Mountains' Graveyard.
Uchiha Madara turned the roasting meat, the campfire in front of him crackling as the firewood burned.
The meat sizzled and dripped with fat. Beside him, a White Zetsu stared with shining eyes and swallowed its saliva, not daring to speak.
"Take it. This piece is yours…" Madara said coldly, handing over the branch skewering the meat.
"Really? Madara-sama!" the White Zetsu cheered. "You're too kind!"
"Hmph…"
The corner of Madara's mouth lifted ever so slightly. "Even if you lot are just inferior copies among inferior copies of Hashirama, not even worthy of being called human, I don't have the habit of going back on my word."
The White Zetsu froze. What did he mean, going back on his word?
Only then did it recall—about a month or two ago…
When Madara had wrongly accused it of failing to gather precise intel on Isshin and Seisui, he had said that next time he had grilled meat, he'd share some…
"You are truly a man who always keeps his promises, a man worth a thousand gold for a single word!" the White Zetsu said, racking its brain for praise.
"That's you keep your word, a promise worth a thousand gold…" Madara sighed. He really didn't want to deal with these uncultured artificial beings.
They lowered his standards…
Back then, in the entire Uchiha clan, aside from Izuna, he had read the most classics and ancient texts!
He was, without question, a cultured man…
"Ah, got it, got it!" the White Zetsu said cheerfully while eating the meat. "Anyway, you're a man who never breaks his word, the great Madara-sama!"
Madara's expression suddenly stiffened.
Zetsu's words made him think of Izuna.
In truth… he had broken a promise before.
And it was a promise to the person most important to him…
'Brother, you must take care of the clan… and yourself…' —those were Izuna's final words.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, the White Zetsu cautiously glanced at Madara and desperately tried to change the subject: "Madara-sama, by the way, why do you even eat grilled meat? Do you get cravings? With Hashirama's cells and the Demonic Statue, you don't even need food…"
Madara shot it a glance, suppressing the chaotic thoughts in his mind. "Hmph. This is a habit of celebrating victory."
Back in the Warring States era—
Every time he and Izuna led the clan to victory, they would light a bonfire, bring out wine and meat, and the clan would sit together while Izuna spoke…
For Madara, this was a ritual—one tied to his resolve to destroy the Will of Fire.
And eating meat in big bites, without relying on Hashirama's cells or the nourishment of the Demonic Statue, made him feel like he wasn't that old yet—that he could still eat like a proper man!
"At this moment, everyone in the village, my friends—good evening. I am the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen…"
At that moment, the White Zetsu "radio" transmitted a steady, powerful voice.
Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Madara let out a cold laugh. He wanted to see exactly how Hiruzen would handle this situation…
"A successor of Hashirama will inevitably fall into Hashirama's limitations and flaws!" Madara muttered to himself.
The White Zetsu looked at him eagerly. "Madara-sama, can I listen together with you?"
For a White Zetsu, as long as others of its kind weren't too far away, it could connect through telepathy.
But this was clearly beyond that range.
"You sure have a lot of requests… fine."
Madara waved his arm. A tube from the Demonic Statue pierced into the White Zetsu's body, the tomoe in his eyes faintly rotating.
As the true owner of the Rinnegan—
Even without his eyes, Madara could still use part of its abilities. This kind of remote connection with White Zetsu was a variation of the Magic Lantern Body Technique.
"I believe that at this very moment, everyone in Konoha is sitting beside a warm fire, sharing a meal with their families…"
"This talk is something I wanted to use to discuss the issues the village has been facing recently, and to talk about the new policies we will implement in the future…"
Hiruzen's tone was gentle, his speaking pace about one-third slower than usual.
It allowed the shinobi to hear clearly, while also creating the atmosphere of a "two-way conversation."
"Madara-sama, we're also sitting by a fire, eating food together!" the White Zetsu whispered with a grin. "The Hokage would never imagine that aside from Konoha's ninja, we're listening too…"
Madara gave a dismissive snort. "Konoha's ninja?"
In his eyes, the Hokage was nothing more than a young brat. Even the name Konoha had been chosen by him!
The first Konoha forehead protector belonged to Hashirama—the second was his!
Still, Zetsu's words gave him a strange feeling…
Wasn't his current state no different from those Konoha ninja?
Though White Zetsu could hardly be considered family…
"Let's first talk about Uchiha Yashiro's matter…"
"As I see it, the core of this debate can be divided into two layers…"
"Let's begin with the first layer—the conflict between the shinobi code and the Will of Fire."
"As a shinobi, failing a mission makes you worthless—this iron rule has existed in the ninja world for over a thousand years. But just because something has always existed, does that make it right?"
Hiruzen paused for a moment, allowing the shinobi to think.
That single sentence caused Madara's expression to change.
Wait—
Something about this didn't sound right.
Was he trying to deny the shinobi code?
Was this really something a leader of shinobi should say?
"The emergence of a rule is often determined by the circumstances of its era… During the Warring States period, wars were frequent and extremely intense. For survival, missions had to be the highest priority…"
"In the face of survival, everything else had to give way. That was the helplessness of our ancestors."
Hiruzen spoke slowly.
Before him, a crystal ball reinforced by a special ritual ensured that the Hokage's voice could be transmitted steadily and clearly to every shinobi.
Danzō sat nearby in a chair, staring intently at Hiruzen.
With a pipe in his mouth and a faint smile on his face, Hiruzen, despite facing no one, truly looked as if he were chatting with the villagers—his demeanor and tone extremely approachable.
'Even I, looking at Hiruzen like this, would instinctively feel that he's reliable…' Danzō took a deep breath, putting away his fleeting thoughts of surpassing Hiruzen.
After this incident, he had clearly realized his own shortcomings…
He still had much to learn!
He had to learn from Hiruzen in every aspect—draw closer to him in all respects!
But at the same time, he also had to bring out his own unique strengths…
"And Konoha was founded by the First Hokage, together with his brothers and companions, in order to change the terrible environment of the Warring States era…"
"If it shows no difference, no progress from that era, then what is the meaning of the village? It would only make ninja continue to suffer and endure hardship!"
Madara narrowed his eyes.
Hashirama's brothers and companions…
Setting Tobirama aside, the only one who had truly stood shoulder to shoulder with Hashirama… was himself!
"Next, let us talk about the Uchiha Yashiro incident…"
"First of all, I have already had the Intelligence Division and the Yamanaka clan confirm that the enemy Yashiro encountered was far stronger than him. Their overall capability was at a level rarely seen in the shinobi world…"
"This is also Mito-sama's judgment."
A faint smile appeared at Madara's lips. "At least he understands. He hasn't disgraced Hashirama's name…"
To conceal his identity, Madara had deliberately avoided using any of his signature techniques.
But true experts could always judge strength through the smallest details.
And at the mention of Mito, Madara's expression turned serious.
Although he was confident that Mito could not see through his disguise, her sensory ability combined with her terrifying sixth sense forced even him to remain cautious.
Mito was not merely Hashirama's woman—her own name alone commanded respect.
"Even when facing such a powerful enemy, Uchiha Yashiro still fought with everything he had, exhausting both his chakra and his ocular power…"
"He has already fulfilled his duty."
"Some of you may be wondering—what about the losses suffered by the Land of Fire and Konoha due to the mission's failure? I say this: even though this was Yashiro's mission, it has nothing to do with his responsibility."
Hiruzen paused briefly.
"As long as one fulfills their duty and gives their all, that is already the responsibility of a Konoha shinobi…"
"On that basis, if an accident occurs, the village will step in and take responsibility for Yashiro. There is no need to continue blaming him…"
"And not just Yashiro—any Konoha ninja who faithfully carries out their duties will be protected by the village. That is precisely the meaning of the village's existence."
Madara's eyes widened slightly.
A miscalculation!
Hiruzen was not operating under traditional shinobi thinking… he wasn't even the same as Hashirama!
"Madara-sama, things don't seem to be developing as expected…" the White Zetsu murmured, connected to the intelligence network. "From what other Zetsu are sending back, some of Konoha's ninja are actually applauding…"
Madara snapped, "Silence. I can hear it myself!"
Although Hiruzen sat inside the Hokage building—and the Konoha ninja were not before him, but in their own homes—
At this moment, nearly all of Konoha's ninja were sincerely applauding their Hokage, their voices carrying all the way into the Hokage building…
Danzō listened to the applause and couldn't help but freeze.
What terrifying prestige!
Even sitting here, the ninja's applause surged toward him like a tide…
A thought surfaced in Danzō's mind—one that even shocked himself.
'Hiruzen's prestige… might already be on par with our sensei back then…'
'Or perhaps… it has even surpassed him… No, impossible. How could Hiruzen surpass sensei!' Danzō hurriedly rejected the frightening thought.
He had approached this with a mindset of learning—
But Hiruzen couldn't be advancing this fast…
Surpassing sensei would be unthinkable!
Meanwhile, at the Uchiha clan compound—
Yashiro, Fugaku, Tobirama, Isshin, and the others sat together, listening to Hiruzen's broadcast.
"Uchiha Yashiro is an outstanding Konoha ninja. He performed his duties diligently in the Police Force, and after transferring to frontline operations, he was widely praised. The vast majority of his missions received sincere gratitude from his clients…"
"He has a heart of gold!"
Yashiro covered his face. Though he was a grown man, he broke down into uncontrollable sobs.
He tried to rub the tears back into his eyes, but no matter what, he couldn't stop them.
The corners of his mouth trembled uncontrollably, letting out a low, beast-like whimper.
Tobirama silently watched this scene, feeling deeply moved.
Setting everything else aside, when it came to comforting and winning over people's hearts, Hiruzen had already graduated…
Inside Tobirama's body, Izuna also listened quietly, slowly beginning to clap.
"As expected of Hashirama's disciple…"
"Without hesitation, he uses systems and laws to stand up for the Uchiha. With a Hokage like this, even I feel reassured about Konoha!"
Izuna did not hold back his praise, openly commending Hiruzen.
An ancient man of the Warring States era, receiving a small shock from the Will of Fire…
But Tobirama found it somewhat hard to accept.
"By the way, shouldn't the Third Hokage be Senju Tobirama's disciple? Why do you always say he's the First Hokage's disciple? Do they resemble each other that much?"
Tobirama couldn't help but ask.
If not for the fact that he couldn't reveal his identity…
He would have liked nothing more than to use Flying Thunder God to slash this guy's mouth shut! If you don't understand, then don't talk nonsense!
"Hmph…"
Izuna gave a light cough. "Although, based on the records you showed me, Sarutobi Hiruzen is indeed Senju Tobirama's disciple… some people are simply special…"
"Like a lotus—though it grows in the mud, it can still bloom into a pure flower!"
Tobirama nodded as if enlightened, though his body temperature rose slightly.
Calling me mud, are you? Truly low character—only capable of badmouthing others behind their backs!
No… actually, Izuna had never held back even face-to-face before. Back then, they used to argue directly to each other's faces…
'Heh, if you're so capable, then go deal with Mito for me!'
'I'd like to see whether Mito would whip you with her chains. Don't think she'll spare you just because you're a spirit…' Tobirama had already made up his mind—if Mito really tried to investigate the chakra issue inside him…
He would just throw Izuna out and let him deal with it himself!
After all, he was just a boy. If something came up, going to ask an ancestor for help was perfectly normal, wasn't it?
When faced with problems, Tobirama's bottom line flexibly accepted his identity as a Uchiha youth…
"Seisui, you also have this kind of potential…"
Izuna spoke without the slightest awareness: "Look—even though you were born in the muddy backwater of Kusagakure, you were still able to grow within the Uchiha, within Konoha, into a shinobi as pure as a lotus!"
Tobirama gave a half-smile, half-not-smile nod.
Now you're praising me?
Too late!
Off to the side, Fugaku and Isshin exchanged a glance. Both of them felt somewhat uncomfortable inside.
The Hokage treated people with such sincerity that it made their earlier probing intentions seem rather petty…
Fugaku let out a long sigh. "Hokage-sama…"
"You must carry out your duties for the village properly. The Police Force's 'veterans guiding newcomers,' and the guidance for clan members integrating into frontline units—these must be implemented immediately. Not a single mistake can be allowed…" Isshin spoke in a deep voice, "Did you hear that, Fugaku?"
"Yes, Clan Head Isshin," Fugaku replied solemnly.
With the Hokage giving them this much face, if they still didn't step up, that would truly be refusing a favor out of arrogance.
Those who push their luck would never earn sympathy from others.
...
"Yashiro's situation is a long-standing pain point in the shinobi world. It won't be an isolated case. In the future, similar situations—large or small—will inevitably occur again…"
"Therefore, the village plans to implement a new system, called the 'Konoha Mutual Aid Fund.'"
Next, Hiruzen began explaining it in detail.
The ninja's mission commission would increase by five percent, but the village would subsidize an equivalent amount into their personal accounts.
Although it could only be used in certain scenarios, those scenarios were all essential needs.
At Minato's home, Uchiha En held a wine cup, speaking excitedly: "Good, good!"
"Some of the younger ninja just spend everything the moment they get paid—they don't understand the need to keep something in reserve for emergencies!"
"With this, ninja will have a safety net. When something unexpected happens, they'll be able to deal with it themselves first…"
"Damn it, this is leagues better than anything Senju Tobirama ever came up with! If you ask me, he died too late—if the Third had taken the position earlier, Konoha wouldn't have had so much useless nonsense!"
"Good! Sarutobi Hiruzen is a good Hokage!" Uchiha En drained his cup in one gulp.
At the Hokage's words, one should drink deeply!
In the entire Uchiha clan, he might be the only one not currently at the clan compound…
Minato scratched his head, not knowing what to say, and could only refill Uchiha En's cup.
To say he wasn't loyal to Konoha…
He cursed the Second Hokage, yet praised Sarutobi Hiruzen…
Moreover, Minato cast a subtle glance at Uchiha En's arm—it was no longer missing.
'Forget it… the Second Hokage cut off En-ojisan's arm, but Hokage-sama restored it…'
'Let him curse a couple of times. It's not like anyone else can hear it anyway…'
Minato thought to himself. 'And besides… Hokage-sama really did do well…'
What Minato didn't know, however—
Was that En had already decided that once he returned to the clan compound, he would vigorously spread this viewpoint throughout the entire clan…
And among the Uchiha, there was a young man named Seisui…
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