Back then, people were fighting to the death—who cared how much destruction was caused?
Besides, that was exactly what Konoha wanted. The more destruction, the better.
The goal was to severely cripple Kirigakure's military operations.
Unfortunately for Kirigakure, they ended up with a Mizukage who had been manipulated by an old bastard with no sense of honor.
It was pure bad luck.
Despite suffering severe damage, Kirigakure still fought against Konoha for a long time.
Had it been any other village, they would've been forced to negotiate a ceasefire long ago.
But Kirigakure refused to back down.
"You only have your Third Mizukage to blame. The man got himself controlled by some decrepit old schemer and nearly ran the village into the ground," Takuya said bluntly.
Yagura: "…"
He had nothing to say to that.
If he kept dwelling on the past, he'd only make a fool of himself.
"By the way, I heard some clans in your village aren't behaving themselves," Takuya added.
"Where did you get that intel?"
Yagura's normally childlike face darkened.
Since the war began, the so-called Clan of Madmen, the Kaguya Clan—who were even crazier than the Uchiha—had been nothing but trouble.
They constantly provoked other clans, causing endless complaints to pile up on Yagura's desk.
He genuinely couldn't understand what gave them the confidence to act so recklessly.
By all logic, they should've calmed down after the war.
After all, their strongest warriors had been wiped out when Takuya led the Uchiha in battle against them.
Yet, they refused to stop causing trouble.
Yagura was beyond fed up.
If it weren't for the potential political fallout, he would've dealt with them long ago.
And it wasn't just the Kaguya Clan.
Even some members of the Hōzuki Clan had started questioning Yagura's authority.
Like Konoha, Kirigakure was home to many powerful ninja clans.
But unlike Konoha's more stable political structure, Kirigakure's clans were outright rebellious.
Instead of scheming behind closed doors like the Uchiha, these clans openly defied the Mizukage.
Ironically, the very existence of so many ninja clans in the Land of Water could be traced back to the Warring States Period—when the Uchiha and Senju had driven out various factions from the Land of Fire.
Many of these displaced clans had ended up in the impoverished Land of Water.
The most notorious among them?
The Kaguya Clan.
Once a prestigious clan in the Land of Fire, the Kaguyas had always been troublemakers.
One day, they'd provoke the Uchiha.
The next day, they'd pick a fight with the Senju.
And with the Hyūga as their distant relatives, they became even more arrogant.
During the conflict between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, the Kaguya Clan had actually tried to raid the Uchiha's territory.
That was the final straw.
The Uchiha and Senju, setting aside their war for a brief moment, joined forces to drive the Kaguya Clan out of the Land of Fire.
Had the Hyūga not remained neutral, they probably would've been exiled too.
In the end, the Kaguya Clan never got to return home.
While they maintained ties with the Hyūga, their influence had waned over the years.
Even the Hyūga had begun distancing themselves—refusing to get dragged into the Kaguya Clan's madness.
"Come on, it's public knowledge at this point. You think I need to collect intel for something this obvious?" Takuya chuckled.
Yagura ground his teeth in frustration.
Those lunatics were asking for death.
One look at Yagura's expression told Takuya all he needed to know.
The Kaguya Clan was doomed.
As for the Hōzuki Clan? If they behaved, they might be spared.
But if they kept making trouble, they'd meet the same fate.
Yagura was now firmly in control as the Fourth Mizukage.
No single clan could overthrow him.
The Kaguya Clan's impending doom was entirely their own doing.
And the Hōzuki? They were following the same foolish path as the Uchiha from Konoha.
So who could they blame when they got wiped out?
The Uchiha had been backed into a corner.
But the Hōzuki? They had walked into the fire willingly.
"Alright, enough about that. Kirigakure's internal mess is your problem. We're just here to help.
We'll start the investigation tomorrow—Kushina will handle it. We won't be staying here for long."
Neither Kushina nor Pakura liked Kirigakure's environment.
And Takuya wasn't a fan either.
The harsh climate was one thing.
But a so-called Great Ninja Village that couldn't even produce decent food?
There was nothing here worth staying for.
What was there to do besides fishing and standing around in the mist?
When the investigation concluded, the results were unexpected—Kirigakure didn't have a single White Zetsu spy.
Yagura was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
The next day, Takuya, Kushina, and Pakura bid farewell to Yagura and left the Land of Water.
They had already traveled through the Lands of Earth, Lightning, and Water.
But there were still many fascinating small nations left to visit.
Takuya planned to take Kushina on a sightseeing trip through them.
Pakura could just tag along and enjoy the ride.
As soon as the trio left, Yagura's expression darkened.
"Deploy the Anbu and the Hunter-nin. Surround the Kaguya Clan.
Since they want to die so badly, I'll grant their wish!"
Though he was short and had a childlike face, Yagura had a fearsome reputation.
Before becoming Mizukage, he had been known as Kirigakure's most ruthless executioner.
Countless shinobi had died by his hands.
Now, his patience had run out.
The Kaguya Clan had been given plenty of chances.
They had squandered every single one.
If they wanted chaos, he would give it to them—by wiping them out.
Yes, Kirigakure would lose some strength.
But a village was better off without an uncontrollable cancer festering within it.
It was better to cut out the rot now than let it spread.
As for the Hōzuki Clan, they'd be left alone for the time being.
But if they continued stirring trouble…
Then Yagura would deal with them next.
As their ship left the Land of Water's borders, the weather changed dramatically.
The mist cleared, and the skies turned bright and sunny.
The ocean stretched endlessly in every direction.
Standing at the edge of the ship, Takuya pulled out his old fishing rod, preparing to pass the time with some deep-sea fishing.
Kushina, enjoying the long-missed sunlight, smiled as she leaned against the railings with Pakura, letting the sea breeze wash over them.
They were waiting.
Waiting for Takuya to catch something.
Because whatever he caught would become their next meal.
Fishing, gutting, grilling on the spot—sprinkling on some spices and chili powder…
The taste was unmatched.
Kushina happily dug in, savoring every bite.
"Kirigakure is about to see a lot of bloodshed," Pakura muttered, glancing back toward the distant village.
"Serves them right," Takuya replied indifferently.
"A bunch of lunatics who brought this on themselves. Yagura gave them plenty of chances, and they threw them all away."
Yagura wasn't some benevolent ruler.
He was a butcher.
And now, the Kaguya Clan was at his mercy.
There was no way they were getting out alive.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING