The Northwest Ninja Army guarded the frontier between the Kingdom and the Council State. Among the three great ninja villages, the strongest—Kirigakure—had been advancing relentlessly, capturing territory in rapid succession.
Until they finally encountered something that refused to yield.
"So this is a so-called True Dragon King? Not much to boast about!"
The Three-Tails roared toward the heavens. Its massive foot slammed into the ground, and a towering column of water erupted from beneath the earth. The Worm Dragon Lord, burrowing underground moments before, was blasted skyward, its dozens-of-meters-long body revealed in full—no smaller than the Three-Tails itself.
Standing atop the beast's head, Karatachi Yagura stared down coldly.
It was this worm-like Dragon Lord that had nearly wiped out multiple Kirigakure mountain-combat units. Only a handful had survived to report the disaster.
At Yagura's command, the Three-Tails opened its jagged maw. Chakra condensed instantly into a massive sphere.
A Tailed Beast Bomb shot forth.
The explosion split the sky.
The Worm Dragon Lord—one of the Council State's five lifelong councilors, a being comparable to an Aberration—was blasted in half midair.
Dragon blood rained down like a crimson storm.
"As expected of the successor personally favored by Elder Genji! Karatachi Yagura's strength alone qualifies him to become the Fifth Mizukage!"
The shinobi of Kirigakure no longer harbored prejudice against Jinchūriki. On the contrary—becoming one had become a dream.
After Konoha's Two-Tails host had risen in status overnight, the entire perception had shifted.
Once, Jinchūriki were monsters.
Now, they were shortcuts to supremacy.
If even the Ninja Cat Juno could ascend so rapidly, why not them?
As Kirigakure's combat units slaughtered the ogre army, the heads of the three great clans gathered to speak.
The Kaguya and Hōzuki clan leaders cast envious glances toward the Yuki clan head.
With Yagura's Three-Tails power now displayed, the remaining Six-Tails had become a coveted prize—one that was subtly drifting toward the Ice Release clan.
The Yuki clan, ancestors of the Mizukage's Ice lineage, had regained strength under Konoha's support. With the Uchiha leadership's favor—and the enhancement of Ice Release combined with Frost Dragon blood—their elite members now approached Kage-tier strength at minimum.
Even Uchiha Sōju, who oversaw parts of the Science Division and instructed Haku, harbored faint envy toward their bloodline stacking.
Outside of peak-tier combatants, the reborn Yuki clan practically overshadowed even the Uchiha.
"Elder Genji remains in his prime," the Yuki clan head said calmly. "Discussing the Fifth Mizukage now is premature."
His meaning was clear.
If they didn't seize momentum now, the Mizukage seat would slip away.
It certainly would not fall to the impulsive Kaguya clan.
That left either a genius from outside the three great clans—or the formidable Hōzuki clan, who once seized the Second Mizukage position through strength and political maneuvering.
"It isn't for us to decide," the Hōzuki clan head replied with narrowed eyes. "Per Elder Genji's directive, command authority over most combat shinobi has already shifted to Yagura. Our influence is no longer equal."
Clan power and civilian power had always competed within villages. Without Uchiha Soren expanding the global pie, internal conflict would have erupted long ago.
From a clan perspective, Hōzuki did not mind the Yuki clan rising.
From a personal perspective—
They were inconvenient.
"If a Six-Tails Jinchūriki is born," the Hōzuki leader added lightly, "perhaps Elder Genji may reconsider."
The Six-Tails remained under Genji's custody. To claim it required his approval.
But Genji favored balance—meaning he preferred a host outside the three major clans.
The Yuki clan had only two options.
Align with Genji's balancing philosophy.
Or apply external pressure.
The first ensured stagnation.
The second risked political backlash.
Before the Yuki head could respond, the Kaguya clan leader scoffed loudly.
"Sealing a beast inside yourself makes you no better than a beast!"
"My Shikotsumyaku surpasses any Tailed Beast!"
With a savage grin, the towering Kaguya tore a blade from his own spine and charged into the retreating ogre ranks.
"Dance of the Seedling Fern!"
Massive bone pillars burst from the ground, impaling ogres by the dozens. Goblins caught in the surge were split apart, their entrails spilling onto the battlefield.
"The Kaguya leader has reached Kage-tier," the Hōzuki head muttered. "No wonder he speaks so boldly. Though… Konoha's upper echelon are all Jinchūriki."
"What he says is irrelevant," the Yuki head replied. "But Konoha must not misunderstand Kirigakure's stance."
The two exchanged polite smiles—each hiding calculation.
Meanwhile, Yagura had already collected the Worm Dragon Lord's remains.
Part would be delivered to Konoha's Science Division as merit.
Part would remain in Kirigakure's own research facility.
They did not seek to overtake Konoha.
Only to remain indispensable.
Yagura's front advanced like a tidal wave.
Elsewhere, on another battle line, Kakuzu was about to strike down a jet-black Dragon Lord whose scales gleamed like polished obsidian.
Before he could land the finishing blow—
A figure descended from the sky.
Clad head to toe in platinum-white armor.
And the battlefield fell silent.
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