“Hashirama-sama!” “Hokage-sama!” The guards at the village gate quickly bowed in respect.
Toji’s heart beat faster.
Facing Hashirama directly gave him the feeling of standing beneath a blazing sun.
It was not fear, but the suffocating pressure created by the gap in strength.
He was too weak.
Hashirama was too strong.
Toji knew clearly that if his plan of stealing hearts were exposed, then no matter how many hearts he carried inside him, no matter how strong Earth Grudge Fear made him, Hashirama could erase him with one casual slap.
He had to be careful.
More careful than ever.
After a brief pause, he steadied himself and spoke calmly.
“So you are the famous Hokage of Konoha.” “That’s right.
I am the Hokage.” Hashirama waved his hand.
“I had a feeling Dr.
Toji would come to our village someday.
I didn’t expect you to really appear.” “I never thought someone like you would know the name of a nobody like me.” “Well, I was near Tanzaku Town at the time…
cough, cough.” Hashirama nearly let something slip, then coughed awkwardly to cover it.
“This isn’t the place to talk.
Please come with me.” “…” Toji almost forgot.
Hashirama was also an old gambling addict.
Most likely, the man had just finished gambling in Tanzaku Town and heard of him while returning to the village.
That was good news.
The persona he had carefully built had already entered Hashirama’s mind first.
* * * Following Hashirama into Konoha, the surroundings gradually became lively.
Though the village had only existed for five years, it was filled with growing energy and fresh life.
In the Senju clan district, Toji saw many half-grown children chasing each other through the courtyard, laughing and running everywhere.
It was hard to imagine that in only a few years, the mighty Senju Clan would fade until almost no trace remained.
Toji looked around, but there was no sign of a blonde girl with twin ponytails, which left him slightly disappointed.
By generation… he should be old enough to be Tsunade’s father.
Walking behind Hashirama, he passed through the clan corridors and finally arrived at the Senju guest room.
After a few polite exchanges, Hashirama was the first to ask, “Toji, are you a ninja?” “Yes.
I come from a very distant land and travel while treating people.
Without the strength to protect myself, I would not have survived until now.” Toji gave a reason no one could doubt.
Thanks to years of assassination missions, he was skilled at hiding chakra.
Even the Byakugan could only sense that he had chakra, not how much or what nature it was.
What he revealed now was merely the chakra level of an ordinary chūnin.
“That makes sense.” Hashirama nodded.
“Toji…
um…
do you still have any family alive?” “No.
All of them died in war.” “Then why not stay in Konoha?
Treat this place as your home.” Hashirama openly invited him.
But Toji did not agree immediately.
The best hunters often appear as prey.
If he nodded too quickly, it would seem cheap.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, “I am only an unknown man.
Yet since the moment we met, Hokage-sama has shown great interest in me.
Why is that?” Hashirama scratched his head and answered honestly, “Because…
your medical skill is excellent.
Konoha needs talented people like you.
To be honest, I heard stories about you on the road.
I’ve also seen the way you save people.
Your ideals match mine.
We both want peace in the ninja world and want to drive away pain.
If you stay in Konoha, many of our ninjas will suffer less.” It was such straightforward honesty.
“There are no other doctors in the village?” “There are, but not many.
Most are from my Senju clan.
We don’t even have a proper clinic, and many times they’re too busy.
And from what I can tell, your medical skill is better than theirs.
For ordinary villagers, getting treatment is even harder.” “I see…” Toji pressed his lips together, then sighed.
“Before today, I believed Hokage only needed overwhelming strength.
Now I see that is not true.” Hashirama looked confused.
“Hm?
Toji, what are you talking about?” “What matters more than strength is earning the recognition of others.
Only someone recognized by the people can become Hokage.” After hearing those words, Hashirama seemed dazed.
“Not strength…
but recognition…” Seeing the man nearly fooled by simple praise, Toji laughed inwardly.
Absolute strength brought absolute confidence and obedience.
Only someone like Hashirama, who truly possessed such power, would recruit a stranger so openly and gain everyone’s trust.
If it were Tobirama instead, he would make up for lacking that same presence through systems and rules.
Forget recruiting an outsider, the first thing Tobirama would do was drag him in for questioning.
“The great Hokage did not threaten me with force, but considered everything from the villagers’ point of view.” Toji smiled and struck while the iron was hot.
“I recognize your ideals.
I will stay in Konoha and never betray the Hokage’s trust.” “Wonderful!
I knew Dr.
Toji was the right person.” Hashirama laughed happily, then pulled out a scroll from somewhere.
“This is one of the medical ninjutsu collected by the Senju clan.
Mystical Palm Technique.
I’ll give it to you.” What a generous Hokage.
Joining the village came with a precious medical ninjutsu as a gift.
“Thank you.” Toji accepted it at once.
The two chatted a little longer, and during the conversation, Toji casually mentioned that his clan possessed traits such as “long life” and “slow aging.” Hashirama could only sigh again and again at how vast the ninja world was, filled with endless wonders.
This direct hiring by the final boss had ended perfectly.
As they were parting, Hashirama pulled another paper from his clothes and shoved it into Toji’s hand.
“This is the deed to a two-story building in the central business district of Konoha.
You can live upstairs, and the first floor is perfect for a clinic.” Joining the village came with ninjutsu and a house.
Coming to Konoha really had been the right choice.
Toji did not refuse and accepted everything.
At this point, the second part of his plan was complete.
Only the third and final part remained: establish Konoha Hospital, then become its director.
As long as he became director, he would have endless ways to obtain the hearts of strong people over time.
The medical ninja system and Konoha Hospital would not truly be built until the era of the Second Hokage.
The Warring States era had only ended five years ago.
Compared to combat ninjas, medical ninjas needed specialized healing techniques, large amounts of knowledge, and the intelligence and will to apply that knowledge in practice.
Konoha currently lacked that foundation.
That was why Hashirama had sincerely recruited an outsider like him.
Toji did not mention the hospital yet.
Moving too fast would raise suspicion, even in someone as carefree as Hashirama.
Right now, he was still an outsider who had not truly integrated into Konoha.
First, he needed to perform well under the eyes of the Senju brothers and earn what Konoha valued most, the recognition of the villagers.
And with Earth Grudge Fear, the one thing he lacked least was time.
So he was very patient.
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