"Frequent movement on Genji's side? You suspect they're going to make a move against me?"
Hearing this, Obito frowned slightly, glancing in the direction of the elders' residence before chuckling.
He didn't believe that Genji and his ragtag group could pose much of a threat to him. Though Genji was highly respected in Kirigakure, the shinobi world ultimately revolved around strength.
Perhaps decades ago, Genji possessed power comparable to the Five Kage, but how much of that strength remained now? Not every shinobi was like Konoha's Third Hokage, still capable of battling the Nine-Tails despite being in his fifties or sixties.
As for the group under Genji's command, Obito paid them even less mind.
Even Mei Terumī, who possessed two Kekkei Genkai, seemed quite unremarkable to him. The only one he was slightly wary of was Ao, the Jōnin who had transplanted a Byakugan.
At that moment, Kisame spoke. "Mizukage-sama, things are different this time. It seems that group has begun to suspect your identity. Also, according to the intel I obtained, the missing ninja Zabuza and Jūzō Biwa have secretly infiltrated the village."
"Zabuza and Jūzō Biwa have entered the village?"
Obito's expression shifted, his tone growing heavier, "Are you certain? Did your men see them with their own eyes?"
Kisame nodded. As a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, his information network was extensive.
He had even personally received an invitation from Zabuza to join their plan to overthrow the Fourth Mizukage but he had firmly refused. Obito knew Kisame wouldn't lie, but he still found the situation troubling.
After confirming the intel, he fell silent for a few seconds, his expression darkening.
As the supreme leader of Kirigakure, he had a thorough understanding of the village's Jōnin, especially well-known figures like Zabuza and Jūzō Biwa. Zabuza was a promising young Jōnin who had even attempted to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, not long ago. Though that attempt had ultimately failed to harm Yagura, it had momentarily weakened Obito's control over him, almost allowing Yagura to regain his senses.
After the assassination attempt, Obito repeatedly sent operatives to hunt down Zabuza. However, the ANBU he sent had been completely outmatched, allowing Zabuza to escape time and again through various means.
As for Jūzō Biwa, there had been no direct conflict between them. After his protests fell on deaf ears, Jūzō had voluntarily left the village, becoming a rogue ninja, though not one officially marked for capture. But the problem was that Jūzō Biwa later joined Akatsuki.
Theoretically, this meant they were both part of the same organization. So why was Jūzō working with Zabuza? After pondering for a moment, Obito's expression became even more uncertain.
He began to suspect the true reason behind their alliance. He began to wonder, was the mastermind behind this operation someone familiar? Could it be Byakuya once again?
It was one thing for Byakuya to fight him over control of the Uchiha clan.
That was still a fair competition, Obito's chosen pawn, Itachi Uchiha, had lost to Shisui Uchiha simply because he wasn't skilled enough. That, he could accept.
But Kirigakure had long been within his grasp. He had been waiting for the right moment to harvest the Three-Tails' and Six-Tails' Jinchūriki. And now, at this crucial stage, Byakuya wanted to steal his achievements?
Kisame, observing Obito's silence, finally spoke, "Mizukage-sama, should we take action against them in advance?"
Pulled back to reality, Obito shook his head slightly.
"Not for now. I want to see how much effort they will put into overthrowing the Fourth Mizukage. Against such a formidable opponent, they'll have no choice but to put aside their differences and work together."
Kisame was slightly puzzled but still asked, "Then what should we do next? Just sit back and watch them go after Yagura?"
"Of course not…" Obito glanced at Kisame and then said, "How is the mission I assigned to you going? Have you found Utakata's exact location?"
Kisame nodded. "Utakata is currently hiding his identity and residing on Mushi Island."
"Mushi Island, huh? Looks like it's time to pay Utakata a visit."
Obito nodded slightly, then seemed to remember something and turned to Kisame.
"One more thing, we'll be leaving Kirigakure soon. I won't be the Fourth Mizukage any longer. From now on, you should address me as Madara Uchiha instead."
Kisame was momentarily stunned, looking up at Obito.
Was he really abandoning Kirigakure? But why? Even though the village was currently weak, it was still one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
It could still play a significant role in executing the Eye of the Moon Plan, there was no reason to abandon it now.
But despite his doubts, Kisame did not question the order. He wasn't the kind of ninja who needed to understand his superior's reasoning.
No matter how much he thought about it, he wouldn't be able to figure it out anyway. Better to just follow orders.
Obito noticed Kisame's expression and felt somewhat gratified.
Kisame was one of his greatest acquisitions from Kirigakure, second only to the Three-Tails and Six-Tails Jinchūriki. He was a truly valuable asset.
By contrast, Itachi Uchiha was far more cunning. Even after agreeing to serve Obito, Itachi had continued secretly gathering intelligence on him, looking for ways to pass it to Konoha. But Itachi would never realize, he was just another pawn in Obito's game.
And Shisui Uchiha, who had replaced Danzō within Konoha, was merely another person's pawn. This time, Obito and Byakuya would engage in a new battle within Kirigakure.
This time, he would not lose.
Even if he had to abandon Kirigakure, he would ensure that his subordinates defeated Byakuya's.
---
One Week Later
Time flew by, and a week passed in the blink of an eye.
In that time, Zabuza and Jūzō Biwa had gathered over twenty shinobi who were willing to overthrow the Fourth Mizukage.
All of them were victims of the Blood Mist Policy, harboring deep hatred for the Fourth Mizukage.
They believed that only by overthrowing him, only by sending him to the executioner's block, could they save Kirigakure and make it great once more.
Seeing so many like-minded comrades, Zabuza was very satisfied.
It wasn't just about increasing their chances of success, it was about knowing that so many people shared his vision and were willing to follow him.
His gaze swept across the gathered shinobi before settling on Jūzō Biwa. Unlike before, he could now sense a deeper resonance with Jūzō. The man truly wanted to see him succeed, to see the Fourth Mizukage's tyranny end.
Taking a deep breath, Zabuza addressed the group, revealing their plan.
The attack on the Mizukage's Office would begin at 4 AM.
That was when the ANBU and guards would be at their most exhausted, maximizing their chances of success.
As the minutes ticked by, 4 AM soon arrived.
A thick mist rolled in from the sea, blanketing Kirigakure. Using the fog as cover, Zabuza and his group quickly approached the Mizukage's Office. Just as expected, the guards were dozing off, now was the perfect time to strike.
After issuing an order to avoid unnecessary killing, Zabuza slipped into the building.
By the time the ANBU and guard shinobi realized something was amiss, they had already been subdued and stuffed into sacks. From the shadows, Kirigakure's ANBU noticed something was wrong, only to be swiftly taken down. In the face of Zabuza, a veteran of the Anbu, the average Anbu ninja stood no chance. After just a few exchanges, the defenses of the Mizukage Building were completely wiped out.
However, despite how easily the guards were dealt with, Zabuza didn't feel any joy. Instead, he became even more serious.
The defensive forces of the Mizukage Building shouldn't be this weak. Compared to his last infiltration, the defenses had actually been reduced significantly. This made him uneasy, something felt off.
Could it be because of the assistance from the former Elder? Even after retiring for so many years, the Elder was still able to influence the deployment of the Mizukage Building's forces. He had underestimated the old man's influence.
Shaking off these stray thoughts, Zabuza led his subordinates to the end of the corridor.
All he had to do was push open the door before him, and he would be face-to-face with the Fourth Mizukage.
The last time he made it this far, he was immediately surrounded by the Fourth Mizukage and Anbu forces. Who knew what the chances of success would be this time?
Knocking on the office door, Zabuza and Jūzō Biwa positioned themselves on either side, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
A calm voice came from inside the office, "It's so late. Who's looking for me? Is there something important to report? The door isn't locked, just come in."
Hearing this, Zabuza immediately pushed open the office door.
Walking straight up to the Fourth Mizukage, he was soon followed by Jūzō Biwa and the other ninjas.
Seeing Zabuza and Jūzō Biwa enter, the Fourth Mizukage was momentarily surprised before smiling.
"Well, if it isn't Kirigakure's rogue ninja, Zabuza. Are you here to assassinate me again? Was the lesson I taught you last time not enough? And Jūzō-senpai, you're a veteran of the village. Do you really need to align yourself with a traitor like Zabuza?"
Jūzō Biwa glanced at the Fourth Mizukage and responded,
"I don't want to turn against the Mizukage, but your actions these past years aren't those of a true Mizukage. For the sake of Kirigakure, I have no choice but to join forces with Zabuza."
The Fourth Mizukage sighed softly,
"Even you, Jūzō-senpai, can't understand my intentions? Are my policies really wrong? I accomplished something no previous Mizukage ever could, I eradicated the bloodline clans from the village. From now on, there will be no more civil wars caused by the conflict between bloodline limit users and ordinary ninjas."
Zabuza could no longer tolerate it. He drew his massive blade and pointed it at the Fourth Mizukage.
"Enough nonsense! We suspect that you aren't even the real Mizukage, someone must be impersonating you! The real Fourth Mizukage wouldn't be like this!"
Before he even finished speaking, Zabuza swung his blade and charged forward.
The Fourth Mizukage calmly picked up the green staff at his feet, raising his arm to effortlessly block the attack. With a sigh, he spoke:
"I really didn't want to fight my own village's ninjas, but since you've put a blade to my throat, it seems the Seven Ninja Swordsmen will have to lose another member."
With that, the Fourth Mizukage swung his staff.
The seemingly light staff contained immense force, just a casual swing was enough to make Zabuza's hands go numb and cause the ground beneath him to cave in slightly.
Seeing Zabuza fall into a disadvantage, Jūzō Biwa joined the fray.
Using the Body Flicker Technique, he appeared behind the Fourth Mizukage, his Kubikiribōchō aimed at the Mizukage's neck.
His blade struck, but instead of flesh, it sliced through a wave of water.
The Fourth Mizukage had already dissolved into a stream of water, swiftly pulling back.
"Water Release: Water Mirror Technique!"
Instantly, a water mirror formed.
From it, two perfect water clones emerged, mimicking Zabuza and Jūzō Biwa's exact movements. The clones launched an attack identical to their own, possessing the same speed and strength.
When their real bodies clashed with the water clones, Zabuza and Jūzō Biwa's expressions changed.
The Water Mirror Technique was the Fourth Mizukage's signature move, capable of perfectly copying an enemy's actions and techniques. It was one of Kirigakure's most formidable jutsu.
During the past ninja wars, he had used this technique to slay numerous high-ranking ninjas.
However, it wasn't without flaws. If the enemy fought in total darkness or obscured vision, the Water Mirror Technique would be ineffective.
Being a master of silent killing, Zabuza immediately deployed the Hidden Mist Technique, allowing the thick mist to flood the Mizukage Building, reducing visibility to just two meters.
Seeing the thick mist envelop the area, the Fourth Mizukage frowned. He immediately leaped back and shattered a window to escape the office. He didn't want to fight an assassination expert in a confined space.
Landing gracefully outside, he quickly formed hand seals and muttered:
"Wind Release: Passing Typhoon!"
A sudden gust of wind erupted, sweeping across the battlefield and dispersing the mist in an instant.
Now, the Fourth Mizukage stood alone in the clearing, surrounded by Zabuza and his gathered allies.
With a light chuckle, the Mizukage said, "Do you honestly think you can defeat me? Even if you all attack together, you still don't stand a chance!"
As he spoke, he began channeling the chakra of the Three-Tails, entering a partial Tailed Beast transformation.
A dark red chakra cloak enveloped his body, and three long tails emerged from behind him. His eyes locked onto Zabuza and Jūzō Biwa, a flicker of hesitation in them.
But in the next moment, his expression turned cold.
In an instant, he disappeared from where he stood. The power of the Tailed Beast transformation granted him immense speed, strength, defense, and chakra reserves.
If there was ever a chance for Zabuza and Jūzō Biwa to succeed, it had vanished the moment the Fourth Mizukage tapped into the Three-Tails' power.
This was the difference between a Mizukage and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. This was the foundation of the Fourth Mizukage's reign.