Prologue
Six years earlier…
A sudden jolt of pain shot through his body, as if he were being squeezed to death. The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, was startled awake. Groggy and disoriented, he found himself seated behind his desk in his office. Papers were scattered across it, and one document lay open, revealing a new initiative: the culling of Kekkei Genkai in the Land of Water.
What the hell?
Yagura struggled to piece together what had happened. He looked around his office, trying to remember how he had ended up there. He recalled being at a meeting, but everything went blank after that. His eyes landed on the large map of the Land of Water hanging on the wall, marked with battles, victories, and losses. It resembled the map from the Third Shinobi War, a war that ended years ago. So why was it there now? There was no war.
Isobu? Yagura called out to his tailed beast.
Yes? Isobu's reply was tinged with worry.
Do you remember how we got here?
No. The uncertainty in Isobu's voice was unsettling. What kind of jutsu could affect even a bijuu? That was troubling.
Only one comes to mind, Isobu responded.
What? A jutsu that can affect you of all things? Yagura's surprise was evident. This was news to him.
The Sharingan.
Yagura nearly balked at the response. The Sharingan, a powerful dojutsu exclusive to the Uchiha clan, a renowned clan found only in Konoha. Was Konoha behind this?
Maybe, Isobu said, uncertain. How long were we out?
Yagura glanced at the calendar and nearly balked again. FUCK!
Fuck indeed, Isobu agreed, a rare curse from the bijuu.
It had been three years!
*****
Currently, in Konoha...
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed deeply as he signed off the last of the paperwork scattered across his desk. It was already the middle of the night, and the weight of the Hokage's responsibilities felt heavier than ever. Who said Hokages have it easy? The sheer volume of paperwork was overwhelming. He missed Minato. The pain of losing him twelve years ago still lingered, and the village had yet to find a suitable replacement for the leadership position. Sarutobi had to step in, knowing that the only other viable candidate, Danzo, would be a disastrous choice. Despite being his friend, Danzo's lack of empathy for people and his single-minded focus on the village's goals to the point of militarization made him unsuitable. Other potential candidates were either not in the village or had refused to return.
He glanced at the last document he had signed: the Joint Shinobi Selection Program.
This initiative had shocked the village. No one had expected it to succeed, considering the six years of effort and protests from all sides. The program, which proposed shinobi from different villages working together, was originally suggested at the last Gokage summit but had been heavily opposed. It was a surprise that it had been approved this time. The magnitude of this accomplishment was hard to believe, and even Sarutobi had his doubts.
Six years ago, news from Kiri had reached the shinobi villages. The legendary Yagura Karatachi, the Yondaime Mizukage, known for his harsh and terrible actions toward the village, was discovered to be under a genjutsu, controlled by someone with the Sharingan.
The news sent the village into a panic, fearing it could lead to another war—a war that Sarutobi knew they lacked the resources to fight. Kiri was an elusive village with even more elusive shinobi. The Land of Water also had the greatest number of Kekkei Genkais out of all the villages. According to the report, the Mizukage, under the influence of the Sharingan, would have finalized a genocide against these Kekkei Genkai if he hadn't awakened from the genjutsu.
As a result, Konoha was on high alert. The already scrutinized Uchiha clan faced even more ostracism. Sarutobi tried to intervene, but the relationship between the Uchiha and the villagers only worsened. Soon after, the Uchiha massacre occurred. Some justified it, thinking it was to avoid war with Kiri, but none of those statements were true.
Jiraiya arrived too late to inform that the person responsible for the Mizukage's genjutsu was a member of a group called the Akatsuki—the same group Orochimaru was part of. This group of S-class missing-nin posed a serious threat to all shinobi villages. Kiri requested a meeting with both the Hokage and the Kazekage, which surprised the Kazekage since he wasn't involved.
The meeting was unexpected.
Yagura Karatachi, the Yondaime Mizukage, and Mei Terumi, who would take over as the new Godaime Mizukage after the meeting, wanted to sign a treaty with both Konoha and Suna. Initially, they thought it was a joke, but it was genuine. Yagura was the one who proposed the Joint Shinobi Selection Program and had been its biggest supporter, helping to make it happen this year.
Sarutobi could only hope that this wouldn't end in disaster. After all, Konoha was the first host of the program, a role determined by a draw, and he had drawn the short stick.
*****
In Suna...
"Are you sure you wanted to send Gaara?" Baki asked the Kazekage. Surprised that the man would even let go of the red-headed child. The failed weapon as they call him. The homicidal monster from the others. But still, their Jinchuuriki, and no village in their right mind would just let them go to another village where there is a potential risk for the Jinchuuriki to be discovered or taken. There is a bonus that if Gaara commits something wrong their village could also be implicated.
"I have no choice. At least this time we can have a respite from the disasters he is causing." The Kazekage said to the council.
Deaths and destruction of properties cost money. Money that Suna could not afford to pay.
"Just be glad we got a good deal with us accepting the program." The Kazekage was able to use the program as a negotiation tool to get Konoha to limit their acceptance of missions from the Wind nation daimyo and even give up some pieces of their land in the Wind nation to Suna giving them a little bit more resources they needed to fix their economy.
"At least when he is away, we can focus on our growth for a change," Kazekage argued.
The Suna council at first was against sending Gaara to Konoha to be part of this program. Gaara is their Jinchuuriki and the last thing they needed was Konoha or another village to take their weapon.
The Kazekage sighed. The main reason he agreed was because Yagura promised to help his son in controlling the Bijuu. It was a private conversation between him and the former Mizukage. As much as he didn't want to, Suna was already at a disadvantage compared to the other great five. If they were ranked, they would be last and Gaara's instability is not helping. He didn't tell this to the council mostly because he was afraid that after all their effort, Gaara might not be able to control his bijuu. He won't say anything unless there is results.
"So, who else are we sending?" A council member asked. After all, the program doesn't just send one shinobi.
*****
Meanwhile in Iwa...
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE VOLUNTEERING FOR THIS PROGRAM?!" Onoki, the Sandaime Tsuchikage, bellowed. His breath came in harsh gasps, his nostrils flaring, and it seemed he was just a tick away from a heart attack.
A few months ago, the joint forces of Konoha, Suna, and Kiri launched the Joint Shinobi Selection Program. They made this program available to all shinobi villages, including Iwa and Kumo, which surprised the two villages as they hadn't had good relationships with the other three, especially Konoha.
"I said it plainly. I would like to volunteer for this program." A large, tall man wearing a mask, hat, and armor stood before the Tsuchikage in his office, unfazed by the old man's anger. The man's name was Han, and he was the five-tails Jinchuuriki.
"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! YOU ARE A JINCHUURIKI! YOU CANNOT GO TO KONOHA! THAT'S THE LAST THING YOU SHOULD DO!" Tsuchikage roared.
"Alright," Han replied calmly. "I can always do a Roshi and leave."
A new tick appeared on the old man's forehead. "Is that a threat?"
Han merely shrugged. "So, you agree? I'll go pack." The large man left the office in a hurry. Moments later, a bright white light exploded from the Tsuchikage's office. Most people below didn't even glance up; they were already used to the Tsuchikage's outbursts. This wasn't the first time he had blown up a building.
Han sighed. He didn't care much for the program, but the Yondaime Mizukage had sent him a letter through Roshi. Apparently, the Mizukage wanted him to join and promised to teach him to control the five-tails in return. He had already heard that Roshi was heading somewhere to begin his training. Lucky old man. Why didn't he just follow Roshi's example and leave?
Something tells him, they will still find him regardless.
*****
In Kumo...
Ai, the Yondaime Raikage, was not amused. No, he was not. What was this Joint Shinobi Selection Program anyway? They had heard that Kiri, Suna, and Konoha had joined forces, a big surprise given their histories. Who would have thought these three would get along so well?
These villages decided to launch the program and make it available to all shinobi villages, including those they were strongly hostile to. This was unusual since, even during Chuunin exams, Kumo and Iwa rarely participated if the exams were held in Konoha or Suna. The reasons were obvious: Konoha’s history, Suna's animosity towards Iwa, and Kumo's unwillingness to deal with Suna due to the distance. Plus, Kumo had a treaty with Konoha which failed immensely. Kiri never hosted the Chuunin exams due to its civil war.
So why invite them? Yes, the idea of three powerful shinobi villages joining forces was concerning. They left Kiri alone primarily because of the Yondaime Mizukage, one of the few public Jinchuurikis who, along with Ai's brother, wielded control over their tailed beasts. Bee may have the higher tailed beast but Yagura is Mizukage for a reason.
Ai decided to ignore the missive altogether. Who wanted to join this ridiculous program anyway?
"Raikage-sama, here is an updated report on the Joint Shinobi Selection Program spearheaded by the treaties of Suna, Konoha, and Kiri," Mabui said as she handed him another pile of papers, which Ai eyed with annoyance.
"Ignore everything about that program," he muttered. "It's not like we are joining anyway".
"I think you want to read it," Mabui insisted, raising Ai's curiosity. His secretary had never been insistent before; she always just agreed.
Ai sighed and opened the folder. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! WHY WOULD IWA JOIN? HAS THAT OLD MAN GONE SENILE?!"
*****
Now...
"Mmmmm. Delicious!" Yagura exclaimed as he devoured a large plate of spicy chicken curry in one of the local shops. He was accompanied by Ao, who had been assigned by the current Mizukage to keep an eye on the short, pink-eyed man. As the only person in the village with the Byakugan, Ao was well-suited to watch for any sign of the masked man with the Sharingan.
To the public, Yagura was being detained for the crimes he committed against the village. Despite people knowing he had been under a genjutsu, Yagura still represented a bloody chapter of the village's past and remained a traumatic reminder for many. Thus, Yagura disguised himself while walking around. Officially, he was detained, but in reality, he, Ao, and the new Mizukage were working together to capture the one who had tormented their beloved village.
Mei Terumi, the red-orange-haired Mizukage, had reinforced and added wards around the village, hoping to thwart any future infiltration attempts by the masked man. With many Kekkei Genkai clans moving in, the pressure was high. Few knew that Mei's maternal grandmother was an Uzumaki, making her familiar with many powerful Uzumaki seals.
Ao, the patched-eye man, watched the former Mizukage with a sweat drop. He never knew that beneath the serious and rigid exterior of the world-renowned, ruthless former Mizukage lay a childlike personality with quirky traits. It didn’t help that Yagura looked like a young teenager at best. Despite appearances, Yagura was an adult, older than the current Mizukage.
"Another, please!" Yagura called out enthusiastically to the server, causing Ao to tilt his head.
"I never knew you could eat that much curry, Yagura-sama. That is your fifteenth plate," Ao remarked. Where did he put all that food? It was a miracle he wasn’t fat.
Yagura paused and stared at Ao. "When I was being manipulated, I never got to eat as much as I liked." Lowering his voice, he added, "I'm also a Jinchuuriki, and we need more food than the average shinobi for energy due to our bijuu." He then dug into his next plate.
Don’t I know it, Ao sighed. Utakata, the other Jinchuuriki in the village, had a habit of eating plate after plate of fried dumplings. Most villagers were unaware of Utakata’s status as a Jinchuuriki due to the incident with his sensei. Mei Terumi honored Utakata's condition to keep his identity a secret for his return. Being attractive, Utakata had many fans in the village, mostly girls, and possibly some men. However, he remained elusive and hard to catch.
Lost in thought, Ao suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Mizukage-sama wanted to let you know she sent the missive to the Taki leader."
"Hmmm," Yagura responded.
"This plan of yours is extremely risky, Yagura-sama. I’m surprised you didn’t want Utakata to participate in the program," Ao said.
"Utakata didn’t want to be a sensei," Yagura answered. "You know his last experiences. Besides, that girl, Hotaru, can break down those walls he built around himself. She keeps hounding him to be her sensei. I don’t think she understands the word 'no.'"
Ao felt sorry for Utakata. Apparently, the incident with his sensei had been very traumatic. However, Ao was proud that, for once, the village children could act like children and form bonds that couldn’t be broken. The Mizukage had abolished the previous education system and its horrific graduation exam, established by the late Sandaime Mizukage. Yagura might have removed it himself if he hadn’t been under the genjutsu.
The Joint Shinobi Selection, huh? Ao thought. He heard that Chojuro and Suigetsu (Mangetsu's younger brother) would be participating in the program with Zabuza as their jounin-sensei. Ao grinned, imagining Zabuza’s reaction upon learning the Mizukage had chosen him for the program. It would be an interesting year.
"Alright." Yagura stood up so quickly it startled Ao. "I have finished everything I needed to do. It’s time to find my wife and kids."
Wife and kids? Ao thought. "Wait, WHAT? What wife and kids? Since when were you married?!" Yagura didn’t answer and proceeded to jump out of the window. "Yagura-sama!" Ao tried to grab him, but the server stopped him.
"Sir, you need to pay the bill before you leave."
Ao turned and saw thirty plates stacked together. "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHH?!"