Nearly a year had passed since Shimizu last set foot in Takigakure, the hidden village concealed behind a massive waterfall.
The forest here remained as lush and vibrant as ever. Yet beneath that seemingly peaceful sea of green, danger now lurked in silence.
When Shimizu and the Third Raikage led a large contingent of Kumogakure shinobi through the waterfall and submerged themselves to enter the village, the scene that greeted them was one of tense division.
Along the lakeshore stood two clearly separated groups—on one side, Konoha shinobi; on the other, the forces of Takigakure.
"Kumogakure has arrived…"
Both sides immediately noticed the incoming force, including the five Konoha shinobi among them.
Relief flashed across the faces of Minato's group—reinforcements had come at last. In contrast, the expressions of Takigakure's shinobi stiffened instantly.
The fragile stalemate that had held until now was broken in an instant.
"It's Shimizu-senpai!"
Originally, Kumogakure's plan had been to retreat straight back to the Land of Lightning. However, after receiving a message sent by Minato, Shimizu had promptly informed them of the predicament unfolding here.
Kakashi's summoning hound, Pakkun, had tracked the enemy all the way to Takigakure. But because the route into the village required passing through a waterway, the scent trail had been completely cut off at that point.
Left with no other choice, Minato had approached Takigakure's leadership and requested permission to conduct a full search of the village.
He was refused outright.
In the past, Takigakure's leadership would never have dared reject a request from Konoha so decisively. But times had changed. With Konoha beset by threats on multiple fronts, its influence over Takigakure had gradually weakened due to the lack of stationed forces. Over time, combined with the ongoing conflicts between Kumogakure and Iwagakure along the borders—and internal political upheaval within Takigakure itself—the village had undergone a complete change in leadership.
The newly appointed leader, a young and headstrong man named Shinyo, had firmly rejected what he deemed Minato's "unreasonable demand."
Allowing foreign shinobi to freely search their village?
Such a blatant surrender of sovereignty was unthinkable—it would strip Takigakure of all dignity.
No matter how much Konoha argued, he refused to yield.
Unless force was used.
But Minato had no intention of turning Takigakure into an enemy by launching an attack.
Thus, after confirming that Kushina was indeed hidden somewhere within the village, Minato had dispatched a shinobi to summon Shimizu, hoping to bring Kumogakure's forces here as well.
Their numbers alone were insufficient to exert overwhelming pressure.
But Kumogakure had thousands of shinobi. If they were brought into the equation, Takigakure would no longer be able to stand so firmly.
"Commander Namikaze, what's the situation now?" Dodai greeted Minato before asking directly.
Minato shook his head, a hint of frustration in his expression. "They refuse to compromise, no matter what we say…"
Shimizu, however, thought further ahead.
Their refusal—could it be because Madara and Tobi were pulling the strings from behind the scenes?
Perhaps they had already infiltrated Takigakure's leadership, using it as a means to diplomatically restrain Konoha.
But neither Minato nor Shimizu had any concrete evidence to prove such hidden manipulations.
And as of now, Minato didn't even know of Madara's existence.
"In that case, let us handle this," Dodai stepped forward, his voice carrying authority. "Time is short, and we must remain wary of Iwagakure's pursuit."
"I am Dodai, commander of Kumogakure. I request an audience with Takigakure's new leader regarding an urgent matter."
Before long, a young man stepped out from among Takigakure's ranks.
"My name is Shinyo," he said evenly. "I am the current leader of Takigakure."
So this was him—the new leader Minato had described, the one who harbored clear hostility toward Konoha.
Was he merely a puppet of Madara?
If he truly was, then he would undoubtedly obstruct Konoha's search to the very end.
Shimizu narrowed his eyes slightly, as if trying to see through the situation and uncover whatever lay hidden beneath the surface.
Yet, with Kumogakure stepping in to negotiate, the situation quickly took an unexpectedly favorable turn. Takigakure's leader, Shinyo, agreed to Konoha's so-called "unreasonable request."
From the exchange, it was clear that the young leader was deeply intimidated by the more than three thousand Kumogakure shinobi stationed at the waterfall's entrance. At one point, he had even mistaken their presence for an invasion.
"So… this only happened because Konoha's control over Takigakure has weakened?" Minato murmured, piecing it together.
Shimizu glanced at him, equally surprised, before nodding slightly. "Yeah… that seems to be the case."
"That kid fears Kumogakure—but not Konoha."
The reason was simple. Kumogakure had an army of three thousand. Konoha, on the other hand, had only a handful of squads here.
Which meant… Madara and Tobi hadn't actually taken control of Takigakure after all.
The search that followed proceeded smoothly. With Pakkun's keen sense of smell leading the way, Konoha quickly pinpointed Kushina's location—a single-story wooden cabin.
And, by sheer coincidence, that very cabin was Takigakure's sacred site for storing the Hero Water.
"…Do you really have to go inside?" Shinyo struggled to maintain what little dignity Takigakure still had.
"You heard what the summoning said. She's inside," Dodai replied firmly.
Shinyo cast a glance at the silent Third Raikage, then at the visibly anxious Konoha shinobi. After a long hesitation, he clenched his teeth.
"…Then I'll go in with you."
In the end, only four people were permitted to enter the cabin—Minato, Shimizu, Dodai, and the Third Raikage.
As Shimizu stepped inside, his gaze swept across the room.
The same cabin…
This was the very place where he had once stolen the Hero Water.
It was also here that he had glimpsed that fleeting figure—later confirmed by Orochimaru to be none other than White Zetsu, Tobi.
Was Tobi still here?
Would he dare show himself before the four of them?
And where… was Madara hiding?
Lost in thought, Shimizu followed the others until they found Kushina lying unconscious on the ground. Though she hadn't awakened, there were no obvious external injuries—a small mercy.
But her chakra…
It felt chaotic. Violent. Almost unstable.
Had Kushina always possessed such overwhelming chakra?
Still… they had found her.
Whatever was wrong with her condition could be examined later by the medical team.
For a brief moment, it seemed as though everything was finally coming to an end, and the tension in the room eased.
Then suddenly, Shinyo's voice rang out in alarm.
"The Hero Water?!"
They turned to see the container that once held the sacred liquid—now nearly empty.
Had it been stolen?
"She drank most of it," Shinyo said, pointing at Kushina. "Under normal circumstances, even a small amount can amplify a person's chakra tenfold…"
"But she drank that much…"
That was clearly not a good sign.
Minato's expression tightened instantly. "What will happen?"
Shinyo hesitated, then spoke with visible unease.
"I once heard from an elder… that a former Seven-Tails jinchūriki in our village consumed the Hero Water."
His voice lowered.
"And it caused them to transform… before ultimately losing control."