Make a Move

"Rest assured, Konoha has absolutely no intention of annexing Kirigakure!" Madara gazed calmly at Hozuki Gengetsu before him, his voice low and gentle.

Filled with suspicion and unable to make sense of the situation, Hozuki Gengetsu hesitated repeatedly before finally blurting out, "Then, may I ask what exactly is the meaning of your visit today?"

Madara narrowed his eyes slightly, watching Hozuki Gengetsu with a cryptic smile before speaking at a leisurely pace. "Based on my observations over the past two days, it seems your Kirigakure is not exactly a monolith. Or perhaps, to put it another way, the ninja clans within your village do not seem entirely loyal or obedient to the current Mizukage."

These words struck Hozuki Gengetsu's ears like a thunderclap. His expression turned ghastly in an instant, his embarrassment impossible to conceal.

Knowing that the internal affairs of Kirigakure had been pointed out so bluntly and mercilessly by an outsider like Madara left Hozuki Gengetsu feeling humiliated and unable to save face.

However, faced with the undeniable truth of Madara's words, even though he was furious, he could not find a single strong argument to refute him.

After a moment of silence, Hozuki Gengetsu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his shame and unease, and asked directly once more, "I'll ask again: what exactly do you want?"

At that moment, Madara paused, the corners of his mouth curling into a mysterious smile as he said slowly, "What if you were to take the position of Mizukage..."

"Yes, yes, yes! Clan leader, you should be the Mizukage! At that time..." Yueshi waved his arms excitedly, his eyes gleaming with fervor, as if he could already see the glorious future of the Hozuki Clan once Hozuki Gengetsu ascended to the seat of Mizukage.

However, before he could finish, a dull "thud" echoed out; Yueshi's head exploded like a ripe watermelon, spraying water everywhere.

Hozuki Gengetsu was not the naive, ten-year-old Yueshi; as a clan leader, his thoughts were naturally far more profound.

Many things were not as simple as they appeared on the surface; the complex web of interests involved meant that a single misstep could bring disaster upon the entire clan, so some things simply could not be spoken aloud.

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

He then shook his head slowly, a look of helplessness on his face. "While the ninja clans of Kirigakure may occasionally disobey the Mizukage's orders, we still hold Byakuren in high regard."

These words drifted lightly into the ears of Uchiha Madara, who instantly grasped Hozuki Gengetsu's true intent.

Clearly, Hozuki Gengetsu was telling him that these ninja clans would never follow orders from the Mizukage if it meant harming their own interests.

However, they still held great respect for Byakuren as an individual.

There was one more thing Hozuki Gengetsu left unsaid: Byakuren was already quite old, and even without external help, Hozuki Gengetsu's own prestige and the support of the entire Hozuki Clan gave him a high probability of ascending to the Mizukage seat on his own.

"It seems Byakuren isn't exactly a competent Mizukage, but his character has earned the respect of you ninja clans; he must have some merit after all," Uchiha Madara whispered with interest, his mouth curling into a faint, enigmatic smile.

He had never met Byakuren personally, knowing of him only through scattered intelligence.

Yet, as he listened to the respect Hozuki Gengetsu held for Byakuren, he felt a flicker of surprise.

"Byakuren... from the information I have gathered, he must be in the twilight of his years. In that case, after Byakuren dies, how about I lend you a hand to ensure you successfully ascend to the seat of Mizukage?" Madara clapped his hands together slowly and proposed softly.

Hearing this, Hozuki Gengetsu's brows furrowed tightly, and a look of displeasure appeared on his previously calm face.

He wanted the Mizukage seat, but if it meant dealing with external forces, that was a different story entirely...

He responded without hesitation, "I have heard that you suffered a setback in your bid for the position of Hokage. Could it be that you are now trying to use this opportunity to manipulate me and, by extension, control all of Kirigakure to satisfy your own desire to rule a village?"

As he spoke, Hozuki Gengetsu shifted his feet, moving slightly forward to shield Yueshi and Zhengyi firmly behind him.

Madara slowly raised his head, his gaze cold and slightly dismissive as he watched the other man's every move.

Seeing this, he curled his lips into a disdainful smirk and said, "I did indeed suffer a setback in the Hokage election, but that was only because I was no match for Hashirama."

"Furthermore, if I truly intended to control Kirigakure through the Mizukage, I wouldn't need to come looking for you; I would have gone straight to Byakuren."

"Yet, you flatter me to my face while harboring deep resentment in your heart! Do you honestly think you have the strength to earn my regard? Or do you think you can dance before me?"

Hearing this, a flash of resolve and provocation crossed Hozuki Gengetsu's eyes. He did not back down, retorting, "Asura of the Ninja World, I intend to see for myself who will be the one to fall!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure flickered, appearing beside Madara like a ghost. At the same time, he thrust his right hand out, fingers shaped like a pistol, aiming directly at Madara's temple as he shouted, "Excessive arrogance will cost you your life! Headshot!"