"What were the results of the investigation?"
Uchiha Obito sat on a tree branch, slightly tilting his head to look at the pitcher plant emerging from the trunk. "Did you find any trace of that useless thing?"
"We found signs of Mokuton being used, but that's all we have—just traces. As for what ultimately happened to my predecessor, it's unclear. Did they self-destruct? Or were they killed, and their body taken? The clues we've gathered from the scene aren't enough to draw any definitive conclusion."
The one speaking was White Zetsu, specifically the new White Zetsu chosen by Black Zetsu to replace the former.
"So, you're saying this is all a waste of time?"
Uchiha Obito reached out and gently pressed his orange mask, which concealed not only his true face but also his emotions. However, even without seeing his face, it was easy to sense his frustration.
"Whether it's a waste or not, you can only know by doing. And confirming that White Zetsu might have been taken by Uchiha Sougen is a result in itself, isn't it, Obito?" Black Zetsu's raspy voice chimed in.
"Don't try to fool me with that nonsense!"
Obito stood up. "Possibilities, maybes—none of that is an answer. If Uchiha Sougen really got his hands on White Zetsu's body and found a way to use it... it would be nothing but trouble! That useless idiot!"
His mood was sour. White Zetsu, the failure, couldn't even manage to escape. Despite having the Mayfly technique, everything still went horribly wrong. Obito was beginning to regret sending White Zetsu to impersonate Yagura to escalate the war between the Mist and the Leaf. True, the number of ninja casualties from both sides had been high.
But none of that compared to the threat posed by Uchiha Sougen alone.
Black Zetsu remained silent, lost in his own thoughts. If Uchiha Sougen truly got hold of White Zetsu's body and successfully made use of it—no, even without White Zetsu, his troublesome Mangekyō Sharingan was enough to defeat Obito. If Sougen gained any more power... it seemed adjustments to their plan were necessary.
Deal with the Leaf later.
If Obito couldn't handle it, Madara would have to take care of things. For now, they needed to avoid Uchiha Sougen as much as possible. The Uchiha clan really was something... producing monsters one after another! Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Sougen—and that's not counting the ones Black Zetsu had chosen over the centuries, only for them to fail. His elder brother certainly favored his firstborn.
Too bad there's no opportunity to get rid of the whole clan just yet.
Truly unfortunate!
"Alright, Zetsu, let's go. Staying here is just a waste of time."
With a use of Kamui, Uchiha Obito vanished, and Black Zetsu took one last look at the nameless island before his pitcher plant-like form slowly sank back into the tree.
The Land of Water, Kirigakure.
A man hurried through the empty streets, glancing at the sparse number of passersby. The state of the village was already precarious, and then the Fourth Mizukage insisted on starting a war with the Leaf.
As soon as the fighting began, the village's economy collapsed.
The streets were desolate and quiet, putting the man in an even worse mood.
"I wonder how things are going on the frontlines. I hope the Fourth can secure a victory!"
With a glimmer of hope, the man quickened his pace, thinking that if the Mizukage gained an advantage—maybe even won—it might help restore the village's strength, even if it meant draining others for it. His spirits lifted slightly at the thought, and his footsteps became faster.
He arrived at the southern end of the village.
"Senior Ao."
Before he even reached the door, someone called his name. Looking up, he saw a serious-looking man with short brown hair and a matching brown jacket. He opened the door and said, "You're as punctual as ever."
"Gunbei, how's Genji doing today?" Ao asked as he walked briskly toward the man, the charms dangling from his ears shaking more than usual.
"He just had breakfast. Appetite's still as good as ever—healthy enough to put anyone at ease."
"That's good! Genji's health is our top priority. No matter how small, if you notice anything odd, even a false alarm, report it immediately. As long as Genji is well, the village will be fine, no matter what happens." Ao reminded Gunbei, even though there was only a four-year age gap between them.
"Yes, I understand, Senior Ao," Gunbei replied earnestly.
"Where is Genji now? What's he doing?" Ao asked as he stopped in the entrance to let the cold air dissipate before taking off his shoes and stepping onto the corridor.
"Before you arrived, a report from the frontlines came in. Genji is reading it in the tearoom," Gunbei explained.
"So early?" Ao frowned.
Normally, reports arrived around ten in the morning, sometimes even later if there were delays. It was unusual for them to arrive this early.
Has something happened on the frontlines?
"I'll go see for myself."
Ao quickly made his way down the familiar corridors, stopping in front of a sliding door with a snake-patterned design. Kneeling respectfully outside, he called out, "Genji, it's Ao."
"Oh, it's you, Ao! Come in."
The voice from the tearoom was frail and raspy, giving the impression of someone on the brink of death.
"Genji, forgive my intrusion."
Ao slid open the door to reveal a six-mat room with a simple, clean setup. In the center was a long table with writing materials and a bonsai black pine tree.
Behind the table sat an old man with no hair, eyebrows, or beard. His small, frail frame was wrapped in a large brown robe, with a bright yellow sash around his neck, although he wasn't a monk—just a lay practitioner who couldn't leave Kirigakure to spend his final days in a temple.
This elderly man was Genji—an ancient figure who had witnessed the founding of Kirigakure.
Ao knelt in front of the table in a formal posture. "Genji, I heard from Gunbei that a report from the frontlines came in this morning. I was wondering—"
"We lost," Genji sighed softly.
"What?" Ao was stunned.
"We lost. The Mizukage has already signed a ceasefire agreement," Genji said, half-closing his eyes.
"That was fast! Even with the Mizukage personally involved, how could we have lost so quickly?" Ao was bewildered. Wasn't Konoha dealing with internal conflict? What happened on the frontlines?
"It's complicated. You'll understand when you read the report." Genji handed the opened scroll to Ao. The elderly man's hands were weak, and the scroll didn't go far, but Ao caught it easily. Skimming through the contents, Ao's expression grew increasingly shocked.
"This is insane. Completely insane..." He shook his head, unable to form a coherent sentence. After pinching his thigh hard to clear his mind, he asked, "Genji, the Mizukage claims he was controlled by someone with the Sharingan... could that really be true?"
"I don't know," Genji replied, shaking his head.
He looked at Ao and asked, "Have you ever used that eye of yours to check on the Mizukage?"
"…No. Actually, I haven't seen much of the Mizukage in recent years. Even when I had reports to give, I couldn't meet him in person—it was always through the guard team..." Ao fell silent.
Looking back, everything seemed normal, but now it felt suspicious.
"When the Mizukage launched the war against Konoha, I originally wanted you to join that girl to gain some experience. But for some reason, the Mizukage rejected your name and replaced you with Bi," Genji revealed.
"It seems our Mizukage may have truly been under someone's control."
Genji sighed again.
Ao, worried about Genji's health, quickly tried to calm him. "Please don't be upset, Genji. Your health is what matters most."
"Don't worry, Ao. I'm just a little surprised. I never expected the Mizukage to be controlled by an Uchiha's Sharingan. No wonder his behavior has been increasingly erratic in recent years. I underestimated the situation. I thought Uchiha Madara alone had consumed the Uchiha clan's talent over a century. Who knew there would be someone else capable of controlling a tailed beast?"
Genji sighed again, leaving Ao anxious. His mind raced to find a way to distract Genji from his troubling thoughts.
"Genji, do you think this could be a plot by Konoha? After all, I've never heard of an Uchiha defecting from Konoha. And besides, only the Uchiha can bear the cost of using the Sharingan," Ao speculated.
"It's not Konoha."
Genji shook his head firmly.
"If Konoha had controlled the Mizukage, they wouldn't have started this war. They could have allied with the Mizukage against the Cloud or Stone, which would have better suited Konoha's interests."
"Also, when I met with Lord Mizukage, I felt his undisguised malice towards the Leaf Village. Or rather, the malice of the person controlling Lord Mizukage from behind the scenes—there's no way that hostility was faked," Genji said, closing his eyes as he recalled his meeting with the Mizukage, nodding firmly with certainty.
Having his theory denied, Ao didn't feel discouraged; as long as Genji didn't sigh like that again, he was fine with it.
"So, Genji, what should we do next? According to the battle report, it seems the Leaf Village's shinobi will be coming to Kirigakure as well. Should we...?" He made a gesture mimicking a decapitation.
This time, Genji didn't immediately answer his question.
Instead, he fell into a long silence.