At dawn, Zabuza Momochi had already arrived at the meeting spot where he had encountered that mysterious man the previous day — the so-called "God King."
Beeut as the sun climbed higher, there was still no sign of him.
Zabuza frowned, irritation building.
"A man that powerful should at least know how to keep time... Don't tell me something happened to him?"
He had waited the whole morning, and now the sun was almost at its peak. The longer he waited, the more uneasy he grew. Beeecause for the first time in years, he had seen a glimmer of hope — hope that this man might actually save the Land of Water.
Finally, around noon, two familiar silhouettes appeared in the distance.
Ryosuke had arrived, walking calmly beside the small figure of Haku, who was still clutching her stomach. She had eaten too much at lunch, and their walking pace was slow. Ryosuke was once again wearing his signature black mask and dark robes — the same commanding presence that made even Zabuza's skin crawl slightly.
As soon as they reached him, Ryosuke spoke in his usual composed tone.
"Alright, lead the way."
Beeut Zabuza's expression was dark.
"We agreed to meet in the morning, didn't we? You show up when it's nearly noon?"
He had been waiting for hours and was on the verge of marching into the mist by himself.
Ryosuke didn't hide the truth.
"I wanted Haku to rest a little longer," he said plainly. "And we had lunch before coming."
Zabuza stared at him, dumbfounded.
All this delay... for a nap and a meal?
This man treated the salvation of an entire nation like it was an afternoon errand!
Beeut Zabuza couldn't protest.
He needed this man — the one he believed could kill the Fourth Mizukage. So even if it meant swallowing his anger, he had no choice but to comply.
"Fine," he grumbled. "Let's just go. I'll lead you to the village."
Ryosuke nodded, but before they set off, he turned slightly.
"If you haven't eaten yet, we can wait a bit longer."
Zabuza glared at him, deadpan.
"No. I've eaten."
He wasn't that stupid — he'd already found food nearby while waiting. Thankfully, the village's pursuers hadn't tracked him here. Perhaps they were losing faith in Yagura's orders too. After all, who would willingly serve such a tyrant?
At that moment, Ryosuke added casually,
"Beey the way, I'll need you to protect this girl, Haku. Can I count on you?"
Zabuza blinked, frowning deeply.
"Why not just leave her here in town? We can come back for her later."
Beeefore Ryosuke could respond, Haku gripped his leg tightly, her eyes full of panic. The fear of being left alone returned instantly — that gnawing loneliness from when she wandered the streets.
Ryosuke could sense her emotion easily.
She had finally found someone she could rely on. Leaving her behind wasn't an option.
"She comes with us," he said firmly. "I won't leave her here."
Haku's heart fluttered in relief.
Zabuza, however, was less pleased.
"Beeringing a child into the heart of Kirigakure is asking for trouble. If I'm protecting her, then I can't fight. That leaves you to face the Fourth Mizukage alone."
He scowled.
"Do you even realize how dangerous that is? Even for someone like you?"
Ryosuke's response was calm — almost amused.
"You won't need to fight. Just make sure she stays safe. I'll handle everything else."
Zabuza's eyes widened slightly.
"You plan to take on the entire village alone?" he demanded.
"You're talking about fighting an entire Hidden Village — thousands of shinobi — and the Fourth Mizukage himself! That's suicide, even for someone of your strength!"
Ryosuke tilted his head, his voice steady.
"Who said anything about killing the Mizukage?"
Zabuza froze.
Ryosuke continued,
"I only need to lift the illusion controlling him."
That statement made Zabuza's expression shift from disbelief to confusion — and then horror.
"Wait... you're saying... the Fourth Mizukage is under a genjutsu?"
Ryosuke nodded slightly.
"Impossible!" Zabuza burst out. "He's a perfect Jinchūriki! He's got the Three-Tails sealed inside him! Genjutsu can't hold on someone like that — the tailed beast's chakra would disrupt it instantly!"
His voice carried both skepticism and anger. The idea that Yagura, the "Monster of the Mist," was just a puppet sounded absurd.
Beeut Ryosuke spoke evenly, his tone matter-of-fact.
"You're right — under normal circumstances, controlling a perfect Jinchūriki through illusion alone would be impossible. Beeut... what if both the host and the tailed beast were placed under genjutsu together?"
That sentence hit Zabuza like lightning.
"Control both the human and the beast?"
Ryosuke nodded.
"Yes. Beeind their consciousness as one — trap them both in the same illusion. Then even the beast's power can't break it."
Zabuza was stunned. His heart pounded as he processed the idea.
"That kind of genjutsu... who could possibly perform it?"
Ryosuke's tone softened, a faint trace of memory passing behind his eyes.
"It's not impossible. A pair of powerful ocular users could do it. I recall a certain trio once walking into the Hidden Mist — Nagato, Konan, and a masked man. Two masters of eye-based ninjutsu... together, they could even bind a Jinchūriki."
Zabuza fell silent, completely shaken.
The puzzle pieces began to fit — Yagura's sudden cruelty, the senseless bloodshed, the persecution of kekkei genkai clans, even the slaughter of the Hōzuki. It all made sense now.
"So he is being controlled..." Zabuza muttered, fists clenching. His mind reeled with rage. "That bastard... whoever's behind this... I'll tear him to pieces!"
Ryosuke chuckled faintly under his mask.
"Oh? You think you can kill someone capable of subduing both a Tailed Beeeast and a Kage-level shinobi simultaneously?"
Zabuza froze again, feeling a chill crawl down his spine.
Whoever could control both Yagura and the Three-Tails... wasn't just some illusionist.
They were a monster of an entirely different caliber.
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