Land of Water.
Kirigakure Village.
White mist drifted everywhere, illusory and surreal. The streets and buildings were shrouded in heavy fog, with almost no pedestrians in sight.
Mizukage Tower.
A gray-white cylindrical building made of stone bricks. Its top was an open platform, and the floor below had a ring of floor-to-ceiling windows. The Mizukage's office was located within.
Yagura stood by the window, gazing out through the glass at the districts veiled in fog.
His doll-like face appeared stiff, and his pink eyes were completely dull and lifeless.
"Mizukage-sama, per your orders, the Elder Master and the clan leaders of the major families have all been secured in the conference room on the top floor."
A Hidden Mist ANBU agent appeared with a flicker, kneeling respectfully behind Yagura, head bowed, voice emotionless.
"Good work. You may go."
Yagura didn't turn around, speaking in a deep voice.
"Yes—"
The ANBU departed.
Once no one was near the Mizukage's office, Yagura's body twitched.
A white creature emerged from his right shoulder—a White Zetsu, pale and twisted like a grotesque monster.
Its mouth split open in a sinister smile, and its bright greenish-brown eyes peered into the shadowy corner behind.
"We're screwed, we're screwed! The Uchihas have reached the borders of the Land of Water. Those three useless members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were taken down by Uchiha Yu. They'll probably reach the village within a day. So, what do we do now?"
From the shadows, Obito, masked, slowly stepped out. He walked behind the Mizukage's desk, sat in the Mizukage's seat, clasped his fingers together on the table, and after a long silence, said:
"Go eliminate Uchiha Yu and his team."
White Zetsu's face froze in horror.
"Huh? Me?"
This Zetsu was just a basic one, usually hiding inside Yagura to observe internal affairs when Obito was too busy to directly control him.
Telling it to eliminate Uchiha Yu? What a joke. If it could do that, would it still be hiding inside Yagura?
Obito's voice turned cold:
"Of course I mean the one you're inhabiting. Let them feel what true terror from a Tailed Beast is like!"
White Zetsu: "…"
It fell silent. It wanted to protest but figured Obito wouldn't listen anyway, so it shut its mouth.
Silence filled the office.
"Why did Uchiha Yu return to Kirigakure with Mei Terumi? What is he after?"
Obito's expression, hidden behind the mask, was difficult to read. He muttered to himself.
"He's after Mei Terumi's body!"
White Zetsu grinned slyly.
"..."
Obito turned to glare at him. White Zetsu immediately shut up.
"Could it be for the Tailed Beasts?" White Zetsu asked seriously.
He had thought about it earlier—if Yu came to the Mist for the tailed beasts, and Obito sent Yagura, who had the Three-Tails inside him, to face Yu, wouldn't that be playing directly into his hands?
"No. What would Yu want with Tailed Beasts?" Obito asked back.
White Zetsu answered in a low voice:
"Didn't you say that Yu could absorb other people's chakra? Then he should be able to absorb a Tailed Beast's chakra too, right?"
Obito fell silent, thinking.
"The chakra of a Tailed Beast is too violent. Yu wouldn't be able to control it. So most likely, Uchiha Yu isn't interested in Tailed Beasts."
Not to mention the time and energy needed to control one.
Sealing a tailed beast was the biggest challenge.
Back then, Obito had taken advantage of Kushina giving birth to release the Nine-Tails in Konoha, causing a catastrophe that shook the ninja world. But with Konoha's interference, he hadn't had time to fully control the beast, let alone seal it and take it away.
If Yu wanted to steal the Three-Tails and Six-Tails, even putting Obito's own opposition aside, would the Mist's elders agree?
"If he doesn't want the beasts or Mei's body, then what is Yu after by helping the Mist?" White Zetsu shook his head, puzzled.
"Keep thinking…"
Obito's mind raced, going over recent events across the ninja world.
According to the original plan:
He had helped Itachi wipe out the Uchiha clan and recruited him into the Akatsuki. Then the Akatsuki would lie dormant for a few years, waiting to grow strong before hunting the Tailed Beasts.
But because of Yu, the Uchiha clan hadn't been completely destroyed, and the power balance of the ninja world had shifted. Everything had spun out of Obito's control.
Now, Konoha was on the verge of being attacked by Iwagakure and Kumogakure. If the village fell, the fate of the Nine-Tails would be unknown.
And Sunagakure and Kirigakure had grown weaker since the Third Great Ninja War, likely unable to join the battle.
This had forced Obito and Nagato to consider moving up their plans to capture the Tailed Beasts.
Obito's current goal in Kirigakure was naturally to capture the Three-Tails and Six-Tails.
But before that—
He wanted to use the tailed beasts for a surprise attack—to deal a heavy blow to Yu's Uchiha squad.
Besides, Mei Terumi allying with the Uchiha was to restore order to Kirigakure.
Then he'd release the tailed beasts and destroy the Mist—wipe out its current leadership—and plunge the village that had caused Rin's death into chaos.
Obito shook his head, though, abandoning the thought of killing all the leaders.
What if Yu really was here for the tailed beasts?
Then killing the elders would just be helping him remove obstacles.
The best move now was to unite all of Kirigakure's leadership against the Uchiha.
But even controlling Yagura, Obito couldn't fully accomplish that. After years of his manipulation, the Mist was deeply divided.
Those old guards of Kirigakure had allowed Mei Terumi to leave the village with followers precisely because they wanted to overthrow Yagura's rule.
"I'll just use genjutsu to control all the old fogeys… Yeah, direct and simple."
Obito stood slowly, having made up his mind. Just a few steps later, he turned to ask:
"By the way, what happened to that Hoshigaki Kisame I told you to recruit?"
"Oh, he agreed to join the Akatsuki. He should be on his way to the organization's base in the Land of Rain by now," White Zetsu replied.
"Good."
Obito nodded. At least there was some good news.
"But he had one condition—he wants his former superior's sword, Samehada, which belonged to Mangetsu Hozuki."
"..."
Obito was silent for a moment, then muttered grimly:
"Why didn't he say that earlier…? Whatever, we'll try to get it for him."
He valued Kisame's strength—with or without a sword.
As they spoke, Obito controlled Yagura to walk to the office door. White Zetsu slithered back into his shoulder.
Click—
The door opened.
Yagura walked alone through the dark corridor and up the stairs to the top floor conference room.
"Mizukage-sama!"
Two Mist ANBU emerged from the shadows, kneeling before him. Yagura gave a slight nod, and they stood and pushed open the door.
Even before stepping inside, he could hear the shouting:
"Let us out! I'm the clan head of the Hozuki! Who gave you the right to imprison me under the guise of protection?!"
"Someone, Elder Master wants to meet the Mizukage!"
The moment Yagura stepped into the room, the uproar ceased. Everyone turned to look at the Fourth Mizukage.
"Lord Fourth, what's the meaning of this?" the Hozuki clan head demanded.
He was a white-haired elder with a powerful gaze and sturdy build. Beside him sat the bald Elder Master in a wheelchair, flanked by two guards.
Yagura's empty gaze swept across the room as he muttered:
"Everyone… The Uchiha rebels have arrived in the Land of Water. They intend to seize control of Kirigakure. We now face an existential crisis…
I ask that all major clans of the Mist unite and hunt down the Uchiha!"
"..."
Elder Master bowed his head and sighed softly. His guards stood silently behind his wheelchair.
Mei Terumi had already passed on secret intel—the Uchiha weren't here to take over. They were here to save the village.
"The Uchiha?"
"Are they insane?"
The Mist leaders whispered to each other.
In the confusion, from the shadows behind Yagura stepped a man wearing a spiral mask—Obito. At the same time, his Mangekyō Sharingan activated.
"Everyone… stop wondering."
"Who are you?!"
"That eye…"
"Uchiha!"
The Mist elders' pupils contracted. Some of the shinobi instinctively reached for their weapons.
The Uchiha were right in front of them!
But the next instant—
Everyone's bodies trembled as Yin Release chakra flowed into them and genjutsu flooded their minds.
"Whoosh—"
After Obito finished everything, he deactivated the Mangekyō. Chakra within his body sharply dropped.
Using genjutsu to control fifty or sixty people at once left his mind overwhelmed with fatigue.
He couldn't imagine how terrifying the strain must be when Uchiha Yu controlled thousands of people at once.
"Mizukage-sama!!"
Hearing the sudden silence in the meeting room, the Hidden Mist ANBU stationed outside immediately sensed something was off. They burst through the door in a flash.
Inside, the Fourth Mizukage stood alone before the high-ranking leaders of Kirigakure.
"..."
The two ANBU looked around—up, down, left, and right—but saw nothing suspicious.
Then, noticing the dazed expressions of the elders in front of Yagura, their pupils shrank. One of them cautiously asked from behind:
"Mizukage-sama?"
Yagura slowly turned his head and replied in a low voice, "It's fine. There's no need to protect the elders any longer. I've already convinced the clan heads and elders. Kirigakure will now unite as one to fight the invading traitors of the Uchiha clan."
"Yes—"
The two ANBU visibly relaxed, nodded, and departed.
Once the doors shut again—
Space twisted.
Obito reappeared from the Kamui dimension. He took out an eye dropper and tilted his head back, dripping solution into his right eye through the mask.
The subordinates of the genjutsu-controlled Mist leaders left the meeting room one by one. As they passed Obito, they behaved as though he wasn't even there.
They were going to carry out the tasks planted in their minds by Obito's genjutsu.
That very day, the internal forces of the few remaining bloodline clans in Kirigakure were fully mobilized and on alert.
...
Night.
A coastal island near Kirigakure, within the Land of Water. A small inn.
In a first-floor suite—
The lighting was warm. A few indoor potted plants, a sofa, and a tea table decorated the room simply.
"Hehehe… that tickles!"
Uchiha Izumi lay on the couch, laughing with her eyes shut, tears of joy in her beautiful eyes and cheeks flushed pink.
She let Samehada rub against her feet like a puppy playing with its owner.
"Hrahh—!"
In one corner, Tamao roared as he swung the Executioner's Blade, chopping down a corner plant. Green leaves scattered everywhere.
Meanwhile, Minami sat cross-legged on the floor with a group of Uchiha, all studying the Thunder Sword: Kiba.
Near the window, Nono listened attentively as Ao explained the finer details of Byakugan usage.
Impressed, Nonoyu couldn't help but praise him. She thought it was a loss to the Hyūga clan that Ao hadn't been born into it.
"Minami-nii, does this ninja blade have any special powers?"
"No idea."
Faced with the question, Minami picked up Kiba, observed it closely, and shook his head.
"Well, there's someone here who does know a lot about these swords," an Uchiha said.
Everyone turned simultaneously to Mei Terumi, who was quietly sitting near the window with nothing to do.
"?" Mei's brows twitched as her heart sank. What a joke—after seizing Kirigakure's ninja swords, they expected her to explain how to use them?
A moment later—
Surrounded by the Uchihas, Mei reluctantly picked up Kiba and explained:
"This ninja blade is called 'Thunder Sword: Kiba.' It channels lightning chakra to release powerful electricity. It suits shinobi who specialize in lightning-style chakra."
An Uchiha exclaimed in delight, "Minami-nii, you're good with lightning release—this sword is perfect for you!"
"Haha!"
Minami gave a simple smile, scratched his head, and made a mental note to ask Uchiha Yu if he could keep Kiba as his personal blade.
"That weird-looking living sword is called Samehada. It can absorb chakra from others and also use stored chakra to heal its wielder."
"As for Tamao's Executioner's Blade—it's said to be unbreakable. Even if it's damaged, as long as it draws blood, it can regenerate…"
Mei continued to explain the other swords' effects. The more she spoke, the more her heart ached—these were the treasures of Kirigakure.
Now, all three had been taken by Uchiha Yu. He showed no interest in them and casually tossed them to his men.
"..."
Mei looked at Samehada, now playing on the couch with the little girl Izumi.
What puzzled her most was that Samehada, known to be picky about its wielder, had been tossed to the Uchiha, wandered around for a while, and finally settled on the youngest girl among them—Izumi.
Samehada normally favored powerful chakra users.
Mei secretly guessed that perhaps Samehada disliked the dark, sinister Yin chakra aura most Uchihas emitted and chose the purest, most innocent girl it could find.
"Hehehe…"
Izumi hugged the Samehada—which had withdrawn its sharp spines—and rolled on the couch with it, playing happily.
Half an hour later—
"Everyone, I made some sweets…"
Mikoto, cheeks flushed and smiling softly, emerged from the hallway connected to the kitchen. Her steps were slightly unsteady as if she were a bit worn out.
She gracefully carried a dessert tray. Dressed in a beige housewife-style dress with an apron tied around her waist, she radiated a mature and elegant charm.
The Uchihas politely accepted the snacks. Since leaving the Land of Hot Springs, they'd noticed the clan leader's wife had changed quite a bit.
Moments later—
Uchiha Yu stepped out of the hallway, plucking a silky black hair from his clothing—clearly Mikoto's—and felt his mind sharpen.
He strolled into the living room.
"Big bro, where'd you go?"
Tamao asked excitedly, still holding the Executioner's Blade.
Everyone in the room—including Mei Terumi and Nonoyu—looked toward Uchiha Yu, who had been missing for half an hour.
They had stopped near Kirigakure's border, choosing to rest in the inn rather than enter the village directly. They were waiting for Mei's informants to deliver intel on the current situation inside Kirigakure.
Yu replied calmly, "Training."
Though curious about what kind of training he meant, no one dared to ask further.
Mikoto's face blushed crimson. She quickly picked up the tray and left the room with guilty haste.
She slipped into the shadows of the corridor, flustered yet content, retreating into the kitchen.
Her thoughts were chaotic. Before becoming intimate with Yu, she never imagined that even the kitchen could become a "training" ground.
Back in the living room—
Tamao excitedly waved his blade, saying, "Training? Big bro! Then watch me perform the new whirlwind sword technique I just practiced!"
"..." Yu was speechless.
"Where do you even hear these ridiculous names from?" Minami asked disdainfully.
Tamayo scratched his head. "I dunno. They just come out naturally."
Everyone ignored him after that.
Yu's arrival also made Samehada—who was playing with Izumi—immediately behave and quiet down.
Suddenly, a knock came at the door outside the suite.
°°°
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