"Fifth Hokage? What new plans do you have now?" Tsunade asked suspiciously. She knew all too well that this person was a master schemer—whenever an idea popped into his head, nine times out of ten, it spelled trouble.
Hyuga Mirai then explained recent events in the shinobi world: the joint attack by Iwa and Konoha on the Land of Rain, as well as the impending annihilation of the Uchiha clan.
After listening, Tsunade widened her eyes and stared at Mirai. "Don't tell me you had a hand in this too."
"Don't pin this on me. Just like during the Second Shinobi World War—I wasn't even born back then. You should know very well why Konoha initiated the war. The situation now is the same, only with Iwa replacing Suna."
Mirai replied irritably. As for the Uchiha matter, he didn't elaborate much. While he had indeed intervened, his role was merely to accelerate the inevitable—the root cause was the Konoha elders' distrust and unwillingness to accept the Uchiha.
"War again... That old man really..."
Tsunade bit back the word "scourge," sparing the last shred of respect for her former teacher. The Second War had been her rise to fame, and she knew the truth behind it all too well.
Internally, Konoha spread propaganda about the Land of Rain's growing threat under Hanzo's militaristic rule, claiming his ambition to become the Sixth Kage would destabilize neighboring nations.
Externally, they framed it as avenging the Second Hokage—yet their aggression targeted the Land of Rain. Hanzo had been so wronged that letting the Sannin live was nothing short of miraculous, earning him the title of "Demigod" for his restraint.
Now, history repeated itself. The Land of Rain had begun collaborating with the Sand Federation. Though Konoha and Iwa didn't know the extent of their cooperation, the moment they sensed the possibility, they moved to crush it.
With the Land of Rain as the only buffer between the Sand Federation, the Land of Fire, and the Land of Earth, its allegiance to the Federation would escalate tensions, potentially leading to frequent skirmishes.
"The Hokage position is too troublesome. You must have another way, right?"
Tsunade turned away and muttered. She had finally immersed herself in developing new jutsu—returning as Hokage would drown her in tedious affairs again. Unlike the Third, she had no attachment to power; to her, it was nothing but a burden.
"There is, but without your cooperation, wars will keep breaking out." Mirai spoke slowly. "In the shinobi world, economic disparity fuels warmongers. While war has its benefits, unified peace would come faster with your help. If you dislike handling trivial matters, I can assist remotely via the terminal."
With the Hokage on his side, the remaining Konoha clans wouldn't stand a chance. With Tsunade signing off on policies, Mirai could dominate Konoha's economy within three years. Even clans with their own industries would be forced to integrate or face collapse—starving for basic necessities under economic sanctions.
This war had erupted unexpectedly, but the Land of Rain bore the brunt, shielding the Sand Federation. With Tsunade's internal support, the situation would improve significantly.
"You're always so persuasive."
Tsunade sighed, her tone softening—a tacit agreement. Compounded by Mirai's chakra influence, her resistance to his requests had weakened considerably.
"Thank you, Tsunade."
Mirai smiled gratefully before gesturing to the curse mark on her neck. "Should I remove that? It contains my spiritual clone and Yin chakra. Now that your body has adapted to natural energy, you could achieve perfect Sage Mode through surgery."
The cursed Sage Mode wasn't inherently flawed—aside from the physical mutations from absorbing violent natural energy, its power matched the perfected version.
Mirai's real concern was the spiritual clone and Yin chakra, which subtly altered Tsunade's perception of him. Each activation of the cursed mark reinforced this influence.
After a moment's thought, Tsunade shook her head. "No. If I'm returning to Konoha, it's better not to change anything and risk suspicion."
"Fair enough. Your call. But your tailored gene therapy is ready—pick it up before you leave. Don't worry, it's nothing like Orochimaru's freakish experiments. It's the standard version."
Mirai then briefed her on other matters, most of which were logged in the terminal. Knowing Tsunade's aversion to research, he summarized key points before her return to Konoha.
Midway, he mentioned Jiraiya's death—a fact she needed to know, and one he'd withheld long enough.
Though Tsunade's expression remained composed, the faint tremor in her eyelids betrayed her turmoil.
"That fool, always chasing dreams... The shinobi world has no place for idealists."
Neither a tool nor a trailblazer, Jiraiya's death seemed fated—a casualty of the changing times.
Their bond hadn't deepened as it would in another decade. With nearly ten years of minimal contact, the Sannin's ties were limited to battlefield camaraderie. After siding with Mirai, Tsunade had already felt a disconnect from Konoha. Now, after all this time, Jiraiya's passing only brought fleeting sorrow for a lost comrade.
Then, she dragged Mirai out for drinks, determined to drown her grief.
Mirai obliged, indulging her melancholy. The sterile base lacked atmosphere, so they visited a nearby izakaya. Though the sake paled compared to Mirai's private stock, the ambiance sufficed.
Tsunade drank fiercely. Even with his enhanced physique, Mirai's head spun by the end—had he not purged the alcohol with chakra, he'd have been flat-out drunk.
Once Tsunade passed out, he carried her back to the Tea Country base before departing.
---
"Itachi, I failed. Danzo never trusted me. He took one of my Sharingan. I can't stop the Uchiha coup now—it's up to you."
After delivering this message, Uchiha Shisui leapt into the river, ending his life.
Days later, the Uchiha recovered his corpse downstream. Missing both eyes and bloated from days in the water, only his clothes and weapon pouch confirmed his identity—the renowned "Shunshin no Shisui."
His death devastated the clan. Their symbol of strength, the unstoppable Shisui, had been murdered and mutilated.
Though his suicide note was found upstream, the state of his body made suicide unthinkable.
Suspicion fell on two parties: the Konoha elders and Uchiha Itachi.
The elders' hostility toward the Uchiha made them prime suspects. Yet the note's authenticity was dubious—possibly forged by another Sharingan user.
Itachi, Shisui's close friend and a shadowy ANBU operative, drew scrutiny. Without proof, however, the clan couldn't act against their leader's son.
---
In a secluded forest near the Uchiha compound—a training ground Shisui and Itachi once shared—Itachi now met with the self-proclaimed "Madara Uchiha."
"Have you decided? Shisui's death hasn't deterred the coup. If anything, it's fueled their resolve."
Uchiha Obito emerged via Kamui, his masked guise ensuring none would connect him to the "hero" on the Memorial Stone.
"Alone, I can't eliminate the entire clan. I need you to handle the Konoha Military Police. Only then can this succeed."
Though Shisui's death had awakened his Mangekyou, Itachi remained cautious. Shisui, stronger and likewise a Mangekyou wielder, had still fallen. To preserve the Uchiha's honor, he'd shoulder the darkness—but he lacked the strength. Hence, he allied with this "Madara."
Konoha's elders offered no alternatives: either he purged the Uchiha, or ROOT and ANBU would slaughter them as rebels.
"Fine. I've no interest in the rabble. Once this is done, Konoha won't tolerate you. Join Akatsuki."
Obito needed the Uchiha's eyes—for Izanagi and to eliminate future Mangekyou threats. Every clansman had to die.
"By the way, the Uchiha are dealing with the Keiko Trade Association. Before the coup, some planned to meet their representatives near Konoha—likely related."
"I see." Itachi's voice was flat as his Sharingan spun to life.
"No need for you to act. Just leak this to Danzo. He'll handle it eagerly."
(End of Chapter)
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