Uchiha Sora's words stunned them both. Even Zabuza, standing nearby, was deeply shocked.
The Fourth Mizukage was not only a Kage-level powerhouse, but also the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki. How could anyone control him?
Who in the Shinobi World had the ability to control a Perfect Jinchuriki?
Then Uchiha Sora continued, "Now that you know this, all we need to do is meet the Fourth Mizukage and have Ao examine him carefully with his Byakugan at close range. That should reveal anything unusual!"
Mei Terumi and Ao exchanged a glance. Ao nodded and said quietly, "My Byakugan came from the Hyuga Main Family, and I've developed its perceptive ability to the limit. If the Fourth Mizukage really is being controlled, I'll definitely be able to detect it!"
"Good. Find an opportunity to investigate. Once we confirm it, we'll decide what to do next!" Mei Terumi said.
After a pause, she turned to Uchiha Sora again. "You must have some conditions for sharing such important information with us, right?"
Uchiha Sora smiled faintly, but shook his head. "No, there are no conditions. I told you because I wanted your help dealing with the Fourth Mizukage and whoever is behind him."
"It'll probably be difficult to break the genjutsu on the Fourth Mizukage without defeating him first. And the person controlling him is very powerful. If we act rashly, achieving my goal alone won't be easy."
"You're both from Kirigakure. I believe things will be much easier with your cooperation."
Mei Terumi and Ao nodded inwardly at his words. He had a point.
Without a thorough plan, trying to deal with the Fourth Mizukage and the person behind him could backfire, plunging the village into even greater chaos.
Besides, they absolutely could not publicly announce that the Fourth Mizukage was being controlled. If confirmed, it would be a devastating blow to Kirigakure.
How would Kirigakure, or even the Land of Water, ever hold its head high in the Shinobi World again?
The best approach was to act quietly in secret and resolve the matter as quickly as possible!
"All right, then. Here's to a successful partnership!" A hint of a smile appeared on Mei Terumi's face as she offered her fair, delicate hand.
"To a successful partnership!" Uchiha Sora shook her hand and replied with a slight smile.
Their alliance was thus formed.
Three days later.
Ao found an opportunity to investigate the Fourth Mizukage and detected something abnormal, confirming that he really was being controlled.
"Although the Fourth Mizukage's chakra appeared normal on the surface, I still noticed a slight irregularity in the chakra in his brain. If this eye hadn't come from the Hyuga Main Family, and if my perception weren't so keen, anyone else would probably have missed it!" At their agreed meeting place, a small tavern, Ao spoke gravely to Uchiha Sora. "I've only seen this level of genjutsu control from Shisui Uchiha."
Uchiha Sora frowned slightly.
Leaving aside whether Obito Uchiha possessed such skill with genjutsu, if he really had an ability similar to Shisui's, then controlling the Fourth Mizukage was certainly possible.
He said, "Whatever the case, we first need an opportunity to restrain the Fourth Mizukage. Then I'll break the genjutsu on him! Everything will be simple after that."
Ao nodded. "Yes. Leave the arrangements to us. Sorry for the trouble, but we'll need you to step in when the time comes."
After discussing their upcoming battle plans, they went their separate ways.
Finding an opportunity to deal with the Fourth Mizukage was naturally no easy task.
As the Mizukage, he always traveled with powerful guards. An outsider had little chance of attacking him.
Arranging things from within, however, made it much easier.
Mei Terumi and Ao held high standing in Kirigakure. Through a series of arrangements, they replaced the Mizukage's guards and scheduled a trip outside Kirigakure to the Daimyo Mansion in the Land of Water.
For this journey, Mei Terumi and Ao would be the Fourth Mizukage's only guards.
That day, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, left Kirigakure with Mei Terumi and Ao, taking the road toward the Daimyo Mansion.
The Daimyo Mansion was not far from Kirigakure, but it was still at least a hundred kilometers away.
Halfway through their journey, Mei Terumi and Ao suddenly stopped.
The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, looked at them in confusion. "Ao, is something wrong?"
"Lord Mizukage! Forgive me! Water Release: Water Shockwave!" Ao suddenly spoke, rapidly forming hand seals before spitting out a raging torrent that surged toward the Fourth Mizukage!
Caught off guard, the Fourth Mizukage was swept away by the flood.
An attack of that level could not injure him, however. He quickly scrambled up and was about to reprimand them when Mei Terumi appeared behind him.
"Water Release: Water Prison Technique!" With a sharp cry, she used the water released by the Water Shockwave to form a sphere around the Fourth Mizukage, trapping him inside.
"It worked!" Mei Terumi and Ao felt a flicker of joy.
But they soon sensed powerful, violent chakra pouring from the Fourth Mizukage's body.
Mei Terumi's water prison began shaking violently. The powerful, scorching chakra made the water churn as though it were boiling.
Bang!
In barely a breath, the chakra surging from the Fourth Mizukage shattered the water prison!
The tremendous backlash sent Mei Terumi flying, and she nearly fell to the ground.
"It failed!" Mei Terumi gave a bitter smile as she watched red tailed beast chakra spill from the Fourth Mizukage.
The tailed beast chakra was simply too powerful. It was not something she could easily withstand at her current level.
"Aren't you going to act?" Ao could not help shouting.
"Wind Release: Rasengan!" No sooner had Ao spoken than a figure appeared above the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura.
It was Uchiha Sora!
Carrying a white Rasengan that hissed with piercing wind, he descended from the sky and slammed it into the Fourth Mizukage!
Boom!
Powerful energy erupted. Though the Rasengan infused with some wind-nature chakra had not reached the level of a Rasenshuriken, it was considerably stronger than an ordinary Rasengan. That immense energy engulfed the Fourth Mizukage, drawing a cry of pain from him.
"Aah!" Suddenly, Yagura roared in fury. The tailed beast chakra around him solidified, coating his entire body in tangible red chakra as he assumed a beastlike form vaguely resembling the Three-Tails, with three tails swaying behind him.
His violent chakra pressed cracks into the ground beneath him.
Meanwhile, the power of Uchiha Sora's Wind Release: Rasengan had already been repelled by that tailed beast chakra and dispersed into the air.
What a shame. Wind Release: Rasenshuriken is too conspicuous for a sneak attack. Otherwise, that last strike might have defeated him! Uchiha Sora watched with silent regret.
His strongest ninjutsu at present was Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
Lightning Blade was stronger than an ordinary Rasengan, but was actually about equal to Wind Release: Rasengan.
Roar!!!
Enraged by the inexplicable beating, the Fourth Mizukage bellowed, "You traitors! You all deserve to die!"
Even in his partial Tailed Beast Transformation, the Fourth Mizukage retained his awareness. His figure flashed, and in the next instant he appeared before Mei Terumi as though he had teleported.
So fast!
Mei Terumi's eyes narrowed sharply. She hurried backward while rapidly forming hand seals, then spat out a column of water.
The water transformed into a dragon and hurtled toward the Fourth Mizukage.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
The Fourth Mizukage swung his arm, carrying powerful tailed beast chakra, and smashed it into the water dragon, scattering it outright!
Without slowing his assault, he followed with another palm strike at Mei Terumi.
Mei Terumi hastily raised a kunai to block. A tremendous force struck her, sending her flying again.
She slammed hard into the ground and hurriedly scrambled up, looking utterly disheveled. The sleeve on the arm she had used to block was gone, exposing burns on her fair skin.
"What terrifying chakra!" Mei Terumi drew a deep breath. If her Water Dragon Bullet Technique had not slowed his attack, she probably could not have withstood that tremendous force!
Suddenly, her expression shifted. Hard coral began growing across her arm, rendering it immobile!
"Oh no! It's Coral Palm!" Mei Terumi immediately recalled the Fourth Mizukage's Jinchūriki technique.
Though complicated to describe, all of this happened in an instant.
By the time Mei Terumi realized that coral was spreading over her arm and even half her body, the Fourth Mizukage was already charging at her again with a furious roar. His intent to tear everything apart sent a chill through her.
"Lightning Release: Light Fang Sword!" Suddenly, a laserlike ray of lightning shot into the Fourth Mizukage as he lunged toward her.
Shhk!
The lightning ray struck the Fourth Mizukage in an instant.
Despite its tremendous piercing power, it failed to pass through his body. His powerful, solidified chakra held it back, allowing it to penetrate only halfway through his shoulder before the impact sent him flying.
The Fourth Mizukage winced in pain, blood flowing from the small hole pierced into his shoulder.
But the potent healing ability of his tailed beast chakra quickly repaired the wound.
Seizing that moment, Uchiha Sora flashed to Mei Terumi's side and broke off all the coral covering her, restoring her mobility.
"Thank you!" Mei Terumi said.
Uchiha Sora nodded. "Feint and create an opening for me!"
With his own abilities alone, he really could not subdue a Perfect Jinchuriki in such a short time.
Ao, who stood off to the side, and Zabuza, who had yet to act from his position farther away, were limited in strength. For now, they were best suited to providing support, primarily watching for Obito Uchiha's appearance.
Mei Terumi was the only one he could rely on at present.
Judging from how she had handled the Fourth Mizukage's attacks, she was quite powerful. Though she was still a little short of Kage level, she was nearly there.
"All right!" Mei Terumi answered, forming hand seals again.
"Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique!"
At last, she unleashed her kekkei genkai, spitting out a mass of highly viscous, corrosive acid. It spread into a curtain that swept toward the Fourth Mizukage.
The Fourth Mizukage immediately sensed the danger of this power. Not daring to take it head-on, he swiftly darted aside.
At that moment, Uchiha Sora raised his hand and threw several kunai toward the Fourth Mizukage.
At the same time, he held a longsword and poured lightning release chakra into it!
Focused on dodging the acid Mei Terumi spat out, the Fourth Mizukage did not even attempt to evade Uchiha Sora's kunai, ignoring them completely.
The kunai struck his body with sharp metallic clinks, unable to penetrate the defense of his Chakra Cloak.
But the instant the kunai bounced away, Uchiha Sora activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and appeared directly in front of him!
The lightning-wreathed longsword in his hand thrust viciously toward the Fourth Mizukage's heart!
The Fourth Mizukage was alarmed and hastily raised a hand to block.
Shhk!
The longsword pierced his palm, then plunged into his body!
Fortunately, when the Fourth Mizukage raised his hand to block, he deflected the sword slightly. Instead of piercing his heart, it only pierced his lung.
Otherwise, even with the tremendous regenerative power of tailed beast chakra, he would probably have been half dead!
PS: It looks like Tomato doesn't allow chat groups. Does anyone know a way to sneak one in?
Before you continue