The Great Hero Uchiha

"I want to support Water Mist more than any of you, but we must be patient."

"???"

Mei Terumi couldn't understand why the Fifth Mizukage, Hozuki Mizuki, was fighting the enemy far away from the village, while the Marshal and the village's higher-ups remained indifferent.

The marshal didn't explain much, but instead asked a question.

"Do you know why Water Mist recruited you as a shadow guard and put you in charge of village affairs?"

When asked this question, Mei Terumi immediately froze on the spot. She had been busy with various village affairs every day, and when she had free time, she would rather take the opportunity to look at Hozuki Mizuki a few more times.

Yes!

why?

Normally, even a shadow guard wouldn't have the right to touch those documents.

The strangest thing is that all the higher-ups knew about this, but no one stepped forward to stop it.

"Why……"

"Because he thinks you have the potential to become the next Mizukage."

In the past, Mei Terumi would have been happy to know that Mizuki Hozuki had made this assessment of her, and would have been even more happy to feel that Mizuki Hozuki had been paying attention to her all along.

But at this moment, all I felt was unease.

When he was recruited as a kage, Hozuki Mizuki was only acting as the Mizukage and had not yet officially become the Mizukage.

Why would Hozuki Suigeki need to find a successor for the Mizukage in that situation? Even if it was foresight, it was way too early! Moreover, after only meeting him once and without getting to know him well, he decided to groom him as his successor. This behavior was far too hasty and rash, and it didn't make any sense at all.

"???"

Before Terumi could fully grasp the key factors, the Marshal continued speaking.

"It all started three years ago. You should know by now that after the war in the Land of Bears, our village's merchant ships were attacked by the Hidden Stone Village, which was about to start a war between us and Konoha."

"Knowing part of it."

"Actually, besides Iwagakure, there was another mysterious organization involved in this matter."

Upon hearing this, Mei Terumi immediately understood that the mysterious organization that had been active near the village recently was the same organization that had attacked the merchant ship.

More questions immediately arose in my mind.

Why is the village so afraid of a mysterious organization?! Even with the enemy at the doorstep, the village still only sends Hozuki Mizuki to solve the problem.

The marshal continued, with a melancholy expression, to explain to Mei Terumi: "Back then, Mizuki was defeated and seriously injured by this mysterious organization because she investigated it and thwarted their conspiracy with Iwagakure. She was then on the run for a whole year before being rescued by the village..."

Aren't you curious why the village turns a blind eye to the fact that Water Mist is being hunted by a mysterious organization, and that this organization attacked our merchant ships?

Because the enemy possesses a Six Paths Ninja Tool that can manipulate a person's memories!

And he possesses the legendary Rinnegan, the eye of the Sage of Six Paths!

Whether we provide support or hunt down this organization, our village may very well have its memories altered one by one by the enemy, completely controlled by this mysterious organization.

Mei Terumi stood there stunned, her doubts gradually dispelled by those words.

After letting Mei Terumi process this information, the Marshal continued speaking.

"Now this mysterious organization has set its sights on the village again. They want to manipulate Mizuki's memories to turn her into their puppet and steal the village's wealth... Mizuki keenly sensed this conspiracy and reacted immediately. The Fourth Hokage is now out of the village, and he could be attacked and controlled by the mysterious organization at any time, leading to a situation similar to Sunagakure where there is no leader—"

Therefore, he chose you to act as his representative in handling village affairs should any problems arise.

Mei Terumi, you must live up to the trust Mizuki placed in you!

Mei Terumi was stunned for a moment before she spoke and asked a question in return.

"Now that we know about the enemy's plot, why should we..."

"Have you lost even the ability to think calmly now?"

"I……"

Mei Terumi was extremely unwilling and wanted to refute, but the words caught in her throat. She had realized that the greatest threat to the village was not the mysterious organization itself, but the Six Paths Ninja Tool that could manipulate other people's memories. What was the point of killing the enemy who attacked this time if it wasn't destroyed?

The enemy could still make a comeback and secretly manipulate the memories of more people, and it is very likely that some people in the village have already had their memories altered.

If we send reinforcements now, some village ninjas might defect to the enemy. In that case, the Fifth Mizukage will not only have to deal with enemy attacks, but also find a way to protect the village ninjas.

Only the Fifth Mizukage could stop this by taking the initiative and using a counter-strategy, thus preventing the village from being gradually eroded by the enemy.

"Have you figured it out yet?"

He left the village alone to stop the enemy's plot and issued that village lockdown order. It wasn't to prevent the ninjas whose memories were controlled by the enemy from ganging up on him, nor was it because he was worried about being dragged down by you. His real intention was to protect you! To prevent you from being drawn into this battle.

Mei Terumi, now you know what you have to do!

Don't let down the mist's trust in you.

Mei Terumi's eyes were already blurred with tears, and she wiped them away.

"I will carry on Lady Mizuki's will! I will protect the village in her place."

Unbeknownst to the two, another member of the Hidden Mist Village's ANBU had overheard everything, and this ANBU member was none other than Kisame.

Kisame stood there, stunned.

……

Ten days have passed since the Fifth Mizukage went missing.

Mei Terumi sat in the Mizukage's office. Although she had become the acting Mizukage and was now qualified to sit in the Mizukage's seat, she was still sitting at the desk and chair prepared for her by Hozuki Mizuki, processing documents. She would occasionally glance at the Mizukage's seat, but... the person who used to sit there lazily basking in the sun was no longer there.

She had always suspected that Hozuki Mizuki was spying on her chest, but now she realized that those gazes were not peeping.

Instead, it's under scrutiny.

To confirm the future of the village through one's own growth.

Despite the village not organizing any search operation, many Kirigakure ninjas were secretly searching for the whereabouts of the Fifth Mizukage.

at the same time--

Kisame appeared at the Marshal's residence.

The marshal asked in confusion, "Is there something wrong?"

Kisame knelt before the marshal with his head bowed.

"Marshal, I was actually right there when you were explaining the situation to the Acting Mizukage."

The marshal responded with an indifferent reply.

"Oh."

P.S.: Chapter 3

198. Your advertisement is so awkward!

Kisame took a deep breath, his gaze becoming even simpler.

"Actually, I had unintentionally come into contact with that mysterious organization a month ago. They noticed my confusion and wanted to invite me to join their organization."

The Fleet Admiral was aware of some of the confusion Kisame spoke of; many in the village were confused because of the Fifth Mizukage's sweeping changes to village policies.

In the past, Kirigakure would stop at nothing to complete missions. If someone in the team was thought to be a hindrance, they would kill that person without even having to explain the situation to the village afterwards. Now, the village has a clear rule that teammates must not kill each other. The village no longer accepts assassination missions and has even abolished the policy of using killing among classmates to determine graduation quotas.

Besides these, there were various reforms, and many ninjas whose hands were stained with the blood of their comrades were simply unable to adapt to these changes.

The marshal had already realized what Kisame was about to say, but he didn't speak, and just waited silently for Kisame to continue.

"I plan to defect from the village and join this mysterious organization to secretly investigate Lord Mizukage."

"Do you know how dangerous this is?"

After sighing, the marshal continued speaking with a worried expression.

"If Mizuki fails in this operation and fails to destroy the Six Paths Ninja Tool in the hands of this organization that can modify the enemy's memory, you may very well have your memory controlled by them."

Kisame said with a firm gaze.

"I believe in the Mizukage's abilities and am willing to dedicate everything I have to the village."

The marshal looked at Kisame.

I saw the changes in the village in the two years since Hozuki Mizuki took office.

"Go! Do as you please! If you become someone else, I will have Mei Terumi act as Mizuki to kill you."

"Yes!"

……

The Fourth Mizukage looked at the intelligence report from the village in his hand and sat silently in his chair.

I support the will of the Mizukage, and Mei Terumi will temporarily serve as acting Mizukage.

He muttered to himself after relaying this information back to Kirigakure.

"Mizuki, don't die so easily, or you'll become a laughingstock among the younger generation. The shortest-reigning Mizukage... and the first Mizukage to die at the village entrance..."

……

After leaving the marshal's residence, Kisame secretly met with his superior, Suigetsu Hobutsuki, outside the village.

"grown ups."

"What's wrong? Is there something you wanted to ask me out?"

"I'm going to defect."

???

Suigetsu Hozuki looked at his most trusted subordinate, Kisame, somewhat bewildered.

"Well, even you've learned to joke around now. Not bad, you've improved—"

"No, sir, I'm serious."

Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Demon then became serious.

"If you intend to defect, why did you come to see me at all?"

Kisame remained silent for a moment before speaking, "I need a weapon, and I also need a pledge of allegiance."