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Several days later, Konoha held its first Hokage election—
Tobirama and Izuna watched over the voting, making sure there was no bribery, intimidation, or interference from either side. In the end, their caution wasn't needed. Hashirama and Madara were both too proud to win by cheating.
"Clan Head Sarutobi, who will your clan support?" Hyūga Tennin asked with a smile.
Sarutobi Sasuke answered just as openly. "Lord Hashirama. I assume the Hyūga will vote for Lord Madara?"
Tennin nodded.
"Whichever man wins will still serve Konoha. There is no reason for this election to damage our friendship."
The two men laughed before placing their ballots in the box.
The Shimura, Kurama, Shiranui, Haruno, Namikaze, Hatake, and Ino-Shika-Chō clans soon cast their votes, along with every other group living in Konoha. Many of these clans had started as small families, but over time, they became recognized clans with their own roles in the village.
The entire election took a single day!
Because of the political system Manji set up, the daimyō of the Land of Fire had no control over Konoha's internal matters. Nobody asked for his approval, and it wasn't needed.
Not that he would have the courage to say anything. Hashirama and Madara were the strongest shinobi in the Land of Fire, and the daimyō didn't know if either of them had Manji's patience.
With the old Hokage gone, there was no one left to hold them back if he spoke out of turn.
Madara might simply have appeared in the capital and asked him one question:
[Have you grown tired of sitting in the daimyō's chair?]
..............
"The election is over. Konoha has chosen its next Hokage."
Hyūga Tennin stood before the gathered crowd with the final tally in his hands. Hashirama and Madara both looked up.
Neither spoke, and the tension in their faces betrayed them.
"Konoha's Second Hokage is..."
Tennin let the silence stretch.
"Senju Hashirama!"
"OHHHHH." The plaza erupted in cheers as Hashirama stood up, showing the dignity expected of the new Hokage. Still, he quickly turned his attention to the man next to him.
"..." Madara said nothing.
For a moment, the noise faded for Madara. He knew the election could have gone either way, but hearing the result still hurt. He looked at Hashirama and pushed his disappointment aside.
"Congratulations, Hashirama."
"Madara..." Hashirama saw the look in Madara's eyes, and some of his happiness faded.
He had expected this result from the beginning. Hashirama knew people all over Konoha, from clan shinobi and academy students to merchants, workers, and farmers. He treated everyone with the same warmth—no matter their background.
Madara was different. He worked harder than almost anyone and gave as much to Konoha as Hashirama did, but he kept people at a distance. Manji had warned him many times that strength alone couldn't earn trust, but Madara never cared much about making connections or winning public opinion.
Hashirama was easy to approach, while Madara was respected from a distance. In an election, that difference was important.
"MADARA!" Before anyone could react, Hashirama walked over, grabbed Madara's wrist, pulled him up, and turned to face the crowd. "FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, MADARA WILL SERVE AS MY CHIEF ADVISOR!"
Hashirama's voice carried across the plaza. "In every matter concerning Konoha, his counsel and authority will stand beside my own!"
Madara looked at him and let out a quiet breath. The disappointment in his eyes turned into a small smile as he patted Hashirama's hand.
Fine... Hashirama could have the title for now.
One day, Madara would challenge him again, and when that day came, he would win it himself.
Nearby, Tobirama and Izuna both relaxed. They didn't care much about who became Hokage. What mattered to them was whether the election would split Konoha's leadership and reopen the old divide between the Senju and Uchiha.
Seeing Hashirama and Madara together was more important than the vote itself.
..............
Hashirama's inauguration as the Second Hokage happened a few days later. A few months after that, he called the first full meeting of Konoha's new leaders.
The question before them was simple: What came next?
Under Manji, the village focused on peace and building itself up. Konoha united the Land of Fire but never tried to conquer the rest of the shinobi world.
Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama, and Izuna all believed the shinobi world would need to unite someday. Even Hashirama agreed with that goal.
The difference lay in the world Manji had created.
There were no tailed beasts left to share among the villages, so Hashirama's idea of peace through balanced power was impossible. More importantly, Hashirama grew up under Manji's guidance.
Everything he knew about politics, economics, and unity came from the man who raised him.
Konoha's leaders all agreed the world should unite. What they disagreed on was how and how fast it should happen.
"I believe we should avoid another war... Konoha can unify the shinobi world through trade and cultural influence." Hashirama began.
A map of the surrounding nations covered the table in front of him.
"We should grow our businesses, set up more trade routes, and make sure Konoha's goods are used every day in other countries. People should wear clothes made here, use our tools, and buy from merchants connected to our markets..." Hashirama pointed to several main routes.
"...Once their economies depend on Konoha, we can influence their choices with tariffs and market access. They'll want to stay close to us because leaving would be too expensive."
He looked around the table.
"Konoha has plenty of military strength, but that doesn't mean we should conquer others first. We should aim for economic and cultural victory instead."
Hashirama learned from Manji that it was better to control an enemy's way of life than to attack them directly.
War was rough, but sanctions were a more civilized approach.
Madara rejected the proposal outright.
"That's too slow." Madara crossed his arms. "If we let the other villages grow, they'll build armies, make alliances, and get ready to fight us— we should send a message to every nation and shinobi village: join Konoha peacefully, or be conquered."
"War will only create more suffering. We have other ways to achieve the same goal." Hashirama replied.
"I agree with Madara."
Everyone turned toward Tobirama.
"I also believe we should fight."
Hashirama frowned. "Tobirama..."
"The shinobi world will unite sooner or later," Tobirama said calmly. "The Land of Fire used to be split among many clans. Now it has one government, one military, and one village holding it together."
"Chaos always turns into order. The same thing will happen everywhere else."
Tobirama met Hashirama's gaze.
"If we don't act, the next generation will have to fight this war instead. It's better to do it now, while Konoha still has an advantage no other village can match."
Madara gave him an approving look.
Their political views had become more alike over time, and with Izuna still around to keep their old rivalry friendly, the two men got along much better than anyone would have guessed.
"Even your brother agrees with me," Madara said. "Stop being stubborn, Hashirama."
"I oppose the war!"
Madara froze.
The others turned toward Izuna.
Out of the four men in the room, no one expected the strongest objection to come from Izuna. He had been quiet for most of the meeting. Now, he placed a stack of papers on the table.
"Whatever we decide, we should first understand what Konoha's people actually want."
He opened the report.
"I oversee the Shinobi Academy and much of the village's local administration. Last month, I conducted a survey."
Izuna lifted the first page.
"The first question was: If Konoha starts a war to unite the shinobi world, are you willing to fight for the village?"
"Most people said yes."
Madara leaned back in his chair, as though the matter had already been settled.
Then Izuna turned the page.
"So I changed the question. The second one was: Are you willing to send yourself, your parents, your spouse, your children, or your closest friends to that war?"
He placed the results in the center of the table, where everyone could see them.
"This time, most people answered no."
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