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In Iwagakure, Ōnoki sat at his desk, sighing sorrowfully as he looked at the reports submitted before him.
His entire face was scrunched up like a small pumpkin, his sideburns twitching, and his whole being seemed to be turning grayish-white.
"How is it different again?"
"Alas, Sawara Kiri."
This name seemed to possess some kind of magic, capable of striking fear into the hearts of all who stood against him, making them worry endlessly about their future.
In fact, no one could be happy after seeing the documents on his desk.
This document was the overall battle inference report from that scorched battlefield.
According to the Iwagakure intelligence department's report, the identity of the enemy Sawara Kiri faced remained unknown, but it could be inferred that their strength far surpassed that of Uchiha Madara, who had previously appeared before Konoha's gates.
Furthermore, based on some battlefield traces, it was even speculated that Sawara Kiri had been forced into an extremely dangerous situation.
However, this man, whose very existence seemed like a miracle, once again displayed abilities far exceeding the limits of his previously demonstrated strength.
After extensive investigation, it was determined to be a special Fire Release Ninjutsu of immense power—however, it had never appeared within the Ninja World before.
Even the ground at the very edge of the battlefield, over two hundred kilometers away, suffered residual heat equivalent to at least ten thousand degrees Celsius.
For a Ninja, anyone within the range of this battlefield could essentially be declared dead.
They were unsure whether this was a new ability developed by Sawara Kiri, or if he had hidden it for a long time, preparing it as a trump card for a large-scale battlefield against the Allied Shinobi Forces.
However, almost all members of the Iwagakure intelligence department showed considerable pessimism regarding the war with Konoha.
For an independent military group like Iwagakure, this was nothing short of a shocking catastrophe.
Even Ōnoki himself, after reviewing the Iwagakure intelligence department's predictions, could not guarantee that his Dust Release would be able to withstand such a terrifying attack.
"Konoha, Konoha…"
Ōnoki put down the report in his hand, gently patted his old back, which was starting to ache again, and spoke with emotion.
His entire life seemed to have been spent fighting against Konoha's monsters.
Before, it was Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama; now, it's Sawara Kiri.
And each time, he seemed to face a greatly unfavorable situation.
If Iwagakure hadn't inherited the Stone Will, renowned for its resilience, Ōnoki suspected he would have already collapsed by now.
Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly noticed a flurry of footsteps coming from outside his door.
Ōnoki cautiously raised his head and looked towards the door.
Then, he saw someone burst into the Tsuchikage's office without even knocking, shouting:
"Lord Third!"
Noticing that the Chakra fluctuations of the newcomer were still familiar, Ōnoki slowly lowered the hand he had just raised, but because he was in a bad mood, his loud voice suddenly rose a notch as he reprimanded:
"What's with all this panic? What kind of behavior is that?!"
"Iwao, look at you, do you still look like a mature Iwagakure Jonin?!"
However, Jonin Iwao completely disregarded the Third Tsuchikage's bad temper at this moment; the expression on his face was a mix of shock and joy, almost frenzied.
At this moment, he even disregarded the etiquette and hierarchy ingrained in his bones, rushing forward, grabbing Ōnoki's hand, and running out:
"Lord Third, urgent report! Extremely urgent!"
"The Konoha spy risked his life to barely get the intelligence out with the last remaining person."
Ōnoki, who was about to continue his tantrum, frowned slightly upon hearing it was intelligence from Konoha, but he was still somewhat displeased with his childish eagerness, floating out on his own while lecturing:
"What kind of intelligence is so urgent that it could turn the world upside down?"
"As the saying goes, 'remain unperturbed when a mountain collapses before you, and do not blink when a deer walks by your left.' That's how an Iwagakure should be…"
Only then did Jonin Iwao finally calm down, nodding:
"You are right to reprimand me!"
"Alright, tell me."
"To make you so flustered, truly…" Ōnoki puffed out his beard and glared.
"Yes."
Iwao steadied himself, lowering his voice: "We discovered the secret to Sawara Kiri's strength, and we even stole a fragment of that secret treasure."
"Clang!"
Ōnoki, who had been steadily floating out in the sky just a moment ago, immediately dropped to the ground, his small body emitting a very clear 'crack' from his lumbar spine, and his whole body trembled as if electrocuted.
However, the little old man at this moment couldn't even care about his old back; he suddenly scrambled to his feet and roared:
"What is it?!"
"Sawara Kiri's…"
"Whoosh!"
Before Iwao could repeat himself, the little old man immediately reacted, not even bothering to float in the air anymore.
He suddenly demonstrated extraordinary Taijutsu prowess with his two short legs, shooting out the door, and leaping down the stairs with a series of whooshes, heading straight for Iwagakure's underground intelligence base.
Jonin Iwao stood at the office door for a moment, then couldn't help but sigh:
"Truly worthy of Lord Third."
"Still strong in his old age!"
Not just Iwagakure.
Within less than a day after this secret was leaked, all Ninja Villages with spies in Konoha, at the cost of sacrificing their underground intelligence networks and long-hidden spies, all sent this intelligence back to their Villages at the highest classification.
The secret of Sawara Kiri's power!
These simple words instantly made the Ninja World, which had been as calm as a mirror lake, suddenly boil over.
In just three days, the various Villages mobilized almost all available personnel, launching large-scale search and patrol operations within their respective borders.
The common people of various countries had recently seen Ninja-samas with increasing frequency, but none of the ordinary people knew what they were looking for.
Among them, the fastest-acting parties had even begun in-depth research on the secret treasure.
If one were to speak of the strongest scientific research capabilities at present, it would still be Kumogakure.
"How is the research on the secret treasure fragment progressing now?"
Fourth Raikage A stood at the entrance of the underground research department, anxiously pacing in circles, yet not daring to enter for fear of delaying the research progress.
As soon as one person exited, he immediately grabbed them impatiently and asked.
"Fourth Raikage-sama, we already have preliminary results."
"However, we haven't yet figured out the specific method of using the 'secret treasure'; we will need to gather more fragments before it's possible…"
The research team leader's tone was serious.
Unlike Orochimaru's casual examination at the time, the major Ninja Villages, after learning that this secret treasure was directly related to Sawara Kiri's formidable strength, mobilized almost all their personnel to conduct round-the-clock research on this tiny fragment.
They tested it in various directions and quickly discovered its direct connection to the soul.
After the research team leader briefly explained its function to the Fourth Raikage, A felt as if his heart had quickened by half a beat, and his breathing became heavy.
"So that's it, so that's it!"
"No wonder Sawara Kiri became like a monster!"
"With such a secret treasure, and having controlled it for so long, as long as one harbors the desire to increase power, one can gain power from it—it's simply, simply like a wish-granting machine from a myth!"
At this moment, only a raging fire burned in the Fourth Raikage's heart.
"That's right."
The research team leader nodded: "However, this substance also has an extremely strong addictive quality, and at the same time, it has a strong attraction between different 'secret treasure fragment' holders."
"Through testing experiments with Village volunteers, after being stripped of this fragment, only a few Ninja with extremely strong willpower can gradually adapt to a normal state—but even they, upon re-contacting the fragment, will show a very strong desire for it."
"Therefore, how to use this secret treasure still requires much consideration from you, Fourth Raikage-sama."
A quietly listened to the research team leader's explanation and reviewed the various test reports he handed over.
He took a deep breath, and his gaze, instead, grew even more determined.
Just as he was listening, the young Raikage's secretary, Yuhi, walked quickly from outside the door and whispered a reminder:
"Fourth Raikage-sama, Konoha has sent out a directive notice."
"They demand that Kumogakure hand over all 'Shikon no Tama' fragments found within our territory, and they have also privately crossed the border to issue a reward for finding items within our territory, with a very high amount."
"And they are even threatening war…"
Yuhi's voice lowered slightly, making it difficult for even the research team leader nearby to hear clearly.
However, just as Yuhi was about to cover his ears as usual, he found that the Fourth Raikage, who should have been furious, now had a calm expression on his dark face.
"Heh, war, huh?"
"It seems that bastard Sawara Kiri is truly starting to get anxious… He's not even caring about Konoha's current major reform initiatives."
A's voice was calm and steady, but his gaze grew sharper: "This only means that he's starting to lose his usual confidence."
"Yuhi, what do you think he's afraid of?" A whispered, as if talking to himself.
"…"
C didn't answer, just listened quietly.
"Ay!"
"Here!"
The research team leader immediately responded.
Ay's voice was firm: "Now, perform the secret treasure fragment transplant surgery for me!"
"F-Fourth Raikage?!" The research team leader was stunned.
He should have made the side effects very clear, right?
"What Kumogakure needs now is only one thing, and what I need is the same—a powerful force capable of rivaling Sawara Kiri!"
Ay's voice was filled with confidence: "Sawara Kiri, a Konoha civilian, has neither talent nor a Kekkei Genkai, and his performance throughout the Ninja Academy was unremarkable. Yet, after obtaining this treasure, he has reached his current level."
"So, how could I be inferior to him!?"
"Transplant it for me!" He suddenly raised his voice.
The research team leader immediately stood up straight:
"Yes!"
The Fourth Raikage was not the only one to make such a judgment.
In fact, under the temptation of this last straw, almost all Ninja Villages threatened by war in the entire Ninja World were desperately piling these treasures onto themselves.
At the same time, more and more people gained incredibly powerful strength through this method, truly showing everyone a glimmer of hope to directly confront Sawara Kiri.
However, not everyone was so excited during this process.
Yagura Karatachi, the provisional Fourth Mizukage, was one of them.
"Pfft."
He slowly withdrew the blade, flicked off the blood remaining on the white edge, and looked coldly ahead.
The Third Mizukage fell to the ground, struggling to lift his head, looking straight at him with an incredulous gaze, blood mixed with foam continuously gushing from his mouth, his voice even sounding like a leak:
"Ya-Yagura… you… you idiot!"
"Why… why on earth…"
The increasingly obvious sense of powerlessness made his vision grow dimmer, but the unwillingness in his heart still kept him holding on.
No matter what, he couldn't understand why Yagura Karatachi, who could have directly taken over by simply waiting for him to die of old age, would take such a huge risk to kill him personally.
Could this truly be the inevitable fate of every Mizukage?
Or was it a trick by Elder Genji and those Kekkei Genkai clans?
He couldn't understand.
"I apologize, Third Mizukage."
Yagura Karatachi's voice was unprecedentedly calm. He raised the blade in his hand, placed it against the Third Mizukage's back of the neck, and whispered:
"Your reforms were simply too successful."
"If this continues, it will only increase the number of needless deaths. Hidden Mist is good enough at its current level."
"?!"
The Third Mizukage was stunned, his eyes filled with disbelief. Even his gradually dimming vision brightened slightly under the sudden increase in blood pressure.
He seemed to suddenly remember something, and he hissed, spitting blood: "You… you and Kaguya Ren… are you?!"
"Pfft."
The last strike fell gently, simultaneously severing the spinal cord and the entire carotid artery.
Splattered blood covered the ground, staining half the beach and the seawater red.
Yagura Karatachi's gaze remained icy, but a hint of sorrow was vaguely present in the depths of his eyes.
The Third Mizukage was a competent Mizukage.
However, he couldn't let more people survive…
In the current Ninja World, under the oppressive power of Sawara Kiri, what hope was there left?
After he allowed the rising tide to engulf the Third Mizukage's body and slowly walked out of the beach, the Hidden Mist Anbu, who should have been guarding the Third Mizukage, appeared kneeling before him.
Evidently, long before he devised this assassination plan, he had already replaced all the Hidden Mist Anbu with his own people.
Everyone ignored the blood remaining on Yagura Karatachi's blade, maintaining their respectful kneeling posture.
"Fourth Mizukage, there is an urgent report."
However, soon, one of them handed over a bamboo scroll.
Yagura Karatachi was first startled by the address 'Fourth Mizukage,' then calmly accepted it, taking the message from the other party's hand and unfolding it for a quick glance.
The next moment, his pupils suddenly constricted, and he abruptly turned his head to look in the direction of the Third Mizukage—his body had already been swallowed by the sea and carried away to an unknown location.
"Damn it! I knew why that bastard insisted on me taking over at this time!"
Yagura Karatachi cursed under his breath, but still struggled to maintain a calm expression, casually telling the Hidden Mist Anbu: "I understand, you may leave."
"Yes!"
Once they had all disappeared, Yagura Karatachi immediately took out a Kunai wrapped in sealing patterns from his Pregnant—it was an emergency communication device between him and Sawara Kiri, containing a Shadow Clone of Sawara Kiri with one-thousandth of his Chakra.
"Bang!"
Before the smoke in front of him could dissipate, Yagura Karatachi, with red eyes, rushed in, grabbed Sawara Kiri's collar, and cursed in a low voice:
"You bastard! You've thrown away all your trump cards, and you still made me kill the Third Mizukage now?!"
"Do you really think Hidden Mist is some easy target?!"
"Do you believe I'll go collect those Shikon no Tama fragments and then kill your main body?!"
The Shadow Clone enveloped in smoke waved its hand. Facing Yagura Karatachi's furious expression, it seemed to have anticipated it, reacting almost imperceptibly even when its collar was grabbed, merely looking at him with indifference.
Only after he had vented his emotions did it say coldly:
"Yagura."
"Others don't know my identity, but you don't either?"
Yagura Karatachi was stunned.
What other identity could you have?
Aren't you just Hidden Mist's top undercover agent, Kaguya?
Yagura Karatachi's thoughts suddenly stopped, and then he looked at him suspiciously:
"Another trick?"
Perhaps due to being tricked multiple times and having a deep shadow cast by 'Kyōka Suigetsu,' Yagura Karatachi's first thought was this sentence.
"Not really, that thing does have some use."
"You can also try to collect them; they'll still end up back in my hands anyway, so there's not much difference."
Sawara Kiri's tone remained flat: "However, if it's you, it's best to stuff those things onto the guys you dislike… for example, Kekkei Genkai Ninja. They're going to die sooner or later."
"…"
Hearing this, Yagura Karatachi's anger finally subsided.
After a moment of silence, he continued to ask: "What are you planning to do?"
Sawara Kiri looked at him with a hint of surprise.
He reached out, and under the other's wary gaze, gently smoothed Yagura Karatachi's somewhat disheveled collar, his tone calm:
"Yagura, understand your place."
"After all, you've already done many things, haven't you?"
Yagura Karatachi's expression shifted for a moment, then suddenly became somewhat dejected.
Yes, the Third Mizukage was dead.
What else could he do?
"I understand."
Sawara Kiri's expression remained calm and composed: "After this, just fulfill your duties as Mizukage. You can also imitate other Villages regarding the Shikon no Tama, don't reveal any flaws."
"Also, don't let your guard down."
"Yes."
After Sawara Kiri's Shadow Clone dissipated, Yagura Karatachi's back seemed to have slumped a bit, appearing somewhat dejected.
Was he truly saving Hidden Mist?
Yagura Karatachi didn't know.
All he could do now was stubbornly push forward.
After all, he had no other choice.
It wasn't until a few days later, after Hidden Mist Village hastily concluded the Fourth Mizukage's inauguration ceremony, that Yagura Karatachi, under the Mizukage's orders, began collecting Shikon no Tama fragments within the Land of Water.
Everything else remained as usual.
"Yagura…"
Deep beneath Hidden Mist Village, Elder Genji, dressed in a monk's robe, looked up as usual at the slightly hazy sunlight filtering through the mist, his voice tinged with emotion.
"You are the new sun of Hidden Mist, and you have things you must do. You must bring a path of survival to this Village at all costs."
"However, this old man also has his own stance."
"Sigh."
He sighed a long, inexplicable sigh.
Behind him, a Hidden Mist Jonin, clearly dressed as a Kekkei Genkai Ninja, strode quickly into the room.
Upon seeing Elder Genji's decaying appearance, a flicker of disgust inadvertently passed through his eyes, but he still lowered his head and said:
"Elder Genji, you may enter now."
"Good."
The two entered the deeper darkness of the underground one after another.
It wasn't until a glimmer of light appeared that Elder Genji's cloudy eyes slightly constricted.
In these cultivation tanks were bodies contributed by Hidden Mist Ninja clans such as Kaguya, Hozuki, Terumi, and Yuki.
This plan had begun the moment Sawara Kiri first displayed his prowess.
At the same time, it was also Elder Genji's final desperate gamble for Hidden Mist.
The Bloodline Beast Plan.
Codename: Kimimaro.
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