[Bonus Chapter for Powerstones]
Obito's focus on the Sand Village was rooted primarily in his wariness of Shiraishi.
Since Konoha's decline, the Sand had grown increasingly dominant across the continent, while simultaneously ramping up naval pressure on the Mist.
Under Obito's control, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, had steered the Hidden Mist toward a horrific path of self-destruction.
Conflict raged at every level: bloodline clans fought amongst themselves, the Mizukage purged the clans, and the Daimyo clashed with the village leadership.
The "Bloody Mist" was flowing so profusely that it had become uncontrollable. Even if Obito wanted to consolidate the Mist's power now to counter the predatory Sand, he lacked the means.
In truth, Obito had been an unintentional benefactor to the Sand's rise. By driving the Minato-Kushina power couple to their deaths and plunging the Mist into a civil war that forfeited its maritime control, he had cleared the stage.
Shiraishi could practically award the "Masked Man" a trophy for "Best External Contributor."
"The Mist's Intelligence Department seems to have effectively fallen into the Sand's hands. Even the Mizukage no longer possesses a complete grasp of the village's internal movements."
The topic of intelligence gave Obito a massive headache. As a self-taught conspirator, he wasn't a polymath like Madara Uchiha.
He had zero experience in actual village administration. Having graduated from the Academy during the height of the Third Shinobi War—with academic scores that were reportedly failing—Obito was, for all intents and purposes, a "village management illiterate."
His blunt-force meddling had left the Mist half-dead. Only now did he realize that the Intelligence Department had become a "back garden" for the Sand.
Hozuki Kaigetsu, a rising genius of the Mist, now controlled the department alongside Suikazan Fuguki. They had rendered the institution independent of the Mizukage's office, turning it into a sovereign power center.
Under Kaigetsu's protection, dozens of bloodline families had found sanctuary.
He had even sent several "rebel" Jonin to the Sand under the guise of intelligence gathering, only for them to be promptly absorbed into the Sand's branches in the Land of Kusagakure or the Land of Artisans.
To Obito, the Mist's Intelligence Department had basically become a public travel agency for defecting to the Land of Wind.
Obito's solution to this systemic corruption was simple and characteristic of his lack of nuance: he ordered the Mist's regular Jonin squads to mobilize and exterminate their own Intelligence Department.
The Brewing Coup
When the Mizukage's secret orders reached the various Jonin, a collective frown spread through the ranks. A single thought crossed their minds: Is the Mizukage's "illness" getting worse? Has he finally lost his mind?
This kind of nonsensical command had appeared countless times during Yagura's reign. Within five minutes of the order being issued, a copy was already sitting in front of Suikazan Fuguki and Kaigetsu.
"Mr. Hozuki, what do we do now?" Fuguki asked, trembling. Despite wielding the Greatsword Samehada, he was surprisingly cowardly when faced with the Mizukage's blade.
Kaigetsu, however, showed a ruthless glint in his eyes. "This is our best chance to depose the Mizukage. Currently, the majority of the village is repulsed by this decree."
"Depose the Mizukage?" Fuguki's heart skipped a beat. There was no precedent for such a thing in the Mist's history.
As Fuguki hesitated, a cold, young teenager stepped out of the shadows. "I agree with Senior Hozuki's proposal."
"Zabuza, you..."
Zabuza Momochi, though only fourteen, was already the infamous "Demon of the Mist." He had gained notoriety by slaughtering every single student in his graduation class, a feat so bloody it forced Obito to change the village's examination format.
Now a member of the Intelligence ANBU and a master of Silent Killing, Zabuza loathed the status quo.
In the original history, Zabuza's coup would fail and lead to his exile. But here, backed by Kaigetsu and the Sand's secret influence, the momentum was different.
Many ANBU experts expressed their loyalty to Kaigetsu. The world no longer spoke of the "Five Great Nations," but of the "Four," effectively erasing the Mist from the global stage.
For the elders who remembered the village's glory, this was a profound humiliation.
Thanks to Kaigetsu's orchestration, a massive civil war in the Land of Water was about to begin.
A Moment of Peace
"Uncle Shiraishi!"
At Shiraishi's home, Yashamaru arrived carrying a small child. As soon as he set the golden-haired toddler down, she toddled forward with a series of "aya-aya" sounds.
She nearly tripped, but quickly regained her balance and grabbed Shiraishi's robes, giggling uncontrollably.
Looking at the adorable Temari, Shiraishi's mood brightened instantly. He scooped the little girl up. "You've been working hard lately, Yashamaru."
Since Rasa stepped down as Kazekage following Karura's death, he had become a ghost of his former self.
Though Shiraishi gave him a position as a Village Consultant, Rasa was listless, drowning his sorrows in alcohol. He barely looked after his three children; the burden fell entirely on Yashamaru and Roshi.
Roshi, Karura's niece, was now part of the elite Genin team with Uzumaki Tomoki and Yamamichi Kumatake. A striking beauty, she already had many suitors in the village, with Kumatake and Tomoki leading the competitive charge for her attention.
As the adults spoke, little Temari reached out her tiny hands and chirped, "Uncle Shiraishi! Temari is hungry!"
As she spoke, a bit of drool escaped her lips. It was clear that her favorite part of visiting Shiraishi's house was the array of ice cream and sweet pastries that couldn't be found anywhere else in the village. She was quite the expert at "selling cuteness" to get what she wanted.
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