Sixteen years old, the Fourth Mizukage

When all sides that possessed the ability to stir the winds and clouds of the shinobi world entered a phase of steadily accumulating power, the overall situation of the shinobi world calmed down as well. Although shocking undercurrents were still surging beneath the water, at least on the surface, everyone could still maintain the illusion of peace.

After passing through the initial period filled with waves, shocks, and endless surprises, the students of the Konoha exchange delegation finally began gradually integrating into the study and daily life Kirigakure had arranged for them. They studied the Kirigakure ninja textbooks that Rei Kaguya had begun improving while experiencing the differences between Konoha's and Kirigakure's Ninja Academies in terms of systems, teaching methods, and more.

As for the three members of the exchange delegation who had obtained permission to participate in the History Restoration and Research course, they plunged headfirst into the sea of documents Rei Kaguya had prepared for them. While Rei shamelessly used them as tools to sort information, they also followed him in learning how to extract highly credible historical material from different documents and finally piece together a historical truth buried amid years of war.

Although the three of them had to face a vast ocean of ancient books and materials every day, and although the history they clumsily sorted and pieced together would usually be mercilessly sent back by Rei Kaguya to be redone due to a lack of mutually confirming evidence or because the contents were too vague, none of them—whether the oldest, Jiraiya, or the youngest, Itachi Uchiha—showed any dissatisfaction. Instead, they became increasingly immersed in it.

As for Tsunade… Hm. Because of certain things that seemed destined from birth, she had already begun taking advances from Kirigakure against her future income after successfully commercializing the Yin Seal. To keep her debt from growing larger and larger, she was rarely working hard.

The members of the Konoha exchange delegation were gradually walking into the inescapable net he had woven for them. Kirigakure's own reforms were also advancing steadily with cooperation from all sides. Added to the intelligence sent back by agents, showing that Iwagakure and Kumogakure had already begun secretly contending with each other over their respective interests…

Even Rei Kaguya, as the one laying the plans from behind the scenes, had long foreseen the arrival of this scene. Yet he still could not stop a slight sense of satisfaction from emerging in his heart.

"As expected, if one possesses enough power, one can make the world operate according to one's will to a certain extent… In that case, next comes maintaining the cold war confrontation among the four great shinobi villages while finding a way to have those neutral small nations successively join the 'Akatsuki' conference Nagato envisions, increasing their sense of identification with 'Akatsuki.'"

"As long as I can let Iwagakure and Kumogakure see the effectiveness of the 'Akatsuki' conference, even if it is only to collect intelligence, they should still find a way to have the small ninja villages and small countries under their control send envoys to join the conference… Once the timing is right, the things entrusted to Loulan and Sasori can also be brought onto the stage for promotion and expansion."

Sitting inside the Mizukage's office, Rei Kaguya gently tapped his desk with his finger while constructing future plans in his mind, thinking of ways to maximize the effect of every step as much as possible.

And just as he was thinking about whether he could, through the trip to the moon, obtain a method from Otsutsuki Hamura, who was skilled in space-time ninjutsu, to crack the Kamui dimension and find an opportunity to kill Obito Uchiha, Mei Terumi brought a special visitor into his office.

"Mei? And this is?"

Looking at the visitor before him, who had deliberately disguised his appearance with a cloak and hood and looked unwilling to let outsiders see through his disguise, Rei Kaguya turned his head toward Mei Terumi, who had led him before him, hoping to receive a reasonable explanation from her.

"This person is, hm, the head of the Hyuga branch family, Hizashi Hyuga."

Mei Terumi lightly coughed and said seriously to Rei Kaguya.

"The Hyuga… branch family?"

Rei Kaguya raised his brows and looked doubtfully toward Hizashi Hyuga, who was removing the hood from his head.

"Is it because the ninja who came to Kirigakure for the exchange sent intelligence from this side back to Konoha, causing the Hyuga main family to lose patience?"

"If it were only something that simple, I would not have needed to deliberately disguise myself like this and come to meet you so sneakily, Fourth Mizukage."

Hizashi Hyuga shook his head with a bitter smile. He took out a scroll from inside his clothes and handed it to Rei Kaguya. At the same time, he lowered his voice and said,

"As someone from the branch family, I will not comment much on your method of spreading the main family's Byakugan. But if you have truly made up your mind to do so, then the crisis currently facing the main family may also descend upon you."

Rei Kaguya frowned. He casually opened the intelligence scroll the Hyuga clan had sneakily sent him, then was immediately drawn by one piece of information described in only a few brief words.

"Hiashi Hyuga… was heavily injured inside the Hyuga clan grounds and even had his Byakugan stolen?"

"Yes, Mizukage-sama."

Hizashi Hyuga shook his head with a bitter smile and sighed.

"If not for my elder brother suffering such heavy injuries, the mission of delivering such important intelligence and negotiating with someone like you would never have fallen to a branch family member like me no matter what."

"Was he attacked alone, or did someone else see the attacker's appearance?"

After quickly reading through all the text on the scroll, Rei Kaguya took a deep breath and asked in a low voice.

"My elder brother was attacked while looking after his eldest daughter, Hinata, at night. The attacker severely injured and knocked him unconscious, then stole his Byakugan without alerting any other clansmen. It was not until a servant went to wake him the next day that the clan discovered the fact that he had been attacked."

Hizashi Hyuga's face became serious. He stepped forward and continued,

"Those ancient books and documents transferred to you through Konoha's channels… You should have received them all, correct?"

"I received them and have basically read all of them."

Rei Kaguya closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Then you should also be able to discover clues from them related to the culprit who attacked my elder brother."

Hizashi Hyuga subconsciously clenched his fist. His emotions were agitated, as if he had remembered his unwillingness when branded with the Caged Bird Curse Mark, the humiliation of being easily subdued by the main family's clansmen through the Curse Mark, and the shock he felt before departure when he saw the ancient documents secretly collected by the main family.

"Those Otsutsuki who live on the moon, looking down on us from high above and treating us as livestock… have come to the shinobi world again."

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