Danzō's face stiffened. He hadn't expected Hiruzen to shame his partner in public. He also began wondering: where had the leaks sprung?
Did Hiruzen already know Shisui had died because of him?
Hiruzen withdrew his gaze from Danzō and turned a warm, encouraging look on the Anbu. "You did well. Dismissed. If the Uchiha make any new moves, report immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
The Anbu rose and vanished with the Body Flicker.
Danzō's expression eased a little. He was an old hand at politics and understood Hiruzen's position instantly.
Though he admonished Danzō, Hiruzen hadn't lifted surveillance on the Uchiha. If they did act out, Hiruzen would still move against them.
Still, Danzō found the clan's recent change bizarre—as if someone were advising them from behind the scenes.
If he waited any longer, the Uchiha probably wouldn't revolt militarily—against his interests. He pondered whether to add fuel to the fire and force them back onto the path of armed rebellion.
Unless the Uchiha were exterminated, he wouldn't sleep well. He'd killed Uchiha Shisui, and one of Shisui's eyes was still in Uchiha hands.
He didn't know where that eye was, and he lost sleep fearing some Uchiha would ambush him one day and use Kotoamatsukami to rewrite his will.
Add to that the feud between him and the Uchiha basically out in the open—unknown to the village at large, but surely etched into the clan's memory—it made him deeply uneasy.
After much thought, Danzō decided it was best if the Uchiha were wiped out. He could harvest plenty of Sharingan materials, too.
…
While undercurrents surged in Konoha, waves crashed in Kirigakure.
At dawn, sea fog blanketed the coastal city. Mist ninja moved through the streets. Many jōnin and Anbu were mobilized to first-level alert.
The strong gathered at the Mizukage's Tower, Explorers among them—some serious, some treating it like a show.
Inside, Mei Terumi, Kisame Hoshigaki, and a fourth-tier Explorer had surrounded Mizukage Yagura Karatachi.
Yagura—small as a boy—clutched his face in pain, emitting wordless groans. He staggered backward, knocking over furniture.
"Lord Mizukage, get a hold of yourself!"
Mei Terumi barked, face dark. She hadn't expected the man at her side to be telling the truth—the Mizukage had really been under control all these years!
Just yesterday, a man named Black Tech visited her at night, bringing along one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Kisame Hoshigaki, and shared a shocking truth.
Their Mizukage had long been under genjutsu by the fabled Uchiha Madara. That was the reason for the tyranny that had driven Kirigakure's people to despair.
Skeptical, she had, this morning, joined Black Tech and Kisame to meet the Mizukage.
Catching him off guard, Black Tech produced some unknown item and struck the Mizukage with it, and the genjutsu was broken. Everything afterward led to this scene.
Once freed, Yagura seemed tormented. The deeds of these years flooded back, and he wanted to die.
He had ruined the village he loved most with his own hands and driven away so many excellent shinobi. Perhaps no other Kage in history had been more derelict than he.
After the pain, anger and hatred followed. "Uchiha Madara…"
Yagura had no will to live now. He knew his deeds, even if under control, would nail him to a pillar of shame forever.
But before stepping down and seeking death, he wanted to do one thing—make the one who had controlled him pay.
"Lord Mizukage, are you lucid now?"
Black Tech smiled, seeing Yagura stabilizing. He wore a scholar's robe, looking more like a teacher than a shinobi.
He was a fourth-tier Explorer from the Heaven's Will Space. This was his second time in the Naruto world. Some of his earlier arrangements had borne fruit, and dissolving the Fourth Mizukage's genjutsu today was the start of reeling in the net.
As for Akatsuki's response, he wasn't worried. Given his understanding of the plot and the current situation, Nagato wouldn't move.
So long as Nagato stayed put, the rest weren't worth fretting over.
Kirigakure's current power wasn't weak: Kisame, the tailless tailed beast, Mei Terumi with two kekkei genkai, and the perfect jinchūriki Fourth Mizukage, Yagura.
With Akatsuki's strength at this time, a frontal assault on Kirigakure would be wishful thinking—especially with him present.
What level was Yagura? In the original, when Jūzō Biwa and Itachi Uchiha passed by Kirigakure, Yagura ran into them and promptly left one dead and one wounded; Itachi only survived by sheer luck.
And that was with Jūzō sacrificing his life to save him. Otherwise both would have died at Yagura's hands.
So the combat power of a perfect jinchūriki was no joke. Yagura hadn't been controlled by a dabbling genjutsu user like Obito, but by a true Uchiha—Obito merely inherited control later.
With Madara dead, Yagura might be the strongest of the Five Kage right now—made all the easier to use, wrapped as he was in guilt and hatred.
Black Tech smiled at him. Before you shut yourself away and die, let me help you be useful.
…
"Gusion-sama, leaving already? Your Sage Arts training has only just begun…"
Tagorihime saw Gusion off, her eyes full of admiration.
Gusion had taken only two days to get started with Ryuchi Cave's Sage Arts—and his results were perfectly stable. He was the fastest learner she'd ever seen.
"There's work to do outside. I'll come visit when I can."
Gusion replied courteously. His Sage Arts training quest was complete, and the Inheritance Crystals had been delivered.
But Tagorihime had a small misunderstanding. For two days, what he'd been training wasn't Ryuchi Cave's Sage Arts—but the Dragon-Transmutation Formula.
In fact, he'd learned Ryuchi Cave's Sage Arts in just a few hours; it was laughably simple to him. He couldn't see why others struggled.
The Dragon-Transmutation Formula, though, was another matter. Perhaps because it was far beyond his current level, it was hard to get into. After two days he'd only grasped a few basics.
From his understanding, cultivating this method didn't mean turning into the dragon most people imagined.
It was a profound sage art adaptable to all races. "Dragon" here was a word for the apex of power.
In the Formula's philosophy, even perfected sage art wouldn't change one's fundamental species—only grant a wondrous, vast power to stride among the stars.
It was named the Dragon-Transmutation Formula because the highest achiever recorded had been a being who eventually took the form of a dragon.
In the murals, the dragon he saw flying into space was likely the founder of the method.
That discovery made Gusion realize the planet's native sage art once reached astonishing heights—that in primordial times, natives had reached the stars, no worse than those interstellar bandits, the Ōtsutsuki.
For now he had only scratched the Formula's foundations, so his use of it came with some dragonification.
Luckily it wasn't excessive. He'd tested it once and decided it didn't hurt his looks—so he'd keep training.
After saying goodbye to Tagorihime and the White Snake Sage, Gusion formed hand seals and ended the reverse summoning. He returned to Orochimaru's base.
In the shrine, the White Snake Sage watched Gusion vanish and murmured, "Looks like he's not the Child of Prophecy."
"But you think he's special, don't you?"
Tagorihime asked.
"Yes. He's a child I can't see through. He'll surely stir up great waves in the shinobi world…"
The White Snake Sage sighed. "Go find Garaga. I have questions."
Puzzled, Tagorihime asked no more and departed. Garaga's rampages were famous, but as one of the elders, she wasn't afraid of being eaten.
…
"Gusion-kun, back so soon?"
Orochimaru smiled at Gusion's return. "How goes the Sage Arts?"
He asked, but didn't expect results—Gusion had been gone less than three days. He figured Gusion sensed danger during training and gave up.
"Learned it. Why would I stay in that gloomy place any longer?"
Gusion answered casually, helping himself to a drink from the fridge in Orochimaru's reception room—after a quick Appraisal.
"Gusion-kun, how humorous. I didn't peg you as a joker."
Orochimaru chuckled, thinking Gusion was teasing him.
"What's there to joke about? It's just Sage Mode."
As he spoke, Gusion absorbed natural energy and entered Sage Mode.
His muscles swelled, and fine dragon scales appeared on his skin, creeping from neck upward and stopping at his cheeks, forming eerie patterns that nevertheless held a strange beauty.
With the Dragon-Transmutation Formula's Sage Mode active, his attributes spiked—standard Sage Mode buffs.
But since he was only casually demonstrating, he didn't ramp it to the max. He absorbed a little natural energy, then halted the dragonification and dispelled Sage Mode.
Orochimaru stared at the obviously inhuman traits—and at how easily they appeared and vanished—struck speechless.
The truth was right there. In under three days, Gusion had learned Sage Arts!
And judging by the ease of control, he wasn't some flaky half-bucket—he'd truly gotten in the door!
"Gusion-kun… you really are a rare kind of genius."
Orochimaru praised, tongue flicking across his lips, eyes harboring a certain desire.
Gusion couldn't stand the snakelike stare. "Don't look at me like that. If you want my cells, just say so."
A raspy laugh. "Hahaha—then I won't be polite. Gusion-kun, please give me some of your tissue samples. If you want results tailored for you, I'll need to test your compatibility with the First's cells as well."
Gusion had no objection. If Orochimaru wanted to, he could collect Gusion's blood from any battle anyway.
In Gusion's era, cloning technology was advanced and used by the rich for medical treatment. He didn't mind his blood or cells getting out.
He was himself; any clone wasn't him. Personal will has never been determined by mere flesh.
Besides, he wanted Orochimaru to study advanced eyes suitable for him. Without his samples, what if the results were incompatible?
"Then let's—"
Gusion was about to discuss custom requirements when he felt the ring's summons.
Orochimaru did too. The Akatsuki ring on their hands functioned as a communicator and recall device.
"Gusion-kun, looks like the organization has a mission for us."
Orochimaru licked his lips.
Sensing the pull through the ring, Gusion was thoughtful. Were they sending him to collect tailed beasts? Or was it a mercenary job?