[Sakura, acting as the sensory-type ninja, quickly discovered you, which was exactly what you intended. You made a heart sign at her, and Sakura gave a knowing smile, then proceeded to act as if you weren't there.]
[The two Kirigakure Chunin blocking the path posed absolutely no threat to Team 7 and were directly killed by Sakura and the other two. However, Naruto couldn't bring himself to deliver the killing blow at first, which nearly allowed an enemy to escape.]
[Then Zabuza attacked, trapping Kakashi with his Water Prison Jutsu. But because he couldn't move while maintaining the technique, Sakura turned the tables and trapped him using the same Water Prison Jutsu.]
[Haku had no choice but to act prematurely, forcibly rescuing Zabuza. Neither side suffered serious injuries, but a significant imbalance had already appeared in their combat strength.]
Seeing this, Ryun nodded in satisfaction.
Although Zabuza's strength wasn't weak, normally he had no chance of defeating Kakashi.
Coupled with the current, vastly stronger Team 7, opportunities for Zabuza were running thin.
[Everyone arrived in the Land of Waves. Gato tried to hire more ninja to act alongside Zabuza, but the arrogant Zabuza stopped him. Zabuza then generated a thick fog, attempting to kill Team 7 together with Haku within it.]
[However, Sasuke and Naruto once again used their Wind-Fire Combination Technique, dispersing the fog. With Kakashi's assistance, Sakura used Genjutsu and the Water Prison Technique to restrain Zabuza, while Kakashi personally moved in and defeated Haku.]
[Thus, the Land of Waves mission ended in a complete victory for Team 7, with Zabuza and Haku severely injured. At this point, Gato tried to exploit the situation and swoop in for the spoils, but was utterly slaughtered by the Demon Zabuza. Finally, Zabuza, holding Haku, jumped off the bridge, committing suicide.]
Suicide?
Seeing this, Ryun was slightly taken aback. Those two shouldn't just die like this, right?
As expected, Ryun intervened.
[You caught the two as they jumped, stopping them above the water's surface. Faced with your sudden appearance, Zabuza tried to attack, but was caught in your Genjutsu and lost consciousness.]
[Sakura also sensed your presence but said nothing. Kakashi, along with Sasuke and Naruto, tried and failed to find the bodies of Zabuza and Haku, and could only return empty-handed after documenting the incident.]
Ryun became serious, wondering if he would be able to communicate smoothly with Zabuza next.
If not, Ryun wouldn't mind using some forceful methods on Zabuza.
[Zabuza, having been saved by you, thanked you but refused to cooperate with someone of unknown origins like you. Even when you told him you intended to go to Kirigakure to change the situation there, he still didn't believe you.]
[You didn't try to persuade him further. Instead, you took the healed Zabuza and Haku outside and fought them. You didn't use Wood Release or the Flying Thunder God, yet you easily defeated Zabuza and Haku using only raw strength and Genjutsu.]
[Facing them, now severely injured again, you told them they didn't have the right to choose. However, you also explained your purpose for doing this: you possessed great power and sought a village that could offer you sufficiently good conditions to settle down.]
[Compelled by your immense strength, Zabuza temporarily believed your words. He was fixated on avenging himself against Kirigakure and killing the current Fourth Mizukage, who was under a Genjutsu controlled by a mysterious individual. You, he saw, could become his ally in this endeavor.]
Seeing this, Ryun couldn't help but clench his fist. It seemed he had succeeded!
Of course, this was just the beginning. The rest depended on what kind of waves he and Zabuza could stir up in Kirigakure.
[Zabuza asked when you would act. You told him not to rush, as you first needed to wait for the Chunin Exams in Konoha to conclude, as another major event was set to unfold there.]
[Afterwards, Zabuza and Haku, following your orders, went into hiding in the Land of Whirlpools. You, meanwhile, returned to Konoha to prepare for the Chunin Exams. Sakura curiously asked what you had been doing, and you told her you were out earning a family fortune for them.]
[During the Chunin Exams, you adeptly used the same methods to deal with Danzo and Kimimaro. Then you watched as Sakura, empowered by you, began to display her formidable Genjutsu abilities, effortlessly racking up impressive achievements.]
[Sarutobi Hiruzen died in battle; Danzo disappeared. Jiraiya took Naruto to find Tsunade, but this time you got ahead of them. You revealed your talent for Wood Release and Cellular Activation, and Tsunade quickly came to regard you as a member of her clan, growing close to you.]
Ryun's eyes lit up slightly. So this method really worked!
The reason Tsunade never returned to Konoha, in Ryun's view, was significantly because she had no family left there.
So when someone like Ryun, who might be closely related to her, appeared, it was natural for Tsunade to feel favorable towards him.
However, this favorability was still far from romantic feelings, and in this simulation, Ryun didn't plan to push it further. After all, the main event this time was going to Kirigakure.
[Through your mediation, Tsunade returned to Konoha and became the Fifth Hokage. And because of your close relationship with Tsunade, you became a future Hokage advisor in the eyes of Konoha's people, though you were too young to hold the position officially.]
[On your advice, Tsunade quickly quelled the conflict with Sunagakure, restoring friendly relations between the two villages. This firmly cemented your position in Tsunade's eyes. Just then, Zabuza sent you a message. He had obtained intelligence: Mei Terumi in Kirigakure was preparing to move against Yagura.]
[You set out immediately, demonstrating the power of the Flying Thunder God. You had long ago spread your Flying Thunder God marks to the Land of Water by leaving them on various ships, though you hadn't explored further inland.]
[With your assistance and Zabuza's guidance, you arrived in Kirigakure without any obstacles. You even saw many people welcoming Zabuza's return. At that moment, you realized Zabuza's influence was greater than you had imagined.]
Ryun was momentarily stunned, pondering the information revealed in this segment of the simulation text.
From the perspective of outsiders and the general audience, Zabuza was unquestionably a demon who killed without mercy.
He slaughtered his classmates, attempted to assassinate the Mizukage, and after defecting, even killed his employer in the Land of Waves. Such a person should have no place in the ninja world.
But one must not forget, the Kirigakure of this era was under the brutal management system of the "Village of the Bloody Mist."
So perhaps, in the eyes of some people, Zabuza was a heroic figure who resisted the village's system and tried to break the Bloody Mist's grip. Regardless of whether this view was right or wrong in the past, Ryun could now make it the correct one.
Thinking this, Ryun chose to guide.
[You had a long, thorough discussion with Zabuza late into the night, asking about his thoughts and future plans. When you suggested that you could support him in becoming Mizukage, leading Kirigakure towards a brighter future, Zabuza's eyes lit up.]
[However, Zabuza refused you. He told you that while he desired to do such things, he was unworthy of becoming Mizukage. If Kirigakure was to move towards the light, it needed a Mizukage who hadn't been steeped in the darkness. The most suitable candidate for this, obviously, was you.]
Seeing this, Ryun was dumbfounded. Zabuza wanted *him* to become Mizukage?
Had Zabuza gone mad, or had Ryun displayed an insatiable lust for power in the simulation?
No... that's not right.
This actually seemed like a fairly clever move?
In reality, Zabuza probably never truly trusted Ryun – and that was only normal. After all, Ryun was from Konoha, and likely a disciple of the Fourth Hokage. Would such a person genuinely fight for Kirigakure's future?
Zabuza certainly wouldn't believe that nonsense, which was precisely why he suggested Ryun become Mizukage.
If Ryun agreed, then he would become the helm of Kirigakure. What greater temptation for a ninja could there be than becoming the Kage of a village? If that happened, all of Ryun's supposed motives would become pale and powerless against the allure of becoming Mizukage.
It had to be said, from a ninja's perspective, Zabuza had laid out a clever, open scheme.
Unfortunately, Ryun was not a ninja in the traditional sense. Zabuza's expectations were destined to be disappointed.
[You told Zabuza you had no intention of becoming Mizukage, that you had other goals. Since he was unwilling, then the choice of the next Mizukage would have to follow your arrangement. Zabuza agreed to your demand. As long as he could kill the current Yagura, there was nothing he wouldn't agree to.]
[In the following days, you continued to gather intelligence on Kirigakure, but unfortunately, you remained completely ignorant of its deepest secrets. A few days later, just as you were considering whether to rely on yourself to gather information, Yagura within Kirigakure underwent complete Tailed Beast Transformation.]
[You hesitated no longer. Using the Flying Thunder God mark that Zabuza, acting as your inside man, had placed, you teleported directly into Kirigakure. It turned out that Mei Terumi, Ao, and others had attempted to dispel the Genjutsu on Yagura but were countered by Obito. Obito directly triggered the Three-Tails within Yagura to go on a rampage, intending to destroy the entire village.]
Seeing this, Ryun clicked his tongue in wonder.
So this was Kirigakure's version of the Tailed Beast Rampage!
Obito was really getting good at this!
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