"Ao, we have to break Yagura-sama's genjutsu quickly. Otherwise, Kiyosuke is going to kill him," Terumī Mei said anxiously.
She had witnessed Kiyosuke's Sage Mode years ago. In that state, he had beaten the Third Mizukage to a pulp. And now, even without using that power, he was already fighting the Fourth Mizukage on equal footing. If this continued much longer, it was only a matter of time before Karatachi Yagura died by his hands.
"I know."
Ao was well aware of Kiyosuke's strength. Even with the dense mist surrounding them, it was useless against his Byakugan. The two of them quickly made their way toward the battlefield where Kiyosuke was fighting Karatachi Yagura.
Kiyosuke looked like a humanoid beast. He was going toe-to-toe in close-quarters combat with Yagura, who had entered Tailed Beast Mode, and was holding his own using pure taijutsu skill.
Yagura's transformation had boosted his chakra, strength, and speed—and even so, he wasn't gaining the upper hand.
Seriously, who's the real jinchūriki here!?
"Oh, you're here!" Kiyosuke retreated to Mei's side and said, "I'll keep him busy. Mei, you use ninjutsu to restrain him. Ao, you handle the genjutsu!"
"Got it!"
Ao didn't waste words. He immediately began preparing to dispel the illusion, while Kiyosuke charged back into the fight to pin Yagura down.
Kiyosuke dashed in, grabbed Yagura by the tail, and slammed him into the ground. Mei seized the opportunity, adjusted her hand seals, and unleashed her jutsu.
"Lava Style: Lava Monster Jutsu!"
A thick wave of acid, its corrosiveness carefully controlled, surged forward—wrapping around Yagura's arms, legs, and tail. Kiyosuke then ignited it with a burst of flame, causing the acid to harden into a thick crust, trapping Yagura in place.
"Ao!"
"On it!"
Ao rushed forward and began unraveling the genjutsu.
"Aaaargh!"
Yagura let out a tortured scream as the illusion was broken. He thrashed violently, clutching his head, writhing on the ground in pain.
"Yagura-sama!"
"Are you all right!?"
Mei and Ao ran over to support him. Yagura exited Tailed Beast Mode, panting heavily.
"What... what happened? I think I... I think..."
I think I did a lot of terrible things.
Like wiping out entire clans of shinobi...
"It's over now, Yagura-sama. You can start again," Ao said reassuringly.
Kiyosuke was just about to question Yagura about Obito when he suddenly sensed a wave of cold, sinister chakra. Without hesitation, he grabbed Ao and Mei by the collar and leapt back.
"What's going on?"
Before they could process it, a man in a black cloak and a swirling mask appeared in front of Yagura.
"You're still as sharp as ever, Asakawa Kiyosuke. I'm impressed," the masked man said. Then his eyes turned to Yagura. "But you... you're going back to being my puppet. It's time you atoned for your sins."
As he locked eyes with Yagura, the Mangekyō Sharingan began to spin—and Yagura was once again trapped under the illusion.
"Yagura-sama!!!" Ao shouted, clenching his fists as he watched helplessly. Their Mizukage was being controlled before his very eyes, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. The sense of powerlessness was unbearable.
Mei bit her lip hard, then looked to Kiyosuke in desperation. He said calmly,
"Long time no see. How's life been, living like a puppet?"
"You're full of crap, Asakawa Kiyosuke!" Obito snapped. "You've ruined so many of my plans. I was this close to destroying Konoha and sealing the Nine-Tails—and you had to interfere. You ruined everything! Damn you, Asakawa Kiyosuke!"
He had been lurking in the shadows all along. It was only when he saw Yagura's illusion lifted that he couldn't hold back anymore.
"You're like a damned leech! Always clinging to me! You even followed me here! How did you know I was here?"
"I guessed," Kiyosuke chuckled.
"Now be a good boy and come with me. If not, well... the girl you like might end up marrying the guy you hate the most."
Obito visibly shook. A beautiful face flashed through his mind—followed by a silver-haired, dead-eyed shinobi.
"No! That's a lie! If it weren't for you and Kakashi, she'd still be alive! She'd still be alive!!!" Obito howled, his voice full of madness. "I've already given up on this world! I don't care what happens to this fake world anymore! Asakawa Kiyosuke! You bastard! I'll never forgive you!"
"You really are..."
It seemed Uchiha Madara's use of Shisui's eye to brainwash Obito had worked perfectly.
Kiyosuke clenched his fists.
"Looks like I'll have to beat some sense into you again. Just like old times. And no crying this time."
"Bring it on, bastard!"
Obito had completely lost his mind. Kamui warped space around him, and in a blink, a scythe and a war fan appeared in his hands.
"Your Mizukage is your problem now. I'm going to take care of this guy."
"Understood. Looks like your friend's seriously messed up." Mei gave him a sympathetic look. Being controlled without even realizing it—what could be more tragic?
"Let's go, Isobu!!!"
Yagura's body swelled, armored plates forming across his skin as the Three-Tails emerged.
Kiyosuke and Obito moved their battle elsewhere, leaving Ao and Mei behind to deal with Yagura in full Tailed Beast Mode.
...
At that moment, Hoshigaki Kisame and the others, drawn by the noise of battle, arrived and caught sight of the Three-Tails.
"What's going on?" Kisame asked.
Mei stepped forward first. "Someone took control of Yagura-sama and triggered a Tailed Beast rampage. We have to suppress him and bring him back to his senses."
"What? No way! Yagura-sama's a perfect jinchūriki! He's immune to genjutsu! Who could possibly control him?!"
Some refused to believe it. Others grew suspicious.
"Maybe you're the ones trying to assassinate Yagura-sama—and now you're flipping the blame!"
"That's right! Yagura-sama is Kirigakure's strongest shinobi. There's no way he'd fall under a genjutsu!"
While most of them were skeptical, Kisame asked calmly,
"Can you suppress him?"
Ao replied, "He's not nearly as powerful now as he was in the past. We should be able to do it."
"Got it."
Kisame picked up Samehada. Seeing this, one of the ANBU nearby exclaimed in shock,
"Kisame-sama, what are you doing?!"
"What else? Stopping Yagura-sama," Kisame said matter-of-factly. "Whether he's under genjutsu or not, having a Tailed Beast go wild inside the village is too dangerous. We have to stop him. Isn't that what we're here for—to protect the village?"
"But..."
"No buts. If you're not going to help, then stay out of my way!"
With that, Kisame charged forward, Samehada in hand.
Watching his imposing figure disappear into the mist, the others hesitated no more and followed.
For the village!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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