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Uzumaki Settlement.
Akio was currently playing shogi with his grandnephew.
"So, shortly after I left, you resigned from your position as a Konoha elder, and no one from the clan stepped in to replace you?"
His grandnephew made a move and smiled. "Uncle, you lost again."
Akio's face darkened. He had just suffered his tenth consecutive loss. Glancing at his stats panel, he noticed that "Shogi" had finally appeared as a skill. Still, he hesitated—using a Witness Point on this felt like a waste.
However, looking at his grandnephew's smug face, Akio couldn't help but feel stifled.
"So, when we were mobilizing against Kumogakure, Genkei refused to let the Uzumaki send reinforcements?"
His grandnephew's smile faltered, and he sighed.
"Uncle, do you think our Uzumaki clan should have sent people?"
Akio was taken aback. "Of course…"
But as the words reached his lips, he couldn't bring himself to say them.
In his heart, he had always believed the Uzumaki should firmly side with Konohagakure to avoid the eventual fate of annihilation. But now, thinking it through—he was here, and so were Izuko and Jitōu. If the Uzumaki were still doomed even with them around, then Konoha's backing wouldn't make much of a difference…
His grandnephew gave a bitter smile. "It's not just Genkei. Many of the clansmen are dissatisfied with Konoha. When the village was first established, aside from Hashirama and Madara, you did plenty behind the scenes. The Hokage position went to the Senju twice. The Uchiha were ruled out because of Madara's betrayal, but for the Third Hokage, shouldn't the Uzumaki be considered? Yet from the look of it, Tobirama intends to choose between his two disciples, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō…"
Akio exhaled deeply. "I understand…"
"In the coming war, the Uzumaki don't need to send too many people. Around ten should suffice—to fulfill our duty as allies…" Akio was helpless. He hadn't expected such internal tension between the Uzumaki and Konoha.
His grandnephew sighed in relief, glad that this unreliable uncle didn't insist the whole clan go to war. "Alright, Uncle."
He looked at Akio's expression and quickly changed the subject. "Let's talk about something happier. My sixty-sixth birthday is coming up. I'm planning to throw a big celebration. I doubt I'll make it to seventy…"
Akio fell silent as he looked at his aging grandnephew. "What's happy about that…"
"Fine, go ahead with it… but don't invite me. It'd be weird for me to show up at your birthday."
"Alright, alright. Come on, Uncle, one more round of shogi…"
"Does beating me make you that happy?" Akio muttered, finally adding a point to his Shogi skill. He couldn't take it anymore.
Two hours later, his grandnephew's face was dark. "Uncle, you were pretending not to know how to play, weren't you?"
Akio chuckled. "Come on, one last match—winner takes all!" He had won ten games in a row.
"No more. It's already getting dark."
"Don't leave…"
Just as Akio tried to stop him, someone knocked at the door—it was Tobirama, who had just wrapped up his work.
Akio brightened and stopped pestering his grandnephew. "Tobirama, any news?"
Tobirama shook his head. "Great-Uncle, we'll need to wait a little longer. I've already sent scouts. If we go to Kumogakure now, and they really are at war with Iwagakure, those two brothers might not even be there."
Akio frowned. "Alright, we'll wait then."
That wait stretched to half a month. Two days ago, the envoy from the Land of Wind had stormed off in anger. Akio finally realized Tobirama had been stalling him—clearly, war with Sunagakure was imminent.
Reports from Amegakure confirmed that Iwagakure was under assault from both Kirigakure and Kumogakure, its situation growing increasingly dire.
"Iwa really ended up taking the fall?" Akio muttered in confusion. Something didn't feel right.
Just as he was trying to figure out what to do next, two days later, an envoy from the Land of Lightning arrived, inviting Tobirama to visit Kumogakure and sign a treaty of alliance.
"An alliance?" Akio murmured to himself, eyes lighting up. "The story is finally back on track—and even ahead of schedule. Kinkaku, Ginkaku, your time is up!"
But Tobirama hesitated. "Great-Uncle, if we go to Kumogakure now, what about the Land of Wind? And can we really trust that they want an alliance?"
"Konoha's clans still won't send their people?" Akio frowned.
"No, after some persuasion, they've agreed to send a few elite shinobi…"
"Persuasion?" Akio smirked inwardly. Probably more like threats…
"Well, that's settled then. As for the squad leader, send the Nara clan head."
Tobirama sighed. "If Nara leads, Uchiha Izma won't participate. And if neither of us goes, we'll be lacking in S-rank combat power. But letting an Uchiha lead… I just don't feel comfortable with that."
"The three of us? Oh, you mean Jitōu? He doesn't need to come—we'll be enough. If things go smoothly, we'll only be dealing with Kinkaku and Ginkaku." Akio knew that during the alliance ceremony, the brothers were likely planning to assassinate the Second Raikage.
Seeing Akio's confident look, Tobirama hesitated but eventually agreed. He also wanted to bring his six disciples, but Akio rejected the idea. The treaty was happening three or four years earlier than in the original timeline—those disciples wouldn't be much help.
After some quick preparations and orders, Akio and Tobirama sent off the Konoha troops heading west.
Akio smiled at Tobirama. "Now you can relax. Izuko came along too. Other than Dust Release, she's mastered almost all of my jutsu. Even you wouldn't be able to beat her easily. Add Jitōu to that…" With those two as his disciples, Akio felt proud.
Tobirama nodded. "Great-Uncle, Suna really isn't much of a concern anymore. Now I'm more worried about Kumogakure. Their recent movements have been suspicious."
Akio shook his head. "Nothing to worry about. The two of us together? Nothing will go wrong."
Tobirama sighed. "Alright, let's go pack. The sooner we leave, the sooner we return."
After briefly delegating Konoha matters, Tobirama asked Akio to have his grandnephew resume his role as elder temporarily. Otherwise, with only Uchiha Izma and the Hyūga clan head in charge, nothing would get done—and Konoha might descend into chaos.
Akio once again set out for Kumogakure. This time, he went under his true identity—and he wasn't going alone. Tobirama accompanied him.
The two moved swiftly and arrived in Kumogakure in under two days.
At the village gates, the Second Raikage and B appeared to welcome them. B acted completely normal—if not for the faint palm print on his chest, you wouldn't know he had been injured.
Akio silently marveled. "Tough guy, huh…"
"Welcome, Hokage and Elder Akio of the Uzumaki," the Second Raikage greeted them with a smile.
Akio returned the smile, thinking to himself, Sorry… but I'm here to witness your death.
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