bookbashuk Chapter 147 The Fourth Mizukage's Strangeness, Ao's Terrifying Guess!
Chapter 147 The Fourth Mizukage's Strangeness, Ao's Terrifying Guess!
Chapter 147 The Fourth Mizukage's Strangeness, Ao's Terrifying Guess!
After everything was over, the Mist Ninja arrived late.
The fog on the sea surface had not yet dissipated, and a gray-white curtain shrouded this sea area ravaged by battle.
A dozen or so Mist Ninjas rushed over, their ninja attire barely visible in the mist, but their steps were very hurried.
When they saw what was in front of them, they stopped in their tracks.
The seawater had not yet fully calmed down, and murky waves continued to spread outwards.
Broken rocks, broken bone fragments, and other unidentifiable debris float on the sea surface.
The few Mist Ninjas exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with shock and apprehension.
They quickly dispersed, establishing a perimeter around the battlefield, while simultaneously dispatching ninjas skilled in tracking to search for clues among the fragments.
A ninja crouched down, picked up a broken bone spur, and ran his fingertips along its sharp edge, his expression grave.
The Kirigakure captain strode toward the only standing figure—the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.
Yagura stood with his back to them on a rock that had not been completely destroyed.
His robes were torn, he had several wounds on his body, and his hair was somewhat disheveled. But compared to the carnage around him, his injuries were clearly not serious.
His gaze was fixed on the sea, seemingly lost in thought, as if looking at something.
"Lord Mizukage!" The captain knelt down on one knee behind Yagura, his voice trembling with suppressed urgency, "Are you alright?"
Yagura slowly turned around, his young face revealing little emotion.
His eyes showed weariness and solemnity, but not the relief of surviving a disaster.
His gaze swept over the Mist Ninja who were searching the battlefield, and he remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"fine!"
The captain couldn't help but glance around at the shocking traces of battle, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
"Lord Mizukage, what exactly happened here? Those skeletons—are they survivors of the Kaguya clan?"
Yagura nodded slightly, his voice low and heavy, each word seeming to be squeezed out from the depths of his throat: "That person is none other than Taketori Izumi, who stole the Byakugan and defected from Kirigakure back then."
9
Upon hearing this, all the Mist Ninja present were shocked.
Taketori Izumi River!
This name isn't high on the Hidden Mist Village's blacklist because he hasn't attacked the Land of Water all these years.
But everyone knows him: the inheritor of the Corpse Bone Pulse, the one who seized the Byakugan, and—Qing's former disciple.
"This person colluded with ninjas from other countries to attack our patrols and outposts within the territory of Kirigakure, killing a large number of Kirigakure ninjas."
Yagura's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every Kirigakure ninja, carrying an undeniable certainty.
"Pass down the order to increase the bounty on Taketori Izumi. Effective immediately, Kirigakure will issue a kill order for him—dead or alive."
"Yes!" The Mist Ninja captain bowed his head and replied.
Several Mist Ninja unconsciously turned their gazes to Ao, who was silently standing in the corner.
Qing stood on a reef, arms crossed, his single eye fixed on the white bone fragments floating on the sea, his face expressionless.
As Izumi Taketori's former teacher and a victim of his betrayal, his silence is particularly glaring at this moment.
Qing noticed the gazes directed at her, and her single eye slowly turned towards them, letting out a cold snort.
That cold snort was like ice water poured over their heads, and the several Mist Ninjas quickly turned their heads away.
The Hidden Mist Village suffered heavy losses this time, not only in the Hidden Mist ninja who died in this battle, but also in the patrol members who had gone missing after being attacked for several days in a row.
The large number of ninjas who died in this incident was undoubtedly adding insult to injury for Kirigakure, which was already in turmoil.
It will probably take a long time to recover.
Qing withdrew her gaze, but her heart was filled with indescribable emotions.
He had just seen his disciple in that deserted, abandoned port, witnessed by the thick fog and the sea breeze.
Izumikawa said those things to him about being scorned, about betrayal, about "having no choice".
He couldn't tell how much of what he said was true and how much was false.
Did he really do it?
Ao's mind conjured up the image of Izumi Kawa's eyes, hidden behind sunglasses, and his young face, which had shed its childishness.
He wasn't sure.
But he neither questioned me nor mentioned that he had met Izumi.
He remained silent, letting those gazes sweep over him.
Crows flew in from afar, circling over the sea and uttering mournful cries.
The mist swirled among their black wings, making the ravaged battlefield even more sinister.
After returning to Kirigakure, Yagura Karatachi began a long period of seclusion, citing the need to "recover from his injuries."
He only had fixed times each day to handle official business. Documents were passed into his room through the Mist Ninja, and after he gave his instructions, they were sent out again.
Commands are still being issued, and tasks are still being assigned, but the tone and wording of those commands are somewhat different from before.
Qing keenly noticed those subtle changes.
Yagura's handwriting seemed to have changed a bit; his commands lacked their usual decisiveness and sharpness, and contained something else—something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
The handwriting seemed to have lost its variation, becoming rigid, as if it had been carved from the same mold.
Several orders came from Shuiying's room: increase patrols, strictly check the border, and raise vigilance.
However, no further instructions were given on how to deal with the formidable threat that was Taketori Izumigawa.
It was as if that battle and that kill order had exhausted all of the Mizukage's energy.
Qing stood on the corridor outside the Shuiying Building, staring at the tightly closed door, her unease growing stronger.
It seems familiar.
He had seen this scene before.
A similar situation occurred during the later years of the Third Mizukage's reign.
After a certain incident, he suddenly went into seclusion and stopped seeing anyone, only issuing orders through the Mist Ninja.
At the time, he thought it was due to the personality of the third generation, a manifestation of their swift and decisive nature.
But now, the same scene has appeared again, and his heart skips a beat.
His single eye reflected the shadow of the old tree in the courtyard, its branches swaying gently in the wind, casting dappled shadows.
Is this Mizukage really the same person as before?
He dared not think too deeply about it.
Some questions, once voiced, leave no room for ambiguity.
Like a broken mirror, even if it is pieced back together, the cracks will always remain.
But those thoughts still kept creeping into my mind uncontrollably, like vines growing in the dark, silently wrapping around me.
What if that battle wasn't because Izumi River invaded the Land of Water, but because he discovered something?
The Fourth Mizukage was controlled by someone, and the existence of the mastermind behind it was discovered, which triggered the great war—what a terrible truth that must be.
If Izumikawa wasn't "committing a crime," but rather "eliminating a menace" —
If the one who truly attacked the Hidden Mist Village ninja wasn't Izumi, but rather the mastermind behind the Mizukage—
If that order to hunt down Izumikawa wasn't the Mizukage's will at all, but rather the will of the controller—
Qing's fingers stopped.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to banish these thoughts from his mind.
But those "ifs" are like a persistent, intractable disease, impossible to shake off.
He recalled what Izumi had said to him at the abandoned port.
"Teacher, I don't regret my choice."
"But I also remember your kindness to me, which is why I am waiting for you here today."
Those eyes hidden behind sunglasses—the young man stood in the fog, facing the teacher he had once betrayed, and spoke these words.
Is it repentance? Is it farewell? Or is it some kind of hint?
Qing suddenly opened his eyes, a look of unprecedented confusion flashing in his single eye. He found himself unable to make a judgment.
When did he stop trusting his own judgment? Was it the moment he lost the white eye, or even earlier?
He turned around, his back to the closed door. The corridor was deserted, only the sound of his footsteps echoing in the silence.
He didn't want to stand there anymore, didn't want to stare at that door anymore, and didn't want to think about those unanswerable questions anymore.
He didn't want to think about it too much, because once the fear had fully taken hold, he would have to face it.
And some truths, once confirmed, will shake the entire Hidden Mist Village.
Qing walked down the stairs and pushed open the door of the Shuiying Building. Outside, the sky was gray and the fog still enveloped the village as usual.
His figure disappeared into the mist, and the sound of his footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
The Fourth Mizukage's office was dimly lit, the curtains were drawn, and the ANBU guards had all been dispatched.
Yagura Karatachi sat behind his desk, a banner of Kirigakure hanging on the wall, its black wavy lines appearing in the dim light.
It was exceptionally somber.
The air suddenly distorted, and a vortex appeared out of thin air, like ripples spreading on the surface of water after a stone is thrown in.
Obito's figure slowly emerged from the vortex, the edge of his black robe fluttering silently in the air.
He landed on thin air without making a sound.
He then sat down on the desk without any hesitation, one leg dangling casually, the other leg resting on the edge of the desk.
He picked up a stack of documents on the table and casually flipped through a few pages.
It was an investigation report about the disappearance of the patrol team. The wording was cautious and carefully considered, but the report never dared to speak frankly.
They were terrified of touching on political correctness, being seen by higher-ups as wrong for eliminating bloodline ninjas, and thus becoming scapegoats and angering the higher-ups.
Obito's lips, hidden beneath his mask, curled slightly downwards, revealing a hint of disdain.
These Mist Ninjas were so frightened that they retreated back into their shells before they even knew who their enemies were.
He casually tossed the document back onto the table, the papers scattering with a soft rustling sound.
On the other side of the office, Yagura Karatachi sat quietly in his chair, his posture stiff.
His gaze was vacant as he stared ahead, devoid of Obito's control, his eyes devoid of any spirit.
The body was still alive, the heart was still beating, but the will had been completely suppressed.
Obito jumped off the table, walked up to Yagura, and looked down at the young face.
The Fourth Mizukage, the Jinchuriki of the Three-Tails, and the highest symbol of power in Kirigakure—now he is nothing more than a pawn in his hands, a puppet used to control Kirigakure.
To maintain this balance, it needs to be maintained from time to time to ensure that it cannot be broken.
So he will stay here for a long time, in this village that is shrouded in fog all year round.
But it doesn't matter, he has plenty of patience.
Obito turned around, walked to the window, and peered through the gap in the curtains into the shadows.