to. So far, first impressions are wonderful so perhaps any misunderstandings can be smoothed over tea.

    Lord Funato¡¯s cane struck the silence away, he hummed and set a single eye on Kinoto, ¡°Now, before you take rest, tell us how our operatives are, we didn¡¯t learn of your arrival until now.¡±

    Kinoto glanced at his teammates, he nodded and they stood to leave. Lady Megumi wanted to protest but Uncle shook his head at her. Once Aoba and the other one were behind the doors, Kinoto sat up straight and locked his gaze on me.

    ¡°Actually, let¡¯s talk about Amegakure instead.¡±

 A Strong Will

    Danzo understood the power of darkness, the security it granted once you embraced it however, nothing was more powerful than the Will of the Hokage, the Will of Fire.

    And yet, it wasn¡¯t often that the best action was to follow the will of the Hokage. A shameful thought, truly, as the Hokage is meant to be the personification of the Will of Fire, the truth and strength of Konoha¡¯s shinobi.

    But perhaps that¡¯s because the person chosen to be Hokage all this time was the wrong one. That the true Will of Fire had skipped an entire generation thanks to the Second Hokage¡¯s battle fatigued decision. Thanks to that, the Third Great Shinobi war took off; the others could smell weakness bleed into Konoha¡¯s heart and like vultures they swarmed.

    Had the Will of Fire been true, such audacity would have never occurred. Hiruzen¡¯s fortitude waned. Whether it was when his son was born or when the Slug girl¡¯s nephew die, Danzo wasn¡¯t sure but it had waned.

    Fortunately, the Will of Fire persists and now there¡¯s a chance at prosperity, freedom, peace. It¡¯s true Danzo was impartial to Orochimaru when it came to choosing the Fourth Hokage, but that was merely the confidence of a satisfied customer and his own assuredness that Orochimaru would bend to his will.

    He didn¡¯t even have to puppet the child; his own fascinations and curiosities aligned with Danzo¡¯s pursuits, but until they can bring every naysayer to those sensibilities¡ª especially Hiruzen¡ª they would act as Danzo¡¯s securities against him.

    Of course, now that he¡¯s gone and become a Rogue-nin, those ambitions are no more than the lingering scent of tobacco in the air. ¡°Yes, they ought to have arrived by now.¡± Hiruzen said, his lips twisted in a grumpy sneer only Danzo could see.

    Serves him right for not paying close attention to the obvious, the young Hokage doesn¡¯t enjoy the strong stenches of smoke and has only been polite out of respect for Hiruzen¡¯s place as his predecessor.

    However, that doesn¡¯t mean anything in the face of active power like the Fourth Hokage wields. Danzo understood better than most that a child learning to wield power mustn¡¯t be micromanaged or made to feel inferior even with their power. Instead they should wield it independently, stretch its limits and discover what transformations it can enforce.

    And when such a power is the might of all of Konoha, it is simply insulting that Hiruzen continues that foul habit in his presence. And that¡¯s why Danzo called him out on it

    He masterfully suppressed a smirk at Hiruzen¡¯s reaction, the two ancient shinobi knew what games were played even if it wasn¡¯t immediately obvious to the young Hokage.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Kinoto will be well accepted.¡± Danzo said, his cane set between his legs as he and his old friend paid what sliver of wisdom the young Hokage would accept.

    And oh has he been accepting. Danzo was pleasantly surprised at the young Hokage, originally, he¡¯d relegated the na?ve influences over him¡ª Jiraiya and Hiruzen¡ª to be too strong for Danzo¡¯s better sense to prevail. He¡¯d all but decided to remain in the dark, in the root and continue with his service to Konoha but this Kirigakure incident has brought a blessed opportunity not even Danzo could have machinated.

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    When his operatives reported their presence in Konoha and their active attempts seeking evidence of Konoha¡¯s hand in their Sandaime¡¯s death, Danzo had shrugged away the report like any other. But then another came not long after, reporting that the team had split up, left Konoha and disappeared along the border with Amegakure.

    Now that was the firestarter.

    Minato Namikaze tossed the letters from his hands and crossed them over his desk with a heavy sigh, ¡°I am more concerned about how they¡¯ll receive the message he carries¡­we¡¯ve already lit the match but I can¡¯t help feeling¡­¡±

    Danzo spoke before the young Hokage could voice any doubts that would give Hiruzen leverage, ¡°If I may, as I said in our previous meeting, first impressions matter and Kirigakure is¡­the Bloody Mist is a shinobi army that only understands strength. Shattering any guise of subterfuge or intelligence manoeuvring at the start of this relationship will set the standard that such tactics will not work nor will they be accepted.¡±

    Hiruzen was quick to fill the air with his weakness, ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse the fact that we¡¯ve tampered with their communications, stopped them from reaching home. If anything happens to those young shinobi now¡­¡±

    ¡°Kinoto will handle it.¡± Danzo said with confidence, he had personally trained that one, he wouldn¡¯t fail such a protected and obvious assignment. ¡°Besides, we¡¯ve already released their letters, they will make it to Kirigakure after Kinoto has delivered our message. There is little to fear, whatever schemes they¡¯re plotting in Amegakure will come to light. They cannot afford war.¡±

    ¡°Neither can we.¡± Hiruzen said sharply, his fingers twitched for his pipe¡ª this meeting wasn¡¯t going the way he thought¡ª and Danzo continued to suppress a smile.

    The meeting wasn¡¯t going the way Danzo thought either. Namikaze¡¯s willingness to heed his warnings was a pleasant change to Hiruzen¡¯s stubbornness. He¡¯d fully expected to be rebuffed, his intel taken for granted or left to handle things via unofficial channels at his discretion. Instead, he got a man to lead a team of wet behind the ears Chuunin, the young Hokage¡¯s personal favourites.

    ¡°We signed a treaty, there won¡¯t be any wars...I hope.¡± Namikaze said grimly, his eyes darted around with every fleeting thought. ¡°What about their new Mizukage, Yondaime as I am. His willingness to accept my attempts shows promise, yes?¡±

    Here neither Danzo nor Hiruzen said a word, they shared a look upon realizing this themselves and shifted in their seats. Minato nodded, ¡°Right, there isn¡¯t more to know than we already do. Repulse-nin, high tier A-rank¡­S-rank if he¡¯s the Blood Mist¡¯s chosen Kage. A thirst for blood and a willingness to take it. Master of Water Release and now master of Kirigakure, its army and all its tailed beasts.¡±

    His tone was especially sour at the mention of the tailed beasts, Danzo knew the reason well, how could he not. He cleared his throat and nodded, ¡°Yes, all true. With luck we will find out what happened to the Three-Tails, if it has a new Jinchuriki or if it has yet to reform. Until then, Hokage-sama, there is no reason not to be optimistic.¡±

    He felt Hiruzen stare incredulously at him, optimism, especially that regarding the dealings of other Great Villages was not something Danzo often shared. He let his lip twitch, ¡°Yes, truly, you are to be commended and should there be need to retaliate well¡­Kirigakure will be the one at fault to all upon the world stage. But I doubt it will come to that, our message is strong, fierce¡­the truth of Konoha¡¯s intolerance to vicious schemes, there is also the fact that Amegakure will not abide by any great village¡¯s will, they¡¯re too stubborn.¡±

    Namikaze looked relieved but that didn¡¯t last long as he said, ¡°And yet, you¡¯ve said none of our operatives have returned from probing missions in the past year. Amegakure holds a grudge against Konoha, Kumo and Iwa more than it does Suna or Kiri¡­what if..¡±

    ¡°Danzo is right, Minato-kun. I know this would be your first long term relations with another of the five but do not let doubt or fear consume you. There is hope, you have given it after all.¡± Hiruzen said and threw a suspicious look at Danzo.

    Danzo bit his cheek to keep from bursting with a grin, those words would fall on deaf ears, he could see it. The young Hokage was the terror of both Kumo and Iwa but Kirigakure had hurt him in the same place Hiruzen failed to shield during the Second Great war.

    Precious, precious students. I could never.

 Diplomatic Cheek

    Lord Funato was fuming. His grip on his cane nearly broke it to pieces, splinters flung about the room as he barely restrained himself from doing just that. I knew he wouldn¡¯t, Lady Megumi had kept herself in check albeit with a frown so deep it hurt to look and Uncle simply levelled a glare at the Konoha delegate, or better yet, agent.

    He did well to weather the swirl of killing intent leaking from all three of my advisors but no matter what training he¡¯s undergone; he couldn¡¯t stop his body from reacting on its own. A damp trail of sweat dripped down the side of his head as he measured a smile at me, the reason none of my advisors had taken his head off entirely.

    I leaned forward, took a breath and let out a low, sardonic chuckle. ¡°I expected Konoha would learn about Amegakure but I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be so hostile. What is the point of threatening our operatives? Have they done anything to harm Konoha? Why deprive them of their village?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t putting any pressure on Kinoto with my words, in fact, as unamused as I am to learn about Konoha stealing our communications, I made sure to wear my most diplomatic smile.

    This is a test of sorts.

    Kinoto shifted in his seat and swallowed, ¡°Ah, yes well, I assure you all communications will be restored in a few days. We simply couldn¡¯t allow Kirigakure to prepare for this meeting, as we could not prepare for your agents using our security to leak into Amegakure with god knows what. The Hokage wishes our relations to be transparent from now on, that is why I have simply stated our priority intentions for coming here.¡±

    I leaned back into the very comfortable single seater Uncle bought for my office, rested my arms and narrowed a glare at Kinoto, ¡°Transparent¡­then, I should let you know that there¡¯s a chance you and your team won¡¯t leave Kirigakure alive. How do you feel about that?¡±

    His body shivered as a sliver of Yagura¡¯s fury grazed him and yet his face remained unnervingly plastered with that crooked smile. ¡°That is a risk I have already been briefed on. If you wish to escalate hostilities¡­Konoha is more than ready.¡±

    Lord Funato¡¯s cane cracked once more.

    I nodded and pointed at his legs, ¡°That is good, because if I do not hear from my people within the week I will use Samehada to saw off one leg at a time. And each time I¡¯ll throw you in the water, see how well you swim with a bleeding stump. Konoha had better be ready, because they¡¯ll cross those waters and I sure hope they know what your legs look like because it will be all the only thing they have a chance of finding.¡±

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    He gulped, nodded but didn¡¯t say anything under the pressure of my gaze. I lightened up and clapped, ¡°Very well then, promises have been made and I intend to see them kept! You wish to talk about Amegakure so let us talk, what does the Hokage want to know?¡±

    Here Lord Funato glanced at me, his vice-grip on his cane lessened. As infuriated with Konoha as he is he still wants to know the root of my thoughts behind Amegakure.

    Uncle leaned forward and cleared his throat, I nodded, giving him unspoken permission to speak as none had spoken since the meeting first began, ¡°Ah, before we get into that, we should preface by letting you know that Kirigakure is not obligated by any treaty or alliance or even trade to share information with Konoha, these are just the beginnings of a new relationship and already we are disappointed.¡±

    Kinoto shrugged, finally sitting easy, ¡°Konoha was disappointed as well, to learn that Kiri was moving behind its back into Amegakure.¡±

    Lady Megumi snorted, ¡°Behind Konoha¡¯s back? We have agreed to nothing, we merely paid your tree-trapped village a visit and all of a sudden you think you have some kind of right over us or our actions? Don¡¯t be silly now.¡±

    Kinoto pursed his lips, unsure of what else to say and so I raised my hand, ¡°Just make sure you understand this fact, Kinoto, what we discuss now is not because you or Konoha has forced us to but merely because I want better for our two nations. This is a courtesy, not an interrogation.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t tell what he thought about that as he merely extended that creepy smile of his and nodded, ¡°Very well, may we begin?¡± I nodded and he sat up straight as he recited the questions Konoha no doubt fed him to ask, ¡°What is the concern with Amegakure? You must understand our history with them and so¡­¡±

    I breathed in and felt Lord Funato¡¯s one-eyed gaze on me, ¡°Amegakure or rather, Hanzo the Salamander is a curious subject for me, I wish to speak with him.¡±

    Kinoto¡¯s breath hitched, ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°That is none of Konoha¡¯s concern, unfortunately, but I can assure you that whatever comes of it will not harm Konoha.¡± He didn¡¯t look satisfied but of course, how would he with such a vague answer. ¡°Any other questions?¡±

    ¡°¡­Why did you accept Hokage-sama¡¯s offer?¡±

    Yagura chuckled gleefully, ¡°Ho? I thought that¡¯s what he wanted? Did he not want Kiri to accept his offer? Did he not want to build bridges? Tell me now and I¡¯ll go right ahead and chop one of your legs off.¡±

    Kinoto was unfazed though he shook, ¡°That is not an answer, Mizukage-sama.¡±

    ¡°Well, well, I accepted because I knew it was half-hearted. I wanted to know if your Hokage would keep his word or backtrack out of hate. I am not my predecessor after all as your Yondaime is not his. I dream of peace, you see but I know how na?ve that will sound in this world of ours, hence, I was glad to receive the Hokage¡¯s offer to connect. I hope Konoha won¡¯t force me to spit in his hand.¡±

    Kinoto still didn¡¯t look satisfied, but he nodded anyway and wore that wide smile of his, ¡°Very well, you will not be disappointed. You will hear from your agents soon. Now, are there any questions for me?¡±

    I nodded, ¡°I¡¯d like to reciprocate the wonderful gifts your delegation brought, it was indecent of me to send my people empty-handed. So tell me about Minato Namikaze, what kind of a man is he?¡±

 Transporter

    Kisame could hear her teeth grind as they looked on their flock from between branches. He kept his thoughts to himself unless he was asked for them, despite the disparity in prestige and right between them, Reina was the one charged to lead the mission and her word would be law.

    His sword purred beside him, there was blood in the air and it wonder just like Kisame why they weren¡¯t partaking, it was the cleanest solution after all, at least in his opinion.

    The flock of Kaguya beneath them numbered over a hundred and all of them were averse to their forced migration, but their opinions mattered less; they had no say in the matter. Inspiring obedience in a hundred civilians, Kekkei Genkai or not, was a simple feat for a trained shinobi.

    More than half were the growing youths, the fat useless ones or the malnourished remnants of what the Kaguya clan condemned as the spawn of devil sinners. The latter were less prevalent in their numbers but they were a noteworthy subset according to Reina, enough to document in a census.

    Kisame didn¡¯t care for any of them and felt Reina was right in her opinion to exterminate them, as many other shinobi in the village thought was wise. However, the Mizukage had other plans and thus they obeyed.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t make their jobs a little easier, Kisame was extremely pleased to feed the few naysaying elders to Samehada, a scene he¡¯d always watched Fuguki direct and now had the pleasure of doing so himself. Junko-sama, Mizukage-sama, thank you for the opportunity.

    The strain of that burden begins to show in the thick marshlands where blood soaked the dirt and river. Reina leaped out onto another branch, a water clone took her place as she yelled commands at the clutch of devil spawn she placed at the head of the flock to lead the way.

    It turned out the foolish Kaguya feared their own kind almost as much as they¡¯d begun to fear Kisame and Reina, perhaps even more. Those malnourished sticks of children, young boys and girls beaten, chained, caged and burnt beyond recognition of their parents who are surely dead or part of the lynch mob inciting the abuse.

    Reina understood more than Kisame what it felt like, she was a Kekkei Genkai wielder herself and the both of them understood what it was perceived like. That¡¯s why those feeble, broken children with a hate and despair in their swollen purple eyes were the best herdsmen for their clansmen.

    Of course, the old village head was upset to see them free and at the reigns and so Samehada ate him too.

    ¡°Halt! Not another step!¡± Kisame heard his own water clone barking orders at the rear and soon the entire migrant party of over a hundred civilians and two high A-rank shinobi came to a stop.

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    Reina landed with a thud next to him, not bothering to hide the weight of her footfalls any longer she gritted her teeth before she let out a heavy breath, ¡°Kisame, we¡¯re going to need another path through.¡± She said looking onward with tired, steely eyes.

    Besides complaining about the mission parameters Reina has only been upset over the size of their mission party. Two A-rank¡ªarguably S-rank with the way the Samehada makes him feel¡ª are certainly more than equipped to handle almost any mission, including this one. However, a squad of Chuunin or even two squads of Genin would have been greatly appreciated.

    There were over a hundred foolish Kaguya in the migrating group, the Mizukage¡¯s orders were to deliver them to Kirigakure but with just the two of them and a whole lot of the Daimyo¡¯s war spilling into territories and islands, it¡¯s difficult to safely complete the mission.

    With over a hundred useless civilians to protect out in the open, the logistics did call for a new route, especially with platoons of the Daimyo¡¯s enemies stationed in the village ahead of them, the very one that would have been their source of refuge, shelter and food for at least a night.

    To Kisame, there was a better solution than searching for a new route that could just as easily be compromised by anyone of the blundering fools they¡¯re herding. On any other day, any other mission he would shut his mouth and follow the mission lead¡¯s orders, his thoughts were not asked for, she simply pointed out the obvious.

    But Samehada¡¯s purring gurgled his own bloodlust, it helped that even if he weren¡¯t hungry for a battle to test the weapon it would still make sense to offer this solution and so he did, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just kill them all?¡±

    Reina seemed to have seen this coming, she sighed and shook her head, ¡°We don¡¯t know what they¡¯re capable of, if they¡¯re fighting the Daimyo then there¡¯s a good chance they¡¯re a Kekkei Genkai clan and even if they aren¡¯t, we don¡¯t know how many or how skilled they are. It¡¯s only us two, we can¡¯t leave these people without a watch to go fight.

    ¡°Besides, Kirigakure is officially not involved in this war, Mizukage-sama has not pledged his support for it either so taking any action could start some political jargon back home, means more trouble for us.¡±

    Kisame clicked his tongue and heaved Samehada onto his shoulder, ¡°What if they spot us? What if we¡¯re forced into a battle?¡±

    Reina set a steady gaze on him, ¡°Kisame¡­don¡¯t go orchestrating your own version of things, I have enough problems as is.¡±

    He grinned, he had thought of that but even with Samehada, the ANBU Commander was not someone he should underestimate. By all right she should have been among those summoned for the Succession Royale, as good as Raiga is, she¡¯s simply better.

    ¡°No such thing, Reina-san, I¡¯ll be good as long as they are.¡±

    She nodded and rose to her feet. She bit her thumb for blood and weaved through hand-signs in a flash, ¡°Kuchiyose no Jutsu! Denka, be my eyes.¡±

    Reina gestured at the village and the Class-D summoned Owl rotated it¡¯s head behind before it said, ¡°Of course, mistress Reina.¡± Denka flew away to scout the area; its wings were soundless as it soared right above the flock of Kaguya without any knowing it¡¯s there.

    Reina sat back and pulled out some stationary equipment, she sighed and said, ¡°On the off chance they do notice us and the chance that there¡¯s more armies to meet on our way, better let Mizukage-sama know in advance that there will be trouble.¡±

    At this Kisame grinned, it meant if the Daimyo¡¯s enemies saw fit to add Kirigakure to those they¡¯ve offended, he wouldn¡¯t need to hold back one bit.

 Great Fear

    I scarcely managed to restrain my annoyance from turning to rage as Junichi walked in and served Lord Funato a tray of tea and a pungent fisherman soup. I let him feel my glare but Lady Megumi quickly placed an order a refill and some snacks like my office was some restaurant.

    Lord Funato slurped up parts of a sea creature coated in sauce and coughed before smacking his lips, ¡°Good good, this will soothe my throat of all infections.¡± He thumped his chest and let out another whooping cough Lady Megumi reclined away from, clutching her cup of tea and eying the old man with suspicion.

    He laughed a hearty laugh only good food could be responsible for, but his voice was cracked as he spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, current events have stressed me into illness but after this soup¡­yes.¡±

    I smiled politely but it never reached my eyes, ¡°I¡¯m praying for your wellness, Lord Funato.¡±

    He snorted and tore the dead-eyed fish head soaking in his bowl with his spoon, ¡°I am not long for this world, save your prayers for the Kirigakure, it will need it now that we have Konoha shinobi lounging amongst us.¡±

    I held back a sigh. Ever since I had the old clan head show me the Mizukage Estate, ever since he promised to make me suffer he¡¯s been a lot less subtle with his opinions. And the opinions he has of my decisions are rarely positive, in fact, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve had a single good moment with the man since I became Mizukage.

    Worse still, ever since Uncle gave my office a makeover it¡¯s suddenly become very comfortable for longer visits from the nagging old man. He¡¯s already been here for hours, hacking and whooping coughs into my airspace before I suggested he go home and rest. Instead he summoned Junichi and asked for that repugnant soup.

    Lady Megumi only arrived a few moments ago, I didn¡¯t know what for but if I had to guess I¡¯d say it¡¯s the same reason Lord Funato was befouling me with his presence. Konoha.

    ¡°They are harmless amongst us, there¡¯s nothing they can do that I won¡¯t know about.¡± ANBU were assigned around the clock to watch the quarters given to them, it was within the Mizukage Tower as well, right alongside my office and my current living space. There wasn¡¯t a more secure and isolated place for the Konoha delegates to be.

    Lady Megumi raised a pleased smile, ¡°Your confidence is admirable, Mizukage-sama, however, it will be wise not to let our guard down around them. They do not have the same blessed heart as you.¡±

    I raised a brow at that. It sounded an awful lot like flattery and butt kissing¡ª she wanted something. She hadn¡¯t said why she¡¯d visited and it seemed she didn¡¯t care as much about the Konoha delegates as Lord Funato did or was it simply overshadowed by something else?

    ¡°That is a fair critic for most shinobi, Lady Megumi. I¡¯m glad to have your company.¡± My smile behind the stack of papers gave her permission to shuffle in her seat but before she has a chance to speak her piece and knock comes on the door. ¡°Come in.¡±

    Raiga didn¡¯t need to announce himself beyond the doors for me to know it was him, his chakra signature was etched in my brain ever since we battled. And now he¡¯s my loyal ANBU Commander, temporarily anyway.

    He strode in and gave curt bows to the two elders before kneeling, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s arrived.¡± He retrieved a bound scroll from his side and presented it.

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    ¡°What is this?¡± Lord Funato demanded in an instant and attempted to snatch it out of his hands only to find resistance. ¡°What are you¡­Yagura, tell him to-¡±

    ¡°Bring it here please.¡± I said, cutting Lord Funato before he managed to vex me more. Lady Megumi heaved an exasperated sigh and shook her head at her fellow as Raiga ignored the old man to deposit the scroll in my hands.

    Unfurled, I find it¡¯s a sealing scroll. I looked up at Raiga who gave no indication of it being a danger, such things wouldn¡¯t make it as far as himself talk less of the Mizukage.

    A sliver of chakra is all it took for a set of tied letters to appear in a poof of rapidly dissipating smoke. I opened the first of many letters and smiled, ¡°Ahh, Lord Funato, Lady Megumi, you¡¯ll be happy to know that Konoha has kept its word. These are the missing letters.¡±

    Harrumphed, Lord Funato coughed and sat back in Uncle¡¯s very wise choice for a couch, ¡°They should never have seized it in the first place.¡±

    I rolled my eyes at him, knowing that with the amount of surveillance pressed against the Konoha delegates it wouldn¡¯t be long before Raiga was presenting me with the option to intercept their letters as well. Though, from what I hear they¡¯ve only sent confirmation reports about their arrival and residence in Kiri. Nothing that besmirches the truth and nothing too truthful either.

    ¡°What do they say?¡± Lady Megumi wondered.

    I skimmed through them easily as they weren¡¯t thickly worded. It was much the same reports before we stopped getting them¡ª simple things they noticed about the village, speculations and updates on their search for any involvement in the Sandaime¡¯s death which was always a shamefully written dead end.

    My eyes widened at the last letter though, it was the most useful piece of knowledge they¡¯d reported in a while. ¡°Much of the same things but according to this, the Snake Sannin has abandoned Konoha to become a rogue-nin.¡±

    Lord Funato¡¯s head whipped at me, eyes wide as I¡¯ve ever seen them. Lady Megumi was speechless but her eyes skirted about their sockets as she thought miles per minute. I handed the letters over to Raiga and he placed them on the centre table with Lord Funato¡¯s disgusting soup.

    They ignored all the others and skipped to the last before Lady Megumi mused aloud, ¡°What could have forced the man to betray his village? Last I heard he was a shoe-in for Yondaime Hokage.¡±

    ¡°And now that Yellow Flash is Hokage, perhaps that is the reason?¡± Lord Funato stroked his beard in thought before fixing a look at me. ¡°We should update our bingo book, Mizukage-sama.¡±

    ¡°Of course, but to what?¡± My fingers drummed against the desk, I couldn¡¯t predict what Lord Funato would say but I had a feeling I wouldn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°To capture him alive. If he defects to Kirigakure then-¡±

    ¡°Then Konoha and Kiri¡¯s friendly relationship will be no more, Funato-dono. I will not sabotage myself in such away.¡± He frowned and made to say something but his whooping cough finally did something good for once. ¡°Raiga, update the bingo books, dead or alive but under no circumstances is he to be engaged by Hunter-nin¡­waste of shinobi.¡±

    Orochimaru would kill anyone stupid enough to come after him, that was Jason¡¯s gut instinct and this time I was going with it. However, Yagura had some alterations to my orders that could make sense, ¡°Wait¡­if there is a sighting of the Snake Sannin, leave him a message. Kirigakure will offer refuge, with conditions.¡±

    Both elders looked at me curiously but I merely smiled. Jason didn¡¯t believe Orochimaru would bother with another hidden village but on the off chance that he does, Yagura will have some use of the S-rank shinobi yet.

    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing, sir.¡± Raiga said in a low voice, a sign he needed to speak freely about sensitive matters.

    I glanced at the elders, happy to chase them away now that I had a good excuse. ¡°Lord Funato, Lady Megumi, if you don¡¯t mind now¡­I¡¯ll take this report in private.¡±

    Lord Funato looked offended as always and Lady Megumi was simply disappointed, whatever she¡¯d come to kiss ass about would have to wait. Together they left with a silent bow and shut the door behind them, I wish Funato had taken the remnants of his putrid soup with him.

    ¡°Speak, Raiga.¡±

    Behind the red swirled ANBU mask Raiga announced, ¡°The proofs are ready, Genin Hisako Yuki is implicated in the crime, the Yuki clan seems to have supported her actions.¡±

    Great, it¡¯s just as I feared then. The Yuki clan was behind the death threats.

 Trust Me

    ¡°Who knows about this?¡±

    Raiga stiffened and answered, ¡°Fang Squad, Chuunin Takeda Karatachi, perhaps Kosuke the weapons smith and now you, Mizukage-sama.¡±

    My fingers drummed atop my desk as I leaned into my swivel chair in thought. When I first began to suspect the Yuki clan I didn¡¯t know what to do about them, Lord Funato and Lady Megumi learning about this would surely bring everything to a boil. They¡¯d force my hand to their own skewed will of justice and with the kind of proof that¡¯s been unearth¡­any sort of compromise I think of would surely be shut down.

    And if I stubbornly used my powers as Mizukage to protect the Yuki clan in the face of all this¡­I can kiss goodbye to any chance of having a smooth reign. Lord Funato would ensure he and his clan are a thorn in my side for as long as he breathes and perhaps even after.

    I briefly entertained the thought of marrying Rina just so Lady Megumi would be forced to side with me in all things but it still wasn¡¯t worth it, it didn¡¯t feel worth it. I¡¯d rather not indebt myself to the Hozuki clan just pit heads against the Funato who arguably has more influence than them. This was a mess.

    ¡°Why do you think the Yuki sponsored this? Why take a petty, useless shot at the biggest family in all of Kirigakure?¡±

    Raiga was silent for a moment but he shifted his weight and said, ¡°We¡¯ve yet to interrogated or detained Hisako Yuki but if I had to guess, I would say they did it because it was petty and hateful. Relations with the Yuki clan among the five clans have been strained since they joined Kirigakure.

    ¡°They¡¯ve declined in size as well and have very little in the way of prestigious members, save Reina Yuki and the clan head himself, very few are exceptional shinobi or capable of wielding their Kekkei Genkai. They are weak and they¡¯ve been bullied for it under the reign of Sandaime-sama who was publicly a friend to Funato and Hozuki.¡±

    I looked up at my ANBU Commander and smiled, ¡°That was well thought out and entirely plausible. It would explain why they stopped as well, after the Kaguya attack it would have been very unwise to continue with petty provocations when they could be pinned for orchestrating the attack¡­wait¡­could they have? Orchestrated the attack?¡±

    Raiga was masked but his body language told me he was as startled as I at the implication of that thought. ¡°That¡­I do not know I¡¯m afraid. We¡¯ll have to begin interrogation to get anything conclusive beyond the proofs of their threats.¡±

    ¡°Bring her to me then.¡± I ordered immediately and he made to leave as I added, ¡°And Raiga, make sure no one else finds out, do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± I gave a satisfied nod and he vanished.

    I was left with my thoughts and many of them were anxious and borderline fearful. In truth, I didn¡¯t understand the consequences of such a plot being revealed but I knew it couldn¡¯t be anything good. Especially since this was born out of hatred, a long existing hatred that my sentiments towards Kekkei Genkai wielders would not quench so easily.

    A part of Jason expected this, his knowledge told me that like the Kaguya, the Yuki were not destined to be a prevalent clan. This may well be what brought their downfall. Interrogating the Yuki girl at the centre of all this will bring me some clarity on how fucked their situation truly is.

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    I needed to give Lord Funato a scapegoat to appease his inflamed ego and keep the peace. Doing so will be easier if this turns out to be something I can brush off as a child¡¯s poor choice of games, even if that child was actually over eighteen and an experienced Genin with a Kekkei Genkai from a clan that¡¯s barely tolerated among the big five.

    If it turns out to be something else, something larger than even my office as Mizukage¡­well, Yagura¡¯s whispers are unusually silent.

    Raiga didn¡¯t leave me for long and soon there was a knock at the door. I gave permission and Raiga walked in with the Genin I¡¯d read so much about in the past day. She was as short as I but was sensually feminine in her features; perky rose lips, a cute jawline with pinchable cheeks and a curved figure accentuated by the shorts and crop top she wore over her bandaged torso.

    ¡°Mizukage-sama.¡± Shoulder length onyx hair fell by her temples as she bowed and I could tell she was skittish to be in my presence by the way her eyes darted around the room and at Raiga beside her. She didn¡¯t seem surprised to be summoned at all, just nervous.

    I beckoned her to come closer, away from the distance set by my new furniture before I asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Confused but sensible enough not to question my question she introduced herself, ¡°Genin Hisako Yuki reporting, sir.¡±

    I nodded, she still couldn¡¯t look at me straight even as she answered, though she was doing her best to, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°You summoned me, sir?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Her lips pursed together and she gazed past me to the village beyond my windows. I wondered what was going through her mind as her eyes glazed over with a wistful light before turning steely.

    ¡°You already know, sir¡­¡±

    ¡°I am your Mizukage, I know many things but what do you know, Hisako Yuki? Tell me now, why are you here?¡±

    She sniffed and a smile poked at the corner of her lip, ¡°The entire class took an exam suddenly but the weird part was the venue, I thought it didn¡¯t mean anything but¡­I was wrong. I¡¯m here because of¡­because I threatened the Hozuki clan.¡±

    I leaned forward, ¡°The Sandaime¡¯s family to be precise. Do you understand what this means? Did you understand before becoming involved?¡±

    She hesitated, eyes darting everywhere to escape my gaze. She stood stiff as a statue and cheeked the insides of her cheek as her thoughts scrambled in her head. All that came to a halt as she breathed in, straightened her posture and met my eyes with a defiant and ready gaze, ¡°I did.¡±

    I let her words sink in as I held her stare, she¡¯s clearly resolved to stand by whatever motive birthed the entire incident but that didn¡¯t mean she would be unflinching.

    Without looking away Yagura materialized a water clone behind her, she sensed the presence far too late and its hand grasped her the back of her throat like a mutinous dog, squeezing hard as it buckled the back of her knees so she fell to one as she choked.

    Raiga stood unmoved, watching in silence as my clone kept her head straight, she couldn¡¯t look away from me now, there was no escape no refuge. I took a deep breath and my clone¡¯s grip strengthened as I spoke, ¡°Since you are ready to die, what will be your last words, Hisako?¡±

    At this point she couldn¡¯t cough much less utter last words but I demanded them anyway, ¡°Speak up! You asked for this, you did this so you must have prepared then! Tell me now what I should tell Yuki-dono your last words were.¡±

    Just as her eyes began to roll back my clone eased its grip and she could breathe again, taking greedy gasps of precious air as she hacked and drooled all over my floor.

    ¡°I¡­I am not sorry, Mizukage-sama, I am not¡­sorry.¡±

    This fucking¡­

    ¡°They deserved it, for what they¡¯ve done, for abandoning us, for prosecuting us behind closed doors, for isolating us! We are not¡­sorry.¡±

    Incensed, Yagura stood and glared, ¡°And who is we?¡±

    Her head fell but I glimpsed the smirk she tried to hide, ¡°We¡­will survive, Mizukage-sama, with or without your help.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is then, the entire Yuki clan are traitors¡­¡± She flinched at those words and I knew not all the clan was aware of whatever this was, perhaps not even the clan head or her response would be of continued defiance, ¡°I will exterminate any threat to Kirigakure, Hisako but I like to be precise¡­surgical if you will. Tell me who your friends are and perhaps your family will live.¡±

    My clone yanked her head up and there, in the soul behind her eyes, was terror. I smiled charitably and nodded, ¡°Go ahead, you can trust me.¡±

 Aimless Walk

    Hisako Yuki didn¡¯t trust me. Which was the worse decision she could make in her position. Yagura never had a delicate touch with matter like these and yet my stomach still squirmed at the sounds she made during Eiko¡¯s sample session.

    The reason it was a sample was because I thought Hisako, a Genin, wouldn¡¯t be so stubborn as to resist a taste of Eiko¡¯s enhanced interrogation techniques. I thought she wouldn¡¯t be capable of it but I was wrong, she gritted through the Genjutsu stimulated agony, her body shaking like a fish out of water all while Eiko poked and stabbed her nails with a needle.

    Even after that she still refused and as much as I hate to admit it, each refusal got me more frightened and on edge. And so Yagura decided to break her. There would be consequences; even with my gag order whoever was behind this would find out Hisako¡¯s been discovered and even if they didn¡¯t, the Yuki would come looking for one of their own.

    I wasn¡¯t sure which outcome I should be warier of, dealing with the impact of manhandling one of their own or the unknown reaction of whoever Hisako was taking her orders from.

    Sick of hearing her scream, I gave Eiko permission to up the ante and began to walk back to the Tower. I felt I could trust Eiko enough to bring him on this, he was the kind of man that was loyal to his work, loved it as much as his own life. If there was a leak, it wouldn¡¯t be from him.

    I stepped out of Intel and Comm¡¯s oppressive aura and breathed in the village wide mist congested air. The Mist was my most versatile tool in defending the village as Mizukage but it was also a tool of governance¡ª I could make it rain with a single order.

    It would freshen the air throughout the village and give the squads of shinobi responsible for enhancing the Land of Water¡¯s natural fog a chance at reprieve. There were other advantages to releasing the mist temporarily but at the moment the greatest temptation was to see the sun without it¡¯s veil of fog and cloud.

    Another advantage was¡­I could order the squad of shinobi that have had decades of predecessors to learn and attune the Mist Village rite of passage justu to the point that it¡¯s possible to drain moisture from the air rather than fill it with it.

    This meant I could dry out specific sections of the village and prevent an enemy from utilizing our own defences against us. I could dry out the particularly dangerous Kekkei Genkai wielders capable of turning air moisture to ice.

    There was no need for such a measure yet but having it reassured me. The Yuki clan were loyal to Kirigakure, perhaps not the Mizukage but Kirigakure was where their home lie, they wouldn¡¯t jeopardize it, their clan head wouldn¡¯t risk their future like that.

    Right?

    I acknowledged the multitudes halting their lives to greet me with curt nods and friendly waves but nothing more. I took in their faces, their hands and the shape of their homes built around and along naturally inclined hills and earthy growths.

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    As this was the Central District I had little doubt that these folk had no concern about Kekkei Genkai fiends, even the Yuki. I recognized the street path I strolled down from one of my maps and I knew that across it, to the west was where the Yuki and their compound sat. Their island within and island was surrounded yet isolated by the Funato and Hozuki who own most of the Central District.

    I observed the faces of my people again, many didn¡¯t recognize me immediately and some didn¡¯t recognize me at all. I wasn¡¯t wearing my regalia and so I couldn¡¯t blame them, it went both ways after all, I couldn¡¯t tell who was from whom. Unless they were Hoshigaki and had shark like teeth, Jason couldn¡¯t differentiate the civilian clansmen of Hozuki, Funato or even Karatachi, much less the rare Yuki.

    I haven¡¯t even been to their compound. I hummed at the thought as my feet guided me down the final corner to the Mizukage Tower. Each time I walked my way here¡ª a coping mechanism I was using more and more¡ª the intricacy of the Tower amazed me just as its beauty did.

    Spending time with Harusame has attuned my eyes to recognize sealing marks, both leftovers and permanent fixtures lingering all around the Tower¡¯s body. For the life of me I couldn¡¯t say what everyone of the seals I noticed did but I could guess.

    At a glance I could pick out a dozen stabilizers that did what their name implied. It wasn¡¯t often earthquakes struck the Land of Water, but when they did the worst of them created new islands. Having stabilizers on a building as important as the Tower ensured I wouldn¡¯t be drifting away on my own. They were high tier seals and albeit faded their protections extended to several other structures in a radius.

    I breathed a sigh and strutted in through the main doors. Yagura was actively screaming within me as I looked upon the finished and polished statue of myself¡­himself. It was barely accurate; out of some respect they made me as tall as the other Mizukage but at least they didn¡¯t broaden my body past what was true.

    The statue presented Yagura with the iconic Hooked Bo-staff and poncho but it wore the regalia each of the Mizukage before did; a simple, ironed cloak that fell to the statues sandaled feet.

    The mission desk Chuunin shared looks with each other, both were attending to Jounin teams but were curious if I needed anything. I didn¡¯t and kept staring up at myself.

    The walk had distracted me a bit but I wanted it to give me a solution to my problem. What should I do about the Yuki? Who could I even tell? As much as I valued Uncle¡¯s opinions, he wasn¡¯t too unlike Lord Funato, he had a traditional way of doing things and he wasn¡¯t afraid to disappoint me if his way didn¡¯t align with mine.

    I took in a breath and began walking towards the stairs, resigned to wait for Eiko to break Hisako, gruesome as such implications were. But then a soft hand snatched mine from behind and pulled.

    Turned around I met a wide smile and determined gaze in Rina, ¡°Yagura-sama!¡±

    A single crutch aided her upright stance and her injured leg was bandaged underneath her short shorts. I nodded at her, ¡°Rina, how are you now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready, Yagura-senpai!¡±

    Senpai¡­righttt.

    My head dropped and I searched for what excuse to give her so she¡¯d leave me to my anxious thoughts.

    ¡°Are you headed to your office? I thought I¡¯d take you up on your offer at the hospital, training time.¡± She smiled, she seemed more confident than ever for some reason.

    ¡°Uh, you¡¯re on crutches are you sur-¡±

    ¡°Ninjutsu. These won¡¯t hinder my training. So, what do you say? Let me impress you.¡±

 First Session

    I¡¯ve been to the Hozuki compound a number of times before and after becoming Mizukage, each time for a different purpose. I let my mind shut off and my feet follow Rina at her limped pace until the route we took began to look new and extra watery.

    She¡¯d guided me into the Hozuki¡¯s private training grounds or rather, waters, as the entirety of the location was a mass of water sprinkled with long thin trees or oddly placed mounds of rock and sand.

    My first thought was that it¡¯d be a bit hard for Rina to navigate but it¡¯s quickly dashed away when I unconsciously walk on the water, I realize she picked this training location because of its abundance of water. She was intent on getting me to help with her Ninjutsu and like most Kiri shinobi, her chakra affinity was best aligned with water.

    In that case the training grounds oddly placed trees, boulders and mounds of sand would make for good target practice. I walked over to a mound of sand and sat crossed legged on it; I¡¯d taken a walk from Intel and Comm¡¯s and then Rina brought me to the clan compounds from the Tower, my legs weren¡¯t exhausted but I¡¯d much rather put my feet up.

    It was then I noticed her staring at me, she has abandoned her crutch and stood gingerly on the water surface, waiting for me to impart some Kage-level knowledge judging by that eager gaze.

    I hadn¡¯t thought about much else but politics and what I¡¯d have for dinner on our way here, it also didn¡¯t help that she didn¡¯t say a thing either. So now I suddenly have to train this Chuunin in Ninjustu and I hadn¡¯t even given myself a minute to prepare.

    What can I teach her? What should I teach her? There was a lot of knowledge locked behind Yagura¡¯s spectre, knowledge I wasn¡¯t completely privy to myself unless I channelled enough of his personality to reach it. What I did have up my sleeve was little more than residuals from times I¡¯d channelled Yagura enough that I could mimic his behaviour and relationship with chakra and his body in general.

    A lot of that ended up being high level jutsu or jutsu applications. Like Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet or the versatile Water Release: Water Prison I¡¯ve almost mastered. There were the Wind Release techniques and Yagura¡¯s Hiden but none of that fell under the scope of Rina¡¯s abilities¡­I think.

    I blinked, cleared my throat and addressed her before she could grow impatient, ¡°Rina, we¡¯ve only had a couple of spars but not enough all-out sessions including Ninjutsu. What kind of Ninjutsu are you proficient with that I haven¡¯t seen? What do you want to improve? What do you need help with?¡±

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    She hobbled side to side, trying not to limp as her eyes took the skies as she gave the query thought. The waters bobbed and a wind blew at me through strands of her faded violet hair. She had a fine scent that I held onto, trying to savour and place before it was lost in the breeze. I couldn¡¯t place it but I liked it.

    ¡°I want to become a master. I want to master Water Release, enough to make a new jutsu on my own or a lake¡­¡± She said at last, a couple steps closer than before but she didn¡¯t seem as determined in that declaration as any of the others she¡¯s made.

    ¡°Mastery¡­mastery of any skill will be demanding and it will take more than you belief it will, are you sure?¡± Yagura had to ask, it was important to acknowledge one¡¯s limits, not everyone was a prodigy and not everyone was destined a long life. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to train you each session, this will be your journey, you understand, yes?¡±

    She frowned a bit and I felt that was from feeling insulted rather than anything else, still, she nodded earnestly and said, ¡°I know it won¡¯t be easy but I¡¯ve faced ordeals before now and I will face more. Being stronger in a way I know how will only help me tackle my future¡­enemies.¡±

    Ahh, that. ¡°Very well then, but you should dash out all comparison to your father or myself. People are different. You are different.¡± She seemed to accept this much at least and so I stretched out my calves before hopping to my feet, ¡°Alright, what¡¯s your toughest jutsu right now?

    ¡°Water Clone.¡± She said without the slightest hesitation, her brows furrowed as she described, ¡°Sometimes it works, sometimes the clone explodes in my face. Sometimes it works but then the clone explodes after like three steps. I got it to cast Hidden in the Mist once, but it was dumb and used the water it was composed of to do that.¡±

    Yagura laughed out loud and hard. I could barely contain myself as the sound of his¡ª my¡ª laugh caught me off guard. Rina blushed and groaned after some time of my loud mockery.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± the voice I heard could pass as Rina¡¯s¡­in the far future perhaps. I flicked my tears away and turned to face the bright smile on Lady Megumi as she observed Rina and I.

    ¡°Lady Megumi, what are you¡­¡± It was then I noticed the small child trailing after her skirt. He was the same each time I saw him, shorter than me but far more stoic. ¡°Mangetsu-kun, it¡¯s been a moment.¡±

    He quickly took to his knee as I addressed him, ¡°Mizukage-sama, pardon our interruption.¡±

    ¡°Yes, do.¡± Lady Megumi said with a smirk as her gaze flitted between Rina and I. I didn¡¯t like the gears of thought turning behind those aged eyes. ¡°Mangetsu-kun and I heard Rina was training over here and I thought¡­why, he¡¯s a brand new Chunnin who could get some use out of shadowing an experienced one like Rina-chan.¡±

    Rina hobbled a bit before bowing to her Clan Matriarch, ¡°Megumi-sama, Mangetsu would be welcome to train with me.¡±

    Lady Megumi threw her gaze on me and hummed, ¡°And you train with Lord Fourth, what an honour¡­I wonder, would it extend to the newest Hozuki prodigy? Mangetsu is a genius, learning directly from his Kage would ensure a strong Kiri shinobi is born.¡±

    My lips parted to speak but Yagura clamped them shut as an idea crossed our mind. I gave my dear councillor a terse smile and said, ¡°Perhaps, I will permit he join for a single session and then¡­how about some tea?¡±

    Lady Megumi¡¯s smile grew and her shrewd gaze narrowed in understanding, ¡°Tea would be wonderful.¡±

 Wise Investment

    I sloppily deflected a dozen [Water Shuriken] and leaped away to avoid Rina surging out under the water. She¡¯s learned to keep the pressure in our previous spars and so she darted forward, zigzagging with her body kept low.

    Chakra spiked behind me and I sucked my teeth. Without bothering to look back or let Rina engage, I cut the flow of chakra to my feet and sank into the lake. Rina, hot on my heels, ran over my submerged head, scarcely dodging Mangetsu¡¯s second flurry of [Water Shuriken] and utterly failing to prevent me from snatching her ankles.

    I pulled her underwater but immediately had to suppress the reflex to seal her in a [Water Prison]¡ª as per the conditions of this training session I wasn¡¯t allowed Ninjutsu. Instead I buried my foot in her gut, the blow expelled air from her lungs and forced her to the bottom.

    With Rina conveniently out of the way Mangetsu¡¯s chakra swirled through the waters around me. I kicked to the surface but a maelstrom had been hastily formed and was whipping me in and out the water. I caught a glimpse of the child prodigy; he stood atop a mound of sand, panting with his fingers pressed into a handsign and his brows knitted in concentration.

    I took a breath and let my body relax, Mangetsu¡¯s jutsu threw me about but the longer I swirled in them the more I understood. Genius or not the young shinobi was still a child and could only manage so much chakra. He¡¯s as stubborn as Lady Megumi cheering him on the side-lines and has given his all in each spar session we¡¯ve had, but this is the third yet today, he¡¯s teetering on chakra exhaustion if he pushes any further.

    Like I thought, the swirl petered out enough that I could slap a chakra augmented palm against the turbulent water surface and flip out of it. I whipped my kunai at Mangetsu before I even landed but he didn¡¯t even flinch as it sliced past his cheek¡ª a second later he fell to his knees and his jutsu ended.

    ¡°Water Release: Water Whip.¡±

    I felt the techniques five whips latch onto me from the water before I heard Rina¡¯s satisfied whisper. Four surged from different points of the lake to entangle my limbs and Rina held the one snaking around my neck. Like Mangetsu she was liberal with her chakra usage, though this much aggressiveness is new for her¡ª she¡¯s usually a subtle fighter, making use of Hidden in the Mist and Silent Killing even though that rarely gets her any leverage.

    Yagura knew her chakra waste was product of the little competition brewing between her and Mangetsu, or rather, her and Lady Megumi. I¡¯ve trained enough times with Rina to know Lady Megumi is top of the list of people she wants to prove wrong.

    If I were just myself this would be a good time to concede and congratulate Rina on putting a stop to a Kage-level shinobi. But Yagura isn¡¯t a master of Water Release for nothing, without even channelling him, the innate knowledge of her jutsu¡¯s weakness was apparent to me.

    As she tensed her grip and tugged on my head, I sent chakra flowing over my skin. Momentarily placing a sheet of chakra between her whips and my skin the same way I would with water-walking or wall-walking. The result is space to twist and flail with all of Yagura¡¯s surprising strength, my sudden movements tangle the whips against themselves and I wrapped myself into the whip Rina¡¯s personally holding.

    Her grip loosened for a moment as she hurriedly revaluates, but it¡¯s too late; I¡¯ve cocooned myself in her whips and with a stronger expulsion of chakra, I¡¯m granted enough space to once again sink under water. I snatched her foot again but this time she¡¯s feisty, kicking and thrashing but locking her limbs underwater is just as easy as it is on land.

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    After a moment we bop out of the water together with her folded and restrained against me, ¡°I guess we¡¯re done here.¡± I said, slowly loosening my grip. She groaned and sighed all together as she nodded. I smiled and let her sit up on the water on her own, ¡°Both of you need to be more chakra conscious, maybe you would have gotten me if you had a bit more chakra to cast your jutsu at full strength.¡±

    Rina scoffed, her head hung to the side as she wrung water out her hair, ¡°That was full strength, Yagura-senpai is just too strong.¡± She pouted.

    ¡°Mizukage-sama is going easy on us too.¡± Mangetsu said, as always his stoic eyes held a glint of awe when set upon me but this time his voice held a sliver of hurt as he clenched a fistful of sand. ¡°I¡¯ll grow up soon, I¡¯ll have enough chakra for a serious spar someday.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I winked at him, ¡°Speaking of someday, Megumi-dono, how about that tea now!¡± I yelled out so she¡¯d hear me from the middle of the lake. She waved a fist that turned into a thumbs up after a second and I nodded. ¡°Alright then, go get some snacks you guys, you¡¯ve got to be as hungry as I am after all that.¡±

    I started walking off before either could summon a response, it was late noon, almost evening and I wouldn¡¯t be sharing a table with them. Lady Megumi had a proposal for me, one likely involving Mangetsu and perhaps Rina as well.

    This might be the opportunity I¡¯ve been looking for, whatever it is she wanted I was prepared to give in exchange for her clans support on the upcoming Yuki matter. I couldn¡¯t hide Hisako¡¯s crimes or the evidence alluding to some deeper movement within the clan forever, sooner or later Lord Funato would discover it or perhaps even Uncle or it might be someone relatively insignificant who can¡¯t stop themselves from yapping.

    Either way, there was yet another storm brewing and I needed to recruit of buy allies. I raised a hand-sign and pulsed my clothes and hair dry with Wind Release as I made my approach. She sat within a gazebo and the table was already set with some snacks and tea from earlier when our spars begun.

    She gestured at the quiet, docile servant standing in the corner and they quickly shuffled away with the teapot, earning a confused look from me, ¡°Too good for tea?¡±

    ¡°Not enough sencha.¡± She chuckled and winked.

    I took the lounge couch opposite her and shook my head, ¡°That¡¯s never going away is it?¡±

    Her eyes narrowed with glee, ¡°It¡¯s a good match, who could forget it? Who would want to?¡±

    Here I inhaled and sat up, ¡°I¡¯ve given the marriage proposal all the thought I need and have, Megumi-dono, I¡¯m simply not ready for it and I¡¯m not interested either.¡±

    She doesn¡¯t hide her disappointment, ¡°I expected as much since you took your sweet time, my granddaughter¡¯s not good enough to marry but training her is fine yes?¡±

    I chose my words carefully, ¡°Only when I care to.¡±

    The servant returned and carefully filled my cup with a strong sencha brew, I took a sip and weathered Lady Megumi¡¯s furrowed brows and pursed lip. Then she smiled, ¡°Take Mangetsu under your wing, along with Rina or not but take him, let him learn from you, Yagura, it¡¯s not uncommon for the Mizukage to become sensei as well.¡±

    I continued to sip my tea, it was nice but unlike the rumours it wasn¡¯t my favourite beverage, ¡°Why?¡±

    My deadpan didn¡¯t rattle her resolve, she leaned in, ¡°Mangetsu is a genius, a prodigy of the shinobi arts and even the Hozuki¡¯s Hiden. Mould the potential into proof and he will be an invaluable asset to you, he¡¯s only a child now, his mind is pliable, eager to learn and follow and he¡¯s already well taken with you. I am offering you the Hozuki¡¯s future strongest, if my own granddaughter isn¡¯t worth a bond then surely this?¡±

    Silence stewed for a moment as I drained my cup and set it down, she didn¡¯t look bothered or fazed that I¡¯d just gulped down a near piping hot cup of tea, only interested in the thoughts behind my skull.

    ¡°And what¡¯s in it for you? What do you get out of giving me¡­the future of Hozuki as you claim? Mind you, he¡¯s only a boy, this talent could last perhaps ten more years or even shorter.¡±

    She smirked, eyes twinkling, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I get a potential Kage-candidate.¡±

 Mizukages Headache

    ¡°Me-mercy, please lord, shinobi-dono, plea-No, please! Please!¡± The man begged for his life like he¡¯d never taken a blade and cut down another man like an animal.

    Kisame massaged the man¡¯s skull with greater intensity, he felt a part of his temple crack under his thumb and his tired smile grew. The man felt the change in his skull as well and his mutters for mercy began to mix with prayers to outer gods.

    Samehada thrashed against the mud slick ground, an arm stuck out its serrated jaws as it gnawed and grinded the whimpering man¡¯s comrade. Kisame let out a half-hearted chuckle and continued to massage the man¡¯s head¡ª there wasn¡¯t much left to do but wait now.

    The mud field that served as their battlegrounds was soaked with almost as much blood as it was water from rain and jutsu. It amazed Kisame at times just how much blood a human body carried, it was enough to fill buckets and that was only from the average sized person.

    Samehada gave one final crunch and gulped its meal entirely, with that Kisame got moving, dragging his pet beggar along by the skull even as he scrambled to put his feet under and ahead of him. The mud field was littered with beggars just like the one he had, their hearts busted, legs skewered and heads chopped off all by the same substance.

    Ice.

    The harsh fact that every scummy human, beggar or lord, was full of blood and thus full of water made Kisame¡¯s partner the very thing the Daimyo¡¯s plethora of enemies feared and loathed the most.

    He approached the edge of a jutsu made landslide where the blood from Reina¡¯s many victims pooled together and fell after she and the crusade of Ronin and mercenaries still breathing. Careful not to slip down, Kisame watched the agile kunoichi wield a frosted blade against six well-bodied men.

    He should help, he could help but at the moment Kisame wanted nothing more than to watch her wield that ice.

    Reina was dirtied, filth pasted against her uncovered skin and mud stuck to her feet and legs. Her opponents weren¡¯t much better, in fact, they were worse. One had only one arm to clutch his weapon, another had two arms but could use neither due to the frostbite eating him and the others were bled and frozen in minor areas.

    They kept on their feet as they danced warily around Reina, a respectful distance between them but one that would be covered in a single, murderous bound should the opportunity presented itself.

    Reina shifted her stance, set her frosting blade straight ahead ignoring the three men creeping on her sides in favour of the other three sluggishly closing in. From his vantage point even Kisame¡¯s pet beggar would be able to tell that they¡¯ll box her in if she lets them close in any further.

    However, this was a kunoichi of the Hidden Mist, a high A-rank easily creeping in on that S-rank status. The ronin never stood a chance.

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    She swung her blade in a straight line ahead of her and the three at her front scrambled pathetically for a defence, one even lost his footing and face planted. And yet Reina¡¯s swing was merely a feint, she lunged at the single ronin at her right and her blade pierced through his unprepared torso.

    He stifled his scream through gritted teeth and managed to lock her frosted blade for all but a second before his tolerance broke, ¡°Arrhh!¡± He fell to his knees clutching his frozen side and Reina yanked the blade out in time to parry a flailing kunai strike from a mercenary.

    She danced with him before catching a glimpse of a potential partner behind him, then she twirled, flinging patches of mud from her body to distract as she slammed a palm against the wet ground.

    The terrain underneath both their feet froze, sealing them in place for Reina to blitz through, lopping off their heads before they could even comprehend their demise. Three more remained.

    Kisame looked and laughed; two had taken off running already, ¡°Should I?¡±

    Reina she sprinted at the one fear stricken mercenary standing and impaled his knees with kunai. Keeping the momentum, Reina seized water from the atmosphere to form four seven inch senbon between her fingers. A flick of wrist had them buried in the necks of the fleeing ronin.

    She stood straight for a moment before looking around her handiwork, only one man remained somewhat alive. His knees were useless now and her blade had already frozen one of his arms. He¡¯d gone unconscious from the agony of his injuries and lay at her feet.

    Kisame watched her consider what to do with the man while massaging dents into his pet¡¯s skull. The answer was obvious but she still seemed to consider the alternative for longer than he expected, eventually though, her blade pierced the unconscious mercenary¡¯s skull.

    Reina leaped up the landslide, the scowl that owned her face grew as she noticed Kisame¡¯s pet. He stopped massaging the man¡¯s skull and his body fell forward, sliding down the mud slope to lie among his peers. ¡°Sorry, idle hands.¡± Kisame grinned.

    ¡°Get his head and let¡¯s go, I want that ship.¡±

    ¡°Aye.¡± Kisame leaped after his pet.

    As it turned out, moving an entire village across islands, even islands under Kirigakure jurisdiction, was a tall order. The Daimyo wasn¡¯t respected in the Land of Water, not just by his rivals but by the common folk who suffered and were disillusioned by the war. Whatever the case, the lack of respect extended onto Kirigakure.

    A ship was required, a large one. There weren¡¯t many places to get that or even multiple ships at once, even if you had the word of the Mizukage or Daimyo that payment is assured, it didn¡¯t mean squat¡ª not to the civilian shipbuilders, not to the sailors who¡¯ve been sunk, boarded and pirated, not even to the pirates who¡¯ve been taken a fool by their own ambitions of lordship in the Daimyo¡¯s civil wars.

    What was left were the local lords that reigned over city and villages along coastlines and marshes. But they too had problems; they were at war and Kirigakure wasn¡¯t a part of that war¡­officially.

    A problem for the Mizukage huh. Kisame recalled Reina¡¯s words after they accepted the Lord Yakubi¡¯s mission to decimate the army camping in his territory. Bring the leader¡¯s head and they¡¯ll have their ship, a simple task complicated by the fact no Kiri shinobi has been given order to participate in the Daimyo¡¯s infighting.

    But Kisame understood, the mission came first and their mission was to shepherd that annoying flock of old and young. Reina was ANBU as well and if Kisame¡¯s learned anything from his time with her, it¡¯s that she can¡¯t fail the Mizukage another time.

    And so as Samehada separated the pet¡¯s head from his shoulder, Kisame knew whatever fallout came from helping the Lord Yakubi would be as Reina said, a problem for the Mizukage.

 The Courage Clan

    Hisako sat near nude, with only a bandage wrapped around her bosom and an oversized brown boxer that couldn¡¯t be hers. Her wrists were bound to the metal chair¡¯s legs and water droplets pelted the centre of her hung head.

    Eiko stepped out and the door to Hisako shut behind him. He bowed, ¡°Mizukage-sama.¡±

    ¡°Any luck?¡± I tilted my hat to have a better look at the demon masked man. I purposely waited two days before paying a visit; enough time for a misguided Genin to break right?

    ¡°She was stubborn but still just a child, the pressure of your personal involvement broke her before I truly had a chance.¡± Eiko chucked a bit before getting serious again, ¡°She¡¯s confessed she had help from someone high rank in her clan, a woman as well. We figure this would be her clan mentor, Shizu Yuki, and the person who purchased bulk products from Kosuke.¡±

    I nodded, ¡°Does that rule out Hidaki Yuki involvement in this?¡±

    ¡°From my end, yes, the clan head and his passivity seems to be a touchy subject for them.¡±

    ¡°Them?¡±

    ¡°Ah, there are others like Hisako and Shizu within the clan, I suspect they have objectives that don¡¯t align with Hidaki-dono¡¯s vision. They¡¯re calling themselves the Y¨±ki clan.¡±

    I was about to ask the difference when Yagura made the funny connection, ¡°The courageous clan, different from those of snow huh.¡± I shook my head and regarded Eiko, ¡°Did she give away their numbers at least?¡±

    ¡°She isn¡¯t aware of that much, I¡¯ll need to interrogate Shizu, her mentor for that kind of information.¡± He said.

    I groaned, ¡°Who is this Shizu anyway? Jounin?¡±

    ¡°Chuunin sir, however she¡¯s been considered for promotion in the past.¡±

    That means I can¡¯t have her vanish for two days like Hisako. As a Chuunin two days may not be enough to break her and if she¡¯s indoctrinated Hisako to this point there¡¯s a good chance there¡¯s someone above her as well, someone who is feeding them this idea of a Y¨±ki Clan.

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    If it¡¯s not Hidaki then¡­ I sighed, ¡°Good work, Eiko. There is much left to uncover but I think Hisako has had enough of you. Move her somewhere¡­cleaner and keep sharp, her mentor might be sitting in front of you next.¡±

    Even with the mask Yagura could hear Eiko¡¯s excitement, ¡°I am ever ready to serve.¡±

    I left the man to his work and as I walked the dark, menacing corridor I called out to my shadow, ¡°Ao¡­what do you make of all this?¡±

    Ao¡¯s presence slinks into the corridor, his footsteps echoing once and then no more as he materializes from wherever it is he keeps himself while protecting me. He shifted his mask to the side so I may look upon his face as we conversed.

    ¡°It is trouble¡­chaos.¡± Ao stated matter-of-factly. ¡°It is upsetting to learn that such is going on within the village, within one of our prestigious clans. I don¡¯t know what their intentions have been but I am grateful Yagura-sama caught this before it could get swept away. These new Y¨±ki need to be reined in before they can cause irreparable damage.¡±

    I absorbed his words for a full moment before I asked, ¡°And what of their justifications? Hisako spoke of them to me, Funato and Hozuki, no, not just them, the entirety of Kirigakure pushing them to a slow and gradual extinction.¡±

    Before he could reply I added, ¡°I have looked at Sandaime-sama¡¯s mission assignments, more than a few high risk missions were assigned to Yuki clan shinobi and very little have been completed. I marked them all as MIA, so don¡¯t tell me there isn¡¯t some truth to Hisako¡¯s claims.¡±

    Here Ao hesitates, I looked up and found his jaw clenched and eyes narrowed. He felt my gaze and sighed, ¡°I can¡­I can think of any number of arguments for each sides actions. Sandaime-sama did his best for Kirigakure and you¡¯re here to continue on his work, the work of the Mizukage, I cannot question his reasoning for assigning missions any more than I can question yours.

    ¡°Hisako may be correct and perhaps on closer look it becomes obvious the animosity our prestigious clans have for one another but¡­what can be done to stop what has been in action long before our time? If the Yuki or Y¨±ki dare to threaten others blatantly then they are no longer victims but vicious perpetrators. I may be clanless but I want to believe there is another way to make peace than war.¡±

    I gave a short hum, ¡°Wisely put, Ao, there must be another way to make peace.¡±

    I didn¡¯t share the same thoughts as he on the matter, it was obvious he felt the Yuki were the ones in the wrong because there was only proof of what wrong they had done and not how they¡¯ve been wronged¡ª that part was lost in history, to the past where it¡¯s forgotten with the old and swept away by the new.

    But as he said, there must be another way and right now the best way I can think of it the honest, straightforward way. There¡¯s been enough beating about the bush on this matter, I wanted the secrets unearthed and the truth told.

    I breathed in and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go find out if Hidaki and Shizu think the same.¡±

    Jason was prepared to be reasonable, compromising even. Yagura was ready to be merciless.

 Fate and Punishment

    The Yuki clan compound sat westward of the Central District. It was an island of its own, glittered with spectacle of ice statues, a partly frozen body of water and an inch or three of snow in particular corners.

    Being an island amidst a city navigating to and from it required a canoe or a basic understanding of water walking even though some of the water you¡¯d canoe through is frozen. The Yuki were innovative enough though and the practical, appropriate thing to do was manoeuvre via their special canoes.

    In truth I doubted there was anything special about them save the reinforced hull and heavy top that broke through slabs of ice to sail the waters beneath. The experience was comforting though. The canoe was tented and private. It was cold but not too cold and the ice seemed to grow on its own, creating and entrapping the livestock that dared to remain even as our canoe broke them free.

    In my first month in Kirigakure, before I became Mizukage, I¡¯d spied several boatmen sailing through the icy crags with passengers that couldn¡¯t be anything but lovers under the soft orange glaze of the lanterns the boatmen affixed at the end of the canoe.

    That night I felt envy and loss, as did Yagura. He sported one memory of sailing the frozen waters in a time before his potential was ever learned. The memory was a treasured one because I didn¡¯t look away from the clutch of lovers enjoying their date and Yagura and my collective envy grew when the boatmen set their passengers to enjoy the snow and attempt dancing on ice.

    Now he felt nothing or rather I felt nothing from him, no input, no thought, no glimpse of the past. Nothing save the tension carried in the air from Uncle¡¯s presence.

    It wasn¡¯t so much his presence as it was the meaning behind it. He wasn¡¯t here as the Yagura¡¯s Uncle, he was here as the Mizukage¡¯s advisor, a member of the small council and a representative of Kirigakure¡¯s central host of power.

    He sat beside me with just as tense a posture as I felt¡ª he wouldn¡¯t let his thoughts or emotions play out on his face but Yagura knew his Uncle well. I thought about saying something, but there wasn¡¯t much left to say that I haven¡¯t already.

    Like Ao who sat by the boatman he knew all the details of the Yuki clan and the Y¨±ki clan growing within them. He didn¡¯t give me any advice on what to do or not this time, he simply accepted when I asked him to accompany me to pay Hidaki Yuki a surprise visit. I took that as approval of my actions.

    Well, he couldn¡¯t not, I¡¯d taken every precaution including this pretence of a boat ride. In truth, the Yuki clan was already surrounded on every corner by my ANBU forces, both Hidaki and the parasitic Y¨±ki clan feasting on him would have their eyes glued to the Mizukage, his bodyguard and advisor approaching the clan compound via their boatmen.

    They¡¯d have some sliver of time to prepare but not anymore that I have with my ANBU. Each squad has orders to identify and tail any Yuki clan member leaving the compound after I¡¯ve arrived¡ª just in case they truly belong to Y¨±ki and they¡¯ve stashed the horde of weapons they ordered from Kosuke somewhere aside from the compound itself.

    They were also on the lookout for Shizu Yuki, Hisako¡¯s mentor or should I say handler? The true extent of their organization isn¡¯t known but today¡¯s meeting should clear it all up and end it all.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Uncle said with a terse breath as he stood shakily in the canoe.

    I waited for the boatman to sail into port before standing and crossing onto the boardwalk which was surprisingly dry given the environment. A couple yards away I caught a glimpse of Hidaki and two men making their way through the main gates and into the large snow landscape that Uncle and I wad through.

    We met halfway and Hidaki and the two men bowed with smiles that failed to mirror their clan head¡¯s wide grin, ¡°Mizukage-sama, what an unexpected pleasure! Welcome to our humble abode, welcome to the Yuki clan!¡±

    His eyes darted up to Uncle who had merely stared through each of the Yuki clan members without a drop of his usual enthusiasm leaking out and his mirthful grin faltered.

    ¡°Thank you, it¡¯s good to be here at last, I can¡¯t recall the last time I visited.¡± I said, offering his cheer a polite smile as my eyes moved onto the young men behind him. One was the spitting image of Hidaki and a scar slicing down the side of his lip.

    The other didn¡¯t share any of the same features but stood taller than both clan head and who I assumed was his son. The man noticed me staring and gulped.

    Hidaki smiled and smacked their backs proudly, ¡°Ahh, this is my son, Okumura and his best friend, Kishi and one of our greatest treasures! It¡¯s fortunate they¡¯re both around to meet you, Mizukage-sama.¡±

    My smile grew but didn¡¯t reach my eyes, ¡°I see, I will remember their names but today I¡¯ve come to meet you, come, there is much we must discuss.¡±

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    He and his son shared a look and though brief, Yagura picked out the flash of concern Hidaki buried away as I started walking past. The gates swung open and revealed the clan compound within.

    The long road only had snow on the sides or lined around ponds. Uncle¡¯s hum broke the silence that¡¯d begun to grow as we passed by a scanty playground. The lot for it was sizeable and well fitted with swings, monkey bars, a tap and table of balloon, even a sitting area that headed a small kiosk where parents gathered their children with a lure of sweets.

    Jason didn¡¯t miss the look in their eyes, the attempted whisperings and hushed fears stifled by respect¡ª obligatory respect. Whether because I am a Jinchuriki or the because they know their sins as part of the Y¨±ki clan, these people were terrified of my presence here.

    They clutched their children close, vacated the roads, shuttered their windows and bolted their doors. Jason stomached the fear and I tried not to let it disturb me. Fear begets fear.

    It was a short walk to Hidaki¡¯s home but under the intense, fevered vibes of the Yuki clan members it felt like I¡¯d been walking longer than we sailed. I wondered how Uncle or Ao felt but both hid their expressions behind masks of indifference and seriousness.

    The doors slid open and shut as we walked it, there was a table with a coal furnace centre and a blanket to tuck our legs under but that wasn¡¯t the mood of this particular meeting and Hidaki could tell. Instead he led us into another room with a three seater couch, fireplace and wooden dinner chairs around a table with a single lit candle.

    With the door shut behind him Hidaki nervously examined the room and us with a smile that faltered each passing second of silence. He broke the stewing tension with a forced cackle, ¡°Ahahah, I¡¯m outnumbered here, feels like I should have at least one person on my side.¡±

    He¡¯d done the right thing asking his eager son and prodigy to wait outside but there should be someone at his side. I pulled a wooden chair out and sat perpendicular to the fireplace, letting its heat bring life to my hands as I breathed out a sigh and rested my hat on the dinner table.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Hidaki, there should be someone at your side. Ask your son to summon Chuunin Shizu Yuki, this meeting concerns her more than you.¡±

    Recognition flashed across his face at the name, he hesitated, questions filled his tongue but he didn¡¯t voice one, ¡°Okumura!¡± the boy spilled into the room at attention, eager to serve his part. ¡°Find Shizu, bring her here please.¡±

    The boy didn¡¯t even blink as he zipped back out to carry the order. I nodded gratefully at Hidaki and he fixed me with a narrowed look of suspicion, ¡°Mizukage-sama¡­I was hoping this would be about what we discussed in the hospital but¡­what is this about?¡±

    His eyes darted over to Uncle who pulled a chair out for himself and sat at the dinner table, watching Hidaki take up the space on the three seater, ¡°This is about your clan, Hidaki and what Kirigakure must do about it.¡±

    Hidaki¡¯s eyes flared with anger he hesitated to conceal behind another pleasant smile, ¡°Whatever offence Shizu has wroth the Karatachi I¡¯m sure we can come to an understanding.¡±

    ¡°An understanding is exactly the outcome I¡¯m hoping for, Yuki-dono, believe it or not, I am keen to see you unscathed.¡± I said and he made to question but shut up as I kept speaking, ¡°The Karatachi clan are not the ones offended though, at least, not that we know of yet. That¡¯s why we need Shizu here, to find out just how much we¡¯re accounting for.¡±

    Riddled with anxiety Hidaki discards his pleasant fa?ade and demanded, ¡°What is this? What has she done to warrant this menace? What excuse will the council use to press my neck now?¡± There was a growl in his voice as his fists clenched white.

    Ao silently placed a kunai and paperbomb on the small table in front of Hidaki. Confusion wracked his features but when he examined the paperbomb his eyes widened in horror.

    Uncle knocked on wood to grab his attention as he shook his head, ¡°Hidaki, we¡¯ve known each other for decades. Listen to me now as you have in the past, do not fight us. Shizu, Hisako and others within your clan are working against Kirigakure. They will be punished.¡±

    ¡°They did not do this. My¡­Shizu is¡­Hisako doesn¡¯t even-¡±

    ¡°Hisako was used by Shizu to fashion and deliver the threats on behalf of an organization within your clan calling themselves¡­the Y¨±ki.¡± Again, recognition flashed in his eyes and Yagura knew, ¡°You already know about them, don¡¯t you? Ha, silly me, I thought you a fool but I see you¡¯re just stubborn. You realize this Y¨±ki clan of yours could have had something to do with the Kaguya attacks, with how they found Kirigakure? Do you realize the-¡±

    ¡°Yes! I do¡­I understand them better than you would, Mizukage.¡± Not a shred of respect on the title. He sunk into the couch and his eyes glazed towards to the ceiling, ¡°But you¡­you..what would you know about¡­of our suffering!? You¡¯re ignorant! I disagree with them, what they want to do but they¡¯re right! I can¡¯t blame them for seeking reparations for all this watery hellscape has taken from us!¡±

    A frown marred my face as I watched him scream nonsense at the ceiling, ¡°There is no justification I will accept, Hidaki. If you or any other want change then you work with me, I am your Mizukage, you are my subject. However much I sympathise with the Yuki clan¡¯s plight scarred history I will not deny justice be done for the crimes we¡¯ve uncovered. Terrorism on this scale will never be ignored, if it happened to your family, I would do the same as I do now.¡±

    Hidaki dropped his gaze on me, seethed anger boiled behind his eyes as he grinded his teeth, ¡°And what justice will you bring, Mizukage?¡±

    I said nothing and glanced at Uncle who announced, ¡°The council has decided to be lenient thanks to Mizukage-sama personal involvement in the investigation of this crime. The charges against the Y¨±ki clan are terrorism, conspiracy to commit infanticide, conspiracy to commit genocide against a fellow vassal clan and the charge that is still being debated¡­the murder of the Third Mizukage.¡±

    The colour had drained from Hidaki¡¯s face as Uncle Aoto continued to list charges, his lower lip trembled and the anger he had was washed away in the face of the accusations against members of his already dying clan.

    ¡°If you cooperate with us and expose those assigning themselves to this Y¨±ki rebellion, only Shizu will have to die and Hisako will be taken by the Funato clan as a gilded prisoner. She will be cared for.¡±

 Under Pressure

    Shizu Y¨±ki was shaped like a house wife. I immediately wondered if she had a family, a husband and child. I¡¯d read her file but at the time I was moving quick and examining only information I could use to ensure Hidaki understood how damning this all was.

    She likely did, even if there was more kunoichi that nurturing mother in those glares. She made no attempt to disguise her contempt for me as she bowed and mumbled out a greeting.

    Uncle was just as uncouth however, ¡°I see you already know why you¡¯re here, good. Let¡¯s not waste any time then, here.¡± Uncle stood, his impressive stature had him towering over Shizu, both their glares thickened the already strangled tension in the room.

    Shizu wisely didn¡¯t dare stand her ground, she faltered a step back and Uncle let up as he handed her the list. With it in her hand Shizu let up her unflinching glare to glimpse at Hidaki on the couch. The clan head looked away, breathing deeply.

    Her jaw clenched and she read the list, eyes darting back and forth, narrowed in suspicion as her lip curls into a sneer, ¡°No, I am the one responsible, I sent the threats and I prepared to do more but it was all me. You will not drag innocents into this.¡±

    Uncle Aoto snorted and fell back to his seat, shaking his head at her in disdain, ¡°What did you think would happen? Eh? Innocents, tah!¡±

    ¡°No! They¡¯ve done nothing! A threat that harmed no one doesn¡¯t require¡­Hidaki! Y¨±ki has not moved without you, we can do nothing without your support! This was me, I¡­I hate it, I hate them and I want-¡±

    ¡°Not another step.¡± Ao gripped Shizu¡¯s shoulder, he came as himself so she came faced with an activated Byakugan and the katana halfway out its sheath.

    She gulped and spared the space between us. I turned from the fireplace, the source of wood crackling escapism to look Shizu in the eye. She was of Kirigakure, of the Yuki, a mother and a mentor. An idealist protesting prejudices laid on her and her loved.

    I wish I could spare you.

    ¡°Chuunin Shizu Y¨±ki, you are ordered to detail all your comrades on that list, Hidaki has provided us with a preliminary but I know he isn¡¯t part of your group, he doesn¡¯t know them all.¡±

    She shuddered, her knees trembled and her voice cracked, ¡°Mizukage-sama, I alone¡­I..¡± the words die in her throat as Yagura stood, hands grasped behind his back. He took a step towards Shizu and tears flashed in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as the intense killing intent smothered her.

    Shizu blinked and knelt before Yagura could take another step, ¡°We¡­I..they don¡¯t deserve death, I do.¡±

    ¡°That is correct.¡±

    Her defeated head rose, spilling tears as she looked up at me, ¡°What will happen to them, to Hisako-chan?¡±

    I exhaled and approached her, ¡°Hisako will be the Funato clan¡¯s problem child to raise, I will ensure she¡¯s treated right. As for your compatriots, the council has yet to decide but cooperation is the only thing I ask of them, of you now.¡± I rested a hand on her trembling shoulder and gave her a firm squeeze, ¡°You and I are in agreement now, Shizu, no one else has to die. Only you.¡±

    ¡°Only me.¡± She whimpered, unfurling the half crumpled list.

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    ¡°Yes.¡± Uncle handed me a pen I handed to her.

    ¡°What of my family¡­my boys, they-¡±

    ¡°Are they part of the Y¨±ki?¡±

    She swallowed her words, pressing the pen¡¯s lead to write a name before looking up at me again, this time she looked pleading, ¡°Mizukage-sama¡­I¡­don¡¯t..¡± She seemed to give up on communicating with me as she hastily crawled past my feet and prostrated at Hidaki, ¡°Hidaki-sama! Please, I am stripped of my children now, please protect them. Don¡¯t let Kirigakure send them after their mother, keep the clan safe, please. Let me be the last! Let me be the last!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t long before Shizu was sobbing and snivelling, drawing even Hidaki¡¯s turned gaze to her. Uncle hissed, I couldn¡¯t understand how or why Shizu disgusted him so much beyond her grave mistake, I knew he had no grudges against the Yuki either and he didn¡¯t know Shizu personally either.

    Hidaki gave into the lull of her wails and knelt by her, embracing her to soothe the broken heart. He caught my gaze and nodded, ¡°Please, Mizukage-sama, give us time, she will need to say goodbye.¡±

    Uncle and I shared a look, Aoto immediately shook his head but I shut my eyes and exhaled, ¡°Fill that list and I¡¯ll permit an hour after which Ao will personally escort her to...Eiko.¡±

    Hidaki¡¯s defeated sigh let¡¯s Shizu know there¡¯s no escaping that list. He forces it into her hands, whispering something under her whimpers and embracing her once more. It¡¯s only then she starts writing.

    As I watched the Shizu sign the names of her compatriots over to the very system they thought to fight against, I thought to the ANBU squads hovering over every cranny of the Yuki compound, monitoring every in and out, watching for an attack that had never come and would never.

    Shizu, Hisako, the Y¨±ki clan, they were all right about Kiri. They were right to fear and decry it as their doom because it was or at least, it would have been. Uncle¡¯s disgust at Shizu likely comes from his own concerns of civil conflict, as a clan head himself seeing such disorganization, the threat their splintered values posed to the whole, well it was the same feeling I felt thinking about Lord Funato and his stubborn ways.

    But even then, even though Yagura, Uncle Aoto and just about everyone else who isn¡¯t affected and couldn¡¯t care any less can¡¯t sympathize with the Yuki¡¯s struggle to survive as a so-called top clan, I could. I had to.

    There was no point making a promise to Shizu to protect her clan and there was no point telling Hidaki I was routing for their survival either, I was supposed to, it was my solemn duty. And beyond that, they were far too vital to Kirigakure for me to see wane into obscurity or become traitors to the village.

    ¡°Uncle, let¡¯s go, Hidaki has things handled here.¡± The man gave me a grateful nod. I glanced at Ao who already knew his duties and Uncle rose to my side, he fixed me with a stare Yagura knew wondered what was going through my mind.

    When we were out of Hidaki¡¯s house Uncle spoke his mind, ¡°They won¡¯t be happy you moved without them, they¡¯ll ask for those names, want them all dead if not the entirety of Yuki.¡±

    ¡°Lady Megumi wouldn¡¯t go that far,¡± I said as Raiga landed beside me and collected the complete list. ¡°And even if she would, she and I have an understanding now.¡±

    I caught Uncle¡¯s frown break into a smirk for a moment before concern took over, ¡°Already digging out your dead end, good, hope the price was worth it. Lord Funato will see through it easily, he¡¯ll know she¡¯s been bought and he¡¯s alone.¡±

    ¡°All the better then. I¡¯ve done as he demanded of me, the perpetrator is known and will be punished. I am even letting him keep Hisako under his roof, this is more than enough. The Yuki will not be bothered any more than this.¡±

    Uncle halted, ¡°And if I&C finds out they had something to do with the Kaguya or Lord Third?¡±

    ¡°The Y¨±ki did not kill Lord Third.¡±

    ¡°But did they let the Kaguya in?¡±

    That, I wasn¡¯t sure of, ¡°There¡¯s no proof and until there is, it doesn¡¯t matter. The Kaguya situation is fixed.¡±

    Uncle shook his head and caught up to me, ¡°Is it really? They¡¯re entangled with the Daimyo¡¯s lords now just trying to get back.¡±

    I shrugged, ¡°The Daimyo¡¯s war is¡­it¡¯s something we were bound to get drawn into, one way or another. Besides, the Lord of Water is fighting the very same people I am, Bloodline killers.¡±

    Uncle sighed, ¡°Perhaps, but he has other enemies, rivals who are warring not for the Bloodline users, but for their political machinations. Reina¡¯s mission, the aid from Yakubi, it¡¯s grounds for them to pull Kirigakure into-¡±

    ¡°Enough¡­Uncle, I am tired and the day is still ahead of us. Let the council assemble and let me¡­let me think.¡±

 The Yuki Dilemma

    ¡°Hisako Yuki will live, Lord Funato.¡± I said.

    His cane struck but thanks to my carpeted floors my ears weren¡¯t punished, ¡°She perpetrated the act! She sent the threats! She should be-¡±

    ¡°Funato-dono!¡± Lady Megumi sighed and shook her head, ¡°Hisako is a victim of manipulation, as many of the Yuki are. Any one of those kids could have been lured into the act, Hisako deserves leniency, a mere Genin doesn¡¯t understand the-¡±

    ¡°Kids? A mere Genin? What are we talking about here truly?!¡± The old man¡¯s usually shut eyes were wide open and strained with veiny fury as he looked at us incredulously. He snatched a file from a pile and waved it in our faces, ¡°Here! Right there it says Hisako is over seventeen years, she is no child. If she is then shall I think the same of you, Mizukage-sama?¡±

    I groaned, ¡°Enough, Funato, if anyone it is you who is behaving like a child. It¡¯s been decided, Hisako will live amongst your clansmen. If you¡¯re averse to that as well let me know now that you cannot hold back your bloodlust for a simple, harmless Genin.¡±

    He growled, eyes darted at his fellow councillors who did nothing to show support. Lady Megumi nodded at him, willing him to accept the fate that¡¯s been written for him. Uncle Aoto looked bored but I could tell he was merely waiting for the more pressing topics to come up, still, he offered Lord Funato no support.

    The old man sat back with a harrumphed, his cane suffering in his grip. I nodded and began again, ¡°Now that that¡¯s sorted, let¡¯s move on to the rest of our newly acquired suspects.¡± Lord Funato scoffed and I felt the need to be specific, ¡°Suspects because I&C hasn¡¯t gotten through interrogating them all, the charges we¡¯ve laid will not hold long as I am certain Hidaki will be gathering support to demand their freedom, if we do not find anything conclusively tying the Y¨±ki to Sandaime¡¯s death or the Kaguya attacks then we will have no choice but to set them free.¡±

    It was one thing to execute Shizu Y¨±ki who was mastermind of the death threats but imprisoning all the affiliated Y¨±ki without proof of crimes is something else. I could afford to do it for a few weeks but likely no more, in that time either their innocence or guilt needs to be proven beyond a doubt.

    Uncle shifted in his seat, ¡°Whether they had something to do with either doesn¡¯t matter as much as what we know they did.¡± My lips parted to contest but Uncle gestured to let him speak, ¡°Shizu Y¨±ki was a good catch but executing her will make her a martyr for the very lively anti-Kiri movement within the Yuki and if we¡¯re not being obtuse¡­other clans, specifically the low caste.¡±

    Lord Funato, Lady Megumi and I simultaneously inhaled at that. We shared a collectively disturbed look before Lord Funato¡¯s angry voice broke the thoughtful silence, ¡°This is exactly why that Hisako girl and her mentor should die together.¡±

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    ¡°Do you not understand what a martyr is?¡± I asked, baffled that he¡¯d double down and bring the topic back to that.

    ¡°More than you know, Yondaime, their deaths should be made public. An execution on Bar Beach for everyone daring to even think of mutiny to their clan or to Kirigakure to witness.¡± He struck his cane, this time it sounded as he stubbornly shifted the edge of the rug over, ¡°It will send a strong message to everyone that your reign is not the one to be challenged, it is not the one for rebellion and wishful freedoms.¡±

    Had this been my first month here I wouldn¡¯t believe the words coming out of Lord Funato¡¯s mouth. But even though I¡¯ve gotten used to the man¡¯s daring to some extent this was a new level of unhinged he was revealing.

    ¡°A public execution of Shizu alone would be¡­it will serve to dissuade sympathizers, especially once her crime is revealed.¡± Uncle Aoto said, scratching his chin in thought.

    His semi-approval surprised me even more but much like Lord Funato, I¡¯d begun to understand that my Uncle was always going to be a shinobi of Kirigakure first, especially now that I am Mizukage¡ª the clan and Kiri are nearly one and the same with me in power.

    Lady Megumi laughed a hearty laugh, ¡°That is a practical plan, yes, but it will not be enough. From Yagura-sama¡¯s own reports I don¡¯t believe the Y¨±ki will disappear or even reduce in size from one public execution. We don¡¯t have anything on the suspected Y¨±ki either, their time in our cells will only incentivise them to rebel, only at a later time when our eyes are turned away.¡±

    ¡°Then the entire clan will be monitored.¡± Lord Funato declared.

    She shook her head, ¡°A waste of resources and these are Bloodline wielding shinobi, surveillance will not be easy to hide, an infiltration of their forces would be near impossible unless Reina Yuki herself assents, but we all know she loves her clan more than Kiri.¡±

    Uncle nodded grimly, ¡°What do you suggest?¡±

    She leaned forward, her eyes found mine and held them, ¡°I understand Mizukage-sama wishes for amicable relations with the Yuki, but the opportunity for that¡­well, it¡¯s all but tarnished now. You can attempt but it¡¯s my believe that nothing short of expulsion will cow their hearts.¡±

    ¡°Expulsion? You mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, the Daimyo¡¯s war against Bloodline killers, among others¡­¡± her lips suppressed a smile as she said, ¡°I may be biased in saying this but the threat Bloodline users represents will never cease and thus there will always be those ready to exterminate them to the last.¡± Her eyes glanced at Lord Funato so fast I nearly missed it.

    The Daimyo¡¯s war was another topic waiting to be addressed but it seemed I might find solution to each within this meeting. I sat back and studied Lady Megumi, ¡°You¡¯re saying I should threaten the Yuki with expulsion from the village, the entire clan? Ha, you truly are biased.¡±

    She shrugged but didn¡¯t deny it, ¡°I hear Reina Yuki has entangled our name in the war already, Lord Yakubi was it? Our stance is to accept Bloodline users, of course, the current Daimyo demands so, but that doesn¡¯t dictate which Bloodline users we accept or for how long or even how we¡­apply them. Besides, we couldn¡¯t possibly be condemned for it, Mizukage-sama is bringing in the Kaguya clan, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Her choice of wording is very¡­deliberate. Yagura was picking up on an answer the old Lady was trying to communicate without spelling it out. I glanced at Uncle who was staring at me, he blinked but nodded, supporting the surface idea¡ª I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s caught onto what Lady Megumi was dropping though. Lord Funato stared straight ahead, I think the only thing on his mind now was how he¡¯d get to murder Hisako legally.

    Finally, I said, ¡°I will meditate on this matter. Let¡¯s move on to the Daimyo¡¯s war and this Lord Yakubi, what should I know?¡±

 Isles Of War

    ¡°Kirigakure commands here, this island, that one and to an extent those western two.¡± The orange haired, shark toothed man jabbed his finger at five points on the map splayed out on my centre table¡ª my desk was too cluttered for such a presentation.

    Fuguki Suikazan was my acting Jounin Commander and the first person summoned when war is deliberated. Even if I haven¡¯t consented to bringing Kirigakure out of the tumultuous peace it¡¯s only begun to enjoy, it¡¯s more than wise to have Fuguki, the man who understood our forces more intimately than I, a Yagura impersonator did.

    ¡°We share a measure of absolute control over the mainland with the Daimyo, but in a contest of strength or security, Kirigakure will win each time. The Daimyo¡¯s armies are exhausted beating his rivals and title claimants into submission and thus the responsibility of the mainland¡¯s security has been on our shoulders since before the end of the Third Shinobi War.

    ¡°Thanks to the war and our responsibility to the mainland, we¡¯ve slowly lost influence over those far off western islands, one of which is where Lord Yakubi¡¯s fief and the unfortunate Kaguya reside¡ª Kurokami-jima

    Fuguki reached over, easily circling the other end of the map with his finger, ¡°This clutch of western islands are the Daimyo¡¯s, the three closest to the mainland are unfortunately the ones rebelling. These two southern islands are taking advantage of the chaos to set themselves up with the Land of Tea¡¯s Daimyo, or so I have heard. Only one of the three southern islands stands with the Daimyo, but they are militarily insufficient and will become a target sooner than a saviour.¡±

    I leaned over the map, examining the southern islands looking to defect and I noticed something that made Fuguki¡¯s accusations a bit¡­odd, ¡°Aren¡¯t these two¡­well, the way they¡¯re drawn¡­¡±

    Fuguki grinned, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Those two, Shizukishima and Ryuujima, were originally part of the Land of Tea, but they belong to the Land of Water now, Mizukage-sama.¡±

    I ignored his jibe, I could easily channel Yagura so much of what is meant to be common knowledge becomes so, but my head was already swishing about with information about the Kaguya and Y¨±ki prisoners. Now I was getting a lecture about the Daimyo¡¯s Lords and the Land of Water¡¯s most pressing enemies.

    More than anything I needed to juggle all this information myself, I needed to get used to this job, this world and if so there was no need disguising my ignorance about niche nonsense.

    I narrowed at the map and thought out loud for the audience of my councillors, Fuguki and Raiga my ANBU Commander, ¡°If the three closest to the mainland are rebelling, how haven¡¯t they taken the capital yet? There¡¯s no sea to cross, just a moderate strait to sail, they could storm the capital in days.¡±

    It is Uncle Aoto that answers, arms folded as he stood over my right side and examined the map, ¡°The current Daimyo came into power alongside Lord Third, both had vested interest in gaining as much as possible from the warring periods of their reign. And so, well, perhaps this information would be better coming from Lord Funato or Lady Megumi.¡±

    I raised a brow at that and set my gaze on the two who looked amused and squirmed in their seat, ¡°What am I missing here?¡±

    They shared a look and Lord Fuanto¡¯s stubborn frown set the ball in her court, ¡°Troublesome Lords of the previous Daimyo¡¯s court were¡­eliminated.¡± I didn¡¯t miss her glance at Raiga as she said this. ¡°It¡¯s almost tradition at this point, there is always someone who thinks their station is far too small for them but when the time comes¡­they¡¯re always willing to settle for less, or rather, more than death.¡±

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    She shrugged, ¡°Some were given ¡®promotions¡¯ that sent them off to some fief fighting off barbarians and pirates. Others had their entire line embellished by irredeemable crimes, forcing their personal militia¡¯s to find work under more¡­favourable candidates.¡±

    I sighed as I nodded, getting the gist of the political housekeeping that had gone underway each time a new Daimyo rose. I wondered if I was meant to do the same for Kirigakure and my sights settled on the stubborn old man that¡¯s been the bane of so much progress, at least, in my stressed opinion.

    ¡°What happened to those favourable candidates? How did this war start if the Daimyo set the stage for his rule with our help? And how does any of this concern whether the capital is stormed or not?¡± I looked across the room for answers.

    Uncle spoke up to answer my last question, ¡°The most important thing to a Daimyo, especially ours, is to ensure his own security and power are never truly threatened. Crippling troublesome Lords early on would eliminate the obvious threats but ensuring a lasting reign requires more than your rivals head, it requires their children.

    ¡°Marriage alliances or princess prisoners make it possibly to live with your rival, but both are easily severed in death. No marriage? No kids? No alliance. No princess prisoner? No deference. What¡¯s left now is to renew these alliances or renew the war.¡±

    Fortunately, I had begun channelling enough of Yagura to understand Uncle¡¯s terminology of ¡®princess prisoners¡¯. They were nothing more than glorified hostages and didn¡¯t necessarily have to be a princess or even a person. In fact, it¡¯s exactly the situation I have locked the Yuki clan in after gifting Hisako to the Funato clan at Uncle¡¯s suggestion.

    Lord Funato spoke up, ¡°Besides that, the true reason they haven¡¯t taken the capital is because they dare not. A direct invasion of the mainland would force Kirigakure into war as is our duty to the Daimyo. That is why they will try to steal the mantle by hopping islands, raiding and cursing the lands with their disobedience.

    ¡°The Daimyo cannot ignore this and so he sends his armies to meet them in battle instead, where the enemy has the upper hand. If he ignores them then they will quickly become independent of the Land of Water and behave as Shizukishima and Ryuujima.¡±

    I let out a hum at that. It begun to makes sense, this war of theirs, and why Kirigakure was going to be the linchpin in it all. I stared at the map and asked Fuguki, ¡°Where is Lord Yakubi¡¯s fief?¡±

    ¡°Right here, Kurokami-jima, the land of dark folk.¡± He points at a small island awfully close to the Land of Fire. ¡°The Daimyo¡¯s enemies have had a field day raiding Yakubi, even taking to camping there with mercenaries and a clutch of ronin until Reina¡¯s timely interference.¡±

    Lord Funato took the opportunity to growl at the mention of a Yuki clansman, ¡°An interference that was not ordered, hmph! She ought to explain herself better in person, she should return tomorrow with that host of¡­grrrr.¡± The thought of her returning with Kaguya infuriated him even more.

    I would take pleasure in his stress and laugh in his face if I wasn¡¯t stressed about her return as well. I was stressed in general really. Snuffing out the Yuki threat, real or not, was immediate thanks to the overwhelming powers being Mizukage granted me. But the potential fallout I¡¯ll soon observe is what furrowed my brows more than anything. And now the Kaguya remnants arrive in a new land where Bloodline users have just recently been imprisoned and scheduled for execution. The Mizukage Estate wasn¡¯t even nearly done with the planned renovations, there was limited space for what Reina reports as over a hundred migrants.

    I need a break somehow.

    Uncle sensed my tension somehow and patted my shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about the war, Mizukage-sama, we have no obligation to join unless the Daimyo calls for our service and he hasn¡¯t.¡±

    Lady Megumi chuckled, ¡°Of course he hasn¡¯t, he knows too well it will have a cost, what we have to decide now is what that cost will be.¡±

    I recalled Uncle speaking of such a cost when I was seeking a place for the Kaguya in Kiri. Given his answers then, I figure there are much larger asks than simply a wider stretch of land. I wonder¡­

 Embracing the Depths

    I never learned how to swim before waking up in this reality. There were a number of reasons I¡¯d give for not joining in on the fun, but all of them can be boiled down to one simple fact¡ª I was just too self-aware.

    And I was so self-aware of my intense awareness that my own anxiety served as its own fuel. It was never a pleasant thing to experience new and vulnerable situations, my mind would spiral dozens of possible likelihoods, few of which would realistically happen and many that never did. People always found a way to surprise me with their self-centredness and that, was a pleasant surprise.

    The more it happened the more I realized people hadn¡¯t the time or even interest to watch, study or appreciate my existence. A passing thought once in a while perhaps but nothing so valid that my overactive anxieties were justified. It didn¡¯t take long before I began to be the same, less present, less interested and overall, less anxious.

    The world wasn¡¯t judging me and even if it was, what did it matter when I had one life to live? I was living it the best I could, the best anyone could and that¡¯s all that mattered, right?

    And then, one life led to another, the last thing I expected to happen. I was judged and set off to lead a new life in a world where, frankly, learning how to swim was the least of my problems.

    The sun had set before I was through with my meetings, there were several issues left over to discuss in the coming days but I had placed many on hold so I could get a breather and think.

    Besides my ascension day, the past hours have been the most stressed I¡¯ve been under. The Yuki clan faced mass incarceration, Raiga reported that nearly everyone on the damning Y¨±ki list was accounted for, the few that remained worked outside the village as medic-nin for villages on the islands and towns Kirigakure had control over. There were others of course but the next pressing matter regarding the Yuki was what to do about Hidaki.

    All of my councillors agreed that the clan needed to be punished, whether or not the imprisoned Y¨±ki were implicated in any crime or not, the atmosphere of rebellion couldn¡¯t be tolerated. Yet, that¡¯s exactly what he did.

    I let my body bob and float across the spring water fed into the temple¡¯s pond. Though Turtle Island was little more than a slice of earth edged next to Kirigakure¡¯s main land, it was far enough from my problems that I felt I could breathe and think again. Moreover, it was where I felt closest to Yagura.

    I shut my eyes and focused on the sensation of the water as I sank, stealing a deep breath before I was fully submerged. Water had a sound and weight. I understood these things practically as it was made up of matter but, there was some other kind of weighted music in these waters that lulled me towards unconsciousness.

    Yagura built his body such that a minute or twenty under water didn¡¯t mean death, as much as Jason¡¯s mind wished to panic, there was nothing to fear. Besides Yagura¡¯s judgment of course, but at this point, with how confused and startled I am, I figure its time I got a pennyworth of his thoughts.

    I willed the energetic spiral of mystic power, chakra, through my Tailed-Beast seal, the Three Pillars I¡¯ve become familiar with thanks to Harusame¡¯s guidance and Yagura¡¯s natural talent. My chakra spills and washes over the pillars, shaving off slivers of Isobu¡¯s chakra and mixing it in the maelstrom.

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    A scalding heat spread all over my body but quickly cooled as I sank further into the ponds depths. My maelstrom continued as I washed more and more of Isobu¡¯s chakra into my own, I felt the water around me quickly boil but I kept Harusame¡¯s teachings I mind as I held my chakra closer to my skin and let Isobu¡¯s seep outward.

    I continued to sink and after a moment, the weighted music of the water changed. I opened my eyes and as I expected, I was within the seal, within myself; Yagura.

    He sat atop Isobu as he usually did but there was something different about his presence. He wore the same black up and down I did, and as he looked up to my descending form I noticed his features were paler, as pale as Isobu was.

    ¡°Why do you look¡­transparent?¡± I spoke, defying the ocean of water that sat atop us.

    Yagura¡¯s eyes steeled at me for a moment before letting up, ¡°I know what you have come for. A cheat, an easy answer and escape.¡±

    I bit my lip, speaking with Yagura was entirely different from channelling him. When I channelled his personality I activated what was already there, trained into his body, his mind and I set my own personality on the back burner. Speaking directly to him though was like¡­speaking to who I was going to become.

    Still, I couldn¡¯t deny, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m here. I need you.¡±

    He smiled up at me and for a moment he looked as cherry and harmless as I did when I acted out with his cute face in my mirror, ¡°Jason¡­are you ready then? To accept me?¡±

    I swam closer, nearly reaching Isobu before Yagura raised a stopping finger, ¡°There might be a war soon, the Daimyo is doing his best to keep the country together but people are dying. Bloodline users, civilians. The Yuki¡­they almost, well, they want a better life in Kiri, they want true respect and value to their names but the other clans are¡­they¡¯re discriminatory.

    ¡°And the Kaguya will be here soon, I think I did my best with them, I¡¯ve saved them from going extinct in the Daimyo¡¯s war and in ours. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m doing the right thing sealing their Bloodline away, I want to be sure of something. And¡­I think I¡¯m making some progress with the Hidden Leaf, I want to get closer so I can stop disaster.

    ¡°If I can¡¯t get close then I want to face Konan and possibly Pein. They¡¯re the lynchpin to ending the Akatsuki before they start. This peace¡­it can continue if I just get stronger, if I just know what the right thing is. I¡¯ll need Isobu to face them¡­not that I¡¯m looking for a fight but just in case, yknow?¡±

    Yagura, pale and nearly see through held up a sad smile, ¡°I know, I know.¡±

    ¡°Then-!¡±

    ¡°Then are you ready to accept me? To become what you are, what you have always been?¡± He pulled himself up and reached out to me, I floated forward and grasped his waiting hand. It burned with Isobu¡¯s chakra and flooded my pathway from his grip. The bubbling red enveloped my trapped hand, arm and shoulder, threatening to swallow my entire right side.

    It was more than Harusame and I believed I was ready to mix so I instinctively pulled away, yet Yagura¡¯s grip was stone. He stood unperturbed, as though my pull had no weight and his transparency were a lie.

    He snatched my left hand, locking it as well as his pink eyes bore into my skull, ¡°I know all you fear, Jason, I know it from start to finish as you do. I have become you long ago, yet you hesitate to become yourself.¡±

    ¡°Agh! What are you talking about, that doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± Isobu¡¯s bounty of chakra seeped down my arm¡¯s length, fusing at my shoulders, burning away the skin on my neck as it travelled up and down my being. ¡°Just help me figure out what to do!¡±

    ¡°Accept me. Or lose it all. That is all that remains, Jason, that is all you need to do now.¡± He stepped closer, his body feeding mine more and more of Isobu¡¯s chakra, more than I felt fighting the Swordsmen, more than my mind could handle. An ocean¡¯s worth. ¡°Your enemies will not wait and unfortunately, neither will I. Soon everything will be lost, take it now.¡±

    Beneath us Isobu stirred, his single eye stared for a moment before blinking back to slumber. I gritted my teeth as a full chakra cloak enveloped me, I sensed the weighted music change and I feared I¡¯d lose the original sound in the roar of condensed chakra.

    Yagura on the other hand looked pleased, his grip lightened and I fell, weighted by the immense chakra he¡¯d bestowed on me. He sat back and watched, his eyes conveyed a disappointment but the smile on his lips held hope for something, for me¡ª us.

    But I didn¡¯t get an answer¡­

 Whispers of Mistrust

    The door shut behind Kinoto, leaving Genma and Aoba in the expansive silence of their large apartment. It wasn¡¯t the first they¡¯d been left in such a silence, with nothing to do and almost no purpose to their being in the village and it certainly wouldn¡¯t be the last.

    The senbon Genma chewed on had already deformed between his grinding teeth, at this point he was eating metal that would snap off and he¡¯d mistakenly swallow. It¡¯s happened more once already since they¡¯ve been here, it just went to show how pointless his presence was.

    Kinoto held meetings with the Mizukage, the one that looked awfully like a child yet held the far stare of a war veteran. Genma believed everything the bingo book said about the Mizukage, his picture was there even so there was no disputing it was the same child-faced man.

    In the one meeting Genma had with the man he¡¯d proven to be an intimidating presence as only his smile kept his Elders from bombarding them with killing intent and just all around being as pissed as Genma knew they were about the seized correspondence.

    Still, after over a week of living within the Mizukage¡¯s centre of power, with squads of ANBU breathing down their neck and watching their every move, Genma regrets more than anything leaving that meeting room when Kinoto asked.

    It was something they¡¯d discussed prior but still, there were vital bits of information lost that he and Aoba believed they¡¯d be drawn into afterwards¡ª teamwork after all. In the end Kinoto gave a brief rundown of the discussion with the Mizukage and his Elders that ran over an hour, essentially boiling it down to¡ª ¡®They¡¯re upset, the Mizukage threatened to saw off my legs but he asked about Yondaime-sama.¡¯

    So what? What did he want to know? Why? What did the Elders say if anything? What did they spend over an hour discussing!

    No, such things were beyond the concern of mere Chuunin apparently and it was best to head to bed and prepare for the long mission period. Kinoto infuriated Genma more than any superior officer he¡¯d served¡ª they were Chuunin, fairly new Chuunin, yes, but still, their rank deserved some modicum of respect and trust!

    The senbon broke and stabbed the side of his tongue, little blood flavoured his saliva as he spat the disfigured metal out. With a bit of chakra Genma heated it back together and threw the amalgamation at a wall to bounce off and land in the bin.

    He grumbled under his breath and caught Aoba¡¯s thick line of furrowed brows. Aoba caught his stare and failed to lighten his mood in time as he usually did the past week. Unlike Genma, Aoba actually had a clear, standard purpose for his presence; his crows served as private messengers for their communications back home, though Kinoto has yet to pen down anything more than reassurance they were still alive and Kirigakure hadn¡¯t taken their heads.

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Genma asked and walked across the furnished corridor to the balcony where Aoba had taken a seat.

    Genma had known Aoba enough to take the young man¡¯s gloom as simply his appearance and not his personality. Behind those darkened shades was an erratic personality he couldn¡¯t always put a finger on, but it was often a pleasant one. Seeing him so clearly upset resonated with the discontent growing in Genma though.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    The winds blew through his vertical hair and his frown deepened as he crossed his legs and stared out at the village below, ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    Genma shrugged, let out a snort as he set himself by the balcony¡¯s railings, ¡°Thinking this isn¡¯t the best place to be honest.¡±

    As seemingly open as the balcony was they were far from alone. The entire team was surprised when they were moved into a room with an out like this, it provided quick escape for them if they needed, not something they expected from a shinobi village they hadn¡¯t had the best relationship with.

    Then again, it¡¯s an easy in as well. Any number of ANBU or ¡®rogue agents¡¯ could infiltrate via the balcony and do away with them but they all thought it unlikely such would happen. If they were going to be murdered in their sleep their assailants would come through the front door¡ª it was theirs after all.

    Aoba flicked his wrist, his fingers swiftly formed signs Genma caught and translated. Huh, less stalkers ay? Still¡­

    Aoba said, ¡°I¡¯m thinking we don¡¯t know anything new about this village, the Mizukage or anyone else.¡± He looked up at Genma and his lip quivered a smile, ¡°We should find out, it¡¯s our mission after all.¡±

    Genma chuckled and turned to face the active village, there was far more noise today than any other. His eyes narrowed, hoping to pierce the mist that hid parts of the sky and sprawling village-scape only to fail miserably. From what he could see there was definitely something happening, something new and exciting.

    The fewer eyes watching them seemed to confirm this, ANBU squads must be spread out across the village securing it from or against something. Genma looked over his shoulder and said, ¡°We could just ask Kinoto-san when he returns, he¡¯s headed to the Mizukage isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Aoba¡¯s smile grew a sliver and he uncrossed his legs to stand and meet Genma at the railings, ¡°Ah, that he is, though, whether his meeting will be productive, I wonder.¡±

    With Aoba this close he signed some more, communicating a brilliant idea to Genma that nearly banished the discontent held in his mind. Genma nodded, ¡°He¡¯ll be back tonight, maybe earlier. But I don¡¯t want to stay in all day and week, let¡¯s go beg Daichi-san for permission.¡±

    Daichi Karatachi, a young Chuunin that was friendly enough to boast his past position as the Mizukage¡¯s bodyguard/assistant¡ª it always changed when he boasted. It didn¡¯t matter to Genma, the fact that there was even a single person they¡¯ve met that wasn¡¯t immediately a stuck up snob was a breath of fresh air, even more so that Daichi happened to be their chaperone.

    Aoba followed Genma back into the apartment, ¡°It¡¯s been a week, with some luck they¡¯ll let us visit a simple tea house.¡±

    ¡°Nah, nah, that¡¯ll take a month at least. A week¡­well maybe he¡¯ll let us take a stroll outside with him.¡± Aoba and Genma laughed but neither failed to hold up their part of the little lie they were about to tell.

    There was a long hallway with no windows or vents right outside the apartment, it was perfect for this level of trickery. Genma immediately walked back into the apartment, shouting, ¡°Ah, wait for me Aoba, I forgot to unseal my sweet senbon.¡±

    Genma took long strides, counting in his head until he reached the balcony, splayed out a scroll against a chair and poured chakra into it. In a poof of smoke four long chocolate stained senbon laid in front of him, ¡°I got it!¡±

    He lingered a bit longer, chewing on a sweet senbon before walking back out to meet Aoba who gave him a curt nod. The small shuffling under his clothes confirmed what they needed to be done was done. The littlest crow to release into Kirigakure, eaves drop, spy, tail, it could be done.

    There were a number of things Konoha wished to know and Kinoto didn¡¯t seem interested in sharing anything he¡¯s learned, if any. That had to stop, his excuses and mistrust have to stop. Unfortunately, Genma and Aoba didn¡¯t need to so much as voice their mistrust of Kinoto to know that a team meeting wouldn¡¯t solve this. There was a deeper meaning to the secrets, a deeper reason and Genma wouldn¡¯t fail the Yondaime¡¯s trust.

    Genma held back a face splitting grin and exhaled to calm his excitement, this was the most progress he¡¯s had, ¡°Now, where is that Daichi?¡±

 Kirigakure in Storm

    Kirigakure. Home. Kisame took a deep breath of his homeland¡¯s sea, the Kaizoku sea. Squalls rarely took the sea and so the bounty of fish and trawl kept them well fed as they journeyed back¡ª Samehada made Kisame the best fisherman.

    It was smooth sailing from Kurokami-jima, Lord Yakubi was eager to see them gone once his problems were resolved. Kisame knew the Daimyo¡¯s war wouldn¡¯t see Kurokami unmolested for too long but for now, as agents of Kirigakure he and Reina had bought the island some time and breathing room.

    Lord Yakubi was immediately very entitled to their help once they¡¯d done so once, begging Reina to speak the horror and atrocities of the war to the Mizukage. Whether their actions would bring Kirigakure fully into the war wasn¡¯t something Kisame cared about, he¡¯d had his fun, or rather practise.

    Samehada and he had bonded so dearly over the course of the mission and as brilliant as it was shredding men and devouring chakra, it was time to return home, to report his overwhelming success and perhaps, if he has treated Samehada as well as it¡¯s treated him, challenge Fuguki for the right to wield the Legendary Shark Blade, indefinitely.

    Kisame pet the magnificent blade, ignoring how it sliced his palm as it purred affectionately. At this point, he was less than willing to part with Samehada even if he were offered another one of the legendary blades, and they surely would, how could they not?

    He had wielded the semi-conscious blade that ate chakra and people when set loose, tamed it with his strength and brought it to bear against the enemies of the Daimyo. He had wielded the blade without causing Reina a single problem and now they returned from their mission, successful thanks to his contributions.

    Kisame looked at the island farther away from the one enveloped in orange light, Kirigakure, they would port there soon and¡ª What? What is that light? He¡¯d almost missed it entirely in his fantasies of besting Fuguki, it was glaring too and Samehada¡¯s purrs quickly turned ravenous.

    Chakra! An immense amount of it just spiralling into the open air. Reina was already sprinting out her cabin, her eyes searching for an enemy with her katana in reverse grip. She found none but locked eyes with Kisame who merely pointed at the island closest to Kirigakure¡ª Turtle Island.

    Their ship was closer to it than Kirigakure¡¯s mainland and it wasn¡¯t long before the effects of widespread chakra leakage was felt across the sea. Fish, prawn, octopus and even sharks as large as Kisame¡¯s pets were still and dead on the chakra polluted waters. Blood soaked and the dank of their corpses sent a shiver as the immense chakra sent scalding waves across the sea.

    Samehada gnashed its teeth and nearly pulled Kisame overboard, he heldfast as Reina gaped at Turtle Island. Besides the oppressive chakra snapping out of it there were three translucent orange walls erected around it with the top unfortunately being wide open and the geyser for the chakra Kisame began to recognize.

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Reina began to say, fear strewn over her face as the implications of such chakra leaking out from Turtle Island quickly dawned on them.

    ¡°Aye, a Tailed Beast.¡±

    The commotion in the atmosphere, the smell of a deadened sea and the sudden intensity of the waves woke many of the Kaguya from their hammocks. Kisame sneered over his shoulder, ¡°Go back to sleep! It¡¯s not time yet.¡±

    The bone people cowered at his bark and their eldest ones were wise enough not to test them at the moment. Kisame looked over at Reina and dared to ask, ¡°Which one do you think it is?¡±

    Her eyes became saucers but she quickly put out her fear with a bit lip, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s bad new anyhow. Let¡¯s focus on getting back to home, it¡¯s on that island now and that must be Harusame-sama¡¯s barrier, it won¡¯t break so easily.¡±

    Kisame smirked for the sake of it, maintaining a vice grip on Samehada so it doesn¡¯t leap overboard and swim away. It¡¯s never behaved like this; he¡¯s seen it attempt defiance with Fuguki but he doubted it was ever to this extent. And he couldn¡¯t blame it, there was a fortune of chakra shooting out the top of Harusame¡¯s barrier and it was missing it.

    For Kisame¡¯s own safety he gladly strengthened his grip.

    ***

    Mist splintered sunlight soothed Kisame¡¯s skin as they docked into port. Reina enlisted the dockworkers¡ª many of whom were Hoshigaki clansmen¡ª to help offloading the ship, the Kaguya weren¡¯t the only thing they¡¯d returned with. Lord Yakubi made a concerted effort to have them leave with bushels of produce and barrels of rum, he also gave Reina permission to strip the precious iron and steel weapons off of the fallen ronin and mercenaries; there was enough on the ship to be considered an import.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    However, before any sort of egress could begin under the soft caress of the fine morning weather¡ª ignoring the intimidating spout of Tailed Beast Chakra wafting over the sea¡ª shinobi from Intel & Comms descended on the ship with Eiko and ANBU masked Raiga leading the charge.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I just get back home quickly and-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Reina-taicho but you know how it is, nothing happens before protocol and the higher-ups are¡­sensitive right now.¡± Raiga whispered the last part but Kisame¡¯s ears couldn¡¯t be subverted so easily.

    Reina deflated, her plans to immediately end all to do with this mission the moment they docked shattered like glass in a few reasonable words. Kisame grinned at the two ANBU operatives as he approached with Samehada balanced on his shoulder.

    ¡°I understand but we could use some clarity, don¡¯t you think? We¡¯ve been away for long, what exactly is happening?¡± Kisame not so subtly points in the direction of Turtle Island with Samehada and Reina pressed an urging look on Raiga.

    For a moment it seemed Raiga wouldn¡¯t answer even to Reina¡¯s hard, somehow demanding and pleading gaze but he spoke, leaning closer to Reina as he said, ¡°You won¡¯t like this but¡­we think the Yuki clan has been implicated in Sandaime¡¯s death.¡±

    Reina¡¯s eyes went wide, she looked around as if anyone but them could be listening in. Kisame too was taken aback, of all the things that was the last thing he expected news on and yet Raiga wasn¡¯t done.

    ¡°There¡¯s also suspicion that they¡¯re behind the Kaguya attacks. I don¡¯t have any orders to seize you, taicho, but with Mizukage-sama¡­out of office, you shouldn¡¯t be surprised if you¡¯re taken in as well.¡±

    At the mention of the Mizukage Reina and Kisame shared a look and then gazed over the seas strait to the sky burnt red around Turtle Island. Reina gulped, silent and slowly digesting the news.

    Kisame inched closers, taking care to whisper as well, ¡°Mizukage-sama lost it? Will the Three-Tails-¡±

    ¡°Shhh, you don¡¯t want to be talking about that right now.¡± Raiga rebuked, his head shifting side to side. Kisame watched his gaze linger on the Kaguya who were being shephered ten at a time to kneel before demon masked Eiko and three others, ¡°No one knows what happened to Mizukage-sama, but Harusame-sama was first on the scene so¡­maybe we won¡¯t need a Lord Fifth.¡±

    If there was anything that could put a sour end to a conversation it was that. Raiga excused himself from Reina to join in the ship inspection effort, ANBU perused through every crook and cranny, searching the ship and Kaguya like they were suspect of harbouring some secret Kinjutsu.

    After hearing all that, Kisame knew the paranoia was worth it, even if he felt a bit insulted by the treatment at docks majorly run by his own clansmen who were shifted aside as ANBU and I&C operatives took over offloading.

    Eiko and his helpers had the Kaguya lined up in the tens and by now the bone-tribe had been so cowed by their travel companions that the brief explanation of what the Bloodline Seals placed on their forehead would do was quickly accepted without the slightest hint of dissent. It helped of course that there were dozens of masked ANBU with oppressive aura¡¯s watching their every move.

    Kisame and Reina ended up forced to watch tens after tens of Kaguya, man, woman and child branded with the Bloodline Seal Eiko continually states was crafted personally by the Mizukage. Kisame wondered what the point in repeating the same claim over and over, he knew Yagura was no Fuinjutsu specialist, not enough to fashion seals as complex as these anyway.

    Moreover, hearing of the Mizukage was of little comfort to the Kaguya, the title, the man was the one responsible for their forced migration and more importantly the deaths of several sons, daughters, fathers and mothers of those still alive to be branded with the seal.

    Kisame turned his attention to the orange of Turtle Island slightly being overshadowed by the rising sun¡¯s rays and his thoughts drifted to what in hells the Mizukage had planned for the Kaguya, for Kiri. The bone-tribe that had been branded had their names and pictures taken before being shepherd off where Kisame couldn¡¯t see, why they personally had to wait for the entire Kaguya to be branded and the ship contents emptied and catalogued was beyond him.

    It was beginning to annoy Reina though. She paced four steps side to side and sometimes in a circle as she chewed on her fingernails and muttered under her breath, occasionally staring out at Turtle Island.

    Kisame as usual had no words for her, it wasn¡¯t news that the Yuki were secretly loathed by the major clans for their Bloodline abilities, Kisame was aware enough to see that with Mizukage-sama being out of office for who knows how long and the council ruling, the accusations against the Yuki clan could be another attempt at bringing them down.

    Still, he wondered what other manic thoughts were going through the usually composed kunoichi¡¯s mind as she paced. He wouldn¡¯t find out though as the last of the Kaguya lined up for Eiko, Lord Funato and Kisame¡¯s own clan head, Junko Hoshigaki came for them.

    Junko had the largest smile he¡¯d ever glimpsed on the woman, she stood eagerly a step behind Lord Funato as Kisame and Reina paid their greetings to the short, ancient man.

    ¡°Good work you two.¡± He started, looking around the dock and nodding in approval, ¡°Very good work. Unfortunately, Mizukage-sama is indisposed at the moment so your official mission report will have to wait. Reina Yuki, come with me.¡±

    Lord Funato gave a curt nod to Kisame and Junko as Reina followed him with a steeled visage. Left alone with Kisame, Junko smacked his arm as she grinned up at him, ¡°Well done, Kisame.¡± Her eyes landed on Samehada who was completely docile and sheathed against his back. ¡°Mizukage-sama will¡­he will not overlook how quickly you¡¯ve mastered this blade. I know what you¡¯re thinking but we should wait till all this hubbub has settled before issuing a challenge to Suikazan.¡±

    Kisame nodded, feeling extremely satisfied by her support, ¡°As you say, Junko-sama.¡±

    She waved him off and started walking off, ¡°That said, your cousin Junichi might be a lost cause, you need to sharpen him or Yagura will never see his worth.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± He restrained a sigh as more work came his way already and obediently followed, wondering if anything would go as planned with so much happening to Kirigakure, to his home.

 Tea and Unwanted Intrigue

    Rina held back her yukata¡¯s baggy sleeve back as she poured tea into Kinoto¡¯s cup. The smile on his face widened in appreciation or some facsimile of it, in her unvoiced opinion the man was better stone-faced, the smiles did him no favours.

    She sat back with her legs folded underneath her and poured into Nana Megumi¡¯s cup, the aging clan head sat next to Rina without so much of a smile as she studied her guest. Nana Megumi had been the one to invite Kinoto from the Mizukage¡¯s tower, using Junichi to redirect him to the Hozuki clan compound.

    Rina couldn¡¯t guess what her grandmother had planned nor what was going through her mind when she asked for her presence at the meeting. She was a mere Chuunin and Kinoto¡¯s presence entailed whatever conversation to be had today would be political in nature.

    Frankly, Rina was getting sick of her grandmother¡¯s machinations, sick of being used as a pawn, another piece to move the Hozuki into a prosperous position. It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t wish to see her clan flourish but there was a taint to the method.

    At least she¡¯s given up on marrying me to Yagura-sensei. Yet only to ensure the Mizukage share his prestige by forming a team with two Hozuki clan members on it. To be fair, Rina was quite pleased with that outcome, even though it meant she¡¯d have to share Yagura¡¯s teachings with a prodigy like Mangetsu, the official nature of their team meant she would most certainly make Jounin¡ª her hardwork would be noticed first and foremost by the Mizukage, but first she had to put her back into it.

    And yet, here she was serving tea for a Konoha shinobi. Rina inheirited enough of her grandmother¡¯s shrewd nature to realize there was more to her presence in this meeting than simply serving tea but it didn¡¯t make feel any less¡­ugh.

    Kinoto bowed his head slightly before gulping down the piping hot tea. He overexaggerated a satisfied expression as he sighed and placed the cup down to wear that off putting smile again. Rina wondered if all Konoha shinobi were this strange.

    ¡°That has a wonderful taste, thank you.¡± Rina moved to refill his cup but he covered it with his fingers and spared her a glance before fixing his fallen smile as he said, ¡°I thought I would be meeting Yagura-sama today.¡±

    Nana Megumi took the kettle from Rina, leaned over and refilled his cup, not even caring whether his fingers were in the way. Fortunately for him he took them away before she could scald them with tea. Kinoto¡¯s smile was looking feebler with each second.

    ¡°Did you think the Mizukage would always have time for you?¡± She scoffed as she sat back and let Rina handle the kettle while she savoured a sip of her own cup of tea, ¡°What were you hoping to discuss with Yagura-sama?¡±

    Kinoto¡¯s eyes darted towards Rina and back to Nana Megumi, she noticed, catching his meaning but paid it no mind. He shifted on his tatami mat and cleared his throat, ¡°The usual¡­what we discuss is never too complex, merely my description of Konoha and what life is like there.¡±

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Nana Megumi took another sip but was silent, offering no response to his avoidant answer. At this point Rina wasn¡¯t sure what to do with herself and so she poured a cup of tea for herself and kept silent as she observed her grandmother¡¯s not-so polite interrogation tactic.

    Quickly finding the silence unbearable Kinoto corrected himself, ¡°I held some hope we¡¯d talk about the future of our villages, Yagura-sama hasn¡¯t been very vocal about what he wants from Konoha, if anything.¡±

    Nana Megumi giggled like a school girl, she looked at him silly from behind her cup, ¡°Why would you think he wants something from Konoha? Were you not the ones to invite us to these relations? Perhaps he waits for Konoha to speak what it wants from Kirigakure.¡±

    Kinoto¡¯s eyes narrowed at this but his lips were pulled into a grin as a quack of a laugh escaped his throat, ¡°Yes, yes, I suppose you are correct.¡±

    ¡°Kinoto-san, you don¡¯t seem very aware of your role here or do you have another?¡± Nana¡¯s eyes mirrored his, she all but commanded him to drink with a glance at his full cup. She spoke again once he¡¯d taken a moderate sip, ¡°Tell me, you have been speaking about Konoha and what else?¡±

    ¡°Yagura-sama often asks I tell stories of our Yondaime Hokage, he is enamoured by tales of Jiraiya-sama and Kushina-sama as well.¡±

    Nana Megumi frowned but it was quickly wiped away as she asked, ¡°And you? What do you ask of him, what does your master ask?¡±

    Rina¡¯s ears couldn¡¯t miss that emphasis and neither did Kinoto as yet again he glanced at her, wondering whether her presence was necessary same as she was.

    ¡°Hokage-sama has only asked my team and I to report whatever we deem necessary, offers from the Mizukage and such are included of course. Konoha is not in need.¡±

    Nana Megumi looked over at Rina, smiled and turned her attention back to Kinoto, ¡°What does your master ask, Kinoto-san, do not play me for a fool.¡± Again Kinoto glanced at Rina and this time Nana Megumi bothered to address his concern, ¡°If you¡¯re uncomfortable with the truth in this house then you must feel very certain of yourself in the Mizukage¡¯s Tower.¡±

    That made him frown plain as day. He sat up with his back straight, gulped down his cup of tea and inhaled, ¡°Konoha wishes to determine whether Yagura will behave as his predecessor did, there will be no offers until the legitimacy of his person is confirmed. Relations with another Blood Kage has never been in Konoha¡¯s interests.¡±

    Rina bit her lip at the not so subtle insult. Now she understood why Kinoto held back his words, not so much because of its confidentiality as it¡¯s significance to her. She wasn¡¯t ignorant of her father¡¯s actions in war but that was what this world was and at times, when threatened there was nothing to do but retaliate in full.

    She glanced at her grandmother and by the smirk on her lips she knew the insult to her son wouldn¡¯t pierce her skin. Nana Megumi was a retired Kunoichi and has been an Elder on the Mizukage¡¯s council since Nidaime Gengetsu, words were nothing.

    ¡°And how will¡­Konoha determine that? And if it does, what¡­offers are present?¡±

    Kinoto wore that ugly smile again, ¡°That is beyond my purview at the moment, Lady Hozuki, but should the determination be made I will ensure you¡¯re among the first to learn of what comes after, if anything.¡±

    Nana Megumi cackled, ¡°Very well, I wish you were more than a pawn but alas. At least, Konoha will know of this meeting, yes?¡±

    ¡°Know of you? Of course, Lady Hozuki.¡±

    Rina wasn¡¯t certain why but she felt her grandmother had just opened the Hozuki clan to something dangerous. With all the hubbub around the Yuki, Rina was more than a little frightened and yet she felt her Nana¡¯s expectant look fall on her and knew she had a role in her machinations.

    I just want to get stronger.

 Cross-Examination

    ¡°Are you a member of the Y¨±ki rebellion?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Are you a supporter of the Y¨±ki ideals?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Do you believe the Y¨±ki are unjustly imprisoned? That they are blameless?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Do you have family, extended or otherwise involved in the Y¨±ki?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°How long have you known about their involvement?¡±

    ¡°Since it¡¯s inception.¡±

    ¡°And how long ago was that?¡±

    ¡°¡­Six years, as far as I know.¡±

    ¡°As far as you know¡­so you believe the Y¨±ki could have existed prior to your knowledge?¡±

    ¡°¡­It is plausible.¡±

    ¡°Is it also plausible that the Y¨±ki has been in operation against Kirigakure and its institutions without your notice?¡±

    ¡°The Y¨±ki are not agent against Kirigakure.¡±

    ¡°Whether they are or not was not the question. Do you believe the Y¨±ki could have been in operation without your notice?¡±

    ¡°I¡­I cannot say.¡±

    ¡°You are sworn to speak the truth before this council, Reina Yuki, are you refusing to speak now out of loyalty to the Y¨±ki?¡±

    ¡°I am loyal to Kirigakure and its Mizukage alone!¡±

    ¡°Then untie your tongue and speak. Do you believe the Y¨±ki could have been in operation without your notice?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°That will be all, thank you.¡±

    Aoto Karatachi watched from his high bench as Reina Yuki rose from her kneeling position, dipped her head in a perfectly respectful bow and backed out of the judicial room. The door shut and he turned to his fellows, Lord Funato and the Lady Megumi were cleaning up their bench of notes and preparing to leave.

    He opened his mouth to protest but shut it a second after. The Judicial room exisited for times like these, times when the Mizukage¡¯s seat was vacant for whatever reason and all that was left of higher-ups were the councillors¡ª them.

    They¡¯d used this room quite often to mete out judgment on a plethora of matters both domestic and military during the month long wait before Yagura, Aoto¡¯s star nephew proved himself worthy of becoming Mizukage. The Fourth Mizukage.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Yet as he watched his fellows stand and pack their things to leave Aoto couldn¡¯t help but feel the Judicial room was being used to start a war against the Yuki clan, a thing his not-so conscious nephew wouldn¡¯t be happy to wake up to.

    ¡°Wait, we¡¯re not done here for goodness sake.¡± Aoto said, his voice loud and clear. He snapped his fingers at the ANBU guarding the doors and they took the hint to leave without pause. Lord Funato narrowed his sneered gaze at him and was about to speak when Aoto raised his hand, ¡°It¡¯s been a week and this is the first time we¡¯ve gathered like this, you¡¯ve both been off doing your own things, plotting and scheming, it¡¯s time this council actually talked.¡±

    They shared a look and Lord Funato snorted as he plopped back down, ¡°That may have been the wisest thing you¡¯ve said but I have taken no part in plotting or scheming. I am the one who called for the council¡¯s judgement, my aims are transparent.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why they won¡¯t work.¡± Aoto countered as Lady Megumi sighed and sat back as well, ¡°I understand you aren¡¯t fond of Kekkei Genkai users but the Yuki clan has been a part of our village since it¡¯s earliest days, Byakura himself accepted them and I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re in such a hurry to push them to rebellion.¡±

    Lord Funato set a single angry eye on Aoto as he beat his cane against the hardwood floor, ¡°If the Yuki or Y¨±ki wish to throw their lives that is fine by me, the Funato clan will not stand by at blatant threats.¡±

    ¡°And neither will the Hozuki.¡± Lady Megumi said, her lips curled into a knowing smirk as Aoto met her gaze, ¡°Do not misunderstand, Karatachi-dono, we are merely acting off of the proofs Yagura-sama himself acquired against the Yuki clan, their crimes are apparent.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you want to condemn some of the best shinobi Kirigakure has made to death? Because of the apparent crimes of a single Y¨±ki clan member?¡± Aoto challenged.

    Lord Funato glared, ¡°You heard Reina, even she can¡¯t be sure when or what the Y¨±ki has been up to under our noses all this time. We cannot be certain how deep their treachery goes and I personally believe cleansing them would be the best thing to do, however, I understand you will never let such a vote pass.¡±

    Aoto sneered, ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t. Yagura does not wish for their punishment to be so extreme, he may be unconscious but anyone of us can attest to that. Besides, I don¡¯t think we should be making any of these decisions before he wakes up.¡±

    ¡°Will he?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Funato opened both wrinkled eyes and repeated himself, ¡°Will he awaken again? Will Yagura-sama stir from his coma and solve all these threats? The Kaguya he charted for have arrived already and-¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ve stuffed them all in the Yuki clan compound.¡± Lady Megumi announced with a sly, accusatory tone, ¡°Putting all your problems in one basket are we, Funato-dono?¡±

    Aoto opened his mouth to speak but Lord Funato was already yelling, ¡°Can you blame me? It¡¯s better that way! If we need to we can wipe them all away, besides, this isn¡¯t the time to be harbouring internal threats on a long leash. Hanako-hime visited me yesterday.¡±

    Aoto and Megumi shared the same surprised expression, ¡°What did she want?¡±

    Lord Funato snorted, ¡°What do you think? A decision.¡±

    Lady Megumi pressed for more, ¡°Did she¡­is it an official ask?¡± Lord Funato shook his head, ¡°A reminder then, the Daimyo must expect us to move out of the goodness of our hearts.¡±

    ¡°She spoke of the Third and Second Shinobi wars, referenced them heavily. The Daimyo doesn¡¯t want to lose anything else in ending this war, not even to us, he¡¯s calling in paid favours now, using all right his title carries.¡±

    Aoto folded his arms and hummed, ¡°That¡¯s not much right, it was his father that helped us in those wars, not him. He should know better that debts die with the dead.¡±

    Lady Megumi sighed, ¡°Do they?¡±

    A terse silence filled the room as each councillor digested the implications of the Princesses visit. Hanako-hime was the current Daimyo¡¯s sister and a rare sight in Kirigakure as she often kept to herself despite her position as liasions to the Mizukage.

    A visit now, from her in the middle of all the haste Kiri was undergoing was simply the start of a trend of pressure visits that would sooner or later snowball into demands that Kirigakure participate in the Daimyo¡¯s war. Aoto observed his fellows, none of them had any right to negotiate war with the Daimyo, that was the domain of the Mizukage and right now¡­

    ¡°What did you tell her about Yagura?¡± Aoto asked.

    Lord Funato looked more tired than angry now, ¡°I lied.¡±

 Fading Hope

    Aoto ran his fingers through Yagura¡¯s hair. It was soft, unreasonably and unexpectedly so for it¡¯s gray and spiky nature, but Aoto didn¡¯t let it surprise him too much. He recalled the night Yagura was born, his weightlessness in Aoto¡¯s arms and his coos and toothless yawns. His beauty to take after his mother, newborn skin so pink it almost matched his eyes.

    ¡°Now you¡¯re so pale¡­and I can¡¯t see those¡­haaa. Please, please, Yagura-kun.¡± Aoto took his nephew¡¯s unresponsive hand in his, it was burning and yet two inches above his wrists his arm was as cold as the bottomless sea.

    Such inconsistencies were spread all across his nephew¡¯s body. Aoto didn¡¯t understand it and Harusame¡¯s explanations only incensed him because of all the medical and sealing jargon, he just wanted to know if his nephew would be alright.

    Aoto was scared for Kirigakure, yes, without it¡¯s Mizukage to guide it the councillors are off on their own power trip, justifying everything with their Yondaime¡¯s unconsciousness. He worried about the Yuki, Funato and even Hozuki were prepared to do their worst in response to the littlest slight from the Kekkei Genkai wielding clan and it was the same with the Kaguya. Already he was getting whispers of abuse even though the Kaguya were purposely isolated from the rest of the village.

    And now war was knocking on the door, a war Yagura saw would come long ago. Well, perhaps this wasn¡¯t the war he was thinking of but regardless, his favourite nephew threw himself at the opportunity to serve his village, offering his body as a vessel for a destroyer of shinobi armies, a Tailed Beast that now eats at him from the inside.

    Aoto shook his head, massaging his temples as he bemoaned his failure to stop Yagura that day and again his failure to even help him as Mizukage, ¡°You must be so tired, of all our stubbornness. I should have just said yes when you asked to shelther them.¡±

    The Karatachi clan head sighed as none of his words stirred the Yondaime Mizukage nor his nephew. He looked upon that pale face and wondered if either would wake up, wondered what he would do if he didn¡¯t, wondered the fate of Kirigakure should Yagura leave the Mizukage¡¯s seat too long. Already the drums of war were demanding their rhythm be met and only a Mizukage could order Kirigakure into war.

    Would there be another succession trial? No, Aoto doubted any of his councillors would be so hasty to call for one even if Yagura were to sleep for an entire month. Besides, for the council to call for such they needed his vote and he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to give them a smidge of his approval. Yagura would wake up, he had to.

    The door of the underground clinic swung open and Aoto stood, ready to bite any threatening persons head off. His eagerness faded to relief and then desperation as Harusame followed in with Kirigakure¡¯s second Jinchuriki, Utakata.

    ¡°Harusame-sama! Is it time for¡­treatment?¡± His voice nearly cracked at the word but he kept firm.

    Harusame was dog tired, his breathing almost as shallow as Yagura¡¯s as he stepped into the warded and highly protected room with the aid of young Utakata. He shook his head at Aoto and sat in the seat Utakata pulled out for him, ¡°I keep telling you councillors¡­there is no treatment.¡±

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    Aoto groaned and stepped closer as Utakata took off Yagura¡¯s duvet, ¡°Just¡­tell me he¡¯ll be alright? What even happened that night? Why did the Three Tails-¡±

    ¡°The Three Tails did nothing.¡± It was Utakata that spoke, his voice loud and confident turned shrimp when Aoto set his focus on him. He muttered and continued to redress Yagura¡¯s bandages, ¡°Yagura-sama was attempting to speak to the Tailed Beast, he¡¯s been trying for sometime now, I think three months? Or maybe four.¡±

    Harusame silenced the boy with a lazy hand, ¡°Yagura-sama had a plan, I don¡¯t know what it was but he had decided quite sometime ago to try speaking to the Beast whether by force or not.¡±

    Aoto was doubly confused, ¡°Why did he think that? Why did he think he could talk to a¡­a¡­monster? Why did you let him even?¡±

    Harusame¡¯s fatigued face scrunched in annoyance as he bit back, ¡°I didn¡¯t! I warned time and time again that communicating with a chakra beast was insane! Whether they are even capable of communicating is up for debate in the first place but he¡­oh, he was persistent.

    It was the only thing that motivated him to practice Tailed Beast chakra control and even then he wasn¡¯t nearly as good at it as Utakata here. Besides, we were supposed to do it together, he asked me for my help and I said I¡¯d be there to give it and then he turns around and does it without me anyway! None of this is my fault so don¡¯t you dare!¡±

    Aoto breathed and nodded at the infuriated Fuuinjutsu master, his nephew always had a taste for the spontaneous but this, this was a step too far, ¡°What do we do now?¡±

    Harusame glanced at Utakata behind Aoto, he was wrapping Yagura¡¯s arms, legs and even neck in fresh bandages, except these ones were inked with strange and complex Fuuinjutsu.

    ¡°We can only continue to reinforce the Three Pillar seal; it¡¯s been badly damaged. The amount of chakra that escaped it wasn¡¯t meant to be so much and then I had to force it all back in to save Yagura-sama from the maelstrom of the Three-Tails, his body can only take so much at a time and its not like he¡¯s used to the chakra¡¯s toxicity like Utakata. The bandages will only keep the Three Tails locked, as far as Yagura-sama waking up¡­I do not know.¡±

    Aoto stared at his feet for so long Utakata got done redressing Yagura¡¯s bandages and struggled to walk past him. He stirred from his deep thoughts and fell back beside his nephew, the bandages renewed covered up his hand but his unreasonably soft hair was free to run his fingers through.

    Harusame sat at the opposite side, his eyes shut as he breathed in deep breaths. He was consistently near chakra exhaustion from all the work needed to look after the Three Pillar seal and rightfully deserved some rest.

    ¡°He will wake up and soon, I know it.¡± Aoto said, causing Harusame to peel an eye open but he didn¡¯t say anything as Aoto ruffled Yagura¡¯s hair one last time as he stood to leave, ¡°Thank you, Harusame, for taking care of him.¡±

    Harusame nodded and Utakata bowed as Aoto left the room. The underground clinic was an impromptu set up underneath Turtle Island as Yagura couldn¡¯t be moved into Kirigakure or even the Land of Water¡¯s mainland for fear of the Three Tails release.

    Aoto knew that wouldn¡¯t happen now but it wasn¡¯t so certain when a beam of chakra stabbed the skies and sent corrosive waves killing sea life across the closest waters. The stationed ANBU straightened at his presence, Ao stood by the doors leftside on constant watch, guilt eating him up for not being able to help any more than retrieving Harusame that day, and yet that might be the very action that saved Yagura.

    Aoto was grateful.

    ¡°Sir!¡± an operative came to kneel at his feet, swiftly producing a short scroll as he spoke, ¡°Kiba forwards this mission report to you.¡±

    Kiba? Raiga then. Aoto sighed and unfurled the scroll, reading across it quickly and urgently as each line and sentence had his brow furrow deeply. ¡°Ame¡­go ahead of me, call the other councillors to meeting, quick!¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± the operative vanished.

    Aoto squeezed the report in hand and leaned against the door, tempted to go back in and ask Yagura, no, the Mizukage what exactly his intentions were and what he should be doing now. Alas¡­

 I Am Become One

    ¡°Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms!¡±

    Yagura watched as yet another of his division fell victim to the Hyuga¡¯s Gentle Fist. Chakra swirled around the Hyuga and his prey, tenketsu shutting down one after the other as he called out each strike.

    Shuriken flung past him, nicking his cheek and forcing Yagura¡¯s senses back into the battle. Trees burnt in slick mud and the plethora of Konoha shinobi continued to press on them.

    Yagura gritted his teeth and ripped his Bo-staff out of the earth sinking mud, around him three of his mates were trapped in the mud trap, each struggling to free themselves.

    ¡°Yagura! We¡¯ll hold them off, get out of there!¡± Murai Karatachi yelled out behind him, quickly circumventing the mud trap with his bloody katana set to reap more from the encroaching Konoha shinobi.

    Cursing under his breath, Yagura stabbed his Bo-staff into the mud, chakra pumped from the few tenketsu he had left and with his weapon he frantically flipped through handsigns to mould a jutsu to life.

    ¡°Sixteen Palms! Thirty-Two Palms! Sixty-Four Palms!¡±

    That was the end for Sugimoto. His limp body was thrust out on the final strike, slammed into a burning tree and his throat slit open before he could even touch the ground. Murai was all that was left of the 13<sup>th</sup> Division now, Yagura could scarcely believe how his command had reached such a point.

    Of the twenty-six excellent shinobi he commanded only five, including himself were now alive.

    Murai¡¯s katana gnashed against the enemies kunai. He leaped away before a whirling Fuma Shuriken could slice him to bits yet the weapon split itself open, its user¡¯s Wind Nature chakra sent individual blades at Murai who managed to retreat with a well placed Subsitution Jutsu, a human sized boulder took his place to be skewered and then shattered.

    Murai appeared some feet away, panting and somehow bleeding from his thigh. He glanced at Yagura, smiled and raised his katana to fend off two eager opponents.

    Besides those two, four more Konoha shinobi remained. Two Hyuga¡¯s, one Uchiha and the shinobi wielding the Fuma Shuriken. Yagura looked over to the mates trapped with him, Koshiro was chakra exhausted even before the Uchiha¡¯s jutsu caught them in the mud and Minako¡¯s sword arm was injured, three of her fingers sliced off in a prior exchanged.

    Ryozo caught him staring and glared, ¡°Focus!¡± He too was injured, bleeding from a deep cut on his shoulder, narrowly missing his neck. Half his tenketsu were shut much like Yagura but unlike Yagura he wasn¡¯t capable of moulding chakra well enough to form jutsu.

    Finally, after what felt like an eternity Yagura felt all the connections click and his jutsu form, without a word water gushed out of his mouth like a fountain, flooding the mud and overwhelming Uchiha¡¯s Earth chakra nature keeping them trapped.

    Minako was freed first. She picked her blade with her less skilled left hand and began to blow Wind Nature chakra onto it when Yagura yelled, ¡°Stop! All of you, get back behind me, retreat!¡±

    Ryozo deflected a flurry of cloned kunai and shuriken as he made his way over to Yagura, ¡°What are you-¡±

    Yagura shoved him away, ¡°There¡¯s no time to argue, get Koshiro and leave. I won¡¯t have another one of you die on my watch. The four of you¡­you have to survive. Now go, go I said!¡±

    Still, Ryozo hesitated to leave, ¡°What about-¡±

    ¡°Leave, I¡¯ll handle them, Murai will be right behind you.¡± Yagura spun his Bo-staff, chakra lined on its hook drew muddy water and sent a wave deflecting all thrown projectiles.

    In the corner of his eye Ryozo, Minako and Koshiro began to make their escape. The Bukijutsu specialist made after them while the Uchiha flipped through handsigns. Yagura leapt from his position in the mud waters, sprinting towards the greatest threat of them all¡ª the two Hyuga¡¯s.

    He kept the sounds of Murai¡¯s battle against two Konoha shinobi in the back of his head as the Uchiha unleashed a giant ball of fire at his head. Yagura barely paid it any mind, there was ample water for him to perform his next jutsu without too much strain on his locked tenketsu.

    ¡°Water Puddle Transportation.¡±

    Yagura sunk into the water just as the heat from the giant fireball reached his skin, within a second he reappeared behind the Bukijutsu specialist, her Hyuga comrades raised alarm at the unfortunate moment Yagura¡¯s Bo-staff hooked around the woman¡¯s neck.

    He pulled her down before she could even think of unleashing that annoying shuriken and swifly smashed the broad side of the Bo-staff against her skull. Stubbornly she shielded herself with chakra but her skull was dented, nose shattered and her left eye bursted, she wouldn¡¯t live long without a medic¡¯s attention nor would she be a bother.

    Still¡­

    Yagura spun his Bo-staff and let the small hook skewer her neck. With her flesh caught he raised her traumatized body and flung it at her racing comrades. One of the Hyuga caught her and screamed her name, while the other dashed forward to catch Yagura in another pesky Gentle Fist combo¡ª he wouldn¡¯t let him.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The water swallowed Yagura whole, the Hyuga¡¯s thrusted palmstrike missed his head by an inch. With the Bukijutsu specialist dealt with all that remained to secure his Division¡¯s escape was Murai.

    ¡°Goshiro, burn away the water, quick!¡± Yagura heard the Hyuga call in fear of his jutsu. Their eyes could see him even while he moved through the water but they couldn¡¯t follow him accurately, Water Puddle Transportation moved him too quickly for them to fully process and react to.

    But he only needed to use it twice. Yagura leaped out of the water behind Murai, his body was bleeding out in various places but his opponents weren¡¯t any better. Kirigakure Kenjutsu couldn¡¯t be surpassed by phonies even when given a handicap¡ª Yagura would swell with pride at his Division mate if he weren¡¯t looking so dire.

    Murai¡¯s opponents reacted faster than the Hyuga¡¯s to his presence but that was fine, two against one was the advantage they¡¯d pressed all this time and Yagura was here to tilt the scales.

    ¡°Hurk! Damn it¡­how?¡± A shimmering Wind Blade poked out the enemy¡¯s chest. Yagura stood behind him and sawed his Wind enhanced kunai up and down the man¡¯s sternum while they watched another Yagura wielding the Bo-staff assault the man¡¯s teammate.

    Yagura freed his kunai through the man¡¯s kidney and liver, ¡°Water is my domain.¡±

    ¡°Kirigakure. Die!¡±

    Yagura spun around and slashed his Wind Blade at the heated gaze of a Hyuga looking to lock his tenketsu again. Behind him he heard the other enemy that ganged up on Murai perish to his Water Clone, without uttering a word the clone flung his Bo-staff towards him before going on to help Murai escape.

    ¡°Yagura! Yagura!¡± Murai kept screaming his name even as his clone chatered him off.

    Even though he was regaining some sensation in his locked tenketsu and had eliminated three of the enemies, the situation remained dire. Two Hyuga were bearing down on him, barely giving him space to pick up his Bo-staff and then there was the Uchiha waiting for his time in the rear.

    He couldn¡¯t even employ Water Puddle Transportation again because the moment he spun his chakra for any kind of jutsu the Hyuga¡¯s assault became more violent. It was only the semi-invisible length and sharpness of his Wind Blade that kept them at bay now.

    Suddenly, my senses warped and the Yagura battling against the odds was replaced by another covered in blood. The mud and burning trees of the battlefield faded into a place I¡¯ve begun to recognize as home; Kirigakure.

    Yagura was carrying a blonde-haired woman in his arms and rushing through a hospital, frantically searching and begging for moments worth of attention from any of the bothered and hastened Medic-nin sprinting about the place.

    There wasn¡¯t even a single free bed to place the woman in his arms but Yagura yelled, screamed over the choruses of anguish and agony that filled the hospital. A young girl came up to him, eyebags as dark as a kunai¡¯s edge sagged and aged her features even though at a glance Yagura was sure she couldn¡¯t be more than twelve years old.

    ¡°Place her on the floor here please. Do you have an emergency kit with you?¡± She demanded, not bothering to even introduce herself or ask what happened. Seeing Yagura shake his head the young medic-nin ripped away the woman¡¯s clothes, exposing her blood-soaked chest and causing her to shiver against the hard floor.

    ¡°Please, please save her¡­I¡­I don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Quiet please.¡± The girl snapped, she stuffed a hand in Yagura¡¯s weapon pouch and retrieved a senbon. Chakra flared at the tip of her finger, releasing a strong heat she used to sterilize the senbon before directly infusing the weapon with chakra.

    Yagura watched on hopelessly as the girl did her best, poking sixteen holes through the blonde woman¡¯s ribcage before pressing glowing palms against the large gash running through her centre. He watched for minutes as the wound closed little by little but there was so much more to heal.

    ¡°She inhaled some bad-¡±

    ¡°Let me do my job, sir.¡± The girls voice was strong but Yagura couldn¡¯t miss the strain in it nor the wavering of chakra around her glowing palms. She was diligent but that alone wouldn¡¯t be enough, he felt it in his bone, no, he saw it, right in front of him.

    The girl lasted over an hour before nearly collapsing beside the blonde woman, she looked up with guilt coloured in her eyes as she said, ¡°I¡¯ve done all I can, I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s another who can complete my treatment but¡­¡± she looked around the chaos of the hospital and it was obvious what she left out.

    Yagura bowed deep, thanking her profusely as she wiped her bloodied hands against her scrubs and smiled, she gave him and the unconscious blonde woman a look of sympathy that seemed cleared than everything thing in the haze of memory before taking her leave.

    Yagura crawled up against the blonde woman, squeezing her hand for even the slightest response but there was none. She breathed still and yet Yagura feared breath was the last thing he¡¯d see her do.

    Once more the world before me faded and the Yagura curled up against his dying friend was replaced by the one I knew, the one showing me all of this. I felt myself have a body separate from him and his memories again, it was odd to be just Jason again but I was.

    Behind him was Isobu and the three pillars sealing his Tailed-Beast chakra, I took it all in, the pressure of the ocean upon me and his infectious chakra. Yagura¡¯s stern glare hasn¡¯t let up once, his eyes narrowed even further as I picked myself up and recalled how this all happened and why.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Do you? I think you need to see more.¡± He said, arms folded.

    ¡°Maybe, I deserve to and I should. But I understand now. I¡­I¡¯ve been blind to you all this time.¡± He raised a brow at this and I nodded, ¡°What you¡¯ve shown me is¡­it¡¯s who you are not who I remember you to be, not who I was told you were.

    ¡°All this time, I¡¯ve been afraid of becoming the ruthless killer that I witnessed in my own world, not even stopping to think that¡­that it isn¡¯t who you are and that even if a part of you is a strong shinobi capable of dangerous things¡­that¡¯s not all there is to you. I thought if I accepted you, I would lose me too, I would lose all the things that make me¡­Jason but I didn¡¯t understand that you¡­after all this time you knew me more than I even knew myself.

    ¡°You already know what I fear and you have the strength to face off against them with what I know of the future. The threats, the Akatsuki, the caste system, the other great nations. I thought¡­ha¡­I don¡¯t even know what I was thinking, its just all so dumb now.¡±

    His scrunched up face lightened up with a smile and he set his hand out to me, ¡°I am like you. I am more than just a shinobi, more than a tool you can channel to intimidate and murder, more than a confidence booster. I am Yagura and I am capable of love and compassion, perhaps even more so than you. You¡¯ve neglected so many of my¡­our people because you wanted to distance yourself from the shinobi in me. Enough of that now, are you ready?¡±

    I glanced at his hand but he raised his arms up with a bright smile, offering an embrace. Is that what I look like when I am¡­happy, excited? So¡­cute.

    We met in the middle, right underneath Isobu and for the first time became one.

 Ways of Water

    My mind was hung in a stasis of rapidity, memories of past and future surged and clashed. The melding of personalities so different¡­experiences so stark in contrast wasn¡¯t violent, it didn¡¯t hurt, no, there was an unexpected synergy as one person completed the other. Wisdom, skill, compassion, fear, love, generousity, everything that made Jason and Yagura came together to become something new, someone new.

    I feel so¡­so strong.

    I floated in the eye of the Three-Tailed Beast, his giant red eye and yellow pupils gazed on our¡­my being. I was one. Yagura and Jason were no more two entities and as much as they made me I was looking forward to discovering who I was, who I would be.

    What¡¯s my name then? Am I still Yagura or Jason? I shook my head and felt Isobu blink, a wave washed over me as he bats his eyelid. Yagura, Yagson, Jagura¡­what did it matter? The world would see us¡­me as Yagura, Jason only existed within me, no one but Yagura and perhaps Isobu knew he existed. And now¡­does he still?

    The answer was a resounding yes. I could see him in my memories just as clearly as I saw Yagura. I remembered him watching me¡­Yagura on a device so odd yet familiar. I see Yagura¡¯s failure, the Akatsuki, war, a blonde-haired child of prophecy and thousands dead at the feet of a man responsible for the birth of the Blood Mist.

    Madara Uchiha¡­Obito Uchiha¡­Nagato¡­ They needed to be stopped. That was why Jason was here wasn¡¯t it? Or was it? Why did Yagura have to die? Why¡­why did anyone? My fists clenched beside me, I felt that strength turn meagre at the memories of those terrifying shinobi. How will I stop them?

    Another wave rippled over me as Isobu blinked. I raised my neck and witnessed the giant turtle, it¡¯s single exposed eye beheld me expectantly. I swam to an upright position, merely a toothpick compared to the giant being, it blinked and I felt the wave wash and push against my vertical body.

    ¡°I am Isobu. You may know me as the Three-Tailed Beast, but I am no beast.¡±

    I gaped, marvelled at Isobu as his words bubbled up to the surface of the ocean yet echoed loudly in my head. I nodded after a moment, ¡°I know you.¡±

    Isobu didn¡¯t look surprised, instead it blinked and said, ¡°You should, I live inside you.¡±

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    I could tell that was meant to be funny by the imperceptible way his eyelid curved, an actual eye smile. The fact that I was witnessing one made me smile more so than his overly obvious statement.

    ¡°Yagura-kun told me you needed our help, that you needed to see the deep. Are you alright now?¡± Isobu¡¯s calm and gentle nature couldn¡¯t be drowned out by the terrifying rumble of his voice, Jason always figured that he would be the kindest of the Tailed-Beast and it turned out to be true.

    I smiled as I nodded, ¡°I am, thank you¡­for helping me.¡± Isobu¡¯s head shifted ever so slightly yet caused a wave larger than his blinks to swirl through the ocean encompassing us. I didn¡¯t put too much thought into how I was capable of speaking much less not drown, instead I went on to press the matter I¡¯ve been wanting to broach with the Tailed-Beast living inside me. ¡°But, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll continue to need your help.¡±

    He blinked, waiting for me to continue and I couldn¡¯t, not without first asking what gnawed in both Yagura and Jason¡¯s mind about Tailed-Beasts, ¡°Are you angry? I mean, at Kirigakure, at me for keeping you caged up inside a seal¡­for trapping you.¡±

    The ocean was silent for a moment and I thought I¡¯d ruined the mood entirely along with my chance to ask for his aid but then his voice echoed, ¡°Humanity has always prefered to control their fears rather than understand them, I am one of those fears, for your village, your people, for humanity. I wish I could be free, undisturbed but unless I destroy every human around my oceans I will not and even then, humans are vengeful and relentless. In time again my peace would be disturbed, staying within you means I get more peace even with less freedom. You will die eventually and I will be set free once more, I need only wait to experience true waters.¡±

    That was...a very practical way of looking at things to say the least. Yet I couldn¡¯t help but apologize, ¡°I¡¯m sorry we are this way. I promise, I¡¯ll do everything in my power as the Yondaime Mizukage to make a world where you can be free and unmolested.¡±

    Again, silence fell over the ocean but Isobu¡¯s polite eye smile was there. I couldn¡¯t help but frown as it felt the Tailed-Beast thought me na?ve and my promise nothing but an empty sentiment with little power to change the true reality of this world.

    My clenched fist trembled beside me as I thought of the people I¡¯d have to go through to make my promise have some weight, ¡°Perhaps, I am too weak to make those words true, I am no child of prophecy nor am I the Sage Hagoromo, but I promise, with your help I will change this world.¡±

    The silence this time was born of stark surprise, I smirked at Isobu¡¯s wide open two eyes beholding me with an awe. Thanks for the tip Jason.

    ¡°No one has¡­my father¡­it has been so long since I heard his name spoken, I thought he had been forgotten.¡± Isobu sent one of his giant tails under my feet for leverage and drew me even closer to his eyes, ¡°Very well, Yagura Karatachi, Yondaime Mizukage, I will teach you the ways of the water. I will lend you my strength.¡±

 Awakening

    I was covered nearly head to toe in bandages when I woke up, I felt the pulse of chakra flowing through them, rushing to my abdomen when an intense burning sensation had me stifling a scream. I bit my cheek and bore the pain, it was nothing new for me, I¡¯d gone through worse when I¡­when Jason first woke up in this world.

    Isobu had warned that using his chakra would result in terrible agony until my body adapted to its intense toxicity. Harusame as well had warned as much, going as far to lower my expectations of having an easy time as a Jinchuriki by letting me know there¡¯s a good chance my body may never adapt at all. I had a unique body type after all.

    Still, neither Harusame nor Isobu were here to hold my hand or serve me nasty herbal tea¡ª though I wish I had some of that vile juice right about now. I was in a simple room with three chairs set around my bed and a table with bread, butter and tea. I sat up, groaning at the intense muscle aches throughout my arms, legs and most of all my abdomen as I did but I was successful and with the added height I spotted a mat and pillow laid at the end of my bed.

    Someone has been sleeping here with me. There was only one person I could think of that would bother so much as to lay a mat and bring his own pillow to camp at my side. A sad smile found my lips as I took in the rest of the room.

    There was a single window above the door, only large enough to ventilate the room. Even then there was a stagnant way to the air that let me know instantly that I was underground.

    Figures¡­I must have, Isobu¡¯s chakra must have¡­God I hope I didn¡¯t hurt anyone.

    I didn¡¯t remember anything beyond the memories Yagura¡­I guess, the memories I showed myself. I didn¡¯t feel Yagura the way I did before, I felt him as myself and at the same time Jason was still very much present in my manner of thought. It was all very confusing but I didn¡¯t bother trying to sort out my fused personality right now, I was Yagura to everyone including myself now. Jason was a blessing but that world¡­that man¡¯s reality had become the one I faced now, there was no need differentiating anymore.

    My attention turned to the door, it was huge, dark and made of the kind of metal I was certain would be difficult to break even with my strength¡ª not that I had much right now. There were people beyond it, I sensed Ao in particular standing stiff as a board at the left side along with another strong chakra presence I surmised as my ANBU guards.

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    There were others beyond the door but I sensed most of them above me, above ground. Likely ANBU patrols keeping watch and ensuring I was safe. How long had I been in the seal with my memories? How much time had I spent reliving the person I refused to accept?

    I sighed and began to shift my legs out of the bed. I felt their soreness before my feet even touched the ground, forcing me to flinch and limp and spill onto the nearest chair. My fallen weight nearly caused me and the chair to fall over but I managed and sat tiredly in it.

    I¡¯ve got to go see them¡­I¡¯ve got to apologize. No matter how long I¡¯d been under, no matter how jelly my limbs are, this visit is far overdue, I can¡¯t wait another second to see them, to say hello and apologize for my foolishness all this time.

    The heavy metal door groaned open behind me, I didn¡¯t bother looking over my shoulder as Ao¡¯s startled voice called out, ¡°Mizukage-sama¡­?¡±

    He must¡¯ve heard me being clumsy¡­ I tried to stand and he was by my side in an instant, his shoulder propping my arm up though his height nearly caused him to lift me up entirely. At this point I didn¡¯t mind, ¡°Ao¡­do me a favour will you? I need to go¡­I need to see them, my mother, Division 13¡­Kaoru. I failed them I-¡±

    ¡°Mizukage-sama!¡± Ao cried, I could hear him tearing up behind his mask as he held me like I¡¯d fall apart, ¡°You¡¯re awake, you¡¯re awake! Yagura-sama is awake!¡± He continued to praise, suppressing his tears rather poorly as a drop fell near my foot.

    I chuckled as he helped me walk out, his ANBU companion though masked looked as stunned as Ao felt. ¡°What are you waiting for? Get the chair!¡±

    The man jolted out of his reverie and quickly went and returned with a wheelchair I couldn¡¯t say no to. He questioned though, ¡°Should we¡­is it alright to move him?¡±

    Ao didn¡¯t answer and instead asked, ¡°We¡¯re going to that cemetery, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, take me there now please¡­¡± I hesitated to ask as he wheeled me out of up and out the underground clinic, ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡±

    Ao¡¯s voice quivered but he answered, ¡°A week and a half. The village has been looked after by Aoto-sama and the councillors¡­it¡¯s been difficult without you, Yagura-sama.¡±

    I breathed in my first taste of fresh air as Ao wheeled me out into the greater temple. Looks like I¡¯ve been on Turtle Island all this time. The sun kissed my skin as we escaped the temple, the ANBU guarding its interior and exterior gasped and murmured joy at the sight of me but my eyes searched the many ponds, lakes and statues for signs of damage. I didn¡¯t catch any but that didn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Did I¡­hurt anyone when-¡±

    ¡°Of course not, no, if anyone is doing hurt it¡¯ll be Lord Funato.¡± Ao sounded angry but he quickly coloured his next words, ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, Yagura-sama, I am just so glad you¡¯re back.¡±

    It seemed like goodnews was the last thing that awaited me upon my return to office, I wanted nothing more than to visit those I¡¯d neglected now but a week and a half did not unburden me from my responsibilities as Mizukage.

    ¡°No, tell me all that¡¯s happened, don¡¯t leave a single detail.¡±

 Remembrance and Resolve

    Sugimoto, Murai, Koshiro, Ryozo¡­all met their end in the war. I traced their names across the ocean blue war memorial plaque, a giant structure with a cushion for meals that would go uneaten, incense burners, several bouquets of wilting flowers and a plethora of weapons left to honour the deceased.

    All that was left of Division 13 was myself and Minako who, last I heard, was still recovering and learning to live with her disabilities. I pitied her so much now that I remembered she existed, a shinobi that couldn¡¯t wield a blade much less cast jutsu was as useful as the meals left at the foot of the plaque.

    I wondered how she¡¯s been all this time. The last I saw of her was in the very battle I remembered within my seal, with her lost fingers she had to be sent away from the battlefield entirely and since then, well, the rest of Division 13 met their ends in other battles and I became a Jinchuriki for Isobu and now, Mizukage.

    Knowing her she¡¯s kept her distance out of shame, an unwarranted shame. But I was no better, what was my excuse? Reincarnation? Becoming a Jinchuriki? I was still breathing for fuck sake.

    I resolved to visit her someday soon and pulled out a stick of incense, lit it with the provided match and placed it in one of the burners. I stood in silence and breathed in the scent yet my nose registered nothing, Isobu¡¯s chakra had done a number on me and several of my senses aren¡¯t what they were. I¡¯d recover but it was annoying right now.

    So few of Division 13 had their bodies returned to Kiri to be buried, Sugimoto, Murai, Koshiro and Ryozo weren¡¯t among those fortunate enough to return and so their engraved names on the giant plaque with a multitude of others back to back was all the solace left for those who remembered them.

    My legs trembled from standing a mere thirty minutes, aching to sit back in the wheelchair but I refused. Standing till, the incense burnt in it¡¯s entirety was the least I could do after¡­abandoning the memories of the comrades that sacrificed their lives for me, at my orders, for their village which I know protect as Mizukage.

    How ignorant I¡¯ve been. Jason was not all I was and he never should have been, his pointless confusion and anxiety prevented me from seeing the truth, from remembering the lessons that gave me the strength he so abused. No more, no more.

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    The journey by boat to the mainland had given Ao more than enough time to summarize all that¡¯d happened in the time I took to become myself again. This village was a mess.

    My knuckles whitened at my side as I recalled all he recounted, the Yuki and Kaguya being abused at Lord Funato¡¯s orders, despite the fact that I¡¯d gone out of my way to provide a place for the Kaguya and explicitly made it known that only Shizu Yuki would be executed for her crimes, he¡¯s gone on to move against my will and why? Just because I slumbered for a week and a half?

    I took in a breath and caught a whiff of the incense at last, it smelled like¡­like Kirigakure. I don¡¯t know the method behind it but whoever manufactured these sticks managed to capture the nostalgic scent of home. That¡¯s nice.

    Light footsteps creeped behind me and for a moment I expected to see Lord Funato but it only took a second for me to relax my fist as Uncle Aoto stood beside me. He didn¡¯t say a word, even his breathing felt suppressed. I glanced over and his eyes seemed to glaze over the plaque, finding and reading names that more than likely meant something to him.

    He didn¡¯t pick a stick of incense nor did he offer any platitudes, he just stood there, his huge self standing by me patiently. I thought he¡¯d at least say hello or talk about the many fires he¡¯s been running around trying to put out in my absence but no, he stood still and breathed.

    This¡­is nice.

    We stood in silence for minutes as I waited for the incense to finish burning. When it did I let out a heavy sigh and said, ¡°So¡­how have you been?¡±

    I met his teary eyes and before I could react his arms were wrapped around me, dragged into a giant bear hug as he stifled a sob. Startled as I was I couldn¡¯t refuse the warm embrace, it was filling like no other and so I leaned into it, grateful I had him for it.

    He set me free eventually and asked, ¡°Do you¡­want to go see her?¡±

    Again, not the question I expected but I was thankful for the consideration. I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯ve already been there, seen them both.¡± Mother¡­Kaoru. Their resting place was the first place I had Ao take me.

    I gave a bow to the burnt incense and the plaque of my forgotten comrades before leaning on Uncle. He helped me fall into the wheelchair and began wheeling me forward.

    ¡°Where to?¡±

    ¡°Ao let me know what Lord Funato has been up to with the Yuki and Kaguya¡­¡±

    Uncle didn¡¯t say anything for a moment, ¡°He¡¯s an old man stuck in his ways.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a disobedient toad.¡±

    ¡°Or that¡­You¡¯re awake now, there won¡¯t be any more problems.¡±

    ¡°No, there won¡¯t.¡±

    Again silence reigned as Uncle digested my meaning before he asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    I thought for a moment. I hadn¡¯t given it a shred of thought since I woke up but what I needed to do was obvious, ¡°I¡¯m going to get stronger, I am going to make Kirigakure stronger and anyone that gets in the way¡­well, they¡¯d better be stronger than me. War is looming isn¡¯t it? The Daimyo must be anxious now.¡±

    Uncle hummed, ¡°Ha¡­what happened? With the Three-Tails why¡­what happened?¡±

    I looked over my shoulder and found his expectant, curious gaze and smiled, ¡°An awakening.¡±

 Final Judgement

    Lord Funato, Lady Megumi, Aoto Karatachi, Junko Hoshigaki and finally, Hidaki Yuki. All five clan heads were present at Bar Beach along with a host from each of their clans, all come to bear witness.

    The announcement had been made the moment I could walk on my own¡ª which didn¡¯t take longer than four days though my peak condition was still some weeks away. Not that it mattered right now.

    From my place among the clan heads and a clutch of my personal ANBU guard who are ever more vigilant, I watched with a bitter apathy as Shizu Y¨±ki was slowly paraded up to her death.

    By the time she¡¯d come up to where I could see her the snow white dress she wore was stained with all sorts of susbstances. A crowd of civilians and shinobi alike had long since gathered, greedy, opportunistic vendors who couldn¡¯t pass up the chance to make a profit sold eggs, fruit and even stones and clumps of metal for those with reach and daring to pelt the condemned woman.

    The scent of fried fish, meats and even ramen cooking wafted all the way over to where I sat with the clan heads, the crowds cheered, booed, cursed and jeered as they drank themselves, their boredom and bloodlust to stupor. I found drowning them out to be particularly easy now that I have become myself, this was mild in comparison to what I¡¯ve witnessed during the Sandaime Mizukage¡¯s reign.

    Shizu Y¨±ki was already bleeding, nearly swollen by the time she reached the gallows, still, she stood firm and looked out at the roaring crowd and then down at us, the clan heads, her clan head. Her wrists were long since bound but now so was her neck as she bent to let the hangman¡¯s knot wrap around it.

    Reina Yuki volunteered to be the one to bring her to death rather than Hidaki himself and I had no qualms with that, as much as Lord Funato nagged that her allegiances were split and not wholly belonging to me, I knew it was the most kindness I could allow.

    Reina stood at attention, her aura radiated a demand for silence that was felt throughout the racous crowd without uttering a single word. Once their noise had fallen to quiet murmurs and mutters she announced, ¡°Mizukage-sama, the convicted will now give her final words.¡±

    Shizu muttered thanks to Reina as she stepped off to stand by the lever that would pull the floor from her feet. Shizu glanced around, examining the crowd as if searching for someone before finding Hidaki¡¯s eyes. He was steely and unmoved by her attention as he should be, a shred of sympathy or remourse would be used against him and the clan politically on top of the execution, he couldn¡¯t afford that.

    Shizu smiled and said, ¡°If an innocent must die to invite change, so be it, but let it not be mine. Take care of my children. Long live Kirigakure.¡± She gave a curt nod and the crowd began their noise once more.

    As expected, Reina didn¡¯t hesitate even for a second, she pulled the lever and the floor came undone, sending Shizu Y¨±ki, a proud kunoichi, a mother, wife and idealist plummeting to her neck breaking death.

    I was beginning to hate my job.

    ***

    Shizu Y¨±ki¡¯s body hung out for the public to decry. None were allowed to desecrate her body any further but it would hang for two days before being taken away by her family, a family that now suffers scorn and ire more intense than that directed at the general Yuki clan now.

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    Lord Funato and perhaps even Lady Megumi spared them not and ensured everyone with ears willing to hear or not knew of Shizu Y¨±ki¡¯s crimes against the Sandaime¡¯s family. It¡¯s not as though the man was a saint and Lady Megumi is no priestess either, but I was present in that meeting when Rina brought evidence of the death threats. Even now her mother was a mess of tears and possibly mentally incompetent.

    But an eye for an eye made the world blind and I knew that while Hidaki and the Yuki clan had been cowed, if they are allowed to stay in the village without addressing the many issues that caused the Y¨±ki incident to occur in the first place, another eye would be blinded.

    And so the man stood before me at my office in the Mizukage Tower. The ¡®festivities¡¯ continued on at Bar Beach but I couldn¡¯t stomach another moment there.

    Hidaki wore the face of a defeated man, disarmed and paralysed in reflection of today¡¯s events. I would give him a moment to digest, breathe and recover some of the stature and visage befitting a clan head but I couldn¡¯t let this simmer.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking well and healthy, Mizukage-sama, I am glad.¡± He said, his lips moving on their own while his voided eyes stared past me to something that surely wasn¡¯t there.

    A week and a half without the Mizukage in seat wasn¡¯t something you could hide from clan heads, even those place under an informal house arrest so I wasn¡¯t at all surprised nor did I care. I narrowed at him and snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t give me platitudes, Hidaki, I know you hardly mean that.¡±

    His eyes regained some focus and his lips some measure of conscious movement as he said, ¡°I do.¡±

    I inhaled deeply and sighed, ¡°Hidaki, I will not apologize for Lord Funato¡¯s actions in my absence but I will have you know that I do not approve, it is not the direction I want to take in regards to your clan, not at all.¡±

    He cocked his head, curious and I continued, ¡°Still, that does not mean his fears are unfounded. The I&C division hasn¡¯t found anything on the members of the Y¨±ki linking them to either the Sandaime¡¯s death or the Kaguya attack, but Reina Yuki¡¯s interview has revealed that the Y¨±ki has existed for much longer than my councillors or I ever imagined. We simply can¡¯t say what crimes, if any, the Y¨±ki are responsible for.¡±

    Hidaki sat up in his chair, visibly gulping as his eyes spoke of dread and fear, ¡°What will you do to us?¡±

    I would smile at his nervousness if it wasn¡¯t warranted and this wasn¡¯t so depressing, ¡°I will protect you, Hidaki. In fact, I am willing to do more than that if you only work with me, do your part.¡± The pit of despair had left his eyes and he was at the edge of his seat, hanging off my every word, ¡°The arrested Y¨±ki members will not be returned to you, instead they will fall under my direct and personal command and supervision at the Mizukage Estate, yes¡­right alongside the Kaguya.

    ¡°I will provide, nuture and give them opportunities to strengthen their Bloodline abilities without fear of persecution, they will serve my purpose without question and become as loyal as my ANBU without being initiated by the time I¡¯m done. I am not my predecessor nor am I my councillors. I am the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure and strength is all I care about, if you cost my strength, I will make you bleed.¡±

    Hidaki inhaled, sitting up straight as his eyes widened in surprise, ¡°And what will be my part?¡±

    I nodded, ¡°I am no fool. I know after this¡­no, long before this, there will be sympathizers and overeager zealots within your clan looking to find retribution for what they believe is an injustice. Put a cork on that before a single report of it finds its way to me, Hidaki, if an incident like Shizu and Hisako should repeat itself, if proof of crimes against Kirigakure, past or future should surface, I will not be so merciful.

    ¡°Do this and losing your privileges, properties and investments as a Major clan will be a paltry concern as I will raise you to seat on my council. Fail and I will feed you to Lord Funato, do you understand me, Hidaki?¡±

    He almost jumped to his feet as he took a deep bow, nearly postrating himself as he screamed, ¡°Yes, Mizukage-sama, thank you!¡±

    ¡°Good, we have a lot of work ahead of us, do not hesitate to speak to me if you find yourself failing.¡±

 Remnants Plight

    Reina Yuki and Kisame Hoshigaki stood before my desk. Uncle was the only other person in room though he wasn¡¯t here specifically to hear from the two nigh S-rank shinobi about their excursion. He¡¯d become more or less a mistletoe that haunted me wherever I went nowadays.

    I couldn¡¯t blame him, my body was still a bit sore from Isobu¡¯s chakra and he¡¯d almost lost his favourite nephew, his pride of the Karatachi clan and his Mizukage. Still, that didn¡¯t mean I was some fragile vase that needed to be watched and monitored, I appreciated the concern, the care in fact, but I was beginning to feel weak for it.

    Uncle wasn¡¯t the only one either. Despite my insistence that the Three-Tails wouldn¡¯t escape me Harusame was deathly insistent that I keep my bandages on for at least another week, just to ensure the safety and strength of the seal. He wouldn¡¯t even let me explain my success in getting through to Isobu within the seal and I doubted he cared either way.

    And much like with Uncle, I couldn¡¯t blame him for his caution; as Kirigakure¡¯s Fuuinjutsu Master he was responsible for everything that required sealing, including us Jinchuriki. In the end, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to disobey as the fallout of my week long coma and the release of a torrent of Isobu¡¯s chakra fell squarely on his shoulders. No one would dare blame me, the Mizukage, at least not to my face.

    I scanned my decree transferring the Yuki and Kaguya over to the Mizukage¡¯s Estate as well as my personal supervision one more time¡ª it was a complicated string of laws and orders that needed to be created first to allow this decree to exist, a ton of paperwork that had my hand cramping from all the signage but it was done now.

    I folded the decree up in its scroll and looked up at Reina, I should simply hand it over to her now since Owl Mask and she were the same person but there was a formality and protocol to these things; she was here as Reina Yuki, a Jounin returned from an extensive mission not the chilling ANBU commander delivering and enforcing my laws throughout.

    A tired sigh escaped my lips and Uncle¡¯s looked up from Konoha¡¯s gifted copy of Icha Icha Paradise to narrow a critical gaze at me, I ignored him and finally acknowledged the two Jounin again, ¡°Now then, Reina, Kisame, your mission was clearly a success but I haven¡¯t had a chance to read either of your written reports on how it went. But I¡¯m sure if any of that matters you¡¯ll tell me now, but first, I need to know what to expect of the Kaguya, these are clearly non-combatants aren¡¯t they? Who is in charge of the clan now? Any idea what they think of Kirigakure and how many have manifested that Bloodline of theirs?¡±

    Reina took a rigid step forward, keeping her form formal and firmly at attention as she answered, ¡°We discovered the Kaguya¡¯s hiding place in Kurokami-jima and made our approach. They were not actively hostile to outsiders, they seemed timid, meek and long beaten into submission; the antithesis of the Kaguya that attacked. However, they became to bare some teeth when we announced they¡¯d be moved from their place, as they had so little grown adults with them few of the men and women present were willing to oppose us but they did not hesitate to make their displeasure known, they attempted to protect their children, parents and grandparents with dulled knives, sickles and other farming implements.

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    ¡°Kisame made a display of feeding one of them to Samehada, they fell in line and begged for mercy afterwards but as we began our journey there were several attempts to abscond, many setting their children loose into the forest when they thought we weren¡¯t looking. We recovered all that attempted to escape and everyone is accounted for at present.¡±

    Here Kisame deigned to speak up, which wasn¡¯t a thing he often did during these reports, ¡°Ahh, I should mention¡­the Kaguya are plenty old and weak. Their young are infants and there¡¯s nearly no bridge between them, water clones alone weren¡¯t enough to patrol them entirely but they were quickly bought to proper submission with good clothes, food and proper shelter. Reina-taicho¡¯s Ice camps especially made them feel safe from the Bloodline Killer armies we took pains to avoid. The immediate threat to their lives made us a lesser evil.¡±

    Reina nodded in agreement and said, ¡°We were the lesser evil but still evil nonetheless, at least in their opinions. They whispered theories of their destination and purpose amongst themselves; at first the entire village was united against us even though they followed our commands but after a few close encounters with said armies their theories began to splinter. A majority still believed they were being sold into slavery as retribution for their peoples attack on Kirigakure¡ª they¡¯d learned of this incident from Kisame during one of his more¡­aggressive tirades.¡±

    She side-eyed Kisame but the man stood shamelessly, burgeoning on a grin even. Reina went on with the report, ¡°Others recounted the past, the Yuki clan was saved from Bloodline Killers during the era of the First Mizukage and they held hope our limited¡­kindness, would translate to the same fortune. It¡¯s my assessment they thought this way because I was present with them, the children with manifested Bone Abilities especially saw us as saviours, not just from the Land of Water but from their clan¡¯s oppression as well.¡±

    I smiled up at Reina hearing this from her, almost the complete opposite of what she was all about when I first assigned this mission to her. She wanted them dead, saw no reason to shepherd the remnants back when their kin had killed one too many of our own. And now¡­her brows furrowed and lip curled in annoyance as she knew all too well what I thought.

    She sharpened up her visage and wrapped up the report, ¡°Overall, the remnants of the Kaguya clan are nothing like their fellows that attacked Kirigakure over two months ago. They are timid, fractured and abused people who would rather abuse their own children at the slightest sign of a troublesome Bloodline. I believe sealing away their Bloodline is something they would consider a blessing rather than a curse as they live in fear of their own and the fear of those that fear them. They will do whatever it takes to stay alive.¡±

    I breathed her final words deeply and stared at the two as a single question continued to nag at me, ¡°If that is true then¡­why did they send a force to attack Kirigakure? Why risk retaliation, extinction?¡±

    Kisame and Reina shared a look before stating in unison, ¡°They didn¡¯t.¡±

 The Matriarchéˆ¥æªš Tale

    There was an unmissable tension as Reina and I walked down the gardened avenue leading past the Funato clan¡¯s territory and into mine, the Mizukage Estate. There were more eyes on me than usual, well, perhaps not more but the sensation, the intent behind those stares were starkly different from what they usually are, even Reina could feel it.

    She and I shared a knowing glance but said nothing through our walk. If Uncle were here he¡¯d certainly said something, spoken the obvious and itched to press one of the many eyes for what their concerns were. But I¡¯d left him behind on purpose, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to do so as he had his own duties he¡¯s been neglecting over the week and half he functioned mainly as a councillor; the Karatachi clan needed at least one of us looking after their needs.

    Beyond the Funato Botanical gardens that decorated the surroundings of the Estate, beyond the gates still guarded by Funato clansmen who I personally felt were a bit sluggish in their movements opening the gates to Reina and I, beyond all of Kirigakure that now fell at our backs as we stepped in was the Mizukage Estate¡ª My Estate.

    The renovations and extra constructions weren¡¯t done yet¡ª though I was beginning to have a feeling that Lord Funato had something to do with those delays¡ª but there were more than enough homes built around the magnificent mansion I¡¯d soon be calling home.

    According to the report Junichi submitted about the Estate contractors progress, there were at least twenty-six new homes built around the surroundings, with twelve of them on either side of the Mansion which happened to be the first thing your sights fell on right off the cobbled road running through the first ten streets.

    I could see the intention behind such asymmetry already; even here, within my Estate there was segregation. But that was alright, the Y¨±ki assigned to the left side of the Estate might be in a difficult situation but it couldn¡¯t be worse than the Kaguya at the right side. Plus, the village has had a history with the Yuki clan, people would be mad, furious at Shizu Y¨±ki¡¯s betrayal but they didn¡¯t know any other Y¨±ki by name nor could they assume Hidaki Yuki and his clan were all complicit; I hadn¡¯t declared it so.

    At least, that¡¯s what I hope. Lord Funato is making things harder than they should be.

    It was surprisingly easy to deal with a councillor that didn¡¯t meet my values. The entire reason he held power was because of the association his seat on my council assured him. I may not be able to remove him from his seat without actively plotting his death but I didn¡¯t need to, the council existed to take votes on matters in my absence and advise me on the proper path, against repeating history and ensuring my intentions for Kirigakure were pure and intended to strengthen and protect.

    But there¡¯s nothing stopping me from simply excluding him from my meetings, there¡¯s nothing stopping me from ordering my ANBU to guide my path so I don¡¯t cross his, there¡¯s nothing stopping me from ignoring his existence.

    It wouldn¡¯t be a week before other clan heads and even the lower caste learned of the falling out between Lord Funato and I, and that¡¯ll just be the beginning to his end. He would soon be nothing more than an ¡®Honoured Elder¡¯ as I was in the process of writing new law and decree to make his demotion from Councillor to Honoured Elder as honourable looking yet wholly legal and damning as possible.

    I¡¯m done playing nice.

    We took a right turn into one of the less construction messy streets, Reina began leading the way from this point. I¡¯d heard from Junichi¡ª who was utterly ecstatic to have me back at the office¡ª that she came by regularly to inspect the homes built even before I¡¯d woken up to rescind Funato¡¯s foolish order to group the Kaguya with the Yuki clan. Reina¡¯s not-so sudden change of heart about the Kaguya was the entire reason she was escorting me today, else I always planned to introduce myself to them on my lonesome.

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    From the reports she and Kisame wrote up for me I knew the Kaguya had taken to seeing her as a model of what their life could be, especially the Bloodline children, the kids that had suffered their mothers and fathers fear, caged up and kept away for the sake of the whole. In truth, those children were the most important people in the Kaguya clan right now, the ones with power. If I am to make them mine I¡¯d need to make myself as glorious as Reina seemed to them, but that surely was a low bar.

    Reina made the last turn into an actual finished house, two stories of beautiful redwood, a garden space just behind and something like the remains of a campsite, but that was odd. Why camp when there¡¯s a home right next to you?

    I didn¡¯t voice my confusion, today I was here not for the Bloodline children of the Kaguya but for their Matriarch, the old woman the Kaguya mad man spoke of before I killed him that night during my first month as Mizukage. She would have the answers, why her people dared to touch a hair on my citizens.

    Reina placed a hand on my shoulder and took a deep inhale, I smiled and followed her example to calm myself, if Reina said the Matriarch didn¡¯t send them then she didn¡¯t deserve my wrath, those that did already got their due.

    She was polite enough to knock and it was only a moment before a middle-aged, dark haired woman opened the door. It was odd how much she looked like the Kaguya from that night yet I sensed nothing but humility, thankfulness and excitement as she gasped at Reina then screamed inside, ¡°Obaachan! Yuki-sama is here!¡±

    The lady threw herself into Reina who stood stiff as a board with her fingers twitching with indecision as she accepted the embrace. I grinned up at her and she groaned, pulled the woman away, ¡°Let¡¯s sit inside, Akane-chan.¡±

    So named Akane had one more thing I noticed, on her forehead was a red, clearly unnatural symbol that glittered with chakra. The Bloodline Seal. While Harusame was taking care of my own seal Eiko carried my orders to the tee and inflicted every Kaguya that stepped into the village with a Bloodline Seal specially made to restrict the use of their bone manipulating abilities, I had nothing to worry about from the Kaguya, no one did. They were essentially civilians.

    I walked into the house after Reina and felt a wave of terrible nostalgia wash over me as on every side and corner was a Kaguya simply existing. They were majorly women and teen girls with infant boys and girls in their charge. Some knitted sweaters, others picked beans, while others plaited beads into their hair and dyed their fingers red with dried leaves.

    My presence quickly disrupted their activities and the house fell to silence as one by one the Kaguya gathered themselves out of sight. I didn¡¯t mean for them to leave but at the same time I was grateful, all I kept thinking of was the house full of their clansmen I had to crush. Not the right mind set.

    Eventually, Akane returned with an impressively wrinkled old woman who seemed to glare with her eyes shut. I smiled just at how adorable the granny was and how sad it must¡¯ve been aging within a clan like hers. She had a scarf tucked around her neck and two looped locks of dark hair that bracketed the Bloodline Seal that stained even her aged forehead.

    ¡°Mizukage?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll be me.¡± I said, tempted to set my hand out for a shake but didn¡¯t, ¡°I¡¯ve brought Reina, Yuki-sama with me.¡±

    She smiled at that and Akane helped her move towards a seat, Reina saw her struggle and lent a hand. We sat adjacent one another in a parlour with some of the picked beans left on the centre table in the living room, the entire house smelled like a proactive community.

    ¡°I am Yagura Karatachi, Yondaime Mizukage.¡± Akane stood behind the old matriarch as she kept silent while Reina came to sit by my side. I looked over at her, silently questioning if the old lady would say anything else and she shrugged. With a sigh I continued, ¡°I am here for the truth. Months ago my village was attacked by an army of Kaguya, Bloodline wielding and non-bloodline wielding. They refused to surrender and I was forced to decimate their force save a few prisoners, my question is why?¡±

    Her lips moved but so little sound escaped. Akane bent over to listen and in a moment she straightened up and said, ¡°Obaachan wishes to tell you our history, will you listen?¡±

 The Matriarchéˆ¥æªš Tale (P2)

    Akane¡¯s voice was soft and careful as she picked and summarized the Kaguya grannies quiet story. Sat on a stool beside her, she listened before she spoke again, ¡°Whether Kurokami-jima, Ryuujima or Shizukishima, we have known all as our home. Before the first wars we knew of sister tribes, traded and celebrated festivals in honour of our forefathers. Now, we only know those who are and those who aren¡¯t.¡±

    I pursed my lips at Akane and she leaned in to receive the explanation. The granny whispered softly even my strained ears could only pick out a couple odd words before I grew bored with the incomplete sentence.

    Akane sat up straight to continue, ¡°It was after I bore my first child that I finally understood what had been done to us, what remained then and what struggles to exist now were parts of Kaguya shed away from itself, the clan divided in two. Children of the bone are given to their elder ilk, stolen away from their parents, given away, even sold.¡±

    The granny shuddered as she narrated in Akane¡¯s keen ears, ¡°I feared what I had to do, my firstborn, a child of bone could not survive with those unlike her. She was but a girl when her fingers left her, multiplied¡­hurt someone. I begged, pleaded but so had been our way, children of the bone belong to the bone. They were gifts then¡­stolen gifts we served to our mirror clan, the one who protected us, took the ire of the many homes we traversed. Now we see them no more as trash, a blight of certain tragedy¡­one to be locked away or slaughtered to save a weaker herd.¡±

    I narrowed and leaned out to listen closer. Her words were¡­I couldn¡¯t make an idea of things just yet but there seems to be more.

    ¡°Now¡­now our mirror is broken, few so remain, perhaps you have slaughtered the last.¡± I didn¡¯t miss Akane¡¯s sharp, brave glare as she spoke but it disappeared sooner than I blinked, ¡°Be it the last or not, this mirror found us, fed us, sheltered and trained the children of bone amongst us restraint¡­more than we could ever give them. They took those worthy of battle and protected us from the Daimyo and his Bloodline killers. They bought our safety from Lord Yakubi, struck at the heart of his enemies, reaped their ryo, sold their women.¡±

    Akane took a sharp breath and I noticed she spoke ahead of the granny, as though recalling herself, ¡°And then one day, they returned soaked in blood, screaming for more to quench their thirst and for¡­for the head of the strongest in all the land, you, Mizukage-sama.¡± I gulped at that even though the threat had long passed. Akane listened and translated the granny¡¯s erratic breaths and sighs to words, ¡°That night, Inari-kun was not himself, he was not Inari, he had forgotten all, everything and could not sit still. He danced yet he¡¯d never so much as smiled, he laughed and drank, bathed in Yakubi¡¯s stolen treasure and screamed at fire. He was mad, Inari-kun had become undone somehow.¡±

    I breathed deeply, ¡°The others were like this too?¡±

    Akane nodded and granny murmured, ¡°They were so mad we feared for our lives and dignity around them. They tore their clothes to display their prowess with their bone. Granny says she remembers the tradition but it was never so¡­animalistic.¡±

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    Reina and I shared a puzzled look and I turned to ask, ¡°You said the Daimyo and his Bloodline killers were after you, how do you know it was the Daimyo?¡±

    Akane heeded the granny¡¯s whispers, she nodded intently to her words and said, ¡°Compared to our mirror clan, we were weak but that is how it was meant to be, so we would not be feared, so our mirror would take the fear and be strong for it, for us. But we did not leave ourselves defenceless, we used to have men before we became a host of women and children and those men fought off the Daimyo¡¯s Samurai enough times to earn us escape. The times they failed were against shinobi that wore no affiliations or hid them.

    ¡°They were the bane of our mirror clan, persistent and blood thirsty as they¡¯d suddenly become. But before the night Inari and the others went mad, those shinobi were nothing more than nameless enemies. But Inari found out for certain, he¡­granny thinks he was given a hint, met a man that told him to let a stray shinobi free and find where he returned.¡±

    Reina scoffed, ¡°And this nameless, faceless shinobi returned to Kirigakure? Am I wrong?¡±

    Akane frowned but shook her head. Before she could speak I had to voice my own question, something wasn¡¯t fitting right with this story. ¡°But you said Inari went mad with the others? How did he have the sense to trail a shinobi when mad?¡±

    At this Akane stared at her granny who paused before deflating with a whisper, ¡°I do not know but he followed a trail and at the end was you, the Mizukage.¡±

    Reina almost jumped in her seat, ¡°Wait¡­which Mizukage?¡± Akane looked confused and so she pressed, ¡°We have had four Mizukage, which one did he want to kill?¡±

    Akane looked expectantly at the granny but she wasn¡¯t forthcoming with any leads so she shrugged. I pulled Reina close, ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s jumbled. First they say the Daimyo¡¯s the one attacking them¡­I mean, it¡¯s easy to see every Samurai as the Daimyo¡¯s especially when you¡¯re on the run from them, but¡­the Mizukage¡¯s are distinct. Maybe the Kaguya were led on by someone to kill the Sandaime because¡­well, they never tried to assassinate you.¡±

    I shrugged at the last part, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put that against them, they were mad apparently. But¡­you¡¯re onto something¡­let¡¯s talk later, outside.¡± She nodded and I turned my attention to Akane who quickly spoke first.

    ¡°What do you want with us?¡±

    I put on a magnanimous smile, ¡°First, we should correct some things. The Daimyo is fighting for the preservation of Bloodline users; his enemies are your killers. Second, Kirigakure has had nothing to do with the Kaguya until you attacked, whether your¡­mirror clan was led by deception or not is up for debate but¡­I am of the same mind as the Daimyo, remember my name well because it is my forgiveness that absolves you of the sins your mirror clan has made you inherit.¡±

    Akane still looked unsure but I had other matters on my mind so I stood and Reina stood with me, ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure meeting you, I hope you enjoy the space the Estate provides. Ensure you use it well, no neglect, we will talk soon.¡±

    With that Reina and I left the house and found the Kaguya that excused my presence earlier had relit the campfire outside. I shook my head, knowing it would take great efforts to integrate the Kaguya into the way of doing things here but right now it mattered little, they weren¡¯t hurting anyone and even believed themselves guiltless.

    All I had to do now was keep them safe and make them flourish alongside Kirigakure¡­yeah, that¡¯s all I have to do.

 Shadows Stir

    Black and White watched the one called Reina Yuki be escorted out with a trail of children and teens leaping at her feet. It was the third house on the street she¡¯d been to, received and sent off with the same energy. Less in houses with more adults but even then, the sentiment was set, the Kaguya were pleased with their would-be captors.

    It infuriated Black so much¡ª ¡°It doesn¡¯t infuriate me.¡±

    White paused for a thought and said, ¡°But you sound so angry already.¡± Black growled but White snickered, ¡°It can¡¯t be all that bad, that boy¡­Ina..something, he did well! Killed a good number of the¡ª¡±

    ¡°And then the Yondaime Mizukage crushed him in a house!¡±

    White hummed a silly tune, ¡°Seee? You are angry! Sing with me and you¡¯ll breathe easy again!¡±

    ¡°Grrr! Enough, the Mizukage wasn¡¯t supposed to find them out so soon, they could have killed more but¡­mmm, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered. This Yagura¡­he¡¯s strong.¡±

    White had to agree, ¡°And stubborn too. He should have exterminated the entire clan but instead he builds them a home?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous behaviour, he wasn¡¯t supposed to do that.¡± Black rumbled.

    ¡°We should have stopped him but how?¡±

    ¡°That might be beyond our mission scope, remember, Obito needs us to make them suffer while he prepares to visit¡­home.¡±

    White hummed, single eye tracing Reina until she disappeared into another house, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we returned to check on here then, they clearly aren¡¯t suffering enough.¡±

    They receded into the ground together, their watchful eyes travelling across the Kirigakure within undisturbed moments. Zetsu¡¯s face peeked at their new environment from a station on the roof of a highly protected and watched room. They had to be most careful here, it wasn¡¯t the Mizukage¡¯s Office directly but the room they spied on was situated within the Tower and watched at all times by multiple squads of ANBU.

    Kirigakure wasn¡¯t very trusting of their guests. Moving across the roof Zetsu phased through walls to find their next target, the Konoha Shinobi sent to liaison Kiri and Konoha together. It¡¯s only recently Zetsu learned of such an arrangement and along with other anomalies like the Yuki and Kaguya being sheltered rather than slaughtered, coincidence was quickly becoming a pattern¡ª Yondaime Mizukage will be a problem.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Zetsu to hear the voices of one Genma and Aoba, he¡¯d listened in on them before and their plot to do well by their Hokage was far too boring to stand, inconsequential drivel that couldn¡¯t turn into suffering for Kirigakure.

    ¡°There! Signed, dotted, stamped even. Hokage-sama will know it¡¯s from us and trust it.¡± Genma said, he and Aoba sat about a scroll, both looking very unsure of themselves or rather, frightened, ¡°What do you think will happen when he learns the Mizukage is a Jinchuriki?¡±

    Aoba shrugged, ¡°What do you think will happen when he learns we don¡¯t trust our mission captain?¡±

    That made Genma gulp. He rolled the scroll up and shook it at Aoba, ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, Hokage-sama always taught me to look underneath the underneath and I¡¯d say there¡¯s several underneath¡¯s here I¡¯m not seeing, he has to know.¡±

    Aoba was about to say something but like last time, Zetsu found them all too boring, their plights would be useful against no one save that Danzo but they are already about to throw a hedge in his plans. What were his plans? Did they involve Kirigakure suffering? Is that why they mistrusted their ROOT captain? Zetsu doubted anything he could gain would be worth the effort but just in case, as he moved through the building down to the earth they split off a clone to eavesdrop on the ROOT-nin.

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    In all their time knowing Kirigakure, knowing Hidden Villages, there have always been rifts, fractures in the conglomerate alliances of clans and families that made them so powerful. He would find as many of those cracks and make Kirigakure suffer for it.

    Zetsu slinked through the earth, under the foot of ignorant and vulnerable idiots until they were right underneath a beautifully terse conversation. The Funato clan compound was nothing to write home about but they were numerous, even when at war the clan remained a hub of activity simply from those underage or too weak to participate.

    They were the first among clans or so they told themselves, Zetsu let their eyes peek over floorboards and listened to them moan.

    ¡°-taking us for granted, taking you for granted!¡± A large, loud man was yelling above a gathering over nearly fifty other Funato clansmen, all shared his furrowed brows and sneers. Together they addressed an ancient of days, the one known to all as Lord Funato.

    Another man stood, adding fuel to the spark of dissatisfaction clearly brewing, ¡°We are the descendants of the First Mizukage! Funato! That is our name should you need reminding now that we are all but forgotten by the Mizukage! Ignoring our Lord should not be taken lightly, we must make it known!¡±

    ¡°Kidou is right.¡± Yet another spoke up, leaning out on his tatami at the front to press his head to the floor, ¡°Funato-sama, let us protest Mizukage-sama¡¯s injustice against you, against the trust the First Mizukage placed in you as councillor!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Protest? And end up like the Yuki?¡± Zetsu brought his attention to a burly man with a kanji of Sea tattooed on his left arm. He was the only one not sitting, preferring to lean against a pillar as he scanned the room. The clansmen¡¯s murmurs clamped down to listen to his words.

    ¡°Whether the Yuki did something to Lord Third or not, they are prosecuted now for speaking out against the Mizukage. Our clan maybe essential since founding but if Yondaime-sama is phasing us out, going as far as ignoring my grandfather¡­it means he¡¯s made up his mind.

    He turned to his grandfather, ¡°I heard Reina Yuki is basically the Kaguya¡¯s caretaker now, she visits nearly every day.¡± He shrugged at the listening clansmen and sighed, ¡°Now, I don¡¯t know what goes on in that tower, maybe she¡¯s working undercover, getting to know their names and favourite foods so they can be poisoned later or something¡­or maybe, maybe what we¡¯re seeing is the beginning of a new era, an era of Bloodline users! An era where we don¡¯t matter and will matter even less if we get in the way.¡±

    Ahh, envy. Zetsu licked his lips as the hall blew up at the tattooed grandson¡¯s words and yet all the while the Lord Funato sat still with his eyes shut as he breathed careful breathes. Zetsu saw the chance, the opportunity for chaos and suffering but not in the old man.

    What is your name boy?

    He bore the charisma, knew his people¡¯s fears well and had the courage to speak up. Best of all, if Zetsu did his clan math right¡­yes¡­he¡¯d be in line to succeed. A brilliant idea for due suffering was blooming but first they¡¯d need to research, make the proper steps or fuck it all and kill the decrepit old man. Either way, an interesting matter for later.

    Zetsu slinked back into the ground, glad to have found at least one sure rift to tear the village apart so soon. He travelled back to the Mizukage Tower, ensuring his presence isn¡¯t noticed by any of the many sensors loitering nearby and quickly found the pesky Mizukage in his office.

    Out of caution, Zetsu listened in from the wall of the next room, there were a myriad of seals guarding the Mizukage¡¯s Office from intrusion, nothing they couldn¡¯t get through if they wanted but the effort required along with the piss poor setting would make his chances of being discovered higher than they¡¯re comfortable with.

    ¡°-movements against Kurokami-jima for a week now, Fuguki-san thinks there will be an attempt soon though and by Lord Yakubi¡¯s messages, so does he. As far as Mei and Daiki, two reports have come in since you were...indisposed, Yagura-sama.¡±

    There was silence for a moment before being broken by near anxious speak, ¡°What do you need us to do? We won¡¯t fail, I won¡¯t.¡±

    Zetsu recognized two voices immediately they spoke; Raiga, wielder of the Twin Kiba, and the infamous Reina Yuki. Silence prevailed for a moment longer and Zetsu wished he would allow himself the risk of visuals on the office.

    ¡°Recall Mei and Daiki, Hanzo¡¯s men will fight their war themselves.¡±

    Hanzo? Why..what? When!

    The Mizukage continued speaking before either could affirm, ¡°Extend an invite to them if they change their mind, this Pein figure will most certainly bring them their deaths once he finds them.¡±

    Nagato? How¡­why is this Kage poking into Amegakure?

    ¡°¡°Sir!¡±¡±

    Zetsu slinked away at once, there was pressing need to gather their thoughts on Kirigakure¡¯s sudden interest in Amegakure. He¡¯s discovered Pein so soon and neither of them are ready for the attention of Hidden Villages. I already know that! I¡¯m just saying, maybe we should tell Obito. No, he sent us here to make them suffer. Whatever this Yagura Karatachi thinks he¡¯s up to all we have to do is remind him there are more pressing matters at home. Ahhh, I see now, so¡­kill the old man?

 Morning Surprises

    I was startled awake by the sounds of activity in the early morning. I¡¯d heard them through my sleep and felt, and knew there was no need to bother about the people moving about my house, or more accurately, mansion. I had Ao and his squad of ANBU protecting me, there wasn¡¯t a place for the intense paranoia I awoke with.

    Still, it surprised me to see the double door swung open and Junichi creeping closer like a being out of my nightmares. He smiled wide and broad at me as he hovered at my bed¡¯s end, waiting for my first word and it was, ¡°Why are you in my bedroom?¡±

    He made an odd face and squatted to retrieve a folder, ¡°You don¡¯t remember? Last night you said-¡±

    As soon as he¡¯d begun speaking of it, the memory of my trashy order came roaring back. I held up my hand and nodded, pulled myself upright and sighed, ¡°No, no, I do. Wake me up in the morning no matter how much I drink, damn it Uncle.¡±

    Junichi nodded eagerly, ¡°Fortunately I didn¡¯t actually need to wake you up, merely opening the doors seemed to stir you from slumber, you¡¯re a very light sleeper, Yagura-sama.¡±

    I shook my head clear and rubbed my eyes free of gunk, ¡°Water please.¡±

    Junichi startled, set the folder down on the bed and hurried out to fetch me some water while I nursed the headache threatening to ruin my day before it¡¯s begun. Yesterday was my last day with the bandages, I was full health, full strength presumably too. It also happened to be moving day for me as well.

    I had interests to take care of now at the Mizukage Estate and while the Tower was the hub of administrative brouhaha, I could always have my work brought to me at the Mansion¡¯s Office that¡¯s already been set up or clock in for official sittings or document retrievals.

    It didn¡¯t matter where I ruled Kirigakure from, not anymore anyway, what mattered now was ensuring its people felt safe and secured. What better way to shut up all naysayers by taking charge of the accused Y¨±ki and the sealed Kaguya?

    I picked myself up from bed, felt my feet reacquaint with the cold, unfamiliar floorboards and sighed. Uncle sure knows how to throw a party.

    Stepped out into the corridor I expected to see Ao by my door but he wasn¡¯t there. He was somewhere close by but I couldn¡¯t be bothered putting the effort into looking. The corridor was cleaned of all sign of Uncle¡¯s housewarming party, almost like my mind was cleaned of most memories of what happened. Sake, a lot of meat, sencha just to tease me and¡­women?

    Women¡­? There were women somewhere and as I reached the end of the corridor, almost getting drenched in my cup of water thanks to Junichi¡¯s hurry, I heard the soft crackle of laughter emanating from within the house.

    ¡°Thank you, Junichi.¡± I gulped down the glass and pressed it back into his hand before walking on down the stairs. He ran back into the room and returned with his file folder.

    ¡°Breakfast is ready.¡±

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    ¡°Hmm, I can smell it.¡± My stomach could nearly taste it too, I hurried down the steps out of hunger as much as curiosity, ¡°You live here now¡­right?¡±

    Junichi nodded, ¡°Yes, as per your suggestion. It would be easier to aid you if I were closer.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­that makes sense.¡± At the bottom of the steps I caught the faint flicker of a dress as it disappeared into a room I recall playing darts with Uncle in. ¡°Where is¡­where is the kitchen? Or the dining? Where¡¯s my breakfast?¡±

    I was up but I wasn¡¯t making a lot of effort to stave the drowsiness off my eyes, the mansion was an unfamiliar necessity, learning to navigate it would take some time. Uncle said he¡¯d help Harusame ward it, I suddenly remembered. It had its own securities from the First Mizukage¡¯s era and a bit of the Second but they never bothered warding the home extensively.

    Junichi ushered my way into a large dining room, the chandelier Uncle spun and spat senbon at hung delicately above a long table with numerous chairs. More chairs than I believed I needed but staring at them I felt my memory twist as I recalled that no, it wasn¡¯t just Uncle and I partying away, my clansmen and women took part.

    Clansmen¡­ the word felt distant from what the attendees truly were¡ª family. Cousins, adoptive Uncles and friendly aunts and would be sisters. Despite Uncle¡¯s boisterous personality he couldn¡¯t bridge to gap between I and them, it had been so since I was hailed as the Karatachi clan¡¯s latest prodigy and now, I was their Mizukage.

    I didn¡¯t expect them to get all comfortable with me over a single party but¡­it was some progress to humanizing me in their eyes, letting them know that their Mizukage was¡­family. I expected this was fell into Uncle¡¯s plans as well, I couldn¡¯t ignore that fact that as clan head he¡¯d leverage the fact that I¡¯m Mizukage to his advantage but I really didn¡¯t mind, the Karatachi were the backbone of my authority and if a party helped make them stronger, all the more.

    I sat and waited with Junichi by my side, he stared expectantly at me and then at his folder, I sighed, ¡°Go on with your report if you have one, Junichi.¡± I haven¡¯t spent enough time around my Hoshigaki born aid, I could understand the young man¡¯s awkwardness though as he¡¯s suddenly moved into a mansion to do his job.

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± He flipped through, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve recorded several meetings planned for the week and there are a few you can address today. Kisame wishes to broach a matter at the Seven Swordsmen Headquarters.¡±

    The clatter of plates and cutlery amongst the scent of my encroaching breakfast had me growing impatient but I asked, ¡°Do you know what he wants?¡±

    Junichi squirmed a bit but straightened a second after, ¡°He must¡­I couldn¡¯t say, Yagura-sama.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh¡­¡± I¡¯d gotten Junichi as part of a deal with his clan head that never actually went through to the end. Junko mentioned Kisame would come to request his enrolment into the Seven Swordsmen someday but I doubted that day would be this one.

    He nodded and continued, ¡°The council requests a meeting, well, a continuation of a meeting.¡±

    At that I sighed, Junichi wouldn¡¯t know the details of the meeting itself as I hadn¡¯t let him get that close but it was getting repetitive with Lady Megumi begging for my forgiveness on behalf of Lord Funato and Uncle not caring one bit, eager to discuss village concerns like the rampant shinobi perpetuated crime and the lack of trade merchants, as well as the not so simple matter of Hanzo¡¯s men still being alive and seeking help from Kirigakure to take back their village.

    Junichi hesitated but went on to read, ¡°A special request to meet you came in yesterday, though I didn¡¯t get a chance to tell you. It¡¯s from a high ranking official of the Daimyo¡¯s court¡­Princess Hanako?¡±

    Sleep banished from my eyes at her name. Hanako-hime, the Daimyo¡¯s sister and official liaison to the capital for Kirigakure. According to Uncle she never did anything but when she did¡­

    ¡°Ugh, let¡¯s start small then. We¡¯ll meet Kisame after breakfast.¡± Said breakfast promptly arrives at my table, served up by two porcelain skin ladies of very different backgrounds.

    I stared at the two, one clearly of my clan and the other, a branded Kaguya. Fuck, I really need to remember what happened yesterday.

 Challenge for the Seven Swordsmen

    There were many buildings that could be considered fortresses in Kirigakure. My Tower was the most obvious of course but right next to it would be the ANBU HQ which had a layer of extra security to it as its location was secret to anyone without proper clearance. Then the Sensor Division HQ, Intel and Communications and now, perhaps my Estate as my presence naturally heightens security wherever I am.

    But so few of these places embodied the definition of a fortress, the only one that does right at first glance would be the Seven Swordsmen Headquarters. On approach it exuded a dark and imposing aura, fog and treacherously infested waters surrounded it on all sides.

    Junichi and I walked over the single rickety bridge that narrowed down a fog shrouded path before giving sight to its entrance, a massive stone gate adorned with water dragon and wave carvings¡ª it looked like the dragon was a kami wielding the waves as its blade.

    While I was almost certain most of the threatening features on approach¡ª the creaky bridge, cold fog at our feet and imposing art¡ª were little more than theatrics, I was a bit concerned the Seven Swordsmen hadn¡¯t taken time to address fraying infrastructure.

    Junichi didn¡¯t seem bothered, no, in fact the young man I always felt was a bit too timid for my tastes was grinning ear to ear, his eyes sparkling with marvel at every dust mite and crude light fixture as we made our way inside.

    ¡°Is this your first time here?¡± I decide to ask, make conversation for the sake of getting to know the shinobi in charge of my daily schedule. At some point I¡¯d like to bring let him closer to secure matters of state but right now, I feel his loyalty lies more with his clan than it does with his Mizukage.

    ¡°Ah...I¡¯ve been here once before, with my mother. But I never made it past the bridge or the fog, I thought it would give away and drop me into an abyss of mist where I would never return from unless I beat the greatest Swordsman, Fuguki-sama. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen the stone gates.¡±

    I nodded, smiled, ¡°Well, I hope it¡¯s all you hoped it would be.¡±

    The stone gates in question swung open without a word from either of us yet on the other side there wasn¡¯t a sign of anyone that managed the gates. I briefly wondered how that worked before Junichi¡¯s excited gasps cut my attention.

    Waterways flowed throughout the fortress, creating a tranquil atmosphere with the soothing sounds, though I knew that as well could be used as an intimidation tactic. Right ahead was the Grand Hall, a vast space littered with tatami mats and weapon racks, several swordsmen were already practicing their various Kenjutsu kata under the eerie glow of lanterns. Tradition said none should stop once they¡¯ve begun but several did to bow a greeting to their Mizukage.

    Unlike Junichi, I¡¯d been here before; it was the dream of many young boys to become a great swordsman worthy of wielding any one of the seven legendary blades and I was no exception.

    We entered through the east wing and so right before us were the modest personal quarters of the accepted trainees that chose to stay and sharpen their skills under the tutelage of the legendary swordsmen with hope to one day be deemed worthy of a legendary blade themselves. The few open rooms we glimpsed as we strolled were decorated with calligraphy and weapon stands reflecting the residents Kenjutsu style.

    A sense of nostalgia washed over me at the sight. Though I didn¡¯t stay long as an acolyte of the Seven, I learned enough to know that Kenjutsu wasn¡¯t suited to me.

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    Junichi continued to marvel and I simply chuckled, as a semi-alumni or rather, dropout, I pointed out that the Armoury where the unassigned legendary swords were safeguarded was nearby, in the West Wing right alongside several other great treasures pilfered by past and present Swordsmen.

    ¡°Where did Kisame ask to meet?¡± As fun as living through the nostalgia of my boyish days were I couldn¡¯t stand the ¡®huts and ha¡¯s!¡¯ of the practicing swordsmen for too long without getting a headache. Not to mention I had a council meeting to attend soon.

    Junichi hummed for a second, looked around and pointed with a surprised gasp this time, ¡°Junko-sama!¡±

    Sure enough, to my right was the tall, boyish and shark toothed woman that ran the Hoshigaki clan. She cat walked over in tight fitted trousers and a two inch heel. Her long fingers were adorned with rings and her grinning lips stained with azure coloured lipstick. Her eyes were concealed behind sharp tipped sunglasses¡ª a useless accessory in Kiri but perhaps a weapon in itself¡ª and her short hair bobbed with every grandiose step.

    Forgetting himself, Junichi ran out to her with a grin, prattling on instantly about how marvellous everything in the fortress was. She was pleasant for a moment before squeezing his shoulder and placing a stern, smiling stare that shut him up. She held his hand and walked over to me, ¡°Mizukage-sama, it¡¯s nice to see you again, it¡¯s been too long.¡±

    ¡°I believe it has, you seem to be faring well as always.¡±

    She chuckled and wrapped her arm around Junichi¡¯s neck so his height forced him under her armpit as she ruffled his hair, ¡°Of course, you blessed my aging skin by taking this one off my hands, thank you, even though you never took my offer you didn¡¯t renegade on what you¡¯d already done for me and the clan, I am grateful.¡±

    It was too late to anyway. I¡¯d already sent Kisame off with Samehada with Reina and introduced Junichi to the Tower staff. Plus, Kisame as Samehada¡¯s master is something I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing earlier.

    ¡°Kisame asked to speak with me here, I have some idea what he is intending but I don¡¯t have any intention of seeing it through, not today at least. Where is he? Is that why you¡¯re here as well?¡±

    She smirked and started leading the way, ¡°Why yes, got to be there for family. Kisame¡¯s in the meditation garden but the others are in the council room.¡±

    ¡°Others?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Mangetsu-kun from the Hozuki is here to try out, that granny seems to be shoving him into every shred of power, I hear you¡¯ve taken him up as an apprentice? Pupil?¡± She shrugged before I could say anything in response, ¡°Fuguki is present of course, as is Juzo, witnesses.¡±

    ¡°Witnesses¡­right.¡± I rolled my eyes and overtook her, ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with then.¡± Without thinking about it my legs carried me to the meditation garden where several sat still as statues under the shade of ancient trees and the lull of musical wind chimes¡ª I idly wondered how many were truly asleep rather than nearing their enlightenment.

    Kisame sat at the top of the stairs that led to a large basin of water. Once my eyes set upon him he stirred, rose to his feet and bowed before walking across the garden with hushed footfalls for the sake of those deep in sleep or their meditation.

    ¡°Yagura-sama, thank you for coming to witness.¡± He said, his entire demeanour held nothing that resembled the wild, ravaging Kisame I knew. Perhaps he found something in his meditation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, now, Fuguki?¡± Somehow Fuguki and Juzo had appeared behind us. Fuguki didn¡¯t look away from Kisame, he towered over all of us and his intense gaze bore that weight.

    ¡°Kahahaha, this will be fun to watch.¡± Juzo said.

    Junichi, Junko, Juzo and I gave Kisame and Fuguki space to stare each other down before rather suddenly, Fuguki pulled Samehada from his back to blindly hand to Juzo he grabbed it with ease though the Shark Skin bristled at his touch.

    Kisame stepped up, ¡°Honoured Mizukage, esteemed Swordsmen, and respected Fuguki Suikazan,¡± Kisame begins, his voice clear and resonant. ¡°I, Kisame Hoshigaki, formally challenge Fuguki Suikazan for the right to wield Samehada, the Shark Skin Blade. I believe it calls for a new master to further its legacy and serve Kirigakure and its Mizukage.¡±

    Fuguki¡¯s eyes narrow as Kisame continues, ¡°Let our duel determine the true bearer of Samehada. May the outcome reflect the spirit of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.¡±

 A Price for War

    I fell into my seat with a heavy sigh and took off my hat as Lady Megumi and Uncle formally bowed at my presence in the council room. They took their place on tatami mats and glanced at the empty spot between them as they¡¯ve done since I stopped sending council alerts to Lord Funato.

    ¡°Junichi, Ao, make sure no one disturbs us.¡± I spoke lightly as it was a repeat command and Ao at least would hear it the fourth time. I gave the command to let my councillors know without directly speaking to them that I wouldn¡¯t be entertaining any devil¡¯s advocates. Not today.

    Lady Megumi still looked like she wanted to say a word for her oldest friend but she swallowed whatever to replace it with, ¡°Aoto whisked you away before we could fully discuss Amegakure.¡±

    I nodded, Uncle had gotten the most recent messages from Mei and Daichi while I was unconscious and it revealed that not all of Hanzo¡¯s men were dead and gone. Some managed to pick out a fellow shinobi in Mei, and Daichi performing his own counterintelligence quickly discovered them being tailed, watched and documented.

    It wasn¡¯t long before our agents had a sit down with the remnants of Amegakure¡¯s old regime, fortunately it was peaceful and gave a decisive answer to the question of Hanzo¡¯s death or life.

    Of course, I knew from Mei¡¯s first reports that the Salamander was dead and a part of me wishes I¡¯d recalled her back to Kiri then, but having her stay a while longer to observe and eventually meet the remnants of Hanzo¡¯s men was truly a blessing.

    ¡°What¡¯s left to discuss? I¡¯ve given Mei¡¯s team the okay to come back home, Amegakure is a dead end for what I had in mind with Hanzo dead.¡±

    Uncle adjusts himself on his mat, ¡°Weren¡¯t they also there to find out if Ame had a hand in the Third¡¯s passing? It might be a little redundant to keep looking at dead ends as you say four months into your reign but, isn¡¯t it worth knowing if this¡­Pein had something to do with it?¡±

    I shook my head but Lady Megumi was quick to reinforce Uncle¡¯s point, ¡°That¡¯s right. Mei¡¯s report highlights this Pein as the central figure responsible for overthrowing the Salamander and from the little she¡¯s written about her discussion with Hanzo¡¯s men¡­well, I¡¯d think he has a grudge against the Great Shinobi Villages.¡±

    I sighed, this is where the blessing becomes complex. Unlike me my councillors didn¡¯t have the full picture, they didn¡¯t have their persona¡¯s fused with a soul carrying knowledge of future and past.

    What can I say to calm them? I breathed a sigh and worded carefully, ¡°Hanzo¡¯s men are eager, they see agents of a great village and they think they¡¯re saved, that they can mete out their vengeance on the pseudo-Kage that¡¯s killed their Salamander Lord. However, that will not be us, we haven¡¯t the time nor any reason to. I admit I was interested in bargaining an alliance with Hanzo but now we know he¡¯s dead, I¡¯d rather recall our agents than let them prowl under the gaze of a man we know nothing about beyond his killing of Hanzo.¡±

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    Lady Megumi pursed her lips in thought, glancing by Uncle who met her squinted gaze. She inhaled to say something but hesitated.

    ¡°Please, speak your mind.¡±

    She nodded, ¡°There is always opportunity for alliance whether new or old regime, we¡¯re a great village, we have the bargaining might even if this Pein has some grudge against us. And since he does, we have reason to unmount him from that seat with one of Hanzo¡¯s men, an eternally grateful and loyal puppet. Beyond that¡­these figures, Pein and an Angel, I¡¯ve never heard of powerful shinobi within Amegakure outside Hanzo¡­and they killed him.¡±

    Lady Megumi smacked her belly and set a piercing gaze on me, ¡°My intuition says they have something to do with my son¡¯s death and that you¡¯re hiding something, Yondaime-sama.¡±

    Uncle looked between us, his lips parted to defend me but I raised my hand and wore a smile as Lady Megumi¡¯s wrinkled eyes stared me down, ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll tell you. Hanako-hime has requested a meeting with me, I¡¯m meant to see her today but I asked she join me to watch Kisame and Fuguki¡¯s duel.¡±

    Both councillors bristled at the news, ¡°Have you decided? She will surely call Kirigakure to war, will you accept?¡± Uncle asked.

    ¡°Yes, I wouldn¡¯t want to leave the man that crowned me to the gallows but of course, there must be a worthwhile price. Which is what I wish to discuss.¡±

    Lady Megumi shook her head as if we were about speaking nonsense so I said, ¡°You are correct about Ame and its new leader, Hozuki-dono, but for now we must focus our efforts here, in Kirigakure and the Land of Water. I do not believe Pein is responsible for the Third¡¯s death but I bear enough suspicion to believe he¡¯s related in some way.¡±

    ¡°If you felt that way why didn¡¯t you order Mei and Daichi to kill them?¡± She kept her voice mild but there was no question about her mood, she was near furious.

    ¡°Mei and Daichi would not nearly be enough to take on a man capable of bringing down Hanzo the Salamander.¡± The honest truth. ¡°I intended to visit Amegakure myself, have my presence make them sweat until they couldn¡¯t help but expose their misdeeds but alas, when does the Mizukage ever get to leave his village?¡±

    A half-truth. I once planned to visit Ame with hopes of meeting Konan but since becoming myself I realize I don¡¯t have the strength for such, not even if an army accompanied me¡ª the loss of life would be too great. But I will and soon, between my own plans to strengthen myself and Isobu¡¯s Jinchuriki training, the Daimyo¡¯s war would be a testing and boasting arena for the strength I intend to grasp.

    ¡°Calm yourself, Lady Megumi, I may have abandoned investigating Pein personally but I know someone else that may be just as interested.¡± I said with a bright, all assured smile.

    ¡°Konoha¡­¡± Uncle muttered, putting the pieces together instantly.

    ¡°Yes and we¡¯ll make them pay just for knowing. This council meeting is about price, trusted councillors.¡±

 Duel of Minds

    Duels in Kirigakure were a big deal, a huge deal that carried the same energy as a celebration as it often meant a new Swordsman was to be born. But besides that, it meant another Swordsman candidate would be raised to take Kisame¡¯s place should his challenge prove him worthy of the blade he desires.

    And so, it took less than a day for invites to find those who weren¡¯t invited and more. Dozens and dozens of wannabe swordsmen, true masters of Kenjutsu and simple novices scurried from their independent schools to have a chance at glimpsing what Kirigakure considers true Kenjutsu.

    Vendors were ever ready and already enlisted to provide food and beverage for those who wouldn¡¯t have the slightest chance at witnessing the duels themselves but waited, camped to hear a rumour or even an official decree of the winner from those that did witness.

    Kisame and his gutsy was the talk of the town apparently, not even the fact that the Daimyo¡¯s cloistered sister would be in attendance right beside the Fourth Mizukage, no. Kisame¡¯s daring to challenge Fuguki, the head of the Seven Swordsmen for nearly a decade when he didn¡¯t even have a legendary weapon to wield was the true enticement.

    To be honest, I was with the mob in this. I felt absolutely nothing when Kisame voiced his challenge in my presence to note but waking up on the morning of the duel to attend and watch his fate be decided had my palms sweating.

    What remained of Jason felt something was very off about Kisame not wielding Samehada and part of the reason he so easily conceded to letting the blue skinned man have a ride with the legendary blade was to fix that feeling. I couldn¡¯t say that it mattered anymore whether Kisame or Fuguki wielded the blade, as long as both teetered at S-rank and bolstered Kirigakure¡¯s fighting force, I would be satisfied.

    But still, the unease wouldn¡¯t leave and so I directed my thoughts to Hanako-hime as I approached the crowded stone gates of the Seven Swordsmen with Uncle and Lady Megumi in tow.

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll take the ask well? All either of you have said about the Princess is that she¡¯s quiet, I know, but¡­what kind of quiet?¡±

    As I spoke the shinobi among the cluttered crowd seemed to notice me and my councillors. They took it upon themselves to yell orders at the civilians and smack their juniors into form. Two lines of shinobi, some Genin, some scarred Chuunin with faces I now recognized but few I could put names to.

    They used their bodies to split the crowd in two, I gave the Chuunin I recognized a curt nod and a tilt of my hat¡ª some I knew from mission reports with their Squad Jounin and others I knew from the war.

    The mysterious mechanism behind the gates opening and closing sensed our presence and creaked ajar, just enough for myself and my councillors to enter without anyone else sneaking past, though I wished to invite some of the shinobi who cleared my path, especially those that served in the war with me. In the end I kept moving forward as Lady Megumi spoke at my flank.

    ¡°She is¡­well, we haven¡¯t had much time to determine that. But it shouldn¡¯t bother you, as soon as she brings up the war you bring up our price.¡± She snorted as she fanned herself, ¡°We aren¡¯t asking for much anyway.¡±

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    I hummed. The tense energies of the participants inside and the increased vigour in those left to train summoned that sense of nostalgia in me again, ¡°Yes, not much except well, except everything.¡±

    Uncle shrugged, ¡°If you don¡¯t take the gamble now¡­there might not be a better time or a more desperate Daimyo. If his opposition wins¡­¡±

    ¡°Right, goodbye Bloodlines.¡±

    Uncle and Megumi had come up with a simple ask for the Daimyo as a reward or rather, condition of Kirigakure joining the war. He was facing Bloodline Killers and Kiri had recently gotten a Kage most interested in keeping Bloodline users safe and nurtured.

    Total annexation of the Lords perpetuating said killings. As a mild supporter of Bloodline users¡ª if only for his fascination¡ª the Daimyo shouldn¡¯t have any issue letting Kirigakure govern the lands those Lords will leave behind. But he¡¯s no blind man, he¡¯d see clear as day that his influence would shrink and become dependent on Kirigakure even more than it is now.

    We already had semi-command of about three of the Daimyo¡¯s islands, including Turtle Island and its meagre inhabitants. If you throw in the mainland on which Kirigakure is built and hidden with measures of absolute control and security that outmatches that of the Daimyo as well, then we¡¯d have control over four out of eleven fiefs.

    Add the two islands controlled by the Bloodline Killers and we¡¯d have six, suddenly the Daimyo wouldn¡¯t look so hot. But if it came to negotiations my councillors were willing to cede military command over two of the Daimyo¡¯s islands we secured in exchange for absolute control of two. It was as fair a deal as war profiteering got.

    Lady Megumi shook her head and crinkled her nose as we entered the main arena where just about all the important fights took place; a crowd of shinobi, wealthy civilians and aspiring legendary swordsmen clamoured for the victory of their chosen.

    Their collective stench left much to be desired even though the crowds were portioned in an incomplete hexagon around the stage. The stage was a raised large stone platform covered in sand and decorated with the same images of the Water Dragon cleaving waves against each other.

    There wasn¡¯t any boundary to the platform except its edge and beyond in which a large pool of water awaited any of the participants unfortunate enough to be knocked out so fiercely. I imagined the waters infested by sharks and allowed myself a relieved laugh, thankful this wouldn¡¯t be another battle to the death situation. A single stairway led up to the platform and above that was where I and other so honoured guests would spectate.

    I looked up to find Junichi already trying to gain my attention as if I didn¡¯t know where I belonged but then, beside him on a long chair was a face that soured my mirth instantly, ¡°Funato¡­¡±

    Megumi and Uncle followed my gaze and found their peer seated, completely ignoring their presence as though he hasn¡¯t already noticed we were coming up. Lady Megumi shrugged unfazed and perhaps a bit mischievous, ¡°What, did you want him away from here too?¡±

    ¡°No¡­of course not, this is a public event and he¡¯s warranted a place at my side here at the very least.¡± I said, making sure to sprinkle some truth into my fat lie. If I could banish Funato from my sight without absolutely causing a scene that would backlash against me I would¡ª I was just getting used to life without him and now he shows up.

    ¡°Worry not, Yagura-sama, he must know his place well now, everyone does.¡± Uncle said with a bright, reassuring smile. ¡°He won¡¯t cause you any headaches, I¡¯ll make sure he doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°No¡­I have a better idea but I doubt Lady Megumi will be comfortable with it.¡± We¡¯d reached the top of the stairs already but I lingered to say this. The aged but ever shrewd woman turned and smirked, ¡°How would you feel about doing exactly as I do?¡±

    She frowned and tilted her head, ¡°What? You mean¡­ignore him?¡± Her eyes went wide and flitted from Uncle to me before she regained her composure and reluctantly said, ¡°For today, anything for you, Yagura-sama.¡±

 Ask and...

    The novices and acolytes entertained us first. Well, I say entertained but to them, this was a series of ranked matches that would determine who they¡¯d fight next and how close they were to becoming a candidate for a legendary sword or even an apprentice of present legendary swordsmen.

    A lot of the nostalgia I felt from being here came from my childhood, I was not the only Karatachi child to aspire for greatness through Kenjutsu. Though, at the time I was as young as Mangetsu-kun and little more than Uncle¡¯s chess piece, I hadn¡¯t the slightest clue where I¡¯d find greatness and I took whatever path was open to me. Of course, I quickly found myself losing to those who had a firmer idea of what their greatness looked like, despite my acclaim as a prodigy.

    Below, upon the stage, two novices clashed against each other. One with all his strength and the other with deft feet springing him away from nearly every slash, kick and blow from his opponent. The crowds cheered and jeered equally for both and I could see seductively dressed women passing about a white box to hands clutching money.

    Kirigakure was many things as a shinobi village but its civilians, well, after living under the Third¡¯s regime gambling and other such vices were a favoured taste amongst the populace. Whether this was a result of the past war or the ongoing one, I did not know¡­yet. I had little grudge against those that would indulge but some modesty would be appreciated.

    I spared a glance over my shoulder and found one seductive woman with a white box hovering over Junko Hoshigaki¡¯s shoulders, leaned over to glean her whispers before stepping away to be unnoticed at the far end of the booth.

    It would seem whatever my intention for a healthy Kirigakure I¡¯d have to contend with players at the highest tier of my regime, but I knew that by now. Uncle was a deceptive drunk, Lady Megumi just about prostituted her granddaughter to me and Lord Funato¡­beyond his murder happy ways against anything with a Bloodline, I couldn¡¯t speak ill of him.

    He¡¯d greeted me when I arrived at the booth though I utterly ignored it. If he wasn¡¯t coming to apologize and readjust himself to my needs then the silent treatment would continue for all to see, even Princess Hanako.

    She impressed me. Her presence filled the booth of clan heads and councillors with the same measure of good behaviour mine did, perhaps even more. Her eyes were almond shaped and a captivating shade of amber that glinted with intelligence as she watched the novices fight, batting long, curled eye lashes each time her favoured novice gains ground.

    It was easy to tell the deft-foot young man and his tanto was in her favour because his movements, failures and gains were all that brought a reaction to her otherwise stoic, porcelain smooth features. Her full, crimson slick lips twitched in annoyance as the man¡¯s opponent gritted through his lacerating slashes to mount a solid blow to his chest, propelling him inches close to the edge.

    I smirked and gestured for Junichi who fell to my side within a second, I whispered into his ear, ¡°Find out what you can about that one, yes, the one about to be defeated.¡±

    The Princess was seated at my right hand side while Uncle and Lady Megumi were to my left. Only Lord Funato sat at Hanako-hime¡¯s right, I saw him watch Junichi leave with a painfully curious gaze and felt more joy at his exclusion. The longer it went on the more I felt it was the best punishment I could have given the old man¡ª irrelevance.

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    He leaned and muttered something to the Princess who only shook her head without ever looking away from the match. Her champion had just saved himself from taking a plunge and was straight up wall walking around his opponent, baiting the larger, violent man to come over the edge with him.

    The two clashed again but this time Hanako¡¯s favoured boy anticipated his opponents strike and lunged under it, slicing at his exposed armpit and then viciously at the feet. The large man tumbled with a hiss but was as unrelenting as Hanako¡¯s would-be champion¡ª the Princess was on the edge of her seat now, although rather subtly leaning outward to get a closer glimpse of her favoured struggling against the deadweight of his opponent.

    However, it was all for naught as the proctor kicked the clinging man down to the plunge before hoisting up Hanako¡¯s champion as he is declared so for this match.

    As the boy is taken away to a medic for healing the next match is set and its fighters arranged to face off on the blooded sands. I spied at Hanoko and found her interest waned, without her boy competing in this match I couldn¡¯t blame her but I figured this would be a good time as any to break words.

    ¡°You seemed enthralled by that fight, it¡¯s not often you see such, is it?¡± I said, minding my words as best I could.

    Hanako-hime faced me, her midnight black hair cascaded in lustrous loose waves as I got a complete view of her face. She was beautiful in the most obvious definition of the word, and her voice carried all the knowing of it as she spoke, ¡°It is a privileged I suffer, for my brother faces down opponents most willing to deliver death and tragedy. I would wish for us to switch places but then he would suffer knowing that I am in danger. Perhaps if I learned from these fighters I would be able to fend off his enemies someday.¡±

    Ohh kayy¡­right to business then. ¡°Your brother need only ask and he shall receive, has he sent you to ask?¡±

    She made an ugly face which merely ended up being cute in a pretty way, ¡°You make jests. I am here because you asked me here, I believed you had better news for me than more lures to spring debts and garner favours from him.¡±

    Ah, she¡¯s the spicy kind of quiet. The kind that bite hard with logic, fact and truths of reality whenever they spoke, small talk had no place with her because it was avoidance, sneaky and beneath her royal hide.

    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate you believe that, well then, if your brother won¡¯t ask then will you? Surely you have the voice to speak reason to him.¡±

    She raised an expensive eyebrow, ¡°Reason? What reason is there to holding off on your-¡±

    ¡°And the winner is¡­Momochi Zabuza!¡±

    My head whipped away from her and her snappy words so fast I almost got up to stand by the rail. Atop the stage was indeed Momochi Zabuza, he was tall but not as tall as the adult who¡¯s raised his hand to champion to the crowds jeering at his low caste name. He was shirtless and wore baggy pants that would be cut up in various places had he not absolutely lacerated his opponent, a poor older man who hugged the floor as he bled plentifully onto the sands, shrinking at the touch of medics come to hoist him away.

    Zabuza...Of course I¡¯d find him here. Then again, I wasn¡¯t really looking for him and neither was Jason but hearing his name roared under the jeers of low caste hate was more than enough to revive the memories of his iconic strength as the wielder of Kurikiribocho.

    I smiled and relaxed in my seat, the Princess had her stoic look on but I could tell she felt somewhat insulted by my sudden carelessness and so I apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you were saying?¡±

    She hmph¡¯d and turned away, ¡°What a reaction. He is of low origins is he not?¡±

    ¡°Zabuza? I suppose so.¡±

    With my eyes trained on the stage we didn¡¯t share many more words and the topic of the Daimyo and his war faded to the background of my growing glee to be reminded of Zabuza. I wondered who else I was forgetting.

 Betting on Blades

    As Junko placed her early bet on the obvious winner she couldn¡¯t ignore the judgemental scrunch of Hidaki¡¯s face a second time. They¡¯d been sitting well and fine in silence, ignoring each other in favour of the match they both had a poor viewing of thanks to being a tier lower in importance. But rather than stew and potentially bond over their common forgotten selves, Hidaki chooses to be a holier than thou ass wipe.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bet on your survival.¡± Junko said, loud and clearly towards Hidaki.

    The Yuki clan head turned a questioning, annoyed gaze, ¡°What?¡±

    Junko smiled at him and shrugged, ¡°You know, if they were taking bets on which Yuki gets strung up next,¡± She gestured a knot over her neck and an imitation of a strangled face, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have bet you escaped, surprised you did. Glad too, don¡¯t get me wrong, haha.¡±

    He sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t get you wrong? How am I supposed to get you then?¡±

    Junko threw her hands in the air, ¡°Anyhow but wrong. See, I wouldn¡¯t want death threats thrown into my turkey now.¡±

    Hidaki¡¯s knuckles whitened as his grip on his armrests threatened to splinter them. Junko merely grin and called for a platter of fishcakes but apparently Hidaki had something other than faces and worthless questions, ¡°If that¡¯s the case I would keep my mouth shut then, saying the wrong thing causes a fall as heavy as mine.¡±

    Junko laughed loud at first but quickly covered up her cackles to refrain from drawing attention from the Mizukage and the Princess. Aoto and Megumi didn¡¯t fail to notice though but neither spoke on it or even spared more than a curious glance.

    Composure restored, Junko leaned closer to Hidaki, ¡°You ought to know better than give worthless advice. My clan, the Hoshigaki, will never be in your position. We¡¯re loyal and better than that? We¡¯re not a threat.¡± Hidaki open his mouth to retort but she didn¡¯t let him, ¡°Besides, you should take your own damned advice. Keep my mouth shut? You realize one word to that wrinkled old man and a slur of flattery to the Hozuki granny and you¡¯re done. Fucking learn your place.¡±

    Junko sat back and clapped mini claps as her platter arrived, she kept it all for herself of course as there was no one to share it with. If Hidaki had been polite enough to keep his judgemental faces to himself perhaps she¡¯d have given him one but now all he can do is stew with a clenched jaw that made her snicker after minutes.

    Keep my mouth shut, he says. Junko shook her head as the crowd roared for another victory in favour of the Demon of the Mist; Momochi Zabuza, or rather her fat cash cow. ¡°Hehehe, if there¡¯s anyone winning this little apprenticeship it¡¯s him, but low caste as he is...will he climb as high as he¡¯s merited?¡±

    She glanced over at Hidaki who¡¯s jaw was still in the process of unclenching. She shook her head and chuckled, forgoing any expectation of conversation from the man with the Mizukage¡¯s hand hovering over his clan. I can¡¯t say I blame him; I¡¯d be missing a few teeth for sure if I were him.

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    ¡°You could say the same for your Kisame. You bet on the right horse, Zabuza Momochi does seem likely to win apprenticeship, more likely than Kisame winning Samehada from Fuguki.¡± He spared her an utterly frosty glare, ¡°Don¡¯t overestimate your potential, Hoshigaki.¡±

    Rather than give into the urge to lay him out with the growing deluged of pride shattering sentences at the tip of her tongue, Junko nodded on like the wise clan head she so often pretended to be, ¡°That¡¯s a lot of advice in one sitting, Yuki-san, but tell me, what about Kisame have I overestimated? He¡¯s toe to toe with Fuguki in chakra reserves, he¡¯s bonded with the damn legendary blade so many have died trying to, he¡¯s nearly a master of Water Release and a brilliant master of Kenjutsu.¡±

    Hidaki actually snorted, a condescending smile tugged on his lips as he said, ¡°If you think Kisame is a master Kenjutsu user, no, even if he is, he¡¯s no match for Fuguki. You realize in another reality it¡¯s Fuguki sitting where Yagura-sama is now? He beats your shark-boy at every stage, including Kenjutsu, soundly I might add.¡±

    Junko picked and sucked at her teeth, ¡°In another reality huh. How you faring in that reality you¡¯re dreaming up? Yuki or¡­ Y¨±ki doing well?¡± She flicked away some remnants of one of the many meals she¡¯s had over the past hours and waved a hand at Hidaki before he could retort, ¡°Don¡¯t answer that, it¡¯d be pathetic. But Kisame¡­well, you could just as well argue that in another reality it is he sitting where Yagura-sama does or maybe even Raiga.¡±

    She tried hard not to cackle at the imagery but a few strained ones escaped, earning her a personal glance from the Mizukage himself. He merely smiled and turned back to his royal guest.

    ¡°Ahh, Hidaki-san, you¡¯re such a joy. But if you have any thoughts about placing a bet you should bet on my Kisame, he¡¯s going to win. Fuguki is a powerhouse of ninjutsu but this match, it¡¯s all Kenjutsu and that¡¯s Kisame¡¯s playground, trust me, I¡¯m a serial gambler.¡±

    Hidaki scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re the last person I would trust.¡±

    ¡°And the winner for his sixth and second to last match¡­Momochi Zabuza!¡± the Proctor roared, prancing Zabuza about the stage before setting him off. Junko stood to get a better look from her booth as the next match would decide the second finalist.

    To Junko¡¯s glee it was none other than Mangetsu Hozuki coming up to face some shredded man surely five times his age. Junko planned to keep to herself but after prodding at Hidaki how could she now?

    With a grin she hovered by Lady Megumi¡¯s side and asked, ¡°Mangetsu¡¯s been doing very well, I hear he¡¯s both Hozuki prodigy and Yagura-sama¡¯s apprentice. I wonder which came first.¡± She hummed too innocently.

    Yagura did nothing to show he cared whether or not she¡¯d said anything, the Princess was fully engaged in whatever she and he were prattling about all this time but the Lady Megumi wasn¡¯t so stoic.

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have become Yagura-sama¡¯s apprentice without first being a prodigy.¡± She said with all the pomp of a proud mother that made Aoto chuckle fondly.

    ¡°Oh is that how it is? Hmm, well, tell you what, I have every faith the prodigy and apprentice of our very own Yondaime-sama will win this fight, but what about the next? The final match¡­¡± Junko leaned closer, stuffing her face between the two councillors, ¡°The Demon of the Mist vs Hozuki prodigy, want to bet?¡±

    Lady Megumi¡¯s mood soured in a blink and she waved Junko away, almost smacking her in the face with her hand as did, ¡°Mangetsu¡¯s performance will speak for itself.¡±

    Junko grinned all the same, ¡°Ah, against a low caste demon, I sure hope so.¡±

 Proud Kage

    Junko¡¯s loudness wasn¡¯t for naught as it got the Princess and I talking again. Mangetsu¡¯s participation in these duels wasn¡¯t one I was aware of and surely had something to do with Lady Megumi¡¯s manipulations. It was fine except now everyone thought I¡¯d been teaching the boy and possibly grooming him to take my place as Kage whereas I¡¯ve only sat in the chair for four months.

    Mangetsu wore what I¡¯d always seen him with, a blue sleeveless, a wool scarf and three-quarter shorts that would usually hoist his pouches of ninja tools but that was abandoned for the single tanto sheathe attached to his back. He sported a couple injuries from previous duels that occurred before I arrived but otherwise looked ready to take down whoever was in front of him.

    ¡°Oh look, it¡¯s that young man you were rooting for, Hime. Junichi, what did you say his name was?¡±

    ¡°His name is Jin.¡± Junichi provided.

    ¡°Right, Jin, you must have a good eye for Kenjutsu, Hime.¡± I said.

    The Princess merely blinked, watching Jin test Mangetsu¡¯s blade with some unease, ¡°Not as good as yours, Mizukage, your apprentice will surely be triumphant.¡±

    That I couldn¡¯t deny so I simply turned it into another compliment, ¡°That you can see the outcome already speaks well of you.¡±

    She snorted at this and spared a glance, ¡°These are the finals before the main event aren¡¯t they? Your apprentice will face the one your vassals call the Demon of the Mist, I¡¯m not so sure I can see the outcome of that match, can you?¡±

    At that I fell silent in thought as I hadn¡¯t considered what Mangetsu facing off against Zabuza would look like until this very moment. The fact was Zabuza was a terror in each of his battles, not letting his opponent¡¯s blade even graze him while he shredded their muscle and tendons, chasing some to forfeit by tossing themselves off the edge so he wouldn¡¯t get them. Mangetsu on the other hand¡­

    ¡°Will you be disappointed?¡± The Princess pressed, eying me intently, ¡°Should your apprentice lose against a low caste demon as your vassal aptly described, would you be disappointed?¡±

    I breathed in and said, ¡°No.¡±

    She frowned, ¡°No? Isn¡¯t he under your tutelage? A prodigy of a great house? His failure shames you.¡±

    Again I said, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t and he hasn¡¯t failed. Mangetsu only recently became my student and between attending to my village and cleaning up after the Daimyo¡¯s messy war, I haven¡¯t the chance to teach him anything his prodigious mind hasn¡¯t already thought of.¡±

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    She leaned to speak but I didn¡¯t let her, ¡°And no, why should I be ashamed that he loses to who you call a lowly caste demon? I am beyond such discrimination, Hime, every one of my shinobi performing well means Kirigakure is performing well. Zabuza maybe a tad excessive in his violence but that is the nature of the things as my predecessors built it, excessive violence, the brutal, unequivocal conquest of those perceived to sit above it all is what it takes to be noted in this world, in the Land of Water.¡±

    She leaned back into her chair, tongue tied for a brief moment before spitting at me, ¡°You are much the same aren¡¯t you? Your succession, I did not attend but my brother went on about the terror your power instilled in your opponents, people you now lord over as Mizukage.¡±

    I smiled my pretty boy smile at her and to my credit, it worked dashingly as her eyelashes quickly bat away from my gaze, ¡°You¡¯re right, I am terrifying or I can be. But unlike Zabuza I already stood at the top and my Uncle sat in council already without me as Mizukage. However, like Zabuza, I wish to be acknowledged by all without prejudice dictating what I am or can be or can do. I want first a Land of Water where all islands stand as one, where the infighting ceases once and for all for harmony and inner peace to reign.

    ¡°Kirigakure has isolated itself for so long because of the fears it inherited from the Daimyo¡¯s of old. Your brother, he has the right idea battling against obtuse fools that would see the strength and glory Bloodlines bring dissolved in blooded waters. But battling against them will not be enough, not for this war, Hime. I am nothing like my predecessors, I dream of peace and I know well to prepare for war, ha¡­I must be prattling on and on to you when you only wish to hear one thing from me.¡±

    She shifted in her seat, the slightest movement billowed her scent through my nostrils, ¡°And what is that?¡±

    I sucked my teeth and wagged a silly finger at her, ¡°If you want to know then you have to ask the right question.¡± She rolled her eyes terribly and turned away all interest as I chuckled, ¡°Either way, every single person that¡¯s come up to give their best chasing after their dream, their passion. Every one of them is a strong, wilful Kirigakure shinobi that has what it takes to realize my dream and perhaps¡­even yours as well, Hime.¡±

    She bit her lip and scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s not them I doubt, it¡¯s their Kage.¡±

    ¡°And the final finalist is¡­Mangetsu Hozuki!¡± the proctor yelled suddenly.

    I¡¯d barely paid the short duel any attention but Mangetsu seemed to have gone easy on his opponent, perhaps even underestimating him as his injuries seemed to have multiplied. Still, he fared better than Jin who seemed to suffer from two lost fingers, I cringed at that but quickly reassured myself the man would be alright. This wasn¡¯t the battlefield where the nearest medic was miles away from the frontlines, Jin would hold a sword again.

    They cleared the stage and Mangetsu went to visit a medic as well, his next duel would demand his full strength. I peeked over at Lady Megumi and found her face strewn with a deep, angry frown. She would have taken Junko¡¯s words well the least and though Mangetsu had won this match I knew little else except total victory would satiate her. Unfortunately, if I were to bet, I¡¯d bet on the demon.

 Rise of the Demon Mist

    Zabuza loved to hate Kirigakure. He couldn¡¯t help it and it seemed neither could the village, it kept giving him more reasons to hate and loath as he did. There was little else but the faint familiarity of its walls keeping him in the village, he had no close friends beyond contacts in alleyways, brothels and the like and he had no family, his own clan name was nothing more than a faded memory in Kirigakure¡¯s long history of battle and subjugation, utter and complete in that his family no longer existed beyond himself and his balls.

    But they were weak, weaker still for allowing themselves to be lost in the dynastic trees of greater families. But Zabuza didn¡¯t hate Kirigakure for smothering the weak, it¡¯s the most common sense thing to do and it¡¯s what he¡¯s been doing all day long. The strong existed for this world and the weak, they were little more than a warning to the strong. A warning he took very seriously.

    Over three years ago now Zabuza became the one regarded as the Demon of the Mist. All it took was smothering every single weak child and teen in the Academy that year without exception and finally his strength was recognized. Yet, three years have passed and here he was, a mere Genin still despite proving time and time again otherwise.

    He thought his infamy as the Demon of the Mist would improve his chances at rising to the top of the dogpile but his low caste, weakling blood marred him still and he¡¯s only been taken advantage of. Sent on Chuunin, even Jounin level missions, left without a mentor or even a teacher and cast aside once his usefulness was done for the day, night or month worth of missions.

    Low caste as he was his pay as Genin was little more than peanuts compared to the regulars enjoying leisure strolls and boat rides patrolling the border and coasts. But that was merely another reason why he was here, why he pulled himself back into the squalor of low caste society, scourged through deals, performed unsanctioned assassinations for characters even more vile than he and emptied his savings, stole some of others and bought his way into this tournament of weaklings.

    The true event, Kisame Hoshigaki against Suikazan Fuguki was yet to come and it seemed even the Mizukage was as bored as he was with the opponents that threw themselves on his blade to fill time and build the hype. Zabuza had ample time to watch the Mizukage while he fought on stage, the man was unbelievable every time he looked. Only five years older than Zabuza himself and yet so much strength¡­the strongest.

    He wondered what he was like, all Zabuza knew was that he fought exceptionally during the past war, enough to gather renown around his prodigious self and be picked as candidate amongst others like Fuguki, Kisame, Raiga and even Juzo for the chance at becoming Mizukage. Zabuza believed a swordsman would surely win and Kirigakure would see a new age and yet¡­

    Now, across the blood sands was Mangetsu Hozuki, another so-called prodigy but one that the Mizuakge had apparently taken a liking to, enough to claim as an apprentice if the murmurs and betting machinations of the spectators were true.

    Zabuza¡¯s original plan was simply to beat everyone in his way and earn a battle with one of the Legendary Swordsmen¡ª a good performance against one would all but assure his enlistment into their organisation and a change of pace from his low caste struggles.

    But now¡­ ¡°You should quit while you¡¯re ahead, Hozuki boy.¡± Zabuza said as the proctor still stood between them. Mangetsu narrowed his eyes at him and Zabuza smirked, ¡°I¡¯ve had more practise killing your kind than you have wetting the bed.¡±

    That got the boy to growl, his nostrils flared but a quick glance at the top balcony where his clan head and Mizukage were watching calmed his rising rage as he unsheathed his tanto, ¡°You¡¯re not the only one with something at stake. May the best swordsman win.¡±

    Zabuza ripped his wakizashi and grinned, ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°Begin!¡±

    Zabuza was on Mangetsu before the sand from the proctor¡¯s feet returned to the lot. His blade smashed against Mangetsu¡¯s hastily raised guard with such force the smaller boy was forced to place a foot back. Zabuza grinned at that and extended his own foot into Mangetsu¡¯s trembling stance but the boy caught on quick and disengaged before he could be taken off his feet entirely.

    He dashed away to make space but Zabuza was having none of it, he pressed the boy with thunderous swipes, strikes and a free kick to the chest once his guard was loose again. Mangetsu coughed, the air knocked out his lungs as he scarcesly saved himself from falling over the edge.

    Zabuza¡¯s grin endured, he stood for a moment, letting the boy catch his breath, ¡°Most of my opponents until now would have been out of the ring, you¡¯re less weak than them, but you¡¯re not strong.¡±

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    He lurched at Mangetsu again, his charge filled manical glee as his wakizashi scored the sand into an upward swipe Mangetsu shielded his eyes from. With the boy temporarily blinded Zabuza did the last thing he would expect and stalled his momentum with a slide that would take the boy off his feet.

    To his surprise Mangetsu leaped over his sliding form all while his eyes were shut. He rotated counter-clockwise in the air and landed an inch closer to where Zabuza¡¯s sliding momentum ended. The Hozuki prodigy struck blind but true, drawing blood from Zabuza¡¯s elbow as he frantically rolled away from the jabs.

    Zabuza kicked off the sand back to his feet only to find himself beset by the Mangetsu¡¯s flourish of slashes. Fortunately, the boy had little strength in those arms and deflecting and even parrying his attacks were simple feats for Zabuza. Until he sped up, forcing Zabuza to blink rapidly as afterimages of his arms and blade obscured the true strikes that succeeded in drawing blood yet again.

    Zabuza growled, leaped away and breathed deeply. Mangetsu didn¡¯t give chase, he stood across the sands for a moment, studying Zabuza¡¯s breathing with a furrowed brow. Zabuza was more furious than out of breath; how had the child managed to draw first blood? Had he underestimated his strength? No, he¡¯s already tired, that kick to the chest put him on the back foot already and this¡­this is the peak of his skill.

    Through gritted teeth Zabuza tightened his grip on his wakizashi and prepared to put the boy down. He was about twice his age and easily three times as strong, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem, what would be a problem though¡­

    Mangetsu broke the stalemate with a quick zigzag dash, Zabuza parried his strike but the boy let go of his weapon? Before Zabuza knew what was happening he¡¯d been used as a stepping stool and the short boy was soaring above his head with a fist cocked back.

    Even with his jaw tightened to take on the blow Zabuza¡¯s head was jolted by the force, he felt his fingers nearly lose grip of his weapon as his body tossed across the sands, nearing the edge by a margin. Hasty footsteps followed through Zabuza¡¯s rattled senses and through sheer will he picked himself in time to catch Mangetsu¡¯s follow up dropkick.

    ¡°Not again.¡± Zabuza spat out a glob of blood and snatched Mangetsu¡¯s offending foot. ¡°That punch hurt but this is a Kenjutsu duel kid, never lose your weapon.¡± He readied his wakizashi and yanked the Hozuki boy towards it glinted tip.

    ¡°Halt!¡±

    Had the word come a fraction of a second later Mangetsu¡¯s throat would be skewered through. The proctor landed and nodded at both duellists. Zabuza let the boy¡¯s foot free and spat out another irritating bit of blood and flesh, he regarded Mangetsu with a sneer, extremely upset he¡¯d won without filleting that baby smooth skin of his but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t help feeling impressed.

    ¡°You did a good one, Hozuki.¡± Zabuza said to him before he vacated the stage. The prodigy had no words for him, merely a defeated look of dread as he looked up at the presiding balcony.

    The proctor snatch Zabuza¡¯s arm and yelled over the jeering crowd, ¡°And the winner, the champion, the one worth a battle with a legendary swordsman is¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Is me!¡± Zabuza roared, ¡°The Demon of the Mist!¡±

    The crowds tune changed as those jeering and booing his low caste blood were drowned underneath the sensible and truth seekers. They chanted his name, Zabuza, Zabuza, Zabuza!

    ***

    Zabuza returned to the locker room where most of the participants arranged themselves and equipment. It was completely empty now unlike this morning when it was bursting with weaklings lining up to lose against him. He retrieved his belongings from the temporary locker he¡¯d been assigned and sat on a bench with a bucket of water and a clean rag.

    He fetched some with a pail and poured it over his head, letting it cool his pumped blood and soothe his open injuries. He¡¯d refused to let a medic touch him even though his next battle would be against a true swordsman, a legendary one. The wounds would hasten his strength, sharpen his mind.

    Still, he wiped them clean from infection with the rag and tore open his last snack for the day. He was told to wait here for someone to prepare him for the next step, he wasn¡¯t sure which of the swordsmen he¡¯d be fighting to prove his worth but it surely wouldn¡¯t be Kisame or Fuguki. That left Juzo and Raiga but Raiga hadn¡¯t been seen around since and he doubted he¡¯d show up just to face Zabuza.

    Juzo it is then. Zabuza went through what he knew about Juzo which wasn¡¯t much, the man wielded the Kurikiribocho and was proficient in Water Release but that didn¡¯t matter in Kenjutsu duels. He¡¯d never been privileged enough to submit himself as a study to witness the few practise sessions and training days Fuguki was said to organize for the Seven when they weren¡¯t on mission.

    However, what he did know was that Juzo was a clanless shinobi. That alone would have him slotted as low caste or near it but his skill, his strength spoke a different story.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    Zabuza jolted from his thoughts at the voice. He looked, expecting to find some acolyte come to tell him when to come for the battle but instead found the Mizukage, the Fourth Mizukage. He choked. It was his goal to garner attention from the man by beating his apprentice but Zabuza felt Mangetsu got away scot free and yet¡­

    Yagura raised a brow and Zabuza remembered himself, he fell to a knee and greeted with deference, ¡°Mizukage-sama, I¡¯m honoured.¡±

    ¡°I am as well. The infamous Demon of the Mist right before me...you fought well, very well. Mangetsu is quite capable but you¡­you simply have that innate strength, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes! I do.¡±

    ¡°Come by my estate sometime then, I have a need for strength.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I will sir!¡± He looked up to begin thanking the Mizukage for the sliver of acknowledgement but the man was gone as quickly as he¡¯d come. But now, now even an entire bucket of water wouldn¡¯t cool the excitement racing through his blood.

 Dueling for Shark Skin

    ¡°Alright, Kisame, Fuguki, there will be two phases to this challenge duel.¡± The Fourth Mizukage began in a calm commanding voice as he looked between them, ¡°The first is what I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve prepared for, the combat phase. You choose your bladed weapon and keep in mind that you¡¯re not duelling to kill or maim, that will not favour you in the slightest.¡±

    Fuguki grinned balefully at Kisame a few feet shorter. Kisame licked his lips in response. The Mizukage seemed to tire with them as he rolled his eyes and skipped more warnings to get to his next point, ¡°The next phase would be the duel for compatibility. Samehada has always chosen its wielders, it¡¯s semi-sentient that way and so we¡¯ll treat it as such. Whoever wins its favour along with the combat phase will secure the right to wield it, understood? Good, now, begin!¡±

    Kisame leaped away right as the Mizukage did, stealing some space for himself as Fuguki slowly unsheathed his katana. Both of them had chosen to use katanas for this duel and for good reason. Both himself and Fuguki weren¡¯t wearing their usual shinobi attire, instead they paid homage to the ancient and first of the Seven Swordsmen with a loose fitted, cotton cloth Samurai outfit that had zero armoured areas.

    Fuguki, looking like a giant orange panda of a Samurai, began pacing along the edge, forcing Kisame to pace as well, watching his opponent as keenly as he was watched. Their katanas allowed them the advantage of strategic engagement length, but with Fuguki¡¯s incredulous size, Kisame naturally has to compensate with a longer blade than his opponent. A longer blade, despite its reach, meant it¡¯d be heavier to heft.

    But that was a non-issue for Kisame at the moment, the were merely dressing up as the Samurai the first Seven Swordsmen were but they were shinobi. Chakra enhancements may not be allowed in their duel but Kisame¡¯s body has trained with heavier objects, the Legendary Blade he fought for now was far longer and heavier even. Such a little handicap would be no problem for Kisame to overcome, he merely had to win.

    By now Kisame had come around to where Fuguki stood at the beginning and neither side had made the first lunge. Kisame took this as a good sign; he wasn¡¯t being underestimated. He had it ringing in his head over and over with each careful step as he paced around Fuguki not to underestimate the man he¡¯d come to know as leader. His might as a shinobi may be held up by his proficiency with Water and Yin Release but he was just as good as Kisame with a blade, perhaps even more experienced even if Kisame was sure he was more skilled.

    Either way, Kisame was grateful for the time he¡¯d had to study the man¡¯s careful foot placement as he noticed the moment he became ready to attack. Rather than let him make the first move, Kisame lunged out in a blink, his katana slicing toward Fuguki¡¯s startled eyes.

    The larger man leaned comfortably past the attack and stabbed at Kisame¡¯s unguarded torso. Kisame twisted around the blade, his lith figure supplying him with far more flexibility than Fuguki¡¯s would allow. He doubled down on his assault and brought his katana down at Fuguki¡¯s unprotected thighs only to curse as the man unnaturally caught his katana with the sole of his slippers, capitalizing on that contact to kick his foot at Kisame.

    A cornered Suikazan is a savage eh? Kisame thought as he slid through the sand, his katana bearing the brunt of Fuguki¡¯s repelling kick. The man quickly moved away from the edge of the stage, coming closer with his katana firmly in his grasp. There was a glint of glee and bloodthirst in his eyes as he marched closer, a feeling Kisame matched with ease.

    The two battle eager shinobi met in the middle, their initial clash grinding sparks of flame in their grinning faces and glinted eyes. Not a word passed between them as they disengaged. Kisame brought his sword up to slice open Fuguki¡¯s stomach but Fuguki was faster and deflected the blade. Kisame let himself be carried by the momentum and fell past Fuguki¡¯s guard so they switch places. He lurched and was met with a hefty strike against his katana¡¯s length.

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    Kisame flinched at the strength behind the blow but wasn¡¯t deterred, he was assured his katana was made of the best steel his clan could afford, which, by default, was the best. Suikazan was a self-made man to an extent but Kisame wouldn¡¯t be shamed for using every resource available to him to succeed.

    He leaped, taking to the air for a savage downward slice at Fuguki¡¯s nigh unreachable head but the man was prepared. He blocked the strike and all of Kisame¡¯s weight behind it with gritted teeth but Kisame wasn¡¯t a Hoshigaki for no reason. His freefalling feet found purchase in Fuguki¡¯s face and sternum, landing solid kicks there as he bounced off the larger man and back to stance a few metres away.

    Fuguki growls, swiped his bloody nose and reasserted his grip on his katana. This time he dashed forth before Kisame could choose a direction to escape into, forcing the him to stand his ground and parry Fuguki¡¯s punishing strikes.

    Kisame¡¯s eyes widened, his mind raced as he tried to keep up with Fuguki¡¯s rattling blows and feints, trying with all his might not to lose the pride of first blood to the orange haired man. Each strike sent thorough vibrations through his katana, rattling all the way to his bone and threatening to shake the weapon out of his hands.

    I won¡¯t allow it! Rather than remain on the defensive, Kisame shifted his footing and began to press what few openings to deliver strikes of his own. Fuguki chuckled and the mere sound infuriated him to fuel his stirkes with more power.

    Fuguki fell on the defence, though his bloody smirk made it seem otherwise. Kisame kept up his assault and Fuguki parried each with practised ease, barely buckling under the pressure Kisame was mounting on his blade. The larger man was overtly aware of the edge of the stage as well and ensured Kisame¡¯s strikes and blows were met with proper foot placement, avoiding the edge and being cornered like he was at the start.

    For three tortured minutes the only sounds were the clash of their blades, shuffle of their feet and the occasional free kicks and punches Kisame got in. Fuguki took on the full brunt of another attack but leaned forward into it, sliding his katana down the length of Kisame¡¯s and grinding sparks as he went for a grab attack.

    Kisame leaped away at the last moment, putting some distance between them at last. Fuguki doesn¡¯t give chase, a thing he¡¯s thankful for because after all those swings Kisame¡¯s breathe was ragged and heavy. He narrowed his eyes at Fuguki, his chest was heaving but not nearly as much as his.

    What¡­so that¡¯s what this is. Kisame took in a deep breath and clutched his katana, Fuguki mirrored his action but didn¡¯t move from his spot, all but verbally confirming his strategy. He wants to tire me out¡­and he¡¯s actually doing it.

    Kisame felt like smacking himself but left that for later, he¡¯d finally noticed Fuguki¡¯s heavy strikes were little more than a bait to get him to respond in kind and he did, expending his energy and draining the strength of his blade to smash and savage at Fuguki who merely blocked and parried it all.

    He couldn¡¯t fight Fuguki as though he were wielding Samehada truly nor could he fight as though he had chakra or its enhancements on his side. The only thing he could do was what Fuguki was already doing. Wait.

    And so, Kisame got a grip of himself, set his stance straight and cleared his mind. Fuguki seemed to recognize the change as the mocking, baiting smirk he wore faded into a sharp glare. The larger man matched his stance and the two met in the middle, circling each other with the tips of their katanas an inch or so past the other.

    This duel was going to be decided by one, loose opening and like Junko always told his impatient self; opportunities create themselves when no one¡¯s looking.

    Fuguki inhaled, shifted his foot and Kisame knew, he saw it and he took it. In a flash of movement, the two swordsmen dashed into the other, their blades becoming still as they stood in trance. Kisame heard his heart beat in his ears and his hand sensed the squelch of flesh, he¡¯d dodged Fuguki¡¯s blade by an inch, traded a sliced up bicep for a stab through the larger man¡¯s abdomen.

    ¡°Halt!¡± the Mizukage descended, had a look and simply nodded at Kisame as Fuguki stumbled back, taking his both katanas with him.

    Fuguki himself didn¡¯t look displeased, merely annoyed, either by the fact that he had a katana sticking out of him or that Kisame had won, it didn¡¯t matter, because all that was left now was to command the Shark Skin Blade to his will.

 Ultimatum

    I landed back in the balcony after declaring Kisame winner of the duel, an outcome I have to say I wasn¡¯t so sure of. Junko though, wore the largest, proudest grin I¡¯ve ever seen and who could blame her? She bet on her champion, the supposed underdog as things go and she won. She also won the bet against Mangetsu, choosing the Demon of the Mist over the Hozuki prodigy much to Lady Megumi¡¯s visible ire.

    Hidaki had already made his exit, Lord Funato trailed behind him and Junko lingered behind to shove her good gambling in Lady Megumi¡¯s face, but everyone was quickly making their way out of the balcony side and toward the Armoury where the final test would take place as soon as Fuguki and Kisame were healed of their wounds.

    There wouldn¡¯t be any civilian spectators, in fact, there weren¡¯t any for the true duel of the night. The stage and its surrounding where people clamoured, cheered and jeered the acolytes¡¯ tournament was emptied out as soon as the time for Kisame and Fuguki¡¯s duel came. Only shinobi of prominent clans were allowed to sit in and watch.

    Hanako-hime stood with my hat in hand as I dropped from the railing, she stepped forward, her feet barely making a sound as she handed it back to me. I¡¯d let her hold onto it while I proctored Kisame and Fuguki¡¯s duel, there weren¡¯t many shinobi worth proctoring a duel between Kiri¡¯s swordsmen except perhaps swordsmen themselves.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said.

    She forced a smile behind her fixed veil and raised fan, turning around as she said, ¡°I will not be joining you for more violence, I¡¯m afraid I have had my fill. It¡¯s been a rather unproductive day and I wish to return home now.¡± She glanced at her Samurai-shinobi guard and her ladies in waiting at the entrance, but there I caught a glimpse of Uncle Aoto, he made a sign, one that asked for my quick attention.

    I nodded at him but turned my attention to the Princess, ¡°Unproductivity isn¡¯t a bad thing, Hime, sometimes it¡¯s just what you need.¡± I could peek her scowl by the way her brows dipped and eyes narrowed, so I smiled widely. ¡°Come, sit with me for a minute, the balcony will be emptied in a moment and we¡¯ll be able to speak freely. I do have something more to tell you.¡±

    She sat, albeit reluctantly and I waved Uncle Aoto away, quickly signing that I¡¯d be with him soon. He nodded and shut the door behind him, taking her stubborn guard and flirtatious ladies-in-waiting with him.

    I sat, giving the Princess my full attention as she gently fanned herself and looked away from me, ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡±

    My smile grew as her head whipped to face mine, curled brow raised in anticipation of my next words but they didn¡¯t come, I just stared at her until she asked, ¡°About what?¡±

    Here I stopped smiling entirely as I announced, ¡°About waiting for you or the Daimyo to ask to be saved. It¡¯s obvious you¡¯ll break should I give you time but the Daimyo breaking to my will doesn¡¯t matter as much as the innocent lives that are taken from this world with every passing hour nothing is done.¡±

    ¡°Then you will-!¡±

    I raised my hand to halt her excitement, there was more, ¡°Kirigakure will join and end this war in a week but we will be doing more than that. If your aides have done their jobs at all you should know that I¡¯ve taken in the Kaguya clan and recently there has been some upheaval about the Yuki as well. I have taken to ensure both are sheltered and taken care of.¡±

    I narrowed a stern gaze into those prettied eyes of hers and said, ¡°My aims will be the emancipation of every oppressed Kekkei Genkai wielding clan in the land of water. It¡¯s a huge undertaking as there are many and my Estate only has so much space and so, the lands of the Lords rebelling and slaughtering these clans will be annexed by Kirigakure at the end of the war.¡±

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Annexed?¡± the Princess hissed, ¡°You have no right! The only way that land will be given to you will be at the leisure and mercy of my brother.¡±

    I snorted, ¡°Now you know why I wanted you to ask, don¡¯t you? You have a week to still ask, make this a simple give and take deal. If you do not, then Kirigakure will simply take.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±

    ¡°I said I changed my mind, didn¡¯t I? This is what that means. You sat here with my hat while I proctored that duel, you must have thought segregation and violence is all there was to Kiri, all there was to its protector. But I assure you, there¡¯s more than enough violence and more underneath us that you, a cloistered Princess will ever know.¡±

    Hanako wasn¡¯t listening, she stood from her seat furiously glaring down at me, ¡°You realize what you¡¯ve spoken is treasonous? You plot against the Daimyo right in front of me, no, to me, his liaison. You will be punished, Mizukage.¡±

    I looked up at her from my seat and shook my head, ¡°There is no greater punishment than wielding useless power, do as you must, Princess, I have given you a week to decide what you want Kirigakure and the Capitol¡¯s relationship to look like. Speak to your brother and get him to accept these conditions or at least, come to the table to negotiate, this week is the last chance he¡¯ll get to do so.¡±

    She dropped her fan from her face, leaving it veiled but revealing a good part of the beauty she¡¯d hidden all this time. She was confused, shocked and nearly speechless, ¡°Mizukage, if you do not wish to do the right thing then I shall find someone else who will, there are many-¡±

    My boisterous laugh cut her off before she could finish that pathetic threat, ¡°If you mean to say the Water Daimyo, your brother, will involve outsiders in these matters rather than sit down with me then you¡¯ve all but started a Fourth Shinobi War, you remember what those look like, don¡¯t you? Ha, but it¡¯s nothing to worry about, your brother will never do something so stupid.¡±

    Her lower lip trembled in unbridled anger at the insults, she stuttered and then shut her jaw tightly as she breathed and arranged herself to leave.

    ¡°Remember, a week!¡± I called out as she left, slamming the door with all her might.

    It didn¡¯t take long before the doors opened again and Uncle Aoto came in, he looked worried though his cheek was stained with lipstick, I shook my head at the man as he asked, ¡°What happened? She looked¡­very upset.¡±

    ¡°I just gave the Daimyo an ultimatum, we¡¯ll be joining the war regardless.¡±

    His eyes narrowed in confusion but then widened, ¡°You mean¡­we¡¯re going that route?¡± He sat where she did as he took in the news.

    I shrugged, ¡°Only if the Daimyo wishes to be embarrassed but I have a feeling he won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What happened? I was sure you¡¯d join the war regardless of reward. Whenever I spoke of usurping the Daimyo or acting behind his back before you were always so against it, didn¡¯t even consider it an option.¡±

    I smiled at him, ¡°I told you, I¡¯ve had an awakening. There isn¡¯t time to do things the soft way, at least not things like this. The Land of Water and its clans need to be cleaned up and organized under Kirigakure and the Daimyo swiftly and with as much force as is necessary. There are greater concerns abroad.¡±

    Aoto hummed thoughtfully at that, ¡°Abroad huh, does this have anything to do about you lying about your reasons for recalling Mei from Ame?¡±

    I stared at him, genuinely startled that he¡¯d seen through that lie, ¡°It¡¯s more of a half-truth, nothing to worry about in the immediate but¡­the Land of Water needs my full attention right now, as do the Kaguya and Yuki.¡±

    Uncle didn¡¯t push for more, instead he nodded in agreement and gestured sealing his lips, ¡°Classified.¡±

    I chuckled and asked, ¡°What did you want to tell me earlier?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that. Lord Funato wants to speak with you.¡±

    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Of course he does.¡±

    ¡°No, really, he¡­he sounded like his timeout had given him some perspective and begged me to put a word in with you. He¡¯s done a lot for this village and though he acted behind your back and against your orders, he¡¯s worth a second chance, I feel so. He just needs to see more of your vision and understand where Kirigakure is headed now is not where he¡¯s coming from, you¡¯re the best person to explain that to him.¡±

    I breathed that in and groaned. I didn¡¯t want to indulge the man but at the same time, Uncle made very valid points. Besides, prolonged strain between a Mizukage and his councillors wasn¡¯t exactly a positive outlook.

    ¡°Fine, but after we¡¯re done with this Samehada ordeal, it¡¯s been a long day.¡±

 Samehadas Master

    Samehada was splayed across a table that easily extended past six feet in width and yet it still flopped over the end like a wet, fresh catch straight out of the sea. The cool, ocean blue of the Armoury¡¯s sterile walls didn¡¯t help matters either.

    The Armoury, as the host of so many complexly crafted weapons was built to the highest Fuuinjutsu standards and maintained its own atmosphere of chakra as a special feature for the Shark Skin Blade especially.

    Among its other security functions the Armoury was made so that the many chakra sensitive weapons amongst the Seven were nominal. Samehada could be stored unwrapped and not feast on the chakra based properties imbued in the others as it would be forced to assume a hibernation mode of sorts. Kubikiribocho wouldn¡¯t rust no matter how oxidized the air was, Hirameikarei wouldn¡¯t leak as much chakra and would be ready for action right at the get go, and Shibuki, the Blastsword, wouldn¡¯t unleash a legion of explosive tags at scent of a lit match.

    Kabutowari, Nuibari and the Kiba Blades weren¡¯t a problem beyond securing their security and right now only the Kiba was absent from the Armoury, weighted at Raiga¡¯s side.

    The clan heads stood witness behind me as Kisame and Fuguki took their place a couple paces away from the table Uncle Aoto placed Samehada. I was worried the Blade would stir the moment he touched it but the gloves he wore were specially made for that; so unworthy and even non-shinobi could lift, clean and eventually practise with the blade. Otherwise it would immediately sense and devour the chakra and possibly the person dumb enough to touch it barehanded.

    Traditionally I should¡¯ve placed the blade before them but I¡¯ve had my fair of Samehada and I knew it had a taste for my chakra, or more specifically, Isobu¡¯s. If I came too close or let too much of the Three-Tail¡¯s chakra leak it would surely stir and seek to devour, then I¡¯d have to possibly excuse the final test or watch it from behind a glass wall next week so I didn¡¯t stir a bias.

    I levelled a gaze at Kisame and Fuguki, then Samehada some equal ten feet between them and tried not to snicker as for a moment, the stern, power hungry swordsmen about to duel were nothing more than a couple competing over a dog¡¯s favour.

    ¡°Call to it.¡± I said and behind me Junko¡¯s breath hitched.

    Kisame and Fuguki took it easy at first, their faces wrinkle with slight concentration as they took similar stance and beckoned the blade with an extended, chakra filled palm, ¡°¡°To me, Samehada!¡±¡±

    The Blade didn¡¯t leap from the table but it did stir. A soft rumbling, snarl signalled its awakening, it seemed to stretch, shaking away the sleep from its non-existent eyes as its maw cracked open with a yawn. It quickly got a sniff of both chakra signatures and for a moment, behind it where much of what I could see was its handle grip backside, it looked confused.

    In its defence, this was the first time in Kirigakure¡¯s history there had been two people claiming its ownership and actively duelling for it. History was being made in the cold walls of the Armoury.

    ¡°Samehada! To me.¡± Fuguki punctuated, his chakra grew intense, he couldn¡¯t flare or channel more chakra than his hands length, any more and he¡¯d essentially be feeding the beast and the purpose of this exercise was not that.

    Kisame maintained a cool head, his jaw tightened but focus clear in his silent and singular command. Samehada at this point reared up from the table, sitting up almost like a human, frighteningly so. It glanced between them, leaning outward each time but never truly committing.

    And then it turned to me. Inwardly I curse as I felt its sentient awareness keen on my being, without another reaction I calmed my admittedly excited breath, brought the waves of my chakra to calm and sought Isobu in the back of my mind like he promised he¡¯d be whenever I needed him.

    ¡°Isobu, for a moment, could you suppress your chakra?¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I could sense the Giant Turtles confusion that I¡¯d want the power he offers suppressed but since becoming myself he¡¯s been more than willing to listen and talk. Without a word I felt the Tailed Beast restrain itself though as I opened my eyes I saw that Samehada¡¯s teeth ripped mouth was already beginning to froth.

    It lost interest as soon as most of my chakra was suppressed though and immediately turned to Kisame with a hungry growl. Fuguki¡¯s eyes widened and he barked, ¡°Samehada!¡±

    Again the beast sword swerved with indecision, rearing at Fuguki who looked relieved to have its attention again. He beckoned, ¡°Come, now.¡±

    Samehada in some ways was nothing more than a dog and to accommodate for its doggy ways Fuguki and Kisame were restricted to only beckoning commands. How easy it would be to simply say ¡®Come let¡¯s feast¡¯ and see the Blade lurch. No such luck for either of them though, promises of chakra beyond the sliver in their palms was restricted.

    However, it seemed Samehada recognized its true master without need to be coerced. Without a single word Kisame had stolen the sword¡¯s attention yet again and this time, for good. The Shark Skin Blade threw itself off the table with a beastly swiftness, allowing Kisame to catch its tail or rather handle and be drained steadily of chakra as consequence of mastering the legendary blade.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Junko¡¯s scream burst the terse silence more than any of Fuguki¡¯s meagre commanding attempts. She looked ready to leap at her clan¡¯s scion but restrained herself under the gaze of fellow clan heads and myself.

    She cackled regardless at the look of abject loss and defeat that had overcome Fuguki. The large man looked around the room and not for the first time I felt his youth and status reflected in the way a man of his size shrunk, suddenly out of place among his betters.

    You¡¯re mistaken Suikazan. I thought to myself as I stepped forward and congratulated Kisame with an approving grin, ¡°Well done, Kisame and for a moment there I thought your overcoming Fuguki was a fluke.¡±

    He took the compliment in stride, sharing a sharp toothed grin as he winced at Samehada¡¯s greedy scales stabbing his palm, ¡°Thank you for the opportunity, Yagura-sama, I will not disappoint you. Samehada will be a terror in my capable hands.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will.¡± I raised my hand towards his shoulder and he leaned for me to tap it approvingly, ¡°Well done, again, you make your clan proud.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes he does!¡± Junko doubled down with all the confidence of a gambler who hadn¡¯t lost yet. She quickly came up to him next, standing at his side and basking in all the glory a legendary weapon tied to the Hoshigaki name brought as Uncle Aoto and Lady Megumi congratulated him as well.

    ¡°Mizukage-sama.¡± I heard an aged voice call behind me.

    Without turning to him I said, ¡°Just a moment Funato-dono. Fuguki,¡± I called out to the man who¡¯d remained like a mistletoe growing in a field of peppers.

    ¡°Yagura-sama,¡± The challenging gravel that lustred his voice months before I¡¯d become Mizukage was nowhere to be found, his head was part lowered already and not just due to my height.

    I looked and gestured at the Armoury full still with the Kabutowari, Nuibari, Hirameikarei and Shibuki and said, ¡°Surely you¡¯ve mastered another one of the blades?¡±

    His eyes widened in surprise at the question but a second after glittered as he recognized the opportunity, ¡°Though I strive to master all, only Samehada, Kabutowari and Hirameikarei answer to me well.¡±

    I thought about it for a moment, Hirameikarei, the flounder fish shaped twinswords that could be split or transformed according to the users will was the blade I saw my apprentice wielding in the coming years. Mangetsu¡¯s display at the tournament was brilliant though he lost to Zabuza in the end¡ª no fault of his own but the performance alone ensured I began thinking of his future as my apprentice.

    The Kabutowari, like many of its peers was a strength intensive dual weapon¡ª a giant axe and hammer linked together by a rope. Dual wielding such a weapon would require strength that was likely beyond me and even beyond Kisame but Fuguki was just about built for it.

    ¡°You will wield the Kabutowari then.¡± I declared much to his shock and relief.

    Confusion spread through his features not a moment after though and he asked, ¡°What must I do for this favour, Mizukage-sama?¡±

    ¡°Favour? This is no favour, it is your duty, at least until someone else comes along to challenge you for it.¡± I smirked, knowing full well he thought I¡¯d hold a grudge for inciting the battle royale that was my succession or perhaps even prejudice for not being of a main clan as Kisame and I am.

    He fell to his knees, fist clenched and trembling at his side, ¡°Thank you, Mizukage-sama, I will continue to serve you as I have.¡±

    I merely gave a curt nod and waved Funato to fall at my side as I walked out, leaving Junko, Lady Megumi and Uncle Aoto to discuss whatever gambling scheme the shark lady was roping them into.

    It didn¡¯t take long before I found a dojo master room and pushed it open for Funato and I. I sat at the large tatami atop a small set of steps where a table with an ink pot and some books stood.

    ¡°You have thirty minutes.¡±

 Beneath my Gaze

    ¡°Oh Yagura-sama, forgive my ineptitude, forgive my failings and stubbornness Lord Fourth.¡± Lord Funato was kowtowed before me, his voice pained with sincerity of his failings, ¡°I have failed to see how I erred but I know I have, you have cast me aside after all, a useless servant. But I ask you, I beg you for a second chance.

    ¡°This old man has not long left to live and among my many failings my son threatens to become one, he doesn¡¯t understand that the truth, that his father is but a man capable of error, he doesn¡¯t see his father¡¯s failings only those that failed his father. Please Lord, if you give me this second chance I will serve your every word faithfully, there will be no repeat of arrogance and my pride is long buried.

    ¡°Allow me a second chance, Lord Fourth, and if I fail your expectations then as well, please allow me resign so the dignity and prestige of the First Mizukage, the Funato clan is preserved. Let the legacy of the First Mizukage not be tarnished by my abrasive child.¡±

    I understand we haven¡¯t spoken in some time but to ramble on like this. Still, it was nothing but a roundabout manner of asking for both a second chance as well as warning me that there are worse rulers for the Funato clan. I scoffed, the old man would die eventually, whether now out of a heart attack from my dismissal or later, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    But the fact that he¡¯s self-aware enough about his son and heir to press his head to the floor like this¡­well, that speaks for itself. I¡¯ve maintained a subtle spy network on each and every one of the clans of Kirigakure, it was not my original idea, merely something I expanded after taking the helm from Jason and subsequently, the Third Mizukage.

    That the Third Mizukage felt the need to watch his citizens spoke volumes of how much anyone could be trusted and through the grapevine of this spy network I expanded, I haven¡¯t been deaf to the mutters and murmurs of insulted Funato clan members. They¡¯ve been at the top for so long the taste of air at the bottom offends them enough they can barely restrain themselves.

    I breathed, folding my arms as my gaze settled on Lord Funato. He at least is wise¡ª a product of being on several Mizukage councils likely¡ª he knows well there¡¯s a good chance I already know about his abrasive son and the clan he¡¯s begun rallying to prepare protests against my regime, even against his father¡¯s wishes. But there would be no protests, not just because this matter dies here but because there was a war to prepare for and I¡¯d enjoy having him battle at the frontlines.

    Spill a little blood for your village, Funato clan.

    In the end I sighed and tried not to scowl too much as I summarized Lord Funato¡¯s request, ¡°So¡­in essence you want me to not only forgive you but also give you a second chance that would let you save face should you, perhaps inevitably, fail me again?¡±

    Lord Funato merely bowed deeper, his arse raised as his head couldn¡¯t bury any further into the floor. I rolled my eyes at this and breathed calm thoughts. It shouldn¡¯t piss me off so much that his bald, wrinkled head is the most I¡¯d get for his disobedience, I¡¯d have preferred very much to being rid of him entirely but alas, he has apologized and I am no stone heart villain.

    I blinked as a thought came to mind, his bald wrinkly head might not be such a bad reward after all, there were many things the Funato clan head power over in the Land of Water and if I wanted to fund my growing army of Bloodline users I¡¯d need funds, resources and all the political backing to ensure my legacy stands for itself should anything¡­unforeseen happen to me.

    But this is years in the future, assuming the old man kicks the bucket before then, then what? Who do I hold on the hook? His son is described as abrasive by the father and I¡¯d met the man a couple of times as a fresh out of the Academy Genin. He was insufferable to work with then and surely still would be now if he takes after his father at all.

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    There were many options that came to mind, including using my ANBU operatives to force a scandal on the heir, a scandal I could blackmail him with down the line. Or perhaps simply an expression of how far my reach as Mizukage goes; I could send him to the battlefield and have him almost assassinated. But then why go through the stress of almost assassinating anyone when you could just go through with it? Does his son have any value to Kirigakure beyond his strength as a shinobi?

    If not, then does Lord Funato have another son? Or perhaps a grandson I could mould? Ah but why mould his progeny when I have vastly talented apprentices and potential students in my back pocket already?

    In the end I let out a groan as my thoughts for taking care of Funato and his mess of a clan began to spiral. I was getting ahead of myself, there was a need for a plan but, the old man wasn¡¯t going anywhere anytime soon. Best to focus on what¡¯s in front of me.

    I stood and walked over. He raised his head slightly at my approach and I grinned bright and stupid as I knelt by his frail side, a steady hand placed on his shoulder as he sat up, ¡°That¡¯s all I needed to hear then, Funato-dono, your commitment to Kirigakure, to me. I forgive you.¡± I wore my most disarming, cute smile as I declared this and felt a knot of tension release from his shoulders, ¡°Your clan should follow your footsteps without issue from now on, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course, Lord Fourth, I will put my son in his place.¡±

    I smirked, ¡°I will rely on you once more, Funato-dono.¡± I helped him up to his feet but promptly left him to himself in the dojo.

    Out onto the courtyard, I found the moon high but not struggling to peek through the fog of Kiri¡¯s mist. It¡¯s been a very long day and I¡¯d not had a bite to eat in too long hours. I wondered where Junichi was as I strolled out through the abandoned corridors of the Seven Swordsmen, their acolytes long in their beds with few exceptions burning the midnight oil with their training.

    I was about stepping out of the main building to the street that led to its gate when a terrible feeling overcame me. I glanced around, watching if the training acolytes felt it too when a strangled scream broke the peace of the night.

    A full one-eighty spin and a full sprint down the exact path I¡¯d taken, shortened with swift and eager leaps across the rails brought me closer to the source. Chakra spiked ahead, it was unsteady. Sliding doors snapped open as acolytes reared from their slumber at the sudden noise but we were in for more as I landed on the rail opposite the dojo master room I¡¯d left Funato in.

    Panic rushed through me as both my natural senses and Isobu screamed for me to dodge. The room exploded, a blazing flame with zero heat yet all the power of combustion threw the traditionally built room and four others into splinters.

    It took nothing for me to fashion a [Water Mirror] to deflect and absorb the impact, I wasted no time as the clamour and screams of horror took through what remained of the corridors and courtyard, discarding my mirror I leaped off what remained of my perch and a formed a hand sign to gather the necessary chakra.

    With a wave of my palm, I released the gathered Wind Release chakra, sending the smoke and crackling wood dust far from my sight, ¡°Funato!¡±

    I spotted the man easily, bleeding under a pillar of wood with a shady figure standing above him, poised with a kunai, no, that¡¯s no kunai, ¡°Wind Release: Wind Bullet!¡±

    Seventeen bullets escaped my lips in the span of seconds, forcing the figure away from Lord Funato before they could finish the job. The way they were garbed was unlike any shinobi, their head to toe was shrouded and wrapped in dark clothing with no headband in sight or even a weapons pouch.

    My bullets were fast and powerful though, I felt one extinguished against the fleeing foes back, tossing them outward in their escape attempt. I quickly began forming signs for a Water Clone when Ao landed at my side.

    ¡°Leave them to us, Mizukage-sama!¡± He leaped away before I could protest, ANBU crawled from the rooftops to meet up with him.

    With no one to argue with I set my attention to freeing Lord Funato from the rumble. He was stabbed through his chest, arm and leg when I lifted the pillar off of him, his head bleeding out profusely and yet he raised an arm, calling to me.

    I leaned down to pick him up, he trembled in my arms, lips desperately trying to form words, ¡°What is it? No, don¡¯t speak, I¡¯ll get you to a medic immediately.¡±

    My legs tensed to leap onto the rooftops when the old man grabbed my scarf and declared, ¡°S-shizu¡­Shizu Yuki!¡±

 Summons to War

    The Lord Fourth¡¯s invitation to his Estate was one Zabuza never lost thought of even after his match with one of the legendary swordsmen was postponed due to their headquarters blowing up. He had more than enough attention now, all the attention he could want¡ª permission to petition the Mizukage.

    That¡¯s basically what his invitation was, it was a ladder, a path for Zabuza to reach the heights he¡¯s always known he stood atop. He¡¯d make every second of the Mizukage¡¯s attention worth his while and prove the impossible possible.

    Still, those realities had yet to come to fruition. He¡¯d left the very next day though he had little hopes of the Mizukage being present at his Estate after the attempt on his and the Lord Funato¡¯s lives. But he went anyway and was rewarded with acknowledgement

    Junichi, the Mizukage¡¯s assistant seemed to be on an errand, running in and out the Estate when he noticed Zabuza mid-argument with the guardsmen. The Hoshigaki Chuunin affirmed that Zabuza was wanted but not at that moment, the Mizukage, as he expected, was not present at the Estate or free for a meeting with him.

    That didn¡¯t deter him and even as the village buzzed with tension and fear festered amongst the nobler clan folk, Zabuza did not hesitate to be turned away on the second day. In fact, this morning he¡¯d had breakfast and trained and got ready to be turned away a third time when his moderately positive outlook took a dip.

    He¡¯d expected the knock at the door to be any one but Mangetsu Hozuki, his landlord, a prostitute or some hapless shoeshine or even the fishcake hawkers. The boy regarded him in the threshold of his door, almost three feet shorter, ladled with more baby fat than muscle and stuffed into a Chuunin vest clearly customized for his size, his strange tanto and four pockets.

    The sight made Zabuza grind his teeth. Everything about the boy screamed superiority even though it made no sense, Zabuza was bigger, better, stronger in every manner and yet there he stood, swimming in the unimpeachable authority of a higher rank, status and worth.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to pay me to beat you this time, Hozuki.¡± Zabuza greeted.

    The boy¡¯s levelled expression didn¡¯t change, ¡°We¡¯re summoned to the Mizukage.¡± He turned away and hopped off the seventh floor open corridor.

    Zabuza wasted no time leaping after him. A spark of excitement and fear jolted through Zabuza as the racing winds billowed past his blood rushed ears. What could it be? The Mizukage had asked for him to meet at his Estate but Zabuza never thought he¡¯d be summoned to meet the man for a second time and so soon no less.

    Despite his hope for the Mizukage¡¯s attention, Zabuza had survived in Kiri thanks to pessimism and he couldn¡¯t help wondering if perhaps this was a meeting to punish him rather than reward him with true opportunity for recognition.

    He stared at Mangetsu¡¯s rooftop leaping back, Zabuza hadn¡¯t done nearly enough damage to the boy that his clan would seek some sort of recompense, could they? It was a duel, a competition for goodness sake right? Right?

    You¡¯re a low caste demon. The voice that had been dispelled ever since his dominating performance at the Seven Swordsmen came back with a vengenance and Zabuza couldn''t say it was wrong. He is a low caste demon, with no family and little to no worth besides the small fame he¡¯s garnered amongst other useless folk like him. And what was that really worth in the end? Free meals? Sex?

    There was no loyalty. But Mangetsu had the loyalty of his clan, the backing of its Matriarch who was as old as Kirigakure itself and a recurring name in those history classes he never took seriously. She was a power that could demand anything, even Zabuza.

    Zabuza cursed and bit his cheek at the thought of the Mizukage ¡®lending¡¯ him to the Hozuki clan. He¡¯d never once thought that such would be possible because he never accomplished enough acclaim for it but now, he had attention and the high clans always absorbed what good low caste clans could manage.

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    The low caste didn¡¯t really have a choice either and neither would Zabuza, as much as he loathed the thought, if he wanted power, strength, maybe it wasn¡¯t a bad thing to take whatever was offered and not bother looking at the giver.

    Zabuza shook his head free of the heaping doubt, nervousness and insecurities as they approached the Tower. There was still a chance this was going to be some actual good for him and not a guised punishment.

    Mangetsu didn¡¯t bother going through the main entrance and simply dived through an open window in the higher levels of the Tower. Zabuza hesitated to follow him for a moment, having only ever been through the main entrance, even with Jounin mission captains.

    Monkey see, monkey do.

    He dived through and was instantly blown away by the casual luxuries of the room. It was an office sitting room cornered by two shelves of items that looked foreign and expensive. Mangetsu was across, greeting the lady by a raised desk reading a scroll as he disappeared into an orange lit corridor.

    Zabuza kept up, greeted the lady who stuttered in response and met up with Mangetsu in the corridor filled with seven other shinobi loitering and discussing something.

    They hush up once they notice Mangetsu and Zabuza, of the seven Zabuza only recognizes two of note; Rina, the Chuunin that was supposedly going to marry the Fourth Mizukage, it was an unending period of gossip and sencha tea sales that month. The other was a Tokubetsu Jounin, Toneri. Zabuza had worked with him before his promotion and he held some respect for the man as even though he had the slight advantage of being middle caste, he still worked extremely hard for what he earned.

    ¡°Good, we can ask to come up now.¡± A Jounin said with a look of excited relief¡ª it seemed Zabuza wasn¡¯t the only one looking forward to this.

    As the Jounin led the way up a round of stairs into the wide hallway that provided a large lounge and two staff desks for secretaries that weren¡¯t there, Zabuza noticed something else interesting.

    I¡¯m the only Genin here.

    There were six Chuunin, one Tokubetsu Jounin, one Jounin and him, the singular Genin. It was clear this was not going to be a punishment at all, in fact, it might be the very opportunity for Zabuza to prove once again, his worth and be promoted.

    If it¡¯s the Mizukage, he won¡¯t overlook me. He won¡¯t deny my strength. His invitation to be here alone was confidence of that.

    The Jounin knocked, ¡°We¡¯re ready, Mizukage-sama.¡±

    ¡°Quick, come in.¡± Zabuza heard the Mizukage¡¯s assistant call out.

    The Jounin lead the way in and everyone instinctively filed in behind him according rank, with Zabuza dead last as was natural. Still, there was silk clean and classy furniture in the way and the group inevitably spread out as they occupied the rather large office, allowing Zabuza a good line of sight with the Lord Fourth.

    He was nothing like last he saw him, he was dishevelled, his hair in a frenzy and his dark eye bags sagged along his stitched face. There was an oppressive aura about the room despite its inviting aesthetic and Zabuza was certain was the steely mood the Mizukage was in.

    There were three people directly before him, Kisame Hoshigaki, Fuguki Suikazan and Juzo, three of the legendary swordsmen. Lord Fourth began, ¡°Here they are. You shouldn¡¯t have any need for reinforcements with a selection like this.¡±

    Junichi who Zabuza hadn¡¯t noticed hovering by the Mizukage¡¯s side appeared with a tray of scrolls, distributing one to everyone present. Zabuza identified the scroll as an A-rank mission brief by the colour of the band strapping it, maroon.

    He¡¯d been only two A-rank missions, Jounin taking advantage of the low caste demon, but the fraction of its pay was what allowed Zabuza to rise as high as he has. And now another one, this time with three legendary figures¡ª he wasn¡¯t sure if their presence meant the mission¡¯s difficulty was reduced or if it was increased, either way, Zabuza listened closely as the Mizukage began addressing them directly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re curious what you¡¯ve been summoned for so I¡¯ll get to it. Each of you has been handpicked to end the Daimyo¡¯s war.¡± He let the declaration hang in the air, though none present were surprised or fazed by it, Zabuza couldn¡¯t help gulping at the thought. This was war, his first war.

    ¡°Under your Jounin Captains you will recon the armies raiding Kurokami-jima, Lord Yakubi¡¯s fief as well as the opposing isles of Yureisen, and Midoriwara within a week time. Prepare for extensive battle and resistance but also prepare to come home.¡± The Lord Fourth punctuated the last part especially, sparing a glance at the legendary swordsmen as he did. ¡°The Daimyo¡¯s armies will serve as your main body of reinforcement and cover once prelim operations have been covered by your Jounin Captains. Any questions?¡±

 Solidarity or Deceit

    Just when I thought things were starting to go smooth, just when I started to see the future I want to build, just when I¡¯m at the cusp of bringing Kirigakure to know and understand that discrimination and clan biases would be a thing of the past¡­.

    I tried not to grind my teeth too much as Junichi and Ao flanked my sides down the sterile hospital ward corridor crawling with ANBU and Jounins from the Funato clan. Despite my earlier words with Lord Funato, his clan members were still my shinobi and respected my presence with deep bows or kneeling. I acknowledged their presence briefly but my destination was the room they all congregated to guard.

    My body and mind screamed for precise and accurate movements and action. After two sleepless days of rising disappointments and a soreness in my voice from barking orders at Jounin and ANBU to secure the border, coast, walls and the sensory bubble as squads upon squads searched the thick forest and marsh for Lord Funato¡¯s would-be assassin only to report nothing, I finally had something.

    Lord Funato was awake. The man was still a legend in his own right, a thought that brought some measure of comfort to my tense mind. He¡¯d managed to repel his attacker if only for a short time; it was no coincidence that the fire that blew up the dojo had little to no heat, it was purposeful, cynical as the old man is he stopped to consider the lives of those around him even while being attacked.

    It¡¯d have been a different story had he unleashed his true strength in that enclosed area, bad news not just for his attacker but for him and whoever was unfortunate enough to be around. Needless to say, I was impressed and pleased to hear that he¡¯d woken up.

    His last words to me were confounding and yet another source of my mounting stress. It couldn¡¯t, no, shouldn¡¯t be the Yuki clan behind this again, even though the person he saw is dead the fact that it was her face places a lot of suspicion on the Yuki clan once more. Fortunately for them, I haven¡¯t told anyone and I sure hope the old man hasn¡¯t repeated it yet.

    Ao stepped ahead of me to open the room door, ¡°Thank you, Ao.¡± I looked around, the area was secure enough but¡­ ¡°Secure the area, patrols, make sure no one is listening in.¡±

    He gave a sure, curt nod and vanished to perform his duty. His failure to capture the assassin weighed heavy on him, especially since I was already in the middle of pursuit when he asked me to leave it to him. I don¡¯t want to blame him, he wasn¡¯t alone in the chase and what each of those involved described the assailant to be like was a piece of information I was sure I could use somehow.

    ¡°Junichi, summon Hidaki to my office, I want him to be the first thing I see when I get back.¡±

    ¡°Uh, at the Tower or at the Estate?¡±

    I¡¯d had wonderful plans to work from the Estate and still would like to, but this was a discussion for the Tower, ¡°Tower.¡± The young man bowed and left to find his way to the Yuki clan head.

    I stepped in fully and shut the door behind me, finding Uncle Aoto, Lady Megumi and Lord Funato¡¯s son have already gathered besides the bandaged old man.

    His son was a burly man with an eye-catching kanji of ¡®Sea¡¯ on his left arm, he looked nothing like Funato except in the eyes and perhaps the way his face is squared and aligned to allow that orange beard fall, actually, the more I look the more Lord Funato I see. He just isn¡¯t short and has far more muscle mass than his ancient father.

    He was easily in his thirties by the looks of him, he¡¯d surely seen more of the Second Shinobi war than I have read of and the downward quirk of his lip at my arrival told me he still felt that veteran superiority he used to boss Genin and Chuunin back in the day. I narrowed at him for a moment trying to remember his insignificant name in the host of two lifetimes of memories before Lord Funato¡¯s voice broke out.

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    ¡°Mizukage-sama, pardon me for not bei-¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! Lord Funato, I am glad to see you awake and speaking even.¡± I glanced at my councillors and then his sons name snapped to the forefront of my mind, ¡°Ah! Yes, you are Shigeru Funato, yes? Our Lord¡¯s heir.¡±

    The man seemed dignified to be remembered and his lips itched to a smile, ¡°Yes, that I am. And I must thank you for saving my father, Lord Fourth.¡± He fell to a knee and bowed his head, ¡°You have my eternal gratitude.¡±

    Do I? I wanted to say but restrained myself, it was surprising enough that he put aside whatever rumbles he was drumming up within the clan to bow his head and thank me.

    ¡°He would have done the same.¡± I said, smiling at the old man laid in bed. His arms, head and stomach were bandaged up with a cord flowing through underneath the sheets. I didn¡¯t get how extreme his injuries were but it seemed Lord Funato was in for a long recovery.

    Lady Megumi agreed with a hum, ¡°He would.¡± She looked like she¡¯d shed some tears or was at least genuinely distraught at the sight of the old man in bed. Uncle Aoto breathed in deep, a subtle reminder for us to start our improvised council meeting.

    ¡°Shigeru I¡¯ll have to ask you to excuse us while we speak to with your father.¡± I said, not looking away from the old man though I felt his son¡¯s surprise and slight offence.

    ¡°Why would I leave his side?¡±

    Uncle Aoto explained impatiently, ¡°You won¡¯t, this is a privy council, you aren¡¯t counted amongst it.¡± I remembered Uncle shared my experience with Shigeru, they¡¯d fought in the same war and so he¡¯d surely suffered more of the man¡¯s stubborn headedness.

    Shigeru gritted his teeth and was about to yell something when Lord Funato beat him to it, ¡°Shigeru! Do not shame me while I¡¯m in this sorry state.¡±

    In the end the tattooed man marched out of the room, his thankful attitude gone up in flames as soon as it¡¯d come. But once the door shut I took his seat and began, ¡°Alright then, what do you remember so far?¡±

    Lord Funato nodded, ¡°After you left the dojo I¡­I began to gather myself but I decided to pour some sake.¡±

    Lady Megumi shook her head with a soft smile, ¡°Sake isn¡¯t allowed in the dojo, you still carry some with you ey?¡±

    ¡°Well, I emptied my last bottle and was about to leave when I felt a presence behind me, I called them out and they screamed that this was for the Yuki clan. I defended myself but they were¡­unbelievable strong or perhaps I am simply weak. I saw her face¡­Shizu Yuki.¡±

    ¡°The dead one?¡± Uncle asked, arms folded as his scratched his stubble in concentrated thought.

    Lord Funato nodded, ¡°Whether they meant their attack was for the Yuki or the Y¨±ki, I do not know, but whoever they were, they wore her face and it is what I remember.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps this is the work of some¡­disgruntled members of the clan?¡± Lady Megumi offered, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the first time, perhaps even that child you harbour, Hisako. Shizu was her mentor and the one that coerced her to do her bidding.¡±

    Uncle Aoto sucked his teeth and shook his head, ¡°Ahh, seems too convenient, not to mention reckless. It wasn¡¯t long ago Shizu was put to death, the Yuki are cowed and some are even receiving the attention of the Mizukage, what more would they want by assassinating Lord Funato?¡±

    The old man swallowed hard, ¡°Justice.¡±

    I raised a brow at that answer from him. Perhaps he has changed after all. Still, I shook my head, ¡°Aoto is right, it is far too convenient. I engaged the assailant briefly and I noticed the weapon they used was¡­unconventional. What kind of assassin uses a chakra rod? There is only one other place I¡¯ve seen that uses that weapon, Amegakure.¡±

    My councillors regarded me with wide eyes at this revelation and Lady Megumi was the first to speak with a sharpness to her voice, ¡°My son first and now Lord Funato, isn¡¯t it about time you tell us what you know about Amegakure and their interest in Kiri, Lord Fourth?¡±

    I shut my eyes and thought, ¡°I will speak once I¡¯ve convened with Mei Terumi, she¡¯s returned and she¡¯s injured as well. Daichi, her partner seems to have been lost but I haven¡¯t gotten any report.¡±

    Horror strewn across Lady Megumi¡¯s features and she nearly screamed, ¡°You are fighting the wrong war, Yagura-sama, Amegakure is clearly against us! We should crush them, now!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s more.¡± I said, looking across my councillors again, ¡°It may be true that Ame is against us but we must know how much chaos they¡¯ve sown. Reina Yuki and I discovered that the Kaguya clan were baited into attacking Kiri by an unknown figure, the Kaguya currently living amongst us have had nothing to do with it otherwise. But the stories don¡¯t match us, it is clear someone is attempting to steer Kirigakure in a certain direction.¡±

    I held their gazes, ¡°We mustn¡¯t fall for it.¡±

    Lady Megumi still looked like she could breathe fire¡ª which was plausible¡ª but she restrained herself and nodded along with Aoto and Lord Funato.

    I rose from the seat, ¡°Good, the investigation continues, now I have to go speak with Mei. In the meantime, help me keep the peace, I¡¯ll speak with Hidaki as well but I need no more problems, understood?¡±

 A Friend Indeed

    I stood and gathered myself for a moment after the door shut behind me. Lord Funato would be fine and well in time and I¡¯ve shown my support by paying a visit as well as saving his life in the first place. What I was concerned about now was Mei.

    My enemies have begun moving mad. Open hostilities are clear as day now and the future of Kirigakure would hinge on what Mei¡¯s report on her assailants and journey back home would reveal. Though I already had a feeling what she would say I didn¡¯t want it to be the first thing she said to me.

    And so, as I walked down the stairs into the general shinobi wards of the hospital, away from the entire floor Lord Funato¡¯s injured presence secured, I searched for a trustworthy shinobi I could bother with my Kage hat for a moment.

    ¡°Hello.¡± I greeted a lady at the reception counter, she wore starched clean uniform with Kiri and the medic¡¯s insignia adorning them. Her work at her station kept her head down but she looked up with a fake smile that instantly wiped away upon seeing me, ¡°Could you help me hold onto this, I can¡¯t remember where my assistant went.¡±

    I needn¡¯t charm her with a smile but I did anyway and found her giggling, ¡°Yes, of course, uh, I mean, yes, Mizukage-sama.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    It¡¯s been six months now since becoming a Jinchuriki and five months of my reign as Yondaime. The village knew my face well, my picture was held up in every governmental office and quarters, the Jounin and Chuunin stations, the hospitals and several clinics, the prison and academies. My face was everywhere people congregated and in Kirigakure, as Kage, my name was their hope.

    Right now, after yet another blatant attack on Kirigakure, my name was spoken in the soft corners of homes praying for safety I was terrified I couldn¡¯t assure. How had the assassin gotten in? How did they manage to escape even Ao and his squad? When, where, who will they strike next?

    As I approached Mei¡¯s hospital room I put the nervous thoughts out of my mind, kindly reassuring myself I had all the knowledge to outmanoeuvre Amegakure and the Akatsuki if it truly came down to it.

    Two knocks and her voice came through, ¡°Come in.¡±

    I gulped, Mei and I have been comrades in the hope for a Kirigakure free of discrimination, a unified village, one ready and able to negotiate with outsiders without paranoid fears. I haven¡¯t laid eyes on her since the night we were summoned about the Third Mizukage¡¯s death and yet I¡¯d already given her orders as her Fourth Mizukage, she¡¯s done her part well and yet I doubt if I¡¯ve done mine at all.

    Squeezed the handle and pushed the door open, a fair wind blew from the open windows she sat up at, there she was, the thin ray of light cast a luminescence on her hair¡ª it had grown a significant amount since I last saw her, she looked slimmer too, skinny.

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    ¡°Mei.¡± I watched her shoulders jerk at the sound of my voice. She stood from her bed, her arms were wrapped in bandages all the way down to her fingers. She wore a simple hospital gown that was modest enough to cover her backside, though I glimpsed some stitches climbing down her spine from the curve in her shoulders.

    She turned and my breath hitched, her eyes were bloodshot in a way I hadn¡¯t expected. They looked as if they were bleeding out right now, one was as red as blood with a single spot for her iris, a frightening sight on her. The other fared better, with lines of burst veins stretching all over but not as severe as the other.

    Mei¡¯s lips trembled with a smile quickly turned grin, she stepped out of her bedside and made to sweep me in a hug but something stopped her and suddenly she fell down to a knee.

    ¡°No, stop! I¡¯m not here as that, I¡¯m just here as me, as Yagura, we don¡¯t have to do that now.¡± I said, almost pleading for the shinobi in her not to force the Mizukage out.

    She looked up and found my hand waiting for her, ¡°You look terrible.¡± Is the first thing out of her mouth.

    I snorted, ¡°Do I? Compared to who?¡±

    Smirking she let me help her up and let her hand linger in mine, ¡°I have a very good reason to look this bad. But I guess you do too, I hear you¡¯re Mizukage now.¡± She said, eying the haori that still hugged my frame. The hat was easy to get rid of if temporarily but the haori, after four months of wearing it nearly everywhere, had quickly become habit of my outfit.

    A genuinely proud smile graced her face as she threw our hands into a handshake, ¡°Congratulations, Yagura-senpai, you¡¯ve done too well.¡±

    Even with one eye looking like it had seen hell, Mei was a beautiful woman and I couldn¡¯t help the blush of my cheeks and ears, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say too well, Kiri is¡­a difficult village.¡±

    She rolled her eyes at me and offered a seat, ¡°We knew that already.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess we did but¡­it¡¯s different behind the seat yknow?¡±

    She nodded and sat back on her bed, ¡°Tell me about it, really, how have you been? What is¡­what is the village going through?¡±

    Again I snorted, ¡°You want me to chew your ears off with boring council meeting about tax, import and crimes?¡±

    Mei shrugged, ¡°What else? You said you don¡¯t want to be Lord Fourth right now.¡± She emphasised my title with a mock sultry voice, ¡°And I¡¯m not too ready to relive my mission either, so, let¡¯s just keep each other company, for now at least?¡±

    I blinked at that, turned my head around and checked the time on the dusty wall clock. I had a meeting with Hidaki Yuki soon, even though I doubted the Yuki¡¯s involvement in the recent attack, Shizu Yuki being the face of the assassin made it worth checking in with him.

    Not to mention I was in the middle of organizing a war, and had security reports from the ANBU waiting for me alongside details on how the Princess Hanako has reacted to my ultimatum so far. There was a lot that needed my oversight, including the Sensor Division as this was their second failure to pre-empt an attack on the village.

    But I hadn¡¯t slept in two days and nights and Mei, she has yet to look at me with all the expectations one would of their leader. I wanted to keep it that way, for just a moment and enjoy her ignorant presence. It¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve had a friend by my side.

    I nodded, ¡°Okay, just for an hour or two then.¡± She grinned and I cleared my throat, ¡°I guess I should start with the good news then. There¡¯s a new Bloodline clan in Kiri and I intend for more to join.¡±

 Amegakure Reports

    Mei would dare to say she¡¯d gotten comfortable in Amegakure. For all its dreary and the fact that it was another shinobi village¡ª albeit a minor one¡ª the Rain continued to be extremely hospitable to her and Daiki the longer they lived behind its rainy radius.

    As the months went by Mei went from stranger to young, new house-wife and then to friendly new house-wife who could do well with your thoughts. In the markets, she¡¯d made good friends of the house-wives that often came buying and selling and many had taken interest in the beauty who¡¯d just moved in to raise a family.

    Mei noticed a trend in reactions whenever she spoke about Daiki and the potential family they were building; a downturned mood forcefully turned perky was what each and every woman and even man had expressed as they encouraged her to try certain foods and buy certain fruits to enjoy her husband more.

    Not one to let a mystery lie unturned, Mei prodded and pouted until someone broke and let the cat out of the bag. As it turns out, Amegakure was a great place for building a family¡­with the caveat that children were expected to complete a tour of service to the state and god.

    The denizens didn¡¯t particularly dislike the tour of service, it made sense to them and many were already in rotation around their borders, ensuring Amegakure¡¯s security against the greater nations. With no Daimyo to back them, Amegakure only had its god and themselves to protect them, however, it was a topic of contention with foreigners and many often fled the village after finding out.

    Mei didn¡¯t reassure her contacts of her permanence in Amegakure for she knew she¡¯d be gone someday, plus, they didn¡¯t really matter as much as this god and his angel.

    In the many months she stayed a denizen, Mei has only glimpsed the presence of the Angel once, through the clamour of a man gasping at her the shadow of her wings soaring above. It was this singular proof Mei had to her existence. She worried for a time after that that the Angel was after her, she was worshiped as a fair adjudicator of the Rain¡¯s god¡¯s justice but she was no mere market thief or drunk.

    At the time, Mei and Daiki had just discovered that they were being watched not only by the state out of suspicion in the earlier months but by the previous governments vestiges. Hanzo the Salamander¡¯s loyalists were a persistent bunch and the truest jackpot of information Mei had come across in the course of her mission, sitting down with them, even if for a few minutes was a granted.

    Their leader was a gruff of a man, had she seen him on the street, Mei would have clutched her purse and likely crossed over to the other side. Whether it was a function of his disguise or an effect of the casting down of the old regime, Mei wasn¡¯t sure but the man held his ground as a competent shinobi, easily tokubetsu Jounin by her standards.

    He deduced they were shinobi of one of the great five, which was a lesser feat than it seemed in hindsight, after all, who else would have an interest? What ended up mattering in the end was that he warned against the so-called god of the rain, Pein, giving the man behind the curtains a name for her to hang onto, more than she¡¯d gotten from the populace.

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    She pressed for more but the man shook his head, demanding that if her village wanted to know about Amegakure they would do so with his backing or not at all. She relayed this back to home, Daiki predicted accurately what the response would be but it was even more shocking when it came.

    A withdrawal order. The mission was over once she got that. It was both a relief and a shame, she missed home dearly and wanted to see what becoming Mizukage had made of Yagura and his influence on the village. But at the same time, it felt as though her work was barely just starting, the full picture on who or what this Pein was. Discovering the extent of their capabilities and how they compare to Hanzo as well as other great village leaders was important work!

    And in that thinking, Mei wasn¡¯t alone.

    In preparation to leave Amegakure she began dropping hints and buying less and less goods over the one week she and Daiki planned to stay before leaving. It would be unnatural and suspicious if they just up and left without any of the friends and acquaintances they¡¯ve made having an inkling, it didn¡¯t match with their civvie personas and until the mission was done, they¡¯d follow procedure.

    Said procedure didn¡¯t account for outside perspectives like Hanzo¡¯s remnants though. After their initial meeting Mei hadn¡¯t bothered giving a response to their demand, silence was an answer most shinobi were familiar with. But they also had a flair for the dramatic.

    ¡°What do we do with the body?¡± Daiki asked, his face strewn with disgust and annoyance as he searched the pockets and hidden compartments.

    Mei breathed in and calmed herself, had this happened on any other day she would be panicking, no, she should be panicking still. There, splayed against their broken living room table and bleeding all over their rug and couch was none other than the gruff leader of Hanzo¡¯s remnants.

    ¡°He¡¯s still fresh, whoever did this to him must be close,¡± Mei bit her lip at the thought¡ª Amegakure was actively snuffing out all vestiges and from her last conversation with the now dead man, he confessed that the Angel was little more than a glorified enforcer. If it was her that did this then¡­ ¡°We have to leave, now.¡±

    Daiki nodded and shifted out a note from the man¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Right, you should probably read this first.¡±

    The sight of the crumpled note gave her pause, she snatched it from Daiki and read it while he prepared. They¡¯d be leaving in a hurry so they only needed the fundamental things.

    His handwriting was poor, though Mei granted some leeway as he was at the tail end of his life being hunted by a supposed god or angel. She deciphered the contents sentence by sentence until it made sense or a fraction of it.

    A pantheon of six gods? Ruling over single parts of godhood and¡­sharing one purpose. Mei wasn¡¯t sure if she understood the man¡¯s meaning, it forwent anything that could help against the angel that must have been after this man but spoke in detail about the rain god and his divine pantheon. Push and pull. Nullification and¡­summoning.

    It was the last the man bothered to write, three of the six domains of this ¡®god¡¯ were known. She didn¡¯t understand what the first two meant but the last was obviously some kind of summoning contract. She clutched the note and stuffed it in her pouch, it was suddenly the final day of her mission here and she¡¯d found something worthwhile to return with. This is good enough.

    Daiki returned from the inner rooms with two bags, most of their shinobi gear was sorted into it and they¡¯d change once they fled past Amegakure¡¯s borders, for now, civilian clothing and mental preparedness would serve more than the armour of their ANBU tier gear.

 Amegakure Reports (P2)

    Getting out of Amegakure was an easier task than getting in any day. The denizens were passively hostile to foreigners and no one was unhappy to see disloyal people leave. In fact, Mei would say she found more smiles on her way out than in.

    Still, Amegakure was no slouch of a shinobi village and their domain extended well into the mud wet territories around the main village body. If she looked in the right places she¡¯d find one or three Amegakure shinobi patrolling in the distance or keeping watch on the horizon of their border atop towers. It would be sometime before she or Daiki could relax.

    They did nothing to hide the corpse of Hanzo¡¯s loyalist in their apartment, Mei doubted she¡¯d need to use this face or persona again, it¡¯s not as though she was asked to build a network in the village. In fact, thinking back on her mission it quickly dawns on her how much leeway she¡¯d been given in its objectives.

    Yagura just¡­placed me here. Mei worried about the situation in the village, not because she lacked faith in him as Mizukage but because over the course of her mission her communique officer changed at least twice. She could tell the difference between Owl and some other ANBU even though she saw little more than the scribbles of orders written. But a dead giveaway was the transition from Owl messengers to common ravens and crows.

    The final message to return was sent via owl though and Mei determined that meant Owl, the ANBU commander had had missions of her own of greater importance than being her mission handler.

    That was just one of many clues she¡¯d picked up through the messages she sent back and forth, Kirigakure was going through a change in power and a part of her was frightened that even though she¡¯s discovered something of some potential use in Amegakure, the true trouble was at home and Yagura had spared her.

    It was no secret that Mei held the power of Kekkei Genkai in her veins, being one of the few shinobi in all history to command not one but two. She had yet to master them as she wished but a lot of the time that was just an excuse to keep herself weak and non-threatening to the many Bloodline haters in the village.

    However, her mind set about this changed the moment she was called up to participate in the Sandaime¡¯s Succession trial. She stepped away because it was stupid to cut down a fellow Kiri shinobi¡ª one that had the same potential for power as she did¡ª in order to seize a throne. But there was another reason she stepped back, a truer reason.

    Mei was no fool. Not only was she a Kekkei Genkai wielder but she was a grey area when it came to her place in the caste system. She was adopted during the Second Shinobi war by the Terumi clan, a mere babe at the time and so her Kekkei Genkai was not discovered until she turned seven.

    Her mere presence brought the Terumi clan a lot of trouble and ire and even now, her relationship with her adoptive parents were less than ideal. It wasn¡¯t her fault and it certainly wasn¡¯t theirs either. For a mid-caste clan they strove to protect her from the gallows as much as she strived, trained and killed on the battlefield to earn herself and her clan the right to continue existing.

    If I had by some miracle beaten Yagura-senpai and become Mizukage, I¡¯d simply be torn off the throne within months, assassinated, blackmailed, family held for ransom. Mutinied against or perhaps simply refused the title in the end.

    Kirigakure was not ready for Bloodline users in power but she and Yagura shared a dream. He would make it so. The thought of returning to a culturally improved Kirigakure¡ªhowever so farfetched considering it¡¯s only been five months¡ª filled her with excitement.

    She spared a glance behind, they¡¯d long left the natural rains of Amegakure¡¯s territory. The Rain¡¯s god spared the main village rain but that power did not extend towards the outskirts where only shinobi, travellers and thieves prowled. And now, after nearly twelve hours of slopping and dragging their feet through the mud Mei and Daiki had almost escaped the outskirts as well.

    The rain got thinner, to the point of spare drizzles. She had once felt this Pein¡¯s power over the rain albeit briefly, she doubted it extended to the drizzling outskirts that pushed the boundary between the Land of Fire and Rain.

    And so, she gave a curt nod at Daiki and the slipped further into the Land of Fire, the mud slop slowly replaced by ardent vegetation, towering trees and singing birds. Together they found a dry spot in the growing forest to splay out their wet clothes, empty their boots of the buckets of water trapped in it and once simple reconnaissance had been done by Daiki, change into their ANBU gear.

    It wasn¡¯t something too overt, simply enough to guise them as Hunter-nin so that if anyone asked, they were chasing a bounty. Mei breathed in the precious breaths of the forest fresh air before letting the mask settle on her face.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re a little turned around.¡± Daiki said, kneeling by his pack to pull out a map. Pointing at it, he added, ¡°This forest might actually be in the Land of Rivers, the way we¡¯re headed we might meet up with Tanigakure shinobi rather than Konoha, Tani shinobi will be less of a hassle to deal with but this route is also a longer path back to Kiri.¡±

    The lingering question stood, which path should they take? Mei took a moment to stare at the map as she thought. If for whatever reason Ame shinobi or that Angel of theirs chased them all the way to this point, it might be best to lead them on a wild goose chase.

    There was also benefit to cutting it simple and rerouting through Konoha, they were a hassle but the bigger the hassle the less likely a pursuer, if any would want to cause trouble. But that meant Konoha shinobi would stick to them like mistletoes all the way to shore, and right now, Mei wasn¡¯t looking to be on edge around Konoha shinobi.

    She pointed at the map and dragged her finger as she determined their route, ¡°We¡¯ll cut through Tani down to shore and then beeline through land of fire to the waves, the less time we spend under scrutiny the better. Plus, we¡¯ll be able to get aboard a vessel at the waves.¡±

    Daiki nodded and sorted his pack, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The two got sprinting and leaping through the treetops, going deeper into the Land of Rivers, careful to avoid what sparse Tanigakure shinobi lingered about the territory. For shinobi of their tier it was easy to slip past the border guards of a minor shinobi village, to begin with, Tanigakure was little different from the Land of Fire as they outsourced a portion of their protection in contracts to the Hidden Leaf.

    Fortunately, today was not one of those days a Konoha shinobi was on the prowl on their behalf. However, about an hour into their journey through the river split valleys and hills of the Land of Rivers, Daiki halted, switched to ANBU hand seals Mei had been forced to reacquaint herself with over the course of her mission with him.

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    His words, ¡°We¡¯re being watched. Above.¡±

    Mei didn¡¯t need to be told not to look up immediately, instead she leaped at his side and kept together. Whoever was following them would have to reveal themselves eventually, but another thirty minutes passed and Mei began to feel the presence watching them, yet no reveal.

    She signed back, ¡°Certainly not Tani or Konoha. Might be Ame.¡± It hooked her throat to even think that Amegakure shinobi had followed them all the way here and they¡¯d just now noticed, however that wasn¡¯t an issue anymore, ¡°We get rid of the tail.¡±

    Daiki nodded and burst to action, three hand signs was all it took for his [Hidden in the Mist] technique to envelope the river split valley in a thick fog. But not before four sharp projectiles fell through, aiming at slicing off his offending hands and decapitating Mei.

    Neither Daiki nor Mei fell to panic, the projectiles were simple to avoid and the fog settled over them and the river with ease. Mei plucked one out of the stone it embedded itself in and found her worst thoughts confirmed.

    Paper. It was rigid and sharp as steel, not to be underestimated or taken lightly. She looked for Daiki to communicate this but he was gone. She breathed, settling her pounding heart from her ears and she found him right behind her inching about with his sword drawn. Following his example, she readied her blade and chakra.

    ¡°Kirigakure shinobi, come out already or face the rain.¡± The Angel¡¯s voice was softer than she imagined, yet the hardness beneath it and her threat was evident.

    ¡°Amegakure¡¯s Angel I suppose, shouldn¡¯t you be in Amegakure then?¡± The Mist was a double edged blade, it hid hers and Daiki¡¯s movements and preparations but also their opponent above. Mei knew the mist would soon be useless, against an opponent that can fly? Surely she had command of Wind Nature chakra.

    Her answer came in the form of a literal rain of paper blades. Daiki was swift, his instincts kicking in as he deflected each falling spear but the sound of his clanging blade only drew the focus of the Angel¡¯s fire.

    Fortunately, the double edge of the mist technique remains and with Daiki making a ruckus deflecting her the majority of the paper rain, Mei was free to erupt from the ground using her [Hiding in the Earth] technique. Without wasting a moment, she spat out her second prepared jutsu, [Water Release: Water Bullet] at the spot raining down paper.

    She felt her jutsu hit something and the rain of paper blades ceased. Daiki released his mist technique but Mei persisted with her [Water Bullet], there was fierce resistance at the end of the condensed stream of water and she waited till the mist cleared to be sure she¡¯d gotten the so-called Angel.

    She hadn¡¯t.

    ¡°There you are.¡± The Angel spoke behind unsoiled wings of paper, each as large as a person guarding her with their body yet stronger. She flew higher, escaping the pressure of Mei¡¯s jutsu with ease as she soared down like a hawk with a snake in its sights.

    ¡°Daiki!¡± Mei called out for her partner to ready himself, he did not come out unscathed from the shower of paper, his armour was chipped and sliced but he stood firm to the Angel¡¯s approach.

    That¡¯s unwise. Knowing better yet doing perhaps worse, Mei dashed out past her partner, hands flipping through hand seals as the Angel drew close to ground, her fluttery wings turned to zooming blades.

    ¡°Lava Release: Melting Apparition!¡± Meeting the soaring Angel head on, Mei spat out the viscous, acidic and flaming fluid of lava over a wide area. The sky above the Angel darkened as a wave of acidic mud lurched over her.

    Once the jutsu was released, Mei did a one-eigthy and snatched Daiki by his arm, ¡°Let¡¯s go! This is not our mission!¡± She winced, gnashing her teeth as she ignored a paper blade cut through her armour and slice her fleeing back.

    Daiki huffed beside her as they fled, not bothering to look back at the mess of steam erupting from the river as the lava boiled it. ¡°Where do we go now?¡± he signed.

    They were in the middle of the Land of Rivers at this point and if the Rain¡¯s Angel followed them in here, what were the chances that she would follow into the Land of Fire?

    Considering how she already knows we¡¯re Kirigakure shinobi it¡¯s likely she and her god don¡¯t care about the power or threat of great villages. That was generally bad news, more so in this situation but she could make it work, all she needed was to rope in any one of Konoha¡¯s border patrols or barring that, the Samurai Lords that secured¡ª

    Her train of thought vanished at the sight of paper butterflies beating their wings beside she and Daiki, in seconds their field of view was flooded by a host of paper butterflies. The horde disguised paper shuriken that sliced through their arms, legs, torso each time they leaped off a branch. It wasn¡¯t long before Daiki and Mei were forced back to ground.

    ¡°You cannot escape me.¡± Her voice resounded from all sides, swarming them alongside the butterflies. A clump of them congregated together and formed the top half of her form, she wore a dark robe with red clouds.

    What kind of a jutsu is this? ¡°What do you want?¡± Mei demanded, all the while moulding chakra for her next jutsu.

    ¡°The better question is, what does Kirigakure want with Ame?¡±

    Smirking behind her mask, Mei shrugged, ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s kind of classified.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll simply have to extract the truth out of you.¡± With a wave of her hand the butterflies swarm and unfurled, revealing themselves to be a horde of paper bombs.

    Cursing her luck, Mei was about to divert her chakra from the jutsu moulding within her to something else when Daiki executed his. ¡°Water Release: Water Barrier!¡±

    His jutsu transforms his chakra to water, snatching particles from the humid air to quickly summon a swirling mass of water that hastily wraps around she and he as the paper bombs go off in tandem. The flurry of sudden explosives rocked Mei and Daiki about, a side of her mask shattered exposing her eyes to the scalding evaporate of her partner¡¯s jutsu buckling against continuous explosions.

    Had he used this closer to the river he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about chakra drain but Mei could tell summoning and maintaining this amount of water, even from humid environment cost him a lot of chakra. Hissing at the scald injuring her eyes, she abandoned her mask, knowing it could be a lot worse. Her vision wasn¡¯t impaired but it stung like hell and the thunderous sounds rattled her head with concussive force.

    Within their protective dome, Mei signed to him, ¡°Run.¡±

    He shook his head and signed, ¡°You first.¡±

    Mei was grateful for the loyalty but frowned, ¡°My next jutsu will hurt you. Run.¡±

    Realization dawn and he nodded just as the explosions outside came to a halt. He didn¡¯t let his summoned water go to waste, though most of it had turned to steam, he congealed the rest into a beam of boiling hot water that tore an inch or more into the Angel¡¯s guarded wings. ¡°Water Release: Water Cannon!¡±

    Seeing that filled Mei with glee and once Daiki started off running she released her technique, ¡°Boil Release: Skilled Mist!¡±

    A cloud of thick mist ascended with Mei as she ricocheted off tree barks around the hovering Angel. Arrogant, the Angel pronounced, ¡°That will not work a second time.¡±

    Her fingers actually moved this time as she moulded chakra for what Mei believes will be a Wind Release technique, but her mist worked faster and the edges of her top half began to sludge away, dripping against the hot, acid burnt ground.

    The Angel was taken aback for a moment and her hand signs paused as she saw the obvious need to reconstitute her form. But Mei was upon her within moments, ¡°Fire Release: Great Fireball!¡±

    Battered by a near point blank fireball the Angel¡¯s form was reduced to ash. Between her acid mist and the flames intense heat, no paper should remain intact, still, Mei waited, perched near the top of a tree that hadn¡¯t fallen away due to her acid mist and watched.

    The smoke cloud cleared in time and there, in the middle of it was a clutch of butterflies clinging together, trying not to burn. They changed shape and this time rather than the Angel¡¯s top half it included only part of her face and mouth. She smiled up at Mei, a fraction of herself and said, ¡°You are but one of two.¡±

    Mei¡¯s heart clenched in her chest at that but before she had a moment to respond the Angel was gone, her paper butterflies given up to the fire and lingering acid.

    Daiki¡­no! She leapt off of the trees, searching for her partner but not daring yell out for him lest she give her position away to the Angel. But then ten, fifteen, thirty and a whole hour past before she accepted what she¡¯d done by asking him to flee.

 It All Works Out

    White couldn¡¯t help but giggle despite himself, Black wouldn¡¯t see anything funny about this situation but then, he rarely ever saw the humour in anything.

    It was just his luck, he¡¯d waited patiently all day, eavesdropping relentlessly on the Mizukage, itching to release his plant jaw and gulp the young man whole.

    But White wasn¡¯t that stupid. The Fourth Mizukage would have destroyed his clone body before he even had a chance to taste his scalp, he felt that fact deep. And so he waited, agonizingly long, boring hours watching the fools bet on their own spilt blood and suffer the Mizukage¡¯s flirting attempts.

    Those attempts did lead to delicious little nuggets of information, a heads up on current events he could use to potentially bring the Hidden Mist to total ruin! Hahah, what was the Mizukage thinking? The Princess was a foolish, cloistered child playing adult, but there were many other ears near and ready to betray his blatant threatening of the Water Daimyo.

    White could do enough mental maths to imagine that this could merely be a bluff and there even if it weren¡¯t it wasn¡¯t exactly infeasible to accomplish. The Hidden Mist would struggle against the Daimyo should word of their Mizukage¡¯s blasphemous tongue get out before they organize, but they would surely triumph against peasant armies, even the best of Samurai could hardly compare to a qualified Chuunin.

    But¡­should Kumogakure learn of such a vulnerability. It¡¯ll be over for the Mist! War aplenty, War aplenty! Ack-!

    A cannon ball of water smashed into White, slamming him against a tree bark and snapping his thoughts back to reality. His pursuers were almost upon him, he cracked his disguised neck back into place and leaped away just as the pesky one with the Byakugan crashed a palm into the tree¡¯s base, shattering its roots and felling it at once.

    Sheezh¡­just my luck.

    Despite overcoming his impatience and bad ideas, White was not rewarded for his hard work. He didn¡¯t understand where it went wrong really and he¡¯s sure it¡¯ll all be hilarious once Black points it out. But for now, he couldn¡¯t fathom how the Mizukage had arrive so quickly, or why he even bothered saving the Old man, they were at odds weren¡¯t they?

    He thought he¡¯d caught a break when the Mizukage left the pursuit to his ANBU and was prepared to deceive them with his mimicry, only for the Byakugan Killer to be leading the charge. There was no losing him, Zetsu wasn¡¯t fast enough to even keep good distance from the man much less contend with his ever watchful Byakyugan.

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    I can¡¯t be caught. Self-destruct! White giggled, about to plant his foot on a broad tree branch and reverse his momentum; he would engage the Byakugan Killer or one of his mate, snatch their pouch and self-destruct in their faces with their own bombs!

    Except his foot slipped into the branch, taking the rest of him as gravity tilted, startling him for a moment before he slammed face first into one of the very familiar obelisks in Obito¡¯s pocket dimension.

    ¡°Ahaha!¡± He lifted his head and released his mimicry to display a carnivorous grin, ¡°It all worked out after all.¡±

    ¡°Idiot.¡± Black said, stood beside Obito with his original being the only one to reflect his grin. White slithered back to himself, attaching and devouring until he was whole again.

    ¡°That was reckless, Zetsu.¡± Obito grumbled behind his mask. His hair had grown out again and wore a simple, purple lined kimono and bare sandals. His body beneath was covered in bandages, even extending to his visible arm and hands.

    ¡°What¡¯s the hurt? Seemed like a good idea? Kill the Old man, get his kid to-¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you thought,¡± the swirled orange mask and the ethereal light of his pocket dimension menaced White more so as he imagined the glare behind the piercing voice. ¡°What matters now is that you¡¯ve failed and the Mizukage caught you no less.¡±

    He stuttered his epiphany about the Mizukage¡¯s insolence against his Daimyo but swallowed the first syllable of a word as Obito¡¯s spiralling Sharingan dug through him.

    It gave but a moment¡¯s respite as it turned to the other half of his face, ¡°I thought you could control him.¡±

    Black was ever brave and unfazed, ¡°It was your will to see them suffer, failure or not, there was an attempt. I have already explained the oddity of this Mizukage, he will continue to be a pest.¡±

    White felt like nodding in agreement but still dared not move. Obito bit back a growl, his hate of Kirigakure was a near second on the list of things and people he loathed. But Black knew where he would always seek to demolish the first, punishing Kirigakure was the least they could do to lighten his burden and they were failing.

    ¡°Indeed, you have even compared me to him, a dreamer.¡± Obito snarled, he clenched his fist, fingernails biting through the bandages, ¡°You should know better than I, dreams, dreamers are dangerous. You underestimated him but our dream will be the one to usurp this ill reality, I will see to him personally but only after priority objectives are met.¡± He turned and sat at the edge of the abyss of obelisk, there was a world more of the platforms below, mirroring themselves to infinity.

    ¡°Is it time then?¡± Zetsu asked together, eager to do his part.

    ¡°No, but soon. Mere months, an infinite amount of time to prepare but do not waste it. We¡¯ll refocus our efforts on destroying Konoha first, Yondaime Mizukage can wait until after, he will bow then and the Akatsuki will flourish on the blood coin.¡±

    Zetsu trembled with glee, ¡°Just tell me when.¡±

 Necessary Evils

    Raiga stood in stoic silence as I glanced through his squad¡¯s reports. Even though Reina has returned and reprised her position as ANBU Commander, he still served in that capacity for various tasks I¡¯ve assigned him and the organization.

    It¡¯s no consequence of his talent for it though, simply the need for Reina at the Estate, anchoring the affiliate Yuki clan and the Kaguya, was a more pressing matter I needed her attention on than her clandestine activities as part of the ANBU. Beyond that, there was of course, the investigation into what ties the Kaguya attacks to Lord Funato¡¯s assassin.

    With Mei¡¯s report on Amegakure fresh in my mind and the Hidden Mist down one elite shinobi, it was glaringly obvious what the next path for the village would be and I intended to pave it without any blemishes.

    Before getting ahead of myself or overextending the village¡¯s capacities, I needed to finish what all I have started. Starting with the Daimyo and his Princess sister, Hanako.

    In my hands were the past weeks¡¯ correspondence between the Princess and everyone she¡¯s bothered to pick a pen and write to. Her younger siblings, her forbidden lover, the aunt she favours and the two true childhood friends that didn¡¯t end up as her lady-in-waiting. And most importantly, her brother, the Daimyo.

    I confess, it felt a little dirty to have these private words pilfered by my shinobi, but it was like many things I would come to do in my tenure as the Fourth Mizukage, a necessary evil.

    She wasn¡¯t the only one I had the many eyes of the ANBU on either. Since I woke up from my coma I¡¯d assigned Raiga several persons of interest to keep me up to date with. Clan heads, the Daimyos¡¯s Baron vassals, and worthwhile Samurai lords with their own little fiefdoms here and there. Just about everyone that might make a ripple in the coming war.

    The biggest fish was the Daimyo. I¡¯d spoken loosely of war, violence, equality and power to the Princess, enough that my intentions would not be misinterpreted or my willingness overlooked.

    The Daimyo ruled over two million denizens, including the near twelve thousand living within Kirigakure¡¯s walls and the other twenty that fell under our influence. All knelt to the Daimyo for he was true power, yes?

    No. These uptown snob nobles wouldn¡¯t know true power for a very, very long time. Before Hidden Villages were what they are, clans ruled themselves independently and yes, the Daimyo existed then as well. Hiring clans as protective measures, for war efforts, for intrigue. A tradition of contract hiring that has been inherited by today¡¯s shinobi except now, the multitudes of war hardened and power shinobi clans come together and obey one will.

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    The Kage. And I was one of the only five. Doubtless, the Daimyo had his own sphere of power, armies of skilled Samurai that have discerned the secret ways of chakra to empower their bodies and weapons such that each Samurai is as strong as a Chuunin and Named Samurai teeter on the edge of Jounin level strength.

    But that was all there was to the Daimyo, a couple armies of Samurai led peasants would be nothing to the squads of Jounin Kirigakure has raised and will raise under my watch. Worse yet, they were fighting amongst themselves, killing each other long before I came into the picture.

    Civil war was as much a tradition of the Land of Water as Kenjutsu. Father against son, Daimyo against their Barons and so forth until it¡¯s just man against man.

    Dirty a thought it might be but the Land of Water was destabilized in a such a way that Kirigakure with two Jinchuriki posed a threat to all the country, what Samurai could cut through a Tailed Beast?

    The natural economics, culture and even military of the country was in disrepair after the Second and Third Great wars that Kirigakure swiping the board clean and starting over becomes the ideal situation for the yeoman and I was certain the Princess wasn¡¯t stupid enough not to realize that.

    Her letters proved me right. She¡¯d written to the Daimyo two days after I¡¯d given her my ultimatum and she minced her words well. In it she advised her brother to consider sending an envoy to negotiate land rights with me before it is too late, stating nothing about the fact that I had determined to move at my own regard.

    She wrote the verbose letter subtly enough that the Daimyo, should he be illiterate, would understand the meaning, ¡®The Mizukage wants land and is willing to support whomever to get it.¡¯

    I wasn¡¯t willing to support whomever though, I specifically remember asking for the heads of the Bloodline Killing nobles and their land but it¡¯s of little consequence. Princess Hanako had done her job and soon an envoy or perhaps the Daimyo himself would grace Kirigakure to negotiate.

    Whatever the case, I would bring balance and order to the Land of Water with rapidity. Konan¡¯s discovery of Mei and her capture of Daiki were pressing against my mind. What I wanted to do next was intensify security and I had a couple ideas for that, which meant another council meeting was in order.

    I let myself smile as a rush of excitement jolted through me. Swivelling my chair about, I gazed across my village from the window. It was another dawn, making four consecutive days since I had a goodnights rest. As much as it pained me, I was getting used to this life. The blood, the sacrifice, the secrets and invasion of privacy and general rights.

    I was going to make it all worth it and soon. I had a plan, no, a vision for Kirigakure and it was about time Kirigakure started looking forward to it.

    ¡°Raiga, in the tournaments, there was a boy or a man. Jin his name was. Assess him for ANBU worthiness.¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡± I could hear the confusion in his voice, but I didn¡¯t mind, many ignorant would be enlightened soon enough.

    ¡°If he¡¯s worthy then he¡¯ll be off to serve the Princess, it¡¯ll make your job easier won¡¯t it? Besides, there¡¯s more I want him to do.¡±

    Weak as the Daimyo is, I couldn¡¯t afford to get sloppy. His sister will be my unspoken hostage and if I manage to place Jin at her side, she will know it well too.

    ¡°Understood sir, I¡¯ll get right on that.¡± I felt him about to take his leave but I called out again.

    ¡°Raiga, I have a plan for you too, a role, a very lucrative one if I can help it. Do well, dismissed.¡±

 The Lord Fourths Vision

    When I called the council meeting I didn¡¯t expect Lord Funato to attend. He still suffered from his injuries and was yet to heal properly, he sat in a wheelchair with one of his clansmen driving him around the place. Still, I did not disparage his return.

    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to see you up and about, in any degree, Funato-dono.¡± I said behind the closed doors of my office in the Tower.

    He smiled with his eyes and nodded gently, ¡°I could hardly squander your mercy on the first council meeting you¡¯ve called and invited me to, I am ready to serve.¡±

    That¡¯s what I like to hear. Uncle Aoto and Lady Megumi shared their joy in seeing his return as well, but the mood of this meeting turned serious quickly as I clapped and declared, ¡°Alright then, we are at war.¡±

    I took in their reactions carefully and none seemed surprised or opposed to my official declaration of it. It was natural, expected at this point that we¡¯d become involved in the Daimyo¡¯s war in some capacity and between Uncle and Megumi, we¡¯ve prepared terms and objective rewards we want to reap for Kirigakure coming out of the war.

    ¡°Immediately after this meeting concludes I will declare a level one, war state of readiness for all of Kirigakure. After the attack on Lord Funato and this coming war, it is most necessary to keep our eyes peeled and ears open.

    ¡°Despite this, the Daimyo has not acquiesced to our demands nor has he heard of them yet. It matters little, once we enter the war with Fuguki¡¯s reclamation assault on Kurokami-jima, he will understand there¡¯s no turning back and if he doesn¡¯t, I trust we all know what should come next?¡± I studied their faces again, what I was implying was mutiny against the Daimyo in essence.

    Uncle Aoto, the man that put the idea into my head in the first place was as relaxed as ever, he nodded in approval and examined his fellow councillors as I did. Lady Megumi spoke, ¡°If it means once his paltry war is over and won we will turn our heads to the true threats, I am of one mind with you, Yagura-sama.¡±

    I focussed on Lord Funato who grunted as he said plainly, ¡°You have my oaths, Yagura-sama, I am loyal to Kirigakure and its Mizukage alone, you.¡±

    It tickled something in my brain to see him as he should be at last. I gave a grateful nod to them and continued, ¡°Good! Because should we get what we desire Kirigakure will not be confined to the mainland. Lord Funato you¡¯ve been away for some time so for your benefit, I will overview our objectives in this war.

    ¡°We have demanded the Daimyo forfeit to us two isles under the control of Bloodline Killers. The Barons previously served him but now war against him with those isles, Yureisen and Midoriwara, so he shouldn¡¯t be too stubborn about handing it over. The Princess has communicated this demand¡­in some extent to the Daimyo and I¡¯ll be expecting an envoy to negotiate terms. Whatever the case may be then I will not accept anything less than station base rights, policing authority and economic dominion over these isles.

    ¡°In the aftermath of the war Yureisen and Midoriwara will need to be developed and governed for the long term interests of Kirigakure.¡± I smiled a knowing smile at my councillors, ¡°I suppose it¡¯s about time I share with you my vision for Kirigakure, though it should be obvious. Strength, absolute strength in every facet and form. Anything and anyone strong will be my and Kiri¡¯s interest to foster, this means that these islands, full of oppressed Bloodline wielders will be developed with them in mind.¡±

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    ¡°I cannot be everywhere and neither can the Karatachi clan, though we will lift our weight. And so, Lady Megumi, Lord Funato, I hope I can trust your clans with the future of Kirigakure.¡±

    The elderly lady blanched, ¡°You mean to give the islands to us?¡±

    ¡°To an extent, it will be your job to follow and meet the requirements I set, but I believe if there¡¯s any clan that ought to govern and grow these suffered isles it would be the very two that forged Kirigakure in the first place.¡± I saw Lord Funato nearly grin.

    A little flattery here and there helps just as much as fear.

    ¡°You honour us, Yagura-sama.¡± He said barely containing his glee.

    Uncle on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem as pleased but nodded along just the same, ¡°It is deserved and it will be hard work.¡±

    ¡°Indeed it will, but those concerns will be for after we have seized the island from the scum in charge now. But, I want to make it certain that I am aware the Daimyo will look less favourably on us after we seize these isles for ourselves, his coin and feed will be slow coming, slower still than it is now. We may as well count ourselves alone.¡±

    Lord Funato shrugged, ¡°That is no matter, the world is large, coin and food can be taken from elsewhere if not grown ourselves. Besides, the Funato clan will spare no expense ensuring Kirigakure¡¯s expansion doesn¡¯t cause undue suffering.¡±

    And here I thought I¡¯d have to do all the resource management myself, I¡¯d forgotten that clans as ancient and prosperous as these had a habit of hording wealth in anticipation for the day every ounce of inter-clan cooperation fell apart. But that wouldn¡¯t be happening, Kirigakure would thrive as long as I¡¯m alive.

    I flashed an approving grin, ¡°Very good, Lord Funato, you think as I do. My vision for Kirigakure does not end at ceasing the Bloodline culls and accruing strong stalk for shinobi. For too long Kirigakure has been the butt of the five great villages, we are barely relevant as is and what the world knows us for is our exceptional Hunter-nin squads reaping bounties.

    ¡°I believe it¡¯s about time we give the others some fierce competition. The Tea Country just south of us forfeits over seventy percent of its contracts to Konoha, the same could be said for the Land of Waves as well as many other minor villages and countries on the continent.

    ¡°Once this war is finished that will need to be fixed, Kirigakure cannot continue to subsist on the Daimyo¡¯s leftovers, even our own people are too scattered by war to seek us out for contracts. This is why the Land of Water needs stability and I will be the one to herald it.¡±

    ¡°You speak wisely, Yagura-sama.¡± Uncle said, he studied my features as he chose his words, ¡°However, bringing Kirigakure, no, the Land of Water to a point where we can actively compete with Konoha in economic terms¡­perhaps in terms of military strength but¡­it will take time.¡±

    I nodded, ¡°That it will but don¡¯t we have all the time in the world? It will be done.¡± I understood what he was thinking¡ª Kiri suddenly coming out of its shell to rival Konoha and the others could spark a Fourth War all on its own as the Iwa and Kumo started the Third because of a lack of fair resources.

    But I didn¡¯t care whose feet I was stepping on, right now, all I saw was my country, my village in desperate need of help and by god I would help it. ¡°Do not falter, let us focus on the immediate for now but keep my vision for Kirigakure in mind as each of you carry out your tasks. Before we conclude, there is one final matter I wish to discuss.¡±

    My councillors listened closely, ¡°With the coming war I¡¯ll be sending Konoha¡¯s envoys away but I think we could squeeze something out of them still. Mei¡¯s report, which we will discuss in detail another day, includes some sensitive and valuable information on Amegakure I believe Konoha will be very interested in.¡±

    ¡°You wish to broker a trade? For what?¡± Lady Megumi asked, curious.

    ¡°Time and time again our Sensor Division has failed to repel attacks, I believe we can fashion a solution ourselves but Konoha is much ahead of us in this regard. We can sell this information piece by piece for their sensory techniques as well as subtly have them conduct their own probes on Amegakure. What do you think, is it worth it?¡±

 Preparing the Offensive

    By morning the next day, the entire village knew war had come. I had given the order and the village respond quick to it, full-scale defensive efforts as Kirigakure was put on complete lockdown. No one in Sensor Division was given a break, no one was given a break period, if I wasn¡¯t catching any Z¡¯s neither would anyone else.

    ANBU and Jounin teams with too much time on their hands submitted themselves to me for assignments. The entire organizations restructured itself around priority tasks, ANBU squads left the village in droves to conduct covert operations that will fund the continued war effort. I needed eyes on every one of the Daimyo¡¯s armies alongside that of his¡­our enemies.

    Some squads I¡¯d tasked with eliminating pesky Lords that wouldn¡¯t come out to battle themselves but whose existence would irritate the war effort. Folders, files, all documenting Baron and Samurai Lords in the war, Raiga by my side filtering through the fodder and chaff for the worthwhile targets.

    It was my every intention to end this war before it bled Kirigakure on the field of battle, though I realize quickly that might not be possible. Reading up on the reports and standards Fuguki complied before he left to lead the mission I assigned him, I learned that the snakes head, a Baron Lord of Umehebi, was a front line fighter and would be surrounded by his men almost all the time.

    A clean assassination wouldn¡¯t be feasible unless I sent Raiga or Reina in themselves and as far as I was concerned, Lord Tetsuya of Umehebi wasn¡¯t worth their full attention, not with how things were at the moment.

    With Fuguki¡¯s notes on the war though, I grasped a greater deal of what the poor Daimyo has been battling against all this time and shook my head. There were four islands warring against the Daimyo and two more that were seeking to discreetly become a part of the Tea Country while the others killed themselves.

    The current state of the war had Kurokami-jima, Lord Yakubi¡¯s island and its fiefs raided and attacked and possibly over run by the enemy at this point. Of course, I¡¯d already sent Kisame¡¯s team to liberate the island as it was one of the few isles left on the Daimyo¡¯s side, with Lord Yakubi genuinely suffering for his loyalty.

    Then there were the Bloodline Killer isles, this was where my war goals stood. Destroying the large factions of Bloodline Killers congregated on Yureisen and Midoriwara would accomplish Kirigakure¡¯s truest goals in the war and if I saw fit to abandon the Daimyo to Baron Tetsuya of Umebi there was little else anyone could do.

    But I¡¯m attempting to be a man of my word and so once I saw the war being fought on two fronts. The Bloodline Killer isles were fortunately or unfortunately rather close to each other with Midoriwara at reinforce-able range from Umebi Island.

    This meant the pre-emptive force I¡¯d sent in the form of Fuguki and Juzo might not be able to decimate the islands resistant armies before reinforcement came from Umebi in the form of ships and a battering of coastal warfare. I didn¡¯t want my shinobi in the crossfire of that, least of all Mangetsu and so it meant I¡¯d simply have to confuse and overwhelm Lord Tetsuya with the liberation effort on Kurokami-jima and a clear as day invasive force flanking his left side and ally, Watanabe the Baron of Tsurugashima Island.

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    Should our ships come breakthrough his offensive against the Daimyo¡¯s loyal vassals on the left, we¡¯d force Baron Tetsuya to choose between saving his Bloodline Killer allies to the right or his day one ally, Watanabe on the left.

    Of course, very little of this could be accomplished overnight. The ANBU had their targets and would lurk for an opportunity to strike, whether it be in the dead of night or in a raging battlefield. Each island had its Lords and Barons with two or three subservient Lords of towns, cities or villages being vassals of Barons who governed the entire island in the Daimyo¡¯s stead.

    Barons such as Watanabe and Tetsuya were high profile targets that were difficult to reach even with the arm of the ANBU, especially when I didn¡¯t want to sacrifice the lives of my elites to be rid of some jar-headed noble that would be replaced by a son or rival the moment he died. Assassination was off the table for them but kidnapping? Well, someone needed to sign a forfeit and a dead person couldn¡¯t do it.

    I¡¯d rather preserve much of the Land of Water¡¯s infrastructure and resources and so I¡¯d only sent out two teams meant to infiltrate and destabilize the townships feeding the armies we¡¯d be fighting on Yureisen and Midoriwara, they had orders to pay a visit to Umebi as well if they could but it wasn¡¯t necessary. This strategy was especially needed on the left flank of the war where a large island, Koorijima, was under the thumb of Baron Tetsuya.

    Koorijima was and has been his staging ground for a majority of his attacks, especially against Kurokami-jima. Large and fertile as it is, the island also served as Baron Tetsuya¡¯s second bread basket, fattening his men and sharpening reforming their blades with the iron from the mines scattered in its mountains.

    If we wanted to pose any threat to Baron Tetsuya Koorijima liberation would have to come immediately after Kurokami-jima¡¯s. According to Fuguki¡¯s notes Baron Watanabe¡¯s ships and men protected the island from outsiders and were positioned facing mainland Kirigakure as they patrolled the sea.

    The idea that these Barons had been preparing and anticipating Kirigakure¡¯s eventual involvement to this extent brought a smile to my face, we weren¡¯t being underestimated and perhaps this would pose a challenge for Kiri¡¯s forces to breach, however doubtful that was.

    Analysing the map and positioning of the enemy as well as my own men, I felt more than confident in our inevitable victory, it would be child¡¯s play to breakthrough their naval barricade with the likes of pirate descendant Hoshigaki at my beck and call. What was left now was for the war to start in earnest.

    I let out a sigh and picked myself up from behind the desk, hearing my knees and back crack with satisfaction I packed up the worthwhile documents I¡¯d read myself to sleep with and began to leave the office. It was well past midnight already but Junichi held his post outside my office without losing a blink to sleep.

    He saw me and smiled as he relieved me of the files in hand, ¡°Ready to leave now?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t slept in a bed in over five days and though I had many thoughts to discuss with Jounin Captains and clan heads I intended to meet over the valuable resources they controlled, I was ready to get some shut eye. At least for tonight.

 Family and Power

    There was a single light turned on in the mansion when Junichi and I arrived and I had a feeling it was a light that would keep me from my bed even further. We approached it, the light was in the dining room and the dining room, well, it was one of the first things that caught the eye upon entry.

    A candle chandelier decorated, near hall sized dining room with over six chairs on each size of strong oak wood, embossed table. It was neat and clean; I was no longer living alone so I expected it to be. The green rug underneath was fresh smelling and spotless of dirt and the table was set with all the needed for a quick breakfast; bread, teabags, some fruit in a basket and cups flipped over on a table mat.

    Besides the fact that the candle chandelier was lit up and burning lavender freshness throughout the mansion, there was one other odd thing waiting for me there, ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re up late.¡± I said, waving Junichi away as I did.

    He bowed to Uncle and I and carried my files up the stairs to place in my office before finding his rest in his room. I approached the dining table where Uncle was more or less splayed in a chair, legs wide open as he slouched with a terrible breath of alcohol stinking his person.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, concern slowly building up in me. The Uncle I knew was a definite drunk but rarely ever to this extent, besides, it wasn¡¯t exactly the best time for a clan head and councillor no less to be drunk off his horse.

    He simply poured more of the distilled drink into his little shot glass, not minding how his wavering hand spills about half a glass more on the table. He drank, sighed and regarded me with heavy eyelids and a foolish smile.

    Uncle Aoto, the clan head of the Karatachi clan was often dressed clean and noble to match his status. The best fabrics and silks, cotton scarfs and sturdy sandals. But the man before me was simply my Uncle, he had on what I could consider a nightwear as the stripped blue patterns seemed to match and he wore fluffy slippers.

    ¡°You let your dinner get cold.¡± He said in a drawl, making absolutely no sense.

    ¡°What?¡± I stepped closer and drew out a chair for myself as I snatched his bottle, ¡°I haven¡¯t been home in sometime, been having dinner or I guess lunch at the office. Why are you here?¡±

    I poured myself a drink in his glass and snatched it too as he groaned. He swiped a hand across his face, dragging it and his drunkenness away for a moment as he answered, ¡°I was looking for you, to talk to you but I knew you wouldn¡¯t be here so I came here to look for you but now you¡¯re here. Haha.¡±

    What the fuck is going on? I threw the shot back and winced at the strong taste, it was even stronger than what he shared with me when we drank. I stared at the bottle looking for a name or label but there was none.

    ¡°Well, here I am, talk to me.¡±

    Uncle breathed in deeply and flailed for the bottle I wouldn¡¯t let him have, ¡°You might not like what you hear.¡±

    At that I snorted, ¡°I¡¯ve heard some pretty nasty things in the last five months, goodluck making me flinch.¡± Though I said that, his last sentences have already got my heart lurching. Had it been anyone else I truly wouldn¡¯t be fazed but¡­it¡¯s Uncle. I poured another drink and felt sleep burn to nothing down my throat. ¡°Tell me.¡±

    Uncle drew in a breath, pulled himself upright and shook his head vigorously before sighing, ¡°Okay, Yagura-kun, I didn¡¯t want to talk about this or even think or feel like this but¡­it¡¯s my duty to speak up now. Has been.¡±

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    ¡°Uncle, get to the point please, you¡¯re actually starting to scare me now.¡± I said with all honesty.

    He managed a chuckle before that sliver smile disappeared as he nodded, ¡°In our last council meeting, you spoke on behalf of us, of me rather. The Karatachi clan. It¡¯s a different thing if you are issuing an order but you weren¡¯t, you decided the Karatachi wouldn¡¯t want or need or deserve to handle those islands.¡±

    ¡°The islands? Is that what this is about? Uncle I-¡± He raised a silencing hand and struggled with a burp.

    ¡°Let me finish, it¡¯s hard enough doing this at all but I¡¯m a bit off my rockers now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, strong stuff.¡± I concurred, admiring the bottle for a momentary distraction from what was feeling more and more uncomfortable.

    ¡°As I was saying, you spoke on the clan¡¯s behalf. I am still clan head and while I am proud, grateful and joyful that you have stood amongst all of us to become Mizukage, I can¡¯t have you acting as clan head in my place when there isn¡¯t a need to.¡±

    I wish my scarf covered my ears right now.

    ¡°But besides that, there is some growing sentiment amongst the clan that feels like you have neglected us. You are Mizukage and belong to the whole village but you are also human, don¡¯t you feel any sort of homely loyalty to us? Where are we in your plans? In your vision?

    ¡°Just because the Karatachi clan would never betray you and doesn¡¯t need to be convinced to do as you say does not mean we don¡¯t deserve to be appeased, furnished with your love and influence. I don¡¯t need to say it but¡­we made you possible, didn¡¯t we?¡±

    He looked every bit as pained, more so perhaps, as I was sitting here and listening. He was right and I¡¯m sure there were more complaints in the tank but he¡¯s Uncle and he wouldn¡¯t be so cruel to unload every fact and nugget proving his point.

    I nodded, poured and drank, ¡°Ahh, I think you¡¯re right Uncle and I am sorry I haven¡¯t paid as much attention as I should and I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t speak for the clan when I don¡¯t need to, your input, thought and influence as clan head should be considered before I go around deciding some things. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    He looked even more uncomfortable than I felt but smiled, ¡°You know, I¡¯m so proud of you, Yagura-kun and I¡¯m so excited to see what this vision of yours brings Kirigakure, I just want to ensure that, all the people, the clan your mother loved as much as you are a part of that vision.¡±

    Again I nodded, ¡°No, you¡¯re right and I should reassure you, the clan is a part of that vision, I would never dream to keep us away. Everyone has a part to play and ours,¡± I leaned forward as if whispering a secret, ¡°Ours I say, is the best part.¡±

    Uncle raised a brow, intrigued at this, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I understand you might have looked at those islands, Yureisen and Midoriwara and thought the honour of governing them would be prestige upon prestige for the clan. But really, think about it, after the war it¡¯ll be clean up, census, building up bases and moving huge funds to support the masses of Bloodline clans that will come out of hiding and seek refuge.

    ¡°It would be training these stalk of shinobi material, feeding them too not to mention policing the island and commandeering the resource production on each so it¡¯s as efficient as possible. It would be settling ancient disputes, dealing with runaway armies and Ronin killers, it would be starting afresh from nothing. It would be a distraction.¡±

    His eyes widened at this and I gave a knowing nod as he stuttered, ¡°Then that means the mainland will be¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly, all of this,¡± I stretched my arms rotating and gesturing out the single curtain open window to Kirigakure beyond, ¡°Would be headed by the Karatachi clan. We would become the true face of power here, none of that useless competition with the Funato and Hozuki. Their businesses and properties would naturally reduce as they develop those islands and train the first generation of Bloodline wielding shinobi for Kirigakure. The Karatachi clan would naturally fill in the void.¡±

    Uncle grinned but looked sombre the next second, ¡°See? This is why I came looking for you here, I had a feeling you might have planned something like this.¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°No, you were right to talk to me, Uncle and I¡¯d appreciate it if you continued to do so. You¡¯re right, I can¡¯t do this alone, yknow, I need my family.¡±

    He smirked, ¡°No, you need a family. I¡¯ve got dozens of beautiful Karatachi women lining up to be your wife, when will you recognize them!¡±

    I rolled my eyes but caught his infectious smile, ¡°The year isn¡¯t up yet, remember what I said, give me a couple more months and afterwards I¡¯ll think about it seriously.¡±

    He snorted, ¡°Very well, then. I¡¯ll start with skilled shinobi then, I¡¯ll send you my recommendations for the frontlines, have a look at them will you?¡±

    ¡°I will Uncle, I will.¡±

 Chakra Cloak Training

    ¡°My goodness Yagura-sama, this is unprecedented growth!¡± Harusame yelled for what felt like the hundredth time. Granted, it was high praise coming from him and it felt good to be making progress in strengthening not just Kirigakure, but myself.

    Since becoming Mizukage I¡¯ve been swamped under documents, politics, policies, admin requests and balancing the yearly budget with the current reality in the face of multiple attacks. But finally, I¡¯d returned to what brought me to wear the hat in the first place¡ª my shinobi training and in particular, my Jinchuriki training.

    I smiled as Isobu¡¯s chakra cloak seeped through my skin and back into the seal, I peeled my eyes open and met Harusame prepared for the worst and yet was blown away by the unexpected and near perfect performance.

    It has been three weeks since I awoke from my coma now and suddenly I¡¯d returned to Turtle Island intent on training with Isobu despite how wary of the idea Harusame was. It was nice to see him eating his words without shame.

    Once Isobu¡¯s chakra faded completely he relaxed his own prepared jutsu and came closer to examine me, ¡°Not a single burn or even¡­how?¡±

    I chuckled and drank from my water bottle, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you, Harusame.¡±

    The intense Fuuinjutsu regarded me with a fierce, pleading look that held an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, ¡°Tell me, please, such a rapid improvement could change Utakata¡¯s life as a Jinchuriki, he¡¯s far ahead of you but with this¡­whatever this is he could see mastery of the beast within in but a few years!¡±

    I nodded in agreement. I hadn¡¯t thought much of Utakata but as Kirigakure¡¯s second Jinchuriki I couldn¡¯t dismiss him from my thoughts for too long. The Akatsuki would be after him as well and synchronicity with his tailed beast, Saiken would help in resisting the worst case scenario.

    Not to mention, should he master the power of Saiken he could easily be a contender for my successor, though I doubted the anti-social boy had any interest in ruling his village.

    ¡°Where is he anyway? Now that I¡¯ve got to this level we should take up training together and I mean active spars.¡± I added the last part so Harusame would know I wouldn¡¯t baby his precious student.

    The man seemed to deflate as I avoided answering his question but answered mine with a shrug, ¡°He is doing his duty, we are preparing for war are we not?¡±

    Ah, yes. I keep forgetting my general orders included some noteworthy persons. Right now he should be with other Chuunin preparing the three islands Kirigakure had policing rights on¡ªTurtle Island included¡ª against the war. They had been spared involvement in the war since even a single police station manned by a Kiri-nin counted an island as part of our domain and under our protection.

    Now that Kiri is joining the war in full there will be no need for its enemies to respect those islands, Turtle Island included¡ª though I doubt Baron Tetsuya would be so foolish to come so close to Kirigakure¡¯s mainland.

    Still, I worried for the young man and it shamed me that as his Kage I didn¡¯t know enough about his strengths and weaknesses. It was among my numerous responsibilities to evaluate the quality of our Jinchuriki but thus far I¡¯ve been self-absorbed with my own issues.

    That said, I believe I¡¯d witnessed him wield a one-tail chakra cloak, a level above what I was currently patting myself on the back for achieving even with help from Isobu. Perhaps he would be fine, there was at least a single Jounin involved in those reinforcement squads and in this war there shouldn¡¯t be a single Samurai capable of harming him without lethal consequences.

    Satisfied with that reassurance, I fell back to my meditative pose and began the breathing exercises, ¡°Once I master the three-tails chakra in its entirety I will tell you how I managed this so quickly, but if you want a hint, I¡¯ve already told you how in the past.¡±

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    I snuck a peek at the man, he¡¯d fallen back a safe distance away and was preparing himself as I was but there was an undeniable look of deep thought as he rummaged through his memories, muttering, ¡°Have you? Hrrmm, I will recall and if I do not, I will anticipate your mastery, Yagura-sama. You¡¯re ever confident despite the challenge.¡±

    Indeed, I was, though not without reason or struggle. With Isobu¡¯s cooperation the toxicity of his chakra and the damage it did to my body was lessened. I could also fine tune just the right amount of chakra to ensure that I lasted at least fifteen minutes before the strain became apparent and began burning and regenerating my chakra pathways to suit its needs.

    Technically, that was a good thing. A Tailed Beast¡¯s chakra was corrosive to the body because it was force its nature onto the host, ridding the host of weaker stuff like normal bones, skin, blood and more immediately, chakra pathways. The more of the tailed beast chakra the host takes, the faster they become susceptible to tailed beast transformations.

    It¡¯s exactly what Hidden Villages wanted for their Jinchuriki, though it came with the caveat that if the transformations or leaked chakra aren¡¯t controlled they risk releasing the tailed beast on the world.

    Fortunately, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem for Isobu and I. His chakra would burn away my pathways and strengthen them to a Tailed Beast¡¯s standard as time passes, simultaneously increasing my chakra reserves by leaps and bounds and bolstering my body against the worst effects. The only downside I saw to this little symbiosis was one that couldn¡¯t be avoided¡ª a shortened lifespan.

    Putting away those dreary thoughts I breathed and felt the music of Isobu¡¯s waters brush the back of my mind, ¡°Isobu, once more please.¡±

    I felt his chakra answer my call in drips, slowly starting from my torso the warmth spread until I was covered in it. With measured breaths I opened my eyes and stood, flexing the strength coating my entirety. Not a single tail had formed behind me but that was alright, I would take my time mastering this single stage rather than rush my way into burnt out chakra pathways and a hastily shortened lifespan.

    Still, the power felt, ¡°Invigorating.¡± My voice boomed, guttural as it was the last time I wore Isobu¡¯s chakra. ¡°I wish Utakata were here, I need something to punch, something that can take a hit.¡±

    Harusame regarded me with wise caution, his fingers ready to ignite his sealing jutsu should anything go awry, ¡°You could simply recall him.¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°Let him do his duty.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then there must be others. One of the Swordsmen perhaps?¡±

    I shook my head again, though that was a good idea, ¡°All sent on missions. Perhaps when Fuguki returns or Kisame, until then, I¡¯ll do a lap around the island, see if I can make it under fifteen minutes.¡±

    Harusame sweated at that, ¡°Uh, are you sure? Should I come with you?¡±

    I merely grinned as my feet cracked the earth beneath me, I barely needed to brace my knees to leap beyond what I was capable without the cloak and I zipped past Harusame.

    With the wind on my back and an island of trees and scarce settlements, I bounded through without holding back. Exiting the temples vicinity within seconds and entering the thick of the colossal tree forest that plaited the island.

    I bounded with ease off of thick tree branches, snapping them as I leapt away and over thirteen more in a single bound. The power was magnificent, I breathed as I came face to face with a particularly broad tree, hesitating for a moment before grinning as I blasted through its midsection, crashing outward several paces away with little more than a grunt and a snap back of my dislodged shoulder.

    My healing, strength and speed were all accelerated to rapid degree though I noticed I burned through the cloak with each flagrant move and excessive injury healed away in a blink.

    I stood, lost in the forest with what felt like all the power in the world, though I knew well it wasn¡¯t. There were multiple people capable of defeating me even in this state, Kisame or Fuguki wielding Samehada each had a fair chance but the one person I was cautious of was but a child now.

    Uchiha Itachi. Jason¡¯s memory of my defeat against his Amaterasu had me itching to bring out the best utility of the chakra cloak. I wanted to be flexible with it, wield it as I did a kunai or my Bo-staff. I wanted to be able to discard it as well as any pesky undying flame.

    For now, that was my goal.

    ¡®Do not become complacent, Yagura-kun. The future you have described, you will need all I have, there is much to teach you but yes, master one facet first before another.¡¯

    I let the chakra cloak seep back into the seal and winced as my healed shoulder spiked with moderate pain. It was healed but the memory of the injury remained.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Isobu, I will learn it all and I won¡¯t let them hurt us.¡±

 Chakra Cloak Training (P2)

    Before I knew it, I¡¯d spent the day on Turtle Island training with Harusame and Ao on standing orders to repel any inconsequential summons back to the office. Yes, there was war looming and I¡¯d set the entire village on lockdown, ideally I should be behind the desk watching over Kirigakure but right now, my time was best served within the ocean filled Three Pillar Seal.

    Isobu had a lot to offer when it came to chakra, not just en masse or even his high-end Tailed Beast quality, but in the understanding of chakra. Soft spoken as the giant turtle is, he held centuries of knowledge beneath that shell.

    ¡°You already have a strong affinity for water, this will come easily to you.¡±

    ¡°True, I am already considered a master with Water Release Ninjutsu, but what you¡¯re talking about is a little more than that isn¡¯t it?¡±

    His giant head shifted slightly as he nodded waves over my ethereal body, ¡°Yin Chakra is what you will need to apply to your Water Nature to will its many forms to your thoughts, Yagura-kun. Do not fret, Yin and Yang are parts of everything and do not discriminate as other affinities do. Once you tap into the nature of one, the other will quickly reveal itself.¡±

    So he said but I had a feeling I¡¯d struggle at creating life out of nothing but my chakra. That felt a little way into the territory of gods didn¡¯t it? I shook away the doubts as soon as they came. Jason¡¯s memories had already foretold a version of me applying these very lessons to great practical success.

    ¡°Alright then, how do I tap into Yin chakra to create corals?¡±

    Isobu gave me an eye smile as he said, ¡°Meditate. You are already doing what is necessary, Harusame is a wise teacher. But to help you get along faster, wield my chakra as you meditate and try to perceive what it is made up of.¡±

    ¡°Besides you? Hmm.¡± That wasn¡¯t the sort of answer I was expecting, it was basically telling me to sit and wait, which admittedly, worked for some of the most powerful techniques like Senjutsu. ¡°Wait, does this have anything to do with Sage Chakra?¡±

    Isobu tilted his head, ¡°The Sages are powerful conduits of the natural order, Tailed Beasts such as myself are not privy to such power but perhaps, we may be made out of it.¡±

    I gave it some thought and the image of my parallel version¡¯s accomplishments couldn¡¯t leave my mind, ¡°Couldn¡¯t I summon the corals through you? While using your chakra?¡±

    Isobu seemed to roll his eye, ¡°If you want to be idle about it.¡±

    At that I hid a blush, ¡°Sorry, sorry, I just¡­I might be getting ahead of myself because I¡¯m anxious about the future, about changing it or¡­how I¡¯ve changed it already.¡±

    Isobu was silent for a moment before he spoke again, ¡°I feel the same at times but there is no need for fear, you have died once before and will die again. You will have no power over what life you led before or the life you will lead after, at least until you arrive. And now, you have, all you can do is prepare and live.¡±

    ¡°Your words are wise and comforting, Isobu.¡± I blinked, still clinging onto one vestige memory of my parallel version I wanted to ask some stupid, meaningless question but Isobu was right, all I had to do now was prepare and live. ¡°I¡¯ll take them to heart.¡±

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    The gentle beast gave another eye smile as my form faded away from within the seal. I awoke in a meditative position, cloaked in his chakra with Harusame standing watch as the sky behind him lit up with a full moon.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake, when you went under I thought you were¡­no, I should have more faith in you, Yagura-sama, pardon me.¡± He said with a curt bow of his head.

    I waved it away, ¡°Never apologize for keeping your guard up. Your sharp mind is what saved me last time is it not? I will continue to rely on you, Harusame.¡± I said as Isobu¡¯s chakra once again receded back into the seal.

    Harusame gave me a pleased smile and nodded again, grateful to be acknowledged. I stood and stretched by limbs. I could scarcely believe how much of my life had turned into sitting in one place and thinking, now more than ever I wished I for a sparring partner.

    Huh, I don¡¯t have to spar with the cloak alone. I needed training just as much without it. With that little epiphany I quickly slotted it in my head to ask Mei for a friendly spar sometime, at the moment, she was the only person in the village that could possibly keep up with me.

    ¡°What do you know about Yin chakra release, Harusame?¡± I asked, twisting my neck till it let out a satisfying crack.

    The man hummed in thought before coming to sit opposite me on the grass, ¡°It is a very useful tool in crafting both Genjutsu and Fuuinjutsu, at least, it is credited as being a major contributor to the feasibility of these branches of jutsu.

    ¡°Unlike elemental nature transformations, Yin and Yang aren¡¯t¡­tangible in the same sense, they are almost ehh, theoretical despite being proven. It is a complex subject few have deciphered but where it comes to Fuuinjutsu, Yin release is less of a manipulated source of energy and more of a¡­baseline constant? Yes.¡±

    I pieced together what he was saying and sure enough, I was still confused as Isobu just asked me to reach out into the ether and feel for Yin chakra within or without me. But the confusion was a given, this was new and fascinating territory, a turn away from my expertise as a Ninjutsu-Bukijutsu specialist, but that was alright. Like Isobu said, all I had to do was prepare and live, there was no need to rush, I had many more years to fashion myself however I saw fit to disable the enemies that haunt my inherited memories.

    ¡°If you can, bring me some starter books on Fuuinjutsu and Yin Release, I want to learn as much as possible.¡± Harusame looked ecstatic to hear that but before he could delve into an inevitable rant I quickly asked another question, ¡°The village needs some improved security, Harusame and I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about Fuuinjutsu recently, what with being a Jinchuriki and the Kaguya clan bearing Bloodline seals. Is there a way Fuuinjutsu can help secure us from more attacks?¡±

    I had broached the council about selling information to Konoha in exchange for their barrier secrets but after a bit of back and forth with Lady Megumi and Uncle Aoto, I quickly realized it would be a waste.

    Not just because there were better trades for that information but because Konoha was no better off that Kiri was in terms of security, Obito had managed to slip in and cause the Nine-Tails attack after all and he was after me as well. There had to be some other way to hinder his long reach.

    Harusame grinned, ¡°Why of course! Barrier Seals are more often than not a chakra intensive thing and wielded against the utmost threats, like a tailed beast perhaps. That¡¯s how I¡¯ve managed to contain much of the savage chakra that lashes out as a consequence of an out of control Jinchuriki.¡±

    I winced, recalling my own out of control moments, ¡°I must¡¯ve given you a tough time.¡±

    He shook his head, ¡°Oh not at all, in fact, it was Aoto that gave me a greater headache than anything. But back to the Barrier Seals, applying them on a scale as large as Kirigakure and permanently as I¡¯m sure you wish, would be next to impossible considering the chakra requirements.

    ¡°Of course, if you wished to experiment I¡¯d advise creating a corps of Kiri-nin as dedicated as those manipulating the mist hiding our village but these nin would be trained in Fuuinjutsu and would require a bounty of chakra each and every day to keep the barrier going.¡± Harusame seemed to shudder at the thought, ¡°I am no Kage but I can¡¯t imagine such a thing being worth the cost to time and resource.¡±

    I sucked my teeth at that, ¡°So it is possible but just not a wise investment¡­¡± I stared up at the glowing full moon casting our shadows long against the still pond and temple entrance, ¡°What if we used Tailed Beast chakra to power it?¡±

 Mine All Mine

    I awaited Princess Hanako in the Tower office. Once more my ANBU has secured copies of her latest letters and this time, the Daimyo responded. Its contents brought a grateful smile to my lips, things were going well and smooth. The Daimyo didn¡¯t know shit and was six-foot-deep in a horde of debts to his Samurai and was forcing his citizens a reaping tax that threatened to start a peasantry war. He needed the break.

    I could relate. His letter came not a day too soon, in fact, tomorrow would mark the end of the deadline I gave Hanako and I¡¯d be forced to go through with my word to reap the Land of Water without consent. Threatening tyranny was one thing but following through was another.

    I set the letter aside as I sensed the Princess¡¯ bodyguard come through the entrance of the Tower downstairs. She was here and this time, thanks to the rapidity of the Daimyo¡¯s desperation, she actually held significant power than being a liaison.

    Didn¡¯t think he would trust her enough to make her his envoy. The official letter that the Princess received was accompanied by the royal regalia, a scroll and serpent feathered pen. With them, she would have every right to sit across me and negotiate gains for this war.

    Junichi poked his head in my office and whispered, ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±

    A curt nod and he know to let them in immediately, no need to beat around the bush, I wanted to know what price she¡¯d prefer to save her brother. It¡¯d better not be anything ridiculous.

    A short moment later I heard Junichi greeting her through the doors before they swung open, revealing her gripping the near three-foot-long royal scroll the agreement would be penned in and her flourishing tower of tied hair pin-cushioned by the feathered pen we¡¯d each use to sign. It stuck out on top of the finely jewelled hair, tailing her head with the feather and complimenting the multi-colour of the dress she flowed into the office with.

    I stood, my hat and haori already on my person in anticipation of her, ¡°Welcome, Princess Hanako, I¡¯m eager to get to the thick of these negotiations and see the war won before next months¡¯ end.¡± The negotiations had already started and simply throwing that factoid of ending the nearly two-year war in little but a month would drive that stake of desperation even further.

    Kirigakure would be the only ones to provide such a resolution, she couldn¡¯t afford to lose my support.

    ¡°As am I.¡± she said, looking not too pleased to see me but fighting any emotion from betraying her truth

    I came around my desk and gestured to the set of couches and table, the same ones I hosted the Konoha shinobi with, ¡°Please sit and let me help you with that?¡±

    ¡°Only royalty or those bestowed by right may handle the scroll.¡± She said stoically and gently placed the scroll¡¯s length across the already cleared table before taking her place opposite me.

    Both sat and ready to begin, we stared at each other for a moment. Her eyes grazed every point of my hat, reading the bold kanji of water on it as she lingered to grasp the rest of me before suddenly blinking out of it. ¡°The Daimyo would appreciate if your demands humbly matched your station, Yondaime.¡±

    I raised a brow at that, ¡°My station? What does that have to do with saving him for the jowls of his enemies? Would he better ask his loyal Barons for help or a lowly shinobi like myself?¡±

    The polite smile I wore trembled at the useless starting comment, there was no time for these games. She opened her mouth to speak and in anticipation of being pissed off I cut her off, ¡°Look, Hanako-hime, there¡¯s no use for all of this, I already know it all. It is literally my job to, now, let¡¯s move past the banter and get to making a worthwhile deal.¡±

    She gulped and I pitied her. It was just this morning the letter and regalia arrived and with my deadline knocking on tomorrow¡¯s dawn, she had no time to practice being an envoy. One moment she was Princess and the next she was negotiating the fate of all the Land of Water for the foreseeable future.

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    The Princess sucked in a breath, ¡°Very well, then, the Daimyo is willing to allow Kirigakure to partake not only of the tax exemption it currently enjoys but a percentage of the country tax.¡±

    I resisted the urge to scoff in her face, I¡¯d already been upfront enough, any more and I¡¯d be rude, ¡°What¡¯s the percentage?¡±

    ¡°Two.¡± I scoffed but she continued, ¡°That isn¡¯t all. He is willing to permit Kirigakure to expand over a hundred acres of land to expand into as well as policing rights on any island of your choice, even all if you wish.¡±

    ¡°Policing rights? Kirigakure already protects the Land of Water with its presence alone, our reliability affords us the trust of your local police already, we don¡¯t need a sheet of paper to tell them to stand aside when it comes to an investigation.¡±

    Princess Hanako sat up straight, ¡°Perhaps, but that sheet of paper comes along with the stipend for each month of policing on that island, isn¡¯t it a valuable piece of income for your shinobi?¡±

    She was right about that. Police rights gave me the authority to build or commandeer any police station on an island with my shinobi. Many genin teams and Chuunin often took up police work for localities for up to months at a time, it was simple work that my shinobi were overqualified for but the stipend was often worth it for many down on their luck shinobi. It worked in Kirigakure¡¯s favour as well as the local lord or Baron would be the one paying out of pocket, in rare cases the stipend came from the Daimyo himself.

    Yet, it was not even close to what I was asking for, ¡°No, I have told you what I want. You can keep your percent tax and policing rights, Kirigakure will have base rights over Yureisen and Midoriwara, and that includes the obvious economic autonomy that comes with such.¡±

    Base rights were the closest to what had borne Kirigakure itself. The Daimyo permits us to build an open military base at our discretion, leaving us a large portion of the island to grow into as well as manage economically. Policing rights came as a given with base rights but with the caveat that locals had to pay less or not at all for the service.

    The peasantry could also choose to build their homes within the base, not to mention the mere creation of a military base would require manpower that Kirigakure alone could not foot with shinobi, nor would it want to. Hiring help from the locals would quickly build a rapport with what would be the future tax paying resident of each base

    Princess Hanako¡¯s stoic composure broke with a furrow of her brows as she hissed out, ¡°Do you realize what you¡¯re asking? Allowing you to build not one but two bases on islands would essentially abolish the Barony title those lands and their lords claim. Kirigakure does not pay tax to the Daimyo, you would steal a chunk of the country and throw whomever cannot afford the security of living amongst shinobi out to suffer.¡±

    I let out a sigh and rested my cheek on my fist, ¡°Yes, I know, that is why I am asking only for Yureisen and Midoriwara, the land that needs no lord or baron as wicked as the ones culling their own subjects for fear. The Daimyo should protect those villages, those clans and people but he doesn¡¯t, he cannot and thus, I will.¡±

    ¡°A noble conqueror are you?¡± she scoffed, eying me once more, ¡°There is the matter of the refineries, the mines and plantations, not to mention judicial authority; the fact that Kirigakure enjoys judicial autonomy even on the mainland is an ancient error. I will not let you swallow the islands whole.¡±

    I shrugged, having expected as much, ¡°We can hash out the finer details of that but first, do we have an understanding?¡±

    She bit her lip, eyes darted to the side as she thought over it. It would pain the royal family to lose any island to us, an entity that doesn¡¯t pay tax or function on the Daimyo¡¯s laws. Not to mention our presence would slowly dry out any existing lord¡¯s fief in terms of job opportunity, security, and most especially home ownership as building the base would include constructing the societal functions that would bolster it to stand on its own two feet without Kirigakure¡¯s constant help.

    Any blind peasant would flock to Kiri¡¯s new base for a chance at a renewed life, stealing populations of working class people for lands that do pay tax, inevitably reducing the overall tax paid to the lords and the Daimyo.

    ¡°One more offer then.¡± The Princess spoke with resolve behind her eyes, she breathed deeply and said, ¡°The Daimyo will offer policing rights on all islands along with my hand in marriage, in exchange you defend my brother and his dynasty to a loyal end.¡±

    Again I raised a brow at the Princess, ¡°Your hand in marriage?¡±

    She nodded stiffly and though I thought it silly that people kept trying to buy me with women and marriage, there was some significance in marrying up. She was the Daimyo¡¯s sister and currently second in line to the throne after their youngest brother. The current Daimyo had no heir and so if I married the Princess and did away with the Daimyo and his brother, the Princess would inherit the Land of Water with a Mizukage as her husband.

    It would be child¡¯s play to make a puppet out of her and even easier to further entrench the Karatachi clan in the Land of Water¡¯s history. Money would flow freely into Kiri¡¯s coffers and developing mainland to the point where it was even more glorious than the capital would be easy.

    But again, that wasn¡¯t what I wanted, ¡°No, thanks.¡±

 Everythings New and Good

    There was a lot different about this mission and not just that it wasn¡¯t so much a mission as it was Kiri shinobi being sent to war but Zabuza didn¡¯t discriminate, they¡¯d be paid either way regardless, even though the pay was cut as it was a loyalty mission and not a contract one.

    But besides that the mission was different than all other A-rank he¡¯d had the chance of being a part of. One major difference was the size of the team. A simple four-man team for an A-rank mission was not the norm. All the A-ranks Zabuza had gone on had at least six Chuunin along with a pair of Jounin, at the very least. Zabuza obviously counted as Chuunin tier so he filled that spot for those teams with less expense to their pockets and the mission reward.

    But this team was made up only himself, Mangetsu who was recently promoted to Chuunin via some nepotism no doubt, a Chuunin from the Funato clan and of course, the only Jounin among them, Juzo.

    Another difference was in the mission brief scroll, it had far more information about the mission than Zabuza was used to getting. Usually, he got his mission scroll later than everyone else because who would trust a low caste demon with the entirety of the mission objectives? But now he saw it all as though he were Jounin or Chuunin himself and because of it, he had time to prepare.

    As a loyalty mission the mission brief scroll acted as a voucher to any shinobi art store, assigning each member of the team a certain number of points to use and purchase equipment or even food at a slashed price or even for free. Zabuza had only gotten to take advantage of the generous system on a few B-ranks that were led by shinobi in mid caste who trusted him enough to share.

    As it turned out, the points for an A-rank mission were bountiful enough for Zabuza to rearrange his entire combat wardrobe with far better gear. No longer did he have to sharpen rusted five-year-old shuriken, no longer did he have to use kunai sparingly, no longer did he have to make armour of thick, Fuuinjutsu toughened bandages.

    Even though what he got was paltry in comparison to what his teammates had on naturally, Zabuza was ecstatic to begin the mission. And under impatient Juzo, they wasted no time scouting out the patch of land the coastal fort occupied, the wharf and tavern in the small village settlement that hasn¡¯t been burned down on suspicion of hosting Bloodline users.

    A third thing that was different about this A-rank was that it didn¡¯t feel like one. Perhaps it was simply Mangetsu¡¯s child pride flaring up but when time came to recon within the fort itself, all three of them were eager to volunteer for the chance. In the end it went to Mangetsu of course, his [Hydrification] technique made it so that he was the practical choice to slip past the Samurai guarded moat and escape out through their well.

    On a classic A-rank no one was ever so eager to volunteer their hide for a run behind enemy lines. Zabuza thought this might be because, once again, this was a loyalty mission, they were serving the will of the Mizukage and failing this meant failing him. None present wanted to return and confess a failure to their Kage, least of all Zabuza now that the man had taken a direct interest in him.

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    I suppose Mangetsu is the same, it is his Master. And there was the fourth difference; Zabuza prepared in whole to dismiss all subtle aggressions thrown at him during the mission but very little came his way. Juzo had few words for him except orders and the one-time praise of him being a ripe candidate for the swordsmen of the mist and the Chuunin from the Funato clan seemed to know his place amongst the team.

    Mangetsu was ice cold and going over Juzo¡¯s strategy for taking down the fort was not as grating or demeaning as Zabuza originally expected. Mangetsu seemed to respect that he lost to him and even though he glared cold daggers at Zabuza when he wasn¡¯t looking, there was nothing as deep as animosity between them.

    A pity rival, heh, fool thinks he can catch up.

    ¡°Fodder! Round up!¡±

    At the sound of Juzo¡¯s barking voice, Zabuza snapped up from his tree branch amongst the half-burnt forest no one goes into. They¡¯d chosen the forest as their mission base for its proximity to the coastal fort but also the aversion of locals since many believed Bloodline wielders had been run off into it.

    But there was no such thing, only the crisp corpses of the Barons victims laid at the border of the burnt half of the forest, though some had thrown themselves further in, burning as they ran for their lives haplessly.

    Zabuza and the team made camp where the stench of human wouldn¡¯t reach them but it was still prevalent, not that anyone complained. One last thing that was different from this mission was the fact that unlike many other A-ranks that took place within the Land of Water, they weren¡¯t provided a boat transport or perhaps they had been and Juzo simply expected them to live up to his standard.

    And so, starting all the way north of Kirigakure where towns and cities bloomed under the Daimyo¡¯s watch, the team ran up north towards Yureisen, crossing the large body of water splitting the mainland from the now warring islands. Zabuza believed himself strong but an entire day and night of water walking, no, running across the sea trying to match a Jounin¡¯s pace taught him he still had a long way to go.

    In the end the Funato Chuunin had to be carried by Juzo in the last lap while Mangetsu and Zabuza binged on one too many chakra enhancement pills. Afterwards Juzo gave them little rest and they five days scouting, planning, reviewing and updating their scout plans even though it was perfect as is a day ago.

    As Zabuza hopped down the tree and met up with Mangetsu, Juzo and the Funato Chuunin, he shared a knowing glance with his pity rival as their captain set an owl free into the night. The owl was approval no doubt, the war had begun.

    Juzo turned to the assembled team, glancing over them once, ¡°Get your things, break camp. We move now.¡±

    ¡°Now?¡± The Funato whelp yelped, no doubt beginning to enjoy the slow pace of the mission and expecting to take his time cosying up to Juzo of all people.

    ¡°Would you rather yesterday?¡± Juzo sneered, ¡°Mizukage-sama expects immediacy, let¡¯s go over the plan while you break camp.¡±

    Zabuza subdued a grin from breaking out as he went about helping Mangetsu rip a tents forks from the earth. There was only one part of the plan he cared about, the part where he¡¯s left with an entire platoon of Samurai and expected to hold them off until Juzo finishes up with their Named Samurai lord.

 Shinobi vs Samurai

    The Ronin is a poor variation of a Samurai, after this, Zabuza could never look at them the same. Objectively, he always knew what made a Ronin dangerous was their past as a Samurai and yet he¡¯d brought many down to their knees and lobbed their heads off for the bounty¡ª a share of which he barely got.

    However, facing a true Samurai was a different thing entirely. For one, they just loved their armour. Looking back now all those Ronin were terribly depressed and kept their sword preciously strapped by their side, very few ever managed to become Ronin and keep the armour. For Samurai it was an all day, every day uniform.

    A costal fort this large had space aplenty for the many Samurai working to ensure none of the Daimyo¡¯s ships came close without being met and boarded at sea with striking immediacy. In their mission strategy the costal fort split in two sides, one watching the sea at the east and the other watching the west.

    Zabuza stalked around the spacious square hosting Samurai and their keepers on the east side. There was a central kitchen for the entire base that sprawled onto each side of the fort with tables, chairs, barrels of sake and jugs of water for those breaking fast or celebrating their inevitable victory against the Daimyo.

    Over the days they¡¯d scouted and watched them, Zabuza got his head full of the enemies skewed believes. It had been years the war raged, with the first months being a slog of ally gathering and the Daimyo threatening and buying loyalty of their old barons. It progressed slowly until the ¡®corrupt¡¯ peace seekers were beheaded and the war renewed with certain fury, one that would not be satiated by diplomacy or courtesy but with violence and bloodshed alone.

    And they thought they¡¯ve won. Zabuza mused as he sauntered away from one long bench to another, presenting seated Samurai with a wash hand basin and placing their food from the tray he balanced. The fools didn¡¯t even look up at him as he gifted them their deaths, but that was alright, they weren¡¯t expecting servants to be wielding death, shinobi hadn¡¯t entered the war yet after all and thus they had nothing to fear.

    Zabuza pulled away, retreating back into the kitchen as his meagre [Transformation] jutsu hid his grin and snickering under the veil and visage of some young girl he¡¯d seen in the village nearby. He had little time setting the stage for the thinning of the Samurai with Mangetsu likely to cause havoc on the eastern side and Juzo soon to assault the Named Samurai in charge of the fort.

    Chaos would soon ensue. But poisoning their breakfast was the least he could do to even the playing field, a few would die within the hour as their stomachs burst open within them and another dozen would be too crippled by the agony to raise even a toothpick in defence.

    Zabuza smiled, tossed the tray into a sink and slithered out the kitchen without another person seeing his disguised person. The eastern square Juzo had placed him in charge of had its own gate; seemingly used to cart in goods bought from the populace or brought from sea with the kitchen in such short proximity. It was also large enough to contain a manned stable with near a dozen horses grazing on feed at the moment.

    Losing the disguise Zabuza walked over to the gate, ignoring the singular gateman that witnessed a young lady approach only to disappear in a haze, replaced by a dreaded shinobi. Words failed to leave his throat even as Zabuza locked the gate from the inside, he uttered a single syllable and earned a gut full of iron.

    Zabuza yanked his kunai free only to bury it in the voiceless man three dozen times over before letting his body drop; that was as easy as it¡¯d get from now as the gateman was the only one without Samurai armour.

    To their credit, it only took Zabuza unsheathing his wakizashi and standing expectantly with the gateman bleeding out at his feet for a minute before the entire square had eyes on him. He grinned at the attention, they murmured, not believing their eyes and as one Samurai stood to bark outrage the seeds Zabuza had sown erupted in another.

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    The poor Samurai coughed blood like he was a fountain, his stomach emptied itself with violent force as his brothers startled away from him only to choke on their own bloody saliva. Soon three out of every five were wailing the eruptions of their stomachs.

    ¡°Shinobi¡­! Kirigakure shinobi!¡± A single well Samurai screamed over the orchestra of agony Zabuza had unleashed. It was almost unfair to see so many crumple without testing their prowess with the blade but Zabuza had a mission to do.

    ¡°Come then! Come and kill this vile shinobi!¡± Zabuza taunted the few left standing, only seven Samurai had not tasted a spoon of the poison he fed their camp and one of them was fleeing to raise alarm.

    He let him go with a kunai flicked into the back on his knee. That pesky Samurai armour got in the way but the injury had been dealt. His comrades roared forward, their katanas unsheathed with the rage and Zabuza welcomed them.

    He parried the first and ducked under a follow up slash to jut his shorter blade through the under of the Samurai¡¯s jaw. Another shrieked in a combination of fear and anger at his brother¡¯s visceral death, his blade bore down on Zabuza along with four more of his brothers positioned to flank and skewer him.

    But their blades met nothing but empty air as Zabuza leaped farther and faster than anyone of them could see. He flipped mid-air, cushioning his descent with the expectant and baffled face of a Samurai¡¯s face. He snatched his landing platform by his hair and flipped him over, armour and all.

    Slammed onto the ground and disarmed the Samurai only had a chance to yelp before Zabuza¡¯s wakizashi dipped into the back of his exposed skull. Zabuza darted away as a katana brushed viciously against his hastily raised kunai; not only were the Samurai, well, Samurai, they were fully grown men to Zabuza¡¯s fourteen years, the strength gap between them was immeasurable, at least until you consider he¡¯s a shinobi.

    Unleashing a flurry of senbon and the rushing Samurai, Zabuza kept fair distance between them as he watched one and then two of the five remaining Samurai ignite their katana¡¯s with chakra.

    There was an idle hum of thick chakra cloaking their blades, sharpening the edge and enhancing the sheer stabbing power of the already dangerous weapon to an extreme.

    ¡°You¡¯re dead, shinobi!¡± The two chakra ready Samurai lead the charge, their weapons held away as they dashed forward to strike. Unfortunately for them, Zabuza had fought several Ronin who never failed to use the same kata and attack patterns these Samurai now rushed at him with.

    Chakra felt at his fingertips as he backed away, the ethereal energy quickly converted into droplets of water he flung the eyes of his charging foes. Once shut, Zabuza lurched underneath the decapitating slash of the second Samurai and delved into the blinded Samurai¡¯s guard with his wakizashi impaling through the man¡¯s jaw.

    ¡°Raaa! Die you fiend!¡± The second pivoted and came down on Zabuza with a flurry of slashes and thrusts he didn¡¯t dare parry with his bare wakizashi. A chakra enhanced blade grinding away his dear short sword¡¯s steel is the last thing he wanted. ¡°Join me brothers!¡±

    The Samurai yelled for his fear stricken comrades to wake up and fight, but Zabuza¡¯s grin and hungry glare kept them at bay, hesitant. One already fought to pry the gate open and another simply stood in watchful terror.

    Zabuza¡¯s fingers flipped through hand seals and the raging Samurai halted his charge¡ª the first smart thing any of them had done¡ª and promptly turned his back to Zabuza as he fled from the wrath of a shinobi¡¯s jutsu.

    Except, there wasn¡¯t so much as a splash of water, rather blood sprayed from the man¡¯s headless neck as Zabuza set his head free with the rapid application of the [Body Flicker] jutsu.

    Zabuza turned his gaze, two Samurai remained and one was deathly terrified of him and the other was already looking to flee. He licked his lips and got ready to execute them when a flood of water rushed through the kitchen corridor, soared over the inner wall and lapped at their feet. The water was bloodstained and carried more than a couple corpses in it.

    He snorted. Hozuki and their fancy Ninjutsu. Mangetsu was on the other side dispatching enemies as well. Zabuza flicked a senbon at the frozen Samurai, thanks to his stillness he managed to get it through the few crevasses in their armour and a moment later the man fell face first into the water.

    All that was left was the coward and Zabuza would be free to go over and show Mangetsu how a true shinobi got rid of his enemies.

 Shinobi vs Samurai (P2)

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for you!¡± Mangetsu yelled, blood crazed, soaked in the effect of his own jutsu with kunai fiercely gripped in both hands. He marched over and snatch the man Zabuza had just run through with his wakizashi. The unfortunate thing gurgled as Mangetsu slashed his throat open just for good measure and to claim the kill. ¡°Stand back!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t take orders from you, boy.¡± Zabuza leered, side stepping a flailing spearman¡¯s thrust. He stepped forward and cut his stomach open, the bull leather armour tore away like paper. ¡°You should be grateful I¡¯m here, looks like you¡¯re having a hard time dispatching these fodder and you had the lesser task.¡± He mocked the wet haired Chuunin mercilessly.

    He knew it would stab deeper because it was true. Chuunin or no, Lord Fourth¡¯s prodigy apprentice or no, Hozuki scion or no, the boy was still just a boy at the end of the day and Juzo knew better than to toss him to the veritable wolves that were Zabuza¡¯s eastern half of the base.

    Zabuza had applied himself to his task faster and better than the Hozuki prodigy currently was. While he sneaked in through sludge pipes or a well or whatever, and was faced with a yard brimming with the Named Samurai¡¯s tenders, militia and a handful of Samurai as well. Zabuza on the other hand walked right through the eastern gate, fed over three dozen fools poison aplenty and killed the remaining.

    He was sure he¡¯d crippled the forts fighting force single-handedly and without so much as a single flashy Ninjutsu cast. Just his will and his steel.

    Mangetsu openly glared at him with gritted teeth, ¡°If you weren¡¯t blind you¡¯d notice there are more mili-¡±

    Zabuza lurched out, zigzagging through the thirty or so militia men still arming themselves to face Mangetsu. His wakizashi tore tendons, sliced open throats and his kunai buried in skulls, open backs and disfigured faces as he danced in-between what was little more than a peasant army.

    Satiated by the abject terror in their eyes, Zabuza stopped his spree right in front of another spearman. His silent, heavy breathing and bloody grin brought the man to wet himself. Zabuza walked the trembling man to the wall, smiling even as he fashioned the spear against him. Zabuza pushed it aside with one finger and slowly sunk his kunai in the man¡¯s gut. The spear clattered to the ground and the man gave a breathless yelp as he gripped Zabuza¡¯s arm haplessly.

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    ¡°You make excuses for failing the easiest tasks, these weak fools are asking to die, if you can¡¯t see that I wonder how much more you¡¯ll disappoint Lord Fourth.¡± Zabuza mused out loud, basking in how the remnants of the militia stood paralyzed, not daring to move and yet wishing to all the same.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know me, you¡¯re just a demon and-¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you lost to me, a demon is what this village wants, it is hell after all.¡± As the spearman blood ran cold over Zabuza¡¯s murderous hand, he smirked at Mangetsu over his shoulder, finding the boy ignoring those militias who have woken from their stupor and fled. ¡°Even now you fail the task. Have you wondered why I¡¯m here, on this mission and specifically with you and a legendary swordsman? You don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence do you?¡±

    Mangetsu narrowed his eyes, ¡°Nothings ever a coincidence in my life. I know why you¡¯re here. Competition isn¡¯t it? Matriarch Megumi wants you to challenge me to more, I¡¯m not worried, you are twice of me and still less.¡±

    Zabuza¡¯s smile fell to a scowl, ¡°You think you¡¯re better just because of some stupid clan technique? Ninjutsu? Ha, your privilege makes you complacent and that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. Mummy Megumi wants me to challenge you, ha! No, Lord Fourth himself asked for me, he sent you to retrieve me. And we¡¯re here for a mission only Juzo and I are needed to accomplish, you lot are just extras.¡±

    Mangetsu only shifted his weight as he folded his arms and smirked, ¡°Hit a cord did I? Low caste scum.¡±

    Zabuza¡¯s blood boiled. He reaffirmed his grip on the wakizashi as he roared forward, ¡°I¡¯ll show you scum!¡±

    Mangetsu braced himself, double wielding kunai and setting his stance to receive. But before Zabuza can lift his weapon the fort¡¯s tower explodes with chakra, shattering the multiple windows on each level down the tower and defenestrating a familiar looking shinobi.

    The body soared, crashed and rolled off three roofs before spilling off and landing between Mangetsu and Zabuza bleeding from a cut through the centre. The orange haired youth was the Funato Chuunin that¡¯d accompanied Juzo up to face the Named Samurai, though from the way he scrunched his face in soundless agony, rasping for help closing the wound or even just a painkilling pill, Zabuza knew the Named Samurai was a tad more than a Chuunin could chew.

    He and Mangetsu exchanged vile glares in sync, turned to the busted, trembling tower that suffered Juzo¡¯s murderous presence and then back to glaring at each other. Zabuza knew what the boy was thinking because it was the exact thought crossing his mind¡ª go up there and take the Funato Chuunin¡¯s place helping Juzo end the only true foe in this costal fort.

    The tower shuddered as Kubikiribocho sliced an unnatural opening, cutting down three broken windows before tearing horizontally and sending the bisected half falling over into the base below. As the ground shook and thundered Juzo¡¯s maniacal laugh bellowed through the tower¡¯s now open top.

    Zabuza met Mangetsu¡¯s stare and again shared the same thought¡ª It¡¯s better not to get in the way.

 Exposed Root

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we last discussed.¡± Kinoto said with his softest smile, not that the Mizukage appreciated his effort. The young man went on sipping tea behind a sea of documents and stern looking folders, barely acknowledging Kinoto seated at the couch and table.

    A long moment of silence passed with Kinoto shifting in his seat preparing to repeat the sentence and start the regular meetings of small talk going when the Mizukage looked up, seemingly burned his lip as he hissed, ¡°Ah, huh, yes, has it?¡±

    He quickly answered before he lost the Kage¡¯s attention, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been nearly two months since we sat like this, how is Lord Jiraiya¡¯s Tale of the Gutsy Ninja so far now?¡±

    When the Lord of Root sent him to do his bidding in Kirigakure, Kinoto had imagined a different mission than what he¡¯s come to experience. Of course, there were the high, exciting developments, like his little ongoing friendship with the Lady Megumi, a powerful clan Matriarch in the Land of Water and Kirigakure.

    But when it came to his true target, the Fourth Mizukage, everything was dull and unexciting. He should have been right at home here, in this environment the Mizukage curated for their meetings, after all, the Root held no need for emotion or stimulation beyond the scope of their mission.

    However, Kinoto was of an older generation, his training was not so entrenched that he¡¯s abandoned the little pleasure of the unexpected or the amusement of novelty. The Mizukage provided neither.

    For an hour or two they would talk about Konoha, the Fourth Hokage, the Third Hokage, the Copy Ninja and few others the Mizukage would have easily heard of or even come across in battle. Sometimes he would indulge Kinoto¡¯s questions about Kirigakure, food and culture, but he would only get as far as mundane information that could easily be scrapped off a single conversation with a peasant before the Mizukage would bring the conversation back to Konoha or how the plants from Lady Kushina¡¯s seeds were growing or how far he¡¯s read in any one of Lord Jiraiya¡¯s books.

    It infuriated him but the most interesting, useful and surprising thing they¡¯d learned about the man was that he was the Jinchuriki of the Three Tailed Beast. Though at the time they¡¯d learned this the man had long since cut down on how often they spoke until a month had passed with Kinoto agonizing to know how much power and control the Mizukage had over the beast.

    The fact that the Tailed Beast hadn¡¯t spawned from its seal that fateful night its chakra painted the night sky red and that he sat here without a seeming care or wound meant that the Mizukage had some control over the beast or some way to stave off its breaking the seal that imprisons it.

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    When Kinoto reported this he was aptly informed of the existence of one S-rank shinobi, Harusame and ordered to learn more. He was a mysterious man that appeared scarcely outside his Fuuinjutsu academy and obeyed only the Mizukage and his council, at least, according to the Lady Megumi.

    He didn¡¯t need to reveal why he wanted to know about the man or what his next questions would be; she rejected them all and asked for something as outrageous as a second Byakugan with emphasis on them being a complete set.

    Kinoto¡¯s training helped subdue the laughter that would have exploded out of him upon hearing her demands for learning what type of seal held the Three Tails within the Mizukage but he supposed she must have felt the same when he dared to even ask.

    ¡°Well, my apologies for that, Kinoto-san, I had no idea you enjoyed my company so.¡± The Mizukage flashed him a wide, ignorant grin before his face bled of emotion as he turned an eye to the document in hand,

    Kinoto had long given up on trying to determine what sort of personality the man had, if anything, he seemed to be constantly split between two or perhaps even three personas whenever they spoke. He was the stoic, focussed general, the bright and optimistic leader, and then the bloodthirsty Jinchuriki with ambitions beyond Kinoto¡¯s scope of knowing.

    He is a danger. Such an unpredictable man wielding power as he does was bound to make enemies easily and by the looks of his desk and the activity in the tower, it was obvious this Mizukage had already made a fair bit of enemies.

    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate then that tonight will be your last in Kiri.¡±

    His sudden words and poor wording had Kinoto¡¯s heart leap into his throat and his chakra spike defensively. He settled himself and caught the Mizukage smirking down at him, ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Must there be a reason? All good things come to an end and well, you¡¯ve had a good time in Kirigakure, yes?¡±

    A cloistered time. Kinoto inwardly grumbled but knew Konoha would be little different, he was not a shinobi anyone would like to see on a loose leash. He gave an eye smile and nodded, ¡°Quite so, yes, I suppose the time to return home has come after all. It would be best if Kirigakure could address its war without Konoha shinobi loitering about.¡±

    The Mizukage didn¡¯t miss his directness but he simply smiled, leaned back and retrieved a scroll from a cupboard. It was silk with a gloss that told of power and authority, its handles were golden and a blue ribbon was pinned with the Mizukage¡¯s signature stamp. That was a scroll for his betters.

    ¡°I have something for Minato, take this to him and he alone, do you understand me?¡± The Mizukage asked, holding the scroll up as he spoke and watched Kinoto approach.

    ¡°Of course, Hokage-sama will receive it the moment I arrive.¡± Kinoto said and quickly moved to retrieve the scroll, yet the Mizukage pulled away.

    ¡°I know who you serve, Root-nin, more than the Lady Megumi.¡± The Mizukage suddenly seeing through him so thoroughly left Kinoto startled, though he''d sooner bite his tongue than visibly confirm it. The Mizukage narrowed his eyes at him and commanded again, ¡°For Minato, first and foremost, I will know if it¡¯s been opened before.¡±

    Finally, the Kage let Kinoto have the scroll. Having been so exposed and veritably banished from Kirigakure, Kinoto found a well of fearless courage rise within him and a question lingered on his tongue. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Yagura looked up from the documents he¡¯d immediately turned back to and said with an amused scoff, ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m eager to tour.¡±

 Delving Into Seals

    There were a lot of developments in the village but very little required my personal attention all the time. As Mizukage my place was behind the desk and at worse underneath a war camp tent, only in the direst times would I be asked to grace the field of battle and I was content to take advantage of the time and space that left me.

    Something about war, no matter how insignificant the opponent, made me eager to get stronger and end it in one fell swoop. I recognized it¡¯s what lead to my prodigious debut in the Third Shinobi War but here, in the Daimyo¡¯s civil squabbles the stand isn¡¯t mine to usurp, at least not yet.

    I doubted there¡¯d be a need for anyone beyond the Swordsmen, Jounin-Chuunin squads and my dedicated ANBU waiting to pull the trigger on Baron Watanabe and Tetsuya¡¯s kidnapping. Once there was an opportunity to nab those two all the violence would become redundant, for now though the violence raged on without me to even witness it.

    In an effort to fulfil the ¡®get stronger¡¯ furnace of energy within me, I used my self-given day off from the office to delve into the carton of Fuuinjutsu texts and scrolls Harusame had delivered the very same day I requested them. He was excited to watch my growth and left a note pointing out what topics I should start with and where I should expect a challenge.

    After three hours of recusing myself in the Mizukage library within the Tower I let out a groan, stretched my stiff muscles and smacked my lips as the bore of ancient Fuuinjutsu masters and the dust of scroll surely as old as them began to run me hungry.

    As per Harusame¡¯s suggestions I started out at the very beginning; theoretical study. Well, actually, the true beginning was chakra control and understanding as with all facets of jutsu, but I wasn¡¯t going to waste my time reviewing academy work I¡¯d already become second nature with.

    The theoretical study included learning the thousand and more kanji and symbols used to practice even the barest Fuuinjutsu. Understanding the meaning and principals behind them was crucial even before getting to practicing the right draw strokes for each.

    I felt like overwhelming work because it looked so dense and I was a bit discouraged to continue after the hour mark passed; I was the Mizukage, there was a ton of other things I could be overseeing personally right now. But that was just an excuse, looking for a reason to procrastinate what I immediately found out was a patterned language.

    Sure, there were some symbols that stumped me and had nothing to do with the first pattern I identified but like with most languages there were symbols, words and such that held special status. It was no different here; a recurring symbol was that of ¡®bind¡¯, which seems obvious considering the subject, but then because of the subject that symbol only means to bind a small living thing no larger than a rat if I understood what I was reading.

    Using other ¡®bind¡¯ kanji in place of that would cause the seal to fail woefully. There were set paradigms to the language of seals and as I quickly got bored and hungry, I read ahead to find out these paradigms can only be customized or recreated by a fluent master.

    Before the past three hours I would¡¯ve continued to claim I learned how to craft paper bombs during the war but now I see I merely memorized one specific pattern of paper bombs. There were a multitude of seals for paper bombs and even the single one I knew, at the moment, I couldn¡¯t identify all the properties and functions of the kanji willing it to explode.

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    However, it inspired me to continue working. I¡¯d feel especially good once I understood what I was blindly scribbling onto seal paper. And even better once I could understand the little scribbles that poked out on the Tower, though that might take a while longer than my most pressing goals for picking up Fuuinjutsu.

    I couldn¡¯t sense either Yin or Yang chakra from the little classwork I skipped to but that was to be expected, I¡¯d barely managed to seal the pencil and eraser for a minute before the seal broke open and I had to pick apart some unholy combination of lead and eraser dust from the grinded sawdust of the pencil.

    It was a little funny because I¡¯d done everything to detail instruction but apparently that was the point of the very first bit of classwork the scroll on sealing objects gave¡ª failure and its consequences. It helped keep me cautious going forward but I couldn¡¯t help thinking about how much damage an intentionally botched seal could cause.

    I was some ways away from intentionally breaking my seals though, right now I merely focussed on memorizing a handful of kanji and symbols that I¡¯d be using to practice until I felt confident enough to move onto areas I was truly interested in¡ª Binding and Barrier Seals.

    Much like my favouritism with the [Water Release: Water Prison] I was intrigued by the possibility of rendering my enemies immobile before they¡¯ve even had a chance to raise a kunai. Once I got bored with my start at the basic storage seals I flipped over to learning about binding seals.

    As I still restricted myself to the theoretical with a few classworks, it didn¡¯t take more than two hours for the symbols and kanji I¡¯d memorized from storage seals to become redundant. But that was okay, I felt like I¡¯d made a lot of progress already even if this was what Harusame considered novice level in his Academy.

    When it came to binding seals there was a lot of debate and discourse over the ethics of imprisoning living binds to certain extents. Back then it was some cause of commotion to even bind a prisoner to his cell with Fuuinjutsu, many called it demonic, cruel and unnecessary. Now it¡¯s merely standard protocol.

    Still, there were some points of contention that were inherited today, chakra binding seals being one of those, after all, it was one thing to bind a man but to bind his chakra was to steal a part of him, wasn¡¯t it?

    I felt a little icky reading these parts as I freshly recall my standing orders for the Kaguya clan. The Bloodline seals were more or less chakra seals when I thought about it. It barred their chakra from moving and growing a particular way, essentially robbing them of what should be a natural part of their existence.

    Unfortunately for both myself and the Kaguya, Kirigakure wasn¡¯t ready to have even a single one of them running around unleashed. Reina Yuki was working as a friendly face for them and I supported her efforts as Mizukage as much as I could, not that it did much. The memories of the Kaguya attack were still fresh in the populace, the property damage even was yet to be completely undone.

    I let out a deep breath and pulled my thoughts away from them. In time they and the Yuki would be an inseparable part of Kirigakure and its denizens would have difficulty picturing the village without them. It was all a matter of time.

    ¡°Yagura-sama.¡±

    Junichi¡¯s voice startled me even though I¡¯d sensed him come in about twenty minutes ago. I looked over my shoulder to him and he smiled sheepishly with a scroll in hand, ¡°Owl-san asked to deliver this to you, sorry, I should have waited.¡±

    I shut my eyes and rubbed my temples as I grasped the scroll. I knew Junichi had done little but prepare himself to utter those very words during the twenty minutes he lingered so I didn¡¯t disparage him, I only wished he were a bit braver and thus, more efficient; I could have gotten the scroll twenty minutes ago.

    Unravelling and reading it brought me a satisfied smile to my lips. Juzo¡¯s team was spearheading the war effort it and I looked forward to getting more reports like it from Kisame and Fuguki before the ships with our liberation forces arrived on the islands.

    My stomach let a low growl and I decided, ¡°Let¡¯s go get lunch, Junichi, my treat.¡±

    ¡°Really? We can visit the open grill place that just opened, I hear they¡¯re really good.¡±

    ¡°Are they now? Well, why not, I love me some grilled meat.¡±

 Shark Flex

    The crashing waters failed to drown out Kisame¡¯s impatient thoughts but he bore through the slog of inactivity well, better than Samehada at least. His weapon, partner, extension and proof of his strength trembled for an opportunity to feast and he resonated well with the sentiment. Kisame had come all the way back to Kurokami-jima with haste because he knew that the island had more subjects for his skill than anywhere else.

    He¡¯d barely had the chance to give Samehada a taste of the many roaming armies because he wasn¡¯t in charge of the mission back then, that cautious, slow Yuki was. She wasn¡¯t here to drag on his coattrails now but he was still burdened with the fat, protocol ass-stuffed Jounin and Chuunin that made up his team.

    Kisame sat by the edge of the waterfall, his teeth gnashing as he and another Jounin waited for the pair of Chuunin to return from what should be the final scouting trip. The Yuki¡¯s owl, Denka, had delivered the Mizukage¡¯s signoff for their liberating operation to begin. And so even though they¡¯d done scouts nearly every day since yesterday his fellow Jounin decided to err on the side of caution.

    What¡¯s with everyone these days? So spooked. Kisame understood to some extent his fellows were tired of war, the Third Shinobi war had just ended but a year now. Many were healing and many more were mourning.

    Kisame had no one to mourn but Kirigakure¡¯s definitive lack of a victory against any one of the other hidden villages. But there would be victory today, he would assure it.

    Finally, amongst the growing forest that followed the river split from the waterfall, Kisame saw the Chuunin sprinting back. They covered the distance up the waterfall in quick bursts and landed by his side, ¡°Well? Is it the same as yesterday or has something changed drastically?¡±

    The Chuunin shared a look before the fairer kunoichi spoke, ¡°Nothing drastic, but there is a second chakra presence a significant one, enough to be another Named Samurai.¡±

    Kisame scoffed, ¡°Then we continue.¡±

    ¡°Wait, there are three watch towers and all of them are active now, they aren¡¯t taking shifts anymore. I think words got out.¡±

    ¡°Already?¡± The Jounin, an orange haired man from the Funato clan, ¡°It couldn¡¯t be so quick, we just got Mizukage-sama¡¯s approval.¡± The man looked over at Kisame for some input as mission lead, a position he endlessly reminded Kisame he held any time he was found lacking.

    Again Kisame scoffed, ¡°Whether there¡¯s a leak or not, whether they see us coming or not, their fate was sealed from the moment they failed to quietly kill the Daimyo and steal the throne. We move in, now.¡±

    ¡°What about Lord Yakubi-!¡± The Jounin yelled out but Kisame had already thrown himself down the waterfall.

    He plummeted with a massive splash but did not resurface. With Samehada and the current helping him, he swam along through the river and all the way downstream until the first port legs came into his water view.

    Rising from the water onto it startled the fisherman and child sitting with the bucket of catches. The child¡¯s eyes became saucers while his fisherman father narrowed at Kisame, he quickly began muttering some sort of apology for existing but Kisame was already away.

    The first thing ahead was his target; a large guard post that took up several metres with a gate, station and stable both out and within the Kurokami-jima¡¯s largest city settlement. Filing in and out one by one was a horde of civilians, merchants, children and entourages of wealthy citizens come for a stay.

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    There weren¡¯t any other entrances but the position was watched from all cardinal points via sky scaling towers and binoculars, if the gates were attacked for any reason those towers would empty themselves of Samurai and militia in hastened response.

    And that was exactly Kisame¡¯s intention when he cleaved the outside guard post in two. Samehada fuelled with his chakra demolished the building with ease and soon the nervous onlookers, travellers, merchants and returning city dwellers dispersed with their screams sounding even greater alarm than his destructive swing.

    His Jounin subordinate had made emphasis on the Mizukage¡¯s intent on making this a short war, further stating that short meant minimal destruction. Kisame, of course, understood the sentiment, but Kurokami-jima wasn¡¯t going to be the only war front and right now, it was in the hands of the enemy.

    Their reaction was swift, not as swift as to pre-empt or even encourage Kisame with a pouring of numbers but swift nonetheless. Twenty-four spearmen flooded out of the streets to surround him even before the broken guard post was fully behind him.

    Kisame swung Samehada unto his shoulder as he shifted his relaxed weight and flicked his headband, ¡°You all, are you sure you want to die?¡± He was boiling to lurch at them but it was courteous to give a weak opponent chance to surrender, Kisame could be that patient.

    ¡°You will regret this, shinobi!¡± one that seemed to be their captain charged with a roar that carried through his thoroughly frightened troupe.

    Kisame swung liberally, scarcely feeling the weight of men as Samehada tore and smashed their bodies away, draining their entirety of chakra in a single touch. They died from sudden chakra exhaustion as much as trauma from gutted stomachs, punctured lungs and ripped limbs.

    The advantage of their towers quickly proved itself as their forces replenished almost as quickly as Kisame mowed them down with cackling precision. Twenty, forty, sixty corpses laid dead, soaking Kisame and staining the street in blood. Samehada rumbled for more.

    Kisame lurched forward and swung through a clutch that had begun to flee, he dashed back to the foes still roaring fear, terror and rage as they charged to certain death. Kisame danced through the city as bells rung, alarm singing through the air alongside a salvo of flaming arrows that descended on his head.

    He dashed, stepped and batted the paltry things away but widened his eyes as dozens of the fallen and dodged arrows ignited, the distinctive red lining of paper bombs wrapped around the stem brought some heartbeat to the dull battle up till now.

    Engulfed by the explosion, Kisame sauntered out of the smoke screen, part of his tactical gear was blown apart enough for the skin underneath to be glimpsed. He¡¯d lost an entire sleeve to the explosion but it simply made it easier for Samehada¡¯s tail to snake up his arm, fuelling him with the chakra of his slaughtered foes.

    He grinned up at the roofs and leapt to bring the ingenious archers the same doom but an armoured man, a Samurai met him mid-air. He delivered a timely kick to Kisame¡¯s shoulders, refreshingly powerful enough to thunder a spike of pain in the offended part as he crashed back to the blood burnt crater he walked out of.

    The Samurai landed on a rooftop, glaring down at Kisame as he drew his blade, ¡°So Kirigakure has seen fit to join, hmph, no matter, the war is almost done, another month and your Kage will be bowing to the true Daimyo, Tetsuya-sama!¡±

    Kisame got up but even as he did yet another Samurai landed beside the first, he grinned up at both, ¡°You two are you Named?¡±

    They regarded him with disgust, their colours and clan flags intricately designed along their armour and inscribed on the very blades they wielded. The one that kicked Kisame said, ¡°I am Kato of the Water Dragon style.¡±

    ¡°I am Shino, the Firebreather.¡±

    Kisame rounded his shoulders, little pain remained from Kato¡¯s kick to his chest but hopefully he¡¯d give Kisame a fair challenge before dying, ¡°I don¡¯t know either one of you so you must be weak. You have only one chance to surrender, this is it.¡±

    Kato and Shino shared a look before leaping down to approach Kisame with their blades drawn and their stances set, ¡°You will know us well, shinobi.¡± Kato said causing Samehada to tremble in anticipation as Kato¡¯s chakra visibly seeped into his blade.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll enjoy this.¡±

 Cautious Optimism

    Midoriwara was a hot island. It¡¯s semi-active volcano sent plumes of smoke and steam into the atmosphere every passing hour and only calmed down after the inevitable heavy rainfalls. It was those rains that let Team Fuguki assault its western coastal fort without a single effort of the defenders making a difference.

    That was a week ago, today the fort was theirs to defend. The main invasion force had arrived and helped complete repairs on the damage the fort had taken during Team Fuguki¡¯s siege of it. They came ashore with enough shinobi to hold one fort and prepare an attack on the other primary targets within the island.

    The war had only just begun and they had the upper hand. There wasn¡¯t one person amongst them that feared failure¡­except for Rina. Unlike the others who were assigned to further the greater war effort, to demolish enemy structures, lay traps for the Samurai army bound to come and face them head on in battle, Rina had a different mission.

    Before they left the Mizukage handed her a second B-rank mission scroll and instructed her to begin only after Fuguki had given the clear. Her mission was unfortunately not as simple or straightforward as ¡®defeat the enemy¡¯, no, she was charged with securing the entire reason for Kirigakure joining the war now; Kekkei Genkai.

    She would have three Genin and a Chuunin medic under her charge for this mission and it would be the first she ever commanded. Rina had no opinions of her own on Bloodline wielders, she¡¯d heard her grandmother curse and despise them, and her father seethe at the supposed dangers they presented, but she¡¯d never so much as experienced a Bloodline wielder and for a long time she thought that might be a good thing.

    If there¡¯s such a danger that her father the Mizukage was concerned, then she and everyone she loved was better off never encountering them. However, she stood now as captain of a mission that her father¡¯s successor believed would change and strengthen Kirigakure forever and it would be all thanks to her finding the Kekkei Genkai clans of Midoriwara and ensuring their protection.

    Despite the division in her heart, Rina felt good about this mission. Sure, as far as she knew it was the only one in this war that even had a chance to fail if the poor signs she¡¯s observed have anything to say do with it. But it was her chance to be useful to the Mizukage, for the longest time he hadn¡¯t spared a minute to train or instruct her in anything and hadn¡¯t so much as relied on her company as he used to.

    Rina didn¡¯t want to marry the man as her grandmother intended nor did she want to spy on him like she plotted, but the fact that he was so disinterested in her that even her grandmother¡¯s schemes couldn¡¯t bring him to look her any longer than it takes to finish a cup of tea hurt in a way she couldn¡¯t begin to comprehend or address.

    But everything seems possible again with this mission, he would look at her with the same trust, reliability and expectation she saw in the gaze he fixed the likes of Mangetsu and even the low caste Zabuza. She would bring him exactly what he¡¯s asked and more, she would have him recognize that while she might not be a prodigy or a blood lusted demon, she was a reliable kunoichi.

    She looked up from her map and took the left turn at the crossroads. Her Genin followed with packs of food, water and medicine for when they found the Kekkei Genkai clan the baron of Midoriwara had driven into hiding.

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    The island was well maintained and had sections of lush vegetation cramped between roads. The island was bursting with a variety of flowers and even fruit bearing trees like she¡¯d never seen back home, some of the fruits she recognized and others were as strange as the rocky cliffs that were punctured by geyser pockets.

    The volcano wasn¡¯t the only source of heat on the island, the geyser pockets forced many communities away from ideal ground to perch and build in awkward positions, like the hillside hamlet town she was leading her Genin to. The last village they¡¯d come across was almost a day¡¯s walk away and they were shinobi at war, haste was their business.

    She shook her head. It was easy to see how rifts and division from sheer distance could feed apathy for what the Baron of Midoriwara had done to the Bloodline wielders but she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there truly was no alternative.

    Perhaps this is the way now, Yagura-sama¡¯s way.

    After a couple more hours of cutting through brilliant stretches of flowers and lush vegetation, abandoned farmlands and burnt ones, and a little shinobi manoeuvres across and atop the side of the hill, Rina¡¯s team found the village.

    It was tucked just on the edge of a cliff that had suffered some tremors in the past decade as below the lowest built cliff house was a bunch of rock crushed and shattered houses. They were mixed in and time had done well to fade away the signs that a rockslide or earthquake had occurred, loosened the non-existent foundation the houses were built on and crushed them under the weight of a shedding mountain.

    Still, despite past tragedies the hamlet town continued to live, build and grow there. Rina was in no place to question their wilful ignorance and so as the guards cowered in the presence of so many shinobi she put it all aside for her mission.

    ¡°Is there a village head we can talk to about the Nettou clan?¡± Rina asked, putting on a soothing smile for the guard¡¯s sake.

    He blushed and nodded, ¡°What is your business¡­if I may ask?¡± he said as though if Rina said no he¡¯d simply nod along and lead the way regardless.

    She gestured at herself, her fellow Chuunin who was more or less a Genin themselves and the three actual Genin that had complained all through about how disappointed they were that they weren¡¯t accosted by enemy Samurai on the way.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to offer refuge, Kirigakure is.¡± The guard tried not to look relieved as he shared a look with his partner and waved them in, ¡°It¡¯s true then? You sheltered them?¡±

    Rina could recognize panic well and it was plenty in his eyes, she nodded and kept up her silent smile as he kept his lips sealed. The town was quite sparse of people and though it was just a little town almost all the stores were shut with dust coating their doors.

    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± One of her Genin asked sourly kicking a rock, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, I thought they¡¯d be a ramen bar or something at least.¡±

    It was a fair question and one her fellow Chuunin graciously answered, ¡°It¡¯s wartime, many of the civilians living here have either been conscripted or bought into fighting the war. Isn¡¯t that so?¡±

    The guard shuddered as he felt our attentions on him, ¡°Yes, but we have no grudge against shinobi, we just try to live.¡±

    It was another reminder that the war had begun long before Kirigakure even had a say about it as it does now. Rina looked around, finding only a few adults on the streets working their trades with no customers, desiccated children and animals. The contrast between the island and its inhabitants was clear.

    As the guard brought them up the steps of the largest building in the town, a relatively small home where Rina was coming from¡ª she decided with a firm certainty that her mission wasn¡¯t just about finding the Nettou, but helping the islands recover.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kirigakure is here now, everything will be better before you know it.¡±

 Cautious Optimism(P2)

    Rina pinched her Genin still, she understood that children, boys especially were bundles of energy but he was slowly driving her nuts, ¡°Sit still and shut up.¡± She hissed in their ears, pointedly glaring at the main culprit of the three as their team sat in wait of the village head.

    They waited in a medium sized room with only cushioned tatami mats for furniture, a fire pit and several baskets of coal, cloth and some other inconsequential items littered in the room.

    The space smelled like old people which had Rina prepare to be met by a council of oldies as besides the mats her team sat on there was an arrange set around the rectangular fire pit and at the opposite end was a couch with many pillows.

    Only a few minutes had passed before three maids filed out with a tray of fruits, bread but not much else to host the shinobi. Rina mouthed words of thanks and helped herself to a pear shaped fruit. It was one of the many variety growing throughout the island and tasted like a sour apple with the tender flesh of an orange.

    ¡°Is this all? I wanted some beef ramen damn it.¡± The overactive boy said and if Rina hadn¡¯t just taken a bite she¡¯d have chewed him right out again.

    Fortunately, his own Genin mate helped in that regard, ¡°Enough, Sakai, this isn¡¯t some D-rank mission.¡±

    Sakai snorted as he chewed, juice poured out the sides of his mouth as he spoke, ¡°Yeah but it sure feels like. Not even a single bandit or vagabond to put in their place!¡± He slashed and head-butted invisible enemies.

    Rina¡¯s team was made up of three Genin, Sakai being the only boy of the three and currently the only annoyance. The girls, Akari and Haruka, hopeful twin specialists in Genjutsu from the Karatachi clan were much tolerable. They shared some of Sakai¡¯s disappointments at not being an active part of the war but accepted the fact with more sensibility that the boy.

    Her fellow Chuunin, the Funato Medic-nin growled at Sakai, ¡°Another word from you and I¡¯ll put you in your place.¡±

    Sakai stiffened and sat upright. Rina smiled and mouthed a thanks to her fellow Chuunin who nodded curtly before his eyes narrowed at the elderly man entering with an entourage of four other middle aged villagers.

    Rina stood and her team stood with her, the old man had some fat to him, more so than any one child she¡¯d seen in the streets of his village but Rina squashed the budding presumption that the man was starving his denizens before it could become a worm in her thoughts.

    He sat and Rina bowed her head ever so slightly in respect of his age and place as their host. The old man and his entourage found their places, he sat on the single couch while they took the mats at his feet.

    Coughing, the man groaned as he greeted, ¡°I welcome you¡­Kirigakure shinobi, my village has¡­little to offer but we are not stingy, help yourself to fruit.¡±

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    Rina and her team kept standing under the curious inspection of the old man and his council. Rina stepped forward and cut to the chase, ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, I am Rina Hozuki, a Chuunin of Kirigakure and we do not mean to impose our presence on your village any longer than necessary.¡±

    The village head coughed in response, his council continued staring in mild awe and obvious fright. The youngest of them who sat the furthest from the village head fixed her with a suspecting gaze.

    She was used to these reactions. As Chuunin she¡¯d done enough missions within the Land of Water and without to be acclimated to the awe civilians felt in the presence of shinobi. Sometimes her being a woman helped disarm them but that wouldn¡¯t work on this audience, perhaps if she were as butter cheeked as her Genin but then that could lead to being underestimated which was another hazard of its own.

    ¡°We¡¯ve come in search of a clan, the Nettou clan, wielders of the Boil Release.¡± It was unlikely they¡¯d understand the terminology but any chance was a good one. ¡°The settlements before yours pointed us your way, said there¡¯s a chance the Nettou might have found shelter here or within your territory?¡±

    Murmurs spread through the council, they whispered and passed their thoughts through strained facial expressions and gestures that Rina didn¡¯t grasp entirely at first.

    Finding something no one wanted anything to do with the entire island as part of the search area was a feat shinobi are capable of given time but Rina was short on that commodity. Yagura intended on concluding the war within a month and Kirigakure¡¯s entire shinobi body was pressed to that time line, dragging it out any further would be a stain on their worth.

    Around two weeks had passed now and if Rina didn¡¯t want to spend months searching with her team of stubborn Genin or face the criticizing gaze of her grandmother, enlisting the help of the locals was the best strategy she could employ.

    The murmurs hushed as the village head heaved and strained through blood wet coughs, Rina winced as did his council. He waved away the maids that inevitably came rushing before turning to Rina with narrowed eyes, ¡°My village¡­we know of the Nettou, the clan you speak of.¡± He sneered out the words, flashing bloodstained teeth.

    After passing through more or less, similar minded villages, Rina expected this, ¡°That¡¯s why we are here, the Nettou will no longer be your problem to suffer.¡±

    He snorted into a cough, ¡°They are not the only things we suffer nor can the suffering they¡¯ve inflicted be forgotten.¡±

    Rina pursed her lips, ¡°I understand that, which is why we are here. You have suffered a long war and we will see that it ends.¡±

    The old man shook his head, ¡°Before that, what can Kirigakure¡¯s shinobi do for me and my village?¡±

    Again, Rina was least surprised. It was a rather civilian attitude to look upon any and every shinobi and see a standard of wealth. Of course, being a shinobi paid well, especially if you were good at it and many shinobi were classed among the richer in society even if they had multiple dependents.

    A shinobi asking a civilian for help was an opportunity for massive gains along with tremendous risk, but Rina doubted this village nor it¡¯s sickled village head had much left to risk. It was the same with every visited settlement after all and her team hadn¡¯t left any without gifting or trading to the villages benefit.

    Rina fixed him with a cold look, an imitation of what she¡¯d observed from Mangetsu and Yagura but even without flared chakra her presence and changed demeanour was enough to put all on edge, ¡°Plenty¡­if your information proves true and useful, starting now for a general direction to look my subordinate can ease that cough of yours, what do you say?¡±

 Keeping Up With the Clans

    ¡°Let me do that for you, Yagura-sama.¡± Reina Yuki said only after snatching the sweeping brush from my grasp. I thanked her and allowed myself to relax as she swept up the remainder from my explosive attempts at creating my own multifunctional seal.

    Rice, gunpowder, and tofu had exploded out of my failure, well, it wasn¡¯t technically all a failure because I managed to trigger the explosive effect of the seal when it¡¯s faced with tampering. I intended for it to explode with some effect but the presence of gunpowder in the seal was meant to magnify that explosion to radical steps.

    Of course, my mansion¡¯s dojo wouldn¡¯t be the place to suffer such magnitudes and I was simply at the early stages of this brazen idea of mine so the explosion that would trigger would be small and easily diffused if needed. Still, it exploded but only to eject the contents of the storage part of the seal while the explosive part sizzled and burned in rather anticlimactically.

    Nevertheless, it had made a mess of the dojo and while Reina was here reporting her progress no one else could be, not even the maid that helped keep my practice area and test animals clean and fed.

    I glanced at the menagerie of animals I¡¯d acquired for [Bind Seals] and the occasional daring at higher forms of Chakra Sealing. Monkeys, a ton of snakes, rats, hawks and I had a leopard locked up somewhere on the grounds. It was more than plausible to seal living creatures in other living creatures and Jinchuriki like myself were simply the epitome of that Fuuinjutsu practice.

    Still, the art was a tough one to master as sealing a living thing meant splitting their being into what I¡¯ve learned well to be Yin and Yang, their spirit and their physical. Success would mean tapping into Yin chakra and becoming familiar with the energy Isobu insists I¡¯ll require to advance training with his chakra.

    Reina threw the rubbish away and kept the brush aside before submitting herself in a right up posture. She didn¡¯t look like she brought good news but I had quickly learned to stop expecting that as Mizukage.

    ¡°Sir?¡± she said, asking for permission to begin her report.

    I set the animal squeaking and wing flapping to background noise and my fidgeting ideas for multifunctional seals to a halt as I nodded, ¡°Tell me.¡±

    ¡°The Kaguya have begun opening up, little by little. I¡¯ve seen ten couples away to start living by themselves, they are very¡­attached to each other so I call that a success. The growing physical distance between living families is helping the community develop instead of simply managing. They¡¯re gradually testing the bounds of their freedom but have only explored around thirty percent of the compound space given to them, still, the space is quickly being filled up with activity and the independent adults have even begun strolling into the Yuki side of the Estate.

    ¡°Helpful as the Karatachi have been, they aren¡¯t especially friendly with either Kaguya or Yuki, they¡¯re curt, to the point wearing a fa?ade even the children can see through. But, their help is appreciated.¡± Reina said with some heat at the edge of her words.

    I couldn¡¯t blame her and I couldn¡¯t blame my clan members either. They¡¯d got roped into helping the Kaguya and Yuki grow into themselves because Uncle and I asked them to. But like Uncle had confessed to me, I haven¡¯t been especially tender and dear to my own clan, not to say I was hostile but I was just as unapproachable to them as I was to every other clan.

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    It was reasonable they wouldn¡¯t be jumping at their feet to cater to a Bloodline wielding clan, two that are under immense scrutiny by the general populace for criminal incidents during my reign. In an odd way I believe my clan was nicer to the Kaguya than the Yuki.

    I inhaled and asked, ¡°What about the Yuki?¡±

    Reina shifted her weight, ¡°They¡¯re in the same position but¡­they¡¯ve had enough of it. They aren¡¯t like the Kaguya who are overwhelmed by the smallest luxuries, the Yuki, they¡¯re accused and they have too much pride to be gilded prisoners.¡± Her eyes danced past mine as she said this, testing the bounds of her free speech. I said nothing and let her continue.

    ¡°Right now the Karatachi handle every facet of both clans, from feeding, housing, even tending to the Estate to ensure everything is working. They aren¡¯t ignorant of the ANBU still watching them either but much like the Kaguya they are grateful for Yagura-sama¡¯s mercies and don¡¯t want to squander it.¡±

    I raised a brow at her, ¡°Squander it?¡±

    Reina straightened even further as she urged a request, ¡°They¡¯ve always earned their keep, most are shinobi but even the civilians are too prideful to simply¡­exist. They want to work for themselves and are even open to socializing with the Kaguya, mostly those that were previously merchant class but they don¡¯t want to be caged birds kept under¡­pardon my tongue, Yagura-sama.¡±

    She fell to a knee and bowed her head but I wasn¡¯t the least bit concerned and usually, neither would she. The Yuki clan had suffered a paralyzing blow to their prestige and one that only grew steeper with Lord Funato¡¯s assassin wearing the face of Shizu Yuki, the courage clan¡¯s very plausible martyr.

    With a bored tone I asked, ¡°What kind of jobs do they want?¡±

    ¡°Just simple ones, things that could help them feel useful if not to Kirigakure then to this slice of it.¡± Reina had come prepared and as she stood she produced a scroll from her pouch and handed it over. I unfurled it and quickly understood the table of numbers and affiliations to be a population census for everyone living within my Estate, specifically the clans themselves.

    With it I discovered there were more adult Yuki which made sense given the initial population was formed from the arrest of every single name on the list Hidaki and Shizu Yuki had written in compliance. The immediate families of those named Yuki were then brought along to live with them here, wives, children, siblings or dependents that lived together.

    It was the fairest situation so as not to split the Yuki clan in two but also not to undermine the effect of their separation. Like cutting out a tumorous growth.

    The Kaguya on the other hand were mostly old people well past the age of learning anything useful to Kirigakure or even themselves, retirement age basically. The youth and children they had were saddled with the responsibility of tending to their ailing family which was a wasted resource frankly but one of the table¡¯s columns included a few mentions of what jobs the Yuki had in mind to work.

    Cleaning, gardening, communal cooking sounded like a pleasant idea to bring the two clans to mingle and some wanted to set up shops as they still had limited access to the funds they had before their lives changed.

    I set the scroll down and held my chin in thought, ¡°Hm, jobs¡­might not be a bad idea at all. It would help both clans grow comfortable around each other and set the mood for the others yet to come, yes¡­cooperation and perhaps eventually a giant clan of Kekkei Genkai with offspring wielding unpredictable power.¡±

    Reina had a scrunched up and moderately disgusted look when I turned to her and said, ¡°Draw up a plan for it, I want the two clans to break out of their shells, the children to grow up with each other. Make it feasible and likely to accommodate more clans.¡±

    The Yuki ANBU Commander wiped the look on her face with a bare trace as she nodded and rolled up the scroll, ¡°Of course, you will have a report on your desk soon.¡±

    I nodded in thanks and though I hadn¡¯t dismissed, the intention was there yet she lingered, ¡°Speak.¡± I said, free thought was of absolute importance to me when it came to my shinobi, I wouldn¡¯t tolerate mutiny of course but discourse with subordinates of her rank and level was worth every word.

    She exhaled, not hesitating once given permission, ¡°Yagura-sama, do you intend to force the Yuki to copulate with the Kaguya in hopes of producing a stronger Kekkei Genkai?¡±

 Keeping Up With the Clans(P2)

    ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t care who the Kaguya or Yuki have sex with.¡± I said, not caring enough to be use a polite synonym, ¡°Why did you make that face? What are you thinking?¡±

    I could already tell by her demeanour and vibe that she wasn¡¯t in support of me breeding the prime genetic Kekkei Genkai with her clan as a basis but frankly, that couldn¡¯t be helped and it wasn¡¯t like I was certain it would result in such, I was hopeful though.

    ¡°I¡­speaking freely I don¡¯t like the idea of breeding the Yuki clan into another until our Bloodlines merge to produce something stronger. Not only would that put the Yuki clan at even more of a disadvantage it might eliminate what few of us still have the active bloodline. And as one of them I¡­I don¡¯t believe I¡¯d enjoy having to copulate with someone just to fulfil a desire for stronger bloodlines even though it might eliminate mine and its history.¡±

    She had hesitated at the start but by the end her eyes were firm and challenging, she spoke the words and found that they made sense, resonated with her and perhaps even the other bloodline wielders I¡¯d be making these decisions for.

    I inhaled as I walked past her with a carrot to feed my bunny I said, ¡°That is a valid point, Reina Yuki, but it¡¯s unfortunate you don¡¯t see that it is also the entire point of the Estate.¡± Before she could think up a retort I asked, ¡°What have you uncovered about the Kaguya and Swordsmen HQ attacks?¡±

    I¡¯d placed her in charge of investigating both attacks. The Kaguya matter may have died down but with the knowledge of how their clan truly operated before coming to Kirigakure and the story the Matriarch told about their mirror clan and defenders being lured by a shinobi. It was clear things there were far from settled, the culprit was still at large.

    Reina about turns to face me at the animal cages, their chirps and coos for the carrots in my hands couldn¡¯t overshadow her loud, purposely projected voice, ¡°None within the Sensor Division noted anything unusual the night of the Swordsmen attack. I personally questioned each and every one of the Mist Guard and all said nothing new or unusual slipped in through their managed territories.¡±

    The Mist Guard were the vaunted shinobi responsible for maintaining the cover of mist over Kirigakure. They were very well the reason behind the villages name and many were of the Funato clan. There was no reason any one of them would fail to report a breach even if it meant they¡¯d face the music of their failure. The Mist Guard were honour bound to protect and shield Kirigakure from every outsider at every second of every day, I trusted their word.

    Reina continued, ¡°Any trace of a shinobi luring the Kaguya from Kurokami-jima all the way here is long gone unfortunately but given the Swordsmen attack I suspect both incidents are closely related.¡±

    I hummed in thought as I stepped away from the animals and studied Reina¡¯s terse features. She¡¯d failed me yet again but I wasn¡¯t surprised, I was concerned but not surprised as I already knew the powers behind these incidents were beyond her knowing and would be well beyond mine if it weren¡¯t for Jason¡¯s memories.

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    ¡°What do you think about Shizu Yuki? She was the one Lord Funato saw, the assassin.¡± I asked, folding my arms at her.

    Reina went cold and stoic, freezing up without giving a sliver of facial ticks to examine her emotions as she answered in ANBU mode, ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Even though her corpse has been stolen from the grave Shizu Yuki is most definitely dead. This assassin merely used her face to further implicate the Yuki clan in dire circumstances.¡±

    I raised a brow at that and shifted my weight, ¡°So you think the assassin meant to get caught? For their face to be seen and for us to know that it is Shizu Yuki?¡±

    The Elite Jounin didn¡¯t give an inch, ¡°Yes, these series of incidents have been nudging Kirigakure towards a certain direction and you said it yourself, Mizukage-sama, someone is trying to manipulate us.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t satisfied with the regurgitate of an answer so I pressed, ¡°What if the assassin truly is Shizu Yuki? What if she found some way to avoid true death and elude us all, she had ample time to prepare I say. It would also answer how neither the Mist Guard nor the Sensor Division noticed an intruder, because there never was one.¡±

    Now I could see her jaw clench as she gritted her teeth, ¡°With all due respect, Mizukage-sama, I killed Shizu Yuki myself, I delivered her body to her family a poor civilian husband and two children who now live within this Estate as pariahs. Shizu Yuki is dead because I didn¡¯t hesitate to carry out your orders, sir.¡±

    She was breathing slightly heavier than before, staunching a scream behind her throat and satisfying herself with boring an imaginary hole through my head. Rather than acquiesce I shrugged and pressed on, ¡°Then explain this situation, Reina. How is it possible that someone not only infiltrated our village but did so without a single one of our defences going off until they¡¯d made an attempt on a councillor¡¯s life. Particularly Lord Funato, the councillor most outspoken against the Yuki incident and even the Kaguya.¡±

    Reina bite her lip as she struggled to keep calm in the face of my sudden dress down, she made to speak but I kept laying it on thick, ¡°And he saw her face, Shizu Yuki and at the same time her body disappeared from where it was buried in the main Yuki compound. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s out of the question to think someone in the Yuki, perhaps her husband learned a thing or two about Ninjutsu from her or even an undiscovered member of her courage clan. If not them then who, Reina? Who?¡±

    Sick of it Reina blurt out in a raised, fury filled voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know! I will find out but it was not the Yuki, we are innocent. I don¡¯t know how the assassin got in or even how they escaped, maybe this is someone that¡¯s capable of breaching our defences with ease or someone who is immune to our techniques, someone with a jutsu that lets them come and go unseen and undetected, someone that-!¡±

    ¡°Someone that¡¯s capable of escaping Ao¡¯s Byakugan even with him on tail.¡± I said, finally helping her put two and two, ¡°Someone that¡¯s capable of bypassing all securities, someone capable of killing the Sandaime.¡±

    Her mouth hung open and all brewing rage dispersed in a flash as she caught on to what I was implying, ¡°You mean¡­¡±

    I smiled, ¡°Yes, someone that could be watching us, even now.¡±

    Reina¡¯s eyes darted around frantically looking for an unseen enemy, her senses on edge and chakra spiked as she drew closer to me as deeply ingrained ANBU instincts told her to protect her Kage.

    I patted her shoulder as my smile grew, ¡°This is the kind of threat we face, Reina, this is exactly why Kirigakure needs to cultivate strength through Bloodlines. Don¡¯t worry, the unseen won¡¯t go undetected for long.¡±

 A Dance With Sharks: Junkos Daring Assault

    The crack of Junko¡¯s heels as she cat-walked onto the deck sounded her entrance long before some busboy announced her presence at the top of his lungs. Her new subordinates tensed in as much fear of her as the blockade of ships barring their path across the Kaizoku sea.

    She breathed the fresh sea air with measured glee, feeling the breeze blow against her face and toss her hair with it wherever it travelled. She glanced around the deck, finding more sailors running about doing their duties and the shinobi under her command glowering at their enemy.

    When Kirigakure finally joined the Daimyo¡¯s war Junko was certain it would be another past time that would end as soon as it began and quickly be forgotten even by the people involved. This wasn¡¯t anything too major, yet another civil war sparked from disputes on who ought to be called Daimyo.

    Like most aged Kirigakure shinobi, Junko didn¡¯t respect the Water Daimyo any more than she respected her gateman. The man and title served a purpose to the wailing civilians of the Water Country, he existed to tend to their needs and manage their population with tax that would be paid to Kirigakure as appreciation for a multitude of services and protections.

    It was a balancing act. Kirigakure, a hidden village, hasn¡¯t the administrative might to run around collecting tax from yeomanry across all twelve island provinces even though it had the highest concentration of military might.

    Which is why all Junko expected when the Mizukage called on her was a stack of money for lending her ships to his liberation effort. Instead the young man gave nothing even as he requested, no, ordered her to join the fleets leaving dock for Koorijima.

    Junko hadn¡¯t worked as a shinobi since the tail end of the Second Shinobi war, with few instances during the Third as a protection for their supplies across continent. Still, it had been years and now all of a sudden the Mizukage who¡¯d only existed long enough to make a name for himself during the Third war was asking her to come out of her pseudo retirement and break the backs of the Daimyo¡¯s enemies on his behalf.

    She would¡¯ve said no instantly if he weren¡¯t so flattering. ¡®I understand your responsibility as clan head which is why this will simply be a chance to remind all within and without of the strength that affords you that position. Think of it as an exercise, a showcase.¡¯

    Despite her status as a reserve corps shinobi, Junko had only retired because she became clan head. Of all the five major clan heads in Kirigakure she was the youngest and she took much pleasure in flaunting that youth at her supposed rivals any chance she got.

    This was as good an opportunity as any, besides, it¡¯s not as if she liked sitting in meetings and organizing clan events. A little excitement now and then was just what she needed to break out of the dull, clan head mould.

    She clapped her hands onto her subordinates broad, tall shoulders and leaned forward against him. Flicking her sunglasses down to have a look at the bright blue sea and the dotted line of ships peaking on the horizon, ¡°How¡¯s it looking boys? Any funny moves?¡±

    Her subordinate, the Jounin the Mizukage had transferred command from groaned but didn¡¯t shrug her off despite clearly wanting to. This ship and fourteen others like it were hers to command, not simply because the Mizukage deemed so but also because the majority of them were built and maintained by the Hoshigaki. It was in every way her property.

    Kirigakure as a Hidden Village didn¡¯t truly have a need for a navy. In all its existence no one has found or invaded the village and it would continue to be as such despite the recent attacks. It was easier to send in a man than an army.

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    However, now that Kiri was taking war to its enemies, ships were important not just as supply vessels but for battles atop the sea. The enemy in front of them now, Baron Watanabe and his sponsored war fleet was ready and waiting to unleash a salvo of cannon fire the moment any of Junko¡¯s ships came into range.

    Already the Jounin she clung onto had already lost six ships to the aligned terror with only two being downed in return on the enemy¡¯s side. On those six ships were sailors, low caste and Hoshigaki civilians hired to work the oars, cannons and more. The low caste died aplenty but you couldn¡¯t be called Hoshigaki without knowing how to swim with your feet and arms bound.

    Still, the lost was unacceptable, this was a mere non-shinobi force after all and it wasn¡¯t as though Kirigakure had a large standing navy to lose ships to cannon fire left and right. The seas had to be taken dead-on and staring out at it, Junko found the Mizukage was right to send her out here.

    The orange haired, Funato clan Jounin she took over from spoke, leaning away from her grasps as he did, ¡°The enemy has been reinforced through the night, their ships now outnumber ours two to one. Karashi and I were just discussing a strategy to split their attention and enable a break through their ranks.¡±

    Junko let him escape for now and folded her arms as she looked between the two Funato Jounin that ran this shit show to the bottom of the sea. Although many of the sailors were a combination of low caste and Hoshigaki clan members, the shinobi that were aboard the vessel were mostly of the Funato clan.

    The mission the Mizukage had assigned their force was to breakthrough to Koorijima, the Island long seized and occupied by Baron Watanabe. It was an important war goal as Koorijima was one of the larger islands, rich in vegetation, spring clean waters and vital metals for crafting weapon and armour. It was no wonder they¡¯d been reinforced so quickly, the longer Koorijima was under their control the harder it would be to end the war.

    ¡°So? What¡¯s your plan or did you not mean to tell me?¡±

    Both men bristled, quickly glancing at one another before her favourite Funato Jounin spoke up, ¡°I had the idea to attack at night and under the cover of our [Hidden in the Mist] jutsu, the enemy would fire indiscriminately into the mist in fear of being outflanked but we would really be unleashing some of our best shinobi into the water and onto their ships to carry out sabotage during the operation. Once three or five of their ships are alight with fire and their panic is widespread we will complete an encirclement and unleash cannon fire into their hulls.¡±

    Junko hummed, biting her lip as she eyed him, ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea, Funato-san, but what did you say? They outnumber us two-to-one? What happens if that indiscriminate cannon fire finds mark on even half of our ships? How will we complete the encirclement? And what if the shinobi we send over are intercepted, it may be the cover of night and mist but Samurai, especially Named Samurai are no joke.¡±

    His mouth opened to speak but Junko held a hand up and silenced him, ¡°The mission is not simply to break the enemy at sea, it¡¯s to break the enemy at Koorijima. If we limp our way onto shore how do we intend to break the army, forts and thousand-man militia surely waiting for us? Not to mention Baron Watanabe will be quick in reinforcing the location. We would be fighting enemies already at land with no way to fend off the ones coming to reinforce them from sea.¡±

    She shook her head pitifully at the man, ¡°The only thing your plan guarantees is that we lose more ships, more of my sailors and more resources to Kaizoku¡¯s deep blue belly. No, there is a finer way to breakthrough, Funato-san.¡±

    ¡°And how is that?¡±

    ¡°A full frontal attack with every Jounin leading the charge on foot.¡±

    Karashi exclaimed, ¡°On foot? You mean¡­?¡±

    Junko grinned and nodded, ¡°Yes, we will use our bodies to protect the ships approach, if you want a distraction what better way to distract the enemy by giving them a human-sized, fast moving targets.¡±

    The Funato Jounin looked appalled, ¡°But if the cannon fire¡­¡± he gulped at the thought of a cannon ripping through his body at a single unfortunate step but quickly put aside doubts and queries to nod obediently, ¡°As you say, Commander, I will inform our men.¡±

    Junko chuckled, ¡°As you do let them know that Junko-sama will be charging in with them and to stay away from sharks.¡±

    He gave a confused look that quickly turned knowing and seemed to put him at ease. He nodded and left with Karashi, leaving Junko to lick her lips at the looming naval blockade she was about to rend.

    Oh, what a showcase it¡¯ll be, Yagura-sama.

 A Dance With Sharks: Junkos Daring Assault(P2)

    The moon was absent when Junko and twenty-two other Jounin dropped onto the Kaizoku sea. Darkness was their weapon this night, their ships had blown out all candles and all now commanding Chuunin on deck were given a single order¡ª to sail forward only after thirty minutes had passed.

    Twenty ships had been put to sea, taken to war upon the Mizukage¡¯s orders with each commanded by a Jounin with the Navy Commanders ship having two Jounin to itself. Six ships were destroyed in the initial scuffle but all six Jounin had survived their sunk ships as they should. For all intent and purpose, their army was still at full strength and Junko would see that they used every bit of it.

    It wouldn¡¯t take any Jounin more than fifteen minutes to close the gap between them and the enemy and it would be a cake walk to slip through with the dark at their coat to wreak havoc on the enemy. Except the enemy they faced knew the sea well and knew they were fighting shinobi.

    In contrast to the darkness that covered Junko¡¯s fleet, the enemy had lanterns and sea lights floating ten to twenty metres around them, lighting up their position like a new year festival.

    This meant any approaching vessel, person or even catfish would be spotted and blown to bits within moments of crossing that radius, but that was fine by Junko, the light would become their own undoing even more so than their hesitance to push the offence.

    Junko whistled a low pitch with short and long beats. She waited a second before hearing the tune resound down through every one of her fleet¡¯s ships, her Jounin subordinates were set and ready to move. She let out a high pitched whistle before sprinting ahead in near sync with all twenty-two of her Jounin.

    She was sure they were scared and if she was being honest she was scared as well. They were charging head first into the light of thunderous death, leaving their ships behind and basically acting as human shields, all on her orders. Junko¡¯s heart skipped at the thought of feeding these Jounin to needless deaths and the shame, disappointment and rage that¡¯d await her if she survived her own stunt.

    But as her feet skipped over water her mind supplied sensible reasons why she should remain as confident as ever. For one, half of the Jounin charging in were of the Funato clan, after serving years as clan head to the Hoshigaki clan she would be remiss if she didn¡¯t recognize the Mizukage¡¯s purposeful hand in this.

    Lord Funato had crossed Yagura and now the clan spearheaded his war. Kirigakure shinobi clans loved the glory and prestige of war but it would be hard to explain this as the Mizukage favouring the Funato clan at all, even if he was certain they¡¯d succeed in their mission, placing so many in all fronts was clearly an attempt to throw the blood cost of war on their shoulders.

    And thus, if a handful died in following her orders the Mizukage¡¯s rage may be mild or even feigned. A second reason to keep calm even as the shadows of underwater creatures grew under her was that they were Jounin, she was Jounin, a clan head for that matter. Her plan would work and if it didn¡¯t work as well she¡¯d pull out every card in her bursting deck to ensure it did.

    Junko crossed into the illuminated waters and chakra leaped from her fingers in the form of a water whip, extinguishing each lantern and floating light source as she and her Jounin moved forward.

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    It didn¡¯t take another second before alarms went off on the ships still metres away. She heard their frantic yelling and cries of alarm, ignored it as she pushed on snuffing out each light as her platoon approached. Between them they¡¯d already extinguished the first line of lights of four and were quickly moving onto the next.

    However, extinguishing lights wasn¡¯t the only part of the plan. Somewhere to her left she felt chakra surge as her Jounin unleashed powerful Ninjutsu at the ships, six water cannons larger than any metal ball flew at the enemy ships, rocking them as they frantically arranged a response.

    The unmistakeable thwip of bows resounded throughout the sea and in the blink of an eye the darkened sky was filled with hundreds of arrows with more nocked and on their way. It was a paltry thing to be rid of for a platoon of Jounin but a well distraction from the next part of the plan.

    Junko¡¯s fingers fluttered through hand signs, chakra connecting within her and she unleashed the pre-planned jutsu that few Jounin had learned but could easily supplement, ¡°Water Release: Raging River Force!¡±

    The sea was the worst place to fight any Kirigakure Jounin much less a Hoshigaki. A wave of water daring to be as tall as the ships themselves rose like the hand of a sea god before surging forward at speeds nothing as large as a ship could ever hope to react to.

    It crashed into three ships at once, extinguishing all light as it broke wood and drowned men by the dozens. Junko leaped away, panting as she swatted away the flurry of arrows that still rained. She looked around and saw her technique being simulated on each side of the sea, ships swayed at the force of the water drowning their sailors.

    A thunderous boom and explosion of water cancelled all thoughts of an easy win though. Water blew up from the sea like a spouting geyser as cannons fired hastily and without any true aim. The enemy was disoriented and attacking at random to stave away the danger but neither Junko nor her Jounin were done.

    Chakra filled the sea as three water dragons soared out with animalistic roars, two exploded as cannons rocked through them, tearing a tail and head but one Water Dragon struck, biting hard and through the deck of a ship.

    Junko soft smile grew to a grin and she bit her thumb, signing familiar hand seals before slamming a blood smeared palm onto the water surface, ¡°Kuchiyose no Justu!¡±

    The water exploded, releasing the plume of smoke from her summon as it reared his head under her feet, carrying her with only its human-sized dorsal fin poking out of the water, ¡°Samekiru! It¡¯s been a minute since you feasted on my enemies.¡±

    Another round of cannon fire let loose but her Jounin were closing the gap and destroying ships well enough for her to only worry slightly. Samekiru let his giant mouth rise so he could speak, ¡°Feast? It¡¯s been even longer since you summoned me in this form. A rare occasion it is.¡±

    Samekiru has been her companion summon since she was but a child and they¡¯ve been inseparable, even after she became clan head Samekiru was at her side, lounging in the Fuuinjutsu built tank that let him moderate his size. In the years since they¡¯ve been together Samekiru has grown significantly, to the point where he could raze through ships if she wished it and right now, she did.

    He needed not a word from her to dive under water. Junko let him free, content to watch her friend¡¯s handiwork from a safe distance. Samekiru covered the distance in seconds and not because of his speed. He lurched out of the water, jaws unshackled till they found hold on the remnants of the ship she¡¯d brought to sinking with her jutsu. He snapped it in two, scattering wood and boxed supplies as he dived back into the water with a colossal, wave surging splash.

    Still, more cannons remained and fired at her men but the final phase of her plan was at hand as flanking her from the sides was her war fleet, returning fire with thunderous accuracy, flensing the enemy fleet to nothing and leaving her with nothing but the chaos of her burning enemies.

    Junko snorted and shook her head, ¡°They really should have pressed the advantage while they had it.¡±

 Uninvited

    Even though it was wet, sky gloomy and jailed up with traitors and Samurai, Junko couldn¡¯t say she minded the luxury becoming warden of Koorijima¡¯s capital city provided.

    Koorijima¡¯s soil was blessed with an unnatural fertility, it¡¯s capital city and the ancient bloodline that ruled since time before the Daimyo and even now being cited as the source of the blessing. Plant life took to the earth with greater ease than anywhere in the five nations, even the Land of Fire.

    Farmers made a bounty harvesting crops long out of season and their liege lords made even more off sustaining half of the country¡¯s food demands alongside the booming timber trade. Smart thinking noblemen weren¡¯t far behind either, several having set up large shipwright companies that shot Koorijima to second place right after the Daimyo¡¯s seat of power in terms of economic worth.

    All this without a single mine or shinobi base. As such, it didn¡¯t surprise Junko to find that the Daimyo¡¯s enemies hadn¡¯t risked permanently deposing the ancient family the fertile land was attributed to. Junko was much the same as she politely took charge of the city to further prepare.

    She couldn¡¯t waste time though, as much as she would like to take her time fabricating accounts as she siphoned a mere portion of the wealth of crops, livestock and the silver ryo to enrich her clan, there were more mice to catch.

    The naval victory had come at some cost. Two careless Jounin had been torn apart by canon fire despite their collective efforts and while they¡¯d made it to shore fast enough to catch the enemy with their pants down in the city, several more groups of militia and their Samurai had escaped.

    Interrogated prisoners all confirmed there were at least six Named Samurai left to surrender. That was less than Junko expected but she supposed some of the corpses sunk to the bottom of the sea would account for the lesser number.

    Koorijima was a vital target, one worth salivating over if only for the daily riches the capital city and the neighbouring towns provided, but it¡¯s position at the head of the country as well as the infrastructural development made it possible for any active military body to move where needed. Kirigakure wasn¡¯t underestimating its worth any more than Baron Watanbe and Tetsuya were, that was why the Lord Fourth sent her here after all.

    Two dead Jounin aside, Junko¡¯s invasion force was still at full strength with twenty Jounin active albeit recovering their chakra and an idle squadron of Chuunin just looking for something to do. And she had just the task.

    There was no point resting on her naval victory when she could continue pushing forward and ensure the escaped Named Samurai and their militia couldn¡¯t set themselves up to be a thorn in her side. As such, she was personally leading her squadron of four 3-man Chuunin teams to scouring the surrounding areas for runaway Samurai.

    Jounin Karashi landed at her side, his weight straining the branch just a bit as he gave his report, ¡°Team Karashi¡¯s located and confirmed the target, it was just as the informant said, there¡¯s an underground entrance in the abandoned warehouse. But besides that, we¡¯ve got eyes on the two Samurai and a bunch of militia trying to fix up the place.¡±

    Junko nodded and eased her shoulders against the tree bark. Jounin Karashi was another Funato, the second in command to her predecessor to be specific. She¡¯d left said predecessor to organize the city, commission ships and munitions as well as ensure a constant patrol of the coast was held. Baron Watanabe and Tetsuya would want to take Koorijima back as soon as possible, which kept their time short.

    But they¡¯d be done with the mice hunting and back to relieve him of command in a jiffy, as soon as he¡¯s done all the boring but necessary preparations anyway. Junko turned to Karashi and flashed a grin, ¡°Well, let¡¯s pay them a visit before they get to barring the back door shall we?¡±

    He gave a curt nod and leaped away, returning to his team. Junko gave the signal to hers waiting patiently behind her on tree trunks and they communicated the orders to the rest of the squadron in seconds.

    She leaped down and led her team ever forward through the thick of bushes and overgrown weeds. Their informant or prisoner had sent them in the right direction after all; an abandoned warehouse south of the decommissioned docks. There was a town here once but for whatever reason it saw losses and degradation to the point where nature reclaimed everything that once marked human presence.

    It was a good place for the Samurai to hide and lick their wounds but it was too obvious. Even if they hadn¡¯t a prisoner to extract the information from, they would have found it in record time either way. Still, the accuracy was appreciated.

    Peeking at the forest broken warehouse from behind a tree, Junko could spot Karashi¡¯s team moving into position. There was another reason why she left her predecessor behind to manage the city and costal defence, the same reason she let Karashi take point.

    The Mizukage was quite obviously punishing the Funato clan for their insolence by having them shoulder the war with their numbers and even their war chest but Junko was head of a clan herself and had an image to preserve. Mizukage or not, she couldn¡¯t be seen to be siding so blatantly with him and so she threw the Funato a bone.

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    A head in charge here and there to drum up a few war stories with their names stamped all over and their egos assuaged. Her predecessor would have a few days to siphon funds for his clan if he so dares and Karashi Funato would have his name on an easy mission win, and no one would say Junko was selfish. Least of all a fellow clan head.

    The second team moved into position, surrounding the budding swamp and the warehouse seeping in it on the east, leaving her team to cover the only vector of retreat. Both teams would attack and the Samurai would retreat into Junko¡¯s deathly arms.

    As Junko watched the last man of both attack teams slip into the warehouse she simultaneously heard the grind of metal against metal behind her, which, naturally shouldn¡¯t be so unless..

    She turned about just as the hairs on her neck stood in alarm, bringing up an elongated set of emerald fingernails to block a strike that would have surely lobbed her head off. Her eyes focussed and she mentally cursed at the sight of one of her Chuunin impaled against a tree, dead by tanto through the neck.

    Worse, as fingernails cracked as chakra vibrated through the sword pressing against them. She leaped away from her cloaked opponent just as their weapon spurt lightning, zapping around the space and licking her fingernails.

    An explosion rocked the warehouse behind her now and Junko was tempted to look but dared not. There were four cloaked opponents before her now and she only had two struggling Chuunin as allies.

    Her eyes narrowed as she studied their features, each wore dark brown or all out black cloaks and had the beginnings of Samurai armour underneath them; the boots especially looked as Samurai wore not to mention the glistening katanas swiping down at her team.

    Three of said opponents troubled the remains of her team to no end and they were as ill-prepared for a counter-offensive as she was, only wielding kunai to defend themselves against chakra coated weapons, might as well have no defence at all.

    She bit her cheek and dashed forward, reinforcing all her fingernails till they were as sturdy as the kunai themselves but far deadlier. Junko swiped at her faceless opponent and they swiped back with far longer reach. She bit her cheek and brought her fingers together to cast jutsu but her opponent lurched forward, bringing the lightning crackling katana down with decapitating force.

    Junko¡¯s fingernails smacked the blow aside, she held back a curse as they chipped but allowed her to push into the fiend¡¯s guard without being electrocuted. She stabbed at his exposed torso, trusting her nails to puncture a hole through that darn Samurai armour. She barely brushed it before he snatched her wrist, clenching with desperate strength to crush the joint there and then.

    Switching stances, Junko raised a leg over her head and over his to deliver a her spiked-heel to his shoulder. He yelped but stifled it in an instant as he set her wrist free and broke away. The two measured each other, one already bleeding though Junko wish she¡¯d gotten him with her nails rather than a spiked heel, first blood was shed and she savoured the scent.

    She could but spare a glance at her Chuunin as they were pushed back, cornered by three opponents to their two before hers set his stance and burst with more chakra than she ordinarily expected. Junko readied herself as his katana crackled intensly with lightning chakra, her eyes narrowed at the sight and in a second her foe lurched forward, assuming what was the most basic Samurai swinging form to bring his blade down on her.

    Junko expected as much though and as the sword sliced through her pre-prepared [Substitution] Jutsu kicked in, replacing her with a boulder roughly the same size as her.

    Sunk in the bushes Junko wasted no time rushing to the aid of her Chuunin. One was barely hanging on with his right side paralyzed by the tear of lightning chakra and the other doing her best to protect them both.

    ¡°Water Release: Water Clone!¡±

    Two more Junkos rose from the swampy water, equalizing the surprise battle a bit by unleashing four [Water Whips] on two cloaked fiends, ripping them off their feet and dragging them through the mud by their necks. As they struggled Junko lurched through the third, her elongated fingernails were sharper than talons as she struck, stabbing through what should have been stronger armour with far greater ease than she expected.

    Her victim wasn¡¯t expecting it either. He ripped himself free, yowling as he immediately sprawled face first into the mud and coughed blood. ¡°Are you two alright?¡± Junko spared a moment of concern for her charges, looking about for the fourth and initial opponent. The pair of Chuunin nodded, quickly arming themselves with better weapons and chewing solider pills to mute the agony of an electrocuted system.

    Junko watched the man continue to crawl and hack blood like an infected pig. She would smile at the sight if several things about it didn¡¯t worry her. For one, the armour was a fake, part of it, especially the helmets, were even Genjutsu illusions.

    These were tricks Samurai weren¡¯t privy to. She glanced back at the heavy burning warehouse and let out a string of expletives. Now not only had she lost two Jounin in the naval battle, she¡¯d lost another one trying to finish the job. Junko didn¡¯t want to underestimate Karashi Funato but she failed to notice there was anything wrong with their approach and he seems to have gotten the worse of the sprung trap.

    This will be a headache to report but¡­ She cast a side glance at the man choking on his own spurt blood and saliva, her fingernails weren¡¯t simply strong and sharp, they were poisoned enough to bring down a Class-C Summon Animal if she so needed. These are obviously shinobi¡­the only shinobi meant to be in this war are Kiri shinobi.

    There was a chance that it was rouge-nin but what rouge-nin would be stupid enough to throw themselves against the war effort of a Hidden Village? No, there was something else here.

    She knelt down beside the man and pulled out a vial and syringe from her pouch; the Second Shinobi war taught her the value of an antidote was just as great as the poison. Without a word she stabbed the filled syringe into the man¡¯s neck and watched his eyes roll back in relief and unconsciousness.

    ¡°We¡¯re taking this one back to base. Watch him while I put out that fire, see if Karashi and his team are still alive.¡±

 In the Business of Casualties

    ¡°So this is the orchard from Konoha¡­¡± Princess Hanako marvelled at the wide collection of trees splayed out in a wide, open and brightly sunlit area. While I didn¡¯t share her enthusiasm for the growing spurt of trees that had been either transplanted or spliced with the seedlings Kushina had sent, I couldn¡¯t deny there was a freshness to walking amongst them.

    ¡°What fruits will they bear?¡± She asked, plucking another leaf and twirling it by its stem. She wore a simpler dress this time, nothing as ceremonious as the three metre gown flow but nearly as pretty. Her make-up was lighter too and even her general persona was different from before our final negotiations.

    I stalked behind her in simple mesh shinobi garb and Kage haori, ¡°I¡¯m not sure but the I¡¯m told the older trees will bring apples and even peaches once they¡¯ve gotten used to the new soil, spread their roots and all.¡± I shrugged.

    There was a skip in her step as she twirled around and smiled at me, ¡°You don¡¯t pay much attention to these things do you, Lord Fourth?¡± That was another thing, her smile. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever seen it before today and yet I was bombarded with one after the other.

    But I suppose it made sense. She came to me looking for an end to the threats against her brother the Daimyo and that¡¯s exactly what she got, best of all, she hadn¡¯t even needed to sell herself to accomplish it. I¡¯d be smiling too.

    She stopped by a shrub of flowers, yellow, red, blue, all the bright beautiful colours that I truly never paid attention to despite my home and estate being surrounded by them. She tucked loosened strands of onyx hair behind her ears as she plucked a handful and gifted me with them, ¡°For you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, thank you.¡± I said, unsure what to do with the clutch of flowers, ¡°I¡¯ll find a vase for them, Junichi?¡±

    Junichi hurried to my side at my call, his notepad out and ready to take down any orders but I simply handed him the flowers and glanced back at Ao and the Princess¡¯s odd Samurai-esque guard, ¡°Find a place for these in my office and¡­¡± I leaned in to whisper, ¡°Have Ao and that one step back a bit will you?¡±

    Junichi nodded fiercely and got to work without a sound. He¡¯s become more reliable as the weeks pass and I¡¯ve slowly come to appreciate his presence. I turned back to the Princess and found that she was already far ahead than in the orchard than I, playing with a stick or trying to dislodge a fruit with one at least.

    I walked up next to her and glanced up at the ripe-ish lime. ¡°Ah! Uh, I can¡¯t seem to reach it¡­I¡¯d climb but I suppose that¡¯d be unsightly of me.¡± She blushed and tossed the stick aside to clap her hands free of dirt.

    ¡°You need only ask.¡± She gave me a look that told me she thought first of my medium height before anything else. Ignoring it, I tapped the tree with enough force to loose a rain of limes, ripe or not upon our heads while catching her desired target as she squealed. ¡°Here, for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, wow, as expected. Thank you.¡± She warped it up in a handkerchief and set it aside, ¡°So, you wanted to talk?¡±

    I inhaled and smiled up at her, ¡°Yes, I did. I thought you¡¯d like to know or at least report back to the Daimyo how the war is going as well as my concerns.¡±

    Her bliss furrowed away, ¡°Concerns?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get to that but first, I¡¯m proud to say the war is going smoothly, as expected truly¡­in terms of captured objectives at least. Kurokami-jima has been liberated and the Lord Yakubi reinstated to his position.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s such good news.¡± She said, relieved.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all. Yureisen and Midoriwara are not under our occupation. There are pockets of resistance from what¡¯s been reported but those will be snuffed out even as I speak.¡± She nodded along as I spoke, absorbing each bit of good news while we made another round about the orchard. ¡°And there is the matter of Koorijima, we¡¯ve made it to land and even recaptured the capital city but¡­well, the journey to get there was a costly one. Ships, men, munition, sunken supplies and all sorts, I¡¯m sure you have an inkling of what I mean.¡±

    Princess Hanako¡¯s springy steps slowed as I spoke, her brows furrowed even deeper in thought as she glanced at me, ¡°Speak plainly, as you have before.¡±

    As I have before huh. I let myself have a sheepish smile as I revealed, ¡°Where are the Daimyo¡¯s levies? His army of Samurai defenders, the Named dozen? I informed my shinobi they¡¯d receive reinforcements for their countrymen but thus far¡­¡±

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    The Princess gulped at that. An appropriate response considering there was very little she could say that would satisfy me. I¡¯ve long since had eyes on the armies of the Daimyo as well as our enemies, it was the foremost preparation for war to do so after all. And so I knew half of the Daimyo¡¯s military might had been pulled away from coasting the seas in nigh constant patrols and were now on the mainland, mere kilometres away from Kirigakure.

    What were they doing? Certainly not fighting a war, no, instead they rested, drank, celebrated a premature victory won by Kirigakure¡¯s mere involvement in the conflict.

    ¡°I understand there might be some¡­exhaustion after defending the Daimyo¡¯s rule all year long but perhaps a show of solidarity? My shinobi number fewer than the Lord Daimyo¡¯s levies, we cannot fortify every fallen fort, city and castle by our lonesome.¡± A small lie. It was possible to fill take over every noteworthy fief but why would we? My only true concerns were Yureisen and Midoriwara after all.

    The Princess did well not to bristle at my words, had she been anyone else surely she¡¯d find my pointed accusation that the Daimyo¡¯s armies were lazy insulting. Instead she measured her reaction with restraint and smiled, ¡°My brother, the Daimyo¡­he simply wishes to see the main foe put down. Baron Tetsuya and Watanabe¡¯s islands still stand unruly, the Daimyo does not wish to see their insolence go unpunished, his attentions are put forward there¡­for now.¡±

    It was a fair argument to put forth; ¡®The Daimyo brings his wrath to his truest enemies personally.¡¯ and I¡¯d be much impressed if it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Daimyo¡¯s attempts at retaking Umehebi has been naught of success throughout the year of war.

    Control of the island went back and forth over the past months, even during the time I became Mizukage it was still being contested with the Daimyo¡¯s forces breaking in and Baron Tetsuya arrogantly sweeping them out time and time again until putting up a blockade was all the Daimyo could do to save face.

    I decided not to bring up any of my points against her defence, instead I hummed and nodded, ¡°Very well, if the Daimyo deems them worthy of his full attention¡­Kirigakure will do want it can to finish the war without his sword aid. However, as we¡¯ve established, the war is not without its costs, it¡¯s one thing to use the funds of the fiefs we¡¯ve liberated but after a year of war some have nothing to give and in no position to bolster my shinobi in any capacity. At the very least, some war relief to these areas as well as to Kirigakure for suffered losses would be much appreciated.¡±

    As of yet there were only fourteen recorded losses and that was between Junko Hoshigaki and Fuguki Suikazan¡¯s forces. They weren¡¯t terrible losses but they were losses nonetheless and I only needed a single casualty to guiltlessly ask for more funds.

    While the Princess seemed friendly enough now the Daimyo would not forget the true cost of this war; Yureisen and Midoriwara, two islands too many but not worth losing his head over in the end. After the war I expected absolutely nothing from the Daimyo, not even so much as praise or even thanks, it would be, at best, a cold shoulder for years to come and so I¡¯d milk him dry while I still could.

    The Funato Clan war chest was a gorgeous thing to calculate but it paled in comparison to what the Daimyo could offer even in this short term. If those two islands were to see any development, then there was no such thing as too much money.

    Princess Hanako seemed to be more keen-minded than I gave her credit for because she outright sneered as she said, ¡°What use will the extra supplies be if the war is to end in two weeks as you promised? But no matter, I will deliver your concerns to my brother.¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°Lives are precious, Hime, those supplies will lower casualties in a manner I¡¯m sure you would appreciate if you understood the beat of war, not to mention, they¡¯ll ensure I keep to my word. Do send him my regards as you do.¡±

    We walked on in silence for a moment before I gave a single to Ao trailing behind me and said to the Princess, ¡°If you have an extra moment, I have a final, more appropriate gift for you Princess.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t hide the sparkle in her eyes at the mention but wordlessly nodded and followed after my steps. I lead her out to a gazebo and fountain where Raiga was waiting in plain shinobi gear, ditching the ANBU uniform for something more civilian friendly. Beside him was none other than Jin, the fighter the Princess had taken an interest in before Mangetsu beat him.

    She gasped in recognition and hastened her steps, ¡°You are¡­a fine young man.¡± She said, clearing her throat as she took Jin in. He was dressed fully as a civilian with not one thing marking him as a shinobi beyond the scars of Kenjutsu training.

    The young man blushed at the attention but Raiga had prepared him well enough and he bowed deeply to greet the Princess, ¡°I am Jin, my Princess, the Lord Fourth has bid me to be your guard and guide throughout his estate and all of Kirigakure if you wish. I will show you everything you wish to see.¡±

    Her jaw hung open for a moment, clearly not expecting him to become a guard for her she looked over at me as she stuttered, searching for a way out but there was none I would allow. I grinned widely at her, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything, Hime, you are most welcome! I know how much you long to experience Kirigakure, Jin here will ensure you do so without¡­drawing unwanted attention.¡±

    I said the last part while eying her odd-ball Samurai-esque guard that radiated an intensity that just wasn¡¯t healthy for a Princess. She smiled and nodded, ¡°T-thank you, Mizukage, this is most considerate.¡±

    It was indeed. Stealing and reading her letters was a waste of my ANBU¡¯s time and a waste of mine, Jin with Raiga as his handler would ensure nothing against the interests of Kirigakure was going through the minds of any royal.

    ¡°Say less, Princess, it¡¯s been my pleasure.¡±

 Reinforcing Koorijima

    ¡°Ah¡­shinobi bossu¡­this is as far as I go.¡± The boatman said, rubbing his sweaty hands together as he stood in fear on his own deck. Ahead of the ferry was a scene he had already come too close to, an arranged border of warships with their cannons about faced and ready to blast his boat out of existence if he strayed any further.

    Kisame understood the man¡¯s fear well and appreciated it as the correct response when faced with such a scene, a blockade of over a dozen ships patrolling back and forth with sea lights already lit up as they guarded the fertile island, the food basket of the Land of Water, Koorijima.

    Even with Kisame being the only passenger on the boat he knew his fellow shinobi forces wouldn¡¯t hesitate to shoot first and ask questions later. He tossed a coin pouch at the boatman and leaped off his vessel into the Kaizoku sea without a word. Samehada moaned at his back, it had held hope that Kisame would let it feed on the man, but such was not meant to be.

    The distance between Kurokami-jima and Koorijima was not one he could risk crossing with his chakra alone, not when he had Samehada to keep docile and content but more importantly, not when he was headed for more battle.

    Kisame sprinted away towards the island and the ships guarding it. They¡¯d see a man walking on water and that surely would be all they needed to know it was an ally, but there would doubtless be sensor-nin assigned to the division. Kisame expected a warm, battle borne welcome.

    The raven that brought word of Koorijima¡¯s need for reinforcements had the Mizukage¡¯s seal stamped on the little letter, it was a copy of a copy though, Fuguki and Juzo would have received the same letter as well. But Kisame was closest and technically the freest of the Swordsmen.

    Kurokami-jima was liberated, those Named Samurai were an unexpected challenge but once Kisame got serious it ended all too soon. He had to be the first to reinforce Koorijima, the first to meet the challenge of these remnants making a fuss of their defeat.

    He thought it admirable that they continued to struggle for so long. Their defeat was more or less prophesied the moment the Lord Fourth sent them to war. Perhaps they already knew that much, the Named Samurai he fought seemed to realize they had little to no hope against Samehada even with their intriguing Kenjutsu. Yet still, they fought him to the death, one even thanking him with his last breath for not thinking them unworthy of his Shark Skin, even though they were little more than a snack for the beast sword.

    ¡°What¡¯s this now?¡±

    Kisame pulled away from his thoughts, bringing his sprint to a calm jog as he sniffed the air, no¡­the water for a familiar and dangerous scent. Samehada sensed it too, it bristled at his back, poking at the bandages as it growled excitement.

    His eyes narrowed at the sea in front of him, the ships ahead hadn¡¯t made any sign of noticing or even being bothered by his presence¡ª likely the work of the scout¡¯s early identification¡ª but the water rippled with danger nonetheless. Kisame gripped Samehada¡¯s handle as he approached the first line of sea lights, his skin shivered hives as he eyed the depthless blue sea at his feet.

    Kisame¡¯s eyes widened at what he saw swimming towards him, illuminated by the dull orange lights floating around him was a jaw wide, scarred and extending to swallow him whole. He jumped a split second before the water broke in an explosive shower, the giant shark, easily a Class-B summon snapped at his feet, nearly taking off his sandals before diving back down.

    His heart pounded in his chest but Kisame laughed heartily as he landed safe some paces away, ¡°Samekiru! It¡¯s been too long!¡±

    As the sea showered from Samekiru¡¯s re-entry, the giant summon poked its snout out and grinned, ¡°Kisame? Was it you after all? I thought the enemy smelled familiar.¡±

    Kisame shook his head and walked over to Samekiru, the giant shark breathed hot air at him as he approached but did not swallow him whole, ¡°Ah, don¡¯t you lie, I know your nose is unbeatable, just say you wanted a taste and I¡¯ll understand.¡±

    The giant shark lowered himself underwater so his eyes, nose and fin remained above, ¡°Hmph, I tell no lies. My nose is best at tracing blood, not bodily scent, spill some for me if you want to be easily recognized.¡±

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    Kisame shook his head still, ¡°This blood has to be earned, try again next time ay?¡± the shark snorted in response, ¡°So, Junko is here then, could it be that difficult?¡±

    ¡°Junko-sama is here, yes.¡± Samekiru corrected, ¡°But I have no knowledge of what happens on land, I am tasked to protect this isle.¡±

    Kisame hummed at that, walking alongside the shark as it swam back towards the ships. The message that brought him here hadn¡¯t said anything about who commanded the mission on Koorijima, merely that they needed to be reinforced and safeguarded from internal opposition; the remnant Named Samurai.

    To think Junko-sama would have trouble here, it was wise to abandon that slow squad and come here. ¡°I am here to reinforce her position; will you take me to her?¡±

    Samekiru eyed him like a snack, his eye flickered to the other shark, the one trembling at Kisame¡¯s back and he seemed to change his mind, ¡°I will take you to shore.¡±

    Kisame grinned, ¡°Just as good.¡±

    ****

    ¡°You?¡± Junko said, almost accusingly as she appraised him. She feigned a smile and brought him into the fold of a side embrace, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m grateful you¡¯re here, but¡­the Lord Fourth sent you?¡±

    Kisame met his clan head in the midst of a wood damp room at the highest level of one of several ship docks. It was a rich place but still hadn¡¯t avoided some hazards; there were several crates and boxes covered in tarp and stacked up as high as the rather generous ceiling.

    He nodded and glanced at the Funato Jounin scowling so blatantly at he and Junko, ¡°Yes me, seems you haven¡¯t had as much luck or fun as I.¡±

    She massaged the bridge of her nose, a feat Kisame didn¡¯t think would be possible without poking out her eyes with those fingernails but she came unscathed nonetheless, ¡°We¡­we¡¯ve met some shinobi elements.¡±

    At this Kisame raised a brow. She nodded and drew him towards the tarp covered crate that served as a table where she and the Funato Jounin were discussing over a map before he arrived. ¡°I led a squadron out to deal with the fleeing Samurai and their militia but our enemies are more than mere Samurai. We were¡­counter ambushed, one Jounin lost another alongside seven Chuunin, my charges included.¡±

    Kisame¡¯s visage hardened at the report. Such losses weren¡¯t unexpected of a war but under the command and charge of a clan head¡­She is not taking it well. ¡°Rogue-nin?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re thinking Kumogakure.¡± The Funato Jounin spoke up from his brooding spot, ¡°He refuses to admit it though.¡±

    ¡°He?¡± Kisame questioned.

    Junko¡¯s demeanour shifted as she recounted their recent encounters, ¡°I ensured to capture one alive. He¡¯s dead now though, it seems his compatriots are more concerned about their anonymity than his life, they mounted an attack on his cell within the city, killed the guards and had him take his own life. We killed two in their escape attempt though, but there¡¯s little to learn from a dead body without someone from Interrogation and Communications here.¡±

    ¡°Such a reaction all but announces it is Kumo.¡± The Funato Jounin persisted, ¡°In the first place he should¡¯ve been kept under our direct watch, under our lock and key. Not within some city.¡±

    Kisame sneered at the man, ¡°Enough of you, what are you doing to root them out?¡±

    The Funato Jounin inhaled but his lips remained shut and voiceless. Junko shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t take it out on him, he¡¯s right, I shouldn¡¯t have stayed in the city, too much space, too many cavities and vulnerabilities. But we¡¯re here now and they¡­whoever they are, will be coming for us here and soon, I can feel it.¡±

    The ¡®here¡¯ in question was a highly secure dock taken over by Kiri shinobi and manned by shipbuilding civilians who routinely maintained and repaired the warships patrolling the coast. Now that he looked Kisame saw that was what the map was of, the newly defensible dock.

    ¡°You want to lure them into attacking¡­here?¡±

    ¡°Not lure, it¡¯s all but guaranteed they¡¯ll attack. The Barons want Koorijima back and crippling our naval capacities is the only way they¡¯ll have even a sliver of a chance at getting it. If we can¡¯t repel their ships from the shore they¡¯ll troop an army in with little constraints.¡±

    Junko sighed and groaned, ¡°This is why I was hoping Yagura-sama would let the Byakugan Killer go for just a moment, discerning who is Samurai and who is shinobi would be a cake walk with him.¡±

    Any other would feel insulted that their mission Commander had wished for another shinobi, but Kisame knew his clan head well through well service. Her face was stoic, untwisted by boisterous and jubilant cackles. The only thing that regularly did that was the sight of presumptuous men who didn¡¯t acknowledge their place and a threat to the clan¡¯s future.

    Samehada thrilled, bolstering Kisame with chakra in a rare performance of¡­comradery? No, perhaps symbiosis. Kisame couldn¡¯t read chakra like a sensor-nin or discern it like the Hyuga eye but he could eat it. And he¡¯s had a feast of men and fools.

    Kisame cackled at his clan head, ¡°That matters not with me, shinobi or Samurai, both meet their ends, Junko-sama.¡±

    It¡¯d be a different exercise altogether if shinobi are truly involved, more so if they are Kumo-nin. It was simply unfortunate though, if Koorijima were to become the frontline of a much larger war, it would have Junko Hoshigaki¡¯s name all over it, no, the Hoshigaki¡¯s.

    The door slammed open and a Chuunin sprawled hastily into the room with a kunai vice gripped, ¡°Junko-sama! They¡¯re here! They¡¯re inside the base and are trying to blow up the munitions store!¡±

    Kisame was at his side in a blink of an eye, ¡°Take me there.¡±

    The boy cowered at his toothy grin but Kisame was simply grateful he¡¯d made it to Koorijima in the nick of time.

 Junkos Comeback

    ¡°Hold it, Kisame!¡± Junko¡¯s sharp voice drew him back before he could zip into action.

    He restrained a growl, he was doing this for her, for the clan, ¡°What is it now?¡±

    The cold navy blue of her lips twisted into a sly smirk, ¡°This is what¡¯s supposed to happen.¡±

    Kisame blinked hard and straightened up as the tension in his muscles dissipated. Junko nodded to the Chuunin behind him, the young man gulped and stepped out of Kisame¡¯s lumbering shadow and pressed a hand to his ear.

    ¡°It¡¯s confirmed Junko-sama, they¡¯re still in the munitions store, looking through the decoys.¡± A voice spoke in his ear and he let a nervous smile break, ¡°They haven¡¯t looked underneath the false bottoms.¡±

    His eyes narrowed at Junko where her smile only grew as she clapped, ¡°Perfect! Sabotage or theft? Any ideas?¡±

    The Chuunin frowned, pressing on the ear piece as more words whispered in, ¡°It¡¯s unclear but¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± She turned to Kisame again at last, ¡°Now let¡¯s go.¡±

    Kisame fell into sprint behind her as she leapt out the window with the Funato Jounin and scout Chuunin not far behind, ¡°I have some idea what¡¯s going on but do you mind filling in the newcomer?¡±

    The Funato Jounin deigned to make himself useful, ¡°The Commander simply saw the obvious; the enemy would attack to cripple our ability to defend Koorijima¡¯s shores from further invasion. Either by stealing or destroying our munitions.¡±

    Kisame rolled his eyes as they skipped over another alleyway, he couldn¡¯t identify what building was which but judging by the increase activity in certain roads he could easily determine their destination

    ¡°And so she set a trap.¡± Kisame nodded, watching Kiri shinobi herd the folk and shipbuilders silently away from the two storey building they were quickly approaching, ¡°But¡­did you¡­those boxes what¡¯s in them?¡±

    He had his own sneaking suspicions based off what he¡¯d gleaned from the brief back and forth as well as the urgent evacuation of civilian objects.

    ¡°Bodies.¡± The Funato Jounin answered.

    Junko giggled, ¡°They fed us quite a few of their one during their last visit. I wouldn¡¯t dig a grain of dirt for fools like them but there are other ways to get rid of a corpse.¡±

    Kisame mirrored her grin but felt sympathetic to Samehada slung on his back; the Shark Skin had anticipated battle just as much as he had, even going as far as pre-emptively boosting Kisame with a dole of the strength it had absorbed from previous obstacles.

    But of course, there was often more to being a shinobi than utter destruction and chaos he¡¯d so like to reap. Subterfuge, sabotage, deceit and all that jazz had been what he aimed to leave behind when he clasped onto the Shark Skin as its new master. Unfortunately, this war was commanded by others with finer, detailed plans and more patient minds.

    Perhaps something will go amiss yet and one will turn to my slaughter. Kisame quietly consoled himself with that hope but couldn¡¯t shake the disappointment that Junko already had a resolution that didn¡¯t necessarily need his overwhelming strength.

    They landed lightly at the foot of the munitions warehouse, a squad of Jounin had already assembled all seemingly as impatient as he but equally as disciplined to not let a peep sound from their movements even as they shuffled about surrounding perimeter.

    Junko acknowledged her squad with a stern, curt nod, her bright flashing smiles dead and gone as she waved them the command they awaited and poured into the building through every open window like a host of thieves. The irony wasn¡¯t lost on him but the pregnant atmosphere as he marched after Junko into the warehouse drenched any true spark of humour, leaving only a tamed furnace itching for battle.

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    The first floor of the warehouse had the basic administrative chaos and a couple of refrigerated rooms storing god knows what. Junko passed them all and for a brief moment Kisame worried the enemy they were to trap were upstairs, but all that came were more allies. They signalled that the upper floor was clear but Junko already seemed to know that as she stepped into one of the larger rooms with scores of crusty guns shelved on stands along with swords, shields and even some Samurai armour.

    She passed those too, only stopping to squat at a hatch in the granite stone floor. She knocked, ¡°Oi! What are you doing in there!¡± she swung it open and yawned as she deflected the kunai that zipped at her head the instance there was space enough for it, ¡°Hahah, cornered mice, would you look at that?¡±

    True enough there were six cloaked figures caught in the middle of deepening a hole in the ground, a separate set of them were busy sealing the crates contents into scrolls but none of the crates revealed any signs of ¡®bodies¡¯.

    Kisame¡¯s grin grew. Hasty idiots, they¡¯ve been trapped long before we arrived and they still don¡¯t know it. He stifled a laugh as all jumped to their feet, an all too late reaction.

    Junko cackled down at them, ¡°I can¡¯t believe this, are you really Kumo shinobi? I thought they had better than this.¡±

    Few of the figures had their faces out but Kisame loved the bingo books and quickly picked out two that were indeed listed in Konoha¡¯s bingo books for a moderate reward. His eyes narrowed, ears twitched at the sight of him, a scarred and now scared man slowly coming to terms that the damp hole he¡¯d snuck into would be his final resting place. But that wasn¡¯t all to his feature or what began to gnaw at Kisame¡¯s gut instincts.

    He gripped Samehada¡¯s hilt and the creature let a low growl.

    Junko continued to mock them as one flared chakra, daring to attempt hand seals in their situation. A flicked wrist sent senbon three inches deep into the offender¡¯s foot, he hissed and Junko tsk¡¯d, wagging a finger at them.

    ¡°You should know better than that¡­well, perhaps not, you didn¡¯t even think to place a lookout up here did you?¡±

    The man Kisame recognized allowed himself a nervous smirk, ¡°How do you know we didn¡¯t?¡±

    In that moment Kisame stuttered between yelling a warning and unsheathing Samehada to block the sudden bright, blinding and superheated coils of lightning blasted at them.

    ¡°¡°Lightning Release; Lightning Blast!¡±¡±

    Not one but two voices proclaimed in unison as Kisame buckled behind Samehada. Arcs of blue power rocked and ricocheted around the room, burning into the dirt and scalding stray weapons as it lit up the room, revealing two shinobi with the same dirty grin clinging to the wall and powering the combined attack.

    Kisame gritted his teeth as jolts of electricity travelled through Samehada even with the Blade absorbing most of the chakra from the technique. Twins, they are twins. He reminded himself, finally recovering the full breath of his memory of that particular bingo book entry.

    One had a scar cutting across his lips while the other didn¡¯t but they bore the same face otherwise. The scarred sibling in the basement lunged at Junko who hadn¡¯t so much as moved from her place, shouting something at his comrades just before his body sublimed into a force of lightning directed at Junko¡ª Lightning clone, that makes these two the real ones then.

    Mud blew from Junko¡¯s lips, easily intercepting and neutralizing the weak attack. Kisame, narrowed his eyes at his opponents still pumping all their chakra into the attack.

    He swung Samehada, unravelling the bandages even more as he roared through the spasms jolting through his muscles and leaped at the fools. Their eyes widened in shock as Kisame slammed a fist right where one twins head should¡¯ve been. He wasted no time and pivoted his sword arm, swinging the massive sword still crackling with lightning into the fleeing twin¡¯s exposed left side.

    The fool had some instinct to defend but there was little a paltry kunai could do to stop his body from being used to demolish a wall, flinging him out onto the wet and empty streets where doubtless a dozen Kiri shinobi were waiting for a taste of their own.

    ¡°Lightning Release; Electric Snake¡­uh huh?¡± the scarred twin at Kisame¡¯s flank stuttered confused as a single seven inch senbon stuck out his forehead. His eyes cornered to look at it, fingers twitching to reach and pluck it out as it dripped first a green, sickly fluid down his forehead and then blood.

    He fell to his knees before long and Junko pulled her sunglasses down at the shinobi still in the basement. Her glare kept them in place as she stepped away to drag the scarred man¡¯s body over the hatch, she pulled him by his hair, exposing his neck to her talon sharp fingernails.

    ¡°Run¡­¡± the man managed to gasp out through the paralysis as Junko dragged a bloody line across his throat. She let his body uselessly tumble down the ladder even as he gurgled his last breaths.

    ¡°And that makes four of your dead comrades in that basement with you and he¡¯s the only one not plastered with explosives. Yeah, you might want to check under the crates false bottom.¡± None of the remaining five moved even though weapons were clutched in their hands, none dared use them. ¡°If you want to live, there¡¯s only one cell in my prison and I¡¯m reserving it for the one who can tell me exactly what Kumogakure wants in this conflict.¡±

 Team Rina

    The old village head had proven true to his word by giving Rina and her team a wealth of information on the Nettou clan¡¯s whereabouts, along with some rather surprising facts. For one, they weren¡¯t the first to come to the village in search of the Nettou clan, and more importantly, they weren¡¯t the only shinobi to do so.

    The shinobi before them were not as friendly, accommodating, or patient as Rina was, in fact, the ¡®suffering¡¯ the old village head lamented the Nettou clan had brought him was due to the attention of these shinobi.

    The village head had little issue harbouring the Nettou clan within the village, even going as far as protecting them from the shinobi that had come before until he couldn¡¯t. Fortunately for him, the shinobi did not retaliate against the village, instead they simply hoisted the Nettou clan away and deep into the forest.

    Rina¡¯s team was provided a guide through the tropical, volcanic jungle that brought them to the last known location of the Nettou clan and from there on her team continued the search on their own. Once their guide left them to their search, Rina did the obvious and expected: report back to Elite Jounin Fuguki Suikazan.

    While she was in charge of the mission and could just as well report directly to Yagura, there was little time to waste sending a message all the way to his desk that would surely be filled with many other priority messages regarding the progress of the war.

    Fuguki, on the other hand was her direct superior on the field and commanded the closest squadron of allies that could help act against these unexpected shinobi should they prove difficult. The village head explained well and in detail that these were not Kirigakure shinobi after all, and he counted their numbers as twelve.

    It was troubling information but nonetheless, Rina¡¯s team carried on with their mission. The guide had dropped them off near the edge of the jungle, saying that the Nettou and the shinobi that carted them off might have headed for shore and true enough, a preliminary search of the surrounds found proof of activity nearest to the shore, particularly in the way of felled trees and strung up, beat up bodies.

    Rina scowled at the sight of the victims, pools of blood soaked the ground beneath them and she knew that for whatever reason these few had spoken against their shinobi captors and paid with their lives for it.

    ¡°We have to help them.¡± Sakai, Rina¡¯s over eager Genin demanded, his kunai the first to cut down the strung up bodies, ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re here isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Rina spared a glance at the young boy, this would be the first he¡¯d see of such unjust horrors beyond the walls of Kirigakure itself and her heart went out to him and the girls who quickly followed his example. A couple years ago she would be just as wet behind the ears and full of eager justice but right now she was their team leader and couldn¡¯t let the enemy weigh her hand.

    ¡°We will but we have to be careful about how.¡± She tapped her foot with some impatience; she had sent out her fellow Chuunin to go on scouting the area, follow the rather obvious trail of terror that the Nettou clan¡¯s abusers left behind and find them at the source. But a night and half a day had passed already since then.

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    Just as Rina started to fear the worst the jungle rustled behind them and out came her team medic with a grave look on. Rina quickly walked up to her, ¡°What did you find?¡±

    ¡°I found them and what they¡¯re up to but it might be best if I show you.¡±

    Rina nodded and ordered the team to follow silently, the Genin, Sakai especially, had been a lot more compliant since coming across the corpses of what they presume are innocents and so they followed without making a noise.

    The team medic rounded through parts of the jungle the team would have surely gotten lost in had they come without a guide or an updated map. She leaped onto the trees and the team followed until they came upon a rather artificial clearing. Several of the trees here were chopped down or in the process of by a handful of men and even women who weakly smacked their axes against the wet tree bark.

    The medic pointed, drawing the team¡¯s attention to four shinobi overlooking the labour of their prisoners. Some weren¡¯t even paying attention, instead played games with dice and a board or drank as they walked back and forth between the same tree stumps.

    There was only one shinobi who actually bothered to keep a good watch on the prisoners and the surroundings. However, even with the shinobi in sight Rina couldn¡¯t tell whether they were rogue-nin or some other element, but based off just how organized they were; enough to hold prisoners into forced labour, specifically Bloodline wielders, Rina feared they might be shinobi of a hidden village.

    The medic waved the team¡¯s attention back on her as she whispered, ¡°There¡¯s more.¡± And leapt back into the jungle.

    After some long hour of walking ensuring not to be caught by any of the labourers forced to chop and transport wood, Rina¡¯s team arrived at the reason for all the timber.

    Covered by an intense growth of trees and shrubbery as well as the natural mist of geysers was a fishing wharf with a ship far too big for it locked in port. The ship itself was as broken down as the wharf but the important fact was the camp of chained Nettou clan women and children working on restoring it to function at the barked orders of another four shinobi.

    Sakai couldn¡¯t take it anymore apparently because he hissed, his voice barely a whisper, ¡°We can take them, there are at least thirty Nettou clan members here, some of them will be able to use their abilities to help-¡±

    Rina¡¯s hand clamped over his mouth before he could say anymore, her eyes brimming with an anger she didn¡¯t know she had as she scolded the boy down, ¡°We¡¯re here to bring the Nettou clan back to Kirigakure, not to use them to fight against our enemies. Shinobi are of a different calibre, you are of a different calibre than civilians, whether or not they¡¯re Bloodline wielders. If they could fight don¡¯t you think they would?¡±

    The boy seemed to calm for a moment and Rina released him as she ordered the team to withdraw back to safer space. They travelled far enough from the wharf that patrols, should there be any, wouldn¡¯t catch them.

    ¡°The village head said they were over twelve shinobi that came knocking, we¡¯ve only counted eight heads. So either the Nettou we cut down from those trees actually succeeded in killing four of their shinobi captors or four more are hidden somewhere we haven¡¯t checked yet.¡±

    Realization dawned on Sakai and he shrank, ¡°Sorry, Rina-taicho.¡±

    ¡°We have to be careful from now on, I¡¯ll send word to Fuguki and ask for reinforcements but it looks like these shinobi have the same idea we do, so we might have to act before getting any reinforcements.¡± Rina studied the ready faces of each of her subordinates, finding Sakai¡¯s eagerness wasn¡¯t an isolated incident as it even spread to the team medic. She nodded and declared, ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s plan how we free the Nettou clan.¡±

 Team Rina(P2)

    Scouting, planning, monitoring and scheduling. Rina and her team didn''t let up for four days until they could predict every move the enemy shinobi would make in their schedules. Yet as those four days passed Rina hadn''t gotten word back from Fuguki and with how much progress the enemy had made revamping the port and ship, it was obvious the team would have to make their move tonight or risk losing the entire Nettou clan.

    The missing four enemy shinobi still hadn''t been accounted for in all their scouts and monitoring but time was limited and so Rina had to plan against those she saw. It was fortunate though, the enemy split themselves up into two teams of four. The logging and rebuilding team.

    The logging team chartered Nettou clan members from the main camp at the fishing wharf into the jungle every morning without fail. There they would watch their prisoners chop down trees, bark useless orders and drink themselves to stupor before returning to camp for a large seafood dinner and more alcohol.

    It was a blessing that the shinobi had the ingenious idea to isolate their logging area away from their camp, it was at least an hour''s walk moving at civilian pace and so their screams, if any, wouldn''t be heard by the rebuilding team unless one managed to escape. That wouldn''t happen though.

    There was only one opportunity to pull off the plan and ironically it needed all four shinobi to be alert and at least trying to keep watch over their prisoners. The only time all four of them bothered to put in that much effort was right at the start of their labour day.

    Rina nodded at her fellow Chuunin and Sakai standing by, Akari and Haruka, the Karatachi twins were already in position and waiting for the signal the medic-nin would deliver once Rina had initiated the plan.

    The start of it all would be the hardest part but it wasn''t anything as troubling as [Water Clone]. Rina leaned against a tree as she searched for an appropriate target amongst the Nettou, the logging team had just returned and she had at least an hour or thirty minutes before they became lax and the plan would be naught.

    She found one in time, a young, fatigued man heaving an axe against wet tree bark. Ahead of him, right in his line of sight would be three of four shinobi, he was the perfect target for the switch.

    [Substitution] was a simple academy level technique taught and ideally mastered by all graduated shinobi, but even then, there were levels to its mastery and Rina had found early on she had an unlikely aptitude for the technique. She was yet to force a switch with an expectant subject but a fatigued civilian, even one wielding a Bloodline would be an easy target, even from a distance.

    But first, she studied her target, memorizing his image to completion before his strained muscles could fell the tree he stood at and her fingers ran through the hand seals for both [Transformation] and [Substitution] in quick succession. In a blink of an eye Rina had stolen the man''s place, she quickly snatched the axe before it could clatter to the ground and continued to chop at the tree, albeit very weakly.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    The true Nettou clan man was safe in Sakai''s waiting arms and for the sake of the plan going smoothly he was knocked unconscious the moment he took Rina''s place; there was no time for explanations or hand holding, the true liberation would be hours away from now.

    Hidden amongst the enemy Rina surveyed her surroundings once more, she''d done so from a higher vantage point but everything was different on ground. She spotted her targets pacing about with water bottles hanging from their necks and little more than a single weapons pouch strapped at their hips.

    They''d gotten lax in their work and Rina couldn''t blame them, the people they would fear or hide from were fighting some war miles away and several villages had already made it clear the Nettou clan wasn''t wanted. They weren''t expecting anyone to come looking.

    She swung the axe again and appraised her fellow prisoners closer, all of the Nettou clan were dressed in the same rags they were captured in, each of them looking more malnourished as the days went by. Their shinobi captors had little interest in sustaining over thirty individuals and so they went by on leftovers or what little fish the rebuilding team sometimes caught as well as stray fallen fruit they''d pick up on the way back and forth.

    In the four days Rina''s team had monitored the Nettou clan, not even their Funato clan medic-nin could harden her heart against their plight.

    She focused and waited. In the time between the switch and her swings one of her targets strayed away from where she needed them to be and already one of the shinobi was shifting his weight and would soon find a place to sit, drink and make a noise. She needed to act quick.

    Her prayers were answered soon though as the shinobi wandered back into place and now she had all four within her line of sight or better yet, her sprint track. She tightened her grip on the axe and glanced at the Nettou clan member watching her curiously, their eyes met and the poor broken older man shook his head, mouthing something along the lines of ''Don''t do it.'' but what would he know?

    Rina breathed and dashed out for all to see, she bellowed a keen imitation of a man''s roar as she charged at the first startled shinobi in her way. She swung the axe at his head only for him to barely duck out of the way. She continued her charge, rushing past his two comrades and into the thick of the jungle even as the yelled out for her to stop, completely befuddled at how fast she was moving for a fatigued and will-broken prisoner.

    "Get after him! Not one of you will escape us!" Rina heard one of the shinobi yell and soon after sensed two pursuers come after her as she leaped over fallen trees and spouting geysers. She was personally hoping for three but two would do as well.

    As she leaped over another geyser she spied Akari and Haruka in her periphery and smirked, screeching to a halt as her Genin breathed a thick mist from their mouths in perfect sync with the geyser''s rain of steam and water before slinking away into the shadows of boulders.

    "There you are!"

    "Just what were you thinking huh?" the shinobi had caught up right where she wanted but her act wasn''t up yet, not until the technique her Genin put in place took hold.

    She sneered at them with the Nettou clan man''s face and fashioned the axe against them, "Stay back!"

    Their clothes soaked with water rained from the geyser, one snorted as he waved away the mist blocking his sight, "Ugh you idiots never learn do you? I''m going to kill you with that thing."

    He lurched forward only to fall flat on his face. His comrade looked in shock, "What are you doing? Git alp! Huh? Git alop? Wa is hiss?"

    Just then Akari step out from behind a boulder and charged at the shinobi still standing while a flurry of kunai and shuriken flung by Haruka embedded itself in his comrade''s prone body.

    The standing shinobi moved to defend himself but his wires were so crossed rather than raise the hand wielding his kunai he jerked his leg back like a horse. He could only scream as Akari sheathed her kunai between his eyes.

    Rina smiled as the girls panted, wide eyed with terror, rage and adrenaline rushing through their veins at their first kills beyond their Academy graduation, "Good job girls, now let''s go see if Sakai needs any help."

 Team Rina(P3)

    Rina couldn¡¯t help but be excited. Everything had gone awry but they, she was handling it just fine. She was in command of a team that wasn¡¯t meant to come across threats as large as even Named Samurai, but with her at the helm they¡¯d taken out four Kumogakure infiltrators and had even freed about a dozen Nettou clan members.

    Nana¡¯s going to be proud no matter what. She shook her head as she stifled a grin. Yagura-sama too.

    She, Akari, and Haruka had returned just in time to watch Sakai take down the last shinobi with a vicious strike to the temple, followed by a brutal stabbing as the team medic used a chakra scalpel to paralyze another for interrogation.

    With her tendons and chakra pathways severed irreparably, it took little to get the kunoichi to confess her team¡¯s mission here in the Land of Water: to steal Bloodlines. It was obvious enough at a glance, but having that confession was a necessary step for everything else to come.

    A part of Rina worried what more conflict this would brew, but another part cheered at her grand participation in incapacitating the infiltrators before they had a chance to abscond with a power Kirigakure had finally come to collect on. Yagura-sama would be proud indeed.

    Of course, there was still the rebuilding team left to deal with: four more shinobi and another dozen Nettou clan members to liberate. The plan for them was wholly different from the plan they¡¯d used against the logging team, for one, the rebuilding team was a lot more alert than the former, and where they were situated was far too open for the same cat and mouse trap she¡¯d pulled with her Genin¡¯s Genjutsu.

    There was also the fact that amongst them would be at least one Jounin, and she doubted Genin-level Genjutsu would work on a Jounin, Karatachi prodigies or no. But nonetheless, there was a plan in place, and Rina was the linchpin to its success.

    As a team of one Chuunin medic-nin, two Genin Genjutsu specialists, one Genin Kenjutsu specialist, and herself, a so-called Ninjutsu specialist, an upfront encounter with a lone Jounin would be ill-advised. To begin with, now that they¡¯d liberated half of the Nettou clan, there was no need to challenge the Kumo shinobi¡¯s position; all they needed to do was sabotage their mission. To do that, the ship they¡¯ve been working so hard to rebuild needed to go.

    There was only one way Rina saw they could accomplish this, and that rested squarely on her ability to perform her clan¡¯s [Hiden]. The rest of her team would stand by as reinforcements just in case anything went awry, much to Sakai¡¯s dismay, but there was simply no other way; besides, someone had to shepherd the liberated Nettou clan members.

    At the farthest edge of the shore where Rina was about half certain no sensory-nin would sense her chakra spike as she activated her Jutsu, she clipped her weapons pouch between her teeth and breathed deeply. The sun was still out, it was little more than an hour since they¡¯d taken out the logging team, but there was no time to waste; the rebuilding team would surely notice that there weren¡¯t any logs coming through to reinforce their rebuilding efforts.

    With her pouch between her teeth, she carefully weaved the required hand seals as she stepped out of the jungle and onto the open sea. Her body began to melt and meld with the body of water, the heavy chakra cost of her transformation mitigated by the wide availability of water.

    Once her neck was at the sea level, she halted the [Hydrification] technique; partial transformation was one of the basic facets of the [Hiden], so this part was no problem, it was what was to come that she worried about. Putting doubts out of her mind, Rina shot out towards the ship as quickly and as stealthily as she could, ensuring to hold up her melting head and pouch above the water as she swam.

    The paper bombs in her pouch were waterproof, but there was an extent to how much, and she wasn¡¯t about to risk the entire mission on something as trivial and stupid as wet paper bombs.

    She swam in a wide arc around the ship and port where one shinobi fished and the Nettou clan laboured, even a single person doubting their eyes could alert the shinobi that something was off, and so she strained herself to travel the longer route around the ship and then approach from its unsupervised backside.

    After what felt like an eternity of anxiety but was really only a couple of minutes of swimming, Rina made contact with the ship¡¯s underside. Part of its backside was still in dire need of repair, as there was a gaping hole in its hull, likely from cannon fire. Here comes the hard part. She gulped at the gap that would serve as her infiltration point; it should be a walk in the park for a Hozuki such as herself to extend her body with the water and fit into even the smallest crack, but this was where she faced difficulty with her clan¡¯s prized [Hiden].

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Manipulating the body of water she becomes a part of to bolster or reform herself was a difficult thing for her. She¡¯d watched her father, the Third Mizukage, become as large as the very ship she was trying to infiltrate once as a mere demonstration, and yet she had always struggled to replicate it in the smallest forms.

    Of course, she could use any body of water to supplement the cost of her transformation, but using the body of water to grow or even shrink herself any more than what she was originally had been a constant struggle.

    Not this time, this time¡­this time lives depend on it, Rina, lives depend on you. She steeled her nerves and let her chakra and will seep into the water around her as Nana Megumi always instructed. She imagined the water becoming a part of her as her chakra suffused it, but her will didn¡¯t take as quickly as her chakra did. Come on, Rina, do this and Yagura-sama might see your true worth, they¡¯ll all see your true worth. You¡¯re the daughter of a Mizukage!

    She poured more chakra and felt her will extend just a bit; quick as a fox, she seized it, the water, and used it to propel her watery form upwards. She only needed to spill in through the gap some feet above her head, and then the rest of her would be obliged to follow. She struggled for some moments, teeth gritted and bitten into her pouch as she rose inch by inch until she could toss herself forward with a watery splash.

    Panting heavily as her body drew into itself and reformed, she was in a dark, damp underside of the ship with a plethora of broken chairs, crates, and abandoned planks. She took her surroundings in quickly and found there was no one waiting to strike her. There was a stair leading up into what she assumed would be the ship¡¯s cabins, but for now, her landing spot would do fine.

    She quickly began plastering paper bombs around at any and everything that looked like it would give a good tumble: pillars holding up the next level, steps on the stairs, the walls, and even the floors and ceiling. Once she was satisfied, she started moving up to the cabin level.

    It was dimly lit by a single lantern, and she could hear the Nettou workers hammering away on the other side of the ship. She had to be fast and yell for them to get away. She plastered as many paper bombs as she could in each cabin, walking through them with silent footsteps and open ears in case someone walked in on her sabotage.

    She was almost out of paper bombs but fortunately only one cabin room was left; the door was torn asunder and hung limply off its hinges, so she walked in as she owned the place and plastered the last of it on its walls before starting to head out.

    ¡°Oi.¡±

    Rina froze, her second mistake. By the time she realized this, a foot was squarely planted in her back, shoving her violently out of the cabin entirely and into another. She cursed, stood, and equipped herself with a kunai in time to weakly deflect a heavy blow from a blade.

    ¡°Kiri has found us out, huh? A bit too late but whatever.¡± The shinobi bore his weight on her, chipping her kunai with his blade as his hoarse voice spoke down at her.

    She risked it and slid her kunai along the length of the blade, ducking just as his forward momentum ploughed him forward to rend into the wooden wall she was backed against a moment ago. Crawling on all fours into a frantic run, Rina darted into the dimly lit corridor, sights trained on the stairs leading up and out onto the deck of the ship¡ªshe only needed to get out into the open water, and she¡¯d be scot-free, mission accomplished!

    Her instincts screamed that she duck once more, and she listened; three lightning-coated shuriken blazed over her head, embedding themselves deep into the wood as she scrambled to escape. She looked over her shoulder for a split second and cursed as she had to stand her ground¡ªthe shinobi was upon her in an instant, blade chipping and grinding at her kunai.

    Her opponent was a tall man covered in bandages; his face was unwrapped but injured from what looked like steam burns. She cursed inwardly for not anticipating that at least one of the shinobi would be camped within the ship¡ªthere were twelve originally, and her team had only accounted for eight after all.

    ¡°Shunsuke! Satoshi! We¡¯ve got a rat!¡± the man screamed at the top of his lungs, not minding how burnt his throat must be from what the Nettou clan must¡¯ve put him through. His eyes seared into Rina¡¯s, not leaving them even as he yelled and thrashed at her kunai.

    His blade sliced at her arm, then her thigh, before stabbing into her shoulder. She stifled a scream as she leaped away, pulling herself free of the blade even as she tripped on the stairs behind her.

    He didn¡¯t hesitate for a second to capitalize on her vulnerability, his sword reared over his head and moved to perforate her neck only to slide through with ease as Rina hastily activated her [Hydrification].

    The surprise on his face didn¡¯t last long as he muttered, ¡°A Hozuki? I know your type.¡±

    Rina scrambled up the stairs when the crackle of lightning channelled along his sword sounded. She raised her kunai in defence only to see it sliced in two like butter, his sword free to stab her. She liquefied herself once more, but that too was a mistake.

    ¡°Aaaaahhhh!¡± Electrified in her liquid state, Rina lost control over her body as it sublimed halfway between solid and liquid. Her eyes glazed over for a moment, and she was sure she lost consciousness as her form dripped all over the stairs.

    Her opponent stretched his steam-boiled face with a smirk as he grasped her hair and pulled her head upright, ¡°I wonder what I¡¯d get for bringing in a Hozuki as well?¡±

    Head pounding, Rina glanced at the mess of herself drooling against the floorboards; he was even stepping in her. She checked for sensation and found her chakra pathways and fingers responsive. All I need. She mirrored his smirk as she raised her hand and curled it into a single half-hand seal, ¡°Kai!¡±

 A Blind, Wrathful Eye

    ¡°Kumogakure must pay!¡± Lady Megumi shrieked, her fist balled and slammed against my centre table.

    My council convened in my Tower office and I sat with them as Junichi served tea and listened in by my side. My desk was cluttered and brimming with reports from the front, but the most important reports rested in the hands of Lord Funato and Uncle Aoto.

    I shouldn¡¯t have been so surprised to read Junko¡¯s reports and even less so when Fuguki¡¯s corroborated it so aptly but here we were, six months into my reign and already another Hidden Village was looking for trouble.

    Uncle put the report aside and shook his head as he cringed at Lady Megumi, ¡°Oh it¡¯s not that bad, Fuguki says he got there in time to stop them from stealing away with her. Only one casualty, the Genin Sakai, clanless but he served well, ensured not one escaped Fuguki¡¯s Kabutowari.¡±

    Uncle seemed quite satisfied with that fact, ¡°And besides, Yagura-sama sent her team there on what I¡¯d call a basic retrieval mission, they weren¡¯t meant to encounter Kumo-nin but they did and she put a stop to them without a single Jounin to supervise, I say you should be proud.¡±

    Lady Megumi¡¯s scowl only deepened as she waved his comments away, ¡°Not that, Rina has only done what was expected of her; her mission. Kumogakure on the other hand has to pay dearly for daring to meddle so freely in the Land of Water without our permission!¡± She slammed her fist again, rattling the table and spilling Lord Funato¡¯s tea much to his annoyance.

    The old man picked up what was left with a similar scowl and sipped, ¡°Permission? Well, I suppose you can assume Kumo would seek such but we all know no one plays by the ¡®rules¡¯ until they¡¯re caught. The shinobi Hoshigaki-dono has captured will surely be renounced in order to clear their names.¡±

    I sighed and massaged my temple at the thought of Kumo cutting the cord on their own shinobi to prevent us from escalating the conflict, it was surely one way they¡¯d get away with what they¡¯ve done, what they¡¯ve attempted. I know well Kirigakure has done much the same in the past. Covert missions don¡¯t always stay covert after all.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I blame them.¡± I said, causing Lady Megumi¡¯s eyes to widen. I shrugged as I sank into my seat, ¡°Think about it, Kumogakure has watched the Land of Water tear itself apart, kill off powerful Bloodline clans one after the other whereas they are a sea away thirsting for a taste of such bounty of power. Who knows how long they¡¯ve been working in the Land of Water, stealing away Bloodline clans ship by ship, saving them from our ignorance.¡±

    My chair quickly grew uncomfortable and I sat up to drain my cup of tea which Junichi promptly refilled, ¡°And there¡¯s the Daimyo¡¯s war, it¡¯s no surprise to see them fighting on Baron Tetsuya and Watanbe¡¯s side. Kirigakure has dragged its feet in entering a war that long precedes my tenure as Mizukage.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    I snorted and motioned for Junichi to add some more sugar as the plain taste appalled me, ¡°Just imagine what would have become of us if we never uncovered this scheme. A Daimyo indebted to the Raikage, a Land of Water devoid of strength. A puppet of a country, all our doings uncovered by Kumo, perhaps even Kirigakure would be dismantled.¡±

    My council fell silent at my words and it angered me even more so than Kumogakure¡¯s opportunistic gall. I glared at them all, even Uncle as I was not ignorant that he held his own foolish biases, ¡°Do you lot see now? How other villages gain strength, power! How they rise to champion the shinobi world? Tch, I can¡¯t stomach the idea of daring to escalate this any more than it¡¯s gone already.¡±

    Lady Megumi¡¯s fists trembled but she held her tongue where Lord Funato did not, ¡°You mean¡­you don¡¯t intend to respond to this affront?¡± the old man¡¯s eyes were wide open, his wounds from the assassination attempt well healed.

    I shook my head, ¡°It¡¯d be an embarrassment to let this get out. If they¡¯ve been working under our nose since Sandaime-sama, since the Daimyo¡¯s war begun¡­hell it makes sense now why Baron Tetsuya would dare go against the Daimyo at all, unstable succession or no.

    No, I will not let the world know Kirigakure failed to notice its clans being stolen away or another Hidden Village enabling a civil war against our Daimyo. I will not be made laughingstock.¡±

    Uncle glanced solemnly at his fellow councillors and asked the question on each of their minds, ¡°What shall we do then?¡±

    I breathed out a heavy sigh as I calmed my growing rage at Kirigakure¡¯s continued porosity, ¡°You will all continue to do as I say. The best response to Kumogakure is silence, they will not hear from their shinobi or us and this damned civil war, it¡¯s about time I put an end to it.¡±

    Lady Megumi stuttered, ¡°Uh- wh- surely you don¡¯t intend to go out yourself!¡±

    ¡°Hozuki-dono is right, this is a mere civil dispute, it is not worthy of your personal presence!¡± Uncle concurred but I shook my head at them.

    I emptied my cup again, letting the searing heat steal my attention from the boiling rage, ¡°Umehebi and Tsurugashima remain the only obstacles, the war is long overdue for an end with our involvement anyhow. It¡¯s about time I taught my apprentice something, so I will teach him how to end a war.¡±

    Lady Megumi looked appeased at the mention of Mangetsu but in truth there was far more to my intent than simply showing the boy how to break the back of a rebellious island. While my training in Fuuinjutsu was progressing nicely, it would be some time before I could safeguard Kirigakure against the enemy lurking in the shadows.

    Even now I worried Zetsu was listening in to this meeting and would spread the knowledge of Kirigakure¡¯s absolute failings to the Daimyo. Imagine that, after demanding two islands from the royal he comes to discover Kirigakure hadn¡¯t even known his enemies were funded by a shinobi village. I shuddered at the thought of Princess Hanako confronting me with such damning information, I¡¯d have to make some concessions no doubt.

    Zetsu¡¯s existence and his obvious activities against Kirigakure filled me with an anxiety Fuuinjutsu couldn¡¯t hope to guard against, at least not in time. Not even my plans for a village wide barrier fuelled by Bijuu Chakra was seeing much progress, even with Harusame at the head of the research for it. There was only one thing that could ease my fears now.

    Senjutsu Chakra. It was time I unwrapped Uncle¡¯s inauguration gift.

 Strength Inspired

    If there was one good thing to come of being on the same team as the Hozuki boy it was that the Mizukage¡¯s attention would certainly fall on them. Of course there was the benefit of having one of the Seven Swordsmen as team lead but Juzo couldn¡¯t be bothered half the time with either Zabuza or the Hozuki boy.

    No, the true value laid in Mangetsu¡¯s relation to the Fourth Mizukage and if Zabuza had to swallow his well-earned pride to step a closer to the power behind all then so be it.

    Mangetsu alone had been recalled from the mission at Yureisen to join the Lord Fourth at the capital, Juzo sent to wreak havoc on Tsurugashima and Zabuza? Well, he had done his part as Genin, was thanked and asked to return home and prepare to resume regular activities.

    The moment Juzo read out those orders Zabuza knew the war would end in a matter of days and Mangetsu, the shit stain of a child would be at the Mizukage¡¯s side when it did. He deserved that as much as, no, more than Mangetsu did and so after his pleas to accompany Mangetsu to the capital failed to reach Juzo, Zabuza did the only thing he could think of¡ª stowaway.

    The prick Mangetsu had bothered to charter a boat to take him to the Capital which was a fortunate decision for the both of them¡ª for the Hozuki it gave him time to recover chakra, lick what few wounds he¡¯d bore from his battle with a Named Samurai and for Zabuza it gave him the perfect vessel to follow without being noticed on the open sea.

    It helped a ton that Juzo was such a poor team lead he couldn¡¯t care to confirm whether his subordinates followed orders or not, so long as they were given and heard. Of course, Zabuza feared the repercussions of his disobedience but not as much as the consequence of not trying for more, for what he deserved.

    The trip to the capital was short, he¡¯d perched out in plain sight about the boat where neither Mangetsu who spent most of his time recovering his strength in hammock nor the boatman would notice his presence. They docked in the bright noon of what would be a very good day and only once Mangetsu had lurched out of the boat, paid the boatman and ran to one of the largest warships at port did Zabuza reveal himself.

    ¡°Surprised?¡± Zabuza grinned at the Hozuki boy. There was only one way onto the Mizukage¡¯s warship from the bustling port crawling with ANBU, the Daimyo¡¯s Samurai and many other Kirigakure shinobi working security and it was Mangetsu.

    His mission reassignment orders held as much weight as his well-known status as the Fourth Mizukage¡¯s apprentice did and loath to admit it as Zabuza was, there was simply no other way in than with him.

    The boy rolled his eyes but his lips held a hint of a smirk, ¡°I knew exactly what you were going to do the moment Juzo-sama gave you your orders, don¡¯t blame me if you get thrown out anyway.¡±

    That took Zabuza by surprise. Mangetsu walked ahead for a moment before he caught up, pushing aside a couple others in line to board the ship with all sorts of cargo. Ahead were a pair of Chuunin inspecting everyone and thing that came through.

    Zabuza gulped and stuck close as the Chuunin sent back a crate of alcohol someone was trying to smuggle and then it was their turn. ¡°Name, cargo, mission?¡±

    ¡°Mangetsu Hozuki, one Genin, accompanying Lord Fourth to battle.¡± The Chuunin actually bothered to look up as he snatched the scroll Mangetsu handed to him, his eyes critically landing on Zabuza as he read through it.

    ¡°Your orders say nothing about a Genin, is he your direct subordinate?¡± He asked, his voice laced with so much doubt Zabuza had difficulty looking ahead and stared at his feet as Mangetsu merely shrugged. ¡°What? Nothing to say? Well, he¡¯ll have to stay behind until you return with the proper paperwork.¡±

    At that Zabuza¡¯s heart sank into a pit of despair that was quickly soaking up rage at the unfairness of it all. Mangetsu glanced back at him, surely reading his thoughts but Zabuza couldn¡¯t speak up a word to the boy, he¡¯d already tried more than he expected him to.

    ¡°Paperwork? What you want me to go up there, meet Yagura-sama and for the first thing out of my mouth to be a request for paperwork? Really? He¡¯s with me for a reason, wouldn¡¯t be here if he wasn¡¯t supposed to be.¡± The Chuunin¡¯s face was plain as stone. Mangetsu shrugged and snatched the scroll from his hands, ¡°Alright then, don¡¯t blame me if you get booted.¡±

    Mangetsu was about to walk past when suddenly the Chuunin sighed, groaned and pressed his furrowed brows straight, ¡°Fine, just¡­this had better not come back to haunt me.¡±

    Zabuza tried not to grin too much as he and Mangetsu slipped past but that was easy as the Hozuki prodigies next words took out all the fun and relief, ¡°Don¡¯t say I never did anything for you.¡±

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    He pursed his lips in silent, grateful response and took in the large ship deck in full. It was busy as was expected, shinobi and sailors running around loading cannons, tossing crates down into storage and arranging the sails.

    The view of the capital from the ship was splendid, the sprawling city of opulence barely seemed like it had suffered a year plus of war. Mangetsu led the way towards the Mizukage who stood at a table by the head of the ship, a tall cloaked ANBU stood beside him alongside the infamous Byakyugan Killer as they discussed over a map with a fancifully dressed noble woman that might be the Princess he saw at the Seven Swordsmen tournament, besides her was an armoured Samurai.

    The Mizukage himself had abandoned his official haori though his hat was snuck at the corner of the table. He wore simple short sleeve mesh armour with a head band at the centre, a turquoise sash and the iconic green poncho he so loved. He didn¡¯t have the Bo-staff he was famously known for on him but he carried a large, possibly oversized scroll with him instead.

    Zabuza wondered what it could possibly contain as the Mizukage didn¡¯t look as though he was dressed for battle at all. Mangetsu halted some paces away from the table, just enough that they could be seen waiting to be acknowledge and enough for Zabuza to pick up some of the words passed between the higher ups.

    ¡°¡­a single warship will not be enough is what I keep saying, Hanako-hime, shinobi or not Baron Tetsuya has guarded himself completely with over three dozen warships he¡¯s prepared during the many months of Kiri¡¯s inaction. And you want us to troop into a single target en masse to be blown up at sea?¡±

    The Samurai seemed extremely stressed by the situation but it was clear he paid deference to the Princess as he surely had little power. The Byakugan Killer scowled at him and hissed, ¡°I will not tell you another time, watch your words. This is no mere shinobi; this is the Fourth Mizukage.¡±

    The Samurai was quick to bite back without fear, ¡°And does the Lord Fourth even intend on joining the actual ground battle? Hrn, I thought so.¡±

    ¡°I would save the honour of liberating your liege lord¡¯s lands for you and your Samurai, besides, I am here for other tasks.¡± The Mizukage said in a bored tone that had Zabuza smirk, it was clear he had no respect for the Samurai or his men. Yagura waved his hand at them all, ¡°I will merely ensure you lot make land fall and take the island with certainty as you have oft failed to do, how many of your men you will sacrifice in the process is wholly dependent on your capabilities. Now then, Princess, if you¡¯d excuse me.¡±

    The Mizukage didn¡¯t move from his spot, instead the Princess bowed forcing the Samurai to swallow deeply and do the same as they left together. Zabuza mirrored Mangetsu as he bowed at the passing Princess whose face was a mix of dread and exhaustion.

    The Byakugan Killer and the cloaked ANBU exchanged whispered words with Yagura for a moment. The Mizukage nodded at the ANBU operative and they disappeared from Zabuza¡¯s sights even as he was watching unblinkingly.

    At the moment the Lord Fourth finally spared Mangetsu and he a look, Mangetsu stepped forward and Zabuza followed closely as they knelt at the Mizukage¡¯s feet. Yagura smiled at his apprentice and though he¡¯d noticed Zabuza and surely knew he shouldn¡¯t be here he hadn¡¯t batted an eye as Mangetsu spoke

    ¡°I am at your service, Yagura-sama.¡±

    Zabuza said nothing, he wasn¡¯t asked for he¡¯d just shown up after all, but he couldn¡¯t help but notice how tense Mangetsu had gotten with the Mizukage¡¯s eyes rested upon them.

    ¡°Ah, Mangetsu-kun, you should call me Master from now on, I think I¡¯ll have your time truly now. And Zabuza-kun¡­¡± Zabuza immediately understood Mangetsu¡¯s feelings, perhaps more so as he wasn¡¯t meant to be here. He let his head dip further but then felt a hand upon his shoulders, ¡°Rise, both of you, come look at this.¡±

    They rose as one and approached the table where Zabuza felt the Byakugan Killer¡¯s eyes fall heavy on him. He gulped and studied the map alongside Mangetsu.

    It was a naval arrangement with literally only one ship set against dozens. There were notes listing the cargo and battle readiness of the one ship that was set on their side. It wasn¡¯t anything amazing nor were there any secret weapons unless one counted the Mizukage as such. The man in question sat and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    As though sharing the same thoughts Mangetsu and Zabuza turned to each other at the question, their faces sharing the same bewildered expression. Mangetsu furrowed his brow and spoke first, ¡°What is¡­what is the strategy?¡±

    ¡°Full frontal assault.¡±

    Mangetsu gulped and Zabuza chose not to remain silent, he asked, ¡°Will shinobi be deployed pre-emptively? I heard something about a similar strategy, Hoshigaki-dono I believe.¡±

    The Mizukage smiled, ¡°You keep up to date, well done, but no, no such thing. Once we leave port this ship will not stop until it has deposited the army of Samurai within it on Umehebi¡¯s shores.¡±

    Mangetsu bit his lip, his hands clenched beside him, ¡°I heard what you said to the Samurai, Master, will you personally act against the enemy vessels?¡±

    He shook his head, ¡°I have my dignity as Kage, why would I soil myself with the blood of such weaklings when I have you, my apprentice and you¡­the Demon of the Mist.¡±

    Zabuza felt his knees buckle. He¡¯d long grown to accept the accursed title but to hear it worded with such praise and, and expectation. ¡°I won¡¯t let you down, Yagura-sama!¡± he exclaimed before he could get a hold of himself.

    ¡°At your word, Master!¡± Mangetsu said, and not to be undermined he questioned with a twinkle in his eye, ¡°But why are we taking the island this way? With a single ship?¡±

    The strongest man in the Land of Water smiled and looked out at sea, ¡°Huh, such a good question, Mangetsu-kun.¡± He breathed in the salt and exhaled deeply, ¡°You see, sometimes the weak need to be reminded of just how little it takes to cripple them and why they must depend on we the strong. That¡¯s why you¡¯re here, my apprentice, I will teach you how to break the backs of arrogant fools to ensure they don¡¯t rise up again.¡±

    Zabuza felt his heart pound in excitement, this was it, he was here and he was accepted, needed even. The Mizukage was relying on him to do his part and show these rebels just what it meant to be strong.

    I will not fail!

 The Edge of Mastery

    Zabuza¡¯s throat, chest and stomach was full of hateful bile and he had nowhere or right to throw it up. He gulped the lump in his throat again and refocused his efforts on managing his chakra for the exercise the Lord Fourth had given them.

    He shook his head and wiped his wet hands on his shirt, no, this was more than a simple exercise, it was what would dictate the end of the war, what would dictate if he was any use to Yagura after all, this was the first thing asked of him that wasn¡¯t a mission or order.

    Zabuza shelved those thoughts away before they could blossom into doubt, the last thing he need was to not trust himself. The Lord¡¯s Fourth¡¯s assignment was as simple as they went that Zabuza would have no excuse for failing it but he didn¡¯t want to just pass either, he was not the only one with this assignment after all.

    Mangetsu stood over on the other side of the ship, both of them stood at the very edge of the ship, not on the deck but on the outward hull where they could plunge into the sea as the warship sailed towards Umehebi. Zabuza couldn¡¯t tell or check how Mangetsu was doing as the Mizukage had ordered them into back facing positions, it was a tad humiliating how keenly their rivalry had been read and seen through.

    With only his own progress to focus on, Zabuza breathed, raised his hands and went through the hand seals once more; Ox, Snake, Rat, Boar, Dog. Zabuza commanded his chakra to impose his will on the sea as the Mizukage said but as he released it, little more than a bucket of water was seized from the atmosphere, transformed from chakra flowing in his body and attached to his right body in the form of a smooth watery shield that covered him cylindrically.

    Zabuza didn¡¯t let the jutsu continue as he saw that, instantly cancelling it and restraining himself from roaring at the defiant body of water they were sailing across. He was certain behind him the Lord Fourth was already with Mangetsu, congratulating the boy on completing the simple task of enhancing [Water Release: Water Shield] a paltry D-rank, Genin level jutsu to what will be required to end this war.

    He spat out a chip of his own grinded tooth and sought to calm himself with breathing. Zabuza was not lacking in affinity for Water Release, nor was he lacking in chakra or even the talent to successfully cast Ninjutsu, none of those things plagued him except¡­How can I will the sea to become part of my jutsu?

    Zabuza was well aware Ninjutsu specialists oft used their environs to manipulate and enhance the effectiveness of their jutsu. This was all the Mizukage was asking he do, enhance the effectiveness of a paltry D-rank jutsu such that it can defend against the ravaging cannon fire of the two dozen warships they were sailing to meet now.

    Ox, Snake, Rat, Boar, Dog! Zabuza performed the technique again but cancelled it the moment it refused to steal water from the sea to offset the cost and enhance its strength. He cursed a slew and prepared himself, Ox, Snake, Rat, Boar, Dog!

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    He¡¯d only ever thought about strength and he had proven his strength again and again in arenas and even the field of battle so why¡­why was he failing the true test here?

    Zabuza didn¡¯t dare console himself with thoughts of how his specialty lay in Kenjutsu and Assassination, that did not matter in the face of his task, it did not matter to the Mizukage for surely anyone with strength would be capable of such a rudimentary task!

    Ox, Snake, Rat, Boar, Dog! He merely needed some time more, the sails pushed them quick and fast, they¡¯d be knocking down at Umehebi within hours and yet he felt like he¡¯d need days to uncover the truth to the Mizukage¡¯s test.

    Another failure¡­what am I to do? He recalled the Mizukage¡¯s demonstration of their objective, floods of water rose to morph around the ship¡¯s bow before separating into four shields layered upon themselves like walls within walls. All without a single hand seal.

    Zabuza suddenly felt exhausted, his feet wobbled at the edge and forced him to crouch along the edge as he breathed heavy. How am I supposed to do that when¡­how?

    He was far from chakra exhausted fortunately, the swift cancellation of the repetitive failures saved some of the chakra from the already chakra cheap jutsu so he had little to worry about. He glared down at the waving sea, its various tides crashing along the ship as they sailed looked like it wanted to come up, looked like it was lapping up against them, asking for a rope to be thrown out for it to climb up to safety.

    But it was the sea and¡­And it can¡¯t come up without breaking the ship or being drawn in by a straw or bucket or something.

    Zabuza¡¯s thoughts spiralled, he was at the edge of something. He bit his thumbnail and pressed his eyes shut so he could relive the Lord Fourth¡¯s demonstration more vividly in his mind. How had he done it? He didn¡¯t even stand at the edge like we are he just¡­no, he didn¡¯t need to.

    Slowly, Zabuza was realizing the key facets to passing this test. Having an Affinity for a specific Chakra Nature didn¡¯t necessarily mean you could command it from any distance without willing it with chakra itself, it only meant the ease at which you could once the necessary chakra component was added was reduced on increased based on your strength.

    Yagura-sama is Mizukage for a reason, his strength would be greater but he was still bound by the same rule! Zabuza determined, pushing back to stand as he stared at the sea. His presence, that suffocating power that¡¯s always around him is his chakra and only a bit of it needs to touch the sea for his will to become command.

    Ox, Snake, Rat, Boar, Dog! This time, before Zabuza released his chakra entirely to the hold of the hand seals formula he poured chakra down the soles of his feet, expelling it till it reached the lapping waters and dissolved within them, ¡°Water Release: Water Shield!¡±

    He felt the change instantly even as the jutsu failed to replicate what the Mizukage had achieved. It sucked on every bit of water and chakra that was his own, forcing it into the formula from determined by the handseals and suddenly his cylindrical [Water Shield] was as high as a he was on the ships edge, except relatively thin and not at all defensible.

    A round of applause came from the deck and Zabuza turned to meet the Mizukage and Mangetsu smiling up at him, ¡°Impressive execution, Zabuza, considering you¡¯re no Ninjutsu avid. Come, now we refine and bolster what you¡¯ve both learned.¡±

    Zabuza¡¯s heart and stomach switched place surely. His doubts quenched as he proudly walked up to the Mizukage, Mangetsu had surely completed the task before him but that was to be expected. Right now, he only cared about the next task.

 Unyielding

    ¡°Yes! This will be the last battle of this tedious war and I thank each of you, my dearest shinobi and our country¡¯s loyal Samurai for being here at my side to see an end to rebellion and mutiny among our highest ranks. The Daimyo thanks you as do I, fight well, fight brave and fight to your last breath, till the enemy trips on your corpse and falls on his own blade, fight!¡±

    The Fourth Mizukage stood and addressed the company of shinobi and Samurai gathered on deck. Beside him was the Samurai¡¯s true loyalty in all this, Princess Hanako, the Daimyo¡¯s very own sister, royalty. She had the same uneasiness about her even as she stood placing her support behind the Mizukage¡¯s every word but fortunately for her it wouldn¡¯t be obvious to non-shinobi which were a majority of her subjects.

    The Mizukage on the other hand had earlier looked drowsy but that had all vanished once everyone showed up to hear him speak on the battle that would end the war. The ship wasn¡¯t small but it wasn¡¯t big either and many shinobi chose to linger and listen at the top of the mast, between the sails, even on the side of the ship though that was only the few Jounin rank present.

    He smirked bright and wide at the gathered, Zabuza and Mangetsu fortunate to be at the very front as he waved at the enemy¡¯s silhouette behind them, ¡°There they see a single ship sailing to its doom but we know better, they¡¯ve been stuck in our boiling pot of sencha and we¡¯ve merely come to pluck away the sour taste. These isles and the sea between them belong to Kirigakure and the Land of Water! Any unsavoury bits will be purged-¡±

    The Fourth Mizukage snatched the Princess¡¯s hand, though she didn¡¯t look surprised, she also didn¡¯t give any other reaction as he raised it high with his, ¡°Starting tonight, the Land of Water is united!¡±

    Samurai cheered more than shinobi, but that was also to be expected. With the Mizukage done with his speech the Samurai filed themselves back into the ship, their time was not now and they¡¯d be nothing but a liability.

    Shinobi though, pressed against the curves and edge of the deck, lining and guarding every point of the ship. Ao the Byakugan Killer in particular remained atop the mast and sails, his sole job being to protect their heads.

    Zabuza and Mangetsu stood shoulder to shoulder, the Hozuki boy glanced at his impromptu partner as the ship began picking up speed again, veritably charging towards the blockade of over two dozen ships primed with cannons.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t paying much attention.¡± He said, his head barely managed to look over their edge of the ship because of his short height, but that never bothered him.

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    ¡°I got the gist.¡± Zabuza replied, watching the waves split in their coming.

    ¡°You¡¯ve just looked¡­not happy since the last lesson, scared you won¡¯t be able to pull it off?¡± Mangetsu dared to snicker.

    Right as he was Zabuza didn¡¯t need some short stout mouthing off to him, ¡°This is what I always look like.¡±

    The last lesson the Mizukage gave them was an instructional on how to respond to respond to someone else¡¯s chakra fuelling your jutsu, on how to cooperate as a team and become indifferent to the thickness that would take the atmosphere as many chakra signatures soaked it. And more importantly, how to simulcast with a large group, there was a lot of pressure there because unlike Zabuza thought, Mangetsu wouldn¡¯t be the only person he¡¯d have to match pace and rhythm to.

    Every single shinobi on deck was hand-picked by the Mizukage for this mission save for him. I was ignorant to think we were at the centre of it all, he cursed his arrogance inwardly.

    Most were Chuunin but there were a number of Jounin roaming around as supervisors of the Mizukage¡¯s military vision. Every one of them were Ninjutsu specialists with high affinities for Water Release, meaning everything the Mizukage had taken time to download into Zabuza¡¯s head this passing noon was back-of-the-hand knowledge for them.

    Mangetsu¡¯s training was necessary as well but the prodigy was a prodigy for a reason and soaked it up like a sponge, faster than Zabuza could compete with. He was also, once again, the only Genin involved in the operation.

    I¡¯m the weakest link. He wanted so desperately to prove himself and yet, he was caught in an operation where only he could fail. The Mizukage didn¡¯t seem to be bothered but he relied on those more experienced after all, it went unspoken that Zabuza would only have one chance at this before the scant few Chuunin in reserve would swiftly replace him.

    I should have cared more about Ninjutsu than Kenjutsu. He thought to himself, but all was easier said than done, especially learning Ninjutsu as a low caste demon. To begin with, a single C-rank Ninjutsu scroll cost as much as a year worth of mission points to purchase temporary access, he had no Jounin-sensei, no team captain, no father or mother either. No use regretting now, I had other priorities and following those got me this far!

    Resolved in his mind not to let the past or circumstances come in the way, Zabuza joined sixteen other Chuunin to stare down the blockade ahead of them. He passed a glance down at the Hozuki boy and grinned, ¡°I promise I¡¯ll tell you when there¡¯s a shot you can block, you wouldn¡¯t see it coming on your own after all.¡±

    Mangetsu snorted and shook his head, ¡°Just don¡¯t make me cover for you again.¡±

    The Fourth Mizukage yelled over their heads, ¡°Ready yourselves!¡±

    It was a mere couple metres away now, enough for the enemy to realize they had no intention of stopping the advance and for them to release the first, sound shattering salvo of cannon fire.

    Smoke obscured the blockade as every one of their ships fired at their single quick sailing enemy but it was for naught, the Mizukage was present here and not one Chuunin, Jounin and least of all Genin would see his will failed.

    Ox, Snake, Rat, Boar, Dog! In sync with the entire platoon, Zabuza proclaimed, ¡°Water Release: Water Shield!¡±

 Unseen Depths

    I couldn¡¯t help but smirk as one of many ships fell out of formation, apparently sick of its bombards being deflected or stored in floating panes of water. The warship sailed towards us, leading by example as four others peeled away from the bulk in reckless abandon.

    It was about time they realized the only thing they could possibly do to stop our charge towards Umehebi was use their own ships to block the way and not in a conventional manner.

    ¡°Brace for impact!¡± I yelled at the top of my lungs as the first warship rammed itself into our starboard side.

    My shinobi didn¡¯t so much as flinch or even stagger, every last one of them sensible enough to stick their feet onto the deck with chakra. Only two [Water Shields] gave out as the intense impact erupted the jutsu.

    ¡°Mika, Ogino!¡± I barked out at the two Chuunin hastily putting handseals together to reform the shield, ¡°Sink them!¡±

    Their eyes widened as they shared a look and quickly retrieved the prepared paper bomb tied kunai and launched it at the fools trying to punch a hole in our hull. A moment later the second warship rammed into our left as the first was blown up by a continuous barrage of paper bombs.

    Zabuza¡¯s shield falter out of existence and he too began hastily attempting to bring it back up until I yelled, ¡°Zabuza! Slaughter them all!¡±

    He seemed relieved at the order and spared not another second before leaping overboard onto the enemy warship, his wakizashi glint as water splashed everywhere.

    I trusted him well enough to handle an entire warship on his own, after all, it¡¯d be a waste to use the Demon of the Mist as a mere shield. I scanned the sea and found the two others that followed the lead of the first mad and now rapidly sinking ship had halted their advance.

    ¡°Keep it up! The enemy cowers at our strength! Row, row, row!¡± There were still about eighteen warships left in the rear and they were close enough for some long range attacks in my opinion so I gave the order, ¡°Cannons loose!¡±

    There were two sets of four Chuunin that I¡¯d personally drilled to deactivate and man the cannons once I¡¯d given that order. And they¡¯d been waiting all this time for it.

    A chorus of ear deafening explosions ripped from our ship, cannons plinked through the unsuspecting starboard of the enemy klicks away¡ª they¡¯d surely believed turtling up and charging was our only offense but I wasn¡¯t above playing their game either.

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    They hastily returned fire even though it meant their soaring cannons would simply be caught in walls of water and likely used against them. Again I felt myself smirk, I was enjoying this far too much.

    ¡°Why do you waste time here? Can you not destroy them all?¡± Isobu¡¯s voice suddenly echoed in my subconscious. His presence was ever constant but we mostly spoke during training and even then I was the conversationalist.

    ¡°I could but it is not my place.¡±

    ¡°I do not understand. It is not your place to destroy your enemies?¡±

    I would laugh out loud if I weren¡¯t at battle with everyone around me intense, ¡°I suppose you wouldn¡¯t. There are somethings humans, shinobi, do that would seem like a waste of time and effort but there¡¯s sense to each, I promise. But as far as this battle goes, I¡¯ve limited myself to taking a single direct action against the enemy in front of me.¡±

    ¡°They would make a good test of progress for your cloak.¡±

    My eyes bulged at the thought and this time I allowed myself to snicker, ¡°Nothing as direct as that either, Isobu, besides that would be overkill for these fodder. No, I have already prepared something, we¡¯ll head there together in a moment, you¡¯ll see.¡±

    I felt his presence recede into me as the Tailed Beast practiced patience and I shook my head. I looked up where Ao was stood at our sails, ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly, Ao!¡±

    He nodded and weaved hand seals until a dragon roared out of the sea, skirting along the waters as a savage predator, it snaked its way until it speared straight through the hulls of the two ships that stalled their advance.

    I nodded, ¡°Cannons loose!¡±

    ***

    I sat with my legs crossed atop the sea. Far ahead of my was the remains of the warship Zabuza had invaded to deliver a slaughter, the Demon himself stood at my right-side with his obvious rival Mangetsu at my left.

    The Kaizoku sea had slowly transformed into a graveyard as the sunny day drew to twilight. The enemy stood strong, amazingly, but with five ships left and their port about to be boarded by an army of honour hungry Samurai, I doubted they had much morale left to fight.

    Which is exactly why they¡¯ll serve fine as my first offering. Requiem for Whirlpool, huh.

    The scroll splayed out in front of me was a gift as old as my position in office was. A gift from my favourite Uncle and councillor and the time had finally come to use it.

    It was a large and bulky thing but how couldn¡¯t it be? It was a working, unsigned summoning contract for an animal that needed to be at open water. The Kaizoki sea was as open as I could get and so I breathed in deep and sliced my thumb with a senbon.

    Mangetsu and Zabuza watched as I signed my name onto the bottom right corner where the symbols spiralled. I poked all five of my fingers still my palm was smeared in blood and then pasted it at the left corner. It was a simple process and all I had left to do was fuel it all with chakra.

    I looked over my shoulder at my apprentice and his rival and smiled, ¡°You two know what to do if I don¡¯t come back in three hours¡¯ time.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master, we¡¯ll be right here.¡±

    Zabuza merely nodded, his entirety bathed in the blood of an entire warship.

    Again, I took a breath as I pressed chakra into the contract seal, ¡°Kuchiyose no Jutsu!¡±

 Unseen Depths(P2)

    I¡¯ve never been reversed summoned but I was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t meant to feel like I was drowning. My arms and legs kicked at the water that suddenly pressured me in every direction, my limbs swayed in a half panic, half attempt to swim but I hadn¡¯t even bothered to open my eyes yet. I pushed and kicked, trying to break the top of the sea and return to my apprentice and Zabuza.

    However, when I did open my eyes I quickly realized there was no top of the sea, there was no surface I punch through. There was only a pitch black screen that mirrored the world beneath back at me.

    ¡°Be calm, Yagura.¡± Isobu¡¯s voice reverberated through fresh thoughts of dread and panic; if there was no surface then¡­then I¡¯d drown eventually, no matter how good a swimmer I was. ¡°Be calm.¡±

    At his words I almost let out a breath but caught it before it could seal my fate. I looked around below me, at what the endless watery sky mirrored and there was a single light in the extreme distance. The light wasn¡¯t so much below me as we were nearly at the same height but it was dim and didn¡¯t illuminate much more around it.

    Around myself the water felt clustered and as I hung, suspended in it, waves and ripples dashed everywhere¡ª something else was in here with me and it was far too dark to see them.

    A different person might lash out at the dark and those hidden within it but even though I wasn¡¯t expecting to drown in ocean depths I prepared my mind well enough for the summon realm. I let my body drift through on its own until it stabilized in the water, calm and serene even as my lungs lurched.

    I¡¯ve only got about twenty minutes of not breathing in me. I made out the glinting light in the distance and kicked towards it, hoping it was at most fifteen minutes away.

    I was swimming blind, trusting that as long as I had the light in my sights there¡¯s no need to see whatever else swam beside me. My Water Perception would have allowed me to discern what exactly they are but the water here was murky, oily and far slippery to my senses than any I¡¯ve encountered.

    I wasn¡¯t surprised, such places like summon realms would have natural defences beyond the ken of shinobi. They were far more secretive creatures than we were.

    ¡°Do you sense anything?¡±

    ¡°Only your escorts.¡± Isobu replied in a tone that didn¡¯t give much to be alarmed.

    Water Perception didn¡¯t let me see as clearly as I would back home but I could easily tell I was being followed on every side. My ¡®escorts¡¯ made good effort not to reveal themselves but the rippling waves of their movements spoke against them as well.

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    What kind of creatures are they? I wondered. They could swim very well, that much was certain, and we were trapped in a world of water with literally no escape so they were definitely aquatic. The scroll spoke of the Requiem of Whirlpools, the implications to the Uzumaki clan weren¡¯t lost on me but for the life of me I couldn¡¯t pull any animal associated with the clan from either of my memories.

    The light grew stronger as I and my escorts drew closer. I could make out some of the ocean floor as there were more lights coming up from it, we¡¯d crossed over some kind of boundary at last, one I likely swam right over. Behind it the light that led my way shone high atop a towering structure perforated by a serpent.

    As the lights from the ocean floor, flora glows of blue, green, and red began to bath the watery world I saw what I was swimming to was a massive tower standing amongst a graveyard of serpents, some winged and others limbed. The tower itself had a serpent of many scales and feathers snaking through its every level, wrapping around it until I couldn¡¯t make out its head no matter how far back I craned my neck.

    ¡°What is this place? Where have you brought us?¡±

    As if to answer his question my escorts circled my hovering form and they were not all shaped the same. Some were literal mermen and regarded me with spears in their webbed hands, others were still mermen but horrid looking abominations if the fish head forced into human shape counted.

    Asides from the fish men, there was a single large animal swirling behind them, eying me intensely. From the various seafood dishes that met my dinner table I could tell at a glance this was an eel, an unagi.

    Unlike its smaller brethren which I hesitantly devoured upon occasion, this one was as large as a Class-C summon, meaning it could hunt humans. I didn¡¯t wither under its gaze though; I¡¯d come for far more than a small fiend summon animal.

    My ¡®escorts¡¯ surrounded me, the fishmen poking at me with tridents and spears, urging me towards the unagi slithering its tongue at me. Asides from its immense size the unagi was marked in a manner I could only think mystical.

    Its body glowed yellow along the lines of its marks and it bore tufts of white hair behind what looked like the beginnings of wings, though they looked awfully short even on its elongated body.

    As it regarded me its flailing barbels flickered over my head and underneath my feet, I felt as though I was being tasted before being swallowed and Isobu seemed to share my concern because he flared his chakra through the seal.

    The unagi reared away, its dark green eyes narrowing dangerously. I raised my arms in the best show of submission I could muster, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Isobu, I bet they haven¡¯t had visitors in a while that¡¯s all.¡±

    It was a shame I couldn¡¯t speak underwater, I would have tried to appeal to it, let it know why I¡¯m here. But by all means it should already, I signed the contract after all.

    At last the unagi seemed to come to the same conclusion as I and it communicated something to the fishmen who then started poking at me again, albeit with more legroom this time. The unagi swam away and I followed it towards the imposing tower at the centre of all the light in all the darkness.

    The colossal serpent entwined in the tower intrigued me and I was eager to find if it was dead as they others laying at the bottom of the glittering ocean or if it was the one summon animal that could give me what I¡¯d come for.

 Unseen Depths (P3)

    We entered the colossal tower via a crack in the wall where the serpent punched through what seems like ages ago. The material of the wall was easily shifted aside and expanded for our entry by the whims of the unagi guiding me.

    Here, the serpent tail was smooth and grey rather than scaled as I¡¯d expect an actual serpent and inside the tower was full of water as well, risen all the way to the ceiling. I worried about breath, I hadn¡¯t had a single one in close to twelve minutes and I was running out of time.

    The first chamber we moved through was little more than rubble and the serpents tail running through, but as we journeyed through the next had significantly less water and more personality. There were carvings, some kind of hieroglyphs on the walls we passed. My ¡®escorts¡¯ weren¡¯t patient enough to allow me a more than a passing glimpse and neither was my waning breath.

    Still, after three chambers and thanks to flora lamination, I got the gist of their story, specifically the fishmen¡¯s story. They were either the descendants of men who bargained with some gloriously powerful aquatic summon animal for power and failed or they were the men themselves, enslaved into an eternity of service and a lifetime of looking like that.

    The fishmen were quite ugly, even the ones that had more man to their fish still had appalling features about them. Still, they watched me with interest and caution, herding me with their spears as the unagi swam faster than us all.

    Despite edging ever close to a death by drowning, I didn¡¯t think the fishmen or unagi had it out for me. Their composure spoke entirely otherwise, the fishmen had a healthy bit of fear in them especially after Isobu flared his chakra and the unagi, well, it swam ahead with purpose and hadn¡¯t tried to eat me yet.

    We continued chasing the unagi as it chased the turns and curves of the great serpent perforating the tower, we were headed upwards now and I could feel the weight of the water lighten as we travelled. Finally, we burst out into a chamber that could only be said to be on the brink of shambling over our heads.

    The ceiling was only a few feet away from my head but that was more than enough to give my lungs a grateful taste of air. I breathed heavily and a part of me wanted to take a break there and then but we weren¡¯t the only ones in the new chamber.

    Here, hovering above my heads were the mermaids and other fish blended humans coasting on floating objects of water like little islands. Some of them were clothed and clearly held a sense of civility while others well, their looks spoke for themselves.

    The unagi soared and twisted until its head was nearly at the top of the cracked, water leaking ceiling. It hissed at the fishmen with me and they poked me out of my break, forcing me to swim away from the small gathering of onlooking, curious water folk.

    ¡°Wait..¡± I halted and looked up at the unagi who seemed to want to address the onlookers. I could speak now and since I didn¡¯t know what kind of watery place the next chamber would be I chose to, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    The fishmen, though instructed to guard and shepherd me, faltered at my question. They glanced at each other and the unagi snaked around, ignoring the bubbling chatter of indiscernible language from the onlookers.

    It reared its head down at me so I looked it in those deep green slit eyes, its barbels danced as a rumble erupted from its throat, ¡°Where you asked to go.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but gulp at that. The fishmen¡¯s reactions and that response all but confirmed I would be heading to the same great beast whose coveted power turned them into denizens of this ocean world. But the wave of anxiety was a passing one, there was no great power without risk and if I could withstand Isobu then surely...

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±

    The unagi looked amused if that was even possible. It warped around and swam at speed down the corridor of water that held even more floating island mermaids, who, despite being just as ugly as their counterparts, didn¡¯t hesitate to flirt where they could.

    I dived and chased after the unagi. My arms and legs were beginning to ache but I still had more than enough in me to see this to the end. I¡¯m getting excited.

    It¡¯s clear what was happening here, it¡¯s all too direct and true for it to be anything else. The fishmen might not be stone unagi statues but the legends craved into the walls of the tower, the giant as unagi and the multi-membraned serpent that wound itself through the tower.

    It has to be Senjutsu. The power so coveted, the power turning men to fish, the power maintaining this whole world of water and a tower with a serpent sticking out of it. I knew the first step towards Senjutsu would be a summon contract but I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be so direct.

    ¡°Patience, Yagura, you have yet to hear the price for these creature¡¯s aid, if they will give it at all.¡± Isobu said.

    That¡¯s fair and I expected as much before we came here, should there be a blood price to pay then I¡¯m a very wealthy man. Mangetsu and Zabuza were waiting for my return in the shinobi world and with them were five unfortunate enemy warships that were just waiting for their final doom. I just hope this isn¡¯t one of those realms where time works differently, I need to be back in three hours.

    We continued through various watery chambers with mermen and maids. One chamber we erupted through was quite literally a breeding ground for the water folk and I shivered at the thought of swimming through their fluids. The things I do for power.

    Another smelled completely of blood and was tainted pink with stripped flesh, bone and marrow of several creatures, none of which were unagi or fish folk by the looks of it. Each of these chambers grew in size, magnitude and allure as we travelled by. There were paintings on the walls now rather than just craved tales and the sense of civility continued unhindered.

    The paintings were magnificent quite honestly. The blue strike of lightning illuminated the body of a feathered fin unagi as it leered gleefully at a ship tossed amongst whirlpools. I swam along, not having time to spare to admire the artisty when the softest voices wormed into my ear.

    The unagi, fishmen and I were all underwater when the voices began and yet I could hear them as though they sang right beside me. The language they sang in escaped me but each word was deliberate, soothing, calming and as their crescendo grew as we erupted into another chamber, the song took on a clear meaning even to my illiterate mind.

    The unagi noticed me with a grin that exposed its filthy row of teeth, it regarded the giant brown door we¡¯d erupted in front of, it had an Uzumaki spiral right at the centre, like a lock. There were two more unagi like the one guiding me, their eyes peeking over the surface of the water as they watched us without leaving their posts at the door.

    The unnerving vocals continued, it brought me some calm but it felt like poppy to a horse with a broken foot and the unagi grinning down at me seemed to relish I felt that way, it spoke, ¡°Do you hear them? They are saying¡­welcome the champion who would be feasted upon.¡±

 Great Serpent Thief

    Much of the excitement I had coming in dissipated after hearing my escort¡¯s translation of the songs eerie lyrics. I reminded myself I was merely visiting the summon realm as a formality, an introduction to the animal path I¡¯d be relying on for the foreseeable future and that I¡¯d be out of here momentarily.

    I am Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage and I wield knowledge vital for the future of this world¡­I will not die here. Steeling myself with strong thoughts I gave a curt nod at the unagi leering down at me and it in turn signalled the guards at the giant brown door with the Uzumaki spiral.

    Neither of the unagi guards seemed to move but the door hinged open either way, moaning as it released a great cascade of water into that I was already in. There was no point fighting the waves and so I let it swallow me completely, like an arm of their beast god reaching out it the waves pushed then pulled me through a pressure stream so fast I barely glimpsed the massive doors as I was dragged in.

    The sudden maelstrom persisted even after the giant doors¡ª that went farther to the ground than I initially thought¡ª slammed shut. The water darkened immediately afterwards, the visibility plummeting to the point I could hardly tell my left from right. The last glimmers of light did illuminate large parts of the colossal serpent that entwined the tower, there was an entire coil of it here and if I was truly in the right place then it meant within these waters was the boss summon.

    The strange, foreboding music continued even here, deep underwater and twirled around in the maelstroms that randomly snatched me from place to place. The darkness, the eerie music and the meaning behind their lyrics, the idea that I was in here with the beast of the paintings and the hieroglyphs. My stomach filled up with dread as I imagined the consequences of never leaving this place.

    That was the story each and every carving in the walls told. Arrogant men come to seek power only to be devoured by it. Even now the words of my impending doom were being sung through the water in some mind baffling manner. I would be a fool not to be afraid.

    Yet a greater one to let that stop me.

    ¡°Indeed, such is the nature of man, but you are not alone.¡± Isobu concurred and I felt him pass along enough chakra for a full cloak but not enough for a tail.

    This is plenty, thank you, Isobu! As my body was engulfed in the corrosive energies of the Three-Tails Chakra I felt my Water Perception enhanced and the ocean around me boil vigorously. As I suspected, the boss summon was in the room with me; Water Perception plus Isobu¡¯s [Stage 0 Chakra Cloak] didn¡¯t negate the boss¡¯s will over the water but it made its intentions clear.

    The tidal force that has been tossing me around from one underwater cyclone to another increased the moment I activated the [Stage 0 Chakra Cloak] I could sense the giant serpents will to grind me into nothing until I submitted or drowned in the dark.

    But it wasn¡¯t dark anymore. Earlier Water Perception was useless as shit to me but Isobu wasn¡¯t a Tailed Beast for jokes and laughs, his grip on the Element far surpassed mine and easily trumped this boss summon, at least enough to allow me to sense the flow and form of the water again.

    With my ¡®eyes¡¯ opened I righted myself away as one cyclone spat me towards another, I gritted my teeth as the corrosive chakra cloak enhanced the rage and impatience within me. I let my chakra seize the water around me at last, all this time I¡¯d restrained myself but it was time this fucking bath ended.

    ¡°Water Release: Chakra Control!¡± I swatted a hand at the cyclone meant to eat me up next and released my Water Nature chakra over it. I sensed my chakra clash with the boss¡¯s and grinned as mine won the tug of war easily. The chakra components of the cyclone dissipated instantly.

    I didn¡¯t pat myself on the back just yet, I was enough of a master at [Water Release] to know that one of the few weaknesses to a technique like this was its scale. The boss summon might be able to fund and channel chakra through the technique but for a creature as large as it was it would be difficult for it to focus on singular aspects of the otherwise large scale. And I happened to be quite small.

    I shot myself towards where my Water Perception sensed the boss¡¯s coiled up tail but quickly found resistance. Cyclones, whirlpools, and even giant blades of water were thrown at me, but I wasn¡¯t blind and best of all, I was nigh impervious to such attacks within the [Stage 0 Chakra Cloak].

    I clapped my hands together and dispelled two cyclones that nearly merged together to block my path. One recovered its crumbling form and the other was cut apart by a sundering pressure wave of water coming for my head.

    ¡°Rarrgh!!¡± Chakra exploded outwards from my pathways, repelling the wave, disrupting the whirl of the cyclone and claiming some of the water around as my own. I quickly formed hand seals for¡ª ¡°Water Release: Water Shark Blast!¡±

    Kisame wasn¡¯t the only one to peruse the Hoshigaki¡¯s contributions to Ninjutsu. The jutsu seized the water in my control and formed three moderate sized sharks that bolted out towards where I sensed the Boss¡¯s tail. I hitched a ride upon one of them, holding onto its fin all while switching up my Nature Transformation.

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    Bullets of water shattered my two of my sharks and I hopped off the one I held onto just in time as a wave destroyed its form completely. Twisted in the water, I channelled the gathered Wind Nature chakra at the soles of my feet and turned  myself into a bullet. As I rushed at the great serpent I forced a Wind Blade to form underwater and over a thin senbon needle.

    This time there was little in the way to stop me and I struck hard and fast, the boss unagi didn¡¯t so much as twitch when the senbon drilled straight through, nearly taking my arm into its flesh from the piercing power behind the stab. It was very little damage and though Isobu¡¯s chakra was boiling away the skin, scale and feathers only the boss¡¯s hide, I knew I¡¯d need to expend far more chakra to do any true damage, especially under water.

    My chakra soared, rotating and grinding in response as I prepared to do just that when Water Perception pick up actual physical movement from the boss at last. Part of its tail twitched, unravelling rapidly and creating a natural cyclone as it winded about its domain.

    Colossal as it is its mere movements sent me soaring away from it but that was the least of my problems as Water Perception sensed something I didn¡¯t expect would happen at all, least of all to me.

    The water rose, every part of it gathered and lifted like someone was hauling a bucket and I was the poor rat in it. There was little use fighting against the flow as Water Perception told me it came from all directions. Every bit of water above, below and around me was soaring into the air and taking shape around something I was too disoriented by sheer pressure to discern.

    I couldn¡¯t hold my breath any longer, the water was condensing against itself, forced into form by the wielder of this domain and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was what the Kaguya felt when I trapped them in my [Giant Water Prison]. It was likely worse as I¡¯d added Wind Release to grind up and rend the house against them.

    Fuck! I managed to right myself long enough to push against the water¡¯s sudden thickness in an attempt to swim to an edge so I could escape and breathe but then a gleaming yellow light illuminated the water body so my true eyes could see at last.

    I was in an orb of water far larger than I¡¯d accomplished with the Kaguya. The orb and I were sat upon the coils of the boss¡¯s tail and that yellow light were its eyes studying me like an egg in its clutch.

    Defiant, I brought my fingers together to make hand seals but then a voice boomed through the water, cutting through the unnerving song that played all this while, ¡°You swim well for a turtle.¡±

    It¡¯s recognition of Isobu within me meant very little right now. I flipped through hand seals as quick as I could and felt the excess chakra I¡¯d prepared drain away as I directed my palm below me, ¡°Wind Release: Gale Palm!¡±

    For the second time I¡¯d turned myself into a projectile, this time I rocketed straight and up towards the top of the orb. Large as it my watery prison was I overcompensated for the presence of water and it¡¯s compounding pressure when charging the jutsu. But I wasn¡¯t in the least bit concerned about preserving chakra¡ª I busted out of the orb, the gust of my jutsu enhanced as I entered the open air below the boss summon.

    Isobu! My partner was quick to respond and renew the [Stage 0 Chakra Cloak] around me as I prepared to be swallowed and forced to fight out of the boss¡¯s guts.

    However, that wasn¡¯t necessary. The boss merely observed as I crashed against the wet, slimy floors of its domain. The room was at least forty feet tall and wide and just a second ago it was full with water, yet all that was compressed into the orb I just escaped from.

    The boss unagi¡¯s coiled up tail itself was several feet tall, certainly taller than my Kage Tower back home. It¡¯s head was clouded in the darkness of the ceiling I couldn¡¯t see but it hunched just to stared down at me¡ª there was so much more of it.

    The little I could see of it was thanks to the light of its eyes bouncing off its body, it was a hybrid of hybrids, a difficult thing to simply call it an unagi or serpent as I glimpsed and even sensed wings while I was within its domain of water. It had silver scales in some places and feathers in others. It¡¯s head though was scaled green as emeralds, it had barbels but they were feathery and underneath its chin was stalactite of what looked like ice.

    I don¡¯t think I can beat this thing without your full cooperation, Isobu. I confessed to my partner. Not only was it massive, it was clearly a master of Water Release in a way I hadn¡¯t thought of. Worse, it had allies right out the giant door behind me and all this time it had yet to present as fully hostile.

    ¡°Good thing we are not here to defeat it, or are we?¡±

    I nodded and gulped as the boss unagi lowered its head further, its yellow eyes narrowing on me. That¡¯s true, I guess, now¡¯s the time for some dialogue? I cleared my throat of all nerviness and called out, ¡°You know me¡­or at least the one within me. I am Yagura Karatachi, Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure and I have come to bargain for your strength.¡±

    Its mouth didn¡¯t move yet its voice resounded throughout the room as its giant expression took on an amused look, ¡°Bargains¡­it has been long. Mizukage? We shall see won¡¯t we?¡±

    What the fuck does that mean? I put aside the confusion, I couldn¡¯t stay here long and I wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard by any traps, ¡°I signed your contract, great one, it brought me here to you, what would you have of me or would you see me dead as you have displayed?¡±

    A chorus of chuckles and giggles echoed through the room, it was the same voices that sang of my doom. The great unagi reared back so all I could see were its glowing yellow eyes and the shine of its teeth, ¡°Any creature can sign a contract, few can uphold it and even fewer are worthy of it.¡±

    Unfazed I asked, ¡°So? What must I do to be worthy of it and what cost must I pay forth?¡±

    ¡°You swim well for a turtle, you are worthy. You must fill five score lungs with the water of my sea, then shall power beyond that of a worthy swimmer be yours.¡±

    I scoffed though I was quite relieved to hear that, ¡°And just who are you exactly? Have you no name?¡±

    Another chorus of laughs surrounded me and the great water serpent answered, this time it¡¯s mouth moved as it spoke a single word that trembled the entire tower, ¡°Kaizoku.¡±

 A New Power

    I held on dearly as Unaimaru swam up through the darkened depths of the sea, chasing the soft glimmer rays that broke through the surface and surely trying to shake me off if he could. I wouldn¡¯t let him.

    My thighs pressed against his length and I wasn¡¯t afraid to clutch fistfuls of his blue-green mane as he swayed through the thick pressures at speeds that would set anyone else awash of him.

    Unaimaru, the sea snake Kaizoku sent with me to receive the first of many offerings, was a Class-C summon and has lived decades without being beholden to the orders or even requests of a human, shinobi or no. I could understand where he was coming from a bit and why even as we cut through the water towards my first offering to Kaizoku he not-so-subtly tried to wriggle me off his back.

    He didn¡¯t want to serve any being that he thought of lesser than him¡ª that¡¯s fine. I had no qualms about proving myself again even after I¡¯ve faced his master and Class-S boss summon. Beating Unaimaru into submission would have to wait after I¡¯d fed the other numbskulls loitering at sea to the Boss of my new summon contract.

    After what felt like an eternity of holding my breath, Unaimaru broke through the surface and glided forward, coasting towards the lingering five ships of Baron Tetsuya¡¯s men I¡¯d scheduled to be devoured.

    It was easier and trickier than I expected returning to the shinobi world and the war I¡¯d left raging. The seams between Kaizoku¡¯s realm and where the sea named after him were thin as paper but as invisible as wind. Even mounted on Unaimaru, I couldn¡¯t understand how or what the summon beast had done to pierce through the endless gloom of Kaizoku and into the sea I¡¯ve known and traversed.

    It certainly wasn¡¯t reverse summoning that¡¯s for sure. There were no hand seals or even the equivalent, Unaimaru just seemed to swim ahead after getting the location of where my prepared offering would be. I figured it had to be some kind of spatial shenanigans, two realms overlapping each other. It would certainly explain how Kaizoku happened to be¡­well, Kaizoku.

    I put those thoughts aside as Unaimaru picked up speed, we¡¯d broken through some ways away from the point I intended but the five ships were just ahead as I promised and the summoned beast grew eager to plunged the bargained souls to their watery deaths.

    A smile creeped on my lips as the waves rippled away at our approach, the ships fully unaware of us and currently in the middle of a hopeless flanking manoeuvre on the one Kirigakure warship still charging towards Umehebi island, the numerous [Water Shield] still intact after hours of canon fire and pelting.

    ¡°Remember now, the ship with the shields is off limits.¡± I reminded Unaimaru¡ª I wasn¡¯t sure how petty he was willing to be about serving as a summon and I wasn¡¯t going to take chances.

    I¡¯d gotten quite lucky with Kaizoku and the contract. It wasn¡¯t as pay-per-use as Orochimaru¡¯s snake contract but certainly not as lenient as Jiraiya¡¯s toad contract. The price I paid now, five hundred lungs filled with water from the Kaizoku sea, would allow me to return to Kaizoku and ask that he share his power¡ª Senjutsu.

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    I wasn¡¯t sure what the process would be like but he¡¯d made one thing clear¡ª if I failed to master the power it was likely I would die and if I didn¡¯t a thousand water filled lungs would be the price for a second attempt.

    If Unaimaru heard my reminder, he didn¡¯t indicate so. Once I could see the enemy running about on their warships, manipulating its sails and turning useless cannons to fire, Unaimaru plunged us back into the sea¡¯s depths, a move that took me completely by surprise and robbed me of a chance to hold my breath.

    I managed anyhow and clung onto his body, trusting that my summon wasn¡¯t fleeing. My trust was well placed. Unaimaru had dove deep and fast but he rose just as quickly, the tip of his head, his nostrils and mouth flaring open as chakra swirled into the surrounding waters. A bowl of water formed in a blink of an eye as we soared towards the keel of one of the ships.

    He¡¯s going to¡ª! Unaimaru smashed right through the bottom of the ship, the bowl, or rather, helmet of water tore through the wood with unsettling ease. In the split second we speared through the ship I glimpsed sailors, Samurai, the enemy scream as their vessel was torn asunder by a soaring water serpent, a veritable water dragon of legend if Unaimaru could be seen as such.

    Cannons, supply crates, men and tools capsized into the sea. Many would know how to swim well but few would ever make it to shore. Unaimaru soared, his momentum only stalled at a peak over thirty feet above the sea, with his full length barely out of the water.

    I braced myself for re-entry, ignoring flashes of Jason¡¯s memories likening the experience to a rollercoaster. Unaimaru took the plunge, gravity enhancing the speed at which we plummeted. He put that momentum to good use, rather than take out another ship through its keel he manipulated the dorsal fin at his back, extending it just a bit and taking an angular tilt to his swim so they sliced through any vessel unlucky enough to come in contact with it.

    He shot out again, dove, then shot before turning about so I could examine his fine work¡ª three ships were now swallowing so much water there was no amount of buckets that¡¯d fetch it all away. Two ships remain still and this time they had the sense to split up, both sailing away in opposite directions of the other, abandoning their ship wrecked allies to the sea monster they screamed, wailed and flailed in terror of.

    I absorbed the sight of it. Of men, broken off planks of wood used as rafts for the desperate, some even fighting for a space even as Unaimaru leered. They trashed and screamed, prayed and begged, their voices were all mobbed together in a chorus of annoyance and insignificance that gnawed at me more than I thought it would.

    Their pleas reached my ears in halves, overlapping one another in repentance. Only few cursed my name, cursed Kirigakure but I heard them and I couldn¡¯t blame them. As much as Jason¡¯s presence of mind sought to flinch away for the sight, bar my ears from the sounds, I didn¡¯t turn away and I wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Which one should I sink next?¡± Unaimaru spoke with a bored tone. Clung upon the length of his thick neck I pointed at the warship fleeing towards the west and he moved to dive, his jowls hinged open as he sank and swallowed a few of the men swimming away from the site of their shipwreck.

    I buried the pangs or remorse, guilt, fear of repercussions that infected me alongside Jason¡¯s memories. I shut my eyes and held my breath as the water washed over, when I opened them more bodies greeted me, bloated already drowned and counted towards my sacrifice for power.

    All inevitable. I told myself. Jason¡¯s premonitions¡­this is the best I can do to prepare against far more death and blood. They struck first, they always do. This is what it means to be Mizukage.

 Moving Forward

    ¡°¡°Mizukage-sama!¡±¡± Mangetsu and Zabuza hollered out at me as Unaimaru slinked through the water at an easy pace. The destruction of the last five warships was quick and easy, almost too easy as according to Unaimaru I¡¯d condemned only two-hundred and eighty-six lungs to the sea.

    I smiled and waved at my apprentice and subordinate, swallowing the bitter bile that rose up my gullet at the thought of just how many more lives I¡¯d taken indirectly. There hadn¡¯t been this much death at my command since the Kaguya incident and with the Daimyo¡¯s war I was far from the front, behind my desk, nose stuck in Fuuinjutsu textbooks and mind delved in seeking the connection to Yin and Yang Chakra Isobu promised.

    Up until now I¡¯d been spared the sight of corpses piled at my orders and though I shuddered at the thought, I found I didn¡¯t regret any one bit of it. I¡¯d order Kirigakure to war and Zabuza to slaughter the entire crew of a warship all over again if I were in a loop.

    ¡°These are yours?¡± Unaimaru hissed out the question with an unmistakable hunger staining his voice as he sauntered a beat faster towards them.

    ¡°Yes, they are mine to protect and by extension yours.¡± The edge in my voice had Unaimaru snap his salivating jowls shut albeit with some disdain. After feasting on the many drowned he¡¯d restrained his passive aggression but I knew he¡¯d be hungry and near defiant again.

    While I was new to being a summoner, Unaimaru was just the same. The large summon contract scroll that Mangetsu carried didn¡¯t have many names on the list before I scribbled mine in. And though there weren¡¯t any date stamps, I could do simple arithmetic to know Unaimaru likely wasn¡¯t alive by the time the last Sea Serpent summoner perished.

    He¡¯s got as many mistakes to make as I do. I hopped off his neck, landing with only a small ripple as Mangetsu and Zabuza made their way to me. Their eyes were saucers and caution radiated off their bodies as they approached.

    ¡°This is Unaimaru, he doesn¡¯t eat Kirigakure shinobi.¡± Unaimaru circled around me, the tufts of his wet mane tickled my nose as he slithered through the water, most of his length still under.

    ¡°For now.¡±

    Both boys visibly shuddered at Unaimaru¡¯s words. I rolled my eyes and patted him, ¡°As if I¡¯d ever let you. You can go now. I¡¯ll summon you again when I¡¯ve got the rest of my offering.¡±

    He grumbled, his slit iris glanced greedily at the fires rolling off of Umehebi¡ª the Daimyo¡¯s Samurai had made landfall without a single casualty and were tearing through the brittle resistance left on the island. Baron Tetsuya had play far too many of his cards on defending the island at sea and now, with the Daimyo¡¯s Samurai cutting down his men and the Swordsmen going after Baron Watanabe at Tsurugashima, the war was all but over.

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    I could allow Unaimaru attend the last battle but I specifically wanted as few as possible shinobi involved in it for the sake of the Daimyo¡¯s pride. My presence here with a summon was already stretching how involved I wanted to be.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take long.¡± Was all the sea serpent said before vanishing in a poof of quickly dispersed smoke.

    With Unaimaru gone the boys took a braver step forward and I smiled pleasantly at them, ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t reappear where I asked you to wait, but you found me anyway, good.¡±

    Both moved to speak but Mangetsu got out the words first even as Zabuza produced a scroll from his pouch, ¡°ANBU Kiba came looking for you, Master. He looked injured, said to let you know the target had been captured with some resistance but no casualties.¡±

    Zabuza handed me the scroll and added, ¡°He wrote up some other details in there.¡± He looked sheepish as I unfurled it and quickly added, ¡°I didn¡¯t read it.¡±

    I paused, raised a brow at that and glanced at Mangetsu who gave a short, barely imperceptible nod confirming that the Demon of the Mist didn¡¯t let his curiosity get the better of him.

    But it wasn¡¯t like it mattered if he did or not, ANBU emergency communique to the Mizukage were written in an entirely different cypher than any other communication. Only the ANBU and I knew how to decrypt the cypher and again, it was for emergency communiques like this one.

    I read the message Raiga left for me and bit the inside of my cheek. So Kumogakure is still running around¡­

    The target they¡¯d captured was none other than Baron Tetsuya himself, the man whose island was overrun by the Daimyo¡¯s Samurai. They would strike down every last one of the traitors loyal to Tetsuya but wouldn¡¯t find Tetsuya himself. This was merely the reaping of the measures I¡¯d put in place long before I¡¯d even deployed shinobi to liberate the islands under siege.

    The ANBU had been working behind the scenes, keeping an eye on each and every primary target since I recognized Kirigakure¡¯s involvement in the war would be needed. I wanted Baron Tetsuya and Watanabe kidnapped or assassinated earlier in the war but as it turned out, they were smart enough to keep their heads ducked and hidden, at least until the war came to their doorstep.

    Raiga¡¯s message notified me that Tetsuya had a squad of Kumo shinobi protecting him, they¡¯d killed three and captured one alive, a Jounin for that matter. I wonder if they ever saw it coming. Likely not, Raiga¡¯s Fang Squad was efficient at their jobs and the results spoke for themselves.

    I was happy for that at least. Between the shinobi Junko Hoshigaki captured at Koorijima and this one Jounin, there was more than enough for me to send Kumo a message they shouldn¡¯t forget anytime soon. I clenched the scroll in my fist, eyes glazed over as I thought to the shinobi they sent to Midoriwara to steal Land of Water bloodline clans, fury rising at the thought.

    Kumogakure had always lusted for power of bloodlines, even before Jason¡¯s premonitions became a part of me I knew this. To experience it in my reign though was another matter.

    I let out a heavy sigh, letting the rage boiling in me dissipate as the sea winds blew past. I wanted to turn a blind eye to what Kumogakure had done so I could save diplomatic face but now that Baron Tetsuya was in ANBU custody and the war at an end, I wondered if I had enough leverage to silence all that could decry my mistakes and oversight.

    ¡°Thank you, Zabuza, Mangetsu. Let¡¯s head back now.¡± We were in open sea, Umehebi smoking behind me. I had a lot on my plate and not a lot of time until I was asked to stop devouring. Senjutsu, Obito, Tea Country, Kumogakure.

    I¡¯d sort the order I addressed the most pressing matters later but for now, now I just wanted to see this whole civil war at an end.

 A Stressful Message

    Things had not gone Danzo¡¯s way in a long minute. He tempered himself as much as it pained him to when Hiruzen failed to choose Orochimaru as a successor but that failure was nothing compared to what he had faced the past month.

    Danzo, as a youth, was never a patient man, but life and it¡¯s many turns had instilled that virtue and he¡¯d embraced it enough to take a step back and let the Yellow Flash revel in his ¡®authority¡¯.

    He wasn¡¯t sure where it had gone awry but Danzo laid the blame on his incompetent operative, Kinoto. The fool somehow botched the entire operation to Kirigakure and even managed to raise suspicion in the tagalongs Minato had sent along with him.

    What was meant to be a simple information gathering mission¡ª with a side of diplomatic espionage if it could be helped¡ª turned the tables such that Danzo had to wait an entire war for the contents of the Fourth Mizukage¡¯s letter to the Hokage be revealed.

    His wooden cane clacked out of rhythm and he breathed to still the anticipation driving him forward. The scroll with the Mizukage¡¯s letter had come first and foremost to him and though he considered himself well-read in Fuinjutsu, he couldn¡¯t risk disabling the measures the Mizukage had placed on his message.

    If the letter destroyed itself in defence or a single trace of tampering had been discovered by the Yellow Flash¡¯s far keener Fuuinjutsu eyes would spell a dicey situation for he and his agent, especially since Kirigakure closed itself and the Land of Water off even tighter than they had during the last war.

    And so, even though it found his hands first he allowed the Hokage to be the first to read it, making himself conveniently present at the time of its delivery. But the twist in the Yellow Flash¡¯s face spelled doom as he read, thought and decreed that the message would be sealed off for Hokage Eyes Only until Kirigakure and the Mizukage came out of their war.

    As he neared the Hokage¡¯s office his nose crinkled in disgust. Hiruzen. The man, in technical terms, still counted as Hokage and thus was certainly ahead of the game this turn. As tempted as Danzo had been to ask throughout the month, he would not dare stoop so low as to allow Hiruzen a true sense of superiority. All that man is¡­a failure.

    And though Danzo initially thought the Yellow Flash more sensible, it seemed that thought would need to be re-evaluated. He came upon the door and twisted the knob without knocking, they would have long sensed his approach.

    When the door swung, Danzo was surprised to see not only Hiruzen and Minato in conversation but Jiraiya of the Sannin as well. Heavily outnumbered, Danzo cursed inwardly. He¡¯d been so consumed by Hiruzen¡¯s presence he failed to anticipate another thorn.

    They turned to him, Minato with a small, welcoming smile. Hiruzen with his lips pursed the way they would anytime he ached to service that addiction and his wayward but at least loyal student with a stupid grin that hid the dangerous shinobi beneath.

    ¡°You have returned.¡± Danzo simply said, breaking the silence of his entry before it could set. He began to suspect how much of the Sannin¡¯s return had to do with the Mizukage¡¯s message and how he¡¯d arrived in Konoha without his knowing.

    ¡°A break from pressing research to help my favourite student. It¡¯s good to see you too.¡± The Sannin folded his arms, grin waning into something less concealing of his nature.

    Danzo hmph¡¯d and walked over to the open seat beside Hiruzen clearly reserved for him as the Sannin preferred to stand. As he sat he glanced at Hiruzen, ¡°Given up on the Snake?¡±

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    All three generations flinched and Danzo¡¯s pleasure grew. Hiruzen shifted uncomfortably in his seat but it was Minato that spoke first, ¡°The ANBU will locate the traitor wherever he¡¯s went, for now, I thought Jiraiya-sensei should be here to learn what the Mizukage offered as well. Sandaime-sama and I just briefed him on the situation so far.¡±

    The Hokage¡¯s voice was stern and strong, not weighed even by both his predecessor¡¯s and teacher¡¯s muddled feelings about the biggest traitor to all of Konoha since Uchiha Madara. It was clear Minato wanted to kill the subject before Jiraiya had a chance to speak on it.

    Danzo nodded, giving no indication of the haste building up in his bones as Minato retrieved a scroll from amongst a pile, the one Danzo already had his eye on.

    Rather than read it himself he handed it to Jiraiya who unfurled and read as Minato briefed, ¡°Yagura wants to visit Konoha.¡±

    Danzo¡¯s eyes went wide. He found a similar reaction in Jiraiya as he read the scroll and a knowing look of concern on Hiruzen¡¯s¡ª confirming he¡¯d already read it.

    ¡°He believes it would suit us best, he and I, as the Fourths of our generation to meet in person and discuss the future of our villages, as well as the world.¡± Danzo felt Minato¡¯s gaze linger and grow heavy on him as he spoke then next words, ¡°He obviously feels that our liaisons are lacking or can¡¯t be trusted in some way to communicate facts from fiction.¡±

    Damn Kinoto.

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Jiraiya murmured, trailing off with the scroll in hand.

    Impatient, Danzo growled, ¡°Give it here¡±

    Minato continued as Danzo¡¯s eyes scanned and skimmed every letter of the Mizukage¡¯s writing, ¡°He also believes we share a common threat, one stemming from discoveries his shinobi made in the Hidden Rain. He¡¯s offering to share information on this threat but¡­¡±

    The words left hanging were obvious as Danzo read the last sentences of the letter, ¡°But is there truly such a thing or is this another trap?¡±

    Minato¡¯s students had not too long ago fallen victim to a vicious trap that cost him the life of Rin Nohara, a promising shinobi. Danzo would have shaken his head at the thought of such attachment and loss clouding the Hokage¡¯s judgement if he weren¡¯t trembling already.

    ¡°That is why Jiraiya is here. He has spent time in Amegakure, he would know if there is something to fear.¡± Hiruzen said, as if reading Danzo completely.

    He calmed his thoughts with an inhale, ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting ahead of yourselves already? You want to allow a foreign Kage and Jinchuriki to set foot in Konoha? Do you believe Kirigakure will not sacrifice anything to set loose their weapon on their enemy?¡±

    If there was one thing Kinoto¡¯s visit to the watery village was good for it was the knowledge of the current Three-Tails vessel¡ª none other than Yagura Karatachi himself, the Mizukage.

    Jiraiya scoffed, ¡°Yagura has been Mizukage even before Minato reached out to Kirigakure. I doubt this is some elaborate ploy Kiri has been concocting to blow us up.¡±

    Danzo almost failed in keeping his voice level, the Sannin could truly be dense at times, ¡°They do not need to have concocted it before then, this could merely be a new batch of betrayal. Konoha will be in ruin for it.¡±

    The Yondaime at least looked conflicted by his words, a beacon of hope in the room clouded by idiocy and incompetence. Danzo prayed the potential to be sensible was still in him.

    ¡°I agree with Jiraiya.¡± Danzo¡¯s stomach sunk, ¡°Yagura is of a prominent clan within their castes, a decorated war veteran and prodigy. He is everything Kirigakure would want for their Kage and perhaps even the reason they¡¯d take the leap in making a Jinchuriki their Kage.¡±

    The more the Hokage mused the more Danzo dreaded for the great tree. He¡¯s thinking of his wife¡­does he¡­does this boy sympathize with Yagura? His aged heart skipped a beat and he looked around, suddenly feeling more as cornered as a rat. How do I stop this?

    ¡°He has certainly proven capable to his Daimyo, ending a civil war in a month.¡± Hiruzen stroked his beard.

    ¡°Yes, he must be cracking down on every perceived enemy to his authority but I wonder what that has to do with Amegakure. In the first place, we never understood why they went there or even how they slipped through enough to return with information of this¡­threat to Konoha and Kiri.¡± Minato said, crossing his fingers under his chin.

    The Hokage¡¯s eyes flickered to Danzo, ¡°I understand what you¡¯re thinking, perhaps even more than you do, but if there is a viable threat against Konoha, wouldn¡¯t it serve us to work together to defeat it?¡±

    Danzo sat silent for a moment before raising an eye to Jiraiya who¡¯d been lost in thought, ¡°Well then, Toad Sannin, is there a power in Amegakure strong enough to threaten two Hidden Villages?¡±

 A Stressful Message(P2)

    Jiraiya answered his question with a question, ¡°Have we considered perhaps Kirigakure is simply lying? Trying to use us to conduct their own investigations?¡±

    Hiruzen shook his head, unsatisfied with that theory, ¡°That then begs the original question, what interests the Mizukage so much in Amegakure that he¡¯d hazard involving us?¡±

    In a rare moment of agreement Danzo nodded and narrowed his eyes in thought. He stole a glance at the Toad Sannin who had a pensive look on his face, Does he truly not know?

    Minato sighed deeply, ¡°Of all the greats they are the most recluse¡­they came reporting the death of the Sandaime and were obviously suspecting us of having something to do with it. Perhaps they now believe Hanzo to be the culprit.¡±

    All three shinobi fell contemplatively silent at the thought, the implication. The Third Mizukage was not a shinobi one could scoff at, his despicable accomplishments and slights against Konoha alone won him feat enough to warrant the title. Power like that often led to cruelty and even his people were not spared.

    The Sandaime Mizukage and Hanzo were similar in their manner of power, reclusive, tactically defensive natures and the spice of cruelty. Hanzo would certainly be up to the task of assassinating the Mizukage, ¡°But why?¡± Jiraiya sounded the elephant of a question, ¡°I¡¯ve taken on Hanzo face on and he¡¯s not the type to go around killing Kages, and what bone would he have to pick with Kirigakure of all places, not like they¡¯ve been at war before.¡±

    Despite those truths killing a Kage of any village is an unforgivable slight wars have been waged over. Danzo understood more than most the fury at having his Hokage, his sensei taken away. He couldn¡¯t allow Kirigakure into their backyard and so he told the Hokage as much.

    ¡°It matters not what Yagura or Amegakure is scheming, we cannot allow Kirigakure to fall into striking position. Even if Hanzo killed their Mizukage, we cannot open the Land of Fire to their vengeance.¡± Danzo said decisively. He stole another glance at the Toad Sannin, continuing to wonder the extent of what he knew.

    As long as he has never encountered the Akatsuki and that man¡­ Ideally, Danzo¡¯s mind wouldn¡¯t doubt his own words¡ª Jiraiya was right, Hanzo had no reason to kill the Sandaime Mizukage or launch any offensive, his concerns have always been internal and keeping outsider players out as much as he could.

    But if the Akatsuki remained even after Danzo¡¯s and Hanzo¡¯s combined efforts, then Yagura¡¯s claims might well have some worth. Danzo stilled himself from shuddering at the thought of the Mizukage discovering and seizing that power only to surely use it against Konoha.

    He¡¯d only observed a fraction of that man and his power but it was enough to be certain Konoha would do well without his existence, Hanzo agreed and years later Danzo was assured they¡¯d executed every last one from Amegakure¡¯s slums and damp crevasses.

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    He clenched his cane, felt it dig into his palm as its stem and base shuddered under pressure. Of late he couldn¡¯t rely on the assurances of shinobi who at first glance seemed competent, even by his standards. I¡¯ll have to investigate this personally, Jiraiya, Kirigakure must not have free reign until I am certain.

    Danzo would have to use his most extreme measures to peer into the village that had been obscured from their view for so many years.

    Minato shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s the thing, that letter doesn¡¯t read like it¡¯s from a Kage out for vengeance. No, I don¡¯t think Yagura has any intention of invading Amegakure to avenge his predecessor, the Sandaime isn¡¯t even mentioned once. But your concern does hold true, which is why I¡¯m considering meeting him.¡±

    Danzo¡¯s eyes went wide before he calmed himself, thoughts calculating faster each second. Neither Jiraiya nor Hiruzen seemed shocked to hear this nor did they seem willing to give reasonable objections. Suddenly it clicked in his mind, Ah, this is the true reason for waiting for the Land of Water¡¯s war to end.

    He looked up as Minato assured, ¡°We¡¯ll meet out in neutral ground of course.¡±

    Hiruzen and Minato had just dumped a load of information in his laps and were pressuring to see what he would prioritize. He gritted his teeth and cursed his lack of responsible agents, if Kinoto hadn¡¯t been so obvious about his loyalties he would have had this information a month earlier and likely on the verge of a solution.

    Danzo scowled, ¡°You could be walking into a trap, a very obvious one even if the location is neutral. Kirigakure is the one playing on our reactions now, they¡¯ve prepared surely.¡±

    Minato shook his head, ¡°I can simply flash away myself and anyone that comes along.¡±

    Danzo quickly countered, ¡°You sent Genma along with Kinoto, what if we don¡¯t see the full picture one bit and that boy has been stripped of the miniscule knowledge of your prized jutsu?¡±

    A low rumble of a chuckle came from Hiruzen, his eyes crinkled, ¡°You are quite paranoid to make such a claim, Genma and Aoba of all people were safe from the Mizukage or any other¡¯s influence if Kinoto¡¯s reports are to be trusted.¡±

    Danzo didn¡¯t miss the way he stressed the last, vital word¡ª trust. He cursed inwardly, this was a trap from the beginning, not a one of them trusted him enough to let his advice influence these current events. He was far too outnumbered.

    Jiraiya spoke up, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Danzo-dono, I will investigate Amegakure once more, see what¡¯s there to see quickly and let Minato come prepared to meet Yagura.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Danzo almost shouted. He already knew he wouldn¡¯t be one of those Minato picked to come with him, what¡¯s more he had no reason to tag along beyond his suspicion they all obviously wanted to do away with. ¡°I will investigate Amegakure for a threat, if there is one. If it comes to it, the root will act in Konoha¡¯s advance interests.¡±

    It seemed there was little use keeping up the pretence any longer, he had to have this at least, keep Jiraiya from discovering the Akatsuki and the choices he and Hanzo made. Ensure none of Kirigakure¡¯s agents remained up to shenanigans in the territory.

    The three looked between themselves, narrowed eyes communicating in a manner of student and master. Minato nodded, ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll be relying on you to keep me well informed, we can¡¯t afford walking in blind.¡± It seemed to eat at Minato to say his next words, ¡°Let¡¯s have the room now Lord Danzo, I¡¯m sure your¡­root have much to prepare for.¡±

    A dismissal. As if it couldn¡¯t get any more obvious he was been severed from the Hokage and the influence that came with mere proximity. He rose without a word of complaint or defence, a nod at Hiruzen who nodded back and a narrowed look at Jiraiya who for once didn¡¯t wear a grin.

    He said nothing as he walked out, shutting the door to yet another foolish Hokage behind him. A shame. Try as it might, the great tree can stand on nothing but roots.A

 Secrets of the Sage

    ¡°Alright, he¡¯s gone. Where¡¯s the rest of the message?¡± Jiraiya-sensei asked the moment Danzo¡¯s chakra signature exited caution range.

    Minato allowed himself to smile at his teacher, ¡°How are you so certain there¡¯s more?¡±

    Jiraiya exchanged a glance with the Sandaime who wore a little smirk of his own. He shook his head and allowed the tension of Danzo¡¯s presence to wane away, ¡°Because you asked that instead of simply denying.¡±

    Hiruzen pursed his lips before he spoke, ¡°And you¡¯re holding back more than a little information on Amegakure, there is a danger there, isn¡¯t there?¡±

    Jiraiya-sensei nodded and fell into the seat Danzo occupied a moment ago, his shoulders heaved and rigid as he recalled, ¡°The Rinnegan.¡±

    ¡°¡°What?!¡±¡± Both Minato and Hiruzen exclaimed. Hiruzen sat up straight and faced his student, ¡°You mean the Sage of Six-¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Jiraiya said firmly, his eyes looked straight ahead but were glazed over by memory, ¡°The legendary power of the Sage, I found it in Amegakure.¡±

    Minato frowned at his teacher, ¡°You¡¯ve known about this for years.¡±

    Jiraiya didn¡¯t look away, ¡°I have, since the aftermath of the Second Shinobi war or maybe even during.¡±

    At this Hiruzen shifted again, ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to inform me that-¡±

    ¡°That what? There was a power Konoha could exploit? A tool to destroy our enemies?¡± Jiraiya shook his head, ¡°My student was no such tool, just a boy looking for peace in his land.¡±

    ¡°Your student? You taught the wielder of the Rinnegan ninjutsu!?¡±

    Minato raised a hand, ¡°Wait¡­was?¡±

    Jiraiya inhaled, ¡°Since the end of the Second War I haven¡¯t seen anyone of them. They could all be dead, I assume as such because¡­well, they are all so stubborn and their ambition is¡­well, Rinnegan or chasing peace during war has a history of getting you killed.¡±

    Hiruzen looked conflicted but mostly disappointed, ¡°Them? You took up a whole team of students and yet when I ask you do the same for Konoha¡¯s next generation you scoff.¡±

    Jiraiya groaned, ¡°I trained Team Six didn¡¯t I?¡±

    The Third Hokage rolled his eyes at that, ¡°Don¡¯t act like you didn¡¯t take up that team solely for Minato-kun.¡±

    Now that Minato was at Konoha¡¯s helm he understood the value of powerful shinobi even more than when he stood at the frontlines. In both the Second and Third shinobi wars a shinobi trained by Jiraiya and wielding a power as legendary as the Rinnegan would have been a boon that could¡¯ve prevented the Third shinobi war outright.

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    But just as Minato understood Hiruzen as his successor, he understood his teacher even more. If there was such a child wielding power as great as the Rinnegan, that child was still just that; a child. And if he were in Jiraiya¡¯s shoes he¡¯d want to spare the youth any further horror of war.

    If only I could have done the same for my students. Even more than that, Minato could guess why he¡¯d hazard training a child with the Rinnegan, ¡°You believed he would be the child of prophecy, didn¡¯t you?¡± Just like he believes of me.

    Jiraiya nodded without a word and Hiruzen sighed deeply, ¡°If this student of yours is happens to be the threat the Mizukage speaks of¡­well.¡± For once Minato saw deep confusion strewn across his predecessors features, he felt himself in the same boat, what were they to do if it turned out to be so.

    Minato shook himself of those thoughts and retrieved a blank scroll from his drawer. He tossed it at Jiraiya, ¡°Yagura¡¯s second message was written there, seals allowing it to be read only once. Maybe you can reverse it but fortunately I was paying attention. Yagura gave a specific time for our meeting to occur, a very odd one too.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Jiraiya asked, a little shrunk in his seat but grateful the conversation on his student had passed, at least for now.

    Minato crossed his fingers, his eyes steeled as he said, ¡°Because he¡¯s using Kushina¡¯s pregnancy as a measurement stick.¡±

    Both Hiruzen and Jiraiya¡¯s mouths fell open. Minato had been the only person to read Yagura¡¯s second, intimately written message. He wasn¡¯t sure how much the Mizukage knew about himself, Kushina or Konoha but the instructions for when to meet were specific enough to know Yagura knew more about this enemy than Minato himself.

    ¡°He insists any personal meeting we have should occur before Kushina¡¯s birth, he also warned that his precautions in delivering his message were absolutely necessary and that I might want to do the same.¡±

    Hiruzen frowned deeply, ¡°You mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s possible even the privy seals on this office may have been compromised, but I ensured to touch them up before this meeting.¡± Minato reassured the Third.

    ¡°Huh, I wondered what was different.¡± Jiraiya mused. ¡°But this¡­I want to say it could be a trap or a trick but¡­it feels too elaborate to be so. Especially after what Kinoto reported.¡±

    ¡°The attack on one of Yagura¡¯s councillors? Kinoto said he couldn¡¯t verify that information himself, it could be a deception.¡± Hiruzen said.

    Minato sighed, ¡°Perhaps, but then we¡¯re not the only one¡¯s Kinoto is reporting to. Danzo will investigate Amegakure and he will surely find your student if he is alive and the threat Yagura is warning us of.¡±

    Jiraiya shrugged, ¡°The Rinnegan is a powerful Dojutsu, even without my student ever setting foot in Kirigakure or slighting them, it makes sense why Kirigakure would feel threatened or why we would.¡±

    Hiruzen sighed but didn¡¯t say anything, seeming to have given up on convincing Jiraiya of the worldly perspective of things Minato was beginning to understand more intimately.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t been threatened, Jiraiya-sensei, we¡¯ve only been warned. A fair warning is warrant enough to investigate closely, especially when there might be some truth to it. If I knew the Rinnegan was in Amegakure I wouldn¡¯t have pushed Danzo into investigating it, I¡¯d have kept him close and far from that power because¡­well, you know.¡±

    Minato massaged his temples as he continued, ¡°This changes things now, drastically. You have to find this student of yours before Danzo does and I have to meet with the Mizukage before he acts on his own again.¡±

 Bargain in Tea Country

    After days of freely ransacking their own territory, the Samurai finally declared their incompetence in finding Baron Tetsuya especially in the aftermath of the battle that took place at his stronghold.

    Fang Squad had spared no pillars in their ¡®rescuing¡¯ of Baron Tetsuya and about half of the extravagant building had collapsed onto itself by the time they were done. But it was worth it all, I now had several Kumo shinobi in my custody along with the only other person besides Baron Watanabe that could have hired them.

    Going after Kumogakure for reparations will be easy this way, the proof was insurmountable and punishable. But first, all they knew of Kiri and Kumo needed to be extracted from their brains and so Fang Squad herded them back to Kirigakure so they can spend some quality time with Eiko.

    I sat at the bow of the ship with a small table hosting mine and Princess Hanako¡¯s tea. She was without her imposing Samurai guard this time and as she sipped and watched the waves trash I felt her waiting for an opportune moment to ask about Baron Tetsuya.

    For once, my mind was more or less empty of thoughts. The battles were done and though the Swordsmen¡¯s progress report on Tsurugashima and Baron Watanabe hadn¡¯t made its way to me yet, I trusted their ability enough to write off their mission as a success.

    In the moment I let myself relax, enjoy my tea and crackers and the sea breeze unstained by the scent of blood. It¡¯d been too long since I had a quiet, thoughtless moment like this, I needed to seek out peace more.

    Princess Hanako seemed to observe my rare zen and hesitated longer than I thought she would to speak and so I finished my tea, ate my last cracker and set my cup down to dust my fingers as I leaned back.

    There, her breath hitched, I looked over at her and raised a brow, forcing her to speak. She straightened, still yet to body her impromptu role of Daimyo¡¯s Envoy, ¡°Mizukage, I noticed we¡¯ve sailed past the defecting isles, it was my believe we were headed to convince them of the Daimyo¡¯s magnanimity.¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°There is no need for that. We have shown anyone close enough to observe this war of the extent of our¡­intent. The Tea Country is all that is left now. A sheep may stray into another shepherd¡¯s herd on its own but it is the responsibility of the shepherd to know which sheep is his and which isn¡¯t. The Land of Tea has been irresponsible.¡±

    Princess Hanako was taken aback at my response, ¡°Surely you don¡¯t intend to extend this war into the Land of Tea, I know they¡¯ve been¡­irresponsible as you say but bringing in another-¡±

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    I waved her words before she could assume more, ¡°No, no, I have no time for such, that¡¯s why you¡¯re here. An envoy of the Water Daimyo himself, his power speaks through you as much as it does through me. Together, visiting the Tea Daimyo to give a stern warning would be more than enough, unless you want your brothers stepped toes to go unanswered?¡±

    She bit her lip at that and fell silent. Of course not. She might not be experienced enough to see the need by herself but once it¡¯s pointed out, there¡¯s no arguing with me.

    ¡°Fine, I understand but let¡¯s not¡­threaten the Tea Daimyo in any way that may be perceived as an act of hostility.¡± She said causing me to roll my eyes.

    ¡°You arriving with the Mizukage is a hostile enough message I fear, Hanako-hime, some things are unavoidable.¡±

    Her narrowed eyes lingered on me for a moment, deciding whether she should offer the retort at the tip of her tongue or not, in the end she couldn¡¯t help it, ¡°Unavoidable is having my Samurai search for a man that had long been whisked off the island by Shinobi, you could have just told me you had Baron Tetsuya and we would have been making our way to the Tea Daimyo by now.¡±

    I turned my face away and yawned, ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, Princess.¡±

    ¡°Mizukage¡­¡±

    ¡°The Samurai confessed themselves, they were too late to intercept Tetsuya before he escaped.¡±

    ¡°No, no, they didn¡¯t see him escape, they assume he was taken. His villa is a wreck and I¡¯m told it¡¯s soaked in chakra. Shinobi were present.¡±

    I shrugged but didn¡¯t say anything at first. It was a thin line to walk between keeping Baron Tetsuya to myself, I needed him in my custody for a while longer at least.

    ¡°Rogue-nin often take advantage of the chaos of wars, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if-¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to lie to me, Mizukage, I know another Hidden Village was involved.¡± She smirked at the surprised reaction I failed to hide, ¡°I¡¯m not sure which Hidden Village but it¡¯s making an educated guess wouldn¡¯t be difficult. Besides, I think I¡¯ll have two tries at least before making a fool of myself.¡±

    Kumo or Konoha. I gritted my teeth behind a veil of calm and breathed softly, ¡°And then what? It¡¯s your word against mine, yours against theirs. Do you really think the culprits, if it is a Hidden Village, will so easily admit to their involvement?¡±

    She shook her head, still wearing that smirk that twinkled with a brilliant look in her eye, ¡°No, but it¡¯s not them I need on the hook now is it?¡±

    I snorted, partly amused and annoyed. I might have overlooked her cunning entirely, ¡°The same goes for me, dear Princess, what evidence do you have that I knew of another villages involvement? No, the better question is, what would you want out of this hook should it turn tangible?¡±

    Her eyes widened as did her smile, ¡°Now we¡¯re talking. For starters, I¡¯ll do the talking when we arrive at Tea Country, relations between Daimyo are more delicate than perhaps even Kage, and no Daimyo, small or large wants to be spoken down to.¡±

    ¡°And then?¡±

    She snapped open her fan and covered her giggling face, ¡°I¡¯m thinking.¡±

    This was unexpected but not unacceptable. A deal might be better than the stress of secrecy, she had better be even wiser than I think now.

 Bargain in Tea Country(P2)

    The Land of Tea was quite different from the Land of Water. For one there was more land than water, more vegetation, the sun shone vibrantly through screens of streams and pond, tossing refracted rainbows over the rows of farmland tea that gave the place its name.

    There were tea houses about every thousand steps, snuck in between the farmlands themselves and opposed by a scattering of homes, markets and bath houses making use of the natural hot springs.

    Princess Hanako and I didn¡¯t get to enjoy the sights so directly. Even though it was an impromptu meeting, the Princess of the Land of Water did not travel anywhere without a palanquin and in such fine company, neither did I.

    There was an unnecessary bit of ceremony and fanfare upon arriving to meet with the Tea Daimyo. An entire street in the capital was over taken by dancers, vendors, balloons filling up the air and an unending number of tea leaf scented candles.

    Princess as she was this celebratory greeting was more for Hanako¡¯s appetite than mine. She waved out the window of the palanquin, took what gifts of pearl and powder she could and blew kisses to the young ladies emulating her style so accurately.

    I wondered idly what life was like in her perspective for a moment, the fame of merely being born into power. The stress of being a role model, a paragon of virtues the masses would arbitrarily assign. She was a puppet of puppet and yet, as each howling singer sung by I couldn¡¯t wait to hear what she would ask of me.

    Dealing with the powers that be rather than challenging them all the time would be a weight off my shoulders, I was looking forward to keeping hold of Watanabe and Tetsuya as long as I wanted and Hanako¡¯s compliance would allow me to do that. Ordinarily, the Mizukage shouldn¡¯t be so brazen to seize the Daimyo¡¯s war goal, even if they¡¯ve been more or less condemned to death upon return.

    When the streets gave to the palace entry, a large courtyard at the top of a hill wide enough to host its own mini-festival, I broke the measured silence that had come between us since our last chat.

    ¡°Just ahead now, isn¡¯t he? Or do we still have more¡­greetings to go through?¡±

    Hanako chuckled, ¡°You will get used to it¡­in time, but yes, a couple more vanity to go through before the Daimyo will grace our presence. We did arrive rather abruptly; I¡¯m surprised he managed to pull off a welcome that large in the little time between our letters.¡±

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    ¡°What are you going to tell him?¡± I asked.

    She looked confused for a moment, ¡°Tell him? You said this was a warning no? The letters I sent ahead of us have already cleared all pleasantries, we¡¯ll just have to hit the hammer on the nail and well, he clearly has a lot to lose if¡­¡±

    I completed the thought for her, ¡°If he¡¯s so willing to butter us up even after being threatened.¡± It made sense he would. I don¡¯t think it was his fault those last two isles began to think for themselves and foolishly believed they could peel off of the Land of Water so easily.

    They would have their own visits in time but first, to cut off their escape. I shifted in the seat, the palanquin was right sized for me but the cushions left much to be desired.

    ¡°There¡¯s more you should tell him.¡± I said, narrowing a gaze at the Princess. Her lips curled into a frown almost immediately as she matched it.

    ¡°Greedy man aren¡¯t you, Mizukage?¡± She leaned against the edge, fist raised to cushion her cheek as she frowned at me, ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough that I¡¯ll keep my lips tight about Kirigakure¡¯s little¡­oversight over the past, I don¡¯t know, how long has the truth eluded you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t flinch at the leverage she was throwing in my face but my mind reflexively thought of several counterarguments to make it not my fault, not Kiri¡¯s fault. ¡®It was before my time¡¯, ¡®there was a world war we defended you from¡¯, ¡®the daimyo is just as accountable for spies and foreign manipulators¡¯.

    I used none of them as I inhaled, ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. I¡¯ve just won the Daimyo a war and corrected my predecessor¡¯s mistakes, better yet, I¡¯ve taken some land, whole two islands to be precise, for Kirigakure. I¡¯m the most powerful Mizukage in the history of the title, Hanako-hime, my value is immeasurable.¡±

    She sneered, ¡°All the more reason for me to remind you of your place, Mizukage.¡±

    I shrugged, ¡°Except you won¡¯t, will you? After all, if you¡¯re bargaining with me then there must be something being the Princess and Envoy of the Water Daimyo cannot afford you. Something only, I can provide, you¡¯re not going to let this opportunity glance you by, not even if I ask for one more greedy thing.¡±

    The Princess pursed her lips and they glossed lusciously against the rays slitting past the curtains. She was silent for a while, her eyes never leaving mine as the palanquin rocked and rode further into the Daimyo¡¯s palace.

    It came to a stop before she blinked, inhaled and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    I tried not to let my smirk burst into a grin as I leaned onto the door, ready to step out and meet the arranged servers and yet another diplomat sent to greet us, ¡°I want revenue. Those isles had a good idea buddying up with Tea Country. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll do it, envoy, but I want the Tea Daimyo ringing my office up every time he needs a shinobi.¡±

    She loosened up enough to smile back, ¡°And do you know what I want? Are you capable of giving it?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you the first time? I¡¯m the most powerful Mizukage in history, Princess.¡±

    She shifted closer than we¡¯ve been since the tournaments her breath on my cheek as she said, ¡°Good, because this deal is all or nothing and I want Yureisen.¡±

 The Tea Daimyo

    "Hanako-chan~~!" The Tea Daimyo was a short¡ªnot as short as me¡ª beer bellied middle aged man drowning in regalia of jewels, rings and the one gold piercing on his lower lip. He grinned widely as he swept Princess Hanako up in a bear hug she squealed at.

    "AHh! That''s enough!" her fists drummed lightly against his head, knocking the gold embroiled green cap off his head as her feet flailed for the ground.

    They separated and the Daimyo''s escorts, plain-faced attendants¡ª but really poorly disguised shinobi hired to protect him¡ª helped pick up the cap. The Princess flushed as she peaked over her shoulder at me, "He''s-"

    "My Fumi misses you dearly, Hanako-chan! When will you come play with her next? I can''t promise she''ll be as cute as she is now." The Daimyo set his cap right as he tuts, "Children nowadays, growing like bean stalks I tell you!"

    There was nothing in my memory telling of the relations between Daimyo''s, not even in the precognitive memories I inherited. For once, I didn''t know how or who went with the other.

    I stepped out of Princess Hanako''s side and presented myself. I wasn''t close to being in full regalia but neither was the Tea Daimyo, I had settled for a little combination of duty and comfort, sticking with my haori, regular mesh armour gear underneath and my most important scarf.

    "Hello, I am the Fourth Mizukage, it''s nice to meet you well and in person, Daimyo-dono." I set out my hand for a handshake and oddly, the Daimyo breathed a deep sigh of relief as he snatched it.

    "Oh, goodness! That''s good to hear! I thought you would be the man to steal my Hanako-chan''s heart." There was a genuine relief in his voice that I wanted to crush by backtracking and accepting the Princess'' proposal a month ago, but the lecherous gleam in his eye as he sized her up and down told me their relationship didn''t need any help from me.

    He''s quite old too, but I suppose there''s no royal man off the table once it comes to marriage. Hanako squirmed under his gaze and his attendants behind him watched my reaction to his sudden invasion of my private space closely.

    I smiled thinly and extricated my hand from his perfumed palms, wincing at the tingle in my nose. "Perhaps in another life I would be the one with that honour, for now, I am most grateful you deigned to meet us so unexpectedly, we should have given earlier notice."

    Half-truths and lies. I took in the bright lit hall of the Tea Daimyo''s palace; I hadn''t been to that many extravagant places outside of Kirigakure but this easily met my expectations.

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    It was rectangular with three open exits and a tall ceiling where scented lanterns hung, illuminating and aromatizing the atmosphere. A shame Ao can''t come in to experience it. The ceiling itself had some kind of scribbled wood, like the multiple pillars holding up the place dripped onto it to form a wood milky sea with green islands circling the main lantern.

    There were paintings and haiku''s framed at the walls, specifically behind the elevated position where the Daimyo would sit and address his guests. Pillows rather than chairs, I tried not to mind but given my inherited preferences it was difficult not to frown a bit.

    "Ah, I understand the nature of these things more than you know, Mizukage-sama." He moved with a flourish, walking over to sit at his elevated spot while his attendants/guards readied the teapots that seemed to be brewing long before we walked in.

    The Tea Daimyo sat, flashed a grin at Hanako-hime who smiled back, "Now then, how does the Land of Water fair? Both Kage and Princess have paid me an unexpected visit, I must admit, I am intrigued."

    Again, I had to subdue a frown. I understood that the Daimyo''s and Kage''s were a transactional, balancing act of a relationship but I genuinely thought the Tea Daimyo would hold some¡­respectable amount of fear at my presence.

    He looked between the two of us and I nodded at the Princess, letting her carry out the talks. It seemed he favoured her anyhow.

    "It''s about¡­"

    Important as the meeting with the Tea Daimyo was, I let their words trail off in the back as my thoughts returned to the Princess''s audacious demand¡ª Yureisen.

    The island, last I read, was liberated from the plague of Bloodline Killing nobles at my orders. The noble in question was likely waiting in a cell right alongside Watanabe, Tetsuya and the Kumo goons they hired.

    But more than that, it was my original intent to allow the Funato and Hozuki clans rule over Yureisen and Midoriwara once the war was over and the rebuilding begun. Which happens to be¡­now.

    "But you must understand, Daimyo-dono, there are precedents you must set for¡­"

    I nodded along with what the Princess was saying, no doubt I could rely on her to drive the point that neither I nor the Daimyo would allow the Land of Tea to swallow our islands, loyal ruling nobles or not. But I bit my lip in thought, what could she want out of ruling an island herself?

    The more I thought about it, the more I recognized that my original plans need not be put aside. I couldn''t allow either Funato or Hozuki to grow beyond Kiri itself, in either power or political standing. In that case there is some merit to placing her as a¡­custodian? Interim baron?

    I shook my head, resigning to come up with a name for the position once I had a greater understanding of her goals. Still, I lamented I didn''t have Raiga or his informant on the Princess, Jin, to fill me in on her thinking.

    I''ve been away too long.

    "Not long enough." Isobu rumbled within, allowing me a small smile, "Take this opportunity there might not be many others."

    Opportunity to what?

    "Don''t tell me you need an informant to tell you what she is thinking? There is ample time, space and reason to discuss in detail."

    I chewed my cheek. Isobu was right, as always, there was no need to speculate to nothing, I merely need ask, control the narrative and negotiation as I have in the past.

    At that thought I cleared my throat and joined in on the conversation at last, "Daimyo-dono, I believe what the Land of Water is asking is not only fair but just. Perhaps you understood my predecessor more than I but for the sake of coming to favourable terms against the lands in contention, I will describe myself as willing to ensure the peace of mind of my Daimyo."

    The Tea Daimyo returned a tight smile back as he and his attendant-guards shifted uncomfortably at my fixed gaze, "I see¡­of course, yes." He swallowed thickly and hesitated to sip his tea but once he did, "I''m sure we can come to a greater understanding, precise and uh¡­just as you say."

    "Good, I expect nothing less but for now, I believe we''ve discussed enough. The Princess is a resilient Envoy of our Daimyo but weariness from a long journey at sea is no good for her beauty. How about a recess, we''ll pick this up tomorrow?"

 Lust for Power

    ¡°Goodnight Ao.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight, Yagura-sama. I¡¯ll be sleeping light as always.¡± Said my Byakugan wielding bodyguard. I nodded, thanked him and shut the door.

    I yawned at the bedroom large enough to be my office back home and sluggishly sat over at the red cushion next to the broad open window. The soft breeze of it reminded me so much of my first months in this world, even the quite herbal teas made available for brewing.

    I contemplated putting a cup on before deciding against it. After we¡¯d taken recess from preliminary discussions with the Tea Daimyo, he¡¯d been a gracious enough host to provide us with a tour of his palace, introduce me to his granddaughter Fumi, who was most ecstatic to be reunited with Princess Hanako.

    They played, the Daimyo and I found little to talk about between the festive meals he¡¯d prepared for us and afterwards engaged me in a friendly match of archery. I let him win a couple out of respect but otherwise the Daimyo was a fair marksman.

    By the time I knew it, I¡¯d barely gotten a couple words and knowing glances at Hanako before it was time to retire, despite the point of the recess being to speak to her on the side. It was alright though, I yawned and broadened the window¡¯s opening as I leaned out on it, stare down at the city nibbling at the palaces¡¯ walls.

    There was still a festive mood down there courtesy of our visit but it felt lacklustre, like it wasn¡¯t a true celebration. Impromptu or not, I believed every living human would jump at the chance to sell, buy and celebrate at a festival.

    There was hardly any music either. As I began wondering what was truly going on in the Land of Tea I shook my head clear of the speculations, true or not they didn¡¯t matter to me. Not in the long or short run. There was little I could do for them and my priorities were to extract as much use as I could from them.

    Another reason I wish we spoke. Hanako-hime was handling her fellow royal well without my needing to interfere directly, but he¡¯s handling her just as well. She was inexperienced enough to see a compromise as a good deal and I couldn¡¯t let her ignorance go unaddressed. Land of Tea must rescind their claim on the islands and have Kirigakure as its preferred shinobi force.

    The Land was peaceful even though there was the underlining of common struggles soon to exacerbated, they didn¡¯t have a shinobi village but they certainly had a population seeking shinobi aid. Whether civilian or royal.

    They¡¯ve been neutral for the longest of times but it¡¯s clear they¡¯ve favoured the Land of Fire and Konoha when it comes to hiring shinobi. That needed to change and the Tea Daimyo¡¯s unintentional slight against the Water Daimyo was what Hanako-hime needed to use to make it happen.

    Beyond that there was¡ª A knock came at the door, drawing me away from my sleepy thoughts and the windy breeze. I thought for a split second it was Ao come to check in on me for whatever paranoid reason but I quickly discerned it was a civilian behind the door.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    The door swung open and there was the Princess in a silk, cream-pink nightgown that stopped over her knees. The bulk of luscious hair I knew her for was greatly reduced and for the first time I realized it¡¯d been part of the make-up she wore as her station demanded.

    Her true length fell down over her shoulder but not any further, her face was pale as was the rest of her porcelain skin, all enunciating the pulp pink of her lips. Not make-up. The wind blew past me from the window and she shivered, lashes blinking rapidly in sudden dismay as she pressed her hands down on the gown.

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    I shut the windows as I spoke, ¡°Hey¡­what are you doing here?¡± I turned and found her giving me an unsure look. ¡°Right, come sit, we¡¯ll talk.¡±

    ¡°Forgetting all your schemes at the mere sight are you?¡±

    Shuussh.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know you meant for us to discuss in detail but¡­Fumi-chan is such a dear, I couldn¡¯t leave her until she¡¯d gotten her fill of me.¡± Hanako said, her smile pleasant and apologetic. She blinked at me, then at herself as she sat with a pillow over her lap, slightly pressed against her chest, ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t come presentable, the attendants are stalking my every move. I had to sneak out her from the bathroom.¡±

    She gave a sheepish smile at that explanation and I shook my head, ¡°No, no, I understand. I should have extricated myself from the Daimyo earlier as well but¡­he¡¯s a demanding man.¡±

    He was quite comfortable in the power his title allowed him, he seemed kind but I knew he was as shrewd as any of my councillors. I sat opposite the tea table with a pillow of my own, ¡°So¡­what are you hoping to accomplish with the next discussion, I felt it necessary to remind you that Kiri has some stake in these deals, indirect as it may be.¡±

    Hanako nodded knowingly, her hair bounced unhindered with her, ¡°I¡¯ll get you your priority contracts, S, A and B-rank missions will go to Kirigakure for a term. The Daimyo and I might be friendly but that¡¯s only because of past relations with¡­my father. Things aren¡¯t as good with brother on the throne but¡­perhaps this will help.¡±

    I doubt it will¡­

    ¡°Alright then, it¡¯s good to know we¡¯re on the same page.¡± I nodded, satisfied to see my worries were misplaced. She¡¯s more competent than I thought.

    Her eyes narrowed, the darkened lines around them made her look like a predator, ¡°That¡¯s one page. How about the other?¡±

    I snorted, ¡°I have to say, I¡¯m having trouble pinning down exactly what you hope to accomplish with this. You realize I may have already made promises with that island, yes?¡±

    She drew her feet up from the slippers, folding them in the rather large chair she was swimming in and said, ¡°Power, of course. What else could I wish to accomplish? Deals are made and renegotiated all the time and really, if you wish to see the betterment of that island and it¡¯s people there¡¯s no better choice than an actual royal.¡±

    I raised a brow at that, ¡°You truly wish to rule?¡± I chuckled when her determined gaze didn¡¯t falter, ¡°I don¡¯t know about a royal being the better choice, the entire country has been yours, your father-¡±

    ¡°I know more about him¡­and his crimes against our people than you do, Mizukage.¡± She bit her lip and turned her gaze to the window, ¡°I know more than you think and I am capable of more. I am not asking so much that you disband the base you want to build, no, I¡¯m reminding you that it might see better results with me in charge of the entire island than you as it¡¯s far flung administrative despot.¡±

    I rolled my eyes, ¡°You can¡¯t resist throwing jabs at me even when you¡¯re asking for something can you?¡±

    She shrugged but there was the slightest smile on her sadden features, ¡°It helps that it¡¯s the truth. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re giving yourself too much to juggle at once? The mainland, Yureisen and Midoriwara, not to talk of all the espionage you shinobi get up to. Unless you intend to leave Kumogakure¡¯s slights against us go unanswered?¡±

    I must have let my surprise slip because she laughed, ¡°So it is Kumogakure then? I just had a strong guess.¡±

    I pursed my lips and narrowed down at her, ¡°You are playing a dangerous game here, Princess. The persons I intend to place in charge of that base-¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dare touch a hair on my head or go against me without your direct approval.¡± She didn¡¯t flinch away from me, ¡°I know you Kage keep a tight leash on your subordinates, I know this is no different and in fact, I¡¯m willing to monitor them on your behalf, like I said, you have other concerns to tend to, don¡¯t you?¡±

    I did indeed. Senjutsu had yet to come to fruition and Kumo had yet to be answered. Not to mention¡­Konoha.

    I blinked, breathed in deep and smiled, ¡°Alright, but there¡¯s something you should know will be dependent on this ever happening.¡±

    Her eyes lit up, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°There will be times I¡¯ll need you to hand over prisoners, death row, at least two-hundreds of them at a time.¡±

    That spark died in an instant, ¡°W-what do you want to do with them? Why even¡­why?¡±

    I leaned forward and threw her words back at her, ¡°Power, of course.¡±

 Detour

    I left Tea Country for Midoriwara the next morning, leaving the Princess to handle negotiations with the Tea Daimyo. I trusted her to safeguard the interests of Kirigakure but if that failed I trusted she¡¯d safeguard her own vested interests.

    The journey to Midoriwara was smooth, the Tea Daimyo had been generous enough to lend one of his ships and even some of his guards, though I rejected the latter, the former was vital as Princess Hanako would return back to the Land of Water capitol on the ship we travelled in.

    It took less than two days cruising between islands for the Tea Daimyo¡¯s fine ship to make port at Midoriwara. My visiting presence on the volcanically active island was more of a detour than anything else. I would check up on what Rina Hozuki had accomplished with the Nettou Clan she¡¯d discovered and saved from Kumogakure, get her direct report on the incident and return home to deal with the many, many prisoners I now had under lock and key.

    ¡°Welcome to Midoriwara, Mizukage-sama.¡± A Chuunin under Rina¡¯s command greeted once Ao and I disembarked. I could tell at first glance she was from the Funato clan, the shade of her hair and the extra uneasy as she bowed, or was that tiredness?

    ¡°Where is Chuunin Rina Hozuki? She should be here to receive Yagura-sama.¡± Ao demanded, as I looked around the port that had been hastily repaired.

    I¡¯d read on Rina¡¯s report intently, mostly because of the involvement of foreign shinobi but I recall well enough the details of it. She did good, real good. Needless to say I was impressed and grateful for what she¡¯d achieved with a team that was merely meant to be a ceremony to remind Lady Megumi who controlled whose destinies.

    Turned out far better than either of us thought but now Megumi will never stop thinking her clan most proficient of all others.

    ¡°Captain is working with the village head and Jounin Terumi, the Nettou clan has-¡±

    ¡°What was that? Mei is here?¡± I asked, cutting the nervous Chuunin off.

    ¡°Yes sir, arrived soon after we wrapped up our rescue operations.¡±

    Ao and I shared a look, ¡°Alright, take me to them.¡±

    The Chuunin rose, turned swiftly and marched off at an uncertain pace. I shook my head and sped up into a comfortable sprint for her sake. I¡¯d been cooped up so much in the office I rarely got a chance to mingle with my shinobi, I couldn¡¯t blame the Funato Chuunin for being unsure of herself around me, especially when it¡¯s little secret their clan headed the blood cost of this war.

    All this awkwardness should change soon. I thought as we sprinted through the colourful thicket of Midoriwara¡¯s vegetation. It was a beautiful place full of natural hot spots, geysers and of course, a volcano off in the distance.

    My thoughts quickly shifted back to Mei. I hadn¡¯t assigned her any tasks or duties since she¡¯d returned from Amegakure, she wasn¡¯t needed for the war, it was overkill enough to deploy the entirety of the current Swordsmen rather than able divisions of Chuunin under one or three reliable Jounin.

    But I wasn¡¯t thinking so much of restraint as much as I was getting the job done as swiftly as possible. Still, that begged the question, what was Mei doing out of the village? And on Midoriwara of all places too?

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    The answer came as quickly as I asked and I almost felt like smacking myself upside the head for not seeing it right away. Bloodlines, the Nettou Clan share a Bloodline ability with her.

    [Boil Release] was one of Mei¡¯s strongest weapon, a terrifying technique that didn¡¯t care to discriminate between friend or foe in battle, much the same with her [Lava Release].

    We arrived at the village in short time and found the village in an upheaval of work. Men, women and even children aplenty were up and down the place. Sorting through piles of rubble and organizing remoulded brick chunks for bricklayers.

    The village seemed to be going through a downward expansion, specifically toward the site of a past landslide where trodden homes had been buried underneath mounds of earth. There was a downward path leading into the new extension, several ladders for up and down movement of pails of water or cement mixture.

    All in all, the quiet hamlet Rina had described in her report was bustling more than I¡¯d imagined. Mei¡¯s handiwork I¡¯m sure.

    The Chuunin led the way into the village and few of the workers stopped what they were doing to acknowledge my presence. Some part of me doubted they understood the significance of the haori and hat I wore but then there was the glitter of amazement and childlike awe in some of the younger men, right alongside the twitch of fear in the older ones.

    ¡°This construction¡­I presume it¡¯s all to accommodate the Nettou clan?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± The Chuunin answered, ¡°Rina-taicho alone was a convincing force for the effort but once Jounin Terumi arrived, her [Earth Release] quickly motivated the villagers to the potential, though not more than her words on the value of a clan like the Nettou.¡±

    I hummed at that, sharing another look with Ao who bore a slight smile now, ¡°You sound inspired.¡±

    The Chuunin blushed, ¡°A bit. I..,um, I helped save the Nettou clan from Kumo-nin but it¡¯d just been a mission for me until¡­I think Terumi-san is right, the Nettou deserve a place, a safe one, a home like any other.¡±

    I raised a brow at her words. I hadn¡¯t expected such from a Funato but I supposed that was simply the effect a person like Mei Terumi had. I nodded, ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡±

    We walked some more down the dusty road, few buildings ran parallel between us and ahead was clearly the village¡¯s town hall. There stood a company of men with one standing out in particular as he watched us approach. At a certain distance he stepped away and walked forward with his entourage.

    ¡°We greet you a fair welcome to Tauyi village, great Mizukage.¡± The old man made a show of bowing past his own walking stick and the men behind him followed suit. ¡°Forgive our indecencies, we were not expecting such an honourable guest.¡±

    ¡°Think nothing of it. I¡¯m here for a short time.¡± Over my shoulder I asked the Chuunin, ¡°Where are those two?¡±

    Before she could answer the paper doors slid open with a slam as Rina spilled out of the town hall, breathless, eyes wide and hair a mess over her face. She found me instantly and hurriedly straightened herself as she marched over to kneel.

    ¡°Mizukage-sama.¡±

    I found myself smiling down at her, fully pleased to see her once again, ¡°Rina, it¡¯s good to see you. I thought I¡¯d stop by to hear your report; I see things have progressed at an exciting rate though. Well done.¡±

    I didn¡¯t miss the blush flash on her cheeks as she rose and tucked a loose strand of blue locks behind her ear, ¡°Thank you, sir. It¡¯s been a group effort.¡±

    ¡°Ah..yes, yes it has been.¡± The village head interjected a bit too eagerly. I wondered about that as Rina¡¯s smile turned to a scowl in a flash.

    Without allowing him to speak another word I ordered Ao, ¡°Go find Mei would you? I¡¯m sure she¡¯d welcome your familiar face in all this¡­effort.¡± Ao bowed shortly and vanished as I turned my attention to Rina, ¡°Come, let¡¯s take a walk, let the village prepare the hall while we stroll. Chuunin Funato, you may assist.¡±

    I needn¡¯t say it directly but the old man that led the village got the message loud and clear. Rina¡¯s mood perked up a bit and we left the village head and his entourage to prepare for whatever they will as we strolled further along the cliff side.

    Once we were sufficiently far away I said, ¡°I really am glad to see you again, Rina, but business before pleasure. What was that all about?¡±

 Detour(P2)

    ¡°It''s nothing, Yagura-sama.¡± Rina said rather quickly, her hands clasped together behind her back as we walked further away from the village and into the mountainous cliff.

    It was a brilliant view even from the base. And despite the chaos of the Tauyi village expansion, Midoriwara was a tropical beauty to behold. Periodic plumes of smoke and steam confused the sky with rainbows as sunlight pierced the humid air.

    It was hotter than I was used to on the mainland, enough that my scarf felt like a sweltering leash I had to loosen and we climbed. Rina seemed otherwise unbothered. At first glance anyone would credit her imperviousness to the short sleeved undershirt and baggy shinobi shorts but I knew Hozuki clan members enjoyed an almost unconscious temperature regulation as an aftereffect of training their [Hiden].

    ¡°If you pay him too much attention he''ll start making demands larger than he''s worth. Mei-taicho and I have compromised enough, your influence isn''t needed here.¡± she clarified with a smile.

    I nodded, glad to hear it wasn''t anything worth my attention. Though my interest was piqued, ¡°Mei, what did she promise them? What was reason was there to promise anything?¡±

    She stared at her feet, her smile became a little more strain and sheepish as she kicked at a convenient rock in her path, ¡°I wasn''t in the best position to keep the Nettou clan at Tauyi village after the rescue operation. Fuguki-taicho had ordered the villagers to be accommodating but¡­hospitality is given not taken.

    ¡°I knew it wouldn''t take long for problems to arise. Tauyi itself was barely standing on its own and they''d already been generous with the hospitality the first time around, before the Kumo-nin chased the Nettou clan into the forests.¡±

    I nodded as I listened to her, ¡°You could sympathise with both sides. Good.¡±

    At my fair bit of praise she straighten up a bit as she continued, ¡°Yes, but I didn''t know how to solve it and frankly I wasn''t sure I was the one to. I was right. Mei-San came by not long after and she, well she might have taken to the collective plight a bit too intently and she managed to convince the villagers to work by her personal compensation.

    ¡°Not only that, she''s been the one leading the construction efforts. The one thing both Tauyi and the Nettou clan need is space. And she''s building it all with her clan funds, or at least I think she is.¡±

    Mei pinching from her inheritance to help shelter and feed a long prosecuted clan sounded much like her. It gladdened me to see I was alone in this, even though I wasn''t made aware of her actions beforehand.

    I had drawn up some vague plans for any Bloodline clan Rina manage to find, if any, when I first gave her the mission. Those plans generally aligned with the idea that they''d be living at the new base sites on Midoriwara and Yureisen when they got to building. However, Mei''s initiative might force me to reconsider entirely.

    I sidestepped the administrative lull of those thoughts and said to Rina as I caught her stealing glances, ¡°Don''t sell yourself short, Rina. Without you, without your teams efforts here there would be no preservation or expansion. There would only be mourning.¡±

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    We stopped climbing as we reached a peak. It was a small but dangerous drop down to Tauyi from here but the sprawl of vegetation, the scamper of wildlife at our approach and the perfumed aroma of the shrubbery dispersed by a nearby geyser made watching the sun beginning to set a luxurious view to die for.

    ¡°Thank you, Yagura-sama. It means a lot coming from you. I just hate that my I failed to protect my subordinate on their first mission with me.¡±

    I quickly recalled the casualty she''d recorded in her report. A clan less boy, Sakai. Once again it gladdened me to see the clanless Kiri-nin be appreciated, even if it is in death. But that had next to nothing to do with how she was feeling right now, I knew well enough, first hand war experience losing many of my division to Leaf-nin.

    Yet, at the same time I felt a cold stoicism over my heart as I recalled the memory of their loss. Even before I''d become one with Jason there was a strategic detachment to their losses. I couldn''t say whether I''d intellectualized it, found something else to blame so I could live on with myself.

    No, I remember. I threw myself into the bonfire for strength greater than what I felt I could accomplish on my own. I volunteered to be a jinchuriki.

    Rina''s situation and her attitude was similar, at first glance I could tell she had the potential to be just as reckless. ¡°I understand what it feels like to think yourself responsible for every life entrusted to your care. However, we are shinobi. Those fallen in this war, in others, they did not rise because they thought themselves undying. The longevity of our village relies on the selfless acts of loyalty and the pursuit of greater honor for all amongst us. Thanks to Sakai, thanks to Team Rina, another clan, another land has been won for the future generations.¡±

    I rested a hand on her slackened shoulder, ¡°That said, I am the one who sent him to war. His death and many others however they occurred are mine to bear, first and foremost.¡±

    She smiled, grateful for the comfort but I knew deep down my words failed to penetrate the cocoon of guilt she''d begun to entrap her heart in. ¡°Thank you for saying so, Yagura-sama.¡±

    I waved her off, ¡°Nana Megumi is proud and so am I.¡±

    She beamed at that, fog seemingly lifted. She made to ask something but stopped at the sound of approaching voices. I recognized one as Ao and as he chattered and laughed up the cliff to us another voice spoke. Cherry, smooth, seductive.

    Mei, Ao and a cloaked ANBU-bin with a menacing fanged mask appeared over the incline. Mei was dressed much the same as Rina except she had trousers rolled up to her knees, feet, ankles and parts of her face slick with mud as she laughed alongside Ao.

    Her striking red eyes found me with a smirk curling her lips, ¡°Yagura-sama!¡± she hopped and skipped, ¡°Kurohane is such a stick in the mud. Refuses to trust your bodyguard with a message meant for you.¡± she rolled her eyes at the otherwise unbothered cloaked ANBU-nin.

    Ao chuckled and Rina hung around Mei whispering something. ¡°Hurtful as the implication may be, I believe Kurohane does have a pressing message to deliver. He''s been searching the isles for us apparently.¡± Ao said, approaching with the ANBU-nin, distracting me from Mei''s playfulness as she rubbed herself clean of mud with Tina''s unwilling cheeks.

    I sighed and nodded for the ANBU-nin to come forward. He knelt and with my attention on him I recognized his mask as one from Raiga¡¯s Fang Squadron.

    ¡°Kiba sent you?¡±

    Amazingly he shook his head, ¡°Junichi, your personal aide tasked me with delivering this. He insisted that you be the first and only one to receive it.¡±

    Kurohane presented me with a scroll small and short of length to hold a brief message. I unfurled it and read, there were only two sentences but they completely pulled my attention away from Mei''s presence.

    ¡®Yondaime Hokage sent a single envoy. I believe Konoha is ready.¡¯

 Detour(P3)

    By the time I had set aside Junichi''s message and the flurry of thoughts it inspired, Rina had excused herself and Mei was sharing a look with Ao that made him stand awkwardly between us.

    ¡°It''s alright, Ao. Do as she says.¡± I said, nodding when he did a double take. I turned to Kurohane who still knelt at my side, ¡°You too. I''ll return to Kiri soon so accompany Ao for now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Kurohane vanished in a burst of water but Ao, who he would accompany, still lingered, unsure about leaving me especially since it mostly seemed like Mei''s idea.

    ¡°Begone Ao, quickly.¡± I said with a fierce finality. This got him moving, walking rather than using shunshin to make himself scarce as Mei all but grinned to his dismissal.

    I shook my head at their friendship but allowed their playfulness to be for a moment longer as Ao scowled up at her as he left and Mei stifled a giggle as she waved him away.

    Eventually, despite Ao¡¯s slowness, Mei and I were the only ones left on the cliff top. The sun had truly set now and the night was just over the glittering red horizon.

    Mei, still a bit covered in mud though she''d passed off most of her dirt onto Rina, stood by my side.

    ¡°Thank you. The Nettou clan truly needs a benefactor, though I didn''t expect it to be you.¡± I said, breaking the silence before it set in.

    Mei shrugged, ¡°I''d do anything in my power to help Bloodline wielders. They''re innocent in all this bloodshed.¡±

    I nodded and hummed in agreement, ¡°Rina says you''re going quite the length on their behalf. Something about clan funds?¡±

    Again she shrugged, we were both staring out at Tauyi village below as the workers rounded up for the day, stores opened up to serve hot meals and what few streetlights flickered to illuminate the village''s main path.

    ¡°It''s been lying around, I''ve had no use for it since¡­¡± she let out a heavy sigh I sympathised with as she pushed away thoughts of her passed family, ¡°This is the only way I could think of, I''ll empty the coffers if it means the Nettou never have to live under threat again but they aren''t the only ones who need my money and help.¡±

    She gave me a meaningful look as she said this. My lips parted to answer but she''d already begun talking again and with a noticeably harsher tone than before. ¡°The low caste still needs someone to protect them, Yagura. And I can''t be that person because your pricy council remains paranoid of us, of me.¡±

    I expected we''d be talking about the low caste and the system of oppression that kept them loyal and afraid of the main caste clans sooner rather than later. Mei herself was placed amongst the low caste though her power, riches and prestige as a shinobi afforded her privileges many others in the same category would never experience¡­unless, of course, the Mizukage did something.

    But even now, with her eyes narrowed with barely concealed disappointment I knew I''d have to disappoint her and the low caste agenda once more. The situation with the caste system, changing such a core of Kirigakure''s identity would require my fullest attention as I''d be upsetting every single one of the main caste clans. Including my own and even some of the mid caste that had more or less become satiated puppets of the main caste.

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    And yet, as my tenure grew in age and accomplishments I knew my time as a free man was counting down. Even if I began the work to restructure Kirigakure''s caste now, there was a good chance I''d never get to complete it if I didn''t deal with Konoha''s rogues first.

    I need to snuff Zetsu from between my walls first, Mei.

    She sighed at my silence and said, ¡°I''m sorry. I shouldn''t come at you like that. I just thought we''d be working towards making Kirigakure a fairer village for everyone¡­like we promised.¡± she ran her fingers through her hair and fell to a squat beside me, ¡°You''ve already done so much good for Bloodline wielders both in and without the village. And even though I know you have some other agenda to it, I am grateful.¡±

    I had to laugh at the all too true accusation. I sat down beside her, the sky had sufficiently darkened and besides the light from Tauyi only the fireflies that had come out illuminated our faces.

    ¡°You''re right as always, Mei. As a Kage, it''s difficult to do good things out of an altruistic heart. There must be some benefit for the village, whether in the future or right now. Unfortunately, the same sad logic applies to the low caste but¡­more than anything, what stays my hand are the threats to Kirigakure. You know them well, don''t you?¡±

    She seemed lost for a split second before understanding dawned on her, ¡°Amegakure wouldn''t dare. They couldn''t even reach us if¡­could they?¡±

    ¡°You''re the one who brought the news to me, Mei. Their Angel pursued you through borders and captured your partner. Their so called God could be willing to go a step further.¡±

    Her arms drew her legs to her chest as she thought, ¡°Is that why we''re taking over two islands? Why you pardoned the Kaguya and spared the Yuki despite everyone wanting otherwise?¡±

    ¡°Not everyone wanted otherwise, I''d like to think we''re not alone in our compassion. But yes. The strength of Bloodlines will be pivotal in the coming years¡­perhaps months.¡±

    Mei narrowed a nervous gaze at me, ¡°You know more about this God and Angel that I told you, don''t you? That''s why you''ve been¡­I fought the Angel, she isn''t strong enough to trouble Kiri this much.¡±

    ¡°And their god?¡± I asked, allowing her to come to her own conclusions.

    ¡°Hanzou''s men were terrified of him, the idea of him. They all but begged for us to help them fight him but¡­they didn''t¡­I don''t think they expected to be victorious, even if we helped them. I think they just wanted to die fighting for Hanzou''s Amegakure.¡±

    I nodded, ¡°I think so too. This god of Amegakure killed Hanzou and I believe he might have had a hand at killing Sandaime-sama, even though we have no proof of it.¡±

    Mei shook her head, ¡°Push and Pull, Nullification, and Summoning. That was the tip I got on the so called pantheon of six gods. I''m not sure to what extent these ¡®domains¡¯ hold true but there are meant to be three more. All falling under one god and purpose. It''s possible¡­¡±

    While Pein hadn''t killed the Sandaime I''d continue to use his exist as a shepherding staff to show my subordinates where the threats lie. It was a harmless falsehood that only stood to our benefit.

    ¡°If Nullification means this ¡®God¡¯ is capable of nullifying jutsu, I can see how he could have gotten away with murdering Sandaime-sama without anyone knowing.¡± I sighed and shook my head, ¡°But enough speculation for now, the future is hopeful, the Daimyo''s foolish war is at an end and the age of Bloodline massacres is over. Kirigakure and the Land of Water can only grow from here.¡±

    She gave a soft smile though I could tell our brief contemplations had unsettled her. As it would anyone. ¡°Don''t worry, Mei. Yondaime Hokage and I have a vested interest in uncovering this mystery, I''ll be meeting with him soon to discuss next steps. I promise, once this is over the low caste will be liberated.¡±

    Her eyes had gone wide at the mention of the Hokage, ¡°Should I come with you?¡±

    I shook my head as I stood, taking off my haori and placing my hat on its neat fold. ¡°No, you¡¯re doing the right thing helping out here. In fact, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here already but you can help me some other way.¡± I fell into the traditional Kirigakure kata and watched her smile blossom.

    She leaped and matched it with her adapted form, ¡°With pleasure, Mizukage-sama.¡±

 A Day or Two for a Friend

    Eager as we were to spare, Mei brought up the fair point that Tauyi was a tad too close for us to truly do anything more than tame Taijutsu. And so we moved further up the cliff and into the mess of the jungle in search of suitable sparring grounds. Midoriwara was a tropical wonderland, quite mountainous and full of exotic plant life. Neither one of us wanted to damage too much. The Nettou clan, Tauyi village more specifically, would come to rely on the resources closest to them as they grew.

    In the end we had to settle near the top of a mountain, the land was rugged and uneven, chequered by pockets of steam geysers few as they were now that we stood at higher altitudes but at least the vegetation was sparse.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Mei asked, standing around fifteen feet away with her hands on her hips and an eager smile on her lips.

    ¡°You¡¯re about to face your Mizukage, are you?¡±

    She laughed and set her left foot out, centre of gravity lowered and left hand raised in a half seal. I matched her form, recalling the fateful night some seven months ago that could have led to us having this spar much earlier. If she dared to throw her hat in the ring back then, would I have become Mizukage?

    Then Jason was all I was, full of indecision, fear, and an unfounded arrogance¡ª an unknown variable with a Tailed-Beast. Perhaps the outcome would have remained the same, Mei might have simply made things more interesting, after all, if there was one good thing about Jason¡¯s mind then, it was his dedication to not becoming a puppet, to not becoming a victim.

    That hasn¡¯t changed, not one bit.

    ¡°Come!¡±

    Mei obliged, she dashed forward, moving with the grace of a flowing stream as she closed the gap between us in nearly an instant. Her hands were a blur as she struck out at me with precision. I caught each of her blows in a fanciful show of strength, not shifting from the spot where I began. She threw a kick at my chin as she backflipped, forcing me to lean back as she made distance once more.

    I smirked, raised a brow at her as her sharp green eyes studied me intently for all but a second before dashing out in a zigzag pattern. I readied to counter her flurry this time but was pleasantly surprised when she did away with the preamble.

    As her fist travelled to my jaw I caught the unmistakable tell of Water Nature Transformation, a trail of water manifested behind her elbow and would¡¯ve whipped me in the face had I not ducked under. I kicked at her torso in response but she ate the blow, using it to her favour in fact as she seemingly emptied her stomach of lava.

    I rolled out of the way, dirtying my clothes rather than be permanently disfigured. I hopped back a few times, extending the space between us as I chuckled, ¡°Quite the escalation there, Mei.¡±

    She wiped her lips of the lava trail, the spot I stood smouldering away as she shrugged, ¡°Anything less for the Lord Fourth would be an insult, besides, I have to get you to put in effort somehow.¡±

    Rather than let me respond she chased after me again, I watched her hands sift through handseals and shook my head. Well, between two Ninjutsu specialists, Taijutsu is simply boring. She pulled out a whip of water from her lips, it extended further than I anticipated but I was well prepared with chakra gathered and transformed at my feet.

    A gale of wind propelled me before her whip could strike, she hastily began to abandon the technique just as I entered her guard and palm striked the same spot on her torso I kicked a second ago. She let the force of my strike push her away rather than stand her ground. Good thinking.

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    She rolled with the blow and as I pursued after her the ground shuddered, a tell tale sign of¡ª ¡°Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!¡±

    I stalled my advance entirely as the ground spat out spikes at my feet, I leaped, backflipped and cursed that I hadn¡¯t brought my Bo-staff as I landed several paces away only for the jutsu to continue its run. Annoyed, I weaved a half hand seal and slammed my palm on the ground, my chakra flooded underneath, transformed into a torrential flood of waters that reduced Mei¡¯s spikes to sloppy mud.

    But she¡¯d accomplished her goal, a heat from on high alerted me to this fact. A blob of lava came surging down at my head from her elevated position in the air. This time I weaved with both hands as she forced me to counter. Ram, Snake, Rat¡ª ¡°Water Release: Water Bowl!¡±

    A continuous jet of water emitted from my extended palm, slamming into her attack and cancelling it almost instantaneously. The resulting mist did nothing to change the pace or advantage of the battle but my instinctively heightened hearing didn¡¯t miss her footfalls as she landed nor did I miss the surge of chakra as she prepared another technique.

    Senses sharpened, I prepared to be on the receiving end of a multiple nature transformations, a part of me anxious Mei take advantage of the mist to unleash perhaps her [Boil Release]. The immediate legitimacy of the made me disperse the mist entirely with a gust of wind.

    To my surprise Mei was nowhere to be found, my head snapped around our battered battlegrounds before realization dawned and I cursed, just as the earth beneath my feet crumbled and her hands latched onto both my ankles with a death grip.

    As I sunk underground I spat out a ball of water that immediately formed into a clone. Mei revealed herself as we switched places, her fingers ignited with a fire meant for my neck but the petty smirk that graced her lips was quickly wiped when my clone barreled straight into her, tackling her down and extinguishing the flame at her fingers while I muddied the earth trapping me.

    I heard her yell a curse and sensed my clone explode. I freed myself of the mud at once and slammed my hands together, creating a pocket of pressurized air as Mei scrambled to her feet, ¡°Wind Release: Gale Palm!¡±

    The gale of wind carried enough force to take Mei off her unfounded feet entirely, lifting and tossing her in the air and nearly off the side of the mountain had I not cancelled the jutsu as I noticed how close to the edge she¡¯d been flung.

    She reoriented herself mid air quickly enough to land on her feet and then fall over on her butt, clearly dizzied. I smiled and folded my arms, ¡°Still got some left in you?¡±

    Mei shook her head, pressing a palm to her temple as she stood, ¡°I think I¡¯ve spent enough chakra for today.¡± she said and then suddenly pointed a finger at me, ¡°But don¡¯t think this means you win! This was a fair draw, Yagura, I almost got you there and then, admit it!¡±

    I rolled my eyes, considering the number of techniques I¡¯d left out for both our sakes, though I imagine she¡¯d done the same. Where I¡¯d held back from using nasty surprises like Fuuinjutsu, Summoning and my [Stage 0 Chakra Cloak], she didn¡¯t unleash her [Lightning Release] or [Boil Release].

    ¡°Every spar is a fair draw between friends.¡± I said with a grin as large as her resulting frown was deep.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. But yes, I suppose it is. This was good, we should do it more often.¡±

    I nodded in agreement as she walked up to me, ¡°Yes, yes we should.¡±

    Mei¡¯s smile fell slightly, ¡°Between my work here and yours¡­everywhere, I¡¯m guessing we won¡¯t have many opportunities.¡±

    I held that thought for a moment, considering all that I had left to do. The many pressing matters of Kirigakure¡¯s security, it¡¯s growth, management and advancement, pre-empting the Akatsuki and even my personal growth. There was indeed few opportunities in sight to have a friendly spar with Mei or to do anything friendly at all.

    Inhaling I said, ¡°That¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll always take what I can get and right now, I think I have a day or two.¡±

    Mei beamed and for a moment I think we both felt our ages. She skipped ahead, beckoning me as she leaped over mud spikes, ¡°Come then! We have a lot of catching up to do, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know you held back a lot this short spar. Time to fill me in on those Kage secrets!¡± Mei said, winking as she did.

    I snorted but quickly obliged. Just a day or two.

 Homecoming

    ¡°Welcome home, Yagura-sama.¡± Junichi greeted, a bright smile on his otherwise tired face. I smacked his cheek affectionately as several attendants hurried past with my luggage.

    ¡°You¡¯ve had it rough, haven¡¯t you?¡± He only smiled politely in response, he wouldn¡¯t speak ill of his charges even with my return, that was a good thing on its own.

    Lady Megumi shook her head, she snorted at us though couldn¡¯t hide her mirth at my return, ¡°He¡¯s done well enough to record our daily activities for your benefit, though I would have been thrilled to have done without him three days earlier.¡±

    I nodded at that. My detour to Midoriwara wasn¡¯t on the itinerary but it was so worth it. Officially I¡¯d gotten to receive Rina¡¯s full report and even check on the clan I had a vested interest in. Not to mention, being an honoured guest of Tauyi Village, the soon to be town and perhaps even the location of Kirigakure¡¯s second base.

    Unofficially I spent most of my time indulging Mei, after a day of sharing stories of my time behind the desk and hers in Amegakure, she¡¯d roped me into building the community that promised to host Bloodline clans. We worked together, sparred and shared each meal we caught up on the happenings in our personal lives, namely Uncle lining up women for me to marry and my deepening relationship with Isobu.

    In those two unplanned days I¡¯d felt lighter than I¡¯d ever been even with Junichi¡¯s message about the Hokage¡¯s envoy burning a hole in my back pocket.

    Uncle shoved Junichi aside to stand by me, throwing his oversized arm around my shoulder as he whispered, ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°How was what?¡± I found myself whispering back as we strolled in. While the war had come to a close the village was still on war time alerts and so the streets were scarce of people and the air heavy with the mist.

    He giggled, ¡°Your personal time with the Princess.¡± he winked excessively and I could only sigh as I walked out of his grasp to stroll beside Lady Megumi.

    Glancing over my shoulder at him I said, ¡°The Princess Hanako may still be in the Land of Tea, I let her handle negotiations after we came to an understanding about¡­well, several issues. I spent the last few days in Midoriwara, Rina is doing well by the way.¡±

    I addressed the last part towards Lady Megumi who beamed, ¡°Of course, I would expect nothing less of my granddaughter.¡± her smile fell a bit as she refocused on what I¡¯d said, ¡°Are you certain about the Princess? Royals have their own agendas and they always come at the stake of shinobi, we are more tools than servants in their eyes.

    Uncle hummed in agreement, ¡°The Princess is well acquainted with the Tea Daimyo as well, it would do well not to underestimate her.¡±

    I nodded as well, ¡°Yes, I learned that on Tea Country soil but I believe the Princess can be trusted, for now, otherwise I¡¯ve set measures in place but before we discuss any further¡­where is Lord Funato?¡±

    It was here Junichi spoke up from behind us, ¡°The Lord Funato apologizes for not coming to greet you upon your return, Yagura-sama, he has been working with Eiko, sitting in on the interrogations of the Kumo shinobi captured from Midoriwara and Koorijima.¡±

    I raised a brow at that and made space for Junichi to walk beside me as he reported, ¡°Well? What have they learned? Is there any logic behind Kumo¡¯s greed?¡±

    Junichi shook his head, ¡°No sir, it¡¯s evident from each of the testimonies that Kumo sent them to steal Bloodlines and hopefully destabilize the Land of Water. Lord Funato may speak on this best but, I¡¯ve sat in on some of the interrogations as your representative and I believe Kumogakure couldn¡¯t have acted this brashly without the Lightning Daimyo¡¯s support.¡±

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    I shared a look with my councillors at that and my eyes narrowed, ¡°Hmm, that does make sense but if this is true then¡­quite dire.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Lady Megumi said, her eyes on the ground as she spoke, ¡°Kumogakure acting alone would be a spark of war but should their Daimyo have sanctioned their actions then¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bonfire waiting to swallow corpses.¡± Uncle Aoto completed, the dread clear in his voice.

    We drew closer to the Mizukage Tower in silence, a structure of my strength and power but after hearing such a theory I didn¡¯t feel very powerful. Could this be a consequence of my foreknowledge? There were several things I¡¯d done during this war that wasn¡¯t clear cut in the history Jason knew of. How possible was it that my actions had revealed an act of war from the Land of Lightning that wasn¡¯t obvious in the original reality?

    ¡°The world that boy knew is not the one we live, Yagura-kun, your mere existence has tilted things such that it isn¡¯t possible to predict what will happen or what should happen anymore.¡± Isobu wisely said, ¡°The only worthwhile knowledge left is that of the strength and weakness of your foes.¡±

    My friend''s words didn¡¯t do very well to comfort me, though I suspect they weren¡¯t meant to. Isobu was right though, one of the extreme changes Jason had made before we¡¯d become one was accepting Minato¡¯s offer of amicable relations, an offer that perhaps wouldn¡¯t even exist if he hadn¡¯t sent Mei to Konoha under the pretence of investigating for the Sandaime¡¯s killer.

    Now Minato¡¯s envoy likely awaited me within the Tower¡¯s walls, a direct line to the Hokage that had everything to do with Obito and even Nagato who would bring ruin to Kirigakure. In a short seven months, everything had changed.

    I took a breath and said as we entered the Tower, ¡°I maintain that we keep our silence, Princess Hanako has already discovered that Kumo was involved in the civil war but I¡¯ve bought her silence with the key to her ambitions, hence why we can trust her.¡±

    Both Uncle and Lady Megumi were uneased, ¡°What did it cost?¡± Uncle deigned to ask.

    ¡°Yureisen.¡± Uncle bit back a yell and Lady Megumi faltered in her step, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, I¡¯ve negotiated so her power won¡¯t be significant but she will be someone to bargain with from now on.¡±

    ¡°But that means the clan entrusted with Yureisen will be the one to bargain with her.¡± Lady Megumi stated the obvious, I could read the thoughts going through her mind like they were chiselled on her wrinkled forehead.

    ¡°Hozuki and Funato will contest for which isle they govern, I will not influence the decision. But I am as disappointed as you, Lady Megumi, Rina has done such good work with the Nettou clan and Tauyi village that it¡¯s almost obvious what clan should govern the Midoriwara base. I hope the coin tosses in your favour.¡±

    Junichi cleared his throat before either of my councillors could respond, ¡°There is more, though not as significant.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±

    ¡°Eiko¡¯s interrogation broke Baron Watanabe, he confessed to receiving ship building materials from a noble in the Land of Lightning, it¡¯s unclear whether this noble is at all related to the Daimyo but¡­it is damning.¡±

    That it is. I thought as I shook my head and entered my office, the scent of lavender still lingered and to my pleasant surprise my desk was cleared of the many documents I¡¯d left behind. My councillors must have taken their interim duties quite seriously or Junichi bore the workload.

    ¡°Do me a favour and summon Lord Funato will you? Eiko as well, I want all the facts and theories before I respond to Kumo¡¯s brazenness.¡±

    ¡°Respond? You said silence was the best, didn''t you?¡± Lady Megumi started, a mixture of fear and hope stained her words.

    ¡°There¡¯s only so much silence can accomplish, besides, we have every right, don¡¯t we?¡± I took my place behind my desk and relieved my head of my hat as I leaned back, ¡°Konoha has sent an envoy, a single one direct from the Hokage, yes?¡±

    Lady Megumi nodded, ¡°This one is unfettered by their ROOT.¡±

    ¡°Good, it means should we need to return to war, Konoha might be right behind us. But we shouldn¡¯t, there must be a way to deal with Kumo without sacrificing this tentative peace.¡±

    At least, I hope so. Ay isn¡¯t as friendly as Minato and I don¡¯t have much foreknowledge of his village. All these developments stressed the need to attain Senjutsu Chakra, as it stood, I couldn¡¯t match up Kage to Kage against him. Fingers fucking crossed.

 Scheming Retaliation

    Funato bowed deeply the moment he entered. ¡°Welcome, Mizukage-sama, pardon my absence earlier I was indisposed with-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright, Funato. Come, sit quickly, there is much to discuss,¡± I said, waving he and Eiko in. I¡¯d summoned Raiga as well and he stood out in his mask and gear, a cloak draped over his form. With Reina consistently indisposed working with the clans he¡¯s gotten comfortable acting as Commander of my ANBU.

    Eiko found his place opposite Raiga as both wore masks, his a tad more demonic. Once Funato shut the door and took his place beside Lady Megumi, I took a long, measured gaze across each of their faces.

    Junichi was snug at my side. My brief absence had thrown him to the wolves, my councillors were difficult people to handle, each with their own agendas even if they all bowed and swore loyalty to my hat. As my untested assistant I¡¯d tasked him with recording each of their meaningful actions in my absence as well as taking stock of the atmosphere of the other clans within the village as they would continue to petition for my attention even in my absence.

    He¡¯d taken well enough to the job and had a hardened look in his eyes that wasn¡¯t there when I left. I felt I could rely on him more, enough to finally include him entirely in these otherwise classified, privy council meetings.

    Eiko remained a faceless anonymity to me even after seven months being here, but my gut instincts reassured me I had nothing to worry about the mysterious, uzumaki demon masked man. His Fuuinjutsu skills were nothing compared to Harusame but as the man¡¯s prized student he was no slacker. There was a reason the Sandaime allowed him to indulge his curiosities as one of the most important figures in the Intel and Comm¡¯s division.

    Raiga¡­every time I thought of him I thought of the gold mine and Dojutsu wielding child he would discover in the Land of Rivers. Perhaps not anymore. I couldn¡¯t wait for the child to be born to send Raiga or even others to reap the wealth of the Katabami gold mine. That is if the Land of Rivers has even discovered it yet. An investigation would be made into it in time as the Water Daimyo would certainly not be funding Kirigakure or its expansion for some time.

    Lord Funato, the man and his clan had nearly begun to give me some headache but according to Raiga¡¯s reports they have long since calmed down, especially after I¡¯d saved their clan head from the assassin that must have been Zetsu. I lingered on his wrinkled features and wondered if he still had any ambitions for ruling through me rather than being ruled. Unlikely.

    Lady Megumi was a devious one. She¡¯d taken to speaking with the Konoha envoy, particularly the one sent from Danzo¡¯s ROOT. She was obsessed with enhancing her clan''s standing just as much as Funato was with ensuring Kirigakure remained in the conservative past, and just because she¡¯d chosen to stay true to her allegiances didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t capable of becoming a turncoat in some way or form.  It was imperative to keep an eye on her, especially now that her guarantee of an island was nullified by Princess Hanako¡¯s meddling.

    And finally Uncle, I had no suspicions of the man that had stuck by my side longer than anyone in the world but perhaps that was a weakness waiting to be exploited on its own. Regardless, I held nothing but love for him and was certain he felt the same. I¡¯d have to appease the familial part of our relationship and marry at some point but for now, he was more than satisfied seeing me as Mizukage and paving a glorious path for the Karatachi clan under the other two¡¯s noses.

    I took a breath and resigned all these thoughts as I began what could be the most important meeting I¡¯ve held in my office up till now, ¡°Now that everyone is gathered I¡¯d like to begin by saying our priority from now to the end of this year is to avoid entering another war at all costs. Does everyone understand?¡±

    Lord Funato shifted in his seat but nods came from all present and I exhaled, ¡°Good, now then, Eiko, tell me what we¡¯ve learned from our prisoners.¡±

    Eiko straightened up at my mention, ¡°Yes, Yagura-sama. Two of Kumo¡¯s Chuunin have given up their techniques in exchange for leniency, unfortunately the others, Jounin especially, are tougher to crack and refuse to give or confess more than their origins and their mission here.¡±

    I leaned back into my chair and said, ¡°These techniques aren¡¯t known to us?¡±

    He shook his head, ¡°No, Lightning Nature chakra is rare amongst the Land of Water and variations of these techniques have yet to be created by our few Lightning Nature users.¡±

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    ¡°Not a bad haul then but I see the rest will bite their tongues off before they release anything useful to us, very well.¡± I thought about the best way to make use of these fiends for a moment before nodding to myself, ¡°How many have fair bounties?¡±

    ¡°Three.¡± Eiko answered immediately.

    ¡°Good, we¡¯ll reap those after they''ve drowned in the Kaizoku Sea along with some other prisoners.¡±

    Lady Megumi interjected, ¡°Drowning is a fair punishment but their corpses will not drift to Kumogakure on their own.¡± Her tone was bitter and didn¡¯t leave anything to doubt her displeasure that I hadn¡¯t addressed how I intended to respond to Kumogakure¡¯s brazenness.

    ¡°Very well, Lady Megumi, what do you suggest?¡± Better throw her a bone. I had a few ideas for a response to Kumogakure myself but¡ª

    ¡°Send their heads to the Raikage, cut the scalps for bounty if you must but this is the least we can do in response.¡± she said, on the edge of her seat ready to defend her point.

    I glanced over Lord Funato who was nodding in earnest agreement and over to Uncle who had his arms folded but didn¡¯t seem to disagree either. Truth be told, I¡¯d had the same thought the moment I heard of Kumogakure¡¯s activities on Midoriwara but the part of me that was Jason didn¡¯t want the bitter taste of making such a suggestion. But it was truly the least response we could offer and I¡¯d done worse to my own people.

    ¡°Yes, I agree, but Kumogakure should know we have our eyes on them. I want to hurt them just as much as they¡¯ve hurt us. I haven¡¯t an idea of just how much they¡¯ve stolen under our noses and so¡­¡± I exhaled the rage rising up in my gut before it could overwhelm my more rational thoughts, ¡°I am thinking we should damage their trade. Junichi, you mentioned that Baron Watanabe was receiving materials from a noble in the Land of Lightning.¡±

    ¡°Yes, should we interrogate Watanabe for the nobles'' information?¡± Junichi asked at my side.

    I glanced at Eiko and nodded, ¡°More than that, I want Watanabe to act as a trojan horse. We¡¯ll steal that noble as well as his identity and extract as much trade information about the Land of Lightning as possible before sabotaging it.¡±

    Uncle crossed his legs, ¡°That¡¯s a deep cover operation, Watanabe may be a Baron but he¡¯s still just a civilian.¡±

    ¡°You think he will fail? It doesn¡¯t matter. Once he fails he¡¯ll lose his head, I¡¯m sure Eiko has a means to ensure that outcome. Barring that, I want the Hidden Frost and their country to understand that we aren¡¯t pleased with their trade partner. I¡¯m sure there are a number of ships moving goods in and out between them that can be mysteriously lost.¡±

    Uncle frowned a bit, ¡°You say you don¡¯t want a war but then suggest something as brazen as this.¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°Worry not, unlike the Hidden Cloud I¡¯ll ensure these consistent losses aren¡¯t traced back to us definitively.¡±

    ¡°¡°How?¡±¡± Both Lady Megumi and Uncle questioned, they turned their questioning gazes on each other, a smile growing on their lips.

    I allowed myself to join them in the mirth, ¡°The whirlpools are natural disasters of their own making.¡±

    ¡°Ah ha¡­I heard you unleashed a kraken on Umehebi¡¯s defences, you¡¯ve finally unwrapped my gift haven¡¯t you?¡±

    I laughed outright, ¡°Kraken? Is that what they¡¯re calling Unaimaru?¡±

    ¡°The legends make themselves.¡±

    I wondered what the world would call Kaizoku if they saw him. I doubted I¡¯d be allowed to summon the great unagi himself but I was satisfied with Unaimaru, at least for now.

    ¡°The ¡®Kraken¡¯ will be pleased to hear of such honour, even more so that I have this assignment for him. But first,¡± I turned to Raiga, ¡°You will work with Eiko to gather the necessary information. I want consistent targets. Both the Hidden Frost and Cloud should not feel safe taking their goods or men to sea.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Raiga answered stoically.

    ¡°Good, I think that¡¯s enough on Kumogakure for now. This response is adequate enough, yes?¡± My question was directed at Lady Megumi who wore a pleasant smile.

    She nodded, ¡°Crippling their relations with the Hidden Frost, especially once the latter understands this is a result of our ire will ensure the Hidden Frost seeks to appease us. More so, endangering the Land of Lightning¡¯s trade will damage their relations to any of the other nations, including ours but especially the Land of Fire.¡±

    Lord Funato chuckled, his laugh like gravel, ¡°And with the Hidden Frost as their only land connection to the Land of Fire, Wind and Earth, they will be over encumbered and become easy pickings for bandits or any ¡®rogues¡¯. Their every route would become obvious and the expense protecting these routes would triple overnight.¡±

    Uncle actually applauded, ¡°It¡¯s brilliant and all without our explicit involvement. If we wanted, we could capitalise on the chaos and offer our protection to the Land of Frost and even Lightning merchants for a steep price but who can put a price on safety?¡±

    Junichi shifted behind me, a tad hesitant before he spoke, ¡°A question though, would we target the import trades as well? It would massively backfire if we were to blockade them entirely and whether or not there was proof of our hand in the chaos we¡¯d become subject of investigation from all affected shinobi nations, not just Frost and Lightning.¡±

    I smiled up at the young Hoshigaki, nodding proudly as he stepped back into my shadow, ¡°No, we won¡¯t prey on the imports but those will quickly cease once it becomes clear the Land of Frost and Lightning are having trouble paying for their imported goods. Besides that, this is a good time to bring up the topic of Konoha and their envoy.¡±

 Genma Petitions

    Genma had gotten what he wanted. The Hokage hadn¡¯t responded directly to any of his or Aoba¡¯s sinister allegations about their Team Captain, Kinoto. Instead, as he¡¯d done the day he assigned them that mission, Genma alone was entrusted to send another message to Kirigakure¡¯s Mizukage.

    Taking a lone trip through border after border and crossing into what has long been considered hostile territory was a task Genma was long prepared for, however, daunting. What he was most concerned with was delivering the message itself.

    Only he and the Fourth Hokage knew what the message was and only one other person was permitted to learn of it, the Mizukage. Working with the depth of secrecy wasn¡¯t new or unexpected to Genma, it was part of the duties he¡¯d sworn to upon becoming the Lord Fourth¡¯s guard.

    However, there was an unmissable tension to the Fourth Hokage¡¯s instructions when he gave them and looking underneath the underneath, Genma could assuredly say the Hokage had taken his warnings about Kinoto seriously. His and Aoba¡¯s concerns were not unfounded.

    He wished the Hokage would have at least acknowledged it but he supposed being the trusted messenger was acknowledgment enough. Kirigakure didn¡¯t feel quite the same though.

    Unlike the first time he¡¯d visited the village, Genma trusted himself to get lost wisely in the mist and for the natives to find and escort him to well reserved quarters. But apparently such a welcoming behaviour was saved for when they weren¡¯t in a state of war and weren¡¯t absent a Kage.

    He could scarcely defend himself from the first four dozen senbon that whizzed through the thick mist at his tenketsu, and when he¡¯d just about found his rhythm against the flurry a four-man team of Kiri-nin finally answered his shouts for an audience with the Mizukage.

    Genma scowled as he recalled being identified and certified as one of the envoys from Konoha that visited last. And yet he was relegated to spend a night in a cell while they confirmed his credentials.

    He didn¡¯t spend another night there before being moved into a small but heavily surveilled room within the Mizukage¡¯s administrative tower. He credited this change to the younger of three Elders, the one that resembled the Mizukage by the grey hair and scarred cheek.

    Genma hadn¡¯t spoken to the man or any of the other Elders of his mission, which was likely the reason the decrepit two decided to imprison him the night he arrived, however briefly. Being vague with shinobi invited aggression and though he¡¯d only been asked by the Elders before they got sick of him, when Genma was approached by a shark-toothed boy claiming to be the Mizukage¡¯s right aide, Genma knew giving a little hint of his purpose was called for.

    And so, after five days of waiting, stewing in a budding paranoia, Genma was granted an audience with the Fourth Mizukage who had just returned to the village hidden in the mist.

    He and Aoba only shared a brief moment breathing the same air as the Mizukage before Kinoto cut them out. Now only Genma did. He sank in his boots having politely refused to take any of the comfortable couches or padded stools as a seat. The Fourth Mizukage sat down behind a well sorted desk of documents, a stray, incomplete seal, a glass cup of water and Lord Jiraiya¡¯s acclaimed novel seemingly placed to catch his attention.

    The Kage had a fair, round face that sprung of youth and vigour enough to rival Genma¡¯s own rather young Hokage. It¡¯s a world of proteges. Genma thought to himself, he knew in his gut the man looking up expectantly at him was but a few years older and yet five times more accomplished. Don¡¯t forget feared, wanted¡­hated.

    Genma knew more than a few victims of Kirigakure¡¯s past campaigns, almost having become one himself. As a loathful bile rose in his throat from fear, hate and more than most, his own anxiousness, Genma quickly recalled what the Hokage had told him before he left.

    ¡°We can¡¯t bury the hatchet if we keep bringing it up to point out its flaws. It¡¯s broken, we bury it and start anew.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for having me.¡± Genma began, breathing out the words with all its unwanted feelings. ¡°The Fourth Hokage insisted I deliver his message to you and you alone, your response, should you have one, should be delivered through me.¡±

    He leaned forward, dark coloured scarf slacking as he did, ¡°I understand.¡±

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    Genma braced himself for a reaction as he spoke, ¡°Preliminary results on an ongoing investigation into Amegakure have brought Konoha to understand Kirigakure¡¯s concerns. Your contributions to the latest discoveries will not go unrewarded.¡±

    Genma felt the Mizukage¡¯s gaze narrow and pierce, he gulped and tried to word himself better, ¡°That is to say, the Lord Fourth agrees with your suggestion to meet within neutral territory and would take this opportunity to arrange where and when further dialogue can take place.¡±

    Genman paused, he had much more to say, more conditions to include and even the Hokage¡¯s preferred locations scarred in the back of his mind ready to be recited at the Mizukage. But the man had shut his eyes and hadn¡¯t opened them once Genma announced the Hokage had agreed.

    He wondered whether to recite the Hokage¡¯s most secure suggestion or to wait for the Mizukage to¡ª

    ¡°What has Konoha¡­discovered exactly?¡± his tone was level, relaxed, and non-threatening.

    ¡°I am not a part of the investigation, I couldn¡¯t say.¡±

    His fingers drummed against his desk, ¡°Who is?¡±

    Genma could repeat his previous answer and it would be partially true or he could be broad and assume many of Konoha¡¯s ANBU would be participants of the investigation. Without being Hokage himself he would never know which specific ANBU was working on the case, except, he knew his Hokage well enough to speculate which shinobi was.

    It couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence that the Legendary Sannin returned just around the time Genma was given this mission, one that he gained for being one of the Hokage¡¯s most trusted men. Who else could fit that category even more than Genma?

    ¡°I am¡ª¡±

    ¡°Be truthful with your answers, Genma.¡± the Mizukage¡¯s voice hadn¡¯t shifted an octave but his gaze was terribly cold and driven.

    The calculating manner he absorbed Genma¡¯s form made sweat trail the back of his neck. Not for the first time he questioned if he was truly the right person for this mission simply because he could be trusted. The Hidden Mist had put a terror in him when he haplessly watched their Seven Swordsmen tear into his team captain, Choza Akimichi.

    It was a small miracle only one life had to be sacrificed for their escape that day but surviving them once didn¡¯t mean he was ready to face their Kage. He gulped and answered, trusting that this truth would harm any of the Hokage¡¯s plans or his, ¡°Lord Jiraiya.¡±

    The Mizukage¡¯s eyes sharply widened, his mouth hanging open for a moment before it shut definitively as he inhaled. Genma knew then he¡¯d given the Kage a pivotal piece of information, where he should have or not, Genma did not know for certain.

    ¡°Fine, I will meet with the Hokage. What are his suggestions?¡± The Mizukage saying so melt Genma of some of his anxiety, even filling him with hope as that was the response he¡¯d been waiting for all this time.

    As if reading a script Genma said, ¡°The Fourth Hokage suggests meeting within the Land of Tea for your comfort and security.¡±

    The Mizukage raised a brow at that and said, ¡°Konoha isn¡¯t neutral in the Land of Tea and neither are we.¡±

    Genma nodded and even allowed a sliver of a smile as it was finally going according to the script he¡¯d memorised, ¡°Yes, that is true but neither Kiri nor Konoha have greater sway of the country, they¡¯re independent and have been since the start of each of your reigns¡­I mean, that is, yours and the Lord Fourth¡¯s.¡±

    The Mizukage smiled though his eyes were devoid of any mirth, ¡°And what if that has changed in the past days?¡± Genma¡¯s eyes searched for an answer but the youngest Kage merely chuckled, ¡°Forget I said that, what else does your Hokage believe would be best?¡±

    At this point Genma had reached the end of the script with only the major reveal left. This would be the tipping point for how trusting the Mizukage could be, at least, it would decide how Konoha would respond, who they would send along with the Fourth Hokage and potentially even what they would discuss.

    Genma reached up to his bandana, he¡¯s always had it tied around his head, having it hold back his hair save a few locks that peeked through. ¡°As I am meant to be the only person you relay your response to, I am also meant to guide you to the Hokage via¡ª¡±

    ¡°Flying Raijin.¡± The Mizukage recognized the seals scrawled over and under Genma¡¯s bandana instantly, his breath hitched in a gasp of awe and intrigue more than the fury Genma had expected.

    ¡°Yes, the Fourth Hokage wrote it so it can only be activated when it¡¯s folded in a particular way, so all the seal ends touch.¡± Despite the Mizukage¡¯s relaxed reaction to having one of the Yellow Flash¡¯s deadly seals in his presence, Genma did well to explain the conditions in which they could be activated, he couldn¡¯t be too careful.

    ¡°I see security didn¡¯t pat you down well enough.¡± Was all the Kage said, smirking down at the folded bandana, ¡°So, you intend to summon your Hokage with this?¡±

    Genma nodded, ¡°Assuming you agree, we will travel to the meeting place and I will summon him with this seal. If it¡¯s destroyed I cannot create another one and if you refuse to meet this way then a more formal and appointed time and place can be scheduled.¡±

    ¡°Konoha still controls all the cards, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Genma didn¡¯t know what to say to that, simple messenger that he was, so he kept his mouth shut and waited. ¡°Very well then, I will consider this offer, you may go.¡±

    Stilted, Genma bowed and walked out the man¡¯s nicely furnished office, exhaling relief the moment the door shut behind him. A waiting period before a clear yes or no was expected, he would happily wait.

 Death for Power

    I didn¡¯t think I would be out at sea so soon after I¡¯d returned but today was a solemn day for some two-hundred persons. But I¡¯d shut my heart to such sonder, I didn¡¯t want to or need to think of how every one of the lives I¡¯d set out to sail with from the mainland had the same ethical value, including Ao and Uncle Aoto who accompanied me and even the grizzly Chuunin that would be today¡¯s executors.

    ¡°You¡¯re brooding.¡± Uncle noted pointedly beside me. He had a green apple and a blunt kitchen knife working away slices into his mouth.

    Junichi had just informed me that everything was set and ready for me at the docks and I started to leave when I caught Uncle Aoto having breakfast, he would have eaten all and more that was prepared this morning had he not been busy flirting with the cook. Once he saw me storming out first thing in the morning without stopping to eat or drink, he invited himself out with me in place of Junichi.

    It was a welcome, if impromptu escort and as I stared out at the three ratchety ships that carried around fifty prisoners and death row scum I felt ever reminded of the reality that decided the worth of life around here. It was me.

    ¡°I have never ordered so many lives be snuffed at once before, defenceless lives.¡± I said, arms clasped behind my back helped keep my haori from billowing away in the sea winds.

    Uncle shrugged, sliced a piece of apple and ate, ¡°That true, I don¡¯t think I have either. Oh don¡¯t scowl like that, I know what you¡¯re feeling right now, Yagura-kun and I know few others have to deal with a decision as heavy as this every morning.¡±

    I inhaled the annoyance his nonchalant response brewed and asked, ¡°But?¡±

    He sliced another piece, ¡°But you the Mizukage and these people, prisoners, criminals, fiends, thieves, murderers, traitors and worse, spies. You may see them as defenceless mittens now but you know the truth. Give them the chance and you¡¯ll always regret it.¡±

    I shook my head as I scoffed, ¡°Oh yes, that I know, I understand but what I am feeling right now¡­I am not bringing justice or vengeance to these people. I feel even less about those ones.¡± I nodded my head up the deck where fifteen of the Kumo-nin that Junko and Fuguki had captured hung upside down with their heads masked and ready to be plunged into the basin of water.

    I shrugged, ¡°Don¡¯t get misunderstand, I am furious at what they did, what they managed to accomplish under our noses but I am not furious at them. They¡¯re just in the way, collateral, which, in their case, I readily accept for the dignity and pride of Kirigakure. But the others¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahh,¡± Uncle mused, nodding knowingly as we turned our gazes to the other two transport ships. They were less of ships and more of large boats who''s destruction wouldn¡¯t be felt. ¡°I think I understand.¡±

    Hope blossomed in my heart, a useless one for nothing would change even if he could read my mind, ¡°Do you?¡±

    Uncle chucked the appleseed hard into the water so it made a huge splash before setting a stony gaze on me, ¡°You¡¯ve removed yourself from civilian activities, during your¡­brief tenure, your ready council has carried the burden of meting out justice to the lowest scum of the land of water and Kirigakure.¡±

    He pointed at one of the shitty boats, ¡°Rapists, child murderers, kidnappers, violent brigands and all types of abusers. Your people do not want these people alive, they don¡¯t want them near, they don¡¯t want them even as an idea. You are the Mizukage and you defend us not just from the might of other nations but from the horrors of our own.¡±

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    I couldn¡¯t help but gulp, ¡°Well said,¡±

    Uncle grinned, ¡°I¡¯ve had practice giving justification, this wasn¡¯t hard.¡±

    ¡°I understand and I am grateful for the council''s grace in sparing me the ugliness of our people, I should join you for one of these sessions. But, though I believe in the justice we¡¯re doing here, it still sinks my gut that I didn¡¯t order them dead for justice but for power instead.¡±

    Uncle found a stool and sat while I stood, he leaned against the hull with his legs crossed as he regarded me curiously. ¡°And yet still, you know you are justified, otherwise you would take another route, another means to get this power you need to defend us.¡±

    I nodded. There were a myriad of justifications I could conjure for taking this rather vile deal with a summon animal. I couldn¡¯t follow any other route to acquire Senjutsu, it was an extremely rare ability that so few could hope to achieve even if they had contracts with animals knowledgeable of the ways.

    There was no hope for me to somehow become a student of the ¡®kind¡¯ Mount Myoboku or the gentle Lady Katsuyu. All I was left with was a similar deal as Orochimaru had gotten but with a hopefully kinder animal path. Kaizoku was an indecipherable being to me for now, he was clearly powerful but whether he and his kind would be as greedy for blood as Orochimaru¡¯s summons was yet to be seen.

    His method to Senjutsu was also yet to be seen but I supposed that¡¯s why I stood here, desperate for a defence and offence strong enough to bolster me against the enemies in the shadows.

    In the end what other justification did I need except, ¡°There¡¯s no other choice, I wish there was one, a less tortuous and cruel one but¡­I will do what I must.¡±

    Uncle smiled lightly and patted my shoulder, ¡°I trust you.¡±

    My mouth hung open for a second before I mirrored his smile, ¡°Thank you, for your trust but also for the option of strength I explore now.¡±

    ¡°An Unagi¡­and one that can grant you the power of nature you say? Now I wish I¡¯d given the contract a shot.¡±

    I rolled my eyes at him, ¡°I know you¡¯re kidding but you still can, it¡¯s just¡­you might want to get into shape before you do.¡± I said with a grimace.

    ¡°What?!¡± he looked up between his body and I, analysing, flexing and clenching where he could, ¡°I¡¯m in the best shape for a retired shinobi, could do with some more¡­bah! Who am I kidding, I¡¯ll stick to administrative work until you call for me, Mizukage-sama.¡±

    The title always sounded so funny coming from him despite the many times he¡¯s said it unironically, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you anyway? When you first got it from grandfather?¡±

    When he¡¯d passed on the summon scroll to me he¡¯d told me it was a gift from his father once he was chosen as successor to the clan. But the contract had no other signatures except mine.

    His eyes glazed over a bit at the question but he answered, ¡°I never felt like I deserved it. Your mother was the one that did and she¡­I just got it by default, it wasn¡¯t mine, I did not earn it. But you did, you even survived the signing process my father was afraid would kill me.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of that last part considering what I¡¯d learned of Kaizoku¡¯s realm, ¡°You would have survived, might have done better than I even.¡± He gave me a look that said he¡¯d seen through my lie and I laughed, ¡°Okay, it was difficult but you would have survived. The people that fail have their names stricken from the contract but are also trapped and transformed into kin by Kaizoku, at least this is my working theory.¡±

    Uncle grinned, a beaming image of pride as he suggested, ¡°Perhaps we¡¯d learn more from the natives.¡±

    I looked out and realised that the ships had sailed to a sufficient stop. I could summon Unaimaru and offer the prisoners to him. But first, I turned my gaze to the kumo-nin hung over a basin, ¡°Let¡¯s deal with them first, Unaimaru isn¡¯t delicate.¡±

 Death for Power

    ¡°Huk tuah! To hell with you, Mizukage!¡± the dead man dismayed, managing somehow to spit despite being hung upside down all this while. I looked at his companions, they weren¡¯t as outwardly spoken as he was but all held the same spite he did.

    ¡°Drop them.¡± I said to my executor, a middle aged Chuunin in standard Kiri garb. With a pull of a lever the rope hoisting them at their feet slackened and they dropped headfirst into the Kaizoku sea from the side of the ship.

    ¡°They¡¯ll take their time drowning, we should go.¡± Uncle said, a tad impatient and excited to see me summon Unaimaru.

    I hummed at that, I didn¡¯t know if simply filling their lungs with water from the Kaizoku sea and then offering their beheaded, bloated corpses would be enough to fulfil my deal with Kaizoku but that was alright. Any losses would be covered by the excess of criminals the boats ahead had on them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± I leaped out of my haori, leaving it behind as I shot off the side of the ship and descended into the water. Uncle splashed right after me and I smirked over my shoulder as he landed.

    ¡°Oh?¡± he grinned with a raised brow, ¡°It¡¯s a race is it?¡±

    Rather than answer I dashed out towards the boats. They were each at sufficient distance from the vessel we just abandoned and were manned and guarded by a team of Chuunin. As the wind billowed against my hair and Uncle struggled to keep up with me, I blared out a whistle tone.

    A different, shorter tune was whistled back in which I gave curt affirmation by blaring the original tone again, the result was the Chuunin guards abandoning ship. They dashed down past myself and Uncle as we approached the boats.

    The prisoners were locked up in cages, some had dedicated Fuuinjutsu seals locking away their chakra and many were shackled to their peers who in turn were chained to the very boat itself.

    This is it. I thought as chakra flared, grinding in my stomach as I prepared to condemn all these non-combatants to Unaimaru¡¯s gut so I could maybe become powerful with the Sage Art. Uncle huffed though he wasn¡¯t visibly tired and clasped my shoulder, giving a reassuring nod once I looked up at him.

    But beyond the trust, support and love in his eyes my ears couldn¡¯t block out the growing dread in the voices of some two hundred prisoners contemplating what would happen to them next. A fair portion of chakra flowed into my hands.

    ¡°Forgive me.¡± I cut open my thumb and blurred through quick and familiar hand seals, ¡°Kuchiyose no Jutsu!¡±

    I slammed my palm against the water and watched with a fallen dread at the finality of my actions as the water underneath filled with smoke. The water spat it out in a burp that repulsed Uncle and I on a wave as the sea rained.

    ¡°Where is he?¡± I heard Uncle ask over the rush of waters.

    This being the first time I¡¯ve attempted to summon Unaimaru¡ª the other time was just him escorting me out of Kaizoku¡¯s realm¡ª I honestly didn¡¯t know. ¡°He should be in the water.¡±

    I¡¯d certainly summoned something because the water was still settling from the sudden change in volume within it. Uncle and I narrowed our gazes in search of the slippery Unagi it was meant to be and¡ª

    ¡°Look!¡±

    Right as I turned to look the first boat was instantly ploughed through by a long, slick and black being. It¡¯s head¡ª Unaimaru¡¯s head peaked above, a certain grin smeared his features as he looked down upon the screaming and wailing prisoners.

    ¡°Oh goodness, the legends really weren¡¯t kidding. Hahah! Mizukage-sama!¡± Uncle cheered, slapping a broad palm at my back to infuse me with all his pride.

    But my stomach was only in knots as Unaimaru, a giant Class-C summon, turned his attention to the second boat beside the first that was reduced to driftwood around him. He inhaled, his barbels flailed excitedly as he spat out a compressed spout of water that sliced clean through the wood, shattered every foundation, slashed through chains and split men open as they fell under the pressure wave alongside their boat.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    At this point the water was sailed majorly by planks of wood and chained corpses. But Unaimaru wasn¡¯t done. For the few that sought to save themselves by paddling away, Unaimaru sank underwater until only the hairy top of his otherwise smooth head could be seen. The giant Unagi then swam about his victims, gathering them into a centre as he continued to pick up speed and water behind his kicking tail.

    ¡°Is it¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is.¡± I said, a bitter taste in my mouth as I stood by and watched Unaimaru create a whirlpool that trapped every one of his victims, sending them tumbling head over heels, water over sky. ¡°They will all drown.¡±

    ¡°That was the idea. With this, you¡¯ve paid the price for power greater than the Five Kages have known.¡± Uncle said, watching with me.

    ¡°Yes, Kirigakure will be safe after this, things can only get better.¡± My hands balled into fists beside me as I quenched all feelings of guilt and moral corruption, I had no right after all and neither did anyone else. Few people would until the true child of prophecy was born and then, perhaps then this world would have a place for Jason¡¯s useless feelings.

    Criminals, the lot of them. I breathed and as the whirlpool began to die down, the bodies it swallowed never to be seen again, Unaimaru slithered towards us, his eyes and hairy top of his head still the only part of him above water.

    I stepped out in front of Uncle as Unaimaru got close. I hadn¡¯t spent long with the Unagi but I knew it liked to test the boundaries, at least it liked to test mine. My thoughts are almost instantly proven when it¡¯s eyes crinkle at me, whether that was mirth or annoyance I wasn¡¯t sure nor did I care.

    ¡°I¡¯ve paid Kaizoku¡¯s bill, Unaimaru, it¡¯s time.¡± I said, ignoring the way Uncle marvelled, chuckling amusedly to himself.

    Unaimaru rose from the waters, his eyes were narrowed slits that judged Uncle and I but mostly Uncle as his nose wrinkled when he asked, ¡°That one smells like you, not part of the offering I assume.¡±

    ¡°The offering is paid.¡± I said, arms folded and face hardened against Unaimaru, ¡°It¡¯s time Kaizoku live up to his end, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Unaimaru smirked as he swayed in the water, ¡°Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn¡¯t. Kaizoku will be the one to decide, but otherwise, it has been a fine and quick offering. None of your predecessors have managed to pay their due of drowned souls so quickly, except you¡­Mizukage.¡±

    I didn¡¯t like the way he said that, any of that. Uncle brushed past me, ¡°Unagi! I hear you are called Unaimaru? Yes? You spoke of predecessors yet the¡ª¡±

    Unaimaru growled low and rough, ¡°Why does it question me?¡±

    ¡°Answer the question if you know it, there is no shame in ignorance otherwise.¡± I said, clasping Uncle''s rather eager hand. Unaimaru was little threat to me but with Uncle here¡­I didn¡¯t know if the similarities between Orochimaru¡¯s Snake summons and my Sea Serpent summons were entrenched and I wouldn¡¯t like to find out.

    Fortunately, Unaimaru was amused more than anything. He snorted and grinned widely as I began to think. Standing up to his useless growls and threatening imposition is the best response.

    ¡°Mizukage¡¯s predecessors do not exist any longer, but their presence was felt and appreciated by the Great Kaizoku.¡± Unaimaru glanced towards the open sea, ¡°They settled not far from here centuries ago and the last Sage of our kin ensured they prospered or so I believe.¡±

    It took me a moment to realise he wasn¡¯t just looking out to the open sea but to¡ª ¡°Uzushiogakure you mean?¡± Uncle asked.

    ¡°Uzumaki they were, a fitting name.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re gone now, Kirigakure destroyed them.¡± I said and Uncle smacked my side as he hushed.

    ¡°Sounds like Unagi and Uzumaki were pretty good friends, what are you doing?¡±

    Unaimaru laughed, lowered into the water and swam a circle with his body that enclosed us from the rest of the sea as he peered down, ¡°Then we must have stopped being friends before you destroyed them, Mizukage, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have.¡±

    I was getting annoyed by him, ¡°Enough, if I want to learn tales of the Uzumaki¡¯s past with you I will learn them from Kaizoku, right alongside the power of the Sage. Now, when will Kaizoku decide?¡±

    Rather than answer, Unaimaru came close enough that even my fist could reach his snout, but it didn¡¯t. Instead his barbels, long and thick as the ropes I¡¯d used to condemn Kumo-nin, lurched out and wrapped around Uncle before I could blink away from his serpentine gaze.

    ¡°Unc-!¡± A dark dampness swallowed me as the last thing I saw was Uncle flung out into the sea. I was in Unaimaru¡¯s mouth. I flared chakra, even calling on Isobu¡¯s before common sense said otherwise.

    And so I sat, feeling the slight movements of the Unagi on the outside I spoke loud enough that he would hear me through the slime greasing his mouth, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that, Unaimaru, but I will forgive it, if the next person I see is Kaizoku. Otherwise, I¡¯ll ensure you see your stomach.¡±

    My new quarters shuddered, laughing at my words but I meant them.

 Sage or Death

    Unaimaru spat me out into the water. I quickly righted myself, finding up and down before the water could disorient me further and kicked my way to the top where I climbed out and stood atop the surface sending a glare at the giant unagi that was my courier. His barbels simply raised and pointed behind me. A door, the same one I¡¯d been brought before during my last visit to Kaizoku¡¯s summon realm.

    The bold, red spiral of the Uzumaki held greater importance after the brief conversation Unaimaru had amused Uncle with¡ª speaking of which, ¡°Don¡¯t you ever touch my Uncle like that, Unaimaru, do you understand me?¡±

    Unaimaru cackled, his head bobbing underneath his relaxed body, ¡°You give too many orders for a summoner that might never see tomorrow.¡±

    His words I knew were truthful or at least he believed them to be. Unaimaru, giant unagi capable of drowning entire navies or not, was getting on my last nerve, ¡°And you are too disobedient for a fish that feeds off his fathers leftovers.¡±

    The giant unagi lost his relaxed gaze and inched towards me, his head becoming more pronounced, glaring eyes fixated on my unyielding form. I doubted he could still see me by the time he stopped and said, ¡°Never again call me a fish.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever handle my Uncle without my permission.¡±

    We remained at an impasse and I would have loved to ensure his fragile will buckled against the waves of killing intent radiating off of me but I literally had bigger fish to attend to.

    I showed him my back and approached the large Uzumaki labelled door that led to Kaizoku, the unagi guards barely recognized my presence beyond pulling the door open. This time I braced myself, expecting to be overtaken by a tidal wave but none came. The water level between the rooms was flat with little more than a ripple passing through as the doors swung open.

    But I felt his presence, a greater pressure than Unaimaru could hope to achieve, bathed me, rattled my teeth and bones for a fleeting moment before it meant nothing. Isobu¡¯s chakra, I felt my friend bolster my chakra network with a small infusion that instantly toughened my mind and will.

    Thank you, Isobu. He didn¡¯t offer a response, content to watch and pay attention as I ventured into Kaizoku¡¯s lair. The large door began to shut the moment I walked through, until the only light source was the ominous pair of slit eyes leering up at me from the water''s depths.

    ¡°Kaizoku, I have paid your gruesome price and I have come to reap its worth.¡± Truly, what was the worth of five hundred drowned souls?

    Whether he heard my call or just got tired of staring, Kaizoku began to rise, slithering up the impossible distance in a few seconds. His head breaking the water tension was like a mountain being born, he continued to rise even after exiting the water, extending to heights only his tower could afford.

    ¡°The little turtle has returned and with his task complete. This is the first time a human has fulfilled that task of mine this quickly, you must really be the Mizukage.¡± Unlike his progeny, Unaimaru, Kaizoku spoke without a hint of derision.

    ¡°That I am, great Sea Serpent Sage.¡±

    Kaizoku chuckled, his merry breath shook the tower more than his spoken voice, ¡°I see. You, turtle, have ambition, a finish line you are desperate to cross.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes up at the colossal creature, not liking the way he threaded his sentence, ¡°Do not attempt to extort me, Kaizoku. I have done as you asked, delivered five score lungs drowned in your waters, drowned in the Kaizoku sea. It is time you reveal your secrets.¡±

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°I need no reminders of my obligation, turtle. I will do as I have promised, now come closer.¡±

    I sensed Isobu stirring within me, my friend¡¯s concern growing without a verbal thought. Still, I walked further into Kaizoku¡¯s overshadowing form until he spoke again, this time in a hush that didn¡¯t rattle walls, ¡°The path of the Sage is one of nature and nature is wild, an untameable being that cannot be bargained with as you bargain with me.¡± He continued, ¡°There is no in betweens in such a path, you either become a Sage or you become one with nature, one with my realm.¡±

    I¡¯d thought as much. Jason¡¯s memories did not include Kaizoku or anything related to his summon path, but the little I recalled of Senjutsu informed me of the toad Sage Arts and the penalties for failing its transformation. Kaizoku¡¯s mermen and other strange human-aquatic hybrids fit the bill well enough.

    ¡°I understand.¡± I said, resolute.

    ¡°Do you? You must undergo a trial of nature itself, accepting its power, the chakra of the entire world into your frail, small body. Do you not have a village to protect, Mizukage?¡±

    ¡°I do. This is how I will protect them.¡±

    Kaizoku¡¯s gaze held mine for a moment before he slowly blinked, ¡°Shinobi¡­I will only warn you once more then. Once we begin you will have to balance the nature chakra entering your chakra pathways with your own chakra, you will have to contain the power of all the worlds with your own. If you are not capable enough then you will become kin and never leave. Do you accept this?¡±

    ¡°I have been waiting for this.¡±

    Kaizoku inhaled and after witnessing Unaimaru do the same before demolishing a boat, I tensed and awaited the devastating blow of water to strike me. Instead, the spout of water Kaizoku expelled cradled me, even as I sunk into the veritable ocean from its impact.

    It took all of three seconds to recognize the next change. The water cradling me was also invading my body and chakra network. Water has a weight, it always has but this felt nothing like the weight of water. Every sliver that slipped through my pores was like a kunai to the knee.

    The water brought along with it a concentrated amount of Nature Chakra that quickly began to sicken me as I continued to fall, though my descent didn¡¯t last as the cradle of the Nature Chakra infused waters created a sphere around me that Kaizoku dragged out.

    He placed me in a folding of his tail and inspected my acute experience of agony. His words were muffled by the dense water in my ears, but I heard his words and they weren¡¯t helpful. ¡°You must absorb or expel this sphere of Nature Chakra, accomplish one and you may have some potential to become a Sage after all.¡±

    He said some more things but I¡¯d quickly stopped listening the moment I felt a new nostril or gill growing out of me. I¡¯ve definitely had enough Nature Chakra come in. I grabbed a hold of my chakra, seizing the bounty becoming a Jinchuriki left me with and fought against the Nature Chakra.

    I flooded my pathways with chakra spun at my core. But flushing out the excess Nature Chakra was no easy task. It weighed at least twenty times as much as my normal chakra did, quickly demanding more chakra continue my efforts.

    My eyes were squeezed shut in concentration, I didn¡¯t even concern myself with the agony of the water still seeping into my pores, introducing more dense granules of Nature Chakra in spite of my attempts to be free of it.

    ¡°Remember balance, Yagura-kun. Balance between us, between your two selves, between Nature and Man. Acceptance alone will bring balance.¡±

    Isobu¡¯s voice was like a distant scream, easily lost in a whirling wind but his words reached me. His trust reached me. He didn¡¯t intervene, didn¡¯t infuse my pathways with his chakra to help. He was trusting me to find the balance as I had over and over again since waking up in this world, since becoming two people, since becoming Mizukage.

    I let go. Of all of it. The tension, fear, worry, guilt, indecision, mistrust, paranoia, schemes and doubts of futures yet to come to pass. I let go of it all in one exhale and allowed the Nature Chakra to be free.

    It cycled through my pathways like an IV drip and with my focus recentred on maintaining balance, the water seeping through my pores stopped hurting. The weight of Nature Chakra became a force I merely guided down existing paths rather than challenge.

    A cold breath blew over me and I fell, knocked out from the sphere. Kaizoku was there to catch me, he raised me up to his face and for the first time since I entered the room his eyes weren¡¯t the only thing I could see.

    ¡°Well done, turtle, you truly are worth the title Mizukage.¡±

 Sage or Death(P2)

    Kaizoku had blown away the sphere of Nature Energy, leaving me to sit and recoil as the world with [Sage Mode], however fleeting, was brighter than I imagined. It was the most startling change to my perception, more so than the rippling strength I felt pulse within my hands.

    Kaizoku¡¯s personal sea chamber was full of Nature Energy, the water glowed a bright blue-green to my eyes, fine particles of debris, carcasses and scum floated around in it making me cringe at the thought I¡¯d swam in it. But at the same time, the colour appealed to my senses as a natural born Water Nature user, I could sense a stronger attunement with the element, stronger than I did with my Wind Nature even though both had increased.

    The air was heavy with the same otherworldly glow. There were clumps of gas or perhaps just Nature Chakra that lit up the room in a manner that made everything I¡¯d seen feel like the descriptions of life from a blind man.

    Kaizoku had his secrets too but perhaps a summon animal like him didn¡¯t have enough enemies powerful enough to make him bother hiding them better than under his bed. Both the clumps of Chakra in the air and the luminosity of the water were significantly increased in certain spots. I counted two before I sensed the residual Nature Chakra still in my body begin to waste out of my pores, leaking out uselessly even as I quickly shut my eyes and breathed in a vain attempt to claw the power of the Sage back.

    But it was gone and all I had left was Kaizoku¡¯s hot breath against my neck. He snorted down at me, thoroughly amused, ¡°I have had few students but all made that sour face once they were plunged back into darkness.¡± He held me up above the water on the feathered part of his tail and let out a low rumble of a laugh.

    I merely smiled, ¡°So I¡¯m a student now, that¡¯s good. We can move on to the next lesson.¡±

    His barbels reached over, longer and thicker than any actual human arm, it poked my neck and I felt more of the Nature Chakra fall out of my body, ¡°You must be prepared to become kin with all this haste. The power I have given you a taste to meddle with is not one that should be taken lightly or for granted.¡±

    ¡°I know that.¡± I said.

    ¡°No. You know only the augmented strength, speed, stamina, perception. The enhanced justu and all the destruction you may wrought upon your enemies with it.¡± Kaizoku shook his head at me, ¡°I will give you these things and I will show you the path to more if you do not die first.¡±

    ¡°I have the Three Tailed Beast within me, the one you so call turtle as if you hold more strength than it. I will not die from what you have to impart on me.¡±

    Kaizoku reared his head away and looked upon me with an intensity, ¡°Arrogance¡­as always. Very well, I will gift you more to balance, more to learn and master.¡±

    Pleased, I fell to a crouch on his tail and waited, ¡°That¡¯s great. When you¡¯re ready.¡±

    ¡°No. When you are ready. You have not brought me another five score drowned lungs, until you do.¡±

    My eyes flew open at that but rather than yell at the great summon whose eyes were hastily becoming the only things I could see, I nodded and asked, ¡°What do five hundred drowned souls do for you, what do you benefit from the dead, Kaizoku?¡±

    Though I¡¯d already glimpsed carcasses drifting near the bottom of the reserved sea Kaizoku had for himself, I doubted he was going through all the trouble of bargaining with a greedy summoner  just to break a meal.

    Where I had doubts I also had theories. There were at least four of the floating corpses in the Nature Chakra rich sea and all of them, as I saw, had features of aquatic life. Gills, fins, webbed hands and feet. They could be his past¡­failed students or they could be life itself.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Something that has intrigued me about Kaizoku¡¯s realm was the variety of the creatures within it. I understood from my memories that the Toad and Snake summon realms did have differently built creatures that still fell under the animal path in question but Kaizoku was different.

    He himself seemed like an amalgamation of a Sea Serpent, Unagi and perhaps even a slice of dragon by the way his head was shaped and decorated with stalactites of ice. I wondered if the corpses bloated from drowning had any path to becoming one of the denizens that lived within his colossal, underwater tower.

    ¡°Do not extend your newfound arrogance unto me, Mizukage. I do not question what you wish to do with the power I bestow nor do I care for your curiosity. Answer my bargain or be gone.¡±

    I bit my cheek in annoyance. The great serpent was short and to with everything it seemed. But I¡¯d already anticipated that beyond all its wisdom as a Sage or what not, the serpent would lust for death continuously as long as it got a taste. This was no honourable test of worth and truth of inner strength, Kaizoku didn¡¯t care about his summoners as long as they fed him what he wanted.

    It might be more likely those corpses are past students then. I blinked away from his gaze as I thought this. In that case, what choice do I have?

    Isobu spoke within me, ¡°None. The perception Senjutsu will allow you is essential to anticipating the enemy within your walls, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I sighed, ignoring how Kaizoku growled, ¡°So¡­I guess another five hundred.¡±

    ¡°Criminals, scum of your human world, unwanted as much as I am feared. You will not be judged.¡±

    ¡°Comparing yourself to criminals isn¡¯t making it any easier to sacrifice them to Kaizoku¡¯s mysterious whims.¡±

    For a moment Isobu was silent, I thought he¡¯d said all he¡¯d had to say when he spoke again, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel any closer to chakra now that you have bathed in its most natural form?¡±

    I quickly picked up on what he was implying without him needing to go further. I shut my eyes and searched myself for a change, if there was one. ¡°Yes, I think¡­I think I can tell the difference now. There¡¯s a light inside like Nature Chakra but¡­not.¡±

    ¡°That is Yin and Yang, Yagura, you have finally found them but it is not enough and neither is Kaizoku¡¯s bargain if it means you are buried under guilt.¡±

    ¡°I have no guilt for criminals due their death and justice. But this, if I can¡¯t know what he does with them I can¡¯t be sure there is justice in any of it, it just feels like another horrid crime and with me as its perpetrator.¡±

    ¡°How long will you take to decide, Mizukage? Or perhaps you did not feel the strength you could have in the palm of your hands long enough?¡± Kaizoku spoke as a devil on my shoulder and I gritted my teeth in anger for I had no else to turn to.

    ¡°You try to extort me and won¡¯t even let me think about whether or not I want to be scammed?¡± I sneered up at the yellow eyed predator.

    ¡°Yagura, what I mean is, now that you can perceive Yin and Yang, you only need to continue with Kaizoku¡¯s demands until you can gather and contain Nature Chakra. If you focus on learning how to contain it, I will help you to gather it.¡±

    ¡°You can do that? Oh, I remember.¡± Indeed, Tailed-Beasts in harmony with their Jinchuriki were capable of bolstering their chakra reserves so absorbing Nature Chakra came quick, easy and free as the cost of the balancing act was hoisted on the Tailed-Beast. But¡­. ¡°But I would need to remove the Three Pillar seal, wouldn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Only if we are friends.¡±

    I inhaled deeply and met Kaizoku¡¯s eyes, they widened and I allowed myself a smile knowing my dilly-dallying had made him anxious enough to be expectant, ¡°Very well, Kaizoku. You will have another five score and the next time we train, don¡¯t cleanse me before I¡¯m satisfied.¡±

    The great serpent let an evil rumble of a laugh, ¡°I do not wish to see you die so soon.¡±

    I rolled my eyes, suddenly far less impressed with the character of the great serpent of the realm. He looked at humans as food and at best, interesting fodder and for the moment I was no different, ¡°No, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t.¡±

 Fame and Opportunity

    Zabuza walked into the grill bar with his hands in his pockets and mesh mask over his face. It was a shinobi bar and so while few actually turned their heads to look at him, Zabuza felt eyes all over as he marched to take his usual seat, greeting the owner with a nod as he did.

    He missed the grill bar as much as it missed him, the owner was loyal and generous to his regulars and Zabuza was among the few that could boast of being one of the earliest patrons. It granted him understanding, privilege and to an extent he didn¡¯t want to realise the owner felt for him, pity.

    But there was no trace of sympathy in the man¡¯s smile now, only a pride Zabuza felt numb to. It had been one week since the Mizukage relieved the village from a state of war and two weeks since Zabuza had returned from his call of duty. The village didn¡¯t go back to normal even after a week of relatively relaxed measures, Zabuza sensed the tension in the atmosphere and having been an active participant, the only Genin participant, his status was elevated.

    Over three hundred shinobi were deployed from Kirigakure during the Daimyo¡¯s civil war and it was rumoured and heavily discussed among close circles that the Mizukage had handpicked each individual shinobi for the task of breaking the stalemate and Zabuza was one of them.

    Zabuza found his seat by a window and started the fire to warm up the pan he¡¯d be sizzling his coming order in. He was grateful for his mask as he got to hide the giant smile underneath as he counted thirty seconds in his head and at the end, two shinobi occupied the booth with him.

    They wore sturdy, clean flak vests and were grinning widely as if something was funny. Chuunin, promoted recently? No¡­

    While the rumour that the Mizukage had handpicked all three hundred shinobi wasn¡¯t true, Zabuza had been among the few handpicked to serve under the commanders of the war and not one of their captains or lower tier subordinates. But that didn¡¯t matter as much as the fact that Jounin and Chuunin predominantly from the Funato, Hoshigaki and Karatachi clans were what made up the entire one month war.

    And then there was Zabuza, chosen over Hozuki, Yuki and even some Karatachi clan Chuunin who believed they would get a chance to make a name for themselves and impress the Mizukage. Just yesterday, in the very same booth Zabuza had been accosted by a similarly grinning pair.

    Except, these two actually look excited. He thought and squinted at them. They straightened their faces but the mirth in their features didn¡¯t leave as one finally spoke, ¡°Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist, it¡¯s an honour to meet you in person.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± the other echoed.

    The first looked like he wanted to facepalm but ignored the urge as he cleared his throat, ¡°I may not look like it but I am a Tokubetsu Jounin, the name is-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, if I haven¡¯t already heard of you don¡¯t bother introducing yourself.¡± Zabuza said.

    The Tokubetsu¡¯s shadow stuttered in offence, ¡°H-h-how dare you! Do you realise who you are speaking to? This is-!¡±

    Zabuza¡¯s glare froze the boy in place, his eyes wide with panic. His breath caught in his throat, and a bead of sweat trailed down his temple as the oppressive weight of Zabuza¡¯s killing intent suffocated the air between them. The Tokubetsu Jounin, to his credit, was relatively unfazed, simply looking at Zabuza with an uneasy gaze.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Zabuza¡¯s order arrived at last and he broke the death glare to witness the delight of four servings of pork belly, ears and the rare and coveted beef rinds. The server girl, niece to the owner, chuckled at him and promised to bring something extra once he was done.

    He nodded gratefully all while tossing, flipping and patting down the strips of meat on the oiled pan and grill respectively. Zabuza had been living off of their restaurant for a week since he got his pay projections, it was significantly smaller than it would have been had this not been a war and the mission a loyalty one, but he expected it next month and would be living wealthy for awhile after that if he excluded the cost of taking care of all the new gear he credited out for the war.

    A necessary expense. Can¡¯t keep reusing bad tools. He thought just as the Tokubetsu spoke again, ¡°You are worth a lot so I understand why you would react like that, ignore my subordinate but at least listen to what I have to say.¡±

    Zabuza looked up from his grilling, ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡±

    Just like he¡¯d been living off this restaurant he¡¯d been rebuffing useless, malicious deals and offers like this all week. The Genin hadn¡¯t dared to try but he saw them creep into the restaurant only to watch him eat and never approach with their offers.

    Chuunin were braver, their rank deceived them into thinking they were stronger than him. They¡¯d come, promise to slot him on all their B-rank missions and even share jutsu with him. At first, he was tempted, it was all he¡¯d been working towards, it was his failsafe plan for after the Swordsman tournaments.

    He remembered not too long ago this was the scenario he fantasised happening before he went to bed, after he returned from a mission he¡¯d performed his damndest best. But none of that happened and it wasn¡¯t truly happening now either.

    As weak and disgusting as the Chuunin were, they were smart enough to recognize that the Mizukage¡¯s interest in him, however downplayed by his clanlessness, was genuine enough to translate into active warfare and potential other accolades.

    In a way, Zabuza himself had done the same thing by sticking close to Mangetsu, except he¡¯d challenged and aspired to be better than the Hozuki clan scion rather than try to butter him up with promises he couldn¡¯t guarantee.

    ¡®If we can get him to join our team we can clear more high rank missions and ask for Jounin evaluations.¡¯  Zabuza could almost hear them think.

    ¡°It¡¯s a no from me, Tokubetsu Jounin, congratulations but you have nothing to offer me.¡± Zabuza said.

    ¡°We know people that wil-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a no.¡±

    The Tokubetsu Jounin narrowed a dangerous gaze down at Zabuza that he met with his own. ¡°Come then, let''s go.¡±

    ¡°What? But he-¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The two nuisances finally exited his booth just in time for the server to place a platter of rice balls. Zabuza grabbed another rice ball, stuffing it with sizzling pork belly. The crispness of the meat crunched in his mouth, but the flavour soured when yet another unwelcome figure slid into the booth across from him. He didn¡¯t even bother swallowing before speaking, ¡°What do you want, ojisan?¡±

    It was an elderly person in front of him now and they never had good words for Zabuza. He¡¯d either murdered their child in the Academy exams or he¡¯d returned from a mission when their child hadn¡¯t. While that elderly harassment hadn¡¯t happened in some months, he was never surprised when they began again.

    ¡°It¡¯s rude to speak with your mouthful, child, did your mother teach you any manners?¡±

    Guess it''s happening. Zabuza had gone through all possible reactions to being harassed like this, returning the favour, violence, silence but nothing worked better than just leaving. He raised his hand to signal the server but it was smacked out of the air before it could rise any higher than his shoulder.

    Zabuza whipped his focus on the old man, the hairs on the back of his neck rising as his widened eyes narrowed at the figure before him. He was dressed in a simple workers outfit, a simple black shirt, face cap and trousers. He was tall but wrinkled enough his eyelids disappeared in the folds.

    No¡­that''s..this is all false. Discreetly, Zabuza pulsed his chakra pathways hoping to pull the wool of any sinister Genjutsu only to find the same old man now grinning at him, showing off yellowed teeth.

    ¡°Good instinct.¡± the old man said as he tipped his cap. ¡°But if I had cast an illusion on you it wouldn¡¯t be as simple as jolting your system.¡±

    ¡°Who are you really?¡± Zabuza asked, getting straight to the point. This person radiated differently from any that had occupied his booth with him, there was true strength sitting in front of him now.

    ¡°I am someone that can change your life, Momochi Zabuza, you have rejected many before me, will you listen to what I have to offer?¡±

 Fame and Opportunity(P2)

    Zabuza sat back and ate his meal, albeit a bit slower than usual so he could hear the old man¡¯s proposal. The man smiled generously as he began, fingers intertwined over the table, ¡°Despite everything you have achieved, Demon of the Mist, you remain a lowly Genin.¡±

    Zabuza nearly broke a chopstick but he¡¯d expected that to be mentioned and so he simply exhaled and glared at the man, ¡°It¡¯s no fault of mine.¡±

    The man chuckled, ¡°Oh on the contrary, I think it is every bit of your fault.¡± The chopsticks broke but the man only seemed to grow more amused, ¡°You are not the only clanless shinobi within Kirigakure¡¯s ranks but you are among some of the strongest. So why? Why are you still a Genin, Zabuza?¡±

    Zabuza growled, he didn¡¯t have time for tests from a fool of an old man, no matter how powerful he might truly be. ¡°I thought you had something to offer me, you didn¡¯t say anything about riddles and tests.¡±

    The old man shrugged and Zabuza scrutinised the [Transformation] jutsu that covered his true identity. It was rather intricate and advanced as Zabuza could usually see through the [Transformation] of most shinobi he¡¯d worked with. The technique, to an experienced shinobi, appeared and functioned like an optical illusion.

    A suspicious squint would break the spell cast by most Genin and it would take greater focus and scrutiny to dispel the illusions placed by Chuunin or even a lazy Jounin, if there was such a thing. However the technique remained vulnerable to physical contact by its nature and no matter who cast the illusion, Zabuza only needed to touch them for it to be dispelled.

    Should I? He was sorely tempted to. He¡¯d already devised a number of ¡®accidental¡¯ ways to reveal the old man¡¯s true identity but he hesitated. Not just out of caution for the powerful shinobi seated in front of him but because he hadn¡¯t heard the offer yet.

    ¡°Tests, riddles, trials and tribulations are all things you will need to prepare for should I state my offer. Surely you are intelligent enough to understand that I need to gauge your self awareness as much as your battle prowess?¡±

    Zabuza bit his lip behind his mask at the thought of answering the man¡¯s question. He tossed a bite of meat-rice ball and chewed vigorously as he brought himself to speak a truth he¡¯s known for years but never vocalised.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I have too many enemies and not enough friends. I don¡¯t even have acquaintances that will work to my favour without taxing me first. I¡­I am alone.¡± Even the sweet taste of beef couldn¡¯t wash away the sickness welling up in his throat and gut.

    Right from the moment he earned his rank as Genin as well as his infamous moniker, Zabuza had lost any chance of making allies with most shinobi in the system. It was one thing for the Sandaime Mizukage to permit a lethal battle royal but it was another for him, a clanless child, to take advantage of it.

    What Zabuza did merely fell in line with the Sandaime Mizukage¡¯s ideals for the village and he did so with vigour to prove he was the ideal shinobi of his generation. The Sandaime seemed to have changed his mind after then because that was the last year lethal battle royales were permitted.

    Ever since, shinobi of his own village, many who had partaken scowled at his presence and shunned him, calling him a demon child. A title he didn¡¯t relish at first but soon grew to. He had no friends, no help, even his own landlord hated his presence but was merely poor enough not to say no to money or to Zabuza¡¯s blade.

    The old man nodded and leaned forward, ¡°I can be that friend, the one friend you need.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°If only I do what? I¡¯m not so alone that I don¡¯t know what true friendship is, do not try to sugarcoat your own greed.¡± Zabuza sneered, hating every lasting second of the conversation.

    Cackling the old man smacked his knees and shook his head, ¡°I should keep to my own lessons ay? Very well then, we will call it as it is, a trade. In exchange for ensuring your path to Chuunin, access to weapons and jutsu of a main clan as well as a hefty lump sum payment for your efforts¡­you, the Demon of the Mist, will defeat Mangetsu Hozuki once more.¡±

    Zabuza¡¯s eyes widened, not at the promises but at the assignment. ¡°What does this have to do with Hozuki?¡±

    ¡°Does it really matter? All you have to do is defeat him like you did during the Seven Swordsmen tourney. You can do that, can¡¯t you?¡±

    Of course I can but¡­should I? Zabuza wasn¡¯t one to spit in the face of an offer that would bring the upward growth he¡¯s desired and fantasised about for years. But this was not at all how he expected it would fall in his lap. Maybe it''s time, you¡¯ve put in the work for years. It¡¯s time to reap the rewards.

    Despite his own encouragement Zabuza rested his back against the booth and asked, ¡°What¡¯s in it for you?¡±

    The old man snarled and waved the question away like a fly, ¡°No need for such, Zabuza, think only of what I am offering. A connection with one of the main clans, think about it!¡±

    Zabuza narrowed at the man, ¡°That¡¯s another thing. You are asking me to defeat Mangetsu Hozuki so I assume that excludes the Hozuki clan from the equation. And the Yuki haven¡¯t been as low tier as they are now in decades, then there¡¯s the Hoshigaki¡­they wouldn¡¯t hide their identity to approach me, they are proud sharks. So that leaves Lord Fourth¡¯s clan, the Karatachi and the Funato clan.¡±

    The old man said nothing for a moment and Zabuza grinned, ¡°Hahah. I see. The Funato clan needs a demon. I hope you¡¯re satisfied with my¡­self awareness.¡±

    The man leaned forward as he disapprovingly shook his head, ¡°You must believe that your promotion is well underway, any moment from now. After all, you performed exemplary on the field.¡±

    Zabuza shrugged, ¡°What can I say? I showed Lord Fourth my worth when I defeated his apprentice, again when I fought in the war and right before his very eyes when I defended his ships. Yagura-sama will not forget me.¡±

    The man cocked his head to the side and a sick smile curled his lips, ¡°Ho? Just as the late Sandaime did not forget you?¡± Zabuza bristled in his seat, lurched out to touch the insolent man and break his [Transformation] jutsu. But he was too fast. Before Zabuza could move across, a hand was already on his back and the figure he reached for was nothing but an afterimage.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk somewhere more private.¡± the old man said as he pulsed chakra around him and Zabuza. In a flurry of movement Zabuza was forcefully dragged out the grill bar and brought onto a rooftop.

    He dashed away from the man the instant he could, retrieving senbon and kunai to protect himself from more violations. The man had brought them to a high point but not far from the grill bar, the cool air of the mist whipping about the clouds and billowing their clothes did not distract Zabuza from the man as he raised a single hand seal.

    ¡°Kai¡± he released his [Transformation] and revealed his identity, baleful old eyes fixed Zabuza with a glare as he spoke again, ¡°If I so wished, the Lord Fourth would never think of you again. Do not deny yourself this opportunity, Demon of the Mist. Come and fight for my clan.¡±

    Zabuza let his arms drop uselessly beside him. Lord Funato himself, I stand no chance. He thought, his heart beat rapidly in his chest. He knew the man was powerful but to be one of the oldest and most powerful figures in the village¡­

    He thought of what he¡¯d just threatened. Could he do it? Zabuza shook his head. No, I¡¯ve made an impression on the Mizukage, I know that. I trust that. And yet he had made the same impression on the Sandaime and he had suffered years for it.

    ¡°What exactly do you want, Lord Funato?¡±

    The man as old as Kirigakure smiled, ¡°I need you to win me an island.¡±

 Worth Friendship

    I took a deep breath as Unaimaru finally broke through the water surface. I held on and shook my hair out as he glided across, ¡°Over there! Take me there.¡± I pointed over in the direction of Turtle Island and my summon obliged.

    It was a clear day before Unaimaru took me under but now it was night time so I didn¡¯t bother searching for Uncle immediately. We hadn¡¯t even reappeared in the same spot as both the mainland and Turtle Island were a significant distance away.

    ¡°How long have we been gone?¡±

    ¡°Kaizoku drowns all. Perhaps you¡¯ve been absent a day or two or perhaps it has been a year or three.¡± Unaimaru cackled at his own useless response.

    I groaned, sick of the giant Unagi¡¯s attitude. I¡¯d get used to it in time but right now wasn¡¯t that time. But there did seem to be some kernel of truth to his response, that being there was little to no consistency to how much time warped away when I was within Kaizoku¡¯s realm. The last time I¡¯d gone under I spent much more time navigating through his tower, finding and fighting him all to return to the battlefield where little time had passed and the sun was still up just as I¡¯d left.

    And now, even though I surely wasted less time fighting or even discussing with the great serpent, more than a couple of hours had passed. I¡¯ll have to be careful visiting Kaizoku from now on then.

    Fortunately I¡¯d taken care of most pressing matters before attending to Kaizoku¡¯s demand for drowned lungs. Given the order to lax our defences, recalled our shinobi from non-essential posts, and most important of all, spoke to Minato¡¯s envoy. But my thoughts were beyond administrative bore or political manoeuvring, instead I focused all towards my next moves on Turtle Island.

    As Isobu promised, once I could sense Yang chakra, Yin naturally exposed itself to my senses. Even now, riding atop Unaimaru I could sense the fading effects of the technique he uses to slip between realms. But I was nervous, it felt like with every passing second my affinity to sense these nature born chakras was waning.

    It¡¯s alright if it does. I told myself as Unaimaru split a wave, I could always return to Kaizoku with another two-hundred and fifty guilty, lord knows there were many waiting to be judged. I quieted Jason¡¯s rearing weakness, I had expressed enough of that and though I sympathised with the emotion and even questioned my own actions sending the guilty to a being like Kaizoku, none of that changed the reality in front of me.

    I¡¯m running out of time. It¡¯s a thought that had been plaguing me right from the moment I announced my intentions of joining the Daimyo¡¯s war, one that intensified greatly when Zetsu stole Shizu Yuki¡¯s corpse from her clan cemetery and attempted to sow discontent by attacking Lord Funato.

    I needed to get stronger faster, impervious to all that Obito or Pein could throw at me. I needed to grow faster. I smacked Unaimaru¡¯s side, ¡°Hurry it up, I know you can swim faster than this, or do you just enjoy my company?¡±

    The giant Unagi tried shaking me off his back all while he swam but I saw that coming and grasped the padding of feathers along his neck.  He growled but did as I asked and soon Turtle Island became visible from atop his neck.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°There are people moving towards us. More sacrifices?¡±

    I sensed them as well and quickly identified the lot as members of my ANBU. They arranged themselves along the edge of the Island, many already revving their chakra pathways for a battle. They think I¡¯m an outsider, are there no sensors in that team?

    ¡°Keep your jowls closed Unaimaru, don¡¯t speak unless you are spoken to.¡± I ordered, he¡¯d scared Zabuza and Mangetsu enough with his presence and thinly veiled threat the last time, I didn¡¯t need him spooking my ANBU, incompetent as they were not to have sensors on their team.

    Unaimaru began to swim at a cruise speed, snaking his way towards the Island slowly enough that I could stand upon his head and halt my ANBU. I leaped off and the squad of eight fell to their knees.

    ¡°Mizukage-sama! You¡¯ve returned!¡±

    At that specific word of their greeting I had to ask, ¡°How long have I been gone?¡±

    ¡°A day sir. Lord Karatachi reported your disappearance, we¡¯ve been on the lookout for any creatures that matched his description of the one who swallowed you.¡±

    A day¡­not bad for Senjutsu practice. I gave my ANBU a chuckle though, ¡°Do not be afraid of this one. He is mine. Go, Unaimaru, I will summon you again for battle or for sacrifice.¡±

    Unaimaru reared his head and body out of the water so it splashed and rained all over the ANBU, his eyes told me he had something to say but mine reminded him to shut up. He disappeared in a poof of smoke.

    I started walking towards the Island¡¯s temple where I undertook my Tailed-Beast training, I had to move quickly while I could still taste the fleeting Nature Release of Yin and Yang. ¡°Retrieve Harusame for me, as well as Utakata. And inform my Uncle of my return and safety, though I doubt he feared for it. Oh and summon Ao as well.¡±

    ¡°At your side, Yagura-sama.¡± Ao said, already among the ANBU, masked and in gear and yet I hadn¡¯t stopped walking long enough to notice his presence.

    I smiled, ¡°Perfect, lets go. I need you at my side at all times, Ao, there are threats only you must intercept.¡± I turned and found the rest of the ANBU squad that hadn¡¯t dispersed as I gave orders waiting. I thought for a moment then shrugged, ¡°The rest of you secure the area, I don¡¯t want any civilians or Genin coming through until I have left.¡±

    They dispersed then, leaving me and Ao walking towards the temple. ¡°Do you truly intend on releasing the Three Pillar seal, Yagura?¡± I heard Isobu ask within my mindscape.

    I allowed my body to move on autopilot while my mind sunk within itself to see him in his own realm of water. He was giant as ever, as large as Kaizoku and clearly stronger as the weight of his chakra seeped through every molecule of water around. But his tails were pinned, all three stuck to the bottom of a bottomless oceanscape.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Isobu, truly, I am. I should have done so the moment we became friends, the moment we understood our mission and how much of a threat our enemies pose not just to us, but to the entire world. I¡¯m sorry that as always, it is a path to power that forces me to do the right thing, to condemn criminals and now to set a friend free.¡±

    Isobu looked down at my form, his single eye studied my features intently and I prayed he saw I meant every word. Then, he revealed his second eye to me, one he¡¯d always kept hidden. Even in Jason¡¯s memories I''d always seen Isobu with a single eye.

    ¡°I trust you as you trust me, Yagura-kun.¡± he reached out with a giant hand and gentler than a chick, patted my head. ¡°You are worth my friendship.¡±

    I tried not to tear up as Jason¡¯s memories and even my own let me know just how much this meant to the Tailed Beast, to Isobu. I was the second friend he¡¯d made after Hagoromo himself.

    ¡°It is an honour, Isobu and a joy.¡±

    ¡°Did you say something, Mizukage-sama?¡± Ao¡¯s voice brought me out of my mindscape and I shook my head, wiping away the tear that had snuck out of my eyes.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing for you to understand just yet, Ao.¡±

 Worth Friendship(P2)

    With Ao by my side I quickly went to work with Isobu, sitting atop the lake among Turtle Island¡¯s statues and the serene rush of its spring waters I began channelling Tailed-Beast chakra.

    Its usual corrosiveness had become tame but I was only channelling enough to activate my [Stage 0 Chakra Cloak], should I channel enough to produce a tail then my skin and muscles would begin to burn and heal at a rapid pace. This is enough, isn¡¯t it Isobu?

    ¡°Can you still sense the Yin and Yang chakra?¡±

    I can. It¡¯s there, around everything. Should I try using it?

    ¡°No, not yet. Just mould it as you would your own chakra.¡± Isobu calmly instructed.

    The purpose of the exercise wasn¡¯t to seek Senjutsu chakra, I¡¯d already lost the sense for it in the atmosphere and would need to return to Kaizoku for another infusion. However, the first infusion of Senjutsu chakra had opened my senses to Yin and Yang chakra natures, the ones required to perform some of Isobu¡¯s most powerful abilities. And I had to foster those senses quickly before they also faded.

    Yin chakra was like a light, glowing feather that cuddled everything in the world. Its combination with Yang was what made Senjutsu chakra but for now I wasn¡¯t attempting anything as advanced as syphoning pure Nature chakra into my body, not without a true Sage supervising me at least. I couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen if I were to try. Would I still transform into an Unagi or water serpent like Kaizoku and his kin?

    ¡°Focus, Yagura.¡± Isobu scolded.

    I inhaled deep and focused on my friend''s powerful chakra hugging me all the way from within the seal. Keying in on that light glow of Yin chakra I pulled on it as gently as I could and began moulding the sliver I caught. It wasn¡¯t warm, hot or cold. It was serene in a way I couldn¡¯t accurately describe. It felt like I was holding onto light itself and yet it passed through me all the same. It quickly made for a difficult lesson as the Yin chakra slipped away.

    I tried to grab a hold of it but Isobu instructed, ¡°Hold onto Yang this time.¡±

    I did as he asked and let Yin go while I searched for Yang. Like Isobu had said, once I found one of the pairs the other quickly revealed itself. While Yin hugged everything in nature Yang could be found within all. I found it within his corrosive chakra and even within mine. As I reached for it, my understanding of its nature grew; it was energetic, a boisterous source of power.

    Unlike Yin chakra which was light, flexible and not easy to grab ahold of, Yang was quite the opposite. It was heavy. Less in the sense of weight and more in the sense of responsibility. The smidge I grasped a hold of pulled more along with it, flowing into the centre of my pathways where I moulded my chakra with Isobu¡¯s for balance. I could feel it changing, evolving things within and without. Its power was frightening but it gave itself onto me freely than Yin had, almost too freely.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Find balance with Yin.¡± Isobu said, his voice was calm and so I remained calm, there was nothing to be nervous of.

    While I spun Yang, I tried my best to reach out for Yin but the slippery thing passed through me despite being a part of me. I could already see where things would become difficult in this training. I kept up my attempts but I couldn¡¯t match the amount of Yang that had thrown itself onto me to Yin that seemed to want to exist in all places and not just in my grasp.

    ¡°Do not despair. You have done well, perfect in fact. Do you not feel their natures more strongly now?¡±

    I nodded. I think I¡¯ll be able to sense them without even visiting Kaizoku again.

    Isobu smiled and said, ¡°Then open your eyes.¡±

    I did and gasped as the lake had become populus with plants, lily pads and all sorts of coral growing around me. I had birthed a water garden and sat at its centre. Beautiful flowers blossomed from the water and I¡¯d even spotted tadpoles come to exist where there weren¡¯t any before.

    ¡°I did this?¡±

    ¡°Yang chakra gives life and Yin imagines forms for those lives. In time you will master this ability and create corals that grow, feed and exist even without your presence.¡± Isobu said with no small measure of pride and hope in his voice.

    I stood and walked through the mini ecosystem my manipulation of Yin, Yang and Isobu¡¯s chakra had spawned. Seaweed, algae of both red and green and even some long grasses that poked out of the water and grew all the way to my knee. Ao stood at the edge of the lake, his mask was set to the side of his face and a stricken expression marred his features.

    I smiled at him, ¡°I told you you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Mizukage-sama¡­you are¡­¡±

    I shushed him with a finger to my lips, I too was marvelled by what I¡¯d accidentally created. My heart pounded with excitement as I thought of all the possibilities, what I could consciously create not just for battle but for my village.

    It¡¯s no wonder Hashirama was so powerful. A mastered Sage with the power of creation at his fingertips. That power now brushed mine. It would certainly take some time to master the combination of Yin, Yang and Isobu¡¯s chakra but with Kaizoku¡¯s help, accessing [Sage Mode] would help me cut corners where I need to.

    ¡°Where is Harusame? Has he not arrived yet?¡± As I asked, the man in question came up from within the underground temple with a large scroll in hand. I raised a brow at him and before I could ask, he answered.

    ¡°I arrived moments ago, Yagura-sama. What you¡¯ve done¡­you spoke of Yin and Yang Release last time and¡­I didn¡¯t understand what your intentions were and assumed you were merely interested in creating stronger Seal Arts but now, I see.¡± His eyes lingered on the little island of life that sprouted where I sat in the pool.

    He unfurled the scroll and laid it on the ground. It was a complex arrangement of Binding seals, I¡¯d read ahead in the Fuuinjutsu textbooks he gave me so I could read some parts while others were indiscernible.

    ¡°This is the Three Pillar Seal key, isn¡¯t it?¡± I grinned widely, ¡°You¡¯ve anticipated my needs, well done, Harusame.¡±

    He didn¡¯t look proud or happy at my praise but cautious, ¡°I have. I am trusting you, Yagura-sama, your word and your abilities.¡±

    His concerns were valid considering the history of Tailed Beasts, so I approached him and sat in front of the seal, examining it before nodding, ¡°Then you will learn to trust the one named Isobu as well. Let¡¯s begin.¡±

 Paths of a Jinchuriki

    It was a surprisingly simple and painless process undoing the Three Pillar Seal. Harusame was overly cautious and rightfully so as even though I trusted Isobu with my life I couldn¡¯t immediately expect him to do the same, even if I had ordered him to just as we started.

    He had me lay down across the Seal Key and with a few hand seals my Tailed Beast Seal was undone and yet, Isobu had not forced me to transform or break out of me. Instead I simply felt his presence envelope me even closer than ever. He was actively choosing to stay within me and even though we had shared goals, threats and enemies, it meant a lot that he didn¡¯t want to leave, that he stayed.

    Our chakra and mindscape quickly became one, we were closer than ever before. His chakra and mine mixed eagerly after the Three Pillar Seal was removed and it left me a bit more energised than I have ever been without actively calling on the [Stage 0 Chakra Cloak]. I felt my muscles bulge with a new natural base strength and my affinity for Water Release grow more powerful.

    Otherwise everything was much the same, a fact that left Harusame visibly surprised, impressed and clearly frightened. ¡°How? Why isn¡¯t the beast escaping?¡± he asked.

    I threw a glare at him but inhaled and softened up a bit as I understood this was what most humans expected of Tailed Beasts, for them to be nothing more than beasts. I clenched my fists behind my back and answered, ¡°His name is Isobu and he is a friend to me, to Kirigakure. He is a protector not a weapon, not a threat and certainly not anything as simple as a beast.¡±

    Harusame gulped but nodded, acquiescing to my explanation but whether he truly accepted it¡­time would only tell, ¡°Where is Utakata?¡±

    At the mention of his student his stuttered, ¡°Mi-Yagura-sama, surely you don¡¯t intend on removing the Six Tails Seal from him, the Three-Tails uh, I mean, Isobu is one thing but you haven¡¯t befriended the Six Tails as well have you?¡±

    I scowled at his doubt, it was understandable but it began to vex me. ¡°It is fine, Yagura, humans are such. Patience, time and proof of our ability to cohabitate will win them all over. I will convince Saiken of your genuine feelings, though he will have to decide for himself whether he can trust Utakata.¡±

    I nodded at Isobu¡¯s words, finding them true and sound, ¡°I have not befriended Saiken but it isn¡¯t as important for me to do so as it is for Utakata, he must be aware that the one sealed within him is not a burden, curse and he is not a victim. Bring him to me.¡±

    I didn¡¯t let Harusame have another word of my time and turned away, walking back unto the little lake where I sat amongst the life, corals, seaweed, tadpoles and more that my training with Isobu¡¯s, Yin and Yang chakra birthed.

    Once again and far easier this time, Isobu¡¯s chakra swelled around me. He gave enough to manifest a single Tail but my skin did not corrode or burn away as I meditated. I searched within his chakra and mine for Yin and Yang, and finding them, I attempted to bring balance within my pathways. Theoretically, if I were successful I could activate a manner of [Sage Mode] as the combinations of Yin and Yang quickly made up Nature Chakra. But this was extremely difficult to manage.

    Senjutsu was the practice of absorbing Nature Chakra, already mixed to its perfect balance of Yin and Yang, the next step would be balancing that smooth combination with my own chakra or perhaps even Isobu¡¯s but since I couldn¡¯t absorb Nature Chakra yet, I was stuck attempting to make my own.

    It was a hazardous and messy process. I was wasting so much of my own chakra trying to mix Yin and Yang and much more of Isobu¡¯s attempting to stabilise my own chakra reserves so my body wasn¡¯t overwhelmed. If I were somehow successful in creating Nature Chakra within myself and then balancing that chakra with my reserves, then I could enter [Sage Mode] at any moment I pleased without absorbing the Nature Chakra readily available to me through my Animal Path summon.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    However¡­I let out an exhaustive sigh as the [One-Tailed Chakra Cloak] dissipated. ¡°Creating your own Sage Mode is a bit too advanced for now, Yagura-kun, for now focus on mastering Yin and Yang and what you can create with it. That Great Serpent will help you utilize Sage Mode.¡± Isobu said.

    I nodded and was about to respond when I sensed a presence distub the waters. I opened my eyes thinking it was Harusame but was pleased to see Utakata standing before me at last. He wore a full body gear suit, Kirigakure¡¯s traditional flak vest and had wrapped bandages around his arms.

    ¡°Mizukage-sama, you asked for me?¡± He was nervous enough to fall to a knee and bow. I smiled as I recalled he was a lot more snarky and honest before I became the Fourth Mizukage.

    ¡°Come, sit with me, Utakata-kun, I have something to discuss with you.¡± He did as I asked, though he curiously examined the growing shrubs and water grasses around me. Once he was sat comfortably opposite me I made some small talk first, ¡°How was the war?¡±

    He blinked and unconsciously touched his headband, he passed it off as brushing his hair but his brown locks merely fell back into place covering his left eye, ¡°Uneventful.¡±

    ¡°I suppose it was. Did you wish you had a greater part in it?¡±

    His single visible eye darted about before he answered, ¡°Yes? I mean¡­I don¡¯t know. I was satisfied with my post protecting our isles from invasion even if none came.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    He squinted at that, ¡°I wanted to test out a new jutsu I¡¯ve been working on but I don¡¯t often get combat missions, sir. Harusame-sensei has trained me in controlling my Tailed Beast, I won¡¯t lose control even if I¡¯m pressed.¡±

    I smiled at the direction he chose to take the conversation. Truly he was a shinobi, ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that but Harusame has never recommended you for missions of such nature, at least, nothing has come across my desk and neither have you.¡±

    He lowered his head, ¡°It would be an insult to sensei to approach you behind his back.¡±

    ¡°Would it? I suppose you can think of it that way. How about this jutsu of yours? Why don¡¯t you give me a demonstration?¡±

    His eye widened in surprise before he quickly calmed himself and nodded. He retrieved a pipe from his holster and with it held between his fingers, made over a dozen hand seals as he stood.

    I sensed him infusing the pipe with chakra from his lips and as he blew out the first, awkwardly shaped bubble that didn¡¯t do a good job of floating in the air he explained, ¡°It looks like nothing but¡­¡± he hurriedly retrieved a senbon from his pouch and flung it at the bubble. It exploded, setting some of my grass on fire, ¡°If made en masse, it can make for a nasty experience.¡±

    He flashed a smile at me before remembering himself and wiping it off to sit back down. I nodded, having already seen Jason¡¯s memories of Utakata I knew what this awkward bubble jutsu would be capable of.

    ¡°It reminds me of something¡­did anything inspire you to create this jutsu? Or was Harusame¡¯s guidance alone enough?¡±

    His lips pursed but he spoke, ¡°We noticed a quality of the Six-Tails chakra when I manifested it. It itself is made of acidic slime that can bubble so I thought¡­I imitated its quality with my pipe.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, looking him in the eye.

    He froze up then said, ¡°So I don¡¯t have to use its chakra ever.¡± I inhaled deeply and he began to prattle, ¡°I know. Jinchuriki are weapons meant to master their Beasts and I have mastered up to three tails of it but I-!¡±

    My raised hand silenced him, ¡°I understand your fears, hesitance but that is why we are having this discussion, Utakata. There is more responsibility to being a Jinchuriki than simply mastering their Tailed Beasts chakra. You must protect the Tailed Beast within you and you must learn to live with it, in peace not hatefully.¡±

    Utakata eyed the plants and corals around us, ¡°Is that how you¡¯ve mastered your Tailed Beast? Harusame-sensei said that you¡­you removed the Seal keeping it within you and yet¡­how?¡±

    I smiled brightly and grabbed his hands, ¡°First, I should introduce you to the Three-Tails within me but you should know, his name is Isobu. The SIx-Tails has a name as well, I hope they will give it to you freely after this. Are you ready?¡±

    I felt his hands sweat and he gulped as he nodded, ¡°Yes, Mizukage-sama.¡±

 Heedless Bee

    ¡°Woo Weeee!¡±

    The crowd roared along with the wind, cheering, screaming and leaping for his attention. He got into the groove, moving with the rhythm of the instrumentalists volunteering to bolster his work.

    ¡°Killer Bee¡¯s in the house, better brace for the storm,

    Spittin¡¯ rhymes so cold, but my flow¡¯s always warm!

    Eight tails on my back, and the rhythm¡¯s on track,

    Lightning in my veins, ain¡¯t no holdin¡¯ me back!¡±

    The chicks and babes swooned, their voices went hoarse from their screams and they flung themselves over the arms of his concert aides to get an inch closer.

    ¡°Crowd go wild when I spit that fire,

    Killer Bee¡¯s the name, always takin¡¯ it higher!

    So hands in the air if you feelin¡¯ my vibe,

    Kumo-nin in the building, let¡¯s keep this alive!¡±

    The crowd continued to roar and Killer Bee bopped and danced up on the stage. He whipped out three of his swords and juggled them from his hands to the back of his knee and then tossed in the air to spin on the pommels of one another as they fell back into their scabbards.

    He slid out on his knees and rocked out, ¡°Wooo Weee!!¡±

    The crowd roared with him but without as much vigour as the last time. There were murmurs, startled exclamations mixed within their call for an encore. What¡¯s this commotion, I see some distraction, better fix this quick, or we¡¯re losin¡¯ the action!

    From atop the stage Killer Bee surveyed the crowd, they were distracted, out of the vibe and all especially in the back. His back up musicians stopped rocking their instruments once they noticed his concern and with their music quelled the clamour at the back of the concert became louder and more fearful.

    Killer Bee lost his smile the moment the crowd lost their vibe, but hearing fear in any of the voices was the truest opposite of what he was rapping Enka for. He leaped, flipping through the air until he landed on the concert grounds back railing. The wind billowed his scarf as he teetered on the edge, a long drop through the clouds awaited him but he wasn¡¯t looking for an adrenaline fuzz tonight.

    He hopped off and approached the back of his concert, his fans, most shinobi had grouped around something and were all murmuring in a mix of hushed and startled voices. ¡°Oi! Lord Jinchuriki¡¯s here, lemme through, ya know the drill. Step aside for Killer Bee, I¡¯mma find what¡¯s re-!¡±

    They¡¯d parted an opening the moment he raised his voice and he walked right into the centre where a young kunoichi held a severed head in her hands with a tormented look on her face. There was a small box spilled over, another head was in it and one other had rolled out of it.

    Killer Bee took the head from the young kunoichi, turned it around and squinted at it behind his brown shades, ¡°Ayo! The show¡¯s over, I¡¯ll handle this, no stress, Killer Bee¡¯s on the case, gonna clean up this mess, ya fool!¡±

    Those that hadn¡¯t seen, glimpsed or heard what was happening here moaned and complained but they left. The crowd dispersed and Killer Bee returned the heads to the box they¡¯d been found in. The box itself came with a message stamped underneath it that read;

    ¡®Lost, Found and Returned.¡¯The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ****

    Killer Bee barged right into his brother¡¯s office without a word to the cute secretary that¡¯s always perched before it. She ran in along with him and bowed to his brother as she stuttered, ¡°Lord Bee is here to see you, Raikage-sama. He wouldn¡¯t let me show him in or announce hi-¡±

    ¡°Aniki, you¡¯ve got trouble, it¡¯s down to the streets! I opened a box, laid out the heads,¡± Killer Bee opened the box, the sight shut up the secretary and the smell got his brother to stop pumping iron and look over his shoulder with an angry scowl. ¡°It¡¯s Kaito, Yuuya, Mishima¡­they¡¯re all dead.¡± The mention of their names got his brother to release the massive dumbbell, it crash and made a deep indent in the floor.

    ¡°Where did you get that, Bee?¡± Ay, his brother, the Raikage demanded. His face held an unpleasant scowl on it, going closer and closer to a frown of worry rather than anger. A rare emotion for his brother. He eyed the open box, his nose wrinkled in disgust, annoyance and rage as he closed it shut, ¡°Was there a message with it?¡±

    ¡°A fan gave it to me, found it during my concert. Yuuya, Mishima, they¡¯re not the only ones are they?¡± Killer Bee never cared for the burden of being ¡®Ay¡¯, he knew there were choices only ¡®Ay¡¯ could make, choices he wouldn¡¯t make even if he were somehow to become ¡®Ay¡¯.

    But that¡¯s why he was Bee. Since their father had died he¡¯d become the protector, the guardian of Kumogakure at the command of his brother Ay, the Fourth Raikage. He had not left the village ever since. From that point on and through the rest of the war, he blew up enemies that would dare encroach with long range [Bijuu Bomb] and lived up to his responsibility.

    The war had ended a year now and all Bee wanted to do was soothe and entertain the weary shinobi of Kumogakure with vicious raps and wicked Enka rhymes. That was going to be a problem if severed heads kept attending.

    ¡°What¡¯s the deal, heads returnin¡¯ to the village, shinobi gone missin¡¯? Let me handle this, but you won¡¯t, will you, Aniki?¡± Killer Bee said and his brother¡¯s scowl turned fierce.

    ¡°Mabui!¡± he barked for the woman that stood right beside him, ¡°Get that from my brother and arrange a proper funeral for those shinobi. Get me the border captain, I want to know how those miscreants got in to do this under his watch. And then get me a map!¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± She was already moving before he completed his sentence, she relieved Bee of the box and hurried out the room to finish her new task.

    When the door shut Killer Bee stepped closer and was about to ask again when his brother finally started talking, ¡°It is our enemies, the Hidden Mist, they¡¯ve discovered the agents I sent. This will be the start of their retaliation¡­I know it.¡± His fists clenched tight as he spoke, his voice almost a roar, ¡°A mission failure after¡­raarggh!¡±

    Killer Bee didn¡¯t flinch as his brother¡¯s fist crashed through yet another table and shattered the blue tiled floor underneath. ¡°Kiri? Mist village creepin¡¯ silent like smoke, what¡¯s the beef, Bee wanna take a poke!¡±

    ¡°Enough, Bee. Return to your training or your concert. This is not a matter you should concern yourself with.¡± Ay grunted, breaking the floor some more as he yanked his gauntlet arm free. ¡°The Raikage will handle Kirigakure and whatever more errors they have yet to make.¡±

    Killer Bee was doubtful, worried in fact. The tremble of fear in his fans'' voices still lingered in the back of his mind, ¡°Mizukage, Raikage, y¡¯all need to chat, stop this beef before it gets fat, ya fool!¡±

    Ay snapped a glare at him but his eyes narrowed in thought rather than explode with anger, ¡°The Mizukage huh. His shinobi arrived months ago looking to talk about their dead Third Mizukage, fools. This one now is¡­Mabui! Mabui!¡±

    The young woman came walking in a hurry again, ¡°Yes sir?¡± she glanced at the broken table and sighed.

    ¡°Remind me, who is the current Mizukage?¡±

    ¡°Yagura Karatachi, the one regarded as-¡±

    ¡°The Repulse-nin.¡± Ay completed, stroking his trimmed white beard as he sat in front of his broken table. ¡°I know of him but it seems he doesn¡¯t know of me.¡±

    ¡°Sir, he is also the Three-Tails Jinchuriki and covert reports state a level of mastery akin to that of Lady Yugito.¡± Mabui quickly cited, her hands clasped tight behind her back.

    ¡°A Jinchuriki as a Kage? Even worse than being a mere pup. The Mist must truly be desperate. They lost their famed swordsmen in the war and their Mizukage, and are busy with a civil war aren¡¯t they? That Mizukage shouldn¡¯t¡­he shouldn¡¯t be paying attention.¡±

    ¡°The civil war wrapped up about three weeks ago sir, I gave you the reports on our observations and our losses. The team assigned to the Baron-¡± Ay raised a fist and Mabui shut her mouth.

    ¡°Bee.¡± his brother called, his voice a low and dire rumble, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid, do you get me!?¡±

    Killer Bee thought and he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say he wouldn¡¯t. After all, how interesting is a Jinchuriki that¡¯s a Kage? He must be extremely strong.

    ¡°Yagura¡¯s strong, but nothin¡¯ the Bee can¡¯t handle...ya fool!¡±

 To Seize the Rinnegan

    ¡°Lord Danzou,¡± Kinoto began and Danzo could already smell the failure waft off his breath. It stunk. ¡°Gamma Division, I believe they¡¯ve been wiped out during the infiltration attempt. Their report places them farther than Beta and there is some vital information.¡±

    ¡°Spit it out.¡± Danzo groaned. The thin divide of the shoji door displayed his crouched and bowed subordinate while Danzo himself maintained his special arm.

    ¡°Sir, Gamma, before they were taken out, claimed to have spotted Jiraiya of the Sannin moving between the streets and brothels of the Rain village.¡±

    Jiraiya? What would he be doing here? Danzo thought as he unwrapped the bandages, revealing the grotesque fusion beneath. The arm, unnaturally pale, was a patchwork of skin and muscle, slick with the residue of Orochimaru¡¯s twisted but ingenious experiments. Dark, jagged veins pulsed faintly beneath the surface, snaking up to his shoulder. The unnatural growth of tumour or more accurately, seeds, had started to spread¡ªa side effect of the powerful cells that sustained it.

    He grimaced, his fingers twitching involuntarily as the foreign chakra coursed through his system. Orochimaru that traitor. Danzo cursed inwardly, the White Snake had failed to complete his task before revealing his true scales. When the time was right Danzo intended to ensure the boy brought the arm to full functionality, not to mention there was the matter of the Uchiha¡­

    This Amegakure business was all wrong timing and yet the multitude of dead Root he continually incurred attempting to breach promised there was a need to breach after all, a dire one enough to draw the attention of the Toad Sannin.

    Many in the village and even in the world knew of the Sannin for his strength but most knew him for his lecherous books and ways. Across the Land of Fire there was no brothel that hadn¡¯t raised a complaint against the man or at least had him banned from their hot springs.

    But much of all that was a clever disguise few would bother questioning. Underneath was the Sannin in name and action, slipping through village defences and crossing borders wantonly because few would truly suspect him¡­until it was too late.

    It seems that may be the case for Amegakure as well. Danzo reflected on his own mounting losses. Each division he¡¯d thrown in had built their infiltration on information sourced from past successes but it grew on two and a half years since Danzo freely walked Amegakure¡¯s ins and outs. Starting intel was insufficient but at the very least one Root member returned with knowledge of dangerous paths and expectant enemies.

    It was already his fortune that his past self was wise enough to set up an underground base during the Third Shinobi War, there was an underground network that spat out his shinobi in various areas within the Rain village but apparently, such preparations were now insufficient. My subordinates are insufficient but I¡­

    Wrapping the fresh, seal-inscribed bandages around it, Danzo cursed Orochimaru¡¯s failure. The arm was powerful, yes, but incomplete¡ªan unstable weapon that could just as easily consume him if left unchecked. The seals would delay the arm¡¯s slow cannibalization of his own chakra pathways, allowing him to wield it for now. He tightened the final knot with a grim determination. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it would have to suffice.

    He finished his preparations and maintenance with a Root Mask of his own, donning it over the bandages that hid another special secret of his. A long, reliable sword was clasped at his back and a variety of pouches hung off his waist, bombs, pills, kunai and sealing scrolls at the ready.

    It hadn¡¯t been long since he fought, he delivered gruelling training onto his operatives as regularly as he could manage but this was the first time in three years he had taken to the field as an active combatant, that he¡¯d led his forces from the helm.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Gather the others, we are done with infiltration, now we invade.¡± Danzo said grimly, the taste of being forced to this point so soon did not settle well with him. An outright invasion of the village was well within his promise to the Hokage; that he would act in Konoha¡¯s advance interests.

    The foolish Hokage might have sent Jiraiya to speed things along after not hearing from Danzo or¡­.Or perhaps they¡¯ve known all along as well what I do. The Root were here to investigate the Mizukage¡¯s suspicions which now passed onto the Hokage, but those suspicions were already confirmed even before Minato gave the order. Danzo, for three years, had known the power that lay within the sodden bowls of Amegakure.

    And Jiraiya¡­Danzo let the anger welling up in him spread and die at his fingertips. The Sannin had played him for a fool as well, tricky toad. With all the time he spent in the Rain village after the Second Shinobi War Danzo knew it would be far fetched that he hadn¡¯t made note of the Akatsuki that was born towards the start of the Third Shinobi war.

    Akatsuki, to think they would have killed Hanzo without anyone knowing. There was too much work to be done on his ROOT, they were not enough power to protect Konoha from her enemies as they too grew stronger. If it weren¡¯t for the Mizukage¡¯s meddling it might have come to his attention too late that the Akatsuki had overthrown the Salamander.

    Mizukage¡­how much has he discovered? Danzo pondered the young one that had freshly come into power in that Bloody Mist village some eight months ago, barely a year and yet already uncovering tender world secrets much better left alone.

    Danzo let out a steady breath and opened his eyes so he saw the world through the translucent end of the ROOT mask, its Fuinjutsu allowing him to see the world as though the mask wasn¡¯t there at all. He slid the door open and walked out of the scanty room, Kinoto had gone already to prepare the others and the bland, long hallway Danzo strutted down gave Danzo ample time to steel his nerves for the battles to come.

    Invasion was always on the table but he would be remiss to admit he never wanted to pick it up, not after what he witnessed happen to Hanzo¡¯s men. That boy¡­Danzo thought back to that vicious day when he and Hanzo scarcely made it out with their lives. The last day he had freely walked Amegakure. If that boy managed to survive such a terrifying and self destructive jutsu then he was the one surely responsible for Alpha, Beta and Gamma¡¯s disappearances.

    At the end of the hallway Danzo clicked the light switch and plunged the entire hidden base in darkness before climbing up the stairs. With his arm and the special eye beneath his bandages Danzo was halfway confident in bringing the boy to stick out a tongue and bear the curse seal, but it would be such a waste to only hand him over to the Hokage and that senile monkey Hiruzen. Especially after the inevitable deathly cost to his ROOT.

    Even as his feet pushed forward to battle, Danzo couldn¡¯t help thinking it was too convenient this was happening, that Jiraiya too was here. He was the Hokage¡¯s first choice to investigate the matter after all and yet, despite surely spotting his operatives Jiraiya hadn¡¯t stopped to offer they work together or even share information. Worse, the Hokage hadn¡¯t informed Danzo the Toad Sannin would be present either, it was far too suspicious.

    Danzo grinded his teeth at the implication the Hokage was systematically setting things up to wipe out his organisation, likely under the guidance of his wrinkled predecessor, Sarutobi. If Jiraiya, and consequently the Hokage knew even half of what Danzo did it was possible he and his ROOT had become pawns, a distraction for the Sannin to pursue the true prize within Amegakure.

    Rinnegan.

    In the end, as Danzo rose from the underground to stand before his ROOT, he decided it made little difference. The lives of the ROOT were for Konoha, as was his own. Amegakure would not be the first to challenge the Will of Fire and it would not be the last. Whatever manipulations the Mizukage was pulling, Danzo would unravel and whatever hate the Akatsuki was cooking, Danzo would shatter.

    The rain poured endlessly, soaking the earth in an ever flowing river of water. Danzo took in his men, walked between them, inspected their gear and counted the sensation of their curse seals as he passed.

    ¡°The ROOT finds sustenance!¡± He began, yelling over the hammering rain, ¡°The ROOT brings life! The ROOT protects the tree! The ROOT lives to die!¡±

    His ROOT, all fifty-six Jounin level shinobi remained silent as they should. Danzo turned around and without another word, shepherded a small army at Amegakure. Today, tonight, the Rinnegan will be ours.

 To Seize the Rinnegan(P2)

    The rain fell in relentless sheets, hammering against the muddy ground like thousands of tiny needles. It clung to their skin, cold and heavy, soaking through their clothes, while the air tasted of metal and wet stone. The ROOT shinobi moved in near silence, the squelch of their boots in the thickening mud the only sound accompanying the steady drumming of rain. Every breath they took felt damp, weighed down by the humid air, yet they pressed on, their presence like a spear cutting through the storm.

    Their feet propelled them further in tight groups of twelve and thirteen. Danzo¡¯s group lead three others, within it he was flanked by Tatsuma Aburame and Kinoto. Moving as a spearhead unit they had travelled well into the territory and were within the first of Amegakure¡¯s border towers.

    They were well received.

    Hundreds of kunai and shuriken hissed through the air, slicing through the rain like silver serpents. The sharp clang of metal on metal echoed in the narrow spaces between them as ROOT shinobi deflected the projectiles with precise, rapid motions. The smell of damp earth mixed with the acrid scent of gunpowder as paper bombs exploded in the distance, sending tremors through the ground that Danzo felt even beneath his feet. Despite the chaos, his shinobi moved as phantoms, their breaths controlled, their bodies slipping through the barrage unscathed.

    Danzo hummed with some satisfaction at his ROOTs competency. Perhaps I¡¯ve understated the threat. He mused and soon found that thought satisfactory as well. His shinobi didn¡¯t hesitate to apply the most effective method to the task, they didn¡¯t stutter over delegation or hierarchy.

    The reason Alpha, Beta and Gamma infiltration divisions were obliterated was simply because he failed to put the right method to the task. The Rinnegan surely had powers and abilities he couldn¡¯t comprehend as of yet, it was the Dojutsu of legend regardless of whether an idealistic child was wielding it or not.

    His confidence in his ROOTs ability renewed, Danzo pressed the charge and allowed his shinobi continue to perform and impress him. Two large towers set apart by a small distance fired [Fuma Shuriken] at them. Once more their impeccable skill shone through as his ROOT countered while pressing their offence with calculated strikes at the tower¡¯s base and peak.

    ¡°¡°Fire Release: Fireball!¡±¡±

    At least three of his ROOT spat out giant balls of fire at the towers, the blazing orbs of flame lit up the rainy battlegrounds. The Amegakure defenders proved their worth as well, countering with manifestations of Water Release.

    Despite the environmental advantage one tower was simply too weak to present against the force of his ROOT tri-jutsu executions. The middle exploded inwards, tiles and blocks scattering to the mud as the structure collapsed in on itself.

    The second tower met its fate just as quick, without Danzo looking a ROOT-nin or a group had turned the slick muddy ground into an inescapeable pit of doom with Earth Release. As per their strategy Danzo zipped past, leading the rest forward as some stayed behind to ensure the full removal of their obstacles.

    They travelled unbothered for a moment, most of the ROOT left behind caught up and they dashed between two more guard towers before Danzo¡¯s senses picked up a collection of chakra signatures up ahead.

    He narrowed his sights at the enemy. Their shinobi had come out in full force to face them rather than use their village walls to their advantage. Fools. Danzo considered them for a moment and decided that even if they did choose to defend from their walls it wouldn¡¯t be able to repel them.

    Amegakure stood beyond the congregation of its some four hundred defenders. The massive industrial village pumped the air with smoke and other likely toxins, Danzo spotted the last towers they would have to breach before completing their invasion of the village. Two towers connected by a broad, green gate.

    Despite his contingent being nearly seven times outnumbered by the Amegakure defenders, Danzo didn¡¯t stop sprinting. He reached and unsheathed his sword from its scabbard on his back, forcing Kinoto and Tatsuma to give him space.

    ¡°Amegakure shinobi! The enemy comes, the enemy does not buckle and neither shall we! We lay our lives for our village, for Tenshi-sama, for-!¡± A kunai trailed by a paper bomb lodged in the bold man¡¯s throat, he clawed at the hissing paper but was far too busy choking on his blood to stop his head from being blown off.

    More like it followed into the crowd of shinobi before the inexperienced fodders snapped to attention and charged Danzo¡¯s ROOT. Danzo dove into the horde, his blade carving through flesh with a wet, sickening sound. He felt the brief resistance of muscle and bone as he severed limbs, the warmth of fresh blood splattering against his rain chilled skin. The metallic scent of it filled the air, mixing with the acrid stench of sweat and fear that clung to the Amegakure shinobi. Eyes widened in horror, mouths opened in silent screams.

    A mad-nervous shinobi shrieked and lunged at him with an axe. Danzo twitched his fingers at his pouches but Kinoto was already deflecting the man¡¯s strike, lightning crackled over his blade and within three slashes the man¡¯s head was sliced in half.

    Danzo had already moved on to his next victim, an Ame-nin wielding a broad club swung at his head but he caught the strike with his special arm. The broad club slammed down onto Danzo¡¯s bandaged arm with a dull thud, but the limb didn¡¯t budge. The force of the strike reverberated up the weapon, sending a faint tremor through the handle and into his attacker¡¯s hands. Danzo barely felt the impact, his arm unnaturally solid, as though carved from ironwood. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The Ame-nin¡¯s face twisted in shock, his eyes wide as his strike was absorbed without so much as a flinch. And yet Danzo idly thought,  I could have caught that as easily with my natural arm. Danzo stopped comparing the two, no feeling was better than slight inconvenience anyday. He swiftly disarmed the Ame-nin and whipped him across the jaw with his own weapon.

    Teeth splattered across the mud but to the man¡¯s credit he not only remained standing but reared a cocked fist from his smacked position, delivering a not insignificant punch that a bed of bugs spared Danzo from. The bugs instantly overcame the man, digging into his flesh and crawling into his eyes, mouth and nose as he screamed.

    Tatsuma Aburame was very well at a disadvantage underneath the rain, but his [Kikachu] had already eaten the chakra and corpses of many Ame-nin in the short time the battle began. Nothing to worry about there. Tatsuma was as reliable as ever.

    ¡°Water Release: Gunshot!¡±

    Danzo nimbly sidestepped a flurry of concussive water blasts, his feet dashed out in a zig-zag pattern that infuriated his attack and before they could do the sensible thing and retreat, Danzo had him. His fingers cracked and popped as he flipped through thirteen hand seals in a seconds, chakra spilled from his palms and with a centred strike to the gut, Danzo sent the man flying.

    His body slammed against his mates and the accompanying release of Wind sent multiple tumbling through the mud, entangled in themselves. Four kunai trailed by paper bombs impaled and landed near the unfortunate Ame-nin. Danzo moved away from the resulting explosion, acknowledging Kinoto¡¯s assistance by maiming an Ame-nin behind him.

    It had only been a few minutes but Danzo was quickly running out of opponents. His ROOT moved ahead of him, none wishing to let their Lord do more than their share. They mowed down Ame-nin after Ame-nin without mercy.

    Blazing balls of fire lit up pairs of defenders, lightning paralyzed another half dozen, earth made quick burials and the gems of his battalion turned the enemy against themselves. Whether Yamanaka Mind Swapping or mere Genjutsu, Danzo did not know, all he saw was Amegakure¡¯s gates and the blood that would soak them.

    ¡°Lord Danzo!¡± To his shame it was only after his ROOT raised alarm and leaped to tackle him did Danzo sense the enemy above. Sheets of razor-sharp paper fell from the sky like deadly rain, slicing through the air with a harsh, metallic hiss. The paper blades buried themselves in the mud with dull thuds, some striking the ground so hard that they left narrow, clean cuts in the earth.

    While Danzo swiftly waved his sword and deflected the heavy shower of rain with his bandaged arm, those unfortunate enough to be caught in the shower screamed as the paper tore through flesh. Even the ROOT-nin that sensed the attack a beat earlier than he had a sheet of paper in lodged his back.

    Danzo scowled behind his mask and shook his waist free of the gurgling, gasping ROOT-nin and faced the new enemy. He was not the only subject of their aerial attack, long, thin and pointed paper planes struck all across the field, creating a partition where vigilant ROOT-nin were forced to back away from the raw fodder of Amegakure¡¯s defenders.

    Kinoto and Tatsuma fell to his side, their chakra roaring at the ready as three half paper bodies of a blue haired woman in an Akatsuki cloak looked down on them. Danzo recognized her instantly. The woman Hanzo threatened to kill that day¡­the one that made that boy go mad with the Rinnegan¡¯s power.

    Her presence alone confirmed and validated all of ROOTs actions up till now, the Akatsuki, a threat to Konoha had taken over Amegakure and was possibly threatening Kirigakure now. Danzo didn¡¯t see it as clearly as he did now that all the pieces were in their predicted places but he saw it now, this could be yet another hotbed for a Shinobi World War. Kumo, Kiri, Iwa and even Suna would extend themselves for a chance to capture the power of the Rinnegan when it was in the hands of a group widely regarded as terrorists or mercenaries depending on what government was speaking.

    ¡°Danzo Shimura, you are trespassing.¡± All three of the blue-haired women spoke, their voices overlapping in an eerie unison. Danzo would laugh if he weren¡¯t on the battlefield for a purpose, the imitation of godly aspects to fool a fodder village like Amegakure into worship.

    With a pinch of disdain he answered, ¡°You are the one they call Tenshi, the Angel of the Rain. Your jutsu is strong but paper wings do not grant one true flight or freedom nor do they grant you godhood.¡± As the two sides of the blood drowned battlefield spectated, Danzo pointed up at her with his sword, ¡°Your delusions will not protect you. You dared to attack a great shinobi village and dared again to plot terror behind Konoha¡¯s back. You executed Hanzo the Salamander and couped his nation for your mercenary means, the Akatsuki¡¯s time has come now, surrender now or die.¡±

    Her blank, unamused expression did not change as he said this, her lips merely parted as her paper wings stretched, ¡°This will be your last warning, continue to violate Amegakure¡¯s sovereignty and-¡±

    Amegakure behind her rocked with a series of explosions, towering metal structures toppled and crashed loudly in a mushroom cloud of smoke and dust. A moment passed before a massive sword cut through the dust, a giant flaming ball followed and dispersed the smoke. The fireball lit up the scene, revealing a giant toad manoeuvring away from the crumbling chaos. The fireball continued soaring in the opposite direction the Toad hopped but seemed to fizzle out of existence without delivering any further explosive damage.

    Both Danzo and the so-called Angel were startled enough by the sudden explosion of battle to pause and watch but Danzo smirked behind his mask, it was not the outcome he wished for but it was what he was getting. Without a second to waste he flipped through hand seals and blew a gust of slicing winds to coat his sword.

    He reached underneath the mask and pulled away the bandages on his right-eye before fueling the organ with chakra. The Sharingan activated behind his mask and without another word from the surprised Angel, he pressed the advantage, leaping to deliver a decapitating slice her wings swiftly came up to deflect.

    The wind chakra surged along the edge of his blade, a sharp whistle accompanying each swing as it tore through the air. Residual gusts cut at the Angel¡¯s wings, the slicing winds leaving thin, precise lines in the paper as her jutsu buckled against his semi-aerial onslaught. The Angel flexed, chakra surged and the force and weight of her wings pushed Danzo aside once his blade connected, her wind chakra pulsed against his own, blasting him back behind the lines of his ROOT.

    The two glared at each other before roaring, ¡°¡°Kill them!¡±¡±

 Malaise

    Poked out of the ground, Zetsu studied the battle in silence.

    The Sannin¡¯s footfalls were hard and heavy against the metal pipes. He leaped off the edge, his hair flaring outwards as his hands remained clasped in some kind of prayer, ¡°Hair Needle Senbon!¡±

    His fuzzy white hair became thin and rigid, firing out of his head with deadly speed. The flurry pierced through the wet earth with a hiss, sending small chunks of mud splattering as the attack ran and buried itself into the rhino¡¯s thick hide and eyes. The scent of damp soil mixed with blood filled the air as the creature let out a tortured bellow. The giant Rhino-summon was blinded instantly and its leap for Jiraiya became a doomed plummet as the Sannin¡¯s clone reappeared, lunging at it from below with a grinding blue spiral in its hand.

    ¡°Rasengan!¡± The jutsu of the Fourth Hokage grinded and bore through the Rhino until it disappeared in a poof of smoke. But the Sannin¡¯s enemies weren¡¯t done. A panicked glance over to where his own summon tussled with an ever replicating mongrel, Jiraiya and his clone quickly made a mad dash for it.

    The sky squawked just as they began running and the Sannin cursed under his breath. It was another of the Six Paths summoning, a giant drill beaked bird soared above head, its Rinnegan eyes locked in on nothing else but the white haired head of the Sannin. It squawked and dove.

    Seeing the incoming blast, the Sannin and his clone split up against the broad side of a building rather than climb it. The Bird dove regardless and bore through the building with an ear-splitting screech, the ground trembled beneath Jiraiya¡¯s feet as the structure collapsed in a plume of choking dust. Fragments of brick and metal rained down, some of the shards slicing through the air as they narrowly missed him.

    He let out a sigh of relief and leaped over the first building in his path. In sync with his clone on the other end the Sannin rushed to help his ungraceful summon. The giant toad summon stood tall even amongst Amegakure¡¯s numerous skyscrapers and its tussle with the mongrels brought many of those to collapse.

    It buckled behind its shield as the mongrel''s many heads, rabid and salivating bit and barked for a pound of the toad¡¯s flesh. He shoved hard against the bearing weight of the mutt and gained enough distance to swing his sasumata against the mongrel''s torso, chakra spiked and an explosion released on contact. The multi-headed dog was sent flying, rolling and thrashing until the momentum of the blast smashed it against another unfortunate building, burying it in crumbling rumble and loose piping.

    A whipped tongue lashed out at the toad before it could catch its breath. The toad swiftly shielded the strike and lurched his sasumata at the water tower the tongue lashed out from. He struck nothing but metal and a wave of water poured out onto the streets and splashed around the buildings.

    Just then the Sannin and his clone arrived, ¡°Gamaken, there! Water Release: Water Whip!¡± The clone weaved seals in a flash and commanded the spilled water into multiple tendrils. They lashed out swiftly at the fleeing enemy, the hastened footsteps of the camouflaged chameleon and three whips successfully wrapped around a foot.

    Gamaken dashed forward, his sasumata charged with chakra as he hammered the ground, releasing another explosive force that shattered the earth and blew apart the water. There was silence, if only for a moment as the dust and mist settled.

    The Sannin¡¯s yell broke the silence, ¡°What happened to those children I trained? To Konan? To Nagato and Yahiko!¡± Jiraiya¡¯s voice cracked through the fog like a whip, the echo of his words swallowed by the oppressive, rain-soaked air.

    Zetsu could make a guess at what he was thinking. Too little too late Toad Sannin. He revelled in the moment, the taste of all the answers to the Sannin¡¯s questions on his tongue.

    The debris settled, revealing nothing trapped underneath the toad summon¡¯s sasumata but the Sannin was already looking elsewhere for his opponent, his former student. His hands remained clasped together in prayer but his clone was crouched beside him, hair elongated and at the ready.

    Sannin, clone and toad searched their surroundings, there were several highpoints and a myriad of pipes ran around the buildings. The destroyed water tank sat on one, its busted belly still spilling its contents like a waterfall. Heavy clouds lingered as each searched the tops and bottoms of algae growing buildings for a reaction.

    Silence was his answer but it seemed he wasn¡¯t done speaking, ¡°The Mizukage warned about a terrifying power within Amegakure, a power he feared enough to put aside decades of grudges to face against. You¡­how can you be that?¡±

    Zetsu¡¯s eyes widened from his spot as this time the Sannin was answered. A cloaked figure poofed into existence above and behind the giant toad summon. All three reacted in time, turning to find a bull faced Rinnegan wielder split his arm apart.

    ¡°What-?!¡±

    Seven missiles burst out of the open arm before the Sannin could comprehend the sight. The toad raised its shield in defence but the Sannin¡¯s clone already leaped forward and over. Hair spiked forward as tendrils that snatched three of the missiles before the fourth landed squarely on the clone¡¯s chest. The thunderous explosion made the toad buckle and brace as three more missiles detonated against his shield with a deafening roar. Heat from the blasts seared the air, and the toad¡¯s legs trembled beneath the weight of it all, the acrid stench of burnt metal fell along the rain.

    A voice spoke from above, the chameleon revealing itself and the Rinnegan wielder within it, ¡°Sensei, you should be grateful. The Mizukage is right to fear us, right to fear¡­god. This is the power of Pein, the power to enforce peace onto the world through equal suffering. The Mizukage, Kirigakure will be dealt with for their meddling ways and then Konoha for their unrepentant manners. But first, you shall know pain.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Zetsu blinked, satisfied as the chameleon returned to hiding and the bull-faced man¡¯s grotesque transformation sent a ripple through the air, his extra arms unfolding with a sickening snap. The air around them grew heavy, thick with the stench of iron-rich blood. The sight sent a chill of equal parts fright and glee down Zetsu¡¯s spine.

    The plant man slinked through the earth and travelled to the other end of the Rain village, where another battle was taking place. He watched from atop the lofty gates, hidden amongst the last stand of Amegakure, their Genin and retired shinobi. He shifted through the earth, travelling closer till the battle of paper and winds were upon him.

    His eyes alone rose from the surface and were nearly rendered blind by cutting winds. He grunted and glimpsed the one called Danzo, a dark and wicked man that kept up against the pressures of paper bombs and razor thin projectiles.

    Danzo¡¯s mask was broken, his leftside caught in an explosion that forced him to favour his right arm in deflecting the flurry of attacks from Amegakure¡¯s Angel. Zetsu sneered as Danzo dodged and deflected his way towards the Angel, his subordinates fought against hers yet two managed to find their way to his side.

    Insects of all manners flew about in the air, gliding on paper and redirecting their paths away from Danzo all while trying to swarm the Angel. Danzo, free of the flurry for once, weaved hand seals at speed and took a deep breath that inflated his chest.

    ¡°Wind Release: Vacuum Wave Barrage!¡± He whipped his head as he breathed the technique, the violent motion sent razor-thin wind blades slicing through the air, the pressure alone was enough to make Zetsu¡¯s skin prickle, as the gusts tore through paper and insects alike, leaving behind a thin trail of blood and shredded wings.

    Konan, the winged Angel, was unfazed for a moment before her eyes widened and she brought her wings together to deflect a suicidal strike from one of Danzo¡¯s subordinates. The fool tossed himself into the wind, his back already sliced open and yet he swung out at the Angel with what would be his last moments.

    His blade crackled with lightning and against the cutting winds the Angel was run through, unprepared though her wings moved to shield her.

    Zetsu sneered at the sight of the idiot¡¯s bloody body fall apart to the ground, his hand the only thing left hanging onto a blade while the rest of him fell like confetti. Before the sight could fans his appetite, Zetsu receded through the earth and appeared where he was needed the most.

    A dimly lit room of weapons, a single bed and little else but dust and fist shaped cracks in the wall. The Uchiha symbol was strewn through the breakage and there, by a table with a cup in hand was the Ghost of the Uchiha.

    ¡°Madara, things are developing faster than we ever thought. What should we do?¡± Zetsu asked, his main body rising up through the floor. Black spoke, his voice a sinister low, ¡°This is all happening because of that Fourth Mizukage, I hate to voice it but perhaps White was correct in trying to devour him before he got to be this much of a problem.¡±

    Madara lifted the cup but only its handle came free of the table. He flung it into an opposing wall, imbedding the fragile ceramic expertly as he breathed out a storm of rage behind the swirl of his mask. His neck craned over to Zetsu, the eerie glow of the sharingan locked onto him, ¡°Where is this Mizukage now?¡±

    Zetsu didn¡¯t need to be asked again. He reached out across the world to the clone body he kept at distance from the Mizukage. It was a bright, sunny day in the Land of Water, the bright rays even touched the Mist village at its gates.

    He didn¡¯t need to move farther than that, ¡°He is at the gates of Kirigakure.¡± Zetsu spoke in response and continued looking through the eyes of his clone. The Fourth Mizukage was not alone, though he rarely ever was, the content of his company this time made for an interesting report.

    Zetsu held back. He moved closer, watched more intently. The Mizukage was donned in his official regalia, a clean white scarf tied around his neck and a barely concealed ready mesh armour underneath the fat of his official clothing. There¡¯s something off about him, this aroma¡­did he become even stronger? Zetsu couldn¡¯t be sure that anything other than his chakra had changed drastically. It smelled of the sea even more than usual and even at this distance, even looking through the eyes of a clone, Zetsu could sense the weight of it.

    ¡°He has gotten stronger somehow.¡± Black said. ¡°He is leaving the village with few people in his entourage.¡±

    Indeed, from the clones¡¯ eyes and ears they heard the Mizukage speak with those gathered. The young Kage turned from one councillor to another, ¡°Uncle, I am entrusting you to keep the council in line while I¡¯m gone.¡±

    The older Karatachi snorted, ¡°You won¡¯t be gone long and those two bags of bones won¡¯t give you or me trouble, you¡¯ve got nothing to worry about.¡± The Mizukage smiled, grateful for the words of confidence but the Karatachi wasn¡¯t finished, ¡°It is you I worry for. We¡¯ve hardly stepped out of the Daimyo¡¯s war or begun settling matters around it and you¡¯re off to meet with a Kage? The Hokage for that matter. Don¡¯t you put yourself at too much risk?¡±

    Yagura looked over his shoulder at the three people he would be travelling with. The scoundrel that nearly caught Zetsu the last time. That blasted all seeing eye. A young Hoshigaki, the Mizukage¡¯s assistant Junichi, stood beside the Byakugan Killer in moderate shinobi attire, though the most interesting thing about him was the carry along bag of food, clothes and several scrolls.

    The last person was one Zetsu recognized as a Konoha shinobi that had visited Kirigakure in the past and more importantly, was an assigned bodyguard of the Fourth Hokage. Something dreadful truly is afoot. Black thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m in good hands, Uncle, I would have loved to bring along one of the swordsmen but I fear I may leave the wrong first impression on the Hokage. Besides, we¡¯ve been in talks for months, this was only a matter of time.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­perhaps. Just¡­be careful, alright?¡±

    Zetsu slinked away, returning to his mind where Madara glared expectantly at him, ¡°Yagura is headed to Konoha or at least to meet with Minato Namikaze, things are-¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Madara growled and stood. He paced in thought for a moment, murmuring names under his breath, Nagato and Danzo more than others until he finally snapped to and demanded, ¡°Where is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?¡±

    Zetsu¡¯s faces split with a grin, he needed not to search for that one, her location was always known to him, ¡°She awaits us. Her seal weakens with every second of her pregnancy which nears its end. It is weaker than ever now.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s time we clear the board of difficulties. Nagato and Konan will manage¡­but the Mizukage, he is fortunate the Akatsuki isn¡¯t prepared to seal the Tailed Beasts. Nevertheless, he will bow.¡±

    ¡°And the Nine-Tails?¡± Zetsu asked, giddy for the coming chaos.

    ¡°We continue with our plans. Now, let¡¯s go.¡± Zetsu rose completely and stood by Madara as his sharingan pinched reality into a swirl of colour, vanishing them across the world to their target.

    Hehehe. It¡¯s time Mizukage. It is time.

 Malaise(P2)

    ¡°Kuchiyose no Justu!¡±

    Gusts of wind from the summoning billowed my official Mizukage haori and raised a wave under our feet as Unaimaru took up space in the water. The plume of white chakra smoke quickly dissipated and revealed the large Class-C Unagi I had as my summon, his body was thick, wide and a confusing mesh of scales and would-be feathers especially at the top of his head.

    ¡°Is it time for a sacrifice already? You work fast, Mizukage.¡± Unaimaru bellowed, his voice and words rattled the two Chuunin in my presence.

    Ao clasped a sure hand on Junichi¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Do not show fear.¡± he said but I knew that was easier said than done against Unaimaru. Had I been anyone else I would be afraid of him too.

    ¡°No such thing, at least not yet.¡± I said as I adjusted my Kage hat, the blue and white of it paired quite well with my haori and cloak finish. I gestured for Unaimaru to lower his head and he did, albeit slowly, ¡°We need to move fast across the water, and there¡¯s no one I know faster than you.¡±

    A lazy attempt at a compliment but better than nothing. He reared his head back in offence I expected even before summoning him. Unaimaru let out a low growl as he hissed, his tail splashed a tidal wave behind him in a display, ¡°I am no errand boy, least of all yours Mizukage. Summon another! I am for battle, blood and sacrifice, remember that.¡±

    ¡°I will but first you complete the task you¡¯ve been summoned for, lower your head.¡± Unaimaru glared down at us, his eyes darted between me, Ao and the two Chuunin, undoubtedly calculating if the consequences of attempted murder were worth it. They were not.

    No matter how much he complains and moans, he cannot disobey. I was confident in Unaimaru¡¯s subservience not because he was, but because he had been the one to guide me to battle Kaizoku himself. After observing the stalemate I and the great serpent thief had reached, it would be his own undoing to go against my word. Of course, he does have a point.

    I let my eyes soften for the sake of his pride rather than anything else and promised, ¡°Once I make more friends within the Kaizoku¡¯s tower, friends you can introduce me to by the way, I¡¯ll treat you with all the respect and honour your power warrants, until then¡­¡±

    Unaimaru reluctantly lowered his head, sharp, slit yellow eyes still glared hatefully at my entourage. I turned to them once I hopped on and beckoned, ¡°Come now, we should move quickly, Unaimaru doesn¡¯t like being up here without having a mouthful of sinners.¡±

    Junichi¡¯s face blanched of colour but he grasped onto my hand as he leaped onto Unaimaru¡¯s head. My Hoshigaki assistant was weighed down carrying  most of the luggage necessary for this trip. Besides foods, drinks and a change of civilian clothes, his transparent backpack held scrolls with documents essential to recording this historical event, a gift from Kirigakure to Konoha and a couple pre-drawn contracts that my council had written up for rare occasions like these.

    I hadn¡¯t had the time to look over much of anything within them besides a cursory glance here and there before stamping my signature all over but I got the gist enough to be satisfied bringing it along to my meeting with Minato.

    Last to climb Unaimaru was none other than Genma, Minato¡¯s so-called bodyguard who has been entrusted with a piece of his legendary killing technique; the Flying Raijin. The most important thing about him as it turned out was his bandana, if I had that and the understanding of the seals that made up the Flying Raijin, he wouldn¡¯t be necessary for this trip at all.

    But there was no reason to exclude him, in fact, since it was Minato¡¯s idea to send him over then there were more reasons to take care of him than not. At first unsure and visibly afraid of Unaimaru¡¯s toothed maw, Genma hopped on and sat beside Ao who helped keep him from falling right over.

    ¡°Alright, to Tea Country.¡± I said, lightly tapping Unaimaru as I tugged his hairs in the direction we were travelling. Riding Unaimaru was an entirely different experience from any other animal I¡¯d ridden. Horses were traditionally used and donkeys as well.

    But Unaimaru was a Class-C summon whose body was as large as a house and longer than a battleship. There was a choice to make when riding such a creature, either you sit and grip or you stand and grip.

    Ao, Junichi and Genma did as I did and sat cross legged atop Unaimaru¡¯s thick neck, grasping thick strands of his feathery hair and sealing our butts onto the scales underneath with chakra.

    He raised his head and us several feet in the air, giving a fantastical view of the mainland before he turned and dove into the sea. His head plunged through the twists of his own tail and they unravelled behind him in a snap that propelled us through the water and sent a wave crashing out against the mainland as we shot forward.

    A wave crashed over us, soaking everyone. Unaimaru¡¯s deep chuckle rumbled beneath us. ¡°I move fastest underwater, Mizukage. Surely, you knew.¡± I checked on the others to see if they were okay but clearly none of them were expecting to be dragged under water either.

    Wrapping his hair in my hands I tugged and pulled until he got the message and broke through the water surface and set a steady glide across. Ao, Junichi and Genma gasped for their breaths as Unaimaru snickered without me even chiding him.  I growled, his hair still tugged in my hands. I released him and said nothing as the winds from his current traversal speeds would be enough to quickly dry us off even without any Ninjustu. Rather than waste my breath on the devious Unagi, I turned to my subordinates.

    ¡°Junichi,¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Sir?¡± He coughed and shuffled across Unaimaru¡¯s neck to sit closer to me. Thankfully, the backpack was intact and dry.

    ¡°I¡¯ve read your records, this will be your first time out of the village on this type of mission. You know this counts as an A-rank mission on your file now, don¡¯t you?¡±

    His voice was small, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± While my short time away leading the last charge of the war had forced Junichi to grow a spine and deal with my councillors, it seemed he still had some nerves left to iron out.

    That¡¯s fine. I told myself, ¡°Battle will not be our primary concern today or tomorrow, Junichi. Yet your task on this mission is the most important after mine, you must see through falsehoods, record any and all agreements to the letter of the word and speak for concerns I am unaware of.¡±

    He managed to hold his head high and keep his eyes from looking away, ¡°Yes sir, I understand my duty. I won¡¯t fail you.¡±

    I was sure he wouldn¡¯t, what I wasn¡¯t sure about was if he would be brave enough to speak out in opposition to Konoha right with their Kage looking at him. No reason he shouldn¡¯t. I nodded, satisfied for the moment and called on Ao as Unaimaru swam closer to land, ¡°Ao, I have only spoken once to your task and you have fulfilled it diligently.¡±

    My bodyguard''s chest puffed out in pride at those words, his face beamed. I turned my gaze at him and its seriousness washed away all mirthful expressions, replacing them with an equally serious gaze as Ao narrowed his single open eye.

    ¡°Of course, I will work twice as hard protecting you, Mizukage-sama.¡± As if to prove that point his Byakugan activated underneath the seal patch on the eye. Veins grew thick as they bulged with chakra and blood.

    ¡°What do you see?¡±

    ¡°The lands ahead of us are free of any shinobi, there are a few civilians but most are working fields or are children playing within them,¡± The Byakugan was ever impressive. The lands ahead he spoke of was Tea Country¡¯s Nagi Island and one of the previously contested isles whose Barons attempted to pledge allegiance to Tea Country during the Daimyo¡¯s war. ¡°It is safe, for now.¡±

    Taking comfort in his words I looked over my shoulder at the last person among us, Genma. The young man seemed to have been expecting my gaze but once it found him his eyes shifted as he gulped.

    ¡°Once we touch down on Nagi Island we¡¯ll sprint through the fields and find a place free of civilians for you to use your technique.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t harmful,¡± he said.

    My eyes narrowed at him, ¡°Every jutsu is.¡± Asides that fact there was a good chance our meeting here today may have been leaked. Killing Kages is a taboo but that hasn¡¯t stopped people before. Both Minato and I had enemies aplenty, he more than I, and the presence of civilians would quickly be used against us if there were wolves on the prowl.

    Unaimaru began to slow down as Nagi Island loomed ahead of us, the waves of his weight greeted the beach. I waited while Ao, Junichi and Genma hopped down, and once it was I and my summon, I yanked his hairs so he gave a loud yelp, ¡°Unaimaru¡­you naughty Unagi, I understand it is battle, blood and the guts of sinners you wish and I have given you and Kaizoku that twice. Our contract is in blood and so it truly matters little which task I summon you for. This will be the last time you make a fuss, especially in front of my subordinates. Battle and blood I will bring to you, obedience and loyalty is all you have to give in return, is that understood?¡±

    ¡°Grrr¡­Mizukage you..ach! I understand, I will obey but my loyalty lies only with Kaizoku.¡±

    I shook my head as I stood atop his and released his hairs, ¡°Always something with you. But no matter, Kaizoku is loyal to me as I am to him per our contract. His kind and yours are mine to summon in exchange for blood, chakra and even more blood. Your loyalty is implied.¡±

    I hopped off his head and ran out onto the beach, my haori and cloak were still a bit wet so I weaved some hand seals and summoned a gale of wind to dance around me for a few seconds as I ran to meet the rest. Unaimaru disappeared in a puff of smoke and I sighed, I wished I didn¡¯t have to bully him into submission but truly, the last thing I needed were mindless restrictions of when, where and how I ought to summon him. He was only a Class-C after all and with no special abilities aside from eating and swimming as far as I could tell.

    I set my mind away from those thoughts as I caught up and ran besides the rest. There was a lot about this meeting that concerned me, first among those was the state of the village. I had been in and out of it the most these past month and it wasn¡¯t exactly the best time. The Daimyo and Hanako would be waiting for me so we could finalise the war, the same went for Lord Funato and Lady Megumi who had contest over who would get Yureisen or Midoriwara.

    Not to mention Junko Hoshigaki, the Swordsmen and all the others who had participated in the war I¡¯d yet to meet with and thank for their service, even if they had little to no choice in it. Then there was Tauyi village, it was obvious by now that the village would grow into the base we needed the island for, with Mei and Rina working with the Nettou clan it was only a matter of time, manpower and money.

    I;ve been too preoccupied training but once this is over¡­once Minato understands¡­I breathed out a sigh as the grasses came up to my knees as we ran across the fields, it was a bright sunny day with few people in sight to be sure I asked Ao, ¡°All clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, Genma-san can begin his jutsu.¡±

    We skidded to a stop and surrounded Genma as he stepped forward, taking off his bandana as he did. He began the complex process of folding it so all the ends of the seal could connect and though it was my second time watching him do it, I couldn¡¯t understand how Minato had managed to create a functioning seal without conjoining every end. Fuuinjutsu didn¡¯t, couldn¡¯t, work that way to my knowledge.

    I suppose that¡¯s the difference between a Master and a Novice.

    ¡°I should explain that this is not my¡­jutsu per say. Lord Hokage entrusted me with this special seal so I could call on him when the time to meet with Lord Mizukage came. He wil-¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Ao¡¯s sudden yell startled me, his Byakugan was strained, the veins along his eyes and face bulging as he stared intensely at something behind Genma, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­is that your justu?¡±

    Genma, having sensed something awry behind him and by the way Ao looked, turned around and gasped as I did. The air grew heavy, oppressive. Grass and sky twisted unnaturally as space itself was pulled into a violent spiral.

    ¡°Ao, take Junichi and run, now!¡±

    It was too late. The vortex snapped open, reality tearing apart as a figure stepped through and stood among the grassy field of Nagi Island with us. He was masked, a single eye-hole in an orange, tail-scarred mask. He wore a simple, purple-lined black cloak with the hood down as his sharingan glared right at me.

    ¡°Leaving so soon, Mizukage?¡± His voice boomed with a taunt but the threat was as clear as the sky above.

    Ao shifted closer to me, whispering, ¡°He has a companion¡­several, clones of sort and they¡¯re all in the ground.¡±

    I barely heard Ao deliver more bad news, my mind still reeling at the man before me. The man who has inspired every grind for power, survival and stability. Uchiha Obito was here, the dreaded day he would steal my mind and self from me was today.

 Malaise(P3)

    The winds billowed the drapes of my Kage hat in my face, the gusts bending the stalks of grass in their path and ruffling against Obito¡¯s cloaked form. He stood several paces away, far from striking distance and yet all too close for comfort either way. The first and only thing in my mind was how expected yet unexpected his presence before me was.

    It was only about a matter of time and I¡¯ve had plenty. Plenty, yes, but whether I had prepared adequately in that time would be tested now. A heavy knot lodged in my throat at that thought, making it hard to swallow even as I scanned my surroundings for Zetsu. The plant man had clones moving underneath our feet, waiting for the right moment to sprout.

    I took a step back and felt Ao beside me. His long sword was drawn and chakra cycled within his pathways in readiness. Besides him was Junichi and then Genma, I worried about the former the most because, well, this would be the first time I¡¯d seen him hold up a kunai in battle or training and it was against the Akatsuki.

    Genma¡­does Obito know our plan? Everything about the meeting? I scrambled for answers against his masked face but none came. In the end I made a decision, ¡°Ao, Junichi, protect Genma while he completes his jutsu.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± the alarm came from Genma himself, ¡°Should I still? Who are these shinobi?¡±

    ¡°Do you know of them, Mizukage-sama?¡± Ao asked, there was a strain of focus in his voice as he added, ¡°The white one is strange, quite odd. It had tenketsu like a normal human but its chakra signature is¡­blank, almost as if there isn¡¯t a person there. And the masked one is¡­that is a sharingan, an Uchiha.¡±

    Genma gasped in shock, ¡°An Uchiha? There¡¯s no way an-¡±

    ¡°Zetsu, take them.¡± Obito ordered and the plant man and his clones shot out of the ground. Ao moved with precision, slicing through the Zetsu like paper. I let out a breath of relief¡ªbut it was short-lived as another clone lunged at him.

    Genma spat senbon and Junichi dashed away, abandoning the backpack to keep at Genma¡¯s side while burying kunai in the reckless Zetsu-clone¡¯s neck. My support was stripped in an instant, Zetsu continued to replicate, hounding Ao especially as my bodyguard expertly sliced, diced and deflected the clones from all sides with his Byakugan.

    With my subordinates and a diplomat fighting the Zetsu clones, Obito took a step towards me. I took my Kage hat off and reached underneath my haori for a scroll I pumped chakra into. In a puff of smoke my trusty Bo-staff appeared in my hands.

    Obito chuckled in a deep rumble of mockery, ¡°You¡­do you know who I am?¡±

    Fear knotted in my stomach, but I forced a grin anyway. A Kage doesn¡¯t show weakness, even when standing before an Uchiha. Especially this Uchiha. ¡°A masked Uchiha come to die?¡±

    He wagged his finger at me and took another step. Kunai, swords and senbon clashed in the background of his approach, the sounds of Zetsu¡¯s joyful squeals slowly drowned out to the tense blanket of Yang chakra that began humming as it gathered within me.

    ¡°You may know me as¡­Uchiha Madara. I have come for you, Mizukage, just as your shinobi have come for mine.¡±

    My eyes narrowed, ¡°If you¡¯re talking about Amegakure, I don¡¯t recall that village ever belonging to an Uchiha or an Uchiha ever being trusted to lead one. But if that is the case now then I suppose my intuition was correct.¡±

    ¡°Intuition?¡±

    Yes, intuition. There was no point revealing how much I truly knew about this Obito, how his lies fell flat to me, how the longer he spoke, the longer he impersonated a legend long dead to have his way, the sooner my doubt and fears dissipated. Affirming my grip on my Bo-staff, I spun it about and pointed its hook at him.

    ¡°Uchiha Madara is dead, you are an imposter. Just as was Lord Funato¡¯s would-be assassin. What have you come for, imposter? What is the purpose of this chaos you seek to sow?¡± I eyed him from head to toe, his outfit was the same from Jason¡¯s memories and I knew what lay within those purple, baggy sleeves. ¡°Are you the one who killed Sandaime Mizukage?¡±

    Obito shook his head, ¡°What matter is the Sandaime when the Yondaime stands here to serve me?¡±

    ¡°Serve you? Haha, come then, come and make the Fourth Mizukage bow to an imposter.¡± I levelled my Bo-staff at him, beckoning him to make the first move.

    He lowered his stance, his arms spread out wide with his palms wide open. I caught a glimpse of the manacles on his wrists and flared my chakra outward, soaking the air with Water Nature chakra so it quickly became moist and humid.

    ¡°You will be very useful to me, Fourth Mizukage.¡± The ground shuddered beneath Obito¡¯s footfall, clumps of earth rupturing as he surged toward me, a blur of speed and deadly intent.

    Isobu, are you ready? ¡°Always.¡±

    With a swift twirl of my Bo-staff, I summoned a crystal-clear mirror of water before me, its surface shimmering like liquid glass, obscuring Obito¡¯s vision of my form. My fingers flew through hand seals and I hooked the mirror by its top and slammed it down. Water rippled violently, spitting out a perfect duplicate of the Uchiha, ¡°Hiden: Water Mirror!¡±

    The copy exploded forth with Obito''s same lethal momentum, arms wide, palms open, body low to the ground. They were mirror images¡ªhunter and hunted, identical in form, speed, and ferocity. I didn''t hesitate.

    ¡°Water Release: Hidden in the Mist!¡±

    I wove through the hand seals and the air I¡¯d saturated with Water Nature chakra instantly thickened. A choking mist enveloped the field, blanketing us both. I smirked. Gone with that sharingan. I thought as I felt my [Water Mirror] duplicate cancel out. In contrast, I was home within the mist. Every droplet spoke to me through my Water Perception and I had years of sensitivity training to guide me through the fog.

    ¡°Fire Release: Great Fireball!¡±

    A blazing sphere of death illuminated the mist like a second sun. I cursed his swift reaction as the heat roared through the moisture, burning it away in an instant. I dashed right, barely escaping the searing inferno as it scorched the earth where I had stood moments before. There was still enough moisture for me to see him through Water Perception though and so I went after him with my Bo-staff in vice-grip.

    I burst out through the fog nearest to him, my Bo-staff arcing through the air in a wide, brutal swing aimed for his masked head. As expected, my Bo-staff phased right through his skull like a ghost. He crouched, his body twisting with a fluidity born of honed battle instincts, chains rattled at his wrist, poised to snatch me as the momentum of my swing carried me forward.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    In a heartbeat, his Sharingan gleamed¡ª a swirl of crimson and black, spinning with dangerous calculation. Time slowed. His movements felt inevitable, like a hand guiding fate itself. He passed through me, his mask phasing through my torso. Before I could react, chains locked around my chest. The iron links dug into my skin, the cold bite of metal cutting into my flesh. Obito tightened his grip, pulling me closer as he turned, his Sharingan morphed into something sinister, something capable of twisting reality and space.

    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± he declared.

    Just as his vortex pulled on my cheek Isobu¡¯s chakra surged through me like a tidal wave, raw and untamed. In an instant, my skin ignited with its power, evaporating it in an instant. That same instant thick, coral ejected from the surface of my chakra coated body, slamming into Obito and his vortex. His Sharingan widened in surprise as I whipped one of three burning tails and sent him soaring across the air to plummet in the field.

    ¡°RRAAAAGGH!!¡± My voice, Isobu¡¯s voice echoed in unison. I wasn¡¯t done. Not by a long shot.

    My Bo-staff fell abandoned beside me, the earth cratered under my weight, the weight of Isobu¡¯s chakra. It was overwhelming, intoxicatingly so. My skin was peeled, muscles and chakra as dense as a mountain remained. My body was forced onto all fours, the most comfortable position when my back was rounded by a shell of chakra as heavy as an ocean. Horns and spikes grew from my shoulders and my face was resculpted into a box of power that had my ears poking upwards like a rabbit¡¯s.

    ¡°Yagura-kun, are you alright? Can you move? Should I take over?¡±

    Isobu battered my mind with questions I could hardly bring myself to answer while drowning in his chakra. This was the first time I¡¯d transformed into his [Version 2 Demon Cloak] state and it was mind boggling how anything could hold so much chakra in itself.

    ¡°Yagura!¡±

    I snapped out of it, the power meant nothing if I couldn¡¯t use it, if I failed to. My eyes searched but with the [Version 2 Demon Cloak] I¡¯d seemed to develop a seventh sense. I spotted the void that was Zetsu instantly and dashed out at him.

    Ao¡¯s eyes widened as I shimmered into existence before he or his four opponents could react. My tails surged, three of them slammed the Zetsu clones into the earth, burying them deep before at my will Isobu¡¯s chakra combined with some of the leftover Yang Chakra I¡¯d gathered. The coral filled stuck to their bodies and covered their new graves.

    Fear-filled as he was, Ao took that instance to slice open the last clone. I pushed him aside and buried my fist in the clay white plant man¡¯s gut, sending it flying across the island and all the way to the sea as its body trashed, crashed and exploded through the earth and trees.

    Ao stuttered, ¡°Mizu-!¡±

    I didn¡¯t wait a moment for him to finish his sentence before moving to the next target. The [Demon Cloak] had me moving at speeds over four times as fast as I could with the [Stage 0 Chakra Cloak], to my bodyguard I had vanished and reappeared besides Genma.

    The poor Konoha shinobi was wrapped up in a Zetsu clone, looking halfway unconscious. The clone blanched once I appeared and snatched it by the head. A squeeze crushed it like a melon and poured chakra down its form, birthing coral at every open spot until I could drag it off Genma with ease.

    My tail shot out towards Junichi who lay unconscious already and wrapped in a Zetsu clone nearby. The clone had already started detaching itself from Junichi but wasn¡¯t quick enough. My tail smacked it in the air where I sent two elongated palms to clap it together like a housefly, the clone sizzled out of existence in my enlarged palms.

    With Genma and Junichi in my arms I unlocked my jaw with some effort and said, ¡°Genma, perform your jutsu now, do it now!¡± I wasn¡¯t even sure he could, the young Leaf-nin was groggy from Zetsu¡¯s chakra absorption and with all the heat I was exuding in this form I likely wasn¡¯t helping matters either.

    The sight of me startled him, he screamed and scrambled to get away but I snarled and snatched his foot. With my tail wrapped around Junichi I dashed out towards Ao, careful not to move too fast so I didn¡¯t rip off Genma¡¯s leg. ¡°Ao! Quick, help this one perform his jutsu, that Masked Uchiha will-¡±

    A manacled, gloved arm reached up from the ground at Ao and I. I cursed and swept up everyone in my arms and tails again, ignoring the yelps of pain from Ao and Genma as my chakra shrouded body burned them. As we soared away from the spot Obito stepped out of I released Ao, Junichi and Genma. They¡¯ll survive.

    Ao righted himself mid-air and snatched Junichi while they fell, Genma, stung awake by burns from my [Demon Cloak] was quick to land on his feet as well.

    ¡°Mizukage-sama!¡±

    ¡°Ao, go!¡±

    Obito stood before me, his single Sharingan eye burning with hatred, a darkness so deep it felt like it could consume the world. But that hatred would never touch my subordinates. I wouldn¡¯t let it.

    With a burst of speed, I charged forward, my fists cocked back, ready to strike. I slammed my fist into the earth where he stood, the ground shattering beneath the force. But he hadn¡¯t moved¡ªnot even an inch. My attack passed through him as though he were nothing more than a phantom.

    His hand reached out toward me, and I froze as I saw the sinister spiral of his Mangekyo Sharingan whirl to life. ¡°Sleep!¡± Obito¡¯s voice rang out like a command from the depths of the void.

    My head felt light¡ªtoo light. A wave of drowsiness swept over me, dragging me under, as if the very air I breathed was laced with poison. My knees buckled, and the soft grass beneath me beckoned for me to lay my head down, to surrender to sleep. My eyelids grew heavy, my vision swimming as the world darkened.

    ¡°Wake up, Yagura!¡±

    Isobu¡¯s voice thundered in my mind and jolted me awake just in time to fight against Obito¡¯s sucking vortex. The world around me spiralled, warping into his dimension and my body began to distort.

    No! Startled but prepared, I swept up all the Yang Chakra I could and smashed it against Isobu¡¯s, forcing it through my body just as my left arm started getting warped away. Coral erupted from my skin in a violent explosion, spearing outward from my warping arm. A jagged spindle of coral struck Obito¡¯s orange mask with a crack so sharp it echoed through the air. His head snapped back, and his vortex collapsed, the pull on my body suddenly vanishing.

    ¡°Let me.¡± I leaped away from Obito, my heart and mind pounding from the near-disaster I quickly allowed Isobu to take over.

    Our shared body skidded to a stop, our three tails raised high above our head, each one bristling with raw power. Isobu unhinged our jaw, and the air around us thickened, saturated with the gathering of energy. Orbs of black, blue, and red chakra spiralled into existence, hovering in the air as they merged into a single dense sphere. The pressure was immense, the ground beneath us trembling as the power condensed.

    Obito stood clutching his mask, a shard of coral still stuck in it. But he did nothing. He simply watched as the chakra gathered, his eyes hidden behind that impenetrable mask.

    Then, with a guttural roar, Isobu unleashed the [Mini-Tailed Beast Bomb]. The blast rocketed across the field, tearing the earth apart as it travelled. Grass, dirt, and stone were ripped from the ground, the sheer force of the attack leaving a scar in the land. The sphere slammed into the ground at Obito¡¯s feet, and for a moment, time seemed to stop.

    Then, an explosion.

    Water and earth erupted into the air, the very ground buckling beneath the blast. A shockwave rippled outwards, sending debris flying in all directions. I stood still, poised, waiting for the dust to clear, my heart pounding in my chest as I expanded every sense I had, pushing my perception to the limits.

    We waited, Isobu and I, our bodies coiled and ready, searching for any trace of him by expanding every available sense to the extreme edge of their capabilities as we searched for Obito. The dust cloud hung heavy in the air, clumps of dirt and water raining down in a steady patter.

    Several more minutes passed until the dust did rest, revealing nothing in its place. Obito was nowhere to be found and for a moment I had a small heart attack thinking he¡¯d instead gone after Ao and the others but I could sense the trio in the periphery and only Genma¡¯s chakra was disturbed as he attempted his jutsu.

    Did Obito retreat? Did we win?

 Against the Red Clouds

    Pieces of Kinoto splattered against the mud, his hand still clung onto the end of his weapon that cleanly ran through the heart of the Paper Angel. Danzo''s breaths were laboured, but she continued to hover, a defiant deity refusing to fall, even as her strength waned.

    He surveyed the battlefield¡ªcorpses lay strewn, mingling with blood and guts in the muck, the acrid scent of Ninjutsu and death thick in the air. The scene pulled him back to darker times¡ªfighting impossible odds at his teacher¡¯s side, enemies swarming from all sides like vultures on the carcass of Konoha.

    It was the opposite here. The plethora of shinobi the Rain Village had spat out to defend against their invasion were broken, melted, decapitated, drowned and buried under the foot of his elite forces. And the one thing left standing in their way, their so-called Angel, was faltering, barely holding on after Kinoto¡¯s good work.

    Lightning still arced across Kinoto¡¯s blade, crackling with the remnants of energy as it passed through the Angel¡¯s back. Her paper wings crumpled and seared, disintegrating like ash when exposed to the high voltage. Danzo sharply nodded at Tatsuma Aburame, the only other ROOT-nin to stand at his side against the Angel.

    Without a word, the cloaked Aburame raised his arms in a gesture that sent a horde of insects, [Kikaichu]¡ªthe chakra-hungry insects¡ªswirled into the air, surrounding the Angel in an engulfing cloud. Worthy of her name and the hell she¡¯d rained down on their heads, the Angel defiantly extended her wings. A weak flurry of razors slashed out at the Kikaichu but the horde was quickly overwhelming her.

    Danzo¡¯s eyes narrowed behind his mask as he watched her flail, dance and give the Kikaichu something to chase after. He groaned, growing impatient with her defiance, and flexed his arms. He picked up his blade and with the chakra draining Sharingan in his right eye, kept close track of her sporadic movements through the air. Tatsuma, sensing Danzo¡¯s intent, urged the Kikaichu to drive the Angel closer, her escape routes narrowing.

    ¡°Good,¡± Danzo muttered under his breath, coating his blade with Wind Nature chakra. She sensed the impending strike and tried to take to the skies, but Tatsuma was relentless, sending a fresh wave of Kikaichu to pin her down.

    The swarm pressed her to the ground and nearly smashed her against the mud as she continued her flight. She pulsed chakra through her surface and shed away a thick layer of her paper form to the nesting Kikaichu. Gone were her colossal wings and found were her feet as she planted them to skid through the mud as she frantically manifested a paper sword to defend against the narrow opening that awaited her in Danzo¡¯s sights.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Danzo dropped into a low stance, slipping beneath her desperate slash and took a good look at her. The rain had turned to a drizzle soon after explosions went off within the village and now the stormy clouds were slowly beamed through by the sun¡¯s rays. His eyes locked onto hers¡ªshe was young, with blue hair and a cold array of piercings. Her hollow eyes met his, devoid of the fire one would expect from a deity facing doom. Instead, they were filled with resignation, as if she knew leading her the of her village fodder had been futile.

    In one swift motion, Danzo slashed at her eyes and caught tendrils of loose hair as she jerked back to avoid the cut. She formed a quick one-handed seal and to his surprise, a jet of water burst from the ground, grazing his side just as he spun away from her follow-up strike. He blocked her next paper sword attack with ease, retaliating with a razor-sharp gust of Wind Nature chakra that slashed across her abdomen.

    A pained yelp escaped her, and blood seeped through the red clouded cloak of Akatsuki. The sound of her agony, her body recoiling, was all Danzo needed to confirm that this was her true form¡ªno tricks, no illusions. This was the end.

    He ripped his mask off, Shunshined in a blur, and seized her by the throat, lifting her effortlessly off the ground. She coughed and swung her paper sword at his head but the paltry weapon lost all consistency and fluttered to nothing before touching Danzo.

    Danzo¡¯s Sharingan bore into her hollow eyes, weaving a Genjutsu that compounded the suffocating grip around her neck. ¡°It¡¯s over¡ªfor you and your hub of terrorists. Where is the Rinnegan?¡±

    Her eyes fluttered, rolling back under the weight of his Genjutsu compulsion, but a crooked smile twisted her lips.

    ¡°W-with...God,¡± she rasped before her body went limp in his grasp, unconscious.

    Danzo¡¯s frown deepened, he let her body fall into the mud as Tatsuma approached, his Kikaichu quick to blanket and drain her of chakra.

    "Take her with you," Danzo ordered, his attention already shifting to the rising plumes of smoke in the distance. The rays of sunlight broke through the clouds, casting an eerie glow over the ruins of Amegakure. His left side throbbed where an explosion had torn through his armor, scorching the flesh beneath. There would be healers among the ROOT shinobi he had brought, though some may have perished. Even if they lived, however¡ªThere¡¯s no time left. He could feel it, a gnawing certainty deep within him.

    Despite their seeming victory, despite Jiraiya battling the one who likely held the Rinnegan, Danzo''s instincts screamed that their time in Amegakure was running out.

    ¡°Return to our nearest base in the Land of Fire. Escape this place with her; she will reveal what we cannot uncover here.¡±

    ¡°What about you, Lord Danzo?¡± Tatsuma asked, his eyes behind those thick sunglasses had surely gleaned what Danzo wanted to do next.

    Danzo¡¯s eyes flicked toward the plumes of smoke again. He could see it now¡ªthe storm that threatened Konoha. ¡°I will aid Jiraiya in his struggles.¡±

 Against the Red Clouds(P2)

    Danzo landed and perched on a trembling curve of Amegakure¡¯s industrial pipelines. He was no Sensor-nin but he could feel the weight of chakra, dense in the atmosphere, fall on his shoulders. It was a blanket of expended Ninjutsu and Taijutsu that outclassed the battlefield he was coming from in terms of destruction, scale and awe.

    Below and all across, the land of metal and smoothen concrete was poked full of craters. The massive footprints of the various summon creatures formed puddles of oil and burning water. A trail of flame and rubble led into one of the few enclosed areas in the industrial landscape and there the tremors of battle continued as the Toad Sage clashed against a Rinnegan wielder, the one to kill a man Konoha had failed to in the past and perhaps even the Sandaime Mizukage.

    Sannin¡­Jiraiya. Danzo had to admit¡ª even if only to himself¡ª that Hiruzen had done a wonderful job training those three, Jiraiya most of all as he managed to forge a genius like the Yellow Flash. Orochimaru¡­Tsunade. Danzo thought of the other two Sannin with a load of envy and a sliver of pride. Pride that they were all once upon a time servile to the Will of Fire, that they could all be again. Envy that¡ª If I could forge such talent of my ROOT¡­¡ª but that would be moot. The power that forged the Sannin was that of emotions and it was those emotions that let them drift so often away from Konoha, Orochimaru and Tsunade being the worst examples of this.

    A hole blew up through the top of the enclosed metal framework, vomiting vibrant red flames that scorched the trembling air. Danzo watched the new opening closely, expecting any one of the two combatants to appear out of the black smog that lingered after the jutsu. Jiraiya leaped out of, his hair made a popsicle out of a woman in an Akatsuki cloak but two more Akatsuki jumped after him, their faces all pierced and eyes filled with the ringed purples of the Rinnegan.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Danzo muttered, his brows furrowing at the sight of not one but three wielders of the Rinnegan and all were cloaked in terrorist robes. He covered his sneer with a new ROOT mask and flexed his left arm, he¡¯d applied a medical smear across his burnt and traumatised left side before he left the battlefield and with the help of some soldier pills he was fit as he would be to join the battle at Jiraiya¡¯s side.

    He hopped off, dashing towards the Jiraiya just as he flung away the woman skewered by his hair at her comrades. They stepped out of the way and let her crash in the distance while they charged Jiraiya, iron poles unveiled from within their sleeves and slashed at the Sannin.

    Danzo intercepted their strike with a shuddering Wind Blade that grinded and sawed through the iron poles but not as quickly as he anticipated. Jiraiya kicked away the other Akatsuki, the strength behind the attack splintered the arm of the bald-headed man that tried to catch it, sending him skidding away.

    All three of the Akatsuki examined Danzo eerily just as he examined them. Two were orange haired and had their cloaks relatively intact while the one bald-headed one was tattered, his sleeves torn and half of the cloak dangling off a thin thread. All were pierced in their noses, cheeks, mouths and even head in the case of the bald one. What odd appearances¡­ Danzo thought to himself, though the enemy wasn¡¯t the only one sporting a strange look.

    Over his shoulder, Danzo found Jiraiya with two wrinkled old toads sat on his shoulders. His nose had never been as large and ugly as it was now and the red birthmark lines that ran down his cheeks had grown to cover nearly all of it. His hair was heftier, eyes slit like a toads and even his feet were webbed and reminiscent of the amphibians he summoned.

    ¡°So¡­you made it, what mess did your ROOT make out there?¡± He was speaking through pants, not nearly laboured but close enough that Danzo could guess this transformation of his was forced out of him. He hadn¡¯t known the Sannin to be capable of such after all.

    ¡°What is this enemy?¡± Danzo asked, not bothering to answer Jiraiya¡¯s inane questioning of his ROOT. ¡°How is it possible that three people wield the Rinnegan?¡±

    Before Jiraiya could offer up a word the bald and tattered cloaked Akatsuki moved. Previously bearing a wide and idiotic grin, his face was stony as he lurched for Danzo, his arm splitting open to produce a mechanical saw blade that jutted up and out of his elbow. Danzo dashed under a swipe and saw the other two moving to intercept Jiraiya, the female Akatsuki weaved hand seals and summoned something Danzo couldn¡¯t glimpse as the bald machine of a man violently struck at him.

    ¡°Danzo Shimura, I know it is you behind that mask. Hiding will not spare you the pain you are due.¡±

    What? A Sensor-nin? Danzo shook his head at his thought and ducked under a slash his Sharingan telegraphed. This is the Rinnegan, whoever these people are, their abilities are beyond even the Sharingan, even beyond Kagami¡¯s.

    Danzo weaved through the barrage of attacks, each strike from the Akatsuki¡¯s metallic fists slicing the air with a bone-rattling hiss. His muscles coiled, every dodge a calculated blur of motion as he narrowly avoided the crushing weight of each blow. Sparks flew as his blade clashed with metal, the grating sound tearing through the otherwise eerily silent battlefield. He didn¡¯t need the Sharingan in his eye to see that any stray blow would cripple him.

    The bald man stopped his onslaught of strikes all of a sudden, his face twisted up in a sick grin as two more faces grew out the sides of his skull. His torso bulged as an equal pair of arms snapped out of his body, each wielding a long black rod.

    Danzo tightened his grip on his blade before deciding against attempting to deflect or parry attacks from such an abomination. Instead he leaped away just as a giant crustacean snapped away their footing trying to snap off Jiraiya¡¯s head and quickly fished out a handful of shuriken from his pouch. His opponent wasn¡¯t going to let him go so easily though¡ª the bald man was propelled by his feet, a trail of combustion fire exploding him towards Danzo mid air.

    Fortunately, Danzo was ready. He infused his shuriken with Wind Nature Chakra, the familiar hum of energy coursing through the blades as he flung four of them at the three-faced abomination. Thin, spiralling winds sliced through the air with lethal precision, severing the man''s saw blade-tail. But the momentary victory was short-lived¡ªtwo of the shuriken were blasted out of the sky by rockets screaming from the man¡¯s arm.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Danzo landed hard on the oil-slick ground, his feet slipping briefly before he regained his footing. He shot down an alley of twisted metal and crumbling concrete, the bald fiend relentless in his pursuit. Each step echoed in the narrow space, his breath ragged as he sprinted, adrenaline hammering in his veins.

    They separated us, he realised, his gaze flicking upward. Jiraiya was locked in combat against a monstrous crab, its summoner lurking just behind it, controlling the beast with fluid, deadly movements. Danzo¡¯s eyes narrowed as he turned a tight corner, wall-walking up the side of a building with chakra-infused speed. Four missiles roared past, missing by inches before detonating ahead, shaking the earth with a thunderous explosion. Dust and debris clouded the air, but his mind was sharp. There¡¯s one more¡­ the third hasn¡¯t done anything to Jiraiya¡­what is he waiting for?

    Intent regrouping, Danzo sprinted towards the third Akatsuki, his fingers flipping through hand seals as he closed the distance. He ignored the explosive landing of the bald one chasing him and breathed his attack at his immobile, unconcerned target, ¡°Wind Release: Great Vacuum Sphere!¡±

    The torrent of compressed air shot toward the still Akatsuki member. For a moment, victory seemed certain. But just as the wind was about to obliterate everything in its path, the man casually lifted his arm. Danzo¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, his Sharingan spinning frantically to capture the impossible sight. The destructive winds tore through the battlefield, shredding everything around the Akatsuki¡ªbut not him. His body remained untouched, protected by a warping field that rippled at his fingertips, absorbing the chakra as if it were nothing more than a breeze.

    ¡°What-?!¡± Before he could fully comprehend the sight of his jutsu being disregarded, the Akatsuki member leaped after him, a jagged black pole unveiled from his sleeves. Behind Danzo came the gruesome mechanical abomination, it sent another round of missiles at him that he swiftly had to deflect away with a¡ª ¡°Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!¡±

    He scarcely had a chance to breathe relief as the jutsu-absorbing Akatsuki was already upon him, his strikes fast and merciless. A quickly drawn kunai spared Danzo¡¯s gut from being skewered, but the onslaught was relentless. Black rods jabbed at him with surgical precision, aiming for his neck, arms, and head. Danzo deflected and parried each thrust with the aid of his Sharingan, but his attention was divided. His back was turned to the real threat¡ªthe bald one.

    He stole a glimpse over his shoulder to see what he was up to and his blood ran cold. His head had split open, revealing a massive cannon of condensed chakra, glowing with destructive potential. Sparks danced along the edges, the air around it buzzing with crackling energy. Danzo cursed under his breath as he deflected another strike from the absorbing Akatsuki, his mind reeling as he soon realised¡ª He¡¯s not going to move out of the way, they¡¯re going to take out their own comrades!

    If it felt ironic Danzo didn¡¯t have the time to think so. The bald Akatsuki released the blast, a searing wave of chakra rocketing toward them. Danzo¡¯s Sharingan frantically plotted a path of escape, but it was too late. The light was blinding, scorching the air with a heat so intense it felt like the very skin on his bones might melt.  The light flooded Danzo¡¯s sight even more than the impassive, determined stare of the orange-haired Akatsuki still stabbing at him.

    Danzo cursed through gritted teeth. He lunged forward with a roar, plunging his Wind-Bladed kunai upward into the orange-haired man¡¯s chest. The blade carved through flesh and muscle with sickening ease, tearing out through the Akatsuki¡¯s back. But it was a bitter trade¡ªDanzo gasped as a rod pierced his own abdomen in return, a sharp, biting pain that radiated through his core. He could feel his chakra being syphoned away, the drain weakening him. Yet none of it seemed to matter in the face of obliteration.

    The landscape around them¡ªmetal, concrete, everything¡ªbegan to peel away, disintegrating beneath the raw force of the bald one¡¯s attack. For an agonising moment, Danzo was certain he was staring death in the face. But then , just as the world seemed poised to dissolve

    ¡°Sage Art: Giant Rasengan!¡± Jiraiya¡¯s boisterous voice boomed, brimming with a confidence that filled Danzo with relief he¡¯d never thought he¡¯d attribute to it. The white mane of Jiraiya whipped into view, his Rasengan¡ªa colossal, swirling sphere of chakra¡ªslammed into the oncoming destruction. The Sannin¡¯s mastery of the Fourth Hokage¡¯s justu combined with the power of his odd transformation allowed him to overwhelm and outmatch the annihilating blast hurtling towards them. With a surge of raw energy, Jiraiya¡¯s Rasengan deflected the chakra cannon, pushing it back until the threat was completely neutralised.

    Danzo clenched his teeth, a low grunt escaping him as he gripped the cold, foreign object buried deep in his abdomen. Every movement sent white-hot pain shooting through his body, but he couldn¡¯t afford to stop. With a guttural growl, he ripped the chakra-draining rod from his flesh, blood spilling over his hands in a sickening rush. His vision blurred for a moment, the edges of his world darkening, but he forced the pain down, focusing instead on the grim reality before him. The enemy would not wait for him to recover

    ¡°Getting too old for this?¡± the Toad Sannin yelled over he yelled over the dying thunder of his jutsu. He crouched beside Danzo, offering a hand with a playful smirk. ¡°I¡¯d offer you a shoulder, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Occupied,¡± a small, green toad piped up from Jiraiya¡¯s side.

    Danzo took the help and stood, ¡°We should retreat, the Rinnegan, it''s too powerful to face off alone and I know you¡¯re getting tired, Sannin.¡± The red trail that had enveloped his cheek before had lessened significantly though it was still prominent in comparison to the thin lines he usually sported. ¡°I¡¯ve just about run out of chakra, and you¡¯re running out of time. Whatever this transformation is, it¡¯s not going to last forever. We both know it.¡±

    Jiraiya scowled, his ears not liking the sound of retreat, ¡°You¡¯re faring worse than I am,¡± he said, though the bite in his words was softened by concern, ¡°You should go, I¡¯ll cover you.¡±

    ¡°No, we will return together. You have fought them longer and have a greater understanding of their¡­what in¡­¡± Danzo trailed off in awe and fright at the sight behind Jiraiya.

    In the rubble where the bald one had let off its cannon blast only to be outmatched by Jiraiya¡¯s Rasengan was a fourth Rinnegan wielder and this one had summoned a grotesque, otherworldly head, massive and adorned with twisted horns, that rose from the shadows. Its gaping maw stretched unnaturally wide as the fourth Akatsuki stepped forward, dragging the shattered remains of the bald Akatsuki¡¯s body. Danzo¡¯s pulse quickened, a gnawing dread clawing at his chest as the demon¡¯s jaws closed around the twisted corpse. There was a sickening crunch. The ground trembled as the creature chewed. Danzo¡¯s stomach lurched as he realised¡ªthis was no ordinary summoning..

    After a few seconds the demon unhinged its jaw and out came the bald head Akatsuki, grinning widely and looking good as new. His eyes fixed upon them and he pulled out his forearm, unsheathing a full set of missiles he promptly sent after them.

 Genmas Nightmare

    The skies had changed colour since he was last awake¡ªthick with smoke, dust, and chakra more oppressive and suffocating than anything Genma had felt before. Against the Seven Swordsmen, he could still catch his breath, find a plan to trust. But now, every sense was dulled by sheer destruction.

    Ao, the Byakugan Killer shoved him aside just as another one of those Chakra-draining plant men surged out of the ground. Ao struck the pasty fiend with a deadly palm strike that dislodged it from the earth and sent it flying. Ao spun around and grabbed Genma¡¯s arm, ¡°Hurry!¡±

    Genma dashed forward, ducking under another clone¡¯s wood spike and pushing himself onward. He needed a fair distance to execute the jutsu¡ªto summon the Fourth Hokage. But even with Ao¡¯s support, escape felt like a faint hope. His foot burned, scalded from when the Mizukage was forced to save him, the injury born of the corrosive chakra that coated every inch of his body. Genma had been briefed on everything Konoha knew regarding the Mizukage, including the newest fact that he was the Jinchuriki of the Three-Tailed Beast, a veritable weapon of mass destruction, a chakra monster.

    It was already difficult wrapping his mind around the fact that the young faced man was a Kage of a great shinobi village, though Genma quickly got over such reservations when he summoned that giant eel that nearly drowned them. And now, as the skies had darkened, clouds congealed into black cushions of smoke and dust, it wasn¡¯t at all far-fetched to think of the man as one of nine Jinchuriki world wide.

    The Mizukage¡¯s assistant spat a bolt of water past him, piercing the head of another clone as Ao stayed at his side, weapons ready to defend him. Genma ignored the pain in his foot, the effort of each step pulsing through him, and spit chakra-propelled senbon at another clone. It staggered back, dropping its stake, just in time for Ao to slice it in two.

    ¡°They keep coming!¡± Genma¡¯s every step felt like fire, sweat of exertion and fear pouring down his back. Farther behind, the real chaos surged.

    A colossal chakra arm tore into the earth as the Mizukage¡¯s demonic Jinchuriki form released a guttural shriek, slamming the ground and trading destructive jutsu and attacks with the masked man. The sight churned a question in Genma¡¯s mind: Could he really be an Uchiha? But there was no time to dwell. His senses scrambled as Ao¡¯s sword flashed and yet another clone went down.

    ¡°Just what are these things?¡± Junichi gasped, his breathing greatly laboured and weathered in much the same way Genma felt, ¡°Their spores¡­it drains chakra and I..¡±

    ¡°Concentrate Junichi!¡± Ao said, skidding to a stop as neither Genma nor Junichi could keep sprinting through the tall grasses. At the very least they¡¯d put good distance between themselves and the Mizukage¡¯s destructive battle. ¡°Yagura-sama ordered us to protect the Leaf shinobi. We make our stand here! And you¡ªhurry up and perform your jutsu and-!¡±

    A brilliant light detonated across the field, forcing all eyes to the sky. Even the multiplying plant clones halted, awed as the light punched through the blackened clouds.

    Ao was the first to react his hands clapping together at the end of a sequence of hand seals too fast for Genma to keep up with, ¡°Water Release: Water Barrier!¡± The Jounin¡¯s jutsu transformed his chakra into water, shaping humid molecules from the air around them and forming a massive dome of water that shut around all three of them just as torrential winds blasted across the field.

    The barrier protected them from the clones outside but there was little need as the blast from the explosion sent chunks of earth and minerals soaring throughout the island. Scorched rocks and flaming shards of earth rained down, and Genma could feel the heat even through Ao¡¯s barrier. Outside, the once-verdant grass lay flattened, the landscape littered with clone bodies, fires, and shattered stones.

    A rogue flame licked through the field, running its way into the small forest they would¡¯ve escaped into. The clones that assaulted them were buried underneath the fallen rubble and skewered by flaming shards of rock, their bodies disfigured with nothing to shield them.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    A frightening silence overtook the scorched and battered battlefield, christened so by the sheer amount of destruction. ¡°Is it over?¡± Junichi asked, his eyes wide as he stared into the dark mushroom cloud that haunted where they¡¯d left the Mizukage, ¡°Did Yagura-sama win?¡±

    Ao released his jutsu, the barrier dropped and flooded the field, sweeping up clone bodies and putting out fires as the Jounin swiftly reoriented his mind, pouring chakra into his sole Byakugan. He stared intently at the pillar of smoke a distance away, his brow furrowing deeper with each passing second and his lips thinning.

    Genma got on his feet, ignored the pain and began unravelling his bandana to finally begin the process of summoning the Fourth Hokage to this location. He wondered to himself, if it was still a wise idea to bring the Hokage to a battle. This was meant to be a meeting between our village Kages¡­this might entirely be a Kirigakure concern. He squeezed the Flying Raijin seal inscribed bandana in his fist, torn on the right thing to do. No, that masked man, if he is an Uchiha then Minato-sama should be made aware and even if he isn¡¯t, I¡¯ll die here if the Mizukage doesn¡¯t fend them away.

    Resolved on what to do, Genma folded the bandana against the earth so the Flying Raijin seal was complete. He was folding his legs into position when Ao broke the silence. ¡°We move, now!¡±

    ¡°What¡ª?!¡± Genma barely had time to react as the Jounin grabbed him by the collar, hauling him to his feet. Stumbling, he managed to scoop up his bandana, and quickly realised the urgency. Tremors ran through the earth, rippling through his bones, as he turned in time to witness a scene that seemed conjured from a nightmare.

    From the ground erupted a forest¡ªgnarled and twisted trees clawing skyward, their dark limbs straining toward the Mizukage¡¯s figure blazing red against the smoky sky. Cloaked in the densest chakra Genma had ever seen, the Mizukage unleashed a shriek that split the air, obliterating the advancing wood with the raw force of his cry, his back turned against them as he guarded their escape.

    They reached the edge of the ravaged forest, where Ao skidded to a halt. His katana gripped tight, jaw clenched, Ao barked, ¡°Hurry, now! Execute your jutsu if it¡¯ll do any good!¡± Sweat streamed down his face as he watched the Mizukage, in his demonic Jinchuriki form, gather chakra for what Genma suspected would be another devastating blast.

    Genma got to work, quickly folding the bandana the way it should across the dirt. The noise of a creeping, unending forest growing towards them spurred his fastest movements.

    ¡°Yagura-sama!¡± Junichi yelped haplessly as Three monstrous stakes drove through the Mizukage¡¯s chakra cloak, shuddering his form, yet he held on, continuing to charge his jutsu.

    Genma did the same, but fear creeped in his heart as he wished for even a sliver of chakra to hasten the process. And yet before his eyes, the Mizukage¡¯s Jinchuriki transformation was being undone. The three stakes piercing him were not stakes at all but thick roots syphoning away the demonic chakra, feeding it back to the source of the surging dark woodlands. Bit by bit, his once-intimidating aura faded, the three tails whittling down to a thin, wavering layer of boiling red.

    But the Mizukage persisted. He released the gathered ball of chakra at the darkwoods that had overtaken the island, a searing beam of light cut through their crooked roots and branches, tearing up the earth and decimating all in its path.

    Genma looked away, his fingers pressed together as at last, he gathered enough chakra to send the required pulse through the seal. He reached for it but a menace overcame him as he did, he glimpsed over his shoulder and found the same masked man the Mizukage had just blasted a chakra cannon at reaching for him, a spiralling Sharingan glared murder through the mask''s eyehole.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡± His Sharingan morphed into the strangest thing and a vortex spun out of it. Genma felt the hairs on his head get ripped out of their pores, his instincts screamed at him to glue himself to the ground but he¡¯d gathered all his chakra to the fingertips reaching for the Flying Raijin seal.

    ¡°Genma!¡± Junichi leaped at the masked man, tackling him and becoming subject to the pull of the vortex. Genma blinked in relief and seized the opportunity. He pressed his fingers against the seal and sent the pulse.

    ¡°Kai!¡±

 Enough Words

    Through laboured breaths I ripped out the last root from my gut and watched the wound burn away as Isobu¡¯s chakra rapidly healed me. But the damage was done, it had only taken three root strikes to syphon away my [Demon Cloak] and set me back down to a simple but reasonably powerful [Stage 3 Chakra Cloak] with three tails waving behind me.

    I crouched, glaring at the dark woodlands ahead of me, a forest of leafless trees and crooked timber. Obito¡¯s Wood Release was a cursed perversion of the First Hokage¡¯s but it did its job in driving me back and suppressing Isobu where his Sharingan failed. I hadn¡¯t at all expected him to use it though, as in most of Jason¡¯s fading memories of this world, Obito relied heavily on his phasing ability, Kamui and almost never used Wood Release.

    Unexpected but manageable, I can still work with this. My feet broke the earth as I tensed, ready to leap in through the witchy brambles of his forest and pluck him out, but just before I could, I heard Junichi scream behind me.

    ¡°Genma!¡±

    I burst towards their direction, cursing as I witnessed Junichi throw himself against Obito, temporarily disrupting his Kamui. Ao spun on his heel and slashed at Obito¡¯s masked head but surprisingly, he ducked under it and stomped the earth. A broad, long root erupted under Ao, piercing him in the gut and lifting him away in the process. I arrived in a burst and smashed the root to cinders, Isobu¡¯s chakra burning the wood away, I allowed Ao to fall and chased after Obito with a chakra arm.

    However, the Uchiha was a fiend, he snatched Junichi by the neck just as a bright yellow flash illuminated behind me, ¡°Do not take another step, Mizukage¡­Hokage.¡± Obito commanded, his palm set threateningly at Junichi¡¯s head, a stave of wood growing out of it.

    Defiant, I held my chakra arm in place, it hovered just over Obito and at any moment I could slam it over his head and turn him into a pasty smear, except Junichi would be too. It¡¯s more likely I¡¯d only kill Junichi if I did, damned Sharingan and its Kamui.

    ¡°Yagura-sama, do it! Don¡¯t worr-!¡± Obito strangled harder, suffocating any more brave words Junichi had for me, his face went red with constricted blood and Obito¡¯s wood stave cut his struggling cheek.

    ¡°Go ahead, Mizukage, see if your shinobi¡¯s sacrifice will be worth it.¡± Obito dared, the murderous glare of his Sharingan pierced me from within his chipped mask.

    If only I could¡¯ve shattered it more than that. I glanced over my shoulder and found the Hokage, the Yellow Flash of Konoha crouched over Genma and Ao, his hands giving off a faint glow reminiscent of Iryo Ninjutsu. He was just as Jason¡¯s memories recalled; short-sleeved, long white haori over Konoha¡¯s standard green flak vest and a blue forehead protector his spiky blond bangs slightly obscured. His steel blue eyes met mine and he gave the briefest, sternest nods as he rose and stood a step behind me.

    I retracted my chakra arm but quickly began gathering more of Isobu¡¯s chakra so I could eventually enter my [Demon Cloak] form. ¡°Release my assistant, imposter and I won¡¯t tear your head from your neck.¡±

    ¡°Mmahahha!¡± Obito''s laugh was edged with madness, his arm still wrung around Junichi¡¯s neck, its grip growing tighter with each passing second.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± The Fourth Hokage demanded, his voice cold and stony as he stepped forward his Thunder-God Kunai brandished.

    Obito tilted his head, his Sharingan gleaming like a predator¡¯s eye catching the moonlight. ¡°I said, don¡¯t move.¡± The wood stave growing from his palm twisted with a sinister crack, stretching as it dug into Junichi¡¯s temple, carving a thin red line that ran down his face. Obito sneered, his tone condescending. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here, Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. There are far greater concerns for a man like you¡­far beyond whatever the Mizukage could possibly say.¡±

    ¡°And what would you know of what I have to say?¡± I pointed an accusatory finger at him, ¡°You attack a diplomatic mission you have no right knowing about, attempt to place me under Genjutsu with that Sharingan of yours and for what? Speak your purpose now, imposter.¡±

    ¡°Sharingan?¡± Minato muttered under his breath but I ignored him. ¡°If you are an Uchiha then you must-¡±

    ¡°No!¡± He tightened his grip further, and Junichi¡¯s eyes rolled back as he fell unconscious, his body hanging limp in Obito¡¯s merciless hold. ¡°You¡¯re in no position to demand anything, Hokage, and neither is the Mizukage,¡± he spat, the venom in his tone matching the twisted forest around us. ¡°The shinobi world is on the brink of expiration. This age of Kage and feudal strife? It will all cease with my return.¡±

    ¡°I asked you a question, who are you?¡± Minato demanded, the edge in his voice growing thinner, ¡°What grief does an Uchiha have against the shinobi world? Against the Mizukage and I meeting?¡±

    Obito stayed silent for a moment and then his arm slackened, releasing Junichi. I sent my chakra arm out to retrieve him but his Kamui was faster. The vortex swallowed my assistant before he even fell to the ground.

    ¡°No!¡± My chakra arm ploughed into the earth where Obito stood. The ground shattered beneath the force, scattering dirt and stone, but when the dust cleared, I knew I had achieved nothing.

    Emerging from the settling haze, Obito stepped forward, slowly, deliberately, arms spread wide, as though inviting us to witness some twisted sermon. ¡°I am Uchiha Madara,¡± he declared, his tone dripping with cold pride. ¡°I have every reason to grieve this world¡¯s end, even as I prepare to lay it to rest.¡± His gaze turned to me, those crimson Sharingan eyes flashing with deep, personal hatred. ¡°Relish your survival, Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi¡­for it will not happen a second time. You and all your kind will be the stones on which this new world will be built.¡± He glanced at Minato with chilling finality. ¡°And as for you¡­I¡¯ll be seeing you soon, Yellow Flash.¡±

    ¡°Give him back!¡±  I roared, and chakra erupted around me, thickening into the full, monstrous [Demon Cloak] form. I launched forward, the cloak swirling like a storm, but Obito merely laughed, that mocking, maddening cackle resonating as his Kamui vortex began to pull him into nothingness. He waved once, as if dismissing me, and then he was gone.

    ¡°Rraaghhh!!¡± My scream tore through the air, sending a shockwave that cratered the ground around me, the devastation rippling outward as if to chase him even into the void. The forest shuddered, barren trees trembling under the force of my rage, but nothing brought Junichi back.

    Minato watched me warily, his eyes full of confusion and worry as he glanced over his shoulder where Genma and Ao watched haplessly. No one could do a thing, not even I, not even the fastest shinobi on the planet.

    Ao stumbled forward, his movements reopened his gut wound but he didn¡¯t care, ¡°Yagura-sama, please, we will get him back, we will-¡±

    ¡°Enough words,¡± I growled, steam puffing out with every word as I fixed my white-eyed gaze on Minato, ¡°Fourth Hokage, something must be done.¡±

    Still regarding me warily, he set aside his kunai and nodded with grim determination, ¡°Then let¡¯s talk action, Mizukage-dono.¡±

 Alliance of Pain

    Black patiently watched the world warp in on itself, space bending as it spat Uchiha Madara or rather, ¡°Obito¡­¡± his fists curled into clenched hammers and Black corrected himself, though he didn¡¯t want to, ¡°Madara, you¡¯ve returned and you have failed.¡±

    He was silent but Black Zetsu could sense the whirl of emotions within him, powerful as he had gotten since the death of the Madara Uchiha, he had yet to control how readable his hatred and fury was through his chakra, he had yet to become unfazed by the hell of the world their mission required them to change.

    Black wasn¡¯t disappointed, he had been there to witness his first confrontation with a Kage, the bar for success was reasonably higher than it would be with other shinobi. However, he was confused as to why they weren¡¯t successful, why he had failed and it seemed Obito- Madara was as well.

    ¡°Karatachi Yagura is¡­¡± His hands lingered on the chip in his mask, he pulled it off his face and let his scowl known, ¡°He is far more perceptive than I imagined.¡±

    ¡°He is the Mizukage.¡± Black answered, though he himself knew that was a hollow response, there had to be more they weren¡¯t seeing. ¡°Your Genjutsu and Kamui failed to take him by surprise, failed to subdue him.¡±

    Madara walked up to and sat at his desk, the air wavered as his chakra warbled with his fluctuating emotions. He rested his mask and arm over the desk, ran a hand through his hair as his eyes looked far beyond what was in front of him, ¡°No, it was more than that. He¡­he tested his attacks against me. At first glance I thought¡­no, he knew of me, of my ability.¡±

    ¡°How could he? You have never revealed yourself to Kirigakure until now. None of their ANBU from the night of your awakening survived to beg for mercy, much less return to give a report.¡± White chimed in, his words all true and yet¡­

    Madara shook his head, leaned back against the chair as the air around him began to stabilise along with his emotions, ¡°He called me an imposter. That word, its specific use means he must know something. It is the only thing that makes sense about his actions now. He had agents infiltrate Amegakure for what? Hahahah, he lies. Investigating the Sandaime Mizukage¡¯s death? In Amegakure? Why? There is nothing between Kirigakure and Amegakure.¡±

    Black considered that for a moment and found it suspicious indeed. White grinned and gloated, ¡°I told you so.¡± Madara snapped a glare at them and White shrunk but not as much as he would usually, ¡°Nevermind the Mizukage, he could still not lay a finger on you whereas his entire village is within our grasp.¡± Black said, his voice low as he asked the next question, ¡°How was it reuniting with your past?¡±

    Madara looked away, his eye narrowed as he felt over the scarred side of his face, ¡°He didn¡¯t recognize me.¡±

    Black chuckled sinisterly, ¡°And why would he? Did he ever? Look what he does with the Mizukage now, don¡¯t tell me you believe he could see anything more than what benefits Konoha. She, you never mattered enough.¡±

    Chakra pressure spiked around Madara, sending a crack through the desk his arm rested upon, he glared at Zetsu and growled, ¡°Enough.¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡± Black said, weathering the glare more than White would like to, ¡°Konan has been captured.¡±

    His eyes widened a fraction before returning to calm indifference, ¡°Is Nagato still fighting his past?¡±

    ¡°Danzo and Jiraiya have wisely chosen to retreat but you know Nagato, he doesn¡¯t leave things unfinished.¡± White reported.

    Madara gazed through them as he thought and planned. Black wanted to make a suggestion to intervene and kill all that had dared but he knew a lot of their plans depended on anonymity, something that may have been broken due to today¡¯s failure. Perhaps he can still fix this.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Madara wore his mask and stood, silently activating his Kamui Black quickly asked as he stood nearby its effective range, ¡°Where to?¡±

    ¡°Nagato,¡± Madara replied, his tone calm but resolute. ¡°These things require personality.¡±

    In an instant, the dim, stony depths of Madara¡¯s hideout imploded into a vortex of bending space and collapsing time. The pressure intensified, air stretching like shadows in a nightmare, and then released them just as swiftly into a new domain. Madara¡¯s hideout disappeared, replaced by a scene just as oppressive and haunting.

    A bitter, cold rain dripped rhythmically from high above, filling the air with the scent of damp rust and decaying stone. They had appeared within Nagato¡¯s tower, the grim citadel piercing through the cloud-heavy skies of Amegakure. Rain poured endlessly, an unyielding cascade that seemed to draw the warmth from the very air. The slick stone walls of the chamber bore grooves from countless seasons of water¡¯s erosion, echoing the relentless will of the man they came to see.

    Nagato sat entrenched within his machine at the centre of the room, his skeletal form intertwined with its intricate mechanisms. The device seemed as much a prison as a throne, pulsing with his life force. Cold, hollow eyes, windows of a Rinnegan, stared out into the room¡¯s darkness, almost vacant, as surely half his consciousness roamed far beyond, puppeteering at least four of his Six Paths.

    Madara stood silently, waiting for the barest acknowledgement from the red-haired Uzumaki. After a few seconds, Nagato¡¯s gaze fixed upon them, flickering to life, calculating yet distant. Though his frame appeared almost wraith-like, his power was tangible, saturating the air with a quiet but fierce command that only cared to deliver pain.

    ¡°Madara, have you come at last to aid your ally?¡± Nagato demanded, the deepening scowl on his lips was unmissable.

    ¡°Of course, though I doubt you need much help.¡± Madara answered smoothly.

    ¡°Konan did,¡± Nagato replied. ¡°But I will retrieve her with or without your aid.¡± He turned away, seemingly answering some silent call only he could hear, the rasp of metal and leather echoing through the hollow chamber.

    ¡°Do not worry for Konan, Nagato,¡± Madara assured him. ¡°She will be taken care of, as will Konoha and their minions. Pursue Jiraiya and Danzo all you want but do not leave Amegakure.¡±

    Nagato¡¯s brow furrowed, and he turned back to face Madara, Rinnegan flashing with intensity. ¡°And why not?¡± he growled.

    ¡°The Akatsuki and Amegakure are not ready for the full attention of two shinobi villages. Kirigakure and Konohagakure are on the verge of an alliance, and you¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Madara¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°No, I will end Jiraiya and the worms he brought along with him,¡± Nagato responded, his voice low but forceful. ¡°Plot as you please, but do not attempt to herd me, nor place me on the same pedestal of strength as yourself. I am a God.¡±

    Black groaned as White Zetsu¡¯s grin widened, enjoying Nagato¡¯s words far more than they should. Madara inhaled, stepping closer to the machine and looking up at Nagato¡¯s frail yet resolute figure.

    ¡°I understand what you feel for Jiraiya in this moment, Nagato,¡± Madara said, keeping his tone measured. ¡°But a fleeting moment of satisfaction is not worth the new world we are creating. Leave things to me. I¡¯ve already accelerated the timeline. Konoha will be the first of nations to tremble with pain. All I ask of you and Konan is that you advance your recruitment efforts. Zetsu will guide you on the prospects I have in mind.¡±

    Silence stretched between them. Nagato¡¯s gaze flickered with a deep, dark calculation, each second punctuated by the persistent dripping of rain from above. At last, he blinked, conceding with a slight nod. ¡°Jiraiya has escaped.¡± His voice was emotionless, a mere whisper edged with faint disgust, perhaps with himself for allowing the Sannin to evade capture.

    Madara nodded, almost grateful. ¡°We will begin capturing the Tailed Beasts once all ten members of the Akatsuki are assembled, but Konoha¡­ and Kirigakure will be our points of interest. The Mizukage is especially stubborn.¡±

    Nagato¡¯s Rinnegan eyes flashed, locking onto Madara. ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing, Madara. Know I won¡¯t be patient or understanding. Be quick with Konan¡¯s return, or I will take matters into my own hands.¡±

    Madara glanced back at Zetsu, delivering an unspoken command in his reddened gaze before returning his attention to Nagato. The familiar swirl of Kamui began to envelop him, a blackened vortex that seemed to devour the very air.

    ¡°Always a pleasure, Nagato,¡± he said, voice fading as he vanished from the tower, leaving behind only shadows and the unending rain.

    Left with the so-called ¡°god,¡± White Zetsu¡¯s grin lingered, revelling in the tension Nagato radiated. But before he could say anything rash, Black Zetsu spoke first, his tone decisive.

    ¡°We should begin recruitment with individuals strong enough for our purposes but ultimately expendable for their attachment to this world and its concerns. Kakuzu the Immortal will be a good start.¡±

    ¡°Then find him.¡±

 The Fourths

    The Fourth Hokage had a bright presence about him. He was more than Jason remembered but exactly the same. Even in the face of uncertainty, in the darkness of a land scarred by battle and stained by a forest of accursed, chakra-eating trees, Minato Namikaze managed to uphold a slight smile, a straight and broad posture that let everyone standing beside and especially behind him that all would be well.

    The effect reached me as well. Minato stood in the full regalia of his office, a striking contrast to my battered form. My mesh armour, torn and clinging to my skin, had been punctured by Obito''s root strikes, with the [Demon Cloak] scorching what remained. Nevertheless, it was good he made it. I was certain his summoning had a part in forcing Obito to flee with his tail between his legs, more so than the Uchiha¡¯s failures to trap me in Genjutsu or seize me in his Kamui dimension did. After all, he had already resorted to using Wood Release and had seen success suppressing Isobu within me.

    Junichi¡­had my battle against Obito gone on any longer, my dear assistant might not have been the only loss I incurred this day; yet still, it pained me a great measure to lose him at all. I looked up past the blown grass hills, now sucking up water from the sea as the beach practically extended all the way here now. How do I get him back? Can I even? What actually happens to people Obito captures in his dimension?

    All my questions led to a stern and absolute answer- Junichi is dead. He¡¯d died protecting a Konoha-nin for that matter. Junko would loathe to hear such. I shook my head and took a deep breath as the crooked shade from the trees continued ahead of us. There was time to think of what to tell his family, what to write in the records and what to hope for. Now was the time to plan a counterattack.

    ¡°A rogue Uchiha claiming to be the founder of the clan that founded Konoha¡­has attempted to assassinate me and has successfully absconded with my subordinate, Hokage-dono. You can see how I would suspect this man is the culprit behind my predecessors¡­suspicious passing. His particular Space-Time Ninjutsu would explain much of how he managed to accomplish such a feat without being caught instantly, he is¡­almost as fast as you are with your jutsu, Hokage-dono.¡±

    I started by reiterating the obvious, we¡¯d left Genma and Ao behind for this part of our discussions as they would and could include highly classified information neither of us were ready to share.

    Minato¡¯s gaze swept over the unnatural forest, a trace of awe and calculation flickering in his eyes. He nodded, ¡°You also claim he may be responsible for Hanzo the Salamander¡¯s passing, or is that the other way around?¡±

    I hid a sneer, ¡°Hokage-dono, you bore first hand to that Uchiha¡¯s madness. Heard him speak of ending the shinobi world, if that isn¡¯t a threat to take seriously then I¡¯m not sure what Konoha considers worthwhile.¡±

    Minato ruffled his hair as he winced, ¡°And Konoha is taking your concerns seriously, Mizukage-dono.¡±

    ¡°My concerns? Should they truly be mine alone right now? There are the obvious questions to ask, who is this imposter? What does he want with me? How did he know of our meeting? And how can we stop him from achieving his madness?¡± I flicked my fingers up as I counted and waved the entire fist, ¡°None of these have answers, Hokage-dono and you don¡¯t seem particularly perturbed by any of it at the moment.¡±

    While I was grateful for the bright, assuring presence Minato brought wherever he went, I was looking for a show of concern, more skin in the game than a smile and studious looks at craters and crooked trees.

    The Fourth Hokage paced himself beside me until our leisurely stroll almost came to a halt, ¡°You¡¯re sure this isn¡¯t Uchiha Madara? What makes you so certain?¡±

    My throat caught at that but outwardly I kept my annoyed features still. The realisation hit me like a cold shock¡ªI¡¯d overlooked the fact that others might genuinely believe this masked lunatic¡¯s claim. My gaze flicked through the chaos I¡¯d engaged in against him and I breathed, ¡°Uchiha Madara is a legend and all legends are dead, Hokage-dono.¡±

    It was a fair reason to doubt and the only one I could conjure at the moment while I deliberated telling Minato the truth. He wasn¡¯t so much smiling now, the moonlight pierced through the canopy of leafless, cursed trees and lit up the stern focus on his face. The man before me encompassed more than the single, heroic facet my inherited memories made me believe.

    He is Konoha¡¯s hero, not mine. Underneath those pearl blue eyes was the mind, focus and will of a shinobi born to be a Kage. The bright, cheery persona earlier might¡¯ve just been a ruse, as much as I doubt it was, how could I know? What I did know was that Namikaze Minato, up until and even a while after I¡¯d become Mizukage, had been regarded as an enemy of the state; my state.

    Still, how would he react to learning the truth? Bright and heroic as he seemed, there was no doubt in my mind that the sins of Kirigakure againsts Konoha, against him, would weigh the scale in how believable my accusations would be. But in the first place, how could I point a finger at a student I¡¯d never met, much less heard the name of. Uchiha Obito had no accolades to his name, even less than Rin Nohara did and she¡­well she was the true victim of Kirigakure¡¯s machinations during the Third Shinobi War.

    Minato¡¯s smile returned, though lighter than ever, ¡°That should be the case, shouldn¡¯t it¡­¡± He trailed off, his fingers bent and snipped off a stick from a crooked branch as he spoke, ¡°And yet, this Uchiha not only showcases a mastery of Space-Time Ninjutsu but also the First Hokage¡¯s revered Wood Release which has not been seen in any Senju since his passing, not even Lady Tsunade.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    I smiled down at me while my annoyance grew into painful certainty; I can¡¯t whisper a word of Obito¡¯s true identity to him. ¡°And you believe there are few shinobi alive capable of such feats.¡±

    He flicked the stick away and nodded, ¡°Quite so. But I am not dismissing your suspicions, Mizukage-dono, this person is clearly a skilled Uchiha according to what Genma and you have recounted, however, how they have come about the First Hokage¡¯s Wood Release is beyond me. Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju were historically rivals and friends, so if this person is truly Madara¡­¡±

    I inhaled and went along with his train of thought, ¡°Yes, if Uchiha Madara is so capable then it wouldn¡¯t be beyond him to glean the secrets of Hashirama Senju¡¯s Wood Release.¡± I brought our sluggish stroll to a halt entirely and pinned the Hokage with an accusing glare, ¡°But if the dead legends haven¡¯t risen from the grave to torment us, then all this evidence still points at you, Hokage-dono. Specifically your Uchiha clan but to begin with, I wouldn¡¯t put it past your village to secretly develop these kinds of¡­combinations.¡±

    Minato¡¯s soft-spoken features vanished, replaced by steel and a hardy gaze, ¡°You¡¯re accusing us of¡­of arranging this incident? Of creating a shinobi, an Uchiha capable of wielding Wood Release?¡±

    I knew the answer but I continued to play the part of a slighted, nearly assassinated Kage, ¡°If the shoe fits, Hokage-dono.¡±

    The atmosphere between us became charged, both of us consciously holding our chakra in check. Minato¡¯s eyes were as sharp as kunai, and his tone cut just as deep.

    ¡°If we¡¯ve reached that part of the conversation, then I have a few questions of my own,¡± he said, stepping closer. The weight of his presence was undeniable, even without him releasing his chakra. ¡°And no, I won¡¯t start with the fact that one of your subordinates flaunts a Kekkei Genkai that rightfully belongs to the Hyuga Clan¡ªand, by extension, Konoha.¡±

    I rolled my eyes before I could stop myself. ¡°Spoils of war, Hokage¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about that war, then.¡± His voice dropped to a cold edge. ¡°Was it you? Or the Sandaime Mizukage you¡¯re so determined to avenge, who gave the order?¡± I felt the muscles in my jaw tighten, but before I could reply, he pressed on. ¡°Tell me, who decided to turn a child into a weapon against her own people?¡±

    The air shimmered as Minato¡¯s chakra flared, a blistering surge that he quickly tamped down. His control was impressive, but I knew what lay beneath his calm exterior. I could read him more clearly than he realized.

    ¡°Tell me, Mizukage-dono. Was it you, or your dead predecessor?¡±

    ¡°Hokage-dono, you¡¯re losing focus¡ª¡±

    ¡°Answer.¡±

    I forced myself to meet his gaze, the storm in his eyes barely contained. ¡°It was the Sandaime Mizukage. He gave the order.¡±

    Minato¡¯s eyes narrowed, his breath coming in measured paces. ¡°And you became its vessel. Mastered it.¡± He gestured at the fractured earth around us, remnants of my [Demon Cloak] attacks. ¡°Was that your choice, or his?¡±

    ¡°Mine,¡± I admitted, my voice low but steady. ¡°Not that it matters. Shinobi aren¡¯t children, Hokage-dono. Who sent her to war? Was it you, or your Sandaime?¡±

    The jab hit its mark. His jaw tightened, and for a moment, raw pain surfaced in his expression. The double standard stung, as it was meant to. He took a step back, then straightened.

    He gritted his teeth and then asked, ¡°One more thing then, Mizukage-dono. In your letter, you mentioned my wife and even dared to use her pregnancy as a timetable for our meeting. Do you deny having operatives in Konoha, spies watching and stalking our assets? Or will you claim that was the work of your predecessor as well?¡±

    A pulse of chakra rippled out from me, unbidden, a reflex against the threat now palpable in the air. The mask of composure Minato had worn cracked, and the pressure of his chakra bore down, an invisible force suffocating and scorching all at once. The Yellow Flash wasn¡¯t holding back now, and I could taste the hint of a coming storm in the air between us. He was ready, if need be, to ignite a Fourth War on this soil.

    I could have avoided the topic of Kushina. I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned her at all, let alone her pregnancy. But despite the suffocating anger pressing into me, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to regret it. It had been necessary to convey the urgency and it seemed like it worked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I admitted, my eyes locked on his. ¡°But don¡¯t pretend Konoha hasn¡¯t had its operatives sniffing around Kirigakure, either.¡± It was a half-truth; yes, there were operatives but they weren¡¯t spying on Kushina. I raised a hand before he could voice his angry rebuttal. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now, Yondaime Hokage, what matters are the threats before us. If we get caught up in the past we¡¯ll never trust each other long enough to end this imposter. I delivered more knowledge of Amegakure than I did anything about your dear wife, I do hope you thanked her for those seeds, the orchard is growing beautifully.¡±

    Minato seethed for a moment and I felt the bright aura he carried wouldn¡¯t shine around me for some time, ¡°I have competent shinobi investigating what you brought to our attention.¡±

    I nodded, eager to hear the results, ¡°Yes, yes, I heard the Toad Sannin himself would be involved.¡±

    The Hokage sneered, his lips curled in disgust, ¡°More whispers from your spies?¡±

    I scoffed and held a daring smirk to his soft glare, ¡°No, Genma might have mentioned, you have just confirmed. Now, what has he uncovered?¡±

    He shook his head, ¡°They haven¡¯t returned yet but¡­if we consider everything that¡¯s happened from your investigations into Amegakure to Uchiha Madara trying to kill you...I think there¡¯s enough to discuss a joint operation between our villages, how does that sound?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not call that imposter Uchiha Madara but suit yourself. Otherwise, a joint operation does sound like the right step forward. Of course, there is more I¡¯d like to discuss as our villages grow closer, trade in some manner or another.¡±

    Minato narrowed his eyes at me and I knew I was pushing the ask a tad too far, ¡°Keep your expectations low, Mizukage-dono. Konoha is already extending its efforts for your sake.¡±

    I snorted and rolled my eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t shrivel up now that I mention trade, Hokage-dono, the threat doesn¡¯t cease to affect you just because I wish to start talks, but I understand, we will build our friendship to that point.¡±

    He smiled but it wasn¡¯t the same as it was when we started, ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand. I will retrieve Genma and return to Konoha.¡± He looked around the cratered, cursed forest and stuttered a bit before saying, ¡°You can handle any queries officials might have, yes?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help it, I plopped by a tree and held my head in my hands as I cackled, ¡°Hahahah, amusing Hokage, and yes, if any should be brave enough to approach, I will handle it.¡±

 Defiant Angel

    Danzo felt ill¡ªa gnawing nausea twisted in his gut, dizziness clouding every corner of his mind. He sat at a desk surrounded by the last remnants of his ROOT operatives¡ªfools who had chosen to aid him rather than follow his orders to the letter. It worked out in his favour¡ªthe fools left behind in the Hidden Rain had served well as fodder, buying him and Jiraiya the time they needed to escape.

    He could have continued, we could still be on the run even now so why? Danzo wanted to know and Jiraiya did as well. There were many questions on the minds of everyone but after his last hideout was blown to smithereens, Danzo was forced to rely on the resources and connections of the perverted Toad Sage who was fortunately stoic as he¡¯d ever been.

    Jiraiya had found them shelter on the border of the Land of Fire¡ªa small, rundown noodle and udon shop. The basement was a cold, shadowy space, four times larger than the shop above and filled with the pungent smell of onions and preserved food.

    The basement had a freezer, a massive one capable of hosting five shelves of meat and other protein across its width, but it was currently the one and only interrogation and jail room for their prisoner. My prisoner. Danzo did not find the Winged Woman¡¯s jutsu so impressive but her skill and its unique application was worth placing a curse seal on her, not to mention her connection to the Rinnegan Wielders.

    Danzo¡¯s shoulders grew heavy at the thought of them. They¡¯d forced this premature Chakra-exhaustion onto him as he and Jiraiya fled. Keeping his Sharingan active, while battling Orochimaru¡¯s unstable modifications from consuming his living cells, drained him mentally and physically.

    A single, flickering bulb illuminated the entire basement and Jiraiya¡¯s dissatisfied face once he stepped out. Danzo sneered, ¡°Let Tatsuma try.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jiraiya replied sharply. ¡°She¡¯s still my student.¡±

    ¡°She hasn¡¯t been your student since-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it, Danzo.¡± Jiraiya didn¡¯t shout over Danzo, a focused glare from the Sannin was clearer than any other object had been in the past hour. Danzo pursed his lips shut, too sick to bother with a retort.

    ¡°What have you learned? Has she answered the riddle of what became of your other¡­students?¡±

    The Sannin pulled a stool from under a ROOT-nin and sat, ¡°They¡¯re dead. Yahiko is or should be. I don¡¯t know how it came to be that there are multiple Rinnegan, only Nagato wielded the Dojutsu when I trained them. Those eyes ate every technique, mastered every lesson, replicated¡­reinforced everything I taught. He was¡­would be a very powerful shinobi, I don¡¯t believe he could be so easily killed.¡±

    Danzo squinted through the vertigo, it wouldn¡¯t dull his mind or loosen his lips. These names¡­He glanced over his shoulder at Tatsuma who stood in a dark lit corner, straightening his gloves by the finger. Tatsuma caught his look but didn¡¯t give anything away, not that there was anything to even as he faced a dilemma.

    The Winged Angel was surely the girl Hanzo held hostage that day, that night the Rinnegan¡¯s power was unleashed. Nagato, Yahiko, Konan. Leaders of the Akatsuki and students of Jiraiya the Sannin. Danzo shook his head of the vertigo and his indecision, he couldn¡¯t know for certain if Konan had remembered him from his time in Amegakure but he doubted she did. She did not fight him like she knew what he¡¯d done and as far as Tatsuma could communicate to him, she hadn¡¯t confessed anything of that day to Jiraiya either.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe so either, in fact, I think your student, Nagato must be the one behind the curtain of these Rinnegan Wielders. How else could it come to pass? The secrets of the Dojutsu are buried in the ages long before even the Warring Clans, this replication we¡¯ve fallen victim to could simply be an ability of those eyes.¡±

    Danzo decided as he counted his leftover ROOT. There were five patrolling above ground and another twelve injured or exhausted here with him. There would have been more but he¡¯d ordered them into the hideout within the Rain Village to hold Konan hostage and the Rinnegan Wielders caught up fast enough to decimate those fodder forces.

    Jiraiya gave his words some thought, though Danzo was certain such a conclusion had already come across his mind. The Toad Sannin let out a deep, tired sigh. He was in best shape out of them all with minor injuries and nothing so destabilising as Chakra exhaustion.

    ¡°Nagato¡­he said he would usher a world of peace through equal suffering, that the Mizukage would pay and that Konoha would be next. I can¡¯t¡­¡±Stolen story; please report.

    Danzo snorted, a scowl ingrained on his lips as he retrieved a shot bottle of alcohol and gulped, ¡°Of course you can¡¯t, it is the same as your teacher, Sarutobi. How do you think he felt hearing all of what Orochimaru had¡­accomplished. How he felt, catching him in the act?¡± Danzo shook his head, ¡°If you think for a second you can rehabilitate a madness you haven¡¯t even been around to witness, then you¡¯d better leave now, Sannin. The Hokage assigned this mission to my ROOT and we will complete it.¡±

    Jiraiya stood, replacing the melancholy in his eyes with the will of a shinobi and said, ¡°I won¡¯t see you hurt her, she¡¯s fallen¡­they¡¯ve fallen but there¡¯s always a reason and I will find out before I let you touch her.¡±

    ¡°Pathetic. You will find nothing but a bounty of hatred for Konoha, for the shinobi world. Bringing equality through pain? Those are nothing but the words of a terrorist. You should focus on uncovering the secret of Nagato¡¯s Rinnegan abilities, not sentimental distractions. Konoha will need an answer to an unceasing enemy like your student.¡± Danzo stood with him, shaking off the vertigo with the hiss of alcohol sharpening his senses. He followed after Jiraiya as he silently walked back to the walk-in freezer. Danzo caught the door before Jiraiya could shut it, the cold licked his feet and Tatsuma¡¯s listening bugs scampered out to safer temperatures.

    There, between two shelves of stacked meat and fresh protein was Konan. Her wrists tied, sealed and fused to the metal chair. She was stripped to the simple bandage strappings across her chest and some brown shorts. Not a drop of chakra coursed through her pathways at her will, she was as vulnerable as Danzo would ever get her with Jiraiya present. She whipped her hung head up and levelled a glare at both men, her short blue hair slacked around her face as she did.

    ¡°You.¡± she voiced with frost breath, causing Jiraiya to glance at Danzo.

    ¡°No, you.¡± Danzo started talking immediately, he doubted she remembered or saw him that day but he could be wrong. ¡°Tell us what the Akatsuki is planning and how. It¡¯s a simple demand, a simple question. You can answer it can¡¯t you? Your leader was vocal enough so you should too.¡±

    Her eyes flickered back to her teacher where they stayed and mocked in silence. Even after over an hour in the frigid freezer, stripped to bandages and thin shorts, Konan''s expression remained stone-cold¡ªunyielding, just as when she¡¯d faced him in the rain. Danzo meant to move closer, to reinforce his authority and pull the truth from her but Jiraiya remained an annoyance.

    ¡°Konan, it is me.¡± he pleaded but her eyes gave nothing away. He inhaled deeply, ¡°The Hokage is a student of mine, just like you, Nagato and Yahiko. This can be better, Konan, whatever it is Nagato says must happen for peace to reign, it simply isn¡¯t true. This world doesn¡¯t work like that, it will fight back and hate you, god and Angel for daring to impose a will of suffering and pain on them. But if you are truly certain, ready to make a difference for all the children that have and still are suffering the way you three did then Minato, Konoha¡­I am here to help.¡±

    Konan let out a gust of frosty breath, goosebumps rippled across her skin but she didn¡¯t outwardly shiver as she raised her eyes to Danzo¡¯s. He cursed inwardly as he concluded; She remembers.

    ¡°You say that but Konoha¡­no, the shinobi nations are all cut from the same disgusting cloth. Danzo here, Hanzo there, even a Kanzo. No matter the name, it''s all the same tree and it will burn to the root before we set our flowers to soil, Jiraiya.¡±

    Danzo narrowed his eyes at her, catching the subtle challenge in her silence. She wasn''t exposing him outright, but her resolve was clear¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t yield a single word. To her, Jiraiya¡¯s presence didn¡¯t offer any comfort or understanding; it only reaffirmed her beliefs: the Akatsuki¡¯s cause was just, and the Hidden Villages were little more than dens of corruption. Worse still, she knew the alias he¡¯d given Hanzo to undermine their movement.

    Kanzo. A mock name, but it served its purpose as effectively as the disguised corpses Hanzo foolishly fell for. Danzo allowed himself a brief, mocking smile, flashing it directly at her¡ªa reminder of the death and betrayal her ¡°righteous¡± Akatsuki had suffered after Hanzo severed their alliance. He could almost imagine the power Amegakure might have gained if Hanzo and the Akatsuki had managed to stay aligned. Good thing I made sure they didn¡¯t. The world doesn¡¯t need a sixth Great Village¡ªespecially not on Konoha¡¯s doorstep.

    He laid a hand on Jiraiya¡¯s shoulder, feigning a sympathetic tone. ¡°I think it¡¯s best we let her stew a little longer, Jiraiya. You should return and report to the Hokage.¡±

    Jiraiya shrugged off his hand as though it burned, shooting Danzo a withering glare. ¡°And why should I? You¡¯ve got a dozen lackeys who can do that.¡±

    ¡°None of whom have seen¡­ Pein, was it?¡± Danzo directed the question at Konan, but her expression remained impassive. ¡°If you¡¯re so against my operatives handling this, perhaps a Yamanaka could do it. I¡¯ll send a request through the Hokage and the clan, but we¡¯ll need their best.¡±

    Jiraiya grimaced, realizing he had few options. Ignoring Danzo, he knelt before Konan, his voice quiet. ¡°Tell me. Just me. I won¡¯t share a word of it with anyone else. But¡­ please, tell me.¡±

    For a fleeting moment, Danzo¡¯s heart skipped as she glanced between him and Jiraiya. He¡¯d been certain she¡¯d see no difference between himself and the Konoha shinobi who called him ¡®Kanzo¡¯ but now¡­ Perhaps the Sage can reach his student after all.

    Meeting her gaze, he didn¡¯t try to intimidate or mock. Instead, he allowed his smile to grow¡ªa sharp, unsettling grin meant for her alone. Her stoic mask finally cracked. With a fierce glare, she recoiled from Jiraiya, her voice breaking into a shout.

    ¡°Kill me or get out!¡±

 Day in the Life

    ¡°Minato, you¡¯ve been staring at the back of my head for an hour now, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Minato blinked from the trance of thought. It was late at night, the village had gone to sleep and left only the crickets and his ANBU detail as night owls. He was in bed with his gorgeous tomato-haired wife, his hands spooned around her to ease the burden of her heavily pregnant belly.

    He took a breath and shuffled closer to Kushina, her warmth soothed him, if only for a moment, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­since meeting with the Mizukage uh, no, I shouldn¡¯t bother you with this.¡±

    She pinched his arm, hard, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly! I asked now spit it out, what did that horrible Mizukage do this time!¡±

    Minato grimaced but laughed heartily all the same. His cherry came to a swift end though as he hummed into her neck, ¡°I haven¡¯t told anyone this but¡­I think there¡¯s a traitor among the Uchiha.¡± Kushina didn¡¯t say a word but he felt her pulse quicken, ¡°I went to meet him two days ago with Genma-kun helping out. When I appeared I didn¡¯t expect to witness a battleground or to be challenged by a shinobi capable of Wood Release.¡±

    As Kushina¡¯s breathing became terse she turned around to look her husband in the eye, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Minato shook his head, ¡°The Mizukage and his entourage were attacked by a¡­an Uchiha claiming to be Madara.¡±

    ¡°The Madara?¡±

    He nodded, ¡°Mizukage wasn¡¯t convinced either but I suppose he had more time to understand the opponent. Half the countryside was torn up and another half taken over by Wood Release trees, the strangest I¡¯ve seen. Surely nothing like what Hashirama created himself.¡± Kushina pressed up against him enough for Minato to chuckle when a kick came through her belly, ¡°Oof, felt that one. He¡¯s going to be strong.¡±

    Kushina didn¡¯t let herself get distracted. She caressed his cheek and asked, ¡°What did you do? Did you fight him?¡±

    Minato shook his head, ¡°No, he vanished with what I understand was the Mizukage¡¯s assistant before I could do more than heal Genma and another, it was shoddy work though, nothing like you can.¡±

    Kushina¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°This person hurt Genma-kun?¡± She shook her head before he could get through his response, ¡°You¡¯re feeling they¡¯re a threat, aren¡¯t you? That you need to stop them?¡±

    Minato¡¯s breath hitched, his eyes wandered for a moment, at their home, through the window behind Kushina and the village he protected as Hokage beyond. The lights flickered, though not as brightly, not against the blue twilight. There was life somewhere, active, breathing, hardworking, fun-having denizens of his village.

    His eyes met hers again as he thought back on what the Masked Uchiha had said, what he had promised. ¡°I¡¯ll protect us.¡± Minato said, resolute in making a promise of his own.

    Kushina smiled brilliantly, ¡°I know you will, you are.¡± She planted a kiss on his lips and tossed the duvet aside as she got out of bed. She shoved the curtains wide open and let the windows loose for a bounty of fresh air to fill the room, ¡°In the meantime, since we¡¯re both up anyway, want to help me make your breakfast?¡±

    Minato only then realised it was nearly dawn, an hour away at most and he¡¯d have to be back at the office. Even now. But he stopped thinking about that the instant she mentioned breakfast. ¡°I¡¯m hungry just thinking about it, think he is too?¡± He sat at her side of the bed and she brought his son to him to poke and soothe. Kushina said nothing, satisfied enough to watch him rub her belly but Minato had decided, he grinned up at her and said, ¡°Let¡¯s make some ramen.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Forgive me, Yondaime-sama.¡± Dog crouched at his kitchen window, the sun had come up and people had begun to get around with their day. Minato shushed the young ANBU he was assigned to watch his budding family and quickly stole a glance through the corridor. Seeing that Kushina was still in the bathroom he nodded. ¡°One of the ROOT has returned.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    A sharp inhale and Minato demanded, ¡°No Jiraiya?¡±

    ¡°No sign of Lord Jiraiya yet but the ROOT-nin is waiting for you at the Academy, sir.¡±

    ¡°A single ROOT-nin?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    Minato folded his arms and scratched his chin as he hummed, ¡°Won¡¯t report to anyone else then.¡±

    ¡°Not even Sandaime-sama¡­Sparrow and Hawk tried to divert, for your sake.¡± Said the spiky, white-haired ANBU from between the bushes.

    Minato¡¯s stern face softened instantly hearing that, bashful he shook his head at Dog, ¡°You didn¡¯t need to do that, Lord Third deserves his rest as much as I, but I am grateful.¡± he stifled the urge to reach out and pat his head, he couldn¡¯t do that with ANBU and even less with this one. Then he blinked, ¡°Were you listening, tonight? Before we started cooking?¡±

    Dog¡¯s silence permeated the kitchen space, drowning out the soft boiling of eggs and even Kushina in the bathroom. Minato looked on expectantly, imagining the hesitance of words on the ANBU-nin behind the mask but there was another mask behind that, wasn¡¯t there? Dog made a sound that could have been a yes, no or some deflection but couldn¡¯t be clear over Kushina¡¯s re-entry.

    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s barely even seven! Let me have him, shoo! Shoo!¡± Swaddled in her bath towel she charged at Dog with a slipper, her wet locks of crimson flaring behind her as she shoo¡¯d yet another ANBU-nin from their window sill as one would a tweeting bird.

    Minato caught her arms and spun her around long enough for Dog to earn some distance. Minato hummed like he did after having a third plate of her ramen, ¡°You smell amazing.¡±

    She blushed, ¡°Don¡¯t I? It¡¯s that new shampoo from Waves, I didn''t even look at the scent but Mikoto and the girls are all using it now so they gave me one.¡± she gasped all of sudden and halted her spin, ¡°You¡¯re not skipping today¡¯s check-up are you? We¡¯re only three weeks away now, Doctor Ozaka said it could even be this week. Mikoto gave birth a whole month earlier.¡±

    Minato didn¡¯t want to but he grimaced. ¡°I¡¯ll be fast.¡±

    Kushina wasn¡¯t impressed, ¡°That¡¯s what you always say when you know you¡¯re going to be late.¡± she sighed, dejected even as she pat his cheek with her slipper. ¡°Just skip, I¡¯d rather not wait on you.¡±

    Minato could only sigh as well, a deep, depressing sigh. He couldn¡¯t give any assurances, not after the first sign of life from both Danzo and Jiraiya had surfaced. It was meagre considering what he¡¯d uncovered with the Mizukage; that Masked Uchiha was a bullet point on his schedule of talks with his aged predecessor. Ideally, he wanted to have the conversation once Jiraiya and Danzo¡¯s reports came in and crossed out any correlation but there was no point holding back now, it disturbed his sleep enough to warrant a discussion about Konoha¡¯s blackening sheep.

    ¡°I¡¯m so-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologise,¡± Kushina silenced him without a look. She worked the eggs, peeling them as the final piece to the bento box she insisted he take to work every day she could make them, ¡°Just¡­I understand, I¡¯ll take one of the girls with me.¡±

    She presented the bento to him in a bag with the other boxes and he pulled his haori off the back of a chair, tossing it over his shoulder. Up on her tippy toes she blessed him with a kiss and a loving pat on the head, ¡°Have a great day, Minato-kun, I¡¯ll let you know if anything happens, anything new that is. Haha.¡±

    He shook his head and stole another kiss, ¡°No, if anything.¡± The two loving fools grinned widely at themselves before Minato moulded chakra within, calling to the seal he frequented the most, ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, have a great day.¡±

    In a blink of an eye Minato was no longer in his kitchen. The perfume of his wife was gone, stolen by space along with the atmosphere of his home, stoically replaced by the standard that was his office, the Hokage¡¯s office. He set his lunch aside, wore his haori and fell behind the large smooth wood desk that always seemed to smell freshly cut.

    ¡°Dog,¡± he called to the void.

    And from the void the diligent ANBU-nin appeared, ¡°Hokage-sama.¡±

    ¡°Let the ROOT-nin in, I¡¯ll hear what Danzo has to report¡­if it isn¡¯t the worst case scenario, is it?¡±

    ¡°Mission failure? No, sir, I don¡¯t believe so.¡± Dog said, standing to walk out the door and call in the shinobi in question.

    ¡°Good. Once you¡¯re done, head back to Kushina, I can¡¯t be with her right now as much as I wish to.¡± Dog merely gave a curt and sure nod like it was what he was going to do anyway. Minato didn¡¯t bother broaching the unanswered question from the kitchen, whatever his answer was didn¡¯t matter as much as the feelings behind it. And he understood those feelings enough to say instead, ¡°Kakashi, when¡­whenever there¡¯s free time, maybe next week or¡­something, let''s talk about the Mizukage.¡±

    Dog squeezed the knob but hadn¡¯t moved. In the silence and serenity of his office he heard the young man gulp before turning around to give a deep bow, ¡°Thank you, Hoka..Sensei.¡±

 Day in the Life(P2)

    Minato looked up from his cluttered desk to see his predecessor, the Third Hokage, finally walk in. The old legend seemed more comfortable in retirement each time Minato laid eyes on him, and today was no different. He wore casual attire and sandals, making Minato smile as he thought all that was missing was a sunhat, and the retired Kage would be ready for a day in the park. Nevertheless, the man¡¯s pipe was never far away; though Minato couldn¡¯t see it, the lingering scent of tobacco gave it away.

    ¡°Minato-kun!¡± Hiruzen greeted with a bright, wrinkled smile, clearly in a good mood. ¡°You don¡¯t look well. Those knots on your forehead will give you wrinkles if you aren¡¯t careful.¡±

    Minato gave a polite laugh and attempted to smooth his furrowed brow, despite having smiled the whole time. ¡°It¡¯s the matter I wanted to discuss, Sandaime-sama. I need your insight.¡±

    Hiruzen¡¯s cheer vanished prematurely as he sat in front of Minato¡¯s desk, cocking his head to the side. ¡°The Mizukage? You met with him, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your impression, then?¡± Hiruzen asked.

    Minato hadn¡¯t intended to discuss his personal thoughts on the Mizukage, focusing instead on the concerns their meeting had brought to light. Still, he indulged Hiruzen and answered thoughtfully, ¡°Yagura Karatachi is... young and quite strong. He¡¯s capable of controlling the Tailed Beast within him and wise enough to understand the nuances of culture and history between our nations. He¡¯s passionate about his subordinates and more than willing to risk much for their sake. I believe that passion is a significant part of his motivation to ally with us, aside from the obvious.¡±

    Hiruzen raised a brow. ¡°He sounds like a Kage should. Has Kirigakure chosen a new path, then? What is this obvious motivation you speak of? Is it what worries you?¡±

    Minato nodded and leaned forward, fingers interlocked. ¡°My meeting was nothing like we expected. Instead of a formal discussion, Genma summoned me into the middle of a battle between the Mizukage¡¯s Tailed Beast form and a masked... a masked Uchiha.¡±

    ¡°What? An Uchiha?¡± Hiruzen¡¯s eyes widened as if he were sifting through files in his mind. Minato had done the same earlier¡ªsearching every document related to rogue Uchiha or flight risks. While there were a few flight risks, very few Uchiha dared to dishonour their clan or village by becoming criminals.

    Eventually, Hiruzen¡¯s sharp eyes snapped to Minato¡¯s. He had reached the same conclusion Minato had, though his lip trembled as he spoke. Minato voiced it first: ¡°The only unaccounted Uchiha are those lost to the war¡ªthe ones buried in empty caskets.¡±

    Hiruzen took a deep breath. ¡°Before that, what did this Uchiha want with the Mizukage? How old did he look?¡±

    ¡°He claimed to be Uchiha Madara reborn, but the Mizukage didn¡¯t believe him. Even in his Tailed Beast form, Yagura couldn¡¯t land a solid blow, yet he was drained of chakra and nearly subdued by Wood Release.¡±

    ¡°Lord Hashirama¡¯s technique? How... you don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible that...?¡± The question was left unsaid, but Minato knew. The Mizukage¡¯s accusation wasn¡¯t unfounded; not too long ago, the Sandaime¡¯s prized student and Minato¡¯s rival for the seat of Fourth Hokage was implicated in genetic crimes so grave they were better left unspoken.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°I thought it best to ask you. You requested full authority to handle investigations into that matter. Do you think it¡¯s possible? Could he have succeeded?¡±

    ¡°But with an Uchiha child?¡±

    Minato leaned back in his chair and sighed. ¡°There¡¯s that possibility. Or it could be one of the Uchiha we lost in the war. What if... what if he took them?¡± Despite Orochimaru¡¯s numerous crimes, accusing his sensei¡¯s teammate of yet another atrocity¡ªan assault on a Kage¡ªleft a sour taste in Minato¡¯s mouth.

    Hiruzen¡¯s face grew even graver. He shook his head but said, ¡°I will look into it. From what we recovered at the destroyed bases, those children showed no exceptional skill. Many were ill from the grafting of Lord Hashirama¡¯s cells; others were... mutated.¡± The Third Hokage shut his eyes briefly, haunted by the memories of that night. When he opened them, they were filled with determination. ¡°I¡¯ll uncover what more Orochimaru has done. However, I doubt he¡¯s involved here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, me too,¡± Minato said, surprising Hiruzen. He explained, ¡°The masked Uchiha had an accomplice¡ªa plant-like man who could create numerous clones of himself. Besides, this seems too far removed from Orochimaru¡¯s aims. The masked Uchiha would destroy the very world Orochimaru wants to conquer through mastering every jutsu. And then there¡¯s his Sharingan ability. It was unlike any I¡¯ve seen¡ªsome form of Space-Time Ninjutsu that rendered him invincible. It¡¯s why I¡¯m inclined to believe he may indeed be Uchiha Madara.¡±

    Hiruzen nodded slowly. ¡°My memory of his legend is foggy at best, but his power rivalled Lord Hashirama¡¯s. He envied the First Hokage deeply; Lord Second made sure we learned that after Madara¡¯s betrayal. It¡¯s not far-fetched to think he might return after discovering a way to harness Wood Release or other abilities of the First Hokage. But how much power does he wield, and what does he plan to do with it?¡±

    ¡°He retreated soon after I arrived. I assume fighting both the Mizukage and me was beyond him for now.¡± Minato let out a sigh. ¡°That said, I don¡¯t believe the Mizukage has revealed everything he knows about this incident. He seemed... well-informed¡ªenough to make assumptions and stubborn declarations. Either way, for now, the Mizukage and Konoha share common enemies: the masked Uchiha and Amegakure.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard from Jiraiya?¡± Hiruzen leaned forward, almost out of his seat.

    Minato nodded. ¡°They captured one of the Akatsuki, Jiraiya-sensei¡¯s student, a woman named Konan. I¡¯ve requested a Yamanaka reader for her interrogation.¡±

    Hiruzen hummed, scratching his chin. ¡°And the Rinnegan?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know all the details. The returning agent wasn¡¯t well-informed, but the Rinnegan¡¯s power was overwhelming. They had no choice but to retreat. What¡¯s clear is that the Rinnegan, Amegakure, and its forces are against us and the Mizukage. Yagura saved us from quite a nasty surprise.¡±

    ¡°Indeed... What are your plans now? Did you reach an agreement with the Mizukage?¡±

    Minato nodded. ¡°A joint investigative force for both the masked Uchiha and Amegakure. However, I think we should wait for Jiraiya¡¯s return before committing fully to action against Amegakure.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that would be wise, and¡ª¡±

    An ANBU-nin flickered into existence between the two Hokage, already kneeling and bowed. ¡°Hokage-sama! Lady Kushina is¡ª¡±

    Minato was already out of his seat, shouting, ¡°What happened?!¡±

    The ANBU-nin, Dog, looked up at Minato and declared, ¡°She¡¯s in labour!¡±

    The Third and Fourth Hokage shared a look¡ªone of restrained joy and the other of panic and confusion. ¡°But she... she isn¡¯t even due yet.¡±

    ¡°Go to her now, Minato-kun,¡± Hiruzen said with a fading smile. ¡°She will need you there.¡±

    Minato nodded, managing a smile despite the tail-end of a grim conversation. ¡°I¡¯m going to be a father!¡±

 A Predictable Terror

    The Land of Fire had far larger trees than the Land of Water. The difference wasn¡¯t simply in their size or length either but in the species and most importantly, fruit. Many trees in this forest bore fruit aplenty in a manner those in the Land of Water were yet to be so fertile. Their branches were thick and sturdy, strong and well for timber unlike the water soaked logs back home.

    Tonight though, its branches were far above our heads, platforms for swift moving shinobi, ANBU and the occasional squirrel. Ao and I clung to the base of the forest, this wasn¡¯t our home, they weren¡¯t our trees and the shinobi leaping above our heads would not bow to me even if I had my Kage regalia.

    And so, respecting ourselves as we intruded, Ao and I skulked the forest grounds west of Konoha proper. It wasn¡¯t so far that the lights couldn¡¯t be seen or the energy of a gathered humanity couldn¡¯t be felt, but it was far enough that any of their stronger Sensor-nin wouldn¡¯t pick up on my massive chakra reserves. Even after actively suppressing my chakra signature Ao¡¯s Sensor abilities determined I gave off enough to be seen as a Tokubetsu Jounin and thus, enough to cause alarm to any diligent Sensor looking after their village.

    Ao halted ahead of me, his Byakugan tracking something I couldn¡¯t. He waved safe after a minute of standing still in the canopy¡¯s shroud, the moonlight was a bright and intense white tonight, glowing a scrutinising light on everything below. I followed Ao¡¯s steps without question, just as he followed me here without once stopping to ask why we were travelling across continents only to stalk in an would-be ally¡¯s backyard.

    Four days ago we left the Land of Tea for Konoha, kicking up dirt and water in our path the moment after Minato returned to Konoha himself, taking Genma with him. There were several beautiful places, breathtaking scenes Ao and I zoomed past without caring to stop and enjoy but it was worth it. I thought briefly about what I would tell Junko Hoshigaki, about how I would return to Kirigakure and report to my councillors that my entourage was accosted and that Konoha might honour the words of their Fourth Hokage.

    But I couldn¡¯t stomach the uncertainty, I couldn¡¯t return back home and proceed as though nothing had changed, as if I wasn¡¯t stolen from, as if I wasn¡¯t threatened, as if I had accomplished anything other than surviving an imposter. A furious fire I knew lived in me burned action to my feet and with only Ao by my side we arrived at what would be the outskirts of Konoha proper this morning.

    There were several small towns and even villages along the way, not different from how Kirigakure¡¯s Mainland and its satellite islands feed off each other. The Land of Fire was experiencing a time of peace, tenuous as it was. As such, dodging patrols and shinobi was a must as we infiltrated the country and grew closer to Konoha.

    Shadows leaped overhead as Ao and I clung to a tree, hushed, in the shade of its canopy he whispered to me, ¡°I think this is as far as we can get without risking discovery, Mizukage-sama.¡±

    The title felt off to hear, especially after losing most of the regalia in the battle with Obito. All I still had on were the gear I wore underneath the regalia, and a large shirt we borrowed from a clothesline on the way. It covered the damage to my mesh armour and did well to compensate for the loss of my scarf.

    But those were only items of status and authority, the loss of Junichi or rather, my failure to keep him safe even at my side made that title dilute in my ears. I haven¡¯t felt so unworthy since¡­

    ¡°Focus, Yagura-kun, this is no time to sulk. If it is as you said and the Masked one will bring his fury upon Konoha, then you are already at the right place.¡±

    I swallowed a lump. I rushed over to Konoha¡¯s outskirts like an assassin for another chance at defeating Obito or at the very least, saving Junichi from him but while I knew without a shred of doubt that he would attack Konoha, I didn¡¯t know when he would do it.

    ¡°Where are they then? I need to know what¡¯s happening soon.¡± I said to Ao.

    The Byakugan wielder spared a troubled, if dishevelled look. I hadn¡¯t allowed so much as a moment''s rest in the past four days but he kept up where he could and I carried him when he could not.

    ¡°They will come, I sent out a general urgent summoning pulse the moment we entered the Land of Fire.¡± He lifted his sleeve, exposing the long wavy blue Kirigakure ANBU tattoo on his arm and pressed a chakra coated finger to it, ¡°I¡¯ve just sent another. They will come out to investigate and I will find them with the Byakugan.¡±

    The persons in question were none other than remnants of my predecessor¡¯s administration. Sleeper agents keeping tabs on Konoha and other important individuals within, searching for weaknesses to exploit and often sabotaging missions when ordered to. I haven¡¯t had any personal interaction with them, not even seen their file. They were assets for my ANBU Commander to handle and so their true reports would never make it to my desk, instead, they would be re-written to be as concise as possible before I ever had a look.

    Should they find their way to us in the forest, it would be the first time they¡¯ve laid eyes on a Mizukage since the Sandaime dispatched them their duties. And what a poor showing I¡¯ll give them, I thought, looking down at myself. I cast the useless thoughts aside and pressed my back to bark as Ao kept a constant lookout of the chirping, singing forest.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    We ended up waiting an hour, Ao forced to use his Byakugan to look every ten minute before he finally announced, ¡°I see them, three of them. Wearing Konoha headbands.¡±

    I raised a brow, briefly confused before recalling how many of our sleeper agents infiltrated foreign shinobi systems to learn, steal jutsu and sabotage advancements. You couldn¡¯t accomplish that without being a shinobi or adjacent.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then, if Konoha¡¯s any competent they¡¯ll have someone watching them, if not then we can approach without concern.¡± I said.

    Ao gave a nod and together we ran up the giant trees and leaped from colossal branch to branch until we were a branch above the agents we were to meet. Ao paused to search the surroundings for any witnesses and to my joy, there were none. I dropped in their midst immediately after, startling them into defensive action.

    I rolled my eyes at the kunai they pointed, two women and one man eyed me as suspiciously as they eyed each other. I let Ao land right behind them, startling them even further before I spoke, ¡°You three, this is your first time meeting, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The man was the oldest of the three, tall, broad shoulders and a rippling muscular figure. He narrowed his eyes at me, scrutinising before muttering as he lowered his kunai, ¡°Repulse-nin?¡±

    I didn¡¯t believe I knew him but he clearly knew of me. The other two were pacified by Ao¡¯s tattoo turned to look, they were in their twenties at least and neither of them were of any of Kiri¡¯s five main clans. They seemed to recognize me as well.

    ¡°Aye, it¡¯s me but now I go by Mizukage.¡± They made to bow but I hadn¡¯t the patience for that and I caught the man by his shoulder, ¡°No need for that now, tell me, what has Konoha been up to in the last three days?¡± I said, letting my eyes fall on each of them as I asked the question.

    I could see them dredge up information to the forefront of their thoughts and got excited. They looked amongst themselves for who would go first and quickly decided the man would. He fell to a knee despite my refusal and began his report.

    ¡°Kurosaki is my name, my true name sir. I am a Genin working at Konoha¡¯s largest weapons smith. It¡¯s been a regular week, Mizukage-sama, customers from clans come and go without speaking much more than their batch orders. Are you looking for a certain kind of behaviour?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer and looked to the next behind him, a fair skinned girl with a shortcut. She too fell to a knee as she gave her report, ¡°I am Akari, sir. I am a Chuunin aiding medical staff. It¡¯s been uneventful at the hospital, uh¡­as uneventful as a hospital can be, uhm, what I mean is, nothing out of the ordinary. The hospital still laments the loss of Lady Tsunade and wishes for her return. Genin and Chuunin still come in from training injuries but I have noticed several high ranked doctors called in for questioning or ¡®consultation¡¯¡±

    ¡°Consultation? For who?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only seen them come for a doctor once and I don¡¯t think I was meant to.¡± Her response and the sure tension that came with it painted a picture. Konoha ANBU¡­but what could they want with¡­Kushina?

    I bit my lip unsure of what to make of the report. ¡°Has there been no word of a Kirigakure? Of Amegakure to any of your ears?¡± All three agents shook their heads. I breathed in deep, something in the atmosphere filled me with an unsteady panic and worry. I looked to Akari, ¡°Those doctors, were they taken in the last three days?¡±

    She nodded, ¡°Yesterday, in fact.¡±

    Ao came over to my side and whispered, ¡°Yagura-sama, I don¡¯t believe enough time has passed that Konoha would have taken serious actions on your words, whatever they might have been.¡±

    I looked up at Ao and sighed, ¡°I informed the Fourth Hokage of threats to his country, to his village. If I were the one in his shoes, I¡­¡± I hesitated, swallowing back regret. I should have just told him about Obito outright¡ªlet him run mad or call me a lunatic. At least it might¡¯ve lit a fire under him. I shook my head; it was too late to fix that mistake now. I turned to the sleeper agents and gave a curt nod, gesturing for them to stand.

    ¡°Keep your ears to the ground for anything concerning us or Amegakure. Be on the lookout for Jiraiya the Sannin, but do not follow him if you happen to get lucky¡ªyou¡¯ll only get caught.¡±

    ¡°¡°Yes, sir!¡±¡± they resounded in unison.

    ¡°You¡¯re dismiss¡ª!¡±

    My breath hitched, the words choked off as a visceral, primal dread clenched my gut. It wasn¡¯t a feeling; it was a force, an oppressive wave that swept through the forest like a shockwave, seizing the air and pressing down with a weight that made my bones feel brittle. The chakra that erupted was vile, its essence soaked in loathsome hatred, and it seemed to warp the very fabric of the world around us. I felt it like a hand tightening around my throat, squeezing the life out of the forest itself.

    Ao stiffened beside me, the veins around his Byakugan pulsing as he fought to maintain focus, his breath sharp and ragged. The sleeper agents dropped to their knees, faces pale, eyes wide as if the air had been stripped from their lungs. One of the women retched, clutching her stomach. The forest, which had been alive with the nocturnal chirping of insects, fell silent. It was as if all sound had been devoured by an unseen maw.

    The sky overhead was no longer clear. It darkened as if something colossal had cast its shadow over the entire forest, blotting out the moon¡¯s light. Then, a blazing orange glow split the heavens, a raw, searing light that dyed the smoke rising over Konoha in a hellish hue. The ground beneath us trembled, a shiver that ran through the roots of the ancient trees and up into my bones.

    A roar soon followed¡ªa monstrous, earth-shaking bellow filled with agony and fury, tearing through the silence like a physical blow. The sheer killing intent in that cry hit us like a wall, drowning us in bloodthirsty malice.

    My fingers clenched the bark of the tree as if it were the only thing anchoring me to the world, my heart pounding in a frantic rhythm.

    ¡°Nine-Tails¡­¡± I was terrified yet I dared to smile. You¡¯re too predictable, Obito!

 Twice Sabotaged

    There was blood spilled across the still swivelling chair and the desk of documents in front of it. The cooling body of his victim lay only two feet away from the desk with an excess of blood pooling out on the floor and into the carpet.

    Placing the all too important syringe aside, White moved quickly and swept the good doctor onto his shoulder, slicking two fingers across the blood and sticking it in his mouth. ¡°Mmmnnm.¡±

    White searched the room in haste, his shoulder weighed by pounds of fat the good doctor couldn¡¯t seem to resist. He twirled around the office, his bloody footsteps stained the floors and carpet as he blundered through his crime scene towards a convenient closet. The closet was full of the good doctor¡¯s things, an overnight bag and several other spotless lab coats and scrubs hung off the rack.

    White tossed the doctor in with his belongings and slammed the door shut. He created a wooden stave from his palm and lodged the door shut by its handles so the doctor¡¯s plentiful weight wouldn¡¯t spill out while he was gone. With that done, Zetsu found the bathroom sink and washed his hands of the blood.

    He looked up and the reflection in the mirror turned his pleased grin upside down. White had the face of a moustashe¡¯d pig, blubber held up a pair of glasses on his face where fringes of grey white hair clung to a dry scalp. His body was rotund and challenged the strength of the labcoat¡¯s buttons while his shoulders barely stood taller than the doorknob.

    White didn¡¯t particularly like transformations like these, civilian transformations. He had to work harder than normal keeping his chakra consistent with the victim and when it was a civilian that chakra was more than often abysmal. In the end he was forced to erase his presence entirely, a task he didn¡¯t mind while spying but not while he was risking his life.

    I am only a clone. White reminded himself as he walked out of the bathroom. Doesn¡¯t matter, Zetsu is Zetsu! And he loved himself all too much to be in such a pathetically weak form. Fortunately, it would only be for a short while.

    White returned to the desk where he¡¯d left the syringe, the fluid in the vial was as clear and unsuspecting as most intravenous drugs. He giggled as it sloshed. To some extent it was just another drug but it would find far more nefarious uses in his hands. He slid it into his coat pocket and straightened up to leave.

    Outside, a dedicated secretary and medical assistant worked at a desk adjacent to Doctor Osaka¡¯s consulting room. They looked up at him and smiled politely, ¡°Uzumaki Kushina is in the examination room, Doctor.¡± the secretary said.

    White nodded and shuffled past them and into the receptionist where he would take the hallway to- Is that¡­ Sitting in the waiting area by the reception, holding onto the soft arm of her narrow eyed child was a target Madara often thought of. Uchiha Mikoto. She flipped through the magazines the renown clinic had to offer and had a second, orange bag besides the one her child clung onto.

    Zetsu quickly looked away from the Uchiha Matriarch lest she looked up and saw through him. Haste guided his feet as he turned down the hallway of rooms and came up to the one he was here for. He twisted the knob and heard something clatter. He walked in to find Uzumaki Kushina, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki attempting to be discreet with the assorted instruments she¡¯d spilled on the floor.

    She smiled sheepishly, muttering degradation to herself and apologies to White as she returned the medical instruments to their place. Her hair leaped with her as she rose from the crouched position, long as the green dress she wore and red as the blood underneath White¡¯s fingernails, she grinned, ¡°Sorry!¡±

    White regained his composure and waved, ¡°No, no. It is all well.¡± His voice, shape, colour, everything was a perfect imitation of the good Doctor Osaka, Kushina Uzumaki¡¯s trusted gynaecologist. However, White hadn¡¯t the time to research how the man spoke, against someone like Kushina who had experienced several attempts to kidnap, lure and assassinate, he would need to be quick.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    He gestured to the single bed, a gurney-like examination table with a place for a patient to plant their feet while the Doctor had a look. Kushina sat on its edge and White came up to her to check the pulse on her wrist, ¡°Good morning, Kushina. How are we feeling today? Any discomfort?¡±

    Her cherry was dampened a bit at that, she rubbed her round belly and sighed, ¡°A little more than usual actually, but we¡¯re getting closer to the date so that¡¯s expected right?¡±

    White nodded, a small, sympathetic smile on his disguise, ¡°Yes, it''s perfectly normal. You¡¯re nearing the end of the pregnancy, after all.¡± He stepped away to retrieve some gloves and switch in his syringe, ¡°We¡¯ll do a quick check-up today and then administer a supplement. It should help ease the strain and support you through this final stretch.¡±

    Kushina nodded, she had expected as much and was likely what she came in for. It was perfect. Zetsu kept his expression neutral as he returned, gloved and ready with the drug in an otherwise innocent syringe. Inside was the concoction he had forced the real Doctor Osaka to prepare before his demise; a powerful drug designed to induce labour early. It was a simple plan, one that likely wouldn¡¯t have been necessary if the Mizukage and her husband the Fourth Hokage minded their business and continued hating each other like they were supposed to.

    Kushina surrendered her arm once she saw him return with the drug, her lips pursed together in dreaded anticipation as he wiped a spot above her elbow with alcohol and carefully inserted the needle. She winced at the sting but managed to laugh at herself, ¡°You¡¯d think I¡¯d be used to this by now.¡±

    He chuckled at her expression, careful not to sound too much like his true self, ¡°Just a moment more.¡± he said and as the drug entered her system he watched her carefully. For a few moments nothing happened but Zetsu had faith his job was done, all that was left was to wait. ¡°You should lay back and take measured breaths. I¡¯ll be right back, press on this will you?¡±

    Once he¡¯d discarded the drug in the waste bin, White hastily stepped out of the room. The hallway was long and empty of watchful eyes but he could feel a pair on him regardless. He hurried to his office and felt the unseen stare wane. Uchiha Mikoto hadn¡¯t moved from her spot at the waiting area and the good Doctor¡¯s medical assistants were busy taking in new patients'' information.

    Struck by a thought, White stopped by one and ordered, ¡°Uzumaki-san is in the examination room, administer her some pain relief while I review.¡±

    He didn''t so much as wait a second to be questioned. White returned to the crime scene of the doctor''s office and locked the door behind him.

    ¡°Zetsu.¡±

    White nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice coming from the dark of the curtains. A spiralling red glowed out from it and he breathed a sigh and began shedding his disgusting disguise.

    ¡°You''re the one I felt watching me.¡±

    ¡°Is it done?¡± Madara demanded, impatient with an undercurrent of anger. Zetsu understood.

    He grinned, ¡°It is. I don''t know how long it will take to kick in but it will.¡±

    ¡°Good. Come now, we have someone else to visit.¡± Madara began gathering chakra to warp them away but Zetsu wasn¡¯t ready.

    ¡°Wait!¡± He quickly ran to the closet where he¡¯d stashed the Doctor¡¯s corpse, it was still warm with blood and fresh to be devoured. Madara groaned but didn¡¯t object as Zetsu hauled the body along with them. His Kamui swirled and pinched space until they were in a completely different location.

    It was bright and sunny where Madara had brought them and Zetsu needed to look at a couple of trees to recognize the place. A noodle and udon shop was a fair distance away, the trees in between them now was infested with Danzo¡¯s ROOT shinobi on constant patrols keeping a lookout for pursuers or prying eyes.

    ¡°You should be able to get to Konan where Jiraiya has hidden her.¡± Madara said. Unlike Zetsu his Kamui couldn¡¯t put him in places he hadn¡¯t already seen or visited, whereas White could simply surf through the earth until he found their missing comrade.

    It wouldn¡¯t be a problem to find her but¡­ ¡°How do we set her free? Between Jiraiya and these-¡±

    ¡°Leave them to me. Find her.¡± Madara ordered, already warping to another location. ¡°Devour that corpse quickly and get to work, Zetsu.¡±

    White grinned, dragging the doctor¡¯s body closer. ¡°With pleasure,¡± he hissed, his voice slipping into a gurgling cackle. The tendrils of his body began to melt away, fusing with the dead man¡¯s flesh. The rotund corpse shuddered as the plant man¡¯s digestive fluids quickly broke the good doctor down to sizzling flesh.

    He relished the sensation, the taste of blood and tissue dissolving into his being. It was a fleeting moment of indulgence, one he rarely allowed himself. The doctor¡¯s eyes melted into his skull, his face a quickening sludge of flesh and blood sank into Zetsu¡¯s own.

    ¡°Delicious,¡± Zetsu whispered, licking the last remnants of blood from his lips. He straightened up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and glanced around at the bright, sunny surroundings. ¡°Now, time to find Konan.¡±

    Without a backward glance, he sank into the ground, leaving behind only a smear of blood and the faint echo of his cackling laughter.

 A Predictable Terror(P2)

    The air was thick with malice. I leaped through it, from branch to massive branch with Ao at my side, sweat dripping down his face as I led him toward calamity. As the heat from acres of burning intensified, I reached into one of my more intact pouches and retrieved a scroll I immediately unsealed in a poof of smoke.

    Out of the gust came my trustee Bo-staff, I twirled it after a jump sent me at a higher branch and used its greater hook to cling onto and wheel around a branch. The spinning action flung me into the skies upon release and I soared past the large trees with enough momentum to break through their canopies in a go.

    I bore witness above it all. Konoha burning. No, more than that. I thought as I beheld a Tailed Beast out in the physical world for the first time. As tall as a mountain he was and at his feet were puddles of flames kindled by corpses of civilians and shinobi with no discrimination. He roared, a full toothy maw on display as he swiped at the obstacles before him, the wind pressure alone uplifted and buried homes, offices, shops and more underneath themselves all while Nine of his tails danced behind him.

    Konoha is being destroyed. I allowed myself to fall all the way to a lower branch and continued advancing on Konoha and the Nine-Tails. Judging from what I¡¯d seen above the canopy the Nine-Tails was westward of where we were, though it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to trace it from its destruction alone, it was large enough that we could get lost around it. But facing the Nine-Tails at this very moment wasn¡¯t a goal of mine.

    Without a word I adjusted and headed northward, speeding ahead of Ao until I arrived at the last branch before the forest gave way to civilization, except there wasn¡¯t any to be found amongst the destruction.

    Where a wall would have stood was now occupied by burning wreckage piled atop another. Buildings tilted into each other, homes and stores squashed under the weight of their neighbours and streets covered in the clutter of their users. There was a scent of burning blood, an iron pungent taste that made its way to the back of my throat as the flames continued to lick and spread.

    Ao landed beside me at last and though heavily panting, he quickly activated his Byakugan and peered through the light of the Nine-Tails terror, ¡°There are¡­many still fighting to stay alive despite the weight upon them. Many more are being burnt and boiled by the heat, Yagura-sama.¡±

    I nodded, having expected as much during such calamity. These people''s saviours wouldn¡¯t be free to save them until the Nine-Tails was dealt with but they were right in front of me. ¡°We save as many as we can, Ao.¡± I said and scrutinised his expression. He wasn¡¯t unwilling at all, he was ready to jump in the fray and perhaps even after the Nine-Tails itself but he would do so confused, ¡°There isn¡¯t time for questions now but should you ask them I will answer.¡±

    I gave him that assurance and kicked off the branch so my body soared over the burning wreckage, without Ao I wouldn¡¯t know where to start from but it didn¡¯t matter as much as even so. First things first, I landed atop a tilted building, its spiked rooftop as my platform above the destruction and chaos below. I dipped into my reserves of chakra, half full after an exhaustive fight with Obito and an endless journey across continents.

    Ram, Dog, Rat. For the sake of doing it once and right I weaved through the hand seals patiently enough to ensure the chakra I fed would suffice. Once I was ready, I let a trail of it seep into the clogged atmosphere through pointed fingertips.

    ¡°Hijutsu: Mist Rain!¡± The technique latched onto the chakra thread seeped into the atmosphere like a tether, on its own the ANBU secret technique was capable of producing rain from nothing and more importantly, rain droplets that absorb any chakra it comes in contact with.

    That last part was necessary in this case, the fires that burned Konoha were not in the least bit natural. Kurama, the Nine Tails, was a walking chakra beast whose hair strands contained as much chakra as an average Academy student. Every wild swipe of his claws would infuse and possibly overpower the natural explosions with his malevolent chakra, exaggerating the effect of their destruction.

    The Mist Rain will eat away at his chakra and quench the fires. I thought as the jutsu poured. The rain stretched to cover at least half of the destroyed district, the other half just outside how far I was willing to extend the jutsu. Any more and it will lose its concentrated effectiveness, take longer to quench the fires.

    Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t alone. Ao was already climbing through the wreckage, his Byakugan seeking out victims where they were buried, and he wasn¡¯t alone in the search either. A young boy trailed along by his side, he strained his voice screaming out a name,

    ¡°Jiro! Jiro-kun!¡±

    I turned away from them, there were others who survived, their numbers multiplying as [Mist Rain] did its work. Their cries, tears and agonised wails would be drowned out as I sought to help others. My reserves took a dip once more as I channelled chakra through precise handseals. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°Leave that to us!¡± A voice called before I could press my fingers in the last handseal. Below the wreck I stood atop I found the three sleeper agents from earlier, they didn¡¯t look the best but there was a determined look in their eyes, Kurosaki especially.

    He weaved through similar handseals and a gale of wind exploded with him at the centre. He kept his hands pressed in the Bird hand sign, sprinting about the wreckage, picking up droplets of my [Mist Rain] in his jutsu. I saw the merit to his idea better than what I had in mind earlier. I would have needed to create a [Wind Clone] to maintain the jutsu I was preparing whereas he can simply run about with his.

    I gave a curt nod to the man, Kurosaki, I memorized his name to be and turned to the rampaging Nine-Tails. At the very least, even if they weren¡¯t here, Konoha¡¯s shinobi drew the beast''s attention away from populous centres. A district or two might have been destroyed already but the potential damage was the village¡¯s entirety and it had yet to release the one force that would reduce everything in sight to crumbling dust.

    They¡¯re sacrificing their lives for those who are still living, those who might. I breathed in the cleansed air as [Mist Rain] continued, I¡¯d spared enough chakra to keep it running until my subordinates quenched the two levelled districts in sight.

    ¡°Ao!¡± I called, he was the centre of attention as civilians and shinobi recognized the value of his Byakugan, he directed those who could move to move and save more lives. He looked up in my direction and looked ready to abandon them all to jump to my side, ¡°Stay, I¡¯ll see what I can do about that.¡±

    His face and clothes were soaked from the rain, it washed down his stressed and confused face and made him look frustrated from where I stood. Perhaps he was, I couldn¡¯t blame him, the past days have been everything you wouldn¡¯t expect from a Mizukage. The betrayal I feel in my chest is real. I thought, holding on to that unsteady feeling screaming that I¡¯m doing something I shouldn¡¯t.

    I shut my eyes and reminded myself of what was at stake, the Nine Tails screeched a sonic blast that reverberated throughout the besieged village and all the way up in my bones. If Minato dies, that future is all the more likely, I can¡¯t let him die just so Kirigakure has a leg up on Konoha, Yagura, you can¡¯t. I scolded myself even as I leaped away from Ao and the sleeper agents helping where they could and at my orders.

    I found that the sight of Konoha burning didn¡¯t upset me as much as I thought it would, rather it incited a joy I felt putrid for. But we have always been the enemy, even as I aided them now the damage they¡¯ll suffer would set them away from any war tables for years and limit their willingness to send shinobi away from the village. Their suffering would be our stepping stool, I should be back at my office preparing to take advantage of it.

    Groaning at yet another intrusive thought to backstab would-be allies, I sprinted across the village, paying no mind to the people as they ran helter skelter for a modicum of safety that wouldn¡¯t be found until this nightmare ended. I perched atop a teetering building, a chasm cleaved the street it was built upon, one of the Nine-Tails tails ran along it and I was tempted to hop onto it, torn between letting it rampage longer and being the kind person I thought of myself.

    But it was too late. The Nine-Tails'' massive tail swept gracefully behind it, its movements deceptively slow yet brimming with lethal intent. Its fiery gaze, tinged with Sharingan''s blood-red malevolence, zeroed in on something far in the distance, dismissing the swarm of shinobi around it as inconsequential insects. Explosions flared and fizzled across its impenetrable hide, their efforts akin to sparks against a mountain.

    I turned to follow its line of sight and felt an icy ripple of d¨¦j¨¤ vu claw through my chest as the Hokage Monument loomed into view. My breath caught, realisation of what was about to happen and it did.

    The Nine-Tail¡¯s colossal maw opened, the very essence of malevolence swirling within it. The oppressive heat of its chakra ignited the atmosphere, drawing air upward as his massive jaws contracted. A ball of condensed annihilation began to form¡ªa swirling orb of midnight black, radiating chaotic energy that distorted the space around it.

    His eyes burned with rage, the crimson Sharingan spinning madly like a cursed whirlpool. With a guttural roar that tore through the remnants of the village, the Nine-Tails unleashed the [Tailed Beast Bomb]. The orb shot forth, a harbinger of unrelenting destruction, cutting through the night like a meteor birthed from hatred.

    A straight line of devastation carved through the heart of Konoha. The ground erupted in molten fury, buildings reduced to ash in an instant. The immense heat melted stone into slag, while the sheer force crushed everything beneath its path into unrecognisable rubble. Fragments of what once were homes and lives soared high into the air, only to rain back down as smouldering debris. Screams snuffed out before they could even begin, the roar of annihilation drowning all.

    But hope flickered like a candle against the gale. Minato is still here. The [Tailed Beast Bomb] hurtled toward the monument, promising the end of everything in its path. Yet, in a brilliant flash of yellow light, space itself folded and twisted as Minato''s [Space-Time Barrier] manifested. The bomb crashed against an invisible wall, the collision sending shockwaves that rippled through the air.

    The Fourth Hokage¡¯s technique swallowed the bomb in quick fashion, seizing its might as it vanished, displaced into the far distance with a flash of spatial distortion. The aftermath left the air trembling, debris cascading like brimstone from an apocalypse.

    Gritting my teeth, I dodged a chunk of falling rubble, my mind racing. The monument stood and the bomb detonated a safe distance away¡ªa testament to Minato¡¯s resolve. But this wasn¡¯t over. I could feel Jason¡¯s memories bubbling to the surface, a roadmap of what was to come burning in my mind.

    I needed to act. Now. Where is the Third Hokage?

 A Predictable Terror(P3)

    Chaos continued to reign in Konoha. Demon flames burned buildings to the ground in seconds. Evacuees trapped under their own homes, the rubble of their upheaved streets and the corpses of their neighbours. The air was filled with smoke and blood.

    I ignored the screams and wails of civilians caught in the Nine-Tail¡¯s wrath path, ensuring I didn¡¯t either. Konoha shinobi were throwing themselves at the Bijuu with all the bravery and courage they didn¡¯t have all to buy a second of time and an inch of space.

    I scanned the chaos for the Third Hokage. He wasn¡¯t hard to spot¡ªnot with Jason¡¯s vivid memories of this very event screaming in my mind and the unmistakable sound of his authoritative commands cutting through the din.

    I sprinted toward a part of the village that still stood intact, leaping from one building to the next until I reached the one teeming with Leaf ANBU. Their cautious eyes locked onto me as I darted up the concrete wall. For the briefest moment, confusion at seeing the Repulse-nin stalled them¡ªa moment long enough for me to vault over the edge.

    From my perch, I spotted him immediately. Hiruzen Sarutobi¡ªstill old, but not yet the venerable elder I remembered. Surrounding him were six shinobi: three masked ANBU and three possible Jounin.

    The ANBU reacted first, their reflexes as sharp as their reputation suggested. A storm of shuriken sliced through the air toward me, their speed impeccable. The lead ANBU shouted an alarm even before my feet touched the rooftop.

    I spun my Bo-staff in a fluid arc, deflecting the flurry of shuriken with precision. Among the projectiles, I caught a sneaky kunai trailing an explosive tag. A flick of my wrist enclosed it in a sphere of water just as it detonated. The blast fizzled harmlessly within the bubble as I landed.

    ¡°Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!¡± one of the Jounin roared, hurling a massive sphere of flame toward me.

    I grinned tersely, impressed by their coordination. At least they are competent. Swinging my Bo-staff with precision, I gathered ambient moisture into a thin stream of water. With a single thrust, I sent a jet stream piercing through the fireball¡¯s core, swelling and quenching it into harmless steam and smoke.

    Before I could recover, two Jounin emerged from the dissipating haze, one wielding a kunai, the other brass knuckles. They charged as the ANBU moved in tandem, flanking me on all sides.

    I slammed my Bo-staff against the rooftop, summoning a four-foot-tall crashing wave of water that swept toward the Jounin. To their credit, they moved with practiced efficiency, leaping clear of the surge while the ANBU closed in from behind.

    I sensed them approaching¡ªa pair of shinobi moving with deadly precision. Huh, I might actually have to use a proper jutsu. My grip on the Bo-staff tightened as I began cycling chakra for one and then¡ª!

    ¡°Halt! All of you!¡±

    The commanding bark froze everyone in place. I turned toward the source and saw him: the Third Hokage standing with Enma, the Monkey King, looming protectively at his side.

    I narrowed my eyes at the imposing figure. Enma¡¯s presence was a surprise¡ªhow had I missed the moment of his summoning?

    I cut the chakra from my water wave, gripping my Bo-staff as I glanced at the ANBU creeping behind me. The two Jounin kept their distance from the dissipating chakra-water, keeping a keen eye on me while waiting for their Hokage to speak.

    The Nine-Tails roared once more and the look on the Third Hokage¡¯s face as he regarded me became grave, ¡°Yagura Karatachi, Repulse-nin and Fourth Mizukage¡­is this your doing?¡± He bellowed, his hands already tightened to a fist, the Monkey King behind him glowered at me, waiting for Hiruzen to give the order just as the ANBU and Jounin moved to encircle me.

    In the light of demon flames I could see that his wrinkles had just begun to come in. He stood at the ready in the black jumpsuit that hid lightweight combat armour underneath and extended to the mesh segments over the lower portion of his limbs. His bucket-like helmet and forehead protector had two long straps drooping behind it. His goatee hadn¡¯t gone grey as Jason so vividly remembered and the fire in his eyes promised death one way or another should my answer be the wrong one.

    A precious moment passed as I chose my words carefully, ¡°Did Minato not tell you anything, Professor?¡± The Nine-Tails swung an arm through another district sending buildings and persistent Leaf-nin flying uselessly. A sweat drop ran down the Third Hokage¡¯s temple and I could tell he couldn¡¯t trust my words alone. ¡°We can discuss at length after you¡¯ve saved your village from the Nine-Tails, let me help you in that regard.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I took an unbothered step forward and the circle of ANBU and Jounin shifted with me. I raised a brow at the Third Hokage and he gritted his teeth before barking out, ¡°Go, all of you! Distract the Nine-Tails, don¡¯t let up the attack until I can prepare my jutsu!¡± They looked uncertain but ANBU moved out without giving the retired Hokage a reason to repeat themselves, the Jounin looked more concerned but leaped to their deaths against the Nine-Tails and in defence of their village anyway.

    I gave an appreciative nod and quickly closed the distance between us, ¡°I¡¯m sorry we have to meet under such circumstances and there¡¯s no time to explain either, so let¡¯s do our best to preserve the alliance Minato and I are building.¡±

    Hiruzen sneered suspiciously but didn¡¯t say a word to me, ¡°Enma! We¡¯ll drive it from the village with the Adamantine Staff¡±

    The Monkey King grunted an affirmative, his eyes not having left me since. He transformed in a poof of quickly dispelled smoke, an Adamantine Staff with golden ends twirled through the air and into the Third Hokage¡¯s waiting hands. He clutched it at his waist and regarded me with a still suspicious look, ¡°What will you do?¡±

    I looked over at the rampaging Nine-Tails and then down at the Adamantine Staff in his arms. I was fortunate never to experience its wrath during the First and Second Shinobi Wars but I knew it would be more than capable for what I intended, Jason knew all too well.

    ¡°I¡¯ll catch a ride if you don¡¯t mind, send me right into its chest.¡± I said, pointing with my Bo-staff at the growling Bijuu in the distance. Hiruzen¡¯s eyes widened at that, suspicions dispelled and renewed at the same time. I knew what he was thinking behind those greying eyes, sending a rival Kage right at the Bijuu terrorizing the village would be one way to eliminate competition and yet at the same time, if he underestimated what I was capable of, there stood a chance Kirigakure was indeed behind the attack and was scheming to steal the Nine-Tails.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time left to think that hard, Hokage-dono.¡± I declared, sealing my Bo-staff away in its scroll. I hopped onto Enma who manifested an eye to glare at me as I straddled his Adamantine form, ¡°Do it!¡±

    Hiruzen grunted at the extra weight and stepped back to accommodate before bellowing, ¡°Enma, extend!¡±

    We jerked forward faster and farther than I anticipated. My grip on Enma came loose as he soared over the trashed village at speeds I doubted I could¡¯ve reacted to if the attack were meant for me. Enma, anticipating my error, snatched my arm midair and steadied me. I clung tightly, watching the Nine-Tails grow larger with each heartbeat¡ªuntil, finally, impact.

    Hiruzen struck right and true and Enma smashed into the Nine-Tails sternum with an explosive crack. Enma continued to extend, his unbreakable form pushed the massive Bijuu through several unfortunate districts and ploughed it well through the village¡¯s borders before his insane speed and force let up.

    Sat at the edge of Enma¡¯s Adamantine Form I felt the air sizzle and crack, my exposed skin burning up from such proximity to the Nine-Tails malevolent chakra, the growl in his throat shook the air and even Enma as he quickly began to recover from the attack. I couldn¡¯t waste a second more.

    The Nine-Tails loomed over like a mountain, steam escaping his jowls as he breathed. I hissed at my burnt skin but ignored it as I stood and addressed the Monkey King, ¡°Thank you, Enma, I¡¯ll hold him off until Minato and Hiruzen make it here.¡± I didn¡¯t wait for a response and sprinted across, my [Stage 0 Chakra Cloak] flaring around me.

    With Isobu fueling my reserves, I surged through each stage rapidly, sprouting three chakra cloaked tails as the transformation enveloped me. I leaped off Enma just as the [Demon Cloak] fully took hold and fashioned me into Isobu¡¯s avatar.

    The Nine-Tails seemed to have noticed me as he pulled back an arm and faster than I thought him capable of, swatted at both Enma and I. Enma was most fortunate to quickly retract before the blow could connect but I was sent tumbling through the air. It took a second to orient myself and when I did I met the Nine-Tails widened jowls as he roared a sonic blast stronger than what I¡¯d produced against Obito days ago.

    The [Demon Cloak] didn¡¯t let it phase me more than a blasting wind and a noisy bark. I shot out a dense chakra arm at the Nine-Tails chest faster than it could react. The blow staggered it backward, but I wasn¡¯t done.

    With that chakra arm I clutched his chest and yanked myself toward it with my free fist bulged with dense chakra. I slammed into his chest with even more force than Enma had produced, firmly toppling the strongest Bijuu over and just in time to pump each chakra arm with Yang Chakra. Corals erupted all over its chest and wherever my chakra arms touched. I quickly began to sprout more arms to distribute the effect but the Nine-Tails already began to rise.

    Like a beast waking up from its slumber he glared hatred at me, ¡°Three-Tails¡­you dare!¡± were the only words from him but with them I finally noticed, his eyes were free of the Sharingan; Minato had torn away Obito¡¯s control.

    I had no time to celebrate Minato¡¯s distant victory as in classic Bijuu fashion, Kurama began to boot up a [Tailed Beast Bomb] with zero concern as to whether he got caught up in the blast as well. Kurama¡¯s fiery eyes locked onto mine, the malice in them now purely his own. The Sharingan¡¯s influence was gone, but what remained wasn¡¯t relief¡ªit was unrestrained, primal fury, primed and ready to obliterate me.

 Returning Angel

    The distinct sensation of warm fluid pouring over her arm stirred Konan from her slumber. Warmth was the last thing she expected since she¡¯d been captured and put in that ice box but she was grateful for it.

    There were more oddities than the warmth running down her arm. Konan felt wrapped in a coat of thick leaves, softened and heated for her sake but more importantly, she felt her body move without her thinking. She gave a moments pause of thought to what could arrange these effects but found no answers other than fear and confusion. She opened her eyes.

    It was dark in whatever wrapped her up but there was a single hole for the light of the world to gleam into. Her eyes became saucers as she saw herself bounding from tree trunk to branch and to the ground. Sound filtered through slowly as the muffled sounds outside her mobile prison became all too familiar whirls of shinobi tools.

    She breathed in deep, heard something around her giggling loudly as it used her arms to grasp and swing off a tree branch. The momentum carried her backwards and her puppeteer planted her foot in the unsuspecting blank mask of a shinobi giving pursuit. The impact cracked through the white ceramic and carried on with force until a burst of warmth split open at her foot. Blood soaked.

    By now she already knew who her puppeteer and perhaps, saviour was but it didn¡¯t mean she was all too grateful. She growled within him and began wresting her limbs from his control, ¡°Zetsu! Let me out, now!¡±

    ¡°Ooohahahehe, you¡¯re awake, that was sooner than expected.¡± the plant mass of a man chortled, he struggled against her will but managed to lean away from a decapitating sword streak. He threw their bonded body in a backflip kick the assailant dodged and pressed forward, manifesting a wooden stake that shot out from their palm and through the ROOT-nin¡¯s mask.

    Yet more kept up the chase, she glimpsed three racing towards them with tools and hands pressed in hand signs. Konan groaned, she didn¡¯t have time or energy to deal with Danzo¡¯s fodder, ¡°Let me out now, Zetsu!¡±

    The plant man chuckled as he lurched forward and stomped his foot through the fallen ROOT-nin¡¯s gut, ¡°Not yet. Madara¡¯s instructions wer-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about Madara! Let me free before I destroy you myself!¡± Konan wailed within him, she spoke and forced her muscles to to fight against Zetsu but his response was swiftly wrapping her up in more vines and roots, tightening his grip around her. She began to mould the chakra required to tear Zetsu¡¯s body apart but immediately thought better of it as their assailants unleashed a jutsu.

    ¡°Earth Release: Tearing Earth Turning Palm!¡±

    The ground beneath their feet trembled as it split and moulded in on itself like dough. Zetsu wasted not a second getting away from the grinding chasms and leaped up to higher ground, but even the trees were being swallowed and grinded up to splinters, shattered against the turning of the earth.

    ¡°Zetsu, lookout!¡± Konan yelled a moment too late as the ROOT-nin successfully manoeuvred them into an airborne trap. A hammer as large as their body smashed against their side, Konan¡¯s pinhole world turned into a spiral of green and brown as hers and Zetsu¡¯s body went through a series of concussive crashes through the foliage.

    To her amazement she felt little to no pain even at her left side where they¡¯d gotten smashed. Zetsu rose up, his tenderized left arm split open to an array of spikes, setting hers free in the process. ¡°We take care of them first.¡± He said, glee staining his voice as though they hadn¡¯t gotten thrown through the forest.

    But Konan couldn¡¯t argue, fighting against him now would only serve to put her in unnecessary danger as well. Once Danzo¡¯s fools were buried she would see about breaking free from his hug.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    The three ROOT-nin were hot on their heels and leapt out above them, instantly releasing a barrage of small but red hot fire balls on their head as they did. Zetsu sprung to action, dodging and weaving around the fireballs while Konan continued to mould her chakra, though with a new purpose in mind.

    From the corner of her vision, she saw the hammer-wielding shinobi charge, taking advantage of Zetsu¡¯s disjointed rhythm. With reckless determination, the man swung the massive weapon overhead, aiming to crush them both in one decisive strike.

    Zetsu spun on his heel, ignoring how the earth caved under his weight thanks to the Earth Release user¡¯s Jutsu and intercepted the hammer mid-swing, halting its momentum with a blast of pressure. This time Konan felt the force reverberate down to her bone, the chakra enhanced strike not one to joke with, but her task was set.

    Her free arm fractured into a storm of paper that formed a wall against the Fire Release user¡¯s attacks, while simultaneously allowing an opening for Zetsu¡¯s wooden spikes to snipe out through.

    Three were burnt up and slowed down enough to deflect but two more staved through the Fire Release user¡¯s thighs. At the same time Zetsu split his head open as the sinking mud drew them in, with Konan¡¯s head free she immediately released a hail of [Wind Bullets] from her lips, each punctured through the hammer the Bukijutsu user stubbornly wouldn¡¯t let go. The fourth bullet shattered the heavy weapon and sent the fool skirting away to safety, but it was too late. The Angel was free.

    In a dazzling explosion of white paper flowers, she erupted into the sky, her presence washing over the battlefield like a storm. Her mind zeroed in on finishing off the Fire Release user and with a flick of her wrist she skewered him against the tree he pathetically limped away to.

    Zetsu wrapped himself up and accepted his fate, sinking through the ground only to erupt twelve metres away with a ROOT-nin caught in his array of spikes, blood dripping down his wide open mouth.

    Konan¡¯s paper bombs chased down the Bukijutsu user and to his credit he scurried far away and pinned many of her paper bombs to trees with tools before they could explode in his face, but all it took was one and the chase was over.

    With the scene clean of Konoha garbage, Konan gathered herself and returned to Zetsu. She felt stronger than she thought she should be considering it couldn¡¯t have been long since Zetsu freed her from Jiraiya¡¯s chakra eating seals. She suspected the plant man had something to do with her renewed strength but those were unimportant thoughts.

    ¡°Where is Jiraiya? How hasn¡¯t he given chase?¡± She expected to be faced with her old teacher once more, a secret part of her wished for it, another, freer opportunity to open his eyes to the folly of his beliefs and the sin of the village he swore loyalty to. Not to mention the scum that hung at his side.

    Zetsu crunched and crushed the skull of the Earth Release user in his stomach of teeths, his head rolled back and he grinned a bloody smile at her, ¡°Madara wanted to have a chat with the Sannin and Danzo, don¡¯t worry, he has more important fish to fry.¡±

    Konan narrowed her eyes at the plant being disgusted as she was, she wouldn¡¯t let it show and so she looked for the direction of her home and began moving when Zetsu added, ¡°Madara would appreciate your cooperation against Konoha, there is¡­an operation underway. If you¡¯re inclined on meting out justice to the foods that dared invade and slaughter so many of your people.¡± He giggled, his stomach continued to consume the ROOT-nin, his shoulders disappeared already.

    Konan snorted at that, ¡°Tell Madara he can pursue his vengeance himself. The plan he asked never included any of this. I will return to Nagato, he needs me.¡±

    In more ways than one, they needed each other. Amegakure had suffered a strike from Konoha it hadn¡¯t experienced since the Second Shinobi War. Nagato would certainly revive all the brave fallen that defended their nation but they needed their Angel to guide them. And she needed to see if anything had changed since he fought Jiraiya, she doubted. Their teacher wouldn¡¯t have looked so pathetic in front of her if he managed to convince Nagato of anything.

    ¡°Bwahahah, suit yourself,¡± Zetsu cackled as he waved her goodbye, ¡°But remember, recruitment starts now.¡±

 The Masked Threat

    ¡°Giant Rasengan!¡± Jiraiya crashed the spiralling ball of destruction against the earth, throwing up slabs and grinding away at the gravel beneath as the Fourth Hokage¡¯s jutsu excavated any and everything standing in its way, except¡­

    Danzo couldn¡¯t believe his eyes, he couldn¡¯t believe much of anything he was perceiving right now and not just from Genjutsu caution. As he¡¯d demonstrated time and time again, the man in the yellow swirled mask, tall dark, purple lined cloak and gloved hands simply stood there unfazed and unmoving even with the Toad Sannin up in his face. His presence was as imposing as the name he laid claim to.

    Uchiha Madara is untouchable¡­! A fact the ROOT-nin sprawled and thrown across the forest clearing got to learn thoroughly. Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu wouldn¡¯t work on him, wouldn¡¯t even bring them closer to touching him. But Danzo was not a coward without options, there was a way, an unseen pattern or some kind of weakness he wasn¡¯t seeing. Something that allowed the First Hokage to fight and defeat the man so thoroughly he hasn¡¯t been seen since his last betrayal so many decades ago.

    ¡°How? You should be even more decrepit than I am.¡± Danzo stated, daring to step forward with a [Wind Blade] that would do nothing more than slip through the man like he wasn¡¯t stood there at all.

    Jiraiya retreated away as the man lifted his hands in a shrug and said, ¡°What is are the limits of true power?¡±

    Jiraiya scoffed at him, a grin spreading across his face as he mocked, ¡°A face only a mother could love, perhaps?¡± his mirth didn¡¯t reach his voice or his eyes, those were tidally locked in a tension of battle and suspicion since the Masked Man appeared in their midsts and politely advised the release of their prisoner from Amegakure.

    A prisoner surely long gone now. Danzo thought through grinded teeth, ¡°If you truly are Uchiha Madara, then why did you betray Konoha? Why did you betray Lord First?¡±

    The single red through his mask turned and fixed Danzo with a glare of interest, ¡°Ho? You remember enough to care about why? Hahaha, but not ¡®how¡¯ I see¡­not that it matters to you, Danzo but I stand outside and against Konoha for the very same reason I did that night.¡±

    ¡°And what is that?¡± Danzo shifted, his fist clenched around his shimmering [Wind Blade]

    The Masked Man threw his arms open and looked to the blue sky as he declared, ¡°To see the world renewed of course! Hashirama didn¡¯t understand what he was doing was simply maintaining the status quo but in a different set of clothes and on an entirely different scale of destruction and death. The First Shinobi War should have been enough to snap us out of the error of our ways but it wasn¡¯t and so there was a Second and then a Third and there will undoubtedly be a Fourth!¡±

    Danzo felt sweat drip down his neck as Madara¡¯s chakra boiled the air with unease, the spinning Sharingan behind that mask fell on him as Madara gestured, beckoning him closer, ¡°Come, Danzo, perhaps your age will grant you the wisdom to understand that the shinobi world as is must be destroyed and a new, true world of peace and tranquil be built upon its ashes.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Jiraiya yelled, half-way considering another [Rasengan] by the look on his face, ¡°A world of peace built on the corpses of innocents will never be restful! This cycle of hatred must be defeated with love an-¡±

    ¡°Love?¡± Madara menanced, his voice and quality of chakra deepened to dangerous depths. His partner rose from the ground as he spoke, blood stained on his white face, ¡°As long as there is love Jiraiya, there will be hate. The human heart cannot withstand love without breaking something apart for it. Mmhahahah, how foolish of you to think that something so transitional as love would be enough. Is love the reason you invaded and slaughtered Amegakure shinobi? Was it the reason you captured the child that unfortunate nation has come to¡­love?¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    While Jiraiya swallowed, momentarily stunned into silence, Danzo moved. His eyes locked onto the plant-like figure beside Madara, calculating with the precision of a seasoned assassin. If I can at least kill his ally¡­

    Danzo vanished, flickering out of sight in a burst of speed so fast that his afterimage lingered for a heartbeat. The gleaming edge of his [Wind Blade] cleaved through the air, a deadly arc aimed straight for the plant man¡¯s exposed neck.

    The blade connected with a sickening shlick, severing the creature cleanly. Dark green ichor sprayed as half its torso toppled to the ground, bisected diagonally. Danzo¡¯s mind raced even as his movements flowed into another strike, this time at Madara himself.

    He aimed with precision, swiping at vital points in a flurry of attacks. His strikes were ruthless¡ªslashes at the jugular, stabs aimed to pierce the heart, sweeping blows to carve through limbs.

    But every attack passed through Madara¡¯s body like smoke. No resistance, no impact, just the empty sensation of hitting nothing. Danzo gritted his teeth, retreating to Jiraiya¡¯s side in a blur, his breathing steady but his mind roaring with frustration.

    Madara stood as he had from the beginning, his cloak unruffled, his posture serene. The bisected plant man lay at his feet, its body limp and lifeless, but he shifted away with a casual step, as though it were no more than an inconvenience.

    Madara shook his head, ¡°Was that action inspired by love or hate or greed? In the world I¡¯ll build there will be no need to justify the sinful, they simply will not exist.¡± His voice cut through the tense air like a blade, calm and menacing to every degree of the name he claimed. ¡°The offer to join my revolution will always be open to you, Danzo, Jiraiya but you will experience true world peace regardless, as long as you keep out of the way.¡±

    Danzo¡¯s knuckles tightened around his [Wind Blade], his body tense like a coiled spring. Jiraiya, however, broke the moment with a laugh¡ªa sudden, boisterous sound that echoed through the clearing. He wiped his nose, his lips curving into a wide grin that masked the storm in his eyes.

    ¡°Stay away?¡± Jiraiya¡¯s voice was low, his tone mocking. ¡°So you can be stopped.¡±

    Danzo realized, what was the purpose of this conversation? He lifted his gaze and met the spiralling Sharingan with an unflinching resolve, ¡°The Uchiha Madara I knew would never threaten this way, his actions spoke loudest and everyone who cared to stay on his good side did what was necessary to.¡±

    Jiraiya gave a sure nod and in his hands grew two whirring [Rasengan], ¡°Konoha rejects your offer and your threats, you, whoever you are. We will stop y-!¡±

    His words stuck down his throat as before their eyes the plant man Danzo cut down rose up from the free space beside its own corpse, a grin as wide and mad as the sight spread across his face as he cackled, ¡°Konoha¡¯s first, as you said, Madara.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Jiraiya demanded.

    The Masked man chuckled, his sole red eye finding Danzo¡¯s once more, this time filled with disappointment more than anything, ¡°It is as you said, Danzo. The world knew what was necessary to stay on mine and Hashirama¡¯s good side, at least until he went and died. But Konoha is about to be reminded what that mea-¡±

    The ground where he stood exploded in a geyser of fallen rocks and debris as Jiraiya smashed into it. His jutsu failed once again to even leave a tear on the Masked Man¡¯s clothing. He glared daggers as frustration boiled over to rage, ¡°What have you done!?¡±

    Madara¡¯s chuckle deepened into something sinister. ¡°Only what is necessary, Jiraiya. Consider this a warning. Your actions in Amegakure were reckless, and your village will pay for them. Continue down this path, and Konoha will suffer far more than she already does tonight.¡±

    Danzo¡¯s eyes widened behind his bandages. Without hesitation, he leapt toward Jiraiya, grabbing the Sannin by his arm and shoulder. ¡°We have to leave. Now!¡±

    ¡°But¡ª!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t touch him!¡± Danzo snapped, his voice sharp with urgency. ¡°And the village needs us more than this fight!¡±

    Jiraiya clenched his fists, his gaze burning with defiance, but he nodded, retreating with Danzo. Before he left, he cast one last look over his shoulder at the masked man who claimed to be Uchiha Madara.

    The crimson Sharingan followed them as they vanished into the trees.

 Ch173-Foxfire Inferno

    A channelled beast bomb to the face was an orb of cold heat. Even cloaked under the thick dressing of the [Demon Cloak] I could still feel the distortion of space and chakra, the manifested beast bomb affected from simply being a dense construct of chakra. This was not the searing heat of fire; it was the cold certainty of obliteration.

    I glared up past it to the fox eyes behind it all, malice and loathsome was all I found in Kurama¡¯s eyes as he charged the beast bomb, my thoughts raced in desperation, searching for anything¡ªanything¡ªto stop what felt inevitable.

    Isobu, isn¡¯t there anything I can say? Anything you can say?

    ¡°Say to calm Kurama? Hmm¡­¡±

    I gulped, my fear doubling at Isobu¡¯s very unenthusiastic response. Do you really have to think so hard about it? He¡¯s your brother!

    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in decades but I suppose he always liked listening to stories about Father.¡±

    Well, do you have any?

    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ve got enough to keep him still all day.¡±

    I didn¡¯t waste another second, I let my consciousness slip from the forefront of my mind and let it settle in the remnants of the Three Pillar Seal where I manifested before Isobu, ¡°Let¡¯s switch, you tell the story.¡±

    His waters were freer now without the Three Pillar Seal, the giant turtle was no longer bound in chains in the depths of an ocean born of his own chakra. Instead Isobu coasted across a bright blue sea and a warm, ethereal glow suffused all around us with no clear source.

    ¡°Very well but do not expect success, Kurama is¡­has always been¡­well, you will see.¡±

    Again, Isobu¡¯s testimony didn¡¯t inspire faith in his story reaching the furious Kurama, but if it at least distracted him enough so I could think of how to respond to a point-blank beast bomb.

    When my eyes opened Isobu was the one looking through them. I felt him narrow a hardy stare at Kurama who keenly noticed and responded by starting to unhinge his jaw. ¡°Stop it, Kurama, remember the last time you played too rough with me?¡±

    The fox¡¯s gaze burned hotter. There was no flicker of recognition, no hesitation. His claws twitched, and his focus sharpened on Isobu. I clenched inwardly, recalling the fragmented tales Jason had told me. It was plausible¡ªKurama, the fierce and untamed, once playing too rough with his siblings.

    But this isn¡¯t the same Kurama.

    This wasn¡¯t the playful brother of Isobu¡¯s memories. This was a creature of wrath and anguish, standing in the ruins of burning homes and broken dreams.

    As if confirming my thoughts Kurama raised his head higher and completely slackened his jaw to swallow the hovering ball of doom in one gulp. Isobu, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to stop to listen.

    ¡°Hrrn, I could have told you that.¡± Isobu groaned, already recalling the extra arms I¡¯d created to spread coral while buckling our knees against Kurama.

    The furious orange fox had his cheeks bulged with steaming fury, his baleful eyes never left us for a second and not a word was spoken, not even in reaction to his true name being used. Kurama didn¡¯t care whether his brother Isobu was truly the one, all he wanted at the moment was to destroy whoever stood in the way of his freedom. I realized that important part far too late.

    It¡¯s always been about freedom, been about fear and tolerance. I think I know what to say to him, Isobu!

    ¡°It¡¯s too late to talk now, Yagura!¡± And it was. Isobu made this particular point clear with a sideways glance over our shoulder while he leaped into the air. The village was right behind us and right in front of Kurama still. ¡°But maybe I did get through to him, he¡¯s doing a cannon blast instead of a bomb!¡±

    That made a world of difference when it came to the potential destruction Kurama could unleash and it put Isobu¡¯s quick actions into perspective. We soared high above Konoha, far above its highest monuments and forests with the moon as our only companion in the night sky. Below Kurama¡¯s puffed and fuming cheeks followed our ascent closely and then, his jaws opened wide, releasing a condensed blast of seething chakra.

    Isobu swiftly wrapped us in a ball of our three tails, each of them manifesting a thick layer of corals as fast as possible. But it wasn¡¯t nearly enough. Kurama¡¯s [Beast Bomb: Cannon] surged around us, an intense burning of hatred directed right at us and no one else. No one else, no one else. That was the only positive thing.

    The [Demon Cloak] was stripped layer by layer like skin off my back. Scalding red, vengeful purple lights blinded us and the heat boiled away our corals. I didn¡¯t feel a thing even as Kurama¡¯s wrath launched us out higher in the sky and then faster in a descending arc of immobility.

    My entire body was aflame, literally soaring across the sky in a flickering red fire. With Isobu in the driver¡¯s seat, my experience of the agony was muted but I could hear its hum and expected the worse once I regained my senses. For now, the lingering curse of Kurama¡¯s chakra burned Isobu alone even as he fixed the rest of my scorched and sore body.

    As the ground grew closer and larger, Isobu summoned chakra from within and in a showing surgically precise chakra control, he weaved Yang Chakra into his own and blossomed a sphere of coral that encased us as we plummeted.

    We landed with a cratering crash, Kurama¡¯s fires didn¡¯t leave us and burned the very soil our descent buried us in. The sphere cracked open and a haze of light found its way to my eyes. Through the crack I saw Kurama was already clawing away the remnants of the coral binding him to the earth. His tails lashed out as he noticed the shinobi hordes still headed his way. As my eyes closed I felt I could understand him, that I could see the weariness of this battle drawn on him, the ignoble exhaustion and the fury that came with it. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    He just wants to be free¡­

    ***

    I woke on my feet, my arm braced against the jagged coral wall for support. It felt as though I had stood the instant we fell¡ªlike I had merely blinked and resumed the fight. Foxfire consumed the outskirts, its ferocious heat blazing along the cratered path and igniting the fractured remnants of my [Coral Shell].

    My throat was a desert, my skull a landslide, but I summoned the strength to weave a single hand seal. A narrow spout of water surged forth, dousing the gulf of flames in my way. I vaulted over the smoldering wreckage, ignoring the pain that clawed at every nerve.

    My ears continued the hum and whine, the ache and static drowned out any thing I could pass for true sound. But my eyes¡ªthose adjusted just fine. The battlefield came into focus, revealing the sheer scale of Konoha¡¯s response. Shinobi swarmed in disciplined formations, their collective strength barely holding the line against Kurama¡¯s relentless assault.

    But thanks to their presence I could tell Kurama¡¯s Cannon Bomb had blasted me far enough that I was closer to the village than I was to him. The forest lay flattened, a graveyard of burning trees forming the battlefield¡¯s charred floor. Kurama loomed in the distance, his massive frame alight with malevolence. Even from here, the intensity of his chakra was suffocating. I clenched my fist, my shredded nerves screaming in protest.

    Isobu¡­what can I do? I wondered. There was only one way this could end well, and I needed to reach Kurama to ensure it. He wouldn¡¯t understand my words now¡ªperhaps he wouldn¡¯t care¡ªbut I had to try.

    ¡°He will. I know it,¡± Isobu replied, though his voice was laced with melancholy. ¡°But, Yagura¡­ there may be better times for this. Times where fewer lives hang in the balance.¡±

    With no choice but the sharp sting of burnt air, I breathed the pain, torture and chaos my body was. I felt it all the moment I woke up but I hadn¡¯t dared to look. My left side was charred raw, stripped of flesh and armor alike. Isobu¡¯s chakra cloak clung to me like a second skin, working tirelessly to mend what it could. Yet nothing hurt more than the chasm in my lower torso.

    Red, wet and raw I was. My armour was obliterated along with a fair chunk of my abs, all that was left was a red squelch. I couldn¡¯t tell what organ I¡¯d given up but I quickly trusted I would be well, if regrettably sour in the morning once this was over.

    Tis a flesh wound.

    ¡°No, Yagura, you will die.¡± Isobu¡¯s somber sincerity struck me as quickly as the manifested [Stage 0 Chakra Cloak]. I soaked in his chakra and murmured. He answered, ¡°If you summon up to two tails of my chakra, your pathways will crumble from overexposure.¡±

    I gave my friend a dry laugh, snorting, ¡°All I hear is I¡¯ve got up to One Tails and maybe Two because you¡¯re soft. I can do it. There¡¯s not much left to do!¡± I heaved from where I stood, bounding over the Leaf-nin like a hulk.

    I smashed the ground and began reaching for Yang Chakra. Kurama had levelled the forest sufficiently so that the fallen, burning trees became the floor. A few dozen Leaf-nin and ANBU moved parallel to me, I ignored their war cries and focused inward on my pathways.

    It was true what Isobu said. In just three days I¡¯d abused the [Demon Cloak] enough times to flush out my own chakra reserves ten times over. And therein was the problem as even now my chakra reserves were dangerously low in comparison to the ocean I was tapping into and was also a vessel for.

    There would be consequences but that none of it could be helped without a mastery of a full Jinchuriki transformation, something Isobu and I hadn¡¯t thought about working on yet as the [Demon Cloak] was still new and difficult to master.

    As my wrung left arm snapped back into place with an audible and satisfying pop, I weaved three hand seals and summoned a wind to my feet, ¡°Wind Release: Propelling Winds!¡± Rather than my hands, gusts of wind propelled from my feet, dashing me across a range of fallen and burning timber until I could see Hiruzen swinging a twenty foot [Adamantine Staff ] at Kurama.

    I grimaced as it landed smack in his jaw, rattling the great fox enough for a plethora of projectile Elemental Jutsu to be unleashed into his hide. Kurama bared his fangs down at Hiruzen, his mouth fuming as all other pathetic displays of Ninjutsu were numbed by his focused hatred. His tails rose in sync over his head and an oppressive crack of chakra was pumped out and into the atmosphere.

    A gale wind from the explosion threw dozens of Leaf-nin away from the furious tailed beast. Kurama locked eyes with the unflinching Third Hokage but unlike me, Kurama knew where his destruction would hit its mark the most. He raised the ball at the village beyond.

    ¡°Enma!!¡± Hiruzen roared, his voice choked with desperation as he drew the [Adamantine Staff] for another swing, begging not to be too late.

    I cursed, fleetingly considering exploding into full [Demon Cloak] or at least [Stage 3 Chakra Cloak] so I could power a heavily adapted [Water Mirror]. I can¡¯t repulse an attack I can¡¯t match!

    ¡°Kuchiyose no Jutsu!¡±

    Summoned out of the sky, a giant toad crashed onto Kurama with earth-shattering force. His mouth snapped shut as they were pinned by an amphibian foot. The beast bomb in Kurama¡¯s maw detonated prematurely, carving a jagged trench into the ground. Dust and debris filled the air, shrouding the chaos as Gamabunta continued to restrain and fall into the new crater with him.

    The quake of the sundered earth continued, a landslide worth of dust plumes obscured the view but the magnificent sizes of a Class-A summon allowed all to see who stood atop it.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Fourth Hokage!¡±

    ¡°Look! He¡¯s here! Yondaime-sama!¡±

    Now¡¯s the time! I leapt past the flood of shinobi scrambling away from the edge of the crater, embracing my dive into it as I landed, sprinting towards Kurama¡¯s growling jowls, the light of his fury burned from his throat and illuminated through the dust.

    With practiced carelessness, I willed my [Stage 0 Chakra Cloak] to extend around my feet, I used the extra length in my ethereal knees to jump higher than I would¡¯ve and within seconds I cleared the dust cloud and soared above Gamabunta. The giant toad did a double take as I soared underneath his notice, but his focus couldn¡¯t be spared away from Kurama tussling and thrashing beneath him.

    Minato Namikaze, standing atop Gamabunta¡¯s rusty red head, turned to me with a perplexed look. Even as his hands moved through intricate seals, his sharp eyes tracked my approach, the winds billowed around his cloak.

    I grinned through the pain, extending a chakra arm to grip his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m here to help!¡± I shouted, my voice hoarse but determined. ¡°Don¡¯t stop now¡ªlet¡¯s finish this!¡±

 CH174- The Yondaimes Last

    ¡°Water Release: Raging River Force!¡± My first [Water Clone], cloaked in Isobu¡¯s chakra, slammed the Bo-staff into the scarred earth, and a torrent erupted like a dam breaking under years of strain. A roaring flood carved through the battered ground, drenching Kurama¡¯s massive paws in an instant. He bared teeth down at us as he slipped against the muddied earth, his growls rolling like thunder in the sky.

    The water churned violently, surging higher. My second [Water Clone] rose atop a forming wave, commanding, ¡°Water Release: Drilling Water Spears!¡± The flood morphed into enormous, jagged spears that hurtled through the air with a deafening howl, hammering against Kurama¡¯s head, chest, and limbs. Few truly doing any damage beyond the concussive force desperately needed to stave off the Bijuu¡¯s landscape changing attacks.

    Above the cacophony, I finished weaving forty-seven hand seals. ¡°Wind Release: Final Threshold of the Three Calamities¡ªWater!¡±

    The air itself seemed to recoil as the winds rose, carrying Kurama¡¯s guttural roars across the secluded patch of Konoha Minato had teleported us to. The gnarled trees still standing swayed precariously, their leaves torn away by the storm of winds I brewed right underneath Kurama.

    The water surged, rising past the great Bijuu¡¯s knees in an overwhelming tide, a feat of Water Nature Release mastery I couldn¡¯t help but pat myself on the back for¡ª even if Isobu¡¯s extreme affinity for the element only served to enhance my own.

    I wouldn¡¯t have dared to do this much back then¡­I thought of home and the shinobi that stepped forward to challenge for the title I bore with overwhelming pride now.

    My winds sent waves across the small ocean my Chakra-cloaked clone existed to generate, it carried debris, sand, full logs of timber and whole trees in a chaotic, swirling cyclone.

    I smiled as Kurama snarled, his crimson fur matted with the spray of water and mud. He squinted against the stinging gale, his feral eyes burning with a hatred that could set mountains ablaze. The cyclone pulled at him relentlessly, drawing its power from the makeshift ocean below, growing into a colossal vortex that slammed into his chest like an unyielding tide, delivering direct shots of [Drilling Water Spears] into his face, arms, chest and every part of the angry red fox my second [Water Clone] could see.

    Said clone looked over and nodded at its fellow who hadn¡¯t moved from the spot it slammed the Bo-staff in, water still cascading in excessive but all too necessary force. A gulf from the water¡¯s cutting force had already formed, the carved trench effectively placed us on higher ground than the Tailed Beast as the level ground was grinded into the small ocean and again in the tornado at its centre.

    But that wasn¡¯t why it called my attention. I grimaced at the sight of my clone defiantly gripping onto the Bo-staff, its right arm and leg already beginning to return to the sludge of water I¡¯d created it with. It would continue until the clone was entirely dissolved, an unfortunate side-effect of my brilliant idea to imbue my clones with Isobu¡¯s chakra.

    ¡°He¡¯s struggling right now, let¡¯s give him more to chew on.¡± My clones gave curt, understanding nods. There was more to the radical plan I¡¯d formed when all Minato had to say when he saw me was, ¡®Keep him busy.¡¯

    I stared out at the Nine-Tailed Beast, Kurama was too deaf to listen to anything Isobu or I would have to say. My cyclone continually smashed against him, flinging boulders, trees and all sorts of carriable debris into his body while the [Drilling Water Spears] did the truest damage.

    Not nearly enough, not for a Tailed Beast. I gritted my teeth and nodded to my second clone. The first would only continue to exist for another five minutes or so before Isobu¡¯s chakra completely degraded it. In that time, with the chakra I have left¡­

    Kurama¡¯s furious roars reverberated across the battlefield, shaking the ground beneath my feet. His tails lashed wildly, their immense weight smashing trenches into the waterlogged earth. Each strike sent tidal waves rippling outward, only to be absorbed by the vortex that now dominated the landscape. The fox was trapped in a nightmare of my creation, his movements sluggish in the mire of mud, blinding winds and the surging water.

    I let out a breath and pressed my fingers into familiar hand seals, my clone working in close tandem with me. He went first, moulding the waters that made the [Drilling Water Spears] into flat disks that rose along the winds of the cyclone. Each disk was as large as Kurama¡¯s own claws, long, thin and moving at rapid cutting speeds. With lethal intent, I pressed my fingers into the Bird hand seal and commanded a surge of my cyclone¡¯s winds to reinforce the terror of the water disks.

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    The result was a tornado as large and tall as Kurama, overwhelmingly chaotic and appendaged by blades of wind and water moving too fast for even I, the caster, to see. It was effective. Even with my rather unsteady control of the winds carrying such masses of water, Kurama was tossed on his ass severely enough for his roars to become cries of frustration and his swipes, taken at the earth to be little more than desperate attempts at escaping what was coming.

    A sharp pain lanced through my chest, and I fell to one knee. My vision darkened for a fleeting moment, my heart skipping two beats too many. I gasped for air, my strength waning as if the artificial maelstrom was draining the life from me. It was.

    More, I need more to keep this up, Isobu! I called inward to my friend, desperation creeping onto me as much as it did Kurama.

    ¡°You will die.¡± came Isobu¡¯s unflinching response, his tone colder than I¡¯d ever heard it, colder than the storm chilling my bare skin.

    I promise I won¡¯t. Just a bit longer an-!

    ¡°And you will die, Yagura. This is as much as you can give right now.¡± Isobu said, not a drop of his chakra came surging through my pathways. He wouldn¡¯t refuse me if I reached out for it myself, if I took as I used to. But I neither had the strength, chakra or even the concentration required to fish for his chakra.

    As the disastrous winds blew and the blades of thinned water sliced through Kurama, I felt the breeze light on my bare chest. There was little to nothing left of my attire after Kurama bathed me in his [Tailed Beast Bomb: Cannon], all that remained was a single pair of my boots and the scorched remains of my pants and apron. It was as much a miracle they¡¯d survived Obito and now Kurama but I guess the same could be said for me.

    The wounds I suffered fighting Obito healed but their effects still felt like a phantom, regardless, they were the least worrying of my handicaps, the worst being my chakra pathways. They were spent, no, abused. I¡¯ve been a Jinchuriki for only eight months, not long enough to acclimate to the stretch by any standard but I was a Kage for a reason and I managed.

    But that was only a minor strain, one that would resolve itself the more time passed. The true strains were the rampages I experienced before I became myself and more recently the continuous tests and experiments. The past three days alone were a credit to majority of the damage my chakra pathways bore now and yet I couldn¡¯t help thinking this would have been easier if I had a larger chakra reserve, if I had mastered [Sage Mode] or at least understood it enough to have an alternate source of chakra.

    ¡°You forget, your natural reserves are still needed to balance against the Nature Energy. You will always spend chakra to get stronger and you¡¯re all out now, Yagura,¡± Isobu said, right as always his words were not cruel, but a blunt reminder of the limits I refused to accept. ¡°This is no place for you to die, Yagura. You knew you wouldn¡¯t be able to beat Kurama on your own, not without Senjutsu or Fuinjutsu, both of which you¡¯ve learned incompletely.¡±

    My control over the tornado began to slip more and Kurama escaped its battering and mincing long enough to run his claw through the ground, unearthing a plethora of boulder sized projectiles that he flung in my direction. One, the size of a house soared overhead and crashed behind me with a thundering thump that should have been drowned out by the sounds of my first clone¡¯s water generation, but it had already degraded to a puddle beside my Bo-staff.

    I cursed inwardly and course corrected the storm into Kurama again, the Tailed Beast already up on his feet, mouth glowing with chakra as he spat out short condensed blasts at it. The tornado shrank before my eyes as Kurama tore through it, his chakra blasts evaporating large chunks of the swirling waters.

    ¡°This is the best result you can hope for now and it''s a good one if you can stay awake long enough to ensure it.¡± Isobu continued his lecture, he wasn¡¯t sympathetic, he was being smart where I didn¡¯t want to be.

    My second clone blobbed into a puddle beside me as my will to continue this handicapped struggle waned. Kurama had moved away from the trap I¡¯d lured him in and I¡¯d spent all the chakra I had left maintaining it that there was no way to chase more damage into the lacerated fox.

    Still, I maintained my Bird hand seal and controlled the amalgamation of my efforts even as Kurama continued to blast evaporating holes through it. Those small balls of chakra he spat exploded within the tornado, heating and expelling much of it away. It was growing smaller with each blast.

    I wanted to eat my cake and have it. I wanted so badly but I knew Isobu was right¡ª without [Sage Mode] or [Fuuinjutsu], holding Kurama back while Minato prepared to die was all I could do. Without Minato¡­ending the Akatsuki, ending Obito. I¡¯d have to figure something else out, somehow.

    Out of spite I weaved from Bird to Ram, Rat, Monkey, Bird, Dragon and then Bird again. The result was the entirety of my jutsu¡ªnow half the size of Kurama¡ª morphing into the largest elemental dragon I¡¯d ever created.

    An elemental beast rose from the storm¡¯s heart, a towering embodiment of water and wind, its maw open wide to engulf Kurama in a final, furious strike.

    ¡°Hiden: Torrential Serpent King!¡±

 Ch175-The Yondaimeéˆ¥æªš Last

    Water sloshed against the candles lit around the altar Minato¡¯s first and last child laid on. Naruto was smaller than he could¡¯ve imagined, smaller than his forearm and yet he would be a vessel for something as dangerous and vile as he was innocent and pure.

    Minato crouched beside Kushina, her hands ran along his pink skin, tears in her eyes. She sniffled, nearly giving into a sob as Naruto found and clutched her finger, his entire hand barely enough to wrap around it.

    ¡°He needs you, more than he ne-¡±

    ¡°He needs both of us, Minato, both.¡± Kushina scolded, her voice barely a whisper so Naruto wasn¡¯t disturbed, though the Nine-Tails guttural roars sung out furiously above it all, his newborn son stopped crying the moment he was with his mother.

    ¡°I know that and he will have me, I¡¯ll-¡±

    ¡°Speak to him through a seal? No, he needs a father not a guardian.¡± Kushina hissed, bothering to look up long enough to glare weakly at him, ¡°And I need you.¡±

    Her words sliced through him, leaving him mute. What could he say to that? Outside, the guttural roars of the Nine-Tails shook the earth, a reminder of the impossible decision ahead.

    Minato¡¯s fists tightened. He closed his eyes, pushing the sounds of destruction to the edge of his mind. Yagura, the Mizukage, was out there holding the line¡ªa young but formidable ally. Somehow, Yagura had known. About the attack. About the Masked Man. And though Minato had faced the fiend himself, the encounter had only deepened his doubts. The abilities he wielded¡­ Only Madara Uchiha could have been responsible.

    ¡°Minato¡­seal it in me.¡± Kushina pleaded, ¡°I can still-¡±

    Above them, Yagura¡¯s storm took shape¡ªa serpentine coil of wind and water binding the Nine-Tails in place. The beast snarled and thrashed, its body scarred and bleeding from the Mizukage¡¯s relentless assault. Even so, it tore at the bindings, blasting bolts of chakra that boiled the water surrounding it.

    Minato turned his gaze to his family and the sight put a smile on his face regardless¡ªthey were beautiful. ¡°It¡¯s time, Kushina,¡± Her terror was palpable, etched into her features like scars. Minato couldn¡¯t bear to see it. He turned away, chakra already pooling within him..

    He hadn¡¯t given the Mizukage any other words than to hold the Beast off, but he trusted him enough to know what to do next. If he¡¯d come this far already, somehow foreseen the attack on the village then there was no need for more than that.

    The winds began to spiral faster around them, the water that soaked Minato¡¯s sandals was drained away as the Mizukage reinforced his jutsu with all that he could. It was barely enough though, the Nine-Tails no longer struggled against the colossal elemental, it was grievously scarred and gashed all over its body from the punishment Yagura had given it but all else was well.

    Its claws pulled, ripped and tore the fleeting elemental from clinging to its body, burning, blasting and boiling away volumes of water as it charged, bounding towards Minato with murderous intent. Minato counted on it, asides Kushina and perhaps the late Lady Mito, there was no one the Nine-Tailed demon fox hated more than him. He won¡¯t escape until he¡¯s killed me.

    ¡°Minato!¡± Yagura¡¯s shout echoed as the Mizukage launched forward, propelling himself with bursts of wind. His speed was blinding, but even so, the Nine-Tails was faster. Its paw came crashing down, a mountain of raw power that should have flattened them all.

    Golden chains shot out from Kushina¡¯s back, encircling the beast in a vice-like grip. The barrier they formed shimmered in the moonlight, holding firm as the Nine-Tails let out an earth-shaking roar.

    Yagura fell backwards with a sigh of relief as the Nine-Tails wet paw hovered above like a canopy dripping water. It growled sinisterly at Kushina, its eyes bulging out at the Uzumaki singularly holding him back now. Minato¡¯s chakra swelled, there was no time left to waste, everyone had given their all and now it was time he did his duty as Hokage and finished this.

    He formed the seals with practiced precision. Snake, Boar, Ram¡­ His fingers moved faster, the air thick with power. When he slammed his hands together, a bone-deep chill spread through him.

    ¡°Reaper Death Seal!¡±

    The Shinigami appeared behind him, a spectral figure draped in deathly silence. Its cold gaze pierced through Minato as it reached forward, spectral hair binding his soul to its grasp.

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    ¡°Kushina¡­we have to believe now, you have to.¡± Minato said, the cold spectre of the death god lingering behind him, its spiritual presence enough to send his cloak billowing and a sense of unease through the exhausted Mizukage. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this just for you, this is for Naruto as well. I¡¯ve become convinced of two things today, that Masked Man will continue to bring catastrophe to this world, he will not stop. But this child, our Naruto, will be the one to stop him.¡±

    Kushina¡¯s chains rattled as she sobbed, her strength failing but her resolve unbroken. ¡°He¡¯s our son! He shouldn¡¯t have to carry this burden. You know what it¡¯s like¡ªwhat this will do to him!¡±

    Minato crouched and caressed her bruised cheek, it had been a long and rough night. ¡°Once I¡¯ve taken half of the Nine-Tails with me, I¡¯ll seal some of your chakra into the Eight Trigram Seal for Naruto, you¡¯ll be there to guide him no matter what happens.¡± Minato spared a moment for his unlikely ally, who even now he didn¡¯t understand what could have motivated a Kage of another village to interfere so deeply.

    ¡°Mizukage-dono, I¡¯m sorry, it looks like we won¡¯t get to work together after today.¡± Minato said with a smile, the young Kage in question merely sat there with his Bo-staff between his legs, his eyes constantly flickering around the Nine-Tails.

    Yagura returned the sad smile as he shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, I should have¡­I should have done more, faster, earlier¡­¡± he trailed off, eyes glazed over in a world of thought before he added, ¡°It was a pleasure fighting the same enemy for once, Hokage, I hope our villages continue to do so. You can trust me with her and¡­him, I will make sure they return safely.¡±

    Minato smiled thinly, grateful albeit confused by the young Kage, ¡°I¡¯m glad I met you and I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here, Yagura. Whatever you know of the Masked Man, don¡¯t hesitate to confess, Naruto won¡¯t be ready for some time and the world¡­the world will need protecting.¡±

    The Mizukage said nothing to confirm but gave a curt nod that Minato returned as he stepped back from Kushina¡¯s cradling embrace. It was time.

    Six white cold flames followed the death god, it said nothing with the blade between its teeth but its beads rattled in hand, a sound only Minato could hear. The god continued to count its beads, its pale purple face looked down on Minato with a calm yellow gaze that held only one question; who?

    Minato chose and the reaper began a chant in a language frightening to hear let alone comprehend. A cursed seal spread across its beaded arm and with a single thrust the reaper reached in through Minato¡¯s soul and body, its spectral limb extending up and over at the Nine-Tails. With a vicious yank, the reaper drew away the portion of the Nine-Tails Minato could seal.

    Before his eyes the reaper split apart the Nine-Tail¡¯s soul with its mere touch. The spectre of the demon fox¡¯s soul was dragged through the air like a pet dog, its chakra and soul treated like nothing more than a package to be sealed. And sealed it was. The reaper shoved the Nine-Tails split soul, its Yin half into Minato

    The chains around its body slackened as its weight was sundered. The Nine-Tails fell back on itself, the paw that hung over their heads was no longer as giant and now desperately used to keep stable against the surely painful sensation of having its soul split and ripped out. It growled, drooling hate as it sneered down at Kushina and Naruto but she wasn¡¯t having any of that. Her chains snapped around the Nine-Tails once more, their grip on it tighter and fiercer than ever before as she stood with her hands raised at it, blood dripping from her nostrils.

    ¡°Kushina, take it¡­easy.¡± Minato gasped, his stomach was searing steam as a freshly fused seal weighed him. Even half of the Nine-Tails chakra was cumbersome enough to have his knees wobble and his vision dazed. Still, Minato shuffled over to his son laid down on the Ritual Altar he¡¯d summoned, the candles were still lit and there was only one more thing left before the [Eight Trigram Seal].

    He bit his finger and smeared the blood on his palm, ¡°Kuchiyose no Jutsu!¡± Garutora appeared in a poof of smoke, the toad floated with his arms folded, ¡°Garutora, I¡¯ll prepare the sealing formula¡¯s key, leave it to Jiraiya once I¡¯m finished.¡±

    The toad nodded grimly, his stomach extended to its full length in anticipation. Minato sat beside Naruto, scooped him up in his arms all while the Shinigami lingered, waiting to devour. Minato ignored the cold in favour of the Mizukage, ¡°This is my son, Yagura, I am a father, have you ever considered being one?¡±

    Yagura clutched his Bo-staff, his lips pursed with a flood of words but only a few came free, ¡°Yes, once or twice, my Uncle wants me married as soon as possible.¡±

    Minato chuckled, his chakra already moulding necessary amounts for the seal, ¡°Married life has been a joy. Find your love, if you haven¡¯t already and a son might be fast on the way, I hope they become friends.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to visit with him¡­or her, whenever I can.¡± Yagura said softly, he breathed a sigh and ran a hand through his grey mop of hair, ¡°The Masked Man... he¡¯s strong. Even if he isn¡¯t Madara, he¡¯s learned enough to act like him. It¡¯s more complicated than I can explain..¡±

    Minato nodded, his fingers moving through the hand seals, ¡°I figured it would be, the truth I mean. You¡¯re right from Tea Country, aren¡¯t you?¡± The unspoken question lingered; How could he know?

    Yagura didn¡¯t answer but he didn¡¯t need to, ¡°Whatever the truth is, however much you know about this threat, I trust you, Yagura, I trust you want to do what¡¯s right.¡± Cradling Naruto in his arms, Minato looked down at the boy who would one day save them all. His voice softened. ¡°Naruto, my son¡­ I¡¯m already so proud of you.¡±

    Behind him, the Shinigami loomed, its spectral blade poised to claim its due. Minato took one last look at Kushina and Naruto, his heart full even as his life slipped away.

    ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered, as the Eight Trigram Seal was completed.

 Ch176-Contemplative Aftermath

    ¡°How¡­how could this happen?¡±

    The gravesite was humble, almost stark against the backdrop of devastation. Minato¡¯s gravestone was carved from plain stone, its surface unpolished but sincere. The freshly turned dirt atop his resting place remained a loose mound, a fragile wound yet to be healed by time. Just beyond the grave, a thicket of berry bushes swayed gently in the breeze, their verdant hues clashing against the somberness of the moment. Trees encircled the area, their branches stretching outward to form a canopy that promised shade when the sun was high, though today the light seemed too dim to pierce the gloom.

    Hiruzen shook his head, he saw the pain he felt in his chest reflected tenfold in Jiraiya¡¯s trembling shoulders. Minato may have been his successor but he was Jiraiya¡¯s first and true student, they¡¯d known each other since Minato was a mere prodigy Genin and their bond strengthened to the point Minato named Jiraiya his child¡¯s godfather.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jiraiya, he saved us. He saved the village.¡± Hiruzen said, patting Jiraiya on the back as he knelt in front of the freshly dug grave the hero Hokage was buried, there hadn¡¯t been a funeral just yet as both Kushina and her newborn child were far too weak to attend, not to mention the chaotic state of the village.

    ¡°The village is not saved.¡± Danzo said, his voice cutting through the moment like a jagged blade as he shuffled away from the grave, a cane in hand to help while his wounds healed. He scowled at the smouldering side of the village from atop the hill the grave was secreted, his grip a vice around his cane. ¡°The people responsible for this destruction are still out there¡ªarrogant, spiteful, and emboldened. Konoha has become their first victim.¡±

    Hiruzen sighed and stepped back from Jiraiya, the pair had just returned. A full two days after the Nine-Tails had been resealed, after thousands were dead and buried, after the Fourth Hokage died in sacrifice. He walked up to the edge Danzo glared over and took in the scarred sight of his village, over a quarter of Konoha lay in ruins, its proud infrastructure reduced to scorched rubble. Smoke still curled from the remains of homes and shops. Civilians and shinobi alike sifted through the wreckage, some searching for survivors, others recovering bodies. Each figure moved like a ghost, weighed down by loss and exhaustion.

    It angered him just as well to look and think of the tragedy that occurred and even more so to think the culprit had escaped. But he knew Danzo¡¯s heart almost as well as he knew his own which is why he said, ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to retaliate, we do not even know who the enemy is. The village must recover.¡±

    Danzo¡¯s neck snapped toward Hiruzen, a heated glare of passion burned in Danzo¡¯s sole visible eye, ¡°We know who the enemy is, he told us himself.¡±

    Hiruzen raised a brow at this. He recalled that the pair had been on a mission to Amegakure, investigating and by the look of Danzo, confirming the presence of the Rinnegan in the village but since they¡¯d returned, between his own duties helping search and rescue and Jiraiya¡¯s frantic reaction to the destruction, they hadn¡¯t had a chance to discuss anything but skimmed details Hiruzen had given them of the attack until now.

    Jiraiya rose to his feet, his movements slow and deliberate. His face was pale, his red-rimmed eyes dry and haunted, ¡°Uchiha Madara¡­or at least someone that claims to be him.¡±

    ¡°You still don¡¯t believe it?¡± Danzo asked over his shoulder, looking up at the Sannin, ¡°You fought him yourself or at least destroyed the environment around him and look, look what he promised.¡±

    ¡°Promised?¡± Hiruzen stuttered, unsure and quickly lost in the conversation, ¡°Just what happened in Amegakure?¡±

    Danzo and Jiraiya shared a hard look, the kind that often followed the breaking of terrible terrible news. Hiruzen had seen it over his years as Hokage and he¡¯d seen in all too often in the past two days as families were torn apart by loss so permanent. He braced his heart for what it could be as Jiraiya took a deep breath.

    ¡°I did as Minato asked, went ahead of Danzo and his ROOT.¡± Jiraiya started, casting a side glance at the man in question as he didn¡¯t bother revealing what Minato truly wanted, ¡°I snuck in, spoke to a number of locals¡­researched the ¡®Angel¡¯ and god the entire village placed their faith in. And then they found me.¡±

    Danzo grunted as he struck his cane, ¡°Get to the point, Jiraiya, your student was the Angel and you searched for another, Nagato, who you claim was the sole wielder of the Rinnegan but now there isn¡¯t one or two or even three but four Rinnegan wielders!¡±

    Hiruzen swallowed thickly, eyelids fluttering as each word confused him the more, ¡°Four? That¡¯s¡ªhow is that possible?¡±

    Danzo spun to face him, his lips in a depthless sneer, ¡°And among them Jiraiya still couldn¡¯t identify the original, Nagato. There could still be more wielders, five, six, eight maybe, we can¡¯t know because we were forced to flee with the Angel I¡¯d captured.¡±

    Hope blossomed in Hiruzen¡¯s heart, these two were clearly too emotional about the attack on the village to put their report together but a prisoner wouldn¡¯t have that problem, ¡°Where is she?¡±

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    Danzo snorted and threw his face away while Jiraiya let out a dejected sigh, ¡°We requested a Yamanaka for on site interrogation but¡­a Masked Man intercepted us, our hideout. I don¡¯t know how but he slaughtered the ROOT, none of us could touch him much less stop him from stealing Konan away.¡±

    Jiraiya¡¯s words drowned in the shadow of the mention of this Masked Man, it wasn¡¯t the first time Hiruzen had heard of him. He pursed his lips, eyes widening as he realized the connected implications, ¡°Kushina¡­Kushina mentioned him.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jiraiya gasped.

    ¡°She was barely conscious yesterday but she managed to tell us who unsealed the Nine-Tails, who killed everyone in their protection detail¡­even Biwako.¡± Hiruzen breathed out the loss, ¡°She described him as a Masked Man, one she later realized was an Uchiha who controlled the Nine-Tails with his Sharingan.¡±

    Danzo stood, his lips parted as he was taken aback but his sneer quickly returned, ¡°He is the reason we returned, he said Konoha would be punished, that the shinobi world as we know it was going to change because he willed it. To create his new and true lasting peace¡­we must be destroyed¡­he said his name was Uchiha Madara, Hiruzen.¡±

    Hiruzen took Danzo¡¯s measured words in as his brows became permanently furrowed, in concern and in confusion. There was something strange about all of this, everything he¡¯d learned now, it all felt too convenient if threatening.

    ¡°Minato met with the Mizukage before¡­before everything.¡± Hiruzen said, his eyes carried past the village and towards the east where they¡¯d found Kushina and her child, ¡°He said¡­said the Mizukage was attacked by a Masked Man claiming to be Uchiha Madara, that he¡¯d teleported into a battlefield and even spoken to him, challenged his¡­his idea of this new world. But what was most striking was what the Mizukage said.¡±

    ¡°What did he say?¡± Jiraiya indulged.

    ¡°He refused to believe the Masked Man, the same one he couldn¡¯t touch, couldn¡¯t defeat, the one that captured his personal assistant and even unleashed something as powerful and rare as Wood Release, was an imposter.¡±

    ¡°Imposter?¡±

    ¡°The First Hokage¡¯s Wood Release?¡± Danzo started an edge in his voice, ¡°How is this¡­who else but Madara could possibly?¡±

    Hiruzen didn¡¯t have the answer and he personally doubted even Madara, a man meant to be decades long dead, would be alive and somehow capable of wielding the very power that defeated him.

    Jiraiya shook his head, ¡°In light of all this, I don¡¯t think the Mizukage¡¯s word matters all that much. Kushina said it was an Uchiha who took control of the Nine-Tails, the visual prowess required to do that¡­and the fact that we couldn¡¯t touch him, none of our attacks worked, granted we didn¡¯t have time to try them all but the message he wanted to communicate was clear. He¡¯s too strong to be touched.¡±

    Danzo struck his cane as he grunted, shaking his head at Jiraiya¡¯s words, ¡°No, there is merit to the Mizukage¡¯s words, he¡¯s the reason we discovered any of this after all.¡±

    ¡°You think there¡¯s a chance he¡¯s not who he says he is? That Uchiha Madara isn¡¯t the culprit behind this?¡± Jiraiya waved out at the smouldering village and the grave where their Hokage was buried.

    ¡°You said it then yourself, Jiraiya, he¡¯s a Masked Man, he could be anyone.¡±

    ¡°Minato was¡­!¡± Jiraiya choked up, his fist balled beside him as he struggled, ¡°He couldn¡¯t have been defeated by any other.¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t.¡± Hiruzen stepped in before Danzo could respond, ¡°He made the ultimate sacrifice, our Yondaime was an undefeated hero to the end.¡±

    Danzo nodded in agreement, ¡°Indeed, however there are parts of this¡­tapestry of Masked Man encounters that leaves a skeptical taste in my mouth. From the timing of everything, the Mizukage is the first person to encounter him, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Hiruzen nodded and Danzo continued, ¡°And then, we¡¯re intercepted, our prisoner stolen away and then this Masked Man chooses not to fight either of us but deliver a warning instead, to stay away from Amegakure. And then somehow, at the same time, the same day he sets loose the Nine-Tails in the village.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going with this?¡± Jiraiya asked but Hiruzen could tell, the dots were laid out clearly.

    ¡°If there are multiple Rinnegan wielders as we have witnessed, what if¡­what if there are multiple Uchiha working against us?¡±

    Jiraiya managed to laugh as he threw his face away, ¡°We all know the Uchiha hasn¡¯t produced a shinobi capable of-¡±

    ¡°And what if they have? What if their sentiments for Uchiha Madara, their idolism of him never died and instead festered a hatred passed through generations. What if they¡¯ve plotted all this time for the right moment. You can¡¯t deny they have motive aplenty, Fugaku secretly despises you, don¡¯t you know?¡±

    Hiruzen ignored the attempt to begin naming suspects and shook his head, ¡°The Uchiha are fiercely loyal, they wouldn¡¯t and after so many years? That doesn¡¯t explain why they would first attack the Mizukage, wouldn¡¯t they have unleashed the Nine-Tails first?¡±

    Danzo shrugged, leaning on his cane as he overlooked the village, ¡°I do not have all the answers but if I were to say who did, I¡¯d start with Yagura Karatachi. The Mizukage seems very knowledgeable of recent and internal events of villages beyond his own and he¡¯s the only one to discredit the Masked Man¡¯s claim, there¡¯s a chance they sought to silence him for what he knew¡­however he managed to learn it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Hiruzen said, his words so shocking Danzo looked at him with visible surprise.

    ¡°He is?¡± Jiraiya wondered, ¡°What part is he right about exactly?¡±

    ¡°The Mizukage, there¡¯s one more thing I haven¡¯t mentioned about the attack.¡± Hiruzen began, looking between the two as he confessed a fact he secretly felt shameful for, ¡°He helped us minimize the damage to the village and fought off the Nine-Tails long enough for Minato to return ready to seal it. And he was the one that carried Kushina and Naruto back to the village.¡±

    Hiruzen¡¯s confession was met with bewildered silence, he took advantage and added, ¡°He¡¯s still in the village, I don¡¯t know how or why he came to our aid but Danzo¡¯s right, he knows more than he is letting on.¡±

    ¡°Where is he?¡± Danzo simply asked.

    ¡°Hospital, his chakra network was nearly destroyed, he might not be awake.¡±

    ¡°Then we will wake him.¡±

 Ch177-Kage Level Demands

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    I cleared my throat and repeated myself. ¡°No.¡±

    The room was a battlefield of tension, with sunlight streaming through thin curtains, ignoring their battle worn fabric to bathe the sterile recovery room in an almost serene glow. The walls were bleach-white, the floor antiseptically clean, but the air hung heavy with the sterile scent of alcohol and tragedy. Beyond the door, the muffled cacophony of a hospital in turmoil lingered, punctuated by distant cries of despair as multitudes processed their loss.

    Standing in this starkly peaceful setting were two living legends¡ªand one cockroach of a shinobi¡ªconfronting me. Ao, loyal and unyielding, positioned himself as a shield before me, his stance firm, yet devoid of weapons besides his lethal Byakugan. For now, at least, courtesy stayed his hand.

    ¡°Step aside, thief,¡± the cockroach sneered, the hypocrite.

    Ao¡¯s courage, as immense as it was, bordered on foolishness. Against Danzo, the weakest of the trio, he might hold for a moment, but against those two? No chance.

    I stretched with a yawn, the crisp white sheets falling away to reveal limbs wrapped tightly in bandages. My forearms and calves throbbed faintly under the layers.

    As I swung my legs over the side of the bed, the polished floor sent a cold jolt through my feet. The bandages constrained my movements, a constant reminder of my battered chakra network. ¡°Don¡¯t remove them,¡± the doctors had warned, overworked and overwhelmed, tending prime medical care to an uninvited foreign Kage in the midst of a disaster was the least of their concerns. Respectable, would have made the same call.

    I glanced up at Hiruzen, Jiraiya stood behind him, his eyes watching my every move with more seriousness than I¡¯d want to see in the Toad Sannin, ¡°Calm your old horse, Sarutobi, I am here and I can hear your demands and questions.¡±

    ¡°And yet you won¡¯t answer them.¡± Hiruzen said with an edge of building frustration, I could somewhat sympathize, his village was attacked and here I was denying him answers, ¡°Why?¡±

    I shifted my gaze to Jiraiya, his brows were furrowed and his eyes held an impatience to them, I smiled and hopped off to stand.

    ¡°Mizukage-sama, you-!¡± Ao hurried to help me as I winced from placing weight on my legs. I couldn¡¯t recall the breaks, but being shrouded in Tailed Beast chakra dulled such details. Convenient as that was, it didn''t erase the damage or its consequences.

    The doctors here originally wanted me in a cast or at least on crutches but there were far too many demands for the same treatment and so I declined, settling for the bandages I presumed had special properties. I waved Ao away, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I can do this much for our gracious hosts.¡±

    Hiruzen pursed his lips at that, given his initial reaction to my presence, I wondered if he still believed I was out to steal the Nine-Tails. Either way, I can¡¯t blame him, I wouldn''t be very excited to have him as an unexpected guest back home. They confiscated my weapons pouch and I could sense at least three squads of ANBU crawling around, along with the two Jounin guards stationed outside my door. Whatever Hiruzen thought of me, he wasn¡¯t taking any chances.

    Three pairs of eyes pinned me. Hiruzen¡¯s sharp gaze, aged yet calculating, lingered the longest, while Jiraiya¡¯s expression betrayed impatience, his brow furrowed in restrained frustration. Danzo? The cockroach watched with cold calculation, his single visible eye narrowing, lips a thin line of disapproval.

    This was far from how I envisioned I¡¯d meet any of them. Weakened and quite literally backed into a corner. But power wasn¡¯t simply in the chakra that flowed through me, it was in the title I bore as Mizukage. I¡¯m deep in frenemy territory but there¡¯s no reason to be afraid, they can¡¯t touch me.

    I took a deep breath and directed my answer to Hiruzen, ¡°My name is Yagura Karatachi, I am the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure and I will only answer the questions of the Hokage.¡±

    Confusion was rampant for a split second before Danzo¡¯s lips thinned into a line of thought, he glanced over at Hiruzen and caught his eyes, the two veterans thinking the same thing now.

    Jiraiya didn¡¯t care, he smacked Hiruzen¡¯s back lightly and spoke without taking his eyes off me, ¡°There is one right here, his face is engraved as part of our monument and everything. Answer his questions, now.¡±

    I rolled my eyes, ¡°I will not be threatened, subtly or otherwise, Jiraiya of the Sannin. Your village is leaderless and thus unpredictable. Minato Namikaze and I made each other promises, promises that may as well be dust in the wind now. I will not speak until there is a Hokage to speak to.¡±

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    ¡°Mizukage-dono,¡± Hiruzen spoke, his tone carefully measured. ¡°You can trust my word as you trusted Minato¡¯s. I am his predecessor, and in this tragedy, I intend to restore¡ª¡±

    Danzo¡¯s cane struck the floor with an audible thud, his sharp interruption cutting through the room like a blade. ¡°Do you know who the Masked Man is?¡±

    His words drew my gaze, but I didn¡¯t respond. The cockroach leaned forward, seizing the silence to fire off another question. ¡°Why did he attack you first? Minato reported the incident at Tea Country to Hiruzen, we know he went after you first, Mizukage.¡±

    I shrugged and Danzo bolted another question, ¡°Is Uchiha Madara alive?¡± The name struck a nerve, a barely perceptible reaction that Danzo did not miss. His lips curved into a smug smirk, satisfied with the crack in my composure, ¡°I see¡­does he have other Uchiha accomplices?¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± I turned to Ao, my tone sharp with authority. ¡°Gather my things. We¡¯ve exhausted our host¡¯s hospitality.¡±

    Ao hesitated only a moment before nodding, moving quickly to pack the sparse belongings they¡¯d allowed us to keep.

    ¡°Mizukage-dono,¡± Hiruzen¡¯s voice softened, though the steel within it remained. ¡°You are barely recovered. There¡¯s no need to leave so soon.¡±

    I snorted, dismissing his concern with a wave of my hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sarutobi, I won¡¯t let the world know Konoha is on its knees right now, that isn¡¯t in my interest. However, I am owed for my¡­selfless efforts.¡±

    ¡°And what are your interests?¡± Jiraiya¡¯s voice was low, probing, his gaze sharp and unyielding. ¡°Why did you help us, Mizukage?¡±

    His question hung in the air, laden with unspoken theories. I answered as Ao draped my blue cloak over my shoulders, its weight grounding me. ¡°Minato and I made a deal. After the Masked Man attacked me, I had¡­a feeling. I trusted that feeling, and I¡¯m glad I did. Kushina and Naruto might not be alive otherwise.¡±

    Jiraiya¡¯s jaw tightened, a flicker of guilt passing through his features. ¡°If I¡¯d been there, Minato wouldn¡¯t have died at all.¡±

    ¡°But you weren¡¯t and so he is.¡± I countered, voice steady with truth, ¡°I wish I could¡¯ve saved him too, perhaps I could have but the Nine-Tails is not a Bijuu I am familiar with. I trusted his actions were the right ones.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re ready, Yagura-sama.¡± Ao said, having packed up everything they let us keep. ¡°All that¡¯s left are your weapons.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that and what Minato promised me, since he¡¯s dead now and I¡¯ve done quite a service protecting Konoha, I¡¯ll take it now rather than later.¡± I said, my eyes held onto Hiruzen¡¯s expectantly.

    The old man regarded me suspiciously, ¡°Hrnn, I see, and what is it he promised exactly?¡±

    Danzo twitched, ¡°He is not to make demands of us, Hiruzen.¡± His single eye glowered at me, ¡°Throwing around supposed promises, grey truths at most. Minato is the only one that knows what all they spoke about, he¡¯s the only one we trust and now he¡¯s gone. We cannot rely on the Mizukage¡¯s word.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but point out immediately, ¡°And yet you wish that I answer your questions, who is the masked man? Is Madara alive? Why was Konoha attacked?¡± I snorted as I shook my head at them, ¡°All those questions, how much do they matter in the face of what has happened? I knew this and so did Minato, the enemy has revealed themselves, delivered on his threats. After all this, are you still meant to be looking at me?¡±

    ¡°Minato and I promised we¡¯d work in tandem, a joint force between our villages to investigate, intercept and end this threat. We also promised trade but that wasn¡¯t to happen for sometime, however, I¡¯ll have to demand the Shadow Clone Jutsu Hiruzen, this much is reasonable, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Danzo didn¡¯t bother hiding how deeply he disagreed, ¡°Do not give it, Hiruzen. An A-rank Kinjutsu for free? No!¡±

    ¡°Free?¡± I scoffed, ¡°What will you do, Hiruzen? I will leave with or without it but don¡¯t think for a second that difference won¡¯t matter.¡± I kept my face plain and unfazed. Konoha being difficult at this stage, in these circumstances was understandable, easy to forgive. However, I represented a nation as great as theirs and would either leave with what I asked for or they would push away their first and only ally in this pandemonium.

    Hiruzen gave no reaction, the veteran god of shinobi held my gaze, not bothering with Danzo¡¯s spittle launching demands. His analytical grey eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he inhaled, ¡°Mizukage-dono¡­just how far have you planned?¡±

    The question caught me off guard, I blinked and searched for an appropriate answer but Hiruzen had already decided, ¡°Very well, if that is what you wish, I will thank you to consider our indebtedness to you paid.¡±

    ¡°Hiruzen!¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Jiraiya said, coming in support against Danzo who looked about ready to commit genocide, his cane arm trembled as he looked between all of us, no doubt feeling cornered. ¡°I don¡¯t like the taste of owing the Blood Mist.¡±

    I threw a glare at the Sannin and corrected, ¡°The Blood Mist is over.¡±

    Jiraiya shrugged, ¡°I suppose Minato wouldn¡¯t trust someone who would keep it alive. That said, I don¡¯t trust you one bit, Mizukage, refusing our questions now will only lead to more confusion and loss. If you really want to help you should be open and honest.¡±

    ¡°And I will be, with the duly appointed Hokage.¡± I said with a smile, ¡°Now then, if that¡¯s all I¡¯d better start heading out now, my things?¡±

    Hiruzen opened his mouth to speak but Jiraiya stepped forward, a small smile forming on his otherwise grief filled features, ¡°I¡¯ll escort you out, Mizukage-dono, we¡¯ll stop by Kushina¡¯s first, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll want to see you before you leave.¡±

    I squashed any outward reaction to that and simply nodded, letting Jiraiya lead the way, ¡°Fine by me, I¡¯ll be seeing you then, Third Hokage, Danzo.¡± I gave the two veterans a curt nod as I walked by.

    Hiruzen returned the nod and said while Danzo glared at him, ¡°I will arrange for you to receive your compensation, thank you, Mizukage and goodbye.¡±

 CH178-Grieving Goodbye

    Kushina¡¯s room wasn¡¯t far from mine¡ªa short walk through halls thick with the quiet weight of the injured and dying. Both of us had been placed in the executive ward, a rare privilege of rank and proximity to power. It felt like a hollow victory amidst so much loss.

    We walked leisurely down the hall, quietly escaping the eavesdropping range, at least from the guards that stood at my door. Jiraiya got rid of Ao with one of them, having my trustee bodyguard step away under the guise of retrieving my weapons and assorted scrolls. I didn¡¯t mind at all and gave Ao the okay; the Toad Sannin hadn¡¯t said much earlier and I expected he would have much more to say in private.

    I watched him out of the corner of my eye, his towering presence a stark contrast to my own. His face was set, his gaze fixed straight ahead, his furrowed brows betraying a storm of thoughts. I shook my head and stopped before we reached Kushina¡¯s door, she too had guards posted out of it.

    We passed the third-to-last door before Kushina¡¯s, and still, he said nothing. The silence between us was heavy, not awkward but expectant¡ªas though he were waiting for me to break it.

    I stopped abruptly, forcing him to halt as well. Kushina¡¯s guards stood nearby, their wary eyes tracking our every movement. ¡°Is there something on your mind?¡± I asked, keeping my tone neutral. I didn¡¯t look up; the disparity in our heights only added to the feeling that I looked like an Academy student next to him. Had my regalia survived the storm of battles it would have been a different story.

    Jiraiya¡¯s sharp exhale broke the silence. ¡°Yes. A lot, actually.¡± His gaze finally shifted to me. ¡°But I shouldn¡¯t be so distracted. I asked to escort you here for a reason.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow, surprised. ¡°And that reason is?¡±

    ¡°To thank you,¡± he said simply.

    The sincerity in his voice made me falter. Jiraiya¡ªthe Jiraiya I knew from memory¡ªwas larger than life, a man of laughter and riddles, wisdom and foolishness intertwined. Yet here, he was solemn, almost reverent.

    His white mane wasn¡¯t as rowdy either and while his clothes were a bit rumpled and smelled old and dirty, he stood without a scroll on his back.

    ¡°For saving lives. For saving Kushina.¡± His hand raked through his unruly white hair before jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. ¡°Those old fools back there might not see it that way. To them, you¡¯re¡­suspicious. But Minato¡­¡± His voice cracked slightly, and he cleared his throat. ¡°Minato would have appreciated what you¡¯ve done. And so do I.¡±

    Gratitude wasn¡¯t something I sought, yet hearing it from him struck a chord I hadn¡¯t anticipated. And so I shrugged, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for thanks. But it¡¯s¡­good to hear.¡± I would be satisfied as long as I left Konoha with the S-rank forbidden Kinjutsu I asked for, ¡°Besides, there is fair reason to be suspicious of me, even though a closer look would reveal my innocence.¡±

    ¡°Minato¡¯s opinion of you already clears you of that sort of suspicion. Your insistence on keeping what you know to yourself on the other hand¡­that¡¯s what makes you fishy.¡±

    I smiled, glad to know he thought well of me, ¡°Then Konoha better decide who its next Hokage will be, or perhaps, I am already speaking to him?¡±

    He snorted and entertained the thought, ¡°And if you were, would you tell me what you know?¡±

    ¡°The knowledge I wield is not the most important thing at the moment. Whether you become Hokage or not, Jiraiya, your village will need you more than ever now, Kushina, Naru-¡±

    ¡°All due respect, but I know that more than you do, Mizukage. What I don¡¯t know is what you¡¯re hiding, what secrets you know that no one else does. Whether I choose to become Hokage or not¡­know that I will find out.¡±

    I nodded, ¡°All the better, Jiraiya, all the better.¡±

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    With nothing more left to say we moved onto Kushina¡¯s room. Her guards gave me a strange look as they parted for Jiraiya. I ignored their stares and straightened the cloak that hung over me as we walked in.

    The sound of Naruto¡¯s cries greeted us as the door opened. The room was painted in soft, warm colors, yet the atmosphere was anything but comforting. A nursemaid danced across the floor, her arms full with a wailing bundle.

    Beside the bed stood a cylinder, taller than Jiraiya and longer than the bed itself. A network of tubes fed a chakra dense gas  into Kushina¡¯s nostrils¡ªpulsing, alive, potent. Even without touching it, the nature of the chakra was unmistakable.

    Kurama.

    His power lingered, sustaining her¡ªbecause without it, her body wouldn¡¯t last. The beast had scattered enough of himself across the village, leaving behind pockets of chakra potent enough to create pseudo-jinchuriki if harnessed correctly. It was a process I was well familiar with and one of the options Kirigakure considered when Isobu last roamed free, in the end the Sandaime Mizukage and council¡ª my council now¡ª decided nothing beat a true Jinchuriki. But right now, here, it was the only thing keeping Kushina tethered to life.

    The irony.

    On the bed, Kushina lay curled on her side, her vibrant red hair spilling over the sheets in chaotic waves. She looked as she had that night¡ªexhausted, broken, and far too fragile for a woman who had once held back a force of nature.

    And yet, I couldn¡¯t help feeling proud at seeing her, proof of the effect of my memories, proof of change. The timeline is¡­unpredictable. With Kushina alive and well, I wondered how future events would play out, if at all. How much of the future have I erased by saving her?

    I might not have saved her directly but my mere, rebellious presence has changed the history of this world. Would the Uchiha be massacred still? Would Naruto be ostracized? Surely not, yes? I couldn¡¯t say, I couldn¡¯t predict and worse of all, I couldn¡¯t watch, at least not personally.

    Ao had a separate mission besides retrieving my weapons. He was to deliver new assignments to the sleeper agents we met when we arrived. Through them and hopefully a pleasant relationship with the next Hokage, it was possible I could watch the chosen one grow into himself.

    In the meanwhile, he cried.

    Jiraiya sat at the edge of Kushina¡¯s, her hair was splayed all about it, disorganized and frenzy. The dark edges under her eyes hadn¡¯t even begun to fade away, whether it was grief, the exhaustion of childbirth or the trauma of¡­of that night, I couldn¡¯t be sure, all I could do now was renew the promise I gave Minato.

    ¡°Kushina...how are you?¡± Jiraiya began, the useless question weakly escaping his lips. He reached out, his hand hesitating before gently brushing her hair away from her face. ¡°Have you eaten?¡±

    She said nothing, her eyes were hollow and nearly as lifeless as Minato¡¯s was in his last moment. Is this what happens in marriage? One dies and a part of you dies with them? I gulped as I took a step forward, manufacturing a smile for her sake, ¡°Kushina. It¡¯s me, Yagura.¡±

    Once Minato passed all I could do was hold her and Naruto as they wailed. She didn¡¯t stop sobbing even after I passed them off to Hiruzen. In a way, this would be our first time meeting and yet, it felt like she was looking through me, through everything and onto something no one but she could see.

    Jiraiya beckoned the dancing nurse for Naruto. The newborn babe was pink skinned, swaddled in a blanket longer than him and pressed into Jiraiya¡¯s titan arms. His wails petered to choked sobs and whines as Jiraiya made the most ridiculous faces at him.

    It wasn¡¯t long before Naruto¡¯s cries ended in an infectiously cute giggle, the sound seemed to bring the colour back to Kushina and her eyes focused on me at last, ¡°Yagura¡­I mean, Mizukage-dono.¡±

    ¡°Call me Yagura, please.¡± I said as I stood by her bed, ¡°I¡¯ve only come to say goodbye, Kushina, for now at least. It''s best if I return to Kirigakure to heal.¡±

    She nodded mutely, her eyes turning to Jiraiya playing with Naruto so I continued, ¡°I meant to tell you that¡­if you need anything, if you and Naruto need a friend or an ally, I am here.¡±

    Kushina managed a shadow of a smile, ¡°Naruto will need friends¡­I¡¯m sure you understand, being like us, being a Jinchuriki is difficult. I hope you¡¯ll keep your promise and bring him a friend someday.¡±

    I hesitated, then smiled sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. Maybe I¡¯ll even manage to be a father myself¡­someday.¡± I reached out, taking her hand in mine. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Naruto will be safe. And because you¡¯re here, he¡¯ll be loved.¡±

    Her tears came suddenly, silently. She pulled her hand away, her sobs muffled against her pillow even as Naruto¡¯s laughter filled the room. Jiraiya and I exchanged a helpless look. For all our strength, for all our power, there was nothing we could do to mend the fractures in her heart.

    And so, we simply stayed. Silent witnesses to her grief, her pain, and the faint glimmers of hope she held for the future.

 Ch179-Through the Haze

    I mastered the [Shadow Clone] on the ship Ao chartered for our departure from the Land of Fire. It was a shockingly simple technique for its classification as a Kinjutsu, but the resulting consequences well earned it the right to be.

    Hiruzen had transcribed the Jutsu into a separate scroll and in it left the obvious warnings to never let it come into the hands of the inexperienced or immature. Maturity in the sense of chakra of course. The linchpin of the [Shadow Clone] technique wasn¡¯t so much about chakra control, affinity, talent or understanding of concepts, but was mostly concerned with chakra reserves.

    I supposed it made sense that it would be. The energy needed to create a [Water Clone] was at least a quarter of that needed to create a [Shadow Clone] but the advantages it held over the former was evident. The [Water Clone] needed specific instructions, often inserted into the jutsu¡¯s formula as it was being cast. They had enough of my persona to improvise how they get the job done but usually, once the job is done there isn¡¯t much else use for them, fragile and unthinking as they were.

    The [Shadow Clone] breaks through those limitations by costing four times as much chakra to create. Included in Hiruzen''s warnings were the recommended estimate of chakra required to successfully cast the technique without launching yourself into a coma. A Jounin, or at least a shinobi that meets the qualifications of a Jounin, is capable of creating one Shadow Clone without losing combat effectiveness but it still isn¡¯t advised that they do so apparently.

    An Elite Jounin would be able to conjure two without losing combat effectiveness, as Elite Jounin was the last rank I held before becoming Mizukage, I started by summoning two just to get a feel for the technique. The [Shadow Clone] technique is said to split the users chakra into equal halves between each clone but I quickly found that wasn¡¯t always the case. Like the [Water Clone], it took a percentage of chakra proportional to the users affinity with the main Chakra Nature. Having mastered Water Nature Chakra I could summon as many Water Clones as I wanted without feeling drained.

    For [Shadow Clone] it¡¯s main chakra nature was Yang Release, a nature I was already practising with Isobu. Tobirama Senju was truly a genius, I could sense that the jutsu¡¯s Hand Seal formula involved machinations with the Yang Release a user unfamiliar with it wouldn¡¯t notice or even need to. He¡¯d made the jutsu extremely convenient to use and thanks to the leg up from a stronger affinity with Yang Chakra as well as my larger than normal chakra reserves, I could create at least seven clones without feeling strange.

    I took a deep breath as I continued to stare down at the village, the city lights poked through the hazy mist every so often and patches of sky were left uncovered, allowing the occasional glimpse of my subjects. My attention was far from anything that could be in sight as I could barely sense my surroundings with my mind fully immersed in days worth of memories.

    Exhaling, I shut my dried eyes and fell back into my chair as veins in my temple throbbed with blood. I might have gone a bit extreme with the [Shadow Clone] technique the moment I figured it out, but it was worth it. I¡¯d immediately dedicated two clones to studying Fuinjutsu, each assigned a different topic from the basics. I had another one practicing my arsenal of techniques just for the sake of it and from his memories it looks like he got creative with it. A fourth clone helped me train with Isobu¡¯s chakra as I attempted to get a hang of [Coral Release].

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    Earlier, against the Nine-Tails, Isobu taking control of my body was the only way I could execute the Coral techniques. I needed that to change. Though I could summon another two clones to help out with anything I wanted to put off, I didn¡¯t want to push myself to the limit just yet. A week had passed since Ao and I returned without Junichi and nothing about Kirigakure felt safe. The image of Konoha¡¯s destruction refused to leave me. No amount of training or strategy could erase the memory of the Nine-Tails¡¯ rampage. Could I truly protect Kirigakure from a fate like that? I clenched my fists, the weight of the Mizukage¡¯s hat heavier than ever.

    The white haze that blanketed Kirigakure helped me dissociate into the flood of memories the clones supplied but more than anything, I stared out at it imagining a maddened Tailed Beast in its place, smoke, smog, and a malicious miasma of chakra drifting over a broken Hidden Mist.

    ¡°Never.¡± I swore aloud, surprising myself with my voice. I hadn¡¯t spoken much of anything since Ao and I returned, it disturbed Uncle greatly to see me this way and over the week since my return he¡¯s pestered daily for answers, demanding to know what happened in Konoha.

    I kept my mouth shut mostly for Konoha¡¯s benefit but there were other reasons. I knew my council, tolerant as I was of them I could predict their reactions to the truth of my travels. But a week was enough time in the dark, they had to learn of the enemy eventually.

    A gentle, unnecessary knock came at the door and Junichi¡¯s successor walked in, a clipboard to her chest. She was chubby-faced, a Chuunin and born of the Karatachi clan. I imagine the plans Uncle had for her on my return, my year time limit was almost up.

    ¡°Yagura-sama, she¡¯s here now, Lady Junko Hoshigaki.¡± Aimi announced, the light from the hallway spilled through the gap and into the office.

    There was the second reason I kept my mouth shut. Junko Hoshigaki, the woman who sent Junichi to me. One of the few administrative actions I¡¯d taken since returning was ordering her back from Koorijima and permanently shutting down her occupation of the island. If there was anyone that needed to learn the truth of what happened, it was her.

    Nodding, I asked, ¡°What of my other appointments?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve sent your summons to the councillors, they will be here sooner than later, sir.¡± she answered.

    Again I nodded, taking a deep serene breath as I prepared to deliver the truth to Junko, ¡°Let her in after thirty minutes.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    She shut the door behind her and plunged my office back into dim illumination. I sat behind my desk, admiring the amber glow of the work lamp Uncle had used when working from my office during my absence. It was a great idea to have one for his aged eyes but I enjoyed it for its warm colour.

    I spun around in my chair before getting up to stand by the windows and observe Kirigakure. ¡°Change¡­how I want to change everything.¡± I murmured, my mind playing out the upcoming council meeting.

    Just about everything was in its place now. Midoriwara and Yureisen were ours to control and develop, the Nettou, Yuki and Kaguya clans bolstered our projected strengths and with the Tea Daimyo in our corner the money from missions would continue to flow even after the Water Daimyo abandons us entirely. There were miniscule concerns left for me to prepare for next but those would be handled swiftly after the council meeting.

    There was only one thing that truly worried me now, ¡°Utakata...will he come after you?¡±

    The Six-Tailed Beast was the Bijuu I envisioned rampaging at the centre of the haze, spreading wanton destruction as it melted every and any structure in its path until it came up to me, revealing eyes fallen under the influence of a Mangekyo Sharingan.

    I shook the vision away and continued piecing my clone memories of [Fuinjutsu] together. I couldn¡¯t become reliant on Harusame to control or seal Tailed Beast, not after what I¡¯ve witnessed.

    The door knob pushed open as Junko walked in, greeted and began briefing me on her rather cushy occupation of Koorijima. As interesting as her actions were as Clan Head, the blatant embezzlement of resources wasn¡¯t why she was here tonight, ¡°Junichi might not be alive.¡±

 CH180-Back to Black

    Junko abandoned her little island of power in a panicked, wordless haste. Running across the Kaizoku Sea without break and yelling her way through the thick-brained guards trying to do their jobs. Through it all she never got tired, her muscles never slackened to rest or ached with fatigue and yet, the moment she began climbing up the Tower to meet the Mizukage, an exhaustion like never before bathed her.

    She made it to the top without giving up, without turning away from the boiling point of rage, confusion and unreasonable hope. A round-cheeked Chuunin greeted her with a startled look and a bow, ¡°Mizukage-sama is in a meeting, please wait a moment, he¡¯s been expecting you.¡±

    Junko found her hands straightened without her thinking about it. She glanced down at them and forced the slash and stab weapon into a relatively safer fist, tossing a strained attempt at a smile at the Chuunin as she sat out in the reception.

    Junko sat and tried not to stare murder at the Chuunin, she didn¡¯t deserve her wrath but then she didn¡¯t deserve to stand where she did either. Junko had received the summons three days ago, delivered by a grim-faced messenger whose silence spoke louder than any words could have. Junichi was dead. The official report was terse, almost clinical, stating enough so she knew better than to have hope but just as little so she could. In the same summons she was given the official order to pack up her things and let Koorijima govern itself once again.

    She had a good time ruling the island, ensuring it was safe from fringe resistance groups and squashing the idea that anyone could rise up against the Daimyo without meeting death by shinobi¡¯s blade, in her case, her fingernails were enough. Koorijima also served her as much as she served it, perhaps more as there weren¡¯t many troublemakers left after the first assault. Up until three days ago she was excited, ecstatic for the wealth of change she would bring ¡®cost free¡¯ to the Hoshigaki clan. She made plans with Kisame, dreaming up a larger piece of Kirigakure that would be owned to them once the Hozuki and Funato sold out to ¡®greener grasses¡¯.

    I feel sick. Junko thought, her stomach gurgled, perhaps with hunger or fright, she couldn¡¯t tell for certain but then her leg wouldn¡¯t stop bouncing, boots echoed against the polished stone floors of the Mizukage Tower, their rhythmic clicks a steady counterpoint to the storm of thoughts raging in her mind.

    The waiting room outside Yagura¡¯s office was cold and uninviting, its minimalist design offering little distraction. Junko¡¯s fingers tapped against the arm of her chair as she mentally rehearsed her report, one she¡¯d come up with the moment she decided Koorijima would serve the Hoshigaki clan, however briefly.

    Maybe he wouldn¡¯t notice. She thought foolishly. He would, eventually he would or someone doing their job or an enemy of hers would point it out and try to use it against her. She needed a cover up, a valid excuse for why so much barley, timber, rice, iron and the occasional boxes of cash disappeared from Koorijima only to find themselves in Hoshigaki stores.

    Junko groaned a sigh and ran a claw through her scalp, tossing her hair as she resisted a heartstopping thought. It was too late. I¡¯ll just ask, I have a right to know. She was clan head and that gave her a myriad of privileges, all of which she wholeheartedly abused whenever it benefitted her but none of which gave her security clearance to ask about the Mizukage¡¯s S-ranked missions, not even if Junichi died during one.

    She grinded her teeth as she continued to pivot her thoughts away from Junichi, away from the bubbling emotion that made her throat feel like it was on fire. There was nothing she could do, no complaint she could give that wouldn¡¯t be countered by the simple fact that Junichi was a shinobi. And yet, logic wouldn¡¯t close this wound.

    ¡°Mizukage-sama will see you now,¡± Junichi¡¯s replacement said, her voice low pitched and head held low. She knew, she understood.

    Junko straightened her clothes and rose, her face a mask of calm as she entered the office and shut the door behind her. It was dark lit inside, the grandeur of his office was hidden in the cast of shadows as the only light illuminating the spacious room came from the amber glow of a desk lamp and the diluted rays of light from the village below.

    Yagura stood with his back to her, silhouetted against the massive windows that overlooked Kirigakure. The perpetual mist shrouded parts of the village below, but Yagura¡¯s gaze seemed to pierce through it all, as if his eyes poked holes in its blanket. He did not turn when she entered nor did he make a sound in the silence of her presence, merely waited.

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    Junko shifted her weight as she gulped down the lump in her throat and tightened her fists. He wore a top of mesh armour, his scarf and even his regalia were missing from him and with them Junichi.

    She folded those thoughts away and straightened up with a deep breath, ¡°Mizukage-sama, I¡¯ll begin my brief on the occupation of Koorijima and the subsequent handover of power.¡± Junko began, ¡°The resistance presence was sustained on the island even after the initial assault, however, over the course of days I and my subordinates hunted down¡ª¡±

    ¡°Junichi might not be alive.¡± Yagura said suddenly.

    Junko inched forward, taking a step onto the carpet that covered the semi-lounge area that was cluttered with documents in the dark. ¡°Might?¡± she shivered.

    Yagura continued to speak without moving to look at her, but she saw his eyes in the reflection, hardened orbs that glazed over with a memory she couldn¡¯t have and dreaded to, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know this but Konoha¡¯s Fourth Hokage and I have been in talks,¡± Junko did know but she was happy to feign ignorance if it meant getting the declassified truth, ¡°We were to finally meet and in a show of faith as well as security, extreme measures were taken to conceal our meeting area and time. Not even our ANBU accompanied Ao, Junichi and I and the Hokage was to arrive alone and retrieve his shinobi after all was said and done.¡±

    Junko felt her mouth drying up, she was desperate to bark her questions at his back; ¡®why take a Chuunin on an S-ranked mission?¡¯, ¡®why leave the village to meet the Hokage of all people?

    But Yagura continued undisturbed, she had to hear all he had to say, all that happened, ¡°We arrived at the chosen location but we were accosted before we could summon the Hokage, a complex arrangement I¡¯d better not get into.¡±

    ¡°Accosted, by who?¡± Junko couldn¡¯t control herself, before she knew it she was closer to his desk than the door, she could see his gaze flicker onto her from his reflection. He shut his eyes and answered.

    ¡°A Masked Man claiming to be Uchiha Madara, he is naught but an imposter, however¡­he was strong and he knew the true reason the Hokage and I were meeting, a reason barely understood by Junichi and yet¡­he acted in defence of the mission. Because of him, his valiant¡­¡± Yagura opened his eyes and held them to hers through his reflection as he cut through the fat, ¡°He jumped in the way of a Space-Time Ninjutsu, one of the most advanced I¡¯ve ever seen or faced. Junichi saved the leaf shinobi meant to summon the Hokage and the imposter held him hostage for it¡­we weren¡¯t fast enough, Junko, I am sorry.¡±

    Those words had little to no meaning to Junko, ¡°Uchiha Madara but an imposter?¡± her eyes narrowed as she quickly put two and two together, ¡°Then, this imposter is from the leaf, is an Uchiha! Why aren¡¯t we¡ª!¡±

    The chants for war died in her throat as Yagura continued to hold her gaze unflinchingly, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you believe them, Konoha can¡¯t¡­they can¡¯t keep getting away with sabotage like this! This is a trick!¡±

    ¡°It is the truth you came here for, Junko. Junichi may still be alive but¡­I wouldn¡¯t hope on it, that Masked Man has something against all shinobi nations, not just us, not just Konoha. The war you wish for is coming but until it¡ª¡±

    ¡°Describe his mask. Where was the meeting? How do I find him!¡± Junko slammed her hand against his desk, finally right in front of it.

    ¡°You would die,¡± Yagura deadpanned as he turned, finally giving her his full attention. Junko found his eyes hollow, red and sore. She couldn¡¯t imagine that the Mizukage could¡¯ve grieved her dear cousin, the one she put by his side. Fuck! I never should¡¯ve done that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care! How can I find him?¡±

    He shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve already put out the bounty, it should be out soon but I don¡¯t think we should look forward to seeing that mask soon. He will appear again, that much I am sure of, but Kirigakure must be ready to face him when he does.¡±

    Junko grinded her teeth at the Mizukage, his face was calm and impassive, the dark bags under his eyes loudened his gaze, telling her he¡¯d already prepared for everything, that he¡¯d already thought of everything and felt everything that she was feeling.

    No!

    The last thing she wanted was to be understood by the man responsible for her loss, for Junichi¡¯s¡­death? The uncertainty continued to drive a stake through her and fuel the storm of emotions in her. Her heart skipped a beat and she balled her hands up in a fist again. Yagura didn¡¯t fail to notice and said, ¡°You can scream if you want to, Junko.¡±

    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t need your permission!¡± She raged, her breath more rugged than it had been crossing the Kaizoku sea. She lifted her head to him and promised, ¡°Whenever this Masked Man, imposter¡­whoever appears again, I want to be there, I want to be the one to face him.¡±

    Yagura raised a brow at that, he took a sharp breath and said, ¡°Everything I¡¯ve told you here is classified and everything you¡¯re going to learn about my mission to Konoha is also classified.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± Of course there¡¯s more. She thought, feeling like smacking her head. ¡°Tell me, now.¡±

    ¡°I will, if only so you understand that you will die if you face him. I will tell you all, now sit and listen closely, Junko.¡±

 Ch181-Prep Time

    ¡°We prepare for war.¡± I said, concluding my brief of events in the past weeks. My council was awestruck, all three were slack jawed with eyes far away from the room they occupied. Ao seemed to be the only one present of mind but even he was just as tense, all the more as he witnessed everything I¡¯d just reported.

    Lord Funato was the first to look up at me, the wrinkly old man seemed to chew on what he wanted to say, glancing between Uncle Aoto and Lady Megumi. In the end, he grunted and shuffled at the edge of his seat, ¡°But¡­with who?¡± He asked, looking at his fellows, ¡°Konoha? Whoever this Madara imposter is at the end of the day he¡¯s an Uchiha.¡±

    Lady Megumi seemed to agree, ¡°Mm, if as you say, they have been visited by the Nine-Tails then this is the best time to crush them, permanently.¡±

    Uncle Aoto shook his head as he leaned forward, ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t think war with Konoha was among Yagura¡¯s motivations going there. We¡¯ve helped them now, more so than any of their allies have. We¡¯ve gotten a powerful new jutsu as a result but that won¡¯t be enough, for us or for Konoha.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lord Funato asked.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening? There¡¯s an Uchiha running around attacking Kages and Hidden Villages and by the sound of what he¡¯s done to Konoha, he really hates them.¡± Aoto said, crossing his fingers as he continued, ¡°He won¡¯t be satisfied with just unleashing the Nine-Tails and enabling the death of the Fourth Hokage, nor will he be satisfied with Yagura¡¯s escape, he will return and when he does, he will be war-ready. As his first targets, Kirigakure and Konohagakure are natural allies against him, sometime soon, we will have to hold hands with them or risk becoming victims.¡±

    I nodded, pleased with Uncle¡¯s deduction, ¡°Well said, but as willing as we are I only hope the same goes for whoever becomes their Fifth Hokage.¡±

    Lord Funato shrugged, ¡°Sarutobi is still alive, isn¡¯t he? He will retake the mantle, surely.¡±

    Letting out a deep sigh, I tried not to sink in my seat thinking about Hiruzen as Hokage, ¡°Perhaps, but as much as I respect his legend, I worry he isn¡¯t the right person¡­Minato was¡­well, he¡¯s dead now.¡±

    A lot of the tragedy set to occur in the future is as a result of that old man¡¯s negligence. It felt poor to think but I wished Hiruzen performed the Death Reaper Seal instead of Minato. In hindsight, perhaps I could have helped that outcome in some way. But hindsight breeds nothing but regret. What¡¯s done is done, at least Kushina is alive.

    ¡°Who else could be a candidate? You mentioned Jiraiya the Sannin was present before you left.¡± Lady Megumi asked.

    I shook my head, ¡°I did my best to nudge him in that direction without outright declaring a preference but I doubt the Toad Sannin will settle as Hokage. He¡¯s far too¡­adventurous.¡± I knocked my desk and moved on from the subject, ¡°Either way, we will be together against the imposter. Minato was meant to update me on Konoha¡¯s operations in Amegakure but¡­well, without him alive to give the say so, any details of what happened there are classified secrets until our agents uncover them. But for now, know that Amegakure hosts the enemy.¡±

    ¡°Hosts?¡± Uncle asked, picking up on my unique choice of wording.

    ¡°Yes, the people of the Hidden Rain aren¡¯t necessarily our enemies, but their leaders are certainly in cohorts with those who are. I want eyes on Amegakure, as close as we can without¡­igniting another incident.¡± I said, secretly hoping Amegakure themselves didn¡¯t do something as foolish as seek out vengeance against Kirigakure.

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    ¡°Sir, I will be best for that task.¡± Ao said, stepping out of my shadow.

    ¡°Indeed, the Byakugan will allow-¡± Lady Megumi began but I cut in before she could give an argument.

    ¡°No, I need your eyes watching Utakata from now on, Ao. In fact, I believe it might be best to have you as his Jounin lead.¡±

    Ao seemed caught off guard but his eye quickly hardened, ¡°Of course, Mizukage-sama, I understand. The Six-Tails Jinchuriki cannot fall victim to the Masked Man.¡±

    ¡°Who will you have him teamed up with? Utakata is already a Chuunin, isn¡¯t he?¡± Lady Megumi asked, a greedy smile edging on her lips.

    I waved the question away, ¡°I will decide that later, I need to speak with the boy anyway, he might have some choice of his own. Regardless, Utakata must not be left without guard, the Six-Tails rampaging in the village is an outcome we must avoid at all costs.¡±

    I¡¯d given Utakata some instruction on how to reach Saiken within his seal, how to befriend the Tailed-Beast and even introduced him to Isobu in some measure. But I didn¡¯t know how much progress he¡¯s made with his Tailed-Beast, Jason¡¯s memories told me Utakata and Saiken never ended up getting along until he died and was sealed in the Gedo Statue, but I won¡¯t be waiting around for that to happen.

    ¡°Utakata has shown true promise with his control over his burden, he was even better at it than you until¡­huh, what even happened that you suddenly have so much control over the Three-Tails? Harusame mentioned that you don¡¯t even need the complete seal to keep it in control anymore.¡± Uncle asked, scratching the buzz of his stubble.

    ¡°Exactly what I am hoping Utakata accomplishes, I cannot describe what I did nor do I want to right now, very few would understand or need to.¡± As I said this Uncle frowned a bit but recovered quickly as I continued on to say, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve returned we can move forward with our plans for Yureisen and Midoriwara.¡±

    Lord Funato nearly stood up, ¡°Ah ha. We meant to settle who would control which island but your ah, interim,¡± he side eyed Uncle Aoto, ¡°kept getting in the way. I hope you can resolve this, Mizukage-sama.¡±

    Mizukage-sama huh. Kiss ass. I took a breath and looked between my councillors, Lady Megumi just as eager to hear what will decide who controls what and Uncle just pleased watching the two old folks butt heads.

    My silence didn¡¯t seem to sit well with Lord Funato as he spoke again, ¡°I have already prepared an arena for our clan¡¯s representatives to fight for the honour.¡±

    ¡°Clan representatives?¡± Lady Megumi gasped, genuinely taken aback by Lord Funato, ¡°Since when did the Demon of the Mist belong to the Funato clan? He is a clanless talent you¡¯re too keen on exploiting because none among the Funato clan can face up against our scion.¡±

    ¡°Your scion is but a child you have holstered the expectations of the Third Mizukage on, a shame your granddaughter can¡¯t live up to her father¡¯s name, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lord Funato bit back with a crack of his cane, ¡°Bring a shinobi of your clan that isn¡¯t a child and I¡¯ll-¡±

    ¡°He is no child! He is a talent your clan has lacked since the First Mizukage passed, you scoun-¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± I yelled, cutting through the inter clan rivalry, ¡°This will be decided by game, yes, a game of shogi. Your representatives, whoever you choose them to be, will challenge Aoto. The goal is not to win but not to lose. Do with that as you will.¡±

    Neither of them looked satisfied but that was often the best case scenario in situations like these. I sighed as their grumbling continued in mutters and murmurs before Uncle Aoto said, ¡°It will be my pleasure to help conclude this matter, shogi is a drunken passion of mine after all, bwahaha!¡±

    Uncle¡¯s laughter might as well be evil. I rarely snuck wins out against him even when he was sodden with alcohol and I¡¯m certain Funato and Megumi had experienced similar confounding losses against him.

    ¡°Whoever loses more valued pieces against Aoto will settle for Yureisen.¡± I said with finality. ¡°Now then, what¡¯s next on the docket?¡±

    Uncle turned a fading grin to me, ¡°There is the matter of Kumogakure.¡±

 Ch182-Prep Time(P2)

    I felt quite fortunate and extremely satisfied with my decision to uncouthly demand the [Shadow Clone] technique. There hasn¡¯t been a moment since where I¡¯d consider my rather insensitive behaviour towards Konoha in its time of terror or even taking advantage of my own unsolicited aid, the wrong move.

    I had no regrets. The ability to stand in multiple places at once allowed me to begin chewing through the backlog of concerns I had as Mizukage and frankly, I had quite a ton of those.

    Water tumbled out the mouths of Turtle Island¡¯s statues, spilling and filling the pond I sat atop. I waited patiently for Utakata, my most pressing concern at the moment among many others. Kumo, Midoriwara, the Daimyo, Akatsuki¡­I tried more than once to organize these by which mattered the most but each bore a fair deal of consequence with them I ended up having most share the same rank. In the end, I chose to deal with the issues that caused me most stress personally while my clones addressed the others as they saw fit.

    The Six-Tail¡¯s security was currently the main stressor that kept me from returning to my bed, but if I were being honest, Junichi¡¯s absence made returning to the Estate more difficult than it needed to be. He¡¯d grown to be competent in his role, so much so that I¡¯d already fired that fat-cheeked Chuunin and two others for their failure to meet up. They just keep asking questions, stupid questions.

    Uncle understood my dissatisfaction but all the same couldn¡¯t offer any solid solution to my lack of a trusty personal aide. In normal circumstances my other councillors would jump at the opportunity to press a hand into mine but those cronies were far too concerned with winning Midoriwara.

    They had a week to prepare their representatives, train them in the art as best as they could for one game is all they would be spared. No second chances. I felt some pity for Lord Funato, outside of himself and perhaps his son, I couldn¡¯t name any of his clan that were good enough at shogi to perform well against Uncle Aoto and I knew Zabuza was in no way patient enough to have learned at any point. To begin with, shogi was a game of the privileged in this world and Zabuza was anything but.

    Demon of the Mist¡­I had plans for you. I¡¯d seen some success bringing him closer during the war but since then, I¡¯d been far too distracted for either him or even Mangetsu, especially Mangetsu. I¡¯m fortunate the child is a prodigy, Lady Megumi wouldn¡¯t tolerate my neglect otherwise.

    I let out a sigh, breathing a consistent stream of improvised Sage Chakra into the pond. Yin Chakra remained elusive as ever but two heads are better than one and practice makes perfect. The [Shadow Clone] jutsu was ever a blessing, with it I¡¯d progressed not only my sensitivity to the Nature Energies but my ability to mix and mould the two in tandem with Isobu¡¯s chakra, all while balancing the volatile power with my chakra reserves, strained as they were from Konoha.

    The effects of my progress were evident as I sensed Utakata first set foot on Turtle Island half an hour before he finally reached the temple. Such an increased Sensory Range was mostly due to how much chakra any Jinchuriki walked around with, we were stars in an ocean of lanterns, it would be difficult not to sense Utakata approach.

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    ¡°Yagura-sama,¡± he greeted, knelt at the edge of the pond with his head bowed.

    I opened my eyes and bothered seeing through them for the first time since I began meditating five hours ago. I was surrounded by sea life, Isobu¡¯s chakra mixed with Nature Energies encouraged growth at a sporadic rate but the sea creatures I¡¯d birthed wouldn¡¯t live much longer than a day or two without more chakra. I¡¯d yet to reach the peak Hashirama Senju achieved all on his own.

    No pressure. I smiled at Utakata and beckoned him closer, ¡°You know why you¡¯re here, yes?¡±

    ¡°The Six-Tails still hasn¡¯t spoken to me, it just¡­stares.¡± The young shinobi said, going straight to the point. He had a look of guilt painting his features as he curled his feet in a meditative pose opposite me, ¡°I can still take its chakra and it still puts up a fight for it but it doesn¡¯t listen to anything I say.¡±

    The last time we¡¯d sat together as Jinchuriki I¡¯d ended up introducing Utakata to Isobu, it was a brief meeting within my mindscape and one I could only accomplish thanks to my bond with Isobu. Utakata, unfortunately, didn¡¯t share such a bond with Saiken just yet, as such, he couldn¡¯t bring me into his mindscape as I did with him.

    ¡°You did mention all Isobu mentioned to you, right?¡±

    A look of mild frustration crossed his face, ¡°Yes, well, he did react when I said he was a Child of Hagaromo but all that did was make it more difficult to take his chakra during training.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I trailed off into my mindscape, Isobu lounged within his ocean world.

    ¡°Saiken has never been the most¡­outspoken. He might merely be considering the validity of our words but perhaps most of all, if you, the Mizukage are merely another manipulating force.¡±

    I could see that. If it weren¡¯t for the spectre of old Yagura I might¡¯ve still been struggling to bond with Isobu. From the Six-Tails perspective, I am not a Jinchuriki but the Kage of the shinobi village that has kept him trapped for generations. I wore the hat that symbolised his entrapment and every word out of my mouth, truthful or not, was coloured by that image. I was more Jailer than Utakata was.

    How do we get through to him then? This can¡¯t turn out like it did with Kurama, we need Saiken wary, ready and willing to protect Utakata from the Akatsuki.

    While Ao was a strong and competent Jounin, I couldn¡¯t relax with him as the last line of defence should Utakata ever come across the Akatsuki out in the wild, and he surely would. A not insignificant part of me entertained the idea of keeping him in Kirigakure, forbidding him from leaving the village under any circumstances but that wouldn¡¯t do anything other than make it certain where he could be found at all times.

    Nagato would relish destroying Kirigakure just to find him. To find us. I thought, reminding myself once again that I was as much a target as Utakata, but a much more stubborn one.

    ¡°There is one thing we can try but whether it works depends entirely on Saiken, not Utakata.¡± Isobu said.

    What is it?

    ¡°I will attempt to meet Saiken in the middle, a temporary connection outside our Mindscapes. The both of you have to channel our chakra and let it meet, Saiken and I will do the rest.¡±

    I nodded and returned my attention to the real world where Utakata patiently waited for my focus, occupying himself by bubbling the flowers that grew out of the pond. ¡°What did he say?¡± he asked, quickly putting away his pipe.

    ¡°Channel some of Saiken¡¯s chakra here,¡± I said, holding out a bubbling chakra cloaked fist for him.

    He did as asked, though it took a seconds longer for his chakra to bubble up through the surface and onto his arm. I bumped his fist with a smile and said, ¡°Now, we wait.¡±

 Ch183-Prep Time(P3)

    I envied the grasses of my mansion¡¯s private training grounds, the streaks of sunlight beating their trimmed stems and the soft winds that billowed the tropical heat away. More than the grass I envied the Boss, as while he pushed the limits of [Coral Release] and strengthened the village¡¯s Tailed Beast assets, I was stuck carrying out my other bright ideas.

    At least a dozen members of the Funato and Hozuki clan each sat quietly with me in the dojo. Relatively quiet anyway, they murmured on the occasion, smirked and told loud, eager stories of their ambitions with their eyes. Understandably, there was much riding on the game I¡¯d invited them to play, an entire island would be theirs regardless of outcome but whoever came out ahead against Uncle¡¯s vicious tactics would have the bounty that was Midoriwara.

    To my left Lady Megumi sat upright as a plank, her fists unmistakably balled and buried in her lap, an emotional tension that couldn¡¯t be found on her blank, stern face as we collectively watched Uncle play against Rina. I wasn¡¯t surprised when she put her granddaughter forward to fight for the Hozuki clan¡¯s stake, Rina was quickly becoming a name light on lips, word, rumour and gossip all the same carried throughout the clan as they boasted her accomplishments in Midoriwara. She was always her grandmother¡¯s pet, albeit not Lady Megumi¡¯s first choice for clan scion despite the close relation, Rina was still taught the soft skills Lady Megumi believed would better suit her, skills she had personally mastered.

    But while Lady Megumi would¡¯ve certainly posed a challenge to Uncle¡¯s drunken mastery of the game, the depth of Rina¡¯s skill was yet to be seen. In the end, I had more faith in Rina stealing more pieces from Uncle than I did in Lord Funato¡¯s chosen. It seemed the old man was still blinded in the ways of ages past as lurking behind him and with a much more obvious expression of building rage and dissatisfaction was the Demon Mist, Momochi Zabuza.

    Lord Funato had prepared in advance for a death match or at least something adjacent because that has been the most common resolution to land and territory disputes, not games of shogi. Had I even thought to letting the Funato and Hozuki brawl for Midoriwara I¡¯d commend his choice of the Demon Mist; no matter what rank I placed such a match for Zabuza would always be a capable choice and even better, he defeated Mangetsu publically in the Swordsmen tournaments. A repeat wouldn¡¯t only be possible with his sponsorship, it would nearly be inevitable.

    That inevitability is partly my fault. I thought as I inspected Zabuza in the corner of my eye. He wore a lightweight, form-fitting armour made from chakra-infused silk, the kind that allowed better refraction of light and only a clan head or well-paid Chuunin could afford. His weapon, a pair of wakizashi poked up at his sides, his feet and arms were well supplied with hidden weapons and pouches. Lord Funato had truly taken him on and the young Genin had fallen into the old man¡¯s blind leaping.

    He¡¯s useless here. I shook my head, it''s no wonder the Demon was angry, though Lord Funato seemed to be the one person with any right to be furious. The turn of events failed woefully to favour him or his choice to invest so much in a Demon he couldn¡¯t unleash. I wonder what else he¡¯s given Zabuza.

    I wondered because the Boss had plans, intentions really. It was a vaguely formed idea I hesitated to initiate, less because Lord Funato had gotten his paws all over the young Demon and more because any more responsibility towards a yearning, youthful shinobi would push things over the edge. Rina had found herself amongst the many events that pulled us away from each other, but even now, with every piece Uncle stole away and for every second she stole back, I felt her stare on me.

    There was some fortune to be had from my task here; the impartial, unbiased observer was the role I¡¯d given myself to play and I played it well. Uncle had already won the last two rounds of three with no more than twelve pieces taken from him, it was as if that was all he¡¯d allow despite Rina¡¯s valiant attempts to steal more. Each piece she stole was one more piece the Funato clan¡¯s chosen player would have to match and surpass if they wished to govern Midoriwara.

    Rina stole Uncle¡¯s single Rook, counting the piece as her twelfth and her final. As Uncle¡¯s smirk vanished and his eyes narrowed, she wouldn¡¯t steal another. Knowing this well Rina glanced up and her grandmother and I, eyes searching before she faced her opponent and bowed.

    The competitive blaze in Uncle¡¯s eyes tamed as he snorted, ¡°Not going to hound me for your first thirteenth?¡± The two players hadn¡¯t spoken a word since the start of the first game where they wished for the best player to win.

    Without raising her head Rina gave her retort, ¡°Would you let me have it?¡±

    ¡°No such thing, you bit free every piece with your own skill, no pity or sympathy involved. Will you give up now?¡±

    This time Rina looked at her spectating clan members, their eyes speaking louder than ever, more so than Lady Megumi¡¯s clenched jaw. She bowed to them, apologized to Uncle Aoto and continued playing till failure, watching helplessly as her Lances and Silver Generals were pushed aside, stolen and bypassed till her King fell.

    Uncle and Rina stood and bowed, ¡°Some plays are best executed with a lighter board.¡± he said, smiling brightly as he whirled around at the gathered Hozuki and Funato clansmen and clapped, ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat? Drink? Lighten this all serious mood, what do you say?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a party, Karatachi.¡± Lord Funato all but sneered, his knuckles whitened against his cane.

    I couldn¡¯t help being proud of how civil everyone has been. I nodded, pushing aside my lust for the outside and not dull play-by-plays Uncle would use against his opponents, ¡°He¡¯s right, we should get this over with quickly, there is work to be done on Yureisen, the longer Princess Hanako exercises full authority the more we¡¯ll have to bargain for.¡±

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    Uncle¡¯s smirk turned mischievous, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you can afford to suffer a quick match, Funato-dono.¡±

    ¡°Suffer?¡± a man whispered from the Funato cluster, right of the dojo. He stood, a hulk of a man barely concealed in the sea of his orange-haired clansmen. I recognized him instantly, his deepening sneer, the spike of churning chakra, the taste of his undue killing intent.

    Shigeru¡­Lord Funato¡¯s heir. I suppressed a groan as two more Funato clansmen rose beside him, his shoulders bolstering considerably as his glare flamed against Uncle who stood looking entirely unimpressed but certainly not bored. Don¡¯t have too much fun with this, Uncle.

    My thoughts and prayers were just so and blown to the riling winds as murmurs spread across the observing Hozuki clan as the Funato heir continued to speak, ¡°Do you see us defeated? Our wits outmatched by a child no older than my own?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one saying things now, Funato-kun.¡± Uncle said, his voice deliberately high pitched as he belittled the middle aged man as a child.

    Shigeru¡¯s face bloomed like a rose in spring, he lurched forward accusatory finger wagged in Uncle¡¯s face as his clansmen wisely held him back, ¡°Don¡¯t think for one second we¡¯ll let this blatant abuse, this disrespect¡­no! We won¡¯t sweep it under the rug, the favouritis-!¡±

    ¡°May I remind you all!¡± Lady Megumi¡¯s voice pierced through the fermenting anger, her own clansmen stopped looking so ready for a fight to listen as well as Shigeru stopped his barking, ¡°You are in the presence of the Fourth Mizukage, address yourselves with respect or lose it.¡±

    Their eyes fell on me, a wave of blond and orange haired tense gazes. I did my best to look disapproving of the starting brawl, as much as I¡¯d love to see Uncle put Shigeru in his place, or even be the one to do it, I didn¡¯t need to give any one clan ammunition to hurt the other. The Boss¡¯s idea was to resolve this peacefully, without room for doubts or excuses.

    I let my stony gaze fall on each of the riled up Funato clansmen, some squirmed while others looked back. In the end I settled on Uncle himself, ¡°Enough, Aoto, finish this and let the judgement be known.¡±

    Uncle¡¯s sliver of mirth vanished, replaced by a sheepish smile of a chastised subordinate he groaned, and nodded over at the Funato clan¡¯s chosen player; a young man in his twenties, he didn¡¯t seem to be a shinobi but a combination of his spectacles, sandals and plain philosopher robes gave the strong impression of a learned, even genius individual. His hair wasn¡¯t orange and the Funato clansmen didn¡¯t seem to recognize him as anything more than their best chance at winning.

    Another talent recruit. At this point I have to wonder what the clan is to itself. I thought as Aoto and the Funato clan representative bowed and sat together. If my thoughts could be read I¡¯d certainly have trouble fending off those accusations of favouritism Shigeru was about to throw, but it couldn¡¯t be helped, the Funato clan was a victim of their success, their founders'' success.

    The First Mizukage left behind a legacy so great it overshadowed every descendant of his. Each and everyone of the Funato clansmen aspired to be as great as the First Mizukage but none have even stepped out of his shadow to achieve more than what was required of them, they were an unimaginative, stagnant, and inflexible clan subsisting off the wealth of their ancestor and the military prestige Lord Funato¡¯s proximity to me afforded them. A grace that was clearly thinner than it was a Kage ago.

    They could do with some competition. My thoughts were seemingly heard and answered as the clansmen gasped and wore grins as the stolen pieces were counted from their first round against Uncle Aoto.

    ¡°Fourteen¡­¡± I muttered. Huh, perhaps they are buckling up. I thought as nervous faces spread across the quiet and contained Hozuki clansmen. I paid attention to the second round long enough to find that it might¡¯ve been a mere streak of luck. A saddening twelve pieces were marked and then a heart-shattering eleven for the third, the Hozuki clan had won Midoriwara.

    The dojo was still with emotion. The Funato clansmen bottled their opinions but didn¡¯t hesitate to let it speak through their grit teeth and furrowed brows but the Hozuki, reserved and humble in fear of loss all this time wore the oh so arrogant faces they were known for as they showered Rina with barely contained whispers of praise.

    I stood for the first time since I¡¯d entered the dojo, hovered above the board where the final game was played, inspecting and approving it with my gaze one last time before looking between a very pleased Lady Megumi and a surprisingly restrained Lord Funato, though, who could tell behind those wrinkles.

    ¡°I declare this contest won, true and just to the victory of Rina Hozuki for the honour of her clan. The Isle of Midoriwara will be governed from henceforth, by the authority of the Hozuki clan and the Mizukage. Am I understood?¡±

    The two clan heads answered as one, their hands clutched in the middle, ¡°¡°Yes, Yagura-sama.¡±¡±

    I brightened up, signalled a perched servant as I spoke, ¡°Perfect! Now we can have some food and drinks, we celebrate a new certainty in our collective futures. A wealth of change, prosperity and strength abundant!¡±

    The round of healthy, boisterous cheers from the Hozuki clan easily made up for the lacklustre of the Funato but I wasn¡¯t all concerned, I was already walking out to bathe in the sun and smell the grass, I¡¯d been born and cooped up in that dojo by duty and civility. I breathed a sigh and shut my eyes to the sun¡¯s rays. This was one of the few days I allowed Kirigakure to enjoy a cloudless sky and I was no exception to my rule, I¡¯d make the most of it.

    ¡°Mizukage-sama,¡± Lord Funato greeted, approaching behind me with Zabuza the mistletoe and his fuming heir and son, Shigeru. ¡°I haven¡¯t come to raise any dispute or make any accusations.¡±

    ¡°Oh that doesn¡¯t reassure me as much as you may think, Lord Funato.¡± I said, my head still raised to the sun, eyes shut as its rays continued to tan my skin.

    ¡°I simply propose another contest, this time a demonstration between clans. I believe we have enough people gathered.¡± Lord Funato said, his cane pressing softly on the grass as he waddled beside me. ¡°A simple, friendly game of-¡±

    My eyes flung open and I snapped to him, ¡°I don¡¯t believe another game, one you¡¯ve no doubt prepared for, held so soon after your loss will be anything friendly. Lord Funato, I understand but I do not have time to entertain nor permit any more games, enjoy yourselves if you wish but I will be attending to other matters.¡±

    I excused myself from the stunned silent trio and returned to the dojo, now soaked with strong scents of food, fish, beef, and birds of the prized isle of Midoriwara. I met Rina with a smile and Uncle with a curt, thankful nod for his impartial part in this. While Rina wanted to serenade me with tales of her and Mei¡¯s good work in Tauyi village, I recognized I couldn¡¯t well raise my chin to one clan while grinning with another.

    I have favourites, there¡¯s no mistake about that but they don¡¯t need to know. I waved Uncle goodbye and dissolved my existence to a thread-base of chakra returning to the Boss with memories of all that transpired.