NTR?

The scene turned back in time.

A multistory building stood in the very center of the lake. The enormous character for "water" on its roof and the symbol of Kirigakure marked it as the village's most important location—the Mizukage Building.

It concealed all of Kirigakure's secrets and records, and it was also where the reclusive Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, had lived ever since taking office.

The place should have been heavily guarded, but instead, corpses dressed as Anbu lay scattered haphazardly across the ground. The once-clear lake had turned scarlet from the slaughter.

"Pfft!"

Zabuza casually drew the Kubikiribōchō through a Mizukage guard's chest. He could not help raising an eyebrow at the young, white-haired boy. His ribs were still aching faintly, even reminding him of a certain red-haired pest.

The white-haired boy's face was full of innocence, with even a trace of confusion, yet the bone blade he drew from his body smoothly cleaved the ninja before him in two. With several flicks of his fingers, thumb-sized holes burst open in the foreheads of other ninja, spraying pale brain matter like rain.

Behind the boy, a dense forest of bones rose layer upon layer. Struggling Mist Ninja wailed in agony from the tips of the sharp bone spears, and blood flowing from their wounds dyed the forest red.

"Good boy!"

Kaguya Tsuhito patted the white-haired boy's head in satisfaction. Only after seeing the boy's expression turn contented did he let out a hysterical peal of laughter.

"I never imagined the Kaguya Clan was hiding a monster like this!" Zabuza's expression was complicated.

Seeing the wariness in the eyes of his nominal partner, Kaguya Tsuhito could not help boasting with pride.

"Kimimaro, the child with the purest Shikotsumyaku in our Kaguya Clan. He's proof that we Kaguya possess the noblest bloodline in Kirigakure!"

Kaguya Tsuhito looked fanatical, though in his heart he was also filled with regret.

Kaguya Kimimaro should have been the greatest gift the Sage of Six Paths had bestowed upon their clan. But perhaps precisely because his bloodline was too pure, he had been born with an incurable bloodline disease. Every time he used his Kekkei Genkai, it damaged his body's cells beyond recovery.

He was clearly the Kaguya Clan's strongest killing machine, yet he did not have long to live and could only be kept locked in a dungeon most of the time. It could only be called a joke.

"So be it. A disposable weapon is still a weapon. As long as he can help me kill the Mizukage, it's all worthwhile!"

A flash of cold ruthlessness passed through Kaguya Tsuhito's eyes, but when he looked at Kimimaro, he seemed like a kindly elder.

"Quick! Don't waste time. Let's hurry and kill Yagura!"

Zabuza urged him on somewhat anxiously. Although those Kaguya Clan lunatics were formidable fighters, there was no telling how long they could hold out against the entire village.

"Hahaha! Yagura, Perfect Jinchuriki—they're all nothing but chickens and dogs before the might of our Kaguya Clan!"

Kaguya Tsuhito gave a disdainful smile.

"Oh? And you three little bugs think you can do it?"

Suddenly, immense pressure bore down from above. Even Zabuza's body trembled slightly beneath the sheer force of that Chakra.

Without a doubt, there was only one person in Kirigakure who could put such pressure on Demon Zabuza!

The Fourth Mizukage-Karatachi Yagura!!!

Bang!

A massive searchlight lit up on the roof of the Mizukage Building, illuminating every detail of the blood-soaked battlefield below.

Against that daylight-bright glow, a small figure stood atop the water character, looking down at the rebels standing amid the piles of corpses.

Yagura, Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure in the Land of Water and Jinchūriki of the Three-Tails, had arrived.

Judging by his appearance alone, anyone would have found it hard to associate this short, baby-faced youth with the Mizukage.

Yagura had silver hair and purple eyes. A stitch-like scar ran across the left eye of his impassive face, giving him a somewhat fiercer appearance.

Although he looked like a boy in his teens, he was already well over thirty and had even married and had children. He was a legal shota well past his expiration date.

The weapon on Yagura's back was particularly unusual. It looked as though it were made entirely of black iron, like a long staff with hooks at both ends, adorned with green flowers. It was his unique weapon, unlike any other in the Shinobi World—the Coral Staff. No one in Kirigakure dared face its power head-on.

"Zabuza Momochi, I never imagined that even you, whom I personally chose for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, would betray Kirigakure!"

Yagura regarded them coldly, but showed no anger at their betrayal, as though he had long anticipated it.

"Betrayal is a tradition among the Seven Swordsmen!" Zabuza retorted sarcastically. Then his expression hardened and he roared, "Besides, Kirigakure isn't what I betrayed. It was you, Yagura, the one who's led Kirigakure to utter ruin!"

"Utterly ridiculous!"

Yagura sneered disdainfully.

Zabuza said no more. As bloodthirsty killing intent surged around him, his hands abruptly formed hand seals.

"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!!!"

A churning sea of mist engulfed the entire Mizukage Building in an instant, and Zabuza's body vanished into the whiteness.

"Kimimaro, kill everyone in front of you!"

Bones erupted from Kaguya Tsuhito's body. Being ignored by the person he most wanted to kill had burned away the last of his reason, and he charged toward the Kirigakure Building without looking back.

"Ridiculous!"

Yagura's voice suddenly rang out, revealing his position without the slightest hesitation.

"I'll leave these pieces of trash to you!"

Karatachi Yagura remained motionless. The bewilderment in his eyes vanished with a flash of red light, and his expression turned cold again. He looked in a certain direction, seemingly through the thick mist. "Those aren't the only rebels tonight!"

"Yes!" three voices answered.

Three ninja dressed as Mist Anbu knelt on one knee behind Yagura. They were the only remaining members of Kirigakure's Seven Swordsmen: Hozuki Mangetsu, the prodigy beloved by all the Ninja Blades; Ringo Ameyuri, wielder of the Lightning Sword; and Kisame Hoshigaki, the Zero-Tails Tailed Beast!

The three exchanged glances, then each chose a direction and disappeared.

"Ah, the wonderful performance is about to begin. I wonder, Shun-kun, are you satisfied with your VIP seat?"

At the edge of the Mizukage Building, the spreading mist was blocked by a transparent purple barrier. It was the Four Violet Flames Formation, a barrier Orochimaru had deliberately set up to keep the others in Kirigakure from disturbing this grand performance!

Orochimaru, a special guest in the audience, surveyed the fierce battlefield with interest, his vision apparently unhindered by the thick mist.

Dōmeki, who had been sent to collect experimental material from the Shikotsumyaku, was stuffing a sealing scroll into the mouth of a giant serpent from Ryūchi Cave. Hearing Orochimaru's words, he too glanced casually over the battlefield.

Demon Zabuza had already come up against the fish-man Kisame Hoshigaki. Dōmeki already felt sorry for Mr. Momochi!

The girl swinging the Lightning Sword to cleave through the nonconductive Shikotsumyaku bones, meanwhile, made the boy's eyes light up, as though saying, That toy looks fun.

Orochimaru, however, watched the two exceptionally gifted young prodigies facing each other with burning eyes, particularly Kimimaro. He excitedly licked his lips over and over. Compared with special release techniques such as Magnet Release, Kekkei Genkai involving physical mutations, like the Sharingan, appealed to him more.

That blatant I want that body look made Dōmeki's expression darken for a moment.

He had always been annoyed that Orochimaru coveted his body, but what was with this dismissive attitude toward it now that he had seen a body he wanted even more? Why did it always somehow feel like NTR?

But sorry, Orochimaru, I'm a man who's determined to be the blond guy!

Dōmeki turned to look at the white-haired boy fighting a desperate battle. He really liked the look in that kid's eyes.