With a Zanpakutō at the Start,I Built the Strongest Hidden Mist Villag

Orochimaru was starting to regret coming to Takigakure.

If he'd just chosen the Box of Ultimate Bliss in Kusagakure, he wouldn't have kept running into monsters like these.

He'd already faced Kakuzu, the immortal bounty hunter who once tried to assassinate the First Hokage.

Then Sasori of the Red Sand—who killed the Third Kazekage and turned him into a human puppet.

After that, Pain—the leader of Akatsuki—wielding the legendary Rinnegan of the Sage of Six Paths.

And just when he thought he'd escaped their grasp, he crossed paths with another nightmare:

Gengetsu Hōzuki, the Second Mizukage of Kirigakure, a shinobi so powerful he once led his village to greatness.

Every one of them was a top-tier powerhouse of the shinobi world.

But at least the others were still alive.

But Gengetsu Hozuki...

Anyone who'd read a history scroll knew he'd died decades ago—perishing alongside Iwagakure's Second Tsuchikage, Mū, in a mutual kill during the First Great Ninja War.

So how was this man—long dead—suddenly standing here, alive and conscious?

Could this be some secret Kirigakure weapon? A forbidden reanimation experiment?

No… impossible. If that were the case, he would've appeared months ago, when Kirigakure was nearly wiped out by Konoha. But back then, aside from Yagura and that rogue Yuki Yoru, the Mist had no other defenders and was forced to retreat.

So if he's not Kirigakure's doing… then who is he?

"I didn't expect anyone would still recognize me. Guess I haven't been forgotten yet," Gengetsu said with a teasing smile, his tiny mustache twitching. "So, about that Seven-Tails vessel. Mind handing it over? I'm on a mission."

He wasn't acting like an Edo Tensei—he was fully self-aware, not under any control. He even spoke of being on a mission. And that haori he wore—pure white, with the kanji for "six" on the back—was clearly not a typical Kiri uniform.

Orochimaru's sharp eyes flicked over Gengetsu's face, his iris, expression, posture—and that insignia.

That "six" clearly meant something. And if there was a six… were there also a "five," "seven," "eight"…?

"I'm afraid I can't comply, Lord Second Mizukage," Orochimaru replied smoothly. "Konoha needs the Seven-Tails. Besides, aren't Konoha and Kirigakure allies now? A little flexibility between friends?"

"Nope, nope," Gengetsu cut in casually. "I've got a mission to complete. You understand, right? Mission."

His tone was cheerful, but it made it clear—no negotiation.

"If I fail, I'll be in trouble. So how about we stop wasting time?"

"I see…"

The moment the words fell, Orochimaru's body twisted unnaturally—his neck stretching like a snake. With a hiss, he spat out a venomous green serpent, which opened its mouth wide to release a gleaming Kusanagi Sword aimed straight at Gengetsu.

"Negotiations failed, huh?"

Gengetsu sighed. He lifted one hand like a pistol and fired a high-speed Water Gun: Hydrification Bullet—a pressurized shot that struck the Kusanagi midair, deflecting it with a metallic clash.

Orochimaru used the recoil to whip his body around and retreat.

"Oi, snake-skin freak! If you run now, I'll unleash a Steam Imp on your Konoha base, got it?!"

Gengetsu's expression dropped. He was visibly annoyed.

They were already mid-battle, and this guy wanted to escape?

Thanks to Tenteikūra, he'd overheard that Captains of Squad 2 and Squad 13 had already completed their missions. If he, the old-timer, failed here, that'd be seriously embarrassing.

The threat made Orochimaru flinch—and in that instant, their surroundings crystallized.

"Bakudō #73: Tozanshō (Inverse Mountain Crystal)!"

A translucent blue prism enclosed them both.

"Don't even think about running, snake-brat! Hand over the Seven-Tails!"

"A barrier?"

Orochimaru's eyes scanned the crystalline seal. Gengetsu's body began exuding floating bubbles drifting toward him—he's setting up for Steam Imp.

"Wait—if he detonates in this confined space—!"

Orochimaru's face tensed. He immediately bit his thumb, formed seals, and shouted: "Summoning Jutsu!"

A vast cloud of white smoke exploded inside the crystal. The space shook as a massive purple serpent nearly filled the entire crystal cage.

"Orochimaru! What the hell now?! You just summoned me—"

BOOM!!!

A massive explosion cut off Manda's growl. The entire barrier shattered under the blast. When the smoke cleared, Manda was unconscious—badly burned—before vanishing in a puff of white smoke.

Gengetsu grinned, eyes gleaming.

"Using your own summon to soak the blast? Cold-blooded. I like that."

"Being praised by the Second Mizukage… what an honor."

Orochimaru inhaled slowly. "So, if I don't kill you here, I can't take the Seven-Tails back, is that it?"

"Exactly. If you run, I'll show your Konoha a little steam-based surprise. I doubt your village, already struggling against Iwagakure and Kumogakure, can handle that."

"So it's either defeat me… or hand over the Seven-Tails."

"In that case…"

Orochimaru formed the Boar seal. The ground rumbled as a wooden coffin emerged—Edo Tensei.

"Tch. You again—wait… who is that?!"

The Third Kazekage's spirit, half-summoned, glared—but froze when he saw Gengetsu.

Could it be, this is also a forbidden jutsu like Edo Tensei?

"You're using Edo Tensei on me?" Gengetsu tilted his head. "Wow. You really don't get it."

"What do you mean?"

Orochimaru frowned.

He knew Gengetsu's signature jutsu—Steam Imp, water release, and cloning. The Third Kazekage's Iron Sand was a perfect counter. And Edo Tensei could infinitely revive, ideal against explosions.

So why was Gengetsu so calm?

No matter—he'd find out.

"Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki!"

As the Third Kazekage voiced his disbelief, Orochimaru inserted the cursed kunai into the nape of his neck.

But before the soul could fully fuse—

Gengetsu vanished.

A cold flash.

SLASH.

The Third Kazekage was cleaved in half.

"It's useless. Edo Tensei is immortal. Even if you strike mid-activation, it—"

"You sure about that?"

Gengetsu's blade flashed again. With casual precision, he swung his Zanpakutō at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru narrowly dodged—but Gengetsu flicked his fingers. High-speed Water Gun shot forth, followed by bubbling orbs from his palm.

"Bang!"

The Water Gun halted Orochimaru midair. The bubble orbs exploded at point-blank range.

His serpentine body was blasted into fragments.

The battle looked finished.

But Gengetsu didn't strike again. Moments later, Orochimaru emerged from his own ruined remains, unharmed.

"You even saw through my false-death molt…"

His snake-eyes narrowed.

"And how did you destroy the Edo Tensei Kazekage so easily?!"

"You expect me to just tell you, enemy?" Gengetsu scoffed. He patted the sheath of his Zanpakutō. "You give me the Seven-Tails, maybe I'll drop a hint—wait, what?!"

Orochimaru spat out the vessel and tossed it at Gengetsu's feet.

Gengetsu blinked.

"Wait—we were supposed to fight, weren't we? What's with this anticlimax?!"

"Drawing your blade against someone unbeatable is stupidity. And we have no personal vendetta."

Orochimaru's tone cooled. His eyes fell on the fading remnants of the Third Kazekage.

"So now—may I ask? How did you do it, Lord Second?"

"The Edo body regenerates—but not the soul."

Gengetsu's tone shifted slightly as he picked up the vessel. "Edo Tensei drags a soul from the Pure Land. Destroy that soul, and the technique collapses."

He eyed Orochimaru.

"If all Konoha shinobi were as smart as you, maybe you wouldn't have fought Kirigakure to the brink last time."

"…So it's the soul."

Orochimaru ignored the jab and analyzed it deeply.

This meant that Gengetsu Hozuki was able to instantly defeat Impure World Reincarnation because he sliced the Third Kazekage's soul in one strike, causing the Edo Tensei to collapse at its very foundation: the soul.

Orochimaru's gaze fell upon the Zanpakutō at Gengetsu Hozuki's waist.

This sword, was it also a Kusanagi Sword?

In the shinobi world, "Kusanagi" wasn't a singular sword—it referred to a legendary class of blades, like the "Supreme Grade" swords of the One Piece world. No one knew how many there truly were.

Orochimaru's own Kusanagi was renowned for its indestructibility.

It seemed very likely that the Second Mizukage's resurrection was deeply connected to this 'Kusanagi Sword' capable of severing souls!

"You like my Zanpakutō?" Gengetsu noticed his stare and tapped the hilt. "Sorry—it's not for loan."

"Of course."

Orochimaru bowed slightly. "Then I'll take my leave, Lord Second."

After facing Akatsuki and Gengetsu, Orochimaru suddenly felt that Iwagakure and Kumogakure were barely threats in comparison.

One bore the Sage of Six Paths' legendary Rinnegan—while the other wielded the power to sever souls, a long-dead Kage resurrected from the Pure Land!

Compared to these—Konoha's war was just a child's game.

"I have to report everything back—immediately."

He vanished into the shadows.

"Tch. Lame," Gengetsu muttered, walking toward the edge of Takigakure. He activated Tenteikūra to report in.

"Mission complete, Fourth. I even over-delivered."

"There was no Jinchūriki, so I brought back the whole Seven-Tails sealing vessel. Should I return—or?"

"Oh?!"

Inside the Mizukage's office in Kirigakure, Yoru grinned wide.

This operation—sending the division captains—was for two purposes: gathering souls to create a Heavy Spirit Zones, and locating the tailed beasts for the upcoming Tailed Beast Hunt.

As Mizukage, Yoru couldn't just kill indiscriminately anymore—but he wasn't going to let his strength stagnate either.

Tailed Beasts were listed by the system as "special lifeforms". Each kill: 500,000 points. And they respawn infinitely.

Ideal targets for point farming.

Originally, he'd only expected Gengetsu to tag the beast like Yagura had done.

Instead, Gengetsu overperformed—bringing back the entire sealing vessel.

"As expected of the Second Mizukage. My Sixth Division Captain."

Half a million points, right within reach.

"Well done, Gengetsu… Actually, I'll just reverse-summon you here immediately."

PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin