Yamato Nadeko didn't believe Mufasa's self-deprecating words.
He had to have ambitions.
No one rises to power without wanting it. No one takes control of an entire nation without a desire to rule.
He was lying. He had to be.
Yamato Nadeko smirked, swirling her drink. "You can say whatever you want, but I don't buy it."
Mufasa didn't argue. Words meant nothing. A man's will was proven through action, not speeches.
Time would tell.
She'd understand soon enough.
Yamato Nadeko raised her glass. "Fine. A toast to your so-called 'raising heroes.' May you succeed sooner rather than later."
Mufasa took the drink, downing it in one gulp. "It's inevitable."
The autumn moon hung high, a soft breeze whispering through the open windows.
Tomorrow, the world would move forward once more.
By morning, Mufasa was ready to depart. He felt rested, energized, eager to push forward.
"Aren't you coming with me?" he asked his top lieutenants.
Gaara, Sasuke, and Nocturne exchanged glances before shaking their heads in unison.
Gaara spoke first. "My lord, we have 60,000 prisoners of war to relocate. We don't have time to accompany you."
Fair enough. Resettling that many people was a logistical nightmare. The ninja army had its hands full.
Mufasa sighed. "And what if I end up in danger?"
The three of them looked away, feigning interest in the crows flying above.
"What about Sasori? Anyone else?"
Gaara shrugged. "He left at dawn. Said he had equipment to work on."
"So I'm going alone?"
Gaara's lips twitched. "My lord, you're the only one in the entire army without a task right now. You'll be fine."
At the border, Yoshimitsu had mobilized 40,000 troops—including 20,000 trained ninja.
Mufasa was walking into hostile territory, yet none of them looked the least bit concerned.
"You guys really don't care about my safety, huh?"
"My lord, we have urgent matters to attend to. See you later."
And with that, the three of them promptly made their exit.
Cowards.
Mufasa smirked as they vanished.
They just didn't want to get roped into another one of his insane projects.
Last time, they'd all been forced into back-breaking labor, laying the foundation for roads with his Electromagnetic Release.
It had been exhausting work—work he could do alone, yet he had dragged them along anyway.
No one was falling for it this time.
Mufasa chuckled.
At least they were learning to set boundaries.
A sign of independent thinking.
The winds of freedom had begun to blow.
Fine. He'd go alone.
Not everyone abandoned him.
In Kawasaki Town, a man approached—Zaburo, the newly appointed patriarch of the Fuma Clan.
His predecessor had been arrested, along with many others, forced into labor camps after siding with the enemy. Now, Zaburo stood before Mufasa, carrying a massive Fuma Shuriken on his back.
"It's dangerous," Mufasa noted. "Are you sure you want to come along?"
Zaburo nodded. He had his reasons.
With the old system gone, the Land of Rivers had shifted into a corporate structure.
In the past, the Daimyo had funded ninja clans like the Fuma.
But now?
Who knew if the company-controlled government would do the same?
Zaburo wasn't willing to gamble on it.
Instead, he saw an opportunity elsewhere.
He dropped to one knee. "My lord, Fuma Clan has chosen to swear loyalty to Suna. We wish to fight under your banner."
Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why should I accept?"
Zaburo had expected this question.
Konoha's strength came from its powerful ninja clans—Uchiha, Hyuga, Nara, and more.
Sand Shinobi had never had that luxury.
The desert was unforgiving, resources scarce.
They simply couldn't support a large ninja population.
But under Mufasa's leadership, things were changing.
His vision promised infrastructure, water, sustainability.
Zaburo wanted in.
He didn't waste time with words.
Instead, he removed the Fuma Shuriken from his back and, with a swift motion, shattered it.
Mufasa blinked. "...Okay? And what was that for?"
Zaburo met his gaze, eyes unwavering. "The Fuma Clan has seen the future of warfare. We've fought Sand Ninja twice now, and both times, our greatest weapons were useless."
The Fuma Shuriken—once a symbol of their might—was nothing but an outdated relic against modern tactics.
A sniper bullet could end an entire battle before a shuriken even reached its target.
"We no longer believe in the old ways," Zaburo declared. "We want to learn your methods. The way you use technology, the way you fight. Please, allow us to serve."
Mufasa grinned. "So even you guys have realized the times are changing."
He considered the offer.
Absorbing ninja clans was a common practice. It was how Konoha had built its strength.
But Sand Shinobi had always struggled with this—there simply weren't enough resources to sustain large groups.
But maybe… that was finally changing.
The East-West Water Diversion Project was still in progress, but once it was completed, Sand Shinobi would no longer be bound by its old limitations.
Mufasa made his decision.
"Alright. Fuma Village is officially under the Sunagakure's protection."
Zaburo bowed deeply. "Thank you, my lord. We won't disappoint you."
"However, you won't be moving into Sand Ninja Village just yet. The desert can't sustain you."
Zaburo nodded. He had expected as much.
"For now, you'll remain in the Land of Rivers. Your job is to monitor construction sites, oversee the Land of River Company, and report directly to me."
Zaburo's eyes gleamed with determination. "Understood. We will fulfill our duties without fail."
Mufasa turned to Yamato Nadeko, who had remained silent throughout the exchange.
"Keep an eye on them," he said. "Even loyal soldiers need watching."
She smirked. "Of course, my lord."
...
Mufasa firmly rejected Zaburo's request to bring the entire Fengmo clan with him to the north.
"Haha, it's just a minor issue. I'll handle it myself."
"Take your people and complete your own mission."
After giving his orders to Lin Zian, Mufasa launched himself into the air, soaring northward at incredible speed.
With no one slowing him down, he traveled alone, covering vast distances in mere hours. By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, he had arrived at the Fire Nation's garrison site, positioned at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers.
From above the clouds, Mufasa observed the bustling military camp below.
"Huh... Isn't that the symbol of Konoha?"
His sharp eyes spotted a large command tent adorned with the Leaf Village emblem.
"Judging by the size, this is for someone important... Could Tsunade be here?"
Without a sound, Mufasa vanished, blending into the darkness.
His movements were ghostly, his presence unnoticed as he walked undetected through the camp.
Arriving at the entrance of the command tent, he hesitated.
"Should I knock?" he mused. "Sneaking in would be rude... but then again—"
Suddenly, Tsunade's voice rang from inside.
"Shizune, add more water."
"Heat it up."
"It's still not warm enough."
Mufasa's mind jumped to conclusions.
"Wait... is she taking a bath?"
His curiosity flared.
"No way... it'd be rude not to check."
Activating his Magnetic Vision, Mufasa's electromagnetic eyes lit up, revealing the inside of the tent as if he were looking through an X-ray.
Tsunade was seated at a table, casually holding a cup, while Shizune carefully poured hot water from a kettle.
Mufasa blinked.
"Oh. So that's the 'water' she meant..."
Before he could react, Tsunade's sharp instincts kicked in.
She sensed an unusual presence, her eyes locking onto the faint glimmer of Mufasa's electromagnetic vision.
"Who's there?!"
With a burst of speed, she lunged from the tent like a whirlwind.
Her long blonde hair flowed behind her as she struck with a devastating fist.
"What kind of surveillance jutsu is this?"
Her punch connected.
"GAH!" Mufasa cried out as pain exploded in his right eye.
Inside the tent, Tsunade used her medical ninjutsu to heal Mufasa's injury.
Her glowing hands worked over his bruised eye as she shot him a suspicious look.
"So? What exactly were you doing lurking outside my tent?"
Mufasa took in her fragrance, his mind racing for an excuse.
"Peeping? Absolutely not!" He straightened.
"I heard you were stationed here, so I came to find you."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"And you needed to use those creepy glowing eyes for that?"
Mufasa nodded solemnly. "Of course. I was trying to avoid trouble. If people saw me, it could cause unnecessary commotion."
Tsunade studied him, skeptical. "Is that so?"
"It's true! Imagine if it wasn't you inside, and I barged in—it would have blown my cover."
She considered his words, then sighed. "Fine. I'll let it slide this time."
Changing the topic, she asked, "Did you come alone?"
Mufasa nodded.
Tsunade's expression turned serious. "Yoshimitsu has mobilized a massive force. What you're seeing here is just the vanguard—more troops will arrive soon."
She withdrew her hands, having fully healed his wound.
"Can you handle this on your own?"
Mufasa smirked. "Tsunade, you shouldn't ask a man that."
"I'll get it done."
Tsunade chuckled. "Oh? Planning to pull off that flashy electromagnetic jutsu again? What was it called… Cruel Sun?"
Mufasa's eyes widened. "You know about that?"
"Of course. I've been tracking your battles in the Land of Rivers."
Mufasa's tone grew serious. "The situation is unfolding exactly as I predicted. The Land of Rivers is fully cooperating with our plan. We're building highways and railways to link the three nations."
Tsunade nodded, a hint of admiration in her voice. "You really don't hold back, do you?"
Mufasa had assumed it would take years to execute this plan, yet progress had come swiftly.
He grinned. "Haha, there's a lot I'm good at. You'll see."
Brushing aside the light boasting, he continued, "Now, all that's left is securing the Land of Fire. That's why I'm here."
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs confidently. "You managed the Land of Rivers like a true leader. As Hokage, I can't let you show me up."
Mufasa offered, "If you need me to handle things—"
"Absolutely not." Tsunade's fist slammed onto the table, making it tremble.
"Who do you think I am? Some woman relying on the Kazekage to do my job? I'm the Fifth Hokage. If I depended on you for everything, what kind of leader would that make me?"
That's a heroine for you.
Independent. Strong. Unyielding.
Mufasa knew better than to steal her thunder. "Alright. I'm behind you. Whatever you need, I'll support you."
Tsunade smirked and gestured for him to come closer.
"Actually, there is something I need your help with."
Mufasa leaned in, tilting his head. "What is it?"
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Come closer. What I'm about to say is confidential."
Mufasa hesitated.
"Uh… could you maybe… remove the, uh, 'barriers' blocking the way?"
Tsunade blinked, then realized what he meant. She scoffed, arms crossed over her chest.
"Hah! You just want an excuse to get close, don't you?"
Mufasa cleared his throat. "I—"
Before he could defend himself, she smacked him upside the head.
"Pervert."
It hurt.