News in the ninja world travels fast. Just as Konoha and the Cloud Village announced their alliance, word spread that the Mist and Stone villages had done the same—and their alliance made a much bigger splash.
"The ninjas of Konoha have used a despicable forbidden jutsu, disturbing the peace of the dead to fight the living! This is an absolutely intolerable evil!"
"The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, will stop at nothing to win, even resurrecting the ancient medical ninja Emiya Shirou to use in his war!"
This news spread like wildfire. So much so that even the already-defeated Sand Village started getting restless. They didn't break their treaty, but they did march their troops to the Land of Grass border to "observe."
If Konoha was defeated, they could tear up the treaty on the spot. If the Stone and Mist were defeated, they'd immediately march north to seize Stone territory. If both sides suffered heavy losses... well, that would be a double blessing for the Sand.
The only sliver of good news was that the Cloud Village, remembering Hashirama's past kindness, was still willing to ally with Konoha.
-----
In the Konoha camp, Tobirama's brow was deeply furrowed. The Mist Village's interference had thrown the war, which had been slowly turning in their favor, back into a stalemate.
"A bunch of hypocrites," Danzo cursed through gritted teeth. "They were all happy to use Lord Emiya's medical skills before, but now they're crying to the world about how we've disturbed his peace."
"Be quiet," Tobirama glanced at him. "That excuse is completely irrelevant. Before the war is won, they'll use anything as a pretext. Before, it was about seizing our land. Now, it's about making themselves look good while they do it."
And that "good reputation" was precisely what was killing Konoha. They were already at a disadvantage against the Stone, and now with the Mist's troops added to the mix, even their relatives from the Land of Whirlpools could only offer defensive support.
Tobirama knew where the problem lay. This was the backlash from his continued use of Shirou in the war—or rather, the backlash from Konoha hogging all the benefits.
In the past, Konoha's strength was unparalleled, thanks to the lingering deterrence of the First Hokage. Even after Tobirama resurrected Shirou, the ten years he spent traveling the ninja world allowed all the major villages to benefit from his skills. Konoha had just reaped the largest share.
Isn't this just like when Konoha was founded? Tobirama thought.
Konoha had always occupied the lion's share of the Land of Fire's resources, far more than any other village. The others were dissatisfied, but were kept in check by Hashirama's overwhelming power.
Now, Hashirama was dead, but Konoha still had the best land and the exclusive benefits of Emiya Shirou. The root of this war was the same as the last, just with a new, sanctimonious excuse attached.
Tobirama had believed he could end the war quickly, making the issue of Shirou's resurrection irrelevant. But now, they were stuck. They desperately needed the alliance with the Cloud Village to stabilize the situation. And so, he was forced to rely on the grace his brother had left behind.
"Lord Hokage," someone objected, "the alliance meeting is set to take place in the Cloud Village. It could be an ambush."
Tobirama's attitude was firm. "This treaty is of utmost importance. If we don't even dare to attend the ceremony, we'll be seen as weak. They'll think we don't value the alliance and cancel it, making our situation even worse."
"The Cloud has already announced this to the world; they've shown their sincerity. We cannot be rude. As long as the treaty between me and the Second Raikage is reached, Konoha can regain the advantage." He waved off any further objections. "It's probably impossible for Lord Emiya to persuade the Stone to withdraw. We'll meet with him after we return."
-----
Meanwhile, in the Stone Village camp, the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki, had arrived. The man was bold, completely unconcerned about being assassinated.
"I thought you were planning to sneak-attack the Land of Earth," the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, said dryly, shaking his hand. "After all, the Mist Village is isolated overseas, and your credibility has never been your strong suit."
"Hahaha, not at all!" Gengetsu laughed, gripping Mu's hand tightly. "When it comes to common interests, we are very credible! If you hadn't agreed to the alliance, then it wouldn't have been too late for me to attack. I came here myself, at great risk, to show you my sincerity! My forces are even taking the scenic route to avoid your territory."
A hint of distrust flashed in Mu's eyes. He knew Gengetsu was just worried about being attacked while crossing the Land of Earth. "Rest assured, Bandage Man," Gengetsu said, getting to the point. "We are absolutely sincere. Compared to your cramped valleys, the Mist Village much prefers the richness of the Land of Fire."
"That would be for the best," Mu replied, choosing to ignore the jab at his homeland.
"Sigh," Gengetsu continued, completely relaxed. "I originally wanted to ally with the Sand, but they were defeated too quickly. The Cloud wanted to get cozy with Konoha. After doing the math, you were the only one left, you old fossil."
"Hmph, we didn't plan on allying with you either," Mu shot back. "But there might be an unexpected change on the battlefield. Lord Emiya Shirou is coming... and he has company."
"Oh, a cup of hot tea!" Gengetsu called out to a young Onoki, completely ignoring the bombshell Mu had just dropped. He took the steaming cup and drank it down without a flinch.
Onoki stared, dumbfounded.
This is a Kage?
The man's mood was so relaxed, you'd think they were discussing the weather, not a life-or-death war.
"The outcome of a war is ultimately decided by power," Gengetsu said leisurely. "Our allied forces are enough to crush Konoha. No matter how powerful a medical ninja is..."
"His companion is Madara Uchiha," Mu interrupted casually.
Pfft!
Gengetsu sprayed a mouthful of hot tea, then whirled on Onoki. "Hot, hot, hot! You little brat, are you trying to scald me to death?"
"Don't use my disciple as an excuse to cover up your loss of composure!" Mu snapped back. "You fight with high-temperature steam. Since when is tea too hot for you?"
"Well, that's troublesome," Gengetsu said, putting down his cup. The tea on his clothes instantly turned to steam. "If they're joining Konoha, our allied forces might not have the advantage. We've all been through the Warring States period. We can't afford the losses it would take to beat Madara with numbers."
He stood up, as if to leave. "Now that I think about it, we don't seem very suitable for an alliance."
This guy has absolutely no integrity!
"You're not going back today," Mu said flatly.
"Sigh, I never thought I'd walk right into a trap," Gengetsu sat back down, completely helpless. "Forget it. Brat, prepare some more tea and snacks for me."
Onoki's eye twitched. First a hero, now a slacker. He really wanted to smash the teapot over the Mizukage's head.
"Is the news confirmed?" Gengetsu's face suddenly became serious. "If it is, we'll have to prepare tactics to deal with Madara in advance."
"Very confirmed," Mu nodded.
"That's for the best," a confident grin spread across Gengetsu's face. "Let's end it all in this war... and bring the mighty powerhouse of the Warring States period to shame!!"
Onoki looked at the Mizukage in disbelief. He actually dared to challenge Madara Uchiha! As someone who had witnessed Madara's power firsthand, Onoki was still terrified of him.
Perhaps I've really underestimated this Mizukage!
"Don't be so confident," Mu's words burst Gengetsu's bubble. "We should confirm their intentions first. He came with Lord Emiya. I doubt that man would let him go on a killing spree."
"Then I'll leave it to you!" Gengetsu decisively passed the buck and went back to enjoying his tea. "What can I do? I'm no match for Madara, and my brain can't compare to yours, Bandage Man. Let's have some tea first."
The corner of Onoki's eye twitched again.
"Brat! Pour the tea! Pour the tea!" Gengetsu shouted, bullying the Tsuchikage's disciple with abandon.
Onoki really wanted to hit him.
-----
Meanwhile, on a hill overlooking the Stone camp, Madara Uchiha and Emiya Shirou had arrived.
"A bunch of ninja left over from the Warring States period," Madara sneered. "How could they care about any forbidden jutsu? They're just trying to use Lord Emiya as a pretext to make him leave Konoha's side. It's an unexpected bonus for everyone."
He caressed his eye socket. "This ninja world has long been beyond saving. Only our plan can truly save it."
Madara looked down at the camps below. "Now that the armies of the five great villages have gathered, a small conflict could expand the war. Alliances and betrayals could happen at any time. That insidious villain Tobirama always likes to use despicable means. This time, the Konoha that Hashirama wanted to protect might be burned to ashes."
"But in the end, it's not a big problem. Mere grains of sand cannot compete with me." In his view, the only rival he ever had was dead. The rest were just clay chickens and pottery dogs.
"Let me do it myself," Shirou said, shaking his head. "If you were to do it, many people would probably die, right?"
He was confident. On the way here, he'd "borrowed" some of Hashirama's cells from Madara while "checking" on his eye. His total chakra output had been boosted to S-rank, equivalent to about ten Kakashis. Add to that the infinite chakra of his reanimated body and the ability to cast jutsu without hand seals, and it should be enough to make the other side willing to listen.
Inside the Stone camp tent, Mu and Gengetsu were still discussing the problem.
"That great figure isn't the issue," Gengetsu judged. "As long as Madara doesn't make a move, it shouldn't be a big problem. Anyway, we have no grudge with him."
"Lord Tsuchikage, Lord Mizukage, a visitor has arrived!" a Stone ninja announced. "It is Lord Emiya. He has come alone."
"He's finally here?" Mu felt a sense of relief. Now he could test his intentions.
"He probably hopes we will make peace with Konoha," Onoki said, scratching his head. "Regarding Lord Emiya's request... it seems we can't really refuse."
"Hey, brat! You really don't understand politics!" Gengetsu tapped him on the head.
"Don't bully my disciple," Mu reprimanded coldly, then sighed. "Although Onoki's idea is indeed naive. If he's here to discuss a truce, his idea is a bit too naive. This isn't the peaceful era of ancient times."
How could they possibly stop now, with the forces of five great nations gathered?
"Let's go welcome him," Mu said, putting on his Tsuchikage hat. "He has, after all, shown kindness to the Stone Village. If he hopes we will withdraw our troops..."
"Are we to refuse?" Onoki asked, looking awkward.
"Of course we can't refuse directly!" Mu cursed, disappointed in his disciple's stubbornness. "But we can't agree, either! As the future Tsuchikage, you must learn to think with a different mindset! Just delay for a while."
"And even if you agreed," Gengetsu grinned, "I, his ally, can't agree. If he insists on an answer, then we can only let him give us a reason to withdraw. For example... military force."
Mu gripped his hat. "We need to let this saint from the ancient era know that this is no longer the paradise of ancient times, but a new world where destiny is decided by power!"