Naruto: Tenseigan Eye

At most, targeting the daimyos might cause confusion and stir up some hatred.

But are daimyos really that important? Would ninja villages cease to exist without them?

I shouldn't have said anything, really, thought Black Zetsu.

From this moment on, Black Zetsu vowed to never press or make suggestions again. Instead, he decided to silently play along.

Since Uchiha Madara never listens to anyone and trusts only himself, it's best to let him act as he pleases. As long as the plan moves forward, Black Zetsu could bear it.

He comforted himself with this thought, knowing that, at this point, he had no other choice.

As for concerns about being discovered by the Sage of Six Paths, Black Zetsu had long stopped caring. After countless years of waiting and effort, Uchiha Madara was here—his one and only hope.

There had been chakra reincarnations of Indra and Asura in every generation, but there was only one Uchiha Madara!

If the reincarnations of Indra and Asura in previous generations had been useful, why would Black Zetsu have waited until now? The Infinite Tsukuyomi plan would have been completed centuries ago!

Time continued to pass, and Uchiha Madara remained idle. Other than regularly listening to the information gathered by White Zetsu, he spent most of his time reminiscing about the memories he shared with his old friend, Senju Hashirama.

Meanwhile, in the ninja world, the Third Hokage represented Konoha at the talks in the Land of Iron. Despite his age, his legendary powers of persuasion were on full display. He managed to convince representatives from many countries and villages to unite.

Before long, a consensus was reached, and the Allied Shinobi Forces were officially formed to oppose Uchiha Madara.

The coalition's main force consisted of elite ninjas from the five major ninja villages. Contributions from smaller villages were minimal, with most serving as logistical support to transport materials.

The five major ninja villages had little regard for the fighting abilities of small villages. These ninjas were often too weak and poorly trained to be of any use on the battlefield. Even as cannon fodder, they would only hinder operations. It was better to leave the war to the five major ninja villages, whose forces were far more capable. Even the samurai of the Land of Iron were stronger than the ninjas of most small villages.

Of course, there were exceptions, such as the Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall Village), which had a fair number of skilled combat ninjas who could contribute to the war effort.

Once the coalition began to take shape, Shinki led the Konoha delegation to the main camp in the Land of Earth.

No one, except Uchiha Madara, could predict from which direction the White Zetsu army would attack. To prepare for this uncertainty, Konoha and Iwa Ninja Village established a large military camp on the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth, where allied forces would gather.

At the coalition's combat headquarters, Shinki proposed an unexpected idea that stunned the room.

Yagura was the first to object.

"Shinki, while those rogue ninjas may be strong, they're criminals. They became rogue ninjas for a reason. Recruiting them into the coalition would create significant security risks," Yagura argued.

Shinki's suggestion was to recruit rogue ninjas from various villages to join the coalition. However, this idea directly challenged Yagura's principles. Mist Village, after all, had the highest number of rogue ninjas among the five major ninja villages, many of whom had committed heinous crimes.

Mist Village's rogue ninjas were infamous for their brutality and willingness to kill their own comrades. Comparatively, rogue ninjas from other villages, while still criminals, were less bloodthirsty.

"Mizukage," the Third Raikage interjected with a chuckle, "this is just a suggestion. You don't need to be so defensive. We all know Mist Village has quite a few rogue ninjas."

Yagura's expression darkened.

If you don't know how to contribute, maybe just stay quiet, he thought. Cloud Village wasn't exactly free of rogue ninjas either.

Despite Yagura's frustration, he managed to maintain his composure.

Shinki shook his head and explained, "Mizukage, my suggestion is to give these rogue ninjas a chance to redeem themselves. Each village has its share of prisoners—rogue ninjas who committed serious crimes. By gathering them together and offering them a chance to earn their freedom through meritorious service, we could use them as powerful cannon fodder without wasting resources."

"As for security risks, we can address those by assigning someone strong enough to keep them in check," he added.

Shinki believed that some rogue ninjas could be useful, especially those who became criminals due to circumstances rather than choice. Offering them a chance to atone for their sins through battlefield contributions would motivate them.

The Third Raikage nodded. "I'll take responsibility," he said with a grin. "If the Mizukage is worried about these rogue ninjas rebelling, I'll personally keep them in line. If anyone causes trouble, I'll deal with them immediately."

The other leaders, including Onoki and the Third Kazekage, were intrigued by the idea. Many villages had imprisoned rogue ninjas and criminals who were still skilled fighters. If these individuals could redeem themselves, why not give them a chance?

With the Third Raikage leading the effort, no one doubted that any troublemakers would be swiftly handled.

Yagura, however, was exasperated. Even criminals and prisoners are being used in this war, and I'm the only one against it?

Despite his protests, Yagura was overruled once again. The coalition headquarters decided to issue a notice that same day, spreading the message across the ninja world.

The notice offered rogue ninjas a chance to earn redemption. Those who joined the coalition, fought hard, and made significant contributions could have their past crimes forgiven and live freely once again, no longer forced to live in hiding.

The offer extended to prisoners in village prisons as well. Unsurprisingly, most of these prisoners—except for those who feared death—accepted the opportunity.