Mizukage-sama requests your presence.
This should have been a polite phrase indicating goodwill, as ordinary people would probably be dismissed with words like 'The Mizukage wants to see you'.
However,
When this polite phrase came from this Anbu's member's mouth, it inexplicably gave off a sinister and disdainful feeling.
It felt very strange and was hard to understand.
"Understood."
Sora nodded expressionlessly, then followed behind the Anbu towards the Mizukage Building.
This Anbu looked very unfamiliar, not a colleague from his own time in the Anbu.
That meant he could only be one of the Mizukage's direct Anbu, similar to Konoha's Root.
His heart was calm.
His expression naturally showed no change.
They walked slowly all the way to the Mizukage Building.
Sora stopped and looked up.
Under his Reikaku, he could clearly see an extremely thick barrier surrounding the Mizukage Building, designed to block perception.
Sound, aura, Chakra Fluctuations… any abnormality would be blocked by this barrier, preventing anyone outside from detecting what was happening inside.
Around the building, over twenty Anbu's Ninjas were hidden, all with unfamiliar auras. They were likely all the Mizukage's direct Anbu, death soldiers who only obeyed the Third Mizukage's orders.
Barrier, Anbu, an iron fortress formation...
It was like a man-eating beast opening its terrifying, bloody maw towards Sora.
'Trap to kill me?'
Sora smiled thoughtfully.
Then,
He calmly walked into the Mizukage Building and headed towards the Mizukage's office on the third floor.
In the office,
Only the Third Mizukage was present, still standing with one hand behind his back, looking out the window at the sky, posing with an aura-filled silhouette.
"Sora, you've come."
Hearing Sora enter, the Third Mizukage slowly turned around. On his cold and stern face, he squeezed out a kindly smile and said, "Sit down, hero of our Village of the Bloody Mist."
As he spoke, the usually cold Third Mizukage surprisingly picked up the teapot from the tea table and poured a cup of tea for Sora.
If the Ninjas accustomed to the 'Tyrant' Third Mizukage saw this, their jaws would probably drop in shock.
The reason the Third Mizukage was called a [Tyrant] was his extreme cruelty towards his subordinates. The slightest dissatisfaction would lead to cruel punishments and abuse, and even killing was quite common.
For this Tyrant to pour tea so meekly was enough to show how exaggerated Sora's achievements in the war were.
Sora just looked calmly at the Third Mizukage. He neither touched the teacup nor spoke.
"This war with Konoha, it was entirely thanks to you turning the tide that the village was saved from a crisis. In all reason, I should properly thank you."
The Third Mizukage ignored Sora's reaction and continued on his own: "Sora, what are your thoughts on the war situation now?"
"Should we press the advantage and directly crush Konoha, or turn our spears and first beat back the ambitious Kumogakure to the Land of Lightning?"
The Third Mizukage's tone was quite respectful and serious, completely unlike someone giving orders to a subordinate, but rather like someone conversing with a ninja of equal status.
Well...
It was a discussion.
Clearly, Sora's excessively glorious achievements in this battle had earned the Third Mizukage's respect. Even though he himself was a rather complex existence, the part of him that appreciated Sora was enough to make him grant Sora sufficient respect.
"Win the war?"
Sora looked at the Third Mizukage, whose face was calm and composed yet somehow as wooden as a robot, and sighed softly: "Third Mizukage-sama, how many more Ninjas does the village have to send to their deaths on the battlefield? Even if we win this war, will we have enough manpower left to handle the post-war situation?"
"Death?"
Hearing this, the Third Mizukage's expression suddenly changed. He said with complete indifference: "What significance do the lives of ordinary Ninjas hold? As long as we have you, Sora, the prospects of the village winning this war are quite optimistic. At that time..."
"What does it matter if some ordinary Ninjas die? You have already broken the morale of the Konoha's Ninja Forces. Just one more step, kill Ninjas like Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, Jiraiya, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and the others, and we are destined to win this war."
"And as long as the war is won, all sacrifices are worth it."
As he spoke, a rather fanatical expression suddenly appeared on the Third Mizukage's face, as if he were crazy enough to send all of Kirigakure's Ninjas to the slaughterhouse just to win the war.
"Sacrifice the lives of all your subordinates just to win the war? By then, even if Konoha is completely destroyed, the village will not have enough strength to deal with the counterattacks from other great Ninja Villages. The so-called sacrifice of everything would only pave the way for others. A victory where no one remains would ultimately be meaningless. Third Mizukage, when will you understand the principle of putting people first..."
Sora looked at the Third Mizukage, whose eyes showed madness, and said lightly: "You, who have long been immersed in an illusionary world, have completely lost your judgment as the Mizukage. Now, you are like a short-sighted clown, laughable and pitiful."
"You... you, what do you mean?"
Sora's words caused a trace of unconcealable panic to flash in the eyes of the Third Mizukage, who had been immersed in his fanatical performance. But this panic was quickly suppressed, and he then blustered: "Yuki Sora, do you know what you are saying? A short-sighted clown? Are you insulting your superior, the Mizukage of Kirigakure!??"
"The Mizukage of Kirigakure?"
Sora smiled disdainfully and said: "Is it truly the Mizukage of Kirigakure, or a puppet plaything controlled by the Sharingan? Don't we both know the answer to that question? Uchiha..."
"Madara!"
Before the words fully faded, a sudden change occurred in the room.
The originally brightly lit interior was suddenly completely swallowed by a pure darkness. The Third Mizukage's face subsequently revealed a wildly insane and twisted expression.
Darkness.
Boundless darkness.
In an instant, Sora detected the abnormality.
'Genjutsu?'
An enclosed space, shrouded in curtain-like black light. This reminded him of a Forbidden Jutsu originating from Konoha's Second Hokage.
The Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!