Hiruzen rarely stepped into Root's underground domain. The last time he had descended these silent corridors was for Kakashi and Tenzo.
In the dim glow of the oil lamps, Danzo's silhouette looked even more withered and ominous. Leaning on his cane, his single exposed eye fixed on his uninvited visitor. His voice held no warmth, no agitation—just cold inquiry.
"Hiruzen… can Root's mission be concluded?"
Hiruzen exhaled, the long years etched into the lines of his face.
"Members of the Hyuga Clan have already joined the Police Force," he reported. "The Uchiha did not fall into chaos. Fugaku has stabilized his people."
Danzo's grip tightened around his cane.
What is Orochimaru doing?
A trip from Konoha to the eastern coastline took hours—certainly not days. How had he still not completed his task?
Hiruzen continued, "Now that the Uchiha matter has been handled properly, I no longer need to hold on to the Hokage's seat. Tsunade is ready to assume office."
Danzo rose in a sudden jerk.
"Temporary peace does not mean the problem is gone."
"Hiruzen, you and I both understand the Uchiha cannot be trusted blindly. Even in Lord Tobirama's era, they only appeared obedient on the surface. During your reign, they behaved—until the Nine-Tails incident."
His voice dropped, harsher and colder.
"Do you truly wish to see that happen again?"
Hiruzen's answer was painfully gentle.
"We are old, Danzo. It is time to entrust the Village to its new guardians."
His eyes softened with something like mourning.
"From now on, rest. The Village no longer needs your burdens."
A few days earlier, acting on Roshi's intelligence, Kakashi had taken a team to reinforce Shisui on the eastern front.
Today, however, Kakashi returned alone—with news nobody expected:
Hidden Mist had withdrawn completely.
Tsunade set down her scroll, fingers tapping lightly against the desk.
"Is this confirmed? Not a tactical retreat?"
Roshi's recent report replayed in her mind—Kakuzu appearing as a Hidden Mist mercenary, and that strange masked man showing up as well. Everything pointed toward escalating aggression from the Mist.
For them to suddenly pull back… Something didn't make sense.
Kakashi nodded.
"Shisui and I confirmed it multiple times. Several forward bases are abandoned. Because we suspected a feint, Shisui remained with his squads to maintain vigilance. I returned to report first."
Tsunade's eyes drifted toward Roshi, who was half-buried in paperwork at the other end of the office.
"What's your assessment?"
Roshi lifted his head, expression flat and calm.
"Too many variables. Too little intelligence. Impossible to judge."
Several possibilities flickered through his mind:
Obito, dissatisfied with Kakuzu's failure, might have abandoned the plan.
Or internal friction within Hidden Mist may have finally exploded, forcing a disorderly retreat.
But regardless of the reason, the timing couldn't have been worse. With Tsunade on the verge of officially becoming Hokage, the borders had to remain solid. Any instability could be interpreted as a weakness of the new administration.
Roshi said, "We can't relax the defense line just because of this retreat."
Tsunade nodded sharply.
"Exactly. Whether this is a trick, a change in leadership, or internal chaos, border vigilance must not be lowered."
She turned to Kakashi.
"Send reinforcements as planned. Fortify patrols. I want clarity on the Mist's true intentions. And increase intelligence gathering inside the Hidden Mist."
Kakashi bowed.
"Understood."
In the next instant, he vanished.
The Hidden Mist Village had never been blessed by geography, and under its long-standing "bloody mist" doctrine, few rogue ninja or wanderers ever lingered near its borders.
Yet Obito's latest scheme required astronomical sums—enough to hire powerful, unstable mercenaries whose prices rivaled small nations' budgets.
Thus, he tightened his grip on the Fourth Mizukage, compelling him to squeeze the village for more funds.
The Elder had already resolved himself. And precisely because his mind was made up, he no longer tried to advise Yagura, nor did he bother to oppose him. Instead, he cooperated outwardly, helping arrange for part of the military budget to be withdrawn and delivered as "requested."
Over these past months of observation and secret probing, the Elder had finally identified a few individuals he could entrust with something this dangerous.
First was Ao.
His recent performance on the eastern front made one thing clear—he did not stand on the Mizukage's side.
To remove Yagura, they would need strong, capable shinobi who still cared for the future of the Hidden Mist.
Ideally, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen would have been the Elder's first choice. But two members—Raiga Kurosaki and Biwa Jūzō—had already defected. Suikazan Fuguki's loyalties remained uncertain. That left the Elder with no choice but to look toward the younger generation.
And so, gathered before him now were the three he had chosen:
Ao, Terumī Mei, and Momochi Zabuza.
The veins around Ao's Byakugan tightened subtly as he maintained a secure field, ensuring this meeting remained unheard.
Genji's voice was heavy with both resolve and sorrow.
"You must have all sensed the Village's abnormalities. I have called you here tonight because I fear… the current Mizukage is no longer fit to guide the village forward."
Mei and Zabuza exchanged a knowing glance. Neither was surprised. The Elder had probed their views several times already—tonight was merely the moment the veil was lifted completely.
With the pretense finally gone, Zabuza spoke first bluntly.
"The Fourth Mizukage's behavior has already proved his incompetence. If the village is to survive, the rot must be cut away. It's long past time we remove this tumor."
Mei's tone was calmer, but no less firm.
"Elder, I agree. If Lord Mizukage continues on this reckless path, our village has no future."
She paused, narrowing her eyes.
"But Yagura is a Jinchuriki. Striking within the Village is too risky. If the Three-Tails goes on a rampage… the village would collapse before our enemies need to lift a finger."
Zabuza snorted.
"Leave it to me. I'll kill him before he enters full Tailed Beast Mode."
Mei didn't bother hiding her skepticism. Zabuza was strong—one of the strongest of his generation. But Yagura was a fearsome shinobi even before becoming a perfect Three-Tails Jinchuriki. Killing him head-on was far from simple.
"Of course, we will not act inside the Village. Even if our true goal is to save the Hidden Mist, we cannot predict how many might still defend the Mizukage out of fear or ignorance."
He continued, voice low but steady.
"Recently, Yagura has been unusually desperate for funds. The village's treasury cannot possibly meet such sudden demands, so he must go to the Capital of Water to justify the expenses to the Daimyo."
A faint glint appeared in the Elder's eyes.
"I will ensure Yagura personally makes that trip."
"When he leaves the village, the escort detail will be much smaller.
That—will be the moment we strike."
------------------
AN: Check out my P@treon For +60 extra chapters.
Thank You For your Support!!
[email protected]/noviceauthor777