NOVEL NEXT Chapter 454: Mission Accomplished
"What kind of technique? Come on, spill it!"
Pakura clung to Kazuyama's arm, showing a rare touch of girlish charm. It caught Kazuyama completely off guard, and a fire instantly flared up inside him.
"What? Let me be clear—I just want to learn a new jutsu. Don't get any weird ideas."
"Don't even think about it until we're back in the village."
Pakura quickly let go, a blush flashing across her face. Kazuyama chuckled.
The three little ones immediately averted their gazes, afraid their sharp-eyed sensei might notice.
Kakashi and Obito exchanged a knowing glance—both remembering a certain incident.
Back when Kazuyama and Pakura had just returned from their honeymoon, the two of them had come looking for their teacher, accidentally interrupting his good time.
Though Kazuyama had smiled and shooed them away...
That night, both of them were treated to the Iron Fist of Love. Then they were dumped—one in a desert, the other in a swamp—where they experienced some truly inhuman "training."
...
Soon, the group arrived at the Mizukage Building.
The Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, was already waiting with a group of Jōnin.
Seeing them approach, Yagura offered a polite smile.
"Friends from Konoha, I trust you've rested well?"
"I've already signed the agreement and left a copy, which will be delivered to the Daimyō's court."
"With that, your mission should be complete."
"Our two villages—Kirigakure and Konoha—will once again enjoy peace, free from war."
Kazuyama accepted the scroll handed to him by one of Yagura's Jōnin, but something didn't sit right with him.
He stared at the smiling Yagura and the shinobi around him. He couldn't quite pinpoint the issue...
But considering his mission had only been to deliver documents—and sneak in a few personal goals—everything should've gone smoothly. He even managed to take Terumi under his wing.
So why did he still feel uneasy?
"Tagorihime, can I trouble you to use natural energy to scan him?"
"Check if his chakra is in disarray... or if his brain functions are off."
Kazuyama had kept the three Snake Princesses bound with the Coiling Serpent Technique, preventing them from returning to Ryūchi Cave out of caution for Terumi's safety.
He'd stationed Ichikishimahime at Terumi's side, while Tagorihime and Tagitsuhime stayed close to him.
He'd asked Tagorihime specifically because her Senjutsu specialty was Genjutsu—she was highly attuned to illusions.
"Kazuyama, I sensed it the moment I saw him."
"There's chakra on him that doesn't belong to him. It's extremely well hidden—if not for my unique Senjutsu sensitivity, I wouldn't have caught it."
"He's definitely under a Genjutsu. But it doesn't seem to be affecting him in any obvious way."
Kazuyama's heart tightened.
There was no doubt—Karatachi Yagura was being controlled.
And the one behind it? It could only be Uchiha Madara.
The Third Mizukage had been manipulated by Madara, and now the Fourth was under control too. Kirigakure's fate hadn't changed a bit from the original timeline.
Keeping a straight face, Kazuyama gave Yagura a slight nod.
"Lord Mizukage, you're too kind. In that case, we'll take our leave and begin our return."
Yagura smiled and nodded back.
Both men had their own suspicions, but neither chose to reveal them.
The meeting ended just like that. With the mission wrapped up, Kazuyama led his team toward the village gates.
Pakura and the three little ones were all a bit confused—it felt like they were leaving in quite a hurry.
"Don't talk. Don't ask questions. Just get out of Kirigakure first."
Outside the village, Kazuyama's word was absolute—he was the one leading the mission, after all.
So even if the three little ones had questions, they could only follow. Pakura didn't need to be told. Just one look at Kazuyama's unusually serious expression told her things weren't simple.
Back in Kirigakure, Biwa Jūzō and Fuguki Suikazan stood behind their Mizukage. The latter's fierce face was twisted with barely restrained aggression as he spoke up.
"Lord Mizukage, we're just going to let them go?"
"If we captured him, it'd be a serious blow to Konoha."
Karatachi Yagura's expression didn't change in the slightest. He showed no reaction to his subordinate's words.
He simply said, "Let them go. But keep our forces on alert."
"Even if the war is over, small-scale skirmishes... are inevitable."
Biwa Jūzō's face turned serious. Something about how the village was handling things suddenly didn't sit right with him.
...
Kazuyama led his team straight through the village gates. The moment they cleared them, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and vanished.
A second later, several figures arrived where they had just stood.
Kirigakure ANBU.
"Looks like they really left. Let's head back and report."
It was obvious these ANBU were sent by Yagura to tail Kazuyama's group—to confirm they had truly departed the village.
...
Kazuyama and his team were back on the ship. He passed out seasickness medicine to the group.
"Kazuyama-sensei, why'd we leave in such a rush?"
Obito was the first to ask. His curiosity was killing him—he couldn't hold back.
"The mission's done, but I have a bad feeling about Kirigakure."
"Better to leave quickly. Don't forget what they call that place—'The Bloody Mist.'"
"And that thick fog? Just standing in it feels suffocating."
As the ship moved off, Kazuyama stood at the stern, looking back toward the mist-shrouded village.
His brow furrowed, thoughts racing.
"What is Madara Uchiha planning? I've interfered with his schemes before. I even walked right into his hands, and yet he didn't act?"
"That's not like someone from the Uchiha clan."
Just then, Pakura approached and asked quietly, "Kazuyama, did you sense something serious?"
Kazuyama shook his head.
It could be big, or it could be nothing.
After all, Uchiha Madara was making his moves—and so was he.
He had already laid the groundwork. He wasn't about to be outmaneuvered by just one Uchiha.
"Alright, let's go. Back to the village, time to wrap things up."
"The war's over. Maybe we'll get a little peace... even if it's only on the surface."
Kazuyama knew exactly how the shinobi world worked. Even with the war officially ended, the tension and conflict between the five great villages would never truly stop.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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