Chapter 19: The Plan to Capture the Fox

"Let me give this Totsuka Blade a proper test!"

Mū summoned the Totsuka Blade directly into his hand.

But the instant his fingers touched the hilt, he felt his chakra rapidly draining at an alarming speed.

"This..."

His expression tightened, and he immediately dispelled the weapon.

It seemed that his chakra reserves still weren't enough to properly wield the Totsuka Blade.

"I need to find a way to increase my chakra..."

Mū searched through the knowledge within that memory orb, looking for methods to boost chakra reserves.

Tailed Beasts!

The idea struck him like lightning.

Right. At this point in time, the best way to drastically increase his chakra was to harness the power of a Tailed Beast.

Of course, Mū had no intention of becoming a Jinchūriki himself. His plan was to study Tailed Beast chakra scientifically, similar to what the Gold and Silver Brothers had done.

He wasn't interested in building bonds, friendship, or spiritual resonance with a Tailed Beast.

He needed pure, rapid growth.

"...Time to return to the village."

"Release."

Mū's eyes flashed as he sent the Yatagarasu on his shoulder back to the summoning realm.

After a short rest, he stood up.

"Earth Style: Cataclysmic Collapse!"

He raised his hands and destroyed the entire area around him.

He couldn't risk someone stumbling upon this place and learning Sage Mode the way he had.

Upon returning to Iwagakure, Mū issued orders immediately.

"Bring me the head of the Anbu and Fūma Nanahachi."

His tone was calm and absolute.

Before long, a Fūma clan shinobi wearing Iwagakure armor and a mask rushed in.

"Lord Mū, what are your orders?"

Fūma Nanahachi knelt respectfully on one knee.

"Send out scouts to search for any signs of Tailed Beasts. Any one of them will do, but prioritize the Nine-Tails."

Mū issued the command without hesitation.

He remembered clearly from the original timeline: the Nine-Tails was the strongest of all the Tailed Beasts. Naturally, it would be his first choice.

With his own power, backed by Iwagakure's elite shinobi, and their Earth Style techniques, they could suppress the Nine-Tails. Add in the village's sealing jutsu, and it shouldn't be a problem.

"Yes!"

Fūma Nanahachi was just about to leave when Mū stopped him again.

"What about the wooden samples I brought back from Konoha? Have they been used?"

Mū asked suddenly.

Fūma Nanahachi paused in surprise before responding, "Without your instructions, none of us dared to touch them."

"Good. In that case..."

"Use those wooden pieces to craft restraints specifically for suppressing Tailed Beasts."

Mū nodded with satisfaction.

He remembered well how Hashirama's Wood Style exerted a natural suppressive force on Tailed Beasts.

Even if the samples had lost some of their potency, they were still better than nothing.

At the very least, they should help in subduing the Nine-Tails.

...

Naka Shrine

"Hashirama... do you really think I know nothing?"

Madara turned away from the stone tablet, staring at Hashirama, who stood behind him in his Hokage robes.

"Madara, I'll speak to Tobirama and get him to ease up. I can't do this without you. You're my brother-in-arms—my left hand. I want you to help me perfect the village we created together!"

"One day, the people will recognize your strengths. And when that time comes... you'll be the Second—"

Hashirama's voice was anxious, pleading, as he tried to reason with him.

Madara remained expressionless. His eyes betrayed no emotion.

After a brief silence, he finally spoke.

"If Tobirama rises to power after you, the Uchiha clan will be wiped out sooner or later."

His voice was cold and flat.

"Madara! Don't jump to conclusions. I admit, ever since Tobirama came back from Iwagakure he's been more wary of the Uchiha, but he would never eliminate one of the founding clans of the village!"

Hashirama responded quickly, trying to explain.

Still, even he was confused. Ever since Tobirama's return from Iwagakure, his caution toward the Uchiha had definitely intensified.

"Heh... that's only because I'm still here."

"If both of us are gone, who knows what he might do? Even if he doesn't want to bear the blame himself, he'll raise someone else to do it."

Madara's gaze was piercing, as if he could see straight into the future.

His words left Hashirama unable to respond.

"You say I'm your brother... but if it came down to it, would you choose me, or the village?"

Madara stared at the flickering candle flame in front of him.

Hashirama's heart clenched. He couldn't give up on Madara, but he couldn't abandon the village either...

"I tried to rally the clan to leave with me. Not a single one followed."

"But... it doesn't matter anymore."

"I've found a new path. A greater one. A path that leads to my true dream."

Madara spoke to himself as he turned and slowly walked away.

"Madara! What are you talking about?!"

"Wasn't the village our dream? We've already achieved it. What else could there be?"

Hashirama cried out, confused and desperate.

Madara only looked back in silence, his three-tomoe Sharingan slowly spinning into a Mangekyō.

"I'll enjoy fighting you."

With that, a small smirk appeared on his lips as he disappeared into the shadows.

Hashirama stood still, eyes full of worry.

He had a bad feeling. Madara was about to do something irreversible.

Later, in the Uchiha district, Madara called for a clan meeting.

He didn't explain anything.

"Those who want to follow me, come. Those who don't, stay in Konoha."

And with that, he vanished with a Body Flicker Technique, not waiting for anyone's response.

Chapter 19: The Plan to Capture the Nine-Tails

"Let me give this Totsuka Blade a proper test!"

Mū summoned the Totsuka Blade straight into his hand, eager to test one of the most legendary weapons of all time. But the moment his fingers touched the hilt, his face twisted in alarm. A torrent of chakra was draining from him at an alarming rate, flooding into the weapon like a vortex.

"This..."

His expression tightened. Without hesitation, he dispelled the blade.

The realization hit instantly. His chakra reserves were still far too limited. The Totsuka Blade wasn't a tool that could be wielded casually. Without the chakra capacity to fuel it, he couldn't even keep it materialized for more than a few seconds.

"I need to find a way to increase my chakra."

He sifted through the inherited knowledge from the memory orb, hunting for viable methods. Medicines? Training? Forbidden techniques? Nothing would bring fast enough results. Then the answer struck like lightning.

Tailed Beasts.

Right. At this point in the timeline, before they'd been sealed into hosts or scattered by the great villages, they were still roaming wild. And there was no better source of chakra than a Tailed Beast. The Nine-Tails alone held reserves that dwarfed entire armies.

Of course, Mū had no intention of becoming a Jinchūriki himself. He wasn't looking to bond with the beast, share dreams, or forge spiritual connections like Naruto. No, he would do what the Gold and Silver Brothers had done, and that is to study the Tailed Beast's chakra from a scientific perspective. Break it down. Control it. Replicate its properties.

He didn't care about sentimentality. He wanted results.

"...Time to return to the village."

With a flash in his eyes, Mū tapped the crow on his shoulder.

"Release."

The Yatagarasu vanished in a swirl of black smoke, returning to the summoning realm.

After a short rest to stabilize his chakra, Mū stood.

"Earth Style: Cataclysmic Collapse!"

Raising both hands, he unleashed a massive wave of chakra into the earth. The entire forest, monument, and surrounding terrain imploded and folded into itself with crushing force. Dust spiraled into the sky as the sacred ground disappeared into a flattened wasteland.

He couldn't leave any traces. No one else could be allowed to discover this place and inherit the same Sage power he had.

Once back in Iwagakure, Mū wasted no time. He summoned his trusted operatives at once.

"Bring me the head of the Anbu and Nanahachi Fūma."

His voice was steady, but absolute.

Not long after, a shinobi clad in standard Iwagakure armor and a blank-faced mask entered the room. Long hair tied neatly behind, the man knelt on one knee.

"Mū-sama, what are your orders?"

"Send out scouts. I want a full sweep for Tailed Beasts. Any of them will do, but prioritize the Nine-Tails."

There was no hesitation in his tone. His target was clear.

He remembered well from the timeline in the memory orb: the Nine-Tails was the strongest of all the Tailed Beasts. Not only did it contain enormous chakra, but its chakra was unusually potent and aggressive. It was the perfect specimen.

He didn't need to seal it into himself. He had the power of Iwagakure at his back, with elite shinobi trained in high-level Earth Style and advanced sealing jutsu. Suppressing it wouldn't be easy, but it was possible, and more than worth the effort.

"Yes!"

Nanahachi Fūma bowed, ready to leave, but Mū raised a hand.

"One more thing. What about the wooden samples I brought back from Konoha? Have they been used?"

The question caught Nanahachi off guard. He straightened slightly.

"Without your orders, we didn't dare touch them."

"Good."

Mū nodded in satisfaction. "In that case, use those wooden pieces to craft restraints, specifically designed to suppress Tailed Beasts."

The Fūma clan member stiffened in surprise but quickly bowed in acknowledgment.

Mū's expression turned cold and thoughtful.

He clearly remembered the suppressive power of Hashirama Senju's Wood Style. While the fragments he had taken were nowhere near as potent as the First Hokage himself, they still retained a measure of that natural chakra-dampening force.

Even if their strength had faded with time, they were still superior to anything else currently available.

And in a battle with the Nine-Tails, even a small advantage could make the difference between success and annihilation.

…

Naka Shrine

"Hashirama... do you really think I know nothing?"

Madara stood with his back to the ancient Uchiha stone tablet, his voice low and flat. Hashirama stood behind him in full Hokage attire, the weight of his position visible in every line on his face.

"Madara, I'll speak to Tobirama. I'll get him to ease up. But I can't do this without you. You're my brother-in-arms, my left hand. Help me perfect the village we created together."

He took a step forward.

"One day, the people will recognize your strengths. And when that time comes... you'll be the Second—"

Madara didn't turn. His face remained unreadable, his gaze fixed on the flickering candlelight inside the shrine.

After a pause, he finally spoke.

"If Tobirama rises to power after you, the Uchiha clan will be wiped out sooner or later."

His voice was like steel.

"Madara! Don't jump to conclusions," Hashirama replied quickly. "I admit, ever since Tobirama came back from Iwagakure, he's been more... cautious. But he would never destroy one of the founding clans of the village!"

Even as he said it, doubt lingered in his mind. He couldn't deny that something had shifted in Tobirama after his visit to Iwagakure. His wariness toward the Uchiha had grown more obvious.

Madara chuckled coldly.

"That's only because I'm still here."

He turned slightly, one eye visible in the dim light, glinting with quiet fury.

"If both of us are gone, who knows what he might do? Even if he doesn't dirty his own hands, he'll find someone else to do it for him."

His gaze cut deep, as if he could see decades ahead. Hashirama had no answer.

"You say I'm your brother... but if it came down to it, would you choose me or the village?"

The question hung in the air like a blade. Madara stared into the flame, unmoving.

Hashirama's fists clenched. His heart was being pulled in two directions. He couldn't give up on Madara, but how could he turn his back on the village?

"I tried to rally the clan to leave with me," Madara said quietly. "Not a single one followed."

He looked away from the flame, face unreadable.

"But it doesn't matter anymore. I've found a new path. A greater one. A path that leads to my true dream."

The way he said it made Hashirama's blood run cold.

"Madara! What are you talking about?" Hashirama stepped forward. "Wasn't the village our dream? We've already achieved it! What else could there be?"

Madara stopped and finally turned his head, Sharingan glowing in the gloom.

His three tomoe slowly spun, merging into a Mangekyō.

"I'll enjoy fighting you."

A smirk touched the corners of his lips before he vanished into the darkness.

Hashirama stood motionless, heart pounding with unease. Deep down, he knew, Madara was about to do something irreversible.

…

Later, in the Uchiha district, Madara summoned the clan for a meeting.

He didn't explain himself. Didn't offer reassurances or justifications.

"Those who want to follow me, come. Those who don't, stay in Konoha."

With that, he disappeared in a blur of movement, not waiting for any replies.

…

The Next Day

Konoha's main gate stood tall in the dimming light, the air cool with the oncoming evening.

Madara stood alone, a towering figure with the giant war fan strapped to his back. His cloak fluttered gently in the breeze as his sharp, crimson eyes stared into the distance, where the last rays of the setting sun kissed the horizon.

He had made his choice.

He was leaving the village, and not a single Uchiha had chosen to follow.

As the light faded and dusk gave way to night, Madara turned and stepped away from the only home he had known, proud, solitary, and unreadable.

…

At Konoha's rear gate...

A group of Uchiha sat huddled near the trees, cloaked figures barely visible in the gloom. Among them were Kazan Uchiha and Setsuna Uchiha, both now growing visibly impatient.

"Hey... didn't Clan Head Madara say he was going to defect?"

Setsuna yawned loudly and scratched his head. "We've been waiting all night. Why hasn't he come yet?"

Kazan, who had been silent for most of the day, finally let out a sigh. His face was blank, but the twitch in his brow betrayed his growing frustration.

They had arrived early that morning, ready to follow their clan head into exile, ready to become rogues if that's what it took to stand with him.

And now they were still waiting.

"…Wait. Do you think he left through the main gate?"

A younger Uchiha suddenly blurted out the thought that had clearly crossed more than one mind.

A heavy silence fell over the group. For a moment, no one said a word.

Then,

"…Pfft."

"…Hahahahaha!"

They all broke into laughter at once, their usual stoic facades crumbling under the absurdity of the thought.

"You think Madara-sama's that dumb?"

"Who the hell defects through the main gate?!"

"Nah, nah, he's testing us! That's it! This is some loyalty trial or something."

Just then, the skies opened up.

A torrential downpour crashed down on them with no warning, drenching the entire group in seconds.

They didn't move. They sat there, soaked to the bone, arms crossed or hands resting on their knees, silent and stubborn. Not one of them made the slightest attempt to leave.

Far off on a nearby rooftop, a Konoha shinobi on patrol happened to glance their way. He blinked at the bizarre sight of several Uchiha just sitting out in the rain, unmoving like statues.

"…Are those Uchiha guys even human?"

"Damn... cosplaying as fence posts in the middle of a storm and didn't even invite me?"