Even if the Mizukage was typically measured in his judgments, he now realized something was clearly amiss.
It seemed—probably—Six-Tails didn't actually need his help.
After all, he'd been Mizukage for many years. Using his intelligence and connecting it with the massive commotion earlier, he quickly pieced together a rough understanding of what had happened.
"That cunning fox sensed my approach and faked completing the sealing ritual, tricking me into interfering and helping him wound Six-Tails seriously!"
The Bijuu were indeed powerful, but their strength varied depending on the enemy they faced. Dealing with just Saiken alone was already quite a stretch; adding an attack from the Mizukage himself meant even Nine-Tails might not be able to withstand it.
If only he'd had a bit more time, he might have seen through the opponent's scheme. The problem was, the situation back then had already been urgent. He could only make a judgment based on what he saw and heard at the moment.
He hadn't expected the enemy to have predicted even their own reactions. That seemingly intimidating sealing illusion must have been designed specifically to mislead them.
"To react so quickly… That kid's terrifying. His understanding of human psychology doesn't feel like anything an ordinary teenager could manage!" The Mizukage widened his normally squinted eyes, as if trying to see through the boy clearly. "Is this what true genius looks like? Not only is his strength incredible, but his mindset and intelligence surpass ordinary people by far!"
Just one subtle move had changed a two-on-one battle into a one-on-one—no, worse, possibly even turning it into a two-on-one matchup… Glancing at the murderous Saiken, the Mizukage felt nothing but resignation deep inside.
The battlefield, previously filled with intense combat, had temporarily fallen silent due to the Mizukage's arrival.
The Mist ninjas were ready to celebrate, but seeing the bizarre scene unfold before them, they quickly held back their cheers.
"Something feels off."
"Was it just my imagination? Why does Lord Mizukage look… kind of helpless?"
Meanwhile, Seiki Shimaseki silently rolled up the scroll. Now that the Six-Tails' chakra collection was complete, he no longer wished to waste energy.
After all, the Mizukage was a far greater challenge than Saiken.
Perhaps in the eyes of ordinary ninja, Bijuu were invincible ultimate weapons.
But in his view, it was the Kages of each village who were truly dangerous adversaries.
Fundamentally speaking, the power of a Bijuu mainly lay in its sheer size, strength, vitality, and chakra reserves.
Size and strength—he could handle those with summoned beasts; vitality—he could counter with immediate sealing; chakra—his current reserves rivaled the Bijuu's anyway.
With the mobility provided by the Flying Thunder God technique, to him, a Bijuu was nothing more than a mobile artillery platform.
Of course, exceptions included fully mature Jinchuriki or the Nine-Tails.
Comparatively, it was the Kages—those with peak-level battle experience and mastery of ninjutsu—who posed real problems.
Still, "problems" were the worst it could get.
The difference lay in this: he could defeat a Jinchuriki head-on, but against Kage-class opponents, unless they slipped up, he could only exhaust them through prolonged combat—if they didn't flee first.
"But this only applies to these formidable Third Kages…"
"Seiki shook his head quietly. 'If it's those three so-called new Kages who took power after the Fourth Great Ninja War in the original timeline, I could beat them all with one hand tied behind my back.'"
Seeing that Seiki seemed to have no intention of continuing the fight, the Mizukage slightly relaxed and used the Water Prison Technique to subdue the Six-Tails before resealing it.
Since the Six-Tails was already severely injured, and the seal on Hozuki Nagare had been personally set by him, without external interference, sealing the Six-Tails back in wasn't too difficult.
After completing this task, the Mizukage solemnly spoke, "Let's end it here today; perhaps this war is reaching its conclusion!"
Upon hearing his words, ninjas from all three factions were momentarily stunned.
Was this war truly coming to an end?
Before long, everyone's fighting spirit began to fade away.
"You sure do know how to come up with a convenient excuse to save face quickly," Shin internally scoffed but didn't object outwardly. "Except for us few, everyone else's Chakra reserves must be nearly depleted by now. If you don't want to perform a solo act, just follow the Mizukage's lead."
Jiraiya silently nodded and dismissed his summoning technique. "Begin treating the wounded!"
Not only the Mist and Cloud ninjas, but even many Leaf ninjas visibly exhaled in relief.
Then, the three factions began orderly withdrawals.
Asuma approached, lowering his voice to ask, "So if the war really is ending now, what happens to Kakashi's side?"
"The war *does* need to end, but not just yet," Seiki mused. "At the earliest in three months, or as long as half a year."
"Aren't you sure the Mizukage isn't planning to fight again?" Asuma asked, puzzled.
"You actually believe whatever he says?" Shin sighed helplessly while glancing at him. "That's nothing more than a convenient excuse for him to save face. If he genuinely wanted to continue, he could easily find any justification to do so."
"Besides, this also serves as a way for him to pressure us with authority. Right now, there's significant anti-war sentiment—if we refuse, he can immediately pin the accusation on us that we're disregarding warriors' lives purely for our own interests."
"These wily old foxes really are getting craftier by the day!" Asuma shook his head with a sigh. "By the way, are the ninja from Cloud and Mist just plain idiots? Even at a time like this, they still don't consider teaming up."
"That's because even if they did join forces, it wouldn't make a difference anymore!" Jiraiya's voice came from beside them.
Instinctively, Asuma asked, "No difference?"
"Well then, what did you think kept them from cooperating till now? It's because they've known all along that joining forces wouldn't change the outcome." Jiraiya shrugged. "Still, thanks to your peaceful resolution with Rock Village, that has at least given them something to hope for. Otherwise, their attitudes wouldn't be wavering like this now."
"If that's true, why are they still fighting?"
"You must understand, once they've unleashed the beast of war from its cage, the situation develops beyond control. Before the beast gets locked away again, the long-standing conflicts must vent somehow."
Asuma nodded vaguely understanding. "So you mean their real target is each other?"
"One could say that, yes, though we shouldn't let our guard down either," Jiraiya replied gravely. "They won't pass up the opportunity to take a bite out of the Leaf if given the chance!"
"This whole mess is headache-level complicated!" Asuma groaned, rubbing his temples.
"If that's the case, I didn't ruin your strategy, did I?" Seiki asked, glancing at Jiraiya.
"Haha, no need to worry," Jiraiya chuckled. "You tilted things perfectly. The Six-Tails Jinchuriki is seriously injured, and Cloud Village might lose its patience next."
Seiki nodded slightly. "Once Cloud Village decides to wage war against Mist, Iwagakure won't be far behind. Bringing in three major powers will speed up the war's end."
"Looks like it," Jiraiya grinned while rubbing his chin. "Looks like our great Sage can finally break free from this tiresome war!"
"Yeah, finally free," Seiki echoed, silently musing, "If Black Zetsu still follows the original plan, perhaps I can give this war a grand and unforgettable conclusion!"
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