Land of Water, Kirigakure.
Waves crashed against the harbor as the damp sea breeze carried a salty tang through the air.
The Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, stood on the deck, his robes fluttering wildly in the ocean wind.
He toyed with a freshly delivered intelligence scroll in his hand, the corners of his lips curling into an exaggerated grin.
"Beautifully done!" he suddenly burst into loud laughter, startling a flock of seagulls into flight.
"That bastard merchant funding Iwagakure is finally dead!"
Because of that wealthy merchant's financial support, Iwagakure had been able to sustain a long, drawn-out war of attrition against Kirigakure.
Naturally, as Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu couldn't tolerate this. So, he issued assassination missions across all nations, putting a high bounty on the merchant's head.
He wanted to borrow the hands of other shinobi villages to take the man out…
Yet despite the extremely generous rewards, very few had taken up the task.
Gengetsu had already lost hope that anyone would succeed — but unexpectedly, the mission had been completed.
Someone had actually managed to kill the merchant under heavy guard, completely surpassing his expectations.
No matter who accomplished it, this was an enormous victory for Kirigakure.
"That damn Tsuchikage must be jumping with rage right now!"
On the deck, dozens of elite Mist-nin had already gathered, fully armed and ready for deployment.
Hōzuki Gengetsu wasn't about to let this rare opportunity slip through his fingers…
Upon receiving the news, he immediately decided to personally lead his forces into the Land of Earth to strike at the Second Tsuchikage.
This was his chance to cripple Iwagakure and kill that bastard Tsuchikage.
Everyone knew the shinobi world was round.
All he needed to do was sail around the continent, and he could bring his army straight to the unguarded rear coastline of the Land of Earth.
There was no way the Second Tsuchikage would expect them to appear from behind.
Once they coordinated with the forces on the front lines, they could deal a devastating blow to Iwagakure's army — perhaps even kill the Tsuchikage outright.
A flanking surprise attack, a single decisive strike.
"Heh heh heh, I really am a genius," Hōzuki Gengetsu smirked, pulling out a comb and proudly slicking back his pompadour.
This plan was flawless!
"Mizukage-sama, all preparations are complete," a jōnin knelt on one knee and reported respectfully.
Hōzuki Gengetsu nodded in satisfaction, then waved his hand grandly.
"Move out! Our target — the rear coastline of the Land of Earth!"
The ships slowly departed from the harbor, cutting through the waves as they headed toward open sea.
Standing on the deck, Hōzuki Gengetsu couldn't help but imagine the "surprise" he would soon deliver to the Second Tsuchikage.
"Cross the seas and kill you!"
Just thinking about reaching the shores of the Land of Earth in a few days made him chuckle, already picturing the Tsuchikage dying by his hand.
...
Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's Office.
The intelligence scroll in the Second Tsuchikage Mu's hand crumbled into powder, the dust slipping silently through his fingers.
He stood by the window of his office, his bandage-wrapped face hiding any expression, but his exposed eyes were icy cold and terrifying.
"All dead?" His hoarse voice was low and grim. "Not a single one escaped?"
The Iwa-nin kneeling on the floor trembled, cold sweat streaming down his forehead as he stammered,
"Y-Yes… there wasn't a single survivor at the scene. They didn't even have time to send a distress signal."
Mu slowly turned around, and the room's temperature seemed to drop sharply.
The squad he had dispatched consisted entirely of elites —
Six jōnin, twelve special jōnin, and the rest were all highly skilled scouts and assassins.
These men were not only the merchant's personal guards but also his hidden weapon for controlling the business world and funneling funds into Iwagakure's war efforts.
And now, that weapon had been shattered.
Something like this…
He didn't even know who had managed to break his blade.
"The bodies?" Mu asked coldly.
"All burned to ash," the Iwa-nin replied cautiously. "Only traces of battle remain and… a large amount of Fire Release residue."
"Who could it be?" Mu murmured under his breath.
For so many to be killed silently, without anyone escaping, this had to be an organized, premeditated operation.
Even he couldn't have killed that many people without at least a few survivors escaping.
In the shinobi world, there were only two men capable of something like this —
Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara. But both of them were long dead.
It couldn't possibly be them!
If not Hashirama or Madara, then there was only one answer left — his greatest rival, the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu.
In the shinobi world, if anyone were to deliberately target Iwagakure, there was no doubt it would be that lunatic from Kirigakure.
"Hōzuki Gengetsu…" Mu's eyes narrowed, his voice dripping with venom. "You damnable, persistent ghost!"
He slammed his fist onto the desk, spiderweb cracks spreading instantly across its surface.
Mu inhaled deeply, forcing his rising fury back under control.
"Pass my order — full military alert." His voice regained its cold composure, but the murderous intent behind it only grew heavier. "Keep a close watch on Kirigakure's every move."
"And send out reconnaissance squads. I want to know exactly where the Mizukage is right now."
Something gnawed at him deep inside, an ominous premonition that Hōzuki Gengetsu was plotting something far worse.
The Iwa-nin saluted and hurried away.
Mu remained by the window, staring at the towering stone mountains in the distance.
His gaze turned dark and heavy, and beneath the bandages, the corners of his lips curved into a cold, menacing smile.
"Hōzuki Gengetsu… you'd better pray we don't cross paths."
"Because if we do… I'll show you the true terror of Dust Release!"
...
"Madara, Renya, you're back."
Inside a cave in the Land of Fire, Senju Hashirama lay pale and frail upon a wooden bed, smiling faintly as he looked at the two who entered.
Uchiha Madara frowned upon seeing him — two days had passed, yet Hashirama's condition hadn't improved at all. In fact, it had worsened.
"Hashirama-san, are you okay?" Renya asked worriedly.
Something was very wrong with Senju Hashirama's condition… his body couldn't possibly continue deteriorating like this, could it?
This time, there was no way to force a temporary recovery.
His body hadn't improved in the slightest — it had only stopped worsening temporarily. But now, it was clear his illness was advancing again.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before his life burned out completely.
That Hashirama had survived for two whole years was already a medical miracle.
Renya's thoughts wandered for a moment.
If Madara awakened the Rinnegan by transplanting Hashirama's cells, then… could Hashirama's body improve if he transplanted Madara's cells in return?
If that were possible, Renya certainly didn't want to see Senju Hashirama die like this.
Without Hashirama, there would be no one left to restrain Madara.
As he was deep in thought, weighing the possibility, Uchiha Madara's low, commanding voice cut through the silence.
"Kid. Go cook."
Renya nodded and went to start a fire inside the cave.
Madara's gaze, however, never left Hashirama, his expression unreadable as his thoughts remained unknown.
After a long, heavy silence, Madara finally spoke.
"Hashirama… I'll make sure you live to see the day the shinobi world finally knows peace."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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