At the gates of Konohagakure—
A small figure stood beside his master, eyes full of tension and awe.
Ōnoki, only twelve years old, couldn't stop the nervous feeling in his chest.
As the newly established Iwagakure Village's envoy, he and his teacher had journeyed all the way from the rocky heart of the Land of Earth. It had barely been a year since the Warring States period ended. Konoha stood tall as the first great shinobi village — a symbol, and a challenge.
Half a month prior, the First Tsuchikage, Ishikawa, had received a formal invitation from Senju Hashirama, the Hokage of the Leaf.
The letter proposed an alliance between Iwagakure and Konoha — the first such agreement between major villages.
But Ishikawa was cautious.
The era of open warfare had only just ended. The other nations hadn't yet formalized their own hidden villages. Forming a premature alliance with Konoha might lead to hostility from other countries — or worse, make Iwagakure a target.
Still, the letter came from none other than the man hailed as the God of Shinobi. That alone made it impossible to ignore.
After long consideration, Ishikawa chose not to attend in person.
Instead, he dispatched two people:
His trusted disciple, Mu, and his grandson — young Ōnoki.
Their mission: observe, evaluate, and judge whether an alliance with Konoha was truly worth the risk.
"Master," Ōnoki whispered, "is this really the Hidden Leaf?"
Mu nodded. "Yes. It's my first time seeing it, too."
He scanned the well-ordered walls, the guard towers, the paved streets.
"It's already more developed than I imagined. Almost like a proper town. No wonder they're called the number one village."
Compared to Iwagakure — which was still in its early construction phase, scattered among stone ridges and dry mountains — Konoha was a symbol of prosperity.
"There are so many trees here," Ōnoki said enviously. "It must be easy to build houses."
Mu nodded. "The Land of Fire is blessed with natural abundance. But…"
His tone shifted.
"A rich environment breeds comfort. Comfort breeds weakness. Remember that."
"Hard land… makes hard people. That's what forges the Will of Stone."
He ruffled Ōnoki's hair as they walked.
The boy nodded. "I'll remember. I'll become someone who carries the Will of Stone."
"…Master," he added, "what kind of person is Senju Hashirama?"
Mu paused.
"…A terrifying one. You'll understand when you see him."
"What about Uchiha Madara? Isn't he supposed to be the only one who can match him?"
"I can't say. I've never seen him fight."
"But that's why we're here, isn't it?" Mu smiled faintly. "To find out if the legends are true."
Ōnoki gulped. "I-I'll do my best…"
After their identities were verified, Mu and Ōnoki were escorted to the Hokage Building, where the meeting with Senju Hashirama awaited.
The talks lasted for nearly two hours.
Mu represented Iwagakure. Senju Tobirama, Hashirama's younger brother, handled most of the Konoha side.
They discussed everything — the philosophy behind the One Country, One Village model system, how to structure a shinobi-based administration, and the possibility of a future alliance.
No formal agreement was signed.
But both sides were satisfied.
For Konoha, the meeting reaffirmed its leadership status in the post-war era. The clans gained confidence in their village's structure, unity was reinforced, and Konoha's image as the foremost village solidified further.
For Iwagakure, the talks were invaluable. They proved the ninja village model could succeed. More importantly, they gauged Konoha's attitude: it wasn't aggressive, at least not openly. That allowed Iwagakure to reduce military pressure and focus on internal development.
For a fact-finding mission, it was a success.
Later that night—
Mu and Ōnoki settled into their guest quarters.
Ōnoki sat cross-legged, frowning.
"Master… Hokage Hashirama doesn't feel like I imagined."
"What do you mean?"
"I thought the God of Shinobi would be… scarier. He's not intimidating at all. He even seemed kind of—goofy."
Mu laughed softly. "Don't let appearances deceive you."
"You saw who led the talks, didn't you?"
Ōnoki nodded. "His brother. Tobirama."
"Right. Hashirama lets Tobirama handle the details. But don't mistake that for weakness."
Mu's expression turned serious.
"That man… could destroy a country alone."
"Wha—?"
"There's no need to fight to sense it. That kind of power—" he exhaled, "you can feel it in your bones."
Mu wasn't exaggerating.
If war broke out, there would be no hope of victory.
He might try to land a Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique, but against Hashirama? It would never land.
He'd never even get the chance to charge it.
And Tobirama… his sensory abilities alone were enough to detect enemies far beyond normal range.
Sneaking into Konoha had already been a gamble. Attempting an ambush?
Foolish.
Ōnoki blinked. "He's really that strong?"
"Stronger than you can imagine."
"…Could Grandpa Tsuchikage defeat him?"
Mu hesitated. "Unlikely."
"Then… could I?"
Mu smiled gently. "You'll grow stronger. You'll surpass all of us one day."
It was a comforting lie — but sometimes, a lie was needed to preserve a student's will.
The Will of Stone couldn't crack too early.
"What do we do now, Master?"
"We rest."
"…And then?"
"We visit Uchiha Madara."
Ōnoki blinked again.
"You want to meet him too?"
Mu nodded.
Konoha was built by two pillars — Senju and Uchiha. If Hashirama was this terrifying, then they had to understand Madara as well.
What was his relationship with Hashirama?
Was he aligned? Independent? Controllable?
If they didn't know, Iwagakure couldn't rest easy.
This part of the mission, however, would be carried out in secret.
No one could know they were probing for potential fault lines between the village's two founders.
That night, after dinner—
Mu and Ōnoki quietly slipped out and made their way to the Uchiha clan shrine.
It was quiet.
They arrived just as Madara did — having excused himself from a celebration within the Uchiha compound.
He had returned all the clan's jutsu scrolls, resources, and relics. The clan rejoiced.
After all, he'd also announced that he had been named the future Second Hokage.
But Madara, disinterested in the party, had stepped away.
Now, he stood alone beneath the moonlight, waiting.
"Madara-dono," Mu bowed, "I am Mu, personal bodyguard to the First Tsuchikage of Iwagakure. This is my disciple, Ōnoki."
Ōnoki bowed nervously. "G-greetings, Lord Madara!"
Madara's gaze sharpened.
"The Hidden Stone only sent you two? Ishikawa too scared to come himself?"
Mu answered calmly. "The Tsuchikage is occupied with village matters."
"Hah. A flimsy excuse. More like he feared I'd kill him."
Ōnoki's fists clenched. "That's not true! Tsuchikage-sama is—!"
Madara raised an eyebrow.
"A child, huh?"
He smirked.
"I don't mind teaching children. After all—" he folded his arms, "—you don't understand what true strength is yet."
Ōnoki bit his lip.
"Strength isn't just power," Mu said. "It's the will behind it."
Madara scoffed. "Empty philosophy. In the face of real power, ideals crumble."
Mu stepped forward. "Then let us witness the strength of the Uchiha with our own eyes."
Madara snorted.
"You want to see it? Fine."
"But know this—"
"If you don't even have the strength to stand beside me, you're not worth calling allies."
Ōnoki stepped forward. "But Lord Hashirama agreed to the alliance—!"
Madara's eyes narrowed.
"There is no alliance."
"There is only submission… or destruction."
He raised his hand.
"Susanoo."
In an instant, his Mangekyō Sharingan spun to life.
A skeletal giant emerged behind him, its form incomplete — only bone, no flesh. The first stage of Susanoo.
Yet even half-formed, it was enough to shatter mountains.
Before either of them could react—
Boom!
The ground shook as Susanoo swung its massive arm.
Ōnoki and Mu were thrown back like leaves in a gale, crashing into the stone courtyard dozens of meters away.
Madara didn't press the attack.
Ōnoki staggered to his feet, panting, blood at the corner of his mouth.
But in his mind, the words of his grandfather echoed:
"The Will of Stone never yields."
He braced himself again.
Madara narrowed his eyes.
"You still want to stand?"
"…But you're still just a child."
He locked eyes with Ōnoki — and in the next instant, activated a genjutsu.
Ōnoki collapsed, unconscious.
Suddenly, his body vanished.
Mu had already reactivated his concealment technique: Dustless Binding Illusion.
From the shadows, his voice echoed out.
"The tales were true. Lord Madara's strength is immeasurable."
Madara's eyes tracked the darkness. He had already pinpointed Mu's location.
"You hide well."
"But you don't think that's enough to escape me, do you?"
Mu deactivated the jutsu and reappeared, cautious not to meet Madara's eyes.
"I acknowledge your strength. For the sake of diplomacy, please let this go."
"We mean no harm."
Madara's gaze darkened.
"Do you think you understand me?"
"N-no," Mu said quickly. "Only that you spared my student. And for that, I'm grateful."
He'd gambled on one fact: that Madara, for all his wrath, didn't kill children.
And his gamble had paid off.
Madara turned away.
"I won't kill you."
"…At least not today."
"Go back."
"Tell Ishikawa—if he wants an alliance, I'll come to Iwagakure myself."
"But if your village can't even stand against me…"
"Then I'll wipe it off the map."
Mu bowed deeply.
"Understood."