Creating an ordinary Shadow Clone is easy, but to give it super-intelligence you have to project a Quantum chip into it—that's the real hurdle.
Battle-use Shadow Clones are worthless to Vegapunk; without a Quantum chip they're no help in research either. For weeks he's been trying to crack the problem.
He may still grumble, yet the project is essentially done—one or two more days and Vegapunk will have succeeded.
Though Vegapunk once studied science rather than Ninjutsu, his brain masters anything at lightning speed. Spending days on this upgraded Shadow Clone proves its difficulty rivals an S-rank technique.
On this trip to the Land of Water, Vegapunk and Hancock ride Suikazan Fuguki's coattails, poised to swallow Kirigakure whole. Other Villages are tricky, but Kirigakure offers a once-in-a-lifetime opening.
If Suikazan Fuguki can kill the Mizukage, end the Blood-Mist reign, and prove to the Village that the leader was being manipulated, he will almost certainly become the new Mizukage—making Kirigakure's annexation effortless.
Worst case, let Sea Ninja Village be absorbed by Kirigakure; it's just moving something from the left hand to the right. With Vegapunk's abilities, controlling Kirigakure later won't be an issue.
No Ninja can refuse a technology that makes them stronger. Once loyalty is settled, Vegapunk will rise to the top of any Village; becoming a Kage is trivial. He holds the key to universal strength and the power to keep himself from becoming a mere tool, so most Ninja will rally behind him.
The Land of Sea and Land of Water are far apart—about ten days' sail with island stops for supplies. Urged on by Suikazan Fuguki and the high efficiency of Ninja, the ship docks at Water's wharf after twelve days.
From there the group races straight to Kirigakure. Normally strangers with Chakra would struggle to enter, but with the Village higher-up Suikazan Fuguki leading, Vegapunk and Hancock pass in without incident.
Kirigakure feels cold and murderous to Vegapunk, nothing like the Konoha of his memories. Almost everyone on the streets is a Ninja—no civilians—moving briskly with stony, stay-away faces.
Apart from shops supplying life's bare necessities, there's no place to relax. Even the owners of those essential stores are usually crippled Ninja no longer fit for duty.
No wonder these Kirigakure Ninja are all a bit unhinged. Living day and night in what feels like a camp of assassins, anyone who stayed sane would be the odd one out.
Vegapunk glances around, sighs, then notices an abandoned cluster of buildings in the distance. He tugs Kisame's sleeve. "Why is that area empty? Who lived there before?"
Startled by Vegapunk's casual manner, Kisame still answers when he sees Fuguki show no reaction. "That was the district for Bloodline Limit clans—the Yuki Clan with Ice Release. Those clans don't live in the Village anymore."
Vegapunk clicks his tongue; it's the same story as Konoha ostracizing the Uchiha. Now the bloodline clans are being pushed out of Kirigakure.
Nothing new under the sun—first exile or relocation to the fringe, then manufactured conflict, and finally outright extermination. Every Village follows the same playbook.
After all, wiping them out inside the Village is risky; Ninja may be fragile, but their destructive power is huge. Any Jonin determined to go down fighting could blow up several blocks.
In truth, the Yuki Clan is already almost extinct, though it's not polite to say so, and Kisame says no more.
Up ahead, Suikazan Fuguki leads the way to the Mizukage building, only to be stopped by a pair of masked Ninja.
After brief negotiation he dismisses his other subordinates and enters with only Kisame, Hancock, and Vegapunk.
Even Kisame senses something off: Fuguki's face is too grave, a faint killing intent leaking out. A veteran slayer, Kisame recognizes the sign of murderous intent.
But inside the Mizukage's office—who could the target be? The Mizukage himself? What is going on?
If a fight breaks out, which side should he take? In theory he's a Kirigakure Ninja and should back the Mizukage, yet by the Village's rules a subordinate answers only to his direct superior.
Kisame's mind is a mess, but instinctively he tenses, eyes sharpening in caution.
They arrive. At the office door Fuguki's killing intent has ebbed, so the two guards notice nothing and let him pass.
Inside the spacious office sits a boy who looks no older than fourteen or fifteen, green hair, violet eyes, a stitched scar beneath his left eye, expression blank and wooden.
Such numb faces are common in Kirigakure, so the Mizukage's look draws no attention.
"Fuguki, you're back? What did you learn?" asks the Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, his pale-violet eyes shifting.
Though he appears a child, Yagura is nearly forty, simply cursed with a baby-face.
After almost ten years ruling Kirigakure, his poor governance has left his position shaky, yet time has still lent him a measure of authority.
Suikazan Fuguki bows with feigned respect. "Yes, Lord Mizukage. I've gathered extensive intelligence from the Land of Sea—and a vital piece of information."
"Oh?" Yagura lifts his head slightly. "What information?"
"It's this, Lord Mizukage: since when have you been under a genjutsu's control?"