Facing the Fourth Mizukage in his Tailed Beast Transformation, Zabuza and Jūzō Biwa didn't dare show any carelessness. They planned to keep a safe distance and use ninjutsu to deal with him from afar.
However, the Tailed Beast Cloak's defense rendered their Water Release techniques completely useless. They couldn't even slow him down, let alone break through his defenses.
Exchanging glances, Zabuza and Jūzō Biwa decided to engage in close combat instead.
Zabuza would feint while Jūzō used the Kubikiribōchō to break through the Mizukage's defenses, forcing him into a life-threatening situation that might weaken the illusion controlling him.
A few moments later, Jūzō found a perfect opening. He swiftly closed the distance and landed a solid hit on the Fourth Mizukage with his Kubikiribōchō. However, the Mizukage took the strike head-on without flinching. At the point of impact, coral-like formations began spreading across his wound, creeping toward both the Kubikiribōchō and Jūzō himself.
This was a secret technique that could only be used after entering a Tailed Beast state. It caused the enemy's body to slowly turn into coral upon contact, a condition that persisted until the target was either purified or killed.
Realizing the danger, Jūzō immediately broke off the affected portion of his blade and stared at the Mizukage with a serious expression.
Zabuza's face was equally grim as he approached Jūzō and asked, "Jūzō, is the intel you got real or fake? Wasn't the Fourth Mizukage supposed to be under someone's control?"
"Didn't they say that putting him under enough stress would break the genjutsu?"
Jūzō's face darkened as he frowned, "The intel can't be wrong. The only thing that's off… is us. We don't have the strength to push the Fourth to his absolute limit."
"…Are you saying we're too weak?"
Zabuza almost spat blood in frustration, but he had to admit that Jūzō was right. Compared to their last assassination attempt, the Fourth Mizukage was much stronger this time. And from the way he handled the situation, it seemed like he had already known about their plan and had been waiting for them in his office.
Jūzō nodded and continued, "We may be weak, but we don't need to defeat him. We just need to stall him here. Master Genji's men should be watching from nearby."
Zabuza glanced around, sensing faint presences lurking in the shadows. He scowled, "Those damn fence-sitters! They're just going to watch? Aren't they afraid that the Fourth might go full Tailed Beast mode and wipe out the entire area?"
Annoyed as he was, Zabuza had no time to dwell on it. His only choice was to continue fighting and make the Mizukage feel a real threat to his life, otherwise, there was no chance of breaking his control.
Jūzō had the same thought. Right now, all he cared about was the fight.
---
A few hundred meters away
Mei Terumī and Ao were crouched on a rooftop with several dozen subordinates. Since Zabuza infiltrated the Mizukage Building half an hour ago, the two of them had been stationed here, observing his actions.
Something about the infiltration struck them as odd.
The Mizukage Building should have been heavily guarded. It shouldn't have been this easy for Zabuza and Jūzō to sneak in without a major battle breaking out.
This could only mean one of two things:
First, Master Genji had secretly helped Zabuza infiltrate the building and second, the Fourth Mizukage himself had allowed them in. Master Genji might have supported their actions, but he wouldn't have directly intervened.
That left only one possibility, the Fourth Mizukage had anticipated Zabuza and Jūzō's movements and prepared accordingly. And from the way he reacted, this theory was practically confirmed.
Just then, a thunderous roar shook the night.
The Tailed Beast-transformed Mizukage lunged at Zabuza and Jūzō, his mere movement tearing through the ground and leaving deep scars in the earth.
Seeing this, Ao couldn't help but sigh in admiration, "The Fourth is just as strong as ever… If not for him back then, we would've suffered an even worse defeat against Konoha."
Mei narrowed her eyes, clearly displeased, "Ao, now's not the time to reminisce. Use your Byakugan, can you see if the Fourth is actually being controlled?"
Ao's expression grew solemn. He activated his Byakugan, then sighed deeply.
"Zabuza and Jūzō were right. Aside from his own chakra and the Three-Tails' chakra, there's a third presence inside the Fourth."
Ao's face then turned grim.
"He really has been turned into a puppet all these years, wreaking havoc in Kirigakure under someone else's control."
Mei's expression hardened as she locked eyes on the Mizukage in the distance.
"Ao, is there any way to break the genjutsu on him?"
"There are multiple ways to break a genjutsu… but all of them require us to subdue the Fourth first."
"Then what are you waiting for?"
Mei formed hand seals, preparing to use the Body Flicker Technique to join the fight, but Ao stopped her.
"Wait! Let's observe for a bit longer."
Mei glared at him, "Are you saying we should let Zabuza and Jūzō weaken him first? That might reduce our casualties, but if this fight escalates further, the entire village will be caught in the crossfire."
Ao smiled bitterly and explained his real concern, "I'm not stopping you from going. With your strength, you could easily turn the tide of the battle."
"But think about it, breaking the Fourth's genjutsu isn't actually the most important thing here. Our real target isn't the Mizukage. It's the one controlling him. That person is probably watching us right now."
Mei's expression changed. Ao's theory made too much sense. But if the mastermind was truly invincible, they wouldn't have needed to rely on stealth and genjutsu. If they could just wake the Fourth Mizukage up, everything could be fixed.
"Ao, stay here and be ready to support us. I'm going in."
With that, Mei vanished in a blur. Within moments, she had crossed the rooftops and reached the battlefield.
Ao watched her leave, his gaze flickering as he sighed, "I really am getting old… I hesitate over things that younger ones charge into without fear."
He paused, then clenched his fists and muttered to himself, "But rushing in blindly won't accomplish anything. We need to prepare for the worst. If the mastermind forces the Fourth to fully transform into the Three-Tails, we'll have a real disaster on our hands."
---
Back at the Mizukage Building
With Mei joining the battle, the pressure on Zabuza and Jūzō eased significantly. Although Mei was a woman and had less battlefield experience than them, her dual Kekkei Genkai made her an elite among jōnin, on par with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Now, even the Tailed Beast-enhanced Fourth Mizukage couldn't fully dominate the fight.
Taking advantage of the moment, Zabuza smirked and called out, "Big Sis Mei! I never thought you'd actually help us. I figured you'd just keep watching from the sidelines."
At the words "Big Sis," Mei's expression darkened. She shot Zabuza a dangerous glare. "Say that again. I dare you. I'm only twenty-six, right at a woman's prime."
Zabuza, unfazed, responded, "Twenty-six isn't old? Most kunoichi in the village already have kids running around by that age."
Mei's eyebrow twitched violently. She absolutely hated when people mentioned her age.
After forming the hand seals, Mei Terumī spat toward Zabuza. Though it looked like mere saliva, it was actually a powerful acidic Lava Release technique, even more corrosive than sulfuric acid.
Blocking the attack with his sword, Zabuza stared at the corroded blade, feeling a chill in his heart. This woman was still as terrifying as ever. No wonder she was still unmarried at her age. However, forcing the Fourth Mizukage into a desperate situation required Mei Terumī's Kekkei Genkai.
Adjusting his mindset, Zabuza said, "Eternally eighteen-year-old Sis Mei Terumī, let's not fight among ourselves. We should work together to break the genjutsu on the Fourth Mizukage."
Hearing the "eternally eighteen" remark, Jūzō Biwa looked surprised, but Mei Terumī was quite pleased and gave a slight nod. After exchanging eye contact and hand signals to finalize their battle strategy, the three of them charged at the Fourth Mizukage once more.
While Zabuza and Jūzō engaged in close combat to restrict the Fourth Mizukage's movements, Mei Terumī formed hand seals and unleashed a massive cloud of superheated steam.
The intense heat caused the Fourth Mizukage significant discomfort. Just as he prepared to counter with a Wind Release technique, Mei Terumī followed up with Lava Release.
A corrosive liquid splashed onto the Fourth Mizukage, rapidly melting through his Tailed Beast Cloak. Within moments, his bare skin and muscles were exposed.
Witnessing this, both Zabuza and Jūzō were shocked.
Although their combat prowess wasn't far behind Mei Terumī's, they were nowhere near her level in terms of sheer destructive capability. No wonder Master Genji had gone to such lengths to protect her, her power alone was worth safeguarding.
For a Mizukage, being the strongest in the village wasn't enough; they also had to be capable of subduing Tailed Beasts. Otherwise, just dealing with the two Tailed Beasts within the village would be an overwhelming burden.
Noticing Zabuza and Jūzō's stares, Mei Terumī was secretly pleased.
She was determined to become the next Mizukage, and on that path, she wouldn't allow any blemishes on her record. She had to claim the title honorably, leaving no room for others to find fault.
After this brief moment of self-reflection, Mei Terumī focused back on the Fourth Mizukage.
With his Tailed Beast Cloak destroyed and his skin corroded, the Fourth Mizukage's cold and indifferent gaze became clouded with confusion. He looked around uncertainly before turning to Mei Terumī and the others.
"Mei Terumī… Zabuza… why are you here?"
Seeing this, Zabuza and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Their attacks had worked. Faced with a life-threatening situation and the chaos of his disrupted chakra, the Fourth Mizukage seemed to have broken free from the genjutsu's control.
With that in mind, Zabuza stepped forward and said, "Fourth Mizukage, you were under genjutsu. You issued numerous harmful orders, throwing the village into chaos… "
The Fourth Mizukage touched his head, then muttered, "Is that so? It feels like I've been trapped in a dream… only now am I fully awake. Can you tell me what year it is? What exactly happened?"
Zabuza nodded and took a step closer. But just before he reached the Fourth Mizukage, he suddenly halted and said coldly, "There's no point explaining everything. You wouldn't be able to atone for what you've done, even if we talked for three days straight. Just take responsibility and die."
"Die?" Mei Terumī was momentarily stunned, not understanding why Zabuza would say such a thing. Jūzō, however, immediately caught on and locked his eyes onto the Fourth Mizukage.
The Fourth Mizukage's expression darkened as he responded, "At least tell me what I did wrong before sentencing me to death. I am still the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure. If I die, who will protect the village?"
The arrogance in his tone made Mei Terumī realize what was going on.
The Fourth Mizukage hadn't actually broken free from control. Right now, it wasn't him speaking, it was the mastermind behind the scenes, trying to deceive them and launch a surprise attack.
Understanding this, Mei Terumī glanced at Zabuza and gave him a thumbs-up.
Even though she was often annoyed by the way Zabuza addressed her, she had to admit he had an exceptional ability to analyze situations. He had sensed the Fourth Mizukage's deception right away.
Zabuza, feeling slightly awkward under Mei Terumī's gaze, cleared his throat. The truth was, he hadn't been testing the Fourth Mizukage at all, he genuinely wanted him dead.
Whether he had been controlled or not, the Fourth Mizukage needed to die. As the leader of Kirigakure, he had a responsibility to the village, and for his failures, he had to pay the ultimate price.
As Zabuza stared down the Mizukage, another gaze was also fixed upon them, the one controlling him from the shadows: Obito Uchiha.
After a few moments of heavy breathing, Obito could clearly feel that his genjutsu was beginning to unravel. If the battle continued at this intensity, Yagura and Isobu would inevitably break free. Rather than waiting for that to happen, he decided to use the last of his remaining eye power to force a final move.
Taking a deep breath, Obito exerted his remaining Mangekyō Sharingan chakra, commanding Yagura and Isobu into full Tailed Beast Transformation, initiating their rampage.
As the genjutsu activated, the Fourth Mizukage's body became engulfed in a massive surge of chakra. His form rapidly expanded, transforming from a childlike figure into the full form of Isobu, the Three-Tails.
In an instant, a towering behemoth, the size of a small mountain, loomed over the battlefield.
This was the true form of the Three-Tails Isobu, the ultimate state of a perfect Jinchūriki's transformation.