'That's all.'
Even a ghost could hear the amusement in the Third Mizukage's voiceu.
Natsuhiko, I'll make sure to send you a box of my treasured Red Mountain tea later.
Why didn't I notice before that this brat actually has such delicate features?
The Third Mizukage chuckled to himself, watching the dumbfounded expressions of the many bloodline limit clans gathered before him.
Especially the leader of the Hozuki Clan—his twisted sense of satisfaction had just been greatly fulfilled.
The moment he learned that Yagura could undergo full Tailed Beast transformation, the Third Mizukage immediately made an equation in his mind:
If Yagura could transform, then he had the potential to become Mizukage.
That meant his plan to cultivate Yagura into the next Mizukage could now be put into motion.
He had personally reviewed all of Yagura's assignments sent by Natsuhiko, and the boy excelled just as much in administrative work as he did in combat ability.
His office skills and strength were both up to standard.
The only thing left was refining his temperament.
That, the Third Mizukage had his own ways of handling.
Natsuhiko and his family had coddled Yagura too much—he wouldn't.
As the Third Mizukage pondered an excuse to keep Yagura close, fate conveniently delivered the perfect opportunity right to his doorstep.
And so, everything fell into place effortlessly, much to everyone's delight.
Hmm… one box of tea wouldn't be enough. Three it is.
...
"Mizukage-sama."
Ao knocked on the door, then entered with permission. "Yagura's treatment is complete. He's able to move now. I've brought him."
Just as he spoke, Yagura arrived.
"Let him in." The Third Mizukage nodded.
After experiencing extreme chakra exhaustion and then receiving emergency treatment, Yagura still looked a little pale.
Fortunately, the results were positive. Yagura smiled as he stepped past Ao and into the room, raising three fingers in greeting.
"Yo, morning, everyone. Quite the gathering for so early in the day."
Seeing that Yagura was in one piece and still had the energy to joke, Natsuhiko finally let out a breath of relief.
Internally, he laughed and cursed: You little troublemaker, do you have any idea who caused all this mess?
"Yagura-kun, are you feeling alright?"
A gentle female voice was the first to greet him. Yagura recognized it immediately—it was Yuki Murasaki, the leader of the Yuki Clan.
Because her voice was familiar, he responded naturally, "Yeah, thanks for asking, Murasaki-sama. I'm feeling much better."
"Good, as long as you're alright."
There was something about Yuki Murasaki's voice that made people instinctively trust her. She smiled warmly.
"Just now, Mizukage-sama informed us that you've gained control over your Tailed Beast's chakra. Is that true?"
"More or less."
Yagura scratched his head.
During his transformation, he had manifested Isobu's full form, but he still couldn't fully control that massive body.
The real control remained with Isobu. If Isobu had wanted to go on a rampage, Yagura would have struggled to wrestle back control.
But Isobu hadn't. Instead, the turtle had seized the rare opportunity to lounge around in the ocean, swimming here and there without a care.
It wasn't until the Mist Anbu arrived and Yagura's Tailed Beast chakra ran out that the transformation automatically ended.
After explaining all this, Yagura was met with a room full of either stunned silence or sheer disbelief.
The sheer amount of information was overwhelming—no one knew where to start processing it.
...
[Yagura: Isobu, they seem confused as to why you didn't go berserk. Want to explain?]
[Isobu: If I rampaged, I'd just get sealed away again. Why not enjoy a rare sea bath instead?]
There was one thing Isobu didn't say aloud.
If he had resisted, wouldn't that make Yagura seem like an incompetent Jinchuriki?
If Yagura got replaced, Isobu would be the first to object.
Sure, Yagura had plenty of shortcomings, but when it came to freedom and trust, he treated Isobu far better than most humans.
Unlike others who saw Tailed Beasts as mere weapons of war.
Weapons?Your whole family are weapons!
At most, Yagura treated him like a pet (not that he'd admit it).
And he was also very interested in the Water Mirror Technique.
Speaking of which, he had learned quite a bit about Water Release from Yagura already.
Maybe next time, he'd consider teaching the brat the technique.
After relaying Isobu's words, Yagura was greeted by the sound of jaws hitting the floor.
And the sound of worldviews shattering.
Their entire lives, they had been taught that Tailed Beasts were dangerous.
An unrestrained Tailed Beast was not a good Tailed Beast.
But the stability of Yagura's chakra wasn't an illusion.
Yagura scratched his cheek and tried to vouch for Isobu.
"Honestly, he's pretty chill and easygoing. You guys don't have to be so nervous around him."
...
Clap, clap.
The Third Mizukage gave two dry but deliberate claps, drawing everyone's attention back to him.
With a grin, he said, "Good. Very good. You didn't disappoint me."
Yagura grinned back. "Heh, of course you understand me, old man."
"But," the Third Mizukage's tone suddenly dropped, becoming serious, "you gave everyone quite the scare today."
Then he continued, "Just now, everyone unanimously voted… to punish you."
Yagura froze. "...? Ah, wait, what?"
Seeing his dumbfounded face, the gathered elders finally got to experience the same joy the Third Mizukage had moments ago.
This was simply too satisfying~
One by one, they shut their mouths, adopting stern expressions as they glared at Yagura.
When he looked around the room, every single person had taken a unified stance, their serious expressions tinged with righteous indignation.
And for the first time in decades, the Third Mizukage and the Hidden Mist clan elders stood together on the same side.
Even Elder Genshi smirked to himself—this kid was truly one of a kind.
"Alright, fine."
Realizing that his reckless actions had indeed scared everyone, Yagura sighed.
"I accept my punishment. What is it?"
"Your movements will be restricted. If you leave the village, you must report it and have Anbu accompany you."
Yagura's pupils shrank. "Huh?!"
My freedom? Gone!
The Third Mizukage paused, savoring the look of betrayal on Yagura's face, before continuing,
"Your activity zone is limited from your home to the Mizukage's office. We'll finalize the details later."
"???"
That's barely anything! He could run back and forth in five minutes!
Maybe he could at least negotiate some ocean time for Isobu.
But before Yagura could protest, the Third Mizukage slammed his hand down.
"That's final. Starting tomorrow, you're officially employed at the Mizukage's office. I'll personally supervise you."
Yagura typed a mental question mark at lightning speed. "?"
Wait. Hold on. Did he just get a job?
"Pfft! Hahaha!"
Murasaki cracked first, apologizing between bursts of laughter.
Then it spread. One by one, the elders lost it.
"HAHAHAHA!"
The once composed adults were now in stitches, leaving Yagura utterly bewildered.
"Idiot, still don't get it?"
His father, Natsuhiko, walked over, ruffling Yagura's hair with a mischievous smirk.
"Welcome to working life, kid."
At that moment, Yagura truly understood the cruelty of humanity.
Yes, he had gotten what he wanted.
But—
DAMN IT, THIS SUCKS!
[Isobu: Here to laugh at you.]
[Yagura: User unavailable. (Smiling. Muted.)]
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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