Fanning the Flames

Underground, Black Zetsu slithered through the cracks in the soil and rock like a boneless loach.

Mayfly Technique.

This technique was truly convenient for traveling and eavesdropping, though it was a bit hard on "clothing"-even if his outer skin, which looked like it had been dipped in a layer of asphalt, could hardly be called clothes.

The safe house is here, time to go to work.

He emerged from beneath a rotting tree root on a secluded riverbank, his body rapidly condensing into form.

He looked around; no one was there.

He walked to the riverbank and peered at the water's surface.

The water reflected a pitch-black face with blurred facial features.

"Well, the base skin is ready," Black Zetsu muttered, "now time to sculpt the face."

His face began to writhe, deforming like melting wax.

A few seconds later, the reflection on the water's surface was a standard Uchiha ninja's face-black hair, stern, and most importantly, a pair of crimson Sharingan.

Though fake, it was enough to fool perimeter reconnaissance.

"Identity confirmed: member of the Uchiha patrol squad. Having pursued suspicious personnel, engaged in a brief skirmish with a 'Senju ninja' on the outer edges of the Uzumaki Clan Grounds, left behind combat traces, and retreated," Black Zetsu had fabricated the script for himself. "During the skirmish, 'accidentally' dropped a low-classification encrypted scroll fragment, which vaguely mentioned words like 'Grand Canyon', 'trade', and 'changing the layout'."

He moved his newly "sculpted" hands and feet, feeling it was passable.

"Off you go."

Black Zetsu's figure flashed, vanishing on the spot, and he moved at high speed toward the direction of the Uzumaki Clan Grounds.

He did not barge straight in, instead stopping in a patch of woods five or six li away from the Uzumaki Clan Grounds.

This was already the edge of the Uzumaki Clan's routine patrol range.

Black Zetsu raised a hand, tossed a Molotov cocktail, and smashed it against a large tree.

The tree was instantly ignited, burning with crackling sounds.

"The power was controlled just right, like a Chunin cast it," Black Zetsu commented on his own acting skills.

He pulled out a few more kunai, clattering them into the surrounding tree trunks to leave fresh marks.

Finally, he pulled a small, pre-prepared scroll fragment with charred edges from his breast (actually from inside his body). A few ambiguous sentences were written on it in secret code, the core meaning being "pay attention to the Grand Canyon, something is fishy."

He "accidentally" dropped the fragment into a conspicuous patch of grass, half of it exposed.

Having finished all this, Black Zetsu released the Transformation Technique, his body sinking into the ground and vanishing.

He changed direction and continued stealthily moving.

Next target: the Hyuga Clan.

The Uzumaki Clan Grounds, Mito's room.

She had just finished her morning Sealing Jutsu practice and intended to check on the progress of the clan grounds' reconstruction when a young Uzumaki ninja came running over in a flurry.

"Lady Mito! The patrol squad discovered combat traces at the edge of the woods in the northeast direction!"

Mito furrowed her brow. "Combat traces? Whose?"

"Judging by the lingering chakra and ninjutsu effects... it looks like Uchiha fire release, along with traces of kunai throwing. And..." The young ninja handed over a charred scroll fragment. "We also found this. There are words on it, but it's severely damaged."

Mito took the fragment and examined it closely.

The text was written in secret code and was far too damaged; she could only piece together a few words like "canyon", "secret pact", and "vigilance".

"Uchiha people ran to our outer perimeter and fought a battle? Who did they fight?" Mito asked.

"No obvious traces of other clans were found at the scene, but based on the analysis of the kunai collision points and the fire release landing spots, there should have been another party, only the cleanup was very clean," the young ninja replied.

Mito placed the fragment on the table, her fingers tapping lightly against the desktop.

Something was wrong.

The main force of the Uchiha should be preparing for battle right now, and Madara and Izuna were especially undergoing closed-door special training. Why would they send a squad to the outer perimeter of the Uzumaki Clan Grounds? And leave behind such obvious traces and... intelligence fragments that were practically left on purpose?

"Too deliberate," Mito said in a low voice.

"Lady Mito, what did you say?"

"Nothing," Mito raised her head. "Strengthen the outer patrols, especially in the northeast direction. In addition, send two sharp ones to scout further out and see if there are any other anomalies. Remember, do not startle the snake, and report immediately if you discover any situation."

"Yes!"

The young ninja withdrew.

Mito sat alone in the room, staring at the scroll fragment.

"The Grand Canyon... isn't that the duel location Hashirama and Madara agreed upon?" she calculated in her mind. "The Uchiha leaving intelligence pointing there at our periphery at this time... what are they trying to do? Draw the tiger away from the mountain? Or... does someone want us to go?"

The more she thought about it, the more she felt there was a problem.

"Rena," Mito called toward the doorway.

The door opened, and Rena Uzumaki poked her head in. "Sister Mito, looking for me?"

"Yes." Mito pointed at the fragment on the table. "Take two people and personally go to the place where this fragment was found, as well as the surrounding five-li radius, and check carefully. Do not miss any details, especially... see if there are any traces of disguise or framing. Your mind is meticulous, you should be able to spot something."

Rena walked in, picked up the fragment, and looked at it, her small face turning serious as well. "Understood, I'm going right now."

"Be careful," Mito exhorted.

"Rest assured!"

Rena took the fragment and quickly departed.

Mito walked to the window, looking at the homeland being rebuilt outside.

"An eventful autumn," she sighed. "Hashirama, your showdown with Madara is likely not going to be that simple."

At the same time, the Hyūga Clan main family.

Hyūga Tenshu sat cross-legged on a tatami mat, with a newly delivered scroll unfurled before him.

The scroll was sealed, bearing the mark of the Senju Clan-at least it looked like it.

The one who delivered the letter was a man dressed like a wandering ninja, who said he was entrusted by a certain lord of the Senju Clan to deliver it personally to the person in charge of the Hyuga Clan. Once the goods were delivered and paid for, the man immediately left, too fast to even chase.

"The Senju Clan... why would they suddenly send us a secret letter?" Beside Hyūga Tenshu, a branch family Jonin asked doubtfully.

"Open it and you'll know," Hyūga Tenshu's tone was calm.

He unsealed the seal and unfolded the scroll.

The content was not long, but the amount of information was massive.

The general gist was: the Senju and the Uchiha would hold a decisive duel between powerhouses at the Grand Canyon in a month. However, the Senju Clan obtained intelligence that the Uchiha secretly contacted a third party wielding "heterogeneous energy" (specifically referring to Ryuto's Ki), attempting to set a trap during the duel and severely heavy-handedly crush the Senju in one blow. Just in case, the Senju hoped the Hyuga Clan could dispatch elites to secretly head near the Grand Canyon on the day of the duel to monitor. If they discovered any abnormal intervention by the third party, they could intervene at their discretion, and afterward, the Senju would definitely offer a heavy reward.

The signature had no specific name, only a vague "Senju insider".

"Heterogeneous energy... Ryuto." Hyūga Tenshu's white pupils contracted slightly.

He had too deep of an impression of that guy named Ryuto. That energy flow so completely different from chakra, that terrifying growth speed, had always been a thorn in his heart.

Now, Senju's intelligence actually linked Ryuto and the Uchiha together? And they were going to cause trouble during the duel?

"Elder, is this intelligence reliable?" the branch family Jonin asked.

"The seal is real, or at least imitated very well," Hyūga Tenshu said. "But the method of delivering the letter was sneaky, and the content is far too sensational. It's more like provocation, or... wanting to drag us Hyuga into the water as well."

"Then we ignore it?"

"Ignore it?" Hyūga Tenshu sneered. "What if this intelligence is one percent true? If the Uchiha really obtained support from that kind of power like Ryuto, coupled with Madara himself... the Warring States landscape will collapse instantly. Can we Hyuga still stand alone?"

The branch family Jonin stopped speaking.

"Better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't," Hyūga Tenshu put away the scroll. "Transmit my order: select a team of elites, led personally by me. A month from now, head to the Grand Canyon area for secret surveillance. Our goal is not to participate in the battle, but to observe. If some 'third party' is truly making trouble... we must grasp first-hand information."

"Yes!"

"In addition," Hyūga Tenshu added, "compile another more detailed record of all our observations regarding Ryuto's 'Ki' energy. This time, it might come in handy."

The branch family Jonin took the order and left.

Hyūga Tenshu sat alone, his white eyes gazing out the window, as if able to pierce through the distance to see that young man named Ryuto.

"Ryuto... what on earth are you? This time, whose side will you stand on?"

Black Zetsu did not go far.

After spreading the false intelligence targeting the Hyuga, he hid in the shadow of a tall mountain on the outer perimeter of the Hyuga Clan Grounds, using the Mayfly Technique to perfectly conceal himself inside the mountain body, leaving behind only an extremely faint perception to observe the exit.

He watched the wandering ninja who delivered the letter leave.

After a while, he saw signs of personnel mobilization within the Hyuga Clan Grounds.

Hooked, Black Zetsu chuckled inwardly.

That stubborn bunch in the Hyuga had their vigilance against the Sharingan carved into their bones. As long as Ryuto and the Sharingan were tied together and thrown at them, they would definitely not sit still.

"Next, the Kaguya Clan."

Black Zetsu's body sank into the ground once more, moving toward the far north, toward that region with even harsher environments and a much more "fierce" folk custom.

The Kaguya Clan, that bunch of madmen who had "combat" written in their very bones, was the easiest to provoke.

Black Zetsu didn't even need to fabricate too complex of a script.

He only needed to disguise himself as a Senju wounded ninja who had miraculously escaped the battlefield and held bone-deep hatred for the Uchiha, "accidentally" escaping to the Kaguya Clan's territory, and "before dying" revealing a "secret": Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama would fight to the death at the eastern Grand Canyon in a month, and both sides would sustain heavy injuries-a "heaven-sent opportunity" to seize the Sharingan and Shikotsumyaku research materials.

He didn't even need to leave written evidence; he just had to "accidentally" tell this news to a few Kaguya Clan patrol ninjas.

Those battle maniacs, upon hearing keywords like "Uchiha Madara might be heavily injured", "Sharingan", and "seizing", would have their eyes glowing green.

As for the source of the news? The last words of a "dying Senju ninja", who would go verify that?

Black Zetsu followed the same recipe.

At the edge of the Kaguya Clan's territory, he disguised himself as a blood-soaked Senju Chunin with chaotic chakra, stumbling into a Kaguya patrol squad "by coincidence".

Putting his acting into overdrive, after haltingly uttering keywords like "Grand Canyon", "fight to the death", "both sides suffer", and "opportunity", he "succumbed to his heavy wounds" and collapsed to the ground, "breathing his last".

The captain of the Kaguya patrol squad, an excited-looking brawny man, squatted down and checked the "corpse".

"No breath, chakra is scattered too," the captain licked his lips. "What did he just say... Grand Canyon? Uchiha Madara?"

"Captain, if this is true..." A squad member beside him had glowing eyes.

"Who cares if it's true!" The captain stood up, kicking the "corpse" into a nearby ditch with one foot. "Send someone back to report to the clan head! Just say... we discovered major intelligence, the leaders of the Uchiha and the Senju are about to risk their lives, location at the eastern Grand Canyon! Suggest the clan head send people to 'observe and learn'!"

"Yes!"

Watching the cheerful departure of the Kaguya patrol squad, Black Zetsu's "corpse" slowly melted in the ditch, seeping into the underground.

Done.

Black Zetsu re-condensed deep underground, feeling the plan was going surprisingly smoothly.

Uzumaki, Hyuga, Kaguya-the three fires had already been lit.

Coupled with the Senju and the Uchiha, who were the protagonists to begin with.

A Battle of Five Armies... no, a five-way melee, Black Zetsu thought happily. By then the Grand Canyon will definitely be extremely lively. Ryuto, oh Ryuto, no matter how strong you are, can you come out of this kind of chaotic situation completely unscathed? As long as an 'accident' happens, like some Kaguya Clan bone spike 'accidentally' piercing your heart, or some 'Hyuga ninja's' Gentle Fist 'mistakenly injuring' your vital point... who can say for sure?

He already seemed to see the chaotic, blood-soaked scene of the Grand Canyon a month from now, with Ryuto falling in a pool of blood and Hashirama and Madara fighting with blood-red eyes.

The hatred of Indra and Asura can only bloom more lushly when watered with blood, after all.

Black Zetsu stealthily moved toward the next "safe house" with full satisfaction.

He needed to rest a bit, and then continue observing to ensure these sparks could burn into the big fire he wanted.

On the outer perimeter of the Uzumaki Clan Grounds, Rena and two clan members were carefully inspecting the patch of woods where the scroll fragment was found.

She squatted on the ground, her Byakugan already activated, her 360-degree field of vision scanning every inch of land and every leaf with precision.

"The scorch marks from the fire release are very fresh, within this day or two," a clan member said.

"The kunai collision points... are a bit strange," Rena pointed at the marks on several tree trunks. "Look, the angles and force at which these kunai were shot in are almost completely identical, as if the same person threw them from the same position using the exact same technique. Would a real encounter battle be this uniform?"

Another clan member stepped closer to look. "Indeed... far too regular, like a practice target."

"And this fragment." Rena picked up the charred scroll fragment. Within the Byakugan's field of vision, at the fractured edges of the paper fibers, the way the scorch marks spread... "These scorch marks don't look like they were burned by the aftermath of a battle; they look more like... edges slowly and deliberately roasted with a small fire before being torn apart."

The two clan members exchanged glances, both seeing suspicion in each other's eyes.

"Someone faked the scene? Left intelligence on purpose?" a clan member said in a low voice.

"And they want to lure us to the Grand Canyon." Rena stood up, dusting the dirt off her hands. "Let's go, back to tell Sister Mito. The water here is murkier than we thought."

The three quickly withdrew and returned to the clan grounds.

Not long after they left, deep in the woods, a seemingly ordinary shadow rippled slightly before completely subsiding.

Black Zetsu's perception had been covering this area the entire time.

Oh? Seen through a bit? Underground, Black Zetsu was not surprised. So what if they figured out it was forged? The seed of suspicion has already been planted. With Uzumaki Mito's personality, even knowing it might be a trap, for Hashirama's sake, she will most likely send people to check. As long as people go, half of my objective is achieved.

Next, we wait to see the 'good show' at the Grand Canyon a month from now.

All factions, make your grand entrance.

Let me see what kind of mess this chaotic situation I personally directed will turn into in the end.

How truly... exciting.