The war was far from over; in fact, it had only just begun.
Even though Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage, had been captured, the war continued unabated. The Mist Ninja showed no signs of realizing their Mizukage was now a prisoner of the Leaf. They continued launching ferocious assaults, wave after wave, trying to break through the ironclad defenses the Leaf had established along the long coastline.
Unfortunately for them, sheer determination wasn't enough to overcome the gap in strength between the two sides.
At first, the Mist Ninjas gained some ground by eliminating the command center of the border defense forces. But once the Leaf reinforcements rebuilt the command system, bringing the previously disorganized defense units back under control, the Mist Ninjas lost their advantage.
Black Tide Fortress.
Inside the castle keep:
"Is Yagura still refusing to cooperate?" Sougen asked with his eyes closed, sitting cross-legged on a cushion with his long Uchiha fan resting on his knees. Ever since the last meeting in the keep, he had grown quite fond of this place. The elevated position offered a wide, peaceful, and quiet view.
Thus, it had become both his bedroom and office.
The space inside the keep wasn't small, but it was divided by shoji screens into different sections for various uses.
"Yes. He refuses to betray the Hidden Mist Village, even though I've already lowered our demands. He still won't agree. I apologize, Lord Sougen, this is my failure," Nara Suzaku said bitterly. He and the think tank from the command unit had spent two days and nights deliberating and concluded that the best way to maximize the Mizukage's value was to wake him up and negotiate directly.
However, Yagura's stubbornness exceeded their expectations.
A week had passed since Yagura was awakened. The best negotiators had worn themselves out, yet they still couldn't reach an agreement. With each passing day, Suzaku's face grew darker.
"It was I who approved your plan and made the decision, so the responsibility lies with me, not you. Besides, there's nothing wrong with your plan. It just seems like our Mizukage here hasn't yet accepted the reality of his situation."
Sougen opened his eyes, a fleeting red glow appearing in them.
Even so, the pressure from his pitch-black gaze weighed heavily on Suzaku. Since capturing the Fourth Mizukage, Sougen's image had grown towering in their eyes. Whether it was respect or fear, all showed him immense reverence due to his power.
"Let's go!"
He stood up, hanging the Uchiha fan next to the armor stand.
Since Yagura's capture, Sougen had stayed out of battle for a week. The elder Hyuga Masayuki kept advising him not to take unnecessary risks, and Sougen didn't argue. He didn't boast about being invincible or that no Mist Ninja could challenge him.
Hyuga Masayuki was right.
Sougen wasn't the sword of the army; he was the hand wielding the sword.
As commander, charging into battle headfirst wasn't his role. His duty was to lead thousands of Leaf Ninja in combat, not to fight on the front lines himself. Besides, he needed time to study the Uchiha fan he had just acquired.
"Let's see our Mizukage. It's time to make a decision after all this stalling."
Sougen walked ahead, his long black robe flowing like angry waves in the wind.
Nara Suzaku hurried to follow.
It wasn't surprising that Black Tide Fortress had a dungeon; any castle built by a daimyo without one would be odd. Nobles always needed hidden spaces to handle delicate matters.
Descending the narrow stairway, dimly lit oil lamps hung from the walls, barely illuminating the steep steps. After traversing three nearly identical stairways, they reached the lowest level of the dungeon.
The scene changed abruptly: cold, damp air carrying a foul stench hit them. To be honest, the smell had been noticeable for a while but wasn't as overpowering earlier.
Unlike the spacious upper levels, this area was much more confined. There was only one cell here, its bars as thick as bowls, much sturdier than the upper cells, and a powerful barrier surrounded the area. This was where they held the most dangerous prisoners.
Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage, was confined here.
Sougen stopped in front of the cell, narrowing his eyes to inspect the interior.
The cell was empty except for a simple wooden bed, in one corner of which lay a dirty blanket. Yagura sat cross-legged on the bare wooden bed. Upon hearing footsteps, he opened his eyes, meeting Sougen's gaze.
Their eyes locked.
"Mizukage, we meet again," Sougen broke the cold silence.
"Uchiha clan leader," Yagura looked up at Sougen from within his cell. "You took longer than I expected. Doesn't the Leaf want this war to end soon?"
"No one likes war, Mizukage. But while you may have the freedom to start a war, when it ends is up to us. We don't like war, but we don't fear it either. And if this war serves to remind would-be aggressors that the Leaf is still untouchable, then so be it."
The dungeon warden swiftly brought over a clean stool.
Sougen sat down outside the cell, looking leisurely at Yagura.
Nara Suzaku dismissed the warden and stood silently beside Sougen. Not just anyone could listen to what was about to be discussed.
"So the Mist has been chosen as the Leaf's sacrificial 'chicken' to warn the other villages?" Yagura asked bitterly.
"No. You brought this upon yourselves," Sougen said bluntly. "In fact, if you hadn't struck first, we had no intention of engaging in a war at this time."
"But I should thank you. Your actions stirred up internal conflicts within the Leaf, giving us the opportunity to oust the Third Hokage. Without your Mist's provocation, who knows how long it would've taken to resolve those issues."
Sougen offered his sincere thanks.
The reasons for the Third Hokage's fall were complex, but there was no doubt that the Mist's threat of war was a key catalyst.
Yagura's face turned pale. "Uchiha clan leader, we didn't start this war. You know that. The mysterious man is our common enemy. Continuing this war benefits neither of us."
"Regardless of what you or I know, Mizukage, everyone else believes this war was started by Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage," Sougen said, spreading his hands.
"Or are you planning to tell everyone that the war was actually caused by a mysterious man claiming to be Uchiha Madara, who controlled you and started the conflict between the Mist and the Leaf?"
"Come on, Mizukage. Even if that story were true, how many people do you think would believe it?"
Faced with Sougen's sharp questioning, Yagura had no answer.
Everyone knew he had started the war. Shifting the blame to an unidentified mysterious figure? No one would believe it.
Sougen added, "We also uncovered some interesting information from the minds of captured Mist Ninjas. Apparently, the Fourth Mizukage himself is personally leading the Mist on the frontlines."
Yagura's face changed drastically.
Another Fourth Mizukage? How could that be?
Was it possible that someone had set up a puppet in his place? No, that couldn't be it. Based on his understanding of the power-hungry elites in his village, if he had gone missing for an extended time, people like Zabuza Momochi would be vying to become the Fifth Mizukage, not putting up a puppet to fool others.
But he didn't think Sougen would lie about something like this. There would be no benefit in doing so, only a loss of trust.
A chilling thought crossed his mind.
Could that masked man still be pretending to be him in the Mist?
"One more thing. The Mist has been launching aggressive attacks recently, but the tactics seem... lacking. It's almost like the Fourth Mizukage is deliberately gifting us victories. Luckily, I'm not the Hokage and don't have to worry about handing out rewards afterward," Sougen added, as if concerned Yagura might not fully grasp the situation.
This time, Yagura couldn't remain calm.
He had underestimated Sougen's plans. The Leaf wasn't just trying to end the war; they wanted to use this conflict to send a message to other villages. And that mysterious masked man was still causing chaos in the Mist. His village couldn't withstand much more of this.
Yagura stood up and walked to the cell door, staring directly at Sougen.
"I'll accept your terms. The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan will be returned, and war reparations will be paid as agreed. But the Hidden Mist's finances are in bad shape right now, so we'll need to make payments in installments. Also, we'll fully cooperate with the Leaf in tracking down and dealing with that masked man."
"Now, can I at least move to a different room? The stench in here is unbearable," Yagura said, waving a hand in front of his nose.
"By the way, Uchiha clan leader, I hope your actions will be quick. If the village strips me of the position of Mizukage, my promises will lose all effect and value."
"Thank you for the reminder, we'll keep that in mind," Sougen replied with a smile and a nod.
(End of the chapter)