The Incompetent

Karatachi Yagura, who had extended an olive branch, gazed at the two people before him.

He noticed that both of them looked quite surprised.

It's as if they're saying, "Did you stay up all night?"

"Mizukage, I'm afraid there's a misunderstanding," said Uchiha Shingen. "When guests follow the host's invitation, one of us should go."

"The Hozuki Clan is not the master of Kirigakure," Karatachi Yagura said. "No one is the master of Kirigakure; this village belongs to everyone who lives here."

"Is that so?" Uchiha Shingen glanced at the ANBU behind Karatachi Yagura. "I understand people who say that to mean 'I am the master,' and that's what you mean too, right?"

"That's one way to look at it. As the Mizukage, I represent Kirigakure." Karatachi Yagura smiled. "The Hozuki Clan is indeed a descendant of the Second Mizukage, but that's all."

"So we're sitting here to renew your contract," Uchiha Shingen said. "Let's keep things separate. Since this is a matter between Leaf Village and Hidden Mist Village, let's stick with the old agreement."

"Shingen- kun, why are you in such a hurry to refuse? Won't you listen to Kirigakure's conditions?"

"Mizukage, since you've put it this way, I'll tell you the truth based on my understanding of the association." Seeing Karatachi Yagura, Uchiha Shingen decided to speak the truth as well, "Given the current situation in Hidden Mist Village, the association won't take on the business, because Kirigakure's finances simply cannot afford it."

"Kirigakure is a great ninja village; given enough time, they can repay the debt." Karatachi Yagura didn't give up. "Merchants don't have the right to bargain; everything depends on the Uchiha Clan. Kirigakure will owe the Uchiha Clan a favor."

"Lord Mizukage, that's not very nice of you," Uchiha Shingen said coldly. "Do you think the Uchiha Clan are easy targets?"

"No, I see them as trustworthy partners," Karatachi Yagura said with a smile.

He waved.

The ANBU behind him turned and left.

After the ANBU left, Karatachi Yagura stood up.

"Would you two like to take a walk together?"

Uchiha Shingen and Uchiha Shisui were somewhat puzzled, but since the other party was the Mizukage, they couldn't refuse to give him that much face.

"As you wish."

The two of them stood up as well.

Karatachi Yagura led the way, guiding the two out of the council hall.

The Mizukage Building was much larger than the Hokage Building, and its interior was quite intricate. Karatachi Yagura walked silently at the front, eventually ascending a flight of stairs.

After the three of them reached the end, Karatachi Yagura pushed open the door.

What unfolds before you is a vast, flat plain that offers an unobstructed view of Kirigakure.

This is the rooftop terrace of the Mizukage Building.

Karatachi Yagura walked to the edge of the rooftop and silently looked at the view before him.

"The friendship between the two villages is a major issue, and there's no need to rush it," he suddenly said. "Since Kirigakure's current situation is not good, why don't we wait until we've dealt with these thorny issues before we talk about it again."

Uchiha Shingen and Uchiha Shisui exchanged a glance.

A question arose in my mind.

Is this person truly controlled by Genjutsu?

Both of them were very familiar with the Sharingan's Genjutsu; no matter how intricate the manipulation, it would definitely affect a person's consciousness.

At the very least, mental agility will decrease, which is unavoidable no matter what.

However, Karatachi Yagura has shown absolutely no problems in this regard from the beginning until now.

Uchiha Shingen gave Uchiha Shisui a wink, Uchiha Shisui immediately understood.

With the circulation of Chakra, his pupils transformed into Sharingan.

The next moment, the unique patterns of the Mangekyō Sharingan took shape.

Karatachi Yagura's Chakra had nowhere to hide before those eyes.

A hint of surprise appeared on Uchiha Shisui's face.

"Did you see it clearly?"

A question was asked, but it wasn't from Uchiha Shingen.

Karatachi Yagura turned around.

"This must be the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan, right? You didn't have eyes like this when we last fought, Shisui- kun."

In Uchiha Shisui's eyes, Karatachi Yagura's Chakra level was increasing at an alarming rate.

"It seems the rumors were wrong." Uchiha Shingen also activated his Sharingan. "Mizukage wasn't controlled by Genjutsu. I thought someone was pulling strings behind your back by presenting such an unrealistic agreement."

"Shingen- kun, your reaction is truly swift. No wonder you were able to rebuild the Uchiha Clan." Karatachi Yagura subsided. "Simply causing chaos in Kirigakure Chakra probably not your goal. You're not such a shallow person."

"Mizukage, saying such things here will cause misunderstandings."

"Don't worry, unless your people appear here in person, they won't be able to hear our conversation through the barrier," Karatachi Yagura said confidently.

"Although I don't know what the Mizukage is talking about, you seem to have a lot of confidence in your barrier."

"Playing the role of the 'controlled' is quite tiring," Karatachi Yagura sighed. "After putting in so much effort, we can't just end up with nothing, can we? But Shingen- kun still hasn't answered my question. Does that mean he's not sincere about renewing the contract with us?"

"This is something I truly mean." Uchiha Shingen found the whole thing hilarious.

Obito, what a comedic genius!

Even someone who had read the manga was amused by Obito!

Even Danzo's scapegoating skills can't compare to this!

"If you're sincere, why resort to such petty tricks?" Karatachi Yagura said. "Kirigakure has no intention of antagonizing Leaf Village."

"Lord Mizukage, that's an overstatement."

"Then let me correct you. As long as I remain the Mizukage, there will be no war between Hidden Mist Village and Leaf Village," Karatachi Yagura said solemnly. "The newly formed Hidden Mist Village has no reason to clash with Leaf Village."

Uchiha Shingen and Uchiha Shisui were dumbfounded as they stared at the Mizukage, who was now unleashing his full power.

What kind of art style is this?

Now, they think that this Mizukage must be under Genjutsu.

"Many people have already died in Hidden Mist Village, there's no need to wage another pointless war. Of course, if the Daimyo's Court of the Land of Water has designs on the Land of Fire, that's another story." Karatachi Yagura brought up the old topic again. "If we deepen cooperation between the two sides, this possibility will be very small."

"Does Lord Mizukage think it's possible?" Uchiha Shingen scratched his head. Karatachi Yagura seemed to be serious; this was a different approach than what they'd used in the council chamber. "Making the Land of Water stop coveting the mainland's lands is a bit of a stretch. Given the relationship between Hidden Mist Village and the Water Daimyo's Court, it's probably impossible, isn't it?"

"There are many other countries in this world," Karatachi Yagura smiled slightly. "It's not like we necessarily have to go down the path of the Land of Fire. If Hidden Mist Village and Leaf Village form an alliance, then Cloud Village won't be in so much trouble, right?"

"Alright, Lord Mizukage, what do you intend to do now?"

"I can help you lure out your clansmen and assist you in defeating him. In return, I hope you will join my forces when I go to war with the Hozuki Clan."

"Mizukage, I want to take someone away; her younger brother is in the hands of the Hozuki Clan."

"No, Shingen- kun, you've been deceived. Sakurako's brother wasn't controlled by Hozuki Guiyue. The person he thought he was with was actually someone I arranged." Karatachi Yagura smiled calmly. "Sakurako's brother has always been with me. The person you want to take away is her brother who has awakened the Ice Release talent."

Chapter Sixty: The Incompetent

Karatachi Yagura's words show that the Five Kage are indeed the ninjas who possess the most information in the world.

Intelligence is one of the most powerful forces of a ninja. There are very few people in this world who can ignore intelligence factors with absolute combat power.

The smooth progress Uchiha Shingen made was largely due to the power of intelligence.

Conversely, any individual who exhibits sufficient unpredictability must be treated with caution.

Karatachi Yagura is the most unexpected person he has encountered so far in this playthrough.

"Mizukage, it seems you were the one who wiped out the Yuki Clan, right?" Uchiha Shingen asked. "Having the Yuki Clan under your control doesn't seem like something you should be doing."

"After all, I was being controlled at the time, and this was the only insignificant thing I could do as the Mizukage," Karatachi Yagura said very seriously. "This was Genjutsu of the Mangekyō Sharingan, and I barely managed to break free."

After saying that, he felt it wasn't strong enough, so he added another wave.

"This power is truly immense! There is such power in this world! The Uchiha Clan truly deserves to be called the strongest clan in the Ninja World!"

Both Uchiha Shingen and Uchiha Shisui remained expressionless.

They still have Sharingan.

Let's not even talk about Uchiha Shingen; Uchiha Shisui, on the other hand, already possessed a pair of Mangekyou Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Lord Mizukage"

"What's wrong, Shisui- kun?"

"Please be more sincere. You look a lot like Shingen- ge now, and I'm not having a good experience with you."

Uchiha Shingen: "..."

Karatachi Yagura: "..."

Uchiha Shisui snorted, his Sharingan fixed on Karatachi Yagura.

Despite his complaints, he still didn't slack off at work.

"Mizukage, let's get down to business. Let's skip the pointless pleasantries."

Uchiha Shingen sighed; the countdown to the Hozuki Clan's demise had begun.

Another great clan in this world is about to be destroyed.

"We are afraid we cannot fulfill the Mizukage's request," he said to Karatachi Yagura. "As Leaf Village ninjas, Shisui and I cannot and will not get involved in the internal affairs of Kirigakure."

"This is not an internal matter." Karatachi Yagura said calmly, "The traitors from Hidden Mist Village, led by the Uchiha Clan Hozuki Clan, have been colluding with traitors from the Uchiha clan for a long time, attempting to jointly control Kirigakure. This was discovered by Leaf Village, who assisted me, the Mizukage, in carrying out their extermination to maintain friendly relations between the two sides."

"This is way too rough!"

"It's a bit rough, but it's passable," Karatachi Yagura said. "You may think I'm lying, but I was indeed controlled at first, and their goal was to find an opportunity to attack Leaf Village's forces."

"Oh?" Uchiha Shingen became interested. "Then how did you break free?"

In order to implement the Eye of the Moon Plan, Uchiha Obito had always regarded weakening Leaf Village as his main initial task. Regardless of whether Karatachi Yagura's words were true or just a fluke, it was worth asking him a few more questions.

"To my shame, when the opponent controlled me to attack the Yuki Clan, attempting to kill everyone in the clan, I was so shocked by the horrific scene that I broke free from their Genjutsu." Karatachi Yagura said sadly, "Seeing my comrades die one by one at my hands, I was heartbroken."

You're talking nonsense!

Uchiha Shingen watched this person put on a forced performance with a stern face.

"Lord Mizukage"

"Um?"

"That's enough, how many times has this happened? Can you please stop?"

Uchiha Shisui, standing to the side, cast a gloating glance his way.

"Sorry, I went a little overboard." Karatachi Yagura stopped abruptly, his sorrowful expression vanishing instantly. "But that's the gist of it. The opponent recently changed their technique, but it's not fully developed yet. I found an opportunity to resonate with the Three-Tails' spirit and together we broke free from their Genjutsu."

That's more like it!

In the original timeline, Karatachi Yagura was indeed controlled, but this guy wasn't a character Kishimoto focused on in his script. Even how he died wasn't mentioned. He didn't even get much attention than the Mining Shadow who only made a brief appearance in the early episodes before dying.

The only time he was mentioned was during the Five Kage Summit, but back then the five villages were still scheming against each other, so even if someone told half the truth, it was still tainted by something.

It's completely illogical that Karatachi Yagura, the first person after Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara to perfectly control the power of Tailed Beasts, would just kneel down like that.

Those who can do this must have incredibly strong Chakra. Genjutsu is ultimately a contest of Chakra, and it's impossible for Uchiha Obito to overwhelm Karatachi Yagura with his current Chakra level.

Looking at the Kirigakure throughout the original timeline, with the premise that Uchiha Obito controlled Karatachi Yagura, it reveals inconsistencies in many aspects.

It was as if, after the Mist Ninja discovered that the Mizukage had been controlled, all the remaining problems of the village were easily resolved, and all the previous killings were paving the way for the village's rebirth.

This looks much more normal now.

It's also quite Obito.

What Uchiha Obito used to love doing most in front of him was showing off his inventions and innovations and then completely messing them up on the spot.

I didn't expect that this hobby would be maintained so well.

Uchiha Shingen even unconsciously felt a moment of sympathy for Black Zetsu.

Although he was a villain, Black Zetsu was highly praised by Uchiha Shingen for his character. Such a hardworking technical backbone of the Ōtsutsuki Clan company, Uchiha Obito, a partner who only had interests, was bound to cause trouble, even if they didn't do anything terrible.

But since he's a villain, let him commit evil deeds.

After all, Uchiha Shingen was on the righteous side, so wouldn't he feel better if the villains did something terrible?

So, if you can't stop the villain, then cultivate some interesting little hobbies for his partners.