Inviting the Seven-Tails

After trying it out himself, Kakuzu felt this product could make a fortune, especially in the Land of Wind. The heat in other countries was hard to bear too.

It was an enormous market, and with something as novel as electricity, he might even make some money from installation fees and the like. Selling electricity itself never crossed his mind, though. After all, what village didn't have a few Lightning Release ninja?

For the daimyo and nobles, however, Kakuzu planned to use a different approach. He had figured that out all on his own, but first, he needed Uchiha Mu to provide more electrical products. That way, he might even get those nobles to pay for the village's electrical infrastructure.

So he soon sought out Uchiha Mu again, and Uchiha Mu readily handed over the washing machine too, telling him to sell it for a good price.

With those two products in hand, Kakuzu disguised himself and headed straight for the Land of Fire's capital. Konoha was the strongest ninja village, and the Land of Fire was the wealthiest nation. Once something happened there, the other nations and ninja villages would quickly hear about it.

That would quickly build their reputation. Uchiha Mu didn't care about patents at all. In a world where strength ruled supreme, he had no reason to bother with them. As long as the products fetched a good price-a high price-that was enough.

After the ordeal of the past several days, the villages stopped sending spies. They weren't fools. Training a spy took time and money. They couldn't keep throwing them away like that.

Only then did Uchiha Mu finally have some time to spare. Hyuga Lingnai had long since collapsed from exhaustion. Fortunately, the Byakugan wasn't the Mangekyō Sharingan; using it wouldn't leave her blind.

"Mu, it turns out the war was just the appetizer. This is the real war." Hyuga Lingnai lay on the bed, not wanting to move a muscle.

"That's what happens when you leave to build a village. There's a lot to consider." Uchiha Mu sat on a stool. Hyuga Lingnai was exhausted, but he was even more exhausted. He had no one working under him, and recruiting Kakuzu had taken every trick he could think of, so he had to make heavy use of his clones every day.

"Phew. Mu, what kind of village do you want to build? One that surpasses Konoha?" Hyuga Lingnai asked curiously.

"Lingnai, we're not on the same level as them. We're a nation. They're villages," Uchiha Mu corrected her. Ultimately, what they were building right now was just a village, but that mindset had to change.

"Oh, true. Then surpass the Five Great Nations?"

"That's right." Uchiha Mu nodded. He left one thing unsaid: if his system could still level up by then, he would annex them.

"Mu, you're even more special than I imagined. Just what I'd expect from the man I chose," Hyuga Lingnai said proudly.

"Hah. Someone shamelessly came chasing after me." Uchiha Mu rolled his eyes. Honestly, it felt pretty good. Despite belonging to a clan with rules as strict as the Hyuga's, she came to see him whenever she had a chance to go out. And when she heard he was leaving the village, she followed without hesitation. That felt incredibly good.

"Then you should've turned me down." Hyuga Lingnai got up with a grin and threw herself into Uchiha Mu's arms.

After catching Hyuga Lingnai, Uchiha Mu said, "The village still has too few top-level fighters. Kakuzu sent word that there's a being with an enormous amount of chakra in a forest within the former Land of Waterfalls."

"What is it? A Summoning Beast?" Hyuga Lingnai swallowed.

"More or less, though it should be called a Tailed Beast. We can take him in as a pet. Want to go?" Uchiha Mu looked at her.

"But the village..."

"It's fine. Do you really think spies come in bulk? Besides, my clones are still here." Uchiha Mu knew that after this wave, it would be several years before another came. Training spies was hardly cheap.

"Just how much chakra do you have?" Hyuga Lingnai was curious about that. Before they left Konoha, Uchiha Mu had possessed plenty of chakra, but it had still been within normal bounds. Since coming here, he had reached a level she had only ever seen in the Hokage.

"Quite a lot. Let's go. I'll carry you." With that, Uchiha Mu scooped her up and swiftly headed toward the location Kakuzu had provided.

The ninja of this era called Tailed Beasts natural disasters. First came their immense chakra, then their tremendous destructive power. On top of that, they were incredibly tough. No ordinary ninja could handle them.

The Seven-Tails could already fly now, but his favorite place to stay was still this forest. It had the environment he liked, and there were very few humans.

That day, as usual, the Seven-Tails began patrolling his home. Unlike the Nine-Tails, he lacked that terrifying amount of chakra and sensory ability, so he only noticed the approaching humans once Uchiha Mu was fairly close.

"Seven-Tails, become my companion." Uchiha Mu held out a hand.

"Are you kidding me? Get lost, human!" With that, the Seven-Tails began taking flight, preparing to unleash a major attack.

"Well, that's a shame. But I'm an Uchiha." As Uchiha Mu spoke, his eyes transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan. One eye enhanced the power of his Ninjutsu, while the other strengthened his Genjutsu. Combined with Hashirama cells, a single glance was enough to trap the Seven-Tails in Genjutsu.

"The Uchiha Clan really is incredible. Far stronger than my Hyuga Clan." Standing beside Uchiha Mu, Hyuga Lingnai watched the enormous creature fall to the ground.

With her Byakugan, she could see that the Seven-Tails also possessed an immense amount of chakra. Facing a creature like that alone would have made her tremble, yet Uchiha Mu had defeated him with a single glance.

"Yes, Tailed Beasts are powerful, but the Uchiha aren't weak either." Uchiha Mu smiled, then recalled how Madara and Hashirama had treated the Nine-Tails. Well, it was all relative.

He walked up to the Seven-Tails and released the Genjutsu. "Well, Seven-Tails? Have you thought it over?"

"Get..." Before the Seven-Tails could finish, he was caught in Genjutsu again. After this happened twice, he behaved himself. The man before him was Indra's descendant, and extremely powerful. There was no point in resisting any further.

"Seven-Tails, I'll ask again. Have you thought it over? Otherwise, I don't mind keeping you under Genjutsu forever," Uchiha Mu continued.

"What do you need me to do?" the Seven-Tails asked.

"The nation I've established currently has no powerful fighter to guard it, so I need you. Of course, I also need some of your chakra." Uchiha Mu held out his fist.

"Understood." The Seven-Tails bumped fists with Uchiha Mu and transferred his chakra to him.

Uchiha Mu was very pleased once he received the chakra. He had no intention of using the Seven-Tails to create a Jinchūriki. Although a Jinchūriki would be stronger, this was enough for the current era.

Uchiha Mu jumped straight onto the Seven-Tails' armored shoulder and motioned for Hyuga Lingnai to follow. Then he pointed out the direction, and the Seven-Tails swiftly took flight.

"Seven-Tails, sign a summoning contract with me."

"No." The Seven-Tails refused outright. What a joke. He absolutely wasn't going to be anyone's dog.

"I know about your ultimate form, too. You can't avoid facing that empty shell forever. With me around, I can at least protect you," Uchiha Mu whispered into his ear.

"Who are you? How did you find out?" The Seven-Tails wasn't an idiot. He knew what Uchiha Mu meant.

"I'm Uchiha Mu. Do you think I'm the only one who knows? That no one else would want to use you?" Uchiha Mu continued his devilish whispers.

The Seven-Tails was torn. He knew that if Uchiha Mu had found out, others might too. But agreeing to Uchiha Mu's proposal felt like walking into a wolf's den.