Konoha: After the Diary Was Exposed, the Kunoichi Fell Apart

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One Last Gift for You

Kirigakure.

The Mizukage Building.

Karatachi Yagura stood at the entrance, looking down at the Anbu corpses on the ground before turning a cold gaze on the crowd.

Nearly a thousand fully armed ninja stood before him.

Among them were many of Kirigakure's Elite Jonin.

For so many ninja to gather here in force, they must have discovered something.

"Are you trying to rebel?"

Yagura's voice was cold.

"Lord Mizukage, we couldn't have seen you otherwise."

Mei Terumi stepped forward, her tone calm.

"You?"

"What are you trying to do?"

Yagura fixed his eyes on Mei.

"Nothing much. There's just something I want to confirm in front of everyone."

Mei gave him a charming smile.

So they really had discovered something.

Yagura's heart sank at her words.

"Looks like I really should have dealt with you last time."

Last time,

she had suddenly come to see him late at night, and he had found it strange.

But

he had noticed nothing amiss at the time.

And with both Lava Release and Boil Release at her disposal, she was no one to underestimate.

So

he had held back.

"Lord Genji!"

Mei ignored Yagura and nodded to an elderly man behind her.

Genji understood.

Then

he beckoned someone out of the crowd.

"Ao!"

At Genji's call, a man wearing an eyepatch walked over.

"Leave it to me, Lord Genji."

With that,

Ao formed hand seals with one hand.

The next moment,

veins bulged across his face.

"Well?"

Mei asked, her face tense.

This time,

she had staked her own life on her claim to persuade Genji to bring so many ninja here and deal with the Fourth Mizukage.

Since receiving the Diary's reward, she had come to trust its contents unconditionally. Even so, she could not help feeling nervous now.

"Lord Genji, it's just as Mei Terumi said."

"Lord Mizukage... he's being controlled by genjutsu!"

Ao's voice trembled.

He was not particularly strong, only an ordinary Jonin.

But

during the Third Shinobi World War, he had obtained a Byakugan by chance.

Just now,

he had examined the Fourth Mizukage with it

and discovered that Yagura really was under the control of genjutsu!

"What?"

"Someone's controlling Lord Mizukage with genjutsu?"

"How could this happen? Who did it?"

"No wonder Lord Mizukage's been acting so strangely. It was genjutsu all along."

"Damn it! We have to catch whoever's behind this!"

At Ao's words, every ninja present flew into a rage.

The Mizukage himself, controlled by someone's genjutsu...

It was a slap in the face to them all.

"So it's true..."

Genji's expression darkened.

At first,

he had not believed Mei.

Someone had secretly controlled the Mizukage for years?

How could that be possible?

In this Shinobi World,

who could pull off something like that?

But Mei had been willing to stake her life on it.

And Yagura had kept to himself for years, barely meeting anyone. That was why Genji had brought the others here, despite his doubts.

Yet

the Mizukage really had been controlled!

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

Seeing that he had been exposed, Yagura wasted no words and attacked Genji.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

Already on guard, Mei immediately raised a Water Release defense and blocked the attack.

"Everyone, attack together! We have to free Lord Mizukage from the enemy's control!"

"Yes!"

At Mei's shout, nearly a thousand ninja answered in unison.

The next moment,

they surrounded Yagura on all sides.

"Forgive us, Lord Mizukage."

As Mei looked at Yagura, anticipation flickered across her face.

Since receiving the Diary's reward, her strength had soared.

Even facing the Fourth Mizukage, she no longer felt the pressure she once had.

She could hardly wait to find out just how strong she had become!

"Hmph!"

"You're asking for death!"

Facing nearly a thousand ninja alone, Yagura showed not a trace of fear.

Kill!

In the shadows,

Obito Uchiha watched through his Spiral Mask, his gaze cold.

He had always known

that someone would eventually discover he was controlling Yagura.

But

he had not expected it to happen so soon, or so suddenly.

It did not matter, though.

In all the years he had controlled Yagura, he had already stripped Kirigakure of nearly all its ninjutsu Scrolls and secret intelligence.

Its powerful clans and ninja had been all but ruined, too.

After so many years under the Blood Mist Policy,

Kirigakure had little left to offer him.

"One last gift for you..."

"Consider it your apology to Rin."

Obito gave a cold snort and formed hand seals. His Mangekyo Sharingan spun rapidly.

The next moment,

the Three-Tails' massive body surged into the sky!

The Land of Rain.

Inside Amegakure.

"Well?"

"Did you find anything about what I asked you to investigate?"

Obito looked at Zetsu, whose head had emerged from the ground.

"Hmm... nothing unusual."

"That night, after she left the Mizukage Building, she went to the Land of Waves."

"In the Land of Waves, she met... a ninja squad led by Kakashi Hatake."

At Zetsu's words,

Obito went rigid.

Kakashi Hatake...