On January 25th, the Yang Release Laboratory was destroyed by the accidental birth of Tenseigan chakra.
Yajima Junito, the Director of the Kirigakure Hospital, offered an official explanation: an accidental mitochondrial cascade during the experiment had spiraled out of control, leading to a massive explosion. Fortunately, he claimed to have salvaged the previous research results—recovering three vials of "Yang Release Serum" capable of countering the Third Mizukage's abilities.
Immediately upon receiving the news, a large number of Kirishigure [Crying Rain] shinobi gathered inside and outside the Kirigakure Hospital. Soon, under the highest level of security, Director Yajima was escorted to the island in the center of the lake within the Hōzuki Clan's territory.
The weather that day was incredibly gloomy. The blood mist that perpetually shrouded Kirigakure felt exceptionally heavy, with pale gray clouds pressing down from the high heavens, meeting the distant mountain peaks.
The air was as thick as a water-soaked shroud; every breath carried the briny, fishy scent unique to the island.
Utilizing the invisibility effect of Wind Release: Refraction, Hyuga Yu moved through the counter-current of the crowd. After leaving a mark under a camphor tree outside the Kirigakure Hospital, he traveled on foot to a secluded park within the village.
He didn't have to wait long before a slender figure carrying a stack of official documents walked briskly toward him. This was the "Walking Maiden," Yakushi Nono'o, currently disguised as Imai Rino, a clerk in the Mizukage's Secretarial Department.
As she drew near, Hyuga Yu revealed himself. He sat on a park bench, holding a piece of intelligence that Terai had hidden there in advance, quickly flipping through the information he had been cut off from while confined to the lab for the past few days.
It seemed nothing major had happened yet. The first round of confrontations between the Militant and Pacifist factions within Kirigakure appeared restrained. However, it was also possible... that beneath this calm surface, a more violent and rapid storm was brewing.
At that moment, Yakushi Nono'o looked at the unharmed Hyuga Yu and let out a sigh of relief. "It seems you're alright... Phew..."
"Why do you say that?" Hyuga Yu looked up at her, his posture relaxed and casual. They looked like two ordinary employees who had happened to cross paths, sitting together to exchange life updates and complain about a perverted boss. However, there was no intimate connection between them. The fact that Nono'o showed concern for Yu revealed another piece of intelligence—
There was someone watching Hyuga Yu, someone whose rank was above Nono'o's, and they were monitoring Yu's status through her.
That person... could only be Danzō Shimura.
Hyuga Yu narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Has Lord Danzō arrived?"
Nono'o didn't take the bait. She simply asked calmly, "What do you plan to do next?"
Hyuga Yu raised an eyebrow. "How strange. I thought you wouldn't cooperate."
After the teasing remark, Yu glanced at her stoic expression, knowing she was indirectly confirming his suspicion. Root members were forbidden from revealing any information regarding Danzō Shimura. Thus, Nono'o could only use this method to give Yu a general idea of the situation. Of course, this relied on Yu being smart enough to read between the lines.
Naturally, Hyuga Yu understood. There were two key points:
First, Danzō Shimura was closely watching the situation in Kirigakure. Second, Danzō had not revoked Yu's command authority. In fact, under Danzō's interference, Nono'o had no choice but to fully cooperate with Yu's upcoming actions.
Thinking of this, Yu's brow furrowed slightly. His expression turned serious as he looked at Nono'o and gestured with the intelligence disguised as a newspaper.
"Tell me your assessment first."
Yakushi Nono'o took a deep breath and said bluntly, "The Third Mizukage will win."
Hyuga Yu nodded, waiting for her to continue.
"The Kirishigure is composed of a large number of younger shinobi. These people are distributed across various departments in Kirigakure, but over the past two months, most of them have been sent to the eastern front of the Land of Fire by the Militant faction led by the Third Mizukage."
"Inside the village, the power of the Militants and the Pacifists is unbalanced."
"Even with the support of the Elders' Council led by Genbu, providing the Kirishigure with funds and intelligence while helping them recruit members of the Kirigakure Bloodline Clans..."
"Right now, the two sides have only reached a delicate balance of power on paper."
"However," Nono'o continued, "according to my investigations during this period, the Third Mizukage still hides a certain power in his hands—"
Hyuga Yu exhaled slowly and said in a low voice, "The Jinchūriki, right?"
Nono'o looked up, somewhat surprised, but she quickly confirmed Yu's judgment. "The Three-Tails Jinchūriki has been meeting frequently with the Third Mizukage lately."
"Furthermore, the Six-Tails Jinchūriki is nearing the time for a host change. On the surface, Elder Harusame of the Kirigakure Elders' Council is responsible for Jinchūriki matters, but... Harusame was deployed to the battlefield by the Third Mizukage."
"We have controlled Harusame and can return him to the village at any time, but to what extent he can influence the Six-Tails Jinchūriki..."
"That remains to be seen."
At this point, Nono'o frowned and summarized: "If the Militants win, they will further push for war with Konoha. The Third Mizukage will override all objections and, like the Hidden Stone, deploy the Jinchūriki onto the battlefield."
"Currently, the only person Konoha can mobilize to handle an incident of that level on the front lines is Minato Namikaze."
"But... Tennin, I was ordered to tell you—"
"You must prevent this from happening!"
Having finished relaying the classified information, Nono'o looked at Hyuga Yu and asked coldly, "Now, do you know what to do?"
Hyuga Yu nodded calmly. "The Militant faction of the Mist must not win this civil war."
Nono'o continued her cold interrogation: "And how do you plan to do that?"
Hyuga Yu looked up at her and smiled. "Then I'll have to trouble you to make a trip. Deliver this intelligence to the Elders' Council. Remember, the Elders' Council, not Genbu."
Nono'o frowned. Did not sending the info to Genbu mean sending it to the Pacifist faction? Let every member of the Kirishigure know they couldn't possibly win the coup?
She didn't quite understand the point, but she nodded anyway. "And then?"
"We wait."
Nono'o shook her head at him. "Vague statements won't convince the higher-ups to agree to your decision."
"You must tell me: what are you waiting for?"
Hyuga Yu looked up at the cloud-covered sky and spoke with an indifferent expression. "The main entity of this coup was never the Kirishigure led by Yagura Karatachi. It was... Genbu!"
"Whether it's me or the Elders' Council led by Genbu, we are all waiting—"
"For a heavy rain."
Nono'o also looked up at the increasingly gloomy, silver-gray sky where the wind was beginning to howl. She suddenly asked, "And if this rain doesn't fall?"
Hyuga Yu sat on the bench, flipping through the newspaper with exceptional composure, without even raising his head. "I will make it fall."
January 25th, 13:00. Hōzuki Clan Territory, Island in the Lake.
The Mist shinobi guarding the gates suddenly noticed that the howling winds had ceased. The rolling, churning clouds had stopped their wild dance.
The sky grew even darker, plunging all of Kirigakure into an unsettling, deathly silence.
The shinobi who usually traversed the streets were nowhere to be seen, as if they had all been gathered at two ends of the village on this day.
Inside the secret meeting room of the Kirigakure Elders' Council, the group of old men around the table looked at the newly acquired intelligence. Comparing it to their gradually destabilizing power, their expressions were heavy.
The Militant faction had the Third Mizukage and a large number of Chūnin led by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist; they were already extremely difficult to deal with. Now, they learned the Three-Tails Jinchūriki was under his control, and even the Six-Tails... was within the enemy's grasp. On the Kirishigure side, aside from Yagura Karatachi, no one else possessed the strength to participate in a battle of this caliber.
Although cooperation with Root had given them the means to counter the Third Mizukage, the situation remained deeply concerning.
At that moment, in front of the conference table, Yagura Karatachi stood with his back to a map marked with numerous labels, calmly deploying missions one by one. "There are three vials of Yang Release Serum in total, which can be injected into sixty people in batches."
"Next, I will draw forty-five people from the Jōnin ranks and the Surprise Attack Division to form a vanguard unit to launch a raid on the Anbu base."
"The vanguard will be led by Ao. You will coordinate with Fuguki Suikazan of the Hunter-nin to quickly defeat Jinpachi Munashi and take control of the Anbu. Afterward, converge quickly at the Mizukage Building."
Yagura looked at Ao, who was sitting at the end of the table. Ao immediately stood up and accepted the mission.
"Yes, sir!"
Yagura continued with a solemn expression, "Of the remaining fifteen doses of serum, five will be allocated to the core members of the Kirishigure—"
"Kanryū, Tsurugi, Midori, and Gonbē."
"The four of you will assist me in facing the Third Mizukage directly."
The four young Jōnin at the table stood up and responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Then, Yagura looked at the Elders sitting at the head of the table, specifically at Genbu in the primary seat. "Elder Genbu, the remaining ten doses of serum... I'll leave them for you to arrange."
However, after his words fell, there was a long silence.
Yagura's heart sank.
Genbu, sitting at the head of the table, acted as if he hadn't heard anything. He leaned silently on his cane, his head turned slightly, his hollow eyes staring at the gloomy sky outside the meeting room.
Yagura called out again, "Elder Genbu—"
And then—Rattle!
The windows of the meeting room suddenly began to tremble. A gust of wind howled from the horizon without warning, whistling through the gaps between the row houses of Kirigakure. The color of the distant sky turned from leaden gray to ink black; the light faded rapidly, as if night had arrived early.
Then, the first drop of rain fell.
Heavy and cold, it slammed against the window of the meeting room, echoing the howling wind and dragging a jagged, distorted water trail across the glass!
Next came the second drop, the third... and then, as if a celestial river had breached its banks, the storm poured down!
Genbu suddenly stood up, leaning on his snake-headed cane. He took a deep breath, coldly scanning the crowded faces in the room. His gaze finally landed on several elderly men nearby. Their eyes met, and they all nodded.
"The remaining ten doses... we old fogies will take those."
"Furthermore, the plan has changed."
"Yagura, take your men to control the Three-Tails Jinchūriki."
"I was the one who agreed to let the Third become Mizukage, leading Kirigakure into its current state..."
"I bear an inescapable responsibility for this!"
Genbu looked toward the distant Mizukage Building, a flash of resolve in his eyes. "Now... I shall resolve this mistake with my own hands!"
January 25th, 18:00. The storm grew even more violent, washing away the pervasive blood mist and gathering into whistling surges of water that swept through the streets of the Mist.
The dense raindrops hammered against rooftops, stone paths, and leaves, creating a deafening, continuous roar.
Soon, the world was nothing but a vast expanse of white.
However, in such an environment, figures draped in raincoats moved like fish in water, leaping rapidly through the streets of Kirigakure!
Kirigakure, which cultivated shinobi through the elite Blood Mist system, did not have a massive population of ninja. There were roughly 6,000 in total. Nearly 4,000 were distributed across the battlefields of the Third Shinobi World War; those remaining in the village numbered around a thousand.
Half of this group split into four paths through the torrential rain, advancing at top speed toward the Anbu base, the Mizukage Building, the Police Force, and the Kirigakure Dam.
At this moment, inside the Mizukage Building, the Third Mizukage stood with his hands behind his back in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the white-washed village. Behind him, Jinin Akebino—wearing a shinobi hat, possessing sharp teeth, with thick bandages wrapped around his neck and a full beard—approached quickly.
"Lord Third, we have received intelligence. The 'Wartime Hospital' project being secretly pushed by the Elders' Council seems to have yielded results."
"Yagura's people have begun to move!"
"Mm." The Third Mizukage nodded, showing little reaction.
Jinin Akebino was anxious. "Lord Third, shouldn't we do something?"
The Third Mizukage turned his head and asked calmly, "Is everything that needed to be arranged ready?"
"Yes... but... they are clearly coming for you. You..."
Jinin's face was urgent as he stepped forward again, seemingly wanting to offer more counsel. However—
"Boring tricks."
The Third Mizukage frowned coldly and slowly turned around. As he did, Pshhh!
A blade of blood lunged straight out from the floor beneath Jinin Akebino's shadow, piercing through Jinin's chest!
"You..." 'Jinin's' expression changed drastically. His face and entire body quickly liquefied as he struggled to escape the reach of the blood blade. With a side flip, he leaped away, his form rapidly transforming into another image—an old man with a goatee.
"Elder Hōzuki."
"That foul 'blood-scent' of yours, like a rotting sewer... I could smell it from a kilometer away."
The Third Mizukage glanced at him and waved his hand casually, intending to draw all the blood out of the man's body and turn him into a dried corpse!
However, the Third Mizukage's brow suddenly twitched. His Blood Release, which had always been invincible, had actually failed. He could feel the blood inside the Hōzuki Elder resisting his jutsu; the blood-siphoning pathways his Blood Release tried to construct within the opponent could not take shape due to some mechanism acting directly on the cellular architecture.
It was as if the "signal" he used to connect to the enemy's body had been cut.
"Oh? Is this the countermeasure you developed against me?"
The Third Mizukage's lips curled into a smirk; he seemed to finally be interested. "Intriguing."
"You tyrant! Die!"
The Hōzuki Elder's expression turned cold. He quickly used the Hydrification Technique to separate the pierced tissue, threw it to the ground, and pulled a kunai from the pouch at his lower back. He lunged toward the Third Mizukage at high speed!
However—
In the next instant, the floor beneath the Hōzuki Elder suddenly split open into a massive maw. A gargantuan, terrifying black shadow leapt up, opening a mouth five meters wide and filled with fangs. It swallowed the Hōzuki Elder in one bite, then transformed back into a bloodstain and seeped beneath the floor. One could only vaguely tell that the part of the body that had emerged was likely just the tip of the iceberg for that monster!
As if nothing had happened, the Mizukage's office returned to silence.
The Third Mizukage stood his ground, not having moved an inch. He simply shook his head and looked indifferently toward the office door, sneering, "You old ghosts, aren't you coming out yet?"
As his voice fell, BOOM!
The walls of the Mizukage's office collapsed!
Nine terrifying chakra signatures erupted!
Nine elderly men leapt out, surrounding the Third Mizukage. The leader raised his snake-headed cane and drew a ninja sword from it. His withered frame began to swell visibly amidst the white mist, growing larger until his muscles were corded and bulging!
Instantly ballooning to a height of 2.2 meters, like a small mountain of muscle, Genbu—exuding the aura of a powerhouse—stared coldly at the thin, child-like figure in the office.
"Third Mizukage... no, Bairan of the Yuki Clan, grandson of the First Mizukage! You were my proudest disciple, and my greatest failure!"
"It is time to end this!"
On a hilltop about five kilometers from the Mizukage Building, Hyuga Yu watched everything happening in the office. He shifted his grave gaze from the Third Mizukage to other directions. At this moment, after seven days and nights of friction, the conflict between the two Mist factions had finally reached a tipping point!
Because of Hyuga Yu, the butterfly effect had taken hold. The plot he was familiar with was spiraling out of control. Unlike the original history where the Third Mizukage faced the entire village's rebellion alone and abandoned, here, with five of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen still alive, the Militant Third Mizukage held the initiative in this civil war and maintained the "legitimacy" within the village. Meanwhile, the rebel forces led by Genbu and Yagura Karatachi had become the passive side.
Even with the "Yang Release Serum" Yu had provided and the intelligence delivered by the "Walking Maiden..."
No one could say for sure what the final outcome of this coup would be.
However, from Hyuga Yu's perspective, to achieve the goal of forcing the Mist to withdraw from the Land of Fire front, three conditions had to be met—
First, the Militants led by the Third Mizukage must lose this coup. Second, the effective strength of Kirigakure must be heavily depleted—meaning the intensity of their civil war must be maximized! Third, even while supporting the Pacifists led by Genbu, they must never be allowed to retain the strength to wage war against Konoha after the conflict ends.
This was not a multiple-choice question.
And right now, Hyuga Yu belonged to neither side. He was neither a Militant nor a Pacifist. What he aimed to be was the force that weighed the value and existence of both factions: The Scales of Root!
As the storm intensified and thunder rumbled, Hyuga Yu donned his blank, monotonous, seamless white mask. His gaze gradually turned cold.
He looked toward the towering, majestic Kirigakure Dam on the other side.
There—
"BOOM!!!"
A pillar of blood-red light shot into the sky!
An ominous entity, swaying with six tails, roared into existence amidst the torrential rain!
————
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