Back to Konoha

Half a year after Uchiha Mu established diplomatic relations with the Uzumaki Clan, ripples stirred once more through the tranquil shinobi world. Uchiha Mu looked at the invitation delivered by Konoha's Anbu.

"A Five Kage Summit?" Uchiha Mu had never given himself a Kage title. Perhaps he should come up with one too.

"Yes, Lord Uchiha Mu." The Anbu ninja kept his head bowed. As an Anbu operative, he was responsible for gathering intelligence. The man before him made no particular effort to conceal himself, and the sheer volume of his chakra terrified him.

"Understood. I'll go to Konoha. Sorry for the trouble when the time comes." Uchiha Mu nodded. This meeting was probably about distributing the tailed beasts, and he likely would not get a share. After all, Hashirama had not come to the Hundred-Clan Shinobi Nation to capture the Two-Tails and Seven-Tails.

The Two-Tails and Seven-Tails had long since treated this place as a protective barrier. Having interacted with humans, they were hardly clueless about current affairs. Even the Nine-Tails had been captured with ease, so they did not think they could escape either. The only reason they had not been captured was Uchiha Mu's presence.

"Yes." With that, the Anbu ninja left. His invitation had been delivered.

"Mu, are you going to Konoha?" Hyuga Lingnai asked.

"Yes, for a visit. You and Keiko will come with me this time," Uchiha Mu said after some thought.

"All right." Hyuga Lingnai nodded.

Keiko Uzumaki did not respond. She frowned at the funding requests before her. They earned money quickly, but spent it just as fast. "Mu, is this the little box you spent so much money making?"

"It's a mobile phone." Uchiha Mu's eyes lit up. Although it was only a keypad phone, it was already pretty good. Once he developed the technology tree further, he would launch a cultural invasion of the entire shinobi world.

"What's it good for? They say it lets people communicate over long distances, but it only works inside the village." Keiko Uzumaki did not understand. They might have money, but that did not mean they could squander it like this.

"Haha, Keiko, don't be so impatient. Going from zero to one is hard, but once you have that one, it gets easier. Give it a few more years, and we'll be able to connect the whole shinobi world," Uchiha Mu said with a hearty laugh.

Happiness required more than enough food and warm clothing. People's emotional needs had to be met too, and electronic products were the easiest way to satisfy those needs.

"All right, then." Keiko Uzumaki stamped the laboratory's funding request, approving it. Truth be told, she still felt a pang at the expense.

"Leave a clone to handle the work. Once its chakra runs out, I'll come back with Flying Thunder God and make another," Uchiha Mu said. He had fewer clones working now. The village had attracted a great many people, including some reasonably talented ninja.

Previously, they had simply lacked training resources. What could they accomplish with just a handful of low-level C-rank ninjutsu? After coming here, they had learned advanced ninjutsu and chakra control. Those with quick reflexes had even mastered Flying Thunder God.

Talent was gradually emerging, so Uchiha Mu no longer needed his clones to cover every aspect of village affairs. He delegated some of the work. After all, the memories and experiences those clones brought back were hardly pleasant.

The three traveled light, leaving the village and heading toward Konoha. They were much faster than the representatives from the other four great nations and arrived that same day, finding themselves before the familiar village entrance.

"Nothing's changed here," Hyuga Lingnai could not help remarking.

"Hyuga Lingnai!" called one of the Hyuga Clan ninja wearing a Konoha forehead protector. There was fear in his voice.

"Branch family?" Hyuga Lingnai asked.

"..." The Hyuga ninja slowly backed away. He was indeed a member of the branch family, assigned to safeguard the village with his sensory abilities.

"Relax. I won't use it. Your strength isn't worth the effort," Hyuga Lingnai said as her figure slowly vanished.

"Byakugan." The Hyuga ninja activated his Byakugan. He saw an enormous amount of chakra, but Hyuga Lingnai's chakra was everywhere. He could not determine which was her real body. And what was going on with that chakra? How could she possibly have so much?

"There's no need to be so hostile. I'm not interested in you." Hyuga Lingnai emerged from his one-degree blind spot and patted his shoulder, demonstrating the absolute gulf between them.

It was hardly surprising. She had the Seven-Tails' chakra. Although she was not a jinchūriki, the Seven-Tails had given her a considerable amount. Aside from assuming its complete form, she could use all its abilities. Add to that her years of fighting Uchiha Mu, and her strength was a world apart from what it had once been.

"I..." The Hyuga ninja was at a loss for words. What had she just done? Why could she turn invisible? And why had his Byakugan failed to pinpoint her real body?

"That's enough. Konoha invited us here. Just pass the word along." With that, Hyuga Lingnai returned to Uchiha Mu's side, paying the Hyuga Branch Family member no further attention.

"Yes." The Hyuga ninja felt bitter. She had not even considered him worth using the Caged Bird Seal on.

Soon, Tobirama Senju appeared before the three of them. Uchiha Mu greeted him warmly. "Tobirama, long time no see."

"Hmph. Uchiha Mu, Hyuga Lingnai, Keiko Uzumaki. Follow me." Tobirama Senju chose to ignore Uchiha Mu's easy familiarity.

"Tobirama, you copied my homework, and you still couldn't get it right."

"Hmph. Do we really need to discuss who the thief is? Where did your Wood Release come from?" Tobirama Senju asked bluntly.

"That's my own ability. But didn't you have Hashirama do the same thing?" Uchiha Mu knew he could not hide his Wood Release unless he never used it. In fact, he had built most of the village with it.

"..." Could Tobirama Senju argue with that? He had asked Hashirama to use it, and on an even more outrageous scale than Uchiha Mu. Although the village's overall appearance had barely changed, most of its houses had been rebuilt.

"There's really no need to be so hostile toward me. We could work together. Don't you want to make money across the entire shinobi world, instead of earning a little in the Land of Fire?" Uchiha Mu lowered his voice.

"Hmm?" Tobirama Senju said nothing more, merely signaling for Uchiha Mu to continue. He was listening.

"Leave making money to the professionals. As research-oriented ninja, we only need to give up a share of the profits. There's no end to the money you can make. If you try to keep it all for yourself, people will stand in your way. If you share it, people will help you solve your problems."

Tobirama Senju fell into thought. He agreed with Uchiha Mu, but he alone did not have the final say in Konoha. Of the proceeds from their sales, Konoha took a share, and the rest went to the ninja clans. If they had to give away another portion, no one would agree.

"Accepting a smaller cut can gain you access to a much larger market, so you end up earning more. Those nobles might not be able to compete, but they can certainly cause trouble," Uchiha Mu continued coaxing him.

"So, in the end, you want us to sell through your trading association?" Tobirama Senju sensed something was off. He had been considering why Uchiha Mu was saying all this, but only Uchiha Mu's trading association could sell throughout the shinobi world.

"Don't worry. You'll definitely earn more than you do now."

Tobirama Senju's brow furrowed. His instincts told him not to accept. There was definitely a trap here, but he could not figure out what it was just yet. That was only natural. He was a ninja, and however brilliant he might be, he was still lost when faced with a field he had never encountered before.