"Hmm...."
"Tuschikage-sama?"
Mū remained silent, his gaze fixed on the scroll Sunagakure had sent as he contemplated its contents.
"…Should we prepare another batch of goods and supplies to send them?" the commander ventured carefully.
"No. Belay that order," Mū declared, tapping his index finger sharply against the wood. "It is highly likely that Suna will no longer attempt to engage Konoha in a full-scale conflict. We will turn ourselves into a global laughingstock if we continue throwing our resources at them, expecting them to throw their lives away on our behalf."
Every hidden village harbored its own desperate ambitions. In this era, the surrounding nations had collectively lunged at Konoha's throat for one simple reason: to secure their own survival in the future. The four major hidden villages agreed on a singular, terrifying fact—Konoha was too strong. Though the four villages deeply distrusted one another—maintaining strict defensive garrisons along their respective borders—Konoha remained their primary target. Even by conscripting every available soul, the four hidden villages could only muster a military force of roughly 12,000 to 18,000 shinobi each. Konoha, conversely, boasted a staggering standing army of 26,000 active ninja, completely excluding their vast reserves of retired veterans. The world had no choice but to forge a fractured, unified front just to suppress Konoha's unnatural growth.
Now, the tactical landscape had shifted. Konoha had suffered just over 10,000 casualties across all fronts, while the four attacking villages had lost between 3,000 and 5,000 elites each. Every nation now wanted to conserve its remaining strength and prepare for the inevitable aftermath. They all foresaw that the next war would be far more complicated; when the dust settled from this conflict, no one would truly know who was an ally and who was a foe. [1]
"Moving on," Mū murmured, his bandaged face shifting toward his subordinate. "What became of our investigation into the space-time restricting barriers and sealing formations? Have you uncovered any leads?"
"…My deepest apologies, Tsuchikage-sama," the Iwa Anbu captain replied, bowing his head. "We were unable to acquire any concrete data. The only known sealing formations possessing those exact capabilities were reportedly deployed by the Uzumaki clan head several generations ago. Historical records indicate he utilized those barriers to trap the Uchiha clan while fighting alongside the Senju. It is entirely unknown if the current Uzumaki clan still possesses those formulas, let alone if they would ever willingly hand them over to us."
Mū remained quiet. He had known from the onset that acquiring anything from the Uzumaki clan, let alone a legendary Uzumaki space-time seal, was a borderline impossible task.
Sensing the Tsuchikage's growing displeasure, the Anbu captain quickly added, "However, we did manage to successfully acquire Suna's specialized chakra-dispersion poison!"
"Hoh? Interesting…" Mū's eyes narrowed behind his wrappings and leaned forward. "And what of the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers? What is the status of the Kinkaku Force?"
"Exactly as you predicted, Tsuchikage-sama. Our sources have confirmed that the brothers are deeply dissatisfied with the current Raikage and his sudden intention to broker a formal alliance with Konoha."
"Hoh~. Continue."
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama. Initially, our objective was to entice the Gold and Silver Brothers into launching an unauthorized assault on Konoha, completely bypassing the Raikage's authority. However, with the recent intelligence regarding the upcoming alliance ceremony—scheduled to take place two weeks from now—we believe this presents the ultimate opportunity to cripple the leadership of both Konoha and Kumogakure simultaneously."
"How so?" Mū questioned, his sharp mind instantly calculating the risks. The combined political and military might of the Second Raikage and Senju Tobirama was nothing to scoff at, especially with the hand-picked elite squads that would undoubtedly guard the peace summit.
"Kinkaku and Ginkaku are in possession of the sacred Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths," the captain explained down to a whisper. "Their artifacts grant them the ability to instantly seal their opponents through esoteric, absolute methods. If anyone possesses the mechanical means to seal or outright assassinate the Hokage, it is them. Furthermore, because Konoha and Kumo are signing a historic peace treaty, both factions will inevitably bring their most formidable hidden guards. If we can manipulate the Kinkaku Force into executing a total ambush at the summit, we will achieve the exact devastation we desire. However, we are still refining the precise logistics required to set the trap."
"Hmm. Which other elite forces are expected to accompany the Raikage?"
"His primary guard will consist of A, the Raikage's chosen successor, and his personal assistant, Saishū."
"…A, the vanguard of the next generation, huh?" Mū's fingers resumed their rapid, rhythmic tapping against the table as he finalized his strategy. "Do we maintain active spies or any leverage within the Kinkaku Force? What about the Raikage's inner circle?"
"Yes, sir. We successfully embedded four of our operatives within the Kinkaku Force, though two were killed in action against Konoha last month. As for the Raikage's immediate confidants, we have no direct placements. However, we have successfully positioned a high-level spy right next to a corrupt, easily manipulated Kumo council member."
"Excellent," Mū signaled, a sinister glint flashing in his uncovered eye. "Issue orders to contact Kinkaku and Ginkaku immediately. Fan the flames of their frustration and pride. Provoke them into ambushing both the Raikage and Senju Tobirama. On the exact same day as their alliance ceremony, I will personally march to the Land of Rice Fields and demand that Kumo send a high-ranking diplomatic envoy to negotiate a mutual non-aggression pact with Iwagakure."
The captain blinked in surprise. "A non-aggression pact?"
"Precisely. Kumogakure will have no choice but to send A and a significant portion of their remaining elites to face me. With the Tsuchikage personally showing up on their western border, the Raikage will be forced to split his forces. Since he will be occupied with Tobirama at the summit, only A commands the administrative authority to negotiate in his stead. Use our spy network to prompt that corrupt council member to 'advise' the Raikage that sending A and Saishū to meet me is the safest course of action. At the same time, instruct our operatives to advise Kinkaku and Ginkaku to lie low, maintain absolute patience, and strike precisely when the alliance ceremony commences."
"Sir," the Anbu captain hesitated, his tone laced with caution. "Executing such massive, coordinated manipulations across multiple high-level channels... it risks completely exposing our entire spy network in Kumogakure."
"It does not matter," Mū dismissed coldly. "Instruct the rest of our deep-cover assets to go completely dark and remain in hiding until the fallout settles. Senju Tobirama must die! Tell our handlers to discreetly feed Kinkaku and Ginkaku a single, poisonous truth: the only reason their revered Raikage turned so weak and indecisive is because he was broken by Tobirama's shadow. Let those two bloodthirsty monsters hunt the Hokage to his grave!"
The Iwa Anbu captain offered a silent, respectful nod before dissolving into the shadows to orchestrate the plot.
Left alone in the dim room, Mū's expression twisted into a predatory, ruthless snarl as the shadows swallowed his features.
"Let's see how you deal with this trap, TOBIRAMA!"