Hidden Mist Village, Mizukage Building - Grand Conference Room.
The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, sat at the head of the long table. Beside him were Genji, the great elder, and the other senior councilors of the village.
The elders were in an uproar. Their words, though aimed at Suikazan Fuguki and the disastrous results from the front line, were in truth veiled attacks on Yagura himself.
They could not understand why he had singled out Uchiha Gen for targeted orders.
Was there some personal grudge? Without those instructions, the front-line commanders wouldn't have shaped their battle plan around it. Without that flawed plan, Konoha would not have seized the initiative so decisively.
Now, the results spoke for themselves.
Thirteen Jōnin lost in a single engagement. Nearly twenty in total when counted with earlier casualties.
The village had barely over a hundred and forty Jōnin to begin with. Losing almost a seventh of them at once was a crippling blow.
This was not some petty skirmish, it was the kind of loss felt only in full-scale war.
And for the Mist, it was unbearable.
Yagura's face remained grave, as though he were humbly accepting the elders' scolding. But behind his eyes, Obito, the one truly pulling the strings, was unmoved.
Yes, he had failed to kill Uchiha Gen. A regret, however small. But the Hidden Mist had bled heavily, and that alone was enough to lift his mood.
The elders' fury was almost amusing to him. The only thing missing was Genji's full outrage.
In Obito's eyes, the others were nothing. Only Genji mattered because Genji alone had both the stature and the temperament to truly threaten him.
Finally, Yagura's voice cut through the noise.
"Have you said enough?" His gaze swept the room. "Then it's my turn."
The elders quieted instantly. None dared to push the Mizukage too far.
"The reason I ordered Uchiha Gen to be targeted is simple," Yagura continued, his tone calm but edged with steel. "He inflicted serious losses on our front line. As Mizukage, I could not ignore it. I felt pain and anger, so I gave the order."
He leaned forward slightly. "If the plan had succeeded, the benefits would have been great. Would you still be criticizing me now?"
A heavy silence fell.
"This matter is concluded. The losses have already been suffered. Pointing fingers will not bring them back. What matters now is how we recover the front line."
The explanation, on its face, was reasonable. Even if the order had been purely personal, it was not nearly enough to justify removing a Mizukage.
Though young in appearance, Yagura had ruled for years. His influence and authority within the Mist far surpassed any single elder, even Genji. And at this stage, Obito's control was still fresh; Yagura's loyalists had not yet turned away or defected to Genji's camp.
A mild-looking elder with half-white hair and glasses spoke next, his voice deep but conciliatory. "Mizukage-sama is right. The priority is stabilizing the front line."
With Genji adding his voice in agreement, the debate was momentarily cooled. No one dared to contradict when both Mizukage and great elder aligned.
Yagura smiled faintly at Genji, then let his expression sharpen once more.
"My proposal is to send massive reinforcements. Strike hard, strike fast, and crush Konoha in one decisive blow."
His words fell like thunder.
"Blood debts must be paid with blood."
The room stiffened. Even Genji's eyes opened a fraction, no longer squinting. This was no simple reinforcement, this was the prelude to a large-scale war.
He spoke firmly before the others could react. "I object."
His voice, though calm, carried the weight of finality.
"Even if we rout a small Konoha unit, their border troops stand ready in reserve. We cannot crush their main forces. At best, we would force another stalemate. And a large war, once begun, is not easily ended. The Mist would drown in it."
He swept his gaze across the table. "Other villages would sit back and watch us bleed. Do you not see? They would reap the benefit while we exhaust ourselves."
The other elders nodded grimly. Genji's reasoning was hard to deny.
Yagura's eyes narrowed. "So you would have the blood of our front-line shinobi shed in vain?"
The councilors hesitated. Some truths could be spoken aloud, others not. Genji answered regardless.
"Their sacrifice will not be in vain. There are other ways to reclaim what was lost. But a war of that scale would only cause more bloodshed. Do not be so reckless, Mizukage-sama."
A cold gleam lit Genji's eyes as his words rang out.
Yagura's expression twisted. "Hmph. Then enlighten me, Elder Genji. What brilliant insight do you offer?"
Genji's reply was measured but cutting. "Not brilliance. Prudence. Sometimes the wisest move is to cut losses in time."
Obito's thoughts flared darkly. Withdraw? Never. With the front lines aflame, there is so much room to maneuver…
Yagura sneered aloud. "So this is your way of repaying our shinobi's sacrifice? Impressive."
The tension between them thickened. The other elders barely breathed, afraid to interrupt.
"Mizukage-sama," Genji said sternly, "you are still young, and too impatient. There is no need to rush vengeance. With time, we can reclaim what was lost and more. But strike blindly now, and we risk losing everything."
Yagura's lips curved into a faint smile. "I am young, yes. My blood has not yet cooled. I cannot wait as long as you suggest. If we delay too much, the debt will be forgotten, and their sacrifice truly wasted. If there is no opportunity, then we will create one."
The force of his conviction made the elders shift uneasily. Obito's blackened heart sharpened not only his power, but his tongue.
Genji's frown deepened. If they clashed too openly, the Mist would fracture from within. He chose to concede—slightly.
"A large-scale war is off the table. That is the bottom line. But we can reinforce the front line moderately, no more than nine Jōnin. The rest, Mizukage-sama, is at your discretion."
"Fuguki's strategy is workable. It does not demand excessive Jōnin support. This will be our last reinforcement. If we cannot break Konoha within the year, the campaign ends. The Mist cannot bleed endlessly. Mizukage-sama... surely you agree?"
His gaze met Yagura's, sharp and unwavering.
Obito weighed the situation carefully. Genji had given ground. The other elders were clearly with him. To push harder now would only rouse suspicion.
Yagura's expression softened. "I agree with Genji's opinion."
The councilors exhaled in relief. Perhaps their Mizukage was still reasonable after all.
In the end, the Mist dispatched seven more Jōnin, supported by Chūnin and Genin.
The war would continue but not on the scale Obito had hoped for.