Hatake Tatsuya in Naruto

Boom! Boom!

With the relentless bombardment of ninjutsu from countless Mist Shinobi, the raging Three Tails—already unable to harness its full strength in its frenzied state—was quickly subdued. Its massive form collapsed onto the ground, sending tremors through the entire village.

"Phew... is it over?" Hozuki Mangetsu wiped the sweat from his brow and rested his double-sword Hiramekarei on his shoulder. Suddenly, he remembered the two Konoha Shinobi he'd seen earlier. Raising his voice, he called out, "Hey! Terumi Mei, have you been secretly living in Konoha for the past ten years or something? How did Konoha shinobi get into our village? You owe us an explanation."

The Mist Shinobi ninjas seemed less troubled by the Mizukage's fate than by the unexpected presence of Konoha shinobi in their village. Under Yagura's "Blood Mist" rule, the entire village—and the Land of Water—had been thrown into chaos. The Kaguya Clan had been eradicated, and most of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had either deserted or been killed by Hatake Tatsuya in the last war. Some even saw Yagura's death as a relief.

"The Konoha shinobi were the reinforcements I called upon to help protect our village," Terumi Mei responded, laying Yagura's body in front of everyone. "We had identified an unusual situation with the Fourth Mizukage."

"An Unusual situation? What exactly do you mean?" asked a middle-aged ninja, looking skeptical yet cautious.

In the original storyline, Ao of the Byakugan served as one of Terumi Mei's guards and advisors during the Five Kage Summit. However, with the Hyuga clan having allied with Tatsuya after the Third Ninja War, Ao never had the chance to acquire the Byakugan, nor did he earn the nickname. Now, he was simply a senior jōnin within Kirigakure.

"Lord Fourth Mizukage may have been under genjutsu and the entire blood mist policy might be just a revenge plot to weaken kirigakure," Terumi Mei's statement was shocking, stirring an uproar among the Mist ninjas. Genjutsu manipulation of their Mizukage? For years? It sounded like something out of a legend.

"Akatsuki—this is the name of the organization pulling the strings of the entire Kirigakure," Terumi Mei continued coldly.

"...What evidence do you have?" Ao asked after a tense silence. This was no Nine Tails incident with a clear imprint from the Sharingan. The Three Tails' rampage bore no such obvious signs, and with Yagura dead, no concrete evidence could be presented.

Some began to wonder if Yagura had truly been manipulated or if Terumi Mei was simply inventing a story. Her expression darkened. Yagura had perished abruptly when Uchiha Obito unleashed the Three Tails. Like with Uchiha Shisui, Obito had managed to escape, leaving them with no tangible proof.

"This is what I've discovered. Here's the evidence—will that suffice?" At that moment, a voice cut through the crowd, a lifeline for Terumi Mei.

Seeing Tatsuya strolling in casually with a group of Konoha Shinobi, he almost seemed to be silently asking, "Is there anyone in Kirigakure who disagrees with me?"

"Hatake Tatsuya!?" Ao shouted, eyes widening in disbelief.

"The strongest man in the ninja world?" Fubuki whispered, leaning closer to get a better look, his voice trembling with a mix of awe and fear.

"He actually came too?" Kuroko chimed in, disbelief etched on his face. "What does this mean for us?"

The Mist Shinobi erupted in shock and murmurs. Tatsuya turned his gaze toward Ao, who had been questioning Terumi Mei relentlessly. "I told her," he said flatly. "Isn't that evidence enough?"

Had it been anyone else, Ao would have undoubtedly pushed back with a question like, "How do you know?" But facing Hatake Tatsuya, Ao didn't dare.

Tatsuya turned his gaze toward Ao, who had been questioning Terumi Mei relentlessly. "Looks like my presence is causing quite a stir," he said with a hint of amusement.

"What are you doing here, Tatsuya?" Ao demanded, his voice tinged with unease. "We don't need Konoha sticking their noses into our business!"

"Is that so?" Tatsuya replied, crossing his arms. "You should be grateful. I'm here to help end this mess in Kirigakure. Your village is in chaos, and my ally Terumi Mei deserves a chance to lead without interference."

"Help?" Ao scoffed, his skepticism clear. "What do you know about our struggles? We've been fighting our shadows for years."

Tatsuya nodded, his demeanor serious. "I didn't come here to undermine your authority. I came to offer my support. You can either accept it or continue this pointless squabble. But know that I won't stand by while you pointlessly bicker."

"What do you mean by 'pointless bicker?" Ao shot back, fists clenching. "Our Mizukage is dead, and there are those who would take advantage of this power vacuum!"

"Which is why Kirigakure needs to choose a new Mizukage wisely," Tatsuya said, his tone firm. "Terumi Mei has the potential to unite your village and forge a new path. It's time to put old grudges aside and work together."

"Think fast," Tatsuya urged. "The longer you wait, the more time your enemies have to plot against you. Choose wisely."

Clap, clap, clap. Tatsuya applauded slowly, then spoke: "As one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Konoha sympathizes with Mist over what has happened here. Therefore, I propose that Terumi Mei take on the role of Fifth Mizukage, with Konoha and the Land of Water forming a lasting alliance. What do you say?"

Led by Ao, many of the Mist Shinobi from the old guard stared, stunned. Was the election of a new Mizukage something that Konoha needed to weigh in on?

"The election of a new Mizukage is a major event. Such a decision should—should be discussed with Elder Maboroshi," ventured a middle-aged Mist Shinobi, mustering the courage to speak up. This was Fubuki, Maboroshi's loyal follower and a jōnin of Mist.

"Unfortunately, I've heard that Elder Maboroshi was caught up in the Three-Tails rampage and has passed. Isn't that right, Minato?" Tatsuya asked, turning to Namikaze Minato.

"Uh, yes, that's… true… ahaha…" Minato replied with an awkward laugh, his hands still tinged with blood from recent events.

Fubuki and the other Mist Shinobi loyal to Maboroshi were struck speechless, their shock and fear palpable.

Is he serious?

The Mizukage Building, where the incident happened, was over a dozen miles from Maboroshi's residence. Could the Three Tails' rampage have reached that far?

Even Terumi Mei's eyes, normally so composed, widened slightly in shock. She hadn't expected Tatsuya to plan so far ahead—or be so ruthless.

"Now that you're in the position of power, you can't afford to be as gentle as before," Tatsuya murmured, leaning close to her ear. Before she could respond, he turned to address the other Mist Shinobi. "Alright, any objections now?"

The Mist Shinobi exchanged glances, but none dared speak. Those who voiced any objections were likely to end up like Maboroshi—gone in an instant.

"Good," Tatsuya said with satisfaction. "Notify the Daimyo of the Land of Water to formally appoint Terumi Mei as the new Mizukage."

With an authoritative air, Tatsuya continued, "The era of the Blood Mist is over. Let's build a village where everyone can live in peace."

...

...

In the following days, Minato returned to Konoha with Kakashi and informed Tsunade about the plans to ally Konoha and the Mist Shinobi.

Meanwhile, Shisui and Itachi stayed in Kirigakure, determined to uncover any clues left behind by Obito. Ideally, they hoped to find evidence, such as criminal records detailing his plans. However, the chances of discovering such information were slim; after all, this wasn't the work of Conan Doyle. While many authors have attempted to explore the stories of Conan, none have truly captured the full essence of the narrative.

The same could be said for Rin and Konan. Shisui and Itachi wanted to learn more about what Akatsuki had been doing in Kirigakure over the years, given its significance as a base. Tatsuya's reasons for staying were twofold: it was his first visit to Kirigakure, and he wanted to explore more of the village. Additionally, Terumi Mei was adamant about not letting him leave for a few extra days.

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