After hearing the puppet warrior's words, Butsuma Senju replied calmly, "Warrior-dono, forgive my bluntness, but such partnerships are founded on parity. I have yet to see any proof that this so-called Ōtsutsuki clan possesses the strength to match their claims."
"But the political influence of the Ōtsutsuki far surpasses what you imagine," the puppet replied, glancing briefly at the children behind Butsuma.
"People grow weary of war. They yearn for peace. When that time comes, ninjas who live off blood and thrive on war will be discarded by the tides of time. No matter who they are, they will be crushed beneath the wheels of progress."
As Satsuki delivered this message through the puppet, a quiet thought lingered deep in her mind:
Hashirama and Madara don't count.
Those two essentially broke the system through sheer individual power, elevating the ninja class to a whole new level.
A class that should have been ended by a metaphorical bullet in the name of progress instead found renewed life.
But this revival came at a cost: their existence stalled the broader development of society.
At least for now, those two "cheat codes" had yet to mature. That left Satsuki room to maneuver.
Her point was clear: without political participation and a shift in societal role, the ninja class would eventually be discarded.
As clan head, Senju Butsuma wasn't a fool. But as a member of the established elite, his thinking was naturally conservative.
The Senju stood at the top of the shinobi world—a dominant interest group.
Ninjas, akin to mercenaries, had their fortunes tied to war.
A world without conflict, without intrigue, without darkness—was also a world without ninja.
So, Satsuki wasn't speaking to him.
She was speaking to the young Senju Hashirama, smiling among his brothers in the background.
Power levels influence ideology.
Before his mind matured, Hashirama would endure the pain of losing loved ones over and over during these wars.
That pain would become the seed for the great tree of change.
But expecting Butsuma to initiate reform was laughable.
He lacked both the capacity and the will.
However, as a practical man, what would his calculation be?
To Satsuki, it was obvious: the Senju giving up an alliance with the Ōtsutsuki and letting them align with the Uchiha would bring the Senju nothing but loss.
Forget the destined rivalry of Asura and Indra. The long-standing hatred between the Iga and Kōga ninja clans, built over years of mission conflicts, meant reconciliation was impossible.
Predictably, Butsuma spoke up.
"Warrior-dono, once our current business is concluded, I would like to meet the head of the Ōtsutsuki in person. Could such a meeting be arranged?"
"Of course. My master also looks forward to deepening ties with the leader of Iga."
...
Elsewhere, Satsuki set down her wine cup as she continued her staged conversation with the puppetized lord of Iga.
In response, the castle lord performed a series of subtle hand signs. Chakra sources that Satsuki had been monitoring quietly moved away from the third floor of the castle keep.
And now, the once arrogant Lord Toudou Naoto had dropped all pretense, prostrating himself in fear.
Yet, under Satsuki's control, he couldn't utter a sound.
His consciousness was like a prisoner trapped in a pitch-black cell, fully aware yet utterly unable to influence his body.
"Tell me what's been happening near Iga Castle lately. Just the important things."
Satsuki applied both genjutsu and wireless control simultaneously. Toudou Naoto couldn't even resist—he immediately began revealing secrets.
"Reporting to my lady, there are two noteworthy developments near Iga Castle. First, in the Musashi province's Valley of Clouds, the Kōga ninja faction is mobilizing. It's said a large number of ninja clans there are uniting to rebel against Kōga rule. The Musashi daimyō is attempting to establish communication with our Yamato daimyō, hoping Iga ninja can help."
At this point, the castle lord's expression twisted in struggle.
Clearly, the following information was highly classified—even Satsuki's current control technique couldn't fully manipulate him.
But when she increased the signal strength, the lord succumbed once again and continued spilling secrets.
"Our daimyō privately instructed me to prepare to accept the defeated side, whether it's the Uchiha or the rebel clans. The goal is to counterbalance the growing might of the Iga ninja faction—the Senju clan and its vassals."
Oh? Interesting.
Satsuki maintained her composure, but her mind was already racing.
It seemed the world's top rulers weren't entirely incompetent. They weren't about to let a single ninja faction monopolize the nation's military might.
Even if the Senju didn't plan to seize power, their overwhelming strength made them a constant threat. The daimyō, feeling the pressure, naturally sought to create a counterbalance.
From Satsuki's perspective, the strategy was viable.
If it weren't for the emergence of overpowered figures like Hashirama and Madara—who, against all odds, even managed to become allies—the true ruling power of the world might have eventually reverted to the daimyō class.
Sometimes, fate had other plans.
"What's the second matter?"
"The daimyō of Yamato has decided to form a marriage alliance with the daimyō of Musashi. As one of the lords under Yamato, I am required to dispatch ten jonin, over twenty chunin, and fifty genin-level fighters to protect the Yamato heir. Other lords under the daimyō will contribute similar forces based on their strength."
Satsuki leaned back in her usual one-handed pose, head resting lightly against her temple, mind spinning rapidly.
Ten jonin, twenty-plus chunin, fifty genin-class troops.
This was just one castle's contribution.
Yamato had three or four castles comparable to Iga Castle. Even if others lacked Iga's formidable ninja group, their forces wouldn't be negligible.
Altogether, that meant nearly fifty jonin and over a hundred combined chunin and genin. For this era, that was practically a full military mobilization.
All just for a political marriage?
Impossible.
Satsuki immediately recognized something deeper was at play.
"From what I know, the two countries don't have a particularly friendly relationship. And even if they agreed to a marriage, Yamato has long been a war-torn region. Its castles strain yearly under military expenses. How could they afford such a massive deployment?"
Satsuki narrowed her eyes.
"I want to know what bargaining chip you used to convince them."