Although the Third Mizukage was blind, wherever he faced, a terrifying silence would descend.
The Uzumaki ninja were on high alert, uncertain how the Mizukage would enter the battlefield.
The Mist ninja grew increasingly cautious, deliberately keeping distance from the Uzumaki ninja.
The Cloud ninja slowly began to retreat.
When a Kage-level ninja appears, both allies and enemies on the battlefield must exercise extreme caution.
If one were hit by a Kage-level technique, death would be sudden and inexplicable.
Suddenly, the river running through the center of Uzumaki Village churned violently.
A gigantic lobster leapt out, spraying foam toward the Third Mizukage.
The Uzumaki clan had hidden a giant summoning beast in the river.
The Third Mizukage sensed the commotion and raised his hand.
The river seemed almost severed; a portion of water lifted, forming a massive water sphere that encased the giant lobster.
Water Prison Jutsu?
The Third Mizukage's Water Prison was massive, trapping the giant summoning beast.
Unfortunately, the foam had not yet touched the Mizukage before it was engulfed by the Water Prison.
The water sphere, tens of meters in diameter, filled all Uzumaki ninja with despair.
The Third Mizukage formed hand seals, and a dark cloud appeared above his head.
The cloud rapidly rose and expanded, becoming a storm cloud that enveloped the entire Uzumaki Village.
Drizzling rain began to fall.
Yoru nearly crushed his telescope; the scene before him sent chills down his spine.
If he were there, he would surely die…
Each raindrop, upon touching a living being, became a Water Prison!
Such a wide-area attack could not be avoided, even with the fastest Body Flicker techniques.
All Uzumaki ninja and the giant summons were trapped.
Even villagers who had been knocked down but still had faint breathing were detected as alive by the jutsu and trapped in water prisons.
For a moment, the village fell completely silent, leaving only spheres of water.
Inside each water sphere, Uzumaki ninja struggled in vain.
They swung their arms and legs, but to no avail; they could not reach the boundaries of the water prisons.
Some tried forming hand seals, but it was futile—they could not break the Third Mizukage's Water Prison.
Inside the prisons, Uzumaki ninja blew bubbles, swallowed water, struggled violently, and twitched, their faces turning crimson.
Yoru whispered to himself: the Third Mizukage's attack range is immense—covering an entire village.
Legends spoke of a Kage-level ninja capable of annihilating a whole village.
But the Third Mizukage could control the technique finely—only trapping the Uzumaki ninja, leaving Mist and Cloud ninja unaffected.
Yoru thought: no wonder Danzo hasn't acted—perhaps he dares not.
Just when Yoru thought the Mizukage was terrifying enough, the Third Mizukage opened his eyes.
Eyes long shut for decades opened!
No eyeballs remained, only dark red ominous liquid swirling within the sockets.
A crimson, fan-shaped beam shot forth from the Mizukage's eyes.
Every Water Prison illuminated by the red light glowed, and the Uzumaki ninja inside instantly exploded, dissolving into blood and water.
…Yoru thought, being a ninja is far too dangerous—death can come instantly.
One glance from the Mizukage killed half the Uzumaki ninja.
Another glance, and the entire male Uzumaki clan would be wiped out.
Without Konoha's support, this top-three ninja clan was utterly defenseless against the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
In the age of single-village nations, no clan, however strong, could rival a shinobi village. A rogue clan's only fate was annihilation.
The Senju and Uchiha clans were wiped out successively, yet neither considered leaving Konoha.
Leaving Konoha only hastened death.
The Mizukage turned his gaze toward the other half of the Uzumaki ninja.
It was over—this clan was finished.
Yoru looked at Danzo, unsure why he remained motionless.
Could it be that Danzo dared not act because of the Mizukage's appearance?
It was plausible—Danzo feared death and would never risk his life before becoming Hokage.
Just as the Mizukage's eyes opened slightly, a large lizard suddenly appeared!
This would later become one of Nagato's summons—the Stealth Lizard.
The lizard emerged by the river, opening its mouth toward the Third Mizukage.
Inside its mouth was the Uzumaki clan's elder, the brother of Uzumaki Mito.
The old man's red hair had long turned white; he appeared frail and aged.
Before appearing, he had already formed hand seals within the lizard's mouth.
A translucent Reaper manifested above the river:
Dead Demon Consuming Seal!
The Third Mizukage, without forming seals, erected a water barrier behind him.
But the Reaper ignored all physical matter; its semi-transparent arms, covered in seals, passed through the water barrier, seizing the Mizukage's head—or rather, his soul.
His soul!
Pulled out by the Reaper!
The Third Mizukage struggled briefly, then collapsed.
His body instantly decayed, like a corpse long dead.
The Dead Demon Consuming Seal was not an ordinary jutsu—it directly attacked the soul, beyond any ninja's comprehension.
Meanwhile, the Uzumaki clan head fell from the lizard's mouth.
With the Reaper Seal complete, the Third Mizukage's soul was sealed, becoming a sacrifice to the Reaper.
A look of satisfaction crossed the elder's face.
He had given everything for the Uzumaki clan.
Innocent yet coveted for its secrets, the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques were desired by all ninja villages—even Danzo of Konoha demanded access.
Unfortunately, Senju Hashirama only sought to appease the other four great villages, ignoring the Uzumaki clan's needs for tailed beasts in pursuit of his futile dream of peace.
Had it not been for the Senju's influence, the Uzumaki might have had a tailed beast as well.
Now, having the Uzumaki clan produce the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki permanently in Konoha was a poor compromise.
The Third Mizukage and the Uzumaki elder perished together.
"Elder!"
Within the Four Purple Flame Formation, the Uzumaki women cried out.
Uzumaki Yuka looked toward Konoha—why hadn't anyone come?
The Mist ninja could hardly believe it; some dropped their swords in shock.
Their Kage… was dead?
He had participated in the Five Kage Summit alongside the First Mizukage, a formidable figure.
Though aged, his strength was immense—how could he be dead?
The Cloud ninja exchanged glances. Invited by the Mist Village to create chaos behind Konoha during the Land of Hot Water's battlefield, they had hoped to gain an advantage.
Now, Konoha hadn't come, and the Mizukage was dead?
The captains exchanged looks and turned toward the Uzumaki shrine.
They would not let so many die in vain; without Konoha, they would seize the Uzumaki sealing techniques!
The Uzumaki sealing techniques were formidable; even a ninja like the Mizukage had been sealed to death without resistance.
With such sealing techniques, obtaining a perfect Jinchuriki was assured.
The Mist ninja went completely berserk, charging at the Uzumaki ninja without any order!
Their eyes bloodshot, they sought vengeance against every Uzumaki—red-haired people must die!
The Mizukage's Water Prison was so powerful that Uzumaki ninja just released from it were gasping for breath, struggling to breathe.
One by one, Uzumaki ninja fell tragically to the Mist ninja.
Yoru lowered his telescope, thinking: now Danzo should act.
The Mizukage was dead, the Uzumaki elder dead.
Uzumaki Village lay in ruins, casualties everywhere.
Danzo stood up.
The three captains hurried forward, listening for instructions.
They relayed orders to their squad leaders, layer by layer.
The Black Chimp Squad found their three sub-captains.
"Charge the Four Purple Flame Formation at top speed! Fox and I will be in the center; the other two squads flank, forming a wedge! Do not stop!"