"Found him! Uchiha chakra, about fifty li to the southeast!"
Eyes closed in concentration, Uzumaki Chizawa suddenly opened them, a touch of excitement in his voice as he addressed Senju Mori.
Uchiha chakra was distinctive.
Likely due to the Sharingan, it often felt cold and unsettling, the opposite of the Senju's warmly soothing chakra.
"If we get a bit closer, I should be able to—"
"Is it just Uchiha Kagami? Any companions with him?"
Mori's gaze tightened. He asked with care.
"I sense no Konoha shinobi. On the contrary, a Kumogakure squad is closing fast."
Chizawa kept his eyes shut, sensing as he answered.
"So Hiruzen and the others aren't with Kagami. They were scattered by Kumo…" Mori murmured.
It made sense. Kinkaku and Ginkaku were Kumo's twin pillars in the First Great Ninja War. Their personal Gold and Silver Unit would hardly be weak.
If Tobirama alone were strong enough to hold both brothers and several dozen elite shinobi, Hiruzen and the rest would not have needed to flee.
"Hiruzen? The same Hiruzen Sarutobi who'll contend with you for the Hokage's seat?" Chizawa asked, intrigued.
"More precisely, I am contending with him. Clan Head Tobirama does not intend to leave the next Hokage to the Senju."
Mori did not shy from his disadvantage. He turned and cautioned Chizawa:
"Remember this, Chizawa. No matter how fine the slogans sound, a shinobi village is only an organization made of clans. The clan is the foundation on which you and I stand."
"Uzumaki has smaller client clans under it, yes? When you become clan head, do not invert cause and effect."
"That's a bit far off for me, Brother Mori," Chizawa said, scratching his head. "My father is clan head, yes, but the title isn't strictly hereditary. There are peers more accomplished than I am."
"No, Chizawa. It is never too early to think on this."
Mori's tone was unusually grave.
"Listen. What I say now comes from the heart. I am not fearmongering."
"If this plan succeeds and I become Hokage, I will visit Uzushio to meet Uncle Chihaya and will back you fully to succeed as Uzumaki clan head—even if it means war."
"If I fail, I will not live under Hiruzen."
"I will rally every follower I have and stage a coup—either replace him or die on the spot."
"If Hiruzen inherits the Hokage's office, the Senju will shift from a Hokage family to an oversized clan whose past service threatens the throne."
"Within ten years we will decline through a string of 'accidents.'"
"Even if I am gone by then, warn the Uzumaki to move with caution."
"Given how close our clans are, you'll be lucky if Hiruzen and his circle don't retaliate against you. Do not expect Konoha to keep treating Uzushio as an ally."
"Without Konoha's protection, the entire shinobi world will covet your sealing arts."
"If there is no way forward, persuade Uncle Chihaya to join Kumo or Iwa. Ōnoki and the Third Raikage are both bold, broad-minded men. They will treat the Uzumaki well."
The near-testament rattled Chizawa badly.
He stared, speechless for a long moment, then nodded with effort. "Understood, Brother Mori. But I believe you will claim the Hokage's seat, and the friendship between Senju and Uzumaki will endure—forever."
"Hahaha—success would be best. Even if I fail, I'll have no regrets."
Mori laughed freely.
A lifetime of training from childhood would be tested in this one move.
"Uchiha Kagami seems injured. At his current pace, the Kumo squad will catch him in at most ten minutes."
After a pause, Chizawa spoke again.
As they closed in, his readings grew clearer.
"Do we move now, Brother Mori?" he asked.
"No hurry," Mori said coolly. "Never underestimate a Mangekyō Uchiha. Before we learn his exact ocular techniques, let that Kumo squad probe for us."
"Assume they have a sensor. We advance to within ten kilometers for now. Once they engage, we move closer."
This was the strength of the Uzumaki: terrifying sensory range meant absolute initiative.
Kagura's Mind Eye spanned dozens of kilometers, peerless among sensors. Perhaps only Naruto's future Sage Mode would compare. Kumo brutes would not match that standard.
Even the purest Byakugan of the Hyūga main house barely reached ten kilometers.
And the main house seldom fought at the front without the Caged Bird Seal to protect the Byakugan. As for the branch house active on wartime fronts, their diluted sight often dropped to a paltry one kilometer.
The Aburame's insects and the Inuzuka's sense of smell ranged about the same, but their precision at those limits suffered badly.
As they threaded through the trees, Mori gave final instructions:
"Susanoo. Izanagi. And two unknown Mangekyō techniques."
"Chizawa, the instant I land a surprise strike, seal Uchiha Kagami. Do not let him use any of those four."
Chizawa nodded, face set with seriousness.
As a millennium-old clan, the Uzumaki knew the Uchiha as well as the Senju did. He understood how fearsome Susanoo and Izanagi were.
That knowledge had been bought by his ancestors with their lives. No heir of any clan would dare ignore it.