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Yagura's escort unit was structured similarly to Minato's. In addition to the visible guards Zabuza and Mei Terumi, there were also two hidden teams, consisting of eight shinobi in total.
These eight were responsible for reconnaissance, surveillance, and protection, each pair positioned in four different directions.
The group set out from the Land of Iron, planning to cut diagonally from the northwest to the southeast through the Land of Hot Water, before taking a water route back to Kirigakure.
The first day passed without incident.
On the second day, as they travelled deeper into the Land of Hot Water, a massive flytrap-like plant burst out of the ground.
"Ha"
The plant's leaves peeled open, revealing a grinning White Zetsu.
"Who goes there?!" Zabuza raised his Executioner's Blade, staring down the strange creature.
Mei Terumi narrowed her eyes. "This appears to be 'Zetsu,' a being affiliated with Akatsuki."
Zabuza was already moving. With a flick of his wrist, the blade's circular opening looped around Zetsu's neck. With a single powerful yank, he lifted Zetsu off the ground, hanging him in midair. "What do you want?"
Zetsu didn't even struggle. Instead, he casually said, "Oh, nothing much~ Just here to tell you that there's an ambush waiting for you up ahead~"
Zabuza tightened his grip. "Who's behind it? And why are you telling us?"
Zetsu chuckled. "Who knows?"
Then, with a sudden jerk, he let himself go limp, intentionally cutting off his own life force.
Zabuza checked his body to confirm that he was dead, then nodded to Yagura and Mei Terumi before swiftly disposing of the corpse.
"Should we change course?" Mei asked.
Yagura pulled out his staff from behind his back, gripping it firmly. "No need. We'll just increase our vigilance. It could be a bluff. If it's not, then this is a good opportunity to see just how strong our enemies are."
Since Yagura had made his decision, Mei quickly formed several hand signs, silently signalling the hidden guards to increase their alertness.
They hadn't travelled far before a sudden flash of light illuminated the path ahead a flare had been launched.
The dazzling brightness forced the group to shield their eyes momentarily.
However, the flare's effect was somewhat weaker than a standard flashbang, and it didn't last long.
By the time their vision cleared, five figures had appeared about thirty meters ahead.
Each was dressed in a different colour and wore large, bushy tails around their waists.
This was a mercenary group that had accepted a commission from Akatsuki though they had taken over a month to act on it.
As mercenaries with a strong professional reputation, they had felt a bit ashamed when Zetsu and Tobi came to remind them of their overdue contract. As a result, they had revealed a portion of their planned ambush.
Their red-clad leader had insisted that in their decades of service, they maintained a 99.9% customer satisfaction rate they couldn't afford to tarnish their record. This ambush had to succeed.
Of course, he was only half-serious. If things went south, they'd just refund the money.
Better to stay alive and earn more in the future.
Their industry had already learned a lesson from Kakuzu an excellent mercenary who had been a powerful competitor. But recently, he had reportedly targeted a smaller mission and ended up dead.
Mercenary Squad had immediately taken him as a cautionary tale. From now on, if an attack failed, they would flee instantly. Money was temporary life was permanent.
The red-clad leader smirked and stepped forward. "You must be the Mizukage. We've been waiting for you."
Yagura slammed his staff into the ground. "Oh? And what do you want with me?"
The red-clad leader grinned. "Nothing much, really. We just need you to come with us."
"Stop spouting nonsense!" Zabuza swung his blade, already prepared to strike.
The leader merely glanced at him. "Zabuza Momochi, huh? I'd advise against making rash moves. Otherwise…"
"Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!"
Before he could finish, two of the hidden Kirigakure shinobi burst from concealment, launching spinning torrents of water at the mercenaries.
Failing to detect their enemies in advance had been humiliating enough. Now that they knew these men were after the Mizukage, there was no reason to hold back.
Mercenary Squad seemed to have anticipated this. They dodged the attack with ease, scattering in different directions.
The water blasts crashed into the ground, sending up waves of mist.
At the same time, two agonized screams rang out.
"Ahhh!"
The two Kirigakure shinobi who had attacked suddenly clutched their chests, which began to swell unnaturally.
Unlike Monkey D. Luffy inflating with his Devil Fruit powers, this wasn't something they could control.
A second later—BOOM! BOOM!
Both shinobi exploded into chunks of flesh and bone.
"Shinmu! Jibu!"
Mei Terumi's eyes widened in horror as she recognized the fallen comrades. She instinctively shouted their names, but they were already gone.
"What the hell just happened?" Zabuza's voice was low and dangerous. "What did you do to them?"
The mercenaries regrouped, standing calmly.
The red-clad leader smirked. "This is our clan's secret technique. Mizukage-sama, you, your two visible guards, and the six remaining hidden ones you're all infected. However, if you surrender, we'll be generous and remove the technique before handing you over."
Yagura's expression didn't change, but his grip on his staff tightened. "So you are the infamous mercenary Squad the ninja hunters who prey on other shinobi. Have you joined Akatsuki?"
"Oh, you've heard of us?" The leader chuckled. "Don't misunderstand. We're just mercenaries. We don't care who hires us."
His tone grew colder. "Now then, what will it be? You wouldn't want all your subordinates to die, would you?"
In response, six remaining Kirigakure shinobi leapt into view, forming a protective barrier in front of Yagura.
"Mizukage-sama, please escape! We will hold them off!"
Yagura stepped forward, dismissing them with a calm but firm command. "Stand down."
"But, Mizukage-sama—!"
"This is an order!" Yagura didn't even look back. Instead, he focused on the sensation of chakra surging within his body.
A sharp pain flared in his chest. He frowned. "I see… so the technique causes an explosion if we use a certain amount of chakra."
"Impressive deduction, Mizukage-sama." The red-clad leader clapped mockingly. "That's why you should just come along quietly and don't try to fake surrender killing us won't undo the technique."
"That's something we'll have to test." Yagura scoffed. "Threatening me? Don't be ridiculous. I am the Mizukage."
With a flick of his wrist, he threw his staff aside.
A surge of red chakra erupted around him, forming into a tangible, bubbling mass.
Yagura crouched low, his body morphing. Three flat, fin-like tails emerged behind him. His skin darkened, and his form twisted into a miniature version of the Three-Tails, Isobu.
Hidden beneath the chakra cloak, Yagura's chest swelled slightly an ominous sign.
But nothing happened.
Tailed Beast Chakra wasn't something that could be easily controlled by mere humans.
The battle was just beginning.
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