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Yoichi put away the cameras, lamenting that despite the advancements in computing technology within the ninja world, there still weren't any video editing software. It might take a while before such tools are developed.
"But I guess these don't need editing; they're already highlights."
Over the course of several hours, three cameras had each used up four batteries, ensuring there was plenty of material for future use.
"It seems that Dark Kushina has disappeared, and the normal Kushina has returned. Could it be that doing something like this can suppress the darkness?"
"No, it's probably related to the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
Yoichi glanced at the strategy guide, confirming that things were as he had suspected. Although there had been some prompts earlier, the instructions hadn't changed.
"Hmm? There's some intel from the Land of Water?"
Suddenly, Yoichi received a memory from one of his wood clones stationed in the Hokage's office.
The mission he had issued to gather information on the Akatsuki had yielded some leads. The Anbu had reported back to the Hokage's office and were now awaiting his response.
"Uchiha Obito… It seems fate has a way of aligning things. Let's see if you can make one last contribution to the Uchiha clan."
Shaking his head, Yoichi returned to the tent to administer a stamina-recovery pill to the unconscious Kushina, leaving behind a note before teleporting away with the Flying Thunder God technique.
Kushina would likely want some time to herself after waking up, so it was best to give her space for the next few days.
With his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan active, Yoichi summoned his Susanoo.
The Anbu had arranged to meet with the Mist ninja in the Land of Waves, which was close to this sea. He could fly there directly.
——————————————
In the Land of Waves, in a remote area of Zone C, the small nation was interlaced with rivers, connected by various floating bridges, earning it the nickname "the country born between rivers." The regions separated by rivers were named after letters.
"Hey, how much longer do we have to wait? Are the ninjas who can make decisions even coming?" Ao couldn't help but ask. They had been waiting for hours, hoping to exchange intel, but the other side kept stalling, saying they needed to wait for someone in charge.
"Are you kidding me? How long has it been? What if that person never comes? Are we supposed to wait forever?"
The Anbu squad leader replied coldly, "We're waiting for a message from our advisor. We can't make any decisions until it arrives."
"I think you have no intention of cooperating!"
Ao retorted angrily, "Even if your person isn't here, can't you at least share the intel?"
Despite his rudeness, the Anbu and Uchiha Shinji ignored him, though the Mist ninja were visibly agitated.
"Ao, be patient. This matter is important to us..."
Before Mei could finish her sentence, she suddenly sensed an overwhelming presence approaching. She looked up, spotting a colossal figure descending from the sky.
"Be careful!"
She barely had time to shout before the massive, deep blue armored warrior, taller than a mountain, crashed to the ground.
Boom!
The colossal figure's landing was like the earth itself shaking. The Konoha Anbu, Uchiha ninja, and Mist ninja alike were all thrown off balance; some even fell flat, landing painfully.
The entire Land of Waves trembled as if a natural disaster had struck, causing panic even in the distant.
"This… this is Susanoo?"
Mei's heart filled with fear. Susanoo had already made its mark on the battlefields against the Cloud and Stone ninja, where it had crushed even perfect jinchūriki.
The intel was no secret, and the name of Konoha's Lightning Fang was renowned across the ninja world. Who didn't know the name Uchiha Yoichi and his abilities?
As Susanoo dissipated, Yoichi leaped down from the sky.
His landing kicked up a cloud of dust and a slight tremor, from which he emerged.
"Advisor."
"Clan Leader!"
The Konoha Anbu and Uchiha ninja greeted Yoichi. The sight of Susanoo had already told them who had arrived.
Yoichi asked, "Are these the Mist ninja who want to cooperate with Konoha?"
The Anbu squad leader replied, "Yes, Advisor. The leader is Mei, a well-known ninja with two kekkei genkai from the Mist."
"Alright, if they want to cooperate, they should show some sincerity first."
Yoichi turned to the group of terrified Mist ninja and spoke calmly. Among them, only Mei barely managed to keep her composure. The others were visibly trembling, struggling to stand after witnessing the complete form of Susanoo.
"W-What kind of sincerity are you asking for?"
Mei took a deep breath, gathering the remnants of her courage, and said, "If there's something the Mist needs to provide, we're willing to do it."
"There is something—just return what belongs to Konoha."
As soon as he finished speaking, Mei noticed that Yoichi had vanished from her sight. The next moment, she heard his voice behind her.
"This Byakugan belongs to Konoha. It's time to return it."
"Ao!"
Mei instinctively brought her hands together to form a seal, but before she could turn, several incredibly tough trees sprouted from the ground, binding her wrists, ankles, and neck.
A sharp wooden spike grew out, pressing against her temple. A slight movement could easily result in the spike piercing her skull.
The other Mist ninja weren't spared either. More than thirty of them were restrained by wooden branches, each with a sharp spike poised at their temples. Some had no time to react, while others, like Mei Terumi, had been about to use ninjutsu.
But before they could execute any jutsu, their lives were no longer their own.
Standing beside Ao, Yoichi patted his shoulder and smiled, "So, what do you think? Will you return the Byakugan?"
The silence was palpable. Some of the weaker Mist ninja were pale, their legs trembling.
In an instant, they had all been subdued, their lives hanging by a thread. Was this the power of Konoha's nearly invincible Lightning Fang?
"We'll return the Byakugan to Konoha, Lord Lightning Fang."
Mei quickly spoke up. She could barely withstand the pressure, so how could her less powerful comrades fare any better? If she didn't agree, who knew how many of them would survive the day?
"That's more like it. Konoha appreciates your sincerity. Now, let's talk about the Fourth Mizukage."
Yoichi smiled, and with that smile, the oppressive, almost suffocating atmosphere dissipated.
The wood that had ensnared the Mist ninja withdrew back into the ground. A wooden table and chairs appeared beside Mei.
"Shinji, recover the Byakugan and store it properly."
Yoichi instructed, then walked over to the table and sat down, turning to Mei.
"According to Konoha's intel, the one controlling the Fourth Mizukage is likely an Akatsuki member who wears a mask. However, he possesses a space-time ninjutsu. If given even a moment, he can escape."
Even the other Kamui wouldn't work. The only way to deal with Obito was to strike him the moment he entered the Kamui dimension.
Few in the ninja world could do that. Right now, only Yoichi could. Even if Uchiha Obito was a kilometer away, Yoichi could easily prevent him from escaping into the Kamui dimension.
But they needed to confirm Obito's presence in the Mist Village first and lure him out.
"Akatsuki?"
Mei pondered for a moment. "I've heard of that organization. Is it the one from the Land of Rain?"
Hanzō's actions had made quite a stir. Although the Mist Village was isolated, they still gathered intel on the rest of the ninja world. Akatsuki had gained some notoriety, not just because Hanzō was hunting them, but because they were also a top target in underground bounty stations.
"A rogue ninja organization that managed to control our Fourth Mizukage..."
Mei found it hard to believe, but Yoichi's ability to kill them all so easily made it hard to doubt his words.
"The Akatsuki has some skilled members, and the one controlling the Fourth Mizukage is likely a rogue ninja from Konoha. We must capture him. Also, why didn't you elect the strongest person as Mizukage? Instead, you chose this..."
After Yoichi's mocking words, the Mist ninja present turned red with shame and anger but didn't dare say a word. They didn't have the courage to refute him.
Mei's expression also darkened, but she managed to stay composed, saying, "Lord Lightning Fang, do you have any suggestions for dealing with this Akatsuki member who uses space-time ninjutsu?"
"What has the Fourth Mizukage been focused on lately?"
"Aside from enforcing the Bloody Mist policy, he's been most concerned with finding the whereabouts of the Three-Tails. But if he's really under someone's control, it must be the Akatsuki that wants information on the Three-Tails."
Yoichi thought for a moment and said, "Take me inside and tell the Fourth Mizukage that you've found the Three-Tails. As long as I can confirm that he's nearby, I'll handle him."
His sensory abilities were strong. Even if Obito remained in his intangible state, he could only maintain it for five minutes.
Once those five minutes were up, or the moment Obito attempted to enter the Kamui dimension, he would be done for.
But Mei was surprised. "You plan to fight inside the village?"
"Do you think we can lure him out? Don't be naive. If we let that Akatsuki member use his space-time ninjutsu to escape, it will be difficult to track him down again."
After saying this, Yoichi stood up and said to Mei and the other Mist ninja, "Let's go."
Though Obito's power wasn't particularly strong, his space-time ninjutsu was troublesome. Besides Yoichi's incredible speed, no one else could easily handle him. If Obito managed to use Izanagi, it would be even more difficult.
"We're counting on you, Lord Lightning Fang."
Mei sighed inwardly. All she could do now was hope that Yoichi had no ulterior motives towards the Mist Village. If he did, they'd be powerless against him.
After witnessing the godlike power of Susanoo, Mei couldn't muster any thoughts of resistance.
——————————————————
When Kushina woke up, she opened her eyes in a daze.
As she blamed Yoichi for his lack of restraint, she realized that she was alone in the tent.
Kushina couldn't help but recall what had happened the day before, and her face flushed with a mix of shame and guilt.
"Minato, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
She quietly closed her eyes again, listening to the silence within the tent. Kushina no longer knew what she was feeling.
Last night, she had been trapped in the darkness, only able to passively endure. But after who knows how long, she suddenly found herself able to control her body again, with her dark self retreating.
After regaining control, Kushina had briefly considered resisting and changing her situation.
But none of that mattered now. Yoichi wasn't here, and she had seen the note he left behind, saying he wouldn't be back for a while, giving her time to calm down.
She deeply regretted making such a deal with Yoichi. Even though it was to revive Minato, what was the difference between that and betraying him?
Kushina felt she had lost sight of her priorities.
Was she angry?
Of course, but at whom?
Kushina found that she didn't even have a clear target for her anger. Dark Kushina had a point: she hadn't immediately refused Yoichi. Deep down, she had already agreed to this.
Humans are strange creatures. When two poor people are in the same situation, there's no negative comparison.
But humans, by nature, fear comparison.
When Minato died, Kushina was heartbroken, but she could accept it. After all, being a ninja was a dangerous profession.
Even someone as powerful as the Second Hokage, Tobirama, had been ambushed and killed by the Gold and Silver Brothers. Minato had faced the legendary Rinnegan.
But when Kushina saw Yoichi wielding the power to bring people back to life and successfully resurrecting Nawaki, she couldn't help but feel jealous.
If Nawaki could be revived, why not Minato?
Even though she knew the price of reversing life and death was high, Kushina still felt it was unfair. She saw Tsunade, who had once been despondent, find happiness again, so why was she the only one trapped in pain?
These negative emotions, amplified by the Nine-Tails' influence, had led to the current situation.
Now that it had happened, Kushina couldn't accept it, feeling nothing but guilt towards Minato.
"I'm sorry, Minato. I didn't mean for this to happen..."
"Stop your whining, you weakling."
Kushina was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice. She turned to see her dark self standing there, not yet gone.
"You... you're still here?"
"You think I'm just going to disappear? Hmph, why should I?"
Dark Kushina sneered, "I'm the one who revived Minato, who made the tough decisions. Why should I disappear when you're the weak one? I even gave you back control of your body."
Dark Kushina gritted her teeth at the thought. How had she let herself be intimidated by that man's Sharingan? What was that about? Had she been discovered?
And their situation was even stranger now. Without the True Waterfall's help, they could see each other face-to-face. How odd. Had she not fully taken over the body?
"I have to defeat you. How could you use my body to do such a thing..."
Kushina, ashamed and angry, tried to stand up and confront her dark self but found her body too weak. After a brief attempt, she collapsed again.
"Do your worst, weakling. If you can do it, go ahead and try."
With that, Dark Kushina laughed coldly and vanished before Kushina's eyes.
A moment later, Kushina suddenly opened her eyes and looked around, finding no trace of Dark Kushina. The blanket was still over her, as if it had all been a dream.
But what had happened was real. Kushina quietly stared at the tent ceiling. Once she had regained a bit of strength, she dragged her sore body to the waterfall to wash up.
She would stay here for a while, but what to do next... Kushina hadn't thought that far ahead.
——————————
"Mei, Funamushi, what brings you here?"
As soon as they entered the Mizukage's building, Mei and Yoichi, who had used a transformation jutsu, were stopped. The building was heavily guarded, with checkpoints from the entrance.
"We have intel on the Three-Tails to report to the Fourth Mizukage."
"The Three-Tails? Wait here."
One of the Mist Anbu replied before quickly heading upstairs to inform the Mizukage.
Seeing this, Mei was now completely certain that the Mizukage was being controlled. Otherwise, why would it be so difficult for a jonin like her to meet with him? The Mizukage was likely trying to avoid anyone who posed a threat.
She was also relieved that she hadn't taken on Ao's appearance. Facing the Byakugan, the Mizukage might have hidden himself.
After a while, the Mist Anbu returned and said to Mei and Yoichi, "You may go up. The Fourth Mizukage is waiting for you in the office."
"Understood."
Mei replied, and she and Yoichi began to ascend the stairs.
(End of Chapter)