Just like how Wood Release is forever tied to Hashirama Senju, or how Dust Release calls to mind the Second and Third Tsuchikage, and how Ic
Just like how Wood Release is forever tied to Hashirama Senju, or how Dust Release calls to mind the Second and Third Tsuchikage, and how Ice Release belongs to the current Fourth Mizukage, Yoru of the Yuki clan…
There are some techniques in the shinobi world so iconic that the moment you see them, you remember the person behind them.
"Steam Imp" was one of those—it belonged solely to the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki.
"Who... are you really!?"
Kisame Hoshigaki stared at the man in the white haori before him—the unmistakable figure of Gengetsu Hōzuki.
Kisame had heard rumors of white-robed Shinigami and a place called the Soul Society. But as someone who was either carrying out missions or training in Kirigakure's Duel Tower, he'd always assumed that these so-called Shinigami were just propaganda—lies fed to them by enemies to stir unrest among the Great Villages.
But now, seeing it with his own eyes...
Maybe the truth was more complicated.
Stolen techniques?
Human experimentation?
Or maybe... something else entirely?
"So, I've been found out after all."
Gengetsu let out a helpless sigh and tossed the unconscious bodies of Kakuzu and Sasori to Kisame. "Well, since the Fourth said it's fine if we're exposed, there's no point hiding anymore. And honestly, to see someone like you coming out of Kirigakure makes this old man feel at ease."
"This... can't be real..."
Kisame stumbled backward, nearly dropping the S-rank rogues. But his focus wasn't on them—it was on Gengetsu.
A wild thought popped into his head.
But no—that couldn't be possible.
And then Gengetsu took off the white mask.
No eyebrows. That iconic little mustache.
To every shinobi of Kirigakure, that face was unforgettable.
"L-Lord Second...?!"
Impossible!
A forbidden technique?
No—it didn't feel like that.
There was no sign of a corpse being manipulated, no smell of decay. Gengetsu looked alive.
The one who had revitalized Kirigakure, the strongest of the Hōzuki clan, the Second Mizukage Gengetsu himself, now stood calmly before him—arms crossed, eyes serene.
"The Fourth's goal isn't wrong. If we want Kirigakure to thrive, what comes next is necessary."
"This may be a lot to process for someone your age, but I believe a boy who survived the Bloody Mist can endure anything."
"Kisame of the Hoshigaki clan. First time meeting."
Leaning casually on the hilt of a Zanpakutō, Gengetsu smiled with a roguish grin.
"I'm Gengetsu Hōzuki—Second Mizukage of Kirigakure, and now Captain of Squad Six, Gotei 13 of the Soul Society."
Second Mizukage...
Captain of the Sixth Division...
Kisame's head was spinning.
The legendary hero of their village was now a captain in some unknown organization?
Had he betrayed Kirigakure?
No. Impossible.
The Second Mizukage had given everything to the village—more than any Mizukage in history. Even the village founder, the First Mizukage Byakuren, couldn't compare to Gengetsu's contributions.
He founded the Academy, established the ANBU, fended off foreign threats, and ushered in Kirigakure's golden age. His efforts during the First Great Shinobi War had put their village on the map.
Everything Kirigakure stood on had been built by him. Even after decades of stagnation under the Third Mizukage, Gengetsu's foundation was solid enough to pass on to the Fourth.
"A month ago, the Fourth gathered the elite jōnin to study the Forbidden Scroll. One of the techniques... was the Second Hokage's Edo Tensei."
Kisame narrowed his eyes. "And Edo Tensei allows full control over the resurrected's brain and thoughts, doesn't it... Second Lord?"
"Of course I know. I've read every technique in the scroll—including Edo Tensei. I can use it myself."
"So tell me—are you really still you?"
"Ah... So that's what you're worried about."
Gengetsu chuckled.
"This world isn't as simple as you think, boy. And Kirigakure is not just another shinobi village."
"You've heard the rumors, haven't you? About the Shinigami and the Soul Society?"
"The one who founded that force—was the Fourth Mizukage."
"What?!"
Kisame was stunned—but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
Those rumors only began after the Fourth took power. And who else could create a force like that, hidden inside Kirigakure?
Kisame had known about the experiments—the village had dabbled in human testing since the Third Mizukage's time.
But what he hadn't realized... was that the focus had shifted from kekkei genkai to souls.
That's... too much.
"This isn't about power—it's about salvation, Kisame."
Gengetsu looked at the boy—he could practically hear the gears grinding in Kisame's head.
And he smiled, almost mockingly.
"Use your senses. Use Samehada. Feel it for yourself."
"You noticed it, didn't you?"
Seeing Kisame's shocked expression, Gengetsu stroked his mustache with pride.
"There's no chakra in me."
"Not even a trace."
"You know what that means?"
"We are all slaves to chakra—living in a world controlled from the shadows."
"Chakra governs everything—life, will, even souls. It corrupts the dead. It twists the living."
"People become monsters. This world becomes a prison."
"That's the truth of everything."
"The Fourth created the Shinigami to fight the force pulling the strings behind the scenes. The Soul Society exists to shatter this endless, meaningless cycle."
"But such truths are too heavy. Too real. So we cannot simply reveal them."
"Only through fire and blood, only when the world is ready, can we show our hand."
"... Lord Second..."
Kisame opened his mouth, uncertain what to say. Even his shark-like features looked lost.
Confusion? Disbelief?
He'd been raised in the Bloody Mist, forced to kill his own comrades. He had always asked himself—
What is my purpose? My place? My goal?
Where must I go to find peace?
He thought the Fourth Mizukage had the answer.
But now, Gengetsu's words had flipped his worldview upside down.
Kisame trembled.
Explosions of thought erupted inside his head, blowing apart everything he once believed.
He'd always known the world was dark and full of lies.
But he thought, perhaps, a strong leader could bring hope.
That he could find his light.
But now I know...
"It's not just my life that was a lie... This entire world is a lie."
"No one's life is fake. What we seek... is a future that's more real. More beautiful."
Gengetsu shook his head.
"Honestly, I didn't plan to tell you all this."
"You're still young. You still have so much to experience—joy, love, life."
"Originally, the Fourth intended to tell you the truth only after you'd lived a full life and returned as a soul."
"But your curiosity got the better of you."
"And if I didn't tell you now, you might've done something... reckless."
"So yes. Curiosity really can kill the cat."
Kisame smiled bitterly.
If things had gone as planned, it would've been the perfect path.
But now...
"So, now that I know about the Shinigami... Do I need to join you?"
"Of course not."
Gengetsu shook his head.
"We never force anyone. Everything I said—was just to answer your questions."
"You're a child of Kirigakure. You deserve to know the truth about your village—its past and its future."
"Whether you become a Shinigami... that's up to your heart."
"My heart, huh…"
Kisame murmured.
At that moment, the stone soldiers around them began to crumble into dust.
Gengetsu whistled softly.
"Looks like the Fourth has already handled Moryō."
"Wait, Lord Fourth came here too?"
"Of course. Who else in this world could deal with a monster like that?"
Gengetsu waved dismissively.
"Alright. That's enough lecturing. Just treat today like a story. Don't overthink it."
"Take those two rogues back to the village—you'll get a big reward. And don't forget, you owe that girl a meal."
"...Lord Second…"
But by the time Kisame looked up again—Gengetsu was gone.
Just as silently as he had arrived, he vanished—leaving behind nothing but a ripple in the wind…
And a shaken soul.
News of Moryō's rampage in the Land of Demons spread across the shinobi world like wildfire.
The Great Nations were stunned.
The Third Shinobi War had barely ended, and already another disaster loomed.
But just as they began to mobilize troops, another shocking report arrived:
The Priestess of the Land of Demons had sealed Moryō with her life.
"So... if your seal failed, you planned to leave Shion in my care?"
Yoru looked oddly at the flustered Miroku, then glanced outside to where Asuha was leading Shion away under Kirigakure escort.
No wonder he hadn't sensed Shion's chakra anywhere near the shrine.
Miroku had planned everything.
If she died, and Moryō returned to power, war would ignite. And Kirigakure—an island nation, isolated from the mainland—was the safest place to hide the future Priestess.
But the moment they arrived in the Land of Water, news came that Miroku had successfully sealed Moryō, sacrificing her life.
With the crisis over, Asuha requested an escort back home.
Yoru had considered keeping Shion.
No, not for anything creepy—he was simply curious about comparing the two Priestesses.
But Miroku's offer was... tempting.
So he agreed to let Shion go.
"Now then. In exchange, you belong to me."
"...I understand."
Miroku blushed faintly, still hesitant.
She never expected that the man in the white mask and haori was the infamous Yoru of the Yuki clan. His voice, his manner—it didn't match the stories.
But the aura was unmistakable.
It was his soul.
She glanced at Yoru, then at Shion outside the Mizukage's office.
Her hesitation melted into resolve.
With a wave of her hand, her ceremonial gown slipped to the floor.
The Priestess closed her eyes, letting Yoru's hand fall to her abdomen.
"Relax. This won't take long."
"Four Symbols Release."
Glowing marks unraveled across her lower belly. Miroku arched her back, her entire body trembling.
Her form began to change.
A soft silver mist emanated from her skin, wrapping her in ethereal light—like a jinchūriki entering Tailed Beast Mode, only more delicate... more stable.
Yoru carefully regulated the release of the seal.
The more it opened, the more her form transformed.
The energy thickened—until her figure could no longer be seen.
Then, as the seal fully released, that energy condensed back into her body.
And when it was done—
A new Miroku stood before him.
Silver-white hair floated gently, her body cloaked in flowing robes woven from energy. Her new priestess garb bore serpent-dragon patterns like Moryō's, with ghostly energy occasionally forming snake-like phantoms that hissed and flickered in and out of view.
"Quite interesting."
Yoru eyed her up and down, deeply impressed.
This was no longer a woman.
This was a perfect fusion of chakra, spiritual energy, natural energy, and soul energy.
An energy cloak formed around her—similar to Nine-Tails Chakra Mode!
"You're the first person I've ever seen achieve perfect harmony between the four powers."
If chakra were replaced with reiryoku, she would be a Shinigami.
But as she was now...
She was a Sage.
Not a Rikudō Sage like the Sage of Six Paths.
A true Sage—like those from the Great Three Sage Regions.
Her power didn't just come from balance—it came from her nature.
She had become an energy-based lifeform, far beyond human.
"..."
Sensing his gaze, Miroku slowly opened her eyes.
In this state, she was divine—her eyes aglow with silver light, as though untouched by the mortal world.
But unlike before, her gaze held none of her former purity.
If the old Miroku was pure white, and Moryō pitch black—
Then this Miroku was a refined gray.
The overwhelming flood of wickedness she'd taken from Moryō—pure evil, corruption, depravity, distortion, unrelenting malice, a chaos as intoxicating and maddening as Box of Ultimate Bliss—had returned to her body, seeping deep into her soul and staining what was once a heart of saintly purity with every shade of darkness.
"Yoru…"
Her slender neck tilted back like a proud swan. She floated upward, looking down at him like a goddess.
"You should never have released this power."
"No, I'm glad I did."
Yoru's eyes shone with excitement.
He had forged Shinigami by merging the souls of the dead with reiryoku.
He had made Hollows from corrupted souls steeped in darkness.
But they were all born from the dead.
This—Miroku—was something new.
If this path could be developed, then even the average citizen of Kirigakure could evolve.
"You're a damn treasure."
Yoru's heated gaze was predatory.
To Miroku, now in Sage form, it felt like desecration.
"To covet the power of a Sage—such sin must be punished!"
Her voice rang with divine fury. She raised her hand, and a silver serpent-spear appeared from thin air.
She slammed the staff down—dozens of serpent-like energy constructs surged toward Yoru.
"Hey hey hey! This is not a good place to fight!"
Yoru's eyes darted toward the towering pile of paperwork on the Mizukage's desk.
All of that was done by his Shadow Clones. If it was destroyed—he'd go insane.
"Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku!"
Chains of light burst from his palm.
They smashed through Miroku's attacks, wrapping around her in an instant—binding her tightly.
Because her Sage form's power couldn't be taken lightly, Yoru didn't hold back—so when the chains wrapped around Miroku, they made her already striking figure stand out even more.
"Yeah, we need a more private place for this."
Yoru laid a hand on her shoulder—and both vanished.
Miroku blinked.
When her vision cleared, she heard waves crashing, smelled salt air.
They were on a deserted island.
Yoru smiled. His gaze burned hotter.
"Now... let's begin the research."
"For the future of Kirigakure—no, of all humanity—I hope you'll cooperate, dear Priestess."
"Y-YAMETE!!!"
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin