Chapter 134

In the end, Mochizuki Hui chose not to disturb Mito Uzumaki. He couldn't bring himself to interrupt her reverie as she immersed herself in memories of days gone by.

Stepping outside, he looked up at the sky. 

The sun was setting, its final rays disappearing over the horizon. People, like the sun, all have their ends. 

Just as the sun sets here, it rises elsewhere. And when people pass away in this world, perhaps they find new life in another.

Does that mean the shinobi world spans two realms? Hui wondered, feeling a sudden curiosity about the other side. 

What would it be like to glimpse that other world?

Of course, it didn't mean he had any desire to die. The world of spirits may seem exclusive to the dead, but that doesn't necessarily mean the living can't visit. 

After all, dead souls have been summoned back to the living world; why couldn't the living go to the world of the dead?

After all, this was the shinobi world, where all manner of jutsu could exist. Even if they didn't exist yet, they could be created. 

And just who or what was the "Death God," exactly? This sparked another thread of interest in him; he felt that the shinobi world might hold more secrets than it appeared.

"Hui? What are you doing here, lost in thought? Come on, I ran into something interesting today!" Tsunade's cheerful voice broke through his musings as she hooked her arm through his, her face full of excitement.

"Alright, I'm all ears." Hui smiled warmly, his momentary wistfulness fading. 

Whatever secrets the shinobi world held, he knew that if he became strong enough, he'd be able to protect everyone he cared for.

Time passed quietly, and soon six months had gone by. During that time, Hui had nearly mastered the various sealing techniques recorded in the Scroll of Seals, though he hadn't yet adapted any of them for regular combat. 

His only battle-ready sealing technique remained the Body-Binding Seal.

The village itself flourished, thriving in peace. 

The people had healed from the scars of war and were full of hope for the future. 

All the while, an unseen figure in the shadows continued to watch, closely observing Hui and seemingly plotting something.

For most, six months flew by in the blink of an eye. But for others, those six months had been a gruelling ordeal—especially for three particular people: Onoki, A, and the Third Kazekage.

A year and a half had passed since the Uzushio incident, and the seals on the three had long since been removed. 

Yet the "seal" that Mochizuki Hui had left on their hearts remained unbroken.

Once celebrated as strong contenders for the kage positions in their villages, they had been admired as prodigies, as pillars of strength and hope. 

Now, though they still held these titles, they carried a new label—a stigma, even: they were three kage-level shinobi who had been bested by Mochizuki Hui in a one-versus-three battle.

This encounter was destined to be mentioned repeatedly, a reminder of defeat that would haunt them for the rest of their lives. And each time it was brought up, the memory would sting.

For the three of them, the shame was not only in reputation but in the personal defeat they had suffered. In that battle, Hui had not only defeated them but had captured them alive, using them as bargaining chips in negotiations with their villages.

The worst part for Onoki and the Third Kazekage was realizing that they hadn't even fought Hui directly but had been defeated by his shadow clone.

For Onoki, this realization was particularly devastating. He would often wake in the dead of night, drenched in sweat from nightmares of Hui leading Konoha's forces in the destruction of Iwagakure.

He was haunted. For a kage-level ninja to fear another shinobi to such an extent was… rare. 

But once he learned that only Hui's clone had been the one to defeat him, Hui had become a living nightmare.

"This can't go on… We can't let this guy grow any stronger!" Onoki gritted out, terror flashing in his eyes. 

He feared a day when the dreams he had of Konoha annihilating Iwagakure would come true.

If being defeated by Hui the first time had left Onoki wary, being defeated by a mere shadow clone had completely shattered his confidence. 

Hui's power had grown at a terrifying pace. Each day, the thought of Hui growing stronger added to Onoki's sense of dread. Now, after a year and a half, he had reached his breaking point.

"I can't let Konoha have a second God of Shinobi!" Onoki said through gritted teeth. 

Fueled by this resolve, he sought out the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, with a proposal: they needed to eliminate Mochizuki Hui.

Onoki had resolved to do whatever it took to kill Hui, even if it risked igniting another war. 

However, he also knew that Iwagakure alone couldn't achieve this goal. To rid the world of Hui, he would need allies.

Three figures instantly came to mind: A, the Third Kazekage, and the Third Mizukage.

The four of them had previously united on a mission to Uzushio, forming a temporary alliance for a shared purpose. 

Back then, the four young shinobi had believed themselves invincible, an unstoppable force ready to crush all obstacles.

Instead, they had been thoroughly defeated. In a humiliating turn of events, the Third Mizukage had been forced out of the battle by Hui's sheer intimidation, while Onoki, A, and the Third Kazekage had been defeated and held captive. Their villages had paid a steep price to secure their release.

A year and a half ago, they had come together to achieve a goal. Now, they shared a common enemy.

Onoki believed the other three would welcome an alliance. Their villages, too, had no desire to see a second God of Shinobi emerge in the form of Mochizuki Hui. 

Hui was not like Hashirama Senju, who had handed out the tailed beasts in an attempt to maintain peace. If Hui rose to Hashirama's level of power, the shinobi world wouldn't receive such a "gift"—only war and annihilation.

Yes, Onoki was sure of it: the other three villages must be on the verge of acting against Hui themselves. Even if he didn't reach out, another village would likely take the lead soon.

The next day, three squads of Iwagakure's elite Anbu quietly set out from the village, each squad assigned to a different destination.

One squad headed to the Land of Lightning, making their way toward Kumogakure.

Another squad traveled to the Land of Wind, bound for Sunagakure.

The last squad took the sea route, crossing the ocean to reach the Land of Water and Kirigakure.

Their objective was singular: establish contact with the Second Raikage, the Second Kazekage, and the Second Mizukage, and propose a pact to eliminate Mochizuki Hui.

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