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When Zetsu returned to Obito's side and saw his grave expression, he felt somewhat uneasy. After inquiring about Obito's concerns, Zetsu couldn't stay still either. "Need me to go check it out?"
"Wait a moment..." Obito waved his hand. "Have those rebels entered Kirigakure?"
"They have. Moreover, the rogue ninja hiding within Kirigakure have also come out. All in all, there are already twenty or thirty of them. In contrast, Kirigakure, affected by the 'Bloody Mist' policy, has suffered severe personnel attrition. For the time being, both sides are at a stalemate."
Obito was taken aback, surprised. "Kirigakure can't even handle some rogue ninja?"
"Without the Mizukage and the Jinchūriki stepping in, it seems the Kirigakure ninja indeed cannot rout these rebels in one go. However, most of the 'Seven Ninja Swordsmen' are also gone, indicating Kirigakure lacks its core mid-level combatants. As for the rebels, they have Hōzuki Mangetsu—he was once one of the Seven Swordsmen." Zetsu glanced at Obito.
Although "Kirigakure" was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, the Third Great Ninja War had cost it many elite ninja. One of the perpetrators of that was Obito himself.
Not many years later, Obito took control of Kirigakure and initiated the "Bloody Mist" era, slaughtering those with Kekkei Genkai.
In fact, a village's strength was closely tied to the number of "Kekkei Genkai" it possessed.
However, when this power couldn't be controlled, those with Kekkei Genkai could easily harm ordinary people. Obito exploited this to create internal division within Kirigakure.
Now, after a series of crises, Kirigakure was teetering on the brink.
One could even say that without its two Tailed Beasts and the Mizukage's clear superiority over leaders of smaller villages, Kirigakure might have been stripped of its "Five Great Ninja Villages" status.
Obito rubbed his chin, his gaze shifting towards the village entrance.
"You go find out what happened to Hidan and Kakuzu. As for these rogue ninja... since they've already come out, it's time for the Mizukage to make an appearance," Obito said.
"How about Igawa Bu?" Zetsu asked.
"Him? You don't really think 'transplanting' a Tailed Beast is that simple, do you? And I suspect, with Igawa's strength, he can't control the Six-Tails at all. That will be interesting." Obito rubbed his chin.
Seeing that Obito already had a plan, Zetsu didn't say anything more and disappeared into the night.
Obito then moved towards the Mizukage's office building.
Rogue ninja, Igawa Bu, the Mizukage, and those people who encountered Kakuzu...
Hopefully, all these bastards die tonight.
Obito's eyes narrowed, his heart filled with fervor.
***
At this moment, Kirigakure was plunged into chaos.
When the rebels breached the village from the front, they drew the attention of Kirigakure's forces to the entrance. At that very moment, the rebel squad that had infiltrated via the docks executed a "pincer attack" on the Kirigakure ninja.
The two sides were evenly matched. Especially after Mangetsu and Zabuza joined the fray, the battle fell into a prolonged stalemate.
"Quickly, summon the Mizukage-sama!"
Upon seeing Mangetsu, some Kirigakure ninja immediately thought to call for the two Mizukage. After all, ordinary Kirigakure ninja were no match for him.
But no sooner had that ninja spoken than Zabuza cut his head off.
"Who else dares to call for the Mizukage?" Zabuza roared.
"It's Zabuza!"
"Damn it, how is the 'Demon' Momochi Zabuza here?"
"During the graduation exam, he killed almost all the graduates..."
Seeing Zabuza appear, the Kirigakure ninja were visibly horrified.
"Put down your weapons, squat against the wall, and I might let you live. Otherwise, you all die!" Seeing hesitation among the Kirigakure ninja, Zabuza immediately added.
"Don't listen to him! Even if we lay down our weapons, can we defeat the two Mizukage? In the end, not only will we die, but our families will also suffer. Don't be stupid!" someone warned.
The ninja who had just entertained thoughts of surrender immediately abandoned the idea.
That was right. No matter how strong Mangetsu and Zabuza were, they were no match for the two Mizukage.
Fighting to the death meant only one person died. But if they surrendered and the Mizukage and Igawa Bu ended up as the "winners," would their families be implicated?
No one knew.
More importantly, Mangetsu and Zabuza simply couldn't defeat the two Mizukage. This meant their promises couldn't be fulfilled, and their talk of "punishment" would never materialize.
After a brief lull, both sides resumed their fierce struggle.
Zabuza cursed inwardly. He had been so close to breaking the enemy's will, but his efforts were wasted.
To tip the balance of the battle in their favor, he had to go all out and instill fear in these Kirigakure ninja.
However, in this chaotic melee, Zabuza didn't possess the strength to single-handedly overcome a hundred enemies. In fact, other ninja, knowing his habits, launched fierce attacks when facing him.
"Damn it!" Zabuza slashed down another ninja, wiping the sweat from his face.
In this large-scale engagement, with forces intermixed, he had no chance to use large-scale Water Release techniques—they would destroy the entire village. So he had to rely on the thick fog to employ his Silent Killing technique, taking out enemies over a wide area.
But as time wore on, chakra depletion began to take its toll on Zabuza.
Suddenly, a surge of powerful chakra emanated from within the fog. Zabuza's gaze shifted just in time to see a slender ninjatō blade pierce through the mist, aimed directly at his face.
"Who!?"
Zabuza parried the attack with the Executioner's Blade, his arms going numb from the impact. The ninja who attacked him burst through the fog, closing in.
Light brownish-red hair, with braided pigtails on either side. She was thin, and her eyes even showed signs of fatigue.
Zabuza knew this sneak attacker well.
"Ameyuri!" Zabuza gritted his teeth. "You're not dead yet?"
"No. As the last of the Seven Swordsmen, my life is not my own!" Ringo Ameyuri landed, sliding back two or three meters, her eyes locked on Zabuza.
"Aren't you supposed to be dying?" Zabuza smirked.
"Before I die, I can still fight," Ameyuri said.
"Why bother? In your condition, you shouldn't be on the battlefield. I don't want to fight you either. Beating up a sick person doesn't bring me any joy," Zabuza shook his head.
"The Seven Swordsmen are ninja who serve the Mizukage... If we all betray that duty like you and Mangetsu, what reason is there for the Seven Swordsmen to exist?" Ameyuri retorted.
"I didn't become one of the Seven Swordsmen for some bastard Mizukage. I did it for Kirigakure! If someday I become Mizukage and turn out to be as despicable as Yagura, I wouldn't need anyone else to act—I'd finish myself off." Zabuza gripped his sword tightly with both hands. "That is the conviction I hold!"