"Yes, Mizukage-sama!"
Shō responded immediately to Yagura's command. He raised his eyes toward Mei Terumi, who remained half-kneeling within the encirclement of ANBU operatives. Her expression remained calm, showing no intention of resistance.
He knew well that with Mei's formidable abilities, if she chose to fight, none of the assembled ANBU could restrain her—not unless the Fourth Mizukage himself intervened directly.
In truth, Mei's emotions were in turmoil beneath her composed exterior.
Minato-senpai...
Her thoughts drifted to the young man who had rescued her on that blood-soaked night over a decade ago. As the Fourth Hokage now, was his plan truly to help Kirigakure escape the shadow conspiracy manipulating it from within? Or was this merely a stratagem to weaken Kirigakure's power?
Though her instinct was to believe the former without reservation, years of service in ANBU had taught her a harsh reality: in the shinobi world, nothing remained constant. Allies became enemies, and enemies, allies—all according to the shifting winds of advantage.
SWISH!
Among the hundreds of ANBU surrounding her, more than a dozen moved forward cautiously. Despite Mei's apparent passivity, they approached with extreme caution—her reputation as a powerful kunoichi well-earned.
In this crucial moment, Shō formed a series of hand seals. Veins bulged prominently around his eye beneath the black eye patch.
Byakugan!
"What are you doing?" Yagura demanded, anger flashing across his face as he noticed Shō's inaction.
Before the Mizukage could say more, the formidable power of the Byakugan activated, revealing everything within a one-kilometer radius to Shō's enhanced vision.
Suddenly, Shō's gaze locked onto a specific direction. "Who are you?!" he shouted, pointing toward a dense cluster of trees.
"What's happening?"
Several dozen meters away, hidden behind a tree, the masked man's eyes narrowed in displeasure. While using Yagura's identity, he had explicitly forbidden Shō from activating the Byakugan in his presence.
Shō's unexpected outburst momentarily stunned the ANBU encircling Mei Terumi.
"Where did she—?" One operative glanced to the spot where Mei had been kneeling, only to find it empty.
"Water Style: Water Gun Jutsu!"
Taking advantage of the distraction, Mei had already broken through the encirclement. Her hands completed the necessary seals as water collected in her mouth, forming into several concentrated jets.
WHOOSH!
The water bullets shot forward with devastating force, piercing through trees as if they were paper. In mere seconds, they crossed dozens of meters. One water projectile tore through the very tree concealing the masked man.
"Impressive reflexes," the masked man commented as the water bullet passed harmlessly through his intangible form. Though his tone remained light, the expression behind his mask had darkened considerably.
Shō had been a confidant he'd carefully cultivated over years; the possibility of him conspiring with Mei Terumi should have been nonexistent. Yet here was the impossible, unfolding before him.
As the tree trunk splintered from the impact, Mei's keen eyes detected the shadowy figure behind it. Her beautiful face instantly hardened, killing intent surging through her as she rushed toward the masked man's position.
"Lava Style: Melting Apparition Technique!"
Forming seals with both hands simultaneously, Mei opened her mouth once more. This time, molten lava gushed forth in a broad, cascading curtain, engulfing the masked man's location in superheated magma.
Just as the lava was about to reach him, a mirror-like surface formed from rapidly flowing water materialized before the masked man.
Within this watery reflection, the incoming lava appeared—and then an identical stream of magma emerged from the mirror, colliding with Mei's attack.
HISSSS!
Mei's Lava Release possessed extraordinary corrosive properties. As the two streams of magma collided, the humid air evaporated instantly, filling the clearing with thick steam. Magma splattered onto the ground and surrounding vegetation, dissolving everything it touched.
"The Water Mirror Technique—the Fourth Mizukage's specialty," Mei identified immediately, her gaze shifting sideways.
Yagura stood nearby, his hands forming complex seals, yet his eyes remained vacant and soulless—like an empty vessel controlled by unseen strings.
"Coral Palm!"
Yagura unsheathed the staff-like weapon from his back, swinging it violently. A formation resembling coral extended from its tip, shooting toward Mei with frightening speed.
Reacting instantly, Mei changed her technique, expelling another wave of magma to form a defensive barrier.
BOOM!
The techniques collided with a thunderous explosion, sending shockwaves through the forest.
"These two are planning a rebellion," the masked man called out, his voice carrying through the clearing. "Capture Shō immediately!"
Having operated within Kirigakure for years, the masked man wasn't about to surrender his influence so easily. His only option now was to subdue both Mei and Shō, then execute them before the truth spread further.
Concealing himself among the trees, he remained temporarily beyond the reach of most Kirigakure ANBU.
The hundreds of assembled operatives stood frozen in confusion, this sudden shift leaving them uncertain whose orders to follow.
Shō, who had first spotted the masked man with his Byakugan, turned sharply toward the gathered ANBU. "The Fourth Mizukage has been manipulated by an outside force!" he shouted. "That masked individual hiding in the woods is controlling him. Don't let him escape!"
He explained that the masked man couldn't stray too far while maintaining control over the Mizukage—he couldn't leave their immediate vicinity.
The Kirigakure ANBU hesitated, torn between conflicting loyalties. Seeing their uncertainty, Shō fixed his gaze on those he knew he could influence. "If we fail to expose him now, do you think any of us will survive the aftermath? Remember what happened after our last mission."
His reference to the failed capture of Shisui struck home. If they had concealed that failure and allowed the Fourth Mizukage—or rather, his puppetmaster—to discover it independently, they would have faced certain death.
Several ANBU operatives exchanged glances before making their decision. Gritting their teeth, they chose to trust Shō, following him as he charged toward the masked man's position.
Under the penetrating vision of the Byakugan, the masked man's space-time techniques lost much of their effectiveness—his movements could be tracked.
"Ha... hahaha."
The masked man's laughter carried a bitter edge. It seemed Shō had also developed leverage over these ANBU members during his years of service.
At this point, the masked man realized his carefully constructed control was crumbling.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Within moments, Kirigakure ANBU swarmed his hiding place, surrounding him from all directions.
"You dare manipulate the Fourth Mizukage, toying with the entire Hidden Mist Village?" Killing intent radiated from Shō's eyes as he confronted the masked figure.
The other ANBU, initially skeptical that their Mizukage could be controlled by an outside force, began noticing the unnatural behavior of Yagura nearby.
More ANBU joined the encirclement, until hundreds surrounded the masked man.
Not far away, Mei Terumi remained locked in stalemate with the puppet-like Fourth Mizukage.
"I manipulated you all. What of it?" the masked man snarled, his voice dripping with sarcasm yet tinged with unmistakable frustration.
Decades of meticulous planning within Kirigakure—ruined in a single day.
His words ignited fury in the eyes of the assembled ANBU, their expressions hardening with betrayal and rage.
In the clearing, Yagura suddenly froze mid-attack, his body becoming completely motionless.
Mei Terumi observed this with slight surprise. After confirming Yagura's incapacitation, she rushed into the forest toward the confrontation.
Cutting through the ring of ANBU, she landed gracefully before the masked man. Removing her mask, she revealed eyes blazing with murderous intent.
Her love for the Hidden Mist Village ran deep. The man before her had manipulated her home for years, his schemes reaching far beyond the current Mizukage's tenure. The ambush that had nearly claimed Minato's life and the death of her own mother—surely this manipulator had orchestrated it all.
Facing the combined hostility of Mei Terumi and the surrounding Kirigakure forces, the masked man's expression remained hidden. Yet his voice carried unmistakable venom as he addressed Mei directly.
"I should have eliminated you the moment Minato Namikaze departed from the Hidden Mist Village!"