Chapter 171 The Rebellion Begins (Part 1)
Following Tobi's directions, Uchiha Touko found his subordinates and reiterated the mission he had just received from Mei Terumi.
Under Satake Masato's command was a team of 15: besides himself, there was one special Jonin, four Chunin, and ten Genin.
They had been persecuted during the previous Blood Mist policy; the two Genin in the team who had only graduated last year would likely have died during their graduation exams if Mei Terumi hadn't secretly rescued them.
"Does everyone understand the mission arrangements?" Uchiha Touko asked his subordinates after assigning the tasks.
"Understood." Everyone nodded in unison, their eyes filled with hope. One of the genin, Yanogawa, couldn't help but ask, "Captain, after we succeed, we can go home, right?"
"Yes," Uchiha Touko said with a smile, "After we overthrow the Blood Mist's rule, we can return to our village."
After saying this, Uchiha Touko stood up, locked the doors and windows, and then returned to the group, speaking with a serious expression: "Now that the main mission has been discussed, let's talk about our team's arrangements."
Everyone looked puzzled. Did they have some special mission arrangements?
"For this mission, we must preserve our strength as much as possible, even if it affects the mission itself, understand?" Uchiha Touko deliberately lowered his voice as he spoke.
"Why?" asked the special jonin in the team.
"Because we need to ensure that Lady Terumi Mei can smoothly assume the position of Mizukage," Uchiha Touko said. "If our forces, which are directly under Lady Terumi Mei's command, suffer heavy losses in this attack on Kirigakure, wouldn't that allow others to reap the rewards? The forces under Momochi Zabuza and Kisame Hoshigaki are not much weaker than ours, and their mission to attack Kirigakure was easier than ours."
"But didn't Lady Terumi Mei say that the position of Mizukage would be decided and discussed after the success?" the special Jonin pressed.
"Yes, we need to vote and discuss, but if we die during the attack on Kirigakure, who will support Lady Terumi afterward?" Uchiha Touko patiently explained. "Besides Lady Terumi, who among you can guarantee that once our other rebel leaders become Mizukage, they can truly end the Blood Mist's rule over the village? Don't forget how Zabuza Momochi and Kisame Hoshigaki obtained their swords."
After Uchiha Touko finished speaking, the atmosphere in the assembly area immediately became heavy. Uchiha Touko was right. Zabuza Momochi and Kisame Hoshigaki both killed the previous owners of their respective swords to become their inheritors. Zabuza Momochi even wiped out all the ninjas in his graduation exam. If such people become Mizukage, can they really bring them a stable future?
"Therefore, we must ensure that Lady Terumi can smoothly ascend to the position of Mizukage after this is accomplished," Uchiha Touko said.
"Is this what Lady Terumi Mei wants, or..." the special Jonin said hesitantly.
"Lady Terumi Mei wouldn't give such an order directly, but how can we, as her subordinates, forget her kindness? Don't forget how you survived in Kirigakure."
"I understand." Everyone in the assembly area nodded in unison.
"Go back and prepare yourselves well," Uchiha Touko said.
"Yes!"
After everyone dispersed, Black Zetsu reappeared, and Uchiha Touko chuckled as he said to him, "Ancestor, there should be other White Zetsu disguised as ninjas within the resistance army, right? Just use the rhetoric I just used, with a slight modification, and that will be enough to plunge them into internal strife."
"Lord Touko, what if their respective leaders notice these rumors?" Tobi asked curiously.
"Does it matter whether they notice or not?" Uchiha Touko chuckled. "Once the seed of doubt is planted, what kind of flower it will bloom into is no longer important."
...
Soon, within three days of the rebels preparing to attack Kirigakure, rumors began to circulate among the various squads, and the members of the squads led by different leaders were no longer as at ease as before when they met.
Although Terumi Mei noticed this strange phenomenon, she knew nothing about the reason for it.
Everything was developing just as Uchiha Touko had predicted.
At this moment, Kakashi, who was stationed on the east coast of the Land of Fire, suddenly received a secret letter from a messenger from Kirigakure.
The contents of this secret letter were written by Yagura Karatachi himself, requesting Konoha to send troops to help Kirigakure suppress the rebels causing trouble in the Land of Water.
"Is this the opportunity Touko was talking about?" Kakashi looked at the letter, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
"Pass down the word, prepare the ships. Two days later, leave only 400 men to guard the border. The rest of you, cross the sea together to the Land of Water," Kakashi instructed his adjutant after burning the secret letter.
After issuing the orders, Kakashi went alone to the meditation room and took out a test tube containing Obito Uchiha's other Mangekyou Sharingan from a sealing scroll he carried with him.
"Obito, this time, I'll bring yours too."
...
Three days later, the ninja leaders in each camp checked their schedules. At midnight, the rebel ninjas from all sides of Kirigakure launched a joint attack on the village gates. With the help of the mastermind, the garrison ninjas in Kirigakure had all been replaced by inside agents.
The gates of Kirigakure opened, and the rebel ninjas rushed into the village from all directions, immediately beginning the evacuation of the civilians.
After most of the village's civilians had been evacuated, the somewhat slow-witted Kirigakure ANBU finally arrived, engaging the rebels scattered throughout the village.
"You rogue ninjas..."
one rushed towards him, intending to question him, but before he could finish, Uchiha Touko effortlessly killed him with a single slash.
Uchiha Touko glanced disdainfully at the inferior ninja sword in his hand, its blade already chipped after cutting down one person. Although he needed to maintain his disguise and couldn't use his signature Lightning Release ninjutsu, his swordsmanship was more than enough to allow him to infiltrate and escape these Jonin-level ANBU ninjas seven times over.
While killing the ANBU who rushed to his side, Uchiha Touko observed the battlefield. Clearly, influenced by the rumors spread by the White Zetsu who had infiltrated the rebels, most of the rebel ninjas on this battlefield were conserving their strength, prioritizing survival above all else.
After the rebels stormed Kirigakure, Yagura Karatachi, under Black Zetsu's manipulation, went to the residence of Genji, the rebel leader who had infiltrated Kirigakure. For Tomitsu Uchiha, once Genji successfully opened Kirigakure's gates and plunged the village into chaos, he became useless.
This man, who had long served as the Mizukage's assistant in Kirigakure, was actually the only one within the village who could potentially hinder Tomitsu's subsequent plan to plunge Kirigakure into internal strife.
Firstly, Genji was one of the few intelligent individuals in the ninja world; he was the first to discover Yagura Karatachi's suspicious behavior. Furthermore, he had secretly trained Mei Terumi, and his prestige within Kirigakure was very high; many in Kirigakure had received favors from him.
Given Genji's influence in Kirigakure, after Yagura Karatachi's downfall, he was fully capable of single-handedly promoting Mei Terumi to the position of Fifth Mizukage.
Therefore, it was time to eliminate this potential threat.
Under Black Zetsu's control, Yagura Karatachi stepped into Genji's residence, which was already secretly surrounded. Upon entering the courtyard, he saw Genji sitting alone in his study.
After arranging everything, Genji had planned to take advantage of the outbreak of war to leave Kirigakure and join the resistance, but as he prepared to leave, he suddenly discovered that his residence was completely surrounded by the Anbu.
"The outside world is in such chaos, why is the Fourth Hokage not quelling the unrest but instead coming to this old man's place?" Hearing footsteps behind him, Genji sighed and spoke.
"Why I'm here, shouldn't you know perfectly well?" Yagura Karatachi said coldly. "I'm genuinely curious. Given that you, Genji, are already a pivotal figure in Kirigakure, why did you instigate this rebellion? Are you tired of this position and want to try being the Mizukage?"
"I have no ambition for the Mizukage position. Otherwise, I would have had the opportunity to take it after the Second Hokage's death," Genji said after taking a deep breath. "However, I cannot watch a tyrant like you lead Kirigakure into the abyss."
"The abyss?" Yagura Karatachi sneered. "I know you've always been dissatisfied with the Blood Mist's policies, but this policy was established starting with the Third Hokage. If you were dissatisfied with this policy, why didn't you stop the Third Hokage back then?"
"Hmph, the Third Hokage wasn't so heartless as to make the annual Ninja Academy graduation exam a cutthroat competition where only one in ten survives!" Upon Yagura's arrival, Genji seemed to foresee his own fate, so he abandoned all pretense. "Regardless, Yagura, your tyranny ends today! I'll be waiting for you in the Pure Land."
With that, Genji charged forward, drawing the blade hidden in his robes and attacking Yagura.
Genji knew his ailing body was no match for Yagura, but even with a slim chance, he would try, at least to clear the way for Mei Terumi and the others searching for Yagura in the village.
In his youth, Genji was one of the strongest ninjas in Kirigakure, but now, old and frail, he faced the prime-age Yagura and was killed in less than a single exchange.
Genshi collapsed to the ground, a kunai embedded in his back, blood slowly seeping from beneath him.
Yagura Karatachi expressionlessly wiped his hands, pulled up a chair, and sat down.
He figured the movements of the gathered Anbu would soon be discovered by Mei Terumi and her group, so he decided to wait for them to come.
Sure enough, less than five minutes after Yagura sat down, a commotion erupted outside. Soon after, Mei Terumi, Zabuza Momochi, and Utakata burst in.
"Lord Genshi?" Mei Terumi's eyes widened in horror upon seeing Genshi lying in a pool of blood.
To Mei Terumi, Genshi was a mentor and father figure, a guide who had guided her. But now, Genshi was dead before her eyes, and the murderer stood by, watching her expressionlessly.
"Yagura Karatachi!" Mei Terumi gritted her teeth, her beautiful eyes blazing with a fury that could devour everything. "Why did you kill Master Genji?"
"Why did you kill him?" Yagura Karatachi sneered at the three who had stormed into the room. "It seems Kirigakure has never let a rogue ninja go unpunished, and you will all perish here today."
"Today, the only one who will perish here is you!" Zabuza Momochi drew his Executioner's Blade and said with a cold laugh.
"This guy is definitely not right. Saiken's calls to the Three-Tails have gone unanswered." Utakata said at this moment.
"Who exactly are you?" Mei Terumi asked, her face grim.
"The one who will kill you." Yagura Karatachi's cold voice rang out, and a surge of violent chakra instantly erupted, gathering around his body.
"Oh no, he's planning to transform into a Tailed Beast!" Utakata warned sharply.
"Yagura Karatachi, are you crazy? There are still many of your ANBU members fighting outside!" Mei Terumi said in disbelief.
"Do you think he's the kind of person who cares about these things?" Zabuza shouted. "Utaka!"
Seeing this, Utaka could only begin his Tailed Beast transformation as well.
Moments later, two colossal beasts appeared out of thin air, crushing the auxiliary residence in Kirigakure. A massive turtle with three tails swiftly stomped down a large number of ninjas engaged in battle.
Opposite it was a slug with six tails, which used its pores to expel a large amount of bubbles, enveloping the ninjas around it and sending them off the battlefield.
"Damn it! This guy!" Mei Terumi, standing on the Six-Tails, looked at her comrades who had perished at the feet of the Three-Tails and gritted her teeth. "
Saiken told me that the Three-Tails seems to have lost its mind." The Six-Tails beneath Mei Terumi and Zabuza Momochi spoke in Utaka's voice, "Prepare for battle."
"Alright, no matter what, it seems like this won't end until we defeat this giant!" Mei Terumi took a deep breath and shouted to the resistance fighters who had just been rescued by the Rhino Dog's bubble, "Barrier Team! Prepare to seal off!"
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(End of Chapter)