Chiba had successfully brought the Rokubis' Jinchūriki under control.
By every measure, it was an absolute victory.
The two trials set by Elder Gen'yū had been completed, flawlessly.
At this point, there was no one left truly qualified to stand in his path.
Not Fuguki Suikazan.
Not Mei Terumī.
Not even Elder Gen'yū himself.
As Chiba led his group steadily toward Kirigakure,
Elsewhere,
Mei Terumī, Ao, and their companions returned empty-handed, their efforts yielding nothing.
Fuguki Suikazan, however, had never remained idle.
From the shadows, he had continuously dispatched subordinates to monitor Chiba's movements.
Deep down, Fuguki knew the truth.
He had never believed that his own chances of success were higher.
And so, he chose a ruthless, two-pronged strategy.
On one front, his forces continued a frantic search for Utakata, unwilling to give up hope.
On the other, he kept Chiba under constant surveillance,
Waiting.
Waiting for the moment to intercept him on the road back to Kirigakure.
But when Fuguki finally saw it,
When he saw Chiba advancing with Utakata walking openly at his side,
His expression changed.
Completely.
From his hidden vantage point, watching Chiba stride forward with calm certainty, step after step toward the Hidden Mist,
Fuguki Suikazan's face drained of all color.
Beside him, Kisame Hoshigaki glanced sideways.
"Are we making a move?"
Fuguki Suikazan hesitated for a long moment.
In the end, he shook his head.
Kisame let out a low chuckle.
"What,because they're comrades from the same village, you can't bring yourself to strike?"
"That doesn't sound like you."
Fuguki snorted coldly.
"Sentimentality means nothing to me."
"I simply don't fight battles I'm not confident of winning."
Kisame fell silent.
In the end, it was nothing more than an acknowledgment of inferiority.
Yet Fuguki Suikazan had clearly not given up.
"Chiba," he muttered darkly,
"do you really think that just because you completed those two trials, you can smoothly become Mizukage?"
"Don't be naïve."
"I've served Kirigakure for decades,worked tirelessly, shed blood, accumulated countless merits."
"How could I possibly hand the Mizukage's seat to some wet-behind-the-ears brat like you?!"
Kisame stared at Fuguki's twisted, feral expression and frowned.
It reminded him of,
Those words.
Words spoken to him by that man long ago.
…
When they finally returned to Kirigakure,
Elder Gen'yū personally came to welcome Chiba.
At his side stood Gonbei and Nakayoshi, two veteran elite jōnin who had long upheld the village.
Gen'yū's expression was a mixture of joy and deep emotion.
"With someone like you to lead Kirigakure," he said slowly,
"our village finally has hope of rising again."
Chiba smiled,but did not bother with false modesty.
Nearby, Utakata, the rokubis' Jinchūriki, glanced toward Gen'yū.
His gaze drifted through the crowd,
Yet he did not see Yagura Karatachi, the Yondaime Mizukage.
It seemed the rumors were true after all.
Even after being freed from control, Yagura was no longer capable of continuing as Mizukage.
Gen'yū noticed Utakata's glance and turned toward him.
"Utakata."
Utakata nodded once in acknowledgment.
That was simply his nature.
Gen'yū sighed softly.
"Kirigakure now faces both internal strife and external threats."
"Even with a genius like Chiba appearing out of nowhere, we still need everyone's strength."
"Your power is indispensable."
"For Chiba himself, for Kirigakure… and for the Land of Water."
Utakata remained silent, but nodded again.
Gen'yū couldn't help but feel curious.
With such a withdrawn temperament, how had Utakata ever chosen to defect,and how had Chiba convinced him to return?
But regardless of the details,
Kirigakure's two greatest crises had finally been resolved.
At last, he could breathe easy.
"Chiba," Gen'yū said firmly,
"from this moment on, no one can stop you from becoming Mizukage."
"The Elder Council will fully support you as well."
Chiba smiled.
"My thanks, Elder Gen'yū."
Just then,
"Oh?"
"So that's how it is?"
A low, cold voice cut through the air.
It was,
Fuguki Suikazan himself!!!
Behind him followed Kisame Hoshigaki, along with several hundred of his most elite, battle-hardened shinobi.
And in their grasp,
They were escorting captives.
No,
They were dragging them forward.
Members of the Elder Council.
At the very front, restrained personally by Kisame,
Was none other than the Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.
In that instant, shock rippled through the crowd.
Elder Gen'yū was both furious and alarmed.
"Fuguki Suikazan! What do you think you're doing?!"
"To dare abduct the Yondaime Mizukage and the elders of the council,"
"This is open rebellion!!!"
Fuguki threw his head back and laughed loudly.
"You senile old fool," he sneered.
"I was rebelling from the start,did you really need to spell it out?"
"You've relied on your age and seniority for far too long. Did you truly think you were the one calling the shots?"
"You're nothing more than a dying relic!"
At that moment,
Two figures rushed forward.
Mei Terumī and Ao.
The moment Mei spotted Chiba, her expression tightened with urgency.
"Chiba!"
"Fuguki Suikazan has decided to burn everything down with him!"
Clearly, she had uncovered Fuguki's plot and rushed back to warn him.
Unfortunately,
She was still a step too late.
In her heart, she had already accepted Chiba's legitimacy.
As Mizukage.
Ao felt the same.
But no matter what,
There was still one final hurdle to overcome.
Mei and Ao immediately moved to stand beside Chiba and Elder Gen'yū.
This,
Was the final confrontation.
Kirigakure's two greatest forces now faced each other.
On one side,
Elder Gen'yū, Gonbei, and Nakayoshi, representing the authority of the Elder Council.
Alongside them stood Chiba, Mei Terumī, Mangetsu Hōzuki, Ao, and the rest.
On the other,
Fuguki Suikazan.
Kisame Hoshigaki.
And the elite shinobi force Fuguki had cultivated over many years.
Whoever emerged victorious,
Would undoubtedly become the true Mizukage of Kirigakure.