The Third Mizukage's Battle Plan

Mist Village.

Built deep within the mountains by Byakuren, the First Mizukage, it was often shrouded in dense fog.

Most of its buildings were stone domes, with the Water Shadow Building being the grandest of them all.

Inside the Mizukage's office.

A Mist Anbu shinobi knelt on one knee, reporting the intelligence relayed by the Kaguya Clan.

"Hmm, Konoha's reinforcements have arrived? The Konoha garrison has also lowered its guard considerably. Around two hundred of them are severely wounded and have lost their combat ability."

The Third Mizukage of Mist Village was a handsome man who kept his eyes shut at all times.

From his appearance alone, it was difficult to believe that he was nearly seventy years old.

At his nod, the Anbu shinobi hastily used the Body Flicker Technique and withdrew.

The Third Mizukage did not rebuke this familiar sight. He merely turned his "gaze" toward the other person in the Mizukage's office.

His name was Genji, an elderly man with a full head of white hair.

"Genji, what do you think?"

The Third Mizukage, a "young man" in his sixties, asked Elder Genji, who was already well into his seventies.

"According to reports from our undercover agents, more than a hundred Kaguya Clan shinobi were suppressed by three Hyūga teams. The whole thing was far too theatrical. I'm afraid the Kaguya Clan can no longer be trusted!"

After pondering for a moment, Genji shook his head. The Kaguya Clan's abnormal behavior had been far too obvious; several undercover agents had emphasized it heavily in their reports, and the news had even reached the Mizukage's office.

The Third Mizukage nodded, though his words revealed neither agreement nor disagreement.

"Crippling without killing. On the battlefield, that does satisfy my needs."

"Since the Kaguya Clan is no longer trustworthy, and since they cripple without killing..."

"For tomorrow's encirclement operation, how about having the Kaguya Clan circle around and flank them, heavily wounding large numbers of Konoha shinobi?"

The Third Mizukage asked as he made other plans in his heart.

If tomorrow's operation to encircle and eliminate Uchiha Makoto succeeded, then the shinobi who had witnessed his Blood Secret Technique could be left to the Kaguya Clan.

Once they finished dealing with them, he would deal with the Kaguya Clan in turn.

The Third Mizukage thought to himself. He firmly believed that shinobi had to keep their intelligence secret.

Otherwise, he would not have lost to the Second Mizukage back then.

"Whether it is the garrison that had already lowered its guard against the Kaguya Clan, or Konoha's newly arrived and utterly exhausted reinforcements, the plan you have devised could not be better!"

Genji analyzed the situation respectfully. His agreement with the Third Mizukage's plan surprised him somewhat.

"Oh? Elder Genji, do you approve of the plan I've deployed now as well?"

Genji lowered his head in awe. After weighing his words for a moment, he said, "The plan you have made is naturally detailed and thorough. I am simply concerned that the number of people this operation will consume may be a little... too great?"

"After all, these five thousand are the village's elite shinobi."

Genji's heart was filled with bitterness as he covertly glanced at the Third Mizukage.

Faced with such a brutal Kage, he truly felt helpless.

But the Third Mizukage did not care.

Looking at one of the few people in the shinobi world who could guess what tomorrow would look like, the Third Mizukage opened his blood-red eyes with an amused expression, putting pressure on Genji.

"What? Are you afraid I'll kill them all?"

"You must understand that the enemy is a super-Kage-level powerhouse! I cannot afford not to take him seriously."

"The village's five thousand shinobi, plus the two thousand shinobi Ōnoki and the others have dispatched, only add up to seven thousand blood bags!"

Listening to the Third Mizukage's sinister words, cold sweat somehow seeped into Genji's palms.

Even as he cursed the Third Mizukage as a "vampire" in his heart, he had to admit that his considerations were sound.

That was right!

The enemy was a super-Kage, someone like Madara Uchiha, capable of effortlessly reshaping the terrain. How could they not make proper preparations?

But even so, he had to do everything he could to persuade him. Otherwise, Mist Village would collapse tomorrow!

"I am only worried that after your victory, Mist Village may find itself without anyone left to use."

"That is nearly half the village's shinobi. Please reconsider!"

Genji gritted his teeth and forced himself to offer one more word of advice. If those five thousand shinobi from their village went tomorrow, they would absolutely never return!

They would probably all become blood bags by then!

At the first Five Kage Summit, each of the five First Kage had brought one Kage guard. Four of those five guards became Second Kage; only the man before him became the Third Mizukage.

Especially after he had been defeated while being mocked by the sharp-tongued Second Mizukage, he had crazily trained in the Blood Secret Technique, becoming increasingly radical. He came to believe firmly in the law of the jungle and had implemented the Blood Mist Policy in recent years.

And now, just to fight one super-Kage-level powerhouse, he was about to bury another five thousand elite Mist shinobi!

Mist Village currently had only a little over ten thousand registered shinobi in total!

Seeing Genji trembling all over, the Third Mizukage lost interest in speaking.

"There is no need to worry. I know what I'm doing."

The Third Mizukage waved a hand, signaling Genji not to say any more.

"War is always accompanied by sacrifice. If we do not take this chance to eliminate the enemy, and he becomes a great threat in the future, we will regret it too late!"

His blood-red gaze swept over Genji, his words firm and cold.

"This battle is unavoidable."

"Genji, go make preparations. Mobilize and deploy the relevant shinobi units according to the plan."

"I'll leave matters concerning the Hozuki Clan and Yuki Clan to you!"

He spoke softly, but his tone left no room for doubt.

So what if the enemy could unleash super-Kage-level strength?

First, several thousand elite shinobi from the village would exhaust his stamina and ocular power. Once those several thousand shinobi were dead...

With the blood of those several thousand elite shinobi, he could use his secret technique to wear Uchiha Makoto down until he died!

Genji said nothing and silently rose to leave.

They clearly could have chosen not to participate in this shinobi world war.

Once the Third Mizukage was alone in the office, he slowly stood and walked to the window, watching Genji depart.

"So what if I became the Third Kage? They're all dead, and only I'm still alive!"

"Don't disappoint me, Genji!"

The Third Mizukage muttered to himself. Beneath the hazy light and shadows, his blood-red eyes appeared especially bewitching.

To cultivate the Blood Secret Technique, he had slaughtered far too many people, to the point that almost no one in Mist Village knew his name anymore!

And Genji was one of the few who did.

He was still somewhat reluctant to kill him so rashly.

"Hehe, I wonder what Uchiha blood tastes like."

"Could the blood in his body allow me to break through to the super-Kage level?"

The Third Mizukage stood with his hands behind his back, baring his teeth in a sickly laugh.

If necessary tomorrow, he would sacrifice every shinobi participating in the battle!

Then the blood of nearly ten thousand shinobi would be his to command!

How could he lose with such overwhelming advantage?

Uchiha Makoto would not escape!