"Don't worry. You'll see it soon enough."
Shigure's tone was calm, but his eyes carried a spark of anticipation. The day when the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist would rise again was one he looked forward to.
Still, he wasn't expecting much from the new wielders of the Blast Sword (Shibuki) or the Blunt Sword (Kabutowari).
After all, the Mist would only be choosing from among their current shinobi, and even if they included veterans up to forty years old, there weren't many who truly stood out.
They were competent—nothing more.
If that was the case, it might be better to pick younger ninja instead. At least they'd give off the impression of a strong new generation.
To the people of Kirigakure, appearance mattered; the illusion of progress was almost as important as progress itself.
Still, thanks to the modifications Shigure had made to the Blast Sword and Blunt Sword, even ordinary ninja could see a massive increase in strength.
The only problem was the risk of the weapons being seized in battle—something that would be humiliating for the Mist if it happened.
After dispatching Kisame, Shigure and Mei Terumī strolled through the village streets.
"How are things on the Hidden Cloud Island?" Shigure asked suddenly.
At his question, Mei's crimson lips curved into a faint smile.
"Not bad at all," she replied. "After Chōjūrō and Haku arrived, they crushed a thirty-man squad from the Hidden Cloud and drove them off."
"It's over already?"
Mei chuckled. "Hardly. You know how the Cloud operates. They'll keep sending elite units to wear us down. This standoff won't end anytime soon."
She looked out toward the mist-shrouded horizon.
"In the end, it comes down to who breaks first—or who dares to send a Kage-level ninja into the fray. The moment one side does that, the battle's outcome is sealed."
"And whoever wins… claims the island," Shigure murmured.
"Exactly," Mei said. "The loser will have to pull their forces back."
It was almost amusing, how such unwritten rules governed the shinobi world.
Shigure nodded thoughtfully.
"Haku and Chōjūrō will be fine. As long as the Cloud doesn't send a Kage-tier shinobi, they won't be defeated easily."
Mei's gaze softened slightly. She could tell he trusted them deeply.
Before Shigure appeared, she'd always handled such matters personally. The village had lacked reliable elite ninja; sending ordinary troops would've been suicide.
But now, for the first time, Mei felt things were different.
Kirigakure was changing.
They had people who could hold the line.
Zabuza hadn't even joined the fight yet—he was lying in wait. If the Cloud sent reinforcements, he'd strike from the shadows alongside Haku and Chōjūrō. And if things went south, he'd make sure they all returned alive.
"Don't worry about the Cloud," Mei said finally. Then, after a brief pause, she fixed her eyes on him.
"You don't plan on staying here, do you?"
Shigure blinked, caught off guard. "How did you know?"
Mei crossed her arms, smiling knowingly.
"That look on your face when Danzō threatened you—it wasn't the face of someone planning to sit quietly in the Mist. You're plotting something."
Her tone grew more serious. "You're thinking of revenge, aren't you?"
She didn't need him to confirm it. If Shigure really went after Danzō… that would spark a political nightmare.
Killing an elder-level figure from another village—even one as despised as Danzō—would be seen as an act of war.
Not even Tsunade, with her status as Hokage and her bond with Shigure, could protect him from the fallout. The Hidden Leaf wasn't her personal fiefdom; its stability rested on the will of all its shinobi.
"Relax," Shigure said with a faint smile. "I'm not going to Konoha. I have another destination in mind."
Mei raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And where might that be?"
Shigure's eyes hardened, his voice low and steady.
"Takigakure—the Hidden Waterfall Village."
"Takigakure?"
Mei Terumī raised an eyebrow. "What could you possibly want there? It's just a small hidden village in a minor country. Practically a satellite of Konoha."
Shigure smiled faintly, offering no answer. But a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
What was he going to Takigakure for?
The answer was simple—he was after a Jinchūriki.
Originally, he'd intended to stay in Kirigakure to focus on his research and refine his mastery over Light Release. There was still so much potential in that element—so many new techniques waiting to be created, even new Kekkei Genkai that could be developed through fusion.
But after Danzō's threat, Shigure decided to accelerate his plans.
Gluttony's restoration was progressing far too slowly. The quickest way to repair it… was to devour the chakra of a Tailed Beast.
And his next target was the Seven-Tails, Chōmei, sealed within Takigakure's Jinchūriki.
There were logical reasons for choosing the Seven-Tails.
The Two-Tails and Eight-Tails were both under the Hidden Cloud's control. Touching them would mean declaring war on Kumogakure—something Shigure couldn't risk if he still intended to become Mizukage.
If it were just him, he wouldn't care about such things. But as a future leader, he couldn't ignore the consequences of dragging his village into a large-scale conflict that would claim countless lives.
The Four-Tails and Five-Tails were off-limits too—they belonged to Iwagakure. That left only the Nine-Tails and Seven-Tails.
The Nine-Tails, of course, was sealed within Naruto Uzumaki. That was not an option.
Which meant the only viable target… was the Seven-Tails of Takigakure.
Even if he went there and took it openly, what could Takigakure possibly do? Declare war on Kirigakure? Hardly.
Would they run crying to Konoha for help?
Given Konoha's current state, it was unlikely they'd offer more than a token protest. Even if they wanted to help, their intervention would be limited to empty words, not action.
And that was precisely what Shigure wanted.
By attacking Takigakure and seizing their Tailed Beast, relations between the Mist and the Waterfall would naturally deteriorate.
Then, if Danzō tried to solicit support from Kirigakure in his bid to become Hokage, the situation would turn against him.
To the rest of the world, Danzō would no longer appear as a strong Konoha leader—but as a man who secretly colluded with an outside village to attack another that relied on Konoha's protection.
No sane shinobi would allow someone like that to take the Hokage's seat.
Shigure could almost see it now: Danzō, humiliated and cast out of Konoha, running for his life.
And when that time came… Shigure would be waiting for him.
That night, he set his plan in motion.
Using the White Pigeon Jutsu, Shigure sent thousands of chakra-formed messenger birds soaring into the skies to scout Takigakure and locate the Jinchūriki's position.
Five thousand pigeons—each one linked to his perception.
The chakra cost was immense, but for Shigure, recovering it was only a matter of time.
By noon the next day, while he was meditating to refine the nature transformation of Light Release, his eyes suddenly snapped open.
The White Pigeons had returned with their message.
He stood, expression sharp. "Tell Lady Mizukage," he said to the nearest Mist shinobi, "that I'll be gone for a short while. I'll return soon."
Before the man could even respond, Shigure had already leapt onto the Flying Nimbus, his cloak rippling as he soared into the sky.
The Kirigakure ninja could only gape as Shigure ascended higher and higher, disappearing into the clouds like a golden streak.
"This technique… it's incredible," he murmured, shading his eyes. "I wonder if I could ever learn something like that…"
But by then, Shigure was already a speck in the heavens—heading straight for Takigakure, and for the Seven-Tails that awaited him there.
...
TN:
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