Chapter 25

The masked one fell silent, the weight of the previous conversation hanging in the air like a dense cloud. The power play had shifted hands, and he felt it. Kurama's brute force and pride had triumphed for now, but the game was far from over.

Kurama, sensing the silence as an opportunity, decided to press his advantage. "I think you better release Yagura from the genjutsu," he said, his voice low and firm, laden with authority.

The masked man, after a moment of hesitation, recognized the need for concessions. With a fluid and controlled movement, he brought his hand to the eye covered by the mask. The spiral of the Sharingan became visible, spinning hypnotically. With a silent technique, he undid the jutsu that kept Yagura under his control. The spiral in his eye reversed, as if unwinding the reality around it, and Yagura, the Mizukage, shuddered, his eyes blinking into focus as if emerging from a long and deep sleep.

Yagura looked around, confused at first, but his expression softened upon recognizing Kurama. "I... I thank you, Kyuubi," he murmured, his voice laden with the gratitude of one freed from an endless nightmare.

Kurama, pleased with the reaction but still with questions on his mind, decided to investigate further. "Were you listening to everything, even while under control?" he asked, curious about how far the genjutsu had affected Yagura's consciousness.

Yagura nodded, a shadow passing over his eyes. "Yes, I was aware but trapped within my own mind, unable to act or speak. It was like being at the bottom of the ocean, seeing the surface but unable to swim toward the light."

Yagura's revelation confirmed Kurama's suspicions about the nature of the control exerted by the masked man. With an air of determination few could match, Kurama revealed his next move in the power chess game they were playing.

"I want to be the Mizukage," declared Kurama, his voice resounding with an ambition that went beyond mere brute strength. "I will bring a new era to Kirigakure, an era where not even the dark Tsuki no Me project will have a place."

The masked, whose presence until now had been so imposing, now seemed a little more diminished. "The Infinite Tsukuyomi will let nothing pass," he said, his voice calm, but with a touch of irony in it. "It's a world of perfect peace, a utopia without equal."

Kurama frowned, the masked man's words were not new to him. "I know, I know... but there are people who do not want to live in dreams. They want reality, with all its challenges and beauties," he replied, firm and without hesitation.

"The world is cruel, everyone knows that," the masked man retorted, his voice laden with cold pragmatism. "They won't think twice before choosing dreams."

Kurama smiled faintly, a smile that did not reach his eyes. "I don't think you're going to give them the choice, but okay," he said, the provocation clear in his voice.

Then, turning to Yagura, whose stance was now that of a man who had regained his own will, Kurama asked the question that would seal the future of Kirigakure. "I want to be the Mizukage. Do I have your support, Yagura?"

Yagura, who was still adjusting to the reality of his freedom, nodded firmly. "Yes, for what you have done, it's the least I can do. You freed me from a nightmare and showed strength and vision for Kirigakure."

Finally, Yagura turned to the masked man, his eyes meeting those of his former controller with renewed intensity. "I have not forgotten what you did," he said, his voice low but laden with a deadly warning. "For now, I will not act, but if you come with your schemes again, there will be no second time."

The masked man scoffed at Yagura's threat with a muffled laugh, the sound distorted by the mask that hid his expressions. "Empty threats don't affect me," he said, his voice still calm and controlled. "I am just a pawn in a much bigger game, Yagura. You should know that it is not me you should fear."

As he spoke, something strange began to happen. The Sharingan in his eye began to spin faster, the spiral pulling reality around it as if it were a vortex. The space around him began to warp, and he quickly found himself enveloped in a spiral that began to pull him inwards.

"He's a fool, but don't take it the wrong way," said Kurama, watching the masked man being pulled by the spiral. "He just strayed from his path, like many of us at some point. The difference is that he got lost in the power he sought."

Yagura looked at Kurama, surprised by the compassion in his words. "It seems you know him," he commented, still fixing his gaze on the point where the masked man had disappeared.

Kurama confirmed with a nod, his expression inscrutable. "Yes, I do know. But it's not his story that should concern us now," he replied, deliberately avoiding revealing the identity of the man behind the mask.

There were more pressing matters to address, and Kurama was eager to change the focus of their encounter. His gaze turned to the horizon, where the sea of Kirigakure beat against the coast with persistent waves.

"Maybe we should go to the sea?" suggested Kurama, his voice suddenly laden with a nostalgic desire. "I want to see my brother."

Kurama and Yagura walked side by side towards the shore, the sound of the waves creating a comforting rhythm that contrasted with the tension of the confrontation they had left behind. Although the air was still saturated with the residue of that charged energy, the proximity of the ocean brought a sense of freedom and renewal.

Reaching the seaside, Yagura stopped and fixed his eyes on the vast blue expanse in front of him. He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and then began to rapidly form a series of hand seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" he pronounced clearly, and as he slammed his hand onto the surface of the water, a large explosion of white smoke rose.

When the smoke dissipated, it revealed the imposing figure of the three-tailed Bijuu, Isobu. The creature, immense and powerful, emerged from the waters with a wary look, its eyes narrowing upon noticing Kurama's presence.

"Good to see you, brother," Kurama said with a deep and resonant voice, looking at the immense turtle with a smile that wasn't entirely warm, but not devoid of a certain fraternal affection either.

Isobu responded with a grunt that might have been a greeting, but his reserved and cautious nature made it difficult to discern. "Hmph," he murmured, his voice sounding like rocks being dragged along the sea floor. "You always show up when least expected, Kurama."

Kurama chuckled softly, a sound that seemed to contain echoes of many centuries. "Do none of my brothers actually like me?" he asked, half jokingly, half seriously.

Isobu gave him a look that was full of unspoken meanings. "You know the reason better than anyone," he replied, his voice deep and resonant like an underwater cavern.

Undeterred, Kurama retorted: "Don't blame me just because I'm stronger. You all resent that, but it's not my fault."

Isobu shook his head, the waters around him churning with his movement. "It's not about strength," he complained, his tone revealing a rare vulnerability. "It's your pride, Kurama. You have always been one among us who sought to stand out, even if it meant being alone."

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