"Shisui Uchiha?"
Sitting in his chair, the Third Mizukage turned around.
He looked at Shisui Uchiha, who could not even move a finger under the double effect of the Four Symbols Seal and snake venom.
Then he looked at Rei Kaguya, who was standing calmly behind Shisui with an expression far prouder and more confident than the last time they met.
The Third Mizukage let out a long sigh.
"You truly brought me a great gift the moment you returned, Rei."
"After unexpectedly staying outside the board for so long, I had to do something to make up for the losses my absence caused the village."
Rei straightened the Kirigakure forehead protector tied around his neck, pointed at Shisui Uchiha, and asked, "So, Third Mizukage, has the village discussed a suitable way to use this Uchiha genius?
"Are we going to use him as a bargaining chip for peace talks with Konoha, or forcefully keep him as material for researching and seizing the Uchiha bloodline?"
"Have you not considered other options, Rei?"
The Third Mizukage did not directly answer Rei's question.
Instead, he threw out a rather tempting counter-question.
"For example… you take his eyes, then help Kirigakure win this war?"
"Setting aside the issue of how compatible Shisui Uchiha's Sharingan would be with me…"
Rei sighed, closed one eye, and looked at the Third Mizukage, whose expression had become slightly stiff and unnatural.
"The front line has already reached that state. Third Mizukage, you are still thinking about winning this war?"
"With you here, Rei-kun, we can definitely win. Easily."
The Third Mizukage's tone became somewhat hurried.
He pointed at Shisui Uchiha, who had already closed his eyes and prepared to face his fate, and his voice even carried a rare trace of flattery and ingratiation.
"Think about it, Rei… You possess the strongest body in the shinobi world. If you also obtain a pair of eyes capable of seeing through attacks and casting genjutsu, what could possibly trouble you?
"When that time comes, even if Konoha recalls the Sannin, even if Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado all take the field together, even if they add the Yellow Flash and their hidden Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, none of them could possibly defeat you, could they?"
"You certainly are optimistic, Third Mizukage."
Rei narrowed his eyes and pressed forward aggressively.
"But have you ever thought about this? If I truly accomplish something equivalent to defeating all of Konoha by myself, how would you, an old man sitting in the Mizukage's seat, handle yourself afterward?
"Do not forget. Kirigakure is a society where absolute strength is respected. At that time, if you cannot produce power that surpasses mine, then even if I do nothing, the other shinobi in the village will never agree to let you continue sitting in the Mizukage's position."
"I will use the mistakes I committed during the war as the reason, resign and take responsibility before the Daimyo of the Land of Water, then transfer the Mizukage position and authority to you, Rei-kun. You will succeed as the Fourth Mizukage."
The Third Mizukage gave a decisive answer that sounded as if he had prepared it long ago.
Then, following this answer, he continued speaking endlessly.
"Although the village's shinobi will inevitably suffer losses in the war, as long as we defeat Konoha, all those losses can be made up from the Land of Fire and Konoha.
"After removing Konoha from the map, we Kirigakure will become the strongest village in the shinobi world, possessing both the Land of Water and the Land of Fire…"
"And then, because the number of shinobi trained by our village is too small and we cannot properly manage such vast territory, we will have no choice but to absorb large numbers of former Konoha ninja clans who bear grudges against us.
"In the end, Kirigakure will become an empty shell filled from top to bottom with countless spies sent by every major shinobi village, to the point where the Mizukage's orders are altered beyond recognition before they even leave the main village?"
Rei interrupted the Third Mizukage.
His eyes did not hide his disappointment in the man's vision and ability at all.
"Third Mizukage, if this is the best pie you can draw for me… then I think it would be better for me to take Kirigakure back from the person behind you right now, and stop giving you chances to keep harming the village."
"W-What are you talking about, Rei-kun?"
Panic flashed across the Third Mizukage's face for an instant.
But he quickly forced himself to suppress it and regain his composure.
"What do you mean, the person behind me? And what do you mean by me harming the village? I do not quite understand what you are saying."
"I mean it literally. It should not be that hard to understand, should it, everyone present?"
Rei reached out and lifted the stunned Shisui Uchiha into his hand.
His slightly wicked eyes narrowed, and he spoke casually to the Kirigakure Anbu and jonin who had already surrounded the Mizukage's office.
"I am saying that the Third Mizukage has long since become a puppet controlled by someone else through genjutsu.
"Although the Third Mizukage has intentionally suppressed the increase of sensory-type shinobi in the village, for the sake of maintaining the village's most basic operations, there should still be a few competent sensory-type shinobi among the Anbu and veteran jonin, right?
"If you all think I am spouting nonsense and using a clumsy excuse to justify my actions, then why not sense the Third Mizukage's current chakra flow and see whether there is anything abnormal?
"It will not waste much of your time or chakra.
"I am doing this only to give you a chance to think and choose for yourselves before you decide to pledge loyalty to the Third Mizukage and become my enemies."
"Stop trying to confuse people with lies, Rei Kaguya."
The massive figure of Fuguki Suikazan appeared on a lamppost outside the Mizukage office window.
He narrowed his tiny eyes, tightly gripping Samehada's hilt while staring unblinkingly at everything inside the office. Then he shouted loudly.
"You simply want to use the reputation you earned on the battlefield to usurp the Mizukage position from Lord Third. But you're afraid you won't receive recognition and support from the others after launching a coup, so you fabricated this ridiculous and laughable excuse to deceive everyone!"
Another Anbu captain loyal to the Third Mizukage drew his blade and cut open the office door.
His icy gaze pointed at Rei as he spoke.
"After disappearing from the battlefield for so long without warning, you did not immediately return to the front line to report in. Instead, you went to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain and met with members of the recently active Akatsuki organization.
"After returning to the battlefield, you just happened to encounter the Uchiha clan launching an attack. You killed every attacking Konoha shinobi, yet spared only the Uchiha clan members. You even captured Shisui Uchiha, the brightest new star of their clan, forcing Lord Third to agree to your proposal to escort him back to the village.
"And now, in front of us who are loyal to Lord Third, you slander Lord Third by claiming he is a puppet controlled through genjutsu… You truly prepared quite a few escape routes for yourself in case your coup failed, Rei Kaguya."
The Anbu captain's gaze was cold as he pointed at Rei.
"Your carefully planned rebellion has already been completely seen through by Lord Third, Rei Kaguya. From this moment onward, you are no longer Kirigakure's war hero.
"You are a rogue ninja trying to start a coup. A traitor who will be nailed to the pillar of shame forever, dragging the entire Kaguya clan down with you for your foolish actions!"
Feeling the cold gazes and sharp killing intent directed at him from every side, Rei glanced again at the Third Mizukage, whose expression had fully returned to normal and who even had a faint mocking smile at the corner of his mouth.
Rei let out a disdainful sneer.
Then, while forming hand seals and entering Sage Mode, he reached out and grabbed Shisui Uchiha.
Looking at the boy, whose face was completely dazed and who clearly could not understand what was happening, Rei said, "Since they seem to have mistaken you for my accomplice, I'll take the opportunity to give you a practical social lesson, Shisui Uchiha."
"The content of this practical social lesson is roughly this:
"When a group of worms controls the village's authority and intends to harm you and your clan, how do you clean them out completely, and how do you take all power back into your own hands?"