Zabuza naturally knew that the other man was telling the truth.
What kind of strength would it take to simultaneously control both the Fourth Mizukage and a Tailed Beast? How could he possibly hope to stand against such a person?
After a moment of calm, he realized that now was not the time for thoughts of revenge; he needed to focus on breaking the genjutsu affecting the Fourth Mizukage.
He asked with a hint of anticipation,
"So, do you have a way to dispel the genjutsu on the Fourth Mizukage?"
If the illusion could be broken, the nation's problems would naturally be resolved.
Ryōsuke nodded firmly in response to Zabuza's question.
"Of course I can."
His visual prowess was formidable, and he was a master of his clan's signature genjutsu.
Breaking the spell cast by Obito was well within his capabilities.
Zabuza grew excited at the prospect.
"Then let's set out immediately."
"Perhaps we should inform the villagers; it might keep them from interfering."
Ryōsuke cut him off without hesitation.
"That's not likely to work. You're a rogue ninja now, and who would believe that the Fourth Mizukage is under a genjutsu?"
"My goal this time is to seize the Three-Tails from within the Fourth Mizukage. This is the objective of our mission for The Illuminati."
"You won't try to stop me, will you?"
It seemed Zabuza still cared deeply for his village. Ryōsuke wondered if the man would abandon the mission or even turn against him once he learned of his true objective.
Zabuza froze, stunned by the revelation.
He hadn't believed the Mizukage was under an illusion initially, so the villagers certainly wouldn't believe him either.
If he went back now, he would most likely be hunted down and killed.
He also hadn't expected The Illuminati's goal to be the collection of the Tailed Beasts. He couldn't help but ask,
"Our organization seeks peace for the shinobi world, but what does that have to do with gathering Tailed Beasts? They are nothing more than weapons of war."
Ryōsuke's voice remained steady as he spoke.
"You don't need to concern yourself with that."
Zabuza weighed his options. The most pressing matter was dispelling the illusion on the Fourth Mizukage.
The control over the Mizukage had already brought immense suffering to the Mist Village; things couldn't be allowed to continue this way.
Besides, the person standing before him was not someone to be trifled with.
"I won't stop you."
"In fact, I know a secret passage leading directly to the Mizukage's office."
"However, with the rebellion currently underway, the village is likely under high alert. It won't be easy to slip in."
Ryōsuke was secretly pleased. If there was a secret path, he could bypass the main defenses if he was careful.
He could directly confront the Fourth Mizukage, knock him unconscious, and carry him away.
He possessed knowledge of sealing techniques and the Treasure Vase.
However, transferring the Tailed Beast from the Fourth Mizukage to the vase would take time, and he wanted to avoid a large-scale slaughter within the village.
"Tell me the route. I'll go by myself."
A look of pure incredulity crossed Zabuza's face.
"Are you sure you want to go alone? You'll be facing the Fourth Mizukage."
"If things go wrong, you'll have to face the combined might of an entire village of ninja."
Ryōsuke remained certain of his decision.
Zabuza could only concede. This man clearly wasn't the type to gamble with his life lightly. He spoke solemnly,
"Once you've dispelled the genjutsu and saved this country, I will serve you with all my heart."
Ryōsuke sensed that Zabuza was indeed deeply loyal to the Mist Village.
By capturing the Three-Tails, he was gaining a very loyal subordinate as a bonus.
He was quite satisfied with the outcome.
"Then, let's move."
The three of them headed toward the village's heart.
It took two days to reach the outskirts of the Mist Village. Seeing the dense clusters of buildings ahead, they knew they had arrived.
On the way, they had traversed primeval forests and scaled high mountains, enduring constant thick fog.
Ryōsuke couldn't understand why anyone would build a village in such a place.
Part of the village's income relied on mission commissions.
A first-time visitor would likely find this place quite oppressive.
Regardless, it wasn't his concern.
At that moment, Zabuza shared the detailed information about the secret passage with Ryōsuke.
Ryōsuke committed the route to memory.
He said,
"Take Haku and leave this area. Go back the way we came to that small town."
"Once I've finished, I'll find you."
After subduing the Fourth Mizukage, he needed to take him to a safe location to extract the Tailed Beast and seal it into the Treasure Vase.
Undoing the seals on the Fourth Mizukage's body would also take time.
Hearing this, Zabuza spoke in a pleading tone.
"I'm counting on you for the Mist Village."
At this stage, all his hopes rested on the man.
With that, he picked up Haku and headed back the way they had come.
If a fight broke out here, it might not be safe.
By leaving with Haku, he ensured that Ryōsuke wouldn't have any distractions or burdens.
Once they were gone, Ryōsuke followed Zabuza's route and slipped into the village.
He entered the village and arrived outside a large building.
This appeared to be the office of the Fourth Mizukage.
However, as he sensed the surroundings, he realized there wasn't a single guard on duty.
Perhaps they had all been deployed to suppress the rebellion.
This suited his purposes perfectly.
He cautiously stepped inside.
Entering a wide hall, he saw Yagura Karatachi seated in his chair.
He had green hair, purple eyes, and a scar resembling a stitch mark under his left eye.
A staff weapon rested beside him; this was definitely his target.
The Fourth Mizukage also sensed his arrival.
He looked over with a cold, hollow gaze.
"Who are you?"
Looking at the vacant expression on the Fourth Mizukage's face, it was clear he was being controlled.
His face was expressionless, devoid of any independent thought.
When Ryōsuke didn't respond, the Fourth Mizukage immediately attacked with his staff.
"Intruders must die."
Ryōsuke calmly drew a kunai and blocked the blow.
With his current strength, parrying the attack was effortless.
He followed up with a kick aimed at the Mizukage's chest.
With a loud bang, the Fourth Mizukage slammed into the wall, causing cracks to spiderweb across the surface.
Despite the impact, the Fourth Mizukage slowly rose to his feet.
Still expressionless.
He attacked again with his staff.
Ryōsuke had no intention of holding back any longer.
As the attack came, he blocked the weapon again, then used his other hand to wrench the staff away and toss it aside.
He then unleashed a fierce barrage of strikes upon the Mizukage's body.
The Fourth Mizukage was still a Kage, after all; this time he was prepared and managed to block some of the attacks.
He even managed to find an opening to counter-attack Ryōsuke.
However, this counter-attack exposed a much larger opening.
Though his strike landed directly on Ryōsuke's left arm...
He was simultaneously struck by Ryōsuke, sending him flying back into the wall with a violent impact.
This collision was even more intense.
The wall looked like it was on the verge of collapsing.
Ryōsuke felt red coral growing rapidly on his left arm where he had been hit, spreading toward his torso.
This was the Fourth Mizukage's signature technique, the Coral Palm.
Ryōsuke unleashed a sudden burst of powerful chakra, his aura surging as he flexed his arm to forcefully shatter the coral growth.
He glanced at the Fourth Mizukage lying on the ground; the man was clearly out of the fight.
Now he had to get him out of the village quickly. Even though the fight had been brief, it had made quite a lot of noise.