"Tch!"
In a split second, threads of chakra whipped around Yagura's body!
Before the Third Raikage's fist could strike, Sasori yanked hard with his right hand! With his left, he sent chakra threads snapping toward a salamander puppet, flinging it forward to intercept the blow!
Boom!!
Even the salamander puppet, known for its top-tier defense, was shattered instantly under the Third Raikage's fist! The wooden puppet exploded, sending mechanical fragments and a massive iron shield flying backward.
But that brief obstruction bought enough time—Sasori pulled Yagura out of the danger zone just in time!
Panting, heart racing, Yagura collapsed to the ground in a cold sweat. He glanced at Sasori, a bitter yet grateful smile tugging at his lips.
"If you'd shown up a second later, I'd be toast."
Sasori didn't bother responding to the small talk. He stated flatly, without emotion,
"You owe me a puppet."
"Reinforcements, huh."
The Third Raikage didn't seem particularly troubled—more surprised than anything.
"You're a puppet master from Sunagakure."
Those chakra threads left no room for doubt.
His gaze fell on the scratched forehead protector on Sasori's arm. The symbol of Sunagakure had a deep gouge through it.
The Third Raikage's expression darkened with disgust.
"A rogue ninja."
Among the Five Great Villages, the bonds between Kumogakure shinobi were known to be the strongest.
That unity came from the top—from the Raikage himself—and flowed down to the lowest ranks.
As a result, Kumogakure had the fewest rogue ninja of any village. Betrayal, whether of one's village or comrades, was utterly despised.
"It's a business arrangement," Sasori replied simply, explaining why he now stood against the Raikage. "At least until I get paid, I can't let my employer die at your hands, Raikage."
"A traitor from another village dares talk big?"
To the Third Raikage, this rogue puppet master from Sunagakure was no threat. Especially not one who'd already betrayed his own people.
With that, the Raikage charged forward.
"One more puppet master changes nothing!"
Sasori's reply was cool:
"Who said it was just me?"
...
A towering pillar of water burst up between the two sides, cutting off the Raikage's path!
Hozuki Mangetsu emerged, body flowing with water. Empowered arms swung down, wielding a massive blade to meet the Raikage head-on!
Yagura's eyes widened in shock. That blade—!
The vast chakra Mangetsu had been storing surged all at once. With a mighty swing, he slammed the released Hiramekarei straight into the Third Raikage—forcing the juggernaut back!
The blade struck true. Mangetsu landed, both blades in hand, his liquified form returning to human.
He turned and glared fiercely at Yagura.
"Hey! You really thought I'd let my Mizukage run off and die alone?!"
"'Run off and die' is a bit much," Yagura muttered. "At most, I was offering myself up for free."
Zabuza dropped down beside them, glancing at Yagura with a smirk.
"I'm here too, obviously. We're not exactly obedient little kids."
Yagura's pupils trembled. "You two..."
"Stop pushing yourself. What you need now is healing."
Mei Terumi placed a firm hand on his shoulder as he tried to rise, then called over her shoulder,
"Medical unit, move up!"
Thinking back to Mei's earlier actions, Yagura quickly put the pieces together.
"You brought Mangetsu and the others."
Another hand clapped onto his other shoulder, shifting his attention.
"Just stay down and let us handle it."
"Ameyuri?!"
"We got Mei's signal and came immediately," Ringo Ameyuri said with a nod, gesturing toward the front line.
Beside her, Kisame had already moved ahead of everyone, stepping up beside Mangetsu.
"That last hit was beautiful, Hozuki."
"You think I need you to tell me that?" Mangetsu scoffed.
The Third Raikage rose to his feet, brushing off the spot on his chest where the blade had struck. Not a scratch.
Mangetsu felt a heavy sense of dread.
"Even with all the chakra I built up over months, my strongest Hiramekarei technique didn't do a damn thing...!"
This was Mangetsu's first battle against a Kage-level opponent.
He'd launched a perfect surprise strike, but it hadn't helped at all.
The Third Raikage's eyes flicked over Mangetsu and Kisame—clearly, he wasn't taking either of them seriously.
Instead, his expression shifted as he looked past Yagura.
The sound of movement in the air told him: a large force of shinobi was closing in.
Kirigakure's reinforcements had arrived—for their Mizukage!
"Move! All you brats get outta the way!"
Charging ahead of the group, the Kaguya clan's battle maniacs were the first to reach the front line, facing off with the Raikage!
The stronger the opponent, the more excited they became.
Just the sight of the Raikage's hulking frame had their blood pumping!
And they weren't alone—the Kaguya had merely been the fastest.
One by one, the other clans of Kirigakure followed: Hozuki, Yuki, Karatachi, Terumi... and many non-clan shinobi too.
"We're not too late, are we?!"
"Letting the Mizukage be put in danger—what a disgrace!"
"Karatachi squad, reporting in!"
"We're here!"
"Medical team, moving up!"
Among the healers was Kaede Onime, who arrived with his mentor and quickly joined the effort to treat Yagura's injuries.
As his strength returned, Yagura slowly got to his feet, deeply moved by the sight of all the Kirigakure shinobi standing to protect him.
"Everyone..."
"You're not carrying this burden alone."
Mei Terumi, who had initiated this secret mission, scolded him bluntly.
"Kirigakure belongs to all of us."
The work Yagura had done since taking up the mantle of Mizukage hadn't gone unnoticed—by the clans, or by the average shinobi.
When Kumogakure brazenly launched an attack on them, and Yagura chose to confront it personally, only a day or two had passed.
Most didn't know all the details.
But after Yagura left, Yuki Murasaki and Karatachi Natsuhiko took swift action—rallying the clans, delivering the truth, and exposing Kumogakure's blatant disrespect.
Kirigakure had grown weak—so much so that their enemies no longer even considered them a threat.
And once again, their young Mizukage had stepped forward alone to defend their honor.
Even the stoic, emotionally reserved shinobi of Kirigakure felt something stir in their hearts.
He was a fool—a fool beyond saving, maybe—but could they really leave a child to save them every time, while they hid in the shadows?
Absolutely not.
Never again.
And so the reinforcements had come, to stand beside their Mizukage.
After Mei's signal for help, the clans had mobilized at once. A thousand Kirigakure shinobi had set out overnight to reach the battlefield.
Now, faced with the sheer number of arriving Mist shinobi, the Third Raikage's expression finally darkened.
He could feel it—Kirigakure wasn't the same as before.
This wasn't just a horde of bloodthirsty warriors. These were soldiers united under a single banner.
Was this really the same "Bloody Mist" village?
The Raikage couldn't help but feel stunned. This new Mizukage had somehow turned this once-divided force into a cohesive army in mere months.
And the shinobi standing at the front weren't to be taken lightly.
They were all elite jonin—wielders of kekkei genkai.
Kirigakure might be weakened, but they weren't cowards. They didn't fear war—or their enemies.
If it was war Kumogakure wanted...
Then war it would be.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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