---
The Crimson Valley
The newly granted lands of the Chinoike Clan lay nestled between the Uchiha and Hagoromo territories—a blood-soaked cradle between two mountains of legacy. The air itself seemed to hum with history and quiet hostility. The soil was dark, fertile, and faintly red, as if stained permanently by the blood of the past.
Kanzō Tokudaiji exhaled softly, his breath forming white mist in the evening chill. Before him, the Crimson Valley stretched out like a living scar. The lanterns of the Chinoike burned blood-red against the mist, each one swaying in rhythm with the wind—like the pulsing of many eyes.
Behind him, the Fire Daimyō's insignia rippled on tall banners. The Lion of Fire sigil—proud, golden, and untarnished—seemed almost out of place here, surrounded by the quiet, crimson gloom.
And ahead…
Rows of Chinoike warriors stood waiting. Silent. Still. Their red eyes glowed faintly under the torchlight, like drops of blood catching the fire's reflection. They were not welcoming; they were warning.
Kanzō straightened his cloak, drawing a deep, steadying breath.
He was here on official duty—the Daimyō's voice in this new settlement.
But deep in his sleeve, another sealed scroll lay hidden.
The one not from his lord… but from a masked shadow.
Tobi.
The memory of their meeting resurfaced like a cold current. Tobi's words had been soft but unyielding. "When the time comes, you will speak for me. Deliver the words, not the mask."
And so Kanzō had come here carrying two missions:
—One of diplomacy.
—And one of the dangers.
---
The Clan of Blood and Storms
The Chinoike compound was a fortress carved from vengeance. Thick pillars of dark stone jutted upward, each marked with sealing runes and old clan sigils. Murals of crimson pigment told their history—the exile, the betrayals, the years of survival in barren lands. The atmosphere was heavy, ancient, and distrustful.
At the center of it all stood Raigo Chinoike, the Clan Head.
Tall, broad, his presence radiated quiet command. His long, dark hair framed a face hardened by decades of struggle. But it was his eyes—those red, liquid orbs of the Ketsuryūgan—that captured Kanzō's attention. They seemed to look through lies the way blades cut silk.
"Kanzō Tokudaiji," Raigo said, his tone perfectly calm. "The Fire Daimyō's right hand. You honor us."
The words were polite. The tone was not.
Kanzō bowed anyway, the motion exact and respectful. "The Daimyō extends his goodwill, Lord Raigo. May this landmark mark the beginning of a new era for your people."
Raigo waved his guards away, though his gaze never wavered. "Tell me, Advisor… Why here? Why now? Why place my clan—fresh from exile—between two giants? The Uchiha to the west, the Hagoromo to the east. Am I a guest… or a barrier?"
The air tensed. Even the torches seemed to flicker uncertainly.
Kanzō met Raigo's piercing gaze. "It was the Daimyō's judgment that your clan—"
Raigo's hand clenched on the arm of his chair.
"—is a threat, Advisor. Say it plainly."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Kanzō hesitated. And then… a flicker in the periphery. A faint, imperceptible disturbance in the shadows behind him.
His pulse quickened.
That presence—subtle, suffocating, familiar.
Tobi.
---
The Phantom Appears
A gust of unnatural wind swept through the hall, dimming the flames for a heartbeat. Shadows stretched unnaturally long across the floor—and then folded inward, coalescing into form.
When the torches steadied again, he was there.
The orange spiral mask.
The black cloak was lined with faint sealing patterns that shimmered like starlight.
The aura—neither chakra nor killing intent, but something far deeper.
Tobi.
Raigo stiffened instantly. His guards surged forward, chakra blazing red as their Ketsuryūgan flared—but Tobi merely raised a gloved hand, and the air itself seemed to still. The pressure in the room shifted, as though gravity had changed direction.
"Kanzō," Tobi said softly, his voice calm, layered, inhumanly steady. "You have done well."
Kanzō bowed, half in reverence, half in dread. "As you instructed."
Raigo's gaze darkened. "So it's true. The phantom who whispers in the Daimyō's court. You come into my hall uninvited?"
Tobi tilted his head slightly. "If I had come uninvited, your guards would be dead."
The torches flared. No one moved.
Raigo's jaw clenched. "You think to threaten me?"
"No," Tobi said simply. "I came to prevent your next war."
---
The Weight of Revelation
Kanzō felt the shift—the way the very air bent around Tobi's presence. Even without raising his voice, the masked figure dominated the space.
Raigo stood, every muscle tense. "Speak plainly, phantom. Why are you here?"
Without a word, Tobi extended his hand.
A scroll dropped open in mid-air—unfurling like a serpent. Seals glowed faintly as lines of ink lifted from the parchment, forming words, sigils, and signatures.
Kanzō's eyes widened.
Those documents—! He recognized them. The exact files Tobi had provided him before—the evidence that had exposed the Lightning Daimyō's first wife and her faction of nobles.
Raigo's breath hitched. His eyes darted across the floating parchment, reading each mark, each name, each seal. And with every passing second, his expression hardened.
"These… these are her dealings with mercenaries… the bounties… the edicts that marked us as traitors…" Raigo's voice dropped to a growl. "This is the proof that condemned my people."
Tobi inclined his head slightly. "And the proof that clears them."
Raigo turned sharply. "How—where did you—"
"The Advisor exposed her," Tobi interrupted smoothly. "But I gathered the truth."
For the first time, Raigo faltered. "You…?"
Tobi's gaze—though hidden—felt like it pierced through the air. "The same faction that hunted your clan orchestrated a coup in the Land of Lightning. I dismantled them."
Kanzō watched the exchange in silence, every instinct screaming that the situation balanced on a knife's edge.
Raigo's fists trembled with rage barely contained. "You play with politics that destroyed entire generations."
"I reshape them," Tobi said. "And now I offer your clan something no Daimyō, no village, no warlord ever could."
---
Talk no Jutsu — System Enhanced
Inside the mask, Keiji Uchiha's eyes gleamed.
A soft pulse echoed in his vision—
[System Skill Activated: Persuasion — "Talk no Jutsu (Advanced)". Success Rate: +145%]
Energy flowed subtly through his chakra network, subtly modulating his tone, timing, and words.
Every syllable now carried weight—intent—clarity.
"Raigo Chinoike," he said, his voice now steady, measured, almost hypnotic,
"Your clan has been betrayed by Daimyōs, hunted by rivals, and feared by nations. Again and again, you've survived. But survival is not victory."
Raigo's eyes narrowed. "And what is?"
"Leverage."
Tobi's tone cut through the air like a blade. "You now hold land blessed by the Fire Daimyō himself—between two great clans. The Uchiha and the Hagoromo. A position every strategist would kill for."
Raigo's lips thinned. "Or die from."
Tobi didn't flinch. "Not if you turn that position into power."
Raigo folded his arms. "And how do you propose I do that, masked one?"
"The same way the world has always turned," Tobi answered, stepping forward slowly.
"By alliances. By bloodlines. By control of fear."
He lifted his hand, counting softly as he spoke.
"There are nine clans whose actions will decide the future of this land."
His voice darkened.
"The Uchiha Clan, the Hagoromo Clan, the Senju Clan, the Uzumaki Clan, the Hyūga Clan, the Kaguya Clan, and the Ino–Shika–Chō Clans —the first great three-clan axis alliance of the Land of Fire."
Raigo's expression shifted slightly. "You speak of them as if you know their hearts."
Tobi's response was immediate. "I do."
Even Kanzō felt the conviction radiating from him—it was unnatural. Too precise. Too true.
Tobi continued:
"…The Fire Daimyō is watching you—carefully."
A warning.
"…the Uchiha Clan distrust you—deeply."
A truth.
"…the Hagoromo Clan remain cautious—painfully."
A fact.
Then Tobi continued, each word weighted:
"The Senju Clan appraise you as a potential threat."
"The Uzumaki Clan monitor your every political ripple."
"The Hyūga Clan question your motives."
"The Kaguya Clan would erase your clan if given excuse."
"And the Ino–Shika–Chō judge whether you are a destabilizing element."
He paused. The silence that followed was suffocating.
"Your clan is surrounded on all sides," Tobi said finally. "But you are not without strength. You have one advantage they do not."
Raigo's voice came low, wary. "…And that is?"
"Me."
Kanzō's pulse stopped for half a second.
Even the guards shifted uneasily.
Tobi's cloak rippled faintly, though there was no wind.
"I told Kanzō to come here," Tobi said. "I told him to arrange this meeting. I dismantled the faction that exiled you. I placed your clan here—for a reason."
Raigo's voice dropped to a whisper. "Why? What do you gain from this?"
Tobi stepped closer. His masked face reflected firelight like molten metal.
"Because the future of the Land of Fire needs the Chinoike Clan."
"And the Chinoike Clan need allies—or you will vanish beneath the weight of these nine giants."
Raigo frowned deeply. "For what purpose?"
"To balance the scales."
He turned, his voice now firm, echoing through the chamber.
"Form an alliance with the Uchiha and Hagoromo Clans. Three bloodlines, one foundation—power, perception, and legacy. Together, you will form the second great axis of the Land of Fire."
Raigo's eyes flickered. "A counterweight to the Senju Clan, the Uzumaki Clan, the Hyūga Clan, the Kaguya Clan, and the Ino–Shika–Chō Clans —the first great three-clan axis alliance of the Land of Fire."
"Exactly," Tobi replied. "Two axes. Two pillars. Two futures. The Land of Fire cannot be ruled by one alliance alone."
Raigo stood still for a long moment. The firelight danced in his crimson eyes. "And you? What will you be in all this?"
Tobi's tone softened. "The ghost who ensures no one falls."
Raigo's guard captain shifted. "Empty words."
But Tobi ignored him. "I do not ask for trust, Raigo Chinoike. Only watch. Watch how the Uchiha behave. Watch the Daimyō's treatment. Watch how fate begins to bend."
The silence stretched.
Then Raigo spoke quietly, a question more to himself than anyone else.
"Who are you really…?"
Tobi turned, cloak whispering softly across the stone floor.
He paused at the doorway, the single eyehole of his mask catching the torchlight.
"A friend of the future."
And with that—he vanished.
A swirl of air, a shiver of space, and the masked phantom was gone.
Leaving only Kanzō, Raigo, and the heavy silence of decisions yet to be made.
---
End of the Chapter
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