After several detours, Senju Tobirama finally returned to the Hokage Office.
On the wide desk before him lay yet another stack of golden imperial decrees issued by the Lord of the Land of Fire. The warm gleam of the parchment did nothing to soothe him. Instead, the sight made his temples throb, a familiar ache spreading through his head.
The pressure was mounting.
It was obvious that the upper echelons of the Land of Fire had grown impatient. They no longer cared about the truth behind the incident. What they wanted was a stance.
This was never about investigating a case.
It was about choosing sides.
As long as Konoha made its position clear, evidence would no longer matter. Whether it was true or false, it could always be shaped into something acceptable. Everyone involved understood this unspoken rule.
The culprit was obvious—Akatsuki Ninja Village.
Yet Akatsuki had prepared too thoroughly. For the time being, Konoha could not uncover any solid, irrefutable proof. Still, that hardly mattered. Even the most absurd evidence would be welcomed by the great nobles, who were more than capable of turning falsehood into truth.
All Konoha needed to do was take the lead.
If Konoha attacked Akatsuki Ninja Village, or even openly pressured them, the nobles would immediately follow. These people had operated within the Ninja World for generations. They possessed deep networks, long-standing relationships with ninja clans across the continent, and—most importantly—vast amounts of money.
As long as they were willing to spend it, Akatsuki Ninja Village's internal unity would not hold.
Under pressure from both inside and outside, Uchiha Makoto would eventually have to make concessions.
Once concessions were made, face would be preserved.
And once face was preserved, everything else could be quietly swept under the rug.
This solution was not unfamiliar to Senju Tobirama.
In fact, before meeting Uchiha Makoto, he had already prepared himself mentally for this outcome. If Makoto refused to admit responsibility, then Konoha would simply move forward with this plan.
Akatsuki Ninja Village, no matter how ambitious, could not stir up waves in front of his elder brother.
This time, both the Lord of the Land of Fire and the nobles stood behind Konoha. Even if the process became messy, it was still manageable. In the worst-case scenario, Takigakure could be pushed forward as a scapegoat to absorb the backlash.
Everything had been calculated.
Yet after personally meeting Uchiha Makoto, after being exposed to his grand vision and witnessing the changes within Akatsuki Ninja Village, Tobirama found that his thoughts had shifted—almost without him realizing it.
Against his will, he had begun leaning toward something new.
Toward modern ninja.
"Damn it… Uchiha Makoto, you inherently evil Uchiha brat."
Tobirama muttered under his breath, gripping the edge of the desk.
"You've tricked me more than once. This time, I finally caught your weakness. Letting you off so easily really is a waste."
He fell silent for a moment.
"But war will always come."
"No matter what, I'll have to face this problem eventually."
Tobirama leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, his expression heavy.
He hated Uchiha Makoto.
But he hated war even more.
War was a monster—one that devoured everything in its path.
Aside from a handful of individuals with twisted personalities, like Uchiha Madara, no one truly loved a life of endless fighting.
To bring an end to the chaos of the Warring States Period, Tobirama had accepted the unthinkable: forming a village together with the Uchiha Clan, living under the same roof as sworn enemies.
The Uchiha had done the same.
Konoha had only existed for a few short years. The hatred between the two clans had not disappeared, yet both sides had tried—consciously—to forget.
Time, after all, had the power to erase many things.
Yet Tobirama knew better than anyone.
War would return.
The large-scale conflicts of the Ninja World had ended, and peace now reigned on the surface. But this peace was fragile. Kumogakure had been forced to sign a series of humiliating, unequal treaties. They endured in silence, licking their wounds.
Once Kumogakure recovered…
War would restart.
And even if it wasn't Kumogakure, another village would rise.
The nature of ninja itself dictated that wars between villages were inevitable.
Ninja survived on missions.
Chaos created missions. Peace destroyed them.
The longer peace lasted, the fewer missions existed—yet the number of ninja continued to grow.
Sooner or later, every ninja village would face the same crisis.
Unemployment.
Even the great villages, backed by national funding, could not sustain this indefinitely. Villages did not directly pay salaries to ninja; instead, they subsidized missions, reduced commission cuts, and tried to increase individual income.
But the overall decline in missions was unavoidable.
Jonin were meant to handle A-rank and S-rank missions, yet during peacetime, such missions were rare. To survive, they had to compete for B-rank—or even C-rank—missions.
Chunin fought over C-rank and D-rank missions.
And Genin?
They could only slash prices and compete on cost alone.
In this vicious cycle, Genin—who made up the majority—would be the first to collapse.
The simplest solution to internal conflict was to externalize it.
To create demand.
And that meant war.
It was a cruel irony.
Ninja longed for peace, yet peace itself threatened their survival.
After years of recovery, Konoha's mission count had already begun to decline noticeably. Tobirama might not be a master of economics, but years of managing the village had sharpened his instincts.
He could sense the danger.
And so, when faced with the future envisioned by Uchiha Makoto…
Though Tobirama publicly denounced it as heresy, as madness that violated every rule of the Ninja World—
Deep down, he was tempted.
Just a little.
If there truly existed a way to change the Ninja World…
If war could be avoided…
Then perhaps—
"Let that evil Uchiha brat test the waters first," Tobirama muttered.
"Konoha will observe from the sidelines. Let Akatsuki Ninja Village feel its way across the river."
"There's no need for us to take the risk."
"We must guard against Akatsuki… and also make use of them."
"For a longer future."
He closed his eyes.
"This time… we have no choice."
In the end, Senju Tobirama chose to abandon a small part of his convictions.
"Damn it, Uchiha Makoto."
"I'm not helping you."
"I'm doing this for Konoha. For the common people. And for that tiny, fragile hope of change."
"Just this once."
"Don't go too far."
"Konoha won't go mad with you."
Land of Fire
An attendant, his hands trembling, carefully carried a steaming bowl of bird's nest soup toward the Lord's bedchamber.
The guards stationed outside exchanged glances, their expressions filled with relief—and sympathy.
Ordinarily, serving close to the Lord was a blessing. Proximity to power often meant power itself. A favored attendant could rise rapidly, becoming a trusted confidant, showered with gifts and bribes.
But lately…
Serving the Lord had become a death sentence.
The Lord of the Land of Fire had been in a terrible mood. His temper was volatile, unpredictable. In just a few days, attendants had been replaced again and again.
At the worst point, three were dismissed in a single day.
This attendant was unlucky.
His turn had come by drawing lots.
The moment he pushed open the door, the Lord's furious roar echoed through the chamber.
"So this is how my Land of Fire is ruled now?! By ninja?!"
"And what does this report say?! 'To relieve the monarch's worries, we dare not shirk our duties'—and then they tell me they've negotiated with Akatsuki Ninja Village to send troops to Takigakure to demand accountability?!"
"Who is it?!"
The attendant nearly collapsed.
"Y-Your Highness… your bird's nest soup…"
"Who told you to enter?!"
"Get out!"
"Call the Elder!"
Cold sweat soaked his back. The attendant fled, slamming the door shut and racing through layers of guards to summon the Elder.
The Elder arrived shortly afterward.
The sight before him was chaos.
The Lord's eyes were bloodshot. His clothes were disheveled. His crown lay discarded on the floor. Sword in hand, he hacked wildly at the air, furniture overturned, priceless vases shattered across the chamber.
"Your Highness," the Elder said carefully, kneeling. "Please, calm your anger."
"They've rebelled!" the Lord roared.
"All of them!"
"Ninja—barely given power—and they already dare to treat me with such disrespect!"
"I funded Akatsuki Ninja Village myself! That was my money!"
"I've treated Konoha fairly—more than fairly!"
"All I asked was for a little face! A graceful resolution!"
"But what did I get?!"
"First Akatsuki slaps me in the face—now Konoha does the same!"
The Lord laughed bitterly.
"I'm a clown!"
The Elder remained kneeling, gently soothing him, afraid the Lord might make an irreversible decision.
"Your Highness," he said softly. "The more critical the moment, the calmer we must be."
"You're afraid of forcing them to rebel, aren't you?" the Lord sneered.
He understood perfectly.
To restrain Konoha, he had cultivated Akatsuki. But Akatsuki had grown too fast—and too bold.
Konoha remained obedient… for now.
But all ninja were the same.
"Akatsuki is easy," the Elder said cautiously. "But Konoha… Senju Hashirama…"
At the mention of that name, the Lord stiffened.
Few understood Hashirama's true strength.
But the Lord did.
As long as Hashirama lived, pushing too hard was dangerous.
"This won't end here," the Lord said coldly.
"Accelerate the plan."
"Plant spies."
"Sow discord."
"Love gold… or love the ninja village?"
The Elder bowed.
"I will handle it."
Takigakure
"What?!"
"When did we send ninja to assassinate a noble family of the Land of Fire?!"
"This is slander!"
"Where is Kakuzu?!"
"Did he act on his own?!"
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)