The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi!
Everyone fell silent. No one could have imagined seeing the Fourth Mizukage here. Was this a dream? At this moment, shouldn't the Mizukage be at the Hidden Mist Village? Even if he were leading the charge, wouldn't he be under heavy protection from the Mist forces?
Why would he be here, right in the middle of the Leaf Ninja's stronghold?
Hyuga Masayuki activated his Byakugan. Yamanaka Mokuren used her clan's secret technique. The others also began using their various sensory abilities. Sensing Sougen's silent approval, they all directed their attention to the seemingly defenseless Fourth Mizukage. And then—
They "saw" the vast and terrifying power sleeping within Yagura Karatachi's body!
That was undoubtedly the energy of a tailed beast!
"Sougen-sama, what is going on here?"
Hyuga Masayuki's voice was fast and urgent, unable to hide the intense emotions stirring inside him.
It wasn't just Masayuki who was desperate to know what was happening. Everyone was curious. Why was the Fourth Mizukage here at this time?
"This is not the place to talk. Let's move elsewhere."
Sougen shook his head lightly, not immediately answering to dispel everyone's confusion.
Still using his Byakugan, Masayuki realized they were at the castle's main gate, with many ninjas passing by and glancing curiously at them. While no one dared approach, Sougen was right; this was no place for a serious conversation.
"Shall we head to the keep?" Masayuki suggested.
Sougen looked up at the highest point of the Black Tide Castle—the keep.
This castle was meant to be the frontline command center. Even though the border defense unit's command had been destroyed, the plan had to continue. In fact, rebuilding the command here was even more crucial to reorganize the border defenses quickly.
When they arrived at the keep, it was empty except for a few cushions.
Sougen set down the Uchiha fan he had been carrying and sat cross-legged on a cushion. His companions were stunned. Until now, they hadn't noticed that what Sougen had been carrying on his back wasn't the Samehada sword but the long-lost Uchiha Fan. Their eyes widened in shock.
"Sougen-sama, is that… the Uchiha Fan?"
The first to speak was Mikura Youka, a bearded man of humble origins. He looked at the gourd-shaped fan with simple curiosity. But during the Third Ninja War, he had been a frontline commander against the Rock Ninjas and was one of the staunchest supporters of the Fourth Hokage.
Although Youka's achievements were remarkable, he did not fully understand the significance of the Uchiha Fan. The others, hailing from prominent clans, were too shocked to speak.
"You can call it the Uchiha Fan or the Blazing Fan," Sougen said, gently running his hand along the long handle of the fan.
"Sougen-sama, wasn't the clan's fan taken away and lost? How does this connect to the Fourth Mizukage?" Masayuki couldn't hold back anymore. First, the capture of Yagura, and now this—what had Sougen been doing?
Did he not only capture Yagura but also find the long-lost Uchiha Fan?
It was more believable that the Mist Ninjas had hidden the fan away themselves.
"I'll explain everything. Yunhai, take the meeting minutes. This situation is complex, and we'll need to send a full report to the Hokage." Sougen instructed Kurama Yunhai, who hurried to fetch paper and ink.
"I won't waste time with pleasantries. We have plenty of problems to deal with. Let me be direct—those who attacked the Eastern Border Defense Command were none other than the Fourth Mizukage and his personal guards."
Kurama Yunhai quickly started writing.
Masayuki, Aburame Shikuro, Yamanaka Mokuren, and the others listened intently.
"However, during our fight, I realized that something was wrong with the Mizukage. He was under a genjutsu."
This revelation hit like a bombshell.
Everyone's faces stiffened in shock. Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, was under a genjutsu? That was unthinkable! He was one of the five Kage, the supreme leader of the Hidden Mist Village, someone whose word determined life and death.
How could someone like that be controlled by genjutsu?
Even Kurama Yunhai's hand trembled as he struggled to write clearly.
"The Mizukage... controlled by genjutsu…" Nara Suzaku glanced at Yagura's unconscious form, realizing the complexity of the situation. If this was true, the war between the Mist and the Leaf was far more intricate than he had imagined.
Sougen continued, giving the group time to absorb the information. "The person controlling him wore a mask and black robes. His true identity is unknown, but during our fight, he claimed to be Uchiha Madara!"
Another shockwave rippled through the group. Newest update provided by noⅴelfire.net
"Didn't he die at the hands of the First Hokage?"
Masayuki completely lost his composure. As someone from the same era as Sarutobi Hiruzen, he had witnessed the battles between the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara. The news that Madara might still be alive was devastating.
With no First Hokage to defend them, how could the Leaf withstand the return of such a monstrous figure?
"Masayuki-senpai, calm down. This masked man only claimed to be Madara. Besides the Sharingan and the Blazing Fan, there's no proof that he truly is." Sougen reassured the elderly ninja.
Masayuki was speechless for a moment. True, the fact that Yagura and the fan had fallen into Sougen's hands suggested this masked man wasn't invincible.
"The war between us and the Mist was instigated by this person. While we don't yet know his motives, I suspect the Nine-Tails attack five years ago might have been his doing as well."
"Past events aside, we need to focus on our current problems. Masayuki-senpai, you'll handle reorganizing the border defenses. And Suzaku, I need a plan on how to maximize our leverage with the captured Mizukage."
"This war isn't over. Capturing the Mizukage was just a lucky break. He's still a puppet, and we can't let our guard down."
"Yes, Sougen-sama!" they replied in unison.
The war had only just begun.