The pressure on Mitarashi Shishio was immense—after all, he was facing the full assault of the Hidden Mist Village.
Though the strength of Kirigakure ranked only slightly above Sunagakure among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, it still boasted two Jinchūriki: the Three-Tails and the Six-Tails.
Having a powerhouse like Kai, who had slain the Third Raikage, to support him was undoubtedly a cause for joy for Shishio.
Suddenly, someone barged into the command tent, fuming with anger. The intruder pointed directly at Kai and shouted, "Mitarashi Kai! How dare you injure a member of the Uchiha Clan!"
Turning to Mitarashi Shishio, the man threatened, "Mitarashi Shishio, if you don't give me an explanation today, don't blame the Uchiha Clan for withdrawing from the war against the Mist!"
Hearing this blatant threat, Shishio's expression turned sour. The Uchiha Clan was notoriously difficult to manage, especially outside the village where the Hokage's authority could not restrain them. Their arrogance was unchecked. Yet, there was no choice but to tolerate them, as the Uchiha shinobi were the main force on the Water Country battlefield.
"Uchiha Renzan, you—" Shishio began to speak, but Kai interrupted him.
"Annoying!"
Having been tempered by years of battlefield experience, Kai had become decisive and ruthless. As a Kage-level shinobi, how could he tolerate such threats?
With a single slap, he sent Uchiha Renzan flying to the ground.
"You!"
Whether from the blow or sheer humiliation, Renzan jumped to his feet, shouting in rage, "You bastard, Mitarashi Kai! How dare you strike me! The Uchiha Clan will surely retaliate against you. And Mitarashi Shishio, as an elder of the Uchiha Clan, I declare that we will withdraw from the Water Country battlefield and return to Konoha immediately!"
Hearing Renzan's words, Kai chuckled instead of getting angry. "Oh? Withdraw from the Water Country battlefield? I didn't realize that a mere elder of the Uchiha Clan had the authority to make such a decision."
Suddenly, Kai's tone shifted. His gaze turned cold and murderous as he addressed Shishio, "Uncle Shishio, Uchiha Renzan is attempting to defect from the village. I suggest we execute him immediately!"
Before Shishio could respond, Renzan hastily retorted, "Mitarashi Kai! When has the Uchiha Clan ever defected? Stop slandering us!"
"Oh? Was it me who sent you to the Water Country battlefield, or was it the Hokage?" Kai countered. "Let me remind you, if we win against the Mist, all will be well. But if we lose, the Uchiha Clan will bear full responsibility. Attempting to withdraw before the battle is over will severely damage the morale of the entire shinobi force. I doubt the Hokage will let the Uchiha Clan off lightly."
"Indeed," Shishio added. "Uchiha Renzan, if you're willing to bear that responsibility, you're free to leave the Water Country battlefield and return to the village at any time."
Renzan's chest heaved with fury as he glared at the uncle-nephew duo.
After a long pause, he finally spat, "Hmph! Mitarashi Kai, Mitarashi Shishio, the Uchiha Clan will never forgive you. Just you wait!" With that, he stormed out of the tent.
Kai didn't spare Renzan another thought. In his eyes, any Uchiha who hadn't awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan was nothing more than a weakling.
"Uncle Shishio, how's the situation in the Water Country?" Kai asked.
Shishio's expression turned grim. "Not great. Although the Third Mizukage hasn't joined the fray, both the Three-Tails' and Six-Tails' Jinchūriki have appeared on the battlefield."
"What about the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?" Kai inquired. These seven were considered the strongest elite jōnin below Kage level, renowned throughout the shinobi world for their seven legendary swords.
Hearing the question, Shishio looked puzzled. "The Seven Ninja Swordsmen? Four of them were killed in the last battle by a genin named Might Duy. Of the remaining three, two defected, leaving only Kisame Hoshigaki."
Seeing Shishio's confusion, Kai explained, "It's not surprising. When all eight gates of the Eight Gates Release are opened, even a genin can temporarily possess power rivaling a Kage-level shinobi at their peak. Killing four elite jōnin isn't unusual."
"Eight Gates Release!"
A look of understanding flashed in Shishio's eyes. He then turned to Kai with a worried expression. "Kai, did you open the Eight Gates to kill the Third Raikage?"
Shishio still remembered how the Third Hokage had warned that the Eight Gates technique would cause permanent damage to the body. Might Duy himself had died as a result of using it.
"Uncle Shishio, don't worry. I didn't use the Eight Gates to kill the Third Raikage. Besides, as long as the body reaches a certain level of strength, there's no issue unless you recklessly open the Eighth Gate," Kai reassured him with a smile.
Shishio nodded and continued, "Good. As long as you're careful. Aside from Kisame, there's also a highly skilled kunoichi who can use Lava Release and Boil Release. She's incredibly troublesome."
A kunoichi with Lava Release and Boil Release?
Mei Terumi?
The future Fifth Mizukage. To think she was already active during the Third Mizukage's era. It seemed the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, really did have a short life—perhaps due to being manipulated by Obito Uchiha.
"Alright, Kai, you've just arrived. Go rest for now. There will undoubtedly be many tough battles ahead. Restore your energy before heading back into the fray."
After briefing Kai on the situation with the Mist, Shishio dismissed him to rest.
Kai didn't refuse. He had no interest in the logistics of war or troop deployments; those were better left to Shishio and Shikaku Nara.
However, he barely had a few minutes of peace before the quiet was shattered by a commotion.
"Mitarashi Kai! Do you have possession of the Byakugan from our Hyūga Clan?"
A group of Hyūga clansmen, dressed in traditional robes, barged into Kai's tent, glaring at him accusingly.
The Uchiha had just caused trouble, and now the Hyūga were here too?
What a headache. Kai sighed inwardly, looking at the Hyūga shinobi with an indifferent expression. "Yes, I have the Byakugan. So what?"
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