Nagato found himself cornered, his reluctance palpable.
He calculated the odds and realized that even his Six Paths of Pain might not guarantee a victory against the full might of the Sand Village shinobi. And if Mufasa decided to team up with Konoha? The odds shifted from "difficult" to "suicidal."
Sensing Nagato's brooding, Mufasa offered a reassuring, albeit slightly condescending, pat on the shoulder.
"Don't worry," Mufasa said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I won't tell Tsunade about your little plan to wipe out her village."
He grinned, leaning back. "Besides, you are now my partner. And more importantly, my debtor."
'Sigh. This is the trouble with being rich,' Mufasa thought, shaking his head internally. 'Everyone around you owes you money. If something happens to them, it's my loss. It's the downside of economic entanglement. Unless you're absolutely determined to burn your own assets, you can't just kill people willy-nilly.'
Nagato looked equally helpless. He was beginning to realize that doing business was significantly more headache-inducing than simply killing people.
"Young man, you've improved," Mufasa praised, sounding like a proud, wealthy uncle. "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Mufasa was genuinely pleased. He hadn't just secured an asset; he had seemingly derailed a villain's trajectory away from the cliché "world peace through pain" narrative.
"Don't always obsess over the distant future," Mufasa advised, his tone shifting to casual mentorship. "Look at the present. It's okay to just live a little. Get married. Have a kid."
Nagato stared at him blankly.
"You are the leader of a village, after all," Mufasa continued, ignoring the deadpan look. "Sure, you're not as impressive as me, but you're still a promising young man in the ninja world. Go on a blind date. Experience the wonderful things life has to offer besides rain and melancholy."
Nagato remained noncommittal, offering neither agreement nor refusal.
The banquet ended on that strange, relatively pleasant note.
The next day.
Mufasa arrived at the opening ceremony in high spirits.
Amegakure had constructed a massive high platform specifically for this event, positioned right beside the newly laid railway tracks. It was a monumental occasion—delegations from the Land of Wind, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Earth had gathered to witness history.
With the railway connected, minerals from the Earth Nation could be transported continuously to the factories of the Wind Nation. It was the industrial dream of the Three Nations finally realized.
Below the platform, Rain shinobi maintained order among the crowd. Mufasa and Pain sat in the VIP seats, waiting.
Mufasa checked his watch and stroked his chin. "This old man is really slow today."
CLANG-!
The ground vibrated as the heavy iron tracks sang.
A massive freight train, pulling more than a dozen wagons loaded to the brim with ore, roared into view.
"My lord," Pain stated calmly. "The Tsuchikage has arrived."
Mufasa looked over. The locomotive was emblazoned with the Iwagakure symbol. It was one of the heavy-duty trains the Rock Village had purchased from Sunagakure.
The train hissed to a halt at the station. First to disembark were the elite guards of the Tsuchikage, likely Kitsuchi and his men. Finally, the diminutive figure of Onoki floated out.
Mufasa frowned, scanning the group.
'Strange,' he thought. 'Where is Kurotsuchi?'
Logically speaking, Onoki's granddaughter had been a major proponent of this trade route. For her to miss such a significant milestone was out of character.
A bad feeling settled in Mufasa's gut.
Onoki flew up to the high platform, flanked by two guards wearing heavy hooded robes that obscured their faces.
"Old man Onoki," Mufasa greeted with a polite smile. "You've finally arrived."
Onoki chuckled softly, floating to a stop. "I've kept you waiting, Kazekage."
"It's fine," Mufasa gestured to the ribbon. "Let's begin the ceremony."
Onoki raised a hand. "Wait a minute."
The mood on the platform shifted instantly. The Tsuchikage's eyes were sharp, devoid of their usual grumpy warmth.
"I have a question for the Kazekage."
Mufasa narrowed his eyes. "What question is that, Tsuchikage?"
Onoki stared at him, his gaze piercing. "Does the Kazekage intend for Iwagakure to remain nothing more than your source of raw materials forever?"
Mufasa's heart skipped a beat. 'Something is wrong. Since when does the old man think like this?'
"Hahaha!" Mufasa laughed loudly, trying to diffuse the tension. "How could that be? We have an agreement. Sunagakure will continuously provide technology transfers to help Iwagakure strengthen its own industrial capabilities."
"Hmph." Onoki let out a dismissive snort. "And that technology will always be inferior to what the Sand possesses. Am I right, Kazekage?"
Mufasa's face darkened. 'You old codger. You came here looking for a fight today.'
He dropped the pleasantries. There was no point in lying to a fox as old as Onoki. If he claimed he was selflessly giving away his best tech, he'd look like he was treating Onoki like a fool.
"There is nothing to be done about that," Mufasa said, his voice deep and serious. "The Sand Village has the first-mover advantage. We have the reserves, the researchers, and the infrastructure. This is simply history playing out."
He leaned forward. "However, we are not prohibiting Iwagakure from conducting its own research. If you think our technology is outdated, you are free to innovate and catch up."
'I'm giving you the tools to make money,' Mufasa thought, annoyed. 'Can't you develop the rest yourself?'
Onoki nodded slowly. "You are right. We could develop on our own."
"Exactly," Mufasa agreed. "That is the correct path. I hope we can encourage exchange and competition. I believe that if the Rock ninja work hard, you will eventually stand equal to the Sand."
Mufasa spoke with the brightness of the sun, projecting confidence and fairness.
Onoki remained silent for a long moment. A fierce, unyielding glint flashed in his eyes.
"However," Onoki said coldly, "we of the Hidden Rock do not believe we have a chance to catch up."
Mufasa frowned. "What do you mean?"
"We are too far behind," Onoki continued. "In the past year, I have seen too many things I do not understand. The world is moving too fast."
"Learning is a process," Mufasa countered. "Even if you can't walk, you can still sit comfortably in a maglev train. Progress benefits everyone."
"Hehe." Onoki chuckled, a cold, dry sound. "Our idea is different. We believe... it is better not to have too many new things."
He looked Mufasa dead in the eye. "We believe that leveling the playing field is better for everyone."
Mufasa's patience snapped. "The changes in the world are independent of human will, Onoki! Even as the Tsuchikage, you must adapt or be left behind."
Onoki fell silent.
Instead, the two hooded guards behind him stepped forward.
"For us old folks," one of them rasped, his voice sounding like grinding stones, "the world is too new. We are not used to living here."
"We still think the world was pretty good before," the other added.
"Fifth Kazekage," the first figure commanded, "please destroy your factories and railways."
Mufasa's expression turned solemn, his muscles tensing. "Who are you?"
The two figures simultaneously pulled down their hoods.
"I suppose there aren't many people in the world who still recognize us," the first man said. He was elderly, with a long white beard and a gaze as heavy as a mountain.
"I am Ishikawa. The First Tsuchikage."
The second man was wrapped entirely in bandages, resembling a mummy.
"I am the Second Tsuchikage, Mū."
Mufasa stood frozen, shock rippling through him.
'The First and Second Tsuchikage? How?!'
'Aren't they dead? Kabuto is working for me. No one else should be using the Impure World Reincarnation. How did they suddenly appear?'
Ishikawa stared at Mufasa, his presence overwhelming.
"Young man, we have heard about your deeds," the First Tsuchikage rumbled. "Tell me... are you planning to unify the ninja world?"