Naruto: Starting as a Defector in The Hidden Mist Village

Chapter 88: 88.Sinking Deeper



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Igawa Bu bit his nails, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the bounty notice on the table. 

50 million ryo… 

Just how terrifying that number was, ordinary people couldn't even begin to imagine. 

To put it into perspective, even Fuguki Suikazan of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen was only worth 35 million ryo. 

And yet, despite being clearly weaker than Fuguki, Igawa's bounty was 15 million higher. 

How could he not be anxious? 

Now, he had to be wary of everyone—lest someone take his head by surprise. 

Beyond the sheer terror of that number, Igawa was also deeply troubled by the description of his increased bounty: 

"Igawa Bu conspired with foreign shinobi, ambushed the Third and Fourth Mizukage, and used genjutsu to control them…" 

The part about colluding with outsiders was easy to deny. But controlling two Mizukage with genjutsu? That was far more problematic. 

The battle between Kirigakure and Konoha had ended in utter defeat, with the only gain being the Byakugan taken from the Hyūga clan. 

The Byakugan could detect abnormalities in chakra, making it possible to identify genjutsu. 

Even though Kirigakure was under the Mizukage's rule, there were still other elders in the village—especially Genji, whose presence made the Mizukage's position far from secure. 

To prevent the genjutsu on the Third and Fourth from being exposed by the Byakugan, Igawa had to keep it firmly in his grasp. 

Ao—either he died, or he became an ally. 

But who was the bastard that had added 20 million ryo to his bounty? 

Midorima Asachi? 

No way. That penniless fool would be lucky to have 100,000 ryo on him, let alone 20 million. 

Wishful thinking! 

But if not Midorima, then who knew enough to add another 20 million? 

Who the hell was this meddling bastard?! 

Igawa racked his brain but couldn't figure out who would stick their nose into this. Frustrated, he slammed his fist on the table in fury. 

"What's got you so worked up?" 

A voice suddenly spoke from behind him, startling Igawa so badly he nearly jumped out of his skin. When he turned around, he saw the masked man standing there. 

"Y-You… how did you get here?" Igawa stammered, his heart pounding. 

"You can call me Uchiha Madara," Tobi said casually. 

Igawa thought he had misheard. 

Uchiha… Madara?! 

The founder of the Uchiha clan? 

Impossible… wasn't he long dead? 

Wait—no. If this man had effortlessly subdued both the Third and Fourth Mizukage, then who else could he be if not Madara? 

Igawa's legs trembled. If he hadn't already been sitting, he might have collapsed on the spot. 

Tobi picked up the bounty notice. 

"50 million ryo? That's quite high…" 

"N-No, not at all!" Igawa quickly said, terrified that Tobi might kill him and claim the bounty for himself. 

"'Used genjutsu to control the Mizukage'?" Tobi's tone darkened as he read the notice. "Who wrote this?" 

"I-I don't know!" Igawa frantically waved his hands. "It wasn't me! I wouldn't increase my own bounty!" 

"No. This is serious. Someone in your village saw me casting genjutsu on the Mizukage. That information cannot leak." Tobi tossed the notice back onto the table. 

"So, I need you to do something for me," Igawa said cautiously. 

"What?" 

"Kill someone for me." Igawa cleared his throat. 

"The one who escaped that night?" Tobi recalled the shinobi who had fled. 

"No. That one can wait. I need you to kill Ao. He has the Byakugan…" Igawa said gravely. 

Having the Third or Fourth Mizukage kill Ao wouldn't be difficult, but it would leave traces. For example, using large-scale Water Release techniques might make people suspect it was an inside job. 

"The Byakugan? Fine. But I'm keeping it," Tobi said with a smirk. 

"That's fine…" Igawa's mind was a mess. He didn't care about who ended up with the Byakan—he just wanted Ao and whoever had increased his bounty dead. 

"Oh, and can you also kill Midorima Asachi?" 

"Midorima Asachi?" Tobi's cold gaze bore into Igawa. 

He was the mastermind behind this entire operation, the core of the plan. And now this fool was treating him like some hired assassin? 

Besides, a low-level shinobi like that wasn't worth his time. 

"Do you think I'm your errand boy?" Tobi asked icily. 

"N-No! Of course not!" Igawa's back broke out in a cold sweat. 

He had definitely overstepped. 

"Why not just increase Midorima's bounty? Someone else will kill him. Your bounty is 50 million, while his is only 10 million. Who do you think people will go after?" Tobi said dryly. 

Igawa thought for a moment and finally understood. 

Right. His bounty was 50 million ryo—an absurdly high number. If that was the case, why not raise Midorima's bounty? 

It didn't have to be too high, but killing Midorima would be much easier than killing him. 

"Then… I'll add another 10 million?" Igawa held up a finger. When Tobi didn't react, he gritted his teeth. "Fifteen million. That's the highest I can go." 

25 million ryo? Not bad. 

Tobi mused silently. The Akatsuki were always short on funds—maybe they could claim this bounty. 

"By the way, I can help you deal with this crisis, but what about the future? If you want to truly control Kirigakure, you'll need to take action," Tobi said, patting Igawa's shoulder. 

"Take action?" Igawa blinked, then images flashed through his mind—the Seven Swordsmen, Zabuza, Mei Terumī… 

No, no. Dealing with them would be easy for the Third and Fourth Mizukage. 

The real threat was the villagers' resistance—especially those with power. 

In other words, those with Kekkei Genkai… 

If they rose up together, even the Mizukage would struggle. 

"I know what to do," Igawa muttered uneasily. 

He didn't want to do this to Kirigakure. Ruling a village stripped of its strength held no satisfaction. 

But if he didn't eliminate the threats, he would die the moment they rebelled. 

There was no turning back now. 

--- 

The next morning, a major incident shook Kirigakure. 

Ao, the Mizukage's trusted aide, was found dead at the village entrance—his body burned, his head missing. 

According to the shinobi who had been on patrol with him, the attacker had carried out the killing to avenge Midorima Asachi. 

"Before killing Ao-sama, he said—'This is for Midorima!'" The surviving shinobi knelt before the Mizukage, his voice trembling with grief. 

"Disgusting! Not only did he collude with outsiders, but he also ambushed and assassinated Ao-sama… We can't let this traitor live!" Igawa roared. "I propose increasing Midorima Asachi's bounty!" 

Ōgaki frowned. Something felt off. 

"Mizukage-sama, I think—" 

"It's decided," the Mizukage cut him off. "Midorima Asachi's crimes are too severe. Increase his bounty by 15 million ryo." 

Igawa smirked. 

Next, he would eliminate Ōgaki, the rest of the Seven Swordsmen, and anyone else who posed a threat—Zabuza, Mei Terumī, or anyone with a Kekkei Genkai. 

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