"Is the Mizukage dead?"
Outside the conference room, Jiraiya looked at the blood-soaked Hakken and asked with a weary smile.
"Jiraiya, I know you're kind-hearted," Hakken replied, his tone calm but firm. "But think about it—if he's dead, how many fewer people in Kirigakure will die because of him?"
He let out a quiet sigh.
Kindness wasn't a flaw. In that sense, he admired Jiraiya the same way he admired Naruto. But kindness and ruthlessness were opposites that could never coexist within one person.
To change the world, sacrifices were inevitable.
Taking control of Kirigakure would give Konoha a powerful boost in military strength. And in the coming war for unification, the Mist's alliance could shift the entire balance of power.
For Konoha, the advantages were immeasurable.
In some ways, Hakken's methods resembled those of the late Danzo Shimura—but he had far more restraint, and his lines were clearer.
No matter what, he wouldn't hide behind the excuse of "for the village" to justify doing whatever he pleased.
If someone angered him, he'd simply kill them—
Not for Konoha, but because he wanted to.
That was just who Hakken was.
Hearing his words, Jiraiya felt even more conflicted.
First Shisui had spoken about mutual understanding, and now Hakken's ruthless logic seemed equally convincing. He needed time to come to terms with it all.
Ignoring Jiraiya's silence, Hakken pushed open the conference room door.
Inside, Kirigakure's elders and top officials stared back at him in shock and confusion.
And they had every reason to be.
Dragged out of bed and slapped awake by force—anyone would be dazed and terrified.
Only three people, tightly bound in the corner, remained alert.
Kirigakure's Great Elder, Genji—the man who had ruled the village after Yagura's death and only later appointed Terumi as the Fifth Mizukage during the Five Kage Summit.
The old man's spirit seemed unshaken. Despite the chaos, he stayed composed, and that poise alone showed he was no ordinary elder.
The other two prisoners were the future Fifth Mizukage, Terumi, and Ao, the shinobi who had distinguished himself in the Third Shinobi World War, his Byakugan hidden beneath an eyepatch.
Frowning slightly, Hakken gestured toward one of his subordinates—a member of the Hyūga clan, codenamed Retsu.
"Take his eye. Return it to Hiashi Hyūga when we're back."
Starting with that kind of order?
The Mist officials froze in horror, staring wide-eyed. None of them had expected such brutal decisiveness.
Even more shocking was that the leader of the force that had invaded Kirigakure so swiftly and efficiently—was just a boy.
A boy carrying a sword.
"Are you… Konoha's Kenpachi? The hero of Konohagakure?"
At that tense moment, Ao suddenly spoke up.
Konoha's Kenpachi—the name that had swept through the shinobi world over the past year.
The one who led the surprise assault division that crippled the Kumogakure rear lines.
The one who captured their Jinchūriki and severely wounded the Eight-Tails' host, Killer Bee.
Rumor even had it he fought the Raikage to a standstill and, together with Minato Namikaze, captured him alive.
Of course, few believed such stories.
Compared to those rumors, most preferred to think it was all part of Konoha's propaganda—a manufactured legend, a hero created to inspire the world in times of crisis.
"Pluck."
Without another word, Hakken gave the order.
"Ah!!"
A blood-curdling scream tore through the conference room. The elders glanced around in panic, barely daring to breathe, terrified that this demon might decide to take their eyes next.
Retsu's face twisted into a feral expression as he sealed away the freshly plucked eyeball in his hand.
It was a Hyūga main family's eye. Only the main house's Byakugan remained intact after death. Protecting the main house was the duty of the branch family.
"Remember, this belongs to Konoha," Hakken said flatly. "You took it through your own skill. I'm reclaiming it through mine. I won't allow Konoha's power to be paraded around like some trophy."
Sweeping his gaze across the room, Hakken ignored Ao's agonized screams and strode toward Terumi and Genji. His attention finally settled on Terumi.
He gestured behind him.
Itachi entered silently and threw down the corpse of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura.
For a moment, the entire room froze.
Eyes widened in disbelief.
The Mizukage… was dead.
Impossible.
That man was the strongest in all of Kirigakure!
Just moments ago, when they had been captured, they still held onto the faint hope that the Mizukage would defeat the intruders and save them.
Now that hope was gone—completely crushed.
"Sir, are you trying to start the Fourth Shinobi World War?"
Genji's voice broke the silence as he glanced down at the body. His opening line was a calculated attempt to apply pressure.
And he wasn't wrong.
If word spread that someone had infiltrated Kirigakure and killed the Mizukage, the entire shinobi world would erupt into chaos.
The Raikage had also once been captured by this boy and used as a bargaining chip—but at least he had survived. That ordeal lasted only a few days.
Now, the Mizukage was dead—killed by a shinobi of Konoha.
Could Konoha withstand the Mist's vengeance?
"First," Hakken said coldly, "I didn't give you permission to speak."
His inhumanly sharp gaze cut through the air.
In one smooth motion, Hakken grabbed Genji by the throat. His voice came out low and chilling, like something from the depths of hell.
"Second, Kirigakure isn't worthy of starting a Fourth Shinobi World War. And even if you could, Konoha wouldn't fear it."
"Otherwise, I wouldn't be here."
Unworthy.
The word alone ignited humiliation and rage in Genji's eyes.
He was a man revered in Kirigakure, a great elder whose influence rivaled that of the Mizukage himself—yet here he was, being throttled like a child.
Such an insult had never happened in his lifetime.
"Third," Hakken continued, releasing his grip, "I despise politicians like you. So keep your mouth shut until I tell you to speak. And don't pretend you don't know whether killing Yagura is good or bad for your village. Wipe that fake smile off your face before I do it for you."
He dropped Genji without another glance and turned toward Terumi.
"You. Come with me."
Leaving those words behind, Hakken walked toward the side chamber next to the meeting hall.
Me?
Terumi hesitated, startled, then slowly rose to follow him.
Whatever he wanted to say, she had no power to resist. His subordinates alone were strong enough to defeat and restrain her—so what chance did she have against the man himself, the legend known as Konoha's Kenpachi?
At this time, Terumi was still only a girl in her early teens.
Of course, to Hakken, she was already an "old woman."
"Let's talk, Auntie," he said as he sat down in the adjoining room, his sharp gaze fixed on her.
The intensity of his stare made Terumi's body tremble.
Talk?
Talk about what?