"It's more than just 'unpeaceful'—it's hell on earth. No one gets to stand on the sidelines."
Makoto leaned against a tree, looking at the rebel leader.
"But the number of people truly qualified to resist fate in the entire Shinobi World? You can count them on one hand."
"Oh, right," he added casually. "I'm talking about the Fourth Great Ninja War. If you mean twenty years later... well, by then, everyone becomes a slave to fate."
"Huh?"
Hearing Makoto's words, Mei Terumi felt the darkness closing in again.
First, it was the personal darkness of being single forever.
Now, it was the darkness of the entire world being destroyed.
After listening to the drunken tape earlier, she assumed the threat was Uchiha Madara.
But from Makoto's tone, it sounded like Madara was just the warm-up act.
'So, the legendary Ghost of the Uchiha isn't even the final boss?'
"Here."
Makoto tossed a scroll to her. "This is a copy of the institutional reforms I wrote for the Land of Waves. Take a look when you have time."
"For a Kage, protecting the village is in the job description," Makoto lectured, his voice turning serious.
"Without the power to protect your home, it doesn't matter how much people love you. You'll end up kneeling in the ruins, weeping over your comrades' corpses, powerless to do anything but scream."
Mei unrolled the scroll, skimming the contents. Her eyes widened slightly at the administrative restructuring.
"One more thing," Makoto pointed to a specific section. "That extra time created by efficiency? It shouldn't just be used for training. You need to schedule personal time for rest."
"Huh? Why?" Mei looked up, confused.
She expected him to say, 'Use every waking second to prepare for the apocalypse.'
"Maintaining physical and mental health is critical," Makoto shrugged. "A burnt-out Mizukage is a useless Mizukage. What I removed from the schedule was just meaningless busywork."
"Wait..." Mei squinted at the scroll. "Why are there so many chapters here about 'Managing and Restricting the Daimyo's Power'?"
"Oh, that?" Makoto smirked. "The Land of Waves doesn't have a Daimyo."
"So... this section is useless for them?"
"For them? Yes. But for you? I'd say it's very relevant."
...
While Makoto was having a leisurely chat about politics and work-life balance, Itachi was busy playing support.
The battle between the rebels and the Fourth Mizukage was intense. Itachi stayed on the periphery, occasionally throwing a shuriken to deflect a lethal blow or using a crow clone to drag a rebel out of the path of a Jutsu.
At first, the Kirigakure ninja were wary of the infamous rogue from Konoha.
But after he saved their lives a dozen times, they stopped watching him and focused on Yagura.
Breaking the Genjutsu on the Fourth Mizukage was a historic moment for Kiri.
Honestly, after the "Bloody Mist" era, the village's strength had tanked.
When you think about it, the underlying logic of their graduation exam was fundamentally flawed.
They treated ninjas like Gu insects—put them in a jar, let them kill each other, and keep the survivor.
The problem is, humans aren't bugs.
If a bug eats another bug, it gains energy. But if a ninja kills his classmate, he doesn't absorb their chakra.
Take Zabuza.
He slaughtered his entire graduating class. Sure, he proved he was the strongest, but what if he had lost an eye or an arm in the process? Even if he won, a crippled genius adds less combat power to the village than a full squad of healthy Chunin.
By killing off their own talent pool, the Mist had weakened itself to the point where they needed help from outsiders just to fix their own leadership crisis.
...
Meanwhile, in the Land of Water's capital.
Kisame and Zabuza had already infiltrated the palace.
The Daimyo had guards—samurai, private ninja, whatever—but against a Monster of the Hidden Mist and the Demon of the Hidden Mist, they didn't even have time to scream.
They found the Water Daimyo soaking in a private hot spring.
The steam was thick, made thicker by Zabuza's Hidden Mist Jutsu.
You couldn't even see your own hand in front of your face.
It happened in total silence.
Zabuza was a master of silent assassination.
Kisame wasn't exactly known for subtlety, but when you're that much stronger than your opponent, you don't need to be quiet—you just need to be fast.
Slash. Crush.
It was a total purge.
Not just the Daimyo. His sons, his nephews, his advisors... even his damn stupid looking dogs.
Kisame and Zabuza were thorough.
They left no one qualified to inherit the throne.
No one to rally the loyalists.
By the time anyone realized what happened, the blood in the hot spring would be cold.
It would take days for the news to spread, and by then, the political vacuum would be irreversible.
Eliminating the Daimyo was Makoto's order.
But Kisame and Zabuza decided to clean house completely.
They hunted down the corrupt ministers Makoto had flagged as "obstacles" before finally slipping away into the night.
...
One day later.
The group regrouped at the unfinished bridge in the Land of Waves.
"Strategist," Kisame grinned, resting Samehada on his shoulder. "Remember to call me for tasks like this next time. That was... refreshing."
Despite his shark-like appearance, Kisame didn't kill for the thrill of it like Hidan did.
Hidan was a religious nutjob.
Kisame's satisfaction came from purpose.
For the first time, he felt like his blade was cutting away the lies of the world rather than enforcing them.
It felt real!
"Did things go smoothly in Kirigakure?" Zabuza asked, looking at Itachi and Makoto.
"I assisted the rebels in freeing the Fourth Mizukage from the Genjutsu," Itachi reported dutifully. "As for the rest... I'm not sure."
He hesitated while glancing at Makoto.
"What do you mean, 'not sure'?" Zabuza frowned.
"While I was fighting," Itachi explained, his face deadpan, "the Strategist was chatting up a female ninja from the Mist. After the battle ended, he gave her a scroll and left."
"..."
Zabuza stared at Makoto.
"She is the future Fifth Mizukage," Makoto stated plainly.
That shut everyone up.
If he was negotiating with the future leader of the village, then there was nothing else to question him.
Makoto hadn't just given Mei Terumi reform advice; he gave her the roadmap to power.
Once Yagura woke up and realized what he had done—the murders, the tyranny, the Blood Mist—he would be crushed by guilt.
He was a good person at heart. He wouldn't want to remain a Mizukage.
He would step down.
To ensure Mei Terumi took the hat instead of some conservative elder like Genshi, she needed a power base.
She needed the Tailed Beasts!
Makoto's advice was simple: Go talk to the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, Utakata.
Don't hunt him. Don't fight him. Just talk.
The ninja world is weird.
People use fists when they should use words, and words when they should use fists.
Utakata was reasonable. In the original timeline, he actually wanted to return to the village but got jumped by Pain before he could make it.
If Mei approached him with an olive branch instead of a hit squad, he would return.
And with a perfect Jinchuriki backing her, Mei's ascension would be unstoppable.
"Alright," Makoto clapped his hands, signaling the end of the debrief. "Zabuza, Haku. Stay here and develop the Wave Village properly. If you hit a wall send a message to headquarters."
"Understood."
Just as they were preparing to leave, Itachi stopped.
He raised his right hand as the ring on his finger was vibrating.
Kisame looked down.
His ring was active too.
"We have a situation," Itachi said, his voice flat.
"What happened?" Makoto asked.
"It's Deidara," Itachi looked up. "He went back to Iwagakure... and he got trapped."