"The Three Tails has finally been sealed. The Konoha Alliance's sealing team has succeeded," Raizen said, his tone calm but edged with exhaustion. "Now we move to the next step—strengthening the Alliance's system and laying the groundwork for Konoha itself."
The chaos his Mangekyō Sharingan caused during the battle was already fading from his mind. He didn't care. What mattered was that the Alliance now held the Three Tails—proof that even the Hyūga or Uchiha would think twice before crossing them.
"Capture complete. We're heading back."
Raizen turned to the red-haired kunoichi beside him. Uzumaki Mito was staring at him like she'd just witnessed a god descend from the heavens.
"Wha—what kind of ninjutsu was that? That giant form, and then Three Tails just vanished! Is that all from your Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Raizen sighed. "No comment."
He pulled his arm free from her grasp and started walking, the Amamiya ninja following behind.
"Meanie," she muttered, cheeks puffed.
But the pout didn't last. As they marched, Mito's bright curiosity dulled, replaced by something heavier. The world outside her clan's sheltered lands was cruel beyond imagination.
They passed the remnants of a burned-out village—bodies half-buried in ash. On the road, bandits picked at the dead like vultures. She saw starving children gnawing on bark and five-year-olds fighting with rocks over scraps of food.
By the time they reached the next ridge, Mito's face had lost all its innocence.
"Why… why is this world like this?" she whispered.
Raizen didn't hesitate. "Because people never stop wanting more. They fight for land, pride, power—whatever makes them feel alive. And the rest of us? We kill just to keep breathing."
He looked up at the smoke-stained sky, his voice hardening.
"That's why I created the Konoha Alliance—to build a place where kids don't have to die before they even learn what life is. A place without war. A village that protects instead of devours."
Mito stopped walking. She watched his back, stunned. His words weren't grand speeches—they were raw, cracked with memory.
"My clan was nearly wiped out when I was five," he continued quietly. "I became a Genin that same year, thrown onto battlefields between Uchiha and Hyūga. I survived because someone else didn't."
He smiled faintly, but it wasn't joy—it was a scar made of will.
"I know what war takes. That's why I'll build something better, no matter what it costs."
Mito said nothing for a long while. The ideals sounded simple, but she could feel the grief buried inside them. Finally, she spoke, softly, "Konoha Alliance… maybe I can help you."
Raizen raised a brow. "Help, huh?"
She blushed and looked away. "Just answer me first—why go this far? Why risk everything?"
Raizen's eyes narrowed with a distant smile. "Because I don't want kids from my clan growing up the way I did. That's all."
The rest of the journey was silent. They moved faster, as if words had lost meaning. Three hours later, the banners of the Amamiya fluttered against the dusk sky.
Once back, Raizen immediately assigned quarters to the Uzumaki delegation. He asked Amamiya Ten to select children with sealing potential to train under their guidance—Konoha's foundation had to start somewhere.
When the work was done, he finally turned to the next step. "Mount Myōboku… time to seek Fukasaku-sama."
With a hand sign, Raizen vanished in a swirl of chakra smoke. The world shifted, and when his feet touched solid ground again, he stood in a humid forest surrounded by croaking echoes.
"Quah! Lord Raizen?" A tiny toad blinked up at him, startled.
"Yeah. I need to see Fukasaku-sama. Can you take me?"
The little toad nodded enthusiastically and led him through the dense moss and mist. Soon, they reached the familiar waterfall where the old sage usually meditated.
"Raizen?"
Toad Zhan cracked open one sleepy eye, then beamed. "It's been a while!"
"Good to see you too, Zhan." Raizen gave a rare smile. "But I'll catch up later. I need to meet with Fukasaku-sama."
The toad nodded, and together they made their way deeper into the hidden heart of Mount Myōboku.