Chapter 52: The Eye's Threshold — The Flying Thunder God Mark!
Standing at the bow of the ship, Kitagawa Gen gazed at the sea mist rising around them. The ocean breeze tousled his short hair, filling him with a rare sense of joy.
In stark contrast, Zabuza—tied up tightly at the back of the boat—wore a much darker expression.
"Damn brat…"
He cursed under his breath as they drew closer to Kirigakure, frustration bubbling inside him. But there was nothing he could do.
Recalling the earlier battle only deepened his sense of powerlessness.
Even with both Kakashi and Jiraiya coming at him, he had no chance—especially with their coordination and use of the Hidden Mist Technique. Leaving was simply out of the question.
It wasn't that he couldn't let go of Haku. The truth was, he didn't have the confidence to escape from these two monsters alive.
What made it worse was that he had genuinely believed Haku could take care of that annoying kid.
Yet not only did that "kid" prove to be frighteningly strong, but Haku was also defeated far too quickly.
"We're almost there."
Zabuza's heart sank.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, seemed to be in good spirits. He strolled up to the bow, peering toward the distant shoreline before turning to Gen.
"Kid, just reminding you again—this mission isn't like the last one. You're sure your Flying Thunder God is ready, right?"
"Yeah, this is no time to mess around," Kakashi chimed in, finally putting down his book. He had been nagging Gen for updates throughout the trip, but now wore a teasing smile.
"Even with Zabuza here to 'help,' your Flying Thunder God is the key to this mission. We're counting on you."
"Relax," Gen nodded confidently. "I never do anything I'm not sure of. Once we land, I'll set up some marks. That way, if we need to make a quick getaway, we'll be ready."
Although Gen wasn't yet a master of the Flying Thunder God technique—and the teleportation range was still a bit unreliable—he could at least ensure everyone landed safely at a designated spot.
After all, he had plenty of chakra to spare.
"Besides… I've made some new discoveries."
The fight with Haku had been smooth—surprisingly so. Haku was no pushover, that was certain.
But for someone like Gen—who may not yet stand at the very top but could easily dominate a mid-tier battlefield—it was manageable.
The most valuable takeaway, however, was his deeper understanding of Ice Release.
Ice Release, like all Kekkei Genkai, was anything but simple.
Gen's bloodline gave him innate control over chakra as if it were second nature. But without a clear reference or framework, merely mixing chakra types wasn't enough to produce a true Kekkei Genkai.
"What I've been doing is more like the combination jutsu used by Hiruzen Sarutobi or Kakuzu…"
True bloodline fusion required precise chakra ratios, synchronized flow, and structural shaping to form a stable technique. Every step had to be seamless—one mistake, and the entire process would collapse.
"No wonder there are so many ninja in the world, yet so few with Kekkei Genkai…"
Gen couldn't help but marvel at the thought. And then another idea struck him: if chakra fusion could be passed down through bloodlines, could it also enhance one's lineage?
"If that's the case… this could be a massive advantage for me."
He muttered quietly to himself, eyes gleaming with excitement. Collecting, learning, and mastering Kekkei Genkai had always been part of his long-term plan.
This promising start made him genuinely happy. And he was sure—with enough training—he'd fully master Ice Release soon enough.
"Besides… I think my eyes are close to reaching a new threshold…"
As the coastline drew nearer, Gen gently rubbed his eyes.
His chakra absorption had slowed, but in its place, a strange power had begun to seep out from within. Outwardly, his eyes looked normal—but deep inside, he could see a growing white glow.
"Am I getting closer to becoming 'Hyūga Gen'?"
Gen couldn't help but mock himself mentally.
Even if he did turn into 'Hyūga Gen,' he wasn't too worried.
Tailed Beasts, the Tenseigan on the moon—he wasn't about to let his eyes be limited to just the Byakugan.
His real concern?
What if he ended up growing a horn on his forehead?
---
Night fell, and the cold wind swept through the land.
A thick fog blanketed Kirigakure, shrouding the village in a veil of mist and moonlight. Beneath the eerie calm, silence reigned over the Hidden Mist Village.
In an underground base, Genji swept his gaze over the gathered shinobi before him.
Second only to the Mizukage in power, Genji had attracted a considerable following—especially now, with the Mizukage losing the people's trust. His subordinates, loyal and numerous, were all present for a mission of grave importance.
"Ao," Genji said sternly, his gaze settling on the kneeling ninja, "confirm it one last time. Are you absolutely sure about what you saw?"
"You know how serious this is. We can't afford any mistakes."
Ao remained half-kneeling, his voice solemn. "Yes, Elder. I'm sure. Byakugan doesn't lie. The chakra within the Mizukage is in utter chaos—it's clearly the sign of a genjutsu. He... he's been controlled."
The idea that the Mizukage had been manipulated was unthinkable, yet here they were—facing that very truth.
"You all heard him," Genji said, his voice colder now, graver. "To allow this to happen within Kirigakure is a disgrace. We must put a stop to this—no matter the cost. Are you all prepared?"
In unison, every shinobi dropped to one knee and answered with thunderous voices.
"We await your command!"
Genji gave a small nod. He never craved the position of Mizukage. Had he desired it, he could've easily taken it—especially with how tyrannical the current Mizukage had become over the years. But personal ambition wasn't his goal.
That didn't mean he'd tolerate someone disgracing the Hidden Mist like this.
This had to end—and tonight, it would.
---
"Time to end this…"
Under the dim moonlight, Hoshigaki Kisame made his way toward the Anbu base.
He had once again been forced to kill a comrade—this time, a girl who had treated him with rare kindness. Since that moment, a question had haunted him:
What is the point of my existence? What am I protecting when I say I fight for my village?
No answer came, only a deepening sense of emptiness. But there was one thing he could do.
"Suikazan Fuguki…"
Murmuring the name with a dark edge, Kisame moved forward—unaware that someone had been silently watching him.
"It's going well," a masked Uchiha Obito said coldly from the shadows. "Looks like he's finally ready to make his move."
Beside him, Zetsu nodded. "Yes. After this, if you step in and guide him, he'll become your most loyal follower. But Obito… Kirigakure won't stay quiet tonight."
"That's fine," Obito replied without concern. "The forces loyal to the Mizukage are already mobilized, aren't they?"
His gaze never left Kisame as he continued.
"Once Kisame handles Fuguki, we'll have Yagura show up to 'restore order.' The more of them that die in the chaos, the better for us."
Why not just admit this is all for Rin's sake and be done with it… Black Zetsu cursed inwardly but didn't speak up. Instead, he gave a slight nod.
"It's all in place. Now we just wait."
"Good."
Obito looked up at the fog-shrouded full moon, his voice a low whisper.
"Tonight will have a satisfying conclusion…"
---
"We've finally arrived."
Under the moonlit sky, Kitagawa Gen and his team stood just outside the Hidden Mist, guided—albeit reluctantly—by Zabuza Momochi.
To be fair, things had gone smoother with Zabuza's help. Though clearly trying to find a way to escape, he hadn't betrayed them. Not yet, at least.
The village loomed ahead, ghostlike through the mist. Jiraiya stroked his chin, eyes narrowing.
"If you're right, Gen, then things are about to get very complicated."
"Definitely," Kakashi added, now fully alert. "We're not going to just walk in and ask for directions to the Mizukage's office. The village won't be easy to infiltrate."
Even Zabuza let out a cold snort at that—clearly aware of the danger.
"Jiraiya-sensei, Kakashi-sensei," Gen spoke up suddenly, his voice tinged with puzzlement, "there's something strange…"
"What is it?"
Jiraiya and Kakashi turned to him, curious. Gen furrowed his brows and replied:
"It's faint, but… I think I can sense a Flying Thunder God mark inside the village."
He paused.
"And if I'm not mistaken… it belongs to the Fourth Hokage."
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