After returning to the Uchiha compound, Izuna found himself unable to escape Ethan’s words.
They lingered in his mind like splinters buried beneath skin.
Fight until the Uchiha are wiped out?
Madara already lost.
What exactly are you planning to beat us with now?
The more he thought about it, the more suffocating it became.
Part of him still wanted to reject the alliance outright.
To convince Madara to abandon this fragile peace before the clan lost everything that made it Uchiha.
But after listening quietly for a long while, Madara had given him only one response.
“Go walk through the clan.” His elder brother’s voice had sounded strangely tired.
“Then come back and tell me your answer afterward.” So Izuna went alone.
Using a Transformation Technique to avoid attention, he wandered silently through the district streets as dusk settled over the compound.
Warm orange sunlight spilled across rooftops.
Thin trails of smoke drifted upward from household kitchens.
For the first time in years— the air no longer smelled like blood.
Izuna slowed unconsciously.
The tension wound tightly around his nerves from endless warfare began loosening little by little.
Then he heard laughter.
Children sprinted through the streets chasing one another, arguing loudly over some meaningless game.
They were smiling.
Actually smiling.
Not training.
Not mourning.
Not preparing for funerals.
Just… living.
Izuna stopped walking.
More clan members passed nearby.
Adults stood outside their homes talking casually.
Some discussed food shortages.
Others complained about repairs, prices, stubborn relatives.
Ordinary things.
Normal things.
And beneath it all was something almost unfamiliar now.
Relief.
News of peace between the Senju and Uchiha had spread through the compound with astonishing speed.
And with it, the oppressive shadow hanging over everyone’s lives had begun fading just as quickly.
Izuna stood motionless in the middle of the street while life flowed around him.
Only then did he truly understand something terrifying.
If he continued opposing the alliance— his enemies might no longer be the Senju.
It could become his own people.
The clan was exhausted.
Years of warfare had hollowed them out from the inside.
They wanted peace.
And no amount of pride could suppress that forever.
In the end, even Izuna Uchiha bowed before the crushing weight of public will.
He stopped resisting the alliance.
— The news of the Senju-Uchiha union spread across the shinobi world like a storm.
Every major clan reacted with shock.
The two strongest clans alive had ended generations of bloodshed and chosen cooperation instead.
And under Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha’s leadership, something unprecedented began rising from the forests.
A hidden village.
The first true shinobi settlement in history.
Konohagakure.
But while the village itself took shape rapidly, another issue quietly emerged beneath the surface.
The selection of the First Hokage.
To absolutely nobody’s surprise, public support overwhelmingly favored Hashirama.
The man had already become the living symbol of the new era.
Yet Ethan offered Tobirama a completely different perspective.
“Hashirama-sama is definitely going to vote for Madara,” Ethan said casually.
Tobirama frowned immediately.
“And?” Ethan smiled faintly.
“You should vote for him too.” Silence settled over the room.
A dangerous kind of silence.
Tobirama stared at him for several long seconds.
“You do realize what you’re suggesting?” His voice lowered sharply.
“If something goes wrong and Madara actually becomes Hokage, this village could collapse before it even stabilizes.” Ethan remained completely calm.
“You’ve already investigated the Uchiha internally, haven’t you?” That made Tobirama’s eyes narrow slightly.
Ethan continued.
“Madara’s authority inside the clan is already weakening.” “Without Hashirama constantly reinforcing his political importance, he probably wouldn’t even maintain full control over the Uchiha much longer.” Tobirama didn’t deny it.
The Uchiha respected strength above all else.
But after losing the war, many clan members had quietly begun resenting the peace agreement.
And by extension— they resented Madara himself.
“In that situation,” Ethan continued, “how many people do you think would genuinely support him becoming Hokage?” He leaned back slightly.
“Your vote and Hashirama-sama’s vote won’t change the result.” A fox-like smile appeared on his face.
“It’ll just look like goodwill.” Then his eyes sharpened.
“And honestly?
Even if you truly tried to hand him the position…” “…the first people opposing it would probably be the Uchiha themselves.” Hashirama’s public support had already become overwhelming.
Once people attached themselves to a symbol of stability, they rarely let go willingly.
Tobirama fell silent.
Then he asked quietly: “This is part of your strategy too?” Ethan chuckled softly.
“We isolate Madara politically while embracing him personally.” “We draw parts of the Uchiha closer to the village, accelerate internal fragmentation naturally, and weaken extremist influence over time.” His tone remained calm and analytical.
“But at the same time…” “We give Madara belonging here.” The smile faded from Ethan’s face entirely.
“An Uchiha Madara emotionally tied to Konoha is far less dangerous than an Uchiha Madara consumed by alienation and hatred.” Cold air seemed to pass through the room.
For the first time, Tobirama fully grasped the core of Ethan’s doctrine.
Not suppression.
Not intimidation.
Emotional chains.
Bind dangerous individuals to the system through attachment itself.
Connection.
Recognition.
Belonging.
Would it work?
Tobirama honestly didn’t know.
Madara was ambitious.
Proud.
Dangerous beyond measure.
But even if the strategy failed eventually, Konoha still benefited enormously from appearing cooperative during its foundation.
And if it succeeded… The consequences could reshape the future entirely.
— After considerable persuasion from Ethan, Tobirama eventually sought out Hashirama personally.
At the time, Hashirama already looked spiritually exhausted from dealing with endless Hokage election discussions.
Then Tobirama calmly informed him: “I’m planning to vote for Madara.” Hashirama stared at him in complete disbelief.
“…Who are you and what did you do with my brother?” Tobirama’s eye twitched slightly.
Hashirama crossed his arms suspiciously.
“First you release the Uchiha prisoners early.” “Now you want to support Madara.” His expression became deeply wary.
“What exactly are you plotting?” Tobirama immediately recalled the lines Ethan had coached him to say beforehand.
Unfortunately, speaking them aloud felt profoundly unnatural.
His mouth twitched awkwardly into something vaguely resembling a smile.
Honestly, it looked terrifying.
“I want to improve relations with the Uchiha,” Tobirama said stiffly.
Hashirama blinked.
“The Uchiha may have surrendered, but they’re still the strongest clan besides ours.” Tobirama forced the words out carefully.
“If they fail to integrate into Konoha properly, that instability could become a major threat in the future.” He paused briefly.
“So…” The next sentence nearly killed him internally.
“I want to help them become part of the village as quickly as possible.” By the end, even Tobirama almost felt convinced by his own speech.
Hashirama certainly did.
“TOBIRAMA!” Hashirama grabbed both of his younger brother’s shoulders with enough force to crack stone beneath their feet.
“I’m so happy you finally understand!” Weeks of emotional exhaustion vanished from his face instantly.
“There’s no greater support than family standing together!” Tobirama nearly died from secondhand embarrassment.
Neither brother realized— someone had overheard the entire conversation outside.
Madara Uchiha had originally come looking for Hashirama regarding the Hokage election.
Instead, he had accidentally listened to everything.
And for once— he was genuinely stunned.
Tobirama Senju.
The man who distrusted the Uchiha more than anyone alive.
The man who had opposed the alliance from the very beginning.
And yet now… he was trying to help integrate the Uchiha into Konoha?
Madara’s expression became increasingly complicated.
Especially after hearing Tobirama’s concerns regarding future instability inside the clan.
Because oddly enough— Madara understood exactly what he meant.
Lately, even he himself had begun feeling increasingly disconnected from portions of the Uchiha.
There were things hidden deep inside the clan’s bloodline that couldn’t simply disappear.
Pride.
Obsession.
Resentment.
And sometimes— betrayal.
That night, Madara returned home and told Izuna everything.
Izuna was equally shaken.
Especially after recalling Tobirama’s recent behavior.
Then came the following day.
Under the witness of every major clan participating in Konoha’s foundation— Hashirama and Tobirama… Madara and Izuna… did something that left the entire village speechless.
They voted for each other.