Mufasa had no grand reason for launching a satellite.
The Giant Judgement Eye had absorbed so much lightning that, at best, it was an overcharged power bank—a dangerously unstable one that might explode if left unchecked.
He wasn't about to let this thing go to waste.
Mufasa stared at the enormous, floating eye. For some reason, the idea of turning it into a satellite popped into his head.
"Why not?" he muttered to himself. "Other people have Chibaku Tensei... I can have my own orbital lightning satellite."
A smirk spread across his face.
"Yeah. That actually sounds awesome."
The thought was enough to set him in motion. With a flick of his wrist, he inscribed sensory-enhancing seals onto the floating eye, turning it into an airborne surveillance tool.
Then, drawing on the remnants of the Limelight Technique's power, he prepared to send his creation into orbit.
The sky was pitch black now, the perfect backdrop for his experiment.
As Mufasa directed the electromagnetic forces around him, he could feel the satellite rising, inching its way higher. He concentrated harder.
"Just keep going..."
If it reached beyond the atmosphere, it could stay afloat indefinitely. A permanent eye in the sky.
If it failed? Well… someone was getting a very unfortunate surprise.
Not his problem...
Mufasa dropped back to the ground, landing smoothly.
As his feet touched the dirt, his sharp senses caught something—eyes watching him from the shadows. Eyes filled with hatred.
He turned his head just in time to see a figure dart away.
"Huh. Not a Konoha ninja," Mufasa noted, glancing at the man's attire. "Must be with that guy Kazuma."
At least the guy was smart enough to know he couldn't win and ran on his own. Unlike his leader, he didn't even bother with the horse.
Mufasa crossed his arms, thinking.
Kazuma wasn't some fool from the Land of Wind. He was from the Land of Fire, just like Danzo.
"Funny how that works," Mufasa mused. "Danzo belongs to Konoha, but he's not exactly a Konoha shinobi. More like a necessary evil."
For all his scheming, Konoha's military advancements owed a lot to Danzo's shady dealings.
If not for people like him, would the village have progressed as much as it had?
The same could be said for Kazuma.
Without him, would Konoha even consider improving its defensive strategies?
The world needed people like them—villains who kept things moving. Villains who forced the shinobi world to adapt and evolve.
Danzo. Kazuma. Obito. Madara.
They were the gears that kept the shinobi world from stagnating.
Mufasa gave a small chuckle. "Thanks for the push, guys. You just helped me launch a satellite."
Meanwhile, Kazuma was still running.
He had seen a lot of things in his life, but this? This was insanity.
"That guy just tossed a giant eye into space! What the hell am I supposed to do against that?!"
Yeah. No thanks. He'd live to fight another day.
As Kazuma made his escape, the effects of his Earth Style: Corpse Puppet Reincarnation wore off. The undead army crumbled into dust, and the four Lightning Release shinobi disintegrated into ash.
Just like that, the village-destroying crisis was over.
The battle was won.
But Tsunade wasn't celebrating.
She was too busy tending to the wounded, organizing cleanup efforts, and overseeing the village's reconstruction.
By the time she was finally able to return to the Hokage's office, it was nearly dawn.
She glanced up as she approached.
And there, standing atop the stone head of the First Hokage, was Mufasa.
Tsunade's eye twitched. "This bastard…"
Mufasa stood on Hashirama Senju's carved forehead, staring at the sky, completely absorbed in whatever he was looking at.
Tsunade shot into the air, landing beside him with a scowl. "Mufasa, what the hell do you think you're—"
But he didn't react.
Didn't even acknowledge her.
Tsunade blinked. Was he… actually serious about whatever he was doing?
Her irritation faded slightly. Curiosity won out. She followed his gaze upward.
…What was he even looking at?
This was that weird herd mentality thing.
Someone stares at the sky long enough, and other people will start looking too, even if they don't know what they're looking for.
The sun had started rising, its golden light illuminating the village below.
Finally, Mufasa lowered his head.
He turned and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Tsunade standing next to him.
"Whoa! What the hell?!" Mufasa clutched his chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
Tsunade folded her arms, unimpressed. "You're standing on my grandfather's head. What are you looking at?"
Mufasa smirked. "Tengan-1."
Tsunade stared blankly. "…What?"
Mufasa gestured toward the sky. "My satellite. I call it Tengan-1. The Heaven's Eye."
Tsunade followed his finger, squinting hard.
Nothing.
Just clouds and the sun.
She wasn't blind. Her eyesight was perfect. There was nothing there.
She turned back to him with a deadpan expression. "You're messing with me. You just wanted an excuse to step on my grandfather's head."
Mufasa's stomach suddenly growled.
He sighed. "Man… I haven't eaten since last night. I'm starving."
Tsunade smirked. "Then I guess I'll feed you."
Mufasa blinked. "Huh?"
"Want toppings? We've got meat, peppers. You want it fried or stir-fried?"
Mufasa grinned. "Stir-fried. Definitely stir-fried."
At Ichiraku Ramen, Mufasa sat with a bowl in hand, slurping up the noodles without a care in the world.
Across from him, Tsunade sat stiffly, a deep scowl on her face. Her brows were furrowed in frustration as she gripped her chopsticks tightly, barely touching her food.
Mufasa placed his bowl down and began peeling a clove of garlic. He gave her a sideways glance.
"What's with that face? Something bothering you?"
Tsunade huffed, clearly annoyed. "Why would the Daimyo do this to Konoha?"
She had put the pieces together now.
Even if the Daimyo hadn't outright conspired with the attackers, there had to have been some level of understanding between them.
It was all too convenient—the sudden influx of missions pulling Konoha's forces away, only for the attack to strike at their doorstep almost immediately after.
Tsunade was no fool. She had spent years in casinos, rubbing shoulders with all kinds of scheming opportunists.
She had seen enough manipulation to recognize a setup when she saw one.
The Daimyo's actions were too suspicious to ignore.
Mufasa smirked slightly, taking a bite of the garlic. "Nothing to be angry about."
Tsunade shot him an incredulous look. "Nothing to be angry about?! If you were in my position, you wouldn't be mad?!"
Mufasa shook his head. "Not at all. This is just how competition works. If I got outplayed like that, I'd only have myself to blame for underestimating my opponent."
Tsunade blinked. "Competition? What competition? We're not in competition with the Daimyo!"
Mufasa let out a small sigh. "Tsunade, you're still thinking like it's the old days, back when the Daimyo and the Hidden Villages were allies by default. But things have changed."
She frowned, clearly not following.
Mufasa continued. "Think about it—who has the strongest military force in the Land of Fire? Konoha. Who has the political authority? The Daimyo. In the past, there was a simple agreement: the Daimyo provided the funds, and the village provided military strength.
It was balanced. But now? Konoha is developing industries, setting up its own revenue streams, making itself financially independent."
He picked up three cloves of garlic and placed them on the table in a row. "This is Iwagakure, this is Kirigakure, and this is Kumogakure. If Konoha stops developing, do you think these villages will do the same?
Of course not. I'd bet my left arm that Kumogakure, at the very least, will jump on the opportunity to modernize. And when they do, what do you think will happen?"
Tsunade stared at the cloves, her thoughts racing.
"The Fourth Great Ninja War... could it start in the Land of Fire?" she murmured.
Mufasa nodded. "If you let your enemies advance while you stay stagnant, it's only a matter of time before they surpass you. And then? Konoha will be the one left vulnerable."
She clenched her fists. It made too much sense.
For a long time, she sat there in silence, staring at the table. Then, suddenly, she snapped her head up and glared at Mufasa.
"Did you plan all this?" she accused. "Did you push Danzo into building those factories just to create a rift between Konoha and the Daimyo?!"
Mufasa chuckled. "You give me too much credit. I'm no god—I can't control the actions of everyone.
All I did was understand the flow of history a little better than most and give it a small push in the right direction. The rest? That's just people acting in their own self-interest."
Tsunade stared at him, her jaw tightening. "Then what should I do?"
Mufasa leaned back, arms crossed. "You need to understand the shift that's happening. Think back to your grandfather, Hashirama Senju. When he was alive, shinobie operated as scattered clans, constantly at war.
It was his vision that brought them together under the system of Hidden Villages. But was it really just his will that changed things? No—it was the era itself. People were tired of endless war. They wanted unity. That's why villages formed, not just in Konoha, but across the world."
He held her gaze, his voice steady. "Even Uchiha Madara, as powerful as he was, couldn't fight against the tide of history.
He tried, and he lost. The greatest force in the world isn't any jutsu—it's the momentum of change. You can either resist it and be crushed, or embrace it and adapt."
Tsunade's fingers tapped against the table. His words unsettled her, but she couldn't deny their logic.
Mufasa, having finished his noodles, downed a glass of water and leaned back with a satisfied sigh.
Tsunade, however, was still deep in thought.
Then, suddenly, she slammed her palm against the table. The loud crack made Mufasa nearly choke.
"That's it!" she declared. "I've made up my mind. Konoha's industries stay. We move forward."
Mufasa blinked, caught off guard by her sudden outburst. "Well, that was dramatic."
Tsunade jabbed a finger at him. "And you! You're not getting off easy."
Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "Me? What did I do this time?"
She smirked, crossing her arms. "Since you've been running your mouth about economics and war strategies, I'm cutting you a deal. The price on all your projects? Reduced by 30%."
Mufasa gawked at her. "Wait, what?!"
Tsunade's grin widened as she leaned forward. "Oh, and Konoha will be overseeing the construction of roads and railways across the Land of Fire. Fully managed and operated under our control."
Mufasa stared at her, processing the ambush. "Are you serious? I just gave you the whole speech about understanding history and learning from it, and you— you're using it against me?!"
Tsunade kicked one leg up onto the table, striking a bold stance like a victorious gambler at a casino. "What's wrong, Mufasa? You disagree?"
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Word count: 1837
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