Before the floor-to-ceiling window of the Mizukage's office, the boyish Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, silently overlooking the village below—a place eternally shrouded in drifting mist. His expression was as still as a tranquil lake, yet deep within his eyes burned the fierce flame of ambition.
"Mizukage-sama, are you sure it's wise to just let this go on?"
The elder Anjō Oniyuzu spoke up, his gaze fixed on Yagura's back.
"What else should I do?"
Yagura didn't turn around. His calm voice echoed softly through the room.
"His choice seems perfectly reasonable to me. If I were in his position, I wouldn't make such a hasty decision about my own path either. I'd investigate thoroughly before deciding."
"But if we give him that freedom, Genji will definitely make contact with him."
Oniyuzu's tone deepened.
Just moments earlier, when Yagura had asked Koeda Kyoichi about his plans, the young man hadn't given a definite answer. Instead, he'd said he needed time to think things over. After exchanging a few polite words, he excused himself. Yagura had then instructed Pipa Jūzō to accompany Kyoichi on a tour of the Kirigakure.
"So long as he doesn't steal village secrets," Yagura replied evenly,
"he's free to speak with whomever he wants. And besides, Elder Oniyuzu, Elder Genji isn't our enemy. If he truly desired the Mizukage's seat, even the Third might not have outmatched him. Everything he's done—he's done for the sake of the village."
"I've never doubted Genji's love for this village," Oniyuzu said, shaking his head. His expression hardened.
"The problem lies in too many voices of command. This state alone is enough to undermine our order. The authority of the Kage must be absolute. Only then can the village's strength be united as one—rather than scattered like loose sand."
This time, Yagura said nothing.
Too many voices of command… It was true.
That issue had persisted since the Third Mizukage's era. Back then, Elder Genji's orders carried the same weight as the Mizukage's, and over the years, people had simply grown used to this imbalance.
Of course, not everyone had grown used to it.
Elder Oniyuzu despised this system. Even during the Third's reign, he had repeatedly urged that Elder Genji's power be restricted—that the Mizukage alone should rule, and all shinobi should rally under his banner.
A serpent cannot have two heads.
Unfortunately, the Third had always turned a deaf ear to Oniyuzu's counsel. He neither acted upon the advice nor punished the elder for it—in fact, toward the end of his tenure, he had even promoted Oniyuzu to the rank of senior advisor.
"...Some things can't be rushed," Yagura said quietly after a moment of silence.
Indeed, the "two-headed rule" had become almost normal in Kirigakure. Everyone was accustomed to the presence of Elder Genji, a man whose influence rivaled—even overshadowed—the newly appointed Mizukage. Undoing that structure would take far more than time or authority; it would take patience and subtlety.
"I know it can't be rushed," Oniyuzu replied, his tone urgent, "but some battles still have to be fought. Even if we can't bring Koeda Kyoichi into the Anbu, we must not let him join the Police Force!"
Aside from the border defense units and the independent shinobi who refused formal posts, the Kiri's true military strength was concentrated in just two organizations: the Anbu and the Police Force. The Anbu operated directly under the Mizukage's command—while the Police Force was firmly controlled by Genji.
After all, Elder Genji himself had founded the Police Force. Acting on the Second Mizukage's orders, he had modeled it after Konoha's system and built it from nothing. Over time, it had become filled entirely with his disciples and their protégés.
In that department, Genji's orders often carried more weight than the Mizukage's.
"...We'll wait and see," Yagura said at last, still refusing to resort to drastic measures.
He wanted to observe longer.
Oniyuzu's brows furrowed. Frustration prickled beneath his calm, but he suppressed it. He was no longer a man ruled by passion. Silently, his mind turned, searching for another way to bring Koeda Kyoichi under the Mizukage's wing.
A knock broke the silence.
Knock, knock!
"Mizukage-sama!"
The voice belonged to Biwa Jūzō.
"Come in," Yagura said, turning around.
Jūzō stepped inside, and Yagura asked, "Didn't I send you to show Kyoichi around the village? Why are you back so soon?"
"We ran into Bi in the main hall," Jūzō replied.
"Bi said that Elder Genji wanted to meet with Kyoichi—so she took him there."
"...That was quick," Oniyuzu muttered, frowning.
"Well," Yagura said, brushing off the topic, "since Elder Genji wants to meet him, you don't need to worry about Kyoichi anymore, Jūzō. I actually have something else to discuss with you."
He looked directly at Jūzō, his tone turning serious.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen have taken heavy losses. Now, only you and the Fuguki remain. That won't do. I'm planning to organize a new selection soon—to fill the vacant spots."
If the Anbu were the hidden hand of the Mizukage beneath the water's surface,
then the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were his gleaming blade above it.
A broken blade cannot inspire fear.
It must be reforged—swiftly and completely.
"What do you need me to do?" Jūzō asked, blinking in mild confusion.
"Fuguki is still recovering from his injuries," Yagura explained.
"So, this time, you'll oversee the selection. You don't need to handle the logistics—Elder Oniyuzu will take care of that. Your job is to screen the candidates. See who can truly wield those blades—who's worthy of joining the Seven. Anyone unfit… remove them."
"Leave it to me!" Jūzō said, pounding his chest confidently.
"I guarantee not a single weakling will slip through!"
"Good. Later, you and Elder Oniyuzu will go to Mangetsu—bring back the unclaimed swords. Tell him that if he wants one of them, he'll have to join the selection himself."
Yagura's tone was calm—but beneath it, his command carried the cold edge of steel.