"Bastard!"
Under the moonlight, the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, who had already transformed into the Three-Tails, let out a thunderous roar.
Hidden within the body of the Three-Tails, his expression had become increasingly twisted. A surge of shame and fury boiled up inside him, to the point where it felt like he might grind his teeth to dust.
Obviously, now that the genjutsu had been removed by Uchiha Obito himself, he had fully regained his senses.
Even during the time he was under genjutsu control, he hadn't been entirely unaware. Though hazy, he had perceived many things.
Recalling how, despite being the Mizukage, he had been reduced to a puppet—watching helplessly as the village he loved was toyed with and ravaged—left him feeling utterly powerless.
Now, as he looked upon the current chaos in Kirigakure, a monstrous killing intent was surging in his chest.
"All of you, stop at once!"
But he knew very well—what mattered most right now was getting these fools in the village to stop fighting.
If the battle continued, the village really would fall apart.
Although… it was already on the brink of collapse.
The Fourth Mizukage's furious roar pierced the sky. Infused with the chakra of a Tailed Beast, his bellow instantly shook all of Kirigakure.
Those who supported the regime were ecstatic, while Genji's subordinates looked utterly grim.
After all, the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, was one of the rare perfect Jinchūriki in the shinobi world—someone who could wield the full power of the Three-Tails without consequence.
"This is bad…"
For a moment, every one of the 'rebels' felt the same sense of dread.
It wasn't that they hadn't prepared themselves mentally, but standing before the sheer, mountain-like presence of the Three-Tails—it triggered a primal fear.
Even Genji, Terumī Mei, and the others were no exception. Their expressions were grim as they stared at that mountainous silhouette.
"Sir, wait—something's not right."
Just then, Ao suddenly ran over.
"There are no signs of genjutsu on the Fourth Mizukage anymore!"
"Hm?"
His words left both Genji and Terumī Mei momentarily stunned—and at that moment, the Fourth Mizukage's voice rang out once again.
"Everyone, stop immediately."
"What happened tonight was orchestrated by someone with the intent to overthrow Kirigakure!"
"As the Fourth Mizukage, I order you to begin immediate searches and purges—our true enemy…"
"They are still here in the village!"
In a forest within Kirigakure, a single kunai was lodged in the ground.
Then, with a sudden surge of chakra, Kitagawa Gen and the other two appeared in a flash.
"Looks like we're safe for now."
Jiraiya scanned the surroundings. Seeing no one nearby, he finally let out a sigh of relief—but he couldn't help muttering bitterly a moment later.
"That bastard actually brought out the Three-Tails... Unbelievable."
"Well, Jiraiya-sama, if you hadn't gone poking around trying to dispel the genjutsu, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess, huh?"
Kitagawa Gen pursed his lips. He glanced toward the distant form of the Three-Tails, towering like a small mountain, and couldn't help but grumble.
"Now we're screwed. The Fourth Mizukage isn't going to let any of us off the hook."
"Hey, hey, hey—I had a reason for doing that, brat. Don't talk like you understand everything!"
Jiraiya widened his eyes and shouted back, though even he sounded a bit defeated.
They had clearly heard the Fourth Mizukage's booming words through the broadcast of Three-Tails chakra.
Jiraiya understood why the Fourth had made such a declaration. After all, family disgrace shouldn't be aired in public. For a Kage to have been manipulated and treated like a toy… the implications were enormous.
At the very least, this matter had to be suppressed for now.
"Kakashi, are you alright?"
Jiraiya didn't want to keep arguing with Gen. He turned toward Kakashi, concern in his eyes.
"That guy—was he…"
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Kakashi shook his head and answered solemnly.
"I know what I need to do. Obito is no longer the person he used to be. The Obito who was a hero will always live on—in my heart, and in my left eye."
"This demon wandering the world now is merely wearing Obito's face. He's no longer the boy who once dreamed of becoming Hokage."
"Sigh… it's good that you've come to terms with it."
Hearing Kakashi's words, Jiraiya felt a twinge of bitterness in his heart, mixed with a sense of shame.
Kakashi was able to see things so clearly—yet it seemed he himself couldn't quite take that step.
"Gen, are you alright?"
Kakashi, seemingly unwilling to linger on the topic, shifted his gaze toward Kitagawa Gen with a hint of concern.
Even though Gen didn't have a single visible wound this time, Kakashi knew exactly who his student had been up against.
"Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei. I'm fine."
Gen smiled faintly.
"This time went better than expected. It was a bit messy at the start, but since I tricked Uchiha Obito last time, he was clearly more hesitant this time around.
"Plus, with the Fourth's seal on him, he didn't dare make a move. Though… I'm afraid that seal won't be usable again."
"It's not a loss. As long as it worked, it's enough."
Jiraiya pressed his lips together—he seemed to feel a little regret that another of Minato's legacies in this world was now gone.
But that seal had already proven its worth. It had fulfilled its purpose completely.
"Still… it's unbelievable that guy survived a Rasengan. Maybe that's the power of Wood Release, huh."
"We should get out of here. It's too dangerous to linger."
Kakashi sighed and spoke up.
"Gen, are you holding up? I've got some soldier pills from the Akimichi clan. If you're struggling—"
"No need, I'm fine."
Gen shook his head, smiling again.
His chakra reserves were still plentiful—and after this mission, they would only grow stronger.
What he hadn't expected… was that the reward this time turned out to be the chakra of the Three-Tails!
He'd been longing for that ever since the start. He had even considered targeting the Fourth Mizukage before, but Obito had been watching too closely—he never had a chance.
Now, he didn't even have to make a move. The system had delivered it right to him!
Planting the God Tree—all depended on this stuff.
Still, he didn't dare use it just yet. He wasn't sure what would happen, and planned to experiment slowly after returning.
Besides, even without tapping into the Three-Tails' chakra, his own was more than sufficient.
'…But what about that exclusive mission? Why hasn't it been finalized yet?'
Gen was a bit curious, but he didn't dwell on it—he'd find out soon enough once they returned.
"We should leave now. The Fourth Mizukage has ordered a full-scale hunt across the village. If we—hm?"
Gen hadn't even finished speaking when he suddenly frowned and turned his head sharply.
Jiraiya and Kakashi also turned their heads at once. In the distance, space began to distort.
A moment later, Uchiha Obito and Hoshigaki Kisame stepped out from the rift.
In an instant, the five of them—nine eyes in total—locked gazes. The air fell into complete, suffocating silence.
"…Obito."
After a pause, Kakashi's expression turned icy. Obito simply gave a cold snort.
"What, you want to fight again?"
Obito felt like his luck was rotten. After retreating with Kisame, he'd needed a moment to recover from his injuries.
But of all places, he had to stumble right back into them again.
He cursed silently to himself—but outwardly, he couldn't afford to show even a hint of weakness.
"I think we should end it here."
Sensing the tension rising, Kisame quickly spoke up.
"Sure, we're enemies. But don't forget—right now Kirigakure is hunting us. Whatever grudges we've got, we can settle them later."
"But wasn't the Fourth Mizukage under your control? It won't hurt us to leave you behind."
Gen raised an eyebrow, while Obito let out a disdainful snort.
"Go ahead and fight, if that's what you want. But do you really think they'll let you go? You're from Konoha—and after this, you think he's going to let you report back?"
Once again, the two sides fell into silence. Their chakra flared, as if the fight could break out at any second.
"Let's check over there."
"Stay alert—the Mizukage said there are enemies in the village. Be careful."
"…Do you guys think that's really the case? I've got a feeling something's off."
"Mizukage-sama has already invited Genji-sama for a meeting. Enough with the bickering."
Just as tensions were about to explode, a voice from Kirigakure suddenly rang out in the distance, immediately deflating the mood.
They were indeed powerful—but that didn't mean they could stand up to an entire village's manhunt.
"Forget it… I'll let you go this time."
Jiraiya let out a sigh, then said solemnly, "But remember—Konoha will never forget what you've done!"
"Hmph."
Uchiha Obito snorted coldly and turned to leave with Hoshigaki Kisame.
The voices of the Kirigakure forces were growing nearer by the second, and they had no desire to get caught. At the same time, Kitagawa Gen and his group also turned away, seemingly preparing to leave as well.
But the very next moment—
With a sudden Flying Thunder God flash, Kitagawa Gen vanished and reappeared behind Obito, his White Fang short blade coated in violet lightning as he slashed straight for Obito's head.
Yet Obito seemed to have anticipated this. The instant he activated Kamui to evade, he also completed a hand seal.
"Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance!"
At the same time, Kakashi and Jiraiya had already finished their own seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Fire Release: Giant Flame Bullet!"
Kisame spun around just as swiftly—
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
All five launched their attacks in perfect synchronicity, as if it had been choreographed in advance.
[Boom—Boom—Boom!]
The entire forest trembled under the roars of flame, violet lightning, and water-style jutsu. Steam billowed everywhere as the elements collided and clashed.
In the midst of the thick mist, the five of them stood locked in a silent stare—wide-eyed, breath held—the atmosphere tense and heavy.
And just then, Kitagawa Gen's system pinged again.
[Kakashi's Exclusive Side Mission 2 Completed]
[Disillusioned Obito: The Shattered One]
[Reward being processed…]
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