At the temporary Mist Shinobi forward base stationed within the Land of Fire, Terumi Mei, acting as a high-ranking intelligence operative, approached the Fourth Mizukage with calm precision. She extended the letter bearing the personal seal of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki of Iwagakure.
As she spoke, her sharp, emerald eyes—renowned in the Village Hidden in the Mist—keenly observed every microexpression on the Mizukage's face. Simultaneously, her finely tuned perception ability was deployed across the area. She wasn't merely delivering intelligence—she was hunting for confirmation, for cracks in the man's façade.
"I see," the Mizukage responded curtly, accepting the letter without a glance at its contents. His tone was detached, the familiar cold authority of Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure. "You may leave."
Mei's brows furrowed slightly. She found nothing overtly amiss in his expression, but his dismissive reaction to a message from a Kage was far from standard.
"Mizukage-sama, if the Tsuchikage has written personally, the information must be urgent. Shouldn't it be examined at once so we can respond appropriately?" Her voice was firm but respectful, her tone probing just enough to test boundaries.
Even though Terumi Mei was already one of the leading jonin of Kirigakure—a woman destined to become the Fifth Mizukage—her words were treading dangerous ground.
"Captain Terumi Mei," Yagura snapped, his previously blank face now taut with a flicker of irritation, "are you questioning my judgment? We are at war. Execute your duties and step back!"
The sharp rebuke was uncharacteristic of the normally composed Yagura and sent a shiver of confirmation down Mei's spine.
"…Yes, Mizukage-sama. I withdraw." Her jade eyes dimmed momentarily, as if she wished to say more. But recalling the oddities she had been documenting for months—the gaps in memory, the unprovoked orders of brutality, and now this—she swallowed her instinct and backed away respectfully.
He's definitely compromised, she thought grimly. But if I act now, I'll be walking into their trap.
Once Terumi Mei's chakra signature had faded from the area, a strange, gurgling sound echoed from the shadows. A humanoid figure with a half-black, half-white face emerged from the wall behind the Mizukage, its body encased in a pitcher-plant-like form.
"Looks like that woman, Terumi Mei, is starting to catch on to your condition," White Zetsu said casually, his tone half-playful. "Shall we dispose of her before she becomes a threat?"
"She wasn't just suspicious," Black Zetsu answered darkly. "She was actively probing for our presence. Her movements, her chakra—too deliberate. She may have solid proof of the genjutsu Obito cast over Yagura."
Black Zetsu's voice, ancient and grave, seemed to hum with agitation. "But we no longer need to concern ourselves. With Obito captured in Konoha—perhaps even killed—the illusion placed on Yagura is unraveling. His control is deteriorating."
"In other words, this vessel is as good as spent," White Zetsu added, tilting his head. "No point maintaining the charade if it costs us more."
"And don't forget," Black Zetsu continued, "Terumi Mei herself is no weakling. She's already on par with Kage-level shinobi—killing her now would be loud, messy, and possibly backfire."
"In that case," White Zetsu mused, "why not let her serve us? Use her to test Uchiha Yue's power. After all, he's been a thorn in our side far too long."
A silence passed between them.
"Anyway, what about the Tsuchikage's letter?" White Zetsu asked suddenly, gesturing toward the unopened missive Yagura still held. "Might be something useful."
Black Zetsu snatched the letter and scanned its contents. "Hmph. Looks like Ōnoki has grown some brains in his old age. He's proposing a temporary cooperation—sharing intel on Uchiha Yue's movements."
There was an unreadable glint in Black Zetsu's tone. "If it lets us remove that anomaly Yue… Obito's death won't matter. This could work in our favor."
Meanwhile, far from these undercurrents, events were already unfolding.
"Hokage-sama, Black Rock City is twenty miles ahead. Shall we initiate a direct strike?" asked a member of the vanguard unit trailing behind Uchiha Yue.
"No," Yue replied. His crimson Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan gleamed beneath the cowl of his dark cloak. "Order the troops to rest and replenish chakra. Also, dispatch sensory and infiltration specialists—I want detailed intel on the city."
Though Yue's body contained the vitality of the Sage of Six Paths, his troops were mere mortals. The forced march from the last border outpost had drained their strength. A blind attack would only incur needless losses.
Furthermore, Cloud Shinobi holding Black Rock City might have set traps or taken hostages—Yue couldn't risk collateral damage without clear recon. His objective wasn't destruction—it was precision.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," the jonin replied, and the unit settled into cautious formation.
About an hour later, the recon teams returned with grim news.
"Report: no civilians present. Enemy forces number less than 300, but we detected a massive chakra signature—far beyond jonin level. Likely one of Cloud's Jinchūriki."
Hearing that, Uchiha Yue's mouth curled faintly. "So they've left a monster behind to guard the fort?"
He stood without hesitation. "Form up."
His chakra surged like a tidal wave, causing the grass around him to tremble. "We strike now. The enemy is incomplete, and we will shatter their morale."
His troops—elite jonin hand-picked from across the alliance—nodded and rose. Their Hokage didn't need stealth. He was the spearpoint.
Yue led the charge, not with subtlety, but with the unshakable confidence of a man wielding the Eternal Mangekyō.
Hostages? None. Resistance? Scattered. One Jinchūriki? Irrelevant.
The only thing that mattered now was momentum.
Let the battlefield bear witness to the terror of Uchiha Yue. Let Black Rock City burn as the storm swept through.
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