I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 432 Sometimes, the answer is already in your heart before you even ask a question; asking is merely a way to put your mind at ease.

"Yagura, why did you ask me to meet with you alone?"

In the rainforest, Genmi looked at the small Yagura with his hands behind his back, scrutinizing him.

Yagura's behavior was undoubtedly out of line. Genmi could have simply ignored him or even convicted him of attempting to murder the Mizukage. No one in the village would have dared to object.

But Genmi still came, because he wasn't afraid at all. In his eyes, no matter how outstanding Yagura was, he was still just a junior. How could he possibly pose a threat to him?

Moreover, Yagura's excellence was not particularly outstanding.

Genmi didn't mind taking a risk to hear what this young man, who had been away from the village for two years, had to say.

Yagura bowed his head respectfully and said, "Lord Mizukage, I only recently returned to Kirigakure. In less than two years, the village has undergone tremendous changes and has become increasingly prosperous."

Genmi nodded. Although he knew that what Yagura said was not the key topic, Genmi was still very proud. This was the result of his hard work. By combining kindness and strictness, the village was thriving.

Seeing that Genmi did not interrupt him, Yagura continued, "Based on my observations over the past few days, I've noticed that the topics of conversation in the village are becoming increasingly outrageous, to the point that they even dare to spread rumors and mislead the public."

"It's alright. The villagers can't understand the deeper meaning of the village's various decisions, so they will naturally have doubts. Besides, their casual conversations sometimes contain principles of governance. Although we shouldn't listen to only one side of the story, we can't ignore them either."

Genmi frowned slightly. If it were two years ago, there would never have been such noises in the village, but now, these noises were allowed by him.

Yagura's objection might simply be due to his long absence from the village, making him unaware of its current atmosphere.

But Yagura shook his head and said, "They've gone beyond just criticizing the village's policies; they've directly slandered and attacked the village's higher-ups."

"Um?"

"A few days ago, when I visited Lord Mizukage's residence, I overheard his servants slandering you. Are you aware of this?"

Tell me about it.

"I have heard those people make wild claims that you, Lord Mizukage, have been suffering from insomnia lately, often staying up all night. They also say that they saw you, Lord Mizukage, with horns growing out of the candlelight projection."

Lord Mizukage, you cannot be unaware of the damage such slanderous words have caused to the village.

Yagura raised his head, looking directly at Genmi. Genmi narrowed his eyes and said, "Who's spouting nonsense? Growing horns—isn't that a symbol of the Kaguya clan? Are you trying to frame me as an evil bloodline limit ninja?"

Hearing the murderous intent hidden in Genmi's tone, Yagura lowered his head slightly again and said, "Lord Mizukage, I am guilty."

"Tell me what you did?"

"Without the village's consent, I arrested the person who spread the rumors and subjected him to severe interrogation. However, I am incompetent and have been unable to find out who ordered him to do it."

"now that."

"Lord Mizukage!"

Yagura interrupted Genmi, who was about to speak, and said, "I am unworthy, but I hope that Lord Mizukage will personally interrogate the thief!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yagura raised his long staff and slammed it on the ground, triggering the trap. The steel wire moved and dragged through the rainforest. Genmi frowned and watched Yagura warily.

However, Yagura did not threaten Genmi's actions. Not far away, an extremely realistic curtain fell, and another Yagura was controlling a water sphere. Inside the water sphere was a girl who was no longer human.

Although she was completely unrecognizable, Genmi still recognized her from her clothing and accessories; she was one of his servants.

"Bang!"

Yagura, who controlled the water prison, transformed into a ball of water and landed on the ground at the same time as the water prison. The bound maid also fell heavily to the ground, making her already twisted joints and broken bones look even more grotesque.

The maid, barely clinging to life, looked pleadingly at Yagura and whispered, "Lord Yagura, I...I didn't...I really didn't lie."

Genmi's face darkened completely. As his maid and a member of Kirigakure, she was actually pleading with another person in front of him. He turned to look at Yagura, his expression becoming extremely displeased.

Yagura's expression remained calm. He even gestured towards the maid and said, "Lord Mizukage, please."

Genmi glanced at the maid and asked, "Was it you who saw me grow horns?"

The maid nodded her head with all her might, even though she was lying on the ground and her head would be covered in mud when she nodded. At this moment, she seemed to have grasped at the last straw and kept nodding.

"Nonsense! If I were guilty simply because someone falsely accused me, that would be utterly ridiculous!"

Genmi said angrily, looking at Yagura, "You summoned me here today just to watch this clumsy farce? Yagura, what are your intentions?"

"Lord Mizukage, please calm your anger."

Yagura knelt down, looked up, and said with a face full of fanatical worship, "Lord Mizukage, I am the most loyal follower of your will, the most steadfast believer of your beliefs, and the most devoted supporter of the Village of Blood Mist."

But you betrayed your will, betrayed your beliefs, betrayed the Village of Blood Mist, betrayed Kirigakure.

"Enough! I am the Mizukage! How could I betray Kirigakure?!"

"Lord Mizukage, I implore you to return the Village of the Bloody Mist. Please die here. Only in this way will Kirigakure remain the Village of the Bloody Mist, and you will remain the Third Mizukage of the village."

Genmi looked into Yagura's eyes and saw a burning conviction. For a moment, she felt a sense of familiarity; it was a reflection of herself in the mirror.

But that's wrong!

Genmi gritted his teeth and said, "Yagura, kill yourself, and I will forgive everything you've done today, otherwise..."

"Thump~"

Yagura shook his head in disappointment, stood up leaning on his long cane, and said, "Genmi, since I chose to discuss this matter with you, it means I have already investigated the truth. Why do you resist so stubbornly?"

"What did you call me?!"

Enraged, Genmi instantly charged towards Yagura. Yagura formed hand seals, and a cloud of mist gathered in front of him, forming a water droplet, which then transformed into a water mirror.

Genmi swung his fist, trying to break the fragile water mirror. At the same time, Yagura's long staff also struck the back of the water mirror.

"Water Release: Water Mirror Technique!"

Another Xuanmi burst forth from the mirror, and the two fists collided and clashed.

"Thump~"

A muffled sound echoed through the forest. Genmi stared incredulously at the figure before him that looked almost exactly like himself. Yagura then said:

"Xuanmi, your current reckless behavior is just like that of the Kaguya clan, who are born with sins."

"impossible!"

Genmi swung his fist again, but the Genmi created by the water mirror almost mirrored his movements, and the two fists collided, still with equal strength.

"I have completely perfected the Water Mirror Technique, Genmi, you have no chance of victory."

Genmi's face showed anger, and he was about to launch an even more ferocious attack, but after a quick glance, he retreated and then sneered, "The flaws in your technique are too great."

Yagura frowned. He seemed to have misjudged something. He had discovered that Genmi possessed the power of the Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit within him, but he didn't seem to be as reckless as the Kaguya clan.

Genmi, looking at the water that was always connected, and now retreating into the mirror because of his retreat, said, "You can't perfect this technique. You can never turn it from a defensive ninjutsu into a free offensive ninjutsu."

If you yourself cannot escape the shackles of your own heart, how can your techniques possibly break free from the shackles you have actively imposed upon yourself?

Stop with your theatrics, or I'll make you shatter this mirror with your own hands.

Yagura hesitated. He knew Genmi's power all too well, and his technique wasn't truly a perfect one. But to ask him to shatter the mirror with his own hands? Impossible!

Seeing that Yagura was still using his crescent-shaped staff to hold up the ridiculous mirror, Genmi's face showed a mocking expression. He clasped his hands together, and his chakra surged within him.

"Corpse Bone Pulse! Dance of the Tang Pine!"

"Knock knock knock~"

Suddenly, countless bone spurs shot out from Genmi's body. Just as Yagura was wondering what was going on, a sense of danger rose in his heart.

"Bang!"

As the silver mirror shattered, water gushed out. Within the still-liquid mirror, each fragment of "Xuanmi" sprouted bone spurs, some of which had even pierced the edges.

However, after losing the nourishment of chakra, these mirror fragments quickly turned into water, including the bone spurs, which also disappeared.

"As expected, it's that evil power of the Corpse Bone Pulse, Genmi. Do you still have the face to return to Kirigakure?"

After understanding Genmi's methods, Yagura shook his head, not caring that his technique had been broken. After all, he was facing the Mizukage of Kirigakure, someone unlike any of his previous enemies.

What he cares about now is the Blood Mist Village, which Genmi has indeed betrayed.

The bone spurs on Genmi's body slowly retracted. A slightly unnatural look flashed across his face. He reached for his ninja tool pouch, and a small medicine bottle fell into his hand. He put his hands behind his back and said:

"Power itself is neither good nor evil; it is the people who wield it who are good or evil. I was too extreme in the past, and I will restore Kirigakure to its right path."

"Your Corpse Bone Pulse wasn't innate, was it? It was acquired through some means, so your bloodline disease is far more severe than that of the Kaguya clan. But it seems you've found an antidote?"

Yagura stared intently at Genmi's hands. Seeing that he had noticed, Genmi openly revealed the medicine bottle and said, "Actually, I don't know when I obtained this power; it was just a coincidence."

The medicines from Konoha also seem to be effective for the bloodline disease of Shikotsumyaku (尸骨脉).

Yagura frowned and asked, "Haven't you ever considered that your Corpse Bone Pulse is a seed of evil planted in you by Konoha?"

"Konoha is not targeting ninjas with bloodline limits."

Genmi unscrewed the medicine bottle, poured a few pills into his palm, and leisurely looked at Yagura. At this distance, Yagura couldn't do anything at all.

He swallowed the pill and looked at Yagura with a relaxed expression. After taking this medicine, he could use the power of the Corpse Bone Pulse without any worries for the next four to five hours!

Yagura's expression was calmer than Genmi's. He said, "I've already investigated the truth. Although I just learned that this drug is effective against bloodline diseases, how could I possibly give you the chance to take it?"

"you?!!"

(End of this chapter)