He had not eaten for two days and was already dizzy with hunger. Even staggering, he still followed.
Shigeo stopped and waved. "Come. Let's talk."
With his ability, shaking off Haku was easy. But faced with such a tragic, loyal person, he could not simply abandon him.
"Eat this first." Shigeo placed a military ration in his hand.
"Thank you… thank you…" Haku swallowed it down. Shigeo passed him a waterskin, and he gulped half before handing it back.
Dirty all over, head lowered, Haku remained silent, waiting for him to speak.
Shigeo had intended to give him some money and send him off. But seeing him like this, he asked, "Do you want to follow me?"
"Yes. I have nowhere to go, nothing to do. You saved me. I want to follow you, so I'll have someone to rely on." Haku's tone was full of sorrow.
Shigeo nodded slightly. "But I dislike trouble. I'm used to freedom, not being followed. I have plenty of money. I'll give you some. Buy a house and live better than trailing me."
He opened the scrolls taken from Kakuzu, whose seals he had already altered, and pulled out some money, handing it to Haku.
Haku's face darkened. "I don't want money. I won't take it. If you truly don't want me with you, I'll leave." He stood, wronged.
Shigeo understood. But he had important matters. Scratching his head, he said, "Then do this. Take the money. Wait in a nearby village. If I finish my task, I'll come find you. If I don't, live your own life. We met by chance. Let's not make it harder on each other."
He shoved the money into Haku's hand. With a glance around, he vanished into another space.
Haku gaped, shocked. No trace of him remained. Fear rose. What power was this? Was he also a kekkei genkai user?
Shigeo reappeared inside Kirigakure. At night, the streets were empty. Entering through the gates was impossible, so he had used this method.
The mist was thick, the mountains tall as if piercing the clouds, under the night like a mirage.
With another shift, he stood atop the central tower. As his feet touched down, he heard faint footsteps echoing in the corridor.
Hidden, he saw the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura. Though no longer young, his baby face, short light green hair, and violet eyes made him look like a boy of thirteen or fourteen.
He held a staff-like weapon. One end bent into a sharp hook, with a green blossom ornament.
Walking, he asked the man behind him, "How is the selection for the Rokubi jinchūriki? So much time, still no success?"
"Yes, Mizukage-sama. It still fails. Five have already died. Tomorrow we'll test again. I have a promising student. I intend to try him." An old man followed behind.
"Good. Hurry. Keeping the Rokubi locked away does the village no good," Yagura said.
From hiding, Shigeo smirked. His mirror system had already copied the Sanbi inside Yagura. The Rokubi, not yet sealed into a host, should also be easy to copy.
Thinking this, he followed quietly.
At first glance, Yagura seemed normal, not under genjutsu—speaking and acting as usual.
But once inside his office, Shigeo realized how wrong he was.
The air reeked of blood. Three corpses lay in pools of red, one with eyes gouged out.
"Mizukage-sama, we did not betray Kirigakure. Please believe us. We never did anything against the village!" one pleaded. He had long hair, with two red markings on his brow.
The others resembled him.
In Kirigakure, such brow markings belonged only to one clan—the Kaguya.
Shigeo recalled rumors: the Yuki clan, the Hōzuki clan already destroyed. Was it now the Kaguya's turn?
"You Kaguya hide kekkei genkai. Did you think I wouldn't know?" Yagura leveled his weapon at one man's neck. His eyes were cold, voice harsh. "Each of you dares betray me. If you defy me, then you must bear my wrath."
He swung. The weapon cut through the man's neck, blood spraying.
"Yagura! We are loyal! Yet you slaughter my clan? You force us!" Another Kaguya cried out, struggling to rise but too wounded.
"You're forced? Or you always planned rebellion? Why can I not feel your true loyalty? Why hide that kekkei genkai? Last chance. Hand it over, or I'll kill all of you."
He cut down another, then pointed at the last. "Let him run back with a message."
Elder Harusame sighed inwardly and released the survivor, who fled.
Yagura intended this. In half a year, he had killed more than ten Kaguya. If they still endured, they posed little threat. But that kekkei genkai was a hidden bomb.
Elder Harusame could not stay silent. "Mizukage-sama, perhaps the Kaguya did not hide a kekkei genkai. Though prone to mutation, if such people were used for the village, they could protect it. Why not show leniency…"
"Silence, Elder Harusame. Did you complete the task I gave you? You still can't find a jinchūriki, yet you question me? Who is Mizukage—you or me? Everything I do is for Kirigakure. Can you not see?" Yagura's eyes were icy, his grip on his weapon tight.
At that moment, he looked like a man trapped in obsession.
(End of Chapter)
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