Inside the Mizukage Office in Kirigakure, the damp air was thick with oppression and unease. The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, sat slumped before his desk with vacant eyes. His pale face and hollow gaze made him resemble a soulless shell, and only his fingers tapped unconsciously against the tabletop, producing a monotonous sound in the silence.
Obito concealed himself in the shadows, half his face covered by black cloth and a disdainful sneer curling his lips. He stared fixedly at the intelligence reports on the desk, his scarlet Sharingan glinting dangerously as he calculated how to plunge the Five Great Villages into endless chaos. "It's time to send Akatsuki out and tear away the fig leaf of false peace covering the Five Great Nations," he murmured in a low voice, his tone carrying a chilling excitement.
"Lord Fourth Mizukage! What are your orders?" A respectful voice suddenly called from outside the door. Obito's eyes sharpened, and his figure vanished from the spot like a ghost, leaving behind only a faint afterimage.
"Come in." Yagura's voice was low and hoarse, as though it came from the depths of an ancient well, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
The door slowly opened, and Mei Terumi and Ao entered respectfully. They knelt on one knee before Yagura and asked in unison, "Lord Fourth Mizukage, what are your orders?"
Yagura slowly raised his head and stared blankly at the two before him. After a long pause, he said, "I have decided to prepare for war with Konoha."
Mei Terumi and Ao's eyes widened at once, their faces filled with shock and disbelief. They exchanged a glance, both deeply puzzled. Why would Yagura suddenly provoke a war with Konoha during this time of peace?
Ignoring their shock, Yagura held out a letter. Mei Terumi and Ao accepted