"I never expected this, Fugaku. After all these years, we meet again in a place like this."
A hoarse voice echoed through the passage as Orochimaru, his face pale, slowly emerged from the shadows.
His eyes held a restrained fervor and greed.
"It's been a long time, Lord Orochimaru." Fugaku bowed slightly, his manner courteous.
The last time they had met was on the battlefield.
As a commander, Orochimaru had been Fugaku's superior.
Times had changed, and both of them had become rogue ninja.
Meeting again in the same organization couldn't help but make one marvel at the twists of fate.
"You've kept your cards close to your chest, Fugaku. The battlefield was in such dire straits back then, yet you never once revealed your Mangekyō Sharingan."
"And Itachi is so young, too. It really makes one marvel that a tiger father has no dog sons."
Fugaku gave a modest laugh. "Lord Orochimaru, I know what you're thinking."
"But unfortunately, you're no match for me, so I'd advise you not to do anything unnecessary."
Orochimaru furrowed his brow. His golden snake-like pupils shrank sharply as he realized the space around him was contracting and collapsing like putty.
A pair of enormous Mangekyō Sharingan loomed across the sky within that space.
The next moment, Orochimaru's eyes snapped open. The footsteps of Fugaku and Itachi had already faded into the distance.
Fugaku's Genjutsu! He hadn't even seen him make Hand Seals—just a glance!
Orochimaru recovered without the slightest discomfort, but a hint of wariness had crept into the depths of his eyes.
Such powerful ocular prowess. Itachi didn't even have to lift a finger.
He ran his tongue over his lips, greed surging within him.
He had thought that with Itachi joining the organization, he'd have his chance.
He hadn't expected Fugaku to join as well.
Under these circumstances, taking Itachi's body—or either of their Mangekyō Sharingan—was impossible.
The perfect Sharingan was within reach, yet he couldn't get his hands on it. It was sheer torture.
The Uchiha Clan.
Konoha...
He murmured hoarsely, "It's time to go back and take a look."
But he'd been away from Konoha for years, and he had no idea what was happening in the village.
He needed a new pair of eyes—an intelligent assistant, someone skilled at hiding and gathering information.
"Hmm. That child should be quite suitable..."
The Land of Water.
Karatachi Yagura had been under control until recently, so he'd seen very little of what was happening.
On the journey back, he'd already discovered that many parts of the Hidden Mist had fallen into disorder.
Banditry and theft were growing rampant, and the entire Land of Water was sliding into decline.
It tore at his heart and only strengthened his resolve to quell the chaos and restore the Hidden Mist!
Although he hadn't appeared in the village for a long time,
the village was just the same as when he was gone.
Just as chaotic.
After all, he'd often disappeared before.
And when he did, it was for a long time.
When Karatachi Yagura appeared, everyone who saw him reacted with fear and tried to avoid him.
But there was little respect for the Mizukage.
He knew that to rebuild the Hidden Mist, he first had to deal with the mess of competing factions, each acting on its own.
Years of the "Bloody Mist Village" policy and the chaotic orders issued while he was under control had filled the village with suspicion and infighting.
Yagura had prepared himself for this, so he secretly summoned Mei Terumi, the leader of a faction known for its prudence and desire for reform.
"Mizukage-sama."
Mei Terumi bowed slightly. Her manners were impeccable, but her eyes were watchful.
This was the first time in years that Karatachi Yagura had summoned her to his office.
More accurately, it was the first time he'd appeared here openly.
Yagura didn't beat around the bush. He knew time was pressing, so he got straight to the point:
"Mei Terumi, I know you, like everyone else, have been confused and even angered by many of my orders over the past few years."
"I can tell you the truth now. I, Karatachi Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, was controlled by the Genjutsu of a mysterious Masked Man for a considerable length of time."
"W-what!?"
Mei Terumi's pupils contracted. People in the Hidden Mist had long suspected that the Mizukage might be under someone's control.
But hearing him confirm it himself still shook her to the core.
"Those orders that persecuted our own people and crippled our strength weren't my intention."
Pain and remorse colored Karatachi Yagura's voice.
"The Hidden Mist can't go on like this. I need the help of people I can trust to set things right and rebuild the village."
"And you're someone I believe truly cares about the Hidden Mist's future."
He looked at Mei Terumi, his gaze sincere. "Will you help me?"
Mei Terumi fell silent for a moment, rapidly weighing her options.
If she refused, the Hidden Mist would remain a tangled mess. Even if Karatachi Yagura possessed overwhelming strength, taking full control would be extremely difficult.
She did have her own faction, and she had once hoped to gain more influence in the future power struggle, even coveted the position of Mizukage.
But more than that, she couldn't stand by and watch the village sink deeper into chaos and bloodshed.
As someone who genuinely wanted what was best for the Hidden Mist and the Land of Water, Mei Terumi didn't want more people to die for her own selfish ambitions.
Yagura's candor and the chaos around them quickly helped her reach a decision.
"For the future of the Hidden Mist, I'm at your service, Mizukage-sama."
She made her promise solemnly, setting aside her personal ambitions for the time being.
Karatachi Yagura gazed deeply at Mei Terumi. He'd originally thought that if she refused, he could persuade her by offering her the position of the next Mizukage.
It seemed he'd underestimated Mei Terumi.
"Then I thank you."
Karatachi Yagura stood and bowed to Mei Terumi.
Mei Terumi hadn't expected the usually domineering Mizukage to bow to her, and hurriedly bowed in return.
"You're too kind, Mizukage-sama."
With an ally at his side, Karatachi Yagura breathed a sigh of relief.
"Our most urgent task is to reassure the people and rally our strength."
"Immediately issue an order in my name, in secret: all policies persecuting Kekkei Genkai clans are to be stopped."
"At the same time, do everything you can to find the talented people scattered beyond the village, especially the brothers Hozuki Mangetsu and Hozuki Suigetsu, as well as Ringo Ameyuri, wielder of Kiba. We need every bit of strength we can get."
Mei Terumi nodded. "Yes, I understand."
Then Karatachi Yagura picked up an outdated financial report from the desk and said:
"The village's finances are a complete mess. I need your people to compile a new report. I want to know where the village's money is going."
"There's a lot about the village I don't know. Tell me first about the matters that need urgent attention."
"We can compile the rest gradually."
Mei Terumi quickly got down to business and reported several key issues:
"There are a few. First, Biwa Jūzō, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, defected from the village with the Kubikiribōchō. His whereabouts are unknown."
"Second, and the most serious issue right now, is that the Cipher Division has grown too powerful to control."
"Its leader, Suikazan Fuguki, used the period when you were under control to purge his rivals and install his own people."
"He had long realized that something was wrong with you, but kept quiet while secretly building up his strength. He's been waiting for the right moment to bring you down and take the position of Mizukage for himself."
Yagura's gaze turned cold. His first priority after returning was to reclaim his authority and stabilize the village.
The Cipher Division under Suikazan Fuguki was not only powerful, but also controlled the village's intelligence network and assassination forces.
It was a thorn that had to be removed. Regardless of Fuguki's personal character, his very existence posed a major threat to the Mizukage's authority.
"Fuguki has too many eyes and ears around him. I'll personally choose someone suited to deal with him."
"The next time you see me, remember to bring Ao so he can check whether I'm acting normally."
"Yes."