New week guys, let's push!!
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At the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass, the outskirts of Kannabi City stretched across a barren wasteland.
Mū hovered just above the ground, chakra flowing steadily as his feet stayed off the earth. Next to him, Black Zetsu was wrapped in bandages, giving off only a faint, disturbing presence.
"Sage Black Zetsu, are you sure there's really some hidden opportunity in a place this empty?" Mū asked, looking down at the dead land below with a slight frown.
"There is. Keep looking." Black Zetsu closed his eyes and focused. Sage chakra gathered at his fingertips as he sensed the natural energy in the land.
The Grand Sage had said there was something here, and Black Zetsu had learned not to doubt him.
After a while, Mū spotted a huge crater ahead. His expression changed, and he even stopped floating for a moment.
"This place..." He studied the crater below.
"This is one of the ancient battlefields where the Sage of Six Paths once fought."
According to old stories, a terrifying monster had once appeared here and devastated the surrounding region. To stop it from slaughtering civilians, the Sage of Six Paths came himself and destroyed it, leaving behind nothing but this enormous crater as proof of the battle.
Black Zetsu opened his eyes. "This is it."
He pointed toward the ground. "Mū, use Earth Release and dig below the crater. There should be a stone monument buried underneath."
Mū blinked, then immediately formed hand seals. Earth Release chakra surged into the ground, and the yellow soil below began to churn. Rock and dirt burst outward as a shaft dozens of meters deep opened beneath them.
A weathered stone surface soon appeared at the bottom.
"This... was this left by the Sage of Six Paths himself?" Mū went down right away.
He bent closer and read the old inscription carved into the monument:
[A wicked creature known as the Yatagarasu once terrorized this land. I destroyed it to spare the innocent from further suffering. I leave behind the inheritance of the Yatagarasu Sage Arts for whoever fate brings here in the future.]
Mū read the words in silence.
"There really is something here..." His eyes lit up. "A Sage Art inheritance? Iwagakure is truly lucky!"
Under his bandages, Black Zetsu smiled.
"Then don't waste the opportunity. Start training."
........
The Land of Water, Kirigakure.
"Sage Fukasaku, I've finished mastering the Sage Arts. What should I do next?" Gengetsu Hōzuki stood respectfully before Fukasaku, his posture straight and his voice far more serious than usual.
Fukasaku sat on a smooth stone.
"Take your time. There's no need to rush the next step."
He gave Gengetsu a measured look. "First, become Mizukage. Once you're in that position, we'll decide what comes afterward."
Gengetsu nodded right away. He already trusted Fukasaku's judgment. The old toad's wisdom and the power of his Sage Arts had impressed Gengetsu so much that he no longer doubted his advice.
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The Land of Rain.
Deep in a hidden cave, cold moisture covered the stone walls, and only a little light reached the chamber.
A figure in black walked through the darkness.
He wore a long cloak with red clouds and an orange spiral mask. Each step was slow and careful, as if he had planned this moment for years.
"This place is secluded enough. No one will bother us here." He lowered his voice, making it sound more ominous. "From now on, this will be the organization's permanent base."
He paused.
"And the organization will be called... Akatsuki."
The earth beside him shifted.
A White Zetsu with a Venus-flytrap body rose from the ground and looked at him in silence for a moment.
"Tobi, there's nobody else here. You can stop doing the creepy mastermind voice."
"Oh, come on." Tobi waved him off, his usual cheerful tone slipping out before he made his voice deep again. "I'm supposed to be a mastermind now. I need the voice to fit the part."
He straightened his cloak and raised a finger.
"And from now on, don't call me Tobi. Call me... Kite."
White Zetsu stared at him.
"...Yes, Lord Kite."
........
Eight years went by.
By then, the political structure of the shinobi world had settled into the familiar Five Great Nations and Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Those eight years were peaceful.
Hashirama spent long enough in the Hokage's seat to decide he was finished with it, so one day he simply retired and handed the position over to Madara.
Hashirama returned to the Senju compound and enjoyed retirement. He gambled whenever he wanted, stayed away from politics, and spent his time with Mito.
Madara became the Third Hokage, with Tobirama as Hokage Advisor.
Meanwhile, Madara worked himself to exhaustion.
He was a natural workaholic. After taking office, he mostly kept Hashirama's policies instead of starting new wars, but the village changed in other ways. Laws became stricter. Enforcement was tougher. Rules that Hashirama might have bent now had real consequences.
Madara had little patience for corruption.
When he heard that someone inside the village government had been taking bribes, he had the man thrown into prison almost immediately.
Finding evidence could come later.
Izuna became principal of the Ninja Academy and personally trained a number of promising students, including Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō Shimura, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Kagami Uchiha.
Outside Konoha, the First Tsuchikage and First Mizukage eventually stepped down as well.
Mū became the new Tsuchikage.
Gengetsu Hōzuki became the new Mizukage.
The rest of the world stayed mostly the same.
........
In the Hokage's office, Madara looked up from a pile of reports.
"Tobirama, the other nations have been getting bolder lately. Too many little incidents, too many people testing boundaries. I've decided to convene a Five Kage Summit."
Tobirama frowned.
"Madara, we're talking about a handful of minor disputes between villages. Calling all five Kage together seems excessive."
"You're not seeing the bigger picture..." Madara shook his head.
He leaned back in his chair. "Konoha is the strongest shinobi village in the world. Like it or not, that means we have a duty to help keep order."
Tobirama stared at him.
Madara continued, utterly serious.
"We are the police of the shinobi world..."
"If another village starts breaking the rules or entertaining ideas that threaten the peace, then Konoha has a responsibility to warn them before things get worse." He folded his arms. "A great village should remind the world why it's great when needed."
Tobirama stared at Madara for a few seconds, then shrugged in defeat.
"Fine... You're the Hokage."
A few days later, Madara officially announced the Five Kage Summit.
All major shinobi villages had to send representatives to Konoha for talks.
Required, not invited!
Madara insisted Konoha had no intention of ruling the shinobi world.
But his foreign policy didn't match that speech.
........
Iwagakure.
Mū read Konoha's letter, then slammed it on his desk.
"Hmph! Konoha and its damn power politics."
Black Zetsu remained calm beside him. "Endure it, Mū. Until Iwagakure has the strength to challenge them, patience is the better option."
Mū nodded, though he still looked unhappy. "Sage Black Zetsu, what do you think? Should we go?"
"We go." Black Zetsu didn't hesitate. "If we refuse, Uchiha Madara will find some excuse to make it our problem."
Mū considered it for a moment, then snorted.
"Hmph. Konoha can enjoy the top spot while it lasts." He looked down at the summit notice again.
"One day, Iwagakure will replace them."
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