Inside the Mizukage's office, the atmosphere was extremely grim.
After Yagura gave the order to prepare for battle, the Anbu ninja kneeling on one knee immediately acknowledged it. With a flicker, he vanished through the door. His hurried footsteps quickly faded away as he went to relay the Mizukage's orders and mobilize the entire village.
Only after confirming that the Anbu had left did Obito slowly step out from the shadows in the corner, his brow tightly furrowed beneath his mask.
Things seemed to be veering in a direction he had never anticipated.
It left Obito feeling irritated and faintly uneasy.
"Momochi Zabuza..." Obito repeated the name in a low voice, his tone steeped in disdain and cold anger. "That failure who tried to assassinate the Mizukage thinks that joining forces with the Fifth Hokage and founding some so-called Dawn Shipping gives him the right to come back and shake my Bloody Mist Village? How laughable."
But on second thought, perhaps that brief encounter with Naruto in the Land of Waves had caused both sides to begin more intense probing in secret—and even direct attacks.
Obito naturally did not care what became of Kirigakure itself. Before, he had only wanted the village that had harmed Rin to suffer the torment it deserved.
But now, he only wanted to use Kirigakure as a tool to carry out the Moon Eye Plan, as well as one member of the allied forces that would oppose Konoha in the near future.
No matter which mindset it was, Obito would never allow anyone—especially someone sent by Naruto—to undermine the absolute control over Kirigakure that he had worked so hard to establish.
At least until they united the major nations and launched a war against Konoha, Kirigakure had to remain stable.
Or rather, it had to