Three days later, on a sand dune roughly twenty li east of Sunagakure, Kazekage Pakura stood with Chiyo, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro.
"Lord Kazekage, are we waiting for someone?" Temari asked as she stepped forward.
"Yes," Pakura said with a faint smile.
She admired Temari quite a bit. In her, Pakura saw a reflection of her own younger days. Even though she was not old now, her state of mind had changed too much for age to be measured by the calendar alone.
Originally, Temari and Kankuro were not qualified to join this operation, but Pakura brought them to gain experience and to prepare Sunagakure for its integration into Konoha. Though the siblings had not ranked among the top ten in the Joint Chunin Exams, their performance had been impressive enough that the village promoted them shortly after their return.
As the daughter and son of the Fourth Kazekage, they carried significant influence among Rasa's former subordinates and the younger generation. If they became fully convinced of Konoha's direction, Sunagakure's merger would be far smoother.
"They are coming."
Chiyo looked up.
A black speck appeared in the cloudless sky, approaching with impossible speed. It crossed the horizon and arrived before them in moments.
"Greetings, Hokage-sama!"
Chiyo, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro bowed.
Uchiha Gen gave Pakura a nod, then said in a steady voice, "No need for ceremony. Come up."
Pakura moved first, leaping onto Kyouki's enormous form. The others followed after offering their brief thanks.
Kyouki rose into the sky, arcing upward before shooting northeast, leaving a faint white streak behind.
The group traveled in silence for two hours, crossing half the Land of Wind, the Land of Fire, the Land of Hot Springs, and half the Land of Lightning. Their destination was a high mountain near Kumogakure.
Among Hidden Mist, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure, the Cloud Village had the strongest military might. Uchiha Gen had not chosen the easiest target. He went straight for the hardest.
Kyouki descended onto a natural stone platform halfway up the mountain. Gen led the group as they jumped down. All eyes were already on them.
Waiting on the platform were Hiruzen Sarutobi, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Shisui, Kakashi, and Nara Shikaku.
Alongside the Konoha forces stood the Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails, Four-Tails, Six-Tails, and Seven-Tails: Yugito, Roshi, Utakata, and Fuu.
Shisui, Kakashi, and Shikaku were here to handle aftermath and gain firsthand experience with the unfolding plan.
Floating near them were Shuryu, Shizukamaru, and Fūmi, the three homies drifting lazily in the air.
Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro tensed under the weight of so many high-ranked shinobi. Kankuro looked particularly stiff, unsure where to place his hands.
Pakura remained calm. She greeted Tsunade first, then the others one by one.
When greetings ended, Gen turned to Orochimaru. "Begin."
Orochimaru nodded, formed seals, and the ground rumbled as three coffins rose.
Gen focused and released the talisman sealing their wills.
A crack tore across the lid of the rightmost coffin. With a sharp sound, the lid shattered into dust and vanished in a swirl of white smoke.
"Finally. This day has come. That boy Nagato has grown at last."
The deep, resonant voice echoed as a figure stepped out.
The lids of the other two coffins dropped to the ground, revealing two more figures emerging slowly from within.
"Nagato? You know Nagato?"
Jiraiya reacted instantly and rushed forward.
"This is..."
Chiyo's expression changed the moment she saw them.
There were very few people alive in Sunagakure who could recognize Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and Uchiha Madara. Chiyo was one of the last.
"Chiyo-baba, who are they?" Temari whispered.
"Konoha's First Hokage, Second Hokage, and Uchiha Madara," Chiyo whispered back.
Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro froze as the weight of those names settled in.
"Who are you?"
Madara brushed aside the remaining dust and fixed his gaze on Jiraiya.
Before Jiraiya could answer, a booming, cheerful laugh rolled across the platform.
"Hahaha. Madara, I never thought we'd meet again."
Madara turned. Even with his usual cold arrogance, surprise flickered across his face. "Hashirama?"
Hiruzen stepped forward quickly and bowed. "First-sama. Sensei."
"Monkey?"
Hashirama blinked.
Tobirama crossed his arms, frowning. "Monkey, explain what happened."
Monkey?
Gen could not help laughing when he heard Tobirama call Hiruzen by that name. There were only wrong names, never wrong nicknames, and this one suited the old man perfectly.
The three legendary figures turned their attention toward Gen.
"Which Hokage are you?" Tobirama asked, his tone cold and imperious.
"Fifth Hokage. Uchiha Gen."
Gen clasped his hands behind his back, smiling lightly.
"Hm? Uchiha?"
Tobirama's expression tightened. "Monkey, what is the meaning of this?"
Hashirama brightened instantly. "Madara, did you hear that? Your clan produced a Hokage."
Madara's expression shifted, complex and unreadable. He had never become Hokage himself. Based on the situation when he left Konoha, he had expected the Uchiha who stayed behind to meet a grim fate. Yet now one stood before him as leader of the entire village.
It meant the clan's position had risen more than he imagined. This young man had overturned their predicament.
"Well done," Madara said, voice level.
Hashirama beamed. Madara's praise and Hashirama's delight only darkened Tobirama's mood. He stiffened even more.
"Monkey, explain everything immediately."
Hiruzen hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Gen. Gen nodded, and the old Hokage summarized the events that led to Gen's rise.
When Tobirama heard that Gen had seized control using the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, Flying Thunder God, and Sage Mode, annoyance flickered across his face. Yet beneath it was resignation. With power like that, almost on Madara's level and possibly more troublesome, he could hardly blame Hiruzen for failing to contain him.
Hashirama, however, seemed unbothered.
Even if the rules had been broken, the new Hokage had not carried out mass purges. That alone said enough about his character.
"I never expected the Uchiha to produce such an outstanding talent after me. You have done remarkably well," Hashirama said warmly.
Madara felt the same, though for different reasons. Seeing Tobirama so agitated was satisfying, but he also had his own regrets. If he had chosen someone like Gen instead of Obito for his old plans, the outcome might have been drastically different. He already understood that he was revived through Edo Tensei.
Gen smiled faintly. "Don't praise me yet."
"If you knew what I've done, you might not act so friendly."