Chapter 189: 188. To Each Their Own [5]

MrProper

The Land of Water...

An archipelago nation composed of over a hundred islands in various shapes and sizes. All nearly blanketed in a dense mist, hence the appropriate name of its shinobi capital, Kirigakure1Hidden Mist Village

"...Sir! The numbers are-!"

"Good enough. These recommended Genin are all I'm sending to the Land of Earth"

"Against the sheer quantity of shinobi that'll be attending the event, I don't see how they can achieve victory!"

"We don't need to achieve victory"

"?!"

This shouting match took place inside the governmental building of the village leader, and 4th Mizukage2Water Shadow, Yagura Karatachi. His small stature would cause most to mistake him as a child despite the fact he wasn't only the village leader, but the Jinchūriki of the Three-Tails

Right now, this "esteemed" young man was in the midst of addressing complaints brought to him by one of Kirigakure's most prominent Jonin, a man named Ao

"Mizukage-sama...I don't understand. Why are you not more concerned about this?"

"Why should I be? The only nations who really need this are the ones relying on contract work from outside clients. We've never done so, right Ao?"

"That's...true, but-!"

Yagura was correct

Kirigakure is infamously known for being an introverted, secretive nation with little, to no foreign policy. The country is completely isolated and self-sufficient, making it the only one out of the Five Great Shinobi Nations that doesn't rely on the Chunin exams for gaining esteem

Ao's concerns lied with their reputation itself, as poor performance on their end might convince others Kirigakure is still hurting from the previous war. Potentially enticing those who've considered making moves in the Land of Water

Not to mention the various, negative rumors that have spread about them...

"Since there's nothing else, this meeting is adjourned"

"If I may!"

"You may take your leave Ao"

"But sir-!" Ao abruptly rose from kneeling and tried to approach Yagura

KASHINK!

Out of nowhere, several ANBU appeared with swords drawn, preventing Ao from taking another step! Two even held their blades to his throat, shocking the Jonin veteran

"...!" {To go so far...Mizukage-sama!}

Ao stood still in trepidation, sweat forming as he didn't even dare to gulp. The ANBU remained silent, but their intentions were made clear with the sheer amount of Killing Intent they released

After several more tense seconds passed, Yagura raised his hand, gesturing them to stand down. The masked shinobi obeyed, disappearing into the shadows

"You may take your leave, now" Yagura coldly ordered, his face missing any conceivable trace of emotion

"Y-Yes sir..."

"I've had my fair share of meetings. On your way out, tell the others waiting I'm done for the day" he took his leave without warning, uncaring for Ao's pleas

THUMP!

The moment Yagura left, Ao fell to his knees wheezing, desperate to catch his breath. While expecting some resistance, he never imagined the ANBU would take such drastic actions

The idea of him being killed where he stood...wasn't an impossibility

"...Damn it"

♦♦♦

Yagura made his way out of the office, entering a channel of corridors leading to a private room for his exclusive use. Upon his arrival, he simply stood in place, almost like statue

"That seemed pretty annoying. I'd hate to have your job" Without warning, a voice emerged from nowhere

CHURN!!

The very ground in front of him began to shift as a plant-like humanoid protruded from the surface. The Akatsuki spy Zetsu had made his appearance, his "Black" and "White" halves seemingly reunited as well

"Pain and Konan...have completed their task...Sanshōuo no Hanzō3Hanzō of the Salamanderis dead. All that's left is to assume...full control of...Amegakure4Hidden Rain Village" Black Zetsu stated

"About time if you ask me! It was such a pain to find him, that guy was remarkably skilled at playing Hide-and-Seek! There are few who CAN hide from us...except for you"

WOOO...

The air within the room shifted, and a masked figure emerged from the shadows. His face-covering was equipped with a single eyehole, revealing he possessed the Uchiha Sharingan

"Thanks for the news, I've been annoyingly preoccupied as of late when it comes to controlling my...puppet"

"Hey Madara, why don't you just extract the Tailed beast from the Mizukage and be done with this whole charade? Running Kirigakure by placing its leader under Genjutsu was fun at first, but now it's starting to get tedious"

"Call him...Tobi" Black Zetsu reminded his other half

"Being in a place of power has its advantages, and taking the beast will kill him. Access to everything this village possesses will come in handy, the resources I've already stolen from it will aid us in Akatsuki's rise"

Madara, or "Tobi" has been siphoning money from the village in secret, amongst other things, and sending them to Pain. Aiding his efforts in building a new covert organization to suit his ultimate goal

In order to hide such treachery, Tobi has turned the village upside down, filling it with bloodthirsty shinobi who only obey his--"Yagura's" commands. For those who don't, the ones who oppose his reign, he's taken the liberty to "remove" them from the equation

The Jinchūriki Mizukage had tragically become an unwilling pawn shortly after the end of the Third Shinobi World War

"But you're right, it's getting tiresome playing leader in this place"

"Speaking of...keeping up appearances. I happen to agree...with that...Jonin from earlier. The amount you're sending...isn't enough"

"...If that's what you think, I'll just send some random squad. Kiri doesn't use Ninja Registration ID's...maybe I'll just temporarily demote some Chunin to participate. There's also the Oni Kyōdai5Demon Brotherswho are still Genin, but Zabuza is awfully protective of them" Tobi placed his hand on his chin, deliberating next steps

"What do you want us to do? Are we to return to Pain and Konan?"

"...No"

"No?"

"The extraction of Tailed Beast chakra from those Fūma who attacked Kumogakure was far too slow, days passed before I was finished. If it's that slow, just how long do you think it'll take to extract the real thing?"

Tobi, and Akatsuki's main goal was the acquisition of all nine Tailed Beasts, using their "Gedo Mazo6Demonic Statue of the Outer path"as a vessel...but it was still a strenuous task

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To acquire the beast, an equal or greater amount of chakra to the energy within the seal of the host was required. A hurdle which typically meant days of concentration and focus. And the less people present, naturally a slower extraction

In addition, Jinchūriki were the ultimate weapons for the villages. The moment they were captured, the moment they were attacked...their village would inevitably respond with extreme prejudice

These extractions had to be carried out as quickly and covertly as possible

"We need more members, powerful members if we're to move forward. Akatsuki isn't ready to step out of the shadows yet"

"There's Orochimaru. Plus, Sasori and Kakuzu?" White Zetsu stated

"No... I want more. Zetsu, keep an eye on things here"

"What will you...be doing?"

"I'm going to pay a visit to Pain. It's time for Akatsuki to expand"

♦♦♦

"What?! He left?!"

"He can't just do that, even if he's the Mizukage!"

"Look, I'm just as disappointed, but staying here and shouting won't do you any good. You'd best leave" {For your safety...}

Ao did as he was ordered and dispersed the line waiting outside. All of them poised to talk with their Mizukage about numerous issues pertaining to the village. Many were unsatisfied, but eventually did as they were asked and departed

Though finding this task unfavorable, he proved himself a loyal soldier to Kirigakure

"...Mizukage-sama" he still felt disheartened, lowering his head in disappointment...

"Ao!"

"?!"

"What happened?! Did Mizukage-sama hear what you had to say? Did he change his mind?"

His solitude was soon interrupted with the appearance of another ninja. A Kunoichi with hair to her shoulders, wearing the standard Kiri-nin attire

She'd been waiting outside for some time, eager to learn what became of the meeting between Ao and the Mizukage

"He heard, but remained adamant with his decision. We may have an increase in Genin sent, but I doubt it'll be much"

"Wha-?!"

"And before you say anything, just know it's out of my hands. Storming in there won't help, trust me" Ao said, touching his neck on the very spot a blade was resting on not too long ago

The Kunoichi was at a loss. A renowned ninja in his own right, she, nor many others had ever seen such look of fear on Ao's face. Realizing the futility of the situation, her demeanor went downwards

Seeing this, Ao sat on a bench nearby, inviting her to join him

"Ao...how did we get here?"

"You'll need to be more specific than that"

"Well...the Mizukage. Yagura-sama, he was completely different during the war. And now, he's become cold, distant, and...ruthless"

"You're referring to the aftermath of the Kaguya Clan, aren't you..."

"Mm..."

The village had long since picked up the name "Chigiri no Sato7Bloody Mist Village" when the practice of Academy students being forced to kill their classmates to graduate was introduced. That, amongst other heinous acts becoming common only further indicated Kirigakure's declining morality 

It was only after the Kaguya rebellion, when the village swept the country of others with unique abilities, such as those with Kekkei Genkai8Bloodline Limit, did the nickname spread to other nations of the main continent

"Corruption has become widespread, those in charge cannot be trusted, bribed officials are everywhere, and even our Daimyō has become irrelevant. Stripped of all power, his office is useless. He won't even try doing anything, it's obvious what'll happen if he tries..."

"Not to mention the constant defectors and betrayals"

"That's why I hoped someone like you, Ao, a person positioned in the high ranks of our Hunter-nin could..."

"You, who comes from a better family than I, would probably have better luck. Today, I was firmly instructed as to where my TRUE place lies within the ANBU. Yagura-sama, perhaps the war changed him, or maybe he was always this way? Or was it this very ruthlessness that got us through the last war...I have none of the answers"

"I just don't know what to do...our homeland is dying. And no one seems to care. Ao, what do we do?"

Ao stood up from the bench and stretched a bit

"I'm going to head home, maybe get a bite to eat along the way"

"This is serious! We should-!"

Ao raised his index finger to his lip, gesturing the young woman to remain silent

"I feel the same as you, but now isn't the time. After the meeting I had, let's just say laying low wouldn't be a bad idea right now"

"..."

"You know what, I think it'd be a great idea for you to depart to the Land of Earth when the Chunin exams begin. Cool your head"

"Though it helps us with bonus jobs for our ninja, I'm not really interested in a grandiose tournament with its viewers being nothing but rich snobs, and cutthroat businessmen"

"Don't say that, it'll be good for you. Think about it, when's the last time you went to a foreign country for something other than a mission, or war?"

"I--well..."

"Hahaha! That's what I thought! Now go on, a young lady like you shouldn't be out so late, if you catch my drift"

"...Understood. See you later Ao"

ZWSH!

The young Kunoichi departed from the scene, as Ao wanted. These days, talking back to the leader of the village typically meant they'd "disappear" the next day

For her safety, he thought it best she shouldn't converse with him right after being admonished by the Mizukage. And once she was no longer in sight, Ao made his way home as well, never dropping his guard for an instant

{To think the day would come when I have to do this just to get home, inside my own damn village...}

TAK!

Ao jumped on top of a roof and took a final glance at his home, viewing the whole village

A single tear dropped from his eye...

"Kirigakure...you really are dying"

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