"Lord Mizukage, Ameyuri Ringo has been successfully eliminated by me. These are her ninja swords."
Fuguki Suikazan stepped forward, presenting the Kiba, the twin Lightning Blades held by Ameyuri Ringo, to Yagura.
The Fourth Mizukage, who possessed a petite stature and looked just like a child, nodded slightly and casually put the Lightning Blades away.
Seeing this, Fuguki Suikazan continued, "Lord Mizukage, regarding those fellows who oppose the Blood Mist policy, should we just..."
As he spoke, he made a throat-slitting gesture.
The child-like Yagura did not scold him.
This was because, just as Simu had speculated, with the execution of the Blood Mist policy coupled with the defeat in the Third Shinobi World War, the current Hidden Mist Village was already plagued by unstable public sentiment.
Obito, standing behind Yagura, had gradually begun to feel pushed beyond his limits.
Consequently, he had to exhaust all means to weaken the strength of the Hidden Mist Village and strike down those who opposed the Blood Mist, thereby preventing his own exposure and maintaining his control over the Hidden Mist.
"The two of you should observe more closely. Pay special attention to who within the Anbu opposes the Blood Mist policy. I need a list of names."
Yagura spoke calmly, giving his command.
The meaning implied by this command was already quite clear. This Lord Mizukage was prepared to initiate a new round of purging.
The Blood Mist was about to rise once again!
A dangerous light flickered within Zabuza's eyes.
However, this ferocity was suppressed exceptionally well by him this time.
Conversely, Fuguki Suikazan still maintained his usual persona, actively advising, "Lord Mizukage, Ameyuri Ringo used to be very close with Mangetsu Hozuki."
Mangetsu Hozuki.
The genius of the Hozuki clan, capable of proficiently wielding the seven ninja swords passed down through generations in the Hidden Mist. He possessed extremely high talent and formidable strength. He was currently the wielder of Hiramekarei, the twin swords, and was also a core pillar of the Hidden Mist at present.
Hearing this name, a sliver of coldness flashed through Yagura's eyes.
"I understand. You two may dismiss yourselves first."
"Lord Mizukage, I still have one more matter."
Fuguki Suikazan did not step down, instead intending to continue his report.
"Speak."
Yagura leaned against the seat that was much larger than his own body, looking at the two individuals before him with a chilly gaze.
"Lord Mizukage, after we dealt with the Kaguya clan and Ameyuri Ringo, we encountered two men wearing uniforms with red auspicious clouds."
This sentence from Fuguki Suikazan instantly caught Yagura's attention.
To be more precise, it caught the attention of Obito behind him.
"And then?"
Yagura asked calmly, but his slightly forward-leaning posture still betrayed his urgent thoughts.
Fuguki Suikazan's expression remained unchanged, "Zabuza and I clashed with them for a brief moment and discovered that the opponents' strength is extremely formidable. Moreover, their objective seems to be targeting the two Tailed Beasts."
This objective did not seem to catch Yagura off guard. He leaned his back against the chair once more and waved his hand, saying, "I understand. I will strengthen the surveillance on the Six-Tails."
"Yes."
Seeing that his words had been delivered, Fuguki Suikazan spoke no further, preparing to leave the place together with Zabuza.
Yet just before they left, they were called out by Yagura's childish voice.
"Let Zabuza be responsible for monitoring the Six-Tails. As for you, Fuguki Suikazan, you will be responsible for gathering the list of names."
Yagura's pink eyes locked onto the two of them, seemingly trying to peer through their minds.
"Yes."
Zabuza and Fuguki Suikazan turned around simultaneously, their faces showing no flaws whatsoever.
Only after the two left did the figures of Black and White Zetsu emerge from the corner.
"Are these two fellows trustworthy?"
Black Zetsu said with some suspicion.
With the experiences from the Hidden Sand and Hidden Leaf, anyone who had interacted with that fellow Simu would now be tagged with a label of suspicion by Black Zetsu.
Obito also utilized his space-time ninjutsu to appear here.
"Whether they are trustworthy or not, won't we know just by testing them?"
Black Zetsu glanced at Obito, saying with some surprise, "You plan to use the Six-Tails to lure Simu and Hidan out?"
Obito turned his face to glance at White Zetsu, his tone carrying some dissatisfaction, "Who else but White Zetsu is to blame for being unable to accurately monitor his location?"
White Zetsu scratched his head, explaining, "I don't know why either, but the spores placed on Simu and Hidan disappear completely after a short period."
"However, his informants shouldn't even think about approaching us either."
These words were spoken by Black Zetsu as he raised his palm, crushing a Black Beetle into dust with his index finger and thumb.
Obito nodded, "In short, as long as that fellow wants to obtain the Tailed Beasts, we will definitely cross paths."
Whether it was the Three-Tails or the Six-Tails, both were under the control of Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan. The moment Simu made a move, he could arrive at the fastest speed using his space-time ninjutsu.
The death of Ameyuri Ringo caused quite a stir within the Hidden Mist Village.
A small-scale meeting was currently being held inside a dark secret room.
"Is Yagura preparing to initiate a new round of purging?"
Amidst the dim lighting, the speaker revealed a mouthful of sharp, pointed teeth.
This mouthful of sharp teeth was the hallmark of the Hozuki clan, and this person was precisely the genius shinobi of the Hozuki clan who could proficiently wield the seven ninja swords, Mangetsu Hozuki.
Sitting across from him was a sexy woman with wine-red hair, wearing a light blue robe—Mei Terumi.
At this moment, she had a solemn expression, placing her hands crossed over the table.
"If we continue to allow this to go on, the Fourth Mizukage's next target will probably be us."
Mei Terumi possessed this self-awareness.
She was originally opposed to the Blood Mist policy, and additionally, she was a possessor of a Kekkei Genkai.
Under the grand environment of the Hidden Mist Village where Kekkei Genkai shinobi were ostracized due to the Blood Mist, if Yagura launched a major purge, she would absolutely be unable to escape.
That was why she appeared here.
Sitting next to her was a flat-topped, one-eyed shinobi. He was Mei Terumi's partner, Ao.
The eye that was covered up was his war trophy from the Third Shinobi World War, a Byakugan originating from the Main House of the Hidden Leaf's Hyuga Clan!
"Since that's the case, let us hesitate no longer. We must find a way to strike at the Fourth Mizukage as soon as possible. We cannot allow him to continue dragging the Hidden Mist Village into the abyss!"
Ao said righteously.
This thought of his was also the thought of the vast majority of shinobi in the Hidden Mist Village right now.
However, the reason it had been delayed without being realized was simple. The strength of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, was simply too formidable!
As a perfect Jinchuriki, the strength Yagura possessed was enough to crush everyone in the Hidden Mist Village. This was the very foundation that allowed him to rule the Hidden Mist Village with an iron fist for so many years.
"We must find a way to deal with the Tailed Beast."
Mangetsu Hozuki continuously tapped his fingers against the table. Although they had to resist, they could not make meaningless sacrifices.
After pondering for a brief moment, Mei Terumi finally voiced an idea.
"How about using a Tailed Beast to deal with a Tailed Beast?"
Mangetsu Hozuki raised his head, staring at Mei Terumi as he asked, "Your meaning is..."
The latter nodded, "Since our strength alone is not yet sufficient to contend against a Tailed Beast, what if we also possess a Tailed Beast?"
In the Hidden Mist Village at this time, apart from the Three-Tails inside the Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi's body, the only other Tailed Beast was the Six-Tails.
"But we don't know the whereabouts of the Six-Tails, and we don't even know who the Six-Tails Jinchuriki is."
Mangetsu Hozuki raised another issue.
Under Yagura's deliberate lockdown, absolutely no one knew who the Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails was, let alone where it was located.
At this moment, Ao suddenly spoke up, "Just because we don't know doesn't mean Elder Genji doesn't know."
Mangetsu Hozuki's eyes instantly flashed with a beam of light, "That's right, we can also seek the assistance of Elder Genji!"
Genji, as an elder who participated in the establishment and development of the Hidden Mist Village, possessed prestige and authority in the Hidden Mist that was not inferior to the Mizukage.
It was merely that in recent years, he seemed to have become disheartened by the Blood Mist policy, staying inside the ancestral shrine of the Hidden Mist Village and staying out of political affairs.
"As long as we can meet with Elder Genji, we will definitely be able to convince him to join us against the Fourth Mizukage's tyranny. I believe Elder Genji definitely wouldn't want to see the Hidden Mist Village turn into what it is today!" Mangetsu Hozuki said with absolute confidence.
Mei Terumi similarly agreed with this plan. That very night, Mangetsu Hozuki arrived at the ancestral shrine of the Hidden Mist Village as the representative to meet Elder Genji.
"Elder Genji, the current Hidden Mist Village must undergo reform. We need your help!"
Mangetsu Hozuki stated his stance straightforwardly and revealed their entire plan fully, hoping to obtain this elder's support.
Genji wore clothing resembling a monk's attire. His entire body appeared withered and dried up, and his hands leaned on a wooden cane carved with a beast's face. Only after listening to Mangetsu Hozuki's plan did he open his eyes imperceptibly.
"You plan to use a Tailed Beast to deal with a Tailed Beast?"
Mangetsu Hozuki sat cross-legged on a cushion, nodding respectfully, "That's right. Only by utilizing the Six-Tails can we defeat the Fourth Mizukage and allow the Hidden Mist Village to complete its reform."
Genji shook his head, "Utakata has not yet completely brought the Six-Tails under control. He simply cannot shoulder the heavy responsibility of stopping Yagura."
Mangetsu Hozuki insisted, "There is no need for him to defeat the Fourth Mizukage. As long as he can buy us a little time, after we eliminate the other members of the Blood Mist Faction, we can concentrate our forces to deal with the Fourth Mizukage."
Genji stood up, speaking faintly, "Even so, Utakata is currently under Yagura's strict surveillance. For you to get close to him is easier said than done."
Sensing that Genji's tone had softened, Mangetsu Hozuki hastily pressed the advantage, "As long as the Elder tells us the location of the Jinchuriki, we will solve the remaining matters ourselves."
Genji stared at the opponent with his gradually clouding eyes. After a short while, he let out a deep sigh, "Since that's the case, this old man shall take a gamble with you."
Looking at the thick mist and pitch-black night outside, this elderly elder's expression was difficult to discern.
On the other side, at the border of the Land of Water, a new Jashin Religion stronghold had completed its establishment.
Simu had similarly set up a Blood Pool Clone here so that he could conduct research on the Kaguya clan's genes.
At this moment, within the crimson blood pool, a dozen or so Kaguya clan members were floating up and down. The genetic and physical data regarding them was continuously being gathered and analyzed.
Among them, the one who surprised Simu the most was precisely the white-haired youth named Kimimaro.
His Kekkei Genkai was simply unbelievable. The growth speed and hardness of his bones were more than five times that of the other clan members. At this moment, at a mere ten years of age, he had already displayed a terrifying strength sufficient to match Fuguki Suikazan.
"What a truly frightening child."
After listening to Simu's introduction, even Hidan couldn't help but lament.
However, Simu shook his head, saying, "The gifts of destiny always come with a price."
"While mastering a powerful talent and strength, his body also possesses a fatal flaw."
"Due to the continuous division of bone cells, everyone in the Kaguya clan naturally possesses a very severe hereditary disease. This is also the reason why the Kaguya clan members do not live long, and the scale of their clan has never been able to expand."
"And because of Kimimaro's formidable talent, the speed of his bone division is more than five times that of others. Therefore, his lifespan has also been drastically reduced."
"According to estimations, if no intervention is made, Kimimaro will likely fall ill in about three years, and then pass away in five years."
"Which is precisely the year he turns fifteen."
Although Simu spoke with considerable gravity, Hidan thought nothing of it.
"Five years is more than enough time for a fellow like you to find a way to cure this disease, right?"
Simu smiled faintly, not feeling surprised by Hidan's trust.
To speak without exaggeration, in the entire Shinobi World right now, the only one confident in conquering this disease within five years was Simu; there was no second person!
Even stepping back ten thousand steps, even if Simu could not find a solution to this disease within five years, he still had a retreat path to take—utilizing Kimimaro's genes to cultivate a completely brand-new, healthy body for him to use.
Therefore, this disease of the Kaguya clan was not considered a difficult problem for Simu.
Just as he had told Zabuza and Ameyuri Ringo, what he cared about was never the physical flesh, but rather the soul.
A person without a soul, no matter how beautiful or powerful their physical flesh was, was nothing more than a gray prison.
Leaving the blood pool to continue analyzing and repairing these people's bodies, Simu led Hidan away from the stronghold.
"Next, it is time to execute our mission."
"Capture the Six-Tails."
After accepting the mission to protect the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, Zabuza was brought to the vicinity of a mist-shrouded lake by several Anbu shinobi.
On the edge of the lake stood a small wooden cabin, where Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, resided.
Around the small wooden cabin, Anbu shinobi who were secretly monitoring and protecting the area were stationed everywhere.
Zabuza's mission was to lead a small squad to patrol the perimeter of the lake, staying alert against anyone who might possibly approach this place.
"You guys go patrol first, I'm going to use the latrine."
On his very first day on duty, Zabuza used his identity as the squad leader to dismiss the others.
Zabuza arrived inside a grove of trees. While relieving himself, he took the opportunity to release several Black Beetles. Under the cover of the mist, they crawled into the grass, heading toward the stronghold to report the news to Simu.
Zabuza shook himself and turned around, only to find that several subordinates from his squad had disappeared without a trace at some unknown point.
A powerful sense of crisis instantly surfaced within his heart!