Make Your Move

"Don't worry. Konoha has absolutely no intention of swallowing up Kirigakure!" Madara gazed calmly at Hozuki Gengetsu and spoke softly, his voice low and gentle.

Still full of suspicion and unable to make sense of it, Gengetsu hesitated for a long while before finally asking, "Then may I ask what exactly brings you here today?"

Madara narrowed his eyes slightly and watched Gengetsu with an inscrutable smile. Then, unhurriedly, he said, "From what I've observed over the past two days, Kirigakure is hardly united. Or perhaps I should put it this way: the shinobi clans in your village don't seem entirely loyal or obedient to the current Mizukage."

The words exploded in Hozuki Gengetsu's ears like a thunderclap. His expression instantly darkened, and he could barely hide his embarrassment.

To think that Kirigakure's internal affairs had been exposed so bluntly and mercilessly by an outsider like Madara left Hozuki Gengetsu deeply humiliated. He could hardly keep a straight face.

Yet Madara's every word was true. No matter how furious he was, Gengetsu couldn't find a single convincing argument to refute him.

After a moment of silence, Hozuki Gengetsu drew a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his shame and unease. Then he asked bluntly again, "As I said, what exactly do you want?"

At that moment, Madara paused briefly. The corner of his mouth lifted in a mysterious smile, and he said slowly, "If you were to become Mizukage..."

"Exactly! Clan head, you should be Mizukage! Then..." Yueshi waved his arms excitedly, his eyes shining with fervor, as if he could already see the glorious future awaiting the Hozuki Clan once Hozuki Gengetsu took the Mizukage's seat.

But before he could finish, there was a muffled bang. Yueshi's head burst open like an overripe watermelon, sending water spraying everywhere.

Hozuki Gengetsu was no naïve ten-year-old like Yueshi. As the head of a clan, he naturally thought much further ahead.

Many things weren't as simple as they seemed. The interests involved were tangled and complex, and the slightest misstep could bring disaster upon the entire clan. Some things could never be spoken aloud lightly.

"Mizukage..." Hozuki Gengetsu murmured, his voice so quiet that only he could hear it.

Then he slowly shook his head, a trace of helplessness crossing his face. "Although the shinobi clans of Kirigakure sometimes disobey the Mizukage's orders, we still hold Lord Byakuren in great respect."

His casual remark reached Madara's ears, and Madara immediately saw through Hozuki Gengetsu's true intentions.

Clearly, Gengetsu was telling him that the clans wouldn't obey the Mizukage if he ordered them to do things that harmed their own interests.

However, they still deeply respected Byakuren himself.

There was one other thing Hozuki Gengetsu hadn't said: Byakuren was already quite old, and even without outside help, Gengetsu had a decent chance of becoming Mizukage through his own prestige and the support of the entire Hozuki Clan.

"It seems Byakuren isn't much of a Mizukage, but at least he's earned the respect of all your clans. That's something, I suppose." Madara murmured with interest, the corners of his mouth lifting in an almost-smile.

He had never met Byakuren himself and had only heard a little about him from scattered reports.

Even so, as he listened to the respect Hozuki Gengetsu expressed for Byakuren, he couldn't help feeling a little surprised.

"Byakuren... From the information I have, he must be nearing the end of his life. So, once he dies, how about I help you claim the Mizukage Position?" Madara clapped twice, softly, as he made the offer.

At his words, Hozuki Gengetsu's brows drew together sharply, and a trace of displeasure appeared on his previously placid face.

He did want the Mizukage Position, but if that meant getting involved with an outside force, there were all sorts of complications...

He immediately replied, "I heard you lost the contest for the Hokage Position. Are you now hoping to use this chance to manipulate me and take control of all Kirigakure, fulfilling your desire to rule a village?"

As he spoke, Hozuki Gengetsu shifted forward a little, placing himself squarely in front of Yueshi and Zhengyi to shield them.

Madara slowly lifted his head, his gaze cold and faintly contemptuous as he watched the other man's every move.

Seeing Gengetsu's actions, Madara's lips curled in a disdainful smile. "It's true that I lost the contest for the Hokage Position, but only because I was no match for Hashirama."

"Besides, if I really wanted to use the Mizukage Position to control Kirigakure, I wouldn't have come to you. I would have gone to Byakuren."

"Still, you flatter me to my face, while deep down you're full of resentment! Do you really think you're strong enough to earn my attention? Or do you think you can dance in front of me?"

Hearing this, Hozuki Gengetsu's eyes flashed with defiance. He answered without backing down, "Asura of the Ninja World, I'm going to find out for myself who comes out on top!"

The moment he finished speaking, he blurred into motion and flashed to Madara's side like a ghost. At the same time, he raised his right hand, shaped it like a gun, and pointed it straight at Madara's temple as he shouted, "Arrogance can get you killed! Explode!"