Hane Genma's group, along with Senju Tobirama, walked along an ascending path.
The terrain here was slightly elevated, offering a clear vantage point overlooking the settlement of the Senju clan.
There was nothing particularly special about this village—it was much like any other shinobi settlement in the current Warring States Period. However, because a man named Senju Hashirama lived there, the Senju had become a singular, peerless clan among all others.
Having solidified their objective to strike the Hagoromo clan, the group walked in silence for a time before Genma suddenly turned to Tobirama.
"There is one more thing. Would you like to further reduce the risk of this operation and increase the likelihood of achieving our goal?"
"What do you mean?" Tobirama replied.
Faced with an opponent of that caliber, did Genma really have a way to further bolster their strength? It seemed unlikely. Tobirama braced himself, half-expecting some sort of hair-brained scheme.
But Genma's methods were simple: he intended to use the momentum of others.
"By requesting aid from your allied forces, of course. Invite the Hyuga, the Uzumaki, and the Sarutobi to join us. Kicking someone while they're down, pushing over a crumbling wall, beating a drowning dog... these are things everyone is more than willing to do."
Genma continued, his voice calm. "The Hagoromo are an ancient and powerful clan. Over the years, they must have amassed a wealth of Hiden, secret techniques, Kinjutsu, and even vast fortunes. Don't tell me your allied clans have no interest in looting a burning house?"
Every clan sought to reap benefits for themselves; that was an inevitability. However, Tobirama thought it over and eventually shook his head.
"The risk is too high. The Senju only maintain friendly relations with those clans—the Hyuga are perhaps the closest—but we cannot simply demand they fight for us. They are rational people; they won't pull our chestnuts out of the fire."
"You're being too rigid," Genma countered. "Naturally, they will hesitate when faced with a risky venture. But when faced with a guaranteed victory, who wouldn't want to be on the winning side?"
If you invite someone to fight a grueling uphill battle, they will refuse. But if you invite them to share in a victory? Many would willingly chain themselves to a chariot that is already winning.
"But can this truly be called a guaranteed victory?" Tobirama asked skeptically.
"As long as your Senju clan demonstrates absolute resolve and shows them the overwhelming probability of success, they will be eager to participate. And once they join, the probability of victory increases even further. It is a virtuous cycle."
Tobirama finally understood. "You mean... we should deceive them?"
"I mean the Senju clan must provide everyone with confidence. Once everyone contributes their labor and strength, that confidence will naturally manifest as victory."
It sounded pleasant enough, but Tobirama knew it was simply finding more hands to shoulder the risk. Still, he found the idea appealing. Unlike Senju Butsuma, who was still wavering, Tobirama desperately wanted the Senju to exert their full strength to eradicate the Hagoromo.
If everyone acted together, the risk would be significantly lower.
Once the Hagoromo clan was wiped out, the other clans wouldn't have to worry about future retaliation. It was almost a form of coercion... No, I shouldn't be so cynical, Tobirama thought.
There weren't many Great Clans in the shinobi world, but there weren't few either. They all occupied the same ecological niche. Even without considering the spoils from the Hagoromo, simply eliminating such a clan would expand the living space for the others.
Sharks squeezed into a tin of sardines—is it not exhausting? If one shark is removed, the rest can breathe much easier.
"I can try," Tobirama decided. "If the Senju demonstrate sufficient resolve, perhaps they will endorse the plan. The Hagoromo never had a good reputation anyway; they are far too aggressive, and everyone is fed up with them."
Tobirama calculated the variables in his mind before finally setting his resolve.
"Exactly. Asking each family for a few dozen shinobi is nothing to them. Even if it fails, it's a minor loss. If it succeeds, it's a grand achievement for all. I will also try to invite other clans to participate," Genma added.
"Fine. Once all matters and details are finalized, we will contact you to determine the final time for the operation."
Tobirama paused, seeking confirmation one last time. "But let me be sure—are you really going to lead the vanguard and charge into the Hagoromo village? Your actions are the prerequisite for everything. If you fail to do so..."
"Don't worry," Genma assured him. "When the time comes, I will prepare a highly flammable and explosive weapon."
"Good. I trust you wouldn't joke about such a thing. However, let me warn you... if you plan on parading around with Tajima's head, you should be wary of the Uchiha clan."
"It is a vital token. I will naturally display it when necessary. Besides, who would know who I am?"
Genma shook his head with a smile. He glanced at Tobirama. If the news leaked that Uchiha Tajima's head was in his hands, it would almost certainly be the Senju's doing.
They might even do it after the fact to divert attention, though the credibility would be an issue—the Uchiha would hardly believe news coming from the Senju.
Regardless, doing great things always required taking some risks.
"One more thing," Genma asked. "How long do you plan on following us? Are you coming back to the Firefly village with me?"
Instead of persuading his father or rushing to contact allied clans, why was this guy trailing behind him? Genma wondered if Tobirama was plotting something.
Tobirama stopped in his tracks, only then realizing that the Senju village was no longer in sight. He hadn't intended to see them off this far.
The discussion was over. Tobirama turned and left without a word.
After concluding his visit to the Senju, Genma did not return to the Firefly village. As he had said, he intended to contact more factions to ensure the Hagoromo were pulled up by the roots.
To this end, the trio turned from the east toward the west.
Genma paid another visit to the Furui clan. He first thanked Furui Reito for attending the village's foundation ceremony and discussed the future development of the multi-clan shinobi village at length before finally cutting to the chase.
"Lord Reito, if we were to assemble a powerful armed force to annihilate a certain Great Clan, would you be willing to take a hand in it?"
Though the topic shifted abruptly, Furui Reito didn't need to guess which Great Clan Genma was referring to. The Firefly Organization were neighbors to the Furui, and the memory of the former's attack was still fresh.
"You are planning to retaliate against the Hagoromo? Who are the participants?"
"I might hide the composition of our strike force from others, but you are different, Lord Reito. I can share the relevant intelligence with you."
Genma leaned in slightly. "The participants include our Firefly, the Senju, the Hyuga, the Sarutobi, and the Uzumaki... with the Senju acting as the main force."
Certain details hadn't been confirmed yet, but that didn't stop Genma from bluffing.
Reito remained impassive, but in his heart, he concluded that the "annihilation" Genma spoke of was no mere boast. Gathering so many powerful clans couldn't possibly be for child's play.
Reito had already witnessed the friendly relationship between Firefly and the Senju. Both held a grudge against the Hagoromo—the Senju's being a blood feud spanning generations. As for the Sarutobi, Hyuga, and Uzumaki, they were well-known allies of the Senju.
Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Reito's face. "Since Lord Genma has extended such a cordial invitation, we will send a medium-sized unit of shinobi to the scene to assess the situation when the time comes."
"I am truly grateful for your support, Lord Reito."
Reito hadn't made a concrete commitment, but sending a squad to watch the spectacle cost them nothing. If there was an opportunity to strike a killing blow, they would; if not, they would withdraw. What was the harm?
But this was exactly the attitude Genma wanted. It was realistic, and therefore, it wasn't a lie. Once they saw the state of the Hagoromo clan, they would naturally choose to act.
The trio then left the Furui clan. Genma and Lan headed north, while Nara Hideyuki split from them for another task.
Genma held a list of shinobi clans. He planned to visit the leaders of these clans one by one. Of course, since he had no prior connection to them, he wouldn't be walking through the front gate as he had with the Furui.
If he could meet the clan leaders, he would do so, present his "token," and extend a formal invitation. If he couldn't, he would leave a letter explaining the situation.
Half a month later, Genma left the village of the Ishikawa clan, a powerful group residing on the inland plateau. Unfortunately, he didn't meet their leader this time and could only leave a letter according to his custom.
Such a widespread casting of the net was bound to leak intelligence and might even alert the Hagoromo, but Genma didn't care about such trifles.
Shortly after, Genma received a message from Tobirama. The Senju and their allies had finally been settled. Genma breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the Senju were involved, everything else was manageable. They were the backbone of the operation. Everything Genma was doing now was merely the icing on the cake.
Another half-month passed. Genma arrived at the mountainous "Land Above the Clouds" to visit the last clan on his list: the formidable Nidakaku clan.
Inside an office, the clan leader Aesop Nidakaku and his right-hand man, Reginald Nidakaku, were discussing matters. Suddenly, Genma's figure emerged from the shadows behind them.
"Who is there?!"
The two instantly went on high alert.
"Gentlemen, I am a friend, not a foe. I have come with important matters to discuss," Genma said, looking at them. As the rumors suggested, the shinobi of this clan had dark skin and physiques as robust as berserkers.
"A coward who hides his face has nothing to say to me."
Seeing that they were about to attack, Genma spoke rapidly. "In the near future, a powerful coalition will surround and kill the Hagoromo clan. If you wish to claim some benefits, you can take part. To prove my words are true, I have brought a token."
With that, Genma pulled out the head he had displayed countless times. Since this was the last clan he was visiting, he didn't bother putting it back.
"This is..."
"The head of the Uchiha Patriarch, Uchiha Tajima. It serves as proof of the coalition's resolve to strike at the Uchiha's allies."
The two exchanged a look. They weren't intimately familiar with Tajima, but their intuition told them the object was real.
"Inviting us to participate? You just want to use our strength! Patriarch, let's kill him!"
The two moved to seize Genma on the spot. But Aesop signaled for his subordinate to stay calm.
"A coalition? I've never heard of any powerful forces uniting in the shinobi world... You should at least give your name."
"I am Senju Tobirama."
Genma had said before that he didn't care about parading around with Tajima's head. He moved like a ghost; once Tobirama mastered the Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God Technique), he would also move like a ghost. Therefore, Hane Genma equaled Senju Tobirama. There was no flaw in the logic.
"Attack!"
Having secured a name, the two no longer hesitated and charged at Genma from both sides. Genma lept straight out of the window, his figure vanishing into the night.
"Whether you choose to participate or not, I will notify you of the specific time later."
The plan had taken longer than Genma anticipated. It was too late to send the Hagoromo a New Year's gift; he could only offer them his late greetings.
After visiting the final clan, Genma still didn't return home. He led Lan to a specific location. By the geography of later generations, this was the intersection of the Land of Fire, Land of Earth, and Land of Lightning.
"Lord Genma, this way."
Nara Hideyuki, who had been waiting there, led Genma into a building.
Just as snakes have their paths and rats have their holes, the dark side of the shinobi world was home to equally dark creatures. Certain shinobi who couldn't stand the light gathered together to trade intelligence and handle bounty assassinations.
Genma had learned of this from Nara Naoyuki. Since they could be used, he intended to use them. These people weren't exactly omnipresent, but their business reach was wide. Even the Kikyo Castle forces had commissioned such people to investigate the destruction of the Tsugawa clan.
Entering a room, Genma saw a figure completely shrouded in shadow.
"Did you find the intelligence I asked for?" Genma wasted no words, gesturing for Hideyuki to show the payment.
"The location of the Nine-Tails, correct? It is currently hiding in a certain coastal region."
The man handed Genma a map marked with several locations—the Kyuubi's area of activity.
In this era, tracking Tailed Beasts wasn't particularly difficult. Most were wild and uncontained, and sightings were reported frequently. Finding a Tailed Beast was much simpler than finding a Jinchuriki would be in the future.
"Excellent. The deal is struck."
Genma wasn't worried about being cheated. He took the intel and turned to leave.
"Wait. What do you want with a Tailed Beast?"
Genma naturally ignored the noise. Simply put, he had no intention of conducting a stealthy assassination inside the Hagoromo village this time.
The trio left the area and returned to the Firefly village. Upon arrival, Genma had no time for rest. He first organized the combat deployments and frequently contacted Tobirama to confirm the battle plan. After completing these preparations, he found Uchiha Sasuke.
"Let's go. It's time to execute our mission to sow discord between the Senju and the Uchiha."
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my patreon:
pat reon .com/yuuwand