Chapter 31: The Dawn of the First War
Well, not every healer was cut out to be a combat medic, after all. Her dream was to be a doctor, and you couldn't force someone into a role they didn't want.
"Kagami, how about you also..." Stelle glanced at Uchiha Kagami, who was also being impacted by their team-up. If it really came down to it, she could just run missions solo. It would certainly make it more convenient to act as Black Zetsu's accomplice.
The only problem was figuring out how to sell that idea to Uchiha Madara.
"Are you afraid I'll hold you back, Stelle?" Uchiha Kagami's lips curved into a smile, his expression a perfect imitation of someone deeply wronged. "And here I was, thinking I was finally starting to catch up to you."
They truly were fellow disciples. Kagami was nothing if not reliable; her efforts to help him awaken his Three-Tomoe Sharingan hadn't been in vain.
Stelle gave him a light, playful punch on the shoulder. "You're a good brother, don't worry. As long as you're on my team, even if I die, I won't let you."
Kagami's brow furrowed at her casual words. "Stelle, don't always be so focused on protecting others. Your own life is just as important."
"Relax, I'm strong," Stelle said, her voice brimming with unshakeable confidence.
Senju Tetsuya ultimately declined to join their squad, his spot being filled by Akimichi Torifu instead. This was even better. Stelle felt a genuine urge to thank that nameless background character, Senju Tetsuya.
The new trio began taking on a variety of dangerous missions together.
Black Zetsu had initially assumed that any random B-rank mission would be enough to dispose of Senju Stelle. To his utter shock, not only did she refuse to die, but she seemed to grow stronger with every kill.
Every single time Black Zetsu thought she was finally cornered, on the verge of death, she would pull out some new, never-before-seen ninjutsu at the last possible second and turn the tables on her enemies.
This woman... her talent was monstrous. It was downright unnatural.
Seething with frustration, Black Zetsu submerged into the earth and went to find Mie.
At that moment, Mie was indulging in a luxurious private hot spring in the Land of Hot Springs. Stripped of her black robes and mask, she looked like any other harmless young woman, her features soft in the rising steam. No one would ever connect her to the enigmatic Black-Robed Man who had provoked the Asura of Konoha.
After her bath, she changed into fresh clothes and sat down to a lavish lunch, all paid for with the money Black Zetsu had painstakingly earned. She crossed her legs, shaking one foot idly, completely unconcerned with her image.
It was then that Black Zetsu emerged from the floorboards, a ripple of living shadow. Seeing her so utterly carefree, his voice dripped with dissatisfaction. "You're certainly living it up. You know, people across the shinobi world are dying to get their hands on you for that reward money. Even I'm tempted by the price."
"Oh? How do you know?"
"The bounty Konoha placed on you at the Exchange Center has gone up again. Just providing a scrap of information is worth eighty million ryō now."
Mie found that odd. "What were you doing at an Exchange Center?"
The inky black form seemed to twist in on itself, swaying with barely contained fury. "Earning money for you to spend!"
Mie fell silent. Staring at Black Zetsu's distorted, featureless face, she felt a flicker of embarrassment. He really was a good person, in his own twisted way. To save his mother, he would endure any hardship. Not only did he provide her with a steady stream of mood values, but he even worked to fund her lifestyle. Perhaps she should be a little nicer to him, soften her words a bit.
"Since you're being so good to me," she began, her tone suddenly active, "I'll return the favor. Let's go cause some trouble."
"How?" Black Zetsu immediately shed his negative thoughts and scurried closer, all business.
"How about we start the First Great Ninja War?"
Black Zetsu's non-existent brows furrowed. "Start the First War? How? With Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara around, no one in the shinobi world dares to provoke Konoha."
"What if Konoha starts the war first?"
Black Zetsu's beady yellow eyes lit up.
A while ago, Uchiha Izuna's eyes had vanished and then mysteriously reappeared. It was only after asking Mie that he learned the truth: his ultimate attack had never actually hit Izuna. It was all a feint to scare him while he was hiding in the shadows. Since there had been no physical contact, the explanation was plausible enough.
Regardless, Uchiha Madara had finally obtained the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, which settled a major concern.
It was just that through all this back and forth, Mie had completely shattered Black Zetsu's composure. He felt he had lost his edge, that even his mind wasn't as sharp as it used to be.
Right, the First War. The more chaotic the world became, the better their chances.
"What's your plan?" Since Mie had proposed the idea, she was no doubt brewing something wicked. This person was every bit as insidious as he was; she was surely planning something big.
"Didn't you say you altered the Uchiha clan's stone tablet?" Mie began to analyze the situation for him. "That as long as the Infinite Tsukuyomi is activated, the world will achieve true peace."
"If we start the First War, in the ensuing chaos, the death of a few ninja like Senju Stelle would be as common as breathing."
"And if Senju Hashirama also dies in battle... with his brother gone, his best friend gone, and his student dead a tragic death, Uchiha Madara will surely fall into despair. He'll lose all hope for this world. Then, he will follow the records on the stone tablet you so graciously provided, seek greater power, and activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
The words sent a cold, sharp thrill through Black Zetsu. His entire amorphous body seemed to hum with a dark, ecstatic energy. Mie's plan... it coincided perfectly with his own. As expected of the one chosen by Lord Sōjin—bah! The Sage of Six Paths was her ancestor!
Still, bringing her to his side was the right choice. At most, he would just have to earn a little more money. For his mother, such trivialities were but a passing frost.
He spoke in an exaggerated, reverent tone, "As expected of the successor chosen by the Sage! Your plan is truly brilliant."
The corners of Mie's lips curled into a hidden smile. Her main body, a sacrifice? Senju Hashirama, dying in battle? What a beautiful pipe dream.
When Black Zetsu eventually discovered she was lying, wouldn't he provide her with another massive wave of delicious mood values? She felt she ought to thank her top donor in advance.
Half a month later, a rumor suddenly swept across the continent: Konoha was preparing to attack the Four Great Nations and unify the shinobi world.
At first, the news was just whispers in small, clandestine circles, but it gradually spread like wildfire. The story was told with such vivid, convincing detail that it seemed Konoha truly was on the verge of launching a world war.
The Kage of the Four Great Nations sent a flurry of letters to Konoha, demanding an explanation, while simultaneously uniting in private to discuss countermeasures.
The news had appeared so abruptly that it was obviously fabricated.
However, when they recalled Uchiha Madara activating his Susanoo and blatantly searching for the Black-Robed Man all over their territories, they couldn't help but be cautious. And Konoha's Second Hokage didn't exactly have the face of a peace-loving man, either.
During the last Five Kage Summit, after the leaders of the various nations had met, a competitive spirit had naturally emerged. They all knew Madara and Hashirama were powerful, but they still wanted to test their own mettle against the legends. The result had been a disaster. Madara had started by pinning the Kazekage to the ground with casual disdain, then turned to deal with the slow-moving Tsuchikage. Hashirama hadn't even made a move against them; his only action was to hold back his own irritable younger brother.
With that kind of overwhelming strength, if they were in Konoha's position, they would also be tempted to unify the world.
The situation was made worse by the fact that the Second Hokage's brother had died at such a critical juncture. What if that notoriously short-tempered man, stewing in his grief, decided they had conspired with the Land of Fire's Daimyō to attack his home? What if he decided to avenge his brother?
"Although the news seems fake, Konoha's excessive power is a fact. If we don't unite, we will be swallowed up one by one."
"Exactly. The Land of Fire's daimyō and aristocracy have already been crushed by Uchiha Madara. The way Konoha is developing, they'll soon annex the entire country. When that time comes, will they really just stop at their own borders and not expand outward?"
"Don't let me find out who killed Uchiha Madara's brother. If I do, I'll skin him alive and pull out his tendons."
"I suggest we form a Four-Nation Alliance."
"It must be established!"
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