Zetsu's Ruthless Scheme, Eradicate Them All (1)

Shimizu was unimpressed. While Mingye's words held some truth—the Senju Clan did indeed possess unparalleled talent for ninjutsu—the fact remained that Mingye had orchestrated the slaughter of the clan's elite, as well as its women, children, and elderly. It was a total extermination. For Mingye to continue disparaging them now was truly beneath contempt.

"You worry too much. With Madara's cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds every day, do you really think we'll lose to two wet-behind-the-ears brats?"

Seeing that even Shimizu, a high-ranking member of the clan, had begun to disregard their former nemesis, a sense of crisis stirred in Mingye's heart. This state of mind was dangerous, but arguing further with Shimizu was pointless. He shifted the topic. "They have been fighting in the ninja world alongside Senju Butsuma since they were seven. You think they're wet behind the ears? Enough, we don't need to discuss this. Sato wants us to kill Akiyama Nobunori within a month. How are your preparations coming along?"

Seeing Mingye get to the point, Shimizu straightened his expression and replied, "The most famous ninja under Akiyama Nobunori's command are the Sarutobi Clan. They excel in Fire Release and taijutsu, and are known for their ferocious combat style. The other minor clans aren't worth mentioning, but I've heard the Sarutobi Clan has a considerable number of vassal clans under them, all of whom specialize in obscure ninjutsu. It seems Akiyama Nobunori's protection is handled by those very clans."

Mingye had heard of the Sarutobi Clan a few days ago. Their hallmark was a reckless, aggressive nature; their tendency to charge forward in battle without fear of the enemy's strength made them ideal shock troops on the battlefield. Mingye couldn't be bothered to overthink such a clan; after all, the "monkey" he remembered was still in his mother's womb.

"A hero of the age—the head of the Sarutobi Clan is named Sarutobi Sasuke, if I recall correctly?"

"You'd better be careful of that damn monkey. He never fears death in battle. If you absolutely must fight him, you'd best let Madara handle it!"

Shimizu's warning only earned a nod from Mingye, signaling he had heard him. Mingye wasn't thinking about the strength of that ninja clan, but rather how the situation in the Land of Fire would shift if Akiyama Nobunori were truly dead.

"They aren't just building a bridge, are they?"

"As you know, the Land of Rain is plagued by constant downpours; there are no sunny days. Its location happens to be at the intersection of the Land of Earth, Wind, and Fire. If one wants to smuggle contraband from the Land of Fire, the Land of Rain is the perfect spot. The Land of Fire can't police it, and the lands of Earth and Wind can profit from it. After all, the Land of Fire is vast and rich in resources—what it has in abundance is exactly what other nations lack most!"

Shimizu's answer made Mingye frown. Having lived in this world until now, he had no real concept of money. Perhaps it was because he lacked for nothing, or perhaps because these matters were never his to manage. He asked again, "He's using this method to amass wealth? How much can he possibly earn?"

"Never underestimate his profits in the Land of Rain. It is by no means a small sum. Otherwise, how do you think he supports so many private soldiers? Akiyama Nobunori has over a hundred ninja and thousands of private troops under his command. In terms of sheer numbers, he possesses the greatest military strength!"

Knowing Mingye didn't understand such matters, Shimizu explained it carefully.

"It seems I underestimated the situation. Let's leave this matter to the others; I will head to the Sarutobi Clan myself to test the waters."

Mingye was curious whether Sarutobi Sasuke's wife was already pregnant. He remembered clearly that Sarutobi Hiruzen was born nine years before the founding of Konoha. If he could determine whether Sasuke's wife was expecting and if the child was indeed Hiruzen, he could, to a certain extent, grasp the timeline of the future that had yet to unfold. He could then use that time to execute plans he hadn't yet achieved. More importantly, his memories of his past life no longer provided any "cheat" or advantage; whatever edge he had possessed had vanished after the destruction of the Senju Clan. If he wanted to maintain an advantage, he had to master the flow of time. Only by knowing the beginning could he have the power and choice to do everything he desired.

"You must be careful!"

Seeing Mingye decide to test the waters himself, Shimizu felt a twinge of worry, but he didn't try to dissuade him. Knowing Mingye wouldn't listen, he simply reminded him to act with caution.

"They won't touch me! They wouldn't dare. Being brave doesn't mean being stupid; they will make the best choice!"

Mingye stood up, answered with an arrogant air, and turned to leave the room, preparing for his journey.

The bedraggled Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama had parted ways with their clansmen to act alone. Because their portraits had been plastered across the country, they had Uzumaki Aihara lead the clansmen away first, hoping to avoid further implicating them, while the brothers drew the attention of the pursuers to buy their people a sliver of time to retreat.

"Here! Get in quickly, it's about to rain!"

In a small village, the two fugitives hid once more. Hashirama and Tobirama had not killed the samurai who tried to capture them; the killing would never end, and it was better to evade them than to continue creating karma. They wouldn't have any major impact on them anyway. Just then, the wooden door of a house at the corner opened, and a man's voice urged them to enter.

Hashirama and Tobirama didn't hesitate; bold and skilled, they darted into the room and shut the door. A candle was suddenly lit in the pitch-black room, revealing a man with a ponytail and an exquisite long sword at his waist. He placed the candle on the table, looked at them with a smile, and said, "My name is Zhanye. You don't need to be nervous, because I have no interest in the bounty on your heads!"

"If you don't want the gold, you must be after something much bigger. If you aren't interested in the bounty issued by the Uchiha Clan, then what are you after?"

Senju Tobirama looked at the man's friendly, non-hostile expression and sneered. Zhanye nodded, agreeing with Tobirama's logic. "Heh! That's true. If you don't even want the money, saving people is meaningless—especially saving ninja. It must be ulterior motives. What if I said I want you to continue fighting the Uchiha Clan? What would you think?"

Hashirama didn't waste words and asked directly, "Who exactly are you?"

Zhanye shook his head, not answering Hashirama's question directly, but continuing to state his purpose.

"Who I am isn't important. My name is Zhanye, and that's all you need to know. Don't ask again; there is no one left in this world who knows my surname, and I don't wish to mention it. All you need to know is that I want to help you fight the Uchiha Clan!"

Tobirama looked at Zhanye with disdain. This man's initial goal was clearly to recruit the remnants of the Senju Clan, who had been crippled by the Uchiha, and his motives were certainly not that simple. Before his brother could speak, he preemptively rejected the offer.

"The Uchiha Clan has many enemies, and we don't care who you are, but you must understand: we will not be anyone's blade!"

Tobirama's blunt refusal didn't leave Zhanye speechless. Instead, Zhanye looked at Hashirama and continued, "Ninja are assassins. Proficiency in assassination, reconnaissance, and substitution—these are the things a blade is meant to do. Your Senju Clan refused to do this, which is why you ended up in a situation where everyone kicks a man when he's down. Who among those big shots cares if you live or die? A ninja without value is less useful than a dog; at least a dog can bark for its master, right?"

"Hmph!"

Tobirama snorted. The indirect insult was quite sharp. He wasn't speechless, just too lazy to argue further. After all, the man had helped them escape some trouble. Hashirama remained silent for a long time before looking up at Zhanye with a grave expression. "You said your name is Zhanye, right? I am Senju Hashirama, and this is my brother, Senju Tobirama. Since you want to help us, can you tell me how you intend to do it?"

Seeing that Hashirama was moved, Zhanye said, "The Uchiha Clan is affiliated with Sato, one of the Five Generals. Their power is among the top in the Land of Fire. To resist them, you must attach yourselves to a power of equal standing. Only then will you have a chance!"

At this point, anyone who didn't understand would be a fool. Hashirama followed up, "Whose power do you belong to?"

Zhanye bowed to the brothers, then straightened his expression and replied, "I am unworthy! General Shimura Sasuke is my master."

"So you're just a barking dog, then!"

"At least I'm not a stray dog. What do you think, head of the Senju Clan?"

"Take me to see him!"

Faced with Tobirama's sarcasm, Zhanye raised an eyebrow in a silent counter-attack, while Hashirama cut off their dialogue and spoke to Zhanye in a low, firm voice.

Standing atop the massive rocky mountain, overlooking the vast expanse of forest below, Madara let out a long sigh and spoke to Mingye and Izuna behind him.

"What do you think! This is the location I chose!"

Although Mingye could not see the scenery, he could still sense the panoramic view of the woods; he was likely standing on what would become the Hokage Rock in the future. Hearing Madara's words, he replied:

"Although it is located in the heart of the Land of Fire, it is deep within the forest, and the rocky mountain offers no resources for development. The abundance of wild beasts makes it rarely visited by people. Building a village here might have many inconveniences, but it is situated in an open area. While it is a valley and appears to have no natural defenses, one can see the direction of any enemy attack at a glance and respond with ease. If an enemy were to actually reach this place, heh, our Uchiha clan might as well just commit suicide!"