Hashirama Senju didn't need to throw a single punch; he simply activated the sheer, overwhelming weight of his legendary reputation.
The First Raikage and his Cloud Shinobi weren't stupid enough to test their immortal bodies against the God of Shinobi, nor did they want to face Sunagakure at the same time. The math simply didn't favor them.
"Fine. Out of respect for you, Hashirama, we'll give Konoha face," the First Raikage scoffed, crossing his massive arms. "We'll let the Sand retreat without an ambush. It doesn't matter anyway. They're all going to die sooner or later."
Sitting in his armored truck, Mufasa chuckled coldly.
You arrogant old battery, Mufasa thought. You don't even realize Hashirama just saved your lives. Enjoy your Edo Tensei bodies while you can. Once I capture you, I'm throwing all four of you Raikages into giant, magnetized hamster wheels. You like lightning so much? Congratulations, you're going to be Suna's new perpetual power plants.
With the standoff resolved, Mufasa led his mechanized convoy back to the desert.
Standing at the ruined gates of Konoha, Tsunade watched Mufasa's departing figure with a deep, aching sorrow. The next time they met, it would be on a battlefield.
She turned to her grandfather. "Grandpa... why did we side with the Allied Shinobi Forces? Why couldn't we help Mufasa?"
Hashirama let out a hearty, booming laugh, patting her head. "Silly child! By standing with the Alliance, we are helping him!"
"Huh?" Tsunade blinked, utterly bewildered.
Hashirama smiled, his expression shifting into that of a seasoned commander. "Think about it, Tsunade. If Konoha sided with the Sand, the two factions would be evenly matched. The war would drag on for years, the casualties would dwarf the last three Great Ninja Wars combined, and Konoha would be reduced to ash."
He looked out toward the horizon. "Our first duty is to protect the people of Konoha. By joining the Alliance, we create an overwhelming, insurmountable disparity in power. When that brat Mufasa sees the sheer, terrifying might of the entire world bearing down on him, he will make the wise choice to surrender. Even if he's stubborn, his subordinates will force him to yield."
Tsunade sighed softly. "So... we force him to surrender to save his life?"
"Exactly!" Hashirama nodded proudly. "I, Hashirama Senju, still have some pull in this world. When Suna yields, I will personally step forward and demand they spare Mufasa's life. I'll propose we just seal his chakra and lock him up comfortably. Everyone will give me that much face. What do you think, Tsunade? Brilliant, right? Hahaha!"
Tsunade's eyes lit up. That makes perfect sense! If Grandpa vouches for him, Mufasa will live!
While the Senju family congratulated themselves on their diplomatic genius, Tobirama turned his icy gaze toward Danzo.
"And what exactly are you still doing wearing that hat?" Tobirama demanded.
Danzo, still hovering awkwardly, flinched. "Lord Second... what do you mean?"
"I mean take off the robes, you fool! We are about to join a global Alliance, and you want to represent Konoha looking like a crippled mummy?" Tobirama sneered, gesturing to Danzo's cane and bandages. "You can barely walk! How can someone like you project the strength of the Leaf?!"
"But... but I'm the Hokage!" Danzo sputtered, devastated. I only had the job for half a day! The seat isn't even warm yet! And I'm not crippled! Under these bandages are Izanagi Sharingan! I have resurrection coins! I can fight!
But he didn't dare argue with the draconian Second Hokage.
"Take it off," Tobirama ordered, his tone leaving no room for debate. He scanned the crowd of Konoha shinobi and pointed a finger.
"You. The kid with the silver hair and the mask. Step forward."
Kakashi Hatake blinked, pointing to himself. "Me?"
"Yes, you," Tobirama said. "You have silver hair, which means you have good genes. You look energetic and capable. Congratulations, you're the Sixth Hokage."
Danzo wanted to scream. He's wearing a mask over half his face and an eyepatch over the other half! How does he look any better than me?! But it didn't matter. Kakashi, thoroughly confused and utterly reluctant, was instantly promoted to Sixth Hokage. Danzo's half-day reign was officially struck from the history books.
Later, as the Hokages gathered to strategize, Hiruzen couldn't help but ask.
"Sensei... why were you so harsh on Danzo? He means well..."
Tobirama slammed his fist on the table. "Are you blind, Hiruzen?! You idiot! Couldn't you sense it? That bastard has my brother's cells grafted onto his body, and an entire arm plastered with Uchiha eyes! It's an abomination! If Hashirama hadn't been standing right next to me, I would have executed your rogue disciple on the spot!"
Hashirama waved his hands nervously. "Now, now, Tobirama. Danzo went down a dark path, but he thought he was protecting the village. Anyway, let's focus! Tobirama, this Edo Tensei of yours... are there any long-term side effects?"
"None," Tobirama declared confidently. "And to prove we have nothing to fear from that Sand brat, I'll break his control over us right now."
Tobirama wove a sign, forcibly severing the summoner's bind. Miles away in the desert, Mufasa felt the tether snap and just shrugged. I wasn't trying to control you anyway, old man.
"See?" Tobirama patted his chest. "No side effects whatsoever. I've tested it thoroughly."
(In truth, Tobirama had invented Edo Tensei for short-term suicide bombings. He had absolutely no idea what would happen if legendary souls remained anchored to the living world for an extended period. But that was a problem for another day.)
Sunagakure - The Kazekage's Citadel
Mufasa didn't rest for a single second upon his return. He immediately convened his High War Council.
Gaara, Orochimaru, Sasuke, Sasori, and Kabuto gathered around the massive holographic tactical table. Division commanders who couldn't attend dialed in via secure video feeds.
Gaara gave the first report. "Thanks to the Sixth Division's rapid response, we have successfully recalled the majority of our merchants and personnel stationed abroad. The forty-six cities of the Wind Nation are currently mobilizing their militias. They want to know our battle plan to repel the invaders."
Mufasa leaned forward, resting his chin on his steepled hands. "Send an order to every city in the Wind Nation: Stand down. Do not organize militias. Do not resist. When the Alliance arrives at their gates, they are to open them and surrender peacefully."
The room erupted into stunned murmurs.
"Lord Mufasa!" a commander protested through the screen. "If they surrender, we hand the Alliance a pristine supply line right to our doorstep! We should initiate scorched-earth tactics! Burn the crops, destroy the cities, and bleed them in the desert!"
Mufasa shook his head. "No. You are severely underestimating the scale of the enemy. According to Ame's intelligence network, the Alliance isn't just the Four Great Villages. They have drafted the Land of Iron, the Land of Frost, the Land of Demons, and the Land of Hot Water. The entire world has united under one banner."
Silence fell over the council. One village against the entire world. The sheer numbers were staggering.
"This Fourth Shinobi World War will dwarf everything that came before it," Mufasa explained, his voice chillingly calm. "If the civilian cities try to fight, they will be ground into dust by the sheer volume of enemy shinobi. A scorched-earth policy will only lead to millions of meaningless deaths. This is a war between gods and machines. It has nothing to do with ordinary people. Let them surrender to minimize casualties."
Gaara nodded slowly, understanding the grim pragmatism. "Understood. I will issue the order. What about our own non-combatants, the elderly, and the children?"
"They have all been evacuated to the Sky Fortress," Kabuto reported, pushing up his glasses. "The fortress is fully stocked with hydroponic farms and synthetic protein labs. They can survive in the sky for a year without resupply. It is currently hovering over the open ocean, guarded by the Third and Fifth Divisions. It changes coordinates hourly. The Alliance will never find it."
"And the Sandworms?" Mufasa asked. "Those big guys are too massive to recall."
"We've dispersed them deep into the uninhabitable zones of the Death Desert," Kabuto replied. "They'll burrow deep and hibernate until the war is over."
"Perfect." Mufasa stood up, looking at the tense, heavy faces of his commanders. They were brilliant, ruthless men, but even they felt the suffocating pressure of fighting the entire world.
Mufasa chuckled, the sound cutting through the tension like a blade.
"You all look so grim," Mufasa smiled, a terrifying, absolute confidence burning in his eyes. "You still don't truly understand the power we hold. Our might has long surpassed the primitive imagination of traditional ninja villages."
He gestured to the holographic map of their highly industrialized, heavily fortified city.
"This will not be a ninja war of the past. This will not be decided by who can throw the biggest fireball or swing the sharpest kunai. This is a clash between Ninjutsu Technology and Human Flesh! A battle between the Future and the Past!"
Mufasa slammed his fist onto the table, his electromagnetic chakra flaring, causing the lights in the room to surge brilliantly.
"I assure you all. Suna is invincible! Victory is already in the palm of our hands!"