"I hope they can see the bigger picture. With such good conditions, there's no need to keep resisting," Hashirama muttered, shaking his head.
He despised war and death, but Yoichi had been more than generous to the villagers of Sunagakure.
It hadn't even been half a day since the unification plan had been distributed, yet one or two hundred people had already passed through the blockade set by Rasa's forces, heading to Konoha's settlement points.
Even though he hated war, Hashirama understood that this time he had to fight. The current Fifth Hokage, much like his brother Tobirama in the past, hoped to unify the Five Great Nations under a single village system.
Only through such unity could true peace be achieved.
"Brother, stop thinking about other things. The pressure from the Fifth Hokage is no small matter. Focus on your upcoming task," Tobirama remarked, setting aside the unification plan.
His comment left Hashirama puzzled, prompting him to ask, "Tobirama, what other task is there?"
"The oasis project. The shinobi in the village who can use Wood Release don't even have a fifth of your proficiency. Aside from you, only Tsunade and the Fifth Hokage can use it. Who do you think is best suited for the job?" Tobirama pointed to a small line of text on the unification plan.
After reading it, Hashirama's face fell, and he sighed. "Fine, since I've been revived, I owe the Fifth Hokage a favor anyway. Besides, he revived Nawaki too. I can't very well make Tsunade plant trees, can I?"
Hashirama had always been fond of his granddaughter, Tsunade. If not, he wouldn't have taken her to the gambling houses when she was only three years old, even though Mito constantly scolded him for it. Hashirama had been unable to resist Tsunade's requests and would sneak her off to gamble with a smile on his face.
"Tobirama, the Fifth Hokage didn't say anything, but I have a feeling he'll revive you too. After all, he's already entrusted you with such an important task," Hashirama said with a grin.
"Brother, I didn't take this on just to be revived. This is for Konoha's benefit," Tobirama responded, shaking his head.
His words left everyone in the room awestruck.
Jiraiya, in particular, was thinking about how much he wanted to revive his student, Minato. He had saved Minato during the mission to hunt down Pain, but Minato had died shortly after, leaving Jiraiya with a sense of guilt that he couldn't shake.
However, the conditions for revival were stringent. While there was hope of retrieving Minato's body, Jiraiya had learned that Minato was being controlled through Edo Tensei by the enemy, making the possibility of reviving him seem distant.
As for others like Pakura, who had only recently joined Konoha, they were utterly shocked. The fact that Konoha's Fifth Hokage had mastered a forbidden jutsu capable of resurrecting the dead left them speechless.
Pakura, however, kept the news to herself. Since she had agreed to the unification plan, she had already decided to fully commit to Konoha, so there was no need to reveal such information.
Soon after, under Tobirama's direction, squads of Konoha shinobi infiltrated Sunagakure under the cover of darkness, swiftly taking control of unoccupied buildings.
If Rasa truly planned to take action, the battle would surely take place within the village.
"Lord Madara, bad news."
After escaping, Black Zetsu immediately sought out Uchiha Madara.
Madara had just captured the Seven-Tails, but he was perplexed by the beast's meager chakra reserves. The entire Seven-Tails only had less than a fifth of the chakra the Three-Tails had possessed, which didn't make sense.
Madara had used genjutsu to interrogate the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki from Takigakure but found no discrepancies.
"What is it, Black Zetsu? Did you fail?"
Seeing Black Zetsu return alone, Madara had already deduced the outcome. If the mission had succeeded, Uchiha Fugaku and Tobi would have returned with him.
"Fugaku was a fool. This is the second time he's been betrayed because of his misplaced trust. But this time, there's no saving him—he's completely fallen."
Black Zetsu then gave Madara a detailed report of the events, including the battle's specifics. Fortunately, at the last moment, Tobi had managed to send information through the underground roots, though he hadn't been able to escape himself.
"Heh, betraying even his own family. Hashirama's village was a mistake from the start. This world will only find true peace through the Eye of the Moon Plan."
Madara's disdain for Hashirama's village deepened after hearing how Fugaku had been betrayed by his own son. The village had always harbored darkness, far removed from the ideal village they had once envisioned.
"What now, Lord Madara? Konoha seems to be quite formidable. They've already gained control of the Two-Tails and Nine-Tails' power, not to mention the First Hokage."
Black Zetsu pondered the situation and realized that they held no real advantage. Although Madara possessed the Rinnegan, he had yet to become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki.
Currently, Konoha had a resurrected First Hokage, a Fifth Hokage with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, two jinchūriki who controlled their Tailed Beasts, and numerous other powerful shinobi.
Black Zetsu grew anxious, fearing that they might not be able to collect all the Tailed Beasts before Konoha intervened. If that happened, would they have to wait another thousand years to revive his mother?
"Don't worry, Black Zetsu," Madara said, slightly more serious about Konoha's strength, though he still believed they wouldn't be able to stop him. With the Rinnegan and his full revival, only Hashirama could pose a real threat.
"The more Tailed Beasts we collect, the stronger the Gedo Statue becomes. Even with only seven Tailed Beasts, no one in the shinobi world will be able to oppose us."
But without the chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts, the Ten-Tails wouldn't awaken.
Black Zetsu, who understood the Ten-Tails better than Madara, thought to himself. The Gedo Statue might grow stronger with seven Tailed Beasts, but it wouldn't undergo a qualitative change.
This wasn't a reliable plan.
Still, Black Zetsu couldn't point this out to Madara, as doing so would only arouse suspicion. After all, he was supposed to be an extension of Madara's will.
"Lord Madara, what were you pondering earlier?" Black Zetsu asked.
"Nothing. It's just that the Seven-Tails' chakra seems to have been depleted. Even after absorbing it into the Gedo Statue, it will take time to replenish." Madara replied casually. Fortunately, Tailed Beast chakra replenished quickly, so it wouldn't delay his plans for the Ten-Tails.
Capturing the Tailed Beasts had gone unusually smoothly for Madara. No one had been able to stop him, not even Kirigakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, which had suffered heavy losses when Madara took the Six-Tails.
With four Tailed Beasts already collected, and the revival of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails imminent, the only remaining targets were the Eight-Tails from Kumogakure and the Two-Tails and Nine-Tails from Konoha.
"Lord Madara, the Eight-Tails is well hidden by Kumogakure. The White Zetsu clones haven't been able to locate it yet. We may need to wait a little longer."
Black Zetsu explained that Kumogakure seemed to have misplaced the Eight-Tails' training grounds. They had even launched a large-scale search recently. Since then, the whereabouts of the Eight-Tails jinchūriki had become classified information, even the White Zetsu clones had been unable to gather any intel.
"If we directly attack Kumogakure, those stubborn shinobi would rather die than reveal the location of the Eight-Tails jinchūriki. This could draw too much attention, and the entire shinobi world would find out that you're collecting Tailed Beasts."
"Three months. If we still haven't found the Eight-Tails jinchūriki by then, I'll go to Kumogakure myself." Madara declared, setting a timeline that Black Zetsu and White Zetsu weren't entirely confident about.
Still, Black Zetsu agreed. He wanted to advise Madara to be more patient since the chance to become the Ten-Tails jinchūriki was so close, but he feared that saying so would have the opposite effect.
Meanwhile, in Konoha, on the fourth underground level of the prison...
A rhythmic clapping echoed through the dimly lit corridor.
Nagato, who had lost his eyes, faintly heard the sound and asked, "Konan? What's wrong?"
(End of Chapter)
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"You're leaving tomorrow. I don't need to remind you again how to proceed, do I?"
Yoichi brushed away the hair stuck to Konan's face with sweat and continued speaking to this frail, cold woman.
"As long as you perform well in overthrowing the Land of Rain, you'll gain your freedom, and Nagato will be treated more comfortably in prison. But the quicker you take control of the Land of Rain, the greater your reward will be."
Hearing this, Konan glared coldly at the man dressing in front of her and replied in an icy tone, "I understand."
The reason she maintained this relationship with Yoichi was partly to keep Nagato alive in prison. The second reason was that Yoichi promised her that once the Land of Rain was taken over, he would ensure its citizens lived as well as those who once depended on the Akatsuki.
This was Yahiko's original ideal. If she could change the lives of the people of the Land of Rain, Konan was willing to compromise. She had already done so for Nagato once. After the first time, her tolerance grew.
"Good. Say goodbye to your family; someone will contact you soon."
Yoichi said before disappearing from the underground prison using the Hiraishin no Jutsu.
After Yoichi left, Konan regained some of her strength and began cleaning herself. Once finished, she left the cell. The door had been left open, though that bastard had taken advantage of her one last time before leaving.
Konan walked to Nagato's cell and said, "Nagato, I'm leaving."
"It's about that mission we discussed, isn't it?"
After speaking, Nagato fell silent. Ever since he found out he had been deceived, he had been uncertain whether he wished to live or die. But after learning of the price Konan paid to help Konoha take over the Land of Rain and save him, Nagato buried his desire for death deep inside.
Even if it was just for Konan, he had to survive.
"Thank you, Konan, for all you've done for this useless person."
"No, Nagato, you are my family."
Konan interrupted him. She, Yahiko, and Nagato had been wandering and supporting each other since they were around ten years old. They had become inseparable.
"The Fifth Hokage promised me they wouldn't make things difficult for you. Once I help Konoha take control of the Land of Rain and achieve great merit, Konoha might even release us."
Nagato shook his head, and Konan continued, "Nagato, I'm leaving now. Today is the day we set off."
"Yes, Konan, stay safe."
Nagato could only offer those words. With his Rinnegan gone, legs crippled, and chakra sealed, he knew Konoha was keeping him alive to ensure Konan would cooperate. She had agreed to the plan for his sake.
As Konan left the underground prison and ascended the stairs, the guards had already received orders to release her. They had remotely unlocked the control mechanism for the prison doors long before, but the delay in her emergence had left them puzzled.
However, understanding that Konan's comrade remained inside the prison, the guards assumed she had taken time to bid farewell. The third to fifth levels of the guard's prison only had surveillance outside, not within the cells.
To prevent prisoners from destroying the surveillance equipment, the guards hadn't bothered installing it inside, which had conveniently allowed Yoichi to act as he pleased.
After Konan exited the guard's station, two Konoha shinobi awaited her outside—Nara Shikaku and Uchiha Shisui.
One was responsible for executing the plan while handling on-the-spot decisions, and the other would take on Hanzō. After all, Konoha was targeting the foundation of Amegakure, and Hanzō would certainly not sit idly by.
Shisui, the second strongest Uchiha after Yoichi, was tasked with handling the so-called demigod of the shinobi world.
Previously, with only the Mangekyō Sharingan, Shisui might not have been a match for Hanzō, given Amegakure's environment and Hanzō's power. But now, with Hashirama's cells and the Extremis Virus, Shisui could maintain the armored warrior stage of Susano'o for extended periods.
Additionally, Shisui was considered the second strongest genjutsu user, and his unique Shunshin no Jutsu further tipped the balance. Hanzō might not stand a chance against Shisui.
"We've been waiting for you a while. Let me introduce myself; I am Nara Shikaku, captain of Konoha's elite unit, and the strategist for this mission. This is Uchiha Shisui, the leader of the task force targeting Amegakure."
Shikaku greeted Konan and then began explaining the mission.
"According to our intel, your Akatsuki still holds significant influence in the Land of Rain. Hanzō's decision seems to have backfired. Though no one openly mentions Akatsuki, many citizens continue to help each other in secret. You've done well."
At this point, Shikaku couldn't help but think of Yoichi. The Fifth Hokage had gained the hearts of nearly all Konoha's citizens through his business network, which also swayed the ninja of the village.
Thus, when the time came to choose the Fifth Hokage, the outcome was never in doubt.
"When we arrive in the Land of Rain, Konan-san, your first task will be to gather the remaining Akatsuki members and begin developing the area. We aim to sway the people to join the Land of Fire within two months. This is the town where Akatsuki had once prospered."
Shikaku then found a place to sit and meticulously explained the plan to Konan.
With Konoha's material support, it wouldn't be difficult to win over the people near the borders of the Land of Rain. Small nations rarely foster pride in their populace, especially not in a resource-poor place like the Land of Rain.
Though better off than the Land of Wind, the people there barely subsisted. During such times, whoever provided sustenance would be seen as a benefactor. Once these civilians were on Konoha's side, if Hanzō tried anything, Konoha would have the excuse to intervene.
Konoha had a vested interest in the Land of Rain. To the southwest of the Land of Fire lay only two problematic countries—one was the Land of Wind with Sunagakure, and the other was the Land of Rain.
Other nations like the Land of Bears or the Land of Demons posed no threat.
Now, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio of clans had completely submitted to Yoichi's command without question. The plan was his general concept, and Shikaku had refined it based on intel.
Shikaku would also oversee its execution, and if there were any mistakes, he would bear responsibility.
After explaining the plan, Shikaku asked, "Konan-san, do you understand?"
Konan, with a blank expression, nodded. "Understood. Rest assured, I'll do my best to complete the mission."
"Good, in that case, let's move out. Everything is ready in the village."
Shikaku's mind, however, was filled with mixed feelings. Not long ago, they had been bitter enemies, yet now this blue-haired woman was cooperating with them.
Though Nagato had killed many Konoha shinobi, Shikaku had to admit that with Konan's almost religious dedication, their efforts to annex the Land of Rain would be much smoother.
Yoichi himself could have handled this more quickly. He could have slaughtered all the hardliners in Amegakure, then slowly brought the nation under control. But Yoichi preferred having the village's shinobi carry out the task. According to him, "Before I became Hokage, I ran everywhere for the village. Now that I'm Hokage, should I still be running everywhere? What's the point of being Hokage then?"
Besides, Yoichi often had his own matters to attend to. His wood clone had already taken over the dragon veins of Rōran, constantly refining genetic energy there, which the clone transmitted back to his original body.
Slowly but steadily, the accumulation of energy was growing, and Yoichi felt that his progress in this area was on the verge of reaching planetary levels.
In less than three years, he was about to break through the planetary level, and his original body hadn't even been training—it was all thanks to the clone's hard work.
After leaving Konan's side, Yoichi arrived at the place where he was cultivating his clone.
Two years of cultivation had made the spiritualized clone highly compatible with the body. Its appearance and features were almost identical to Yoichi's, as it had been cloned from his cells.
Click!
Yoichi stopped the machine. The enormous cultivation chamber halted its operation, and as the nutrient fluid drained away, the clone's eyes suddenly opened. The clone now possessed the Kamui Mangekyō Sharingan.
Whoosh.
The clone twisted out of space and disappeared. Almost simultaneously, the space beside Yoichi distorted, and the clone emerged from the Kamui dimension.
"Very smooth, almost instinctual. There's a decent amount of chakra, too. Although the body is only at the level of a fourteen or fifteen-year-old, the foundation is incredibly strong."
Yoichi placed his hand on the clone's shoulder, exchanged chakra, and instantly understood its overall condition, including the sensation of using the Kamui.
The clone's soul and consciousness were entirely Yoichi's. He could merge the spiritualized clone back into himself at any time.
"The foundation is too good. The Uchiha, Senju, Shikotsumyaku, and Extremis Virus—there'd be something wrong if there wasn't a large amount of chakra."
The chakra in the clone far exceeded that of a jōnin, reaching almost Kage level.
"Let's test this."
Yoichi then attached the Potara earrings to the clone. One on his own ear, and one on the clone's.
In the next second, Yoichi felt an overwhelming force pulling him toward the clone. They collided and, after a flash of intense light, a new Yoichi emerged.
"Awesome. Fusion really feels incredible!"
Yoichi looked at his hands. The surge in chakra felt like he had consumed the chakra of multiple tailed beasts at once, except this time, it felt even better.
If the clone's power was comparable to the original, the fusion could amplify their strength by several times.
"Kamui."
The space distorted, and in an instant, Yoichi vanished from the cultivation room and appeared above Konoha's Hokage Rock.
"The speed of this transfer is almost on par with Hiraishin no Jutsu, and within my range of perception, I can teleport freely without needing a Hiraishin mark."
With that thought, Yoichi looked up at the sky.
The weather was nice today. Even in the daytime, the moon was visible.
"I almost forgot. The giant Tenseigan—that's also close to the power of the Six Paths. There might even be records of Hamura and Hagoromo's past on the moon."
Yoichi pondered for a moment. The Ōtsutsuki clan on the moon might currently be embroiled in a conflict, which would eventually leave Ōtsutsuki Toneri as the only survivor, watching over the shinobi world from the moon.
Though uncertain what method Toneri used, it was definitely something that could benefit Konoha.
"The Tenseigan might be tricky, but the Kamui Mangekyō is still quite useful. Should I clone another body?"
After some consideration, Yoichi decided to clone another body. Switching eyes between clones was troublesome, and this clone was more genetically inclined toward the Sharingan. Even if he were to implant the Rinnegan, it might not be a perfect fit.
It was better to create a new clone, this time with the Hyūga clan's Byakugan as the genetic base.
Once Yoichi made his decision, he planned to gather genetic samples from Ōtsutsuki Toneri, Hyūga Hinata, and Hyūga Hanabi to determine whose genes were most suitable for creating a Tenseigan clone.
When he eventually merged with the Tenseigan clone, Yoichi wondered just how much his power would increase. A fully grown Tenseigan clone would have strength comparable to the Six Paths level.
Moreover, the Potara earrings could fuse their abilities. Yoichi now looked forward to seeing the fusion of the Rinnegan and Tenseigan abilities.
(End of Chapter)
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