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Qianyu thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Who was the ninja who attempted to assassinate the Mizukage?"
In his memory, quite a few had tried to assassinate Yagura. But the most memorable one had to be Zabuza Momochi.
"It was a genin named Zabuza Momochi," Mei Terumi answered truthfully.
If not for that genin, they wouldn't have discovered the Mizukage's anomaly in time. They wouldn't have arrived at the terrifying conclusion that the Mizukage was being controlled.
"Lord Hokage, we would not trouble you unless the situation was truly extraordinary." The elder's face was grave as he bowed deeply to Qianyu. "It is precisely because of your reputation across the Shinobi World that we feel confident entrusting this grave matter to you and requesting your aid."
"I also believe that you, who are dedicated to maintaining the current peace, will not stand idly by and allow a shadowy manipulator to exist in the dark."
The elder's words were so heartfelt, so sincere, they almost touched Qianyu. If not utterly desperate and wanting to avoid panic within the village, the fact that a Kage was being controlled was not something they would casually tell others. Especially not Qianyu, who had previously been at odds with Kirigakure.
This seemed like a good opportunity to capture the Three-Tails.
Qianyu raised an eyebrow. The aloofness on his face gradually gave way to an aura of righteous conviction. His gaze turned resolute. "Of course! The one controlling the Mizukage must harbor some unspeakable scheme. To prevent the Shinobi World from plunging back into war, to stop it from being manipulated by an enemy in the shadows, I will certainly act."
The elder and Mei Terumi exchanged a glance, then thanked Qianyu.
"Moreover, your desire to protect the people aligns with mine. Even if only for their sake, I could not possibly stand by and do nothing!" Qianyu assured them solemnly.
With age, Qianyu's features had shed their earlier childishness. The lines of his face had become clear and defined, and his entire presence seemed increasingly sharp, more formidable.
The elder and Mei Terumi bowed their heads. "We trouble you, Lord Hokage."
[Ding! Affection from target character Mei Terumi: 65!]
"When do you plan to move?" Qianyu stood up, his Hokage robe settling as he moved.
"The sooner, the better," the elder said, glancing at Mei Terumi as if waiting for her answer.
"In one hour," Mei Terumi declared, her eyes firm.
A controlled Mizukage was a ticking time bomb, a constant threat hanging over the head of every person in Kirigakure.
It was crucial to remember the Mizukage wasn't just a Kage. He was also the Three-Tails Jinchūriki. If a Jinchūriki lost control, it could very well destroy the entire village. The Nine-Tails rampage in Konoha was a prime example.
The most terrifying part was that Kirigakure didn't have nearly as many people capable of restraining a Tailed Beast, sealing it, or mitigating its damage as Konoha did. Therefore, they had no choice but to ask for Qianyu's help.
Qianyu's responsibility was solely to deal with the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, Yagura. Matters like evacuating citizens and protecting civilians naturally fell to Mei Terumi and the others to arrange.
"Just who could possibly control a Mizukage?" Yugito asked, resting her chin on her hand as she recalled Mei Terumi's words from earlier.
If a Mizukage could be controlled, then couldn't the Raikage, the Tsuchikage, and others be controlled as well? Wouldn't that make the Shinobi World the playground of a single individual? Yugito looked at Qianyu with a smile. "Lord Hokage, do you have any leads?"
Qianyu gave her a sidelong glance. "I'm not concerned with who's behind this. As long as they don't set their sights on Konoha."
Yugito raised an eyebrow at his words but said nothing.
Behind them, Shisui watched the distant crowds beginning to evacuate and thought of his own eyes. Kotoamatsukami was powerful enough to alter another's will. Could the person controlling the Mizukage be someone like him, also possessing the Sharingan?
Shisui thought of the Nine-Tails attack. The one who manipulated the Nine-Tails to assault Konoha also had the Sharingan, didn't they?
Could the person controlling the Nine-Tails and the one controlling the Mizukage be the same?
On the streets, citizens were awakened and directed toward shelters. Bewilderment was etched on their faces; they had no idea what was happening.
Every ninja in Kirigakure that Mei Terumi could mobilize was deployed, working desperately to move the people to a safe enough location in the limited time.
"ROAR!"
A piercing shriek suddenly tore through the night's silence. An invisible wave of sound pressure exploded outward. Flashes of light ignited in an instant. Tall buildings turned to rubble in the blink of an eye.
The confused citizens stood dumbfounded, staring blankly as disaster erupted before their eyes.
"RUN!"
A Kirigakure ninja, eyes bloodshot, turned and screamed at the stunned people behind him. Behind him, a massive Tailed Beast Ball ripped through space, hurtling toward them.
The citizens' legs turned to jelly. They could only stare, frozen, as the gigantic sphere drew closer and closer. The reflection of the Tailed Beast Ball grew larger and larger in their widening pupils.
FWOOSH!
The Tailed Beast Ball halted right before them.
Cold sweat dripped like rain. They gulped, watching helplessly as the Tailed Beast Ball vanished into thin air right in front of them.
The pressure in the air, distorted by the ball's energy, remained. But that terrifying sensation of imminent death slowly faded. The feeling of having brushed shoulders with the Reaper left many collapsing weakly to the ground.
Their hands braced against the floor, maintaining the last shreds of their composure, refusing to lie down completely.
Their vision was filled with the night sky. And within it, a fluttering corner of a robe also entered their sight.
The character for 'Fire' blazed like a torch, its light igniting in the pupils of every onlooker. At that moment, they finally understood why the Hokage held such a sterling reputation across the Shinobi World.
Because the Hokage made people feel safe.
No matter how desperate the situation, there was always one person whose presence could make you instantly let go of that suffocating tension.
Right now, in everyone's eyes, the person who allowed them to breathe a sigh of reliefā¦ was actually a ninja from another village. And the one sowing chaos in their village was the Mizukage they had revered.
"Stay here and protect the civilians," Qianyu instructed the people behind him.
His figure hovered in the air for a second.
Space seemed to compress.
In just an instant, he appeared before the rampaging Tailed Beast, its three tails lashing out.
"Returning this."
The Tailed Beast Ball, stored within his spatial dimension, materialized before him.
BOOM!
The ball shot toward the Three-Tails. The tremendous energy blasted the beast clear out of Kirigakure village.
Mei Terumi, who had been battling the Three-Tails, let out a sigh of relief. She looked up at Qianyu in the air. Her dress was somewhat tattered, but she bore no visible wounds.
The Three-Tails struggled up from the massive crater and immediately switched targets. Abandoning Mei Terumi, it charged straight for Qianyu.
"ROAR!"
Its enormous head swung through the air, all three tails slashing down toward Qianyu simultaneously.
Qianyu's figure flickered. The next moment, he stood atop the Three-Tails' head.
Seawater surged upward. Pillars of ice erupted from the ocean all around the beast. The freezing water instantly encased the lower half of the Three-Tails' body.
Thick pillars of ice, as wide as ancient tree trunks, condensed densely from all directions, pressing in and crushing the Three-Tails' form.
"I don't know sealing techniques. To subdue the Three-Tails, the only way is to kill it."
Qianyu stood atop an ice pillar. His chakra surged, suppressing the Three-Tails' desperate struggles.
The beast's shrieks grew more and more piercing, but the ice pillars didn't budge an inch. Qianyu looked at Mei Terumi. The identity of the next Mizukage had been clear ever since the elder and Mei Terumi came to him. Therefore, handing this decision to Mei Terumi was the most appropriate course.
"Kill it," Mei Terumi said, her beautiful eyes darkening as she watched the struggling beast. Her voice was decisive.
"ROAR!"
Countless ice spikes instantly filled the surrounding space. Thousands of sharp points impaled the Three-Tails' entire body.
The ferocious light in the Three-Tails' pupils gradually scattered.
The ice spikes began to melt.
The Three-Tails' body sank into the sea.
Then, silently, the beast's form vanished into the depths.
Mei Terumi stood on higher ground, but her legs were still inevitably soaked by the seawater. "Lord Mizukageā¦" she murmured, watching the corpse slowly float to the surface.
She, too, had once held deep respect for the Mizukage. Yet, who could have imagined that the person who ended the Mizukage's life was someone she had invited?
Beneath Yagura's body, clouds of blood mist bloomed and spread in the water. Mei Terumi looked up at the starry night sky.
Let the title 'Village of the Bloody Mist' disappear from this moment on. Let Kirigakure welcome true peace.
"It's done."
Qianyu's figure landed beside Mei Terumi. "The next Mizukage will be you, right?" he asked, looking at her.
Mei Terumi didn't feign modesty. She nodded firmly. "Yes. The peace treaty between Konoha and Kirigakure will never change."
"That's good," Qianyu smiled.
"Lord Hokage, please stay for my inauguration ceremony before you leave," Mei Terumi invited sincerely.
[Ding! Affection from target character Mei Terumi: 70!]
The era of war was over. Since peace had arrived, old grudges would also slowly fade. At this moment, Mei Terumi genuinely considered Qianyu a friend. She was sincere in forging a peace pact with Konoha.
"Fine," Qianyu nodded. He was willing to delay handling official duties for a few more days. He believed that for the sake of strengthening the alliance between the two villages, Shikaku would be willing to cover for him a little longer.
The next day.
The Kirigakure elders released an official statement.
Mizukage Yagura had lost control, causing significant damage to the village. They were forced to act against Yagura. The Hokage, at Kirigakure's request, intervened to control the Tailed Beast. Unfortunately, the beast resisted fiercely. With no other choice, it was killed. The Jinchūriki, Yagura, perished as a result.
The next Mizukage of Kirigakure would be Mei Terumi.
To demonstrate the continued friendly relations between the villages, the Hokage would remain to attend Mei Terumi's inauguration ceremony.
There wasn't much difference between a Hokage's and a Mizukage's inauguration ceremony.
Crowds gathered in the streets. As the new Mizukage, Mei Terumi delivered a passionate speech. With Qianyu present, she also pledged to maintain a permanent alliance with Konoha.
Both Kirigakure and Konoha were pleased with this outcome.
An inauguration ceremony couldn't last forever. A mountain of troublesome matters awaited Mei Terumi's attention. Qianyu, understanding this, chose to bid farewell.
On his first night back in Konoha, Qianyu indeed received a visit from an angry Obito Uchiha.
"Killing Yagura, losing control over Kirigakure, and now the Three-Tails needs time to reform. What exactly are you doing?" Obito's voice was low, tense. "Tsukimi Qianyu, do you even remember your position?"
Before coming, Obito had thought of many possible reasons. But he'd rejected them all. All he knew was that Qianyu's actions had deviated from the plan. Qianyu's thoughts and deeds were now slipping beyond his control.
"Why the hurry?" Qianyu remained calm, seated on the tatami.
Obito stood shrouded in his black cloak, merging with the darkness. If not for the single blood-red Sharingan glowing in the gloom, he'd be nearly invisible.
"Who said the Three-Tails is dead?" Qianyu's gaze pierced toward Obito. "What are you so worried about?"
Obito frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The moment Yagura died was the best time to extract the Tailed Beast," Qianyu explained leisurely. "Didn't you say we needed to capture the Tailed Beasts? I extracted the Three-Tails. It's not dead."
He poured a cup of tea, his movements unhurried. After speaking, he fell silent.
Obito was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected Qianyu's motive was to extract the Three-Tails. He hadn't expected Qianyu was acting because he remembered Obito's words.
"ā¦" Obito swallowed what he was about to say and changed the subject. "Where is the Three-Tails?" His voice was slightly stiff.
A heavy feeling settled in his chest. Words of apology stuck in his throat. Guilt weighed on him.
His Sharingan absorbed the unconscious Three-Tails from Qianyu into his Kamui dimension.
Qianyu looked at him. Regarding the earlier accusation, he simply said, "Obito, I hope there can be a bit more trust between us."
Obito's body stiffened. His heart gave a faint, painful twinge. He didn't know when it started. The Qianyu he had once trusted completely now made him feel uneasy, anxious. He found himself constantly doubting Qianyu's actions.
Obito's figure vanished into the darkness.
[How to make a man regret his words at midnight with a single sentence.] The system sighed inwardly.
"If you don't know how to speak, then don't," Qianyu retorted, heading toward the bathroom.
[Host, I don't have a mouth. This is a sound emitter.]
"Then please politely turn off your sound emitter."
"ā¦"
The next day.
The weather was clear. Sunlight bathed the earth. Snow and ice melted. Spring returned.
"Sprā¦ springā¦ spring!" Qianyu stood by the window, basking in the sunlight.
Behind him came little Naruto's childish voice. Qianyu turned to find the boy sitting in a high chair, being patiently fed baby food by Hanzo.
"Time flies," Qianyu remarked, walking over to observe the manga protagonist eating mashed peas.
"Little Naruto can already talk!" Qianyu looked at the boy's chubby cheeks and thought of that other kid, Sasuke. "I should bring Sasuke over for you to play with sometime," he said to Naruto, stroking his chin.
"Wa-wa-wa!" Miraculously, little Naruto, who shouldn't understand much yet, clapped his hands excitedly upon hearing Qianyu's words. "Mamaā¦ mamaā¦" he babbled happily afterward, reaching his little hands out toward Qianyu.
Thud.
Qianyu felt as if struck by lightning. He turned stiffly to Hanzo. "Did you teach him that?"
Hanzo looked back at him, expressionless. "What do you think?"
Alright, not Hanzo. The kid figured it out himself?
Qianyu decisively stuffed Naruto into Hanzo's arms. He pointed at Hanzo and enunciated slowly and clearly to the baby, "This. One. Is. Mama!"
Hanzo: "ā¦"
Little Naruto smiled, eyes crinkling, and sweetly called out to Hanzo, "Mama!"
Hanzo: "ā¦"
"Call me Big Sis," Hanzo corrected.
Qianyu stared, jaw slightly agape. He looked at Hanzo as if seeing her for the first time.
The nerve of her! She was old enough to be the kid's grandmother, and she wanted to be called 'Big Sis'?
Qianyu rubbed his face. He had somehow been relegated to the same generation as Hanzo.
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