I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

The Oppression from Three Tails

What are the criteria for becoming a shadow?

Becoming a disciple of the previous generation of Hokage, being recognized by the villagers, or simply inheriting the title from father to son—those are the standards in Konoha, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure.

Kirigakure's criteria are actually much simpler: defeat all competitors and possess the strength to suppress the Tailed Beast.

The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, rose to power using this method. Under his leadership, Kirigakure emerged from years of brutal war, ending the conflict with Sunagakure. However, things took a tragic turn when Yagura was revealed to be a puppet, manipulated by external forces, thus turning him into a mere shell of the powerful leader he once was.

Kirigakure lacked a powerful enough figure to oppose the Fourth Mizukage. Despite the skills of elite ninjas like Ao, equipped with the Byakugan, and members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, or Terumi Mei, a formidable wielder of the Bloodline Limits, they couldn't deal with the rampaging Three Tails (Isobu).

During one of their encounters, Terumi Mei and her forces attempted to subdue the beast. With the help of a chakra bomb created by the Mist's specialist, they managed to send Isobu into a lake. Terumi Mei then used boiling mist to heat the water, forcing the beast to surface, though the situation remained dire.

As the strategy appeared to work, Onigoru Manzuki, a Kirigakure officer, remarked with a smile, "Terumi Mei, Kamijin, I never imagined you were so strong. Have you considered becoming my subordinate? Kirigakure will need strength like yours in the future."

Terumi Mei retorted coldly, "The Fourth Mizukage isn't dead yet, so why show such ambition?"

Ghost Lantern Full Moon, ever the pragmatist, replied, "Although the Fourth was controlled, someone must take responsibility for the policies over the years. He should step down. The only contenders for the position of Fifth Mizukage are you and me. Do you really want Master Yuanshi to return and temporarily take the position?"

Terumi Mei, unsatisfied, insisted, "We need to find a way to stabilize the Fourth Mizukage and stop whoever is controlling him. The person behind this must be nearby."

Ghost Lantern Full Moon assured her, "Don't worry about that. I've already found someone who can handle it. With his strength, he'll buy us the time we need to defeat the Fourth Mizukage."

"Who have you found? Another shadow from another village? This concerns Kirigakure," Terumi Mei cautioned.

"He's not from one of the other four great nations, but his strength is on par with the five Kage. When we first met him, Zabuza and I had some trouble, but he has no intention of taking over Kirigakure," Ghost Lantern Full Moon explained.

Terumi Mei's skepticism deepened, but the situation was critical, and she had no choice but to proceed. The Three Tails launched another attack, this time spinning rapidly in a ball and using the terrain to propel itself into the air. It formed a massive shadow over the battlefield before crashing down, creating a crater that obliterated the surrounding forest, including many Mist ninjas who couldn't escape in time.

After rolling to a stop, Isobu summoned the Tailed Beast Bomb, preparing to unleash it. At this moment, many Kirigakure ninjas felt hopeless, unsure how to defeat the beast or survive the impending attack.

Desperation took hold, and Terumi Mei turned to Ghost Lantern Full Moon, asking anxiously, "Where are the reinforcements? Why haven't they arrived yet?"

Ghost Lantern Full Moon shared her concern, scanning the battlefield for any sign of assistance. He feared that if Isobu's attack caused too much damage, Kirigakure would suffer irreparable losses, no matter who was in charge.

In the moments that followed, the Tailed Beast Bomb shot forth, creating a tremendous explosion that generated massive shockwaves, sending water crashing toward the shore. However, the Mist ninjas were stunned to discover that they were not dead. Instead, they saw a huge mushroom cloud where the island once stood in the middle of the lake.

Could it be that, at the last moment, the Fourth Mizukage had regained control and redirected the Tailed Beast Bomb? The Mist ninjas were puzzled.

From the treetops, Terumi Mei and Ghost Lantern Full Moon witnessed something extraordinary. A mysterious man wearing a black fox mask had appeared, seemingly manipulating the direction of the Tailed Beast Bomb with an invisible "net." The bomb exploded near Isobu, incapacitating the beast.

Terumi Mei gasped in disbelief, "Onigoru Jōnin, is this the foreign aid you mentioned? His strength is immense! He's far stronger than the Mizukage."

Ghost Lantern Full Moon scratched his head. "I don't know, but the issue with the Mizukage should be resolved. Let's focus on waking him up. If he steps down sooner, Kirigakure can elect the Fifth Mizukage earlier."

Terumi Mei was astonished and uncertain. "I'm not sure the Fifth Mizukage is the priority right now. Let's figure out how to thank this foreign ally first."

"What did you promise to secure such powerful assistance?" she asked.

Ghost Lantern Full Moon shrugged. "It's like the alliance treaty between Konoha and Sunagakure. Kirigakure must assist Mianma-sama in establishing a new ninja village."

Terumi Mei stared at him in disbelief. "The alliance between Konoha and Sunagakure isn't exactly an alliance; it's more like a subordinate relationship. You've basically sold out the village to get help."

Ghost Lantern Full Moon raised his hands in defense. "Compared to being manipulated by the Fourth Mizukage, these conditions are much better. At least with Mianma-sama, we can negotiate instead of being forced into submission."

Terumi Mei was speechless but reluctantly acknowledged the truth in his words.

Despite everything, the situation in Kirigakure still depended on the Fourth Mizukage and the elusive Mianma-sama, the true powers behind the village.

As the battle continued, Ghost Lantern Full Moon pointed out, "Look, the masked man who was controlling the Fourth Mizukage is now in direct combat with him, trying to regain control of Isobu."

Terumi Mei followed his gaze, spotting two masked figures locked in a confrontation. "Full Moon, do these strongmen always wear masks? What's with that trend?"

Ghost Lantern Full Moon was taken aback. "Terumi Mei, at our level, appearance isn't what matters. We identify others by their chakra and scent. You know that, right?"

Terumi Mei, however, was too distracted by the mystery of these masked figures to care much about chakra identification. She had heard rumors about Ghost Lantern Full Moon, though—how he and other powerful men might be of interest to her, considering her history with the Bloodline Limits.

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