The Truth About the Mizukage
After multiple White Zetsu clones, assigned to monitor the Uchiha remnants, mysteriously disappeared, Obito finally took notice.
Initially, Obito had little concern for the group of Uchiha survivors who had fled Konoha under the leadership of Shisui Uchiha. He had dispatched White Zetsu to observe them only to track Shisui's movements.
After all, these Uchiha remnants served a dual purpose: not only could they act as a counterbalance to the unpredictable Uchiha Itachi, but they also served as a convenient distraction for Konoha's leadership. By leaking occasional information about them, he ensured Konoha remained focused on hunting the remnants rather than directing their full attention elsewhere. In essence, it was a strategy that killed two birds with one stone.
However, the successive disappearances of White Zetsu forced Obito to shift his focus.
Despite White Zetsu's relatively low intelligence, he possessed the ability to use Wood Release. More importantly, a ninja who transplanted White Zetsu's tissue could significantly reduce the strain of using the Mangekyō Sharingan. If Shisui, who had already awakened his Mangekyō, managed to harness this ability, it would pose a considerable threat.
Yet, Obito hadn't decided on a direct course of action against Shisui.
Attacking outright was too risky. During his discussions with Itachi, he could never be entirely certain of where the young Uchiha's true loyalties lay. There was always a chance that, at a critical moment, Itachi might turn against him, considering that Obito had been a key figure in the Nine-Tails' assault on Konoha.
With this in mind, Obito abandoned the idea of continuing White Zetsu's surveillance and instead decided to share the information with the Akatsuki.
Within the organization, there were many who might have an interest in hunting the Uchiha survivors. Orochimaru, obsessed with human experiments, would certainly take interest, as would Sasori, who sought strong bodies to turn into human puppets. Even Kakuzu might act if there were bounties on their heads.
Pushing these thoughts aside, Obito turned his gaze toward the mist-shrouded Kirigakure, standing within the Mizukage's mansion.
Whenever he had free time, he would return to Kirigakure and issue cruel orders under the guise of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi. He orchestrated the brutal purges of the Land of Water's bloodline clans, driving them to the brink of extinction.
Part of this was mere amusement—something to pass the time while he waited.
Another part was strategy—weakening Kirigakure to ensure it could not resist when the time came to capture the Three-Tails. The tailed beasts were the foundation of the Five Great Nations' military power, and the Akatsuki could not afford to face all five nations at once.
And then, there was his personal resentment—his desire to see this world suffer, much as he had suffered since that fateful rainy night when he had awakened Kamui.
Even if the world was false, he did not mind making Kirigakure pay a heavy price.
At that moment, Zetsu emerged from the ground and spoke:
"Obito, the Kirigakure ninja you were watching has completed his mission. He has killed Fuguki Suikazan, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. The Demon has returned to the village."
Hearing this, Obito nodded and turned to leave the Mizukage's mansion.
A Meeting in the Shadows
In the dark, damp confines of Kirigakure's ANBU base, Obito finally met the man he had been keeping an eye on—Kisame Hoshigaki, a young but exceptionally skilled jōnin.
Kisame stood before him, gripping Samehada in one hand and holding a heavy sack in the other. His eyes gleamed with excitement.
The sack contained the severed head of his former superior. Samehada, one of the Seven Ninja Swords, had accepted him as its new wielder. With this, Kisame had officially claimed his place among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
The reason for Fuguki Suikazan's death was simple:
The veteran jōnin had been selling information to enemy nations, betraying Kirigakure. He had even plotted against the Fourth Mizukage.
Kisame knelt before the Mizukage and placed the sack down.
"Fourth Mizukage-sama, this is the traitor's head."
As he spoke, Kisame carefully observed Yagura Karatachi. Despite his childlike appearance, Yagura was the Three-Tails' jinchūriki and the Fourth Mizukage.
Rumors about him had spread throughout the village.
It was said that the Fourth Mizukage had ended the Blood Mist policy of the Third Mizukage—yet, at the same time, he had turned against the bloodline clans, allowing civilian-born shinobi to gain more influence at the cost of weakening Kirigakure's overall strength.
Ninjas who opposed his policies either lost their positions or vanished entirely. Fear had settled deep into the hearts of the villagers.
But in the end, Kisame was a ninja. His only duty was to complete missions, not to question them.
Still… one thought often troubled him.
Why did the Fourth Mizukage issue such bizarre commands? Why did he rarely appear in public, choosing instead to remain isolated within the Mizukage's mansion? Was it possible that someone in the village had become powerful enough to threaten his life?
As Kisame pondered these questions, a figure emerged from the shadows.
A man wearing a spiraled mask.
His single, blood-red Sharingan gleamed in the dimly lit corridor.
The moment Kisame saw the Sharingan, he understood everything.
The Fourth Mizukage had never been in control of Kirigakure.
The strongest shinobi in the village—Yagura Karatachi—was nothing more than a puppet.
This world had always been false. But what was the real truth?
Kisame found himself spiraling into doubt.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice steady despite the chaos in his mind. "You… you're the one controlling the Mizukage, aren't you?"
The masked man chuckled softly, then slowly removed his mask.
"I am the one who controls Kirigakure from the shadows… The man once known as Shinobi no Shura—Uchiha Madara."
"Uchiha… Madara?" Kisame repeated the name, momentarily stunned.
Obito's voice echoed in the chamber.
"Now that you've seen the truth, what will you do? Will you take up your sword against me, or will you seek the truth of this world by my side?"
Kisame hesitated.
If Madara had only recently taken control of the Mizukage, perhaps he could still convince himself to fight against him.
But Madara was a monster from the Warring States era. If he had been controlling Kirigakure for years—perhaps even decades—then what did it even mean to be "loyal" to the village?
In that moment, Kisame made his choice.
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A Pawn in a Greater Game
The recruitment of Kisame was effortless.
Obito had gained another powerful jōnin subordinate. He assigned Kisame a mission—to assassinate the daimyō of the Land of Water.
Of course, the mission was doomed to fail.
When it did, Kisame would be branded a rogue ninja. And once he was, he would inevitably seek refuge in the Akatsuki.
It was a strategy Obito had used before. Many jōnin had been pulled into the Akatsuki's ranks this way—Loquat Jūzō among them.
However, Jūzō had become dangerously close to Nagato and Konan, slipping beyond Obito's direct influence. That was why he had selected Kisame as his new pawn—a shinobi who would one day serve as his personal blade within the Akatsuki.
As Kisame departed, Obito picked up a list compiled by Kirigakure's ANBU.
It contained the names of jōnin suspected of plotting a coup against the Mizukage.
Scanning the list, Obito smirked.
He crossed out two names—Zabuza Momochi and Mangetsu Hōzuki.
He would manipulate them into launching their coup.
And then, under the guise of quelling the rebellion, he would wipe them out—further crippling Kirigakure's strength.
Watching the village descend into chaos was one of Obito's rare pleasures.
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