Escape From Konoha
Chapter 219: 215: The End of the Blood Mist (4)

Water surged forcefully, colliding with the towering buildings i. the surrounding.

A figure stood firmly on top the surging water, hands forming seals, a slender stream sprayed from his mouth, sweeping across like an aurora, causing buildings to crumble with a rumble.

Yagura's arm bled. His arm was accidentally grazed by the thin stream water. But he paid little attention to it. The chakra of the Three Tails quickly healed the wound, evaporating the blood.

The Third Mizukage relentlessly chased after him; his water blade which was capable of severing even a tailed beast, was difficult to defend against. If he was hit by the water blade, it would be a direct death. Although the third Mizukage was old, his strength weakened, but his experience, understanding and application of jutsus hadn't slowed down, but has only grown more sophisticated with age.

"No matter how, he's one of the Five Kages." Yagura sighed softly. Countless ninjas were unable to surpass these peak existence. Underestimating them due to age and frailty would be a mistake.

Though Yagura had rated the strength of the Third Mizukage as high as possible, but it appears he had still underestimated the Kave. Fortunately, he had secretly mastered the power of Three Tails, otherwise, he would probably end in failure for this battle. But how to fight the Third Mizukage next remained a thorny issue.

The Third Mizukage's water ninjutsu was extremely lethal, surpassing even his own attainments in water release. His own water release would likely be used by the kage to attack him. And if the Three Tails was completely released, it would be an easy target for the Mizukage's sealing jutsu because of its bulky size and lack of flexibility.

Yagura doubted the Third Mizukage lacked the ability to seal the Three Tails. Tailed beasts were important weapons to every village, the Kage of every village typically learned sealing jutsu used against the tailed beasts. For ordinary ninjas, the huge body of a tailed beast can form a powerful suppressive force, but facing ninjas at the level of the 'Five Kages', the huge tailed beast was more of an easier target.

"Do I have to use Tailed Beast Bomb?" Yagura thought about the possibility. As a perfect Jinchuriki, he didn't need to transform into the full body of the tailed beast to use the Tailed Beast Bomb. However, its scale was less powerful than that of the full body.

With the thought, a sharp glint flashed in Yagura's eyes. He released chakra, the tailed beast cloak on his body glowed, as if about to condense into a solid form.

Seeing Yagura's transformation progressing, the Third Mizukage, chasing, realized Yagura was about to make a big move.

"Water Release · Water Dragon Bullet!"

The water dragon rose from the grund, leaping from Yagura's side towards the Third Mizukage.

'A bait huh..' The Third Mizukage knew. He didn't dodge, a torrent shot from his mouth, cutting the water dragon in half. He rushed towards Yagura. Chakra surged in his arms.

"Water Release · Water Dragon Fist!"

The dragon's head formed by the converging water flow emerged from the Kage's fist,, aiming at Yagura's chest with brutal force.

A horrible explosion sounded, and then invisible ripples swayed in the atmosphere, and cracks visible to the naked eye appeared on the road and the buildings on both sides.

Yagura's body flew out like a cannonball. At the moment he flew, he had also completed the cohesion of the tailed beast bomb. With black as the core and a purple halo, it tore apart the air.

'Tailed Beast Bomb!?' The Third Mizukage's eyes widened.

While the volume was much smaller than the Tailed Beast Bomb used by Tailed Beasts, but the color and the palpitating oppressive aura, made it known that it was a genuine Tailed Beast Bomb. Before he had time to think, facing the sudden danger, the Third Mizukage dodged back without hesitation, while forming seals with both hands. Floods from the streets, overwhelmed the sky, swallowing the Tailed Beast Bomb.

Stimulated by a huge force, the tailed beast bomb inside the water began to glow, on the verge of exploding.

The Mizukage wouldn't let the Tailed Beast Bomb explode, because he would be injured, and it would cause serious damage to the village. Pressing his hands on the water, he infused chakra into the water.

The light of the Tailed Beast Bomb grew stronger, and when it reached a critical point, the white light burst out from the water surface, but the force of the explosion didn't break out of the water surface, but caused a painless vibration.

The explosion's force was restrained by the third Mizukage's seals.

"Cough!"

The Mizukage's face turned pale, and he smiled wryly. Unexpectedly, even with the level of attack, it was extremely difficult to seal. He really was getting old. In his prime, this level of attack could be easily sealed with his water, and it wouldn't be taken seriously at all.

A strong wind came from behind, and Yagura still covered in the cloak, tightly grasped his long staff and swung it towards the Mizukage's back.

The Third Mizukage condensed water on his arms, turned around, and counterattacked.

The two collided, their bodies shaking, and they jumped backwards.

"Water Shockwave!"

Yagura opened his mouth, water gushed out, forming a huge turtle covered with thorns and three tails in mid-air.

The Third Mizukage looked at the water turtle falling from the sky and at a glance he knew that it was a powerful water release created by taking the Three-Tails body shape as a reference.

The impact force might even higher than that of water dragon bombardment.

Without hesitation, the water slash was released again, splitting the water turtle from the middle. The water slash was exactly the favorite move of the third Mizukage.

Some genjutsu attacks, taijutsu, and regular ninjutsu attacks would be torn apart by the water blade.

Compared to Konoha's Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, who's known as the professor with proficiency in using the five natire release, the third Mizukage only mastered water release.

In terms of coping with the environment, he was far inferior to Konoha's Third Hokage in all-round abilities, but due to specializing in water release for decades, his attainments in water release, since the death of the second Hokage Senju Tonirama, he was confident that among current ninjas, none surpassed him in water release.

Rather than wasting his time and energy on the other releases, specializing in water release was enough for him to handle many enemies. Water is invisible, it can accommodate everything, and it can also turn into an indestructible blade in his hands.

Yagura had already experienced the power of the Third Mizukage's water release through the previous battles. No matter the water jutsu he used, he couldn't block the water dragon slash of the Mizukage, a water blade capable of cutting through anything. Even severing the sturdy body of the tailed beast posed no problem.

Due to the bulky form, it was the crucial reason why Yagura hesitated on using the full-tailed beast form. Dealing with a large creature, it allowed the Third Mizukage to have more room to maneuver. Hence, he unleashed the Tailed Beast Bomb once more without hesitation, targeting the Mizukage.

"Your trick is useless againet me!" The Third Mizukage released the water flow, covering the tailed beast bomb again. Even if it exploded, it couldn't break through the shackles of the water layer. It was a powerful water sealing jutsu capable of suppressing everything, showcasing the inclusive nature of wate.

However, it was precisely the result Yagura sought..As expected, the Third Mizukage, having sealed the Tailed Beast Bomb again, panted more quickly than before. Moreover, his chakra was rapidly depleting.

In the Mizukage's sight, Yagura had begun condensing the third bomb. Even this smal bomb's explosion exceeded what a ninja's body could endure. To avoid being caught in the explosion, the Third Mizukage had to resort to the water release sealing jutsu, which seems to consume energy and chakra once more.

'Damb!!'

The Third Mizukage seemed to have anticipated Yagura's plan and cursed silently. Yagura was a perfect Jinchuriki, the tailed beast continuously transmitted chakra to him. No matter how conceited he was, the Mizukage wouldn't allow his arrogance make him compete with a tailed beast in terms of chakra consumption. Among the Five Kages, only lthe Raikage possessed a terrifying chakra level comparable to a Tailed Beast.

In his prime, the Mizukage might endure a lengthy battle, but with his declining energy and chakra, the Mizukage would ultimately be the first to fall when competing with the tailed beast for chakra.

'Cunning? It was merely a tactical application.'

Playing to strengths and avoiding weaknesses, Yagura excelled in the art of combat.

Competing with the Mizukage in water ninjutsu was disadvantageous, and taijutsu wasn't an option either, considering the risk of a surprise attack from the Mizukage with his Water Dragon Slash. Neither ninjutsu nor taijutsu was suitable for competition. And as for Genjutsu...he and the third Mizukage know how to crack genjutsu, but they weren't particularly adept at using it.

Thus, Yagura believed chakra consumption in the competition was the turning point for victory. Only in this way could he be the final victor in this battle.

....

The lighting within the skyflashed, and under the traction of the lightning sword, it continued to bombard the ground.

Kiba capable of enhancing the power of lightning release and even drawing lightning from the sky, undoubtedly stood as the most destructive ninja sword among the seven ninja swords.

At this moment, the full destructive power of the lightning sword was on display.

Fuguki continuously dodged and maneuvered on the ground, unable to get close to Ringo at all. The moment he tried any approach, the intense power of lightning seemed capable of disassembling his entire skeletal structure. He had intense hatred towards whoever had used the fire jutsu to trigger thunder cloud.

Obviously leveraging Samehada's abilities, in the previous battle against Ringo, all her Lightning release ninjutsu were nullified. However, she now had the upper hand. The formation of the thunder cloud allowed Ringo to sweep away the suppression, shifting from defense to offense and severely suppressing him significantly.

'Damn it, why hasn't the support arrived yet? The signal has already been sent!'

While dodging the lightning attacks, Fuguki anxiously contemplated. More than half an hour had passed since the signal was sent. Even if they were entangled by Yagura's people, it wasn't impossible for everyone to break through.

After all, sounds of fighting echoed from various parts of the village. Evidently, the battle over there had not yet reached a conclusion. But this was the strange part—why had no one come to support him until now?

Jinin had gone to deal with the user of the fire release jutsu who was supporting Ringo. Why hadn't he returned? How was it taking that long to handle a fire ninja? Or was he worried about their failure, choosing to flee?

The more Fuguki thought about the situation, the more infuriated he became. They were all incompetent people who couldn't be relied upon. Seeing Kisame silently fighting to restrain some of the lightning, he felt somewhat less depressed.

Sure enough, only Kisame proved to be a trustworthy subordinate. It wasn't in vain that Fuguki had valued him so much in the past, imparting various fighting skills and ninjutsu to him.

Going on this way wasn't a solution. The thunder clouds in the sky was getting stonger and stronger, showing no sign of dissipating. It was likely that, before the thunder cloud dissipated, both he and Kisame would collapse from exhaustion.

"Don't think about Kumo and your subordinates. They're too busy to take care of themselves, let alone talk to you fat pig. After all, they might not be so loyal to you." Ringo chuckled, using words to rattle Fuguki's mind.

Sure enough, Fuguki exposed a flaw due to Ringo's words, and the lightning struck him swiftly. He hastened to use Samehada, using it to block the lightning's attack instead of himself.

The bandage on Samehada had been torn, revealing a dark blue blade covered with barbs. The blade's head resembled a fish's mouth, with sharp teeth. Due to the lightning's attack, it grimaced in pain and emitted continuous hums.

Obviously, Fuguki continued to irritate it, making it extremely unhappy. It refrained from exploding only because Fuguki was its master.

"You bastard! Are you trying to annoy me completely?" Fuguki's expression turned ferocious, resembling a devil, with a murderous aura enveloping his entire body.

"It would be an honor." Ringo continued to provoke Fuguki, she grabbed Kiba and, in the most basic posture, slashed at Fuguki from top to bottom.

Knowing that Samehada couldn't absorb the lightning, Fuguki refrained from casually touching it. There was an essential difference between natures lightning and the lightning generated by chakra.

"Die!"

Escaping Ringo's attack, Fuguki realized that he could no longer expect support from Kumo. Although he didn't know what Yagura did, it was a fact that Kumo's reinforcements would not come. His men were also entangled and unable to assist him.

And Ringo, continued using the cloud to guide the lightning, which had placed him at a disadvantage in the battle. It was only a matter of time before he lost. At this moment, a somewhat embarrassed figure landed beside Fuguki.

"Fuguki-sama, we need to retreat as soon as possible; there's no point in continuing to fight." Kisame suggested.

Kisame's thoughts aligned with Fuguki's wishes at the moment, yet he was reluctant to abandon the power he had worked so had to build for a long time.

"We will retreat and wait for the result of the battle between Yagura and Mizukage-sama. If Mizukage-sama wins, there will be nothing to fear from Yagura and his men."

After hearing Kisame's suggestion, Fuguki was deeply moved. It seemed he had to give up this side. He sighed inwardly; Kisame was right, there was no point in staying here any longer. As long as he avoided death, there remained a chance for a comeback. But if he died here, even if the third Mizukage emerged victorious, the fourth Mizukage would not be him.

However, when he thought about retreating, Fuguki realized it would be a bit troublesome. Seeing Ringo's demeanor, it was apparent she wouldn't allow him to leave. Honestly speaking, facing Ringo, who currently had the help of the lightning, he felt concerned. Without someone to hold her back, escaping from Ringo would prove challenging.

Fuguki subconsciously glanced at Kisame with an inexplicable gaze and suddenly he made a sudden judgment. Kisame was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate. Allowing him to restrain Ringo meant sacrificing his own life and cutting off his heir.

Kisame's loyalty and capability made him an invaluable subordinate. If Fuguki wasn't in imminent danger, there was no need to discard such a useful asset. Even though he thought so, he didn't have much remorse towards Kisame. To him, his subordinates were tools to exert effectiveness at times like these.

Subordinates were always just subordinates. If one was sacrificed, another could be used as a substitute at any time. At least, when he returned, he would avenge Kisame. After making up his mind about sacrificing Kisame for his own survival, Fuguki stopped his thoughts and he was about speaking when....

"Kisame... you…"

A sword had pierced through his chest, staining the ir red with his blood.

Kisame with an expressionless face, gripped the sword's handle. He then lifted his foot, delivering a kick to Fuguki's bloody chest, sending him flying upside down. Samehada, once in his hand, fell to the ground, emitting a whine.

"Cough!.."

Rolling on the ground, coughing and spitting blood, Fuguki stood up in embarrassment, pointing at Kisame with trembling fingers.

"Kisame... what are you doing...?" Disbelief and confusion filled Fuguki's gaze, he couldn't understand why Kisame would betray him.

"Of course, I want to kill you. When you're with me, your vigilance drops only when you issue orders. I just needed to seize that moment." Kisame's face was expressionless. He glanced at the blood on his hand from Fuguki's body, then raised his head, locking eyes with his leader indifferently. He knew Fuguki inside out—when his vigilance was strongest and when it was weak. He had been waiting for this opportune moment to wield his rebellious sword against Fuguki.

"Then...why did you betray me?" Fuguki questioned in pain, clutching at his wound. He couldn't fathom what Kisame stood to gain from betraying him.

"Betrayal? For me, when you betrayed the information of your fellow villagers to win Kumo's trust, it was no longer the goal of my belief. What do you think I joined you for?"

"Hmm...? I understand. You leaked to Yagura what we did with Kumo, right?"

Fuguki pondered, and everything he hadn't understood became clear. His resentful and ferocious gaze seemed to want to swallow Kisame whole. The biggest traitor was by his side all along, something he hadn't anticipated. But after careful consideration, it made sense. Kisame was one of the few who were privy to the plot with Kumo, it could cause significant repercussions once he chose betrayal.

Kisame remained silent, whether he was acquiescing or simply avoiding an explanation was unclear. Fuguki, seemingly convinced, laughed loudly, coughing and bleeding while doing so, and he sneered,

"You belong to me, Kisame. You surpassed my expectations, and I didn't judge you wrongly. But don't forget, you're a man who sold his comrades for glory!. You won't be trusted by anyone! Haha...uh!" Even though he couldn't breathe properly but Fuguki continued laughing happily.

Fuguki's words were like a vicious curse which deeply hurted Kisame, making him clench his fists. Indeed, regardless of the reason, he was Fuguki's subordinate. It was embarrassing to betray his leader in the world. Such person wasn't qualified to be trusted by anyone—a traitorous, ugly, and ridiculous figure who might betray others in the future.

Noticing Ringo's vigilant gaze, Kisame smiled wryly. Suspicions were inevitable when one betrayed their leader. This was probably a form of torture. But he had no regrets; if given another chance, he would choose the same path. As a ninja of Kirigakure, what he had done had exceeded the limits of what he could bear in his heart.

"I don't expect to be trusted by anyone, and I am ready to spend the rest of my life in prison... I've also prepared for this!"

"What a pathetic traitor, still wishing for unrealistic fantasies. But even so, I won't die at the hands of Yagura! The only one who will kill me is me!"

Fuguki realized situation. Kisame intentionally avoided his vital areasl, severely wounding but not killing him, showing his desire to capture him alive. However, he couldn't bear falling into Yagura's hands and facing execution by political opponents. To him, dying by his own hands was more preferable than such a shameful fate.

Fuguki's eyes revealed astonishing determination as he pulled out a kunai stabbing his heart. Blood spattered, covering the ground. Death was no longer feared; his face trembled, twitching due to pain. Holding the kunai handle tightly with both hands, he stabbed his own throat without hesitation.

While ccoughing out blood, Fuguki stared at the shocked Kisame with a grin, he leaned to the ground, and opened and closed his lips weakly, as if saying something like 'I'll wait for you below.'

....

The water flow covered the upper-tailed beast bomb and sealed it again. However, due to this, the Mizukage gradually felt exhausted, with less than one-third of the original Chakra.

On the other hand, Yagura, supported by the Three Tails in his body, unleashed ninjutsu after ninjutsu, with bottomless chakra and stamina. Consuming the Mizukage's stamina and chakra was Yagura's current tactic to ensure a flawless defeat.

The Third Mizukage understood this couldn't go on, so he tried to catch up with Yagura, closing the distance for a fight. Yagura, however, didn't intend to give the Mizukage this chance. With the Mizukage's strength, getting closer wasn't so simple.

The Third Mizukage understood this but onew it as the only way to break the situation. If Yagura remained at a distance and used the tailed beast bomb to drain stamina and chakra, there really was no chance of winning.

"Water Mirror Jutsu!"

Yagura swung his staff forward, and a figure identical to the Third Mizukage from the mirror. They simultaneously opened their mouths, releasing torrents that collided in the air.

The power of the Water Dragon Slash was nullified, resulting in an evenly matched outcome. The water mirror jutsu could perfectly copy everything about the enemy, including ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, with equal power. Given sufficient conditions, it could even imitate a Kekkei Genkai entirely.

Once the Third Mizukage closed in, Yagura used this move to nullify the Mizukage's attack. Then, he swiftly leaped back, creating distance once more. Using a large-scale water release as a feint, he seized the opportunity to secretly gather the tailed beast bomb.

The Third Mizukage's stamina depleted visibly, and he gasped for breath. 'There is no longer any delay, he must be dealt with quickly!' He made up his mind.

Yagura's Tailed Beast Bomb condensed again and was about to be shot towards the Mizukage.

Unexpectedly, the Third Mizukage didn't attempt to use the sealing ll this time to handle the bomb this time. Instead, he rushed forward and raised his right arm.

"lWater Dragon Fist!"

Crack!

The clothes on his right arm tore, his old muscles knotted, and half the chakra in his body was concentrated for this move. The water dragon formed on the arm, targeting the tailed beast bomb and struck down fiercely.

Crack!

The tailed beast bomb cracked open, and white light burst from the cracks, blinding the eyes of anyone within the vicinity.

Yagura's pupils shrank.

Boom!

The astonishing explosion engulfed both him and the Mizukage.

The Ear-piercing screams and pure white light rendered Yagura's eyes and ears useless.

Relying on his danger intuition, Yagura moved his body to the right side, dodging the terrifying storm generated by the explosion.

Pain in his left arm, something was missing. Yagura grunted, quickly left the explosion area, and emerged from the dense dust.

His entire left arm was severed by some kind of sharp blade, with the arm lying somewhere. Blood continued to spatter from the wound. Yagura promptly wrapped the wound with the tailed beast coat to stop the bleeding.

Falling down from a relatively flat ruined platform, he stood firm. Yagura gasped for breath, cold sweat running down his face. He stared fixedly at the thick dust ahead that hadn't dispersed.

The Third Mizukage emerged from the thick dust, his right arm bloody and obviously crippled. In order for the to create a suitable point for his water release jutsu to stop the Tailed Beast Bomb, he didn't hesitate to exchange an arm for the opportunity. With this determination, his murderous aura intensified.

"You're really messing around, Third-sama." Yagura took a quick breath, giving a wry smile. The Tailed Beast Chakra had a self-healing effect, but it had limits. Yagura was prepared to lose his life, and losing an arm only hindered him in combat, irrelevant to the overall situation.

"Stupid brat! I'll never allow you to do anything to this village!"

"If you can be so decisive in other aspects as well, how would we get to this current situation? Only when people force themselves can they show determination and strength far beyond usual. There is no essential difference between you and me now." Yagura sighed.

"Nonsense! No matter what excuses you make to cover up your mistake in hurting your fellow villagers , I'm not forgiving you easily, Yagura!" The Third Mizukage raged, disagreeing with Yagura's perspective.

"Having said that, you don't have much chakra after losing one arm. Are you going to lose your left arm to fight with me?"

The Mizukage's face was gloomy, replaceing Yagura's resilience was beyond imagination. He thought his previous blow could heavily damage Yagura, but it only cost him an arm. Defeating Yagura had become a challenging problem for the Mizukage.

"Yagura, have you forgotten that we exist?"

At this moment, several figures landed beside the Mizukage.. Their voices filled with hatred as they looked at Yagura.

These ninjas were the officials who had been watching the battle from the sidelines. Part of Yagura's supporters believed there must be a reason for his actions, while some from the neutral faction adopted a wait-and-see approach.

These high-level executives, who rejected Yagura or leaned towards Fuguki, saw the Mizukage was about to lose and didn't intervene. It was the perfect time for the to jump in when the Mizukage and Yagura were both wounded.

"As expected. The rats in the gutters also needs to breathe."Yagura dismissed them, ignoring their presence.

Although these people, along with the Third Mizukage, surrounded him, even with the help of the Three Tails it was likely he would end up severely injured. They chose to act now, when both Yagura and the Third Mizukage were hurt, showing their malicious intentions and ulterior motives. The Mizukage understood their questionable motives but prioritized dealing with Yagura for Kirigakure's stability.

"Be careful... We will not let your plot to violently control Kirigakure succeed." One of them declared with authority.

Yagura remained silent this time, instead surveying his surroundings. The steps of the ruins were now teeming with people, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere, creating a heavy ring of encirclement.

A large number of Kiri nins had gathered, all bearing signs of a strenuous battle. Despite the hardship, they had rushed to this location in a show of support.

Seeing this scene, the Third Mizukage felt a genuine sense of relief. Suppressing Yagura with just these people carried some risk and would come at a hefty price. However, with over a thousand elite ninjas present, even if Yagura fully unleashed the Three Tails, they could easily subdue him.

"Yagura, allow us to capture you without further battle. Your attempt to control the village by force has failed. Since you've become a Perfect Jinchuriki, out of consideration for the future of the village, I will spare your life." the Third Mizukage guaranteed, extending his last offer of forgiveness.

If Yagura didn't cherish this opportunity, the Mizukage would be left with no choice but to eliminate him and the Three Tails together. In the future, when the Three Tails resurfaced, they would search for another Jinchuriki.

Yagura lowered his head, concealing his expression.

"Mizukage-sama, is it possible for me to turn back now?"

It wasn't possible. Yagura's intention was to exploit the chaos to eradicate the Blood Mist faction within the village, overthrow the rule of the Third Mizukage, and position himself as the Fourth Mizukage.

Even so, Kirigakure's crisis remained unresolved. The backers behind the Blood Mist Faction had been identified as the daimyo and nobles of the Land of Water..Their sanctions against Kirigakure were the culprits behind the chaos. If this status quo persisted, the tragedy of Kirigakure would continue in the future.

Yagura had already recognized the limitations of the one-country-one-village system established by the first Hokage and its shortcomings. Now, having decided to join forces with Shiraishi, Yagura acknowledged that Kirigakure could only go through a dark path now to secure a suitable future.

With the occurrence of the blood mist incident, he could no longer trust the names and nobles of the Land of Water. l

"Still stubborn?"

Yagura still resisted at this time, causing the Th8rd Mizukage to release a deep breath and then signal to capture Yagura with crowd tactics. However, after giving the order, none of the surrounding ninjas moved, instead, they stared silently at the Mizukage.

At this moment, the Mizukage sensed something was wrong. "You…"

Seeing the indifferent eyes of the ninjas, the Mizukage's face showed disbelief before he came to realization. A ludicrous thought surfaced in his mind.

"These people... are Yagura's subordinates?"

Impossible. How could Yagura amass so many supporters? Those who had aligned with the Third Mizukage showed panic, especially recognizing a few familiar faces among the ninjas, their expressions turning ghostly.

"When did you forget their faces, Third-sama?" Yagura questioned the Third Mizukage in a lamenting tone.

"What?" The Mizukage was startled.

A Kiri nin stepped forward, addressing the Mizukage,

"Mizukage-sama, do you still remember me?"

"You are...? Didn't you die in the line of duty two years ago?" The Third Mizukage regarded the Kiri Jonin in disbelief.

The Jonin, formerly a captain of Anbu, had died in a solo S-rank mission two years ago, and even the corpse was never found, plunging the Mizukage into sorrow.

"It's not that I died in the line of duty, but i was ensnared by the Blood Mist Faction into a trap. Without Yagura-san's assistance, I might have died for no reason in this dirty political struggle like Ringo."

The ninja looked at the Mizukage with complicated eyes.

It was the Mizukage's blind connivance and prioritization of the overall situation that allowed the Blood Mist faction to flourish. When Yagura was about to launch the coup, this ninjas and many "dead companions" agreed.

Unable to break the system, especially considering the war-weakened fighting power of ninja villages around the world, if Kirigakure underwent a civil war, it would be difficult for other countries' ninja villages to intervene.

If this opportunity was missed, Kirigakure would not only face internal pressure but also more formidable external pressure when launching a coup in the future to eliminate the Blood Mist faction.

The Mizukage's face froze, unable to comprehend that the Jonin, who loved the village, was rescued by Yagura and had become one of his supporters.

"Most of the Blood Mist Faction in the village has been wiped out, and the rest are victims who don't know the truth, blinded by the Blood Mist Faction. They just need to be recruited. You've lost, Third-sama."

After the Jonin words, the Mizukage seemed to have suffered a huge blow, he violently coughed on the spot.

'Why had it come to this?'

The Third Mizukage pondered desperately. But no matter how he guessed, he couldn't replace a satisfying answer. Had Yagura, without the people's support, been a shadow in the village?

The already aged appearance of the Third Mizukage seemed even more weathered now.

Seeing the struggle on the Mizukage's face, Yagura maintained his vigilance. At this moment, the Mizukage without a doubt was still the most terrifying.

"Mizukage-sama, don't listen to these nonsense, you are the leader of the village. Allowing these rebels to gain control of the village will be the true end of Kirigakure. There's no need to show empathy to these traitors."

One of the executives earnestly dissuaded the Mizukage.

"That's correct. Regardless of anything, Mizukage-sama, your initial goal was for the good of the village. However, betraying Mizukage-sama is equivalent to betraying the village. They are merely attempting to use this despicable mental tactic to lose your fighting spirit."

Many Kirigakure ninjas glared at the officials who kept inciting the Mizukage.

The current state of Kirigakure was a direct result of the influence of these high-level Blood Mist Faction members.

The remaining officials, who might not be aware of the truth, could be forgiven, but those who vigorously supported the Blood Mist policy deserved no forgiveness.

Just when they couldn't contain their anger and were about to rush forward, a powerful old voice sounded in the field:

"Stop everything. How long do you plan to continue this farce? Look at how the village has been disturbed by all of you."

All heads turned to see an old man holding a snake-shaped crutch standing in the field. The crutch's top featured a ferocious snake head with sharp teeth and blood-red eyes, exerting immense pressure on all of them.

This crutch seemed to be a living creature.

The old man was none other than the revered Elder Genji, a legendary figure of Kiri who once fought alongside the First Mizukage.

Many details about him were shrouded in rumors and mystery. However, it was said that even the Second Mizukage placed great trust in him.

As the Third Mizukage rose to power, Elder Genji gradually withdrew from the political arena, only appearing when something significant happened.

"Elder Genji..."

The Third Mizukage looked at Elder Genji with complicated eyes.

"How about putting an end to this farce? I don't want to intervene."

Genji looked at Yagura and made a suggestion to him.

The current situation was clear – Yagura held an absolute advantage, and the Third Mizukage, dealing with both mental and physical blows, would inevitably lose sooner or later.

Continuing the fight served no purpose other than increasing casualties.

Yagura nodded; his purpose was to stall the Mizukage, preventing him from dealing with the reformist and disrupting the plan. Otherwise, he would have requested Shiraishi's assistance in suppressing the Third Mizukage.

Yet, Yagura didn't want to involve Shiraishi unless absolutely necessary. This was an internal matter for Kirigakure, and Shiraishi's role was more of an insurance policy.

Most members of the Blood Mist Faction had been wiped out, rendering them no longer a significant threat. The Third Mizukage's position at this moment wasn't important.

Moreover, Yagura didn't wish to incur Elder Genji's displeasure.

The Reformist faction and the Blood Mist faction didn't encompass all the forces in Kiri; there were also conservative forces that hadn't participated in the struggle between the two factions. Elder Genji's subtle influence was apparent.

Elder Genji's intervention indicated that the position of the Fourth Mizukage now belonged to Yagura.

"Elder Genji, you can't let Yagura get off so easily! He disrupted the village's stability!"

An official blurted out, aware of the consequences of Yagura's rise to the position of the Mizukage. Those officials who had supported the Blood Mist policy in the past would undoubtedly face retribution.

Before he could finish, the snake-shaped crutch in Elder Genji's hand vanished. A light yellow snake with red eyes coiled around his body, swiftly biting his neck at an imperceptible speed.

Though he desperately covered his neck, his body crumpled to the ground. He stretched out his hands attempting to ask for help, "Elder Genki, i..."

Then, he realized his hand was dissolving into a black, oily substance. Following that , his entire body, limbs, head—all dissolved into a pool of sticky black oil and white bone scum.

"I'm old, but I'm not blind. Those of you who colluded with Kumo and attempted to gain control over the village deserve death!" Elder Genji muttered, unfazed by everyone's terrified gazes.

Several others ran back without uttering a word, fearing they might meet the same fate as the first official. A slender shadow darted forward, and the small yellow snake with red eyes swiftly caught up, instantly turning anotherone into thick black oil.

"Stop them, don't let one escape!"

Yagura commanded the surrounding Kiri ninjas, surrounding the remaining members of the Blood Mist faction. Soon, those people fell silent.

Faced with thousands of ninja troops, they were no match. Ultimately, the Jonin who had infiltrated high-level positions, though powerful, proved less formidable without the assistance of Third Mizukage. They put up a stubborn resistance but couldn't prevail.

Yagura sighed in relief, knowing that the upper ranks of the Blood Mist faction were now under control. These people couldn't be allowed to escape.

As the dark clouds dispersed, revealing a clear sky that shone down on the village, Yagura felt a headache coming on as he saw the thick smoke rising from most of the village, a hellish and bloody sight.

During the battle, devastating large-scale water release ninjutsu and tailed beast bombs were unleashed without regard for the village's environment. The aftermath work is expected to be lengthy, and the rebuilding of Kiri wouldn't be something that would be done in a short-term.

However, despite the destruction, the coup could be considered a success.

By resorting to violence, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, plunged Kirigakure into an unprecedentedly terrifying civil war. Although it only lasted for half a day, many Kiri ninjas lost their lives in the battle.

Yagura had already anticipated the notoriety and disdain he would face internationally as the only Five Kage to come to power through a violent coup.

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6k words... Wow