[T/N: I restarted translaing after a while, so if some terms are different, forgive meeee. :3]
Mu was truly a smart man; he had accurately guessed the cause of events. And the effect of this elaborate trap was remarkably significant. Konohagakure, without expending a single soldier, had caused one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Kumogakure, to collapse.
"What?! Then Konohagakure must have violated the treaty!" Onoki said in shock. He couldn't believe Konohagakure would actively plan a war.
Mu waved his hand. "I'm only guessing. Perhaps the Raikage's greed was discovered by Konoha, which forced them to act." He added, "After all, if Hashirama really wanted to destroy Kumogakure, would he need to go to all this trouble? It was probably his younger brother's idea."
Onoki nodded after hearing this. Although he didn't fully understand, everything Mu-sama said made so much sense. "Then, Sensei, do you think another war will break out?"
"Who can say for sure? But as long as Senju Hashirama doesn't die, war will likely not easily break out. After all, he is simply too intimidating." During the Five Kage Summit back then, just a single glance was enough to be overwhelmed by his boundless aura. If Hashirama hadn't deliberately reined it in after noticing, he would have made a fool of himself. Such a powerful person simply made it impossible to feel a desire to fight him. With a war breaking out, there was no point in sending ninjas as a powerful force like that was unbeatable. The Raikage's thirty thousand troops were probably dealt with in no time.
While thinking about the despairing strength of Hashirama, he couldn't help but inwardly mock how stupid the Raikage was. The massive legacy his father left him was now completely destroyed. And in a couple of days, he would probably have to pay reparations to Konohagakure. He truly ended up losing both his people and his money. All the fault for this war lay with Kumogakure. It was hard to imagine what Konohagakure's reaction would be if they didn't come out and apologize.
"Sensei, should we express our stance? After all, this is a major event in the ninja world."
Mu immediately slapped Onoki on the head. "Idiot! At a time like this, we should be lying low. Why do you want to make a show of ourselves? How am I supposed to hand Iwagakure over to you like this?"
Onoki was a bit dazed from the hit and didn't know what to say, mumbling to himself.
"Alright, alright, you go home and rest first. At this stage, it's best for the entire ninja world to keep quiet." He continued, "Otherwise, we could easily be targeted by Konoha. You wouldn't want to follow the Raikage's old path and be plotted against, would you?"
Onoki immediately sobered up upon hearing this. "Of course not!" Mu waved his hand and said nothing more, motioning for him to leave.
The minds of the various nations were more or less the same. Senju Hashirama might not think too much, but Senju Tobirama, that old fox, was a different story. The one who sticks their head out is often the first to die, so it was best to stay put for now and not take sides.
Sharing Mu's opinion was the Mizukage of Kirigakure, Hōzuki Gengetsu. Could it be said that they were worthy of being old rivals? Both of them believed that this was a trap set by Konohagakure, luring the Raikage into the game and then killing him in one fell swoop.
"Sigh! Such a large legacy for Kumogakure! So many resources! If they didn't want it, they could have just given it to me! But instead, Konohagakure got the benefit!" He complained. "Truly as stupid as a pig! To not even see through a trap like this! How long has it been since the Five Kage Summit? Back then, that Hashirama was strong and healthy; how could he have died in just a few years? It's impossible."
Gengetsu was not angry because the Raikage was killed, but because Konohagakure was about to receive a huge sum of compensation and resources, making him envious! That large amount of money and resources would be enough for Kirigakure to develop for a long time, yet it was given to Konohagakure, which was already the strongest and most prosperous village! He couldn't help but get angry whenever he thought about it.
Gengetsu had no interaction with the Second Raikage, but he had heard from his assistant Gekko that the Second Raikage had some brains. Now it seemed Gekko was truly blind. He would have to consider whether he was suitable to be the next Mizukage. The fact that he saw a person who was completely brainless, like the Second Raikage, as having some brains was something Gengetsu found quite impressive.
"Mizukage-sama, will this sudden war affect the ninja world's power structure?" his secretary asked from the side.
Gengetsu waved his hand. "Put your heart at ease. With this lesson, as long as Senju Hashirama lives for one more day, the ninja world will remain at peace." Seeing the secretary's understanding expression, Gengetsu continued, "No war is also a good thing. Kirigakure doesn't have a large population to begin with." He added, "If a war were to break out, we could easily be worn down, so this stable situation is the best. If there's an opportunity, we can secretly pick up a few scraps and get a share of the spoils."
The secretary nodded. "Mizukage-sama is truly thoughtful; I understand."
Gengetsu stroked his beard and smiled. "You still have much to learn, but you're young, and you have all the time in the world to learn." He added, "Unlike me, I'm already a man in my middle years and can't learn anything new."
"Mizukage-sama doesn't need to learn anything new. Your wisdom must already surpass Senju Hashirama's!"
Gengetsu looked serious but had a very good temper; the secretary's words made him burst into hearty laughter. "In terms of strength, a hundred of me wouldn't be his match, but in terms of intellect, I can say we are on equal footing."
This statement puzzled the secretary again. Before he could ask, Gengetsu explained. "That's Senju Hashirama! The man who ended an entire era of war! He established the very first ninja village in the ninja world. Everything we have today is a result of emulating him. So, what do you think of his intelligence?"
The secretary immediately had a moment of clarity. He had always only heard that Senju Tobirama was good at strategy but had forgotten about Senju Hashirama, who ended an entire era of war. A person who could accomplish such a magnificent feat and have every country in the ninja world emulate his ninja village system—how could such a person be stupid or brainless?
"Alright, alright, you can go now. I want to be alone for a bit."
The secretary bowed and left the office. "Sigh, a dignified Raikage, after his death, not only was there no corpse left, but he will also be reviled for all eternity. Tsk tsk tsk, how truly regrettable."
However, Gengetsu also had to admire his 'bravery.' Thirty thousand ninja must have been all the combat power of their entire village. He took them all to their deaths without leaving a single one behind. He imagined that not many people would have managed to escape. Kumogakure was now completely finished, and once they fell from the throne of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, it would be difficult for them to return.
Night had completely fallen, and most people in Konohagakure had gone to sleep. But this didn't include Torifu. At this moment, a burning sensation emanated from his arm; this was Kakuzu summoning him.
[Am free nowadays, with nothing to do. Thought to continue the good work.]