Undercurrents Surge

"Recently, there have been some unfamiliar faces in the village..."

Karatachi Yagura seemed to have a rare moment of leisure. It was already late at night, yet he was alone, holding a steaming cup of tea, simply standing by the office window, gazing at the entire Kirigakure.

Upon hearing Karatachi Yagura Kiriya Shun, who was standing to the side, revealed a strange glint in his eyes.

Karatachi Yagura couldn't possibly be unaware that a representative from a major merchant guild from Kyoto had just entered Kirigakure. Therefore, his words could only mean one thing—he was worried that other people with ulterior motives had infiltrated Kirigakure.

"Yagura, should we send more people to check those entering the village...?"

Karatachi Yagura's gaze seemed to be fixed on somewhere else, his brows still slightly furrowed, as if he were deep in thought, and he did not respond to Kiriya Shun's words.

"Yagura- sama?"

"Um..."

"Not enough..."

"I was the one who pushed for the amphibious landing operation at the council of elders, but after so long, it has been completely ineffective. If we weren't still in wartime, there probably would have been a rebellion by now..."

"Now so many people from outside the village are coming in again..."

"Those people are probably getting impatient..."

Karatachi Yagura did not hide his thoughts from Kiriya Shun, who was with him day and night Kiriya Shun was the person in Kirigakure who understood him best.

Has the situation reached such a critical point?

Kiriya Shun, seemingly having already made up his mind, and his expression turned grim.

The purpose of this war is self-evident. Mist Shinobi, seemingly allied with Cloud Shinobi and Stone Shinobi, is playing both sides, but in reality, it has no real ability to defeat Konoha. In particular, the deaths of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have greatly increased opposition to this war with its inexplicable motives.

Konoha, which had earned its formidable reputation in the Second Shinobi World War, was a place that, while not openly proclaimed by its Mist Shinobi, harbored doubts even among the frontline Genin, who questioned whether they could truly defeat the enemy.

"Instantly, I need a victory, an unprecedented victory..."

Karatachi Yagura's gaze held a mixture of solemnity and determination. War is always an extension of politics; it may seem turbulent and unpredictable, but it is actually full of hidden mysteries.

If Karatachi Yagura's first act upon assuming office is to inflict a major defeat on Konoha, it will be a significant blow to his authority as Mizukage, and he will likely be powerless to control the various clans of Mist Shinobi.

But if he defeats Konoha...

This is a high-stakes gamble. The various families, seemingly holding back, are actually all watching this crucial battle that will determine the fate of Mist Shinobi.

"Understood, Yagura..."

After calming himself down, as if he had thought of something, Kiriya Shun looked up at Karatachi Yagura, seemingly hesitant, wondering if his idea was too bold.

"Perhaps it's time to activate that..."

Karatachi Yagura's eyes flickered slightly as he turned to face Kiriya Shun. Both of them could see a resolute determination in each other's eyes, a determination to die without regret.

"Good!"

"Thump... thump... thump..."

It was already late at night, and in a secluded corner of the Mist Shinobi, deep underground in a remote area far from the center of the village, a series of muffled rumbling sounds seemed to be heard incessantly.

"Ah..."

Karatachi Yagura remained calm, unmoved by the constant roars and groans of pain emanating from his ears. He and Kiriya Shun one after the other, venturing deeper into this hidden place.

"Cough cough..."

The dim light shone on the pale-faced figure. As if hearing someone's voice, the figure slowly raised its head, its eyes bloodshot, yet displaying a somewhat frenzied excitement.

He put down the mangled, unrecognizable pieces of flesh and blood, and gave Karatachi Yagura a strange smile.

"Mizukage, it's been so long..."

With a slight frown, Karatachi Yagura narrowed his eyes and remained silent, simply gazing at the not-so-tall man before him.

"Hiruko ..."

"Your experiment should have yielded some results..."

Kiriya Shun low voice, his brows furrowed.

A few months ago, a strange thing happened in a village by the sea north of Mist Shinobi: people kept disappearing without any clues.

Although the matter wasn't serious enough to require the Mizukage, Kiriya Shun, being cautious, still sent someone to investigate, only to unexpectedly bring back such a person.

A Konoha missing-nin, a Konoha missing-nin with special talents.

"Yagura is being too hasty; the current results are far from stable..."

Hiruko was glared at by Kiriya Shun, and he reverted to a somewhat normal appearance. He pointed to the dark cage to the side and walked forward on his own.

"The Chakra of the Tailed Beasts is far too violent for ordinary people to withstand, even with Sealing Jutsu."

At this point, Hiruko, glanced at Karatachi Yagura, and seemed to have thought of something.

"Does the Mizukage also want to become Jinchuriki?"

"So noisy..."

Yagura simply raised his hand, and a surge of water swiftly Hiruko to the ground, causing her to cough incessantly.

"As missing-nin of Konoha, I wonder what will happen if you are captured and brought back to Konoha? I heard you were a subordinate of Shimura Danzō, the 'Root of the Shinobi World'?"

Karatachi Yagura's voice wasn't loud, but it caused Hiruko. He seemed to have thought of something, gripped the ground tightly with both hands, and lowered his head.

'You arrogant fools, one day I will turn you all into nourishment for the Chimera Technique...'

With his head bowed, Hiruko concealed the sinister look on his face, forcibly suppressing his anger, and struggled to stand up.

"These people have a very low tolerance for the Three-Tails 'Chakra. Even with Sealing Jutsu, they can't withstand it for long before being devoured by the Three-Tails' Chakra..."

Inside the dungeon, the young man who appeared before Karatachi Yagura was charred black all over, but not like someone burned by flames; it was as if every pore of his body had been destroyed.

He was still alive, but he seemed to have lost his voice; his body was constantly convulsing, as if contact with the ground had brought him to the limit of his pain.

"How long can someone like that last?"

Silently watching the young man, Hiruko n't see Karatachi Yagura's face clearly, but his words made Hiruko frown slightly.

"We need a more powerful Sealing Jutsu, a stronger physical body, and someone more compatible with the Three-Tails 'Chakra."

"An ordinary person like this can only last a day at most..."

"I will bring you a better Sealing Jutsu, and there will be a more suitable person. I only need to be sure of one thing."

Slowly turning around, Karatachi Yagura stared intently at Hiruko, only speaking slowly after Hiruko had already lowered his head.

"If things are still like this in seven days..."

You wouldn't want to know what the outcome will be...

Hiruko responded with a muffled groan.

His face was lowered, his eyes wide open as if they were about to jump out of their sockets, bloodshot and filled with suppressed madness.

"Hiruko, I will send the criminals and prisoners from Mist Shinobi Prison here one by one. Remember the time limit: seven days..."

Seemingly hesitant to speak, as if he wanted to say something, a hint of reluctance appeared in Kiriya Shun's eyes, but it was only slightly deliberate, and Hiruko probably didn't notice.

"Yagura said that as long as you complete this task, he will spare your life. I have followed Yagura for so many years, and he has never broken his promise..."

Karatachi Yagura disappeared without a trace, leaving only Kiriya Shun, who subtly extended a friendly gesture, seemingly trying to ease Hiruko's emotions—something he handled with ease.

"Kiritani-kun, I understand..."

Hiruko nodded to Kiriya Shun, seemingly in a better mood. Kiriya Shun then patted Hiruko on the shoulder and disappeared underground.