Yagura was forced out of his full Tailed Beast transformation after being beaten by Tsunade and Kitazawa.
Although he hadn't passed out, his body was on the verge of collapse — completely drained of its fighting capability.
The disappearance of the Three-Tails immediately caught the attention of the Hidden Mist forces.
"Go save the Mizukage!" Ao's pupils widened in shock as he shouted anxiously.
Tsunade and Kitazawa standing unharmed on the battlefield could only mean one thing — Yagura had been defeated, and it wasn't even a close fight.
Though shaken, Ao didn't have time to process the shock; saving the Mizukage came first.
However, he was locked in combat with Hyuga Hiashi and couldn't break free. Their strengths were nearly equal — if anything, Ao was slightly weaker.
Terumī Mei was the first to react. Despite facing three opponents — Kabuto, Kurenai, and Uchiha Izumi — the pressure they exerted wasn't enough to truly hold her back.
The moment she heard Ao's shout, she immediately broke away and rushed toward Yagura.
Several other Mist shinobi followed close behind.
Kitazawa glanced at Kurenai and the others. Once he confirmed they were unharmed, his tense expression eased — and a faint smile surfaced.
At the same time, Zabuza attempted to move to Yagura's aid, but Itachi seized the opening and struck him down, knocking him unconscious.
"I discovered something — the Fourth Mizukage is being controlled by someone." Seeing the timing was right, Kitazawa leaned toward Tsunade and whispered in her ear.
"What?" Tsunade's expression froze, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Even she couldn't stay calm after hearing that.
A Kage — a figure at the very pinnacle of the shinobi world — being controlled? That notion alone sounded absurd.
"You're not joking, are you?" Tsunade asked, her tone heavy.
"As you know, I specialize in Genjutsu," Kitazawa said, fabricating smoothly. "During the battle, I tried placing the Fourth Mizukage under illusion, but it had no effect."
"He's a perfect Jinchuriki," Tsunade countered. "Naturally, Genjutsu won't work on him. You must have misjudged."
"Perfect Jinchuriki resist Genjutsu because their Tailed Beast helps break it," Kitazawa explained patiently. "But what if the Genjutsu is powerful enough to control both the Jinchuriki and the Beast inside?"
"That's impossible," Tsunade frowned, shaking her head. "Where would such a terrifying Genjutsu even come from?"
"There actually is one," Kitazawa said after a brief pause, lowering his tone. "The Nine-Tails Night."
He had originally wanted to mention the Mangekyō Sharingan, but restrained himself — in his current identity, that knowledge would make no sense unless Tsunade or Itachi had told him.
Since they hadn't, invoking the Nine-Tails incident served the same purpose.
"Are you saying… that mysterious enemy who controlled the Nine-Tails back then?" Tsunade's voice tightened, her sharp gaze narrowing.
"Possibly," Kitazawa replied lightly. "I'm just giving an example."
"If what you say is true," Tsunade murmured, thinking deeply, "then the Fourth Mizukage's sudden declaration of war makes sense. This mysterious enemy… wants to weaken Konoha."
Kitazawa's eyes flickered. Her conclusion wasn't entirely accurate — yet it aligned perfectly with reality.
Controlling Yagura and instigating the Nine-Tails Rampage were both deeds of the same hidden hand — Uchiha Obito.
"Mm," Kitazawa nodded. "That's my guess as well."
It wasn't bad for Tsunade to know this early. Once she became Hokage, Konoha could start preparing.
He could even feign an investigation and later "leak" intel about the Akatsuki to her.
A ninja war was, at its core, a war of intelligence. With enough information, even Akatsuki's monsters weren't invincible.
The only real trouble was Nagato — and his Rinnegan. That combination was both a stat monster and a mechanism monster.
Still, Konoha had its own trump card — the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto. But that was for the future.
"It's truly disgraceful," Tsunade growled, "that Konoha and the Hidden Mist have been manipulated into fighting by some unseen enemy!"
Taking a deep breath, she shouted, "Everyone, stop fighting!"
Kitazawa smiled faintly. As expected.
Once Tsunade learned of Uchiha Obito's possible involvement, she immediately halted the battle. Continuing would only play into the enemy's hands.
Although Konoha held the advantage, victory would still come at too high a cost.
At Tsunade's command, Konoha's shinobi swiftly withdrew and stopped their attacks.
The Mist-nin, worried about Yagura's condition, also ceased fighting.
"Consider yourself lucky," Hiashi muttered toward Ao, then turned and walked toward Tsunade.
In the blink of an eye, both sides faced one another across the sea — tense but no longer clashing.
However, confusion rippled among the Mist shinobi. Why would Konoha stop when they were so close to victory?
"Kitazawa," Tsunade said suddenly, turning toward him. "You explain."
Kitazawa stepped forward and asked calmly, "Didn't you notice something strange about your Fourth Mizukage?"
Ao's heart sank instantly.
They had noticed Yagura's odd behavior long ago — they just hadn't known the reason until now.
"The Fourth Mizukage was controlled by Genjutsu. Everything he has done until now was not of his own free will," Kitazawa stated directly.
"Impossible!" Ao instinctively denied it, his expression stiff.
Terumī Mei and the others also showed disbelief.
If Yagura had truly been controlled, that meant they had been following the will of an outsider all along. The meaning of this war suddenly became unbearable.
Especially for the shinobi who had died — they had sacrificed themselves for nothing, manipulated like fools.
"You have the Byakugan, don't you?" Kitazawa said calmly. "You'll know at a glance. Use it to observe the chakra flow in his brain."
The essence of Genjutsu was mental manipulation — altering perception through the five senses or disrupting chakra flow in the brain's neural network.
If Yagura was indeed under a Genjutsu, there should be a cluster of chakra within his brain that didn't belong to him.
Of course, discovering it wasn't that easy. Ao had already used his Byakugan during the earlier battle, but hadn't noticed anything unusual about Yagura Karatachi.
The main reason was that Yagura's own chakra, combined with the interference of the Three-Tails' chakra, was far too immense.
This time, Ao activated his Byakugan again and focused on Yagura's head.
The next instant, his body trembled — and his expression completely froze. What Kitazawa said… was actually true?
For a moment, Ao didn't know what to feel. If he had discovered this earlier, could this entire war have been avoided?
"How… how is it?" Mei asked hesitantly. She didn't even know whether she hoped the answer would be true or false.
"It's true," Ao said finally, his face filled with complex emotion.
"What?" Terumī Mei subconsciously took a step back.
The other Hidden Mist shinobi were also unable to accept it.
They had believed themselves loyal to the Fourth Mizukage — only to realize now that they'd been serving a puppet.
Everything they had done, everything they had fought and bled for… what meaning did it have anymore?
Ao walked toward Yagura, formed a few hand seals, and began dispelling the Genjutsu.
Yagura, already severely injured, didn't resist.
Once the Genjutsu was released, he stood still as waves of memory crashed into his mind — everything he had done under the enemy's control.
His expression turned grim and conflicted.
As the Mizukage, he should have protected the shinobi and citizens of the Hidden Mist. Yet, after being manipulated, he had turned the village into a bloody nightmare.
Countless shinobi had died because of him — especially those possessing Kekkei Genkai. Hidden Mist Village had lost nearly a third of its strength under his rule.
"Mizukage-sama…" Ao exhaled heavily.
"I'm not fit to be Mizukage anymore," Yagura said after two seconds of silence. "Once this war ends, select a new Mizukage immediately."
Ao hesitated.
Strictly speaking, Yagura himself hadn't done anything wrong. His only fault was being too weak — weak enough to be controlled. But who could truly blame him?
Even the strongest in the village could have fallen the same way. Yagura was the strongest in Hidden Mist.
Still, his actions had indirectly caused devastating losses. Continuing as Mizukage was indeed inappropriate.
Yagura composed himself. For now, he was still the Fourth Mizukage, and it was his duty to take responsibility — to clean up the chaos he had caused.
"Lady Tsunade," Yagura said firmly, "our Hidden Mist Village is willing to surrender."
He bowed his head slightly. "Soon, we will send an official delegation to Konoha to negotiate peace."
The war had reached a point where it couldn't be brushed aside as a mere misunderstanding.
The only proper course now was to admit defeat, hold peace talks, and pay compensation — a necessary sacrifice.
Otherwise, Konoha could continue its offensive until Hidden Mist had no choice but to beg for mercy.
"Alright," Tsunade said after a moment. "Then this war ends here."
Her tone softened slightly. Hidden Mist's attitude was satisfactory.
Though she sympathized with them, they were still an enemy village — and Konoha had paid dearly for this war. The damages had to be compensated.
War was costly — a drain on lives and resources. The fallen shinobi of Konoha and those who had achieved merit all required proper recompense.
That would be addressed during the negotiations. After all, Konoha had emerged victorious — and the victor deserved the spoils.
There was no longer any need to continue fighting. Pushing the Mist too far would only invite retaliation or draw the attention of other opportunistic villages like Kumogakure.
"Please treat our captured shinobi well," Yagura added. "We will exchange them soon."
"Of course," Tsunade replied with a nod.
"I understand." Yagura bowed deeply. "Finally, thank you, Lady Tsunade, for your timely intervention."
Though Konoha had inflicted severe casualties upon the Mist, without Tsunade, he would still be a puppet. The consequences could have been far worse.
"This mysterious figure who pitted our two villages against each other," Tsunade said, her voice hardening, "is a common enemy of both Konoha and the Hidden Mist."
"I agree," Yagura said, nodding. "I hope our villages can share intelligence about this individual."
"No problem," Tsunade replied without hesitation. "If we cooperate, we'll uncover the truth faster."
"Then, we shall take our leave," Yagura said, glancing at Ao and Terumī Mei. His eyes carried guilt as he added quietly, "I've caused you all great harm."
"Mizukage-sama, we are all Hidden Mist shinobi," Mei said gently, shaking her head. "There's no need for apologies. What matters now is ending this war — and finding the one who controlled you."
"Let's go," Yagura said, regaining his composure. "We're returning home."
They carried the bodies of the fallen Hidden Mist Village Ninja and headed back toward the Hidden Mist Main Camp.
As for the captured Mist Ninja — such as Zabuza Momochi — they could only endure for the time being.
"Lady Tsunade." Shizune quickly stepped forward and asked, "How are you all?"
"I feel better than ever before." Tsunade met her worried gaze and replied with a smile.
Shizune was momentarily stunned.
She could now confirm that Tsunade's hemophobia had truly been cured — otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to fight Yagura so fiercely.
Coupled with Kitazawa being safe and sound, this was truly a double blessing.
"Kitazawa!" Kurenai rushed over and grabbed his hand.
"I'm fine," Kitazawa said reassuringly.
"This isn't the place to talk. Let's return to the Main Camp first." Tsunade glanced at Kitazawa as she spoke.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Hiashi and Uchiha Itachi replied in unison.
The group retraced their path back.
Before they reached the Konoha Main Camp, Nara Shikaku led a group of Jonin to greet them.
"Shikaku, notify all Jonin to assemble in the main tent for a meeting," Tsunade ordered. "Also, terminate all active war missions."
Shikaku was briefly taken aback — but then realization dawned on him, and a flicker of excitement crossed his face.
Tsunade issuing such an order could only mean one thing: the war was over. Otherwise, there would be no reason to cancel all missions.
"Yes!" Suppressing his excitement, Shikaku hurried off to make arrangements.
"We'll head straight to the main tent and wait," Tsunade said before striding ahead.
Hiashi, Kitazawa, and the others followed closely behind.
Though many Konoha Ninja were asleep, they rushed to the main tent as soon as they received the summons. Within ten minutes, the tent was packed with Jonin.
"I have an announcement to make," Tsunade said with a faint smile. "Hidden Mist Village has voluntarily surrendered!"
"Surrender? Does that mean the war is over?"
"How did this happen so suddenly?"
"We… won?"
The first reactions from most Jonin were confusion rather than joy.
"Shizune, explain everything to them," Tsunade said. She understood their bewilderment — after all, the war had ended far too abruptly.
"Okay."
Shizune stepped forward and began recounting the entire series of events — from Kitazawa falling into the Mist's trap, to his duel with Yagura, the discovery of the Genjutsu, and finally Yagura's surrender.
When she finished, silence fell over the main tent.
Had it come from anyone else, they would've thought it was a joke.
The events of the night were simply too surreal — a story that defied belief.
Kitazawa battling the Fourth Mizukage to a draw, only to uncover that Yagura had been under mind control the entire time.
"Everyone performed admirably in this war," Tsunade declared. "Once we return to the village, the Hokage will surely reward your efforts generously."
She paused, her gaze falling on Kitazawa.
"Especially Kitazawa — his contributions were the greatest reason we achieved victory so swiftly."
Uchiha Yashiro, Hyuga Hiashi, and Nara Shikaku all nodded.
Even if they wanted to take credit, they couldn't — Kitazawa's record spoke for itself.
He had slain powerful Hidden Mist shinobi such as Ameyuri Ringo, Suikazan Fuguki, and Kisame Hoshigaki.
He led Kurenai and Kabuto in completing the most high-difficulty missions of any team. And finally, tonight, he had faced the Mizukage himself, uncovered the Genjutsu, and ended the war.
"Shikaku, spread the word," Tsunade instructed. "And have someone deliver the report to the Hokage."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Shikaku replied promptly.
"Good. Everyone's worked hard tonight — go rest." With those words, Tsunade ended the impromptu meeting.
After everyone dispersed, only Kitazawa remained.
"Kitazawa," Tsunade said after a brief silence, "thank you."
"Why are you thanking me?" Kitazawa shook his head lightly. "If you hadn't arrived when you did, I'd have died at sea."
"I mean the hemophobia," Tsunade said softly.
Those beautiful dreams resurfaced in her mind, and she unconsciously looked away.
"It's mainly Yakumo's credit," Kitazawa replied modestly.
"I know whose credit it is," Tsunade said with a faint smile and waved her hand dismissively. "Go rest."
"Mhm." Kitazawa turned to leave.
"Kitazawa!" Kurenai was waiting near the entrance of the tent.
"Kitazawa-sensei," Kabuto, Torune, and Uchiha Izumi called out together.
"It's over," Kitazawa said with a small smile. "Go rest. We can talk tomorrow."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei." The three of them exhaled in relief.
"You scared me half to death tonight!" Kurenai huffed, lightly elbowing his arm.
"Sorry, my fault," Kitazawa said with a grin. "I'll make it up to you tomorrow."
Kurenai froze, her face instantly flushing crimson. She understood exactly what he meant.
"Stop messing around — go to sleep!" she snapped, glaring at him before diving under the covers.
That night, Kurenai and Kitazawa drifted into peaceful sleep, while the rest of Konoha's Main Camp buzzed with excitement.
The two-and-a-half-month war had finally ended — and Konoha had won decisively.
Relief and pride spread through every tent. Soon, there would be rewards and promotions for all who had served.
As celebration filled the camp, a squad of Anbu silently departed, racing toward Konoha to deliver the news of victory.