Chapter 226: The Death of the Third Mizukage!

Chapter 226: Chapter 226: The Death of the Third Mizukage!

Upon returning to Konoha, Shūichi parted ways with Shisui and made a brief stop at the research facility before heading to the Hokage's office.

Seeing his student arrive, Minato Namikaze greeted him with a warm smile.

"It seems everything went smoothly."

"Indeed, it did."

Shūichi approached Minato's desk and placed a glass vial on it.

Minato's expression sharpened as he recognized its contents.

"This is... a Byakugan. Is this the one the Mist ninja had taken?"

Shūichi nodded.

"I saw it, so I retrieved it along the way."

"In a few days, the Fourth Mizukage should send someone to negotiate a peace agreement."

Minato's eyes widened.

"The Fourth Mizukage? Shūichi, did you... kill the Third Mizukage?"

Shūichi shook his head.

"No, just severely injured him. However, the Third Mizukage is already quite old, and given the humiliation of this incident, I doubt he'll last long. He's likely to step down soon."

Minato nodded, finding this explanation reasonable. After a moment's thought, he asked,

"What about the Cloud ninja? When do you plan to take action against them?"

Shūichi considered it briefly.

"We'll wait a bit. Let the situation with the Mist Village ferment for a few days."

Minato chuckled.

"That way, the Cloud ninja will have more time to prepare. You want to create a stronger deterrent, don't you?"

Shūichi gave a thumbs-up.

"As expected of you, Sensei. Your insight is unmatched."

Minato shook his head with a smile before turning serious.

"After this, the Daimyō's initiative to train his own ninja forces will likely begin. How do you plan to approach this?"

Shūichi already had a plan in mind.

"The wandering ninja and small clans recruited by the Daimyō should follow the framework used by the Root division, though without the use of genjutsu for control."

"These people will be difficult to manage since they're employed by the Daimyō. However, for the secret training base the Daimyō wants to establish—akin to a ninja academy—it should focus on members of the Fire Country's nobility and ministers. I'll even recommend that some of their heirs be trained as ninjas to ensure future control over this force."

"But ultimately, the group we truly need to win over is this segment of nobility and ministers."

"Winning them over means gaining the economic backbone of the Fire Country. And the main force of this ninja group should actually consist of samurai and carefully selected commoners."

Shūichi had painted a grand vision for the Fire Country's Daimyō. But in reality, this vision was not meant for the Daimyō to enjoy.

After all, ninjas don't contribute to production, are consumed by training, and cannot manage an entire nation.

But does the Daimyō truly understand governance?

Not a chance!

And besides, ninjas don't need to govern the entire country.

Shūichi wasn't planning to replicate a system from his previous life. This is a world with extraordinary powers.

No, it wasn't about ninjas replacing the Daimyō or the existing ruling order.

It was about Shūichi Hoshita replacing the Daimyō, reshaping the ruling order!

---

Minato listened intently, slowly realizing the immense ambition hidden within his student's words.

It seemed that Shūichi's aspirations extended far beyond merely unifying all ninjas.

Could it be... he intended to replace the Daimyō?

Minato was shaken by this revelation, a thought he had never before entertained.

Wouldn't this cause turmoil throughout the nation?

No.

Minato quickly dismissed that idea. Shūichi's strategy started by winning over the Fire Country's nobility and ministers—the pillars of its governance.

But would these people betray the Daimyō?

Could Konoha offer them greater benefits?

Minato pondered but found no clear answer.

Shūichi, however, did not elaborate further. For now, it was all just a concept.

Even so, Shukaku's cooperative attitude had been maintained. Rasa held high expectations for his youngest son to become the second perfect Jinchūriki in the ninja world.

With such a trump card, they could face Konoha with greater confidence.

Rasa's gaze shifted to his daughter, Temari, and he remembered the kunai Shūichi had given her on their last encounter.

Although his daughter displayed remarkable talent, Rasa had no confidence that she could ever defeat someone like Shūichi.

But a different thought crossed his mind.

Konoha was now as powerful as it had been during the era of Hashirama and Madara. Direct opposition would be unwise.

While he needed to guard against becoming a vassal, Suna could also establish a closer relationship with Konoha—similar to the bond between the Land of Whirlpools and Konoha in the past.

By leveraging Konoha's strength, Suna could further its development.

---

Kumogakure.

The Fourth Raikage turned to Dodai and asked, "Are you certain that Shūichi will come?"

Dodai nodded. "Based on the situation in Kirigakure, whether it's to end the war or for the power of the Tailed Beasts, he's bound to come."

The Fourth Raikage slammed his hands on the desk, exuding a powerful aura. "Good!"

"If that's the case, we'll prepare in advance and ensure he stays here permanently!"

Dodai broke into a cold sweat. "Fourth Raikage, such an action could result in tremendous losses."

"Besides Shūichi, there's also Shisui of the Body Flicker, who has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Don't forget Uchiha Madara from back in the day, Raikage-sama."

The Fourth Raikage snorted. "Of course, I know that."

"That's exactly why we need to take this opportunity to eliminate them—even just one of them."

"So, have we come up with a plan to counter Konoha's teleportation technique?"

Dodai shook his head helplessly. "It's incredibly difficult to counter a space-time ninjutsu, perhaps even impossible."

The Fourth Raikage was visibly displeased but could only relent. "In that case, we'll focus our efforts on Uchiha Shisui."

"We'll take him out and seize the Mangekyō Sharingan in the process."

"Although that teleportation technique is fast, as long as we land a hit during the battle and prevent him from activating the technique, it's not impossible to bring him down."

"Yugito has already mastered part of the Two-Tails' power. She'll join the battle."

Dodai wanted to say more, but the Fourth Raikage cut him off with a firm wave. "That's final. Start drafting the battle plan!"

"I'll go check on Bee. If he can gain better control of the Tailed Beast's power, our chances will be even greater."

"Hmph, I refuse to accept the same result as the Third Mizukage!"

With that, the Fourth Raikage strode out of the room, heading for the Valley of Clouds and Lightning to oversee Killer Bee's training.

---

As time passed, the Mist Village's envoys had yet to arrive in Konoha, but the situation continued to escalate.

Because the Third Mizukage was dead.

Yagura had ascended to become the Fourth Mizukage.

The news that the Third Mizukage had been killed by Konoha's Blue Flash spread like wildfire throughout the ninja world.

---

Amegakure.

In the tower's meeting room, a spiral-patterned White Zetsu emerged from the ground, detaching from Uchiha Obito. Addressing Nagato, Black Zetsu, and the others, he said, "Good news. The new Fourth Mizukage has personally sealed the Three-Tails and become its Jinchūriki."

Nagato turned to Uchiha Obito. "The Sharingan can control the Nine-Tails. A mere Three-Tails shouldn't be an issue, right?"

"This place has already drawn Konoha's attention. The Akatsuki needs to find a new cover."

"Kirigakure just went through major turmoil. It seems like an ideal target."

Uchiha Obito nodded. "Indeed, Kirigakure is an excellent target."

"Controlling the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki is not an issue. It'll provide the perfect opportunity to use Kirigakure for certain operations."

Nagato said, "Then let us witness the power of the Sharingan's genjutsu when the time comes."

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Support me on Patreon - Read Up to 50+ Advanced Chapters There!

/RedX43 (Upload 2 chaps per day)

Limited CHRISTMAS Offer: Use code E7475 for 25% off!

❇❇❇