Infinite Anime [245-246] (Patreon)

Chapter 245: The Hero of the Hidden Mist

Within the thick fog, the clash of blades rang out again and again. Only when Gusion felt it was time did he let out a muffled groan. "Momochi Zabuza, I'll remember this. Once I've adjusted my state, I'll take your life!"

The Hidden Mist shinobi—unable to see what was happening deep in the fog—were stirred by Gusion's words. Could it be that Mr. Zabuza was about to repel this demon known as Calamity?

"Trying to leave? Not that easy!"

Zabuza's voice sounded from within the fog, followed by another flurry of weapon strikes.

After a fierce exchange, Gusion cried out in pain once more. Then, the fog gradually thinned.

The Hidden Mist shinobi saw Zabuza standing with his back to them, great Executioner's Blade in hand, speaking with unwillingness, "Damn it, he still managed to escape."

Hearing Zabuza confirm that Gusion had fled in defeat, the other Mist ninja all let out a breath. Of course they wanted to kill Gusion, this great enemy who had ravaged the village, but they were only chunin and genin. If they actually joined the fight, they'd only make things worse—just offering Gusion a chance to recover chakra.

As the mist dispersed, sunlight fell upon Zabuza.

In that moment, many Hidden Mist shinobi who'd narrowly survived looked upon Zabuza with reverence.

"Mr. Zabuza has won!"

"We've repelled the Calamity!"

"Long live Lord Zabuza!"

"..."

Cheers rose one after another. With his back to the crowd, Zabuza's expression felt a bit stiff; fortunately he wore a face covering, or he would have betrayed himself.

The script they'd just performed hadn't been written by Gusion, but by Orochimaru, who had some screenwriting chops. Because Zabuza lived at Orochimaru's base, he obviously couldn't hide these matters between him and Gusion.

Gusion also couldn't be bothered to hide his plans in the Hidden Mist from Orochimaru; after all, Orochimaru only cared about Konoha. He had no interest in the Mist's affairs.

Pressed for time in the mission world (totally not because he couldn't write), Gusion handed the Mist Village exercise script to Orochimaru. Orochimaru seemed intrigued and readily agreed.

The flyers and script that followed were all drafted by Orochimaru, who treated the whole thing as a rehearsal for the Konoha Destruction Plan, hoping to glean insights from how the Mist responded.

When Zabuza received the script, he didn't think much of it. But after acting it out once, he felt it was terribly clichéd—and painfully awkward to perform.

He saw the Calamity on the other side struggling to keep a straight face more than once, but in the end, they both held back their laughter and finished the show.

As it turned out, while the script was cliché, the effect was surprisingly good.

Mainly because the people of the Hidden Mist had just experienced a dramatic swing from despair to survival. After such stimulation at the brink of life and death, their spirits were dazed; they weren't going to overthink things.

In a moment of crisis, the one who stepped in to save them was Zabuza. That single fact was enough.

Originally, Gusion even considered having Orochimaru clone a fake body of his to plant in the Mist, for Zabuza to kill outright.

But after thinking it over—since he'd be stirring up major incidents across the shinobi world later—news of his death would be hard to conceal. That would undermine Zabuza's authority later. Better to show that he was exhausted and no match for Zabuza, forced to retreat.

This approach had another benefit: the villagers would subconsciously believe Gusion would strike again, making it difficult for the entire village to resume infighting, given the looming threat of a powerful external foe.

Moreover, as Gusion's primary revenge target, Zabuza was now the most suitable candidate to assume the mantle of Mizukage.

In a sense, the Mizukage's seat was a hot one right now. Not just anyone could sit in it.

Listening to the cheers of the Mist villagers, Zabuza slowly turned, forcing a pained expression.

It wasn't entirely an act. He truly felt some sadness over the Mizukage's death. But he also felt this might have been the best way for Yagura to go—dying to protect the village, washing away his former stigma, and in the very end, passing as a hero.

On top of that, Kisame had died in this battle as well. Though Kisame had been a potential rival for the Mizukage position, Zabuza still held some respect for this senior of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

Back when Zabuza planned his coup, Kisame knew about it but did not expose him—he tacitly allowed it.

In Zabuza's heart, Hoshigaki Kisame had always been a worthy Mist shinobi, deserving of the Swordsmen's name. It was just that his heart had been torn between duty and position, and he ultimately chose to stand by the Mizukage rather than rebel.

War never spares everyone. Even though Gusion had held back, among the jonin who had attacked him, some had still fallen, and there was no shortage of the gravely injured.

The Hidden Mist had undoubtedly suffered a heavy blow today. But the Bloody Mist would cease to be from this point forward. Zabuza believed he could make the village better.

As for Gusion, whether from obligation or from power dynamics, there was no way Zabuza could sever ties with him for now. If Gusion had things he needed done—so long as they didn't harm the village's foundation—Zabuza would help.

…

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Mei Terumi—who had just set out to sea with the children—received a transmission from a Mist elder.

"What? The Calamity was repelled!?"

"Huh? Repelled by Zabuza?"

Mei was shocked by the successive reports. With her keen political instincts, she immediately sensed something was off.

Even without being on-site, she knew something fishy had happened.

What kind of strength did the Calamity possess? He was the ultra-strong shinobi that even she, Kisame, and the Fourth Mizukage combined couldn't take down. Even if he was drained of chakra, he shouldn't be someone Zabuza could defeat.

But anything she said now would be useless. She knew the villagers were surely all on Zabuza's side at the moment, overawed by his heroic display.

Zabuza might be a rogue ninja, but that label had been pinned on him by the Fourth Mizukage. Now that everyone knew the Fourth had been controlled, Zabuza's rogue status was essentially null; after all, his actions back then could be seen as a revolution to save the village.

"Zabuza… You don't… actually have ties with the Calamity, do you?"

Mei muttered, expression grave.

With some resignation, she ordered the ship to turn back, sighing inwardly. Whatever the truth, it seemed she was out of the running for Fifth Mizukage.

Fortunately, she didn't dislike Zabuza; she knew he wasn't a cold, heartless man. On the village's future development, their views aligned.

If Zabuza truly intended to develop the village well, she could set aside her modest ambition and cooperate with him.

But if Zabuza really was the Calamity's lackey—selling out the village to drain it—Mei would show no mercy. Even under the threat of the Akatsuki, she would remove Zabuza.

…

While the Hidden Mist reeled from the battle, Gusion had already left the area with Biwa Jūzō.

"Mr. Gusion, are you alright?"

Jūzō looked at Gusion with concern. He'd watched the normal portion of the fight from the sidelines and Gusion's performance far exceeded his expectations.

Other than the Akatsuki's leader, this was the first time he'd seen a shinobi so powerful.

But one thing he couldn't figure out: how did Zabuza manage to grievously wound Gusion with Silent Killing?

When he heard Gusion cry out in pain inside the fog, he couldn't care about his own severe injuries; he'd already charged into the mist. But Gusion suddenly rushed out, grabbed him by the arm, and bolted.

"I'm fine. Do I look injured?"

Gusion saw the doubt in Jūzō's eyes, and didn't treat him like a fool. He directly entered Instant Sage Mode. Jūzō instantly understood.

"Mr. Gusion, you were acting? You and Zabuza are colluding to sway the Mist!?"

Jūzō immediately reached a shocking conclusion that matched his earlier suspicions.

"But the organization didn't order us to do that! And you clearly had a chance to capture Yagura earlier—why kill him outright? What if the leader blames you?"

Jūzō knew Pain had waited for this day for a long time. Once a jinchuriki dies, it takes years for a new tailed beast to re-emerge.

If Pain learned of this, he would surely be enraged. Thinking of that, Jūzō looked at Gusion with even more worry.

"Jūzō, I'll just call you that. You're a smart man—you should see I'm not truly loyal to the Akatsuki."

As Gusion spoke, he took Samehada from his storage space and tossed it to Jūzō.

Jūzō caught it, stunned for a moment, then his face lit with joy. He'd lost the Executioner's Blade back in the day and had been using an ordinary ninja sword ever since, severely limiting his combat power.

Samehada was hard to handle, but he could barely manage it—and compared to a normal blade, it was far stronger.

After his initial joy, he looked at Gusion in confusion. "Mr. Gusion, this is your trophy. You already saved me, and I owe you so much—how can I accept this blade?"

"This sword is useless in my hands. Better to give it to someone who can draw out its full power. Also, you were right just now: I teamed up with Zabuza to stage a show and help him take control of the Hidden Mist."

Gusion stopped and met Jūzō's gaze. "Jūzō, do you want to return to the Mist?"

Jūzō froze. "I can go back?"

He had been forced to defect by the Mizukage back then, and he missed his home deeply. When Gusion mentioned destroying the Mist earlier, he'd been on edge for a long while, unsure who to root for.

"Of course. If the plan goes smoothly, Zabuza will soon become Mizukage, and your rogue status will be erased. I do suggest you return under a new identity, though—the Akatsuki won't let members just walk away."

Gusion said. He felt Zabuza still lacked manpower. Jūzō was a solid guy who could bolster the Mist's combat strength and help rebuild its systems.

Moreover, Jūzō was loyal to a fault. If Gusion saved him and helped him return, Jūzō would remember the favor and become another set of eyes for him.

Given enough time, people change. Once Zabuza secured his position as Mizukage, who could say whether he'd still heed Gusion—or pull small tricks behind his back to hinder later plans?

If Jūzō returned to the Mist, he and Zabuza could keep each other in check. Gusion could receive intelligence from two lines and ensure its reliability.

"Mr. Gusion… What you're doing is dangerous. Once he learns the truth, Pain won't spare you."

Jūzō now seriously suspected Gusion was actually a spy from Konoha, not a free rogue at all—he had to have some hidden mission. Otherwise, why disrupt Pain's plans?

"Don't worry about me. Just say whether you want to go back."

Gusion asked again. He knew he'd disrupted Nagato's plan. He hadn't originally intended to kill Yagura—he'd planned to capture him—but changed his mind at the last moment, triggering a chain reaction that would draw Nagato's suspicion.

As for the tricks he pulled in the Hidden Mist—those were less important. Nagato already knew the Mist was within their influence. Since Gusion was an Akatsuki member, continuing to influence the Mist wasn't a problem. As long as he could convince Nagato, he could flip a bad situation to good.

Chapter 246: Obito: I Need to Reclaim My Eye

"Mr. Gusion, I'll never forget your kindness. If you ever need something done—as long as it doesn't harm my village—I'll risk my life for you."

Jūzō spoke solemnly, then took his leave.

After a brief discussion, he decided to return to the village and continue to shine for the Hidden Mist.

Even if he had to assume a new identity, he could reunite with old friends and family—that temptation was too great.

After Jūzō left, Gusion contacted Zabuza to inform him of the matter. Zabuza readily agreed.

After all, Jūzō was his predecessor with the Executioner's Blade. They'd have plenty to talk about. With the Fourth Mizukage dead, many problems would resolve themselves. Among the Seven Swordsmen, there wasn't much internal strife.

Not only Jūzō—Zabuza also planned to spread word to recall other former rogue members of the Seven Swordsmen, consolidating the Mist's power.

…

As Gusion boarded a ship and settled into a cabin, pulling out a bed he'd bought from a sailor-uniformed girl to rest, the ground outside the Hidden Mist village—beneath broken trees—began to gently churn.

A moment later, a figure emerged: Zetsu of the Akatsuki.

"Calamity's combat power really is something else. He nearly destroyed the entire Hidden Mist by himself."

White Zetsu sighed. Because the Calamity's sensory abilities were strong, they hadn't dared get too close. But even from beyond the fog, they'd witnessed most of the battle.

"But he killed Yagura. Nagato's going to be angry."

Black Zetsu smiled strangely. Outwardly, they stood with Nagato, but in truth, they were aligned with Obito—since killing Yagura matched Obito's will.

Of course, Black Zetsu's true allegiance had always been to Kaguya.

"Looks like the tailed beast collection plan will be delayed. But that's fine. Our organization has lost a lot of strength—we need time to replenish."

White Zetsu said.

"Lost strength? Jūzō's probably unusable now. He's too weak. I think Kisame seriously injured him earlier—who knows if he'll even survive."

"Jūzō doesn't matter. Calamity is strong enough to capture any tailed beast under the Nine-Tails. We should go persuade Nagato. Now isn't the time to fall out with him."

"What about Orochimaru? He defied orders repeatedly and didn't deploy with Calamity."

"It's fine. Calamity himself—Orochimaru's partner—hasn't complained. As long as their pair completes the mission, it's acceptable."

After a short exchange, Zetsu turned as the air in one direction rippled. A figure with a spiral mask appeared.

"How is it?"

Obito asked.

"The Mizukage is dead. Don't worry—our secret won't be exposed."

Both Zetsu voices answered in unison, smiling.

Obito quietly exhaled. He'd considered personally eliminating the Mizukage. If Yagura ever met Nagato face-to-face, the truth that he wasn't the real Uchiha Madara could easily be exposed.

The problem was, while his space-time ninjutsu let him run wild across the shinobi world, leaving others helpless—even Nagato's Rinnegan couldn't pin him down—he lacked a decisive finishing move on offense.

Put simply, others couldn't kill him, but he didn't have a good way to deal with a perfect jinchuriki like the Mizukage.

So he wanted Nagato to send the organization to remove this potential threat. Delaying the tailed beast collection by a few years was acceptable.

He'd expected the local force might be insufficient and had planned to lurk nearby to ambush Yagura if things deadlocked. But he arrived a bit late—the battle was already over.

"Calamity, huh…"

Obito muttered the name. "Seems like a troublesome one."

"Isn't he a high-quality pawn?"

Zetsu asked, puzzled.

Obito frowned beneath the mask. "I feel something's off. Tell me the battle details again."

Moments later, after listening to Zetsu's account, Obito frowned even deeper. "It's like he did something inside the Mist. This guy isn't very obedient."

Zetsu also realized something was wrong. The Mizukage's death benefited Obito, but Obito hadn't communicated any such orders to Akatsuki members—Nagato had demanded they capture the jinchuriki alive.

In other words, Calamity wasn't following orders or the organizational plan.

"Go sound out Konoha."

Obito decided.

"You're moving on Konoha now?"

Zetsu asked.

"No. I'm going to take back my other eye."

Obito said. He felt many things were slipping beyond his control. To raise his combat power and handle key matters personally, he had to reclaim his Sharingan.

Only when the two eyes were reunited could the Sharingan wield its full power.

With long-range Kamui, he could pull targets directly into his pocket dimension. The disorientation from space transfer would render most people unconscious or seriously off-balance, letting him capture them at will.

And since spatial rending is absolute, he could also use Kamui to kill. With offense and defense combined, he would be invincible.

…

"Sir, we've arrived. Did you sleep well last night?"

The ferry captain knocked on Gusion's door, rousing him from bed.

He stepped onto the deck, stretched, and took a deep breath of fresh air under the morning sun, feeling invigorated.

Sensing the pulse from the Akatsuki ring on his hand, Gusion tossed the captain a wad of cash, then flashed to shore using Shunpo. In a secluded forest, he cast the Magic Lantern Body Technique to attend a remote meeting.

Within a dim cavern, figures appeared on the fingers of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. But compared to the last meeting, there were fewer people.

Gusion glanced around and saw that, besides Jūzō and his partner's spot, the positions for Kakuzu and Sasori were also empty.

"Kakuzu, report."

Pain seemed unsurprised that Jūzō's team was missing—he clearly knew those two lacked the strength and were at risk. But he was puzzled that Sasori and Kakuzu's team had also suffered losses.

After all, Kakuzu and Sasori were both strong overall, and Suna was Sasori's home turf. As the pinnacle of puppet masters, how could he have stumbled there?

"A bunch of new shinobi popped up in the Sand from who-knows-where. Strong ones. We had an accident while capturing the One-Tail."

Kakuzu felt no sadness over his partner's death. In fact, he sounded mocking. "Sasori got talked to death."

Everyone was stunned. Even Pain's Rinnegan seemed to blink. He stared at Kakuzu. "Talked to death?"

Only Gusion struggled to keep a straight face. This was probably the work of other Explorers. Sasori, with his shaky resolve, had likely fallen to an emotional play—finished by his grandmother in the end.

"Exactly. He kept prattling on about 'eternal art' with that deadpan look, but when he saw his granny he couldn't even walk straight. My battlefield wasn't far—I saw it clearly. He never went all out."

Kakuzu curled his lip. "How can little Chiyo's puppet arts compare to Sasori's? Yet she fought him to a standstill. He deserved to die."

Gusion's expression turned odd. Calling Granny Chiyo "little Chiyo," huh. Then again, fair enough—Kakuzu was more than ten years older than Chiyo. In his youth, she would've been a little girl to him.

"Sasori is dead, huh. What a pity."

Orochimaru licked his lips. He said "pity," but the smile on his face showed no sorrow.

"Bound by emotion…"

Pain pondered briefly. He neither praised nor belittled. Without commenting further on Sasori, he turned to Gusion's side. "What happened with Jūzō's team? Calamity, you should have reached the battlefield, right?"

"Don't look at me like that. I've fought across two major battlefields in a few days—first in Cloud against the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails jinchuriki and the Fourth Raikage, then to the Mist to fight an entire village by myself."

Gusion shrugged. "You can't expect me to solo the entire shinobi world, can you?"

His meaning was clear: he was only one man and couldn't save Jūzō's team.

At that moment, another projection filled an empty spot—Zetsu had arrived, just in time to hear Gusion's remark.

Pain turned his Rinnegan toward Zetsu, inviting a report.

"Calamity's right. The battlefield was brutal. Jūzō barely survived against Hoshigaki Kisame—then was heavily injured."

Zetsu gave Gusion a subtle look that made him frown slightly.

"Injured? Where is Jūzō?"

Pain asked Gusion.

"Dead. I pulled him out as we retreated, but a shuriken hit the back of his neck. When I saw he couldn't be saved, I left him."

Gusion replied casually. He couldn't care less whether the excuse was full of holes—he was more valuable than Jūzō.

Sure enough, Pain pondered a moment and didn't press Jūzō's matter. But that didn't mean he wouldn't pursue other issues. "Calamity, why did you kill the Three-Tails jinchuriki?"

Gusion now acted like a seasoned rogue, looking at Pain with helpless exasperation. "Please. I don't have the Rinnegan to bulldoze the Mist. Think about who I was facing."

He began counting on his fingers. "At the time, I was up against the perfect jinchuriki, Yagura, who was also the Fourth Mizukage; the dual-bloodline shinobi, Mei Terumi, who's Kage-level; the 'tailless tailed beast' Hoshigaki Kisame; oh, and some guy named Black Tech with some skill—you might've heard of him. On top of these powerhouses, the Mist's jonin and ANBU were all throwing jutsu at me…"

He paused. "Pain, you think I could hold back under those circumstances?"

Pain faltered. He felt he had no grounds to question Gusion. The man had a point—it was unreasonable to expect a top operative to spare a life at the brink of life and death.

In truth, a frontal assault on the Mist had never been the original plan. Their prior contingency for capturing jinchuriki was to avoid direct clashes with the great villages—preferably staging ambushes when a jinchuriki was traveling.

As for a head-on push—that was only something he himself could pull off while controlling the Six Paths of Pain.

Calamity had already performed admirably. If nothing else, Akatsuki's reputation had skyrocketed—within a day, news of his assault on the Mist had shocked the entire shinobi world.

Now every great nation knew of an Akatsuki member who could, by himself, severely cripple a great village—slaying the Mist's Mizukage and multiple top fighters while fighting them all at once.

With the tailed beast collection plan paused due to Yagura's death and Sasori's failure, Akatsuki would have to return to mercenary work for a while.

Gusion's performance would undoubtedly ignite the nations' hiring impulse.

As for the Mist assault, they could always pin it on a non-existent client—they'd been operating as mercenaries all along, after all.