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Rain.
This year's rainy season came early. Tender green shoots had barely peeked through the spring soil before Konoha was swallowed by a gloomy, oppressive downpour.
Outside the conference tent—a structure only erected in times of war—Izumo and Kotetsu stood guard.
From within the tent, the sounds of fierce arguments and the slam of a fist on a table intermittently broke through the drumming rain.
Izumo sighed. "This is the seventh round of talks since Lady Tsunade returned. The core issue… still hangs in the air."
Kotetsu grunted. "Asking each clan to hand over their secret techniques for exchange with other villages? Unrealistic."
"Shinobi have always been organized by clans. It took nearly a thousand years to form village communities," Izumo said, his voice low. "But throughout history… a clan's secret arts have been its lifeblood. The core secrets of the village itself."
"Even with Lady Tsunade's influence, and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio setting an example… getting everyone else to budge is like moving a mountain."
Inside the conference room.
Shibi Aburame, typically reserved, faced Tsunade's pressure with granite resolve.
"The Aburame clan's insect techniques require selective mutation and cultivation of suitable larvae. For ethical reasons, we actively cull venomous strains that could cause uncontrollable consequences," he stated, his voice flat behind his sunglasses. "But outsiders… cannot guarantee that. If a toxic strain were cultivated by someone with ill intent, the results would be catastrophic."
He bowed slightly, the motion final. "My apologies, Lady Hokage. No matter how earnest your proposal, the Aburame clan cannot part with its heritage. As clan head, I cannot let my clan become sinners in history's eyes."
Next was the Inuzuka clan head, who had served on the Fourth Hokage's team.
"The Inuzuka clan's techniques demand extreme rigor in selecting nin-dogs. Even a chosen pup must be raised from infancy with the same care and devotion as a child. The patience and effort required… are immeasurable. Not everyone is capable of it." His jaw was set. "The Inuzuka ancestral teaching is a love for canines equal to that for humans. We cannot subject our partner dogs to the uncontrolled risks of being raised in foreign villages. Therefore, the Inuzuka clan must also… decline."
The Hyūga's Gentle Fist was rooted in the Byakugan, technically placing them outside this exchange.
That was why Dodai of the Cloud Village had specifically raised another point.
When a Hyūga of the main house died, their Byakugan could be preserved. A suitable candidate from any major village could receive the transplant.
Thus, the Hyūga were dragged into the fray.
Hiashi Hyūga, embodying the pride of a noble clan head, left no room for debate. "The Byakugan, guarded by the Hyūga for generations, will never fall into the hands of outsiders. As long as I draw breath, you can forget it. Give up this foolish notion, Hokage!"
At the head of the long table, Tsunade's face was shadowed. Implementing the Five Kage Summit's resolution… the resistance was fiercer than she'd imagined.
All eyes were on her, waiting for her response.
Her mind drifted to two days prior, after the sixth round of talks had collapsed. In a rain-swept pavilion, she'd massaged her temples, a bottle of sake her only relief from the bone-deep weariness.
Shikaku had found her there. "You needn't be so discouraged, Hokage-sama. This isn't Konoha's problem alone. The other Kage… they surely face the same situation. Perhaps that's why Sasuke gave us a full three years…"
Tsunade's gaze was heavy with worry. "Sasuke may give us three years. But will Madara? What about Uchiha Obito, still missing? We finally reached a consensus among the Five Kage. If this shinobi alliance falls apart because of petty distrust and stubbornness from the ranks… how do I face the legacy of my grandfather?"
Shikaku's reply was pragmatic. "The hardest part of this is that… from each individual's standpoint, no one is wrong. The clan heads' concerns are valid. Even correct. At times like these… there are no shortcuts. Only sincerity."
"Sincerity…" Tsunade had murmured, staring into the rain. "What would my grandfather have done?"
Back in the conference room, the shadow on Tsunade's face solidified into resolve. Under the collective stare of the room, she rose to her feet.
Gulp.
The opposing clan heads swallowed nervously, bracing for the storm of fury from this formidable woman.
Instead, Tsunade took a deep, audible breath.
And knelt.
"I… cannot guarantee that the fears you all hold will not come to pass." Her voice, clear and firm, cut through the stunned silence. "But the implementation of this resolution… will determine the future of the shinobi world. I, Tsunade, stake my life and honor on this! If, in the future, Konoha suffers losses because of your cooperation today… I will bear full responsibility for all consequences. I will atone with my death. This is my vow!"
Dawn.
Walking a mountain path bathed in the first pale light, Izuna could no longer contain his restless spirit.
"Brother. When do you plan to take revenge on the Senju's Konoha?"
Madara stopped. He looked at Izuna's face—eager, burning with anticipation—and thought, So. Black Zetsu didn't mention the Uchiha Stone Tablet. Or the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
The man who had never known defeat in a hundred battles now faced a dilemma. How could he explain the evolution of his worldview over the long decades? How could he articulate a plan that, to any sane person, would sound like the ravings of a madman?
Izuna had died young, in an age of straightforward vengeance. The philosophy Madara had forged through a lifetime of experience… would his brother understand? And even if he did, would he agree?
Whether others agreed or not meant nothing to Madara.
But Izuna… his beloved little brother. That was different.
Madara steadied himself, choosing his words carefully.
"Izuna… Do you wish for Konoha to cease to exist?"
Izuna blinked, confused. "Isn't… isn't that the point of our action? To avenge the Uchiha persecuted by the Senju?"
Black Zetsu, following at a discreet distance behind the brothers, smirked beneath his woven hat.
Stuck, aren't you, Madara?
Madara ran a hand through his hair, now blackened by the Black Cursed Seal, and sighed inwardly.
Destroying Konoha? The work of a moment. After Hashirama's death, he'd had countless opportunities. Why wait until now?
His eyes were on the entire world. What did a tiny corner like Konoha matter to him? Once the Infinite Tsukuyomi succeeded, everything would be over.
As Izuna stared at him, perplexed, waiting for an answer, Madara sorted through his own heart.
The Moon's Eye Plan was his lifelong ambition. Nothing would change that.
He didn't know how Izuna would react when he learned the truth. He would have to tell him, sooner or later.
But for now… he didn't want potential ideological clashes to ruin the simple joy of their reunion.
Well… for now, I'll just go along with Izuna's wishes.
For Izuna, Madara was willing to adjust his timeline.
"Izuna," he said, his voice dropping into a promise. "I give you my word. After my battle with Nagato… I will personally reduce the Senju-founded Village Hidden in the Leaves to dust."
Izuna's eyes blazed. "REALLY?!"
Madara smiled, looking at his brother's profile. "Fool. Have I ever lied to my beloved brother?"
Izuna was overjoyed. "Then when the time comes, I will lend you my strength, brother!"
And so… with casual laughter between brothers, the seed was planted for a calamity the likes of which Konoha had never seen.
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