Three days passed in the blink of an eye…
Gento finished his preparations inside the Clan Head's Office.
He had changed into a dark-colored combat outfit. The blue-green ninja blade hung at his waist, while several Flying Thunder God kunai were strapped behind him.
His chakra was abundant, and his condition was at its peak.
Shisui and Itachi stood before him, both likewise dressed in combat gear.
"Has everything been arranged on Fugaku's side?"
Gento asked.
Shisui nodded.
"Please rest assured, Clan Head. Mr. Fugaku will remain stationed in Hidden Gento Village, and the operation of the Mission Hall will not be affected."
"The Anbu have also arranged sufficient patrol personnel. The village's security is guaranteed."
Gento nodded.
With Fugaku staying behind while Shisui and Itachi accompanied him, three of the four Susanoo users were mobilized.
This was the most luxurious lineup he could assemble.
"Let's go."
Gento formed hand seals with both hands as chakra surged through his body.
Shisui and Itachi each placed a hand on one of his shoulders.
"Flying Thunder God!"
Space twisted, and the three figures vanished from the office.
The next moment, Gento opened his eyes to an entirely different scene.
They were standing inside a dim underground space.
Rough stone walls surrounded them, while several dim lamps hung overhead, their shadows flickering.
The air carried damp moisture and a faint moldy smell, while the distant sound of flowing water could faintly be heard.
This was a secret base on the outskirts of Hidden Mist Village. The Flying Thunder God kunai Mei had taken away three days earlier had been left here.
In front of them stood dozens of people in a dense crowd.
Mei stood at the very front, having changed into combat attire today.
A lightweight chestplate covered her dark blue bodysuit, while a short blade hung at her waist.
Her reddish-brown hair had been tied into a high ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead and refined features.
The tight-fitting outfit outlined her voluptuous curves, the fabric stretched tightly across her full chest, while her waist remained slender and her legs long.
Her expression carried authority, making her seem like quite a different person from the seductive woman who had teased him atop the office desk three days earlier.
Upon seeing Gento's group appear, obvious joy flashed across her face, along with a trace of relief.
She quickly stepped forward and lowered her voice.
"Clan Head Gento, you've finally arrived."
Behind her, dozens of eyes simultaneously turned toward them.
Gento swept his gaze across the crowd, rapidly assessing the people who would participate in this revolution.
At the far left of the crowd stood several plainly dressed middle-aged men and women, their clothing embroidered with different clan crests.
Those were the symbols of Hidden Mist Village's various Kekkei Genkai clans.
Among them were the few remaining survivors of the Kaguya clan.
Their bones protruded outward, and their gazes were fierce.
There were also surviving members of the Yuki clan, their expressions cold while faint crystals of ice condensed around them.
There were also several clans whose names Gento did not recognize.
Yet all of them shared the same thing in their eyes: hatred.
At the center of the crowd stood several young ninja carrying all sorts of ninja blades.
They were the new generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Though still young, every one of them possessed exceptional talent.
Chojuro stood among them, carrying the enormous twin blades Hiramekarei upon his back.
On the right side of the crowd stood the intelligence division led by Ao.
Beside him were several Chunin likewise wearing forehead protectors, holding various intelligence equipment.
Mei stepped forward and began briefly introducing everyone to Gento.
"This is Mr. Ao. You've met him before."
"His Byakugan is the key to this operation. It can monitor movements within the Mizukage estate in real time."
Ao nodded toward Gento without speaking.
"This is Chojuro. You've met him before as well."
"Among the new generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, he possesses the greatest talent. The twin blades Hiramekarei display tremendous power in his hands."
Chojuro hurriedly bowed toward Gento.
"And this is..."
Just as Mei was about to continue the introductions, Gento's attention was suddenly drawn toward someone within the crowd.
That person stood at the edge of the group, maintaining a subtle distance from the other ninja.
He possessed a tall build and deep blue skin, with a face resembling a shark.
A wide mouth, narrow eyes, and horizontally slit pupils like those of a reptile.
Furthermore, a massive blade wrapped in bandages rested upon his back.
The sword was even wider than his own body, and barbs could faintly be seen along its edge.
Gento immediately recognized him: Kisame Hoshigaki!
At that moment, Kisame stood with his arms crossed while leaning lazily against the wall, appearing completely unconcerned.
Yet his eyes had never once left Gento. Within those shark-like pupils flickered a deeply interested look.
Sensing Gento's gaze, Kisame tilted his head slightly and grinned, revealing his sharp teeth.
Noticing where Gento was looking, Mei immediately smiled and stepped forward to introduce him.
"This is Mr. Kisame Hoshigaki, one of the current Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
"You've met before. Last time, he was the one escorting the two boys from the Hozuki clan, and he even briefly exchanged blows with you."
She paused, her tone turning serious.
"But, Lord Gento, please don't hold any prejudice against him because of that."
"Under the influence of our revolutionary army, Mr. Kisame has long since decided to join us in overthrowing the rule of the Fourth Mizukage."
"Mr. Kisame now wields the ninja blade Samehada. His strength is immense, and he is one of the primary forces in this operation."
Kisame straightened up and strode toward Gento.
When he arrived before him, he extended a hand.
"Mr. Gento, I've heard much about you."
"Thank you for helping our Hidden Mist Village."
Gento grasped his hand.
That hand was rough and powerful, its grip strength astonishingly strong, as though it intended to crush a person's bones.
Gento's expression remained unchanged. Their hands remained locked in the air for a moment before they each released their grip.
"You're too polite, Mr. Kisame."
Gento's voice remained calm as he withdrew his aching hand.
Yet a faint smile still lingered on his face.
At this moment, thoughts raced rapidly through his mind.
Kisame Hoshigaki.
He knew this man far too well.
In the original story, Kisame had been one of Obito's most loyal subordinates.
After the Fourth Mizukage was overthrown, he had explicitly followed Obito into the Akatsuki organization.
Not only did he wholeheartedly believe in the Eye of the Moon Plan, he had remained loyal to the Akatsuki organization until the very end.
How could someone with such loyalty betray Obito and appear within Mei's revolutionary army?
There was only one explanation...
He was a spy sent by Obito!
Kisame was the eye Obito had planted inside Hidden Mist Village to monitor the movements of Mei and the others.
Although Obito spent most of his time maintaining the operations of the Akatsuki organization in the Land of Rain, he had never relaxed his control over Hidden Mist Village.
He needed someone to constantly report every disturbance within the village.
And Kisame was the perfect choice.
Thinking this, Gento's heart sank.
Mei believed she had been secretly gathering strength and preparing to launch a revolution without anyone noticing.
Little did she know that every one of her actions had most likely already been known by Obito!
If he had not intervened this time, her so-called "revolution" likely would have been bloodily crushed the very moment it began.
No wonder he had not recognized many of the people Mei introduced from the original story.
Some of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen he had never even seen before.
As for those already declining Kekkei Genkai clans, they had practically vanished later on.
That meant even if the revolution ultimately succeeded, these people had most likely all died during the revolution itself!
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