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If Dodai had fallen on the battlefield, the people of the Cloud Village would have been proud of him. He would have died for the village, on the field of combat. But that was not what happened! Instead, he was invaded by members of the Akatsuki, captured, and tortured for intelligence until he died. That was what made this so utterly, disgustingly revolting.
"I never thought about it before, but after considering it carefully later, I realized that the majority of the chaos in the shinobi world is inextricably linked to the Uchiha. Why does the shinobi world even have such a bizarre and overpowered clan?" Samui propped her forehead against her hand in irritation, her face cold as she complained. She'd never pondered it before. It was only after making multiple trips to the Leaf Village and becoming familiar with Kazuki that she'd started delving into the Uchiha's past. It truly was a case of "nothing to see until you look, and then it's a shock you to death."
Wasn't the very existence of the Uchiha Clan somewhat excessive?
"Who knows," Mabui replied, her own mood somewhat heavy. Biting on her straw, she muttered gloomily, "After my previous trips to the Leaf Village, I investigated some related data. Between the village's records and what Kazuki has said, it's clear that the Uchiha clan has been overwhelmingly dominant ever since the Warring States Period, all the way to the present. Most crucially, the Senju Clan, the only force capable of rivaling the Uchiha, has already ceased to exist."
Why were the Uchiha so powerful? The Sharingan accounted for a huge portion of it. But aside from the Sharingan, the Uchiha's ninjutsu, taijutsu, and swordsmanship were all far from weak. The majority of mature Uchiha ninja who grew to prominence developed their skills toward becoming all-around combatants. If one had to name something the Uchiha weren't particularly good at... perhaps medical ninjutsu could be considered a shortcoming. Due to the influence of the Sharingan, the chakra of Uchiha clan ninja was predominantly aligned with the Yin nature. This essentially predetermined that Uchiha clan ninja would have limited achievements in medical ninjutsu. Conversely, the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan possessed an innate advantage in that domain.
"When did you investigate the Uchiha's data?" Samui seized on the crucial point, a teasing smile flickering in her eyes. "Could it be that you..."
"What are you rambling about?!" Mabui instantly flushed crimson and snapped back at her best friend in annoyance. "By your logic, why did you go digging into the Uchiha's past? Could it be that you've developed an interest in Uchiha Kazuki?"
"You're not being a good girl. I didn't even say who, and you've already confessed without being pressed."
"Spill it, right now!"
"..."
The Leaf Village could not be offended – at least, not at this critical moment. Therefore, A chose to completely ignore the existence of Hoshigaki Kisame. He took the intelligence on the Akatsuki very seriously, but with the Cloud Village currently unable to extricate itself, he could only choose to observe the situation quietly and see how the other villages would react. All A could do was pray that the outcome he dreaded most would not come to pass. If the Mist Village overthrew Yagura and entered the era of the Fifth Mizukage, and if Onoki then managed to persuade both the Sand Village and the Mist Village to jointly apply pressure, the Cloud Village would be in serious trouble. This would force the war against the Stone Village to a premature halt.
As for the Leaf Village... they sat steady on the fishing platform, utterly unruffled. Whether the war continued or not, the Leaf Village suffered no significant loss either way. After all, the scale of the Leaf's war with the Stone Village was far too small. It was merely the Third Hokage and his student, Orochimaru. One was going all-out, motivated by the promise of rewards; the other had come to the battlefield specifically to torment Onoki on behalf of his clan. Master and student alike were relentlessly fixated on the Stone Village.
"Halt the offensive. You will be responsible for overseeing and managing everything in the camp. I need to personally return to the village." As expected, the war was affected. Under the orders of Mei Terumi's father, the Mist Village's offensive momentum ground to a halt. He even left the entire camp in the hands of his daughter, Mei Terumi, and secretly returned to the village with his guards. He needed to slip back into the village and consult with the other higher-ups regarding the problem of Yagura.
The Mist Village halting its war efforts was a development the Sand Village was all too happy to accept. If not for fear of triggering a backlash, Rasa would have even entertained the thought of personally seeking out the enemy for negotiations. Fortunately, this impulse of his was reined in. Even if the Mist Village's forces hadn't withdrawn yet, any cessation of hostilities was advantageous to the Sand Village. The next step would be to observe the Mist Village's subsequent moves. If the Mist Village could clean house and overthrow Yagura, it would signal that there was room for peace negotiations.
The intelligence that Kazuki had flung out into the world sent considerable ripples through the shinobi nations. Even the Stone Village and the Cloud Village, still locked in ferocious combat, shifted their focus toward the Mist Village, deploying numerous spies to probe for information on all fronts. The Leaf Village was doing the same, albeit far more discreetly. Probing the Mist Village for intelligence didn't require deeply embedded spies; ordinary operatives were more than sufficient. As long as Yagura was indeed under the Akatsuki's control, the Mist Village's higher-ups uniting to overthrow him was bound to cause a massive commotion. The moment the chaos erupted, conclusions could be drawn from it.
The intelligence brought back by Mei Terumi's father stirred up no small storm within the higher circles of the village. The elders who had been kept in the dark were instantly enraged. While they fumed at the Leaf Village for accepting an S-rank rogue ninja of their village, they detested the Akatsuki even more. They could never have dreamed that the Mizukage, Yagura, having been attacked, had consequently been placed under external control. That the leader of the illustrious Mist Village, the Fourth Mizukage, had been controlled by the Akatsuki – if word of this spread, the people of the Mist Village would want to cover their faces and hide. Two words described it best: utterly disgraceful!
Many had already been deeply troubled by this war, and now everything was laid bare. The Akatsuki had manipulated the Mizukage, Yagura. Then, they had orchestrated the assassination of the Land of Water's Daimyo. In doing so, the war could be ignited with perfect legitimacy. With both the Mizukage and the Daimyo demanding war, who would dare to stand in opposition? The Akatsuki!
That accursed Akatsuki!! It was these sewer rats, skulking in the shadows, stirring up trouble yet again. As the assembled elders cursed the Akatsuki, they didn't forget to heap countless imprecations upon Yagura as well.
To think you were the Mizukage – the strongest in the Mist Village? To be so easily controlled by a pack of rats without even realizing it was a disgrace beyond belief.
"At this stage, rage serves no purpose whatsoever. The war's offensive has already been halted, and my daughter is temporarily managing everything. What we need to do is overthrow Yagura and expose the Akatsuki's conspiracy to the world."
"Easier said than done. Yagura is the Mizukage. Overthrowing him won't be simple, not to mention that the Akatsuki still stands behind him."
"Should we request reinforcements?"
"Is this not humiliating enough already?!"
"Contact the Daimyo. If we can secure the Daimyo's acknowledgment and trust, organizing the village's forces to seize Yagura becomes feasible. With the Sealing Squad present, Yagura may not be able to stir up too much trouble."
A Jinchuriki was a terrifying force, especially a perfect Jinchuriki like Yagura, whose personal strength was already immense. Unfortunately, even a Jinchuriki wasn't invincible. There were still things that could restrain them – sealing techniques, for instance. After a round of deliberations, the Mist Village's elders firmly abandoned any thought of seeking outside help. Instead, they dispatched envoys to the Daimyo's residence to request an audience with the Daimyo. Before they made any moves, they needed to obtain the Daimyo's consent and support.