Border port town, Land of Water.
The sky here remained overcast year-round. Fine drizzle mixed with the smell of the sea, casting the entire town beneath a hazy gray veil.
In the corner of a dilapidated tavern, two wandering ninja in conical hats spoke in low voices.
"Did you hear? Kirigakure is about to change again."
"Shh! Are you trying to get yourself killed? How dare you say something like that?"
"What's there to fear? Everyone knows by now. Mei Terumi may have ended the Blood Mist Policy, but she's too soft. I heard a group of old Blood Mist supporters have joined forces with some mysterious outside faction and are preparing a coup."
The speaker lowered his voice, but he could not hide the terror in his tone. "The scariest part is, they say someone saw traces of Genjutsu near the Mizukage Building... exactly like when the Fourth Mizukage was controlled back then."
"You mean... Lady Mei Terumi has been controlled too?"
"Most likely. The ANBU deployments have been incredibly strange these past few days. The elites stationed at the borders were all recalled, while unfamiliar faces took over the defenses. Isn't that the same sign that came before the Bloody Mist Village?"
At the other end of the tavern, a figure clad in a ragged rain cape trembled slightly. A cup of sake sat before him, untouched.
It was Yagura in disguise.
There was no expression on his childlike face, but the hand hidden in his sleeve clenched tightly enough that his nails nearly dug into his palm.
"Blood Mist... is it coming back?" Yagura murmured.
This was the nightmare of his life. Back then, he had been a perfect Jinchūriki, yet Obito had controlled him with Genjutsu and made him personally push Kirigakure into the abyss of