Undercover in Konoha: I Was the Real Hokage All Along!

Even as he stepped out of the bath and walked to the living room wrapped in a towel, Sazahara Kiri was still reviewing the activation conditions of Kyōka Suigetsu.

"So these 'activation factors'... are they substitutes for a 'Shikai' release?"

He still had some memory of how abilities worked in Bleach. If he recalled correctly, most powers in Bleach required the use of a Zanpakutō to activate. But now, having undergone "localized adaptation," these mechanics had been reshaped to fit the Naruto world into something more akin to jutsu techniques.

"Hand seals, a distinct feature, and a trigger phrase…"

As he muttered, Kiri formed a single "Tiger" hand seal with his left hand.

Instantly, the "Hand Seal" section of his system interface reflected the exact gesture.

"So that's how you assign the components."

"Feature: direct eye contact."

"Trigger phrase… guess I'll just use the original one from the source."

He smirked a bit, feeling like he was cosplaying an anime character.

"Onii-san?" a soft voice called from the kitchen.

Sazahara Yukie peeked her head out, tilting it curiously. "What were you saying just now?"

"Yukie," Kiri called her name calmly.

She instinctively met his bright blue eyes.

At that exact moment, he formed the "Tiger" seal and whispered:

"Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu."

As the words left his mouth, Yukie's face froze for a split second, her gaze fogging with confusion.

A moment later, she blinked and huffed in mild annoyance.

"Seriously? Quit trying to scare me, you idiot big bro!"

What she didn't realize was… the entire time she spoke, she'd been facing a dark corner of the room, not Kiri at all.

Kiri silently disengaged the genjutsu.

Throughout the entire duration, Yukie hadn't sensed a thing. Not even a hint of sensory distortion.

"Even with Yukie, I can't hold it for more than five minutes…"

He frowned slightly.

"Still needs improvement. For now, it's only viable for one-on-one or short-term small group use."

Though he wasn't entirely satisfied, compared to what ordinary ninja had access to, Kyōka Suigetsu had a broken ability, arguably even more powerful than the Sharingan.

"One-on-one? It's an instant win."

The famed three-tomoe Sharingan had made such a name for itself in the ninja world. If Kyōka Suigetsu's true power became widely known, no doubt people would come hunting for it.

"I'd better keep the true effects under wraps."

"Hey, Kiri — you want some fruit?"

"It's all cut and ready!"

"Sure!"

Meanwhile, in Kirigakure...

The coastal village was veiled in thick morning mist, streets blurred in a gray haze. Few voices, even fewer silhouettes. Only the faint blur of a figure darting past here or there.

Compared to the pleasant climates of Konoha or Kumogakure, Kirigakure wasn't made for civilians. Bloodline clans clustered in the village center; non-bloodline ninja lived in the outer rings. Ordinary villagers were scattered a few and far between in hillside outposts.

It was a mirror of the village's hierarchy.

Yagura Karatachi, walking slowly through the misty streets, looked out over the dawn-soaked village and couldn't help but compare it to Konoha.

He sighed quietly.

The upper echelons of Kirigakure are... distorted.

Since the Third Mizukage took office, he'd tried to balance the divide between bloodline clans and common ninja, even adopting extreme policies. But the bloodline clans were simply too powerful.

During the first Five Kage Summit, each village had brought their strongest and their chosen successors. It was meant as a peace summit... but also a leadership handoff.

And only Kirigakure... fell into chaos.

The First Mizukage, Byakuren, confident in his power, was assassinated during a diplomatic visit — the plot orchestrated by bloodline clans. His intended successor, Lord Igen, was ambushed back home and forced into exile for years.

Meanwhile, the clans rushed a controlled election and installed Gengetsu Hōzuki as the Second Mizukage.

That coup rewrote the entire political structure. The clans became dominant. Non-bloodline ninja were shoved to the margins, their promotion paths almost nonexistent. Brutal survival-of-the-fittest trials were enforced to thin their numbers.

Extremism became Kirigakure's identity.

Even when Gengetsu died in the desert and Igen returned, the bloodline elite had cemented their grip. Igen, loyal as he was, remained isolated — unable to reverse the damage.

And so, to survive, he too adopted drastic measures, further fueling the "Blood Mist Village" reputation.

Everyone with a sense knew one thing:

Kirigakure must change.

But how?

Yagura sighed again, then strode into the Mizukage tower.

"Master Gensho."

He dropped to one knee.

Seated cross-legged on a cushion was a thin, elderly monk, garbed in temple robes, a serpent staff resting across his knees.

He was Gensho, an old companion of the First Mizukage and one of the oldest and wisest elders remaining — one of the few non-bloodline leaders in power, and a quiet ally of Mizukage Igen.

Though their views had diverged recently, with Gensho leaning toward moderation and Igen becoming more radical, their shared roots kept their alliance stable.

Yagura was firmly in Gensho's faction — the moderates.

Which is why, upon completing his latest mission, he came to Gensho first.

After a long pause, Gensho slowly opened his eyes and spoke in a calm, almost absent-minded tone:

"Ah... Yagura.

News from the Leaf?"

"Yes, Master."

Yagura respectfully presented a scroll.

"Lady Tsunade's recent operations have been confirmed to be unrelated to our current front."

"As expected."

Gensho showed little reaction. He smacked his lips, pondered for a while, and then muttered:

"Ren gets things done.

Igen's been pushing too hard."

"Yagura."

"I'm listening, Master."

The old monk asked gently:

"How do you feel about that child?"

Yagura hesitated, then carefully replied:

"Ren possesses extraordinary talent, has contributed greatly to the village, and holds a critical position. In this era of war, he's irreplaceable in our rivalry with Konoha."

Gensho considered that, then repeated:

"I mean your feelings toward him."

Yagura remained silent for a while.

As the one in charge of Konoha's intelligence network, he had traced every thread and rebuilt the structure from the ground up. But he still had no clue what happened to his two predecessors.

And sometimes, the lack of clues... was the biggest clue of all.

Only one or two people in all of Konoha could achieve that level of erasure.

At last, Yagura murmured:

"Too long in power, loyalty fades.

I fear Ren... may already seek to build his faction."

The monk showed no surprise.

"That, too, is understandable."

He took a sip of tea, serene as ever.

"If the village treats every shinobi like a pawn...

How can we expect them to feel loyalty in return?"

Yagura had no answer.

After another long pause, Gensho handed over a scroll.

"Rewards must be balanced with punishment."

"Yagura."

"Yes."

"Sometimes, you must remind that child of the village's presence... make him feel it."

Yagura blinked, startled.

But when he met the elder's gaze, he nodded solemnly.

Understood, Master Gensho.

Go, then.