Uchiha's personal opinion

A stream of green poisonous gas shot out from the ferocious maw of the spirit beast, the salamander Ibuki.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

Hanzo the Salamander casually formed hand seals, then unleashed a powerful gust of wind to accelerate the spread of the poisonous mist.

The rapidly spreading poison gas enveloped the Mist Ninja Army, and wherever the gas reached, the Mist Ninjas collapsed, foaming at the mouth.

Kirigakure was already no match for a ninja legend like Hanzo the Salamander, and under the pressure of the poison gas, they were forced to retreat step by step.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

"Water Release: Water Gun!"

The top-ranking ninjas of the Hidden Mist Village organized their subordinates to perform combination ninjutsu in an attempt to organize a defensive counterattack.

"Draw Sword Slash!"

Hanzo the Salamander leaped down from above Ibuki's head, used the Water Body Flicker Technique to flash to the side of a Kirigakure Chunin, and beheaded him without hesitation.

"Chain Sickle Double Strike!"

Immediately afterward, Hanzo the Salamander crouched low and swept across the area, wielding his kusarigama to kill every Kirigakure ninja in his path.

Led by their leader, the Rain Ninja Army once again stepped into the battlefield where blood and fire raged!

……

While Hanzo of the Salamander was single-handedly taking on a thousand men, the massive melee between Uchiha Tokumitsu and Yagura Karatachi seemed to be nearing its end.

Uchiha Tokumitsu's Susanoo had already pinned the half-tailed beast-transformed Yagura Karatachi to the ground, relentlessly punching and pounding him.

During the Eastern Campaign, Yagura Karatachi single-handedly withstood Susanoo without defeat, but now he has been easily suppressed by Tokumitsu Uchiha.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!!!"

Unwilling to accept defeat, Yagura intensified his extraction of tailed beast chakra, attempting to transform into a fully tailed beast form. He no longer cared whether he could maintain his rationality under the erosion of the tailed beast's power in the fully tailed beast form.

"Pumppump!"

However, Yagura's struggles were futile under the relentless blows of Susanoo's iron fists, and even his original Tailed Beast Cloak gradually fell off in small pieces under Uchiha Tokumitsu's hammer blows.

"The technique of severing the tail!"

Yagura realized the situation was dire and that if he continued to be hammered, he would eventually be brutally beaten to death. So he used a secret technique to sever one of his tails in an attempt to escape.

"Uchiha Flowing Fire Formation!"

Yagura Karatachi used the Tail-Severing Technique to break free from Uchiha Tokumitsu's control and was about to escape in a flash, but was unexpectedly blocked by a red flame barrier that shot into the sky!

Although the mobile units that were crouching at the four corners did not participate in the battle between the two, their initial purpose was to stop Yagura Karatachi, who was trying to escape, at this moment.

"Firelight Venerable!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu swung his hand, unleashing the golden flame dragon coiled around Susanoo's body, completely entangling Yagura, who was trying to escape.

Then, he activated the giant hand of Susanoo to grab the waist of the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, pulled him back, and continued to beat him on the ground.

The tailed beast cloak on Yagura's body is getting thinner and thinner.

Although Susanoo's giant fist failed to kill Yagura Karatachi, the powerful shockwave still left him dizzy and disoriented...

"Lord Deguang, let me lend a hand!"

After gaining Uchiha Tokumitsu's approval, the attendant ninja Uzumaki Kae immediately stepped forward, condensed the power of Vajra in her hands, and pressed it down on Yagura's head.

"Sealing Technique: Eight Trigrams Sealing!"

With the sealing technique's enhancement, Yagura's previously restless tailed beast chakra gradually calmed down...

Chapter 202 The Water Shadow Strikes

Uchiha Tokumitsu was also quite troubled about how to deal with Yagura Karatachi, who was imprisoned and captured by the sealing technique.

After Yagura Karatachi in his half-tailed beast form was defeated and captured by Tokumitsu Uchiha, the Kirigakure army, which was already struggling to hold on against Hanzo of the Salamander's rampage and slaughter, collapsed. More than a thousand Kirigakure ninjas abandoned their armor and fled.

But what to do with the prisoner in front of him was a big problem...

If we take them back, the three clans of Kirigakure will definitely make a fuss. The village will also be thrown into turmoil because the Uchiha clan has taken the tailed beast jinchūriki from another ninja village. Moreover, there will be a great risk of civil war. The Uchiha forces, who possess tailed beasts, will completely overwhelm the Hokage lineage in terms of strength. At that time, the balance of power between the two sides will be unbalanced, and civil war will be inevitable.

But if we were to release it...

Putting aside whether Uchiha Tokumitsu himself was willing, if he really released such an important prisoner, the resulting public opinion storm from his clan's lack of understanding, the dissatisfaction of his subordinates from the three Kirigakure clans, the questioning from the Hokage's faction, and the accusations from other ninjas from the same village would be enough to give Uchiha Tokumitsu a hard time.

At that point, being utterly disgraced would be the least of your worries.

Of course, another option is to hand over this Jinchuriki to the village, which would essentially shift the trouble onto the entire Konoha. But Uchiha Tokumitsu isn't stupid, and naturally, he's unwilling to do that.

Therefore, relatively speaking, it might be better to kill them now.

Thinking of this, a fierce glint involuntarily appeared in Uchiha Tokumitsu's eyes.

He looked up and around.

Apart from the Imperial Guard's mobile unit and the Uzumaki retainers, the Rain Ninja, led by Hanzo of the Salamander, conspicuously "pursued" the fleeing Kirigakure ninja, but no one actively approached them.

Everyone here is an adult, and they naturally know that tailed beasts, as a form of "calamity," can bring unnecessary trouble, so they certainly wouldn't shamelessly come over.

Even his subordinates, having snapped out of their euphoria at capturing the Jinchuriki, began to consider the difficult question of what to do with him.

But as subordinates, they dared not offer any advice in front of their illustrious lord, Uchiha Tokumitsu.

So they just kept their heads down, their eyes darting around.

Then, Uchiha Tokumitsu drew his katana from his waist and stared at the numb and lifeless Yagura with fierce eyes.

Two Uzumaki ninjas who were constantly checking the seal's condition instinctively lifted up Yagura, who was lying on the ground. Uzumaki Kae went around to the back and grabbed the Jinchuriki's hair, exposing his neck.

Yagura Karatachi remained lifeless, as if he were not the one waiting to be slaughtered.

Uchiha Tokumitsu's fingers were constantly tapping the hilt of his sword as he pondered whether it was worthwhile to kill someone who might possess the perfect Jinchuriki.

But in the end, Uchiha Tokumitsu still chose to raise his katana.

Just as he was about to swing his sword, Uchiha Tokumitsu was startled and suddenly turned his head to look to the right.

The mobile force under his command, composed of combat ninjas, reacted with alarm and adopted a battle-ready stance, much like small beasts encountering a hungry tiger.

A middle-aged man with black hair, wearing a white sacred robe and holding a straw hat, suddenly appeared not far to the right of the mobile unit.

He squinted his eyes and quietly "watched" Uchiha Tokumitsu and his group.

It was someone I had met briefly on the eastern battlefield—

"The Third Mizukage!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu's expression also turned serious.

He waved his hand, signaling the Uzumaki ninja to drag Yagura Karatachi backward to prevent the Third Mizukage from suddenly taking the hostage.

The mobile unit's Jonin also adjusted their battle formation with tense expressions.

Uchiha Tokumitsu glanced at Yagura Karatachi, who was still sealed and imprisoned, and found that he still looked like a dead fish.

It seems the degree of control is much deeper than we imagined...

"De Guang-jun, it's been a long time, how have you been..."

The Third Mizukage's voice was somewhat ethereal, seemingly possessing a magical power to lull people to sleep.

"I'm sorry to trouble Lord Mizukage with his concern..."

Uchiha Tokumitsu also activated his Sharingan, his eyes flashing with crimson light as he stared intently at the Third Mizukage, who was theoretically one of the "five strongest ninjas in the world."

"Instead of thinking about how to mobilize troops to reclaim the Daimyo's capital in the Land of Water, you've come here to cool off. Aren't you worried about having a stroke...?"

"Daimyo..."

The Third Mizukage chuckled dismissively and said, "Are we the kind of people who would care about worldly matters?"

"Maybe...who knows?"

Uchiha Tokumitsu flicked his left hand across the katana, and flames of fire-style energy immediately rose from the blade.

The Uchiha ninja under his command also took out a signal flare from his pocket and shot it into the sky.

The Third Mizukage casually swung a water bullet in an attempt to shoot down the signal flare.

Uchiha Tokumitsu, who was keeping a close eye on his every move, immediately gathered fire-style chakra and transformed it into a fireball to snipe him.

Accompanied by the deafening explosion of two simple ninjutsu of opposing attributes annihilating each other, a red signal flare slowly rose.

Subsequently, two signal flares, one red and one green, rose up in the direction where the Rain Ninja were pursuing the fleeing Mist Village.

This signifies that the Rain Ninja mercenaries have received an emergency signal and are immediately returning to base.

"Not bad... Is this what they call Fire Release?"

The Third Mizukage murmured, "What an exceptionally talented young man... The Uchiha clan is truly blessed by the Sage of Six Paths!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu did not respond immediately, but instead turned his gaze to the back of the Third Mizukage.

The Third Mizukage noticed Uchiha Tokumitsu's gaze, chuckled, and clapped his hands dismissively.

One after another, figures leaped out of the puddles behind the Third Mizukage. Judging from their attire, they were none other than the Kirigakure Anbu!

"Twenty-four members of the Hidden Mist Guard..."

Uchiha Tokumitsu silently counted the heads.

The seven squads of secret agents happened to be the same number as our side, I don't know if it was a coincidence.

If it wasn't a coincidence but rather intentional, then there's a big problem...

Thinking of those elusive White Zetsu, Uchiha Tokumitsu felt a headache coming on.

If he were merely one of the Five Kage, Uchiha Tokumitsu would have been confident enough to cover his subordinates' retreat even if he couldn't win, and wouldn't have been so anxious.

The problem is that he is now completely certain that the so-called Third Mizukage in front of him is definitely not the real Mizukage, but may be controlled by the legendary ancestor Uchiha Madara, or even come in person!

Fortunately, besides the Mangekyou Sharingan, Uchiha Tokumitsu also had a powerful trump card up his sleeve.

A powerful surge of chakra emanated from afar.

Apart from the Third Mizukage, all the other members of the Kirigakure Anbu were moved by it.

"Hanzo the Salamander..."