The atmosphere inside the voting assembly was so strange it bordered on surreal.
Representatives from every major clan stood in absolute silence, staring toward the center of the hall where four figures faced one another beneath the hanging lantern light.
Hashirama.
Tobirama.
Madara.
Izuna.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody even seemed willing to breathe too loudly.
Even Ethan felt goosebumps rise along his arms.
For one horrifying moment, he genuinely wondered whether his interference behind the scenes had somehow derailed history completely.
Fortunately— things hadn’t collapsed that badly.
Not entirely, anyway.
The overall outcome still followed the broader current of fate.
Just… adjusted slightly.
Aside from Hashirama and Tobirama themselves, only a small number of people cast votes for Madara.
And every single one of those votes had been quietly arranged in advance by Tobirama.
Controlled support.
Symbolic legitimacy.
Enough to preserve dignity without threatening the result.
Everything remained within acceptable parameters.
Madara looked mildly disappointed when the final count was announced.
He had known his popularity couldn’t compare to Hashirama’s— but clearly, he hadn’t expected the difference to be this overwhelming.
Even so, he accepted the outcome calmly.
And surprisingly enough, Izuna didn’t object either.
“Madara…” Hashirama looked almost guilty standing beside him.
As though becoming Hokage were something he needed forgiveness for.
Madara noticed immediately and let out a faint sigh.
“Hashirama,” he said quietly, “this was everyone’s decision.” His expression softened slightly.
“Including mine.” He folded his arms.
“I voted for you because I believe you can achieve the future we once talked about.” At that point, Hashirama could no longer refuse.
Amid roaring cheers from civilians and clan representatives alike, he finally accepted the title officially.
The First Hokage of Konohagakure.
The hall erupted.
Congratulations flooded in from every direction as clan leaders stepped forward one after another.
Excitement.
Relief.
Hope.
After generations of bloodshed, the atmosphere almost felt unreal.
Meanwhile, at the edge of the gathering, Izuna slowly walked toward Tobirama.
Then stopped beside him.
For several moments, neither spoke.
Finally, Izuna exhaled quietly.
“I think I understand now.” Tobirama glanced sideways at him.
“Understand what?” Izuna looked toward Hashirama standing before the crowd.
“Why my brother considered him a friend.” There was genuine respect in his voice now.
“He really does have… something special about him.” A faint smile crossed Izuna’s face.
“I hope the village thrives under his leadership.” Tobirama nodded once.
“My brother won’t disappoint anyone.” Then— to Tobirama’s complete surprise— Izuna extended his hand.
“Let’s start over properly.” His crimson eyes met Tobirama’s directly.
“Uchiha Izuna.” Tobirama paused briefly before grasping the offered hand firmly.
“Senju Tobirama.” The reaction throughout the hall was immediate.
Hashirama and Madara reconciling had been shocking enough.
But Tobirama and Izuna?
Those two had embodied the hardliners of their respective clans for years.
If even they could shake hands… then maybe peace truly was possible.
Standing near the outer edge of the crowd, Ethan watched the scene unfold with growing amusement.
Then he noticed Tobirama glance toward him briefly.
There was unmistakable approval hidden in that look.
Not bad, kid.
Your schemes actually worked.
Ethan: “…” Honestly, receiving praise from Tobirama always felt vaguely threatening.
Still— because of Ethan’s interference, Konoha had already begun drifting away from its original trajectory.
Only slightly.
But enough.
And unexpectedly, the Senju and Uchiha entered a period of cooperation unprecedented in shinobi history.
— The village evolved rapidly after that.
One foundational reform followed another, each reshaping Konoha in ways the outside world still couldn’t fully comprehend.
The first major development came directly under Tobirama’s supervision.
The ANBU were officially established.
Most people naturally assumed Tobirama himself would command the organization.
Instead— he handed the position directly to Izuna Uchiha.
The announcement stunned the entire village.
In exchange, Tobirama accepted the role of Hokage Assistant.
To nearly everyone watching, it looked like a sacrifice.
Even many Uchiha believed so.
Only Ethan fully understood what Tobirama was truly doing.
The ANBU’s primary duty was not assassination.
Not espionage.
And not battlefield warfare.
Its first responsibility was protecting the Hokage.
Everything else came second.
By placing Hashirama’s safety directly in Izuna’s hands, Tobirama had publicly demonstrated enormous trust toward the Uchiha clan.
Politically, it was brilliant.
Emotionally, even more so.
The goodwill generated by that decision spread through Konoha almost immediately.
Of course, there were risks.
But Tobirama had already calculated them carefully.
No matter how talented Izuna was, he still wasn’t remotely capable of threatening Hashirama directly.
Even betrayal had limits.
And while publicly extending trust toward the Uchiha, Tobirama quietly prepared safeguards beneath the surface.
Following Ethan’s earlier suggestions, he began constructing a covert division hidden underneath the ANBU itself.
A force tasked with monitoring the monitors.
A shadow beneath shadows.
The earliest prototype of Root.
Only after establishing those hidden foundations did Tobirama feel comfortable placing Izuna at the head of the ANBU.
And even then, Ethan strongly suspected Tobirama still possessed several contingency plans nobody else knew about yet.
But the truly terrifying move— the one Ethan genuinely admired— was Tobirama accepting the position of Hokage Assistant.
To most people, the title sounded unimpressive.
An assistant.
A glorified secretary.
Meanwhile, the ANBU commander controlled elite operatives and military prestige directly.
Obviously the latter appeared more powerful.
Except— everyone overlooked one critical detail.
Hashirama hated paperwork.
Violently.
The man could fight armies for days without rest— yet a single afternoon sorting administrative reports nearly destroyed him spiritually.
Which meant practical governance would inevitably end up delegated elsewhere.
To Tobirama.
In other words— while the village believed Tobirama had sacrificed authority for stability… he had quietly consolidated even greater control than before.
Just hidden more carefully.
Madara likely noticed fragments of it.
But he wouldn’t overanalyze the situation.
After all, Izuna now commanded the ANBU directly, granting the Uchiha immense prestige already.
And unlike most people, Madara understood Hashirama’s personality perfectly.
There was no possible future where Hashirama willingly handled administrative governance himself.
After the ANBU came the second major reform.
The Military Police Force.
This time, Tobirama intentionally divided authority.
Rather than granting full control to the Uchiha alone, he assigned half the organization’s operational authority to the Hyuga clan.
The logic was difficult to challenge.
The Hyuga were among Konoha’s strongest founding clans and unquestionably influential enough to deserve institutional representation.
As a result, the Police Force now contained its own internal balancing mechanism.
Neither side could dominate completely.
The Uchiha still received prestige.
The Hyuga gained influence.
And Tobirama earned goodwill from both simultaneously.
The arrangement was elegant enough to be frightening.
Most terrifying of all— nobody felt cheated.
Not even the Uchiha themselves.
Ironically, despite all the benefits distributed throughout his clan, Madara personally gained almost nothing tangible beyond an advisory position.
And somehow… nobody questioned it.
Not even his own people.
Then came the third development.
The one Ethan believed would ultimately shape Konoha more profoundly than any political institution ever could.
The Ninja Academy.
For children raised amid endless warfare, funerals, and clan hatred— this place represented something entirely new.
A future.
A chance to grow up before becoming shinobi.
A chance to learn without immediately being thrown onto battlefields as disposable tools.
It was the dream Hashirama and Madara had once imagined together as children.
And naturally, Tobirama—widely acknowledged as Konoha’s greatest instructor—became the Academy’s first headmaster.
As for Ethan?
As Hashirama’s direct disciple and Tobirama’s personal student— he became the Academy’s very first teacher.