Yagura's face turned cold.
"These people are beyond saving. They show me zero respect as Mizukage. Anyone who doesn't respect me doesn't deserve my favor or the village's resources."
"I can't count on the villagers. The only person I can rely on is myself."
"Once I'm strong enough, I won't need their approval. I'll lead the Hidden Mist to greatness and put us on top of the ninja world."
"Then they'll finally understand who the real Mizukage is supposed to be."
Yagura left the tower and headed straight for a small island.
"Elder Haruna."
"Lord Mizukage."
Elder Haruna's eyes flickered when he saw Yagura. He stepped forward quickly.
"Just give me a little more time. I'm almost finished. I'll have the perfect method to extract the Tailed Beast from Utakata cleanly. It won't take long."
A figure inside the building peeked out, curious about the commotion.
Yagura nodded.
"I understand, Elder Haruna. You're doing this for your disciple and for the village. You want us to control and use the Tailed Beasts better."
Elder Haruna let out a small breath of relief.
But right then—
Shunk!
A kunai buried itself deep in the elder's stomach.
"Still, Elder Haruna, I hope you can understand me too. We're both doing this for the village, but my situation is far more urgent. And far more important."
"I'll have someone else take over your research."
"Rest easy."
Elder Haruna's eyes flew wide.
Yagura stepped over the falling body and looked at the boy behind him.
Thud!
The elder's corpse hit the floor hard.
The boy's face twisted from shock into pure rage.
"Teacher!"
He charged straight at Yagura, eyes blazing red.
Yagura could feel it—a massive power surging inside the kid's thin frame, ready to explode like a volcano that had finally hit its limit.
BOOM!
With a thunderous roar, the boy's body swelled at impossible speed. In seconds he became a half-human, half-beast monster.
The huge commotion immediately drew every eye on the island.
"What the hell is that?"
"The Six-Tails!"
"It's a Tailed Beast rampage!"
"Shit! The Six-Tails is going berserk!"
For a ninja village, Tailed Beasts were supposed to be assets—massive chakra, insane destructive power. Seal one inside someone and you got a jinchuriki who could become incredibly strong if they mastered it.
But good jinchuriki were rare.
Most of the time the beasts became nothing but a burden.
Just like right now.
The Hidden Mist had two Tailed Beasts, so rampages happened more often than in villages with only one. Everyone here knew exactly how bad it could get.
Houses collapsed. Hundreds—maybe thousands—died. The ground cracked open. The entire small island started sinking. Blood ran in rivers.
"Run!"
"Don't get caught in it!"
"Anyone who does is dead!"
Low-level ninja and civilians bolted for their lives, leaving everything behind—money, homes, even wives and children.
Chaos erupted everywhere.
"Someone go tell Lord Mizukage!"
"Only the Mizukage can stop a Tailed Beast rampage!"
"Where is he?!"
Yagura heard the desperate shouts and smirked coldly.
"Now you want me?"
"Weren't you all saying the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were the true heart of the village?"
"Guess you need me after all."
One young ninja stared at the massive monster, fear written all over his face. But his eyes slowly hardened.
"Kill it!"
"We have to stop that thing before it destroys the whole village!"
A woman behind him screamed.
"You can't stop it! You'll die!"
The young ninja glanced back.
"I know. But if I don't go, and nobody else goes, how the hell do we stop it?"
"For the village… I have no regrets."
Hundreds of ninja with that same sacrificial spirit charged straight at the Six-Tails, shouting slogans about protecting the village. They formed hand seals while they ran, ready to die.
Even the weak ones. Even the ones with families. Even the ones who didn't really want to go.
In that moment they all shone with something bright.
"ROAR!"
But power was power.
The weak couldn't beat the strong.
These ninja were nothing compared to the Six-Tails. Even the aftershock of one attack tore through them.
A thick, corrosive mist spread out. The first ninja who touched it watched his skin melt away, exposing raw red muscle. His screams were cut short as dozens more died in seconds.
Despair filled the faces of everyone watching.
"Who can stop that monster?!"
"When the hell is the Mizukage getting here?!"
Suddenly a figure appeared right in front of the Six-Tails.
"Move!"
"I'll handle the Six-Tails alone!"
Yagura looked up at the beast.
"Monster, come at me if you've got the balls!"
"The Hidden Mist is under my protection as Mizukage!"
"If you want to destroy this village, you'll have to step over my dead body first!"
The Six-Tails' eyes locked on Yagura. Utakata's hatred for him mixed with the beast's own hatred for the Hidden Mist, for humans, for all ninja. It became something real.
"ROAR!"
Yagura formed hand seals.
"Water Style: Water Mirror Technique!"
A massive water mirror appeared instantly, facing the Six-Tails.
The next second an exact copy of the Six-Tails stepped out of the mirror.
Two identical beasts clashed in a brutal fight.
The real Six-Tails was pinned down.
The villagers finally exhaled in relief.
"Lord Mizukage is here! Thank god!"
"The Six-Tails is contained!"
"It's always the Mizukage who saves us."
"People saying the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were the real heart of the village? Bullshit. Where were they when the village needed them? Only Lord Mizukage showed up."
"Lord Mizukage is the true heart of the Hidden Mist."
"There's only one Mizukage—the real one!"
As the rampage was stopped, the fear hanging over the village lifted. Most of the Hidden Mist's people suddenly felt a powerful surge of respect for Yagura.
"Those rumors about Lord Mizukage and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen have to be lies!"
"Lord Mizukage would never do something like that!"
Yagura heard the shift in their voices and let a small, satisfied smile curl his lips.
This was exactly one of the outcomes he'd wanted.