Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Mū soared through the air with ten Iwagakure jōnin trailing behind him in tight formation. Glancing back at them, he observed their flight with casual ease. To save time, he had cast the Light-Weight Rock Technique on them, temporarily granting them the ability to fly, though he still had to control their movement remotely.
Making no effort to mask their presence, Mū flew straight into Kusagakure's alert zone.
"Careful! We're under attack! Hurry! Go notify the chief!"
One of Kusagakure's shinobi went pale, panic flashing in his eyes as he turned and bolted toward the village.
"My lord, should we chase him?"
One of the Iwa jōnin looked to Mū for direction, puzzled by his lack of reaction.
Mū waved him off, calm and unbothered. "No need. This is just a small shinobi village. The monk might run, but the temple won't."
In Mū's eyes, Kusagakure was a meaningless speck. According to the original lore, the village was steeped in corruption and had no real strength to speak of. Its only noteworthy trait was its diplomatic closeness to Konohagakure, which it had clung to through sheer political groveling.
...
"This is bad! Chief! Something terrible has happened!"
A Kusagakure shinobi stumbled into the hall, face pale and chest heaving from the sprint.
"What are you so flustered about? We're a formal shinobi village now. Stop panicking like some academy dropout!"
The Kusagakure leader barked at him, clearly annoyed.
But the shinobi wasn't thinking about pride. He blurted, "It's Iwagakure! They're here! They came to beat us up! What do we do?!"
"What? Iwagakure?!"
The leader's chest tightened as dread surged through him. A cold sweat began to form.
The daimyō of the Land of Grass, standing nearby, blanched and turned to the leader, eyes wide with fear.
Without hesitation, the leader grabbed the frantic shinobi by the collar. "Tell me now! Who's here? How many? What do they look like?"
The shinobi trembled. His lips quivered as he tried to answer.
"T-there's eleven of them... I couldn't tell who's in charge. One of them's wrapped in bandages from head to toe... and he can fly."
The Kusagakure leader felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck him. His breath caught and his knees nearly gave out.
No! No! No! Fuck! Shit!
It's over. It's completely over.
Wrapped in bandages and flying through the air, there was only one man in the entire shinobi world that matched that description.
Mū-sama. The silent juggernaut of Iwagakure.
"Chief, what should we do?" the daimyō asked, his body shaking uncontrollably.
He had clearly pieced it together too.
"Damn it all!"
The leader clenched his fists, trying to hold onto any shred of hope.
"There are only eleven of them! We've got over two hundred shinobi on our side!"
He shouted through clenched teeth, trying to summon some courage. The daimyō felt whatever hope he had left drain away.
Damn it. If you want to get yourself killed, don't drag me down with you.
"Ahem… I'm just going to the restroom real quick."
The daimyō tried to sneak away with that weak excuse, hoping to avoid the coming disaster. But the Kusagakure leader immediately caught on and grabbed the hem of his robe, yanking him back.
"Wait, my lord. There's no need to rush." He gave a sharp order. "Guards! Protect the daimyō!"
Then he shouted with authority, "All Kusagakure shinobi! Assemble!!"
...
At the village gate, dozens of Kusagakure shinobi had gathered, standing in tight formation under the command of their leader. Each one radiated killing intent, fists clenched and eyes locked ahead.
High above, Mū continued his approach through the sky, his gaze sharpening as he noticed the gathered defense.
Interesting~. Looks like they've already accepted their fate. No one's trying to run.
"Earth Release: Ultra-Heavy Rock Technique!"
Mū channeled massive chakra into his legs, increasing their weight dramatically before diving down like a missile, his whole body turned into a high-speed projectile.
Boom!
The earth trembled violently as he descended.
The Kusagakure leader's expression warped with horror. The crushing weight of Kage-level chakra pressed down on him like a mountain, freezing him in place.
Whoosh!
In a flash, Mū's foot slammed directly into his face.
Splat!
"Argg!"
A sickening crunch echoed out as the Kusagakure leader was instantly reduced to a splattered mess, flattened against the ground like a broken melon.
"Where's your leader?! Tell him to come face me!"
Mū didn't even glance at the body beneath him. His voice was cold, commanding, as he addressed the stunned shinobi still standing.
Their eyes widened with disbelief. Some were paralyzed with fear, others too shocked to register what had just happened.
"H-he's... he's under your foot… he is there and… there…"
One shinobi finally found his voice, pointing at Mū's foot with a trembling hand.
Mū blinked, then looked down. What he saw made him pause.
Good grief. Blood, bones, and brains were everywhere.
"Damn, how'd you end up stuck to my foot?"
A chuckle escaped Mū's lips. He hadn't even realized what he'd done. The man had been standing too close; he'd assumed it was just another obstacle.
Before he could raise his head again, several loyal shinobi who had served the dead leader erupted with rage.
"Arghh! He killed the chief! Let's take him down!"
"Yeah! There's only ten of them, we've got two hundred! Let's go!"
"Fire Release! Wind Release! Earth Release!"
A storm of ninjutsu was unleashed at once, explosions of flame, slicing gales, and boulders hurtling toward Mū in a wild barrage of elemental fury.
Mū stood perfectly still, arms slowly rising.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique."
A glowing white cube of light materialized in front of him. The moment it activated, it expanded outward with terrifying power.
BOOM!!
The air ripped apart as the explosion engulfed everything. The wave of destruction swept forward and consumed the entire battlefield.
When the dust finally settled, all two present Kusagakure shinobi who had charged were gone. Nothing remained, not their jutsu, not their bodies. Just scorched earth and silence.
Mū didn't even blink. A slight flicker passed through his eyes, mild surprise, nothing more.
He had clearly overestimated them. If this was the best Kusagakure had, it was no wonder they'd been turned into collateral damage in the great wars of the original timeline.
"Clean up the area. You all go sweep the rest of the village. Take prisoners if they surrender. Kill everyone else."
Without another word, Mū rose into the air again and flew off to hunt down the daimyō.
Inside a dark cave beneath Kusagakure, Mū discovered the daimyō of the Land of Grass shackled and guarded.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
With a casual flick of his fingers, Mū unleashed blades of wind that sliced through the Kusagakure guards in an instant.
"Waaah! Mū-sama! You've finally come!"
The daimyō collapsed to his knees, crawling toward Mū with tears streaming down his cheeks.
"These bastards forced me to establish this village! I had no choice... Please, I beg you, speak on my behalf to the daimyō of the Land of Earth. I was coerced... I swear it!"
His voice cracked with desperation, trying to sound pitiful, but Mū's expression remained blank. Cold. Unmoved.
He slowly crouched beside the daimyō, bringing his mouth close to the trembling man's ear.
"Thing is… I don't believe you."
Swish!!
The daimyō's eyes went wide with horror, right before Mū's Wind Release sliced cleanly through his neck.
Splurt!
Blood sprayed across the cave wall. The head rolled with a hollow thud.
The decision to kill the daimyō was calculated. If left alive, he would only annoy the daimyō of the Land of Earth and complicate matters. Better to eliminate the puppet and absorb the Land of Grass directly.
After disposing of the body, Mū got to work. He began collecting the accumulated wealth, scrolls, supplies, and valuable resources of the Land of Grass, organizing them for transport back to Iwagakure.
Meanwhile, news of Kusagakure's destruction spread like wildfire across the region.
Eventually, it reached the ears of the Fūma clan, who had recently been considering an alliance with Kusagakure.
"Clan Leader! Clan Leader!"
A breathless clan member ran up with urgent news.
"Kusagakure has been destroyed by Iwagakure!"
The Fūma clan leader's hand froze mid-scroll. His shoulders trembled.
"Sigh… So much for that idea. We were just about to pledge our loyalty to the Land of Grass... but now Kusagakure's gone."
He let out a heavy sigh and set the scroll aside.
This was the shinobi village era. The time of independent clans had faded. No matter how strong an individual clan was, without the backing of a great village, survival was uncertain.
Strength alone wasn't enough anymore, you needed allies, systems, infrastructure, and above all, political power.
"Clan Leader, why don't we pledge ourselves to Iwagakure instead?"
One of the elders leaned forward. "I've heard they've loosened their entry policies. They're accepting anyone willing to submit."
"Oh? Iwagakure changed their policies that quickly?" the clan leader mused, brows raising. "I remember when getting into Iwagakure was like trying to walk through a stone wall."
His eyes gleamed. Kusagakure was done for. But Iwagakure? That was one of the Five Great Villages.
"And there's more," another member added. "I heard Mū from Iwagakure went to Konohagakure not long ago. He even fought Uchiha Madara to a draw and escaped unharmed."
"If that's true," someone whispered, "then allying with Iwagakure isn't any worse than aligning with Konoha."
The clan leader's eyes shone with renewed determination. There was no hesitation now. He stood and raised his voice.
"It's decided then! Spread the word! We head to Kusagakure immediately and pledge our loyalty to Mū-sama!"
Back in the remains of Kusagakure, Mū continued tallying the wealth and organizing the loot, transferring it into sealed storage scrolls with practiced precision.
"For such a small village, they sure had a lot of stuff."
Mū muttered to himself while continuing to record the inventory. Stacks of scrolls, weapons, rations, tools, and even precious metals were being sealed and sorted.
Just then, an Iwagakure jōnin appeared at the entrance of the storage room and knelt respectfully.
"Mū-sama, a shinobi clan outside wishes to pledge loyalty to Iwagakure."
Mū turned slightly, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? Which clan?"
"The Fūma clan."
At that name, Mū's mind immediately flashed to the Animal Path from the Six Paths of Pain, who had once belonged to the same clan. Interesting.
"So it's that clan. Take me to them," he said calmly.
Soon after, Mū arrived at Kusagakure's main gate. Outside, over two hundred Fūma clan members were kneeling in disciplined rows, their heads bowed. At the front stood their leader, who bent forward with deep reverence.
This was how alliances were forged in times of upheaval, complete submission in exchange for protection and purpose.
The Fūma clan leader looked up, his eyes filled with a mix of humility and hope.
"Mū-sama, we of the Fūma clan wish to serve Iwagakure. We ask for your acceptance."
His voice rang out clearly, each word deliberate and sincere.
Mū surveyed the group in silence, measuring their worth. The Fūma clan was known for its expertise with chakra control and the skilled use of ninja tools. No kekkei genkai, but that didn't mean they were useless. On the contrary, they might fill several key gaps within Iwagakure's system.
"Fūma clan leader. Report your clan's abilities," Mū ordered, his tone firm.
The leader stepped forward slightly, voice steady. "Mū-sama, while we lack any kekkei genkai, we specialize in refined chakra control, advanced ninja tools, and tactical coordination in battle."
Mū nodded slightly. It aligned with what he'd expected. Their strengths weren't flashy, but they were practical, exactly what the Iwagakure academy lacked in terms of instructors and field specialists. This could work.
The entire Fūma clan remained kneeling, the tension visible in their posture as they awaited Mū's verdict.
"Do you understand the rules of joining Iwagakure?" Mū asked, his voice echoing across the courtyard.
"Yes, Mū-sama. We understand, and we will follow them completely," the leader answered immediately, head bowed again.
After a brief pause, Mū gave a slight nod.
"In that case, I accept your pledge. From this moment forward, the Fūma clan is part of Iwagakure."
The declaration was simple, but its weight was immense.
"Thank you, Mū-sama. We will serve you with utmost loyalty."
The clan leader bowed repeatedly, his tone full of gratitude and excitement.
"Thank you, Mū-sama! We will give our lives for Iwagakure!"
The two hundred Fūma shinobi shouted in unison behind him, their voices strong and unified.
Mū raised a hand in acknowledgment.
"Stand up. Follow me to Iwagakure. You will be assigned housing and duties shortly."
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