Naruto: Starting as a Defector in The Hidden Mist Village

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A piercing laugh cut through the crashing waves, emerging from the darkness. 

"That old man still isn't dead…" Obito gritted his teeth, fury burning in his heart as he watched the surging tide. He leaped high, landing atop a jagged rock. 

Igawa's face paled. He recognized that voice—it was the Third's. This meant the Third Mizukage was still alive. 

In the next instant, another massive ring-shaped shockwave erupted from the Deva Path, expanding outward in all directions. 

The oncoming torrent of water collided with the "Shinra Tensei," sending sparks flying over ten meters high. The water then split around the repulsive force, surging violently to either side. 

"Damn it, that kid's been swallowed by the water," Konan muttered from the air as she watched from above. In the distance, Midorima had first been struck by the Shinra Tensei once more, then submerged by the raging currents. Now, there was no telling where he had been swept away. 

"Whatever. That brat's no threat. After taking two Shinra Tensei head-on, even if he's not dead, he's barely hanging on. Let's deal with the old man first. Oh, and later—you'll handle the kid, got it?" Obito glanced at Igawa. 

Igawa, who had been hit by the Shinra Tensei again, was barely clinging to life. His consciousness was fading fast. 

When Obito spoke to him, he had just managed to pull himself up using the rock for support. Without thinking, he nodded repeatedly as Obito turned his head. 

It was clear to him now—in their eyes, he was nothing. Whether he lived or died depended entirely on the whims of these three. 

As long as Midorima lived, he would never know peace. But with these three around, there wasn't much he could do. Besides, the Third had descended into madness, and dealing with him was the immediate priority. 

Despite the overwhelming anxiety gnawing at him, Igawa had no choice but to agree once Obito gave the order. 

Just then, the Third unleashed another Water Release technique—a roaring dragon of water surged toward Obito. 

"I was going to kill you… but leaving you barely alive seems like a better option. You should thank me, old man… because I'm sparing you." Obito's voice dripped with malice. 

--- 

Meanwhile, back in Kirigakure, tension hung thick in the air. 

After Igawa had chased after the Third and Asachi Midorima, the village guards quickly sensed something was wrong. They tried to gather reinforcements but were sluggish in their response. 

By the time they finally assembled a team, doubts arose—what if it wasn't a big deal? What if the Mizukage could handle it alone? Wouldn't sending a whole squad be overkill? Worse, their primary duty was to protect the village. If everyone left, who would guard Kirigakure? 

Eventually, someone proposed splitting into two groups—one to continue patrols, the other to support the Mizukage. 

"Support? How? Do you even know where the Mizukage went? By the time you find him, the situation will already be over." 

Dissatisfaction lingered, but they had to act regardless. 

A squad of ten was dispatched to aid the Mizukage. 

Yet, half an hour later, none of them returned. 

It was only then that the village guards realized the severity of the situation. Reports were escalated up the chain of command until they reached Ōgaki Yū. 

When Ōgaki heard that the Mizukage had been gone for nearly an hour without returning, a sense of unease settled in. The fact that Igawa hadn't come back either only reinforced his suspicion that something serious had happened. 

While he wouldn't mind Igawa dropping dead, he didn't want anything to happen to the Mizukage. 

He wasn't fit to carry the title of "Mizukage," and if the position had to go to someone else, he'd rather it stayed with Yagura. 

Ōgaki hastily pulled on his pants and rushed out, mobilizing the Anbu and organizing search parties to scour the area for the Mizukage and Igawa. But after finding no trace of Yagura or Igawa, his frustration mounted. 

Then, one of the night guards provided a crucial lead—Igawa had left the village following Terai Midorima. 

"Are you sure?" Ōgaki pressed, sensing the importance of this clue. 

"Positive. But it seemed like Asachi Midorima was chasing an old man, which is why they left the village." 

"An old man? Does Midorima have a grandfather?" Ōgaki asked. 

The guard shook his head. 

He had no idea. 

"Did you get a good look at the old man's face?" Ōgaki pressed further. 

"No. It happened too fast—whoosh, and he was gone." 

Ōgaki glared at the guard. How could an old man move that fast? Even he couldn't vanish in the blink of an eye. 

Still, they finally had a lead. 

"Go! Gather a team and search the Terai household!" 

The results came quickly. The Terai residence's lights were still on, but the house was empty. The only oddity was a broken window. 

They couldn't afford to lose this lead. 

Ōgaki took two measures—first, he placed all of Midorima's close associates under surveillance, including Mei Terumī and Shimomura Shūsaku. Second, he personally led a widespread search, determined to find the Mizukage and Igawa Bu. 

Some even resorted to shouting at the top of their lungs, hoping either Yagura or Igawa would respond—or that the perpetrators would hear them and flee. 

Their goal was to find people, not confront enemies. Dealing with criminals could wait—after all, the taller trees would bear the brunt of any storm. 

Another half-hour passed with no results. 

Exhausted, Ōgaki leaned against a tree to rest. If it were just Igawa missing, he would've given up long ago. 

Let someone else deal with it. If Igawa died, so much the better. 

But then— 

BOOM! 

A deafening explosion erupted not far ahead, followed by a shockwave so powerful it nearly knocked Ōgaki off his feet. 

Instantly sensing the abnormality, he rallied his men and rushed to the mountaintop. 

Looking down, his brow furrowed in confusion. 

The scene below wasn't one of devastation—instead, it was eerily pristine, as if someone had meticulously cleaned it. Not even a single large rock remained. 

What the hell happened here?! 

Ōgaki's mind raced with questions, his unease growing. He immediately ordered his subordinates to investigate while he descended to the foot of the mountain. 

Clearly, a battle had taken place here not long ago—but who the combatants were remained a mystery. 

Just then, all the surrounding ninja turned their attention in one direction. Ōgaki followed their gaze— 

Two figures emerged. 

The Fourth Mizukage walked at the forefront, with Igawa trailing behind… no, he was carrying an old man on his back. 

"Mizukage-sama! Vice-Captain Igawa! What… what happened?" Ōgaki's confusion was palpable. 

"Traitors!" Igawa snarled. "There are those in our village who conspired with outsiders to ambush the Fourth Mizukage. Fortunately, Mizukage-sama exposed them. Though he suffered injuries, he succeeded in rooting out the snakes hiding in Kirigakure. The only tragedy is the Third Mizukage… he was betrayed by rogue ninjas working with outsiders. His memory… is gone." 

By the end, Igawa's voice trembled as if on the verge of tears. 

"Who was the traitor?" Ōgaki demanded. 

"Asachi Midorima." Igawa dug his nails into his thigh, struggling not to laugh.