Tobirama Senju's gaze was glacial, fixed squarely on Madara Uchiha.
"Hmph. I'd wager my left arm that this one is scheming something," he muttered, his voice a low growl. "It's just like when he faked his death and manipulated the Shinobi worldfrom the shadows for years."
"Come now, Tobirama, give it a rest," Hashirama said, shaking his head with a weary sigh. His tone was, as always, brimming with earnest conviction. "I believe him. That's all in the past. Our common enemy now is the Land of Waves. We must stand together."
"Our history with him doesn't inspire trust," Tobirama shot back, refusing to yield an inch. "Or have you already forgotten his ambitions? He intends to unify the entire shinobi world into an empire."
That finally seemed to pierce Hashirama's understanding. He turned to his old friend, a genuinely confused frown creasing his brow.
"Hey, Madara… why an empire, anyway? Are you… trying to become emperor now?"
"Tch. The title is meaningless," Madara scoffed, crossing his arms with his usual infuriating arrogance. "The world must be unified. That is the only solution."
"Oh! Okay, I understand." Hashirama nodded as if Madara had explained a simple chore. "I thought you actually wanted the crown. Phew. Being an emperor sounds exhausting. Just managing all those wives in a harem? No, thank you. Just thinking of it is exhausting—I married only one Mito, and that's more than enough for any man to handle."
A bead of sweat slid down Tobirama's temple. "Brother," he hissed through gritted teeth.
Across the continent, in the Land of Waves conference room, a woman shrouded in a white cloak shuddered almost imperceptibly.
Beside her, Tsunade coughed into her fist, her shoulders trembling with suppressed laughter.
"What?" Hashirama asked, looking genuinely puzzled by his brother's reaction. "I'm just sharing some hard-earned wisdom."
"Now is not the time for your 'wisdom'!" Tobirama's face was darkening by the second.
"Only a fool with nothing better to do would waste a single thought on women," Madara sneered disgusted. "A harem? Is that truly what you believe this is about?"
"Well, what is it about, then?" Hashirama pressed, scratching his head. "Even if you become emperor, you know you can't change your gender, right? That's not how any of this works—"
"Would you shut up?!" Madara roared, his patience finally shattering.
"Seriously, brother. Not another word," Tobirama pleaded, the look of a man suffering a monumental headache plain on his face.
Minato Namikaze let out an awkward chuckle.
"I never knew the First Hokage was so… uh… hilarious."
Hashirama's frown deepened.
"Wait, are you all making fun of me? I feel like you're all making fun of me."
"Can we please focus?" Tobirama interjected, wrenching the conversation back on track. "If we must keep returning here to replenish this… reishi or hollowification energy… does that mean we are trapped here? That we cannot operate in the world for extended periods?"
Orochimaru chose that moment to speak, unrolling a data scroll.
"Actually, the dissipation rate is calculable. You have an operational window of approximately fifteen days before your reserves are critically depleted. You simply need to return before that deadline for replenishment."
"Fifteen days… that's workable," Minato said, his sunny demeanor returning. "Right, then. First order of business—I'm going to get my son."
The mood sobered instantly. Hiruzen Sarutobi bowed his head, his voice thick with guilt. "Minato… I am so sorry. All of this is my—"
"Don't, Lord Third," Minato interrupted, his tone gentle but firm. "Naruto was led astray. That's all. I'll bring him home, and we'll talk. Then I'm off!"
He raised a hand, the familiar hand signs for the Flying Thunder God Technique about to activate. But then he froze, his hand hanging in the air.
"Hm? What is it?" Hiruzen asked.
Minato's brow furrowed in confusion.
"The mark… I can't feel it. The mark I placed on him is just… gone."
"Erased, most likely," Tobirama concluded, unsurprised. "It seems the leader of the Land of Waves anticipated your move."
"So what's the plan now?" Hiruzen whispered, the weight of the situation settling over them once more.
"If you can't teleport in, we walk through the front gate and take him," Madara said, as if it were the most obvious solution in the world. "It's a small nation. This is not a complex problem."
"Alright then," Hashirama said, his playful demeanor vanishing, replaced by the steady resolve of a Kage. "When do we move?"
"The second," Madara said without a moment's hesitation. "The second of next month."
—
Back in the Land of Waves conference room, the announced date hung heavily in the air.
"The second?" Tsunade repeated, her eyebrows knitting together. "Why the second ? What is he waiting for? Does he have some other weapon that isn't ready yet?"
"It's possible," the old Sand elder, Chiyo, nodded slowly. "A weapon that requires until the second to become operational… it must be powerful."
Nagato, leaning back in his chair, raised an eyebrow.
"Huh. The second. Funny. That's the season end date for the ranked matches in The Valley Of End."
Hanzo of the Salamander let out a loud, barking laugh.
"Ha! You think THE Madara Uchiha is delaying a war to grind his rank? Don't be ridiculous. That's almost funny."
From the side of the room, Pakura spoke softly, without a trace of humor.
"Is it, though? Is it really that ridiculous?"
Hanzo stared at her, his laughter dying in his throat.
Was she serious? The fate of the world hung in the balance, and she thought the legendary Madara Uchiha was worried about his game rank? The idea was insane.
"The second of next month," Chiyo sighed, bringing the room back to order. "They're coming with their own Arrancar. Can we win?"
It was a blunt question, but that was how things worked here. Candor was paramount.
"A Hollowfied Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju?" Pakura was the first to answer. "Even with an incomplete transformation, it won't be easy. But we don't have a choice. We cannot lose."
A dry chuckle came from Hanzo.
"Heh. To think these old bones would get a chance to battle the God of Shinobi himself. It wouldn't be a bad way to go out."
"Then, leave my husband to me."
The voice was calm, but it carried an authority that silenced the room. All eyes turned to the cloaked woman beside Tsunade.
Tsunade herself looked hesitant. "Grandmother… are you sure?"
"What kind of question is that, child?" With a graceful motion, the woman pushed back her hood.
Vibrant red hair framed a face that seemed too young for the title "grandmother," and the diamond seal on her forehead was identical to Tsunade's.
She was Mito Uzumaki. The First Hokage's wife. The first jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.
"I would not be here if I were not sure," she said, her voice leaving no room for argument.
A wave of relief and admiration washed through the room.
"Lady Mito!"
"Your resolve is admirable!"
"With Lady Mito on our side, even the First Hokage doesn't seem so daunting!"
It wasn't empty flattery. Her presence was a game-changer, a living or dead legend stepping onto their side of the board.
From the head of the table, Yuto finally spoke. He gave a casual wave of his hand.
"Meeting adjourned. Everyone, back to your posts. Do your jobs as usual. This isn't a crisis," he said, his tone relaxed, almost bored. "They're just playing with powers they don't fully understand. Half-baked experiments. Don't forget who holds the real power here."
A chorus of "Yes, sir!" echoed around the room. As people filed out, the previous tension had evaporated, replaced by a hardened sense of purpose. Their leader wasn't worried. So why should they be?
_____
_______
Show your support with Power Stones guys!
[email protected]/Raven_scroll (30+ Advance Chapters)