Just as Uchiha Mu was about to return to the village, an immense surge of chakra sent a chill through him. He immediately turned around. It was Madara Uchiha, who had left the village a month ago without a single clan member following him.
"Those are fine eyes. When did you awaken them?" Madara asked. He had taken his younger brother's wishes to heart; otherwise, he would not have asked his clansmen to come with him before he left.
"During one of the wars between the Senju and the Uchiha. I've forgotten which," Uchiha Mu replied. This was someone far above his level.
"You awakened them in war, then. It seems you've lost a great deal too. Why did you choose to leave alone?" Madara Uchiha had watched Uchiha Mu's earlier battle. There was no doubt that Uchiha Mu could manifest a Perfect Susanoo.
Judging by his ocular power, he was already very close to Madara's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. With that level of power, Uchiha Mu had most likely already learned what was written on the Stone Tablet. Madara wanted to know why he had bought a country.
Uchiha Mu scratched his head. He did not feel he had lost much, but there was no need to contradict Madara. He replied, "Lord Madara, I've seen what Konoha is like. As things stand, it's nothing more than a larger shinobi clan. If it keeps developing along the old lines, even worse wars will break out in the future. I want to build a truly peaceful nation."
"You've read the Stone Tablet, haven't you? If you build a nation here, it might remain peaceful while you're alive. But what happens after you die? I've spent this time traveling around the Shinobi World. The more I see, the more I feel that peace is impossible. Only what is recorded on the Stone Tablet can bring about peace."
"So that's how it is." Uchiha Mu knew that Madara had not initially intended to seize Hashirama's cells. It was only after witnessing so much ugliness during his travels through the Shinobi World that he came to see Konoha as an empty dream, then took the Nine-Tails to fight Hashirama.
Later, through the First, Second, and Third Shinobi World Wars, Madara grew ever more committed to the Eye of the Moon Plan. In other words, there was still time.
"Lord Madara, everlasting peace is impossible," Uchiha Mu said, shaking his head.
"It is possible. It's recorded on the Stone Tablet." Madara Uchiha's resolve had not yet been tempered by those wars.
"A massive genjutsu that envelops the entire Shinobi World? Lord Madara, would the man inside that illusion still be you?" Uchiha Mu shook his head in refusal, then held out his hand. "Lord Madara, rather than chasing the elusive Eye of the Moon, why not join me and build a peaceful nation on these ruins?"
"Mu, you've just been through a small-scale war. You should understand that true peace doesn't exist." Madara shook his head. He felt there was no point in continuing the conversation.
Uchiha Mu's resolve was firm. Until he experienced profound darkness, he would never believe in the Eye of the Moon Plan. But this also served as a reminder to Madara: he needed to pay close attention to Uchiha Mu's movements.
At the very least, before he decided to carry out the plan, he would have to eliminate Uchiha Mu. Otherwise, his existence could cause the plan to fail, and that was absolutely unacceptable.
Although Madara was not yet entirely committed to carrying out the Eye of the Moon Plan, Uchiha Mu also realized that words alone could not bring him back. What Madara had seen throughout his travels in the Shinobi World had convinced him that peace could not exist in reality.
Their conversation ended abruptly. Both had realized they could not persuade the other.
"Uchiha Mu, one day, you'll believe me. I'll be waiting for the day you come looking for me." With that, Madara Uchiha turned and left.
"Lord Madara, I believe that one day, the Hundred-Clan Shinobi Nation's growth will make you reconsider!" Uchiha Mu called after him. He, too, did not want the Madara who had once fought on the front lines for his clan to meet such an end.
Madara's steps paused for an instant before he continued on his way. He would go and witness the darkness of this Shinobi World. Peace could never exist in it.
"Ah, well. But I suppose this puts me on Black Zetsu's radar." Uchiha Mu rubbed his chin. The Shinobi World's future looks pretty bleak. Never mind. I'll develop this place first, make some money off the wars later, then see which country to buy next.
The Land of Grass and the Land of Rain were awkwardly situated. One bordered three great nations, the other two. The country he had bought was actually much the same.
When he returned to the village, Uchiha Mu saw Hyuga Lingnai explaining the rules to the newly arrived shinobi. He waited until she finished.
"Come with me. Since you invaded our country, twenty percent of your pay will be deducted as compensation. Your normal pay will be restored after a year. Any objections?" Uchiha Mu said. He needed to make things clear to them.
"None." After learning about the benefits here, they had changed their opinion of the place. Given Uchiha Mu's strength, they could live with a twenty-percent deduction. More than anything, they hoped to settle down here.
They followed Uchiha Mu to the area awaiting development, where shinobi were already at work.
"Lord Mu, is the fighting over?" The shinobi working there breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Uchiha Mu arrive. This place should be free of war for a long time.
"Don't count on luck. War will always come. In the past, you didn't know what you were fighting for. I'll give you a reason. From now on, fight for yourselves and for your country." Uchiha Mu's words reached everyone present.
These shinobi from small countries were not necessarily born into shinobi clans. Some had happened to learn ninjutsu and become wandering shinobi; others came from small clans, or were among the few survivors of clans that had been wiped out.
After Konoha's founding, certain people had gathered them together to establish small hidden villages. They had no particular ideals of their own. They simply believed that sticking together would help them survive longer.
Now, however, Uchiha Mu told them that their future battles would have a purpose: they would fight for this country. Even the shinobi who had just arrived to work off their wrongdoing wore conflicted expressions.
"Charles, you're in charge of them." Uchiha Mu looked at one of the middle-aged shinobi.
"Yes, Lord Mu." Charles gladly accepted the assignment and led the group away, while Uchiha Mu had his own work to do.
Soon, the Hundred-Clan Shinobi Nation would become famous throughout the Shinobi World. Shinobi clans still wavering over their future and civilians seeking a means of survival would come to live here. What he needed to do was build this city. Hashirama, your Wood Release really is the most useful.
"Lord Charles, will the village chief really provide those benefits?" one of the former Takigakure shinobi asked.
"Of course. Here, you can earn money without taking on dangerous missions. The more you work, the more you earn. Take a look-what are we doing?" Charles asked them. As the supervisor here, he kept everything in perfect order, and naturally, there was a reason for that.
"What's our main job? Logging?"
"That's only part of it. We also build roads using our Earth Release." Charles began explaining the work and guided them through it once. Only then did they realize that ninjutsu could do more than kill.
"Lord Mu said we're shinobi, not tools. From now on, we need to change how we think and live for ourselves." Charles could not help reflecting on those words. When the nation was first established, Uchiha Mu had held a meeting with all their shinobi and explicitly emphasized this point. It had shaken their modest hearts to the core.
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