The three family members exchanged glances, their expressions shifting between disbelief and amusement.
They all knew that Yagura had a close relationship with the Three-Tails, but this… this was pushing the boundaries of their understanding of the world.
Was this really how Tailed Beasts were supposed to act?
Yet, despite everything, it was clear that Isobu had quite the talent for getting under people's skin. If nothing else, he was certainly not acting like someone who had been mistreated.
In fact, his ability to rile others up was downright exceptional.
Isobu's tails bristled in irritation!!! He had never suffered such indignation from a Jinchūriki before!!!
...
A hearty dinner filled with laughter and lively conversation wrapped up the evening.
The next day, Yagura made a trip to the Mizukage's office to meet with the Third Mizukage.
He took the opportunity to subtly probe for any hints regarding the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, wary that there might still be lingering traces of the incident.
Fortunately, there were none.
The conversation yielded nothing of substance, and after a brief exchange, the Third Mizukage dismissed him.
There were no pointed questions, no interrogations. The Mizukage didn't even ask where he had been that day.
Yagura exhaled in relief.
He might be able to bluff his way through with the likes of Jinin Akebino, but standing before the old man who had ruled as Mizukage for decades? He had no such confidence.
Best not to push his luck.
...
The days that followed were relatively peaceful.
During the day, he would go out to spar and joke around with Mangetsu and the others. At home, he trained in the courtyard, focusing on honing his Wind Release techniques and refining his mastery over partial Tailed Beast Transformation.
Both he and Isobu could feel it—he was close.
Evenings were spent sharing meals with his family, followed by some quiet reading before bedtime.
The only downside? His grandfather kept piling books onto him, assigning mandatory reading and even homework.
Is this what you meant when you said I'd have a tough year?!
Am I preparing for some kind of ninja academy entrance exam or a university final?!
Still, Yagura had never struggled with studying. He simply hadn't had the chance before. Now, he just had to make up for lost time.
...
As his days alternated between training and studying, time steadily marched forward.
The year transitioned from January to February, marking the forty-third year of Konoha's calendar.
The ninja world was in turmoil.
Ever since the Third Kazekage's disappearance during the Chūnin Exams, both Sunagakure and Konoha had been under intense scrutiny.
The day before the second round of the exams, the Suna shinobi in Konoha reported back to their village that they had yet to make contact with their Kazekage. He should have arrived three days before the exams began.
On the day of the second exam, the Third Kazekage still failed to appear. Konoha, wary and cautious, refused Suna's request to send a search party into the Land of Fire.
In response, Sunagakure leveraged its nation's government to exert political pressure on the Fire Daimyō, forcing Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand. Ultimately, the Third Hokage relented, allowing a limited number of Suna shinobi to enter the Land of Fire and join forces with Konoha in the search.
That same day, the remains of two Suna shinobi were discovered within the Land of Fire's borders. Upon confirmation, they were identified as two elite jōnin from the Kazekage's personal guard. The search area was subsequently expanded.
Two weeks passed, yet there was still no sign of the Third Kazekage.
...
On February 1st, under mounting pressure, Sunagakure formally announced that the Third Kazekage had gone missing.
Seizing the opportunity, the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, who had long since stationed troops along the Wind-Earth border, ordered an immediate attack on Sunagakure, striking while the majority of Suna's forces were preoccupied in the Land of Fire.
Caught off guard, Sunagakure was left defenseless.
Their elite puppet brigade suffered heavy losses under the concentrated assault of Iwagakure's explosive corps.
Fortunately, a portion of Suna's forces, originally in Konoha, rushed back upon receiving the news, reinforcing the village just in time.
On February 3rd, with the majority of Suna's forces returning, Ōnoki saw no further advantage in continuing and withdrew his forces.
On February 5th, Sunagakure announced that Rasa, the Third Kazekage's disciple and an elite jōnin with the Magnet Release kekkei genkai, would serve as the acting Kazekage.
On February 6th, Iwagakure and Sunagakure signed a peace treaty. The details of the agreement remained undisclosed, but Iwa withdrew its forces.
On February 14th, Sunagakure officially declared the Third Kazekage dead and held a funeral service in his honor.
On March 1st, Rasa was formally appointed as the Fourth Kazekage.
On March 15th, the newly appointed Kazekage issued a scathing denunciation against Konoha, accusing them of using the Chūnin Exams as a pretext to orchestrate the assassination of the Third Kazekage.
Regardless of the truth, Rasa's statement effectively placed the blame squarely on Konoha's shoulders.
This was exactly the scenario Hiruzen Sarutobi had feared most, yet it had come to pass anyway.
Assassinating a fellow Kage—especially an ally—under the guise of a jointly hosted Chūnin Exam? If such an accusation stuck, Konoha's reputation would be in ruins.
The same day, Konoha's diplomatic corps immediately issued a rebuttal, denouncing Rasa's claims as baseless slander.
Hiruzen Sarutobi himself expressed Konoha's deep regret and sorrow over the Third Kazekage's disappearance. He pledged to assist Sunagakure in uncovering the truth and urged the Fourth Kazekage to seek justice through proper means.
...
On March 18th, the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, released a statement condemning Konoha for their ruthless assassination of the Third Kazekage, demanding that they hand over those responsible.
With Iwagakure now also pointing fingers, the situation took a dramatic turn for the worse.
If it had only been Sunagakure making accusations, Konoha could have brushed it off as baseless frustration.
But with two major villages standing together, even the most clear-sighted individuals would be forced to turn a blind eye.
In other words, Konoha had no choice but to bear this burden.
By this point, the terms of the treaty between Iwa and Suna had become evident: Iwagakure had pressured Sunagakure into shifting all blame onto Konoha.
Ōnoki had played his cards brilliantly.
Originally, Sunagakure had been Konoha's ally. Now, they had been forcefully dragged to Iwa's side.
Just a year ago, it had been the usual scenario: the second, third, and fourth strongest villages teaming up against the most powerful—Konoha.
Now, thanks to the Third Kazekage's disappearance and Ōnoki's deft diplomatic maneuvering, things had shifted.
It was no longer just three villages against one.
It was the entire ninja world against Konoha.
...
[Somewhere in the Northern Waters of the Land of Water]
Yagura let his body sink deeper into the sea, his mind empty and still.
Above him, schools of fish drifted lazily. Sea turtles, seahorses, and even octopuses clung to the rocky seabed.
He had made a promise to Isobu.
Today, he would keep it.
As his body merged with the deep, an immense chakra surged forth.
A monstrous figure emerged from the depths—
FULL TAIL-BEAST TRANSFORMATION!
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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