Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!
Chapter 546: Set Out—Protect the Tailed Beasts

Chapter 546 - 546: Set Out—Protect the Tailed Beasts

"Madara Uchiha... what's he after this time?"

Tobirama forced the words through clenched teeth, his rage palpable.

His sheer killing intent seeped into the air, chilling the entire room to the bone.

The temperature dropped in an instant, sending shivers through everyone present.

"To achieve what he believes is true peace."

Hashirama frowned slightly, a complex glint flashing in his eyes.

As the person who had the deepest bond with Madara, he was like a key that effortlessly unlocked the ambition hidden beneath layers of secrecy.

Within Madara's intricate and tormented mind, his pursuit of peace had long since twisted into an extreme obsession.

"That's right."

"Have you heard of the Eye of the Moon Plan?"

Kawakaze wasn't sure if Madara had ever mentioned it to Hashirama.

"Eye of the Moon Plan?"

Hashirama slowly shook his head, his expression filled with confusion.

This was the first time he had heard of such a plan.

"The Eye of the Moon Plan is Madara's ultimate goal."

"He wants to trap the entire ninja world in an illusion of paradise, a false reality crafted by the power of the Eye of the Moon."

"In that fabricated world, the sun will always shine, flowers will always bloom, and everything will be as beautiful as a dream."

"But this so-called utopia is nothing more than an illusion woven by a heart consumed by darkness."

"In his mind, such a world is true peace, yet he completely disregards the fact that it is a violation of free will."

"Those ensnared by this Genjutsu will ultimately become nothing more than nourishment for the God Tree, fading away within the dreamlike lie."

"If this plan succeeds, the ninja world will fall into an eternal, lifeless silence—there will be no one left alive."

Kawakaze's words struck like a heavy hammer, making both Hashirama and Tobirama fully grasp the severity of the situation.

"He's insane!"

"I won't let him succeed!"

Tobirama slammed his hand onto the table and sprang to his feet.

His eyes burned with fury, as if he wanted to incinerate everything in sight.

"A Genjutsu of that scale is beyond Madara's power alone."

"That's why he's collecting the Tailed Beasts—to awaken the Ten-Tails and resurrect the God Tree."

"Once he harnesses the power of the God Tree, he'll be able to bring his plan to fruition."

"Is that correct?"

Hashirama, recalling fragments of what Madara had once shared with him, pieced together the entirety of the Eye of the Moon Plan in an instant.

"Yes."

"Madara has already captured three Tailed Beasts."

"He's also using Impure World Reincarnation to control more than a dozen Kage-level shinobi."

"We weren't confident we could handle the situation alone, which is why we summoned you, great-granduncle, and grandmother from the Pure Land."

Though Kawakaze had promised a brief explanation, it was only now that he fully laid out the gravity of their predicament.

"The ninja world is unified."

"Why didn't you keep the Tailed Beasts under Konoha's control?"

"You failed in your duty."

Tobirama's anger flared the moment he heard this.

In his eyes, the Tailed Beasts were the ultimate weapons of the ninja world, possessing the power to bring about total devastation.

They should have been under Konoha's strictest supervision from the start.

Allowing them to remain uncontained was a critical failure—akin to leaving a fatal gap in the world's defenses, giving Madara the perfect opportunity to strike.

If he had been in charge, then after unifying the ninja world, all nine Tailed Beasts would have been secured within Konoha.

"It was my fault."

"I thought that with the ninja world unified and no more wars, the Tailed Beasts wouldn't need to be controlled anymore."

"I never expected Madara to return."

Kawakaze admitted his mistake without hesitation. Looking back, he realized he had been careless.

He had been focused on tracking Black Zetsu's whereabouts but never considered the possibility of him using Impure World Reincarnation.

He had relied too much on his knowledge of the original events and overlooked other potential outcomes.

"Enough. Blaming someone now won't change anything."

"No one here wanted this to happen."

"Just tell us what we need to do."

Hashirama raised his hand to stop Tobirama before he could launch into a reprimand.

The situation was already upon them—dwelling on past mistakes was pointless.

"We've already assigned teams."

"Apart from the Seven-Tails and Nine-Tails, the other four Tailed Beasts are scattered across the ninja world."

"We will split up and move out separately. No matter what, we must secure the Tailed Beasts."

"If you encounter Madara himself, do not engage him directly. Wait for reinforcements."

"His current strength is immeasurable."

Kawakaze's voice was heavy with seriousness. He was the only one who truly understood how powerful Madara had become since his revival.

It was a level of strength that defied logic.

Even without becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, Madara was practically invincible.

"You're just undermining our own morale while inflating the enemy's."

"In a battle of life and death, strategy matters just as much as strength."

Tobirama scoffed, his eyes still burning with defiant confidence.

He had fought countless battles in his lifetime—did they really think Madara could defeat him in an instant?

"Great-granduncle, I know you're strong."

"But being careful never hurts."

"I've already lost a disciple... I don't want to lose anyone else."

At the mention of Nagato, Kawakaze's expression darkened, pain flashing across his face.

"Kawakaze's disciple, Nagato, was killed by Madara not long ago. He hardly had a chance to fight back."

"His strength wasn't below yours, Great-granduncle. I really think you should be cautious."

Tsunade's voice carried a note of warning as she looked at Tobirama.

She knew he wasn't the type to ignore sound advice, but his prejudice against the Uchiha often clouded his judgment whenever Madara was involved.

"You little brat~"

"I get it."

Tobirama let out a helpless chuckle.

Seeing the concern in Tsunade's eyes, the stubbornness in his heart softened.

He had always trusted her words without question.

He knew she only wanted the best for him and understood that acting on impulse, driven by personal emotions, could lead to dire consequences.

"There's no time to waste. Let's move out immediately."

The delay caused by the Impure World Reincarnation had already cost them precious time, and Kawakaze wasn't willing to waste any more.

"Alright, I'll follow your lead."

Hashirama was cooperative—he knew he didn't fully grasp the current situation and that his best course of action was to go along with the plan.

"Minato, go over the deployment plan."

Kawakaze turned to Minato, who had been in charge of organizing the teams.

"We don't know exactly how Madara has positioned his forces."

"With our numbers, we'll divide into groups of four."

"Sensei, you'll operate solo, ready to provide support whenever needed."

"Here's the breakdown."

Minato took out a prepared list with the teams clearly assigned.

The specific locations each team would head to weren't of much concern—what mattered was securing the Tailed Beasts.

"Alright, let's head out."

No one raised any objections.

Each group chose a direction and swiftly departed.

Only Kawakaze lingered for a moment to remind Tsunade of a few things before setting off on his own.