Mu nodded in agreement. He too had planned to seek out more allies.
Relying on Tobirama alone might make Madara's death possible, but if he wanted certainty, if he wanted overwhelming victory, he needed more hands on deck.
"I can try to contact Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure," Mu said gravely.
Tobirama narrowed his eyes and answered in kind.
"And I'll reach out to the elders of Uzushiogakure. Madara's control over the Nine-Tails complicates matters, but with Uzumaki sealing arts backing us, it will be far more manageable."
The two men exchanged a glance, pragmatic killers with the same thought: stack the odds until success was inevitable.
"Then we'll regroup once our sides are prepared," Mu said calmly before vanishing into the night.
Alone again in his office, Tobirama stared at the flickering flame of the candlelight.
"This must never reach my brother's ears…"
He resolved to gather thirty Senju shinobi to accompany him in the plan.
The choice was obvious, those who still bore hatred for the Uchiha. Their parents, children, lovers, slain by Uchiha hands during the Warring States era. These were the ones with no ties, no families, no hesitation.
The so-called men with nothing left to lose.
They would follow him without question.
---
Land of Water
After a full night's journey across the Land of Fire and over the sea, Mu finally stepped into the mist-shrouded village of Kirigakure.
Inside, Gengetsu, the Mustache Man himself, was knee-deep in sweeping reforms.
Since his visit to Iwagakure, he had returned with a fiery conviction.
He was building his own anbu, founding a shinobi academy, and, most impressively, had already established the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, a group standing above even anbu.
Suddenly, Gengetsu stiffened.
His instincts screamed, something was wrong.
"Long time no see, Mustache."
That familiar, dry voice cut through the mist.
"Mu, you actually came to Kirigakure!?"
Gengetsu's expression hardened instantly. "You're not planning to attack us, are you?"
"Not at all," Mu said calmly, stretching out his hand. "I came seeking alliance."
Gengetsu froze, raising an eyebrow. "Tch… you're scheming something again, aren't you?"
"I've joined forces with Tobirama of Konoha," Mu explained evenly. "Together, we intend to hunt Madara. I came to ask if you'd like to join."
Gengetsu's brows twitched.
He was reckless, a battle maniac, but not a fool.
"Ha! Hunt Madara?" At first, his blood surged at the thought of a grand fight.
But when the name Madara left Mu's lips, his mind cooled instantly.
"You're insane. Completely insane," Gengetsu muttered, shaking his head.
Mu shrugged and turned away, his voice deliberately dismissive.
"Then I suppose Kirigakure has no spine. In that case, Tobirama and I will manage on our own."
"Wait!" Gengetsu snapped. His face twisted.
"Hold it, Mu! I'm coming too!" He slapped his chest proudly. "Madara? Hah! I'll beat the crap out of him myself!"
Mu smirked beneath his bandages.
---
Land of Lightning
"Lord Raikage, that's the situation. Whether your village participates or not, the choice is yours."
Mu stood before the Raikage's seat, voice steady and serious.
The First Raikage's expression was grim as he listened. Hunting Madara was no small matter. The man now controlled the Nine-Tails itself. Worse, the Gold and Silver Brothers he had sent after the beast hadn't returned, no doubt devoured.
He stroked his chin in silence, then turned to the man at his side.
"Second… what do you think?" the First Raikage asked.
The Second Raikage's voice was deep and resolute.
"Lord Raikage, I believe we must join this. Madara has abandoned Konoha, and there's no telling what madness he'll unleash next. His attempt to capture the Nine-Tails proves his ambition. Leaving him unchecked is a danger to the entire shinobi world."
The First Raikage nodded, decision made.
"Very well. You will lead twenty of our finest shinobi. Join this hunt."
With Kumogakure secured, only Sunagakure remained.
Mu wasted no time, arriving swiftly at the gates of the desert village. Soon he stood before the First Kazekage, Reto.
Reto crossed his arms, his tone flat.
"Hmph. The Land of Wind doesn't take on thankless tasks. Turn around and go home."
Mu's voice lowered, carrying warning weight.
"Does Lord Kazekage not understand the principle of lips and teeth? If Madara destroys the other great villages, Sunagakure will not survive alone."
Reto's eyes narrowed. He understood, of course, but his silence carried a clear meaning. He wanted terms.
Mu knew exactly what to offer.
"If Sunagakure commits its forces, Iwagakure will relinquish its influence over the Land of Birds. From now on, control of that territory will belong to you."
At that, Reto's expression shifted. After a thoughtful pause, he turned and called into the hall.
"Shamon."
Mu's eyes glinted. He recognized that name from the memories he carried, Shamon, the Second Kazekage. Founder of Puppet Techniques and Sand Manipulation, the forebear of both Sasori and Gaara's powers.
Everything Gaara possessed, Shamon had pioneered; and unlike Gaara, he also wielded the art of puppets.
"Shamon will lead twenty elite shinobi of the Sand," Reto declared. "Together with you, he will move against Madara."
Behind his bandages, Mu allowed himself a thin smile.
In his mind, he was assembling a strike force, an echo of the Fourth Great War's Allied Kage lineup, but stronger, sharper, earlier.
He would take the role of Ōnoki.
Gengetsu would stand where Mei had.
Tobirama in place of Tsunade.
The Second Raikage in place of the Fourth.
And Shamon, the Second Kazekage, in place of Gaara.
With such a formation, and without Madara's Rinnegan in play, the odds of crushing the Eternal Mangekyō wielder were more than favorable.
And if Tobirama truly secured Uzushiogakure's help… then even Madara could be brought low.
---
Land of Whirlpools
Tobirama arrived quietly at the residence of the clan's leader.
Ashina, already past fifty, was not just the patriarch of Uzushiogakure. He was also Hashirama's father-in-law.
"Tobirama," Ashina said, sipping his tea with practiced calm. "Why have you come to Uzushiogakure?"
"Elder," Tobirama bowed respectfully. "I've come to ask the Uzumaki clan to lend me their strength."
Ashina's brows furrowed. "What sort of strength?"
Tobirama's eyes hardened. "Help me kill Madara."
The tea cup trembled in Ashina's hand. He set it down carefully, his gaze sharp.
"Does… Hashirama know of this?"
"My brother would never stain his hands," Tobirama said without hesitation, his voice firm even as he lied through his teeth. "But I know he wishes for Madara gone. He simply cannot play the villain. So I will do what he cannot."
Ashina studied him, suspicion flashing in his eyes. Hashirama was not a man of guile, and Tobirama's words rang false. Yet the proposition itself carried weight. Madara had slaughtered many Uzumaki during the Warring States. Removing him would benefit Uzushiogakure as much as anyone.
"…How many do you require?"
"Thirty," Tobirama answered crisply. "Thirty Uzumaki shinobi, skilled in sealing."
______________
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