"Qing Zhong... where is he?!"
The reporting Jonin broke out in a cold sweat and forced himself to answer:
"Mizukage-sama... Qing Zhong-sama... has been confirmed dead.
According to eyewitnesses among the eastern front's survivors, he was... controlled by Konoha's Kagami Uchiha using Sharingan genjutsu, then killed with a single slash..."
"Uchiha... Kagami..."
The Third Mizukage uttered the name one word at a time, his voice as cold as deep-sea ice.
He suddenly laughed, but the sound made everyone's hair stand on end. "Good... very good... Konoha... Uchiha genjutsu, is it?"
He turned toward the other three Kage. A smile returned to his face, but undisguised killing intent churned beneath it.
"You three heard that, didn't you?
For this joint operation, Kirigakure dispatched an elite force most skilled in Water Release and naval combat.
Now, thirty-seven out of more than eighty men are dead. Even my trusted favorite fell to Konoha's Uchiha.
This debt—"
He paused, then jabbed a finger heavily against the stone table.
"—must be settled."
By then, the Third Raikage and Third Kazekage had finished reading their own reports as well.
The Raikage's expression was equally grim.
Kumogakure's forces had suffered more than fifty casualties, mostly mid-level ninja, including two Jonin skilled at coordinating Lightning Release.
But when he looked up at the Mizukage's murderous expression, then glanced at the shocking figures in Kirigakure's report—losses that were mostly high-ranking ninja—the anger in his heart inexplicably subsided somewhat.
At least... Kumogakure had not suffered as badly as Kirigakure.
Kazekage Shamon was even more expressionless.
Sunagakure had also lost more than thirty men, but they were all lower-ranking ninja, the smallest losses among the four villages.
He had even preserved most of his Iron Sand reserves.
As he watched the enraged Mizukage, a thought even crossed his mind: *Thankfully, it