23 - When Kiri Comes Knocking

"Mizukage-sama, I don't mean to question your policy, but implementing it this way could lead to irrevocable consequences for the village."

His eyes... they're not the same. The elderly advisor studied Yagura's vacant expression. "Furthermore, weren't you the one who initially led the reform of this policy? If we continue like this, that child's sacrifice would be in vain."

This elder, known as Genji, was one of the few who had lived since the time of the First Mizukage. He was considered a living relic.

Kiri's current state was less than ideal.

The Land of Water had little connection to the mainland. Its people were accustomed to self-sufficiency, as the nation was isolated but resource-rich, posing few problems.

At its founding, Kiri was better off than most shinobi villages. The Kiri ninjas rarely got involved in mainland conflicts, meaning their combat was limited, and Kiri had a larger number of small and mid-sized clans than other areas.

The village gained renown for its many secret techniques and bloodline limits, and it had one of the largest ninja armies. But things began to change with the Second Mizukage.

He had initially done well, establishing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and fostering growth within the village. But everything changed when the news of Hashirama's passing reached the Land of Water.

The Second Mizukage lost his life during the First Great Ninja War. His successor, the Third Mizukage, fared far worse. The most criticized aspect of his rule was his "Village of the Bloody Mist" policy.

Genji could not understand how the man, who had once seemed perfectly reasonable, became so erratic after assuming the title of Mizukage.

During the Third Great Ninja War, the Third Mizukage's strategy to wound Konoha on two fronts ended in disaster. His administration and Kiri's elite forces suffered unprecedented damage.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, responsible for drawing the enemy's attention, were nearly wiped out. The rear-line plan to unleash a tailed beast on Konoha failed due to a sacrifice among his own.

Kiri was utterly defeated, plunging to the weakest position among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

The Third Mizukage reaped what he had sown.

The Bloody Mist policy had turned the village into a haven for extremist radicals. Before his people could execute him, he relinquished power.

In these circumstances, Yagura, backed by the younger generation, assumed the role of Mizukage. He quickly initiated reforms to repair the damage caused by the Third Mizukage's reign, signing a ceasefire with Konoha, revitalizing Kiri's economy, and sealing the Three-Tails within himself, becoming the new jinchūriki.

Under his governance, Kiri's bleak situation began to ease.

But now, to Genji's shock, Yagura seemed intent on stopping his reforms to the Bloody Mist policy—instead, he seemed ready to enforce it more strictly.

For now, the situation was not entirely irreversible, as Yagura hadn't publicly announced the policy change. He had, however, consulted with Genji, discussing it for over a month.

The policy could not be restarted. Kiri had suffered enough under the Third Mizukage. Though no structural loss had yet occurred, they couldn't afford another disaster.

Unfortunately, Genji had no idea that the man before him was no longer Yagura as he had known him—just a shell of his former self.

"I understand. I'll consider it further," Yagura replied blankly.

"Please, do." Genji knew it was time to take his leave. He left the office, worried as ever.

After he left, Yagura continued with his paperwork. When everything was completed, he departed for his residence.

While there were ANBU in the Mizukage's office, his residence was unguarded.

Everyone believed that no one could attack the Mizukage in his home and survive. However, this was sadly not true. There was more than one intruder.

At his residence, Yagura sat in his chair, seemingly drained of all his energy. The extraction of his memories was always taxing, though he was no longer aware enough to realize it.

Obito appeared behind him, stepping forward until their eyes met. He received Yagura's complete recollection of the day's events.

"That old man is really stubborn," Obito muttered, releasing his Sharingan's hold.

"Why not control him too?" Zetsu's head emerged from the wall. "An elder like him would be easy to handle."

"One Mizukage under control is enough. The old man's just a symbol; it's better to let the villagers willingly accept this change," Obito replied.

Although he wanted everyone in this village dead, he hadn't forgotten his purpose.

Utilizing Kiri's resources to groom effective pawns was his goal. He wasn't just here to vent his anger, though his hatred for Kiri ran deep.

Moreover, the upper ranks, represented by Genji, opposed the original Bloody Mist policy not out of kindness but due to a lack of benefits.

"In that case, Yagura had plans for the new generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Let's allow him to proceed as planned," Zetsu suggested. "Only one of the original Seven Swordsmen remains. What will you do with him? Will you put him to use?"

"No, that guy has served this village on covert missions for years; he's too calculating. In time, he'd ruin my plans," Obito said with a smile. "I have a better idea—let him go to Konoha."

Showing Genji and the others the benefits of restarting the policy was not feasible. Showing them the downsides of not restarting it, however, would be easy.

All it took was provoking Konoha. After Kiri's recent defeat by Konoha, the village was highly sensitive to anything related to them.

By creating a fait accompli, Kiri's insufficient ninja forces would have no choice but to adopt an elite policy to strengthen the village's defenses.

This, in turn, would serve Obito's objective.

The fractured Kiri, producing shinobi filled with resentment, would yield perfect pawns for his plans.

"Konoha? Do you plan to notify Masashi?"

"No need. He's probably already told Konoha's higher-ups about me. In the end, he'll never be one of us; he's too content with life in Konoha," Obito replied.

Let him play his games in Konoha. Soon enough, none of it will matter.

"I'll bring Fuguki along to stir things up. It'll be a good time to greet Danzō, too, and give him a little push."

---

As the third quarter of the new year began, Mikoto finally stopped walking around with her big belly.

She was about to give birth.

At Konoha Hospital, Fugaku and Itachi, anxiously waited outside the delivery room, along with other members of the Uchiha clan.

As the clan leader, Fugaku was well-respected, and with his wife about to give birth, the clansmen hoped for a safe delivery for both mother and child.

The corridor was filled with quiet murmurs and occasional glances at the delivery room door.

"Even you came? Rare to see you at clan gatherings," one of the senior clan members noted as Masashi approached.

"A clan leader's second son isn't born every day."

After more than a month of re-evaluating his path, his efforts had proven quite successful. He could now confidently say he was no longer helpless with tailed beasts.

Hard work truly paid off, and now Masashi could finally put his mind at ease, no longer fearing the night of the clan's demise. The sealing techniques still need work, but they'll do against most bijuu attacks.

Looking at the anxious father and son, he found it hard to imagine the scene eight years from now.

The human heart is unpredictable. If he couldn't stop Fugaku from snapping, he'd have to prevent Itachi from doing so in eight years.

"Here it is! Here it is!" someone suddenly shouted with joy.

Everyone stood up.

Fugaku looked tensely at the medical ninja walking out of the delivery room, his Sharingan activated in his nervousness.

The medical ninja jumped in surprise at the sight of Fugaku with his Sharingan active. Realizing he hadn't begun with the usual small talk, he decided it was best to skip that part—better to avoid ending up on the floor.

"Don't be so anxious, Fugaku-sama," he quickly said, trying to maintain his professional composure despite the intimidating red eyes fixed on him. "Mother and child are safe—it's a boy!"

"Thank goodness! Thank you very much!" Fugaku, feeling he was calm and maintaining the composed image expected of a clan leader, continued to look at the medical ninja with his Sharingan still active. "Can I go in and see my wife now?"

"Of course, yes. But perhaps it'd be best if other family members waited outside?" Please let them wait outside, the medical ninja thought desperately.

With so many people going in, if anything happened, he doubted the entire medical department could handle it.

Seeing the medical ninja's strange expression, Itachi glanced at his father.

It seemed his father was too nervous and had activated his Sharingan without realizing it.

"Father." He nudged Fugaku. "You're scaring the doctor."

Fugaku snapped out of it, realizing why things felt off—he was even seeing chakra.

Deactivating his Sharingan, he sincerely apologized, letting the medical ninja breathe a sigh of relief, then escorted father and son into the room.

The other Uchiha members, having completed their mission, began to disperse, each heading home.

"Aren't you leaving?" Masashi noticed Shisui still staying by the door and reminded him, "The clan leader will probably be there for quite a while."

"It's fine; I'll wait in case they need a hand."

Always the loyal one, Masashi thought, studying the young Uchiha's dedicated stance.

"Alright, then. I'll be going. Let me know if anything comes up."

---

Exiting the hospital, he decided to take a stroll around the shopping district and grab something to eat—he was a bit hungry.

In his youth, Ichiraku hadn't yet opened in Konoha, but during the Third Great Ninja War, the ramen shop had made its debut.

Back then, the Police Force had investigated it, eventually determining that Teuchi was an ordinary person.

Still, his ramen tasted excellent, and the prices were more affordable than Konoha's other ramen shops, so business quickly took off.

Now, Masashi had become a regular.

Walking into Ichiraku, he saw the owner, in his early thirties, serving customers.

"Oh! If it isn't Masashi-sama!" Teuchi greeted him cheerfully.

"Teuchi, don't call me that." Masashi rubbed his hands together. "I'll have the usual, please."

"Got it. Just a moment."

"Much appreciated."

Finding a seat, Masashi picked up a menu, just about to check for any new items when someone sat beside him.

Judging from the air currents, this person was carrying a hefty load.

"I didn't expect you to come to a place like this; I thought you only dined at high-end restaurants."

Turning to look, Masashi saw a blonde woman whose prominent presence matched what he'd sensed.

"Who are you?" She looked familiar, but he couldn't remember who she was.

"Really? You're the one who brought me to Konoha." The blonde seemed a bit miffed.

Huh? Did I do something like that?

After a moment of consideration, he suddenly remembered her, spurred on by a certain… prominent feature.

"Oh, it's you, Madoka?"

"It's Kumika!"

"That's what I meant." Masashi handed her the menu. "You look like you're doing well. Go ahead and order. It's on me."

"Hmph…" Kumika took the menu and slid it back into its holder on the table. "No need. I already ordered."

Then, they sat in silence, occasionally exchanging glances.

Masashi's gaze drifted, unavoidably drawn to the rather revealing cut of her outfit. Being an artist at heart, he pondered the cultural differences between Konoha and Kumo.

"Tell me, are you always this relaxed?" Kumika broke the silence. "I've joined your ANBU's training division, but I still get tidbits of news—about the Uchiha. Want to hear it?"

"And how would I listen?" he asked out of habit. "Do I need to get closer?"

At first, Kumika didn't understand, but following his gaze downward, she quickly caught on.

"Is that what you like? That can be arranged, given that I owe you something, after all."

"No need for the act." Masashi looked away. "I've got a pretty good idea of which division you joined. What's the deal—selling info to both sides?"

"How much would a bowl of ramen really get me?"

Kumika shrugged.

"At first, I thought the Uchiha were a noble clan in Konoha, but then I saw how things are, and I was surprised you even tried recruiting me."

"What's wrong with it?" Masashi's gaze drifted toward Teuchi as the smell of ramen wafted over.

"Nothing, as long as it doesn't bother you. But with the number of Kiri ninja you killed, they're sending a delegation to meet with the Hokage soon. You might want to watch your back and avoid getting pummeled."

"Kiri?" Masashi turned to her. "Will they be meeting the Hokage or a former Hokage advisor?"

"I don't know. I've just been ordered to greet them. It's not classified, so you'll see soon enough. They're an official delegation."

"Oh, a delegation…"

This doesn't fit the pattern. Is Obito planning something?

Masashi thought of the Kiri ninja he'd faced on the battlefield.

To call them terrorists would be to overstate the term; the Bloody Mist policy raised warriors of dubious mental stability.

Those people didn't typically send formal envoys to Konoha.

Masashi didn't know exactly when Kiri was brought under Obito's influence, but the thought couldn't be dismissed.

Kiri hadn't sent an official delegation to Konoha at this point. Any efforts at reconciliation had been attempted right after the war, and a delegation had already come to Konoha to sign an agreement.

Hopefully, this wasn't Obito's doing. The timing didn't add up—Kushina wasn't due for another three months. But then again, when had anything in this village ever followed the expected timeline?

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