Uchiha Madara rubbed his temples, carefully searching for loopholes in the system proposed by Hiruzen.
But he found that there didn't seem to be any problems…
The ninja would lose a portion of their income, yet the village compensated it back—and added a layer of protection in case of mission failure.
"Why would he come up with such a solution…"
"He doesn't seem like a ninja at all. He's… strange." Madara murmured.
This was the first time Madara had failed to understand the actions of a younger generation…
Seeing Madara in this state, the White Zetsu no longer dared to interrupt and silently poured him wine.
As a clever White Zetsu, it knew that once Madara entered this kind of muttering state, his mood was far from stable—anything could happen…
Hiruzen's tone grew slightly more serious.
"The Will of Fire is an ideology advocated by the First Hokage. Its purpose was to unite the shinobi of different clans into one whole, to break the cold divisions of the Warring States era…"
"This idea was highly pioneering. However, Hashirama-sama passed away due to excessive grief and overwork, and did not have the time to fully refine it…"
This was not something Hiruzen made up.
In his memory, after the battle with Madara, Hashirama seemed to have lost his vitality. He rarely smiled again.
Defining Hashirama's death as caused by excessive grief was Hiruzen's way of slightly easing the historical burden of the Uchiha clan.
Madara was Madara. The Uchiha of Konoha were the Uchiha of Konoha…
Moreover, based on Hiruzen's understanding and analysis of Hashirama…
Even if Hashirama himself were standing here, he likely wouldn't allow him to speak ill of Madara…
Hashirama's feelings toward Madara—and toward the Uchiha—were deep and abundant, even somewhat difficult to understand.
So doing this could also be considered respecting the First Hokage's wishes.
Madara was stunned.
'What did "excessive grief" mean? Wasn't it Hashirama who—'
"Haah…" Madara unconsciously let out a sigh, feeling uncomfortable all over.
You killed me, didn't you? So why did you end up grieving yourself to death?!
Madara only felt a vague frustration he couldn't quite put into words. He yanked the tube from his back and began pacing back and forth inside the underground cavern.
Only then did he feel slightly better…
"Before his death, Hashirama-sama once instructed me to continue refining and promoting the Will of Fire—to closely follow the development of the times, and to absorb the mistakes the village had made, so as to avoid repeating them…"
"It is only recently that I have come to understand this. Hashirama-sama had actually already seen the problems that would arise in the village's future."
Tobirama's eyelids twitched repeatedly.
There's no way big brother ever said that!
Hiruzen is making things up again…
He's waving big brother's banner like a war standard!
If this keeps going, big brother's image is going to turn into that of a far-sighted strategic mastermind…
"At that time, Hokage-sama shouldn't have been very old, right?" Tobirama said faintly.
He wasn't trying to undermine Hiruzen—he was filling in the gaps for his disciple.
"Hah, this is where you don't understand, Seisui!"
"Even though you're a once-in-a-generation genius, there are some things you shouldn't speak about casually."
Isshin waved his hand.
"Hokage-sama was valued by the First Hokage since childhood—he was personally guided and raised by him. Those of us older folks all know this…"
"Hokage-sama is humble, so he rarely mentioned matters related to the First Hokage in the past… but now that the village is undergoing a transformation, he has no choice but to bring up these past events so everyone can understand that even the First Hokage had the intention to change…"
"He has no choice…" Isshin shook his head. "It's all for the sake of the village."
On the surface, Tobirama nodded along, but inwardly he was losing it.
To have an Uchiha say that he didn't understand his own big brother…
That was something he truly had never imagined!
And what was with this favorable impression of Hiruzen? Had he put you under a genjutsu or something?
"Seisui, you absolutely must read more and think more!"
With a serious expression, Fugaku said, "You're still young. You must keep your hunger for knowledge!"
This time, Tobirama had to use chakra just to barely keep his expression under control.
So now even an illiterate and a lunatic get to lecture him?
That's enough already!
"Mhm, Fugaku-niisan is right…" Tobirama said, lips pressed together.
"How about this—I'll go do someone a favor and borrow a collection of Hokage-sama's sayings from Committee Member Hiruko for you. You must study it carefully…" Fugaku patted Tobirama on the shoulder.
"You have to seize this chance and study hard! The clan's future is depending on you…"
Tobirama took a deep breath.
"Well then, thank you so very much, Fugaku-niisan!!"
But to Madara's ears, those words carried a different flavor.
"Mistakes?"
Madara chewed over that word and sighed once again.
Inside the Hokage building, Danzō sighed as well.
His old friend's qualifications and foundations were far deeper than his own!
As someone who had been Hiruzen's companion since childhood, Danzō had never doubted that Hashirama might have said such things to Hiruzen.
'When they were little, Hiruzen really was often called over by Hashirama-sama for special tutoring…'
'But every time he came back, he would say he hadn't learned anything, looking all embarrassed…'
Danzō recalled the past. 'So it wasn't ninjutsu he was being taught, but the Will of Fire?'
'That explains it. How old was Hiruzen back then, anyway…'
But in truth, what Hiruzen had indeed learned was ninjutsu, and he hadn't learned much…
What little kid could master clap your hands and get whatever you want?
Hiruzen glanced at Danzō and smiled.
What's he thinking about this time? He looks like he's fallen into a life-flashing-before-his-eyes daze, his eyes completely blank…
"The village was established to protect everyone, and in order for the village to have strength, everyone must also provide support to the village…"
Hiruzen said slowly, "The collective provides a safety net for the individual, and the individual fulfills their duty to the collective…"
"But just like the missions we take in our daily lives, reward and difficulty should be proportional."
"In the past, because of the wartime environment and certain outdated ideas carried over from the Warring States era, the village went wrong in this regard."
"In other words, as Uchiha Seisui put it—the Root problem."
Hiruzen's tone grew heavy and forceful.
"At the time, in order to give the village stronger armed power, the creation of Root employed methods such as coercion. From this day forward, this is something that must be absolutely eliminated and guarded against!"
"Shinobi hand over part of their resources, join the village, and obey its rules in exchange for safety, protection, and dignity…"
"The more shinobi give, the more the village should do its utmost to repay them! Equal authority and responsibility, equal contribution and protection—this is the true material expression of the Will of Fire…"
"Under no circumstances can we use the name of the village to make shinobi give endlessly and without restraint!"
Hiruzen declared in a sonorous voice: "Shinobi are not tools!"
"The village is the tool! It is a tool meant to protect Konoha's shinobi, to protect everyone…"
"If those two are reversed, then the Will of Fire will turn into a terrifying monster, and Konoha will change from a warm family into an abyss—one that devours the very people it was meant to protect!"
Hiruzen said with complete sincerity: "I cannot say that the village can satisfy everyone's needs, nor can I say that every decision I make is correct…"
"But I will do my utmost to coordinate things and turn Konoha into the ideal village. And if problems arise in the course of its development, please supervise me, correct me, and remind me in time!"
"Only if we all join hands can we overcome one difficulty after another and move steadily forward…"
Madara was shaken to the core.
Hiruzen's words sounded strikingly similar to what Hashirama had said during their final battle…
'Protecting the village is the most important thing! Whether the other party is my friend, my brother, or even my child, I cannot forgive anyone who harms the village!'
Madara's view, however, was this:
The Uchiha were part of Konoha—and one of its founders besides.
Did protecting the village mean giving up the clan's legitimate rights?
Madara did not believe that after Senju Tobirama became the Second Hokage, the Uchiha would have good days ahead of them…
When Hashirama's long blade had pierced through his chest from behind—
The last words Madara left him were: "Hashirama… you've changed. What you're doing is backwards—you've lost sight of what matters. Sooner or later, you'll become the very darkness threatening the village."
Madara's brows knit tightly together. For the first time in a long while, his heart could not calm down, and he muttered to himself: "What is going on with this Sarutobi Hiruzen?"
"Isn't he Hashirama's disciple? And didn't that bastard Tobirama guide him for a while too? Yet not only was he not contaminated—he somehow grasped my will all on his own!"
One question mark after another seemed to pop up over White Zetsu's head.
No…
Madara-sama, you've really gone mad, haven't you?
That's Konoha Village's Third Hokage—what do you mean he grasped your will?
You can even say something like that?
How many words have you even exchanged with him…
"Let me think, let me think…" Madara sat down on a broad stone bench, his brows drawn tightly together.
"I attacked Konoha using the weakness in Hashirama's Will of Fire…"
"But Sarutobi Hiruzen counterattacked using my will?"
"So does that mean I beat myself?"
The White Zetsu's eyes turned into spirals. Madara-sama was talking in way too roundabout a way…
"This brat is interesting—very interesting!"
Suddenly, Madara threw back his head and laughed loudly. "It's been a long time since I've met such an interesting brat… No, I, Uchiha Madara, can acknowledge you as an opponent, Sarutobi Hiruzen!"
"If I had taken you as my disciple back then, perhaps I never would have gone on to seek the flawless Eye of the Moon Plan. Maybe I'd have just muddled through life day by day…"
"What a pity… No, not a pity!"
Madara was about to say something more when he heard Hiruzen continue speaking, and he subconsciously fell silent.
Mm…
This was for the sake of probing the enemy's situation first!
"Right now, everyone may be feeling somewhat stirred up inside…"
Listening to the waves of cheers outside the window, Hiruzen gave a light cough.
"But we must stay calm. We must recognize that Konoha is still only at the very beginning of its stage of development. There is still much we need to do…"
"The challenges we must face, and the difficulties we must overcome, are varied."
"Take the enemy Uchiha Yashiro encountered, for example…"
Hiruzen deliberately paused.
A trace of interest flashed through Uchiha Madara's eyes…
How would Sarutobi Hiruzen—who had inherited his former will—analyze this?
"This enemy did not harm Yashiro, yet his methods were extremely sophisticated."
"He exhausted Yashiro without leaving any wounds, making it impossible for him to defend himself… This precisely targeted a critical juncture in Konoha's development—aiming at the Will of Fire and the shinobi code, the subconscious conflict between these old and new ideologies!"
"This person understands Konoha extremely well and has also studied the Will of Fire."
"Based on my judgment, together with Mito-sama's, it is highly likely that this person is a Konoha ninja who left the village during its earlier stages of development…"
Hiruzen spoke softly.
Madara's eyes widened instantly!
That guess was far too accurate—it had even laid bare his intentions.
"As for their exact identity, it is still difficult to verify for now."
"In its development, Konoha inevitably walked through some muddy paths. Some ninja left the village carrying doubts…" Hiruzen said slowly.
"It is even possible that the ninja Yashiro encountered is listening to me right now… His grasp of the village as a whole forces me to believe he possesses firsthand information about it."
"But that is no problem. I am not afraid of being heard when I speak, nor am I afraid of Konoha's shortcomings being exposed—because I will work together with everyone to correct them and move forward!"
"When the enemy attacks us, we must counterattack—but we must also reflect on what we have done poorly that allowed those weaknesses to be exploited!"
Madara slowly let out a long breath.
He began to think about something…
Back then, why hadn't he taken Sarutobi Hiruzen as his disciple? What a pity!
Seisui was indeed excellent.
But compared to Seisui, Sarutobi Hiruzen was the perfect spokesperson in his mind for the Eye of the Moon Plan!
"What a pity… what a pity!"
Madara shook his head.
"What's a pity, Madara-sama? Why not find a chance to tell the Hokage about the Eye of the Moon Plan?" the White Zetsu scratched its head and said casually.
"Hmph…"
"Though Sarutobi Hiruzen speaks in a restrained manner, deep down he has the same temperament I once had!"
Madara crossed his arms and spoke with emotion.
"Someone who can inherit my will—if they are still in their youth, they can be guided. But if they have already matured, how could they possibly trust others so easily? Even if the Eye of the Moon Plan is completely correct!"
Madara couldn't help but think—
If his younger self had encountered his current self…
Even then, it would have been difficult to communicate!
The younger him would never have imagined that one day, the Shura of the Shinobi World would hide away in a cave…
Back then, how bold and unrestrained he had been!
Even after losing to Hashirama, he had refused to admit defeat—seeking only a decisive end!
As for harming his own clansmen for the sake of the Eye of the Moon Plan, and breaking his promise to Izuna…
Madara justified it to himself: all of it would be compensated for within the Infinite Tsukuyomi. And his subconscious prevented him from thinking too deeply about it…
Just as Hashirama had said—one could sacrifice everything for the village…
He wouldn't go that far.
But making those close to him suffer a little, temporarily, was unavoidable…
"As for that enemy, I have already asked Mito-sama to take action in analyzing them, and I will also secretly deploy corresponding measures to deal with any further attacks…"
"As long as he makes a move, the clues we hold will only increase! Sooner or later, we will uncover his identity!"
Hiruzen declared firmly.
In truth, however, Hiruzen was not particularly focused on this matter.
He was merely putting on an empty-front strategy.
For lone-wolf style attacks like this, investing large amounts of resources yielded very low returns…
Given the opponent's understanding of Konoha, Hiruzen believed they must possess some unknown technique that allowed them to bypass surveillance.
But they were not omniscient.
Hiruzen trusted Mito's sensory abilities—the village's core area was protected by the Mind's Eye of the Kagura and the Nine-Tails…
The opponent clearly did not wish to reveal their identity. Without understanding Hiruzen's methods, they would not act rashly.
"Oh? He's asked Mito to act?"
Madara frowned. "Troublesome… I thought Mito was close to death, but she's held on this long. As expected of an Uzumaki princess…"
Even if Hiruzen had not been bluffing, Madara had no intention of acting against the younger generation again.
Lowering his status once was enough…
Moreover, attacking his own clansmen repeatedly was not something Madara wished to do.
To him, this exchange with Hiruzen felt like a duel against his younger self—
A clash of ideals!
Petty underhanded tricks not only disgusted himself, but would also achieve nothing.
"Speaking of Root's loss of control… it reminds me of a story Hashirama-sama once told me."
"About a name that evokes complicated feelings."
"Uchiha Madara…" Hiruzen said softly.
At that moment, the Uchiha clan compound erupted.
Hokage-sama had truly brought up the name of the Great Clan Head?
Isshin and Fugaku exchanged a glance, both filled with disbelief. Hokage-sama was truly keeping his word…
"Why is it a complicated feeling?"
"Because Uchiha Madara was one of Konoha's founders, second only to Hashirama-sama. He also made great contributions to the village—this must be acknowledged."
"But later, due to differences in ideology, he fought Hashirama-sama, resulting in disastrous consequences and tremendous losses…"
"As for the reasons why, after learning some things from Mito-sama, I can roughly understand his thinking…"
Hiruzen let out a soft sigh.
"I believe he thought that if the village could not take care of the interests of all clans, then it would instead become a terrifying tool that oppressed shinobi…"
"From today's perspective, Uchiha Madara's thinking does have a certain degree of validity."
"But we must understand one thing!"
"During development, all kinds of problems are bound to arise. A good system can only be formed through continuous iteration…"
"As long as I remain Hokage, I will do my utmost to solve these problems… Therefore, when you encounter things you cannot understand, I hope you will talk more with your companions…"
"I will also set aside time to review the issues you submit through the committees, and, like today, answer them collectively…"
"Don't trap yourself in a dead end. Extremes cannot solve problems—they will only cause those close to you pain while your enemies rejoice…" Hiruzen said with utmost seriousness.
"Even if your intentions are good!"
Hiruzen did not know that Madara was still alive…
But as the director of Konoha's mental health institution, Hiruzen knew very well that the shinobi world was, in a sense, one giant Uchiha.
The brilliance of human nature would naturally attract them.
But Hiruzen was worried that shinobi would obsessively pursue what they believed to be perfection…
So he chose to bring up Uchiha Madara as a representative case for focused analysis.
Using his example to inoculate the minds of the shinobi—so that if they ever "fell ill," they would at least have some resistance…
"Madara-sama, Madara-sama!"
"The Hokage is talking about you!" the White Zetsu cried out loudly. "It even sounds like he acknowledges you!"
Madara, however, fell silent.
He had never expected Hiruzen to grasp his mindset so accurately…
"Hashirama… was it you who told Mito? No—I never told you these things. With the way you were back then, filled with fantasies about the village, you couldn't possibly have seen as far as I did…"
"This was something Sarutobi Hiruzen figured out on his own!"
Madara exhaled deeply, his emotions difficult to describe.
In the shinobi world, blood ties were important…
But one's ninja way could form an even stronger bond—this was true even for Hashirama and Madara.
Their friendship was the clearest proof of that.
But the problem was—at least in Madara's view—although Hiruzen had inherited his will and ninja way…
It was the will of his younger self, not the man he had become now!
"Madara-sama, what do we do now? It feels like we messed this up…" the White Zetsu scratched its head.
"Heh…"
"Messed up? No—Sarutobi Hiruzen has merely proven that he is worthy of being taken seriously by me…"
"This is only the beginning!"
Madara's smile carried a trace of distortion.
"His thinking is just as naive as mine once was…"
"Even if Konoha looks better under his rule…"
"How will he change the other hidden villages? The greed, aggression, and ruthlessness of shinobi are carved into their very bones—war will continue to arise without end because of this!"
"And with war comes chains of hatred that will keep multiplying, never to be severed!"
Madara stared at the White Zetsu as if it were Hiruzen himself.
"And besides, no matter how correct an idea is, without the strength to enforce and protect it, it is meaningless! The weak have no right to speak of dreams!"
"If his path is correct, then prove it to me with strength!"
"After all, he is only a mortal…" Madara said softly.
"And without me and Hashirama, Konoha could never defeat the combined strength of the other hidden villages…"
"I will educate him properly! Educate this brat who has inherited my youthful will!"
The White Zetsu was completely dazed.
What exactly was Madara-sama even talking about…?
"I will direct the chains of hatred toward Konoha! Let them understand the true cruelty of the shinobi world…"
"In that cruelty, Seisui—or other Uchiha, or even Sarutobi Hiruzen—will be the first to understand…"
"That true peace can only be achieved through the Eye of the Moon Plan!"
Madara gazed into the distance.
Dark clouds obscured the moon.
He thought—
Given the current state of the shinobi world, Konoha—standing apart—would sooner or later draw the fear of all others. The rekindling of war was only a matter of time, something no one could stop…
This was not targeted specifically at Konoha, nor was it a deliberate destruction of peace.
War in the shinobi world was destined to come—it was not something he created out of nothing.
He would simply let Konoha endure the trials it was meant to face, intensify them through his own hand, and force the cruel truth upon Sarutobi Hiruzen ahead of time!
Better to awaken early from a false dream of peace…
"Madara-sama, so we're not going to deal with Konoha?" the White Zetsu asked, puzzled.
Madara waved his hand.
"There is no need to act against Konoha…"
"Mito's sensory ability combined with Sarutobi Hiruzen's strategy could expose my identity and provoke the vigilance of the entire shinobi world…"
The White Zetsu gave an "oh," its eyes darting around, but said nothing.
It felt that Madara-sama was hiding something else…
That expression—was somewhat similar to when he mentioned "Hashirama"!
"Prove it to me, Sarutobi Hiruzen…"
"No—not prove it… wait for my instruction, my foolish inheritor of my younger will…" Madara muttered to himself.
"Madara-sama, um… I'll help you!"
The White Zetsu raised its hand.
"Madara-sama, since you gave me grilled meat today, can I call myself Hi-kun from now on?"
Madara glanced at it and gave a noncommittal nod.
He was quite tolerant toward White Zetsu that possessed intelligence and could communicate.
Although the Demonic Statue could produce large numbers of White Zetsu, aside from the exceptionally capable "child of the Divine Tree," Tobi, only around a hundred of them had the ability to function as scouts…
The rest were so low in intelligence that they could only serve as cannon fodder, incapable of any task requiring thought.
"Let's serve Sarutobi Hiruzen an appetizer first…"
"Mobilize the White Zetsu stationed in other hidden villages—conduct a full-scale search across the shinobi world for information on the Hidden Sky Village! I want them to return and give Konoha, currently immersed in temporary peace, a lesson!"
The Hidden Sky Village was a minor hidden village that had clashed with Konoha during the Second Shinobi World War.
Because of its unique aerial combat capabilities, it had not been completely destroyed by Konoha, instead retreating into the shadows to accumulate strength for revenge.
In Madara's view, it was the perfect choice for a first strike against Konoha…
However, he seemed to have overlooked one point.
If Konoha managed to withstand the Hidden Sky Village's attack, with its current research capabilities, it would be entirely possible to reverse-engineer their technology…
In other words, absorb their technological resources…
In a certain sense, if he miscalculated, this could turn into an act of aiding the enemy…
But clearly, Uchiha Madara believed the advantage was his!
Meanwhile, in Konoha—
Danzō issued a thorough self-criticism before all the shinobi of Konoha.
This act earned the understanding and approval of the vast majority of Konoha's ninja.
After all, with Sarutobi Hiruzen providing the explanation—
The former Root organization could be considered a historical remnant of wartime, a product born from a special environment.
And as Hokage, he too bore responsibility for inadequate oversight.
At the same time, Hiruzen solemnly emphasized:
Even though the members related to Root had already received corresponding compensation—
From this point onward, Konoha would only recognize proper procedure, not after-the-fact compensation.
Under no circumstances would anyone be allowed to use post-incident remedies as a substitute for prior compliance.
If there were any repeat offenses, they would be dealt with severely and strictly, with absolutely no leniency!
However, what was interesting—
After Danzō's self-criticism, he said the following:
"From now on, I will continue to monitor every Konoha shinobi with the strictest standards…"
"If anyone touches the village's systems and bottom lines, or endangers the Will of Fire… I will punish them without mercy, eliminating all rot for the village and the Hokage!"
"Externally, my methods will not change… Internally, I will properly fulfill my role as an overseer."
"I hope all of you will not give me the opportunity to discipline our own people…"
Hiruzen lightly applauded for Danzō.
What a sharp blade!
And within the village, quite a number of people actually applauded Danzō as well, expressing their support…
"Today's fireside talk ends here. I look forward to speaking with everyone again next time…"
Hiruzen deactivated the Crystal Ball Technique.
At that moment, Konoha instantly turned into a sea of celebration.
The name of the Hokage was shouted with reverence…
Many people rushed out of their homes, excitedly discussing the Hokage's words and the future of the village with companions and friends…
Three days later.
At the Senju ancestral residence.
Uzumaki Mito and Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in the reception room, chatting with cheerful smiles.
They were waiting for "Uchiha Seisui" and Isshin to arrive…
"You're saying… there is Izuna's chakra inside Seisui?" Hiruzen was genuinely shaken by the bonds of the Warring States era.
"You mean that Uchiha Izuna?"
Tobirama-sensei… what exactly are you doing?
You're really going all out, aren't you?
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