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"If you're alone, can you take him down?" Mei stared at Ao, inquiring.
Ao thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"There's a chance I could defeat him, but I can't guarantee success."
Mei raised an eyebrow and looked down at the documents on her desk.
"Then let it be. We won't act for now. Let's see what the Mizukage's stance is."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Meanwhile, in the Mizukage's office, the Fourth Mizukage summoned someone.
The individual wore a gray armored Anbu vest on his upper body and black pants. Most strikingly, his face was wrapped in white cloth from his chin to his nose, and his Mist Village headband was worn tilted.
"Momochi Zabuza, do you know why I've called you here?"
The Fourth Mizukage spoke first.
Zabuza knelt on one knee and shook his head slightly.
"No, sir."
The Fourth Mizukage pointed to his right, where a large blade rested against the wall—Kubikiribōchō.
"I have high hopes for you. I want you to become the next wielder of Kubikiribōchō. What do you think?"
Zabuza replied respectfully, "I am willing to serve you, Lord Mizukage!"
The Fourth Mizukage nodded with satisfaction but then spoke with a hint of concern.
"I'm pleased you accept. However, you're aware of the current state of the village. I may not remain in power for long. If you accept Kubikiribōchō, it could put you in danger."
Obito began to set his trap. His goal was to force Zabuza into becoming a rogue ninja and, through the Mizukage's "benevolence," lure him into joining the Akatsuki.
Zabuza was known for his brutality—during his ninja academy graduation, he had killed all his classmates. He was exactly the kind of ruthless person Obito needed. Kubikiribōchō was the bait Obito used to hook him.
"What does Lord Mizukage wish for me to do?"
Zabuza asked, still respectful, appearing to hold great reverence for the tyrannical Mizukage.
The Fourth Mizukage furrowed his brow, pretending to think deeply before responding.
"Here's my proposal: I want you to pretend to defect from the village with Kubikiribōchō. If the village remains peaceful soon after, I'll immediately announce that your defection was a ruse. But if something happens to me… well, then you should stay away. If you've accepted my blade, Mei and her faction will likely target you if they take power. In that case, it's better for you to remain outside the village."
Zabuza hesitated before speaking.
"Defect from the village? …Please allow me two days to consider, Lord Mizukage."
The Fourth Mizukage responded reasonably.
"Of course, take your time. Come back in two nights if you decide to accept Kubikiribōchō. If you don't, there's no need to return. I understand your dilemma, and I'll respect whatever decision you make."
"Then, I'll take my leave."
"Go."
Zabuza departed.
What Zabuza didn't know was that this was only Obito's first plan. If Zabuza didn't return in two nights to accept the blade and defect, three days later, countless pieces of "evidence" proving Zabuza's "betrayal" would surface. At that point, he'd have no choice but to defect.
The ones uncovering this evidence would be Mei and her faction, leaving the Fourth Mizukage blameless. The Mizukage would then act as Zabuza's "benefactor," continually expressing concern for him. Eventually, the Mizukage would personally suggest that Zabuza join an organization called the "Akatsuki."
Obito had scripted everything, waiting for Zabuza to fall into his trap.
But just as Zabuza was unaware of Obito's "script" for him, Obito was unaware of Zabuza's own "script."
Mei sent for Zabuza, and he revealed everything about his meeting with the Fourth Mizukage.
On the surface, Zabuza appeared to be a cruel and heartless man, but in reality, his experiences were strikingly similar to Itachi's.
When Zabuza graduated from the ninja academy, he did something shocking: he killed all his classmates.
This act was incomprehensible at first glance, much like Itachi's slaughter of the Uchiha clan. Judging it superficially made it impossible to understand.
What was the result of Zabuza killing his classmates? It forced a change in the ninja academy's graduation exam system.
At the time, the graduation exam required students to kill each other. Before Zabuza's actions, countless students died every year in these brutal exams. After Zabuza's drastic move, though his methods were excessively cruel, no one would die in future graduation exams.
Bearing all the sin alone and leaving the benefits for future generations—could such a person truly be called cruel and heartless?
Some might argue that Zabuza's method of killing his classmates was too extreme. But one must consider the era he lived in: the Blood Mist regime. In that time, would the village's leadership change their policies because of a single ninja academy student? Ridiculous! In chaotic times, drastic measures were necessary. Sacrificing a few to save the many was already the best possible outcome. Hoping to save everyone was a childish fantasy.
In the original story, Zabuza did something else shocking: he attempted to assassinate the Mizukage.
Assassinating a village's Kage was, of course, a heinous crime. But the Mist Village was different. Under Obito's control, the Fourth Mizukage's Blood Mist policies were tyranny incarnate. Countless people in the village wished for his death.
In such circumstances, was assassinating the Mizukage truly wrong? No, it was absolutely justified. Others didn't dare act, but Zabuza stepped up and did it. It was that simple.
After hearing Zabuza's account, Mei nodded.
"I understand. What do you plan to do? Accept the Mizukage's Kubikiribōchōand defect?"
Zabuza gave a faint chuckle.
"I'm definitely going to defect this time, but before I do, there's one thing I need to take care of."
"What's that?"
"Assassinate the Mizukage!"