Chapter 166: Makoto, Why Don't You Be the Mizukage?
[Sakura, acting as the team's sensory ninja, quickly discovers you, which is exactly what you intended. You give her a heart sign with your hands. Sakura smiles knowingly, and then pretends you don't exist.]
[The two chunin from the Hidden Mist Village who try to block them pose no threat to Team 7 and are directly killed by Sakura and the others. It's just that Naruto hesitates for a moment, not having the heart to deliver a killing blow, and almost lets the enemy escape.]
[Then, Zabuza attacks. He traps Kakashi with the Water Prison Technique, but because he is rendered immobile while using it, he is, in turn, trapped by Sakura's own Water Prison.]
[Haku is forced to intervene early, forcibly rescuing Zabuza. Neither side suffers serious injuries, but the balance of power has been greatly skewed.]
Seeing this, Akiyama Makoto nodded with satisfaction.
Although Zabuza's strength was not weak, under normal circumstances, there was no possibility of him winning against Kakashi. And now, with the powered-up Team 7, there were not many opportunities left for Zabuza.
[Everyone arrives in the Land of Waves. Gatō tries to hire more ninja to act with Zabuza, but is stopped by the proud man. Zabuza creates a thick fog, attempting to kill Team 7 with Haku's help within it.]
[However, Sasuke and Naruto once again use their wind-fire fusion ninjutsu, blowing the fog away. With Kakashi's assistance, Sakura uses genjutsu and the Water Prison Technique to trap Zabuza, while Kakashi personally takes down Haku.]
[With that, the Land of Waves mission is a complete victory for Team 7. Zabuza and Haku are heavily injured. Gatō, at this time, takes advantage of their weakness and tries to reap the rewards, but is slaughtered by the Demon of the Hidden Mist. In the end, Zabuza, holding Haku, jumps off the Great Naruto Bridge to commit suicide.]
Suicide?
Seeing this, he was slightly taken aback. Surely these two wouldn't die just like that?
As expected, he made his move.
[You catch the two of them on the surface of the water. Faced with your sudden appearance, Zabuza still wants to attack, but is controlled by your genjutsu and immediately loses consciousness.]
[Sakura also senses your presence but does not say anything. Kakashi leads Sasuke and Naruto in a failed attempt to find their bodies and can only record the incident and return with no results.]
He got serious. Would he be able to communicate smoothly with Zabuza? If not, he didn't mind using a little violence on him.
[Zabuza is saved by you. He thanks you but refuses to cooperate with an unknown person like you. Even when you tell him that you intend to go to the Hidden Mist Village and change the situation there, he still doesn't believe you.]
[You do not try to persuade him. Instead, you take the recovered Zabuza and Haku outside and fight them. You do not use Wood Style or the Flying Thunder God, but with just your Chakra Enhanced Strength and genjutsu, you easily defeat them.]
[Facing the once again heavily injured pair, you tell them they have no right to choose. However, you also tell them your purpose: you have great strength and are looking for a village that can provide you with sufficiently good conditions to settle down.]
[Awed by your immense power, Zabuza temporarily believes your words. He is obsessed with getting revenge on the Hidden Mist Village and wants to kill the Fourth Mizukage, who has been controlled by a mysterious person's genjutsu. You can become his ally.]
Seeing this, he couldn't help but clench his fist. It seemed he had succeeded! Of course, this was just the beginning. The rest depended on what kind of waves he and Zabuza could stir up in the Hidden Mist.
[Zabuza asks you when you will act. You tell him not to be in a hurry, because you have to wait for the Konoha Chūnin Exams to end. There is a big show to be staged there as well.]
[Afterward, Zabuza and Haku go into hiding in the Land of Whirlpools on your orders. You return to Konoha to prepare for the Chūnin Exams. Sakura curiously asks you what you did, and you tell her you were "earning a fortune" for them.]
[During the exams, you skillfully use the same methods to deal with Danzō and Kimimaro. Then you watch as Sakura, strengthened by you, begins to display her extremely powerful genjutsu abilities and easily racks up a frightening record.]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi dies in battle, and Danzō disappears. Jiraiya takes Naruto to find Tsunade, and this time, you get there before them. You display your Wood Style and Cell Activation talents. Tsunade quickly treats you as a member of her clan, and your relationship becomes close.]
His eyes lit up. So that really worked! The reason Tsunade had refused to return to Konoha was, in his opinion, largely because she no longer had any family there. So when he, a person who was supposedly closely related to her, appeared, she would naturally develop a favorable impression of him. However, this favorable impression was still a long way from "like." But he didn't intend to try further in this simulation. After all, the trip to the Hidden Mist was the main event this time.
[Through your mediation, Tsunade returns to Konoha and becomes the Fifth Hokage. And because of your close relationship with her, you become the future Hokage Advisor in the eyes of the villagers; you're just too young for the position right now.]
[On your advice, Tsunade quickly resolves the conflict with the Sand Village, and the two sides become allies again. You have completely solidified your position in her heart. At this time, Zabuza sends you a message. He has received intelligence that Terumi Mei of the Hidden Mist is about to make a move against Yagura.]
[You immediately set out, displaying the power of the Flying Thunder God. You had long since spread your Hiraishin marks to the Land of Water by leaving them on some ships, but had not explored further.]
[With your help and Zabuza's leadership, you arrive at the Hidden Mist Village without any obstacles. You even see many people welcoming Zabuza's return. At this moment, you realize that his role is even greater than you had imagined.]
He was slightly taken aback, considering the information revealed in this text.
From the perspective of an outsider, Zabuza was undoubtedly a demon who killed like it was nothing. He had slaughtered his classmates, assassinated the Mizukage, and after defecting, had even killed his employer in the Land of Waves. A person like that should have had no place to stand in the ninja world.
But one must not forget that the Hidden Mist Village of this time was under the cruel rule of the "Bloody Mist." So perhaps, in the eyes of some, Zabuza was a hero who had resisted the village's system and tried to break the Bloody Mist... It didn't matter if this view was right or wrong in the past. Now, he could make this view correct.
At this thought, he chose to use a guidance.
[You have an all-night conversation with Zabuza, asking his thoughts and his plans for the future. When you say you can support him in becoming the Mizukage and lead the future Hidden Mist to a brighter future, a light shines in his eyes.]
[However, Zabuza refuses you. He tells you that although he wants to do such a thing, he is not qualified to be the Mizukage. Since the Hidden Mist is to walk towards the light, it needs a Mizukage who has not wallowed in the darkness. The most suitable candidate for that is clearly you.]
Seeing this, he was dumbfounded. Zabuza wanted him to be the Mizukage? Was Zabuza crazy, or had he displayed a desire for power in the simulation?
No... that's not right.
This seemed to be a rather clever move. In reality, Zabuza probably had never trusted him—and it was normal not to. After all, he was from Konoha, and was very likely the successor to the Fourth Hokage. Would such a person really fight for the future of the Hidden Mist with all his heart? Zabuza would certainly not believe such nonsense. That's why he had offered him the position of Mizukage. If he agreed, then he would be in charge of the village. What could be a greater attraction to a ninja than the title of Kage? At that point, all his other motives would become pale and powerless in the face of the temptation of becoming Mizukage.
It had to be said that from a ninja's perspective, Zabuza had laid out a straightforward and effective plan. Unfortunately, he was not a ninja, and Zabuza's expectations were destined to be disappointed.
[You tell Zabuza that you have no intention of being the Mizukage; you have other goals. Since he is unwilling, then the choice of the next Mizukage will have to be arranged by you. Zabuza agrees to your request. As long as the current Yagura can be killed, there is nothing he will not agree to.]
[For the next while, you continue to gather intelligence on the Hidden Mist, but unfortunately, you learn nothing of its core secrets. A few days later, just as you are considering whether to gather intel on your own, Yagura in the village undergoes a full Tailed Beast transformation.]
[You no longer hesitate. Using the Hiraishin mark placed by Zabuza's inside man, you enter the Hidden Mist Village. It turns out that Terumi Mei, Ao, and the others were trying to break the genjutsu on Yagura, but were countered by Obito. He directly caused the Three-Tails within Yagura to go on a rampage, intending to destroy the entire village.]
Seeing this, he marveled. This was the Hidden Mist's version of a Tailed Beast attack! Obito was getting better and better at this.
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