[At The Border Between The Land of Earth And The Land of Grass]
The outskirts of Kannabi City were nothing but barren wasteland as far as the eye could see.
Mu floated in midair, chakra flowing steadily around his body while his feet never touched the ground.
Black Zetsu remained completely concealed beneath the bandages wrapped around him, revealing only a faint trace of cold, sinister presence.
"Lord Black Zetsu, could a desolate place like this really hold some kind of opportunity?"
Mu looked down at the lifeless earth below, frowning slightly as he asked.
"It does. Keep searching slowly."
Black Zetsu closed his eyes in concentration. Tiny wisps of senjutsu chakra curled around his fingertips as he quietly sensed the flow of energy throughout the world.
Since the Great Sage was certain there was something here, then there could be no mistake.
———
[A Short While Later]
Mu's gaze suddenly locked onto a massive crater ahead of them. Surprise flashed through his eyes, and even his body paused briefly in midair.
"This place… is an ancient battlefield where the Sage of Six Paths once fought."
"According to legend, a ferocious monster once appeared here. To prevent it from bringing disaster upon the world and slaughtering innocent people, the Sage of Six Paths personally destroyed it."
"Only this enormous crater remains as proof of that earth-shattering battle.", Mu spoke slowly.
Black Zetsu opened his eyes, his deep voice emerging from beneath the bandages.
"This is the place."
"Mu, use Earth Release. Dig three feet underground. There should be a stone tablet buried below."
Mu froze for a moment upon hearing that, then immediately began forming hand seals without wasting a second.
Powerful Earth Release chakra burst forth instantly. The yellow soil beneath them churned violently as dirt and rock exploded everywhere. In moments, a deep tunnel dozens of meters underground had been created.
And in the very next instant, the outline of an ancient, heavy stone tablet appeared deep beneath the earth.
"This is… a stone tablet erected by the Sage of Six Paths himself?"
Mu cried out in shock and hurried closer, his eyes fixed tightly on the inscriptions carved into the surface.
The weathered yet powerful writing on the tablet was perfectly clear, "Once, a monster named Yatagarasu dwelled here."
"Violent and savage by nature, it brought calamity upon the land. Thus, I slew it personally."
"Only the inheritance of the Yata Sage Art was left behind here, awaiting a destined successor of future generations."
"There really is one!"
Mu's eyes burst with excitement as he muttered in joy, "My God! A treasure like this… Heaven truly blesses our Iwagakure…"
Hidden beneath the bandages, the corners of Black Zetsu's mouth curled into a subtle smile as he softly urged, "Mu, begin training this sage art immediately."
———
[Land of Water, Kirigakure]
"Lord Fukasaku, I have successfully mastered sage arts. What should I do next?"
Hozuki Gengetsu stood respectfully before Fukasaku Sage, bowing slightly as he asked with complete reverence.
"Proceed steadily. Do not be impatient."
"There's no need to rush what comes next. Wait until you've successfully become Mizukage before deciding anything further."
Fukasaku Sage sat atop a bluish stone, his white beard hanging low as he spoke leisurely.
Gengetsu nodded solemnly at his words.
Whether it was the Sage's unparalleled knowledge or his unfathomable strength, Gengetsu admired him from the bottom of his heart and trusted every single one of his teachings completely.
———
[Land Of Rain, Inside A Hidden Cave]
Cold, damp air filled the cavern.
In the dim light, a figure dressed in black slowly walked forward.
He wore a black robe decorated with red clouds.
An orange spiral mask covered his face, and a cold, oppressive aura radiated from his body.
"This place is secluded and free from disturbance. It will serve as the organization's permanent base."
"As for the organization's name… it shall be Akatsuki.", The man in the orange spiral mask spoke in a low voice.
The moment he finished speaking, the ground beside him suddenly shifted. A Venus flytrap-shaped White Zetsu slowly emerged from the soil.
"Obito, there's nobody else here. You don't need to act all dark and mysterious."
White Zetsu said helplessly.
"Oh, come on. My character setting right now is that of a deeply calculating mastermind. Of course my voice has to sound low and cold."
Obito waved a hand. His tone lightened somewhat, though he still deliberately kept his voice tense and dramatic.
"And don't call me Obito from now on. Call me… Tobi."
"Yes, Lord Tobi~"
The flytrap White Zetsu answered helplessly.
———
Eight years later, the structure of the Five Great Nations and Five Great Ninja Villages had completely stabilized.
For these eight years, the ninja world remained peaceful.
After serving long enough as Hokage, Senju Hashirama had grown tired of the position and directly retired without ceremony, passing the title on to Uchiha Madara.
Meanwhile, Hashirama happily returned to the Senju clan grounds and began living a carefree life, ignoring worldly affairs, sleeping drunkenly on Mito's lap, and gambling every day.
Uchiha Madara became the Third Hokage.
Senju Tobirama assumed the position of Hokage's assistant.
Madara could be said to work deep into the night every single day.
A born workaholic.
After taking office, Uchiha Madara largely followed Hashirama's path and did not go around waging wars everywhere.
However, the village laws became noticeably stricter, and regulations tightened considerably.
Moreover, Uchiha Madara had zero tolerance for corruption.
The moment he learned someone in the village had embezzled funds, he immediately threw them into prison without even bothering to gather evidence.
Uchiha Izuna became the principal of the Ninja Academy.
He accepted Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, Uchiha Kagami, and others as his students.
Outside Konoha, the First Tsuchikage and First Mizukage stepped down from office.
Mu became the new Tsuchikage.
Hozuki Gengetsu became the new Mizukage.
Everything else remained unchanged.
"Tobirama, the nations of the ninja world have been making more and more small moves lately. They're growing increasingly bold. I've decided to convene a Five Kage Summit!"
Uchiha Madara looked toward Tobirama with sharp eyes and an imposing aura.
Tobirama frowned slightly upon hearing that and tried to reason with him calmly, "Madara, it's just some minor squabbling from a few villages. There's no need to make such a huge issue out of it by calling a Five Kage Summit, is there?"
But Uchiha Madara merely shook his head lightly, utterly unconcerned.
"Tobirama, we are the super ninja village of this world. In a sense, we are the ones who uphold order throughout the ninja world."
"We are the ninja world's police!"
"It is our duty to warn those villages that harbor ill intentions and refuse to follow the rules."
"A super ninja village should display Konoha's authority when the time is appropriate."
Madara's tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable dominance.
"Fine. We'll do it your way, Lord Hokage."
Senju Tobirama shrugged.
———
[Several Days Later]
Uchiha Madara initiated the Five Kage Summit.
He demanded that all major ninja villages come to Konoha to discuss important matters.
Note: It was a demand. Not an invitation.
Though Uchiha Madara claimed verbally that Konoha would not seek domination, in practice, everything he did was blatant hegemonism.
———
[Iwagakure]
Mu let out a cold snort and slammed the letter from Konoha onto the table.
"Hmph! Konoha, that hegemonic village!"
Black Zetsu merely looked at the letter calmly.
"Mu, endure it. Before we possess sufficient strength, we absolutely must remain patient."
Mu nodded, then asked, "Lord Black Zetsu, do you think we should go or not?"
"Go. If we don't, that fellow Uchiha Madara will come looking for trouble with us," Black Zetsu replied.
Mu thought for a moment before snorting coldly again.
"Hmph! Konoha! One day, our Iwagakure will replace them!"
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