The slash struck with the speed of a raging gale and unstoppable momentum, crashing viciously into the water dragon!
Boom!
The power of Uchiha Sora's self-created swordsmanship was on full display!
A single slash had destroyed a formidable B-rank ninjutsu!
With a flash of movement, Uchiha Sora closed in on Zabuza, who stood on the river's surface, and unleashed a storm of sword strikes!
Shocked, Zabuza hurriedly drew the ninja blade from his back to block Sora's slashes.
He had yet to acquire the Kubikiribōchō, and his sword skills were no match for Uchiha Sora's. Before long, he lost the nerve to keep fighting and hastily retreated, putting distance between them.
"Such incredible swordsmanship! Who exactly are you?" Zabuza abandoned his contempt. After their exchanges, he realized that the man before him was certainly no weaker than himself. Yet how had he never heard of someone like this?
Uchiha Sora smiled faintly. "Zabuza, I've experienced your Silent Killing Technique and Water Release. Isn't it time you experienced my techniques?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Uchiha Sora activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and formed hand seals. A dazzling mass of lightning suddenly blazed in his right palm as he rushed toward Zabuza!
It was Lightning Blade!
At the same time, he drew a kunai with his left hand and threw it at Zabuza.
Zabuza stared intently at Uchiha Sora's eyes and the lightning in his hand, his expression grim. He's concentrated lightning release chakra to this degree! This technique is dangerous! I absolutely can't let it hit me! And those eyes... are they the legendary Sharingan?
He paid little attention to the kunai flying toward him, merely tilting his head slightly to evade it.
Chakra gathered beneath Zabuza's feet. Just as he prepared to retreat, Uchiha Sora abruptly vanished from his sight!
Bzzzt...
At that same instant, Zabuza sensed a violent surge of lightning rapidly approaching from behind!
Not good!
Zabuza snapped to attention, his expression changing drastically! His face instantly turned deathly pale!
The overwhelming sense of danger made his hair stand on end, and the feeling of death spread through his mind.
Yet at that critical instant, Uchiha Sora, who had appeared behind Zabuza, dispersed the Lightning Blade in his hand and stopped his palm beside Zabuza's waist.
Zabuza froze in place, cold sweat dripping into the river beneath his feet.
His voice trembling slightly after his narrow escape, he slowly asked, "Who... exactly are you?"
Uchiha Sora smiled faintly and gave him a light pat on the back before strolling toward the bank. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Uchiha Sora of the Uchiha Clan, currently a rogue ninja from Konoha."
"Uchiha Sora? A rogue ninja from Konoha? No wonder you have the Sharingan!" Zabuza let out a deep breath of relief. Clearly, the other man had not come to kill him, or he would already be dead!
"Zabuza, you've been dissatisfied with Kirigakure for a long time now, haven't you?" Uchiha Sora continued.
Zabuza followed him back to the bank, his body giving a slight jolt at those words. "Uchiha Sora, what do you mean?"
"I can help you achieve your ideals! But in return, you must serve me and carry out my orders!" Uchiha Sora said.
Zabuza paused, his instincts telling him that this was an opportunity!
"I can give you three days to think it over. During those three days, I'll be waiting at the same little tavern. You can come find me whenever you like!" Seeing Zabuza standing there in silence, Uchiha Sora knew he was tempted. He added those words, then turned and left.
Zabuza watched Uchiha Sora's retreating figure, deep in thought.
"Uchiha Sora, huh? That Lightning Release technique just now was at least A-rank, perhaps even S-rank. And that Body Flicker Technique..." Muttering to himself, he turned and left as well.
The next day, Uchiha Sora met Zabuza again at the little tavern.
"I agree to join you!" Zabuza sat down across from Uchiha Sora and spoke quietly.
Uchiha Sora smiled faintly. "Welcome to my organization!"
"Now, I have your first mission. Find information on a few people in Kirigakure's archives. Their names, distinguishing features, and clans are..." He gave Zabuza the details of Hozuki Suigetsu, Kimimaro of the Kaguya Clan, and Yuki Haku, asking him to locate all three.
"All right. Understood." Zabuza nodded without asking any further questions, then stood and left.
A glimmer of appreciation flashed through Uchiha Sora's eyes.
Zabuza truly lived up to his reputation as an elite of Kirigakure's ANBU. His conduct on missions was excellent; he never asked unnecessary questions.
Of course, Uchiha Sora had no fear of Zabuza betraying him or leaking information. During their earlier fight, he had left a Flying Thunder God mark on Zabuza's back when he patted it.
Now, all he needed to do was wait for news.
Compared with an outsider like him, who knew nothing about Kirigakure, Zabuza, a native, clearly knew his village far better.
Within three days, Zabuza had found information on Suigetsu and the other two, compiled it into a report, and delivered it to Uchiha Sora.
Uchiha Sora frowned slightly as he read the information on the three.
According to the report, Yuki Haku was currently wandering through a village where it snowed year-round, but Orochimaru seemed to have beaten him to the other two.
The report stated that Kimimaro's clan, the Kaguya Clan, had recently rebelled and been wiped out in Kirigakure's swift, ruthless suppression. Kimimaro, who had survived, had been taken away by a mysterious person.
Hozuki Suigetsu, meanwhile, had gone missing from his home a year earlier...
Knowing the original story well, Uchiha Sora was almost certain that Orochimaru had taken both of them.
That being the case, Uchiha Sora set aside any thought of poaching them from Orochimaru for now.
After all, his desire to raise a few children had been a passing whim, something to do along the way. Since he had missed his chance, he would not force the issue.
With only Yuki Haku left, Uchiha Sora was in no hurry to find him. Instead, he planned to resolve the matter before him first.
"Zabuza, next I want you to investigate the Fourth Mizukage's schedule. Notify me as soon as you find a suitable opportunity!"
"Also, approach Mei Terumi and sound her out. If she's dissatisfied with the Fourth Mizukage, tell her I want to meet her!"
Uchiha Sora gave Zabuza his instructions.
"Mei Terumi? The woman hailed as Kirigakure's genius kunoichi?" Zabuza immediately perked up.
Uchiha Sora nodded. "Go. If it can't be done, let it go. There's no need to force it."
"All right!" Zabuza replied.
After giving Zabuza his instructions, Uchiha Sora waited quietly.
This time, he would expose Obito Uchiha's scheme outright and break the genjutsu placed on the Fourth Mizukage.
Since he had declared that he would oppose Obito, he certainly would not indulge him!
Zabuza worked quickly. The very next day, Uchiha Sora received his message.
Mei Terumi had agreed to meet him at night in a small grove outside Kirigakure.
Uchiha Sora went to the meeting that evening, with Zabuza accompanying him.
A crescent moon hung high in the night sky.
Under the moonlight, Uchiha Sora approached the agreed-upon grove. From a distance, he sensed a peculiar fluctuation of ocular power and realized that someone was watching him.
He immediately understood. It had to be Ao observing him with his Byakugan.
A cold gleam flashed in his eyes. They instantly turned crimson as his Three-Tomoe Sharingan appeared.
Following that fluctuation of ocular power, he cast a genjutsu directly through his Sharingan.
The Byakugan's perceptive ability far surpassed the Sharingan's, but its offensive capabilities were considerably weaker. With a single genjutsu from Uchiha Sora, the other party's ocular fluctuations immediately disappeared.
Inside the grove, two figures stood on the branch of a large tree.
One was a young woman wearing a blue dress. She had green eyes, long auburn curls that crossed over and covered her right eye, pink lips, a graceful figure, and fair, soft skin.
It was Mei Terumi.
The other was a middle-aged man with a black patch over one eye and bulging veins around it. It was Ao.
Ao suddenly let out a muffled groan and dropped to one knee.
Beside him, Mei Terumi asked in surprise, "What happened?"
"He actually cast Sharingan Genjutsu on me through my ocular power! That genjutsu ability and ocular power remind me of someone!" Cold sweat trickled down Ao's forehead.
"Who?"
"Shisui Uchiha!" At that name, Mei Terumi perked up. "Could the person Zabuza said could help us be Shisui Uchiha?"
But Ao slowly shook his head. "It isn't Shisui. I remember the color of Shisui's ocular power perfectly clearly. This person isn't him!"
"Not Shisui? Then who could it be?" Mei Terumi grew curious.
At that moment, Uchiha Sora and Zabuza finally arrived.
Ao and Mei Terumi jumped down from the branch and landed before them, their gazes settling on Uchiha Sora as they scrutinized him.
"Hehe, I didn't expect such a handsome young man! Tell me, little brother, are you even an adult yet?" Seeing Uchiha Sora's handsome, appealing face, Mei Terumi could not resist teasing him.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized that she might have offended him. She hurriedly offered a more reserved smile and explained, "Sorry. You really don't look old enough to be an adult."
Uchiha Sora smiled faintly. "Lady Mei Terumi, I'm not here for a blind date. My age hardly matters, does it? As long as I have the strength, that's enough! Wouldn't you agree?"
Mei Terumi's smile stiffened, and she laughed awkwardly, inwardly irritated. This boy may be young, but he certainly talks big! And he doesn't give a lady any consideration at all! What a waste of that handsome face!
Ao hurriedly interjected, "You're right. Let's discuss the Fourth Mizukage!"
Uchiha Sora nodded and said to Mei Terumi, "Before we discuss that, I need to clarify my position."
"I'm a rogue ninja from Konoha. After leaving, I struck out on my own. I currently represent no other faction. I represent only myself!"
"Zabuza works for me. Once this matter is resolved, he'll leave with me. Rest assured, I won't interfere in Kirigakure's internal affairs."
After hearing him out, Mei Terumi's brows relaxed, and she chuckled. "Good. Those were precisely the things I wanted to ask."
Uchiha Sora nodded and continued, "In that case, I'll get straight to the Fourth Mizukage!"
Mei Terumi and Ao grew serious and listened closely.
"I'm sure you've been puzzled for a long time as well. During his rule, the Fourth Mizukage has issued many unacceptable orders. Many of his decisions are directly responsible for Kirigakure's current state!"
"In the course of my investigation, I discovered something extremely important to you!" At that point, Uchiha Sora deliberately paused, keeping them in suspense.
"What did you discover?" Mei Terumi and Ao hurriedly asked.
"In truth, someone else stands behind the Fourth Mizukage! Every decision he makes is under that person's control!" Uchiha Sora enunciated each word.
"What?!" Mei Terumi and Ao exchanged a glance, their expressions changing drastically, their faces filled with disbelief.
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