Chapter 90: The Enraged Mizukage
Yakushi Nonō suddenly felt a profound pang of regret.
This man before her was utterly insane—actually planning to weaponize a Tailed Beast!
Those were Tailed Beasts—legendary entities practically synonymous with the word 'calamity.' The mere appearance of any single one caused earthquakes and cataclysmic devastation on an unimaginable scale.
Even though the great nations had successfully sealed these beasts within Jinchūriki hosts, effectively containing the 'calamity,' no nation dared recklessly deploy their overwhelming power in active combat.
Because even with that tremendous power sealed away, the Jinchūriki still risked going completely berserk.
A single slight miscalculation—allowing even a fraction of that power to leak out—would enable the brutal Tailed Beast to effortlessly destroy an entire nation, leaving nothing but rivers of blood in its wake!
Therefore, even with ongoing military conflicts between nations, there remained a conscious international effort to maintain certain boundaries. Otherwise, allowing the catastrophic power of Tailed Beasts to interfere with geopolitical stability could easily ignite already sensitive tensions, instantly escalating the volatile situation and potentially triggering the Third Great Shinobi World War!
"Forgive my bluntness, Lord Kazuki."
Yakushi Nonō, desperately unwilling to witness war reignite across the continent, bit her lip hard and forced a diplomatic smile: "Your proposed plan is far too dangerous. We absolutely must consult with the Hokage first!"
"I don't recall giving you the right to refuse my orders."
Kazuki spoke with casual indifference, a hint of genuine confusion crossing his face: "Since large-scale war is inevitable anyway, I might as well be the one to raise the curtain myself."
Yakushi Nonō's body trembled involuntarily as her eyes gradually lost their natural focus, her vacant gaze becoming hollow like that of a mindless puppet.
"I understand completely, Lord Kazuki."
Her eyes remained empty and lifeless as a foreign will—imprinted deep within her subconscious mind—systematically distorted her thoughts and agency.
[Hypnosis: +1]
Observing the counter increment appearing before his vision, Kazuki felt deeply satisfied with the result.
Yakushi Nonō represented merely a casual strategic move he'd made—a chess piece positioned in advance for future contingencies.
Watching Yakushi Nonō's controlled figure disappear into the misty streets, White Zetsu—who had been lurking underground throughout—slowly emerged like a bamboo shoot after spring rain. It glanced eagerly at the three legendary ninja swords scattered on the blood-soaked ground, then looked pitifully at Uchiha Kazuki standing beside it. Its meaning was abundantly clear.
"They're yours to keep."
Uchiha Kazuki rubbed his temples wearily, far too exhausted to argue over such trivial matters, and simply waved his hand dismissively.
"Hehehehe, thank you so much, Kazuki-sama!"
White Zetsu's face practically glowed with childlike joy, having now acquired three additional legendary ninja swords.
It awkwardly carried all four massive blades strapped across its back, creating an extremely bizarre appearance. The swords were haphazardly stuck into its strange body, and combined with its distinctive plant-like head, the overall effect was genuinely comical.
"It's time to move, White Zetsu."
Uchiha Kazuki consulted his map briefly before speaking: "Next destination—Kirigakure proper. We're going to meet the Mizukage personally."
"Uh, Lord Kazuki, aren't we being just a bit too arrogant?" Even the normally fearless White Zetsu broke out in nervous cold sweat upon hearing their next destination was Kirigakure itself. It asked cautiously: "Besides, isn't it somewhat inappropriate to reveal our objective of targeting Tailed Beasts so prematurely?"
White Zetsu wasn't unfamiliar with arrogant individuals or conceited behavior patterns.
Having followed Uchiha Madara for an extended period, it frequently heard the elderly legend recount stories of crushing the entire shinobi world and his deep mutual respect with Hashirama Senju.
But... this was the absolute first time it had ever heard of someone so brazenly walking directly into an enemy ninja village and casually announcing their intention to meet that village's Kage.
"Who told you I'm planning to collect Tailed Beasts right now?"
Uchiha Kazuki cast a questioning look toward the confused creature.
"Then... why did you send that woman to search specifically for the Three-Tails Isobu?"
White Zetsu scratched its head in confusion, not being particularly intelligent to begin with, and found itself completely baffled regarding what Uchiha Kazuki was actually planning.
"Didn't I already explain this clearly?"
Uchiha Kazuki stopped walking, a mischievous half-smile playing across his face: "It's 'on' the Hokage's orders—to cause maximum chaos here in Kirigakure."
"Uh, I think the Hokage's actual words probably, possibly, should, perhaps... don't mean quite what you're interpreting." White Zetsu wiped away imaginary cold sweat, muttering with exasperation: "You're clearly just using the Hokage's orders as a convenient excuse, aren't you?"
"Heh, is there really any practical difference?"
Uchiha Kazuki chuckled lightly while adjusting his glasses with calculated precision: "He gave me explicit permission to 'cause a great disturbance,' so if something goes catastrophically wrong, the leader naturally takes responsibility and blame."
The Hokage's original orders were one matter entirely—how Kazuki chose to interpret and execute those orders was something else altogether.
As for any potential misunderstandings? What did those have to do with him personally?
If serious problems arose, obviously people should direct their complaints toward the Hokage!
Leaders existed specifically as convenient scapegoats for situations exactly like this, didn't they?
Uchiha Kazuki's calculating smile, observed from White Zetsu's perspective standing beside him, resembled nothing less than a demon's cruel grin. Contemplating the chaotic future about to unfold, the plant-creature couldn't help but shudder involuntarily.
"I sincerely hope Lord Madara will be able to control his blood pressure after discovering what you've done."
White Zetsu stroked its chin thoughtfully, realizing that following Uchiha Kazuki around was proving considerably more entertaining than following the perpetually brooding Lord Madara!
"DAMN IT ALL!!!"
The solid wooden conference table shattered completely under a devastating strike, accompanied by an extremely enraged roar that echoed throughout the building.
The Third Mizukage, seated rigidly in his chair, nearly fainted on the spot after reading just the first paragraph of the urgent intelligence report delivered by his Hunter-nin.
After finally managing to calm his racing heart and regulate his breathing somewhat, he slammed his clenched fist against the ruined table again in explosive fury. Prominent veins bulged across his forehead as his face contorted with extreme anger. His eyes filled with absolutely chilling coldness as he growled through tightly gritted teeth: "Konoha has gone TOO FAR! That bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi... he doesn't respect us whatsoever!"
The legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—who had been operating at full strength just yesterday—were now reduced to merely three surviving members!
Four! A complete four members eliminated!
Damn those Uchiha! Damn Konoha entirely!
Did they have any comprehension of how much effort, resources, and time he'd invested into assembling the complete Seven Ninja Swordsmen?
It had been like investing an absolute fortune pulling seven ultra-rare SSR characters from an extremely limited-time gacha event, confidently thinking he could easily crush Konoha and completely dominate Kumogakure.
Who could have possibly predicted the game would suddenly update, instantly downgrading all SSRs to common R-rank, with four of them getting completely wiped out by a single operative!
The remaining three members—the so-called "lucky trio"—currently stood awkwardly in the Mizukage's office, staring uncomfortably at the devastating "casualty report" spread across the damaged table while exchanging bewildered, nervous glances.
"We absolutely must avenge this humiliation!"
The Mizukage forcibly suppressed his overwhelming rage, his piercing gaze sweeping across the three remaining survivors. His voice emerged dark and ominously hoarse: "This represents nothing less than a direct provocation! An existential threat! Now that circumstances have deteriorated this far... we must make that bastard pay an appropriately bloody price!"
The village's highest authority had spoken his will clearly, and his intense stare focused directly on the three survivors. His meaning couldn't be more obvious.
However, the three remaining swordsmen visibly hesitated.
Were they seriously joking? The devastatingly bloody combat record was documented right there for everyone to see clearly. Were they genuinely expected to rush enthusiastically toward certain death?
Kirigakure shinobi weren't afraid of necessary sacrifice, and their village's doctrine championed ruthless efficiency above all else—but only when such sacrifices held genuine value, strategic meaning, and proportional worth.
Not knowingly charging headlong into suicidal battles with predetermined outcomes.
Chōjūrō Hōzuki glanced sideways at his companion and spoke in a deliberately low voice: "Hey, Jūzō Biwa, didn't you claim earlier that your Kubikiribōchō was absolutely itching for combat?"
"No, actually I'm not thirsty for battle anymore. Thanks for asking though." Jūzō Biwa's lips twitched nervously as he immediately deflected responsibility toward another person: "Raiga, I firmly believe you could definitely take that monster down!"
Raiga Kurosuki's forehead creased with visible irritation as he glared back: "Stop talking complete nonsense. Either we all go together as a coordinated unit, or absolutely none of us go. That guy clearly isn't someone any of us can handle individually. I honestly think unless we can assemble at least three full teams, it's strategically best not to engage that extremely dangerous target."
Hearing this brutally honest assessment, the Mizukage immediately bristled with displeasure. His sharp, accusatory eyes fell heavily upon Raiga: "Are you suggesting that we—the mighty Kirigakure—cannot even defeat a mere Uchiha Jōnin?"
"Based on all currently available intelligence, that assessment is unfortunately accurate."
Raiga Kurosuki, showing absolutely no diplomatic mercy toward the Mizukage, stated his professional evaluation bluntly: "Judging from the physical evidence and destruction patterns documented at each battle site, that operative possesses not only incredibly refined taijutsu skills, but also demonstrates extreme proficiency in both ninjutsu and genjutsu applications. He even managed to simultaneously kill Mangetsu, Kushimaru, and Jinin while they worked together as a coordinated unit. My professional tactical assessment suggests it would require a minimum of four to six elite Jōnin working in perfect coordination to have any reasonable chance of defeating him!"
Although his words were delivered with harsh directness and zero sugarcoating, the Mizukage fell into troubled silence.
He was forced to reluctantly admit that Raiga Kurosuki's tactical analysis made absolutely perfect strategic sense. Based on the admittedly limited intelligence currently available, Uchiha Kazuki's demonstrated combat capabilities clearly exceeded the normal parameters of a standard Jōnin classification—possibly even approaching the threshold of Kage-level strength. Moreover, he exhibited masterful proficiency across all three primary combat disciplines.
Sending ordinary Jōnin operatives to attack him individually would merely provide Uchiha Kazuki with additional kill statistics.
To successfully defeat such an opponent required nothing less than a single, perfectly coordinated, overwhelming decisive strike!
"Very well. I approve your tactical assessment."
The Mizukage released a deep, resigned breath, though a fierce calculating glint remained in his eyes: "If circumstances absolutely demand it, I will personally authorize you to utilize the strategic power of 'Isobu' itself."
[End of Chapter 90]
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