Chapter 4: Target — The Position of Third Hokage!
To Senju Morin, if he wanted to destabilize Sarutobi Hiruzen's claim to the Hokage seat, the two forces that mattered most—aside from the Senju themselves—were the Uchiha.
At the founding of Konoha, the Senju and the Uchiha had been the two overwhelmingly dominant clans.
Even after losing Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, the balance of power between them had not changed much.
When Madara defected, not a single Uchiha followed him.
Thus, the clan's power had been preserved almost entirely intact.
After Madara's departure, the strongest Uchiha was the Mangekyō wielder Uchiha Kagami—unfortunately, a hopeless fool thoroughly indoctrinated by the Will of Fire.
If he made it back alive, he might not convince the Uchiha to outright support Sarutobi Hiruzen…
…but he would at least ensure they didn't oppose him.
And that—was unacceptable.
The Senju and Uchiha were currently at the height of their power.
If they didn't seize this moment to stir chaos, the only outcome left for both clans would be a slow and quiet death.
To Senju Morin, even forcing the Uchiha to compete for the Hokage title—despite them having zero chance of ever winning—would be better than letting them remain silent under Kagami's guidance.
After all, if the Uchiha couldn't win even when Madara was alive, they certainly couldn't win now.
Only by muddying the waters could Morin carve out an opportunity for himself.
---
The gentle wind rustled through the leaves as dappled sunlight filtered through the forest canopy.
What appeared a serene woodland morning was merely the calm before the storm.
Two and a half days passed like this—endless travel beneath the trees.
On the morning of the third day, Senju Morin stepped out of last night's makeshift shelter—an earthen hut formed with Earth Release.
Even with chakra, ninjas were not immune to human limitations.
Despite being elite shinobi, neither he nor Uzumaki Chizawa could travel without rest.
They needed sleep.
And more importantly, they needed full strength for the upcoming battle.
After about four hours of rest, Morin was fully recovered—physically and mentally.
Breakfast wasn't necessary; a single military ration pill could sustain a ninja for two or three days.
But food wasn't the essential thing.
Information was.
Intelligence from Kumogakure.
Fortunately, Morin had prepared far in advance.
He drew a kunai, making a small cut on his thumb. He pressed his palm to the ground; black sealing script expanded rapidly in all directions.
"Summoning Technique!"
Bang!
A puff of white smoke.
A half-meter-tall creature appeared—most of its body hidden under a black cloak, though the small, fur-covered brown head betrayed its identity.
Standing upright, its shiny black eyes darted mischievously.
A fluffy tail swayed behind it, practically begging to be grabbed.
Cute as it looked, this was no pet—it was a genuine summoned beast.
Unlike the Uchiha's Ninken, or the future legendary Slug Sage, this creature came from a very different lineage entirely.
Senju Morin had never even heard of anyone in the current Senju clan who had a contract with the Shikkotsu Forest. It made him suspect that Tsunade's future pact with the Slug Sage was something she discovered on her own.
But while the Three Great Sage Lands were nearly impossible to find, locating an ordinary summon tribe was far simpler.
Morin's contract was with the Transformation Tanuki Clan.
A clan with almost no combat ability.
As the name implied, even this "special" individual could only use basic transformation techniques.
But while they were weak in battle, their stealth, intelligence gathering, and information delivery capabilities were unparalleled.
Perhaps due to the presence of Uzumaki Chizawa, the little tanuki decided to put on a show.
Turning away dramatically, it raised its tiny paws and declared in a mystical voice:
"Who dares summon the mighty Faceless—"
Before it could finish, Morin casually reached into his pouch and produced a small stone.
The tanuki's entire demeanor changed instantly.
"F–for me?! A tribute for Lord Kumomaru?! You—!"
Abandoning its theatrics completely, it hopped forward eagerly, eyes sparkling as it snatched the shiny object from Morin's hand.
A ruby.
This wasn't bribery—simply irresistible temptation.
For creatures that lived underground, glittering gems were their greatest weakness.
"Any new intel, Kumomaru?" Morin asked, gently rubbing the creature's head.
The fur was just as soft and silky as ever—cool to the touch, smooth like fine silk.
Clutching the ruby with both paws, Kumomaru's face was filled with bliss—
but it didn't forget its mission.
It answered at once.
The tanuki's mouth—full of sharp little fangs—opened wide, but the voice that came out was surprisingly childlike:
"Today is the day when Kumo and Konoha formally sign their alliance treaty—kyuu~"
"As for those Gold and Silver Brothers you mentioned, they don't seem to be preparing a coup. They even went to the Raikage Building this morning to attend a meeting, you know~"
"What the meeting was about, well… that I don't know, kyuu~"
For the Transformation Tanuki Clan, intelligence gathering was almost effortless.
Even the barrier systems of major shinobi villages rarely bothered to monitor the movements of small animals.
Though Kumomaru spoke with a strange quirk, individuals capable of human speech were extremely rare among the tanuki.
Most of the clan were indistinguishable from normal wildlife—especially those unable to mold chakra.
Animals like that would never be noticed by Kumogakure's Barrier Corps.
After exchanging a few more words with Senju Morin, the little tanuki vanished in a puff of white smoke.
So the Gold and Silver Brothers plan to strike during the signing ceremony…
Morin mused silently.
With the newest intel in hand, he didn't immediately resume traveling.
Instead, he pulled out a folded map from his pouch.
Unfolding it revealed a bold route marked with lines and dots—Morin's planned path and the spots where they had rested.
The two had already left the Land of Fire and were currently within the long, narrow Land of Hot Water.
Along with the Land of Frost, Hot Water was one of the small countries sandwiched between Fire and Lightning.
They each had their own minor shinobi villages, but their strength was negligible compared to the two great nations.
During the previous Kumo–Konoha war, these lands had naturally become unwilling battlegrounds.
Morin marked their current position on the map, then pointed as he spoke to Uzumaki Chizawa:
"From Kumogakure to the edge of the Land of Lightning takes about a day. We can intercept them early if we get to the Land of Frost ahead of them. We'll choose that as our battlefield."
According to Kumomaru's intel, the Third Raikage had been deliberately sent away on a mission, meaning he wasn't in the village at the moment.
The only ones likely to pursue Tobirama's group were the Gold and Silver Brothers and their elite unit.
Even so, staying too long within the Land of Lightning would be dangerous.
Morin's plan was simple:
First, ambush and eliminate Uchiha Kagami in the Land of Frost.
Then, head deeper into the Land of Lightning to locate Senju Tobirama—alive or dead.
He had no intention of saving Tobirama.
Bringing back the corpse would serve his goals just as well.