"That's right. I'll go."
Kaguya Ta was silent for a while.
"Mirror, it's not that I'm looking down on you, but the truth is the truth. You only have the strength of a genin. If you're the one going to assassinate the Third Mizukage, do you really think there's any chance of success?"
Not only Kaguya Ta, but the others of the Kaguya Clan thought the same thing.
That was the Third Mizukage.
Even if among the Third Kage he wasn't considered one of the strongest—
Even if he might be the weakest Third Kage among the Five Great Ninja Villages—
He was still the Mizukage.
And what were you, Kaguya Mirror?
A genin.
A genin going to assassinate the Third Mizukage?
Wasn't that no different from walking straight to your death?
"Mirror-senpai… you're not joking, are you?"
"To be honest, Mirror-senpai, it'd be better for me to go. At least I'm a jonin."
Rasa bared his teeth in a grin.
"Under normal circumstances, of course you'd be the better choice. But forgive me for being blunt—even if you went, the odds of successfully assassinating the Third Mizukage would still be extremely low. Basically nonexistent."
"Our Kaguya Clan doesn't have anyone at Kage level."
"So if we want to assassinate the Third Mizukage, we need another method."
Rasa turned toward Kaguya Ta.
"Clan Head, I'm willing to strap my body full of explosive tags and become a human bomb."
"As long as the clan can create an opportunity for me to get close to the Third Mizukage, I'll do everything I can to blow him to death."
Everyone's pupils shrank.
The Kaguya Clan had always been known for their madness and ruthlessness.
But at this moment, they suddenly realized something—
Compared to Kaguya Mirror, they were still lacking.
Turn himself into a human bomb…
It had to be said, this was indeed a method.
Even the Third Mizukage had a body of flesh and blood.
If he was blown apart, he would die.
The Kaguya Clan had no one with attack power at Kage level who could guarantee the assassination of the Third Mizukage.
But the existence of explosive tags made up for that perfectly.
The one who had just said Mirror going would be worse than him now shut his mouth.
He did not have the courage to turn himself into a human bomb.
Kaguya Ta stared blankly at Kaguya Mirror.
"Mirror… are you truly willing to do this?"
Rasa nodded.
"This is the best method. Possibly the only method. Other than explosive tags, it would be far too difficult for our Kaguya Clan to kill the Third Mizukage by any other means."
"This is our greatest hope."
"And I'm only a genin. An old genin at that. The Third Mizukage will naturally pay me little mind. With the help of the clan, the odds of success will only rise."
Rasa swept his gaze around the room.
"I was born in the Kaguya Clan. I grew up in the Kaguya Clan. I received the clan's resources. But all my life, I've accomplished nothing."
"I am deeply ashamed."
"So let me go."
"This may be the only chance in my life to contribute something to the clan."
"As long as the Kaguya Clan remembers my name after our success… then I'll have no regrets."
Rasa smiled.
Several of the younger ninja looked at Kaguya Mirror with admiration.
Some were so moved their eyes reddened and their sockets grew wet.
"Mirror-senpai is incredible."
"This kind of courage isn't something an ordinary person could ever possess."
"Mirror-senpai may be weak, but this courage deserves everyone's respect."
"We have to succeed!"
Some of them began cursing the Third Mizukage and Kirigakure's higher-ups.
"It's all the Third Mizukage's fault! It's all Kirigakure's leadership's fault! If they hadn't targeted our Kaguya Clan like this, we would never have been driven to today. It's all their fault!"
The Kaguya Clan moved quickly.
Or rather, for a day like this, they may well have long been prepared.
What Rasa had actually done was not much.
It was no more than adding the final straw to the camel's back.
Giving a drowning man a lid to cling to.
Lighting the fuse of an explosion that had long been waiting to happen.
The night deepened.
Soon, a figure entered Rasa's sight.
The Third Mizukage himself.
Long hair, streaked white with age. Clearly old, yet his steps remained steady. Every gesture carried a refined and scholarly air.
He looked like a good man.
But that was absolutely an illusion.
As a member of Sunagakure, Rasa had every right to say that.
In the war against Sunagakure, the things Kirigakure had done had brought disaster upon countless people of the Sand.
And the Third Mizukage was the chief culprit.
"Mizukage-sama, I have extremely important information to report!"
Rasa acted according to Kaguya Ta's arrangements.
He quickly ran toward the Third Mizukage.
The Third Mizukage frowned slightly. His eyes opened a little, though not fully.
Two ANBU shinobi immediately moved to his side, standing guard.
But once they saw that Kaguya Mirror was only a genin, their vigilance eased.
"Mizukage-sama, the Kaguya Clan is planning to rebel. Please be careful."
"What?"
The Third Mizukage's pupils contracted.
"Is this true?"
Rasa nodded heavily.
"Mizukage-sama, I heard it with my own ears. The Kaguya Clan has already begun moving…"
The Third Mizukage still looked somewhat doubtful.
"Kaguya Mirror, you are also a member of the Kaguya Clan. If the clan is rebelling, why aren't you participating? Not only are you not participating, you're even coming here to tell me?"
Rasa let out a cold snort.
"Mizukage-sama, you underestimate me."
"My strength may be weak, but my vision is not limited to a single clan. What I see is the entire village. At a critical time like this for the village, internal chaos must not be allowed."
"If there is no village, how can there be a clan?"
Rasa lowered his voice.
"Mizukage-sama, from the day I was born, I, Kaguya Mirror, have always worked diligently. But because my strength is poor, the people of the Kaguya Clan look down on me."
"Even the children sneer at me. They never truly treated me as one of their own, so there is no need for me to treat them as my clansmen."
"Mizukage-sama, you are the fairest. You reward merit according to contribution."
"This time, I've rendered great service, haven't I?"
Only then did the Third Mizukage believe him a little more.
"Kaguya Mirror, you've done well."
"This is indeed a great contribution. And I would never mistreat someone who has performed great service."
Then the Third Mizukage's expression darkened.
"The Kaguya Clan… I knew this day would come sooner or later. Just like the Uchiha Clan, they are wolves that can never be tamed, trying to rebel while the village is in a weakened state."
"If that's the case, then there is no need for the Kaguya Clan to continue existing in this world."
He signaled to the two ANBU shinobi.
The two immediately left.
"Kaguya Mirror, did you hear how the Kaguya Clan intended to move?"
Without changing expression, Rasa edged a little closer to the Third Mizukage.
"Mizukage-sama, I heard…"
And just as the Third Mizukage focused on listening—
Rasa suddenly lunged forward and locked his arms around him.
"Like this!"
"Explosive tags—detonate!"
"Go to hell!"
At the same time, a large number of Kaguya ninja hidden nearby charged out.
"Kill!"
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