Karatachi Yagura's Resolve

The black market had special means of transmitting information.

In less than half a day, all Four Great Shinobi Villages except Konoha had learned of the five-hundred-million bounty that had appeared on the black market.

Naturally, these major powers did not lack one million.

They all bought the intelligence to take a look. Good lord.

You wouldn't know until you looked, but once they did, they were shocked—the amount of information contained in it was astounding.

The Uchiha Clan and Konoha were about to clash head-on.

And from the looks of it, Konoha had pushed the Uchiha Clan too far.

Now, the Uchiha Clan was targeting Konoha with an attitude of mutual destruction.

Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure all dispatched their own intelligence squads.

They hurried toward Konoha.

Hidden Mist Village was too far away, and things there were rather chaotic, so the intelligence arrived somewhat later.

By the time Mizukage-sama Karatachi Yagura received the news, it was already the next day.

After regaining consciousness, he issued a policy sealing off the Land of Water, completely closing off Hidden Mist Village.

First, he truthfully revealed that he had been under genjutsu control.

He also declared that as long as someone could produce outstanding achievements, he would abdicate and hand over power.

Afterward, facing the severely depleted talent pool of Hidden Mist Village, Karatachi Yagura announced an amnesty and recall for Rogue Ninja from Hidden Mist Village who had fled the village.

But the situation in Hidden Mist Village had long since rotted beyond repair, and Karatachi Yagura's credibility had already fallen to its lowest point.

No one believed him.

Hidden Mist Village's finances were also running a massive deficit.

The pressure on Karatachi Yagura's mind was enormous, and he was already nearing his limit.

Then, news from the black market arrived.

"Five hundred million!?"

Karatachi Yagura was stunned after listening to Ao's report.

After carefully reading through the intelligence Uchiha Itachi had released, Karatachi Yagura realized that Konoha's situation had actually reached such a point.

"Mizukage-sama, should we...?"

As one of Hidden Mist Village's higher-ups, Ao was well aware of the village's financial deficit.

Ever since Obito had begun controlling Karatachi Yagura, he had wreaked havoc across the entire Land of Water.

Their finances had remained in the red ever since. If the Daimyo's Mansion had not provided support from time to time, Hidden Mist Village's situation would have been even worse.

If they could obtain five hundred million, their financial pressure would be greatly relieved.

After all, assassination was Hidden Mist Village's specialty.

Karatachi Yagura pondered for a long time before saying, "I'll go myself!"

Ao was also stunned. "Mizukage-sama, how can that be acceptable!? What if something happens to you!?"

Karatachi Yagura slowly let out a breath. "I was controlled before. I should have died long ago."

"I shouldn't have been alive in the first place. If I can make one more contribution to Hidden Mist Village, then so be it if I die."

Ao had already noticed that after Karatachi Yagura broke free from the control, his immense guilt had given him a strong tendency toward self-destruction.

Ao had been mentally prepared for the Mizukage to think this way.

But he still tried to persuade him. "Mizukage-sama, you're a Jinchuriki. If anything happens to you..."

Karatachi Yagura seemed to have anticipated that Ao would say this.

He sighed. "Hidden Mist Village is already in an extremely difficult situation. We can only take a risky gamble."

"I'm not going there to carry out this mission. I'm going to attack Konoha."

After thinking briefly, Ao's eyes lit up. "Mizukage-sama, are you trying to provoke a war!?"

The Mizukage replied, "That's right. If Konoha is stronger, I'll help the Uchiha Clan. If the Uchiha Clan is stronger, I'll help Konoha."

"As long as they start fighting, they'll expend their living forces."

"If they end up in an all-out clash, Konoha's strength will suffer a severe blow!"

"At that point, even more people will set their sights on the Land of Fire."

"Then Hidden Mist Village can take the opportunity to recuperate and rebuild."

It had to be said that Karatachi Yagura's move was indeed an extremely risky one, but it would truly work.

Once Konoha and the Uchiha Clan started fighting, no matter the outcome, Konoha's strength would be greatly weakened. The Land of Fire was a juicy piece of meat—there was no one who wouldn't want to take a bite.

Shisui had been swept along by this back then as well.

Kirigakure lay isolated overseas; as long as it sealed off all sea routes, and enforced a policy of national isolation, no matter how fiercely things were fought outside, it would be difficult for the conflict to reach them.

He pointed to his heart. "This time, we're prepared. If I'm captured, blow me up."

Kirigakure's Three-Tails had one trait: after its death, it would revive in a specific location.

Previously, even after Rin had the Three-Tails sealed inside her, Kakashi pierced her heart with a Lightning Blade.

The Three-Tails revived by Thousand Islands Lake.

The time before that, and the time before that, the Three-Tails had also revived by Thousand Islands Lake.

Kirigakure was not afraid of a Jinchuriki dying. They only feared them being captured.

So, a talisman had already been placed in the chest of Karatachi Yagura, who had once been controlled.

It was an Explosive Tag that could be detonated remotely.

It was enough to instantly blast Karatachi Yagura's heart to pieces.

Its function was simple and brutal.

But the simpler it was, the greater its fault tolerance.

If Karatachi Yagura died instantly, the Three-Tails would not fall into another ninja village's hands.

"Utakata is still in the village. Have Harusame teach him properly. Don't proceed with that separation research of his yet."

"Wait until the technology matures in a few years."

"If anything happens to me, have Mei Terumī succeed me as the Fifth Water Shadow."

As the Mizukage wrote his will on the Official Letter in his hand, he gave Ao his instructions.

Seeing that the Mizukage had already arranged everything, Ao could not say anything more.

Though his Byakugan was useful, Ao could not accompany the Mizukage.

There was a vast gap in strength between him and Karatachi Yagura. The Byakugan was convenient, but in a major battle, he would be the easiest point to break through.

If Karatachi Yagura was careful and chose to flee, there should not be much of a problem.

Moreover, his Byakugan was needed to determine whether Karatachi Yagura had been placed under genjutsu when he returned.

He could not leave the village even more so.

"Mizukage-sama, who are you planning to bring?" Ao asked.

The Mizukage slung his weapon over his back.

"The people in the village aren't suited to come along, but there's someone who once tried to assassinate me. I can go ask him."

Amegakure.

At this stage, the Akatsuki Organization's members included Jūzō Biwa, Kisame Hoshigaki, Sasori, Zetsu, Kakuzu, Pain, Konan, as well as Kakuzu's cannon-fodder teammate.

At this point, the Akatsuki Organization had just taken out Hanzō of the Salamander.

They were accumulating money and manpower in preparation for their future plans.

But Obito, who had always been feeding off Kirigakure, brought back bad news.

Karatachi Yagura had broken free of his control.

The Mizukage, who had always provided them with vast sums of money, was gone.

Obito, who called himself Madara Uchiha, had also returned empty-handed from his trip to Konoha.

This made Pain and Konan even more suspicious of Obito's identity.

They had already been waiting for Konoha and the Uchiha Clan's next move, so they paid especially close attention to intelligence from that side.

Unexpectedly, Itachi had struck first, taken out several Anbu members, and then defected.

Though Itachi had defected from the village, he likely had not defected from the clan.

Because when he left the village, he had not gone alone; other clansmen had followed him.

After Uchiha Itachi issued the mission, the Akatsuki Organization's side exploded as well.