Three Wolves Mountain – Land of Iron
The Land of Iron was covered in a fresh white layer of snow that was falling slowly. A meeting about recent events in Leaf Village was going on in the manor of Mifune, the general of all samurai.
Several samurai sat down by Mifune's side at the long table. Intelligence from the Land of Fire reached here through messenger birds of the spies.
A bald samurai with a facial tattoo stepped forward. "General Mifune, I would like to discuss the report from the Leaf Village concerning a boy named Ryu Hamura."
"I have been hearing about this boy." Mifune gestured for him to continue. "What has he done now?"
He picked up a report. "He has forged an artefact-grade blade."
The room went still.
One of the senior councillors leaned forward. "Artefact-grade? You must be joking?"
"Confirmed by multiple sources," the aide said. "The name of the sword is Senbonzakura."
Mifune's fingers tapped once against his scabbard. "A new artefact-grade blade. The first in many centuries."
He glanced at the map on the wall—the Five Great Nations were marked in different colours, trade routes were drawn in ink, and the Land of Iron was proudly neutral at the centre. Conducting business with every nation.
The minister spoke. "General, may I suggest that we issue a bounty?"
Mifune turned his head slowly.
"No," Mifune said.
"But General—"
"No bounty." Mifune's voice was calm but final. "Hamura is an entrepreneur and skilled craftsman who could be useful to us down the road. Our country may be rich but only due to a single valuable resource others don't have. What if we are not the only ones?"
The ministers nodded. The recent minor discovery of chakra metal in the Land of Rivers had scared them already.
Mifune continued, "We need to diversify to keep up with other nations. Just like the Land of Rivers is doing now. Our spies report he has begun work in the Land of Rivers—new energy infrastructure, new transport systems, iron production, and much more. All his prototype projects are out of this world. The projects he is undertaking require resources we possess in abundance."
The minister frowned. "You believe he will approach us?"
Mifune stood, walking to the map. "He will need iron. More specifically, chakra metal… They lack the raw materials for projects on that scale…. When he exhausts their supplies, he will come to us."
Mifune thought, "The Land of Iron thrives on neutrality, diplomacy and trade. Alienating innovators serves no strategic purpose."
He turned back to the council. "The boy has built technology, hospitals, and communication networks. His reputation is that of innovation and philanthropy. I like how he is doing things. He is someone who could be an ally."
The minister hesitated, then bowed. "As you say, General."
Mifune's gaze lingered on the map. "A child who can forge artefact-grade swords... I would very much like to meet him."
Mifune looked towards his trusted advisors and asked, "Also, I would like your thoughts on establishing the communication tower in the land of iron."
Land of Lightning – Cloud Village
At the same time, thunder rolled across the mountains, echoing through the tower high above the village. The Raikage's office is also having a meeting with a few key people. Lightning crackled in the background, illuminating the clouds.
The Fourth Raikage stood with his arms crossed. His muscles flexed as he shifted his weight. Sitting across from the raikage, his advisor, Dodai, held a copy of the report scroll that the Onnen, the darkness of Cloud Village, had given her. As he read the report, his face turned very serious.
"It is that Hamura boy again," Onnen said.
The Raikage's jaw tightened. "What now?"
"He forged an artefact-grade sword." Onnen set the scroll down.
The Raikage's pupils dilated just a little. As Mabui's face turned from amazed to bewildered, her pen came to a sudden halt.
"Impossible," Mabui whispered.
The Raikage's fist clenched.
Manui said, "The last artefact-grade blade forged in this world was decades ago."
"Centuries," Onnen corrected.
He leaned forward. "Lord Raikage, I recommend we increase it immediately."
The Raikage considered this. "How much?"
"An additional ten million."
Raikage nodded slowly. "Do it. Other villages will soon follow our lead."
Onnen nodded. "There is one more matter."
"Speak."
"The Amber Purifying Pot. We still possess it from the Gold and Silver Brothers incident."
The Raikage's expression darkened. The Gold and Silver Brothers—Kinkaku and Ginkaku—had been legendary Cloud ninjas who wielded the Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths. Their rampage during the previous war had cost many lives before they were finally subdued.
"The pot is incomplete without the full set," the Raikage said.
"Correct." Dodai leaned forward. "But the brothers' bodies were never recovered. If we could locate their corpses, we might find the other tools."
The Raikage looked at Onnen and asked, "You want to form a search team again?"
"Yes. The tools are powerful enough to turn the tide of any conflict. If we can get back the whole set, it will be easy to catch the people with bloodlines while they are still alive… and if we get lucky, we can also capture tailed beasts from other villages."
Everyone was shocked. If word gets out, this was almost like starting a war.
The Raikage nodded. "This mission is authorised. Assemble a team and keep it off the books."
Onnen nodded. "Understood." He was surprised by Raikage's cooperation, but he did not voice any complaints.
Land of Water – Mist Village
There was also a meeting going on in the Mist village at the same time. The council of the Bloody Mist. Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, was at the head of the group. His childlike appearance contrasted sharply with the oppressive chakra radiating from him and his emotionless expression, entirely different from the past.
One of the councillors slid a report across the table. "The Leaf Village has acquired an artefact-grade blade."
"How did it happen?"
"How did they manage to get one of our prized swords?"
The councillor shook his head. "It's not one of ours... They forged it themselves."
Everyone was shocked. Artefact-grade swords carry a special place in the society of the Mist Village so murmurs spread through the room.
One councillor spoke up. "Are you sure? Is the news verified?"
"Confirmed by multiple independent sources," the reporting councillor replied. "The sword is called Senbonzakura. Forged by Ryu Hamura."
Another councillor leaned forward. "The Seven Swords of the Mist are our pride. No other village possesses a treasure like that. And now the Leaf has one."
"We should issue a bounty on this boy."
"Yes, we definitely should."
Enji Terumi frowned and said from his seat in the middle, "Making an artefact-grade sword happens only once in a lifetime for a bladesmith… and his moment has now passed. What's done is done. Issuing a bounty won't unmake the blade."
"We should still issue one," another councillor argued. "Why are you against issuing a bounty?"
Enji continued, his voice measured. "Ryu Hamura has developed technology that could benefit our village. Solar energy systems. Communication devices. Medical equipment. If we establish positive relations with the Leaf, we could purchase his innovations."
"Business," the other councillor spat. "You want to trade with the Leaf?"
"I want to benefit our village," Enji said coldly. "If that means swallowing pride, so be it."
A third councillor interjected, "Business is separate from bounties. They won't know that we were the ones who issued the bounty. Everyone is aware that the current bounty is the work of Cloud Village, so they will suspect them."
The argument stretched on for another fifteen minutes. Eventually, the vote came. An additional ten million Ryo bounty was issued on Ryu Hamura's head.
Enji sat back, jaw tight. "Fools. They see only the blade, not the hand that forged it."
The council chamber emptied. Enji walked alone through the halls, his thoughts turning to Mei Terumi—his daughter, a prodigy with dual bloodline limits.
"This place is no longer safe for her. The Fourth Mizukage—something is wrong with him. He is not the same man."
"I need to send Mei away. Somewhere she can grow without the village keeping tabs on her."
The policy shifts had been subtle at first—bloodline users losing promotions, resources redirected away from clans with kekkei genkai. Slowly, carefully, the village was turning against its own strength. Enji had watched it happen, powerless to stop it.
The council was now over, and the Mizukage sat alone in his chambers.
There was a spiral distortion in the fabric of space and time, and a tall figure wearing an orange mask with a single eyehole stepped through it.
The figure walked forward, stopping in front of Yagura. The Mizukage's eyes were dead, devoid of any emotion, unfocused.
His Sharingan flared as he stared into Yagura's eyes, reinforcing the genjutsu that had controlled the Mizukage. The Sharingan pulsed and used a high-level form of genjutsu that was exact, intrusive, and absolute. It went through Yagura's memories like going through files. More precisely, the important events played in the masked man's mind like a YouTube reel at five times the normal speed, using a simple reverse genjutsu.
Obito's visible eye narrowed after he was done. "I would prefer not to put a bounty on my backup plan. But what can I do? The boy refused to stay in the shadows, raising trouble for himself by being too famous."
He turned, walking toward the window. Moonlight illuminated his mask.
He watched the lifeless Mizukage. "The policy shifts are working. Bloodline users are being marginalised. Soon they will rebel. And when they do, it will justify the massacre."
"Every ninja in this village was an instrument in her death. The Mist Village would drown in its own blood."
"But first, I need to drain the village's resources. The Akatsuki require funding. I have taken care of all high-level sensors. But still, I need to do things patiently and carefully. The plan is still years ahead; I cannot give them reason to suspect genjutsu."
Obito glanced back at Yagura. "Continue the policy changes. Slowly."
"Yes," Yagura said.
Obito's form twisted, spiralling into his Kamui dimension. The air rippled where he had stood. The Mizukage remained alone in the dark, eyes dead.
A/N:
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