As Aizen expected, Obito's governance of the village was disastrous.
With Yagura under his control, he ruled Kirigakure—and by extension, the Land of Water—through violence and bloodshed, dragging everything into chaos.
Of course, part of this stemmed from his hatred. The death of his beloved Rin Nohara, and the fact that the Mist elders forcibly sealed the Three-Tails inside her, had scarred him deeply. After taking control of Yagura, Obito poured all that hatred into tormenting Kirigakure, using it as a vessel for his vengeance.
Back when he was still in his original world, looking down on the story from the perspective of an outsider, Kenya had no particular feelings toward either Hiruzen Sarutobi or Uchiha Obito.
But once you actually lived inside this world, once you became a part of it, the perspective shifted entirely.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was not the endlessly kind, flawless leader he appeared to be. He was a politician—one who would do anything "for the sake of the village."
And Uchiha Obito's so-called "you destroyed the only one in my world, so I will destroy the only one in yours" was not something to be glorified.
In Kenya's past life, many fans admired Obito's actions, even calling them "romantic." But to the people of Kirigakure—the ones who had been half-destroyed by his reign of blood and mist—there was nothing romantic about it. If anything, they would have gladly taken up a blade and cut him down themselves.
The resentment bred under Yagura's (Obito's) tyranny ran far deeper than outsiders realized.
When the coalition of Sunagakure and Terumi Mei's rebel forces rose up, their numbers rivaled Yagura's. As they prepared to strike Kirigakure in one decisive blow, countless shinobi and even ordinary villagers emerged from the shadows, flocking to Terumi Mei's side. They vowed to fight Yagura to the death.
Anyone with the slightest sense could see it—Yagura was finished.
And if they didn't seize this chance to prove their loyalty, then once Terumi Mei rose as the Fifth Mizukage, their fates would be sealed.
Within days, the coalition of Sand and rebel Mist shinobi reached Kirigakure. Standing guard on the island's shores was Hōzuki Mangetsu, the prodigious swordsman of the Mist, carrying two blades across his back—one of them the legendary twin flounder swords. Apart from Yagura himself, Mangetsu was the most formidable fighter on that side.
When the armies faced off, separated by barely two miles, Mangetsu's body suddenly swelled, his slender frame morphing into a colossal, translucent sea monster.
The Hydration Technique of the Hōzuki clan.
By drawing in seawater, they could become titanic beings, akin to sea demons. In the original records, even Suigetsu Hōzuki had used this technique to momentarily restrain the Eight-Tails.
Mangetsu wasn't the only one. Several other Hōzuki clan members followed suit, transforming into massive, transparent leviathans that towered above the battlefield.
"That's the Hōzuki clan's secret Hydration Technique?"
"They're enormous… how do we even fight something like that?"
"Calm down, fools! The battle's just begun!"
Many Sand shinobi who had never witnessed such a sight trembled in fear.
Aizen's voice cut through the panic.
"Don't be fooled by appearances. Lightning Release shinobi—take on the Hōzuki clan. Their Hydration Technique is both their greatest strength and their greatest weakness. In that state, Lightning chakra will paralyze them instantly."
Though most of Sunagakure's shinobi specialized in Wind Release, Lightning Release was the next most common affinity.
To prove his point, Aizen lifted a single finger, aiming directly at Mangetsu in the enemy's center.
Hadō #4 – Byakurai.
A brilliant lance of white lightning erupted from his fingertip, far thicker and more devastating than the one he had once used on the night of the Uchiha massacre. His power had grown to staggering levels.
The lightning bolt tore through the sky, forcing Mangetsu to hastily disperse part of his massive body before the strike landed, preventing himself from being paralyzed completely.
The display electrified the coalition. It was as if Aizen's lightning had pierced their hearts, flooding them with courage.
"So strong!"
"I see it now!"
"As expected of Lord Aizen!"
"Follow him! Follow Lord Aizen!"
With a single motion of his hand, Aizen raised the army's morale to its peak. When he swung his hand down, the coalition forces charged as one, their roar shaking the heavens.
The battle had begun in earnest.
Lightning, Earth, Water—countless jutsu lit up the battlefield, each explosion claiming more lives. Screams and the clash of steel filled the air.
But none of that mattered to Aizen. His focus was fixed solely on one target—
Yagura, the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki, shackled by Obito's Sharingan.
A thunderous crash split the battlefield. From the sea behind, a massive tsunami surged forth, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Warriors from both sides stumbled, staring in horror as an immense, turtle-shelled beast rose from the waves.
The Three-Tails.
"Impossible! He's releasing the tailed beast from the start?!" Terumi Mei gasped.
Her plan had been to press the frontlines with Aizen, then strike at Yagura directly. But before she could act, her enemy had unleashed his trump card.
And yet—something was wrong.
The Three-Tails rampaged wildly, hurling colossal Water Release techniques without distinction, slaughtering friend and foe alike. Dozens of shinobi from both sides were wiped out with every attack.
"Has he lost his mind? He's even killing his own men?!" Terumi Mei's eyes widened in disbelief.
Aizen only sneered.
"He's only at this level."