Matatabi

Compared to its neighbor, the Land of Fire, the Land of Lightning really was a poor backwater. No wonder the great nations had their eyes on Konoha. With conditions like these, and the Daimyo reluctant to pay up, who wouldn't want to find some extra income?

Besides, the petty friction between shinobi clans had disappeared, replaced by friction between villages. That meant peace within each village, and a stable life made people eager to have children. Iwagakure, in particular, actively encouraged childbirth.

With populations swelling, funding unchanged, and food production barely increasing, they couldn't keep this up for many years. But Hashirama was still alive, so they remained restrained.

After all, Iwagakure had fielded ten thousand troops against the Third Raikage. Right now, fear of collapsing prematurely was the only thing keeping them from going too far. Still, every shinobi village was preparing for war.

Even Konoha was no exception. Although Hashirama was the Hokage, Tobirama Senju was the one doing the actual work. He wasn't as carefree as his older brother and understood the dangers of the shinobi world. More importantly, he lacked his brother's sheer combat power.

Another half hour. With that thought, Uchiha Mu decided to look around the Land of Lightning. Most people here had darker skin, though there were lighter-skinned people too. Still, Uchiha Mu had no intention of getting involved with any more female shinobi.

Hyuga Lingnai and Keiko Uzumaki were already enough of a headache. For now, Hyuga Lingnai occupied his home and Keiko Uzumaki his office. It would take a long time before everyone could live together in harmony.

After trying a few local snacks, Uchiha Mu silently paid and left. Perhaps his palate had grown picky now that his village had started growing some of the fruits, vegetables, and seasonings from his previous life.

He went straight to the location in the intelligence report, but the Two-Tails was no longer there. Clearly, even though she could kill those shinobi, she still didn't want to be disturbed.

The Kumogakure shinobi nearby gave him a direction, though. A single genjutsu made one of them spill all his information.

Meanwhile, after receiving intelligence from Konoha, the Raikage hurried toward the Two-Tails' location with his men. Naturally, they didn't want Uchiha Mu to capture the Two-Tails within their borders as well.

Both sides arrived at almost the same time. Looking at the enormous cat before him, Uchiha Mu said, "Matatabi, become my companion."

"How do you know my name?" Matatabi stopped. She had been about to drive off or kill the intruder, just as she had done before.

"Chōmei told me," Uchiha Mu explained.

"Heh, he and I aren't on the same side." With that, Matatabi prepared to attack.

Watching from the sidelines, the Raikage and his party couldn't help rooting for the Two-Tails. Many shinobi would be capable of fighting tailed beasts in later years, but that didn't include the shinobi of this era. Not only was ninjutsu still undeveloped, their understanding of tailed beasts was limited as well.

"Hmm, it looks like you all have about the same temperament. I have to beat you first, right?" Uchiha Mu remained seated as he spoke. His ordinary Sharingan transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan. A moment later, Matatabi fell under his genjutsu, and her eyes took on the Sharingan's pattern.

"What?" The Raikage's eyes widened. He had experienced the Two-Tails' power firsthand. Although he had created nintaijutsu, it still fell short against a tailed beast. After all, in the original story, the Third Raikage hadn't lost against the Eight-Tails, but both had ended up utterly exhausted.

Yet Uchiha Mu had settled it with a single glance? What kind of joke was this? The gap shouldn't have been so enormous. The shinobi he had brought were equally stunned. Unlike the Raikage, they had fought the Eight-Tails and ultimately fled in disgrace, so they had an even clearer sense of Uchiha Mu's strength.

"The Uchiha..."

"Until Uchiha Mu, Madara Uchiha, and Hashirama Senju are dead, you are absolutely forbidden from provoking them. That is an order from the Raikage." The Raikage took a deep breath and issued his command. This was an order they absolutely had to obey.

Uchiha Mu then released the genjutsu. "Well? Matatabi, will you become my companion?"

"Are you kidding me?" Matatabi bristled. She had just fallen under a genjutsu?

"Ah, looks like I'll still have to give you a beating." As Uchiha Mu spoke, he used only the Uzumaki Clan's sealing jutsu and taijutsu. Without him even using Susanoo, the Two-Tails was already unable to hold her own.

Well, great. He had even brought out sealing techniques, which were devastatingly effective against her. What else could she do? Admit defeat.

"Why don't you come back with me and see Chōmei first? After that, you can stay or leave as you please. A shame about the Ten-Tails' empty shell..." Uchiha Mu left it at that.

The Two-Tails was a tailed beast, not a mindless animal. Naturally, she understood what Uchiha Mu was implying. The Ten-Tails? Was someone after the Ten-Tails? No, she had to go and confirm it.

"All right."

"Nice. Just what I'd expect from an adorable big cat. I like you." As a devoted cat lover of the Uchiha Clan, he was very fond of big cats. In his previous life, he had visited zoos for one reason alone: to see the big cats.

"You..." Matatabi recognized Uchiha Mu's bloodline. How strange. Could a descendant of Indra really have this kind of personality?

"Settled. Let's go. Oh, right, Raikage, and you Kumogakure shinobi. You don't mind if I take Matatabi, do you?" Uchiha Mu looked toward their hiding place as he spoke.

"We've been spotted." The Raikage's face turned purple. He had no choice but to come out now, so he led the shinobi over to Uchiha Mu.

"Are you going to stop me? Stop the Uchiha?" Uchiha Mu's eyes changed, pulling them straight into a genjutsu.

"Genjutsu?" The Raikage tried to break it, but he couldn't.

"We have no intention of stopping you from taking the Two-Tails!" the Raikage hastily shouted.

"Mm, good. I don't like pointless slaughter, so don't put me in a difficult position. Of course, if you want to die, feel free to try." Uchiha Mu then jumped onto Matatabi's head and pointed out the route, having her carry him away.

The four watched Uchiha Mu leave, only recovering their senses once he had disappeared from view. The First Raikage wiped his face and found it wet. Had that been sweat just now? So this was Uchiha Mu?

He had heard that Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju were even stronger. What kind of joke was that? Someone at this level still wasn't as strong as those two?

"Lord Raikage." First Bee wore a bitter expression.

"Bee, and the rest of you, remember this humiliation. Never forget it. One day, we will pay it back twice over. We will." The Raikage clenched his fists. Once was enough to experience humiliation like this. Once was enough to live with their tails between their legs.

He certainly hadn't founded a shinobi village to become a vassal of Konoha and the Hundred-Clan Shinobi Village. Even when the Daimyo provided less money, he found ways to make up the full amount. How could he fall over a hardship like this?

"Yes, Lord Raikage," they all replied. Once was enough for this kind of humiliation. There was nothing wrong with serving a stronger power when faced with one. The real danger was losing their backbone altogether.

"The Hundred-Clan Shinobi Nation now has two tailed beasts. What should we do?" the Raikage's strategist asked.

"Let me think. In any case, we must keep a close watch on the Eight-Tails. We cannot afford any more problems with the Eight-Tails." The Raikage truly had no good solution. If he had strength like Uchiha Mu's, he could simply subdue it.

Most importantly, they had witnessed a Tailed Beast Bomb. Its power made it a devastating battlefield weapon, capable of deciding the course of a war. And now the Hundred-Clan Shinobi Nation had two tailed beasts.