For nearly half an hour, Shisha laid out the entirety of his so-called "plan" before Fū.
Of course, what he revealed was only the portion necessary for her role. The true depths of his ambitions, the hidden contingencies, and the darker aspects of his conspiracy remained carefully concealed. In Shisha's eyes, Fū was not an ally, nor a trusted subordinateshe was merely a weapon to be exploited.
As long as Shibuki, Elder Mizukage Satoru, and the remaining loyalists were removed, and Takigakure's leadership fell into his hands, Shisha fully intended to replace the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki at the earliest opportunity.
As one of Takigakure's former senior figures, Shisha possessed deep knowledge of the village's tailed beast sealing techniques. He coveted everything Takigakure had to offer:
The leadership position.
The treasured Hero Water.
The Seven-Tails, Chōmei.
Absolute authority.
Power. Prestige. Dominance.
In Shisha's mind, he was destined to elevate himself into one of the most powerful shinobi in the entire world.
"Well, I understand," Fū said earnestly, clenching her fists with determination. "I'll absolutely do as you say, Uncle Shisha. Leave Ajisai-san and the others to me. I won't let them interfere with your plan."
Shisha smiled warmly on the surface, though inwardly he was filled with contempt.
"I knew I could count on you, Fū. You are Takigakure's greatest prodigy," he said, gently patting her head in feigned affection. "Do not worry. If all goes according to plan, very few people will truly suffer. Even Shibuki… if he realizes his mistakes and repents in time, there may still be room to correct everything."
"Mm!"
Fū nodded vigorously, her youthful innocence making her entirely blind to the venom hidden beneath his words.
"Then I won't remain here any longer," Shisha continued. "Remember to act according to the agreed schedule."
"I understand! Don't worry, Uncle Shisha!"
"Good."
With a final pat on her shoulder, Shisha's figure blurred.
Whoosh!
He vanished into the surrounding forest.
Watching him disappear into the dense wilderness, Fū inhaled deeply before slapping her own cheeks.
"Come on, Fū! You can do this!"
After giving herself that small encouragement, she turned and hurried off in the opposite direction.
"Brother Echizen! I need your help with today's training!"
Her bright voice echoed through the valley.
At that moment, Fū had completely fallen into Shisha's carefully woven trap.
Meanwhile, as he distanced himself from Fū's training grounds, Shisha could no longer suppress the exhilaration bubbling inside him.
"I never imagined it would be this easy…"
A sinister grin spread across his face, his expression now that of a true schemer whose plot was unfolding flawlessly.
"You forced my hand, Shibuki… and you too, old man Satoru. Everything that happens now is your own fault."
His eyes darkened with malicious ambition.
Not long after exiting the perimeter, Shisha arrived at a rendezvous point where a horse-faced middle-aged Taki shinobi, dressed in brown attire and wearing Takigakure's forehead protector, was already waiting.
The moment he saw Shisha, the subordinate quickly approached.
"Lord Shisha! Did everything proceed smoothly?"
"Haha… of course," Shisha replied smugly. "That naïve girl Fū is far too inexperienced. And Shibuki is even more foolish. Everything is progressing exactly as planned."
"As expected of Lord Shisha!" the man praised eagerly. "Once all their personnel are drawn away, we'll strike instantly. That brat Shibuki will never imagine you never truly left the village."
"Hmph. Patience," Shisha said coldly. "This is not the time for recklessness. Everything must be perfectly prepared. Are our peopleand our external reinforcementsin position?"
"Yes, Lord Shisha. Our forces are fully assembled and awaiting orders. As for the outside group, they arrived at the designated location this morning, following your prior instructions."
"Excellent."
Shisha nodded with satisfaction.
"Then let us proceed."
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The two vanished immediately.
After nearly an hour of travel, they reached a cliffside region on Takigakure's southern border.
Ordinarily, this area would be guarded by Taki shinobi. However, either the stationed forces had already been subverted by Shisha or discreetly eliminated beforehand.
No leaks would be tolerated.
At the base of the cliffs, dozens of shinobi clad in entirely different uniforms stood assembled.
Their attire clearly marked them as outsiders.
Leading them was a fierce-looking man with short green hair and a sword strapped to his waist. The slashed forehead protector he wore bore the symbol of Amegakure.
A Hidden Rain shinobi.
The chakra emanating from him was substantialeasily jōnin-level.
Upon seeing him, Shisha narrowed his eyes.
"So it's Aoki-san of Amegakure," Shisha remarked as he approached. "I had expected Kagerō-kun to lead this mission."
The green-haired man smirked.
"What? Are you dissatisfied with my presence, Shisha-san?"
"Not at all," Shisha replied smoothly. "On the contrary, with a capable swordsman such as yourself, I couldn't be more reassured."
Though outwardly cordial, his gaze briefly shifted toward the blade at Aoki's waist.
A trace of greed flickered in his pupils.
Because that sword was no ordinary weapon.
It was once wielded by none other than the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
The legendary chakra-conducting blade
The Sword of the Thunder God.
Originally, Aoki had been an unremarkable Konoha chūnin. At best, he could have been considered elite among his rank.
But after defecting from Konohagakure and stealing one of Tobirama's treasured weapons, his value and notoriety had risen dramatically.
For Shisha, this alliance with Amegakure was not born of trust
It was merely another temporary arrangement.
One more stepping stone on his ruthless ascent toward absolute power.
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