The Mizukage Is Strong But Overly Cautious

At this moment, a thought flashed through Hozuki Mangetsu's mind more than once.

He wanted to push Mizuki Ryosuke aside and shout, "I will become the Jinchūriki! Let me do it! I will sacrifice for the village!"

But no matter how much he thought about it, he simply couldn't do it.

Yes, he was afraid. He hesitated.

On the surface, it seemed like fear of death was holding him back, preventing him from becoming a Jinchūriki. But in truth, as the heir to the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu, he was fixated on something else entirely.

The position of Mizukage.

Becoming a Jinchūriki at this moment meant more than just risking his life—it meant abandoning any hope of becoming Mizukage. The moment a shinobi is chosen as a Jinchūriki, their political future is essentially over. The village would never place a Jinchūriki in a leadership position, no matter how strong they were.

Even Yagura Karatachi, a perfect Jinchūriki, had only become the Fourth Mizukage due to external manipulation by Uchiha Obito through Genjutsu.

And so, with Third Mizukage's body not yet cold, Hozuki Mangetsu was already weighing his chances of claiming the title.

This was the world of shinobi—where interests and power dictated every move.

From Mangetsu's perspective, Mizuki Ryosuke was the most formidable competitor for the Mizukage seat. Not the current Jōnin squad leader, Maeda Yuanshi.

The reason was simple—strength.

Almost everyone in Kirigakure knew that while Maeda Yuanshi was a capable administrator, his combat prowess was far from the Kage level. He lacked the overwhelming presence required to lead the village militarily.

After the recent battle, Kirigakure had lost most of its high-level combatants. The deaths of the Third Mizukage, the Anbu Commander, and Kaguya Clan Leader had left an enormous power vacuum.

At this moment, only Mizuki Ryosuke remained at the Kage level of combat strength.

His feats in the battle spoke for themselves—he had single-handedly slain Yagura, and he had also fought against Six Tails Saiken and sealed it.

This alone was enough to prove his power.

Furthermore, Mizuki Ryosuke belonged to the Mizuki Clan, and with Third Mizukage's sacrifice in sealing Three Tails, the clan's prestige had skyrocketed. The political capital accumulated from this battle would inevitably pass to Ryosuke.

It was no surprise that Ryosuke had gone from an obscure Tokubetsu Jōnin to a top contender for the Mizukage position.

However, Mangetsu still believed he could compete. The Hozuki Clan wielded immense influence, controlling key positions within the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and other military factions. His lineage as the heir of the Second Mizukage also gave him an edge.

But now, Mizuki Ryosuke had done something that shook Mangetsu to the core.

By voluntarily becoming a Jinchūriki, he had effectively withdrawn from the Mizukage race.

The nobility of his action left Mangetsu with an unfamiliar feeling—shame.

Compared to Ryosuke's selfless dedication to the village, his own calculating mindset made him feel small.

Mizuki Ryosuke's image in his mind suddenly became towering.

Although his heart was filled with turmoil, Hozuki Mangetsu remained silent.

Because he knew—he had lost.

He had lost completely.

In the end, he could not overcome his fear of death or his ambition for power.

Mizuki Ryosuke, however, was unfazed by Mangetsu's inner turmoil.

Hearing Maeda Yuanshi's repeated questions, he remained firm.

"Squad Leader Maeda, I have already made my decision."

"Proceed. I will become a Jinchūriki and inherit the will of the Third Mizukage."

To prevent further questioning, Ryosuke even invoked the memory of his father-in-law, whose body had not yet cooled.

Maeda Yuanshi's usually stiff expression softened slightly.

At this moment, he recalled the dying words that Third Mizukage had whispered to him.

"So, it seems…"

"Third Mizukage, you didn't choose the wrong person after all."

Maeda Yuanshi sighed internally, his expression growing solemn.

"Mizuki Ryosuke, on behalf of the village, thank you for your sacrifice!"

With those words, Maeda Yuanshi bowed deeply.

For a Jōnin squad leader, this was an extremely rare display of respect.

Seeing this, Hozuki Mangetsu followed suit, bowing to Mizuki Ryosuke.

Ryosuke's eyebrow twitched slightly.

Just a moment ago, the only person receiving such treatment had been the corpse of Third Mizukage.

"Wait a minute. I'm not dead yet."

"Isn't this just becoming a Jinchūriki? Why do they look at me like I've already been memorialized?"

But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

At this moment, a critical question remained:

Three Tails or Six Tails?

Many years ago, when Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara established Konohagakure, they sought to bring balance to the ninja world.

To achieve this, Hashirama distributed the tailed beasts among the other Great Nations, creating a system of strategic deterrence.

As a result:

• Sunagakure obtained One Tail, Shukaku.

• Iwagakure acquired Four Tails, Son Gokū, and Five Tails, Kokuō.

• Kumogakure gained Two Tails, Matatabi, and Eight Tails, Gyūki.

• Kirigakure received Three Tails, Isobu, and Six Tails, Saiken.

The Land of Fire retained the strongest of them all—Nine Tails, Kurama.

There was even an anomaly—Taki Village received Seven Tails, Chōmei, despite not being one of the Five Great Nations.

The most widely accepted theory was that Sunagakure had originally been meant to receive Seven Tails, but due to financial constraints, the deal fell through, and the beast was instead given to Taki Village.

This division of power had shaped the balance of the ninja world for decades.

For Kirigakure, their two tailed beasts were Three Tails, Isobu, and Six Tails, Saiken.

Originally, Mizuki Ryosuke had set his sights on Three Tails, but now, with Six Tails unexpectedly available, he had another option.

Among the nine tailed beasts, Nine Tails was the strongest, followed closely by Eight Tails, while the rest had their own unique abilities:

• One Tail: Magnet Release and sand manipulation.

• Two Tails: Blue flames resembling ghostly fire.

• Three Tails: Hard carapace and water-based abilities.

• Four Tails: Lava Release, manipulating molten rock.

• Five Tails: Steam Release, generating immense force.

• Six Tails: Bubble-based ninjutsu and acidic breath.

• Seven Tails: Flight and insect-like abilities.

• Eight Tails: Enormous chakra reserves and tentacle attacks.

• Nine Tails: Nearly infinite chakra and unparalleled raw power.

Each tailed beast had strengths that shaped its Jinchūriki.

Once someone became a Jinchūriki, they gained access to the beast's abilities and chakra, drastically increasing their power.

A perfect Jinchūriki could even assume full beast form and use the Tailed Beast Bomb—one of the most destructive techniques in existence.

Now, the question remained.

Would Mizuki Ryosuke choose Three Tails or Six Tails?

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