The entire surface of the sea churned with violent waves, centered around the pillar of fire ascending toward the heavens.
The massive steamship, despite its size, tossed and turned like a mere leaf in a storm before this display of natural—or rather, unnatural—fury.
Standing on the deck, the Third Mizukage, Byaran, felt his expression shift drastically.
"That brat is Ren Uchiha!"
Back in the Land of Hot Water, he had been trapped in a genjutsu and forced to watch the battle between young geniuses alongside that man. Now, only three months later, Byaran recognized the boy on the Lightning Boat instantly.
He was the Uchiha brat who had caught the eye of Uchiha Madara.
Why is he here?!
And from the looks of it, he has been waiting right on my mandatory path for a long time...
Could he have been incited by the Elder Council to assassinate me?!
Byaran's face paled, then twisted with rage.
"Who gave him my route? Was it Hōzuki Mangetsu?"
"No, that's impossible! Mangetsu left the village half a month ago on a mission. The only people who knew my schedule were—"
Byaran's gaze turned vicious as he looked back at the Hunter-nin swaying on the deck behind him.
This journey was an absolute secret among secrets within Kirigakure. It involved his transaction with Uchiha Madara: he was trading the life of the Three-Tails Jinchuriki to provide life force for the Gedo Mazo in exchange for Madara's help in suppressing the growing factions within the Mist.
He had officially joined the diplomatic mission to the Land of Lightning as a cover to deliver the Jinchuriki to Madara.
Only a select few of his personal Hunter-nin knew this path, and they had been under his constant watch. They hadn't had a single chance to leak information—except for their leader.
Byaran suddenly snapped his head around, his eyes cold as ice as they landed on Fuguki Suikazan, who was clutching the handle of the Great Sword, Samehada.
On the deck, feeling the Third Mizukage's sudden, venomous glare, the bewildered Fuguki Suikazan couldn't help but shudder. His grip on Samehada tightened instinctively.
Why is he looking at me like that?
What's with that look?
Does the Third know I've joined Yagura Karatachi's faction? Does he want to kill me right here?
For a heartbeat, Fuguki almost lost his nerve. He was tempted to slam Samehada into Byaran's skull right then and there, shout a war cry, and raise the banner of rebellion for Yagura.
But the "final checkmate" planned for the Third Mizukage wasn't supposed to happen yet. Yagura and the others weren't ready. Fuguki barely managed to suppress the urge to chop off the Mizukage's head.
Then, Byaran spoke, his voice devoid of any warmth.
"Suikazan—"
"Take everyone. Go and kill that brat!"
"Huh?" Fuguki was stunned. He looked in the direction Byaran was pointing—at the culprit behind the sea's turbulence, the boy standing within that pillar of flame.
He recognized Ren Uchiha instantly.
Fuguki's brain, previously sluggish with confusion, suddenly snapped into focus.
Me? Kill Ren Uchiha?
Are you kidding me?!
After the events at Hell Valley and the collapse of Unming City, Ren Uchiha's name had shaken the ninja world. The news that he intended to assassinate a Great Daimyo was spreading like wildfire.
Forget whether he could actually beat the kid; who knew how many S-rank rogues would pop out from behind him the moment someone attacked?
However, Byaran's gaze was becoming increasingly impatient and lethal.
Fuguki stiffened. He knew that with the Mizukage's growing paranoia and terrifying methods, if he didn't follow the order, he was a dead man.
Gritting his teeth, he waved his hand, signaling the Hunter-nin to leap from the deck with him toward Ren.
As the team jumped, the towering, shark-like Hunter-nin at the back of the line brushed past the Mizukage. Suddenly, Byaran's cold voice whispered in his ear, audible only to him.
"Kisame Hoshigaki..."
The chilling order struck Kisame's eardrums. "Wait for the right moment... and kill Fuguki Suikazan."
"The Great Sword, Samehada... will be yours to inherit."
Behind his mask, Kisame's expression froze. He turned his shark-like eyes toward the old man. Seeing the absolute resolve on Byaran's face, Kisame gave a silent, barely perceptible nod and leaped out over the water.
Byaran watched the two groups about to collide, the coldness in his heart deepening.
Regardless of whether the boy's appearance was intentional or a freak accident, anyone who could potentially leak the secret of his meeting with Madara had to be silenced forever.
Byaran wasn't afraid of what the Mist would think if they discovered Madara's existence behind him.
The only person he truly feared... was Uchiha Madara.
He feared Madara would execute him for incompetence. A month and a half ago, when he met Madara in the Land of Hot Water, he had seen real killing intent in the old legend's eyes. Madara had truly intended to kill him that day, only changing his mind at the last second because Byaran "still had some use."
Byaran let out a self-deprecating, bitter laugh.
He had chosen to "dance with the tiger" to prove he was stronger than Gengetsu Hōzuki and to secure the future of the Mist. Now, the tiger had grown too large to control.
He was the Mizukage, yet the entire Land of Water sat in that man's shadow.
He looked back at the center of the waves, where Ren Uchiha stood. He knew Fuguki Suikazan alone couldn't kill Ren.
Byaran took a deep breath and pulled a hand from his wide sleeve. In his palm, a spore quietly blossomed.
The spore took root in his arm, spreading across half his body. Soon, a pale, spiral-faced White Zetsu poked its head out from his shoulder.
"Hehe~"
"Third Mizukage-kun, are you finally going to tell me what it feels like to poop?"
Byaran's face darkened. He stared into the hollow, deep eye sockets of the spiral head and spoke.
"Your name is Zetsu, right? Help me! I can't kill him alone!"
"Ah-re?"
"Since Madara-sama ordered me to help you, of course! No problem!"
The spiral-faced Zetsu let out a chuckling sound, then corrected him with a mix of seriousness and absurdity:
"But my name is Tobi. Tobi, okay!"
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