Chapter 108: The War Begins!
The rain poured down relentlessly as thunder rumbled across the darkened sky.
Dozens of elite squads of Kirigakure shinobi braved the torrential downpour, swiftly traversing the flood-ravaged forests with practiced efficiency.
The Mizukage, deeply worried about the potential destruction caused by the rampaging Tailed Beast, had hastily departed with only a small sealing team as the first wave of response forces. Following behind were support troops—gathering elite Jōnin from throughout the village—who set off after thorough preparations were completed.
"The rest of you, keep up! Pick up the pace!"
The squad leader—a veteran Jōnin—gazed with grave concern at the eerily tranquil lake visible in the distance.
There was none of the intense, ongoing battle he had anticipated based on the initial reports. Only deathly silence pervaded the area—an eerie stillness that filled him with profound unease.
No... I must be overthinking this. The Mizukage couldn't possibly be in trouble!
The leading Jōnin shook his head vigorously, mentally reaffirming his faith. He firmly believed in the Mizukage's overwhelming strength—such quiet surely meant the battle had ended decisively and quickly.
The entire squad maintained tactical silence as they suddenly quickened their pace dramatically, moving like phantoms emerging from the curtain of rain.
Soon, as they approached the lake's edge, they finally witnessed the aftermath of the battle—their faces contorting with absolute horror, eyes widening with profound shock.
The terrain surrounding the entire lake had been drastically and permanently altered by the fierce combat. The original topsoil had been completely washed away by violent water techniques, revealing layers of hard bedrock beneath—crisscrossed with dense networks of fissures and deep gullies, as if the earth itself had been plowed by some colossal iron rake.
Moreover, the lake's water level had dropped by several meters from its normal depth.
The nearby forests and vegetation looked as if they'd been swept away by a catastrophic hurricane—ancient trees uprooted entirely and snapped cleanly in half.
The battlefield presented a scene of utter chaos and devastation on an apocalyptic scale.
Yet perplexingly, not a single living person was visible anywhere.
Whether it was the Tailed Beast Isobu mentioned in the intelligence reports, the intruder Uchiha Kazuki, or even the Third Mizukage himself and his sealing team—everyone seemed to have simply vanished without a trace.
"Everyone, spread out! Begin searching the area immediately!"
The squad leader, his expression increasingly grim and his mood growing progressively somber, waved his hand sharply and issued the order.
Dozens of elite Jōnin instantly dispersed across the devastated battlefield.
The search didn't last long. Soon, a terrified scream caught the immediate attention of the other scattered Jōnin, and everyone immediately converged toward the source of the sound.
But when they finally located the Jōnin who had screamed, they were utterly shocked by what lay before them. Their expressions shifted rapidly through multiple stages—from confusion to terror to horror to overwhelming rage—their pupils trembling violently as if caught in an earthquake, their throats seemingly blocked by invisible hands, rendering them unable to utter a single coherent word.
"M-Mizukage-sama!"
Finally, someone couldn't contain themselves any longer and cried out in a trembling, broken voice.
The Third Mizukage of Kirigakure leaned limply against a blood-soaked rock wall, his entire body drenched in crimson. His head slumped forward lifelessly, and blood continued seeping steadily from a fist-sized hole punched clean through his chest—staining the surrounding ground a glaring, accusatory red.
The conclusion was devastatingly clear!
The Third Mizukage of Kirigakure had been defeated and killed in battle against Uchiha Kazuki!
Silence.
Profound, suffocating silence.
Those present were all elite operatives—pillars of Kirigakure's military strength—and even when faced with such a horrific scene, they managed to maintain outward composure through iron discipline.
Yet even so, the Third Mizukage's tragic death filled every single one of them with boundless, seething rage.
Their eyes became bloodshot and bulging with fury, and a bone-chilling killing intent gradually permeated the tense, silent atmosphere.
One of the senior Jōnin stepped forward solemnly, knelt down respectfully, and carefully examined the Mizukage's corpse with professional detachment. He moved the head gently from side to side, observing the vacant eyes and final facial expression. After a prolonged silence, he spoke in a low, controlled voice: "The cause of death was catastrophic trauma to the chest cavity—internal organs were completely destroyed. The remaining chakra signature is extremely low, proving he consumed massive amounts of chakra before his death."
As he continued his analysis, he observed the surrounding devastation and added grimly, "Judging from the signs of widespread destruction nearby, Mizukage-sama likely deployed multiple high-level, chakra-intensive ninjutsu techniques during the engagement."
Another operative spoke up from near the water's edge: "The remains of Mizukage-sama's personal summoning creature were discovered at the lake bottom, confirming that an extremely fierce battle definitely took place here."
"The Three-Tails Isobu has returned to the lake depths and is currently in a dormant state," yet another shinobi reported.
After carefully listening to the autopsy findings and search reports from multiple sources, and mentally combining all available intelligence, the gathered elite didn't immediately shout or break down emotionally.
Instead, they directly simulated the approximate sequence of events in their tactical minds!
The Third Mizukage had exhausted all his remaining strength re-sealing the rampaging Tailed Beast, but in doing so, he had completely depleted his chakra reserves—and was ultimately killed by Uchiha Kazuki taking advantage of his vulnerable state!
Otherwise, given the Third Mizukage's legendary combat prowess, it would be absolutely impossible for him to fall to a mere Jōnin-level opponent under normal circumstances!
"Should we immediately issue a village-wide manhunt order?"
someone suggested with barely restrained fury. "Uchiha Kazuki murdered the Third Mizukage—we absolutely cannot allow him to escape with his life!"
"No! We cannot let this information leak outside the village!"
But the Jōnin leading the response team shook his head firmly, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists so tightly they trembled. Suppressing his overwhelming anger, he growled in an almost hoarse voice: "At least not right now. Otherwise, given our currently weakened military position, we cannot guarantee that the cunning old fox leading Iwagakure won't immediately betray our alliance and turn against us!"
"You mean... we shouldn't seek revenge at all?"
Although they intellectually understood his strategic reasoning, the others felt deeply indignant and angrily questioned the decision.
For the Kage of a major hidden village to be assassinated by an operative from another nation was an unparalleled disgrace and humiliation!
If they could endure such an insult without seeking vengeance, how would the other smaller shinobi villages view Kirigakure? They might as well abandon their village entirely and become civilian farmers!
"No, I absolutely don't mean we shouldn't seek revenge." The squad leader was clearly thinking more rationally than the others. He forcefully suppressed his personal rage and explained carefully: "We must avenge this blood debt—but definitely not immediately, not right now."
"Don't forget—we're still in an active military alliance with Iwagakure!" He emphasized earnestly, speaking word by deliberate word. "If that cunning old bastard Ōnoki discovers the Mizukage's death at this critical moment, there's absolutely no guarantee he won't immediately turn around and side with Konohagakure instead, launching a coordinated war against us!"
No one present was stupid or naive—they had simply been temporarily blinded by righteous anger. After his careful strategic explanation, they instantly understood the genuinely precarious position Kirigakure now occupied.
On one side loomed the militarily powerful Konohagakure, and on the other stood their treacherous, opportunistic "ally."
If this situation was handled improperly, Kirigakure itself might transform into valuable "prey" in both nations' eyes—to be torn apart and devoured between them.
"So, what you're proposing is..."
Everyone turned to look at the leading Jōnin—the only operative present whose reputation and combat strength came closest to Kage-level status.
In their current dire circumstances, there was genuinely no better alternative choice.
"We seal off all information regarding the Mizukage's death! Absolutely no intelligence leaks permitted under any circumstances!"
The squad leader's sharp gaze swept intensely across every face present as he declared in a resonant voice: "We accelerate our military cooperation with Iwagakure immediately! We will make Konohagakure pay this blood debt in full!"
"Blood debt!"
"BLOOD DEBT!"
"BLOOD DEBT!"
In an instant, everyone's collective rage seemed to ignite the cold, rain-soaked valley with burning purpose.
The squad leader's eyes blazed fiercely like a starving wolf's, his entire body radiating terrifying, palpable killing intent: "Gentlemen... the war has officially begun!"
Not a single face among them showed the slightest trace of fear or hesitation. On the contrary, upon hearing the word 'war' spoken aloud, their nervous systems seemed stimulated—releasing surges of adrenaline and combat hormones. Excitement mixed explosively with the burning desire for vengeance, transforming them into rabid beasts craving the slaughter and bloodshed that only total war could provide!
However, absolutely no one noticed that just one hundred meters away from their position sat a solitary figure.
Uchiha Kazuki's eyes remained deep and emotionless, as if he'd been completely forgotten by the entire world around him.
"The war... has finally begun."
[End of Chapter 108]
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