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Ichiraku Ramen was crowded from the counter all the way to the door. Every seat was full, and people stood along the walls, hoping for a spot. The normal sounds of bowls and chopsticks were drowned out by excited voices.
Nobody was talking about food today. All the conversations were about the war, and every new person brought another rumor from the front lines.
"Have you heard the latest news? Our army marched into the Land of Earth and hasn't lost a battle yet!" one customer announced to the room.
"The people there are welcoming Konoha with open arms... Once Iwagakure falls, they'll get to enjoy the same prosperity we have in the Land of Fire," another claimed.
"Lord Hokage and Lord Tobirama planned the campaign perfectly. That's why the army keeps winning," a third diner added, speaking with the confidence of someone who had never seen the battlefield.
"Give Sasuke Sarutobi some credit too!! He broke straight through the Land of Earth's defenses. One campaign like this, and people will be talking about him for generations!" someone called from the counter.
The people in the restaurant cheered for every bit of news from the front.
Konoha's army was fighting far from home, and the village's propaganda was busy too. Newspapers showed victory after victory, officials repeated the same stories, and each new report made the war sound easier than before.
At first, many people here were afraid of the war. They worried about attacks, higher prices, and loved ones who might not come back. But after a few days of good news, those fears faded.
Now, they talked about taking new land as if victory was certain—
These people weren't the ones fighting on the front lines. Their jobs were safer. They worked in factories, making explosive tags and kunai, sending weapons to the Land of Earth. Others crossed the border and risked their lives for those victories.
"..." Kakuzu listened from behind the counter and shook his head.
Unlike the customers, he knew Manji had already gotten involved. Whatever the papers claimed, this war was not going to end as quickly or cleanly as Konoha wanted people to believe.
"Kakuzu, try this new dish," Manji called as he approached with a plate.
On the plate was a round bun, cut in half and stuffed with meat, vegetables, and sauce. It looked practical—a whole meal you could hold in one hand.
Kakuzu eyed the new food before looking up.
"You called this a hamburger, right? Why that name?"
"You don't need to know that—just taste it and tell me whether I made it properly," Manji replied with a smile.
Kakuzu took a slow bite. His eyes brightened as he chewed.
"Not bad. It tastes good..."
Then the businessman in him took over.
"How much are we charging?"
"Two hundred and forty ryō."
Kakuzu stared at him. "A bowl of ramen costs one hundred and twenty. You want to charge the price of two bowls for one hamburger?"
Manji didn't see a problem. The hamburger was new and made to order with several ingredients, so a higher price made sense to him. Even a D-rank mission paid between five thousand and fifty thousand ryō, so for a Konoha shinobi, two hundred and forty wasn't much.
"Fine," Kakuzu said with a shrug. "We're merchants. Making money is the point."
..............
Inside the Hokage's office, Tobirama placed a stack of letters on Madara's desk.
"Madara, every major nation has issued a formal condemnation!"
Madara glanced at the letters without touching them. Every government outside the Land of Fire could complain, threaten, or appeal to the ideals Konoha had once preached. None of it mattered while their armies remained at home.
"Condemnations are empty words. Once Iwagakure falls, they'll stop sending them," he scoffed.
"Words can become armies... We still need to prepare in case those nations decide to intervene." Tobirama warned.
"Let them." Madara waved the concern aside.
"If they mobilize, our forces already stationed along the other fronts will move as well. Tell Izuna, Hyūga Tennin, and the Hatake Clan Head to remain ready. The moment another village enters this war, they launch their own blitz."
Tobirama nodded.
Izuna was holding the north against Kumogakure, Hyūga Tennin was waiting on the eastern coast for Kirigakure, and the Hatake Clan Head led the force facing Sunagakure. Each rival village already had a Konoha army nearby. If anyone tried to help Iwagakure, it could trigger three more wars at once.
"Has Sasuke taken Kannabi Bridge yet?" Madara asked. His displeasure showed before Tobirama even answered.
"No," Tobirama replied.
"A guerrilla group from the Land of Rain attacked our forces and disrupted the offensive. They call themselves Akatsuki."
Madara scowled. "Forget the bridge for now. Come with me, Tobirama. We'll teleport into Iwagakure and end this ourselves. You left a Flying Raijin formula inside the village, didn't you?"
"I did, but someone found it and erased the formula. I didn't think Iwagakure had a sensor good enough to spot something hidden that carefully." Tobirama frowned.
"It doesn't matter."
Madara stood up, put on his armor, and strapped his gunbai to his back.
Tobirama did the same, then picked up the Sword of the Thunder God. They checked their gear, shared a look, and disappeared from the office.
..............
Mū stood atop a rooftop overlooking Iwagakure, hands clasped behind his back as he studied the deserted streets below.
All the civilians had been evacuated before Madara and Tobirama arrived.
"We removed every Flying Raijin formula we could find," Black Zetsu said beside him. "That still doesn't guarantee Tobirama can't get inside."
Mū had spent hours scanning the village with his sensory skills. Whenever he found one of Tobirama's marks, he used Dust Release to erase both the mark and whatever it was on.
"We've done everything we can. The rest depends on what they try. If they still make it through, I'll fight them knowing I may not survive." Mū replied.
He had already accepted that risk before coming to the rooftop. Iwagakure's army was holding Kannabi Bridge—the civilians had nowhere else to go, and now the whole village depended on him. There was no turning back.
A hard gust swept across the rooftops.
"They're here... That was fast." Mū's expression changed.
Black Zetsu narrowed his eyes. "Southeast. Two chakra signatures. Prepare yourself."
Madara and Tobirama appeared above Iwagakure.
Madara floated with his arms crossed. His armor covered his chest, his long black hair flowed behind him, and his gunbai was ready on his back. He looked down at Iwagakure as if it had already lost.
Tobirama stood next to him, holding the Sword of the Thunder God. He looked over the rooftops, streets, and defenses below, his face calm.
[Note: Yes, the Sword of the Thunder God is an anime-original weapon. This story follows the television continuity.]
"BOOOOOOOOOOOMM!!"
Their chakra pressed down on the peaceful village, letting everyone know they had arrived before either of them spoke.
"So... the King of Konoha has come himself," Mū murmured, looking up at Madara.
"The civilians have already been evacuated," Tobirama observed, surveying the silent buildings below. "They knew we were coming and prepared the village for a battle."
"Good," Madara replied as one hand closed around the handle of his gunbai. "I don't slaughter civilians. With them gone, I can fight without holding back."
His Sharingan turned as he fixed his gaze on Mū.
"COME. LET'S DANCE." Madara wasn't interested in talking before the fight. He attacked right away.
He used the Body Flicker Technique before Mū could answer. Madara crossed the distance between them and appeared behind the Tsuchikage, carrying a rush of wind with him. The gunbai came off his back in the same motion, sweeping toward Mū's ribs with enough force to end the fight in one blow.
"Uchiha Return!"
Chakra burst across the face of the war fan and drove the strike forward.
Mū didn't have time to defend himself fully. He could hardly keep up with Madara's speed, so he relied on the same sensory skill he used to find Tobirama's marks. The warning came just before the attack landed.
He twisted his upper body aside. The gunbai swept past close enough for the violent air behind it to tear at his robes.
He had avoided the strike.
Then the Flying Raijin formula hidden on the gunbai gave off a faint blue light.
Space warped beside him.
Mū's senses caught the spatial disturbance, and a second warning hit him. Madara's swing had never been the whole attack.
The gunbai had carried Tobirama's formula within arm's reach!!
"There's another attack??"
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