Soon, news came from the battlefield.
After learning about it, Ao immediately informed Soma.
"Shimura Danzo..."
Soma showed a look of realization.
Danzo was actually a character with a strong presence.
He called himself the darkness of Konoha. He was the root of Konoha.
Even more important than Hiruzen, the trunk of Konoha.
Sacrificing himself for the sake of Konoha.
Not seeking fame or profit, only for Konoha.
This was Danzo's self-assessment.
As for the actual situation, Danzo's judgment was not accurate.
Moreover, Danzo never became Hokage, not because he didn't like it, but because he couldn't.
With Hiruzen already dead, the people of Konoha would rather have Jiraiya or Tsunade take the position.
It wasn't until Tsunade was severely injured and comatose that Danzo found the opportunity to push himself into the position, becoming the acting Hokage for a few days.
He indulged in the thrill of being Hokage.
However, this acting Hokage was not recognized by many.
Not only did he not gain the approval of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, but even many Ninjas within Konoha did not recognize Danzo.
"No wonder."
Even disregarding that Danzo was outdated.
Even at his peak, Danzo's reputation was not as good as Orochimaru's.
"More than 200 points to go before reaching 1000 reputation points."
"However, with so many workers under me now, raising the 200+ reputation points is still quite easy."
"Just in time for me to improve my Forging Technique."
Entering the forge.
"Water Fall Hammer!"
Soma swung the hammer in his hand, striking the metal ingot on the forging table hard.
Compared to the Water Flow Hammer, the Water Fall Hammer's power is much greater.
"Clang!"
The sound of the strike echoed like a bell.
"It's done!"
Soma smiled.
"River Flow Hammer isn't far off either."
"However, the second attribute chakra smelting and the Earth Core Polishing Technique, I haven't made any progress on these two."
"They need more time."
"Or perhaps other opportunities."
"Once I master the River Flow Hammer, I will prioritize researching the Earth Core Polishing Technique."
"This will greatly help me improve my Forging Technique level."
...
Mizukage's Building.
The Third Mizukage held a document in his hand, his face filled with uncontrollable joy and pride.
"Juzo severely injured Pakura."
"Yagura, Fuguki, Juzo, and Kisame, the four of them defeated Orochimaru."
"Raiga repelled Shimura Danzo."
"Good, good."
"When the Zanpakutos forged by Soma appeared, our Hidden Mist Village has been increasingly successful."
"Unhealable Blade, Kiriichimonji."
"Ice Blade, Blue Rose Sword."
"Lightning Spear, Lightning Blade."
"Blood Blade, Water Dragon Possession."
"In terms of strength, the Shinigami Squad is already stronger than the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
"The Zanpakutos are already superior to the Hidden Mist Seven Ninja Swords."
"Lord Second did not achieve so many consecutive victories against Konoha, especially while simultaneously fighting against the Hidden Sand Village. In terms of achievements, I am not much inferior to Lord Second."
"Very soon, I will surpass him."
"I still have time."
"Surpassing Lord Second is inevitable."
"In terms of personal strength, the Skeleton Emperor's ability is extremely strong."
"As long as I get close, as long as my attack hits, then no matter who it is, they will not escape death."
"But I need an opportunity to prove my strength."
"A sufficiently strong opponent."
"Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Hiruzen, Onoki..."
Aside from these four, the Third Mizukage looked down on others.
Either they were not strong enough or they were too young.
The Third Mizukage believed that only by killing these seasoned strong opponents could he prove his strength.
"Speaking of which, Konoha's foundation is really deep."
"Under Hiruzen's leadership, the declining Konoha still has so many top-tier Ninjas."
"Really enviable."
"Hiruzen's luck is too good."
Although the performance of the Shinigami Squad members is quite good, it has not yet reached the level of Orochimaru and the others.
They defeated Orochimaru, but it was due to their numerical advantage.
Suddenly, the Third Mizukage felt something was off and instinctively looked out the window.
The Third Mizukage frowned.
"Someone there? Or was it just an illusion?"
With a wave of his hand, an ANBU Ninja immediately entered.
"Mizukage-sama."
"Go check in that direction."
"Yes, Mizukage-sama."
Soon, the ANBU Ninja returned to report.
"Mizukage-sama, there is nothing unusual."
The Third Mizukage nodded.
"I understand, you may go."
"Yes."
After the ANBU Ninja left, the Third Mizukage glanced out the window again.
"It seems it was just an illusion."
"My mental state hasn't been good lately; after all, I'm getting old."
A sense of urgency suddenly arose in the Third Mizukage's heart.
In the past, the Third Mizukage wouldn't have felt this way.
But now, with goals in sight and the hope of surpassing the Second Mizukage in both achievements and strength, the Third Mizukage was very eager to accomplish these two goals.
What the ANBU Ninja didn't know was that after he left, an whirlpool suddenly appeared in the once empty air.
Immediately, a figure walked out of the swirling whirlpool wearing a black cloak with red clouds, wearing a spiral mask.
Obito looked in the direction of the Mizukage's Building, his face grim.
"Third Mizukage!" Obito's hatred was undisguised.
By controlling a Hidden Mist Ninja through Genjutsu and infiltrating the Hidden Mist Village, Obito sought revenge.
Rin's death brought immense pain to Obito.
Even though Madara spoke of the Eye of the Moon Plan, a plan that, if realized, would create a world where Rin was safe and he could live happily with her, this was Obito's dream.
Therefore, to achieve this, Obito was willing to do everything he could to implement Madara's plan.
However, this did not mean that Obito would let go of his hatred for the Hidden Mist Village.
On the contrary, Obito's hatred for the Hidden Mist Village only grew stronger over time.
Among those in the Hidden Mist Village, the one Obito hated the most was the Third Mizukage.
According to the information Obito had obtained, it was the Third Mizukage who decided to implant the Three-Tails into Rin, executing the plan to destroy Konoha. This decision was made by the Third Mizukage.
In other words, the Third Mizukage was the main culprit responsible for Nohara Rin's death.
"I can never forgive the person who killed Rin!"
"I will make you all die!"
"I'll start with you, Third Mizukage!"
"Next, it will be the entire Hidden Mist Village."
"You wanted to sacrifice Rin's life to win the war, but I will ensure that you do not achieve victory."
"You wanted to use Rin's life to strengthen your village; I will make sure that the Hidden Mist Village becomes weaker and weaker."
Obito moved closer to the Mizukage's Building.
Night fell.
The sky darkened.
A complex pattern swirled in Obito's eyes.
"Genjutsu, Sharingan!"
A wave of Genjutsu power targeted the Third Mizukage.
However, just as the Genjutsu power hit the Third Mizukage, something seemed to be triggered on the Third Mizukage.
"Who?"
The Third Mizukage awoke with a start.
Obito quickly withdrew his gaze.
His entire form disappeared into an invisible vortex.
Back in Kamui's Dimension, Obito frowned.
"Even my Mangekyo Sharingan can't control him?"
"Does this Third Mizukage have some special ability?"
"But according to Madara-sama's information, this Third Mizukage is supposed to be incompetent, unable to govern the village or excel in personal strength, the shame of the Mizuages."
"Among the Third Kages, the Mizukage is the worst."
"Could it be a ninja tool?"
"No, that's not right. The Third Mizukage doesn't have any special ninja tools on him at the moment."
The Skeleton Emperor is present, but it is not in the Third Mizukage's hands; it is placed in a corner.
Usually, the Third Mizukage doesn't use the Skeleton Emperor and just handles documents.
"Maybe the Third Mizukage has a special ability that makes him immune to Genjutsu control?"
"This disrupts my original plan."
Obito's eyes flickered.
Initially, Obito intended to try controlling the Third Mizukage with Genjutsu, and then, through him, control the entire Hidden Mist Village to weaken it as revenge.
For example, by intensifying the brutality of the Bloody Mist.
Or by falsely executing an elite ninja.
However, in this situation, that plan won't work.
"If I can't control the Third Mizukage with Genjutsu as my puppet, then he deserves to die!"
"Fine, let's just kill him."
"Let his death atone for Rin's."
Obito made his decision.
However, killing the Third Mizukage wouldn't be easy.
In a one-on-one fight, Obito was confident.
With his Mangekyo Sharingan, transplanted Hashirama cells, and the power of fused White Zetsu, he had a good chance.
But this was the heart of the Hidden Mist Village.
Once a battle started, it would inevitably alert others.
"To kill the Third Mizukage, my own strength isn't enough."
"But if I add Nagato and Konan, it will be."
"However, to persuade Nagato and Konan to go to the Hidden Mist Village and kill the Third Mizukage, I can't use revenge for Rin as an excuse. I need another reason."
Obito contemplated.
"In front of Nagato and Konan, I am Madara-sama."
"Madara-sama's goal is to realize the Eye of the Moon Plan, to eliminate war from this world and create an absolutely perfect world. This is also what Nagato and Konan desire."
"Only the Eye of the Moon Plan can be used as the reason."
"So, it will be on the grounds that I need to control a ninja village, but since the Third Mizukage cannot be controlled by Genjutsu, that's why he needs to be killed. After that, another person will succeed as Mizukage, whom I will then control."
Soon, Obito's orders reached Nagato and Konan.
The two looked at each other.
"Control the Hidden Mist Village?"
"Kill the Third Mizukage?"
"Have someone else succeed as Mizukage, then control them with Genjutsu?"
The two hesitated about Obito's orders.
Nevertheless, they set off for the Land of Water.
Upon meeting Obito, the two expressed their doubts.
"Madara-sama, do we really have to do this?"
Nagato and Konan were somewhat skeptical of Obito claiming to be Madara, but they felt there was no need to question him directly, so they verbally acknowledged Obito as Uchiha Madara.
Therefore, they adopted the title "Madara-sama."
"Only by controlling a ninja village can we have the potential to provoke the entire shinobi world."
"Among many ninja villages, Hidden Mist Village is the most suitable."
"It is located in a remote area."
"The ninja strength is not considered very strong."
"Plus, under the authoritarian rule within Hidden Mist Village, controlling a Mizukage is equivalent to controlling the entire village."
"These are conditions that other ninja villages do not have."
"As for the uniqueness of the Third Mizukage, even with my Genjutsu, he cannot be controlled. However, the next successor as Mizukage will certainly not have such uniqueness."
Obito's words actually make some sense.
Konoha is definitely not suitable, as there are too many Byakugan users who could easily see through his plans.
While Hidden Mist Village also has Byakugan users, there is only one.
In Hidden Sand Village, Rasa's authority is not as high. Many times, Chiyo's words are more effective.
Hidden Rock Village and Hidden Cloud Village have strong power, but they also come with higher risks.
Only Hidden Mist Village is the most suitable.
"So, Madara-sama, what do we need to do?"
"I will use Genjutsu to control a ninja from Hidden Mist Village, lure Third Mizukage outside or to the outskirts of Hidden Mist Village, and that's when we strike," said Obito.
Nagato and Konan exchanged glances.
"Understood."
Obito's control was on the ANBU Ninja who was previously dispatched by Third Mizukage upon sensing someone suspiciously observing, and it was this ninja who brought back the message to Third Mizukage.
"There's a suspicious intruder lurking on the village outskirts?"
"Yes, Mizukage-sama. Our ANBU Ninja have surrounded them, awaiting your orders before taking action."
"Take me there."
"Yes."
The ANBU Ninja led the way.
Third Mizukage gripped the Skeleton Emperor.
Third Mizukage was indeed in need of a battle to showcase his strength.
Defeating an invader wouldn't elevate his reputation much, but Third Mizukage saw it as an opportunity to test his true current strength.
After obtaining the Skeleton Emperor, besides cutting a fish and teaming up with Soma and Ao in the Forging Master Spiritual Land to kill Manten, Third Mizukage had not engaged in any other battles.
"I hope this infiltrator isn't too weak."
"Otherwise, I won't be able to gauge how much my strength has improved compared to before."
"Give me a satisfying battle."
"I, Third Mizukage, will establish my reputation through strength starting today."
The ANBU Ninja came to a halt.
"Mizukage-sama, we're here."
At that moment, three figures appeared from different directions, surrounding the Third Mizukage.
Third Mizukage's expression turned grim.
"Are you betraying the village?"
Third Mizukage glared at the ANBU Ninja, while also blaming himself for being too careless.
"After obtaining the Skeleton Emperor and Hidden Mist Village winning several consecutive wars, I relaxed my vigilance and became complacent. It was this complacency that led to such a lax attitude."
"These few, who are they? Are they here for me?"
"Konoha, Hidden Cloud Village, Hidden Sand Village, or Hidden Rock Village?"
"They even deliberately changed their attire and they do not seem like renowned ninjas. But trying to ambush me won't be so easy."
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