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Mastermind of the Akatsuki 338
🕑 Added 2025-02-27 07:00:09 +0000 UTCChapter 338: The Former Mentor
After infiltrating Kirigakure, Zabuza and Jūzō didn’t immediately head for the Mizukage’s office.
Having failed in his assassination attempt once, Zabuza was well aware of the vast power gap between him and the Fourth Mizukage. Even if he and Jūzō teamed up this time, they still wouldn’t stand a chance.
They needed more allies if they wanted to overthrow the Fourth Mizukage and uncover the mastermind behind him.
Jūzō, on the other hand, had no such complex plans—he was simply there to support Zabuza. In his mind, the only ones capable of saving Kirigakure were Akatsuki, specifically Nagato and Byakuya.
After changing into fresh clothes at an old hideout, the two of them walked onto Kirigakure’s main street.
Before taking action, they needed to gather intelligence and see if there was any useful information that could aid their plans. As they strolled down the familiar streets, passing by familiar yet distant villagers and shinobi, their expressions darkened.
Kirigakure was not a poor village, but its people lived in terrible conditions.
The root cause was the Fourth Mizukage’s Blood Mist Policy and the purge of Bloodline Limit clans. These purges had dragged many innocent shinobi and civilians into the chaos—some simply because they had family connections to Bloodline Limit users.
Towards the later stages of the purge, even shinobi with no relation to the Bloodline Limit clans were accused and executed. It had become an excuse for people to kill each other without consequence.
In such an environment, everyone in Kirigakure lived in constant fear, terrified of any association with Bloodline Limit shinobi.
It was for this very reason that Jūzō had chosen to leave Kirigakure, and why Zabuza had attempted to assassinate the Mizukage—to end Yagura Karatachi’s reign.
Yet now, after all these years, nothing changed.
Zabuza and Jūzō had assumed that the Fourth Mizukage would have at least restrained himself, but the situation remained the same as before. He still ordered the hunt for Bloodline Limit users, and the people of Kirigakure continued to live in fear.
After spending some time gathering information in the village, Zabuza and Jūzō returned to their hideout.
Thinking back to the pale, malnourished villagers, and then comparing them to the peaceful citizens of the Land of Fire, Zabuza clenched his fists.
"Jūzō, once we defeat Yagura, we must ensure that Kirigakure’s people can live like those in the Land of Fire. We can’t let them continue to suffer in fear."
Jūzō nodded but had a different thought in mind. Instead of Konoha, he pictured Amegakure and said, "I think they’d be better off living like the people in Amegakure. That place is the true sanctuary of the ninja world."
"Amegakure? A sanctuary?"
Zabuza gave him a skeptical look. "I don’t know why you joined Amegakure, or what you experienced there… but from what I know, under Hanzo the Salamander’s rule, that place was even more brutal than Kirigakure. The climate alone makes it unfit for human habitation—it's practically a living hell."
Jūzō shook his head.
"That was before. Ever since Akatsuki overthrew Hanzo and took over, the Land of Rain has changed. Ninjas treat each other like family, and there’s barely any separation between shinobi and civilians."
"Ninja treating each other like family? That sounds like the nonsense Konoha preaches," Zabuza scoffed. "Do you really think shinobi raised in a sheltered environment like that can withstand the reality of war? The moment they step onto the battlefield, their legs will turn to jelly."
Jūzō sighed and explained, "Akatsuki’s shinobi may not be as battle-hardened as those of Kirigakure, but they aren’t abandoned for being too weak. No one is forced into cruel survival tests like ours. Besides, Akatsuki has developed many advanced weapons that allow even low-level ninjas to fight on par with chūnin, or even ANBU. They use chakra technology to make up for their shortcomings."
Faced with Jūzō’s relentless praise of Akatsuki, Zabuza found himself at a loss for words.
If Akatsuki was really as powerful as Jūzō claimed, why were they still hiding in the tiny Land of Rain instead of openly competing with the Five Great Shinobi Villages?
As for Byakuya’s claim that Kirigakure should become a vassal of Akatsuki, Zabuza dismissed it as a joke.
Of course, if Zabuza had known that Akatsuki had already seized control of the Northern Continent and was secretly influencing the Land of Wind, his perspective might have been different.
Still, hearing about Akatsuki’s internal structure did make him a little envious.
Back in his days at the Ninja Academy, Zabuza had made many friends—but they had all died during the graduation exam. And it was Zabuza himself who had killed them.
Shaking off his distracting thoughts, Zabuza sighed and said, "Fine, fine. Let’s say everything you said is true. Even if Akatsuki is great, it has nothing to do with Kirigakure. Let’s focus on our own business first. Didn’t your Byakuya-sama tell you to assist me? At least for now, you’re still a Kirigakure shinobi."
This time, it was Jūzō’s turn to be speechless—Zabuza had a point.
---
After a long conversation, Zabuza and Jūzō left their hideout and each began making preparations to overthrow the Fourth Mizukage.
Zabuza headed to the residential district to secretly contact his former comrades and subordinates.
When these shinobi saw him, they were first shocked, then sighed quietly before asking about his experiences and his reasons for attempting to assassinate the Mizukage. Their tone carried a hint of regret.
With Zabuza’s talent, he could have easily become one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
And once a member of the Seven Swordsmen, he would already be among the upper ranks of the village. If he had simply waited another ten years, he could have been a legitimate candidate for Mizukage instead of taking such a huge risk.
Zabuza didn’t waste time with small talk. He directly shared his suspicions about the Mizukage and extended an invitation to them.
But when they heard that the Fourth Mizukage never left his office and might be under someone’s control, they all fell silent. Then, one by one, they looked at Zabuza and gave their answer.
"Zabuza-sama, what you say makes sense. We, too, have our doubts about Mizukage-sama… but I’m sorry, we cannot follow you on this mission. This is nothing more than a suicide attempt."
That was the response from most of the shinobi.
While they did have suspicions about the Fourth Mizukage and wanted to uncover the truth, risking their lives to follow Zabuza in a coup? That was out of the question.
After all, the Fourth Mizukage wasn’t just the strongest shinobi in the village—he was also the Jinchūriki of the Three-Tails.
Even if they knew the Fourth Mizukage was being controlled, so what?
Could they possibly deal with the mastermind behind it? And who could guarantee that the next Mizukage wouldn’t fall under the influence of another mysterious figure?
Still, they couldn’t bring themselves to stop or expose Zabuza either.
Perhaps it was because they were completely disillusioned with the Fourth Mizukage, or perhaps they were hoping for a hero to appear and free them from this living hell.
Only a very small number of people were willing to follow Zabuza in his attempt to overthrow the Fourth Mizukage.
Over the course of an entire day and night, Zabuza sought out more than a dozen capable ninja, but in the end, only two or three agreed to join him in his assassination attempt.
These two or three were ninja with no ties left—or rather, the only thing they had left to care about was the village itself.
These people could easily assassinate high-ranking nobles from the Great Nations, but when it came to assassinating the Fourth Mizukage, they stood no chance.
By the time Zabuza returned to the temporary hideout, his determination had wavered.
He started to doubt whether his plan could succeed. Maybe he really did need Byakuya’s help after all.
At that moment, Jūzō Biwa also returned.
Looking at him, Zabuza grew curious and asked, “Jūzō, you’re one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. A lot of ninjas should have answered your call. How many jōnin have you found? How many are willing to follow you?”
Jūzō shook his head and said, “I didn’t seek out any jōnin. I just followed Byakuya-sama’s instructions and went to find Master Genji.”
“Master Genji?”
Hearing this name, Zabuza’s expression shifted. He frowned and said, “Why are you looking for that old man? He can barely walk anymore. How is he supposed to help us against the Fourth Mizukage?”
“Do you really think many ninjas will follow you?” Jūzō looked at Zabuza as if he were an idiot. “With Master Genji’s support, the jōnin in the village who are still undecided might not join us, but at the very least, they won’t stand in our way.”
Jūzō’s words hit Zabuza’s sore spot. His influence truly couldn’t compare to Genji’s. If he had secured Genji’s support back then, maybe he really could have overthrown the Mizukage.
Thinking of this, Zabuza scoffed and said stubbornly, “That old man might still be of some use, but the Fourth Mizukage’s purges have been going on for years, and he hasn’t stepped in to stop them. I bet he’s deliberately trying to destroy Kirigakure…!”
Hearing this, Jūzō was somewhat inclined to agree. If Genji had intervened earlier, maybe the village wouldn’t have ended up in its current state. But on second thought, if Genji had acted, he likely would’ve been eliminated by the true mastermind.
After a moment of silence, Jūzō finally said, “I trust Byakuya-sama’s judgment. If we can gain Master Genji’s support, this plan will go much more smoothly.”
Zabuza looked at Jūzō, suddenly remembering something. He asked, “If we ask Master Genji for help, that doesn’t count as accepting Byakuya’s assistance, right?”
Jūzō shook his head. “Of course not. Byakuya-sama isn’t that petty.”
Zabuza nodded. “Good. That way, we don’t have to argue with Byakuya about it. While we wait for Master Genji’s response, let’s keep reaching out to more people.”
---
Inside the elder’s residence.
After reading the scroll Jūzō had delivered, Genji let out a sigh and turned his gaze toward the Mizukage Building, his eyes full of melancholy.
The contents of the scroll weren’t extensive, but the amount of information they carried was enormous.
It detailed the various policies the Fourth Mizukage had implemented over the years, highlighted several suspicious aspects about him, and ultimately suggested that he might be under genjutsu control.
Faced with this possibility, Genji did not deny it. In fact, he had suspected something was wrong with the Fourth Mizukage for a long time.
Ever since becoming Mizukage, Yagura had rarely left the Mizukage Building, nor had he visited Genji much. Before he became Mizukage, Yagura frequently came to visit under various pretexts.
Genji knew that Yagura was seeking his support to gain an advantage in the race for the position of Mizukage.
And Genji had been quite satisfied with him, believing that this young man could lead the village to prosperity. But at some point, Yagura stopped visiting him and started issuing one incomprehensible decree after another.
It was understandable that he no longer visited—Genji was old, after all.
It was natural for him to be discarded after being used as a stepping stone to power. He had even welcomed the peace and quiet, enjoying his retirement.
But Yagura’s policies had gone too far.
Yes, Kirigakure had always upheld the “Bloody Mist” ideology, and bloodline clans had often been a source of instability.
The simple solution would have been to support one bloodline clan while suppressing another, maintaining the Mizukage’s authority.
Yet, instead of this, Yagura had chosen to target all bloodline clans, triggering a full-scale purge.
After years of these purges, Kirigakure had indeed been cleansed of bloodline clans, and there was no longer any threat from them.
But the village had suffered tremendously in the process. It would take at least a decade to recover.
If another ninja village decided to take advantage of this period of weakness, Kirigakure’s very survival would be in question.
As these policies continued, more and more jōnin came to Genji to complain. He had also secretly sheltered many who had been persecuted.
Gradually, he began to doubt the Fourth Mizukage. Had Yagura suffered some kind of trauma that led him to issue such cruel orders? Or was he a spy from another village, working to weaken Kirigakure from within? Or perhaps... he had fallen under genjutsu control?
But suspicions were one thing—without solid evidence, Genji could not act against the Mizukage.
Firstly, because he was the one who had endorsed Yagura’s ascension.
Secondly, because the Mizukage’s authority was absolute. While Genji’s seniority meant his influence in the village surpassed even that of the Mizukage, an elder’s power should never outweigh the Mizukage’s.
If an elder ever openly challenged the Mizukage, it would set a dangerous precedent. Kirigakure would descend into even greater chaos, leading to an even worse outcome.
Thus, even after reading this letter, Genji still couldn’t bring himself to act directly against Yagura.
At most, he could continue sheltering ninja who opposed the Mizukage, encouraging them to investigate the truth.
Perhaps they could find a way to get close to the Mizukage and uncover the secret behind his condition.
Just as Genji was reaching a decision, something in the scroll caught his eye. He picked it up again, and his expression instantly grew solemn. There was hidden text within the scroll’s inner lining.
Opening the hidden layer, Genji took a deep breath, his face darkening.
This information was even more important than the theory that Yagura was under genjutsu control.
It detailed major events that had taken place in Kirigakure over the years.
And at the very end of the intelligence report—
A symbol appeared.
A symbol that had vanished from the ninja world for years.
