Mist Village, Mizukage Building~
It had been over a week since Fūma and the Kaguya Clan, along with the ninjas from the Land of Sky, clashed in a fierce battle.
The echoes of that confrontation had stirred massive waves. In response, the Third Mizukage dispatched the entirety of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and numerous ANBU operatives to conduct an exhaustive search, yet they still failed to uncover the source of the disturbance.
"…My deepest apologies, Lord Mizukage. We, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and ANBU, have given it our all, but we truly could not find any trace of the enemy…"
"Following your instructions, we conducted a sweeping search in the areas affected by the quake, but all we found in the depths of the canyon were these remains."
"We preliminarily deduce that the Kaguya Clan's territory might have been at the earthquake's epicenter, leading to their unfortunate demise…"
The leader of the group, Kurosuki Raiga, bowed his head respectfully, slightly extending his arm forward to signal the ANBU behind him to step up.
"Look, here they are. These are the few remains we barely managed to recover after days of searching in the canyon depths…"
More than a dozen bodies of Kaguya Clan members were carried forward by the ANBU, laid out on the ground not far from the Third Mizukage.
The Third Mizukage furrowed his brows tightly, striding toward the Kaguya corpses. His blue-and-white Mizukage ceremonial robes fluttered slightly, exuding a dense, blood-soaked aura.
Kurosuki Raiga, kneeling on one knee, quietly observed the still-wet bloodstains on the Third Mizukage's robes. A chill gripped his heart.
'The Third Mizukage seems to be on the brink of fury… Damn Zabuza, you just had to pick this timing to act. Now his wrath might fall on those of us who are truly loyal to the Mist…'
'Or… you could've succeeded, at least. But to fail so miserably and embarrass the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—how troublesome…'
The atmosphere grew heavier.
Raiga silently cursed internally, while the Third Mizukage kicked aside the cloth covering one of the Kaguya bodies, his eyes narrowing as he studied the expressions and wounds on the corpse.
A chilling killing intent flickered in his gaze.
'Who in the shinobi world could've wiped out the Kaguya Clan so thoroughly? Such a silent and precise method… Even if I had done it myself, it wouldn't have been this clean…'
Though the Kaguya Clan's relationship with the Mist had become tenuous and semi-detached over the past few decades, they were still a renowned clan in the shinobi world, their reputation dating back to the Warring States period.
If effective communication could have been established, the Third Mizukage had been keen on bringing them back into the fold as a role model for new-generation clans.
The so-called "Village of the Bloody Mist" was nothing more than a slogan created by the Third Mizukage to target disobedient clans, masking persecution and internal strife under a more palatable pretense.
The phrase didn't target kekkei genkai users—it targeted those who defied the Third Mizukage's authority.
If you looked closely, his forces even included a significant number of kekkei genkai users, such as the Terumi Clan, who specialized in Boil Release techniques.
Although some Terumi members had defected, the clan largely sided with the Third Mizukage under the guidance of their elder, Genshi, serving as a tool to placate him.
Now, the mysterious disappearance of the Kaguya Clan had plunged the Mist Village into an even more precarious and dangerous situation.
A renowned clan with no recent conflict with the Third Mizukage had been wiped out entirely—how were the Mist's shinobi supposed to interpret this?
Was this a covert attack, or a blatant challenge?
Meanwhile, the Third Mizukage felt a suffocating pressure. This colossal black mark had fallen from the sky onto his shoulders, nearly breaking the man who worked tirelessly day and night.
"Terrified expressions, bodies crushed into fragments… It really does look like they perished in an earthquake, doesn't it?"
The Third Mizukage let out a cold chuckle, his fingers gradually curling into fists. His knuckles turned pale, and he cast a chilling glance at the kneeling Mist shinobi.
"So, are you all treating me, the Mizukage, like an idiot?!"
"If you no longer wish to be Mist shinobi, I'll personally send you all to hell to join these bone-playing fools!"
The Third Mizukage roared as blood-red Bijuu Chakra erupted from his body, forming a hand that grasped Raiga by the throat and hoisted him high into the air.
"An earthquake?! What kind of earthquake leaves only a dozen corpses of the Kaguya Clan with no surviving shinobi?! Is this earthquake named Uchiha Madara, or Senju Hashirama?! Tell me!"
Raiga gasped for air, his hands desperately trying to pry off the Chakra tendrils wrapped around his neck, but the suffocating pressure only intensified.
'So this is the power of a Bijuu? Truly unfair… Such overwhelming force… No wonder you failed, Zabuza…'
The hands Raiga used to touch the Bijuu Chakra had already cracked open, emitting a sizzling sound of burning flesh.
Even as he channeled his own Chakra to resist, he couldn't escape the constant corrosion of the Bijuu's Chakra, his hands dripping with blackened blood.
"Fine. Since you're all so incompetent, I'll let the Kaguya matter rest for now. But what about the battle that broke out on the border of the Land of Hot Water before the earthquake? Do you have any results from that investigation?"
"According to reports, residents near the Water Country's border saw black-and-red smoke blotting out the sky. That wasn't an earthquake, was it?!"
"Give me an answer!"
The Third Mizukage's eyes burned with savage fury. Fūma's continuous and seemingly unchecked actions in the Water Country had left his already frayed nerves on edge.
The battle between Fūma and the Land of Sky had caused a massive commotion.
The Sky Ninjas had used numerous explosive tags and Chakra cannons, creating deafening explosions. The noise was so significant that even nearby residents had been gossiping about it.
Then, only two days later, chaos erupted again.
An earthquake followed by the Kaguya Clan's mysterious demise, leaving only a few corpses in its wake.
The Third Mizukage glanced at the bloodstains still clinging to his sleeves and felt his anger boil over once more.
Just last night, he had been ambushed by Zabuza Momochi, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, wielding the Executioner's Blade.
Zabuza had rallied over a hundred ninjas, including Mist defectors, wandering rogues, and an unknown group of powerful fighters.
Fortunately, the group lacked cohesion and couldn't mount an organized assault. After transforming into his Three-Tails form, the Third Mizukage barely managed to repel them, severely injuring Zabuza, who barely escaped.
Recalling this hellish week, the Third Mizukage felt a wave of powerlessness and rage wash over him, veins bulging at his temples.
The man, usually cold and striking in appearance, now resembled a ravenous wolf ready to devour its prey.
"I'll say it again—give me an answer! The Daimyō doesn't allocate funds to this village to raise a bunch of useless fools who accomplish nothing!"
*Bang!*
The Third Mizukage slammed Raiga into the ground with force. Behind him, the remaining Seven Ninja Swordsmen and Mist shinobi, their faces filled with fear, shifted from their kneeling positions into full prostration.
"Lord Mizukage, we've truly done everything we can. We've combed through the Water Country and its surrounding nations—the Land of the Sea, the Land of Rainbows, and the Land of Hot Water—we've turned them all upside down!"
"The seas have been sealed as well. Given the current fastest ship speeds, the enemy couldn't have reached the mainland either."
Raiga, on the verge of collapse, protested internally. To be fair, he had genuinely worked hard on the Mizukage's search missions, but the results had been abysmal.
For both the battles near the Water Country and the Kaguya Clan's annihilation, he hadn't even found a single clue pointing to the culprit.
The mission's failure weighed heavily on Raiga's shoulders, so much so that he felt punishment was not only deserved but necessary.
However, it wasn't entirely his fault. Under Fūma's "Gluttony Domain," the ninja of the Land of Sky had been reduced to ashes, their very existence erased. No traces remained for anyone to find.
Following their defeat, the Kaguya Clan had been subdued by Fūma. Their entire lineage had marched toward the Uchiha Fortress and vanished into the skies above.
The Mist Village spies, relying on conventional reasoning, concluded their investigation based on their limited perspective. For instance, they assumed that anyone traveling from the mainland to the Land of Water would require at least two days.
Such assumptions led them astray, causing them to mistakenly believe their enemies had vanished into thin air.
Panicked speculation ensued, including the absurd notion that the Kaguya Clan had been wiped out by an earthquake—an explanation that crumbled under scrutiny.
Fūma, with his unmatched speed and aerial mobility, operated on a level they couldn't fathom. By the time the Mist ninjas believed they had formed a perimeter, Fūma was likely already home, sipping tea.
.......
The Third Mizukage's left arm transformed grotesquely into a clawed turtle appendage, its grayish surface emanating a foul stench.
Towering over Raiga, he grabbed him once more, lifting him effortlessly.
"Utter incompetence," the Mizukage sneered. "Why is it that nothing you do ever succeeds? You can't even guarantee the bare minimum—loyalty."
"If you're this useless, then neither you nor the others hold any value for me or for the Mist Village."
Exhaustion seeped into his words. Though this was his village, his nation, the Third Mizukage was increasingly frustrated by the unmanageable chaos spiraling beyond his control.
Years ago, as a young Mist ninja and bodyguard to the First Mizukage, Byakuren, the Third Mizukage had dreamed of a stronger, better Mist Village. He had poured his youthful energy into that ideal.
But with the death of the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, the Mist fell into disarray.
As an unremarkable leader lacking the power to inspire respect or fear, the Third Mizukage found himself unable to unify the inherently bloodthirsty and strength-obsessed Mist ninja.
It wasn't until he obtained the power of the Three-Tails that he believed he could realign the fragmented village. But it had been a futile dream, one-sided and naïve.
Over decades of pent-up frustration, the Third Mizukage finally broke, adopting a brutal, authoritarian rule. To crush any dissent, he wielded an iron fist, targeting even those who subtly disobeyed him.
Under his rule, the "Village of Bloody Mist" was born. Though he succeeded in rallying some ninja to his cause, the price was steep: growing rebellion.
Countless kekkei genkai users fled the village, and even the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—a team equivalent to a personal shadow guard—had turned against him, attempting his assassination. The situation was dire.
The Mist Village lacked the internal resilience of Konoha. After all, Konoha, with its "Will of Fire," had weathered repeated attempts on the Hokage's life and still thrived.
......
"Nothing to say for yourself?"
The Mizukage tightened his grip, ignoring Raiga's pitiful pleas for mercy. Veins bulged on his turtle claw as he cruelly increased the pressure.
"Mizukage-sama, I beg you to calm your anger. Kurosuki Raiga's loyalty to you is something I can vouch for. Please, give him another chance."
A cane tapped against the floor as an elderly figure entered the office—Master Yan, his presence both deliberate and timely.
"I also sent ninjas to investigate both sites," Yan continued. "They too returned empty-handed. This failure isn't his alone."
The Mizukage released Raiga, turning his piercing gaze toward Yuan. A trace of mockery laced his tone.
"Is that so? How kind of you, Yan, to carry out my orders twice over."
Yan ignored the jab and shifted the topic. "Mizukage-sama, my latest intelligence suggests that the group of rogue ninjas formed by our defectors has mysteriously disappeared. Should we investigate further?"
The Mizukage let out a cold laugh, stripping off his bloodstained ceremonial robes and throwing them carelessly to the floor.
"There's no need. Zabuza Momochi, that traitorous dog, gathered those scum together. I killed them all in one fell swoop!"
"Unless," he added with a glint of menace, "there's someone among them you were particularly concerned about? You can always visit the interrogation division. Their corpses are being examined for memory fragments."
Yan sighed. "Mizukage-sama, as long as the village is stable, no Mist ninja will stand against you."
"I will continue negotiations with the other clans," Yan added. "Please, do not lose your composure. My sole priority is the stability of the Mist."
The Mizukage's expression darkened as his gaze swept over the room, lingering briefly on the remaining members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
"That damn Uchiha," he thought bitterly. "He stole three of our most prized swords. Now we can't even assemble the Seven."
His frustration boiled over. "The ninjas in this village are too weak—unworthy of the Mist's legacy!"
He turned to his subordinates and barked an order.
"Spread my decree: To improve the combat readiness of Mist ninja, the Chūnin Exam protocol will now be incorporated into the academy graduation exam.
"Include live combat trials. Injuries and deaths are permissible. I want the strongest seeds cultivated from the very beginning. The victors will receive generous rewards. The failures… will face punishment."
The Mizukage's cold, merciless reform sent shockwaves through the room.
He was targeting the academy students now.
"Fresh graduates forced into battle?"
"What's the rush? This isn't a village anymore—it's a gladiator's arena…"
Despite their silent outrage, no one dared voice dissent. The Mizukage's power left them with no choice but to obey.
Yan squinted, cursing inwardly. 'The Mizukage is venting his fury on children. This will only fracture the village further.'
But he held his tongue. In the Mizukage's volatile state, his priority was to save the remaining swordsmen. Challenging him outright would only invite disaster.
........
"We'll wait," Yan thought grimly. "But if this continues, war may be the only option."
Exhaling heavily, Yan reflected on the Mist's precarious state. The village was like an overburdened pressure cooker, teetering on the brink of explosion.
And the easiest way to release that pressure? A grand war.
The thought unsettled him, yet there was a flicker of hope. Perhaps through war, the Mist could secure resources and status, easing its internal strife.
Perhaps the crucible of battle would forge stronger bonds among its bloodied but unified ninja.
The Mizukage seemed to share this sentiment. Studying the map of the ninja world, his eyes glinted with a similar resolve.
For both the Mizukage and Yan, war seemed not only inevitable but necessary. After all, the Mist had hit rock bottom. The only way forward… was up.