Chapter 45: Wanting to Mutiny Right After Surrendering!
"Kid, your gaze is dangerous!"
Seeing Uehara Naraka's gaze, alarm bells rang in Zabuza Momochi's heart. He subconsciously reached for the kunai at his waist.
Why was Uehara Naraka inexplicably looking at him with such a dangerous gaze, as if wanting to bury him in the dirt at any moment!
"No reason."
Uehara Naraka shook his head, retracted his gaze, looked at Yagura's corpse on the ground, and said softly, "I was just thinking about whose head the trouble of killing the Fourth Mizukage should fall on. Coincidentally, your ideal just now was to kill Yagura, right?"
"Are you afraid of such things?"
Zabuza Momochi glanced at him contemptuously and said coldly, "If you're worried about pursuit from Kirigakure (Village Hidden by Mist), I can tell others that I killed Yagura..."
Just as Uehara Naraka expected, Zabuza Momochi verbally chose to obey Uehara Naraka, but inwardly, he naturally refused to accept a kid becoming his new superior.
As for the matter of killing the Fourth Mizukage, it wasn't trouble for Zabuza Momochi; in fact, it was quite useful.
Because Yagura had governed Kirigakure into the Village of the Bloody Mist, his reputation in the village had always been poor. Many ninjas, fearing his Mizukage status and immense strength, hated the Bloody Mist Policy he enforced to their very bones.
In the eyes of these people, Zabuza Momochi would be a true hero.
Uehara Naraka also thought of this point. Smiling, he looked at Zabuza Momochi and nodded, "This isn't purely trouble either. Once word spreads that you killed Yagura, many ninjas within Kirigakure will surely support you secretly, right?"
"Hmph..."
Zabuza Momochi snorted without answering. He hadn't expected his little scheme to be seen through so quickly by Uehara Naraka.
Honestly, he really did plan to use the heroic title of 'Killer of Yagura, Ender of the Bloody Mist' to return to the Land of Water in the future, perhaps even seizing control of Kirigakure's power from the shadows.
Uehara Naraka didn't care about this matter.
Kisame Hoshigaki didn't care either. Among those present, only he and Uehara knew that Yagura was just a controlled puppet.
"Lord Uehara."
Mangetsu Hōzuki, however, frowned, looked somewhat displeasedly at Zabuza Momochi, and said in a low voice, "If Zabuza carries too much on his shoulders, won't it affect our plan? Suigetsu currently admires his Executioner's Blade very much..."
Uehara Naraka asked with a puzzled expression, "What do you mean?"
"Why not just kill Zabuza Momochi!"
Mangetsu Hōzuki radiated killing intent, displaying a fierce posture with his small, sharp teeth, and said coldly, "Coincidentally, I can also use the Executioner's Blade!"
"Bastard, you think you can kill me!"
"Zabuza-senpai, it wouldn't be a difficult task."
"..."
These two loose former allies started arguing again.
Uehara didn't know if Mangetsu Hōzuki was jealous of Zabuza's place in Suigetsu Hōzuki's heart, or if he wanted the Executioner's Blade in his hands.
But being so eager to strike down one's own comrade... the average moral baseline of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen was a bit low!
Only Kisame Hoshigaki was still trustworthy.
"Alright."
Kisame Hoshigaki kicked the Executioner's Blade, of which only the hilt remained, in front of Zabuza and chuckled lightly, "Zabuza, go repair your ninja sword, and pick up Lord Mizukage's corpse... Lord Uehara, where is our next stop?"
"Kirigakure."
Uehara Naraka scanned everyone present and ordered gravely, "Zabuza, go to Kirigakure and announce that you killed the Fourth Mizukage. Mangetsu Hōzuki, go arrange your own affairs. Tonight, Kisame and I will wait for you outside Kirigakure."
"Got it."
"Understood."
Zabuza Momochi and Mangetsu Hōzuki each acknowledged and disappeared from Uehara Naraka's sight using Shunshin (Body Flicker), leaving only Kisame Hoshigaki standing behind him.
Kisame Hoshigaki looked at Uehara Naraka's back and praised aloud, "The power Lord Uehara displayed today seems to have become even stronger!"
"It's alright?"
Uehara Naraka felt embarrassed to admit he was a cheater; an honest person like Kisame Hoshigaki couldn't comprehend the existence of hackers/cheaters.
Of course, he also found it hard to understand the ninja world's Emperor of Effort.
Kisame Hoshigaki smiled, merely taking Uehara's words as humility, and continued along the same lines, "At Lord Uehara's age, you will become even stronger in the future. Perhaps you can even surpass that Ninja Demigod from Amegakure (Village Hidden in the Rain)!"
"Hanzō of the Salamander?"
Uehara Naraka couldn't help but laugh, "Hey, Kisame, using him as an example, are you mocking my strength for not being strong enough!"
Kisame Hoshigaki smiled and shook his head, then said with a serious face, "No, Milord's power is strong beyond my comprehension. I don't know what that guy named Uchiha Obito was thinking, daring to make an enemy of Lord Uehara."
"Him?"
Hearing Kisame's words, Uehara Naraka instructed in a low voice, "Kisame, don't underestimate him just because he isn't the real Uchiha Madara! In some ways, that guy Uchiha Obito is much harder to deal with than Uchiha Madara!"
"Is that so?"
Kisame Hoshigaki pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "I probably know how I can regain his trust now... But how should I explain why Lord Uehara was willing to spare my life?"
"Hmm..."
Uehara Naraka thought for a moment and found a reason, "Just frame it as me being an intern working hard to become a full member of Akatsuki. After all, my mission in coming to the Land of Water was to recruit you into Akatsuki."
"Understood."
Kisame Hoshigaki grinned.
"Let's go. First, accompany me to pick someone up."
Uehara Naraka remembered Haku, whom he had previously arranged to wait to receive Zabuza. Now that receiving Zabuza was no longer necessary, he naturally had to take Haku with him.
Uehara's trip to the Land of Water had gone relatively smoothly. Everything he wanted to do was completed, even exceeding expectations somewhat.
The only trouble was, where was Uchiha Obito?
That guy couldn't still be chasing Kakashi Hatake, right?
Uehara Naraka guessed correctly. Uchiha Obito had indeed been tracking Kakashi Hatake and Hanare earlier.
Dusk gradually fell.
Kakashi Hatake and Hanare hid in the mountain forest outside Kirigakure.
Kakashi believed Uchiha Obito must still be near Kirigakure, plotting revenge for Rin; Hanare, however, believed Uchiha Obito was a conspirator definitely wanting to kill them, constantly urging Kakashi to flee the Land of Water.
However, how could Kakashi Hatake, who wanted to get the truth from Uchiha Obito and bring him back to Konoha, possibly give up? Analyzing the intelligence obtained from Hanare, he felt his best friend's intelligence had increased significantly.
Do people really grow?
Hanare nudged Kakashi's shoulder, pointed down the mountain towards Kirigakure, where fires glowed everywhere, and said loudly, "Kakashi, something seems to have happened in Kirigakure!"
The sounds of fighting within the village even reached the mountain!
Kakashi Hatake's expression instantly became tense. Ignoring his own injuries, he was about to go investigate Kirigakure, "It might be Obito's doing! I have to go see!"
"He'll kill you!"
Hanare grabbed his arm tightly.
Kakashi Hatake fell silent for a moment, then slowly pulled his arm free from Hanare's grasp, lowered his head, "Even if Obito wants to kill me, I have to get the truth from his mouth."
Even if Obito didn't return to the village because of Rin's death... then why did he have to cause the deaths of Minato Namikaze and his wife?
(End of Chapter)
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