Highlights
- Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage, had a tragic life filled with suffering and mind control, making him unable to find closure.
- Despite his suffering, Yagura managed to leave a legacy behind for his village as the strongest shinobi and a successful leader.
- Yagura's reign as Mizukage took a dark turn after being manipulated by the Akatsuki, leading to tyranny and the disapproval of the Hidden Mist village.
The Naruto series is renowned for its characters' tragic backstories and grim pasts, representing the bitter strife that plagues the Shinobi world. While most characters eventually find closure and leave their despair-ridden past behind, some find themselves in a perpetual state of sorrow and misery. Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage, is one such example as this character's life has been nothing short of a tragedy.
From being forced to carry a Tailed Beast at a young age to being perpetually mind-controlled by a rogue ninja, Yagura Karatachi has found himself in inescapable predicaments time and again. Unlike other characters, Yagura could not find closure as his life was rather short-lived. Despite a life of suffering, Yagura still managed to leave a legacy behind for his village to remember him by.
Jinchuriki of the Three-Tails
Similar to almost every other Jinchuriki, Yagura was entrusted with the power of the Three-Tails from a very young age, forcing him into a life of isolation. Unlike other Jinchuriki who were devoid of a normal childhood, Yagura’s life had no major deviations due to the beast sealed within him. This was largely due to the fact that children within the Hidden Mist had to kill their peers in cold blood to graduate from the academy, tainting their lives with blood and trauma early on.
After already undergoing such a horrid trauma, having a Tailed Beast sealed within him was just another tame inconvenience. However, he soon mastered Tailed Beast control, taming Isobu and using its power with complete control. He became one of the few Jinchuriki to master Tailed Beast control, a feat that earned him the title of the strongest shinobi within the Hidden Mist. Since Yagura had already proven his battle prowess and tenacity, he was soon granted the title of the Hidden Mist’s Fourth Mizukage.
Yagura’s Short-lived Reign as the Mizukage
After being elected as the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura earnestly took on the role and sought to rectify his predecessors’ mistakes. Initially, Yagura’s reign over the Hidden Mist was quite prolific as he was able to successfully unite the Land of Water’s scattered islands under one rule, along with scrapping the draconian policies set in place by the previous rulers. His campaign against the increasing number of rogue shinobi also seemed to be successful as several missing-nin were captured or slain by Yagura himself, such as Juzo of the Akatsuki.
However, Yagura’s people-centric leadership soon came to an end after he was confronted by a few members of the Akatsuki. One of them claimed to be ‘Madara Uchiha’ and placed Yagura in a perpetual genjutsu immediately. The genjutsu forced Yagura into unconscious servitude for the caster, without being aware of the jutsu driving his actions.
Soon, all his actions and policies were dictated by Obito, manipulating the Hidden Mist’s political landscape from the shadows. The ‘new Yagura’ reinstated the previous draconian policies, such as slaughtering peers to graduate from the Academy and mercilessly killing those that defected. The name ‘Bloody Mist’ also caught on, reinforcing the fact that the Hidden Mist had indeed reverted to its despotic times.
The Hidden Mist’s Disapproval
Yagura’s reign of tyranny and fear led to the public wanting his execution. His reign also dissipated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, as most of them took up arms against each other and the village. Zabuza did not agree with Yagura’s new policies, leading to a coup d'etat by the swordsman and his followers. However, the coup resulted in a failure and Zabuza barely escaped the Hidden Mist alive.
Fuguki Suikazan, another one of the Mist’s Ninja Swordsmen, leaked intel to other villages. However, Kisame slayed him in cold blood over betraying the village, an action commended by Yagura. Obito or “Madara” revealed himself to Kisame right after, showing him the true identity of those leading the Hidden Mist. Kisame pledged his allegiance to the Akatsuki immediately, leaving behind the Hidden Mist and its puppet Mizukage.
A Tragic Demise
Yagura’s harsh policies had become so extreme that the villagers eventually came to the conclusion that he was being influenced by an external power. After years of control by the Akatsuki, Yagura was finally freed from the genjutsu after Aoi used his Byakugan to dispel the technique keeping him captive. However, it was too late as the prolonged genjutsu had a fatal effect on Yagura’s body.
He died soon after the jutsu was dispelled, leaving behind a legacy tainted by tyranny. Even with the knowledge of Yagura being controlled by an external power, the Hidden Mist detested him for his policies and leadership. Before his death, Yagura had a child who later gave birth to Kagura Kuratachi, the advisor to the Sixth Mizukage. While Yagura’s own life was short-lived and filled with tragedy, his kin were able to establish his legacy to keep the Karatachi name alive.
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