While the various countries of the ninja world were enthusiastically discussing the formation of the Shinobi Alliance, Amegakure was busy converting one of its buildings into the Alliance's Headquarters.
This process wasn't very complicated. Ever since Amegakure allied with Kusagakure, its development had been skyrocketing, with high-rise buildings springing up all over.
Though some unrest had broken out not long ago, Amegakure had largely repaired that damage. This time, Konan selected a building near the village's center to serve as the Shinobi Alliance HQ.
Once the Alliance HQ renovation was completed, representatives from various villages began arriving, not only from hidden villages big and small but also from every kind of ninja faction.
Since the Land of Rivers, Kusagakure, and other nearby forces were closest to Amegakure, their representatives showed up first.
…
Amegakure – Shinobi Alliance Headquarters – Circular Conference Hall
Senshi, Konan, Nagato, and Kakuzu were already there. After looking around the circular hall, Konan asked, "Will we be holding a lengthy meeting this time to finalize the Alliance's various articles and bylaws?"
Of course, she directed the question at Senshi, since it was originally his idea to form the Alliance.
Senshi thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Konan, let's just accomplish three things this time.
"First, get all parties to reach a consensus on embracing peace and pursuing development together. Second, appoint the Akatsuki as the Alliance's peacekeeping force, with branches in every region. Third, establish the Shinobi Alliance as a fair and impartial organization that maintains peace and prepares us for the upcoming era of a 'Perfect Ninja World.'"
He had mentioned these three points before. But as soon as he mentioned the "Perfect Ninja World," Nagato voiced the doubts in his mind.
"From what I know, the only technique that can truly bring the dead back is the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu of the Rinnegan. That technique consumes a huge amount of life force; is it really possible to resurrect everyone who's died since the First Great Ninja War?"
If even Nagato was skeptical, it stood to reason that others in the ninja world would be, too. As soon as Nagato asked, both Konan and Kakuzu turned to look at Senshi.
Senshi answered casually, "It won't be easy, sure—but my plan is to do it in two stages.
"Stage One involves using Edo Tensei to bring back the dead in a special form. Then, once we have enough Rinnegan and enough people who can use them, we'll resurrect those individuals for real."
That's what Senshi said out loud, but it wasn't necessarily his true plan. Once he unlocked the advanced draw feature, he might discover other ways to resurrect people, not just Rinne Rebirth. But at the moment, that was something he couldn't prove or explain to Nagato and the others, so he laid out the "two-stage master plan."
After hearing this, Konan remarked, "Since many deceased ninja might return, the Alliance will need to decide which people to revive first, and also figure out how to preserve order in the ninja world—is that right?"
Senshi nodded slightly. "Exactly. For now, let's get our last-minute prep done, then wait for the Five Kage and the heads of other factions to arrive in Amegakure for the big meeting."
None of the others had any objections, so the four of them busied themselves making final arrangements for the Alliance's inaugural conference.
…
Meanwhile, in Konoha…
Tsunade had smoothly taken up her new position as head of Konoha's medical department. Her "shared summoning beast" project and the "Flying Rain Terrace" sake project were both moving full steam ahead.
In contrast to Orochimaru's Eternal Chakra Elixir—which was expensive, with limited supply—the new "Flying Rain Terrace Health Sake" was also pricey, but still within reach for a fairly wide audience. Tsunade priced it at one million ryō a bottle: selling one hundred bottles would net 100 million ryō in revenue, while the production cost was only fifty million.
Upon returning to Konoha from their business travels around the ninja world, Orochimaru and Kabuto noticed that something seemed off.
Orochimaru frowned. "We've run into quite a few ninja possessing slug summon beasts, haven't we?"
Kabuto was puzzled. "Lord Orochimaru, how could that be? Signing a summoning contract with the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest is supposed to be extremely difficult."
Orochimaru agreed. "Yes, forging a contract with Lady Katsuyu isn't easy. But I suspect those ninja didn't truly sign a summoning contract. They must be carrying the slugs around by some other means and using them for healing when they get hurt. No doubt Tsunade is behind this. I never expected that besides booze and gambling, she'd be interested in anything else."
He still didn't realize how serious this was, or else he wouldn't be in the mood to poke fun at Tsunade. Shortly thereafter, they arrived at Konoha's Root base.
When they got there, a Root elite who'd stayed behind—Aburame Torune—immediately came over to make his report.
"Lord Orochimaru, while you and Kabuto were away, something happened in the village that might affect you."
Orochimaru asked with a frown, "What happened?"
All eyes—Kabuto, Aburame Tatsuma, etc.—fell on Aburame Torune. Choosing his words carefully, Torune explained,
"Lady Tsunade proposed a 'shared summoning beast' concept. Now anyone can rent a slug from her for healing. She seals them into portable scrolls, so if a ninja is injured on a mission, they can call upon the slug's healing."
When Torune finished, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel a twinge of surprise. Now he understood why he'd seen slugs around. Apparently, Tsunade had somehow persuaded Lady Katsuyu to cooperate with her in a money-making venture. As Torune had noted, if someone has a slug's healing on the spot, they may never be pushed close to death, which in turn means they might not need Blacklight Life Restart.
Still, Orochimaru figured Tsunade alone wasn't that forward-thinking. There was only one person in the entire ninja world who'd give Tsunade the idea of "shared economy" and provide the necessary chakra: Uzumaki Senshi. Tsunade must have teamed up with Senshi, letting her boost her total chakra so she could summon that many slugs.
He found the Tsunade–Senshi collaboration a bit troubling. But if it was limited to just shared slug summoning, it wouldn't cut too deeply into his business. However, he soon realized he was being overly optimistic because Torune continued with a second piece of news:
"In addition to the shared summoning project, Lady Tsunade also launched a 'Flying Rain Terrace Health Sake' product. It's widely said to boost one's health and well-being and is currently selling like crazy."
"Here's a promotional leaflet. Please take a look."
As Torune handed Orochimaru the flyer, Kabuto skimmed it too, both ending up with odd expressions.
Orochimaru: (O_O)???
Kabuto: (O_O)???
From Orochimaru's perspective, Tsunade's shared slug project only threatened his Blacklight technology a little. But the new Health Sake might be a direct attack on his market. His Eternal Chakra Elixir worked by revitalizing a shinobi's cells, especially older ones, gradually restoring them to a more youthful state.
Meanwhile, Tsunade's new brew—thanks to added Hero Water, Senzu Beans allegedly from the Sage of Six Paths, and other premium materials—had properties reminiscent of his Elixir.
Outraged, Orochimaru spat, "Unbelievable! We leave the village to expand business, and Tsunade is sneaking around behind our backs, poaching our market."
Kabuto frowned. "So what do we do now, Lord Orochimaru?"
Up to this point, Orochimaru's group had enjoyed a near-complete monopoly with the Eternal Elixir and the Blacklight Life Restart technique. But Tsunade's two new ventures were starting to undermine their business advantage.
Just then, one of Senshi's Wood-Style clones appeared. Orochimaru felt annoyed. He couldn't dictate who Senshi collaborated with, of course, but working with Tsunade was definitely hurting his bottom line. Noting Orochimaru's displeasure, Senshi spoke with a chuckle.
"Snake bro, keep an open mind—focus on growth opportunities."
"Hmph," Orochimaru retorted, a sinister smile on his face.
Senshi didn't mind his attitude and continued,
"By the way, have you heard about my idea to form the Shinobi Alliance and to push a 'Perfect Ninja World' plan?"
"Sure, I've heard, but what's it got to do with me?" Orochimaru asked. Both he and Kabuto were well-aware of the rumor spreading across the land, but they didn't see how it directly involved them.
"Quite a lot, actually," Senshi said casually. "That Perfect Ninja World plan includes reviving fallen ninja from the past."
Orochimaru frowned. "Isn't that just a fantasy you're spinning for everyone?"
He was no fool. As a man deeply versed in science and forbidden jutsu, Orochimaru knew all too well the difficulty of reviving the dead.
But Senshi responded with complete seriousness, "Man, prejudice is truly a tall mountain in our minds. I assure you this isn't some fairytale. Achieving it won't be easy, but it's definitely possible."
Orochimaru: (O_O)???
Kabuto: (O_O)???
They knew Senshi was immensely capable, but they never expected him to be this serious—maybe even more serious than usual. Orochimaru asked, "So how exactly do you plan to bring them back? And once they're back, how do we avoid triggering the Fourth Great Ninja War?"
It wasn't that Orochimaru had suddenly developed a passion for peace, but war would sap resources that could otherwise be invested in his research.
Senshi slung an arm around Orochimaru's shoulder.
"Snake bro, you're sharp, as expected. The plan is twofold. First, we'll use White Zetsu as sacrifices for Edo Tensei, letting the dead walk again in a special form. Then, if they behave well and contribute to the world, they'll be permanently resurrected via the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu. As for preventing a Fourth Great Ninja War, that's the job of the Shinobi Alliance."
This time, Orochimaru understood. Senshi wanted to restructure the shinobi world into an unprecedentedly powerful system—something that would clearly boost his own scientific research.
Even more exciting was that Orochimaru saw a chance to make money. White Zetsu was currently expensive; if he could develop the tech to mass-produce them cheaply, he'd hold a valuable business advantage. Similarly, he could upgrade the Edo Tensei technique so that everyone could be revived more effectively. Both projects promised huge returns.
He didn't realize that he and Kabuto were perfectly suited for this. Back in canon, Kabuto had indeed used Edo Tensei to resurrect dead ninja for the Fourth Great War, albeit for different reasons.
After hearing Senshi's explanation, Orochimaru spoke up decisively, "Senshi, I fully support the Alliance and your Perfect Ninja World plan. I'll research mass-producing White Zetsu and improving Edo Tensei to provide the technical support you need!"
Senshi gently corrected him, "Not my plan, Snake bro—the Alliance's plan. We're not charging each other money. We'll keep working together as before, but our real market is the rest of the ninja world."
While Senshi's Wood-Style clone hashed things out with Orochimaru, other clones were holding similar discussions with Tsunade, Sasori, and more.
For example, Tsunade might also figure out how to mass-cultivate White Zetsu, and Sasori might promote the idea of a "mechanical ascension." After all, even if the dead were resurrected, they could still die again someday—unless they had Immortality like Hidan or a puppet body like Sasori.
As the clones bustled around, the Five Kage and many other faction leaders arrived in Amegakure. A meeting far grander than any Five Kage Summit was about to begin in a few days. Time flew by; in just a flash, those few days passed.
…
Amegakure – Shinobi Alliance HQ – Circular Conference Hall
Senshi, Nagato, and the others had taken their seats. The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, the Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumī, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, and the Fourth Raikage A were all seated in their places. The leaders of countless other large and small factions also arrived.
Once everyone was present, Senshi stood up and said, "As the initiator of the Alliance and the Perfect Ninja World plan, I'll be chairing the Alliance's first-ever conference."
The moment he finished, Karin, Uzumaki Musen, and a handful of others leapt to their feet, applauding loudly. Following their lead, many Amegakure ninjas rose to applaud as well.
Senshi: (O_O)???
He couldn't help a small wry thought: Am I about to give a thirty-minute speech, getting interrupted by applause a hundred times? But joking aside, he went right on with business.
He addressed the crowd again, "My Wood-Style clones have already had preliminary talks with all of you about forming the Alliance. Now, if anyone has questions regarding the Alliance or the Perfect Ninja World plan, feel free to ask."
The moment he paused, Karin and Musen popped right back up and started clapping again. This time, more people joined in the applause—after all, the Alliance would bring real benefits to many villages and factions.
Once the clapping died down, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki was the first to speak. "If we form a Shinobi Alliance, will each village still manage its own affairs, or will the Alliance handle them?"
Without hesitation, Senshi replied, "Each village will manage its own affairs. The Alliance's main role is to maintain peace and promote resource-sharing so the whole ninja world can trade and cooperate."
When Ōnoki's question was answered, Iwagakure's Four-Tails Jinchūriki Rōshi stood up. "So once the Alliance is in place, the Akatsuki will serve as the peacekeeping force, stationed everywhere to keep order. If, for example, Iwagakure experiences a violent incident, does the village's internal police force handle it, or does Akatsuki's local branch handle it?"
Senshi answered again, "Usually the village police handle it. Only if they can't manage would the village request help from the Alliance. Then the Alliance would convene an emergency meeting and assign the Akatsuki branch in that village to a peacekeeping mission."
No sooner had he finished than Karin and Musen again sprang up clapping, this time with more people joining in. Indeed, many smaller countries and factions welcomed the concept, while bigger, more powerful factions had noticeable frowns. Still, none of the five great villages openly opposed it.
They had their reasons:
1. Senshi and Amegakure were too strong to openly defy.
2. The Alliance was an unstoppable trend toward progress.
3. Not objecting didn't necessarily mean they'd follow the rules all the time. If push came to shove, they might still wipe out a smaller village before the Alliance could react, leaving the Alliance to only punish them after the fact. But there was little chance of them being destroyed outright in retaliation. Seasoned leaders like Hiruzen and Ōnoki understood how much leeway they still had.
Next, the Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumī stood up. "If Akatsuki is the Alliance's peacekeeping force, how will those orders be issued? And how can shinobi from different factions join the Akatsuki?"
All eyes turned to Senshi. He replied, "Peacekeeping missions require a vote among the representatives each village sends to the Alliance. As for how to join the Akatsuki, we can talk specifics later. In principle, any faction's elite ninja can join."
Satisfied, Mei nodded and sat back down. Meanwhile, the top brass from each faction whispered among themselves. Under the First Hokage Hashirama and the other early Kage, the ninja world had transitioned from the Warring States era to the "Hidden Village" era.
Now, with Senshi's push, they were evolving from the Hidden Village era to a "Shinobi Alliance" era. Though it was a major shift in the world's structure, the crowd seemed far more receptive than one might expect—there were clear advantages for everyone involved.
Behind Ōnoki, the Five-Tails Jinchūriki Han said quietly, "Once the Alliance is in place and Akatsuki has a branch in Iwagakure, we can probably use some of our military budget for economic development."
Ōnoki shot him down immediately, slamming his desk. "Fool! We don't even know if the Alliance is going to last. Who can say what unexpected changes might arise in the future? Iwagakure cannot cut its military spending. No matter what, we have to remain strong in case conflict suddenly breaks out."
Kitsuchi added, "Exactly right! However, with the Alliance, we can strengthen our ties and trade with other parties to grow our economy."
Similar conversations popped up all over the chamber. Almost everyone concluded that, overall, the Alliance's benefits outweighed the downsides. As delegates spoke softly among themselves, Senshi kept fielding questions so they could better understand this "Shinobi United Nations" concept.
After he answered one more ninja's query, the Fourth Raikage A stood up.
"Lord Senshi, we've learned quite a bit about the Alliance, but we're all wondering… is your Perfect Ninja World plan truly workable? How do you plan to do it?"
~~~
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