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The door to the Hokage's office slammed open.
"BANG!!"
"MADARA! TOBIRAMA! YOU STARTED A WAR BEHIND MY BACK!" Hashirama stormed inside, his face twisted with anger.
He hadn't known anything until that morning, when he opened the newspaper and saw Konoha had declared war on Iwagakure. At first, he thought he was dreaming. He read the article again to be sure.
It was real!!
Madara saw no reason to keep pretending.
"Hashirama, stop clinging to peace. The war has already begun."
"..." Tobirama nodded beside him. Only someone as unaware as his brother could have missed it—anyone else would have noticed Konoha had been preparing for war for weeks.
Hashirama rounded on him.
"You too, Tobirama? You helped Madara keep this from me?"
His anger soon gave way to confusion. "We were already winning. If Konoha had continued to develop, we could have united the shinobi world through trade and culture. Why throw that away and rush into a war?"
Hashirama had consistently believed in Konoha's future. With time, its economy, culture, and influence would reach every nation. Other villages would either follow or fall behind. Konoha could have united the world without forcing anyone to surrender.
"Where is our army now?" he demanded. "Send the order for them to withdraw!"
"Brother, this isn't the Warring States Era," Tobirama said.
"This isn't just a fight between two clans that we can stop whenever we want. Konoha has declared war. Our army has crossed the border, and people have already died. We can't undo that."
"Our forces broke through Iwagakure's defenses and pushed a hundred kilometers," Madara said. "Sasuke Sarutobi's army is already at Kannabi Bridge."
"A hundred kilometers already??" Hashirama looked at him. Even he hadn't expected the invasion to move so quickly...
Madara noticed the surprise on his face and sat up a bit straighter. "Tobirama and I planned the operation together."
The pride in his voice was impossible to miss.
Madara looked as though he expected to be congratulated.
"..." Instead, Hashirama's face grew serious. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. He trusted Madara and Tobirama more than anyone, and he couldn't punish them for wanting to make Konoha stronger, even if he hated their methods.
Their goal was the same, but their way of reaching it had changed.
More importantly, the invasion had already started. If he fought them now, he would divide Konoha's leaders during a war and make things worse. He didn't have to like what they did, but he couldn't risk weakening them now.
"What do you need me to do? And are you planning to attack the other villages too?" Hashirama asked.
Madara and Tobirama glanced at each other and smiled.
"I knew you would stand with us once you understood the situation," Tobirama said.
"Good. Now we can start the next phase—" Madara crossed his arms and nodded.
Hashirama frowned. "What next phase?"
"Madara and I will head to the battlefield," Tobirama said. "You'll stay in Konoha, handle logistics, and keep the village safe."
"We'll use the Flying Raijin to teleport right into Iwagakure," Madara went on.
"When the front line sees their village under attack, the defense at Kannabi Bridge will break down. Their forces will fall apart from both sides."
A fierce smile appeared on his face.
"When that happens, Iwagakure loses."
..............
"Old Man! You need to see this!"
Kakuzu rushed over with a newspaper and set it in front of Manji.
Manji read the front page and frowned. As he expected, Iwagakure's army had already suffered a heavy defeat at the start of the invasion.
"The Hidden Stone won't last another few days... not at this rate," Kakuzu said.
"No. Iwagakure will survive." Manji narrowed his eyes and stroked his mustache as he thought.
Kakuzu looked at him in confusion.
"Mū is more than capable of holding them off. Even Madara and Tobirama won't overwhelm him that easily." Manji said.
"But none of the numbers support that," Kakuzu argued.
"Konoha has more shinobi, stronger clans, and better commanders. Iwagakure is outmatched in every category. Why do you have so much faith in Mū?"
Manji didn't answer. He put his hands behind his back, walked into the restroom, and closed the door.
When he was alone, he took out his smartphone and started typing.
..............
[Mount Myōboku Family Chat]
Six Paths Founder: @All Tailed Beasts. I have a new assignment for you. Things have changed in the shinobi world. Each of you will choose a village to support—any village except Konoha.
Kurama: Wow, Teacher. It's been a long time since you gave us a mission!
Shukaku: I was starting to get rusty. I could use some action.
Matatabi: I wouldn't mind going back to the human world for a visit.
Gamamaru: I just finished making some new Scientific Ninja Tools. I can send them to the shinobi world if you need them.
Six Paths Founder: @Gamamaru. No. Your technology is far too advanced for this era. Keep it on Mount Myōboku until the human world catches up.
Gamamaru: Seriously? Scientific Ninja Tools still aren't ready for the outside world? Just how far behind are humans?
Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki: Scientific Ninja Tools are always welcome in the Pure Land.
Gamamaru: What the heck, Hagoromo? When did you join this chat?
Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki: The Sage invited me. I'm basically half a Mount Myōboku resident anyway.
Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki: Gamamaru, when do you plan to retire? Come join me in the Pure Land when you're done. I've missed you. I even rebuilt Ninshū here~
Indra: Heh…
Rabbit Goddess Kaguya: @Six Paths Founder. Manji, when are you coming back? There are things I want to tell you…
Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki: Mother, why are you always tagging the Sage? And where are you? I haven't seen you anywhere in the Pure Land.
Rabbit Goddess Kaguya: Get lost!
..............
All nine Tailed Beasts gathered on Mount Myōboku to talk about their new assignment.
"Teacher wants us to leave the mountain and pick villages to support," Kurama said, glancing at the others. "So, who's going where?"
They decided quickly. Shukaku picked Sunagakure. Matatabi and Gyūki chose Kumogakure, while Isobu and Saiken went with Kirigakure. Son Gokū and Kokuō would help Iwagakure, and Chōmei picked Takigakure.
Kurama picked Amegakure.
After making their choices, the Tailed Beasts left Mount Myōboku and set out for their villages.
..............
Deep underground, in the lowest room of an exchange house, two young men with horns waited for orders. Their tough looks and violent reputations made people fear them everywhere.
They were Kinkaku and Ginkaku, known as the Gold and Silver Brothers. Both were descendants of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki.
"Orders have come from above," Kinkaku said. "We're to leave the exchange house and support Kumogakure."
Ginkaku nodded. "If that is our lord's command, we obey."
The brothers grabbed the Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths and started getting ready. Neither of them knew who their lord really was. They just knew he had cared for them since they were kids, giving them food, shelter, and training when no one else would.
That debt was enough for them. They didn't need to know his name. If he told them to fight for him, they would take down anyone he asked them to.
..............
With everything arranged, Manji returned to his seat.
"Now we wait for the world to react…"
He leaned back and watched the streets outside, acting as if nothing had happened. No one in the shinobi world knew who had just changed the course of the war. It wasn't a daimyō giving orders from a palace or a Kage leading thousands of shinobi.
It was the mild-mannered, mustached man sitting inside a ramen shop.
Kakuzu studied Manji's calm expression, unaware that the old man had just sent the Tailed Beasts and the Gold and Silver Brothers into the war.
'He never even breaks a sweat. That's what a real legend of the shinobi world looks like…'
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