Yagura did not follow the ship all the way back.
Traveling by ship was too slow. The journey from the Land of Artisans to the Land of Water would take another two or three days.
He couldn't afford to wait even a single day.
After confirming that the people of the Land of Artisans were mentally committed and wouldn't go back on their word, Yagura leaped off the ship. Utilizing Lightning Release for propulsion and Wind Release for support, he pushed himself to the fastest possible speed back to Kirigakure.
...
The funeral for the Third Mizukage began the day after his death and concluded on the third day. His body was entombed underground, resting alongside the First and Second Mizukage.
Yagura had been delayed in the Land of Artisans and hadn't been able to return in time.
Since he had set everything in motion, it was only fitting that he personally saw things through to the end.
Suppressing his urge to rush back to Kirigakure, he could only rely on the reports delivered by the messengers sent by Elder Genshi.
Before his death, the Third Mizukage had instructed Elder Genshi to keep his funeral simple.
He understood his own reputation in the village.
Some people wouldn't mourn his passing. Instead, they might even celebrate it with lanterns and festivities.
Both the upper echelons and the common citizens of Kirigakure had little affection for this Third Mizukage, who had not only maintained but also intensified the oppressive policies of his predecessors over his thirty-year rule.
Thus, the funeral was held with minimal ceremony, and attendance was sparse.
Only a handful of key figures were present: the administrative officials of the Mizukage Building, led by Elder Genshi, members of the ANBU, the heads of the major clans and their representatives—those who had been frequently called to meetings in recent days, emissaries from the Daimyō's court, envoys from the other four great nations—Fire, Wind, Earth, and Lightning—as well as a few smaller countries sending diplomatic condolences.
Absent, however, were the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, who were scattered across various locations like the Land of Rain and the Land of Snow, carrying out their missions.
...
At dawn the following day, Yagura once again stepped onto the land of the Land of Water.
On land, he couldn't move as swiftly as he had over the sea, so his pace slowed slightly.
By a little after six in the morning, he arrived outside Kirigakure.
From a distance, he could see people waiting at the village gate.
At the forefront stood Elder Genshi, leaning on his staff.
Yagura only needed a moment to realize that the ANBU members following him had used their secret techniques to notify the elder.
Dispersing the lightning flickering around his body and the wind-propelled currents behind him, Yagura descended rapidly from the sky. Slowing himself mid-air, he landed lightly before Elder Genshi, dropping to one knee.
Looking up, he saw the elder's face, now seeming even older than before. But in the man's eyes, Yagura could see the glimmer of relief and happiness.
"Yagura, my boy, you've returned."
After more than a month apart, and after receiving news of the Third Mizukage's death, Yagura had countless questions he wanted answered and too many thoughts he longed to share.
"Elder, I was late."
As he spoke, tears welled up and slipped from his eyes.
Elder Genshi nodded repeatedly, his expression sincere.
"Good, good. As long as you've returned."
Jōhei, you didn't misjudge this child.
He has a sincere heart. He truly cares.
Behind Elder Genshi, over a hundred Kirigakure shinobi stood in silence, watching their young Mizukage.
They had all heard the rumors over the past few days—he was coming.
When they saw Elder Genshi waiting outside the village this morning, they knew it was true.
Some among them recognized Yagura, including members of the ANBU and those who had participated in the Three-Tails sealing battle.
But for the majority, he was unfamiliar.
Their gazes carried skepticism, doubt, indifference, and even apathy.
Yagura ignored these looks. He would prove himself through his actions—in the next three years and beyond.
"Elder Genshi, I want to visit the Third Mizukage first."
"Of course, of course. That is only right."
Elder Genshi helped Yagura to his feet, patting his hand in reassurance before calling out, "Ao."
A figure promptly stepped forward. "Yes!"
"Please escort Yagura there."
Elder Genshi chuckled warmly. "I move too slowly. I'll follow later."
"Understood."
Glancing at Ao's new ANBU mask and recognizing the features beneath it, Yagura gave a small nod.
"Alright. Thank you."
He gestured for Ao to take the lead and followed after him.
They walked past the gathered shinobi, entering the village.
...
Elder Genshi turned to the assembled Kirigakure nin.
He had been waiting here since earlier that morning.
As time passed, shinobi had begun gathering, watching from a distance. He had ignored them.
His silence had emboldened them.
Over the past hour, the number of onlookers had swelled.
"Alright, what are you all standing around here for?"
Tap. Tap.
Elder Genshi tapped his staff lightly on the ground, his voice a mix of reprimand and gentle persuasion.
"Go back to your duties."
"Elder, it's not that we're trying to—"
"If you have doubts, you are free to challenge the acting Mizukage yourself."
With that single statement, Elder Genshi silenced the shinobi who had spoken up, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd with quiet authority.
As the longest-serving and most respected elder in Kirigakure, Elder Genshi had been revered by many since the day they were born.
Even the bloodstained warriors of Kirigakure hesitated to cross him.
Sensing his growing displeasure, they lowered their heads in submission.
In some ways, Elder Genshi commanded more respect and admiration than the Mizukage himself.
"The Third Mizukage trusted the acting Mizukage. And so do I."
His tone was stern as he addressed the assembled shinobi, standing firmly behind Yagura.
"I don't expect you all to accept him immediately. But I ask that you give him time. He will prove himself—and he will give you an answer worth waiting for."
...
Kirigakure Cemetery.
Deep within the cemetery, an isolated section stood apart—this was the final resting place of the Three Mizukage and the two former Elders since the founding of Kirigakure.
Yagura stopped by a roadside vendor to buy white flowers before following Ao into the cemetery.
Ao had been, and still was, a member of the Kirigakure Anbu.
During the battle to seal the Three-Tails, he had been tasked with guarding Yagura. He was the one who had lectured Yagura without reservation.
After Yagura took up his post at the Mizukage Building, Ao found himself unwillingly dragged into handling administrative affairs.
During this period, his remarkable efficiency among the Anbu caught the attention of the Third Mizukage and Elder Genshi.
Now, while still earning an Anbu's salary, he also worked as an administrative officer, serving at Elder Genshi's side.
Ao temporarily lifted the cemetery's seal, stepping in first before turning back to signal Yagura forward.
In the past, Yagura would have likely joked with Ao about how well-guarded this place was.
But today, neither the time nor the mood was right.
With five bouquets in hand, Yagura started with the First Mizukage, Byakuren, bowing before each of his predecessors and placing white flowers upon their memorials.
The First Mizukage, Byakuren. The First Elder. The Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki. The Second Elder.
Finally, Yagura arrived at an elderly man's tombstone.
He looked at the name and inscription engraved upon it:
Third Mizukage, Jōhei.
Lived to the age of seventy-four.
Yagura lowered his head, silently placing the flowers at the foot of the stone.
Thinking they were slightly askew, he adjusted them until they sat just right.
He had expected to break down in front of the memorial, to cry out once again, to demand answers from the old man—to curse him for his abrupt departure.
But no tears came.
Ao, watching Yagura closely, finally spoke.
"That day, after you left the village, the Third Mizukage said this to me…"
He recounted the very words spoken when he had delivered his report that day.
Yagura clutched his chest tightly, eyes locked on the tombstone, his voice hoarse.
"So, you just thought I was too noisy, huh?"
Is that why you wouldn't even see me one last time before leaving this world—so you could finally have some peace and quiet?
...
[Isobu (suddenly surfacing): Hey, Yagura!
Yagura (looking up): Hm? You calling me?
Isobu (hesitant): Yeah, Yagura, I'm talking to you. Uh… my condolences. That's the right thing to say, isn't it? That's how you humans talk, right?]
Yagura had once told Isobu that if it didn't know what to say, it should just say less. But this time, Isobu had gotten it right.
A long silence followed.
...
[Yagura: Pfft! Hahaha!
Isobu: Why are you laughing?
Yagura: Nothing… Thanks for the thought, Isobu. Don't worry—I'm not that fragile.]
If he had any tears left to shed, they had long since dried up the moment he first heard the news.
More than dwelling in grief, there was something far more important for him to accomplish.
Wiping away the fresh tears that had welled up at the corners of his eyes, Yagura turned to Ao and said,
"Thank you for telling me this, Ao."
Ao took a deep breath and responded, "…Of course."
The Third Mizukage had spent over thirty years in power, making countless mistakes along the way, leading Kirigakure down many dark and misguided paths, weakening its strength.
But in his final year, towards the Fourth Mizukage—towards Yagura himself—he had, at the very least, fulfilled his duty as a Mizukage.
From an objective standpoint, from personal observation, Yagura knew that in those last moments, the Third had entrusted him with the village's future, investing in him the responsibilities and faith befitting a Mizukage.
And Yagura would prove worthy of that trust.
He would strengthen Kirigakure, make it a village where its people could live better lives, where its shinobi could grow stronger—transform it into the greatest, most formidable shinobi village in the world.
That would be his answer to the late Third Mizukage.
That would be his lifelong mission as the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo