Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make
Chapter 150: The Bloodiest Mizukage
Kirigakure is the most unstable village among the Five Great Ninja Villages due to the way its Kages were chosen. For instance, in Konoha, the Hokages had close relationships with one another. Hashirama was Tobirama's brother, Hiruzen was Tobirama's student, and so on. In contrast, the Mizukages did not share such bonds, neither as students nor family. Even the poorest village, Sunagakure, had familial connections, which made it more stable.
The First Mizukage was Byakuren, who co-founded Kirigakure during the Warring States Period.
During the era of the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki, tensions ran high among the village's clans. The Kaguya Clan, Yuri Clan, Hozuki Clan, and others were dissatisfied with their positions. Some believed they should be the ones leading Kirigakure, which led Gengetsu to adopt a wise strategy: transferring conflict.
If dissatisfaction and the sound of rebellion were stirring, the best solution was to shift that conflict outward, to another village. For example, if a country had citizens unhappy with their governance, and there were no internal enemies because the country wasn't a democracy, the best method was to create an external enemy. Spread propaganda that Country A posed a threat to the kingdom, and soon most citizens would focus on the external conflict rather than internal grievances.
Gengetsu Hozuki was a master of geopolitics, and his decision led to a small war between Kirigakure and Iwagakure.
But now, Mu had died in the First Great Ninja War, bombed by Aburame Toka, and Onoki was chosen as the Third Tsuchikage because he was the only one who could use Dust Release and was Mu's disciple.
Unlike Mu, Onoki was softer, as he was still young at the time. In this timeline, he had already witnessed the terror of Uchiha Madara and the overwhelming power of Konoha, which could control tailed beasts.
So when Gengetsu tried to provoke him into war, Onoki shocked him by choosing diplomacy.
"Hahaha, it seems Mu's student is a coward, unlike his teacher," Gengetsu laughed.
Mu and Gengetsu were rivals and enemies. If Gengetsu had provoked Mu, Mu would likely have snuck into Kirigakure, attempting to catch him off guard. But Onoki was too cautious to respond to his provocations.
"Mizukage-sama, do we really need to provoke Iwagakure?" asked Hiroto, who had been chosen as one of the Mizukage's guards.
In the original timeline, Hiroto would become the Third Mizukage, known for his cruel governance.
"It's necessary because of the tension within our village," Gengetsu replied.
"Please teach me, Mizukage-sama," Hiroto requested.
"There are many clans in our village, but unlike Konoha, these clans don't cooperate. For example, the Kaguya Clan—they are bloodthirsty and crave war. Other clans want their members to become Kage, which could lead to internal strife and civil war," Gengetsu explained.
Hiroto, a civilian who had risen to the rank of elite jonin and was now a close confidant, was trusted with this information.
"Then what is the purpose of starting another war?" Hiroto asked.
"A civil war is more dangerous. The Daimyo won't support a country on the brink of collapse. The only way to prevent a civil war is by engaging in war with another village," Gengetsu answered.
Hiroto finally understood why Gengetsu wanted to initiate conflict with another village.
"Is Iwagakure our only option? What about Konoha or Kumo?" Hiroto asked.
"Konoha has the tailed beasts, and in the last war, we lost terribly. Kumo is too far, and attacking them might trigger another village to invade us. So, the best village to fight is Iwagakure," Gengetsu concluded.
---Iwagakure---
Onoki never asked to become Tsuchikage. From observing his predecessor, he understood the immense responsibility of being a Kage and never desired the position.
However, circumstances forced him into the role, and he couldn't refuse because of his love for the village and the memory of how his sensei protected it until his last breath.
No one in the village came close to his strength, and having served the previous Kage, he knew more about the duties of a Kage than anyone else.
That's why the elders, shinobi, and clans chose Onoki to become the Third Tsuchikage.
Being Kage was far from a dream job—it was an enormous responsibility. He faced many challenges, especially economic ones. Fortunately, the Daimyo was willing to help rebuild the village, or else he would have faced even more problems.
Then, unexpectedly, a group of merchants began selling their products in Iwagakure, which caused the economy to flourish.
They also introduced technology exclusive to Uzushiogakure. Now, shinobi were using computers instead of writing in books.
Onoki tried to trace the merchants back to Konoha, but there was no direct connection. The merchants had acquired their products from other merchants, who in turn had bought them directly from Konoha.
This made the products three times more expensive than those sold in Uzushiogakure and Konoha.
Just when the peace and stability of the village seemed secure, Kirigakure began provoking Iwagakure.
"Why are they attacking us?" Onoki asked.
"We don't know, Tsuchikage-sama," the jonin replied.
"It looks suspicious. Is there any news or updates from Kirigakure?" Onoki asked.
"Here is the report regarding events in other villages, including Kirigakure," the guard said, handing him the document.
Onoki read through the report, and finally, he found the answer.
"It looks like a civil war might happen in Kirigakure," Onoki said.
The clans and shinobi in the room were shocked but continued listening to him.
"Do not respond to their provocations," Onoki ordered. "Only if our people are in danger or they attempt to attack our shinobi should we use force."
"Tsuchikage-sama, could you explain how you know Kirigakure is on the verge of civil war?" one of the jonin asked.
"Based on the report, the clans in Kirigakure have begun displaying cold attitudes toward one another, and the Kaguya Clan has started attacking civilians," Onoki explained. "This means they're on the brink of civil war. The Mizukage is trying to shift the conflict to our village."
"What do you mean by 'shift the conflict'?" one of the elders asked.
"It's better to have a war with another country than a civil war," Onoki replied. "If a civil war breaks out, the Daimyo might withdraw support, and civilians will flee the village."
Seeing the shocked expressions of those in the room, Onoki sighed.
'There's no one who can replace me. They're all idiots. I hope someone takes over soon,' thought Onoki.
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