"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
At the rear mountains of Iwagakure, Mū was training, testing his Dust Release while summoning his Split Body alongside him.
His goal was straightforward, to make sure even his clones could wield Dust Release.
He remembered that in the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm games, even his clones had been able to use Dust Release.
If he succeeded here, his combat ability would rise by at least half, and with coordinated teamwork between his true body and clone, his tactical possibilities would skyrocket.
Whoosh!
An Anbu operative dropped to one knee behind him.
"Lord Mū, urgent reports, separate letters from Konoha and Kirigakure!"
The agent bowed, offering him two sealed scrolls.
"Oh?"
Mū's brow lifted in surprise. What business would those two villages have with him simultaneously?
Breaking the seals, he skimmed quickly.
His eyes narrowed.
Both Konoha and Kirigakure had formally applied to send delegations to Iwagakure, requests to observe and learn from the systems he had established.
"Heh… so that's their game. Very well. Let them come. Especially with Tobirama involved, I'll have a chance to probe deeper into Konoha's affairs."
Mū's gaze sharpened.
According to the memory fragment he carried, soon after Madara would abandon the village.
He wondered, had that point in history already arrived?
Of course, for him, the messier Konoha became, the better.
Konoha in chaos meant opportunities for Iwa.
"As for that moustached bastard" Mū massaged his temples.
Gengetsu.
There was no doubt in his mind why the Mizukage's heir volunteered to come. It was just another excuse to fight him.
But this time would be different. Mū knew his tricks now. He understood the weaknesses of Clam technique, and with his mastery of the Rasengan alongside years of hard-earned experience, his strength already far surpassed Gengetsu's.
"Let him come," Mū muttered, stamping his approval without hesitation.
---
A few days later.
Mū stood with his advisors to greet the incoming visitors.
Both delegations were scheduled to arrive almost simultaneously. Rather than split his attention, he chose to host them together.
The morning mist hung thick over Iwa's gates, rolling in waves.
"…Strange. Such heavy fog this early?"
Mū frowned and formed a single seal, sensing chakra fluctuations within the haze.
"Which will arrive first, I wonder, Konoha or Kirigakure? The Leaf is closer, our borders even touch… logically, they should have come ahead."
Just as he was thinking this, shapes emerged on the horizon.
It was Kirigakure.
Mū rose into the air to meet them.
"Hahaha! Oi, long time no see, I was starting to miss you, Mū. I nearly didn't recognize you!"
That brash, cocky voice could only belong to one man.
Gengetsu strode forward, tall and lean, his blonde pompadour rising like a banner, moustache twitching as he grinned.
A long-collared coat framed his body like a stage costume.
"C'mon, don't give me that gloomy look. An old friend shows up and you greet me like we're mortal enemies? Smile a little, will ya?" He laughed and slung an arm around Mū's shoulders as though they were drinking buddies.
Mū's expression didn't twitch.
He slipped out from under the gesture.
"Boundaries, moustache."
"Ahahaha, sorry, sorry! So, how's the body? Last time, that explosion was totally an accident, you know. My steam release kinda… goes off on its own sometimes."
Mū only gave him a thin smile under his bandages. "I'm fine. Enough talk. Tobirama will arrive shortly as well. For now, I'll take you inside."
He turned, leading the Mist delegation into the village, leaving his officials behind at the gates to continue awaiting Konoha's arrival.
Behind him, Gengetsu looked around and whistled.
"Well now… looks like Iwa's cleaned up nicely. Last time I came through, this place was all mud huts and rocks."
Gengetsu strolled along with his hands behind his head, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Say, Mū… after all the times we've fought, you still can't see through my techniques, can you?"
His voice dripped with mockery, sharp and playful.
Mū suddenly stopped walking.
His eyes narrowed as he swept a glance across the thick morning mist.
Damn it. Since when does Iwagakure have fog like this?
If this wasn't Gengetsu's doing, he'd eat his own bandages.
"Moustache… care to explain yourself?"
Mū's gaze slid to his side.
Gengetsu only laughed, wagging a finger. "Oi, if it weren't for me giving you a hint, you'd still be wandering around clueless, wouldn't you?"
The scene around them flickered, and in an instant, the streets of Iwa vanished, replaced by a dense forest.
Gengetsu's grin widened.
"Kuahahaha! Mū! It's been too long. Let's have ourselves a good, blood-pumping fight!"
His eyes blazed with manic excitement.
Mū's face darkened under the bandages.
'Seriously? This again? Why is it that in this world, everyone seems deranged?'
First Madara dragged him into a pointless duel and now Gengetsu showed up, fighting purely for the thrill of it.
"You idiot. Are you trying to start a war..."
"Water Release: Water Gun Technique!"
Before he could finish, a hail of high-speed droplets peppered toward him like bullets.
"You…"
Mū's expression chilled. His hands blurred through seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
A massive earthen barrier rose up, blocking the barrage. Water hammered against it, spraying mist into the air.
Gengetsu laughed. "Same old Mū, always so serious!"
Mū slapped his hands together. "Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
A cube of blinding white energy tore across the clearing.
But Gengetsu didn't even dodge. He let the blast swallow him whole.
The world erupted in light and disintegration.
When the smoke cleared, another Gengetsu was standing on a distant branch, smirking.
"Oi, oi… forget already? I can make mirages. You'll never know which one's the real me."
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
He slammed his palms together, summoning a roaring dragon of water that surged toward Mū.
Mū snorted. His hands flew into seals.
An earthen dragon erupted from the ground, crashing headlong into the watery beast. They collided, exploding into mist and rubble.
Meanwhile, a Split Body of Mū's was already combing through the fog with heightened senses.
From the moment he'd noticed the unnatural haze, he had dispatched a clone to track the clam that fueled Gengetsu's illusions.
He knew from memory, the clam was the key. Destroy it, and the mirages would collapse.
And now, he'd found it.
"There you are…"
Mū's chakra surged. His arm transformed into a massive stone fist, and with a powerful dive he crashed toward the clam's hiding spot.
"What?!"
Gengetsu's smirk froze. His eyes went wide.
'No way! Since when did Mū get this sharp?'
Usually, he could toy with him endlessly inside the illusion. But now Mū had located his weakness almost immediately.
And worse, why wasn't he using Dust Release for the killing blow?