On the outskirts of the Hidden Mist, on the sea surrounding a small island—
Mei Terumi and Zabuza stood at the front, leading nearly a hundred Mist shinobi, all on high alert.
Opposite them stood Yagura Karatachi, commanding a group of Anbu assassination squads.
At this moment, Yagura's childlike face was filled with ruthless ferocity, his killing intent so intense it felt almost tangible.
Staring at Mei, Yagura said coldly, "I knew it. Shinobi with bloodline limits can never be trusted. Even without a clan… you still chose betrayal."
Mei gritted her teeth. "I'm doing this for the Hidden Mist."
"Take a look at what the village has become under your rule!"
"People can't even get enough food or clothing. Every day is filled with scheming and suspicion. There's no trust left between comrades…"
"Back then, you were controlled by genjutsu, so everyone believed none of it was your will."
"But now? You're still enforcing the so-called Blood Mist policy. Do you even deserve the title of Fourth Mizukage?"
Hearing her accusation, Yagura let out a cold laugh. "You don't understand how greedy those bloodline clans truly are."
"Only by wiping them all out can the Hidden Mist regain peace."
"I'm almost there. Once I kill you, there will never be another rebellion in the village."
Mei bit her lip, no longer willing to waste words.
Even the Hōzuki clan had already been exterminated by Yagura—proof enough of his madness.
Now that her plan had been exposed, there was only one path left.
A brutal battle.
At that moment, an Anbu from the Hidden Mist dashed over from the distance.
Yagura frowned. "What is it?"
The Anbu panted heavily. "Lord Ao sent word—Chōjūrō was rescued by Konoha shinobi. He's definitely already asked Konoha for reinforcements…"
"Mizukage-sama, you need to prepare."
Yagura's eyes turned cold as he looked at Mei. "So that's why you dared to plan a rebellion. You've been colluding with Konoha."
"But by the time their reinforcements arrive, you'll have been dead."
"Kill them!"
Realizing Mei had allied with Konoha, Yagura no longer dared to delay.
Before Konoha's forces arrived, he had to eliminate all these traitors!
With his command, the Anbu immediately surged forward.
Mei let out a sharp shout, and her subordinates rushed to meet them.
"Come on! My blade's been starving for blood!"
Zabuza swung the Executioner's Blade wildly, cleaving through enemies. For a time, no one dared approach him.
But the next second, a shark-faced shinobi burst out from the crowd, wielding a massive blade of his own, blocking Zabuza head-on.
"Samehada…"
"You must be Kisame Hoshigaki?"
Zabuza's expression turned serious.
Among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, there might not be an official hierarchy, and each blade had its own unique traits.
But in the minds of the Hidden Mist shinobi, Samehada was the strongest.
It was said that Samehada had once been a small fish that lived alongside the Three-Tails, naturally capable of devouring chakra.
Moreover, once a shinobi earned Samehada's recognition, they could use the chakra it absorbed to replenish themselves—
Maintaining their reserves and even healing injuries.
Nearly every Mist shinobi had once dreamed of becoming its master.
Seeing Zabuza's wary expression, Kisame grinned, his rows of sharp teeth gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
"Pressure, huh?"
Without another word, Kisame formed hand seals and attacked.
In an instant, the two clashed in fierce combat.
"Mei Terumi… let me, the Mizukage, deal with you personally."
Yagura drew his weapon and formed seals with one hand. "Water Style: Water Colliding Wave!"
Seeing this, Mei, who had planned to support her allies, had no choice but to respond.
"Lava Style: Melting Apparition Technique!"
A torrent of corrosive liquid spewed from her mouth, instantly dissolving Yagura's attack into mist.
Unmoved, Yagura formed another set of seals. "Water Style: Water Mirror Technique!"
A mirror of water appeared—and from it stepped a clone identical to Mei.
"Damn it…"
Mei cursed under her breath.
This was Yagura's signature technique—creating a perfect replica of his opponent, capable of using the same jutsu.
It was this very technique that had allowed him to become the Fourth Mizukage.
Once he used it, he was practically unbeatable.
"Die!"
Yagura and his clone attacked simultaneously.
"Taking me down won't be that easy."
Mei clenched her teeth and exhaled a thick acidic mist. "Boil Style: Skilled Mist Technique!"
Her bloodline abilities excelled at wide-area damage. If she handled it well, even fighting two opponents at once wasn't impossible.
For a time, the battlefield was filled with battle cries and screams. The sea turned red with blood.
The scent drew countless sharks, lurking beneath the waves, waiting for fallen shinobi to lose their strength—before swarming in to devour them.
Gradually, Mei's side, with fewer numbers, began to fall into a disadvantage.
Most of her forces were already surrounded, their deaths only a matter of time.
Seeing this, Mei grew increasingly anxious.
She didn't want to keep fighting Yagura. She exhaled a burst of acidic mist toward him—
Then tried to break away to support her allies.
But in the next instant—
A powerful blow struck her.
"Ugh!"
Mei was sent flying across the surface of the sea, tumbling over a dozen meters before barely stabilizing herself.
Wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, she quickly shattered the coral growing from her body.
Even though she reacted in time and avoided being completely restrained by Yagura's coral technique, she still struggled to stand.
After such prolonged, intense combat, her chakra reserves were already running low—
And now she had taken a direct hit.
'I was careless…'
Looking at Yagura, now enveloped in a cloak of Tailed Beast chakra, her heart sank.
That chakra cloak must have allowed him to break through her acidic mist.
"I didn't expect him to seal the Three-Tails inside himself… damn it!"
A sense of despair slowly crept into her heart.
At this point, their only hope of survival…
Was Uchiha Yuzuru's support.
But…
Konoha was thousands of miles away.
Would he really make it in time?