Inside the Mizukage's office in Kirigakure, a sweat-drenched shinobi was reporting to Gengetsu, the Second Mizukage.
Gengetsu's expression shifted between confusion, shock, fury, and disbelief, indicating extreme emotional turmoil.
"Tell me again, what happened?!" Gengetsu demanded, his eyes blazing with anger.
The shinobi swallowed, then wiped the sweat from his forehead. He quickly reported, "Reporting, Second Mizukage-sama! The capital was attacked last night. An unknown number of shinobi caused chaos, setting fires everywhere. At the same time, the Daimyō's Manor... the Daimyō's Manor was also infiltrated, and a violent explosion occurred in the Daimyō's private chambers! His Excellency the Daimyō... he, along with two Guardian Ninja, perished in the explosion!"
Upon hearing this, Gengetsu suddenly erupted, slamming files and other items off his desk. This action seemed to release some of his pent-up pressure. After taking a few deep breaths, he exhaled slowly, then asked in a low, grim voice, "Is the information accurate??"
The shinobi seemed to feel immense pressure, but he endured it, trembling as he spoke, "The information has been confirmed multiple times, sir... It's completely accurate!"
"Damn it!!!" Gengetsu roared, kicking over his own office desk.
He had been mentally prepared for some trouble in the capital, given that Iwagakure shinobi from the Land of Earth had infiltrated with the capital as their target.
But he never imagined the trouble would escalate to this magnitude! Setting fires across the capital was one thing, but a violent explosion at the Daimyō's Manor, directly blowing up the Daimyō and two Guardian Ninja into oblivion? It was a miracle if he could stay calm!
The head of an entire nation, dead just like that, out of the blue?
"Were the culprits caught?!" Gengetsu asked, not holding much hope.
He knew very well that after committing such an act, catching the culprits would be nearly impossible. Even if any were found, they would surely be dead!
The shinobi indeed shook his head, then said, "Reportedly, the remaining eight Guardian Ninja almost captured two of the culprits afterward, but at the last moment, both committed suicide and used special means to melt their bodies into highly poisonous black water, leaving no survivors."
As Gengetsu listened to these reports, his eyes were bloodshot. His hands were tightly clenched into fists, making grinding sounds.
After a long silence, he spoke in an incredibly chilling tone, "Issue my decree: Kirigakure is to enter a state of war immediately. Send word to those still in charge in the capital and request authorization for war against the Land of Earth! At the same time, deploy all Anbu members to search the entire Land of Water. You must find those Iwagakure bastards for me!!!"
The shinobi showed no hesitation upon hearing Gengetsu's words, quickly replying, "Yes, Second Mizukage-sama!"
Gengetsu knew very well that the Daimyō's death wasn't just an end; it was only the beginning.
If there had been no prior suspicions, he might have conducted an investigation first. But they had already reported to the Daimyō's Manor that Iwagakure operatives had infiltrated near the capital. Given the current situation, no investigation was even necessary. Regardless of who truly did this, the Land of Earth was going to pay, no questions asked!
Moreover, this matter was unstoppable. With the Daimyō dead, the powerful nobles in the capital would surely raise the banner of 'revenge' immediately. To contend for power, they wouldn't truly bother finding concrete evidence. They would undoubtedly agree to Kirigakure's demand for war at the first opportunity.
Gengetsu also didn't order any news blockade. The capital was a melting pot of people from various countries: merchants, spies, scouts—there were simply too many. Anyone present that night would have seen the explosion. So, even if they wanted to block the news, they couldn't.
Furthermore, the Daimyō's death could ignite anger across the entire nation. Raising the banner of revenge would also benefit morale during wartime. Thus, Gengetsu didn't make these superfluous moves.
Leaving aside Gengetsu, who was almost spitting blood from rage, Kirigakure had indeed entered a state of war.
...
Hibari and his group were currently hiding deep within a vast forest near the Land of Water's capital.
The few of them huddled together, their expressions somewhat somber. After a long silence, Hibari checked the time and said, "It's been a day, and Kuno and Kenjiro haven't caught up... It's truly regrettable and sad, but I believe everyone was mentally prepared. When we return, I'll apply for their survivor's benefits."
The others felt a pang of sadness upon hearing Hibari's words. The operation at the Daimyō's Manor had indeed cost them two elite shinobi.
However, as Anbu shinobi, they had long been mentally prepared for such outcomes, and this wasn't their first encounter with life-and-death separations. Thus, there were no emotional outbursts or other chaotic reactions.
After a brief moment of remembrance for the two fallen members, Hibari clapped his hands and said, "We can't dwell in this sadness forever. Think about the positive things. At least Kuno and Kenjiro's sacrifice wasn't in vain, right? Our operation this time was a perfect success. Not only did we eliminate the Daimyō, but we also took out two Guardian Ninja along the way. Consider it revenge for Kuno and the others."
Hearing Hibari's words, Kagami understood that he couldn't let the team remain steeped in this sorrowful mood; it would have a very bad impact. At times like this, it was up to them, the leaders, to shift the atmosphere.
So, Kagami also adjusted his emotions and, smiling, played along with Hibari, saying, "Hahaha, you're right. This mission was a huge success! I honestly didn't expect your jutsu, Hibari, to be so powerful. I was almost swept away by that shockwave. And it was precisely that opening that allowed Sakumo and me to escape from those three Guardian Ninja and get away successfully."
Sakumo also adjusted his mood, laughing as he said, "Now that the Daimyō of the Land of Water is dead, it would be strange if they didn't go crazy. I don't think this war can be stopped; it's bound to erupt!"
Hitenn, ever the serious one, said, "Once the war between these two nations begins, our mission will be completely accomplished. At that point, we'll be able to leave the Land of Water and return to the village, perhaps even participate in the war against Kumogakure."
"Now that our mission is complete, shouldn't we inform Hokage-sama?" Kagami asked.
Hibari thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No need. The Land of Water is surely searching intensely for 'Iwagakure' types like us right now. Any intelligence exchange could be discovered. So, we shouldn't do anything; we'll just lie low and wait for their war to start. Otherwise, we might shoot ourselves in the foot."
"The Land of Water capital has all sorts of people, including our own Konohagakure spies and intelligence gatherers. Such a huge event can't be kept secret. I imagine these reports are already on their way back to the Land of Fire. It won't be long before the Hokage-sama receives the news," Sakumo said with a chuckle.
Hibari also smiled and nodded, continuing, "With the Hokage-sama's wisdom, he might guess who did this right away... He'll understand."
Just like that, for the next two days, Hibari and his group did nothing but hide in this desolate mountain forest. Thanks to Hitenn's powerful Byakugan, they skillfully avoided Land of Water's search parties multiple times, leaving no trace.
Meanwhile, these two days indeed unfolded as Hibari and his team had anticipated. Konohagakure's spies in the Land of Water had already reported the relevant situation. After all, it wasn't a minor incident.
In the Hokage Residence in Konohagakure, Tobirama currently wore an astonished expression as he looked at the reports in his hand.
The others in the room looked at Tobirama, the Second Hokage, with some confusion. In their impression, Tobirama usually maintained a cold, stoic demeanor. Even when faced with earth-shattering events, he remained calm and unfazed, even during the war with Kumogakure.
So, how was it that today they were seeing Tobirama with his mouth agape in surprise? What had happened? What incredible intelligence had he received?
Tobirama didn't keep the few people in the room waiting long. He quickly spoke in a deep voice, "...Something big has happened in the Land of Water capital. The Daimyō was attacked and directly blown up... No culprits have been caught so far, but according to various rumors, the Land of Water believes there's a high probability it was done by people from the Land of Earth. Therefore, the Land of Water has entered a state of war preparedness, and I hear Kirigakure has already begun mobilizing combat forces..."
Harano Yamanaka, the head of the Intelligence Division, didn't show any surprise, as this was the intel he had submitted. But Shikajin Nara, Sasuke Sarutobi, and the others all wore utterly stunned expressions.
However, they quickly processed the news. Then Shikajin said, "While shocking, if this is true, then we can declare war on Kumogakure now... The Land of Water and the Land of Earth won't stop fighting until they tear each other apart!"
"Should I say it's truly divine intervention? We were just fretting over these matters, and those two nations caused such a massive disturbance. War is inevitable... Hahahahaha." Sasuke said, laughing heartily.
Tobirama, however, looked at the intel in his hand again, his gaze lingering on the words 'Daimyō's Manor explosion.' He felt there was something amiss about it. And Hibari and his team hadn't contacted them in a long time. Ever since they entered the Land of Water, they had lost communication. Thinking about it, it all felt quite intriguing...
Based on Tobirama's understanding of Hibari, he was absolutely certain that Hibari had seen through the deeper meaning behind the mission he had given him... If that was the case, connecting it to the current events in the Land of Water, then the Daimyō's death might be highly suspicious.
"Hehehe... Iwagakure shinobi, huh? Interesting." Tobirama chuckled softly, muttering to himself.
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