388. The Civil War in the Land of Water

"The show is about to begin."

Hidden in a forest several kilometers away from Kirigakure, Danzo observed the village's every move using the Byakugan's vast range.

As Fuguki Suikazan and Biwa Juzo launched their attack on the Hōzuki clan at the frontlines, Mei Terumī and her allies finally made their move!

In the Mizukage's office, an ANBU ninja delivered a message to Yagura Karatachi—
"Mei Terumī requests an urgent audience."

"Let her in," Yagura said calmly, seated on the Mizukage's throne.

His face was expressionless, save for the centipede-like scar running from his left eye to his jaw, which gave him a terrifying appearance.

"Yes."

The ANBU ninja disappeared after delivering the message. At the same time, Zetsu's voice echoed in the room.

"Mei Terumī might have ill intentions this time. Be careful."

Yagura, or rather Obito Uchiha controlling him, responded with a disdainful sneer.

"Let them come."

Seeing Yagura—or rather, Obito—so confident, Zetsu decided not to press further.

He slowly sank into the ground, silently observing the surroundings.

Soon, Mei Terumī arrived at the Mizukage's office.

Surprisingly, she knelt on one knee before Yagura, just like Fuguki Suikazan and Biwa Juzo had done.

This made Yagura raise an eyebrow.


"Mei Terumī, what do you have to report?"


"Yes!" Mei replied with apparent respect. She looked up, her tone urgent.

"Lord Mizukage, according to my intelligence, Mangetsu Hōzuki is gathering his clan members to plot a rebellion!"

"What?!" Yagura's eyes narrowed, his pale pink pupils radiating a terrifying killing intent.

Just as he was about to ask for more details, Mei suddenly moved.

Her slender hands formed hand seals at lightning speed.

"Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique!"

In the next moment, a stream of crimson, magma-like acidic mucus erupted from her lips, surging toward Yagura like a monster from hell!

With a deafening roar, the walls of the Mizukage's office were instantly corroded by the acidic solution.

The liquid engulfed Yagura, sending him crashing into the streets outside!

Dust and debris filled the air...

When the dust settled, the villagers could see their once-untouchable Mizukage lying in a massive crater.

His body was now enveloped in a thick layer of crimson chakra, with only half his face visible.

A large, red tail swayed behind him, making him resemble a heavily armored beast.

However, the tail showed clear signs of corrosion, indicating that Mei's attack had indeed caused some damage.

Of course, it was only some damage... If a perfect jinchūriki could be defeated so easily, they wouldn't be considered natural disasters.

But the opposition, led by Mei, had planned this assassination carefully.

As the smoke cleared, another deadly attack followed. Mangetsu Hōzuki emerged from an alley, his Hiramekarei glowing with intense chakra.

A powerful gust of wind tore through the remaining smoke, and in an instant, Mangetsu appeared before Yagura, his twin blades crossed as he slashed down with all his might.

"Hiramekarei: Slash!"

A massive cross-shaped chakra slash formed and slammed into Yagura, who was still covered in tailed beast chakra.


With a deafening crash, Yagura was sent flying, his body crashing through buildings and finally landing in a pile of rubble.

But it wasn't over yet. Standing atop the Mizukage's building, Mei unleashed another technique—
"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

As the roaring water dragon wreaked havoc in the rubble, hope flickered in the eyes of the opposition.

"Did we succeed?" Mei muttered, but she quickly shook her head.

If Yagura were this weak, Kirigakure wouldn't have endured his rule for so long...

Sure enough, a second later, a terrifying surge of chakra erupted from the rubble where Yagura lay.


"I didn't expect you to be so impatient," Yagura's voice echoed.

Now fully enveloped in chakra, his body began to expand and transform.


"If you want to overthrow me, then show me what you're capable of!"

With that, he stopped suppressing the power within him.

A beam of light shot into the sky as he fully transformed into the nightmare of all Kirigakure shinobi—
Isobu, the Three-Tails!

The moment it appeared, the Three-Tails let out a deafening roar that shook the entire village.

Its three massive tails thrashed wildly, effortlessly destroying buildings with every swing.

Entire rows of houses collapsed, and villagers and shinobi alike were crushed before they could react.

This was the power of a tailed beast!

Watching the village she once loved crumble, Mei's expression darkened.

Although she knew this was the price they had to pay for victory, the destruction still pained her deeply.


"We have to stop him quickly!" she gritted her teeth.

If the Three-Tails continued its rampage, the entire village would soon be reduced to rubble.

"I'm on it!" Mangetsu immediately sheathed his twin blades and charged toward the Three-Tails.

Seeing this, Yagura—or rather, Obito—swung one of the massive tails like a giant sword, aiming to crush Mangetsu.

Facing such a devastating attack, Mangetsu remained calm.

He quickly formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Shark Bomb Technique!"

A massive water shark, nearly the size of the Three-Tails, erupted from Mangetsu's body.

The shark's spherical form was covered in spikes, with a gaping maw filled with sharp teeth.

Its face resembled a mythical Oni mask.

This technique, which combined the Hōzuki clan's water transformation with a massive water construct, granted immense size and unparalleled defense.

In the original story, Suigetsu had even used this technique to fight Killer B's Eight-Tails in close combat.

However, its weakness was its inability to withstand powerful techniques like the Tailed Beast Bomb...

When the Three-Tails' tail slammed into the water shark, it sent massive waves splashing everywhere, but the shark didn't dissipate.

Instead, it charged forward, crashing into the Three-Tails.

The two colossal creatures engaged in a fierce battle, their clash causing the ground to tremble and buildings to collapse.

Meanwhile, Mei wasn't idle.

Taking advantage of Mangetsu's distraction, she circled around to the Three-Tails' rear and unleashed her Boil Release: Skilling Mist Technique.


A cloud of acidic gas erupted from her mouth, spreading rapidly and enveloping most of the Three-Tails' body.

Even a tailed beast couldn't withstand such intense corrosion for long, especially while grappling with a massive water construct.

Under the acidic gas, the Three-Tails' body began to show wounds, its once-impenetrable shell becoming brittle and flaking away...

This made Obito, who was controlling the Three-Tails, uneasy.


I need to get out of her range!

With this thought, Obito manipulated the Three-Tails to forcefully push the water shark away.

Then, using its three massive tails, the Three-Tails curled into a giant wheel-like shape!

"Stop it! It's trying to escape!" Mei shouted, realizing its plan.

But the Three-Tails' size and strength were overwhelming.

With a powerful charge, it sent the water shark flying dozens of meters away, leaving no time for Mangetsu to stop it.

In an instant, the Three-Tails transformed into a super tank, barreling out of the battlefield with unstoppable force.

"Damn it..." Mei refused to give up. She activated the Body Flicker Technique, chasing after the Three-Tails.

Mangetsu, having dispelled his water shark form, followed closely behind.

However, to their surprise, the Three-Tails stopped just outside the village and turned back, opening its mouth wide.


"No, this is..." Mei's pupils contracted as she realized what was coming—

"It's preparing a Tailed Beast Bomb! Stop it!"

Mei shouted, speeding up in a desperate attempt to interrupt the technique.

But the distance was too great.

Even at her fastest, the Three-Tails had already formed a pitch-black Tailed Beast Bomb in its mouth...

"Feel the pain, you Kirigakure scum!" Obito roared from his dimension.

In the next moment, the Three-Tails fired the Tailed Beast Bomb, sending a terrifying shockwave toward the village that had taken everything from him.

The blinding light illuminated the entire village, and everyone's faces were filled with disbelief.

No one had imagined that their leader, the Fourth Mizukage, would choose to destroy the very place where he was born and raised.

"Damn you, Yagura!!!" Mei screamed, her hair whipping in the wind as fury burned in her eyes.

She couldn't understand why Yagura harbored such hatred for Kirigakure, but...
"I won't let you destroy this village, Yagura!!"

With all her strength, Mei unleashed her ultimate technique—
"Lava Release: Melting City Technique!"

A massive wall of molten lava erupted from her mouth, forming a thick barrier in front of the Tailed Beast Bomb.

But when the two collided, the shockwave from the Tailed Beast Bomb shattered Mei's defense like a sharp blade.

The molten wall melted and crumbled in an instant.

Though weakened, the Tailed Beast Bomb still had enough power to destroy half the village!

At that moment, Mangetsu stepped forward. He reactivated his Water Release: Water Shark Bomb Technique, transforming into the massive water shark once more and charging at the Tailed Beast Bomb.

But even this technique couldn't fully stop the attack.

In an instant, the water shark disintegrated, and Mangetsu was forced out of his water form, crashing to the ground alongside the scattered water.

Fortunately, his desperate effort succeeded in altering the Tailed Beast Bomb's trajectory.

It shot into the sky at an angle, blasting a massive hole through the thick clouds that perpetually shrouded Kirigakure.

Seeing this, Obito's expression darkened. He hadn't expected these "insects" to be so tenacious.

But he quickly regained his arrogant demeanor.
"Tch... So what if you blocked one Tailed Beast Bomb? Can you block a second?"


With that, he immediately manipulated the Three-Tails to open its mouth again, preparing to repeat the process and fire another Tailed Beast Bomb at Kirigakure.

He refused to believe that Mei Terumī and Hōzuki Mangetsu alone could withstand his attack once more.

Just as Obito confidently began gathering chakra for the Tailed Beast Bomb, a thick mist suddenly enveloped him.

A sense of foreboding rose from the depths of his heart…

Sure enough, within the dense fog, flickering flames began to emerge.

One after another, stone pillars resembling altars rose, each with a candle burning at its tip.

And behind the Three-Tails, an elderly man had appeared unnoticed.

Leaning on a cane, intricate black sealing formulas spread from beneath his feet, connecting to the surrounding stone pillars.

This was clearly a meticulously prepared sealing array!

"Elder Genji! Are you also going to join them against me?"

The Three-Tails, controlled by Obito, angrily shouted in the voice of Yagura.

Indeed, the old man who appeared was the most ancient elder of Kirigakure Village, whose status was equivalent to that of the Mizukage, having survived since the First Great Ninja War.

His appearance at this moment, along with the arrangements he had made, made his stance clear without the need for words.

However, upon hearing the voice emanating from the Three-Tails, the old man gently shook his head and hoarsely said:
"You are no longer yourself, Yagura."