The air of Kirigakure was chilly and humid.
Due to the evaporation of the bodies of water that surrounded the hidden village, the scenery was often hazy and full of mist, living up to its name.
When combined with the horrifying state of the street, where corpses were being dragged by the emotionless ninjas, really, there was only one way to define them.
Bloody Mist.
The ninjas were forced to kill their kin for the sake of graduation. Trained to be tools of the village since young, they didn't know what a compassion meant. All that they knew... was the pleasure of violence.
"Mizukage-sama."
As one figure walked down said street, everyone around lowered their heads, out of respect and fear.
Grey hair. Pupil-less pink eyes. This short-statured man at the age of mid twenties was Karatachi Yagura, the current, fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure.
Unfazed, he walked through the street full of the dead. It was as if he was taking a casual stroll, thinking that what was occurring around him was normal.
"Welcome back from the summit. How did the discussion go?"
"..."
A shinobi around mid-forties in age, a jonin in terms of status, bowed and asked Yagura. However, Yagura didn't bother to answer but simply walked past him.
In silence, the shinobi raised his body, turned, and glanced Yagura stoically.
An unusual, creepy-looking smile made its way to the shinobi's visage.
'The seat of Mizukage...'
The shinobi drew a ninjato. Its blade was stained in blood, and it seemed to be thirsting for more—just as the shinobi.
With a greed for violence, and with rationality forsaken, the shinobi swung the ninjato, aiming to draw the blood of Mizukage.
'Is mine...!'
Everything happened in a split second. By the time the shinobi realized, his body was unable to move...
...Covered in corals.
"..."
Yagura slowly turned and eyed the shinobi.
"Mizu... kage..."
That was the final words spoken by the shinobi before the corals covered his face as well.
Taking his eyes off, Yagura resumed his walk. From behind, a terrifying noise occurred at the human-shaped coral shell, before the blood oozed out of it as if being squeezed out.
...
Seated atop the throne, Yagura crossed his legs and supported his jaw with his hand. His posture spoke of arrogance, but no one in the site dared to point it out.
The high table consisted of the core ninjas of the village, including the Seven Swordsmen and the elders who could be considered the past legends.
"The moment Kiri attacks the eastern portion of the land of fire is when Kumo and Iwa will simultaneously attack the north-western and north-eastern borders that they are situated at. Even with their well-known military, they won't be able to fend off the three-way invasion. This will be our victory."
As Yagura spoke, the ninjas and elders listened in silence, with their heads lowered respectfully.
"However, for us to fully commit to the war, we must first focus on the unfinished business within this village..."
Yagura gazed at Seiji, specifically.
"You said that Terumi Mei is caught?"
"Yes, Mizukage-sama! She is currently locked up, completely vulnerable!"
Yagura's eyes narrowed.
"'Red Blade' as well?"
Seiji brought out the blue orb that was in his care the whole time.
"I used the imprisoning orb that you left with me, Mizukage-sama. Red Blade Akashi is currently trapped in this relic. Given the structure, it is impossible for him to escape from this unless a disturbance is brought from the outside... such as shattering this orb."
"The imprisoning orb... to think I'd see the time where a remnant of the fallen Uzushiogakure would end up benefiting our village."
Yagura seemed mildly amused by such a thought.
"But no matter."
Taking the orb that Seiji respectfully passed to him, Yagura held it with his right hand and inspected it lazily. Losing his interest eventually, Yagura threw it back to Seiji, to which Seiji yelped in horror as he dove to catch the orb before it touched the ground and shattered.
"Huff... huff..."
"Keep that orb safe. Should Red Blade be freed, you know the consequences."
"Y-Yes!"
Yagura, for the first time, broke his poker face and smiled.
"Prepare to hold an execution."
__________
Within the dim underground, there lied a single prison cell.
Three people—Ao, Zabuza, and Gai—sat in silence, and the only noise in the scene was the sound of a water droplet dripping down from above.
Their sunken eyes emanated exhaustion. They didn't have any energy to scream or even move, having been given barely any food to survive throughout the day.
A noise came from afar, the sound of footsteps. The three of them shifted their eyes in the direction, and they saw a silhouette of a person running—as if in a hurry.
"Huff huff... Ao! Zabuza!"
A Kiri kunoichi revealed herself, sweating profusely. Holding the bars, she cried,
"Mei... she got caught too!"
"...What?"
Zabuza frowned.
"How come, when... she had that monster with her?"
"Monster?"
"There's a guy, named Akashi. If Mei was alone though..."
"Akashi...? Wait—"
Tch, Zabuza clicked his tongue before coughing dryly.
"Zabuza!"
"Shut... up for a second, Nana."
Zabuza sighed.
"Anyway, you heard that."
There were two silent people ahead of them. They were to serve as the guards who guarded and monitored Zabuza, Ao, and Gai. For some reason, they didn't stop the kunoichi, Nana, from approaching and relaying information to them.
In truth, Kiri was still in shambles. Though the war has ceased under the dominance of Karatachi Yagura, the throne snatched by violence is bound to be unstable.
The civilians continued to suffer. People were ruthlessly killed simply because of their heritages. Instead of stabilization, Yagura decided to head to the war immediately, leaving no future for his own people.
In such a situation, there was always bound to be the thought of rebellion. No sane man, even if it were to be the people of Bloody Mist, would sit and wait knowing that their doom is approaching.
Therefore, the two guards—ninjas—remained silent. Allowed the contact of Zabuza's group with the outside. They simply observed and watched, thinking of which side has more benefits for them.
"Gozu. Meizu. Or should I say, Demon Brothers?"
Zabuza spoke to the two guards.
"You know just as much as we do, don't you? That there is no future with Yagura's Kiri?"
"That isn't the point."
Finally, Gozu and Meizu spoke up.
"Should the village fall, we will simply leave. Question is, how will you defeat that madman?"
"One day, Yagura changed completely at a young age. From kind to cold, from empathetic to merciless. He abruptly interrupted the transferring ritual of the three tails and took over the spot of the one who was to be the next jinchuriki. Somehow, his seals held on in a very stable manner, unlike any other."
"From then on, a monster of Kiri was born. Since then, Yagura hasn't lost... not even once."
The Demon Brothers of Kiri stared at Zabuza.
"Are you telling us to go against such a man?"
Without answering the question, Zabuza asked Nana,
"Continue from where you left off, Nana."
"Where I left off...?"
"Whatever you heard about that name, 'Akashi.'"
"About that... I heard the name being spoken by Terumi Seiji as he was taking Mei away to a separate cell. Unfortunately, that's about it."
"..."
Gozu's face twitched in a realization as the conversation went on.
"That Akashi whom you speak of..."
Such a name wasn't that common. And currently, there is one world-widely known name that almost all the ninjas are aware of.
"Red Blade. That's what people tend to call him."
Ao was the one to answer, speaking up after a long silence.
"It was a deal between Terumi-sama and him, that in return for his service, she'd give him a place to stay, a peace that he wished for."
Meizu paused. Then asked,
"...And the chance of his victory is? Against Yagura?"
"Who knows?"
Zabuza snorted.
"All we know is that... it's not going to be a zero percent."
Nana, listening to the conversation, gulped. Calming herself down, she questioned,
"Then, should I focus on gathering intel about that man?"
"Yes."
Ao turned to look at Gai, who seemed to have fallen asleep.
"As much as I hate to say it... him, the outsider, is the best chance we have."
"Now leave."
Gozu then spoke to Nana, coldly.
"If you will be visiting, do so two days after. If caught by anyone other than us, you will be killed."
__________
Within the darkness, Akashi remained seated, cross-legged. With his hands joined together, it seemed as if he was meditating.
His lone eye was closed. Without speaking, he was concentrating.
The blue chakra blazed from his body. It swirled and flowed smoothly, moving in accordance with Akashi's will.
In his mind, thousands of experiences went through.
Lightning nature.
Water nature.
Earth nature.
They surge, flow, and manifest.
Standing up slowly, Akashi held Ryuma with his eye closed.
He then danced with the blade, moving with finesse and elegance.
As he did so, the blade caught on fire. The dark environment was illuminated in red light as Akashi swung and stabbed the blade forth. Eventually, the fire died down.
In its place, the wind replaced the fire. Invisible and sharp, the breeze reached Akashi's hair as he continued to play with the sword. Eventually, the wind died down.
Then, the lightning—of his own and not from Kiba—made its emergence onto Ryuma for the first time. It crackled dangerously, and the darkness was dispelled by the bright blue light. The lightning, too, died down as Akashi retracted the sensation.
Following the lightning, the water emerged. A trail of water was left along the path by which Akashi swung the blade. The water then splashed upon falling down and reaching the dark ground. The water bounced and Akashi's feet stepped through them, adding an artistic touch to the scene. The water eventually died down as well.
At last, the crumbs of earth manifested and attached themselves to the blade. Having gotten notably heavier, Akashi switched his style such that he now held the blade with both hands. Slower but stronger, he swung the blade. Every time he did so, a menacing sound of whoosh emanated, making one guess just how much blow it must be packing. At the end of it, the earth crumbled off the blade as Akashi retracted his chakra.
His motion stopped. Sheathing Ryuma, Akashi slowly opened his eye.
Opening his palm, rasengan was formed in an instant.
It was the time for the next step.