"Are you serious, Fourth Mizukage?"
Shisui Uchiha, who had just finished a day of work as experimental material, stood on the rooftop of Rei Kaguya's home and asked helplessly as Rei stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the night sky.
"I don't mind going to the Land of Wind on a mission, but about this Seven Ninja Swordsmen matter… Are you really not going to consider what the other people in Kirigakure will think?"
"Can considering their thoughts conjure a new Kage-level combatant for Kirigakure?"
Rei Kaguya turned his head sideways to look at Shisui Uchiha, a disdainful smile hanging on his lips.
"If it can't, then what is there to say? Choosing you, Shisui, someone whose strength and talent are already qualified and who has already made quite a few contributions to Kirigakure, as a member of the new Seven Ninja Swordsmen is my right as Mizukage. What does it have to do with what they think?"
"…Fine."
Shisui Uchiha sighed.
After staying by Rei Kaguya's side for so long, he had already become very used to the other party's tendency to act as he pleased.
Although the position of the new Seven Ninja Swordsmen felt somewhat like placing him over a fire to roast, the current Shisui Uchiha was no longer conflicted or lost over the fact that he had chosen to stand on Kirigakure's side.
"Still, now that you have shocked the entire shinobi world with your strength, Fourth Mizukage, someone actually daring to assassinate Kirigakure jonin is truly quite rare…"
"It is not strange. I stepped onto my position by walking over the reputation and corpses of shinobi from other countries. If some people respect me and fear me, then naturally some will hate me, curse me, and try to take revenge. If they cannot retaliate against me personally, then they will think of ways to retaliate against my subordinates. This kind of thing is very normal."
Rei Kaguya yawned indifferently and looked up at the bright full moon in the sky.
"What I care about is only the methods displayed by the attackers this time, and the forces they may belong to…"
"It seems you already have a guess?" Shisui Uchiha walked to Rei Kaguya's side and looked up with him at the full moon, which was shining equally upon the world.
"I do, but I'm not certain. So I need to throw out bait with enough weight to test whether it really is the enemy I have in mind."
Rei Kaguya patted Shisui Uchiha's shoulder and spoke lightly.
"I'll have to trouble you again this time, Shisui."
"So I'm only bait with enough weight?"
Shisui Uchiha raised his brows in slight surprise.
"In your eyes, Fourth Mizukage, is the enemy this time already troublesome to that degree?"
"Because if the enemy is that guy, then he truly can give even me a headache… And only a target like you, Shisui, who has the possibility of awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan and has also obtained the trump card of the Cursed Seal of Heaven from me, would have enough value to make him tempted and take the initiative to act."
Rei Kaguya sighed and looked at Shisui Uchiha.
"Have I ever told you that during the failed surprise attack mission the Third Mizukage launched against Konoha, I once saw a boy who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan and could also use Wood Release, Shisui?"
"The Mangekyo Sharingan!?"
Shisui Uchiha's eyes widened in astonishment.
"But at that time, among the Uchiha clan, Fugaku-san should have been the only one with the Mangekyo Sharingan…"
"That is exactly the problem."
Rei Kaguya pointed toward the mist gradually rising under the moonlight like a thin silver veil and spoke in a deep voice.
"At the time, I thought that guy was a secret weapon Konoha had cultivated in the dark. But after I discovered that someone suspected to be Madara Uchiha had been controlling the Third Mizukage from behind the scenes, an even more terrifying speculation began surfacing in my mind."
"That boy who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan and the power of Wood Release may be Madara Uchiha's successor."
Shisui Uchiha's expression grew serious.
As a genius of the Uchiha clan, he had heard people in the clan speak of Madara Uchiha's strength in all kinds of ways since he was young.
And after following Orochimaru for more than a month as experimental material, he had also clearly realized what kind of powerful new force would be born after combining Hashirama Senju's cells with the cells of the Uchiha clan.
Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju had already become so powerful that they could no longer be called human.
If someone inherited Madara Uchiha's knowledge and ninjutsu, awakened his own Mangekyo Sharingan, and also obtained Hashirama Senju's terrifying vitality that could only be called abnormal…
Would he become an existence above even Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, almost like a second Sage of Six Paths?
Very possible.
Then would he choose an extreme path like Madara Uchiha?
Equally possible.
"What do I need to do, Fourth Mizukage?"
Shisui Uchiha took a deep breath and asked with a sharp gaze.
"Just follow the clues collected by Kirigakure's intelligence personnel and investigate."
Rei Kaguya's tone was as calm as an ancient well, but that did not prevent Shisui Uchiha from hearing traces of killing intent and vigilance within it.
"If the assassination incidents were caused by certain audacious missing-nin, simply deal with them directly. If it involves that person who may be Madara Uchiha's successor, use the Reverse Summoning Technique to summon me. I will personally go over and deal with him."
"…Will your body be all right?"
Shisui Uchiha subconsciously glanced at Rei Kaguya's seemingly normal complexion, as well as his hair color, which had somehow returned to pure black, and asked quietly.
"I'm not at the point of being terminally ill yet. Don't worry."
Rei Kaguya chuckled and shook his head. His eyes carried confidence.
"The All-Killing Ash Bones are indeed a death-hastening curse, but they are also the strongest and sharpest blades in the world. Before the power of my bloodline completely destroys my body, no one can stop me."
"No one can stop you…?"
Shisui Uchiha looked at the proud expression on Rei Kaguya's face as his chin lifted slightly.
He could not help feeling a faint yearning for that posture.
So this was the bearing a strong person determined to change the world should possess?
Powerful.
Confident.
Never escaping.
Even while carrying a life-devouring curse and hearing the footsteps of death approaching every moment, that unrivaled spirit and will had not declined in the slightest.
"I will do my job as bait properly, Fourth Mizukage."
"Mm. If the mission is completed smoothly, I will allow you to visit Konoha briefly before returning."
"I guarantee compl— Eh?"
Shisui Uchiha was stunned by Rei Kaguya's sudden statement.
He blinked, then asked in disbelief, "You'll allow me to go back to Konoha and take a look? Really?"
"Only by letting you go back to Konoha and see it for yourself can your confidence in the path I have chosen become even firmer."
Rei Kaguya raised his hand and tapped Shisui Uchiha's forehead, narrowing his eyes with a faint smile.
"But remember to disguise yourself properly… Otherwise, I may have to fight another war with Konoha before I can bring you back to Kirigakure."
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