Fear.
Horror.
Terror.
Only now did the Kirigakure's Ninjas present belatedly remember that the young man from the Yuki Clan before them truly possessed the ability to launch a coup single-handedly and completely reshape Kirigakure!!!
At this moment,
The more Ninjas converged on the Mizukage Building, the faster their courage dissipated when facing Sora.
Now,
Sora stood steadfast in mid-air. All around him, from all directions, were Kirigakure's Ninjas who had heard the news.
Those Ninjas looked at Sora with complex gazes, and complex emotions rose in each of their hearts.
Especially the Ninjas who had returned from the expeditionary force… their looks towards Sora became incredibly fanatical. Some even began to size up their colleagues nearby with sinister intent, ready to lend Sora a hand at the critical moment.
As the standoff began, the situation on the field suddenly became complicated.
The hundred-plus Kirigakure's Ninjas who had rushed over upon hearing the news were not all the Third Mizukage's direct line.
In fact, the vast majority were fanatical believers of Sora from the expeditionary force.
These Ninjas had witnessed Sora's earth-shattering battle and had long since enshrined the seemingly omnipotent Sora as a god-like existence in their hearts.
Therefore, when these fanatical believers discovered that the one launching the coup was Sora, their minds instantly became active.
Kirigakure's tradition was that the position of Mizukage belonged to the virtuous. What defined virtue?
In simple terms, it was fist strength.
Whoever had the bigger fist, the greater power, was more qualified to become the village's Mizukage!
Because of this,
In the eyes of these expeditionary force's Ninjas, if Sora wanted to launch a coup and ascend to the position of Mizukage, it was a perfectly natural thing.
This was the prestige Sora had earned, the illustrious reputation he had forged through killing in the war against Konoha!
Of course,
Not every Kirigakure's Ninja had such subtle thoughts. Many of the Third Mizukage's direct Anbu and close associates showed not the slightest intention of retreating.
Especially the Third Mizukage, who slowly walked to the front of the crowd.
Clad in the Mizukage's ceremonial robe, he looked calmly at Sora.
"Yuki Sora..."
The Third Mizukage looked at Sora standing firm in the sky not far away, his voice cold as he said, "You are far too impatient. Launching a coup so early, are you worried that I will cling to the position of Mizukage and not let go? You underestimate me too much, and you show far too little regard for the magnanimity of a Mizukage..."
"I originally intended to pass the position of Mizukage to you once the time was ripe. The future belonged to you anyway. Your rebellious actions are truly disappointing!"
As these words fell, they caused another wave of exclamations among the surrounding Ninjas. All eyes looked at Sora in shock. No one had expected that the Third Mizukage had genuinely considered passing on the position.
They had originally thought that the position of Kirigakure's Mizukage might not change for several years, or even over a decade. They never imagined the Third Mizukage already had the intention to retire at the height of his career.
"Third Mizukage, no... or perhaps addressing you as Uchiha Madara is more appropriate. I am truly disappointed in you."
Hearing the Third Mizukage's words, Sora instead let out a light laugh, tinged with sarcasm. "It seems the years have taken from you not only your power but also your aura that once dominated the world. Now, do you only know how to hide behind this puppet and fight with these meaningless words?"
For the strong, the passage of time is the most merciless erosion.
Sora looked at the Third Mizukage, blustering but weak within the crowd, and complex emotions continuously surfaced in his heart.
Eternal.
What is eternal?
Is it merely the immortality of the flesh?
Or...
Does it also include the perpetuity of Reiryoku?
The unity of flesh and spirit, giving birth to a power strong enough to resist the erosion of time… is that why he, with a human body, could master the power of a Shinigami?
"Arrogant!"
Upon hearing this, the Third Mizukage's expression changed abruptly. He couldn't help but roar angrily. His face darkened, and a sudden inexplicable terror seized him, as if all his secrets had been exposed to the sunlight.
"What?"
"Uchiha Madara?"
"What is Yuki Sora talking about?"
"What does Mizukage-sama have to do with Uchiha Madara?"
"Didn't Uchiha Madara die long ago!"
The Kirigakure's Ninjas guarding the Third Mizukage also looked shocked. This was, of course, a normal reaction. After all, the name 'Uchiha Madara', even decades later, still held the power to make people pale upon hearing it.
"Uchiha Madara?"
"Stop finding such laughable excuses for your rebellious actions!"
The Kirigakure's Anbu Commander shouted sternly: "Do you mean to say that the Mizukage-sama before our very eyes is actually the long-dead Uchiha Madara in disguise?"
"Such an absurd and ridiculous reason... do you take the Ninjas of this village for three-year-old children to be fooled by you!??"
Just thenm
A clear voice suddenly sounded from not far away. It was a Kirigakure's Ninja who had flickered to the scene, standing firmly in front of Sora.
"Ariya, if it's Uchiha Madara, that shouldn't be too hard to understand, right? Controlling our Kirigakure's Mizukage with the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan Genjutsu... if it's Uchiha Madara, perhaps he could easily do it, right?"
Yagura stood in the field, looking at the Third Mizukage not far away, his voice cold as he said, "No matter what the truth is, as long as we have Ao use his Byakugan to check, we should probably know the final answer, right?"
Following Yagura, several more figures flickered into place.
The massive Fuguki, gripping the handle of Samehada tightly, directed his strange eyes towards the Third Mizukage's direction, emitting a piercingly cold killing intent.
Then,
There were Meigetsu, Mei, Ao, Yuzuki, Kurumi...
Those die-hard loyalists and close confidants who followed Sora also resolutely stood in the so-called 'coup faction' camp. They positioned themselves in front of Sora, forming a barrier that blocked the Third Mizukage's increasingly cold gaze.
"Yagura-sama!"
"Fuguki-sama!"
"Captain Hozuki!"
"Mei-sama!"
"Ao-sama!"
The appearance of each figure caused waves of incredible shock among the guard Ninjas.
No one could have imagined that these true high-ranking Ninjas of Kirigakure would, in this 'coup', unhesitatingly side with Yuki Sora.
"Have you all gone mad?"
"Do you want to gang up and force Mizukage-sama to abdicate? Treason! This is treason!!!"
The Kirigakure's Anbu Commander, who is called Ariya, rebuked them sternly.
Then,
Ariya loudly commanded: "Protect Mizukage-sama! Even if I die here today, I will absolutely not let you rebels harm Mizukage-sama!!!!"
The next moment,
Over twenty of the Mizukage's direct Anbu also unhesitatingly stood in front of the Third Mizukage, protecting him closely.
And at this moment,
More and more Ninjas were forced to make a choice. Some resolutely joined Sora's camp, while others, after much hesitation, tremblingly stood in the camp defending the Mizukage.
To be honest,
Asking them to face a monster like Sora was quite a tall order. But the Ninjas of the Village of the Bloody Mist did not lack courage.
To protect the village's legitimate succession, many were willing to dedicate their lives to this cause, even knowing the odds were against them.
In the end,
Of the over three hundred Ninjas present, about twenty percent chose to protect the Third Mizukage. The other eighty percent unhesitatingly joined Sora's camp.
'A coup?'
'Perfect!'
'I've long had enough of the name, Village of the Bloody Mist! It's time for this damned policy to change!!!!'
'If it's Sora-sama, his mercy and justice will surely lead Kirigakure on the path to revival!!!!'
This was the inner voice of those coup Ninjas. They had witnessed too many tragedies born from the Village of the Bloody Mist and naturally, while dwelling in darkness, they yearned for infinite light.
Of course,
Not just anyone could shout a slogan and receive such a massive response.
Don't forget that Kirigakure was a village where strength was revered. If not for the terrifying power Sora had displayed earlier, these Ninjas probably wouldn't have been so willing to follow him in a coup, in rebellion.
For these Ninjas, a Third Mizukage who lost repeatedly and brought shame to Kirigakure could in no way compare to the Sora, who repeatedly led them to victory and mercilessly suppressed Konoha's aces.
The gap between the two was simply too vast.
The atmosphere on the standoff was oppressive.
The Ninjas of the two sides stared at each other across the distance, tension written on their faces. Many Jonin were sweating profusely on their foreheads, their faces turning pale.
Everyone knew that if this civil war started, it would be a fight to the death. Especially since it was happening in the village's core area. It was entirely possible that the entire Kirigakure could be torn apart.
The outcome would be too devastating, something unacceptable to anyone who loved this village.
However,
Just as the atmosphere reached its most oppressive point,
A fiercely ferocious light suddenly flashed in the eyes of the Third Mizukage amidst the crowd. He let out a low, sinister laugh. As his sleeve waved, the kunai in his hand pierced through the heart of the Kirigakure's Anbu Commander standing before him.
"Yuki Sora..."
"If you underestimate me, you will ultimately pay the price!!!"
In an instant,
Blood sprayed.
A sudden, shocking change occurred.
The completely unprepared Anbu Commander had his heart pierced by the Third Mizukage's kunai.
He looked down in disbelief, but before he could even clearly see the kunai in his chest, a terrifying tearing sensation erupted within his body.
"Summoning Technique!"
"Six-Tails!!!"
Boom!!!!!
White smoke exploded.
Before the Ninjas present could react, the Third Mizukage used the blood spraying from the Anbu Commander to complete some mysterious contract and directly began summoning a Tailed Beast in the very heart of Kirigakure!!!!
"What?"
"Is he mad?"
"The Six-Tails?"
"Mizukage-sama!!!"
The sudden, shocking change left the Ninjas who had sworn to protect the Third Mizukage dumbfounded.
They had just turned their heads when they saw a massive cloud of white smoke explode above them.
And at that moment,
The enormous body of the Six-Tails, Saiken, descended from the sky, directly crushing the Mizukage Building into rubble. Over a dozen loyalists of the Third Mizukage who couldn't dodge in time were smashed into bloody pulp and mincemeat.
"Roooooar!!!"
The Six-Tails, resembling a giant slug, waved its tails, instantly smashing all buildings within a hundred-meter radius to pieces.
A terrifying Tailed Beast had appeared!
In that instant,
Everyone was stunned.
Because it wasn't just the terrifying Six-Tails… every Ninja present also saw the crimson and extremely obvious Sharingan in the Six-Tails' eyes… the Three-Tomoe Sharingan!!!
"Sharingan?"
"Could it be..."
"It really is Uchiha Madara!????"
"My god!!!"
Not only those in the Mizukage's camp, but even the Ninjas in the coup army felt their pupils contract sharply and their scalps go numb.
This was inside Kirigakure! If the Six-Tails were allowed to rampage here, the entire village would probably be destroyed by this damned Tailed Beast!!!!
Moreover,
The answer to the earlier debate was now staring them in the face.
Was there any more room for dispute? Anyone who wasn't blind could see the Sharingan in the Six-Tails' eyes. Was that normal!??
'Could it be...'
'The Third Mizukage was really controlled by Uchiha Madara using Genjutsu!??'
"The Third Mizukage, has he gone mad!??"
Yagura stared, eyes wide with fury, at the suddenly appearing Six-Tails. He roared with a mix of shock and rage: "No, it's that damned Uchiha Madara! I'll kill you!!!"
"If the Six-Tails rampages in the village, the villagers won't be able to escape! We must stop it!!!"
Mei's face also showed an unbelievable expression, but she unhesitatingly charged towards the Six-Tails.
"Protect the village!"
"Protect the village!"
"Charge!"
"Quick, quick, get the Sealing Team!"
"Anbu, follow me!"
"The Jonin Squad is here to support!"
"Kill!"
"Take down the Six-Tails!!!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"Water Release: Water Cutter!"
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
After only a brief moment of terror, the over three hundred Kirigakure's Ninjas present all turned their weapons, united in their hatred, and charged towards the Six-Tails.
Now everyone understood: if the Six-Tails was allowed to run amok in the village, it would mean disaster for all of Kirigakure!!!
"Roar!"
However, the sky-filling Ninjutsu attacks were completely scattered by a single roar from the Six-Tails.
The immense wind pressure swept through, causing the charging Ninjas to be unable to withstand the force and sent flying back one by one.
The next moment, the Six-Tails' massive tails descended from the sky like giant hammers, smashing down fiercely towards those Ninjas.
"It's no good! We can't stop the Six-Tails' power!"
"Has the Third Mizukage gone mad? Does he want the entire village to be buried with him!??"
A Kirigakure's Ninja exclaimed in horror, watching the Six-Tails' attack descend from the sky.
Tailed Beasts are monsters!
They're monsters that human power cannot withstand!!!
However,
Just as the Kirigakure's Ninjas were feeling despair, a completely emotionless voice suddenly sounded from not far away.
"Blut Arterie, World Shattering Strike."
In an instant,
Golden light bloomed like the brilliant sun, changing the very colors of the world.