Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 108 The tide is irreversible, but hidden reefs can change course.

Autumn.

Unlike the Land of Fire, where the sun shines warmly and is filled with the joy of harvest, the Land of Water, an island nation shrouded in ocean and fog year-round, is enveloped in its own cold and gloomy atmosphere early on.

The damp, salty sea breeze swept through the tall, oppressive buildings of Kirigakure, carrying with it a series of wailing sounds like the cries of ghosts.

The sky was a perpetual gray-white, and the thick, impenetrable fog completely swallowed the sun's rays, plunging the entire village into a gloomy, sunless atmosphere.

The Water Shadow Building, top floor.

The third Mizukage, standing with his hands behind his back in front of the huge square window, quietly overlooked the village he ruled.

He was tall and slender with a thin face. His long, dark blue hair was casually draped behind his head. The blue Water Shadow Divine Robe he wore, embroidered with water ripples, was the only bright spot in the dimly lit office.

His eyes were as calm as a bottomless ancient well, but perhaps only he knew the turbulent anxiety and pressure beneath that calm.

On the desk lay a report that had just been presented by the secret service.

The contents of the report gave him a headache for three whole days.

"Regarding the recent riots and damage assessment of the Three-Tailed Isobu and the Six-Tailed Saiken".

Kirigakure is one of the five great ninja villages, and like Kumogakure and Iwagakure, it has two tailed beasts.

These should have been powerful strategic weapons that any country would fear, but now they have become two sharp swords hanging over Jian Yue's head, ready to fall at any moment.

These two tailed beasts have been trapped in a natural cage called the "Wanwu Sea" in the eastern part of the village ever since they were assigned by the First Hokage.

The water there is complex and full of whirlpools, making it a natural forbidden zone.

But it only trapped them.

Every so often, these two tailed beasts would suddenly go berserk for unknown reasons.

Every riot is like a small natural disaster.

A massive chakra surge can trigger a tsunami, engulfing surrounding islands and even completely altering the terrain of the sea.

In order to suppress them, the village had to send a large number of ninjas to form a sealing squad to patrol the area around the sea 24 hours a day.

The costs involved are astronomical.

The casualty figures marked in red ink on the report pierced his heart.

"...During the tenth joint sealing operation, the team encountered a corrosive gas attack from the Six-Tails Saiken. The first sealing squad, consisting of eight Chunin, was instantly melted away, leaving no trace..."

"...The thirteenth uprising: the Three-Tailed Isobu attacked the patrol fleet, two warships sank, twenty-three ninjas were killed, and two are missing..."

"...According to preliminary estimates, the casualty rate of the dispatched ninjas is as high as 25%..."

Jian Yue slowly closed her eyes.

If this continues, Kirigakure will be dragged down by these two tailed beasts that it can't afford to support, without even waiting for other villages to attack.

We must find a way to perfectly control them, and even harness their power.

Where is the most powerful sealing technique in the ninja world?

A name involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

The Land of Whirlpools, the Whirlpool Clan.

But then, the name of another village made him forcefully suppress that thought.

Leaf.

The Uzumaki clan is Konoha's most steadfast ally, and Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the First Hokage, is still alive in Konoha.

The Land of Whirlpools is tantamount to declaring war on Konoha.

And Konoha now...

Jian Yue walked to her desk and picked up another intelligence report.

That was a battle report about Konoha during the Second Shinobi World War.

They launched a four-pronged attack, simultaneously counterattacking the four kingdoms of Rain, Sand, Rock, and Cloud, and achieved an overwhelming victory in a very short time.

Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha, made a long-distance raid and killed the genius puppeteer couple from Sunagakure.

The three legendary ninja of Konoha shone brightly on the battlefield of the Land of Rain right from their debut.

The Illusionary Eye Wall formed by the Uchiha clan rendered Iwagakure's proud Earth Release troops blind.

The scariest thing is that man.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He single-handedly confronted thousands of troops from Kumogakure and forced back the Third Raikage, who was known for possessing the "strongest spear" and the "strongest shield."

According to intelligence reports, the Third Raikage didn't even manage to touch Hiruzen Sarutobi's clothes before being completely outmaneuvered by the opponent using an unprecedented fighting style, ultimately forcing him to sign a humiliating treaty that cost him hundreds of millions of ryo in reparations.

"His intelligence borders on the supernatural..."

As Mizuki looked at the assessment of Hiruzen Sarutobi in the intelligence report, her fingers unconsciously tapped the table.

He acknowledged Konoha's strength, but did not believe Konoha was invincible.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's methods are more like... an incomprehensible perspective that transcends the understanding of this era.

He must have some secret.

But now is not the time to think about that.

"roar--!"

Outside the window, a wild roar came from the training ground in another direction of the village, interrupting Jian Yue's thoughts.

He walked back to the window, looked in that direction, and his brows furrowed even more.

The Kaguya Clan.

A group of madmen who only know how to fight, whose minds are filled with nothing but killing and glory.

Since the end of the war, this group of madmen has been restless and often caused trouble in the village.

The clan leader, Kaguya Sora, has repeatedly made public pronouncements about breaking this "suffocating" peace.

There's also the Snow Clan, those self-proclaimed noble ice-escape users who look down on everyone.

Clan leader Yukinojo, a man more beautiful than any woman, yet whose mind is more unpredictable than a deep-sea whirlpool.

Although he wasn't as flamboyant as Kaguya, Mitsuki could sense that beneath those elegant emerald eyes lay a similar dissatisfaction with the status quo and a burning ambition.

Inside, these unruly bloodline families are eyeing the place covetously.

Externally, the mountain of Konoha looms overhead.

The village itself was also struggling to move forward due to the two tailed beasts.

This feeling was like being trapped in the deep sea, surrounded by icy water that squeezed every nerve, making one feel like there was no light at the end of the world.

This can't go on any longer.

The tide is irreversible, but hidden reefs can change course.

Changes must be made.

Jian Yue took a deep breath, slowly opened her slightly narrowed eyes, and a hint of determination flashed in them.

He pressed the call bell on the table.

"Lord Mizukage."

A dark figure appeared silently in the shadows of the office and knelt on one knee.

"Pass on my orders."

The sound of seeing the moon echoed in the empty office.

"Notify Master Yuan, as well as the heads of the Kaguya, Yuki, and Hozuki families, to convene a high-level meeting in the main conference room in one hour."

"yes!"

The ninja accepted the order, his figure disappearing into the darkness without a trace.

Jianyue walked back to the window and looked down at the village shrouded in thick fog.

A storm that will determine the future fate of Kirigakure is about to be unleashed in his own hands.