"Because the Fourth Mizukage neglected government affairs for years," Mangetsu Hōzuki began coldly, "he allowed Kirigakure's jōnin to fight for power and profit. He revived the persecution of the kekkei genkai clans. And we lost the war against Sunagakure."
He listed the charges one by one.
If it weren't for those absurd orders, neither he nor Zabuza Momochi would have even considered assassinating the Fourth Mizukage.
Assassinating a Kage wasn't some tavern bar fight.
Even if they succeeded, they wouldn't necessarily become the next Mizukage.
More likely, they'd just get labeled unstable lunatics and be quietly eliminated afterward.
Naruto listened and smiled faintly.
"The Fourth Mizukage you describe sounds utterly vile. A villain everyone should execute."
He leaned forward slightly.
"But I'm more curious about one thing."
"What does he gain from doing all this?"
Mangetsu frowned.
Naruto continued calmly:
"Think about it. He's already the supreme ruler of Kirigakure. In a sense, the village is his private property. Why deliberately target the kekkei genkai clans?"
"Even if those clans threatened his rule, wouldn't it make more sense for him to personally lead a purge? Instead, he hides away and rarely shows himself."
"That doesn't match common sense."
Mangetsu fell silent.
He had once believed the Fourth Mizukage was simply paranoid or foolish.
But Naruto's question struck at the core:
What motive did Mizukage have?
Naruto glanced between Mangetsu and Zabuza.
"Also… when your Fourth Mizukage first took office, he wasn't like this, was he?"
The two Kirigakure swordsmen froze.
They didn't know exactly when the change happened.
Back then, they were just ordinary ninja—far from someone as powerful as the Mizukage.
But they remembered fragments.
At that time, Kirigakure was at war with Sunagakure.
As both Mizukage and Three-Tails Jinchūriki, the Fourth had crushed opposition factions and used force to end the worst of the Blood Mist policy. Tensions in the village had actually eased.
Then—
Only a few months later—
He suddenly ordered a purge of the kekkei genkai clans and reinstated parts of the Blood Mist system.
Civil strife returned overnight.
So what happened in between?
As Mangetsu and Zabuza sank into confusion, Shisui Uchiha's expression subtly changed.
There were only two possibilities for such a drastic personality shift.
One: a catastrophic emotional trauma.
Two: mind control.
Shisui knew better than anyone what a Mangekyō Sharingan could do.
His own Kotoamatsukami could rewrite a person's will without them even noticing.
If he could do it—
Someone else could too.
And there was one man in particular…
The masked man.
The same one who orchestrated the Nine-Tails attack.
Shisui glanced at Naruto.
Judging by the timing of this interrogation, Naruto had probably realized this long ago.
Naruto finally spoke:
"So what could cause such a dramatic change in temperament?"
He looked at them steadily.
"What if the Fourth Mizukage you know… is no longer himself?"
"What if he's just a puppet?"
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Mangetsu and Zabuza's expressions turned grave.
If the Mizukage was under genjutsu control, then everything made sense.
But he wasn't some weak civilian.
He was the Three-Tails Jinchūriki.
Even if trapped in illusion, the tailed beast should disrupt it—
Unless…
The caster was overwhelmingly stronger.
Zabuza's fists clenched.
If this was true, then their assassination plan was a damn joke.
Kill the Mizukage?
Fine.
And then what?
As long as the mastermind lived, the next Mizukage would just become another puppet.
Kirigakure would remain trapped in shadow.
For the first time, Zabuza felt something close to despair.
Mangetsu, however, did not.
Instead, his eyes burned brighter as he looked at Naruto.
"You didn't tell us this out of kindness."
He spoke calmly.
"You need us."
"If this were merely about spreading the news that Mizukage is being manipulated, Uzushiogakure could do that itself."
His tone sharpened.
"What do you want? For Kirigakure to collapse? So you can take the Land of Water?"
Naruto laughed.
"I have no interest in that barren, rain-soaked wasteland."
He waved a hand casually.
"I'm telling you this for entertainment."
A pause.
"Besides, even if I said nothing, your higher-ups should already suspect something."
Mangetsu's eyes flickered.
He thought of Genji, the elder who had served since Kirigakure's founding.
A man whose prestige surpassed even the Mizukage's.
In recent years, Genji had withdrawn from active management.
Mangetsu once thought the old man had grown spineless.
Now?
Perhaps he was waiting.
Waiting for the right moment.
Mangetsu exhaled slowly.
"The ninja manipulating Mizukage… is your enemy, isn't he?"
"You want to use Kirigakure to eliminate him."
He gave a faint, humorless smile.
"You're quite good at calculating."
Naruto spread his hands.
"It's called driving away a wolf with a tiger."
He tilted his head slightly.
"And you don't really have a choice."
"Unless you're willing to let your Mizukage remain someone's puppet."
He added lightly:
"Sooner or later, you'll have to face the masked man."
The words landed heavily.
Then Naruto's tone shifted.
"Of course, if you fail to deal with him… you may request assistance from Uzushiogakure."
"But help isn't free."
Mangetsu's interest sharpened.
"What's the price?"
Naruto looked at him calmly.
"I can represent the Land of Whirlpools."
"Can you represent Kirigakure?"
Mangetsu fell silent.
He couldn't.
Their statuses weren't equal.
And this mysterious Uzumaki ninja—
Powerful enough to imprison them effortlessly—
Was clearly village-leader material.
Yet Uzushiogakure had been destroyed for over twenty years.
Where the hell did this monster come from?
One final thought crept into Mangetsu's mind.
Masked man.
Mangekyō Sharingan.
Mind control.
Could it be—
Was that masked bastard the one who had been pulling Kirigakure's strings all along?
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