'Your mouth is still sealed tight.'
Takizo performed his act while grumbling in his heart.
At first meeting, Takizo had spoken of family ties, lowered his posture to beg for help, then raised three impossible requests, each certain to be refused.
That left Mangetsu feeling guilty.
Then came the pitiful act, the declaration of loyalty, and finally the legendary younger-brother card with a touch of tenderness.
All of it was meant to soften Mangetsu's heart and coax out the plan to assassinate the Mizukage, so Takizo could join in.
It seemed Mangetsu had wavered, but he had not let his guard down completely.
'Still can't crack you?' Takizo thought. 'Then I'll have to change my approach.'
We're on such good terms already. If I say something unpleasant, surely you won't draw Hiramekarei and cut me down on the spot.
Takizo resolved himself. If it failed, he would run.
"Then I can only hope the Kaguya hold out until the chance arrives," Takizo said, rising to his feet. "I wish you victory."
He walked to the door, measuring the distance between himself and Mangetsu. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he asked, "By the way, senpai, have you made any enemies of late?"
Mangetsu smiled. "In Kirigakure, it is only others who offend the Hozuki. Never the other way around."
Takizo opened the door and continued, "I heard rumors that you've grown close with Zabuza."
Mangetsu was indifferent. "He and I are both of the Seven Swordsmen. It's natural that we exchange knowledge."
Takizo pretended to step out. "And I heard whispers that you are gathering subordinates, that your power is rising, that you may harbor treacherous intent. Surely just baseless gossip."
Anyone who has schemed before knows—when someone names your crime to your face, it stirs guilt. Whether you can hide it depends on your acting.
Mangetsu was not an actor.
He shot to his feet, startling Suigetsu beside him.
"Where did you hear that, Takizo?" Mangetsu's stare was sharp.
Takizo shrugged casually. "I heard it from…"
He trailed off, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Why react so strongly senpai?"
Takizo's eyes lit up. He drew back his step and closed the door, exclaiming, "Then it's true?"
Mangetsu froze, his gaze flickering.
Takizo strode forward and seized his hand. "If you're planning something great, why not tell me sooner?"
Mangetsu blinked. This wasn't fear… wait—
No.
Why should I tell you anything? We're close, yes, but not that close.
No.
Who said I was rebelling in the first place? I never admitted it!
"You're mistaken, Takizo," Mangetsu said quickly. "There's no such thing."
Takizo waved his hand. "Senpai, don't hide it from me!"
Before Mangetsu could respond, Takizo pressed on. "If you seek something great, the Kaguya will give their all.
With you rising within, us pressing from without, and Zabuza lending his strength, Kirigakure would be yours for the taking."
Mangetsu blinked. That… made sense. No flaw in it.
"Can you truly speak for the Kaguya?" he asked.
Got him.
Takizo was just about to answer when a voice cut in from behind.
"Mangetsu, this brat is baiting you."
The words were followed by a chilling aura.
Mangetsu stiffened. "What?!"
Takizo froze, every hair on his body standing on end.
A tall, powerfully built figure stepped out from behind him, dragging a massive blade along the floor. The steel screeched against the boards with a hiss like a snake's whisper.
Momochi Zabuza.
When had he arrived?
Do all shinobi love eavesdropping this much?
Takizo's mind raced.
Zabuza was not like Mangetsu.
As the embodiment of the Bloody Mist, he was one of the most feared killers among Kirigakure's assassins.
His most famous deed: slaughtering over a hundred classmates on graduation day, forcing the village to abandon its policy of killing exams.
And yet in the end, he had been reduced to tears by Haku's compassion.
Haku must have been something else. Under the crushing pressure, Takizo's thoughts wandered.
Zabuza dragged a chair over and dropped into it, his massive frame filling the space.
"Speak. Where did you get that information?"
Takizo glanced at him.
Zabuza lounged back, his left elbow on the armrest, his right hand loosely gripping the executioner's blade. A casual pose, but he could strike in an instant.
Strike? Of course. With Zabuza's nature and strength, if he meant to kill me, I'd already be feeding his sword.
Which meant he wasn't planning to kill me yet.
Realizing that, Takizo steadied himself. He had prepared words for Zabuza, though the sudden entrance had shaken him.
He bowed slightly. "So it was you, Zabuza-senpai."
"Answer me, brat." Zabuza's exposed face showed no expression, but his voice was like ice.
Takizo met his eyes. "The Kaguya have their own sources of intelligence."
"If that's all you can say," Zabuza warned, "you won't leave alive."
Takizo dared not press him further.
He answered directly. "From Konoha."
Zabuza's grip tightened on the blade. "The Kaguya colluding with Konoha?"
Takizo looked genuinely shocked. "Colluding? The Kaguya and the Hyuga have been bound by blood since before Kirigakure even existed."
Zabuza's fingers relaxed slightly. He tapped the hilt of his blade.
It wasn't impossible. After all, Konoha surely had spies here, just as Kirigakure had spies there.
"And their reason?" Zabuza asked coldly.
"Their reason?" Takizo repeated.
Zabuza's voice grew sharper. "Why would Konoha risk exposing spies to feed you information? What do they want?"
Takizo explained. "Tensions with Iwagakure grow worse by the day. War may break out at any moment. Konoha doesn't want Kirigakure—already at peace with them—to stir again."
Zabuza gave a slight nod. That made sense.
"Then tell your Konoha masters this," Zabuza said, eyes narrowing. "Kirigakure has no intention of tearing up the treaty."
He fixed his gaze on Takizo. "Now leave. And keep your mouth shut. Or I'll take the Kaguya down myself."
Takizo frowned. "Leave? I haven't even said what I need yet."
Zabuza sneered. "A dog gnawing a bone thinks it deserves a share of the feast?"