Three factions converged.
Four forces quietly stepped onto the stage.
An enormous shadow had already begun to spread across Takigakure like a storm cloud swallowing the sky.
Yet not a single person within the village truly noticed it.
To the shinobi and civilians of Takigakure, Shisha's defection was already considered a major crisis capable of shaking the entire village. What they did not realize, however, was that this incident was merely the beginning.
Even Shibuki himself remained completely unaware.
At this moment, the young leader of Takigakure was still anxiously awaiting reports from the search teams dispatched throughout the Land of Waterfalls.
Two days earlier, Fu had sent urgent word back to the village.
According to her report, Shisha had personally appeared before her, attempting to abduct her by force. Although Fu claimed she had managed to repel him, Shisha had ultimately escaped with outside assistance before she could capture him.
The moment Shibuki received that information, he reacted immediately without the slightest suspicion.
After already deploying one search force beforehand, he once again ordered Ajun to lead dozens of elite Taki shinobi toward Fu's training grounds, expanding the search area southwestward in pursuit of Shisha's trail.
At the same time, he reinforced Fu's personal protection detail.
Even though Fu, as the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki, possessed the greatest combat power in Takigakure, caution was never a mistake.
Unfortunately, that very caution had become the blade aimed at his own throat.
Because of those repeated deployments, the defensive forces remaining directly around Shibuki had already become dangerously thin.
Yet Shibuki himself remained entirely oblivious.
Rather than suspecting anything, he was instead worried about Fu's safety and Shisha's whereabouts. The stress of recent events had visibly worn him down. His complexion had grown pale, and exhaustion lingered constantly in his eyes.
In the end, he was still too young.
Too inexperienced.
And so, the shadows closing around him continued to advance silently.
"What!? Elder Satoru has regained consciousness!?"
At last, amidst the endless stream of bad news, Shibuki finally heard something that could barely be called hopeful.
The moment the reporting Taki shinobi delivered the message, Shibuki's expression changed instantly.
"Yes, Leader Shibuki. Elder Satoru requested that you come immediately."
The shinobi bowed respectfully as he spoke.
"Quickly!"
Without any hesitation, Shibuki immediately rushed toward the western district of the village.
Ever since Elder Mizuno Satoru had collapsed from repeated illness followed shortly by the shock of Shisha's defection Shibuki had felt as though the final pillar supporting him was crumbling away.
Now, hearing that the elder had awakened, the crushing pressure in his chest finally eased slightly.
Soon afterward, Shibuki arrived outside the residence where Mizuno Satoru was recovering.
A medical-nin responsible for the elder's treatment stepped out to greet him, fatigue obvious across his face.
"Leader Shibuki, although Elder Satoru has regained consciousness, his condition remains extremely unstable. Please do not disturb him for too long. Keep your discussion brief and allow him to rest as much as possible."
Truthfully, the medic did not want anyone disturbing the old man at all.
Mizuno Satoru's condition had already deteriorated beyond recovery.
He was not suffering from a conventional illness or injury that ninjutsu could heal. Age, accumulated wounds from decades of warfare, and years of physical exhaustion had already consumed his body.
At this point, medicine could only prolong his life temporarily.
If he overexerted himself mentally or emotionally, no one could predict whether his condition would collapse entirely.
Still, the medic understood he could not stop this meeting.
One was the leader of Takigakure.
The other was the village elder who had protected the village for decades.
"Understood. You've worked hard these past few days, Gomu-san."
Shibuki even bowed slightly toward the medical-nin.
"No, this is my duty."
The medic returned the gesture before quietly withdrawing.
He knew very well that the conversation between the village leader and Elder Satoru was not something outsiders were qualified to hear.
After the medic departed, Shibuki slowly pushed open the wooden door and entered the room.
A thick medicinal scent immediately drifted into his nose.
Although medical ninjutsu existed, there were some conditions that even chakra could not cure. Elder Satoru's failing body had already reached the end of its lifespan.
Traditional medicine now served only one purpose:
To preserve what little life remained.
As Shibuki approached the bedside, his chest tightened painfully.
The once-powerful elder now appeared gaunt and frail, his face lined deeply with exhaustion and age.
Shibuki had lost his parents at a young age.
Because his grandfather the previous village leader was constantly occupied with village affairs, it had been Mizuno Satoru who had watched over him for much of his childhood.
To Shibuki, Elder Satoru was family.
A true grandfather figure.
Perhaps sensing his arrival, the old man slowly opened his clouded eyes.
"Ah… Shibuki."
His voice was weak as he attempted to sit up.
"Grandpa Satoru, please don't force yourself."
Shibuki hurried forward, carefully helping the elderly man lean back against the pillows.
"Yes… I'm here, Grandpa Satoru."
His voice trembled slightly.
Mizuno Satoru quietly observed the young leader before him.
Then, deep inside his heart, he sighed.
Truthfully, he had never fully supported Shibuki inheriting the position of village leader.
As a shinobi, Shibuki's talent was acceptable.
Though far from exceptional, he had at least reached jōnin-level capability in his early twenties. While he would struggle against elite jōnin from the Five Great Nations, within a smaller hidden village like Takigakure, such strength was still sufficient.
Even the previous leader had not been overwhelmingly stronger than Shibuki.
But strength alone was not enough.
Shibuki's greatest weakness was his personality.
He lacked decisiveness.
His mental fortitude was insufficient.
He was too easily shaken by pressure, too easily influenced by emotions and circumstances.
His judgment remained immature, and his political methods were painfully inexperienced.
Yes, Shibuki was still young in terms of age.
But by shinobi standards, he was no longer a child.
To put it bluntly
He lacked the disposition required of a leader.
Unfortunately, Takigakure had little choice.
The previous leader had insisted upon Shibuki's succession, and the village itself lacked better candidates.
Everyone else carried their own fatal flaws.
Including Shisha.
Others may have failed to see through him, but Mizuno Satoru had understood Shisha's true nature long ago.
Ambitious.
Sinister.
Dangerously power-hungry.
If someone like Shisha ever seized control of Takigakure, the village would inevitably descend into chaos.
Because of that, Shibuki had ultimately become the "least flawed" option available.
Originally, Mizuno Satoru believed that with time and experience, Shibuki could still mature into a capable leader.
But now…
Looking at the exhausted young man before him, disappointment quietly surfaced within the elder's eyes.
A disappointment so fleeting that Shibuki himself never noticed it at all.
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