The Third Mizukage was dead.
He had the dubious honor of being the first sitting Third Kage of the Five Great Shinobi Nations to be slain in combat. Even at the moment of his demise, Yuta never learned his actual name.
It wasn't that the Third Mizukage was weak. As a Kage, he was more than competent.
His only mistake was picking the wrong target the one time he left his village to play bandit—running headlong into a cheat, which led to his complete and utter defeat.
"Uncle Nusaku, could you drop the barrier, please?"
Yuta's spiritual form flowed back into his body. A flicker of exhaustion crossed his features, but it was quickly burned away by a wave of pure exhilaration.
He'd long suspected he possessed Kage-level power, but this… this was his first confirmed kill of one. The feeling was extraordinary.
"Yuta? Where's the Mizukage? Did he get away?"
The rest of the team, having finished off the remaining Kiri-nin, gathered around him. Osamu scanned the desolate battlefield, his gaze finally snagging on a still form nearby. His eyes widened.
"You're kidding me… The Third Mizukage… you killed him?" Osamu's head snapped up, staring at Yuta as if he were seeing a monster for the first time.
The shock was mirrored on the faces of the others.
Only Orochimaru and Uzumaki Nusaku, who had witnessed Yuta dismantle the Seven Swordsmen, remained unflappable.
"Truly impressive, Yuta-kun," Orochimaru said, his voice its usual hoarse drawl. "With the Mizukage dealt with, our mission will be significantly simplified."
He glanced down at the corpse at his feet—a Kiri-nin with a Lightning-style hole burned through his chest—before his yellow, slitted eyes drifted back to the main prize: the Kage's body. A spark of clinical interest ignited within them.
'A Kage's corpse… what unexpected insights might it yield?'
Or rather, what insights could Konoha gain?
If the Yamanaka Clan acted swiftly, they could extract a wealth of intelligence, perhaps even hidden techniques, from the man's fading mind.
With visible reluctance, Orochimaru tore his gaze away.
"I presume our next objective is to escort the Uzumaki survivors, the Mizukage's remains, and those swords back to Konoha."
Yuta's eyes drifted unconsciously toward the distant, smoking ruins of Uzushiogakure.
A part of him felt restless, unsatisfied. If he pushed on now, he might even catch the retreating forces from Suna and Kumo. The thought was tempting.
But after a moment's consideration, he dismissed it.
"Let's move," he said, his voice firming with resolve. "We're heading home. With our trophies."
——
"You're telling me you killed the Third Mizukage and over a dozen Jonin-level Kiri-nin?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, stared at Tsunade, who stood at the front of the reporting group, with an expression of bewilderment.
He felt as if he hadn't quite woken up, or perhaps the world itself had gone mad.
'A village Kage… just like that?'
"No," Tsunade corrected, her tone matter-of-fact. "To be precise, Yuta killed him alone. The Mizukage fell to Yuta's power. The masters of those six swords were also eliminated by Yuta, who engaged the enemy vanguard before we arrived. The rest of us only mopped up the stragglers."
This was even more unbelievable. Had it been a combined effort of all his students and Yuta's team, Hiruzen could have rationalized it. But this?
'Shimura Yuta… his strength has progressed to that level?'
Hiruzen knew Yuta was exceptional, even surpassing his own students. But he had never dared imagine this level of strength.
Now, with the cold, hard evidence of the Mizukage's corpse laid out before him in his own office, disbelief was no longer an option.
'Danzo,' he thought, a mix of awe and irritation swirling in his chest. 'You've been hiding your hand well. Your disciple has such earth-shaking power, and you never said a word of it to me!'
Seated beside him, Danzo was experiencing his own internal earthquake.
While Yuta had always flawlessly executed every mission he'd been given, the idea that the boy could single-handedly slay a Kage had never crossed his mind.
Yet, where Hiruzen's shock was plain, Danzo was a master of composure. He betrayed no hint of surprise or elation.
"Yamanaka Masatake," Danzo said, his voice a flat, authoritative rasp. "The Intelligence Division will handle the remainder."
"Understood, Lord Danzo."
Yamanaka Masatake shot a quick impressed glance at Yuta before bowing his head. Along with other Intelligence Division operatives, he carefully removed the Mizukage's body from the Hokage's office.
Once they were alone, Danzo finally allowed a look of approval to settle on his student.
'As expected of my successor,' he thought, pride swelling within him. 'He doesn't act recklessly, but when he strikes, he beheads the enemy king!'
The strategic implications were staggering. Even if Kirigakure had secured some Uzumaki sealing scrolls, this loss was crippling.
Worse for them, the village was now leaderless. Without a Mizukage to hold the fractious clans in check, internal strife was almost guaranteed. If Konoha moved decisively, they could shatter the Hidden Mist in one blow, bringing the unification of the shinobi world one decisive step closer.
Danzo's breathing grew slightly quicker, excitement thrumming through his veins.
'My disciple Yuta truly has the makings of a Hokage.'
Of course, a colder, more ambitious thought followed, 'I will be Hokage long before that day comes.'
He forcibly smoothed his expression, turning to Hiruzen with practiced calm. "Hiruzen. What are your immediate plans?"
Despite his efforts, the Third Hokage noticed the triumphant twitch at the corner of Danzo's mouth. Hiruzen's own mouth twitched in response.
"The immediate priority, of course, is settling the Uzumaki survivors," Hiruzen began. "Accommodation for twenty-six clan members, their future roles within the village..."
Before he could finish, Tsunade cut in, her voice brooking no argument. "Sensei, the Uzumaki Clan will live in the Senju compound. Grandmother has already given her permission."
"Lady Mito has agreed?" Hiruzen was taken aback for a moment, but recovered quickly. "If it is Lady Mito's decision, then the Senju compound it shall be."
Hearing this, Danzo's internal satisfaction soured into immediate displeasure. 'Was that the main issue now? The disposition of a handful of refugees?'
'The main point,' he screamed internally, 'is that my student just took down a rival village's leadership! This feat must be broadcast to the entire shinobi world! Especially to every man, woman, and child in Konoha!'
'Yuta, the slayer of the Mizukage, is my student, Danzo's!'
With this achievement, the boy—and by extension, his mentor—would amass considerable prestige.
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