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"Is what you're saying... really true?" Zabuza finally snapped out of his daze, still somewhat unwilling to believe it.
"Yes. The Akatsuki is the mastermind behind everything. I haven't been idle since leaving Kirigakure." Midorima replied seriously.
Haku moved closer, helping Zabuza put on his clothes. Noticing that the wound on Zabuza's chest had healed, leaving only a long scar, Haku's impression of Midorima improved significantly.
But Midorima didn't pay much attention to that.
Haku was indeed a promising ninja, but his current strength was still too weak.
Midorima's own situation wasn't safe either, so getting too close to Haku might not be a good idea.
"Then... what do you plan to do?" Zabuza asked.
"Do you trust me?" Midorima countered.
"No."
"You don't trust me, yet you let me heal you?" Midorima rolled his eyes.
Zabuza chuckled dryly. "Just tell me, what exactly have you found out?"
"The reason the Third and Fourth Mizukage became like this is because they were under a genjutsu. Among them, someone possesses the Sharingan," Midorima explained.
"Are you saying the mastermind is 'Konoha'?" Zabuza looked shocked, then muttered to himself, "Well, it makes sense. Even though Kirigakure and Konoha signed a ceasefire after the last Great Ninja War, the hatred between them isn't so easily erased. If they're pulling strings behind the scenes, it's not entirely unexpected. Could this Akatsuki also be Konoha's doing?"
Midorima understood why Zabuza would think that.
For a ninja outside of Konoha, the Sharingan was almost synonymous with the Uchiha clan, and the Uchiha were part of Konoha. Moreover, given that Konoha and Kirigakure had been at war just a few years ago, they certainly had a motive.
Ultimately, Kirigakure's intelligence-gathering capabilities were lacking. But it wasn't entirely their fault—during the Third Great Ninja War, Kirigakure was already deep in its "Village of the Bloody Mist" era. No one had likely noticed this detail, which led to them suffering a major loss against Konoha.
"Actually, the Akatsuki's connection to Konoha isn't that strong," Midorima shook his head. "Someone with the Sharingan isn't necessarily from the Uchiha clan. Take Ao, for example—didn't he have the Byakugan? And even within the Uchiha, there are rogue ninjas. Equating the Akatsuki with Konoha just because they have a Sharingan user isn't accurate."
"You know Konoha that well?" Zabuza was surprised.
"I've actually been to Konoha before, so I know a little about it." Midorima held up his pinky finger. "But since I'm a missing-nin from Kirigakure, I couldn't go many places. I could only gather some information, that's all."
"Then... you've had a really tough time these past few years." Zabuza forced an awkward laugh.
A ninja from Kirigakure, forced to hide in Konoha for survival—Zabuza could imagine how difficult Midorima's life had been.
He and Haku had only recently been targeted by the Akatsuki and were already in deep trouble. Midorima, with an even higher bounty on his head, was undoubtedly in greater danger.
"It's all in the past." Midorima patted Zabuza's shoulder.
"So then? What about Kirigakure... what do you plan to do?" Zabuza asked. "According to you, the Mizukage being controlled means he no longer represents Kirigakure. My goal is to become the next Mizukage—that's something I won't back down from."
Seeing Zabuza clench his fists indignantly, Midorima rubbed his temples helplessly, thinking, You've never yielded anything to me anyway.
"In any case, I have two goals: clearing my name and taking revenge on the Akatsuki and Igawa. The position of Mizukage was never part of my plans. Besides, Kirigakure would never let a missing-nin become Mizukage, right? From that perspective, neither of us has a chance." Midorima nudged Zabuza with his elbow.
"Whether there's a chance or not isn't up to them." Zabuza's expression relaxed when he heard Midorima had no interest in becoming Mizukage. "So then? What's your next move?"
"Well, I still have some personal matters to take care of, so I can't return to Kirigakure just yet." After hearing Zabuza's explanation, Midorima decided to postpone dealing with Kirigakure's affairs.
Taking on the Akatsuki alone—even if he could do it—wasn't something he'd attempt without dragging the other villages into it. Otherwise, wouldn't he just be doing all the work for nothing?
From that perspective, Kirigakure's situation also needed to be resolved.
"As for the Mizukage... I heard Ao is dead."
"Yeah. He died not long after you left Kirigakure." Zabuza recalled.
"I have a theory—he was killed because of his Byakugan." Midorima sighed. "The Byakugan can detect fluctuations in chakra. If someone was under genjutsu, he would've been able to see it. After Ao's death, even if people suspected the Mizukage was being controlled, no one dared openly oppose him without solid evidence."
"Then what do we do?" Zabuza asked, puzzled.
"We can't rush this. Hōzuki Mangetsu is seriously ill—it might be a terminal disease, or he might have been poisoned by someone like Igawa. If it's the latter, saving him isn't impossible. But you alone can't reverse Kirigakure's current decline. The only way is for you to rescue him." Midorima said.
The current Kirigakure was a deadlock.
After Ao's death, Midorima had doubts about whether Mei Terumī could end the "Village of the Bloody Mist," especially with both the Third and Fourth Mizukage under genjutsu. If the rebels didn't change their approach, they'd be trapped in a hopeless situation.
Rather than that, it might be better to stir things up further—there might be unexpected gains.
Right now, Midorima was in the mood to "enjoy the chaos." Kirigakure was already the "Village of the Bloody Mist"—how much worse could it get?
Better a lively Kirigakure than a stagnant one.
Zabuza's expression darkened.
Midorima had said he wouldn't compete for the position of Mizukage, and given his standing in Kirigakure, even if he tried, he'd be no match.
But Hōzuki Mangetsu was different.
The Hōzuki clan was one of Kirigakure's great families. The Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, had once held the position. Now, Mangetsu was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. If he were to resolve Kirigakure's crisis, Zabuza would have no chance.
Midorima, of course, understood Zabuza's hesitation.
"First, no one said Mangetsu's illness can definitely be cured. Second, even if he dies, you still have no chance in the current situation. The Third and Fourth Mizukage are working together—even if all Seven Swordsmen rebelled, they wouldn't stand a chance. Worse, some of the Seven have already joined the Akatsuki. If you don't unite all available forces, the only outcome is your death. Frankly, I have no interest in the Mizukage position. Even if Kirigakure suddenly vanished from the world, it wouldn't concern me."
Zabuza let out a long sigh. "Fine. After I rescue Mangetsu, how do we meet up?"
"Why would we meet up?" Midorima was confused.
"I don't know medical ninjutsu," Zabuza rolled his eyes. "Unless you can heal him from a distance?"
"Let me clarify—while I'm skilled in medical ninjutsu, I still have my own matters to attend to. That's the first point. Second, even I might not be able to cure him. So, I want to ask someone else for help."
"Who?"
"Tsunade. But she's the Hokage now, and your status is too sensitive—it'd be hard for you to contact her." Midorima glanced at Haku. "I'll give you a letter. You go to Konoha."
"Would she even help?" Zabuza doubted.
"Who knows? We don't have many options. Even a slim hope is worth trying, right?" Midorima smiled.