Danzo immediately expressed doubts over Fujin's intel, "The Fourth Mizukage was a perfect Jinchuriki. It's impossible to place a perfect Jinchuriki under a Genjutsu."
Fujin replied calmly, unaffected by Danzo's skepticism, "It's even more bizarre. The Fourth Mizukage died immediately after his Genjutsu was broken. I've never heard of such a death. Even Kakashi, after being subjected to Itachi's Genjutsu for three days, wasn't anywhere close to dying. This implies that the Fourth Mizukage was under a Genjutsu for a very long time - so long that his spirit was hanging by a mere thread.
The entire premise is beyond belief and borderline nonsensical. Yet Kiri's leadership didn't refute it. Other than imposing a gag order, they didn't take any steps."
The room immediately realized what Fujin was hinting at. Shikaku muttered, "If they wanted to make a lie, they wouldn't come up with such a lousy one. No one except the ignorant would believe it. Even if anyone does, they'd remain suspicious, just like we are. That means…"
Tsunade completed Shikaku's words, "Either Kiri's leadership is misled… or, it's the truth…"
Tsunade frowned. Looking at Fujin, she asked, "Did you find out who placed the Fourth Mizukage under Genjutsu?"
Fujin shrugged, "I'm not sure whether even the new Mizukage knows. From what I gathered, the new Kiri leadership believes Akatsuki might have a hand in this, but I'm afraid it's more of a hunch than solid proof. They may have analyzed it further later, but to know that, I'd have to capture one of their council members or someone close to Mei. However, that could cause complications..."
Fujin gazed at Tsunade as he spoke his last sentence. There was no need to say what the complications were. Konoha and Iwa were still engaged in a hidden war fought in the shadows due to Fujin's actions a few months ago.
While kidnapping a key member would be done discreetly, there was always a chance of being discovered. After all, those individuals rarely stayed alone and were often surrounded by capable ninjas. A single mistake could cause the identity of the attacker to be leaked. Even if no trail was left behind, how many ninjas in the world could pull off something like that? Due to the extremely small sample size, being suspected was natural.
So, the best case scenario for Konoha was a small crack in their relationship with Kiri and halting the process of getting closer. While the worst case scenario was a complete breakdown of ties with Kiri and making an enemy out of them. For the right price, Konoha wouldn't even care about the worst case scenario. Unfortunately, there was no guarantee of getting solid information. Disrupting relations with a Great Village merely to learn their speculations would be foolish.
As Fujin expected, Tsunade said, "It isn't worth it for now. We'll wait, giving them more time to investigate the situation. Depending on how our relations develop, I could even ask them directly. Anyone capable of controlling the Fourth Mizukage is too dangerous to ignore."
Shikaku glanced at Tsunade and wondered, 'How much control does she need to not say she's worried of the mess Fujin would create if given this mission… Considering what he did during his Anbu promotion mission, I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to capture the Mizukage herself!'
Hiruzen realized her inner thoughts too and sympathized with his student. At the same time, he was happy to see her taking lessons from his sufferings. He said, "If true, it finally explains the bizarre decisions taken by the Fourth Mizukage. Still, I don't understand what Akatsuki's goal could have been. From what we know, the Tailed Beasts are their targets. But, they didn't capture the Three Tails despite having it under control for so long…"
Danzo countered, "It may not necessarily be Akatsuki. It could be someone like Akuro…"
Hiruzen immediately shook his head, "The bizarre decisions of the Fourth Mizukage started a long time ago. If one of Akuro's comrades has been alive for so long and in possession of such a formidable Genjutsu, they'd have long recovered a majority of their strength. I don't see any reason why they'd abandon Kiri now, instead of simply finishing off the rebels and maintaining control over a Great Village secretly."
Jiraiya thoughtfully muttered, "We can't be sure they gave up on Kiri. A ninja who could place the Fourth Mizukage under Genjutsu and control him for years could easily control the new Mizukage too, no matter how prepared she is. We need to be careful in our dealings with Kiri. Their top leadership might have already been under a Genjutsu and being controlled."
Tsunade nodded. Before anyone could push the discussion further, Shikaku said, "It's best to let Kirigakure handle this situation for now. We should focus on the matter at hand. The army should be ready to move out in a couple of hours."
Hiruzen agreed, "Yes. Jiraiya, assist Tsunade with whatever she needs. Fujin, if a battle breaks out, you'll be our main force. So, rest until the army moves. But stay in the office. I don't want to go hunting for you in your house at this critical time. If you overhear something and get different ideas, even better."
Hiruzen still remembered what happened when Orochimaru kidnapped Sasuke. Fujin didn't answer his door for several days! Fujin rolled his eyes and replied, "Alright."
The discussions had finally ended. Fujin retired to a corner while others continued their work. Normally, Hiruzen would have involved Fujin in the planning phase, but he didn't want to mentally tire him before the battle. Besides, with Shikaku and Danzo assisting, Fujin's role in this aspect was greatly reduced.
As Fujin waited, his gaze shifted toward the reanimated Danzo, and a sudden thought surfaced. It was both unexpected and uninvited.
He thought, 'In the past couple of months, I've been busy laying a flawless trap. Every detail had to be perfect to lure Danzo out of the village without raising suspicion. When I finally cornered him, I focused entirely on killing him before he could react or escape. Then came the soul extraction, and the hours combing through his memories, cataloguing every forbidden technique he hoarded…
I've been so consumed by planning, execution, and reward… that I almost forgot about this…'
A fleeting memory rose - of a stubborn girl with fiery eyes and an even fiercer will, laughing beside him under the sun. His former teammate, Mieko. For an instant, Fujin felt something twist in his chest. Regret? Pity? Maybe both. The ache was faint, buried under years of discipline and the hardened resolve of someone who had chosen long ago not to get attached. But it was there, undeniable.
'Strange,' Fujin muttered inwardly as he thought, 'I never planned Danzo's death for her sake. It was always for the techniques, for power and to ensure I'll be prepared for future challenges. But still…'
His gaze lingered on Danzo's reanimated form, the lifeless shell of a man whose decisions had cast so many shadows over Konoha. He thought, 'Though it wasn't my thought, you meeting your end at my hands can be considered some sort of poetic justice.
Perhaps it isn't as poetic as Sasuke killing you, but I'm sure it is even more gut-wrenching for you. Being forced into a corner by a kid in his teens… your political power stripped away, your vote in the council revoked, the Root ninjas you trained removed from your command… forced to hide underground for more than a couple of years for a miniscule scheme compared to everything you did throughout your life...
The opportunity, presented to you to break the shackles, turned out to be nothing but a trap. No matter how much you struggled, you achieved nothing even in your death. Left with nothing but confusion, you can't even identify your killer - despite him being right beside you…'
Despite Danzo's pitiful end — a fate so humiliating that anyone who knew the truth and hated him would find endless satisfaction in gloating — Fujin felt no urge to sneer. The memory of Mieko's death weighed on him, dulling any triumph. Instead, he let the memories wash over him, his face calm and unreadable as ever, hiding thoughts that ran far deeper than any watching eye could guess.
After a while, Fujin thought, 'The Uchiha Massacre had three main culprits: Danzo — the man who pushed for it by repeatedly ostracizing the Uchiha clan and eliminating any hope of reconciliation, even going so far as to eliminate Shisui, who could have stalled the rebellion for a long time and given Konoha the opportunity to mend ties and prevent this future...
The second being Obito, who caused the Nine Tails assault and sowed seeds of suspicion. He also participated directly in the massacre.
And lastly, Itachi — the blade who eliminated every ninja except himself and Obito from his own clan.'
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