Chapter 68: Standing at History's Crossroads!
Seeing that the person standing opposite him was none other than Hōzuki Mangetsu,
Tsukasa's eyes narrowed instantly.
It wasn't simply because of his opponent's formidable combat prowess—
The mere fact that he was Hōzuki Suigetsu's older brother revealed
He possessed every technique known to Suigetsu, and even those Suigetsu couldn't master. He possessed
The Hydrification Technique, the Water Gun Technique, the Water Arm Technique, the Starch Syrup Capture Field, and potentially even the Second Mizukage's signature jutsu—the Steaming Danger Tyranny, Mirage Genjutsu, Summoning Beast: Giant Clam, and the Demonic Ice Crystal Mirrors.
Furthermore, this period was different from the Fourth Shinobi World War era.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were at full strength.
This meant this guy possessed all seven legendary blades capable of being summoned at will, boasting nearly complete offensive, defensive, and endurance capabilities, including genjutsu techniques. He could even operate like a one-man army—a true all-around warrior.
Though he looked only a few years older than Tsukasa, his tactical system was already fully developed, and on paper, his combat power approached Kage-level.
He truly lived up to his reputation as a 'prodigy.'
But was this what made Tsukasa afraid?
Obviously not.
He'd dared to engage even when Kakuzu appeared before him.
Now facing just an enhanced version of Suigetsu, he wasn't intimidated at all.
What made Tsukasa realize something was deeply wrong was his opponent's current position.
Why was Hōzuki Mangetsu serving as a Hunter-nin?
Kirigakure had an extremely strict hierarchical system. Every position had clear responsibilities and chains of command.
For example, the Hunter-nin were responsible for completing the Mizukage's direct orders and eliminating rogue ninja who defected under Kirigakure's oppressive policies.
They served directly under the Mizukage, and their purpose was to leave no survivors, take no prisoners from enemy villages, and carry out absolute annihilation orders.
The fact that Hōzuki Mangetsu was a Hunter-nin contradicted Tsukasa's previous assumptions.
Based on Madara's plans in the original timeline, Obito's future takeover and control of Kirigakure, as well as Zabuza's ideology and Kirigakure's evaluation of him, major upheavals had clearly occurred within the village.
It was complicated, but could be summarized in three key points:
The upper echelons of Kirigakure during this period were likely connected to the elderly Uchiha Madara, or directly controlled by him. This would allow Madara to easily manipulate Kirigakure forces to implant the Three-Tails into Nohara Rin in the future.Karatachi Yagura's status as one of only four perfect Jinchūriki in the shinobi world demonstrated his pure heart, and his ascension to Fourth Mizukage was supported by the people.After Yagura was manipulated by Obito, he reinstated the Blood Mist policies. Momochi Zabuza—the "Demon" who'd followed Yagura in overthrowing the old regime—realized something was wrong and led his former comrades in a bold coup attempt against their corrupted leader.
Furthermore, in the original series, Hōzuki Suigetsu wore no missing-nin forehead protector and claimed no village affiliation, clearly having been expelled from Kirigakure preemptively.
When Suigetsu wielded the Executioner's Blade,
He expressed deep respect for Zabuza and mentioned that his "brother died pursuing his dreams."
It was almost certain that
Momochi Zabuza—the "Demon of the Hidden Mist"—had assassinated the Fourth Mizukage, who'd revived the Blood Mist policies, for the greater good of the village.
His backer
Was none other than Hōzuki Mangetsu—the Kirigakure prodigy and master of the Twin Blades Hiramekarei—who was equally willing to sacrifice everything for the village's future.
Like Zabuza, he'd once been Karatachi Yagura's most loyal subordinate and partner.
Yet now, this man
Appeared as a Hunter-nin, pressing Mei Terumi for Yagura's whereabouts.
This proved he wasn't Karatachi Yagura's ally at this point in time.
Cautious as always, Tsukasa instantly realized
He
Was standing at a crucial historical juncture that would determine the future direction of a major world power.
Hōzuki Mangetsu's allegiance—whether he sided with the Third Mizukage or with Karatachi Yagura—could
Very well be the tipping point for Kirigakure's inevitable coup.
This realization weighed heavily on Tsukasa, who'd always been reluctant to alter major plot developments.
Saving Uchiha Setsuna, saving Uchiha Seiichirō—
Honestly, saving these minor characters had very limited impact on the original timeline.
Tsukasa hadn't felt too burdened by those actions.
But now, the situation had escalated dramatically.
The major plot developments in Kirigakure involved the elderly Uchiha Madara's schemes, the future direction of the village, whether the Blood Mist Rebellion could be launched, and what role Kirigakure—currently at peak military strength—would play in the approaching Third Shinobi World War.
The key to all this
Was that Mei Terumi had accompanied him here!
She could have left immediately after gathering her intelligence.
But now, in order to help him create an opening to rescue Hidan, she'd encountered Hōzuki Mangetsu—who belonged to an opposing faction still under the Third Mizukage's command.
The Third Mizukage sending Hunter-nin to find Yagura made his intentions painfully obvious.
The Hunter-nin's purpose was elimination!
Ruthless, cold-blooded, emotionless tools—the very essence of this unit.
The conflict between the two factions was already at a boiling point, waiting for a single spark to ignite the flames of civil war.
In this dark and chaotic era, buried deep in the annals of history, the undercurrents beneath Kirigakure's facade of stability surged violently, and
The curtain had already risen!
Standing in the center of the great hall,
On a blood-red carpet,
On this new path stretching toward an unpredictable future,
It felt as if two diverging roads forked beneath his feet.
One led to a Bloody Throne built upon corpses and carnage.
The other led to the relatively peaceful resolution shown in the original timeline.
Tsukasa trembled slightly.
He couldn't explain the sensation—a mixture of exhilaration and dread.
His heart pounded furiously,
And blood rushed from his feet to his scalp. His body instinctively prepared for combat.
The fingertips of his right hand quietly darkened with Earth Release chakra, while his left hand reached for the ninja tool pouch at his waist.
With a subtle flick, four shuriken were already positioned between his fingers.
He slowly raised his head and looked at the six figures across from him, his eyes narrowing, his expression gradually becoming grave.
Meanwhile,
Above him, beneath the vaulted ceiling, thick black clouds churned.
Waves of icy raindrops
Fell, faster and faster.
Within the fortress hall, an artificial rain began to fall.
Tsukasa frowned, raised his hand, and examined his fingertips.
"Is this... Water Release: Kirisame?"
The raindrops falling on his Earth Release: Earth Spear-hardened skin were quietly weakening its incredibly strong defenses by more than one layer.
To restore Earth Spear to its original effectiveness would require at least triple the normal chakra consumption,
And even then, it
Would continue being weakened by the rain.
Water Release: Kirisame—
A secret technique unique to Kirigakure, capable of weakening all ninjutsu and chakra except Water Release. Even Naruto's Rasengan would be diminished by it.
"This is troublesome."
"Seems they observed my battle on the fortress wall and gathered intelligence."
"But at minimum, I can't let Mei Terumi die here."
Tsukasa took a deep breath, abandoning his Earth Spear strategy. He drew his ninja blade with his right hand, and
A pair of crimson Sharingan suddenly blazed to life in his eyes.
Two tomoe swirled around his dark pupils as he carefully assessed the situation.
Meanwhile,
Hōzuki Mangetsu also noticed Tsukasa's combat stance and glanced coldly at him.
A numb, indifferent killing intent shone in his purple eyes.
"Oh? Another Uchiha?"
He turned to look at Mei Terumi, who nervously clenched her fists, and asked coldly,
"Mei Terumi—"
"Have you fallen so low that you need to recruit ninja from other villages to support your rebellion?"
End of Chapter 68
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