Why were the sharks willing to work for free? The convenience of the Sharingan, of course. It could even control Tailed Beasts, let alone a few mere sharks without chakra. Besides, it saved his own chakra. Constantly using Wind Style to travel was exhausting.
The poor sharks, exploited by Uchiha Nagi as free labor. Some were worked until they foamed at the mouth before he finally let them go.
With these underwater "cart horses," Uchiha Nagi's boat sped away from the Land of Water. He always felt uneasy there; ultimately, it was because water was everywhere, making escape difficult. If tracked by a large group of ninjas, his only option would be to flee by boat out to sea, which was undoubtedly very dangerous. The Land of Water's Anbu specialized in aquatic combat and could wear you down with fast ships.
As someone who had lived on land for many years, Uchiha Nagi still preferred the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet.
"We're approaching land soon. When we arrive, I'll buy you a sword, and I'll teach you a martial art that doesn't exist in this world," Uchiha Nagi said, turning to Kimimaro.
"Doesn't exist in this world?" little Kimimaro asked curiously.
"Mm, a Breathing Style. A Breathing Style used in conjunction with swordsmanship. You're quite fond of carrying that bone sword, aren't you? Perhaps you can become a powerful swordsman," Uchiha Nagi smiled.
Lead Kimimaro astray? Not a chance. Breathing Styles themselves were martial techniques that enhanced the human body, not conflicting with his Shikotsumyaku. Orochimaru's Curse Mark was similar; it used a simplified form of natural energy, a low-tier version of senjutsu. That was how Kimimaro had been able to kill the Fourth Kazekage.
As for dying later while fighting Gaara, he was already running on empty by then and had forcibly activated the final stage of his Curse Mark. The massive influx of natural energy naturally hastened his death. Even so, he was so close—just a meter away—from killing both Gaara and Rock Lee. If he had lived just a few seconds longer, the shinobi world would have lost two more supporting characters…
However, at this point, Uchiha Nagi didn't intend to let Kimimaro unrestrainedly tap into the power of his Shikotsumyaku. He wanted him to develop his body properly, train in other ninjutsu and Breathing Styles. When he grew older, they'd see if the kekkei genkai illness recurred. If it did, Nagi would just go steal a pair of Byakugan to cure him. Once he was cured, then he could fully develop his power—
Of course, whether White Zetsu's cells could cure Kimimaro's illness was still a matter for research. After all, although Hamura and Hagoromo shared a mother, their genetic descendants had long since diverged. Cells from the First Hokage wouldn't necessarily cure Kimimaro; otherwise, Orochimaru would have already done it, as he had First Hokage cells in his possession…
As Uchiha Nagi successfully made landfall—
By the time Obito received the news and rushed to Kirigakure, it was already too late. Uchiha Nagi was gone, and so was Orochimaru.
Although Obito's space-time ninjutsu made travel very convenient, not even requiring a boat, the Land of Rain and the Land of Water were a great distance apart, with the vast Land of Fire in between… It was a wonder how Obito managed to travel back and forth between the two villages so frequently without any leaks. After all, the Fourth Mizukage required constant Mangekyo genjutsu application, and Obito couldn't stay away from the Land of Water for too long either, as he had many Akatsuki matters to oversee… This was also why the Fourth Mizukage eventually managed to break free from his control; if Obito wasn't consistently present in Kirigakure, and Ao discovered the truth…
When Obito arrived in the Land of Water, the White Zetsu clone stationed there reported the situation: Uchiha Nagi and Orochimaru had already left, and the Kaguya clan was currently planning to rebel.
"Is that so? That Uchiha Nagi has already fled the Land of Water. What a pity. To think that after disappearing for over a year, he's grown to this extent, even able to fight Orochimaru and escape unscathed," Obito said calmly.
Obito felt pressured by Itachi's combat intelligence. It seemed anyone who fought Itachi would have their every move seen through. Moreover, Itachi had never lost a single battle. His perpetual calmness and battle IQ that allowed him to always find a jutsu's weakness made even Obito wary. Compared to Nagato, Itachi felt like a more troublesome opponent. That was why the grudge from when Uchiha Nagi had cut off his arm had gradually been set aside. He needed someone of comparable strength who could also act as a check against Itachi, someone to be used as a pawn when Itachi eventually turned traitor.
"Yes, and as for the Kaguya clan, tonight is precisely when they plan to rebel. You've arrived just in time…" White Zetsu chuckled.
When Obito wasn't around, to prevent the Fourth Mizukage from appearing too dull and arousing suspicion of being controlled, White Zetsu naturally stepped in. White Zetsu absorbed a portion of the Fourth Mizukage's chakra, transformed into his appearance, and held down the fort in Kirigakure. Thanks to White Zetsu's disguise, Obito successfully maintained control over Kirigakure even in his absence. However, while White Zetsu could impersonate the Fourth Mizukage, he couldn't replicate the Tailed Beast within him. If Ao were to inspect with his Byakugan and discover the Mizukage's pitifully low chakra levels, he would likely become suspicious.
"Then let the Anbu deal with them. They're just a bunch of muscle-headed madmen," Obito said dismissively.
"Understood. I'll go make the arrangements. By the way, with this extermination of the Kaguya clan, it seems many of the old, established families are getting restless," White Zetsu chuckled.
"It doesn't matter. They're just a bunch of fence-sitters, mere rabble. Just have the Fourth Mizukage, who hasn't made an appearance in a while, transform into his Tailed Beast form to warn them. That should be enough," Obito said contemptuously.
Did Kirigakure have any Kage-level individuals? Perhaps in the past. Before Hozuki Mangetsu died, he was Kage-level potential, but unfortunately, he died young from illness. And Kisame, who rose later, was even more formidable. He had more chakra than a Kage, earning him the nickname 'Tailed Beast Without a Tail.' It showed just how vast his chakra reserves were—at least equivalent to a One-Tail or more. Then there was Terumi Mei, favored by the heavens, a prominent figure possessing two kekkei genkai.
However, at present, many were wary of the Fourth Mizukage, the 'Perfect Jinchuriki.' They were all observing, acting as fence-sitters, hoping not to be the ones to fire the first shot. Little did they know, the more they waited and watched, the closer their doom approached. Obito already hated Kirigakure to the bone and wouldn't miss any opportunity to dismantle the village. All kekkei genkai clans were part of his purge plan.
When night fell, the Fourth Mizukage convened a meeting. All of Kirigakure's old, established families and high-ranking officials gathered to discuss the matter of the Kaguya clan's rebellion.
Even if one wanted to exterminate a kekkei genkai clan, it wasn't that simple. First, a legitimate pretext was necessary. Even the Mizukage's Anbu were living people; ordering them to slaughter their own villagers required a lawful excuse and evidence.
Ao hid amongst the crowd, his eyepatch still in place. But behind it, his Byakugan secretly activated, revealing something that shocked him to his core.
The Fourth Mizukage… there was a distinct mass of different chakra in his brain, and similarly in his core where the Tailed Beast was sealed…