Chapter 39 — Killing With a Borrowed Knife
"Mangetsu… are you interrogating me now?"
Seated on a squat wooden stool, Fuguki Suikazan shifted slightly, and the stool immediately groaned under his enormous weight—creak, creak, as if begging for mercy.
Fuguki ignored it entirely. His small eyes were fixed on the sudden visitor standing before him.
"I'm here on behalf of the Mizukage to inquire,"
Hōzuki Mangetsu replied coolly.
"But if you can't give a reasonable explanation… then yes, it will turn into an interrogation."
"So you're using the Mizukage's name to pressure me?"
"How you interpret it is your choice," Mangetsu said, his tone light. "What I want is an answer."
He sat perched casually on the ruins of the earthen wall, one leg dangling down, swinging lazily.
His posture was relaxed to the point of insolence, completely unbothered by the murderous aura Fuguki was releasing.
Around them, the assembled Mist-nin remained silent, unmoving—like jagged rocks facing crashing waves.
Between their commander and the Mizukage's envoy, none of them dared interrupt.
"You annoying little brat,"
Fuguki growled openly, making no attempt to hide his disdain.
"You want to know what I'm waiting for? Then look for yourself."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of white paper.
Rolling it tightly, he slid it into the hollow shaft of a shuriken, then flicked it toward Mangetsu with a practiced snap of his wrist.
Mangetsu caught it effortlessly.
He tossed the shuriken aside, letting it sink into the dirt, and unfolded the paper.
The lazy, half-amused smile on his face vanished instantly.
He read the paper once.
Then again.
Then a third time, flipping it over carefully each time as if searching for hidden meaning.
Only after confirming every word did he snap his head up and lock gazes with Fuguki.
"Is this real?"
Fuguki didn't speak.
He merely waved a hand.
And the Mist-nin—who had been motionless like statues—suddenly stirred back to life.
In seconds they dispersed outward, creating a perimeter to ensure the two men could speak without fear of eavesdropping.
"Not certain," Fuguki finally answered.
"But there's a very high chance it's true."
"Explain."
"Because I've been attacking this mountain for five days, and not a single Konoha reinforcement has shown up."
Fuguki's lips twisted in a grim smile.
"It's like someone is deliberately manufacturing a crisis here… just to justify sending someone in this direction."
"…"
Mangetsu's violet eyes narrowed sharply.
Mangetsu did not respond immediately.
He lowered his head again, rereading the sheet of white paper in his hand.
The page was densely packed with writing—half a sheet full.
The message was simple:
The anonymous sender claimed to have a deep grudge against Hyūga Ritsu, the newly appointed head of the Hyūga clan, and wished for the Mist to erase him.
The letter went on to detail Hyūga Ritsu's abilities:
claiming he had used a forbidden technique,
that he now possessed both the Byakugan and Shikotsumyaku,
and that, for safety's sake, Konoha would be sending both Ritsu and Uchiha Shisui together to the Ishigoryu defensive line.
"You can use this chance to test his capabilities," the note suggested.
"And in the near future, we will create an even more favorable opportunity to push him into your encirclement. When that happens, kill him—swiftly and decisively."
That was the entirety of the letter.
Mangetsu closed the paper slowly.
"…Why didn't you report this to the Mizukage earlier?"
"Because I suspected it might be a trap laid by Konoha,"
Fuguki replied.
"A ploy to manipulate our troop movements for some ulterior motive."
"But you just said there's a high chance it's real."
"Exactly. Which is why I decided to gamble—
to wait and see who Konoha sends as reinforcements.
If it really is Uchiha Shisui and Hyūga Ritsu, then it proves Konoha's internal strife has grown so severe they're willing to use the enemy's knife to eliminate their own.
That is unquestionably good news for us."
He paused, then continued:
"And if not—"
Fuguki shrugged, lips curling.
"Then the worst outcome is merely losing our chance to take Ishigoryu.
Or, at worst, we all die here. But even that isn't a major loss.
Our lives, our success or failure—none of it affects the village as a whole."
He leaned forward slightly, staring straight at Mangetsu.
"So yes. I can afford to gamble.
But the Mizukage cannot. He is the leader of Kirigakure. Every decision he makes carries enormous consequences. A risky ploy like this is not something he should be entangled with.
That's why I intended to verify the authenticity of the information first, and only then report it."
He tilted his head.
"Mangetsu, do you find any flaw in my reasoning?"
Mangetsu narrowed his eyes.
Inwardly, he thought:
Flaw? The flaw is that you're full of shit, you overgrown blowfish.
You've been acting on your own since the Third Mizukage's era. You don't respect the Fourth Mizukage at all. If I hadn't been sent here, you'd probably wait until everything was over before even thinking about reporting anything.
Outwardly, however, Mangetsu only said:
"My opinion isn't relevant. This is the Mizukage's authority."
Fuguki Suikazan was no ordinary jōnin.
He was a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, arguably their foremost, and also the Deputy Commander of the Border Defense Force—commanding elite troops responsible for foreign intelligence.
In Kirigakure, he was unquestionably a man of power.
Only the Mizukage could discipline someone like him.
Mangetsu changed the topic:
"How did you even get this letter?"
"One of my plants sent it. People in Konoha—one or several—have used that exposed pawn of mine to send messages more than once."
"And who do you think sent this one?
Who wants Hyūga Ritsu, the new Hyūga clan head, dead?"
"The higher-ups of Konoha," Fuguki replied without hesitation.
"The Third Hokage and his faction. Based on other intel I acquired, this Hyūga Ritsu most likely took control of his clan through… less than approved methods.
Given the Third Hokage's increasingly obsessive desire for control, it's hardly surprising he would want to eliminate someone like that."
His analysis was smooth, thorough, and frighteningly precise—befitting a man who specialized in foreign intelligence.
Even Mangetsu couldn't find fault with it.
Just then—
"Fuguki-sama! Incoming!"
A sensory-nin called out urgently from outside.