As Fuguki Suikazan's corpse lay motionless on the ground,
The battlefield remained locked in absolute silence.
No one spoke.
No one breathed too loudly.
Every shinobi stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just occurred.
Then,
Kisame Hoshigaki calmly withdrew his blade.
And without hesitation,
He reached down and removed the massive sword he had coveted for so long,
Samehada.
Lifting his gaze, Kisame looked directly at Chiba.
"Lord Mizukage," he said evenly,
"Just as you predicted… he really did act exactly that way."
"I have fulfilled our agreement."
He raised Samehada slightly.
"So now,this blade is mine, correct?"
Chiba let out a soft chuckle and nodded, extending his hand.
"Of course."
Kisame grinned widely.
Though his appearance was ferocious, at this moment his smile was genuine,almost childlike.
Gen'yū and Mei Terumī exchanged glances, both clearly stunned.
"T-This…" Mei finally asked, unable to contain herself.
"What exactly is going on here?!"
At once, all eyes turned toward Chiba.
Chiba smiled.
"It's very simple," he said.
"I merely had someone deliver two sentences to Kisame."
"Who?"
"And what were those two sentences?!" Mei pressed.
Chiba glanced toward Mangetsu Hōzuki.
Mangetsu scratched his head and answered honestly.
"Me."
"The first sentence was,"
"Your superior, Fuguki Suikazan, has been secretly selling Kirigakure's intelligence to enemy forces."
That single sentence sent shockwaves through the crowd.
Mei's pupils shrank.
"He… he was doing something like that?!"
Gen'yū frowned deeply, letting out a heavy sigh.
"So that's how it was… I truly never expected this."
No one questioned how Chiba knew.
The first time,Yagura Karatachi being controlled by genjutsu.
The second,Utakata's whereabouts as the Rokubi' Jinchūriki.
These alone had already proven the terrifying accuracy of Chiba's intelligence network.
Of course,
The real reason was that Chiba possessed knowledge others could not.
That was his greatest advantage.
But information alone was meaningless without flawless execution,
And Chiba had wielded it to absolute perfection.
Kisame gently ran his hand along Samehada's spiked surface.
The sword seemed to respond affectionately, pulsing and shifting as if pleased.
After all,
Samehada was alive.
It possessed its own will, its own judgment.
And clearly,
It preferred Kisame.
"Lord Chiba was right," Kisame said calmly.
"After hearing that, I secretly investigated Fuguki Suikazan."
"And I found more than enough evidence of his collusion with foreign enemies."
"How ironic," Kisame continued, his voice turning cold.
"The man who forced us to kill our own comrades to protect secrets… was the one betraying the village and the nation all along."
Gen'yū sighed deeply.
"No wonder you killed him without hesitation."
"After learning the truth… you must have felt utterly betrayed."
Kisame smiled faintly.
"At the very least," he said,
"I wasn't happy."
Mei quickly asked,
"Then,what was the second sentence?!"
Mangetsu answered without hesitation.
"The second sentence was,"
"If you kill Fuguki Suikazan, then Samehada,and his position,will be yours."
Understanding dawned instantly.
Chiba's move had been nothing short of a decisive strike at the foundation.
First,he revealed Fuguki's true nature, destroying Kisame's loyalty at its root.
Then,he offered power, legitimacy, and reward.
Human nature itself had been grasped firmly in his palm.
Kisame suddenly raised Samehada high.
In his other hand,
Were the documents proving Fuguki Suikazan's treason.
He faced the remaining forces and shouted:
"You now have only two choices!"
"Death,or surrender!"
"You are free to choose death," he said coldly,
"But ask yourselves,"
"Is it truly worth dying for a man like that?"
Silence fell.
Then,
Clang!
A weapon dropped to the ground.
Then another.
And another.
One by one,
The last elite forces of Kirigakure laid down their arms.
The balance of power had shifted completely.
And everyone present understood,
This was no longer merely a change of leadership.
This was the birth of a new era for the Hidden Mist Village,
guided by a Mizukage who ruled not just through strength,
But through absolute control of fate itself.