Hiruzen persuaded me to die

After sealing the Three Tails, Hyuga Naraku calmly released the control of the Shinigami.

Then—

The Shinigami slowly turned its eyes toward White Zetsu (Tobi)—the one forced to serve as its summoner.

"AHHHHHHH—!"

A scream tore from Tobi's throat.

His consciousness and life force were being ripped away, devoured by the death god itself.

He had always been nearly immortal.But now… the door to death had opened—just for him.

"You filthy—"

White Zetsu's words trailed off.

His body, once regenerative and twisted by Hashirama's cells, crumbled to ash.

Gone in a flash of white debris.

Naraku stared down at the pile.

"…Still died, after all."

The Shinigami had taken everything—Yin and Yang chakra, body and soul.

Even a creature as unnatural as White Zetsu couldn't resist its pull.

"Is… it over?"

Terumi Mei asked, dazed.

She hadn't seen the Shinigami—couldn't.

All she saw now was the battlefield aftermath:The Three Tails was gone.Only the massive wooden dragon and three towering black sealing rods remained.

But even unseen, everyone present had witnessed it—The Three Tails' chakra had been split and sealed into two small gourds.

Off to the side, Yagura Karatachi had stopped breathing.

When the Three Tails' seal broke, he'd clung to life long enough to say a few final words.

Now, the Fourth Mizukage was dead.

"He's really gone?"

"The Three Tails… split in half?"

"We couldn't even protect it…"

The Mist Anbu murmured, exhausted and hollow.

They had been fighting nonstop—from one corner of the village to another.

Suppressing the uprising.

Then the Kaguya clan attacked.

Now this.

Clap. Clap.

A slow, mocking applause echoed.

Orochimaru strolled in, hands lazily clapping, two children—Haku and Kimimaro—following behind.

He looked around with a smirk.

"So it was Naraku-kun who split the tailed beast in two."

"And that thing just now… the Ghoul Seal? Never heard of that one."

Even he, with all his stolen scrolls and forbidden knowledge, hadn't come across it.

Naraku's gaze landed on Kimimaro.

Just that quickly, Orochimaru had lured him away.

And Haku too—from earlier.

The man really was the Ninja World's most prolific child trafficker.

"Orochimaru! You dare show your face?!"

Mei's voice cracked with fury.

But Orochimaru only chuckled.

"Oh? And do you still have the strength to fight me, Lady Mizukage?"

His grin widened.

With Mist's shinobi drained from battle, no one could stop him.

Terumi Mei clenched her fists, but didn't respond.

Yagura was dead.

She was barely standing.

Her few remaining fighters were running on fumes.

"Your Excellency Hokage," she said bitterly, turning to Naraku."He's your village's traitor. Are you going to let him just walk away?"

Naraku's answer was indifferent.

"This is your village's business."

"Besides, I already fought the Kaguya clan for you. That counts for something, doesn't it?"

Mei was stunned.

Then sighed.

She couldn't deny it.

Without Naraku and Orochimaru absorbing most of the Kaguya's fury, she would've died under a wave of bone spikes.

"Hehehe…"

Orochimaru laughed softly.

Freedom suited him.

He remembered sneaking into Kumogakure to extract bits of Eight Tails chakra.

Now? He could stroll into Kirigakure, openly abduct children, and no one dared stop him.

"Haku. Kimimaro. We're leaving."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru." ×2

The boys replied in unison, following him out.

The Mist Anbu could only sigh.

No one even chased after them.

"There are still some survivors in the Kaguya clan," one of them muttered.

"Hopefully we can rebuild… someday."

After all, not all Kaguya were madmen.

Some civilians—non-ninja—still lived.

If everyone had been as bloodthirsty as their warriors, the clan would've been wiped out centuries ago.

"Why did they rebel?"

"Was the masked man controlling them?"

Mei frowned.

The Kaguya patriarch didn't seem brainwashed or bribed.

No one could quite explain it.

"Who knows?" an Anbu said flatly.

"No one understands those lunatics."

"Maybe they just wanted to fight."

"They always do."

The Kaguya's reputation was worse than even the Uchiha's in Konoha.

At least the Uchiha had beauty and brains.

The Kaguya? Brutality and bone.

Mei nodded, dropping the subject.

There were no answers tonight.

Only losses.

Yagura had held power through sheer force—and the trust of a few Anbu.

Those same Anbu had now become her last remaining core.

"…Tch."

Another sigh escaped the crowd.

The Mist had bled tonight.

Orochimaru took two bloodline children.Naraku claimed the Three Tails.The masked man—whoever he was—achieved his goal: weakening the Hidden Mist.

The Fourth Mizukage was gone.

The streets were littered with bodies—their own.

Kirigakure had been crippled.

"Your Excellency Hokage," Mei said softly, her tone grim.

"Mist will strictly honor the terms of our peace agreement."

She glanced around.

Part of her even wished Naraku would stay—permanently.

His presence alone had likely kept that masked bastard from appearing tonight.

Without him, they might've lost everything.

"If… Mist Shinobi ever finds itself in crisis again—"She hesitated."…I hope Konoha will lend a hand."

"We'll pay the price."

Naraku didn't answer, but gave a slight nod.

That was enough.

But for Terumi Mei…That simple nod told her everything.

Kirigakure was no longer one of the Five Great Villages.Not really.

Not tonight.