The conference room fell into a heavy silence.
All eyes turned toward the figure perched casually on a wooden beam above them—Senju Yukika.
The representatives of the Five Great Villages exchanged uncertain glances. Yukika had clearly arrived early and claimed his place above, like a silent overseer.
According to Uchiha Madara, Konoha was born from an alliance between the Uchiha and Senju clans. But Yukika's presence here didn't represent Konoha in any official sense.
Still, the moment he appeared, the mood shifted.
What was once a political gathering abruptly felt like a pivotal summit—one that could reshape the shinobi world.
The Five Kage—veteran leaders of their villages.
The supreme head of the Senju clan.
And Uchiha Madara—a living fossil of power from the Warring States era.
This wasn't just a summit anymore.
This was history in motion.
And the Kage? Now reduced to supporting roles in a larger drama.
A clash of titans was about to begin.
"Go ahead, Mikoto," Yukika said, turning slightly and glancing at Madara.
He knew the fight was coming. It was inevitable. But that didn't stop him from letting Mikoto speak first.
She stepped forward, composed and calm.
"So," Mikoto began, voice clear and confident, "Uchiha Madara's plan is to collect all the Tailed Beasts and merge them into the Ten-Tails, creating a single Jinchūriki host."
"The Ten-Tails is a fusion of all nine beasts. If Madara pulls this off, he'll reach a level of power equal to the Sage of Six Paths."
"That's the basis for his final goal—the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"Infinite Tsukuyomi is a genjutsu cast over the entire world, trapping everyone in a dream where they receive exactly what they desire most. A utopia—at least on the surface."
"Madara believes that once everyone has their perfect dream, conflict will vanish. And he sees himself as the savior who ends the world's suffering."
At that, Mikoto gave a light chuckle. Not amused—just unsurprised.
To her, it was textbook Madara.
That laugh made Madara's eyes narrow. Inwardly, he added Mikoto to his kill list without hesitation.
"But Senju Yukika once called this plan idiotic—completely divorced from reality."
"Did Madara ever think that someone's dream might be... starvation?"
"Or loneliness?"
"Or worse—what if the Infinite Tsukuyomi turns humans into something unrecognizable?"
The room fell even quieter.
Mikoto calmly flipped a page.
"There are two likely outcomes."
"One—Infinite Tsukuyomi doesn't kill its victims, but it doesn't sustain them either. People would starve. Even if their physical bodies are somehow maintained, society itself would collapse. No growth. No future. Just stillness."
"Two—it does kill everyone."
"And if that's true, then what's the point of being a 'savior' in a world with no one left?"
The question hung in the air like a blade.
If everyone dies, who are you saving?
What does peace even mean in a graveyard?
Mikoto's dissection of Madara's vision was surgical—merciless even.
Madara's hands tightened into fists.
The Kage said nothing. They were stunned—both by the depth of the plan and the absurdity of its logic.
At last, they saw Madara's full picture.
And the lengths he would go to for his version of "peace."
"Yukika also said something else," Mikoto continued. "Even if Infinite Tsukuyomi works, it's still just one version of the Sage of Six Paths' so-called peace."
"If the Sage had the power to do this, why didn't he use it?"
"He was the first Ten-Tails Jinchūriki. He had Rinnegan. He could've done it. But he didn't."
That was the contradiction—obvious, glaring.
If this power was the answer, the Sage would've used it himself.
And yet, he left only warnings. Instructions. A message of caution.
Even the Uchiha Stone Tablet—written and rewritten by countless hands—left too many loopholes.
It no longer held the truth. Only manipulation.
Mikoto took a breath.
"And that concludes the second issue. Everything I've said so far is based on Senju Yukika's position."
"Now, here's the official stance of the Senju clan."
She looked each village representative dead in the eye.
"Yukika is offering you a choice."
"If you think you're strong enough to defeat Uchiha Madara on your own, fine. Pay your reparations to the Senju and go fight."
"But if you know you can't win, then follow the Konoha system. Let the Senju handle it."
The Konoha system.
A phrase that had haunted every intelligence report they'd received for months.
Despite gaining little from the Second Great Ninja War, Konoha had recovered faster than any other village.
It wasn't just because they didn't pay tribute to the Senju.
The Senju owned most of the Land of Fire's resources.
Konoha actually received less than the others—but developed faster.
Because of how it was run.
No Hokage.
No civil wars.
No collapse.
How was that possible?
Simple—the true power in Konoha was the Senju.
Its structure, order, and efficiency all stemmed from their leadership.
Konoha appeared to be an independent village.
But in reality, it was a Senju fortress.
And Mikoto's offer?
"Learn from Konoha."
On the surface, it sounded polite.
But everyone knew what it really meant:
Submit.
Become a Senju franchise.
The Senju weren't just seeking influence—they were staking a claim to rule the entire shinobi world.
"I don't think there's any need to hand everything over to the Senju," Ōnoki finally said, his voice steady but heavy. "The Five Great Villages aren't that weak."
"As for Uchiha Madara—"
"We'll deal with him ourselves."