"Mū's back!"
"I heard from Ōnoki that you were humiliated in Konoha?"
The door creaked open.
Floating into the office was an elder draped in a gray-brown robe, the Tsuchikage's hat perched firmly on his head.
Mū rose calmly, stepping aside to yield the Tsuchikage's seat.
"Heh… I've never been afraid of a little cold water."
His voice was light, his expression composed.
"Oh?" Ishikawa arched a brow, settling onto the seat with deliberate ease.
Mū shrugged, his tone airy. "A mere splash of water… what of it?"
He spoke as if Madara's humiliation had been nothing more than a passing breeze.
Ishikawa's eyes gleamed with admiration.
This is the kind of man their village need. One who knows endurance. Who knows when to hold back his fury.
"Then how about another bucket?" Ishikawa teased, half in jest.
Mū's bandaged face twitched. "Let's not go that far. One more, and it might really finish me off."
Truth be told, even surviving Madara had required more luck than he'd admit. If he had to do it again, the odds wouldn't be so kind.
"But Ōnoki tells me you clashed evenly with the Ghost of the Uchiha himself," Ishikawa continued, a note of amazement in his voice. "To think your strength has grown so formidable."
"Just luck," Mū answered with a dry laugh.
No doubt Ōnoki had gone home and boasted about him to Ishikawa, exaggerating with the starry-eyed filter only a student could have. He hadn't seen the part where his master was kicked into a wall or slammed into the ground by Madara's palm.
"Hahaha! As expected of Iwagakure's great strategist, yet also a warrior of unmatched might! You've brought glory to our village!" Ishikawa boomed, clapping Mū hard on the shoulder.
"Cough, cough. Konoha also compensated us generously, with wealth and ninja tools. I've already turned it all over to the village."
That earned him a proud thumbs-up from Ishikawa.
"Mū, you are everything I could want in a Tsuchikage, strong, wise, and incorruptible."
"No wonder the villagers already call you 'Lord Mū' with such reverence!"
"And that philosophy of yours, the Will of Stone, I've already had it inscribed on the village gates. Who would have thought your ideas would be so profound?"
Mū only smiled faintly.
'Perfect.'
This was exactly what he wanted: words to rally the people.
And it came even earlier than Konoha's so-called "Will of Fire."
After a few more casual words, Ishikawa left with a yawn, shuffling out of the office.
As soon as he was gone, Mū's eyes sharpened.
'This old man truly intends to pass the mantle to me. He's already given me nearly full authority…'
He bent back over the desk, handling paperwork.
Iwagakure didn't have much yet, small land, fewer affairs, and a young village still finding its feet. It wasn't the chores of today that occupied him, but the plans for tomorrow.
If Konoha could build schools, anbu, and a host of new institutions, why shouldn't Iwagakure?
He had knowledge the world didn't. If he moved early, he could lay foundations that would outlast even Hashirama's vision.
Iwagakure would have its own shinobi academy. Its own anbu. And more.
---
Meanwhile, in the Land of Water, Kirigakure,
"What the hell, Mū? I was ready to blow my brains out with Water Gun Jutsu, and you tell me you're fine?!"
Inside a towering fortress, Gengetsu pressed a hand dramatically to his forehead as if preparing to shoot himself just for the thrill.
But the corner of his lips curved up as he reread Mū's short reply.
"Good. That means we can fight again! Finally stopped playing dead, did you? If you'd ignored me any longer, I was ready to march straight into Iwagakure."
Chuckling, Gengetsu folded the letter into a paper airplane and flicked it lazily out the window.
The door suddenly slammed open.
A long-haired elder in coarse robes stood there, scowling fiercely.
"Gengetsu! You brat!"
"I told you to handle the village's business. So why are you loafing around in here again?!"
The man's furious voice cracked like thunder.
Gengetsu only waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, old man. Don't get so worked up. Your eyes are gonna go crooked."
With a sly grin, he leaned back in his chair, utterly unbothered.
Gengetsu lifted two fingers in front of the elder's face with a cheeky grin.
"Don't you dare fool around with me!"
The elder, Byakuren, roared furiously.
Gengetsu rolled his eyes inwardly. This old man... everything about him was fine, except he was way too strict. Too uptight, too heavy-handed. No charm at all compared to the other Kage.
Every moment at his side was suffocating pressure.
Mū, though… he was better.
With Mū, Gengetsu could say whatever he wanted. If tempers flared, they'd just fight it out. Worst case, they'd both go down together, and that was fine by him.
---
Back in Iwagakure, Mū spent the afternoon buried in paperwork.
One by one, he approved new projects and drafted plans.
An underground anbu base.
A shinobi academy for training.
And missions to attract outside investment, kick-start commerce, and grow Iwagakure's wealth.
If the village became prosperous, strength would follow.
Stretching with a weary sigh, Mū gazed out the window at the rocky landscape below.
Knock, knock.
The soft sound of knuckles against the door drew him back.
"Come in," he called, not turning.
The door creaked open, and Ōnoki shuffled in with a tray.
"Sensei, it's already late. Please have some dinner."
Mū raised a brow, realizing he was hungry. With a small nod, he sat and began to eat.
Ōnoki hovered at his side, laying it on thick.
"Sensei, I'll pour you some tea! Heh-heh…"
"Sensei, let me massage your shoulders!"
"Sensei… do you want a wife?"
Mū nearly choked on his rice ball, his bandaged face darkening as he glared.
"Ōnoki, what the hell are you on about? Just spit it out. What do you want from me?"
Ōnoki scratched his head sheepishly, chuckling.
"Hehe… you really do know me best, Sensei."
"That jutsu you used against Madara. It was amazing! Especially that blinding white one…"
Ōnoki clung to Mū's arm like a puppy, eyes sparkling.
"Alright, alright, enough!"
Even through the bandages, Mū felt his skin crawl.
Just picturing the old man Ōnoki would become someday was enough to give him goosebumps.
Still, seeing that hungry look in his student's eyes, Mū gave a sly grin.
"You want my Dust Release, do you?"
Ōnoki's eyes lit up instantly. "I do! I do! I do!"
"…But are you qualified for it?" Mū asked, voice dry.
Ōnoki froze. "… …"
---
"Listen carefully. To learn Dust Release, you must first master three chakra natures, wind, earth, and fire, and grasp their nature transformations."
"Dust Release is a Kekkei Tōta. It's one of the best blood limits in the entire world"Mū's tone was calm, instructive. He wasn't exaggerating.
In the entire Naruto world, Dust Release was the only officially recognized Kekkei Tōta. Even the Sharingan and Wood Release can't erase matter down to atoms. Were it not for the Rinnegan's absorption, Mū was half-convinced he could take a shot at Momoshiki or even Kaguya.
Ōnoki's face fell.
"Aww, really, Sensei? That hard? I don't even have Earth Release down properly yet…"
He slumped, crushed.
Mū couldn't blame him.
At Ōnoki's age, Hiruzen was still fumbling through clone techniques. Expecting him to master three nature transformations right now was absurd.
"That's why you'll have to work hard," Mū said, stuffing the last rice ball into his mouth. "When you master all three, I'll teach you Dust Release myself."
Wiping his hands, he adjusted his bandages, then flickered away with Body Flicker, leaving a gaping Ōnoki behind.