Kazuki, with a friendly smile, invited Kisame and the others to sit down. "Let me take a look at your situation first..." He said in a soft and welcoming tone, "Ever since I saw you at the Chunin Exam, I knew that you and I shared a destiny together."
He watched them carefully before adding, "Loyalty, strength, and determination. In you I see the flame of the Will of Fire. But in the environment of Kirigakure, that potential could not be properly developed."
The corners of Tobirama's mouth twitched. Everyone shares a fate with you, right?
First it was Kakuzu, then Hiruko, and now even the geniuses of Kirigakure possess the Will of Fire…
Kisame and Zabuza looked at Kazuki blankly, how could they have the will of fire?
Kazuki slowly turned his gaze towards Zabuza and Kisame and commented in a thoughtful tone: "Zabuza, you killed all of your classmates during the graduation exam, earning yourself a reputation as a ruthless killer..."
"But if I'm not mistaken, you did it to make your act look extreme and thus change the situation of the Blood Mist, right?"
Zabuza opened his eyes wide in disbelief, staring at Kazuki.
How did this man know?
As an ordinary ninja, he had no say in changing the state of his village. For him, rather than directly opposing the Blood Mist, it was better to go extreme, so that all the shinobi of Kirigakure could see the dangers of that kind of training.
If no one stops the Blood Mist, there will be another Zabuza...
Although his action did not have the desired impact, and his reputation in Kirigakure was tarnished, his conviction remained firm as a rock.
Even if no one understood him, he didn't care, he did all that for Kirigakure.
But until the recent events, Zabuza sadly discovered that he loves Kirigakure, but Kirigakure does not love him.
Kazuki then looked at Kisame and calmly began to speak: "When you attacked your comrades, I saw the pain and internal struggle in your eyes. That, Kisame, is your true Will of Fire."
"A ninja like you must have thought about it from the first moment he had to raise his sword against a comrade. If, being a Kiri ninja, you were forced to kill your own... what kind of person are you really? Who is your enemy and who is your ally?"
Kazuki's voice deepened. "What is your purpose? Where is your place? Where are you headed? And where can you find peace within yourself?"
"When everything is silent and the night is dark, the only thing you probably feel is the emptiness inside yourself, right?"
Kisame's eyes widened, as if he had heard something impossible.
Does the Sharingan have the function of reading minds?
Those thoughts, buried deep within him, how could Kazuki possibly know them?
It seemed like he really understood it…
"You two... Even if your methods are extreme, you did it because you were born in Kirigakure. Your actions were not under your control."
As he spoke, Kazuki walked towards Miru, raising a hand covered in a soft green glow and placing it on her forehead.
In an instant, Miru's pale face regained color, and she brought her hands to her chest in disbelief.
Her organs, which had been corroded by the acid mist, were now enveloped in a warm chakra that quickly restored them.
Kazuki didn't stop there. With slow movements, he placed a hand on Kisame's shoulder and then on Zabuza's, healing their wounds as well.
"It is a pity to see shinobi with exceptional qualities fall into the abyss of their own despair." In a calm tone, he added, "If you decide to join Konoha... As long as you are loyal to the village, I will trust you completely. I will not treat you as disposable tools, but as true comrades."
After a pause, Kazuki smiled. "I greatly admire your character. Now, I offer you a choice: If you do not wish to accept my proposal, you may leave and live as free people. But I ask that you do not return to Kirigakure."
Kisame looked at Miru, looking away as he pondered Kazuki's words. Finally, with a firm decision, he ripped off the protector from his forehead.
Zabuza, like Kisame, took his off. No one had been able to understand the psychological weight he carried behind his feared reputation.
They both knelt on one knee in front of Kazuki, showing their loyalty.
With a smile, Kazuki helped them up and handed them the Konoha forehead protectors.
Zabuza and Kisame now wore Konoha's forehead protector. On either side of Kazuki, they looked like two fierce guard dogs, ready to attack.
This change, though rapid, was not surprising. Such was the shinobi world.
Here, the foundations were understanding, perception and emotional ties. The stronger a shinobi was, the more he held on to his own convictions.
Kazuki, who understood this perfectly, had managed to touch the most sensitive fibers of both of them.
Hizashi frowned as he looked at the two people who got the Konoha forehead protector and the root nameplate.
Off to the side, Mei and Jinzaburo tensed as they noticed Kazuki's gaze on them.
"Jinzaburo, it's been a while since we last met..." Kazuki said with a smile, his tone calm. "How have you been doing since you returned to Kirigakure? Have you followed my advice and learned to enjoy life? Or have you forgotten about it already?"
Jinzaburo shook his head quickly, but felt something was wrong, and nodded sharply, looking a little funny, but his tone was very serious: "Kazuki-sama! Since I last listened to your teachings, I stopped losing myself in meaningless fights and began to reflect on the true purpose of my life."
"Thanks to you, by freeing my mind, even my mastery of Shikotsumyaku and my combat skills have improved."
Kazuki nodded in understanding.
"What do you think? Are you interested in joining Konoha?" Kazuki asked, motioning for Mei and Jinzaburo to relax. His tone was gentle. "You don't have to hide what you think. You can tell me the truth."
Jinzaburo smiled and replied frankly, "Kazuki-sama, I have long wanted to join you. To me, you are the true future of the Kaguya clan."
"I've already tried to persuade those old fossils of my clan…" Jinzaburo continued sincerely. "Kazuki-sama, do not be soft on them. When necessary, do not hesitate to use force. Don't give them any consideration just for sharing blood. If they do not experience the true terror of death, they will never awaken."
"You just need to give them a good beating! I'm sure the Kaguya clan will understand your noble intentions."
"I want to join you too!" Mei said as she gently pressed her lips together and locked gazes with Kazuki's eyes. "Kirigakure is no longer anything but a divided village. You, with your pure bloodline, are the ideal candidate to become the next Mizukage."
Hearing those words, Hizashi lowered his head discreetly.
First it was Jinzaburo talking about the same lineage, and now Mei emphasizing the purity of the blood. Hizashi understood maybe they had already seen something that he hadn't yet.
Although he could also sometimes sense a strange sense of familiarity in Kazuki's eyes.
In Konoha, there was much speculation about Kazuki's origins among the various shinobi clans.
Many older people who came from the Tobirama era have put forward similar views to Sarutobi Hiruzen or Uzumaki Mito...
However, for Hizashi and the other root shinobi, that was an irrelevant debate.
It didn't matter how Kazuki had obtained those abilities. His existence was the only hope for those who had lost their way in the shinobi world.
And that… was enough.
Kazuki smiled. "The position of Mizukage? Let's talk about it after we win this war."
"Mei, what do you think?"
Mei thought for a moment and replied firmly: "Kazuki-sama, I believe that an assassination attack against the Third Mizukage is viable."
"Currently, Kirigakure is in a state of extreme internal tension. The Third Mizukage still retains some prestige to maintain control. But if he dies, the village will fall into chaos, unable to mobilize as a military force against Konoha."
"In this way, the pressure of war on Konoha will be greatly reduced. You will no longer have to worry about the Land of Water. Furthermore, both Jinzaburo and I can mobilize our clans to quickly take control of Kirigakure and become your allies."
As the future Fifth Mizukage, Mei had impressive strategic vision.
At that time, Kirigakure was like a fragile alliance. If their leader was eliminated, the others would be embroiled in infighting.
"It's a good plan," Kazuki said, patting Mei on the shoulder and smiling approvingly. "Your intelligence is as amazing as your beauty."
"Everyone, do you have any other opinions?"
Mei's heart skipped a beat. Was he praising her for her beauty? As she blushed, Jinzaburo snapped her out of her thoughts.
With a murderous look in his eyes, he refuted forcefully: "Kazuki-sama, that plan is too soft! If we just use a sneak attack, it won't be enough for you to take control of Kirigakure."
"I think we should come up with a strategy to cause a major defeat in the ranks of Kirigakure and then confront the Third Mizukage directly."
"Only then will those bastards from Kirigakure learn their lesson. They understand nothing but brute force!"
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