Although Kirigakure was under Obito's bloody rule, its people still needed to live their lives.
In the early morning, shops opened their shutters one by one, welcoming a new day.
The ninja, too, began their missions for the new day.
At present, the ninja of Kirigakure were largely divided into two factions: Yagura's and Genshi's.
The intensity of the conflict was comparable to, if not greater than, the current relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha clan.
Yagura Karatachi's core subordinates were primarily the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and other members of the ANBU, known for their cruel and ferocious personalities.
People like the current Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Zabuza.
It was precisely because of these bloodthirsty and violent personalities that they chose to follow "Yagura."
The vast majority of ninja with normal temperaments, such as Ao, Heki, and Gonbee.
Although their strength was considerably inferior to that of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, they were more willing to follow Genshi.
After all, in the eyes of these normal people, the Fourth Mizukage was simply insane.
This difference between the two sides also created a very clear distinction in their personnel—
Yagura Karatachi had fewer ninja under his command, but they were all among the village's strongest.
Genshi's faction had more ninja, but their overall strength was relatively mediocre; their main advantage was numbers.
Today, Juzo Biwa, the wielder of the Executioner's Blade from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, walked side-by-side on the street with the prodigy Mangetsu Hozuki, who possessed four of the ninja swords.
The two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were preparing to undertake an A-rank mission together.
"I heard your little brother was born, Mangetsu. I wonder if he has the talent to surpass you~"
Juzo Biwa, carrying the Executioner's Blade on his back, asked with a smile, glancing at Mangetsu Hozuki walking beside him.
Compared to the somewhat goofy personality of the future Suigetsu Hozuki, Mangetsu Hozuki's personality was more akin to Zabuza's and Kisame's.
Cold, combative, and bloodthirsty.
Mangetsu did not reject Kirigakure's current era of the Bloody Mist; he even somewhat enjoyed the atmosphere.
It was for this reason that he chose to side with Yagura.
"Surpass me? Heh, he can try if he has the ability..."
Mangetsu shrugged with a sneer, clearly not giving his newborn brother much thought.
Caw! Caw!
Suddenly, a flock of crows circling overhead made Mangetsu Hozuki frown slightly.
Sniffing the air, Mangetsu Hozuki narrowed his eyes, looked around, and said coldly, "Such a strong smell of blood."
Hearing this, Juzo Biwa also stopped in his tracks.
Perhaps because they had spent years in the midst of war, Kirigakure ninja were exceptionally sensitive to the smell of blood.
"Over here."
Mangetsu Hozuki uttered two simple words and headed into the dark alley to the right.
Then, they saw a pile of minced flesh scattered in a pool of blood, and resting on top of the pulp...
Was Ao's head.
"Isn't this... Genshi's trusted subordinate, the one known as the 'Byakugan Killer,' Ao?!"
Juzo Biwa's expression changed drastically. He hurried forward to inspect the scene.
Even for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, who routinely took lives, seeing such a gruesome death made their hearts pound.
Mangetsu Hozuki also crouched down. He touched the pile of flesh with his hand using the Hydrification Technique and frowned. "What kind of opponent did he encounter to die like this? It feels... like he was crushed to a pulp."
Crushed to a pulp? Is there anyone in Kirigakure who can do such a thing?!
"What should we do? He's Genshi's man. Should we just pretend we didn't see this?"
Mangetsu Hozuki asked, glancing sideways at Juzo Biwa.
Both of them served under the Fourth Mizukage, Genshi's political rival. Reporting this would likely bring them a lot of trouble.
"Idiot, how could something like this be kept secret? If we're found out for not reporting it, that would be even more trouble."
Juzo Biwa hesitated for a few seconds before finally wrapping Ao's head. He and Mangetsu Hozuki returned to the Mizukage's administration building to report the incident to the Fourth Mizukage.
...
...
As the highest elder in Kirigakure, whose authority was comparable to the Mizukage's, Genshi naturally received the news of Ao's death immediately.
He immediately summoned his other two trusted subordinates—Heki and Gonbee.
"Who do you think did it?"
Genshi's wrinkled old face wore an unprecedentedly solemn expression as he asked in a deep tone.
"Ming."
The two answered in unison, without a hint of hesitation.
Last night, Ao was given the mission to investigate "Ming's" identity. This morning, his body was discovered. There was no need to guess who the prime suspect was.
Genshi's face was extremely dark. Gritting his nearly toothless gums, he said, "Ao had the strength of a Jonin. On top of that, he was a sensor-type ninja with the Byakugan. Even an elite Jonin would have found it difficult to take his life."
Although he had many ninja under his command, they were far from the concentration of powerhouses under Yagura Karatachi.
Ao was arguably his strongest ninja. Now that he had died at the hands of Yagura's subordinate, it was like losing an arm.
How could Genshi not be furious?
Heki and Gonbee remained silent.
Ao had been killed in a single night.
This meant that "Ming's" strength was likely above that of an elite Jonin.
He might even be at a near-Kage level, or perhaps even touching the threshold of a Kage.
Where on earth did Yagura Karatachi find such a powerhouse?
"...We can no longer sit by and watch that boy Yagura's power continue to grow."
At that moment, Genshi seemed to have made a decision. He slammed his wrinkled fist hard onto the tatami mat beneath him and roared, "I must take the initiative!"
If Mingyue had seen this, he would have undoubtedly clapped his hands and cheered.
Sowing discord: successful
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