Chapter 118: Submitting to Hyuga

Ninja World.

Land of Water, one of the five great ninja villages, Kirigakure Village.

At this moment, a rebellion was happening.

The rampage of the Tailed Beast was already a huge problem, and the rebellion of the Kaguya clan was making things even worse.

They didn't understand why the Kaguya clan, usually troublesome but not invincible, was so difficult to deal with today.

The chaos on the battlefield didn't allow them to think this through carefully. The rampaging Three-Tails, along with the Kaguya clan's rebellion, posed an immense threat to this mist-covered village.

A sense of hopelessness spread.

The villagers and ninjas living here didn't know why their fate was so tragic. They had barely survived the Fourth Mizukage's tyranny and now were about to be killed by the Tailed Beast.

"Is that... Terumi Mei and Senbon?"

A shocked voice called out. Amidst the chaos, the ninjas saw two figures—Terumi Mei and Senbon—standing in front of the Three-Tails and the rampaging Kaguya clan members!

"Overestimating themselves."

Still young and without a decapitation blade, not yet involved in assassinating the Mizukage, Zabuza sneered coldly.

He had already given up on this village. After graduation, he killed all his comrades to resist the tyranny of the village Mizukage.

But in the end, the Mizukage's foolish orders were a result of being manipulated.

Could this village still be saved?

He wasn't sure, but he also knew that he wasn't a match for the Three-Tails. So, he didn't believe that Terumi Mei and Senbon Sakura could succeed.

Maybe it would be better if the village just got destroyed!

Zabuza's eyes flickered, but he didn't try to escape. He wanted to see more, to give this village—and himself—one last chance.

"A false world, false people."

Hoshigaki Kisame glanced at his direct superior, the man named Suigetsu Hozuki, who was silently retreating.

He was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the owner of the Samehada sword.

But the change in this man was clearly visible.

The former Suigetsu Hozuki had been someone fully devoted to the village. However, after the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were reduced to three by Might Guy, it seemed that he had lost his spirit.

He often followed those intelligence ninjas and was told to make sure the information never leaked, no matter the cost. 

Even if it meant killing his comrades. 

But recently, Kisame noticed something strange—his superior, who always valued secrecy, had started selling their village's information for money. 

What a ridiculous thing to do. 

Hoshigaki Kisame couldn't even tell if the two women standing in front of the Three-Tails and the Kaguya clan were real or not. 

He silently watched everything unfold, unsure whose orders to follow or whether he should risk his life to stop the Three-Tails and the rebels. 

Real or fake. 

What was the purpose of his existence? 

With confusion filling his heart, Kisame finally stepped forward, heading toward the fleeing Suikazan Fuguki. Without hesitation, while no one was paying attention, he thrust a kunai into his superior's chest. He quickly tossed the body aside and carried the large Samehada sword back with him. 

Well, since he couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't, killing his superior for fun seemed like a good start. 

As he expected, no one even noticed him. 

The giant Samehada sword was now his. Suikazan Fuguki had "died in battle while helping suppress the rebellion"—this was the fake story Kisame prepared for his superior. Carrying the sword, he looked around at the village gate and the chaos in the distance, considering whether to slip away amidst the turmoil. 

But in the next moment— 

As the battle suddenly took a strange turn, Kisame's confusion deepened. 

Why? 

Though Terumi Mei was undoubtedly a genius of Kirigakure Village and had even developed her own Kekkei Genkai, Lava Release, at a young age— 

With the addition of her Boil Release, she was indeed powerful. 

Even so, dealing with the Three-Tails shouldn't have been this easy for her. 

But everything Kisame saw, along with the astonished reactions around him, confirmed that what was happening was real, not an illusion. 

Especially when he saw Terumi Mei, who was known for melting her enemies with Lava Release and Boil Release, use plain Taijutsu instead. She punched the hard shell of the Three-Tails, piercing through its tough defense. Even someone as serious as Kisame slapped his face to make sure he wasn't dreaming. 

He wasn't. 

His steps, which were ready to leave, suddenly stopped. In the end, carrying the Samehada sword, Kisame decided to head toward the Kaguya clan, where Senbonzakura was. He knew Senbonzakura, and just like his fixed impression of Terumi Mei, Kisame didn't believe this silly, always-smiling woman could handle those maniacs. 

Since the Three-Tails was already under control, there was no need to leave. He wanted to stick around and see more of this fake reality. 

But— 

When Kisame saw that girl brutally snap a Kaguya clan member's bones and then stab the broken bones into their head, causing it to burst, he fell silent once again. 

This foolish-looking woman now seemed completely unfamiliar to him. 

So, was he really not caught in a Genjutsu? 

Kisame quietly formed a hand sign to break free from any illusion, and when he came to his senses, he noticed Zabuza beside him doing the same thing with a similarly confused expression. 

"It's real." 

Hoshigaki Kisame let out a dry laugh, feeling even more lost after laughing. 

"I got saved by two women." 

Zabuza's words were full of disdain for women, but his flushed face betrayed the shame he felt. He was just putting on a tough front. Deep down, he knew he was useless. 

At that moment, the two, who weren't particularly familiar with each other, exchanged a glance and smiled before joining forces in the fight to suppress the rebellion. 

With their overwhelming combat strength returning, 

the rest was much easier to handle. 

Under the direction of Hyuga Hitoshi, the controlled members of the Kaguya clan showed everyone through their actions what it meant to strike hard against the regular ninjas of Kirigakure Village, while acting submissively toward Terumi Mei and Senbonzakura.

The overwhelming battle was truly a sight to behold, and Terumi Mei and Senbonzakura became the real heroes who saved the village.

Of course, there were some unexpected events.

For example, Terumi Mei, excited because it was her first time being granted the Sun God Seal's authority, accidentally killed the Three-Tails and its Jinchuriki, Yagura.

That was an accident.

However, when the ninjas and villagers of Kirigakure Village found out about it, they actually cheered.

Even though Yagura was controlled and had plunged Kirigakure Village into chaos, the fact that he, as the Mizukage, had been controlled in the first place was ridiculous. It was his own failure. The tyranny had been spread through his words, and he had to take responsibility for that. His death was actually seen as a good thing.

To be more precise, if Terumi Mei had shown mercy, the villagers would have been unhappy. Killing Yagura and ending the tyranny made her more popular with the people.

"It's truly a great show."

On the mountain, Konan watched as the ninjas of Kirigakure Village cleaned up the battlefield after the turmoil.

Sometimes, destruction actually means rebirth.

The Kaguya clan's rebellion and the failure to control Yagura, the perfect Jinchuriki, caused the Three-Tails to go wild, which seemed like a disaster for Kirigakure Village. But in reality, this was the start of a new beginning for the village. Especially since they now had the chance to cooperate with the Sun God Kingdom.

"It's not over yet."

Hyuga Hitoshi shook his head slightly. In the original story, after the Fourth Mizukage's genjutsu was lifted, it took a long time before Terumi Mei became Mizukage. Before that, an elder named Gen was in charge of the village. Hyuga Hitoshi planned to discuss with Elder Gen and see if they could speed up the process.

That night.

After the disaster, the high-level meeting of Kirigakure Village arrived as planned, where they would discuss the future direction of the village and the death of the Mizukage.

Kisame and Zabuza, who had performed well during the Kaguya clan rebellion, were allowed to sit in on the meeting.

But the moment Hoshigaki Kisame entered, he sensed something was wrong.

The atmosphere in the meeting room felt strange, and he realized that what he had seen before was still false.

At the top of the room sat not the respected Elder Gen, nor Terumi Mei, who was most likely to succeed the Mizukage position. Instead, it was a strange man.

The man was handsome, with a calm and confident aura. He sat comfortably in the main seat, while Terumi Mei and Senbonzakura, who had previously performed excellently, stood at his sides. From the awe and submission on their faces, it was easy to deduce why their power had increased so much.

"I thought you would be troubled by those who secretly spied on the Sun God Kingdom, but it seems the world has underestimated you and the Sun God Kingdom."

Elder Gen was not angered by Hyuga Hitoshi's boldness. Instead, he bowed and sat down beside him, showing great respect.

The old man, experienced and sharp, combined with the unusual behavior of the Kaguya clan and Terumi Mei's ability to punch through the Three-Tails' defenses, was able to analyze the situation. 

Although he found it hard to believe, it was very likely that the power of Terumi Mei and Senbonzakura had been granted to them by this man.

And to give such destructive power to an outsider wasn't something done by someone foolish. It could only mean that the man was confident in his own strength, believing that bestowing power to others was no big deal.

Considering the Sun God Kingdom's previous performance against major countries, the result was clear—Hyuga Hitoshi was of the latter kind.

"I enjoy talking to smart people. I hope my patience now is not a waste of words."

Terumi Mei still lacked some experience and didn't have her own group of supporters, so Hyuga Hitoshi didn't mind letting the sensible Genji lend a hand.

He didn't have any ill intentions toward this village. He wasn't here to destroy it; he wanted it to serve the Sun God Kingdom.

"You can speak freely, Sun God Kingdom Lord."

Genji gave a slight nod, indicating that he was listening carefully.

But the way he addressed Hyuga Hitoshi shocked everyone present.

Sun God Kingdom Lord!

While Kirigakure Village was one of the five major ninja villages, it was still a small corner of the ninja world. Naturally, they had their own channels for information. 

It had already been suspected that the Sun God Kingdom was somehow connected to the Hyuga clan, confirmed by Hyuga Hitoshi's white pupils. But the ruler of the kingdom, Hyuga Hitoshi, was the clan leader of Hyuga! It was actually him!

"First, Terumi Mei will become the Fifth Mizukage."

Hyuga Hitoshi reached out, pulling Terumi Mei into his embrace, casually stating a fact.

Terumi Mei, her face slightly flushed, leaned against the man with ease. It was easy to understand why she would rely on him—his strong support for her made her feel deeply touched. Originally, she had planned to gradually build her strength and contend with Genji in the future for the position of Mizukage. But with this man's powerful intervention, things would become much simpler.

Of course, her next move still depended on Genji's stance, as his influence in the village was immense.

"If her strength doesn't weaken after this, Terumi Mei is more than capable of handling the position, and Sakura will become a solid assistant for her."

Genji paused, silently acknowledging this.

Although Genji wasn't too old to manage the village yet, he had grown old enough. He had observed Terumi Mei, and there was nothing inappropriate about her taking on the role of Mizukage.

"Second, I believe Kirigakure Village should not be controlled by the Land of Water's Daimyo. The authority of the Mizukage should not be weaker than that of the Daimyo. I will send a professional team from the Sun God Kingdom to cooperate with Kirigakure Village to develop the seas of the Land of Water. I think the Mizukage should be in charge of this, what do you think?"

Noticing Sakura's envious gaze, Hyuga Hitoshi pulled her into his lap as well, settling her on his other leg.

Since they already misunderstood and thought of him as theirs, Hyuga Hitoshi didn't feel the need to hold back. The goddess of the moon understood him in this area.

He gave, he took. If they looked good to him, he wanted them. As for feelings, they could be developed later—this wasn't a problem.

"This matter, old fool..."

"It's impossible! Absolutely impossible!" 

Before Genji could finish his words, Ao, who had been listening for a while, suddenly stood up and loudly disagreed.

"Genji-sensei, I disagree with this plan. The Sun God Kingdom is barely able to protect itself; how can they spare resources to cooperate with us in Kirigakure Village? Also, the position of Mizukage should not be decided by outsiders. Terumi Mei and Sakura may already be under Hyuga Hitoshi's control!"

"Just like the Fourth Hokage was under control!" 

After saying this, Ao glared at Hyuga Hitoshi, forming a hand seal as he intended to activate his Byakugan to check on the two women around Hyuga Hitoshi.

After all, Hyuga Hitoshi had come seeking cooperation with Kirigakure Village, but he also planned to fight for the position of Mizukage!

What Ao didn't realize was just how foolish his actions were. Hyuga Hitoshi simply didn't want to leave Terumi Mei with a broken Kirigakure Village, which was why he hadn't made a scene.

So, 

When there is a way to die! 

At that moment, Hyuga Hitoshi, who had been planning to deal with this guy later, looked coldly. He raised his hand, and a huge force targeted Ao's eye socket. Then, the Byakugan, which he called his trophy, was forcibly pulled out from a distance and fell into Hyuga Hitoshi's hand. 

"Kirigakure Village's Jonin Ao is a traitor and enemy to the village. He is ordered to commit suicide." 

Since they were in someone else's village, Hyuga Hitoshi chose to give a bit of face to the wise Yenshi, so he only gave Ao one order. 

Meanwhile, Ao, who had been shouting that he would see through Hyuga Hitoshi's control, didn't even care about the blood leaking from his pupils. In the next second, he collapsed to his knees, then turned and "walked" out of the meeting room. 

Not long after, screams and sounds of head-bowing echoed outside the Mizukage Building. Ao, the Jonin, was shouting that he should die to apologize to the Hyuga clan, making them feel both unfamiliar and a bit uneasy. 

So, is this the real world? 

Hoshigaki Kisame laughed. He suddenly became very interested in Hyuga Hitoshi, who was about to become the real ruler of Kirigakure Village. Next to him, Zabuza's eyes were filled with feverish desire for this kind of power. 

"This is to give you face." 

The screams didn't last long. When Ao repeatedly said he didn't deserve the Byakugan and promised that in his next life, he would run away the moment he saw Hyuga, the noise suddenly stopped. 

Everyone knew he was already dead. What was even worse was that the man said this was done to give face to Yenshi, otherwise, he would have tortured Ao longer, as Ao was on the Hyuga's wanted list. 

It was lucky that Hyuga Hitoshi wasn't interested in torturing the weak. The Hyuga clan's power didn't need to be advertised by someone like Ao. After retrieving the Byakugan, Hyuga Hitoshi no longer had any thoughts of targeting him. 

"The conversation was interrupted earlier. Let me continue." 

Hyuga Hitoshi spoke calmly. 

"I'm not interested in controlling your village, and I won't let your village become what it was before. How Kirigakure Village is managed is the Mizukage's responsibility. It has nothing to do with me. Besides, opening up the seas will only make Kirigakure Village better. You will all be grateful that your village formed a relationship with the Sun God Kingdom." 

"This is not something everyone gets." 

Letting go of the two women in his arms, Hyuga Hitoshi stood up, and the oppressive aura swept over the entire office. 

By using Ao's defiance, Hyuga Hitoshi understood that conventional methods wouldn't work on these people. 

If that's the case... 

He had had enough of formalities! 

"Submit to Hyuga. There's no shame in that!" 

Boom! 

The terrifying, invisible pressure made everyone tremble uncontrollably. As the first person knelt down, the so-called village leaders all fell to the ground, terrified. 

In the end, besides Terumi Mei, Senbonzakura, and Hyuga Hitoshi himself, only Zabuza and Hoshigaki Kisame, who were in the corner, were still able to stand. 

Zabuza was somewhat calm. Under the huge pressure, he stared at Hyuga Hitoshi intensely. 

"Give me power, and I'll follow you!" 

His request was clear: give him power, and he would be loyal, but Hyuga had to always be stronger than him. Otherwise, Zabuza would kill him. 

"I want to see the real world." 

Hoshigaki Kisame also gazed at Hyuga Hitoshi, expressing his desire. 

"Okay." 

Boom! 

The pressure suddenly increased, and both Kisame and Zabuza were pushed to the ground. 

But this wasn't just an insult. 

It was his way of habitually telling others that they should learn to look up to the strong, especially when asking for something from the strong. 

Then, Hyuga Hitoshi's fingers touched their foreheads, and a Sun God Seal appeared, one that was two levels weaker than Terumi Mei and Senbonzakura's. In that moment, they finally understood why Terumi Mei and Senbonzakura had become stronger!

This power...

This overwhelming pressure!

The faces of the people in the meeting room were filled with awe. They now understood why Elder Gen showed such great respect to Hyuga Hitoshi. The old man really had seen things clearly!

Yes.

The Sun God Kingdom, which held such power, really didn't seem like one that could be easily controlled or buried in history by the Five Great Nations.

Everything was just as Hyuga Hitoshi had said.

Submitting to Hyuga wasn't shameful!

A meeting that determined the fate of Kirigakure Village had ended.

They didn't realize how much of a benefit they had gained. If Terumi Mei and Senbonzakura hadn't misunderstood something, they might never have earned the favor of the Hyuga clan and been able to form a deep partnership.

If it weren't for their efforts, Kirigakure Village would have definitely been the one being controlled. They wouldn't have been thankful years later for having surrendered early, becoming part of the Sun God Kingdom ahead of time.

After all, to save Kirigakure Village, their Mizukage and intelligence minister had paid a heavy price that night. Despite being badly injured, they still fulfilled their promise to grow stronger.

However, whether they were happy with it, only they knew. They had chosen to fall, making a deal with the devil.

Fortunately, the devil was satisfied and gave them billions. This deal had made Kirigakure Village a huge profit.

The future direction was set, taking the path of an open village and forming a partnership with Sun God Kingdom.

Kirigakure Village began working hard. Clan leader Hitoshi also stayed in the Fifth Mizukage's home, enduring Konan and the Goddess of the Moon's resentful looks every day. The absurdity of those days made the Goddess of the Moon call Konan useless, while the blasphemer used Konan's paper, which gave her some sense of participation.

It wasn't until one day when invitations from both the Land of Water Daimyo and Konohagakure were sent to the Mizukage's office that these absurd days finally ended.

"Konohagakure has finally been rebuilt, and all the finishing work is done. The Fifth Hokage's succession ceremony is about to begin. The Daimyo wants Kirigakure Village to cooperate with the other ninja villages in launching a full-scale attack on the Sun God Kingdom. What do you think, my husband?"

In the Hokage chair of the Mizukage's office, Terumi Mei, her face slightly flushed as she grabbed her stomach, directly revealed the Five Nations' conspiracy and betrayed the Land of Water Daimyo.

As she spoke, someone straightened up, and the Mizukage's expression suddenly changed, making her shiver.

"What do I think? Of course, I'll use my eyes to see."

The man's head emerged from Terumi Mei's shoulder, his eyes filled with nostalgia.

"Well then."

"It's time to go back to Konohagakure."

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