Kirigakure Is Still Under Akatsuki's Control
Outside Kirigakure Village.
The battle between Uchiha Itachi, Jūzō Biwa, and the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, had reached an intense stage. In their previous exchange, they had assessed each other's strength, realizing that none of them could afford to hold back.
Jūzō Biwa gripped his Kubikiribōchō, his gaze locked onto Yagura. Fear flickered in his eyes.
He had once believed himself capable of challenging the Fourth Mizukage, but he had grossly overestimated his chances. Not only had his Hidden Mist Jutsu been effortlessly countered, but the illusions Yagura cast with his genjutsu-like techniques had been resilient even against the Kubikiribōchō. He barely held his ground.
If not for Itachi sharing the burden of the fight, Jūzō would have long been overwhelmed by Yagura and the vigilant ANBU surrounding them.
A sharp clang echoed as Jūzō deflected a sneak attack from a Kirigakure ANBU, sending his attacker flying. He dodged a barrage of exploding tags and retreated onto a tree trunk, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Their objective was clear: break Yagura free from the masked man's control and make Kirigakure's shinobi realize that their Mizukage was being manipulated. However, the Mist ninja were reluctant to harm their own, making the battle all the more difficult.
Huff… Huff…
Jūzō's attention snapped toward a crimson figure.
Under the pressure exerted by Itachi, Yagura had been forced into his Version 1 Tailed Beast Cloak. The black and red chakra enveloping him bolstered his speed, strength, and defense—at the cost of further warping his emotions.
Seeing this, Jūzō exhaled in relief. Now, the Mist shinobi could no longer deny something was amiss.
But just as he relaxed, Itachi found himself in grave danger. Yagura, in his Tailed Beast state, tapped into the Three-Tails' power.
With a single strike, Yagura's hand grazed Itachi's cloak. Immediately, corals began forming on the fabric, rapidly encasing him.
Itachi, forced to react, tore off his Akatsuki cloak. But Yagura was relentless—before Itachi could regain his stance, another strike was already heading his way.
In a flash, Jūzō moved.
The Kubikiribōchō clashed against Yagura's attack, barely blocking the blow.
"That was Coral Palm," Jūzō warned, his breathing ragged. "One touch, and you'll be covered in coral. Be careful!"
Itachi nodded slightly, but his eyes flickered between Yagura and the surrounding mist.
Something felt off.
He and Jūzō had only just infiltrated Kirigakure—so how had they been discovered so quickly? And why was the Fourth Mizukage himself leading the charge, despite having been absent from public view for so long?
Moreover, they had been fighting for some time now. Shouldn't Kirigakure reinforcements have arrived by now? Why was there no backup?
A conspiracy was unfolding, but who was its true target?
There was no time to dwell on it. Yagura had begun forming a Tailed Beast Ball.
Would he really annihilate his own forces just to eliminate them?
Itachi's mind raced as he attempted to retreat, but the Tailed Beast Ball was already locked onto him.
The sonic boom rang out. The sphere of chakra shot forward like a cannonball, homing in on Itachi's airborne figure.
It was too fast.
At the last moment, Jūzō once again stepped in.
With a desperate swing, he intercepted the blast with Kubikiribōchō.
A deafening explosion followed.
Though the blast was weakened by Jūzō's interference, the sheer force shattered Kubikiribōchō into pieces. One of the fragments impaled Jūzō's body, pinning him against a tree. Blood seeped from his wounds.
Itachi landed, his eyes widening at Jūzō's sacrifice. He activated Amaterasu, the black flames consuming Yagura's chakra cloak. No matter how Yagura flailed or used Water Release, the flames refused to die out.
Yagura, forced to retreat, disappeared into the mist.
Itachi turned to Jūzō, who smiled weakly.
"Itachi… I dragged you into this. I should've handled this mission alone," Jūzō murmured.
"You might still survive," Itachi said, glancing at Jūzō's injuries. "If we find a skilled medic—"
Jūzō chuckled. "No… My mission wasn't a failure… and I won't last long. I've done too many things I regret. At least… I can die here… in my home."
His gaze drifted toward the distant village. A faint smile played on his lips.
Itachi frowned. Jūzō hadn't said much, but Itachi understood.
Like himself, Jūzō was a man forced into Akatsuki—driven by a desire to atone.
But unlike Jūzō, Itachi's story wasn't over yet. His mission had just begun.
Would he, too, one day find peace in his homeland? Or would his path end in darkness?
Itachi suppressed his thoughts. The Kirigakure ANBU were approaching.
Fighting them would be meaningless. The mission was already over. It was time to leave.
As he withdrew, his gaze flickered toward a nearby tree.
A figure emerged from within.
Obito Uchiha, cloaked in the guise of "Madara," observed the battlefield. His gaze lingered on Jūzō's lifeless form.
Obito had planned to kill Jūzō himself, but the swordsman had chosen his own fate. That smile in death—Obito found it irritating.
Itachi and Obito locked eyes.
"The mission Pain assigned has failed," Itachi stated. "Jūzō is dead. What now?"
Obito snorted. "Jūzō's death is meaningless. He was disposable."
His gaze darkened. "As for the mission… you will take my place and temporarily control the Fourth Mizukage. But be warned—when a man in a black fox mask appears, eliminate him."
Itachi narrowed his eyes. "Is he one of us?"
Obito chuckled. "Yes… and no. But he is our ally, and soon, Kirigakure's future will be in his hands."
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