Upon hearing Ōnoki's words, the Fourth Raikage didn't relax his guard in the slightest.
"Join forces against Konoha? Ōnoki, do you really take me for an old fool like you? Not long ago, you accepted Konoha's invitation and launched an attack on the Land of Lightning—now you're telling me you'll turn around and attack them? And you expect me to believe that?"
Hovering in midair, Ōnoki looked down on him with open disdain.
"Young brat, you're still too green. Between nations, there is no such thing as an eternal grudge. Today we can fight to the death, and tomorrow sit at the same table drinking sake—that's perfectly normal. All it takes is enough profit."
"Hmph! I'm not as shameless as you. Or did you forget? My father died at the hands of your Iwa-ninja. I'm not letting go of that blood feud so easily."
The Fourth Raikage's Lightning Cloak crackled and thickened around him; unfortunately, though powerful, his Lightning Release was inferior to his father's, and his chakra control nowhere near Rokuro's level—he couldn't transform his cloak into a true Golden Armor. Otherwise, he might have actually endured Ōnoki's Dust Release head-on.
Of course, despite the terrifying power of Dust Release, the jutsu had a long startup and drained chakra like crazy. Landing a clean hit on the Fourth Raikage—who specialized in extreme speed—was anything but easy.
The rising tension between them forced Killer B and Ōnoki's son, Kurotsuchi's father, Iwa-ninja into combat stances as well.
At that moment, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, finally spoke.
"The hatred between you two runs deep. I won't pretend I can resolve that. But before settling personal vengeance… shouldn't we first discuss the survival of our villages and our nations?"
Both the Fourth Raikage and Ōnoki turned toward him.
Yagura continued calmly.
"Two Uchiha have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Fourth Raikage—you've experienced their power firsthand. I shouldn't need to repeat myself, should I? Is that still not enough to make you all wake up?"
The Raikage snorted.
"They're strong—terrifyingly strong. But they're not invincible. And the Third Hokage just died. Konoha is in turmoil. They don't even have the stability to invade another nation right now."
"'Right now' does not mean 'forever.' Or do you plan to wait until Konoha stabilizes its leadership before you decide what to do?"
This time, Ōnoki interjected.
"Enough with the platitudes. Everyone here knows how the world works. Yagura—speak plainly. What exactly are you proposing?"
"Fine. Then I'll be direct. The Lands of Water, Earth, and Lightning should form an alliance and attack Konoha while they're unstable. The Five Great Nations can only maintain peace if their strength remains balanced—and right now, Konoha is far too powerful."
The Fourth Raikage slowly let his Lightning Cloak dissipate.
"If this concerns all Five Great Villages, why isn't the Kazekage here? Didn't you inform him?"
"The Land of Wind has been declining since the Third Great War. Sunagakure is the weakest of the Five. With their current strength, they don't dare initiate anything. But that's fine—once we strike first, they won't miss the chance to kick Konoha while it's down."
Ōnoki waved a hand, cutting Yagura off.
"The plan isn't bad, but cooperation between our three nations is easier said than done—especially with you people from the Land of Water. You've had almost no diplomacy for decades. And now you suddenly want an alliance? Forgive me for not trusting you."
The Fourth Raikage gave Yagura the same skeptical look.
Yagura, expressionless as ever, replied:
"If you don't trust me, then we'll act first. Half a month from now, Kirigakure will dispatch troops to attack the eastern coastline of the Land of Fire. If your nations don't wish to be slowly devoured by Konoha, you know perfectly well what needs to be done. That's all. Go back and think it over."
With a single-handed seal, Yagura dissolved into mist and vanished.
Ōnoki placed a hand on his son's shoulder, activated Light-Weight Rock Jutsu, and rose effortlessly into the sky.
"Ōnoki, what are you going to do?"
"Heh… brat, spare me your probing. Among the three of us, if Konoha ever launches a counterattack, the Land of Lightning will be the first they hit. You're far more anxious than I am."
The Raikage snorted.
"I'm asking how we'll divide the spoils after victory."
"That's simple. Whoever occupies territory keeps it—assuming you survive Konoha's retaliation. If not, there's nothing to divide. For now, let's see whether Yagura shows sincerity. Since he wants to be the vanguard, we'll see if he actually pulls his weight."
With that, Ōnoki sped off with his son.
"Biiig bro… so what now? War again?"
For once, Killer B didn't rap. The Raikage sighed deeply.
"B… you know our situation. Unless we halt military expansion, the Land of Lightning will face a financial crisis in less than two years. But if we halt expansion, we'll become weak like the Land of Hot Water—nothing but prey. Even a minor village could wipe us out. So this war is inevitable. And with three nations acting together, the odds are in our favor."
"But, bro… that Uchiha Rokuro…"
"I know the brat is strong. Strong enough to beat both of us. But no one is invincible. There must be a way to deal with him."
He said nothing more and sprinted across the sea with Killer B following behind.
Once all three Kage had left, a whirlpool twisted open on the sandy shore.
Tobi stepped out from his Kamui dimension.
Moments later, Black Zetsu emerged from a coconut tree like an oversized lump of aloe.
"Madara… your first step is complete. But will this truly work? Will the three great nations really attack Konoha?"
Tobi scooped up a handful of dry sand and let it spill through his fingers.
"Dry sand scatters easily. But if it's wet…"
He picked up moist sand, molded it into a ball, and threw it. It flew far without breaking apart.
"Those two Uchiha and their Mangekyō—that's the water binding the sand. The alliance will happen."
He brushed off his hands and turned to Black Zetsu.
"Zetsu… are you certain their eyes aren't Eternal Mangekyō?"
"Rest assured. According to my inherited memories, one needs two closely related pairs of Mangekyō to merge and awaken the Eternal Mangekyō. Rokuro and Izumi are not related by blood—they aren't siblings, nor do they have kin with Mangekyō. Their eyes cannot be eternal."
"As for their Complete Susanoo… it only proves their eyes possess exceptional pupil power. But no matter how strong, overusing a regular Mangekyō will still lead to blindness. If the Three-Nation Alliance really ignites a war, their eyes will burn out long before the end."
To Tobi, Zetsu was Madara's will. And no one in the world understood the Uchiha better than Madara.
"So yes—before they die, their eyes will still be a threat. For the Moon's Eye Plan to begin, you'll need your left eye back. Without it, you can't initiate the plan before they're dealt with."
Tobi fell silent for a moment, then activated Kamui. Just before leaving, he replied coldly:
"I know what I'm doing. You don't need to remind me."
Whether Yagura was being controlled by Madara or by Tobi was never stated clearly in the original. The most reasonable assumption was that Madara acted first. Some even believed the First Mizukage had also been Madara in disguise.
Whether true or not, Yagura was currently fully under Tobi's control.
Upon returning to Kirigakure, Yagura immediately convened a high-level council meeting and announced the proposal to form a three-nation Allied Army.
The reaction was instant rejection.
"Mizukage-sama, this is madness! The Land of Water has never involved itself in continental conflicts. No one can cross the sea to threaten us—even if the Uchiha gain strength. Why should we care about them?"
"Exactly! Let them fight among themselves. It has nothing to do with us."
"At worst, we can sit back and watch the tigers fight. When both are wounded, then we strike. Why take the lead and expose ourselves?"
Yagura looked at the entire council—every one of them opposed. His face did not change.
"If you are all against it… then we'll table this matter. We'll discuss it later. I'm tired. You may go."
The council was surprised at his unusually easy concession and dispersed.
That night, one council member's home went up in flames.
When the blaze was extinguished, dozens of bodies were found in the ruins.
"How is the examination of the corpses?"
Again, a high-level meeting—but with fewer people this time.
"Obviously, they were already dead before the fire began."
Yagura's expression did not change, but every elder in the room understood the implication.
"So you're saying the fire wasn't accidental?"
"Yes. We also discovered that before the flames broke out, someone saw a man with red eyes sneaking away. He vanished soon after. We suspect he is the killer."
"Red eyes?"
Yagura repeated the phrase and looked toward the other elders.
"It has to be the Uchiha! Only an Uchiha's Sharingan can silently kill an entire household. He must have discovered our plan to attack Konoha—this is their warning to us!"
"Unbelievable! We haven't even taken action, yet they strike first? Outrageous!"
"The Mangekyō Sharingan gave them this courage. In the past, they would've never acted so brazenly!"
Red eyes. Silent mass murder. Arson.
Putting these traits together, the suspicion naturally pointed toward the Uchiha. Under normal circumstances, the elders would never jump to a conclusion so quickly—but with so many convenient coincidences, it was hard not to.
Of course, not everyone was fooled. Anyone capable of rising to the upper ranks of a Hidden Village wasn't an idiot.
But the moment these sharper elders realized this could be a frame-up—that someone was purposely guiding suspicion toward the Uchiha—they immediately understood the real motive: war.
The elders who died were the very ones who openly opposed Yagura's earlier push for war during the meeting.
They opposed him in the day.
Their entire families were slaughtered that night.
Who had such power? Who had such reach?
The answer was obvious.
Thus, whether misled or already aware, every elder stood up to support launching the war.
In an instant, Kirigakure entered wartime readiness. Every shinobi in the village was mobilized to prepare for a preemptive strike on Konoha.
Once the elders left to make preparations, Yagura lowered his head and sat motionless like a puppet with its strings cut.
At that moment, Obito appeared behind him.
"No one can stop this war. And the outcome doesn't matter. Whether the three great nations defeat Konoha and divide it… or Konoha counterattacks and cripples them—everyone's strength will be drained. The more you kill each other, the higher the success rate of my Eye of the Moon Plan!"
He walked to the window, staring at the moon—its surface shimmering faintly with a blood-red hue.
"This cursed world… the sooner it ends, the better."
The Three Great Nations Prepare for War
The mobilization of three major shinobi villages caused massive upheaval—especially in the Land of Lightning.
Barely a year after agreeing to a ceasefire with the Land of Fire, they were once again fully armed for war.
Konoha's spies immediately noticed, and the information was delivered back to the village at once.
By now, Tsunade had returned to the village and was preparing for her inauguration—no, rather, the formal ceremony to become the Fifth Hokage.
Orochimaru's invasion killed Sarutobi Hiruzen and heavily damaged the Sarutobi and Shimura clans.
However, Homura and Koharu remained untouched, so they were still Konoha's senior advisors—soon to serve under the Fifth Hokage.
Without Hiruzen to hide behind, both had already shrunk their arrogance and behaved cautiously.
When Tsunade received the intelligence report, she immediately stepped into the role of Hokage and prepared to call a high-level council meeting.
But she knew whose opinion mattered most now.
Before the meeting, she brought Jiraiya with her and headed straight to Uchiha Rokuro's home.
"Long time no see! Your cooking is still incredible!"
Tsunade sat boldly at the dining table, devouring Uchiha Ashikaga's beautifully prepared pork pagoda dish.
Jiraiya also took a bite of the meat, and the tender flavor made him sigh in delight.
"So good! Ashikaga, I heard your son won over his future bride thanks to your cooking? Ahhh—if I'd known, I would've learned to cook when I was young!"
"Jiraiya, your cooking is so awful even rats wouldn't touch it. You were never meant for the kitchen."
Tsunade shot at him mercilessly. Uchiha Ashikaga responded with a polite smile—warm, but never overly enthusiastic.
Although Tsunade held enormous prestige in the village—especially among kunoichi—Uchiha Ashikaga had lived through too much to still feel starstruck.
They chatted casually for half an hour.
Realizing Ashikaga wouldn't open up easily, Tsunade finally spoke directly.
"Ashikaga-san, I'm sure you've heard. The Land of Lightning is preparing for war again. Nine times out of ten, they're coming for us. And now the Land of Earth is showing troubling movements as well. The odds are low, but if they join forces… the Land of Fire will be in grave danger."
Jiraiya added:
"If two great nations attack at once, our border defenses alone won't hold. We'd have to pull troops from other areas—leaving certain regions vulnerable. We might face another tragedy like the one at the Hot Springs border."
Uchiha Ashikaga wiped her mouth calmly.
"A tragedy like the one at the Hot Springs border must never happen again. Konoha today is not the Konoha of yesterday. Under Lady Tsunade, the village will become more united than ever—no more pointless internal strife."
Tsunade understood the hidden meaning clearly.
She disliked Hiruzen's selfish decisions just as much—but he had been her teacher. Criticism of him was criticism of her lineage, and she could only silently accept it.
"Where's Rokuro? I want to speak with him directly."
Ashikaga glanced at the clock.
"He'll be back in about an hour. Should I go get him?"
"No need," Tsunade waved. "One hour won't kill us. We'll wait."
Jiraiya understood Tsunade's message and stayed quiet.
Ashikaga also understood—Tsunade was showing respect.
Her smile deepened slightly.
"In that case, I'll prepare a few more dishes. We can talk while we eat."
She returned to the kitchen.
Jiraiya glanced at Tsunade.
Tsunade picked up another piece of pork and murmured:
"He's Konoha's number one powerhouse now… he's worth waiting an hour for."
Jiraiya drank his sake, unconcerned.
"With food and alcohol, I don't mind waiting. But you—Lady Tsunade—coming to Uchiha Rokuro's house today? Half the village is watching. Try not to do anything reckless, or the war won't even start—we'll be forced to pay reparations first."
Tsunade glared at him, stole his bottle, and started drinking heavily.
Half an hour later, Uchiha Rokuro entered with Uchiha Izumi.
"Tsunade-sama! Jiraiya-sama! You came without notifying us? My apologies for the delay."
He hurried over and bowed. They returned the greeting politely.
Uchiha Ashikaga served the remaining dishes.
The five of them ate together peacefully and pleasantly.
Afterward, Rokuro brought Tsunade and Jiraiya to the living room, while Uchiha Izumi helped Ashikaga clear the table.
Rokuro poured tea himself.
Jiraiya glanced at the inscriptions carved along the walls.
"These patterns?"
"Oh—just some anti-surveillance seals. I value privacy. I don't spy on others, and I don't want others spying on me."
Jiraiya's expression stiffened.
He and Hiruzen both had notorious peeping habits.
Rokuro's seals were practically aimed directly at him.
Tsunade ignored it and cut straight to the point.
"Rokuro. The Lands of Lightning and Earth are preparing for war. Their target is almost certainly the Land of Fire. I want you to leave the village with Jiraiya, each leading a battalion to counter them. What do you think?"
Rokuro took a sip of tea but didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he placed a plate of braised fish on the floor and summoned a creature.
"Bang!"
A plume of smoke filled the room.
A huge cat appeared—Myōrokurō, one of the Ninneko under Cat Granny, and Rokuro's personal summon.
"Rokuro! What's the big idea summoning me while I'm resting!? If this isn't urgent, I'll bite you!"
The cat froze when it spotted Tsunade and Jiraiya—two legendary Sannin.
Then it caught a scent.
"…Braised fish? My favorite!!!"
Drooling instantly, Myōrokurō lunged—but Rokuro struck him down, flipping onto the cat's back.
"You want fish? Did you finish the task I gave you? No? Then you don't get a single bite."
"Rokuro! Get off me! I'm getting angry!"
"And what if you are? Can you beat me?"
Rokuro flicked its nose repeatedly until it almost swelled.
"Fine, fine! I give up! I found the intel! The Land of Water is also preparing for war. And to unite their leadership, someone slaughtered the entire family of a major Kirigakure elder. Rumor says it was the Uchiha who did it!"
The moment Myōrokurō spoke, Tsunade and Jiraiya's faces changed drastically.
If the Land of Water joined in, then the Land of Lightning, Land of Earth, and Land of Water would launch a three-nation siege.
If war broke out, it would be nothing less than the Fourth Great Ninja War.
END OF CHAPTER
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