Flames shot into the sky. The booming roar of explosions spread from deep within the Hidden Mist Village, shattering large swaths of glass.
The air froze for a moment, and right after, came the scorching, howling gusts of wind.
The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, stood amidst the ruins of the courtyard, overlooking below, Momochi Zabuza, Terumi Mei, Ao, and a group of mid- to lower-tier Kirigakure shinobi.
Lying on the ground was also a Hozuki Mangetsu whose life or death was uncertain.
Obito and Pain had long since vanished before the others arrived.
The gusts of wind scattered the swirling thick fog. A pitch-black rod fell, its hooked tip locked onto Elder Genji's throat, hooking him up like a dead fish.
Yagura extended his hand, grabbed Genji's head, and forcefully twisted it ninety degrees, forcing him to look at Terumi Mei and the others, "Old man, I originally wanted you to enjoy your later years, planting crops, growing flowers, and even helping you find a dignified old woman to remarry. Unfortunately… they wouldn't allow it."
"Come, Elder, make sure to look carefully at each of their faces. Don't forget them, "
Yagura's grip tightened. Elder Genji's neck twisted grotesquely.
"Save him!"
Terumi Mei shouted, forming hand seals.
"Water Style, Water Dragon Bullet!"
A fine high-pressure stream of water shot from her mouth like a spear, piercing toward Yagura.
On the other side, Zabuza and Ao charged at Yagura from the left and right.
Terumi Mei, Zabuza, Ao, these were the last few high-end combat powers of Kirigakure after the complete annihilation of the previous generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
But facing the combined attack of these three, Yagura did not react at all. He still held Genji's head and whispered into his ear,
"...You are dying because of them."
Crack!
With the sound of bones shattering, Genji's head twisted unnaturally, then drooped heavily.
Elder Genji, dead.
But Terumi Mei's Water Dragon Bullet was already in front of him,
"Earth Style, Earth Flow Wall!"
A wall formed of soil and rock rose sharply from beneath Yagura's feet, blocking the incoming Water Dragon Bullet.
Then, dozens of Kirigakure shinobi charged out, intercepting Zabuza and Ao.
From beginning to end, Yagura did not make a single counterattack.
Because he knew very well,
For every person that wanted him dead,
There were more people who wanted him alive.
"They're loyalists!"
Kirigakure shinobi far outnumbering the reformists stepped out from the shadows. Pairs of cold eyes stared at Terumi Mei and the others, their contempt undisguised.
The path to making money and living a good life was right there in front of this group, yet they didn't take it? And instead wanted to overturn it?
What kind of pure dumbasses were they?
Zabuza kicked away a shinobi blocking his path, swept his vicious gaze around, and said in an openly arrogant tone,
"You guys actually dared show yourselves? Don't you know the daimyo of the Land of Water is right here in the village?"
Yagura was under genjutsu, Ao could see it clearly. If Yagura dared to deny it, it'd be easy, just have someone undo the genjutsu.
It was practically zero cost, zero risk self-justification.
But everyone knew, Yagura, or rather the masked man behind him, would never agree to it.
At this point, the legitimacy of the Mizukage had already been overturned.
If the biggest financier of Kirigakure, the daimyo of the Land of Water, was here, then anyone still standing beside Yagura at this moment was unquestionably a confirmed traitor.
Even if they won and killed Terumi Mei and the others, so what?
Kirigakure would no longer be the daimyo's Kirigakure. That was absolutely unacceptable to the daimyo.
If the daimyo cut off funding, and you expected a bunch of lazy freeloaders who only wanted to make quick money to earn income through missions?
Don't be ridiculous.
It wouldn't take long before that group would splinter and fall apart from lack of money.
From the moment the daimyo arrived in Kirigakure, the best move for the loyalists was to quietly hide under their blankets, don't stick their heads out, don't let themselves be seen, and just wait for the battle to end.
If Yagura lost, they'd just admit guilt and slink away.
Even if Terumi Mei's faction was aggressive, there was no way they could wipe out all the loyalists.
Kirigakure still needed manpower to function. They'd just return to the status quo.
If Yagura won, and the daimyo didn't recognize Yagura's legitimacy,
The loyalists would immediately sever ties with Yagura at lightning speed, ditching all association.
Besides, the reformists would be mostly dead anyway. The loyalists could just select one of their own to take over.
Still winning big either way.
If the daimyo lost his mind and, despite knowing Yagura was under genjutsu, still acknowledged him as Mizukage, then even better.
Either way, Yagura wouldn't, and couldn't, blame the loyalists for not helping,
After all, where else would he find a bunch of yes-men, deeply familiar with betraying their conscience, to work loyally for him?
Emotionally and logically, the loyalists should not have shown up.
Ao licked his dry lips, looking clearly, these loyalists before them were not under genjutsu. They had come here of their own will to protect Yagura.
"These bastards… are they insane?"
Click, click, click,
Tight footsteps sounded again, along with the subtle noise of samurai swords brushing against armor.
Terumi Mei turned her head to look.
She saw the daimyo of the Land of Water sitting on a palanquin, surrounded at the center by hundreds of samurai guards. Pairs of firm, cold gazes met the eyes of many shinobi.
To be a guard of the daimyo, every single one was a master of swordsmanship.
Although they couldn't use ninjutsu, their blade skills alone were enough to duel with regular chunin and jonin. Not to mention their numbers and their ability to form combat formations, paired with the daimyo's deterrence,
These hundreds of men were clearly a formidable fighting force.
The daimyo's lazy voice came from inside the palanquin, "What are you waiting for? Go arrest the rebels."
Hearing this, Terumi Mei breathed a sigh of relief. But in the next second, she saw the daimyo's samurai draw their swords, and the blades…
Were pointed at them!
"What?!"
Terumi Mei exclaimed in shock.
Why was it like this?
Elder Genji had sent a letter to the daimyo days ago. Less than half a day ago, he even paid a personal visit to explain everything in detail. The daimyo should know that Yagura was being controlled. Could it be…
"Ao!"
Terumi Mei looked at her old teammate.
Ao's face was grim. He slowly shook his head.
The daimyo was not under genjutsu.
The daimyo of the Land of Water opened his fan, gently fanning, and spoke with a special rhythm in his tone,
"Mizukage Yagura, rising early, working tirelessly, expending all his efforts for the internal affairs of the Land of Water, was slandered and falsely accused by wicked people. Today, I shall set things right, and execute the traitors… oh, right, you're called rogue ninja now. But, doesn't matter, "
The daimyo couldn't be bothered to keep making things up and waved his hand.
"Kill them."
Terumi Mei's expression turned cold.
Ryosuke was right.
The daimyo of the Land of Water… had switched sides.
He didn't care about Mizukage legitimacy, or the Bloody Mist policy, or Kirigakure at all.
All the daimyo cared about, was who could make him money.
And in that regard, Yagura was indeed the most qualified.
Yagura chuckled, "Everyone, let's send our old friends off. We were once colleagues, at least give them a quick death."
"Yes!"
One by one, the loyalist shinobi charged forward.
The daimyo's army of samurai surrounded from the outside, blocking any chance of escape.
Yagura formed hand seals with both hands. The massive chakra of a jinchuriki condensed in his mouth.
"Water Style, Water Gun Bullet!"
A shockwave formed from a massive ten-meter-high water blast slammed toward them like a cannonball.
Terumi Mei stared blankly at the enemies flooding the sky.
Elder Genji was dead.
The daimyo had abandoned the legitimacy of the ninja village.
How… were they supposed to fight this?
Terumi Mei's heart sank into an abyss, despair consuming her like darkness.
And at that moment, a giant blade came spinning through the air.
The blade sliced through Yagura's water jutsu, knocked aside dozens of shinobi at the front lines, and stabbed heavily into the ground.
The earth trembled. The daimyo of the Land of Water fell from his palanquin, letting out a pained wail.
Ryosuke appeared silently, gently gripping the Ruin Greatsword. He turned his head slightly and said to Terumi Mei, "Don't forget, your promise."
'Promise?'
Yes, she had said that no matter who stood in her way, Yagura, the daimyo, Akatsuki, she would personally kill them all.
Either reborn through killing, or die in the killing. There was no third path. Since that was the case, what was there to despair?
Figures descended from the sky, landing behind Ryosuke.
Sasuke and Rei drew their blades.
Mayuri slowly inserted Orochimaru's ninjutsu disc into her chest.
Zabuza grinned, "It should've been like this from the start. Screw who they are, whoever they are, just f**king kill them all!"
Ryosuke drew the Ruin Greatsword.
"Move out."
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