Time slipped away in a hurry, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
The entire Hidden Cloud Village was in a state of tension and excitement.
After all this time, they still hadn't waited for the return of the First Raikage. The higher-ups had dispatched dozens of search teams, but there was no trace of him whatsoever.
The entire Hidden Cloud delegation, including the First Raikage and everyone else, had vanished without a trace.
The villagers were in a state of panic, especially after the recent 'Eight-Tails Rampage Incident.' At this moment, they desperately needed a leader to stabilize public morale.
As time passed, unsettling speculations began to spread among the people.
Could it be... that the Raikage and his men were assassinated!??
But who has the courage? Who has the strength?
Moreover, the Raikage went to the Hidden Leaf Village for a banquet, and no one has seen them since...
Huh? The Hidden Leaf!!!
Could it be that Konoha plotted against the Raikage?
Did Konoha plot against the Raikage?
Konoha killed the Raikage!
The news suddenly spread like wildfire, and before anyone knew it, the entire Hidden Cloud Village was abuzz with rumors.
The representatives were outraged, jointly submitting a petition, determined to demand justice from the Hidden Leaf.
Just as the higher-ups were overwhelmed with worry, Elda... woke up.
The moment he awoke, he immediately convened a meeting at the Raikage Building, with all high-ranking officials in attendance.
Even the usually unruly Gold and Silver Brothers obediently participated in the meeting, which couldn't help but make the various clans view him in a new light.
"I believe we should immediately launch a righteous invasion against the Land of Fire, attack Konoha, and seek justice for Lord Raikage!"
"What!!"
"Eruda, do you realize what you're saying!"
"Th-this... this can't be right, Eruda. Everyone knows you and Lord Ai are as close as father and son, but acting so recklessly is truly the behavior of a fool!"
"Little Elda, I've watched you grow up. You're not usually this reckless..."
...
Elda slammed the table and stood up, delivering shocking words without hesitation, "The Hidden Leaf has gone too far! Are we just supposed to endure it? Elder Ai founded the Hidden Cloud Village to protect cowards like you? Is this how you carry on the Will of Lightning?!"
"Hey, you're getting too worked up. At the very least, we should send someone to Konoha to verify..."
"How naive. If they did it secretly, why would they admit to it?" Ginkaku interjected.
"Konoha isn't the type of hidden village to act without taking responsibility, and I trust Lord Hashirama's character," the elder of the Yotsuki clan voiced his opinion.
Kinkaku said solemnly, "Trust me, this is just a waste of time and manpower."
The Kumo meeting was filled with hotheads, each holding their own opinions. The arguments grew increasingly heated until they were flipping tables, rolling up sleeves, and even shouting at each other in red-faced fury.
In short, as soon as Elda's proposal was put forward, it was met with opposition from the majority. The meeting was temporarily adjourned, and the high-ranking officials parted on bad terms.
Three days later, the envoy sent to Konoha vanished without a trace once more, and Elda convened a second meeting that very night.
This time, he still stubbornly insisted on launching an attack against Konoha, but opposition remained strong.
The crowd grew increasingly agitated, their arguments escalating into heated clashes.
In the end, Elda proposed that the dissenting high-ranking elders be voted upon, and they would personally lead a delegation to Konoha to discuss the matter and inquire about the whereabouts of the First Raikage and the Kumo envoys.
A week passed, and the dispatched elders also lost contact, never to return again.
The third meeting was convened.
"The Leaf Village has truly bullied us too much! Just because they have Hashirama Senju, do they think they can oppress us at will?!"
This time, there were far fewer voices opposing Elda's angry outburst.
"This must be an accident, right? After all, the rogue ninjas in the Thunder Gorge have been quite rampant lately. What do you think... should we send out another squad to try?"
Kinkaku muttered, "Trust me, don't throw your lives away. It's completely useless."
Ginkaku flashed a provocative smile, "Elder Nightmoon, why don't you lead the team this time?"
The elderly man, nearly sixty with a face weathered by time, immediately fell silent.
Many astute individuals had already assessed the situation and quietly begun choosing sides.
But due to Hashirama Senju's formidable reputation, many feared the future of Kumogakure would be snuffed out entirely, making it impossible to reach a unified consensus.
Yet the scales of the situation had already begun to tilt, with most rallying behind Elda's proposal, their resentment towards Konoha growing ever stronger.
Until three days later, when news reached Kumogakure.
"The First Hokage of Konoha, Hashirama Senju, revered as the 'God of Shinobi,' has exhausted his lifespan and passed away!"
The Elders convened another meeting, with the agenda still focused on the proposal to attack Konoha.
This time, no dissenting voices could be heard, only a few wise elders remained hesitant.
"If anyone has any concerns, feel free to voice them." Elda tapped the table. "Let me add that just yesterday, this proposal has already received the approval of the Daimyo-sama."
"Well... while it's important to attack Konoha, and they must give us justice no matter what, but..."
"But without a leader, we're bound to face setbacks from the start..."
Elda smiled faintly, "Simple, I'll just become the Raikage."
The direction of the meeting shifted, and the high-ranking officials, being decisive by nature, immediately began voting.
Surprisingly, the Gold and Silver Brothers, who held a significant portion of the votes, also agreed to Elda becoming the Second Raikage!
Without any surprises, Elda was officially elected as the Second Raikage by unanimous vote, issuing a proclamation to mobilize troops and wage war against Konoha!
The news sent shockwaves through the populace, stirring up a frenzy of emotions!
In an unnoticed izakaya, Kamihane sipped tea in a private room on the second floor, gazing at the bustling streets outside the window with a faint smile playing on his lips.
"By doing this, you've declared war." Hikari rested her chin on her hand as she sat across from him, her long sleeve slipping down to reveal a slender, snow-white arm.
"War was inevitable," Kamihane said calmly. "I merely nudged the timeline a little."
"Besides..." He took a small sip of tea. "We've already had Elda issue an order forbidding harm to civilians. This is a war solely targeting the shinobi."
Hikari just looked at him, her almond-shaped eyes glistening, gazing for a long while.
"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" Kamihane noticed her gaze.
"Sometimes I wonder, what exactly are you scheming? Is it really just to obtain the same power as Lord Madara?" Hikari's voice was cool and clear, like an orchid in a secluded valley.
Kamihane smiled, "Since you know nothing, how dare you help me? Aren't you afraid I might sell you out?"
"Tch." Hikari pouted and muttered under her breath, "You wouldn't dare."
Kamihane smiled without answering and turned to look out the window.
According to his plan, one day in the future, he would not only obtain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan fused with Hashirama's cells, but even Hikari could gain the power of Hashirama's cells.
Over the years, Hikari's eyesight had been gradually deteriorating. Fortunately, life in the base was peaceful, and there was no need to use the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Hikari no longer has any blood relatives left in this world. The only way to protect these Mangekyō Sharingan eyes is to obtain the power of Hashirama's cells.
But in Kamihane's view, Lord Madara's method of transplanting Hashirama's flesh was far too brutal—that level of excruciating pain is not something an ordinary person could endure.
Moreover, Hikari is just a girl.
Apart from that, there is a gentler method—directly transplanting the flesh and blood of a White Zetsu.
The so-called White Zetsu are actually products of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Their true forms are humans who were sealed inside the Divine Tree thousands of years ago by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki through the 'Infinite Tsukuyomi,' and their bodies contain dense Divine Tree energy.
By a twist of fate, some White Zetsu were further modified by Madara to incorporate Hashirama's cells, enhancing the yang-release chakra within them. In the original timeline, Obito Uchiha transplanted the flesh of these special White Zetsu, which ensured the recoverability of his ocular powers.
The pain brought by the fusion of Hashirama's cells had been completely absorbed by the White Zetsu. Moreover, since White Zetsu inherently contained the genes of countless humans, its flesh exhibited remarkable adaptability.
Under its mediation, the transplantation process was virtually painless, with not even the most basic immune rejection occurring.
With the support of the self-healing factors from Yang Release chakra, Obito could continuously repair his optic nerves, partially mitigating the blindness effect of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
But this would require waiting until Madara awakens the Rinnegan to summon the Gedo Statue from the moon. By the time that happens, even Hikari could become a grandmother.
Therefore, Kamihane's current plans are all the more urgent!
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