Late at night.
Inside a brightly lit office in Konohagakure.
Hashirama sat in a chair. On the desk before him were formal diplomatic documents from various countries, piling up like falling snow.
Some were simple requests for a visit.
Some revealed caution and distrust toward Konoha between the lines, clearly suspecting that Hashirama had some hidden scheme.
Others wanted to take advantage of Konoha's early stage, when everything was still waiting to be rebuilt, to establish cooperation and exchange what each side lacked.
"At present, thirteen envoys have arrived in Konoha. Among them, the envoys from the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth are the most important. We need to pay special attention to them later. However, the daimyo of those two countries did not come personally. They sent high-ranking officials as representatives instead, and the ninja accompanying them are all troublesome."
Tobirama concisely explained the current situation.
Receiving envoys from so many countries at once was also a huge test for Konoha.
However, in Tobirama's eyes, some countries could hardly be called countries at all. On the map, their territories were little more than dots. It would not be strange if they suddenly disappeared one day after being destroyed by someone.
In this era, there were plenty of people who built one city and then called themselves daimyo.
There was no need to cooperate with that kind of country. Tobirama was very worried that Konoha might agree to cooperate one moment, only for that country to vanish the next, damaging the interests of both Konoha and the Land of Fire.
"Besides the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, we also need to pay attention to the Land of Night to the north. The ruler of that country is called a 'shogun,' the highest leader who commands both civil and military affairs. Mm, the fact that he is not called daimyo is rather special. He also seems to possess stronger authority than a daimyo. It is similar to the Land of Demons in the far west, where the country is led by a shrine maiden."
The Shogun of the Land of Night and the shrine maiden of the Land of Demons were both leaders who did not carry the title of daimyo, yet still ruled their nations.
In Tobirama's view, whether they were called shogun or shrine maiden, the leaders of those two countries were beings who fully controlled both military and political power. They were essentially a variant form of daimyo.
"...Hey, are you listening, Elder Brother?"
Hearing no response from Hashirama, Tobirama could not help frowning.
"Huh? Oh, of course I am listening. Mm, let us handle it that way."
Hashirama immediately straightened his back. The sleepiness on his face vanished, and he nodded solemnly.
Tobirama: "..."
He had clearly not heard a single thing.
"You are already falling asleep from this little bit of work. Have you been slacking off recently, Elder Brother?"
"You cannot blame me for this. During the reception today, I smiled so much my face cramped."
The moment this was mentioned, Hashirama became depressed.
Those envoys somehow had endless things to say. Even when it was all trivial, they kept talking to him nonstop. It was more sleep-inducing than a ninja's genjutsu.
Especially since Tobirama had required him to avoid speaking as much as possible during the reception. He had to keep smiling and nodding in response, while Tobirama handled the talking.
So Hashirama's responses to the envoys of various countries had only been short phrases like "Mm," "Good," and "That is fine."
When he returned, he realized that his face had cramped from smiling, and the muscles in his face had started twitching.
Worst of all, Madara had seen it and laughed at him for a long time.
"That is because whenever you open your mouth, Elder Brother, you easily say something foolish. This is an important window for dealing with other countries. If the leader suddenly acts stupid, it greatly damages the dignity of both the country and the village."
Tobirama sighed.
"Yees."
Hashirama dragged out his tone, clearly not taking Tobirama's lecture to heart.
"Elder Brother, I swear..."
"In short, I will take the reception work seriously from now on. Is there anything else to add?"
"On that point, there is indeed one very important matter. As for the Hyūga clan, although some elders are willing to join Konoha, there are also many opposition voices within the clan... I heard the debate is very fierce. If things go badly, it may even erupt into armed conflict."
Tobirama rubbed his chin and described the Hyūga clan's current situation.
Konoha was receiving more and more ninja clans now. Under Hashirama's efforts, many large and small ninja clans in the Land of Fire had undergone a peaceful transition. Almost without drawing blades, the work of gathering them in had been completed.
But there were still some hard bones in the Land of Fire, and the Hyūga clan was the hardest of all.
"The Hyūga's inheritance is as ancient as the Senju's, but the Hyūga family culture is extremely rigid. The clan uses a system of main family and branch family, and the branch family members are branded with a curse mark called the Caged Bird... I do not know the specific reason behind it, but judging from the Hyūga clan's current state, handling them will be troublesome."
Tobirama took a deep breath.
In his view, the problems of the Hyūga clan were second only to those of the Uchiha clan.
Their family culture was old-fashioned, and their rules and dogma still followed ancient traditions, barely changing at all. Every time he came into contact with people from the Hyūga clan, they all looked like they had dead faces, making the atmosphere oppressive.
"Is it to prevent their kekkei genkai from spreading outside the clan?"
Hashirama knew a little about the Hyūga's style.
As fellow great ninja clans, it was normal for them to have some dealings with each other.
"If that were the only reason, a curse mark like the Caged Bird would not be enough to prevent it. I believe there must be a deeper cause that led to the birth of the Caged Bird."
"Looks like convincing them will not be easy."
Hashirama rubbed his brow.
"That is how it is when negotiating with old fossils. Just like dealing with Father in the past. However, I heard that not long ago, they formed a marriage alliance with the Land of Night. A daughter of the Hyūga main family has now become the shogun's wife in the Land of Night."
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Tobirama thought of the rumor that had spread not long ago and considered whether marriage alliances might be an effective method.
This sort of method was common in the Warring States era. Marriage alliances between ninja clans and national leaders were not limited to the Hyūga and the Land of Night.
Even between clans, marriage alliances were often needed to maintain connections.
For example, his elder brother Hashirama had married a woman from the Uzumaki clan and gained the support of the Uzumaki clan.
Originally, Konoha had intended to invite the Uzumaki clan to join. However, after some consideration, the Uzumaki clan refused.
On the southeastern border neighboring the Land of Fire, the Uzumaki clan had found a large stretch of unclaimed land and seemed to intend to establish a country there.
Tobirama felt that was not bad either. In the future, even if the Uzumaki clan encountered some danger, Konoha could quickly react and provide support.
"In other words, the Hyūga may be willing to relocate to the Land of Night?"
Hashirama blinked.
"No. If they had that intention, they would have migrated directly like the Aburame clan. However, after Konoha was established, they still remained in the Land of Fire... And with half the clan opposing joining Konoha and half supporting it, they may be waiting to see who offers the better price."
Tobirama curled his lips.
If that was truly what the Hyūga clan was planning, they were being far too optimistic.
"Then I will go take a look later."
Hashirama planned to visit the Hyūga clan after the Hokage inauguration ceremony.
At a time like this, direct face-to-face negotiations were better.
"Mm. The Hyūga clan also sent people to this ceremony. Later, I will have someone test their tone first and determine which side their position leans toward."
"Thank you for the trouble, Tobirama. With you here, you really save me a great deal of effort."
Hashirama walked over and patted Tobirama on the shoulder, giving him affirmation.
"Sigh... As long as you can rein in that tendency to act on impulse, Elder Brother, we can save ourselves a lot of trouble."
Whether it was the alliance with the Uchiha or the current Konoha, in Tobirama's view, none of it seemed like a plan Hashirama had produced after careful consideration.
It was more like something that had suddenly appeared in Hashirama's mind, and he had immediately decided to go through with it.
Without Tobirama assisting him from the side, this village would fall apart sooner or later.
However, it was also because of that emotional style that those ninja clans had been able to lower their guard against one another.
Hashirama decided the village's overall direction, mediated the conflicts between the clans, and allowed them to communicate on equal footing. Tobirama, on that foundation, perfected the village's framework and shone that dream into reality.
◎
The day after arriving in Konoha.
As the Shogun of the Land of Night, Yayoi first received a visit from the Hyūga clan.
The person the Hyūga clan sent to Konoha this time was not Kichō's father, Hyūga Hidejin, but another elder of the main family, Hyūga Akajin.
He was around sixty years old, with a stern face. His ninja uniform was worn meticulously, fitting the Hyūga clan's rigid style very well.
According to Kichō, this Elder Akajin had also been a powerful ninja who charged across battlefields when he was young.
Most importantly, he was also the grandfather of Kichō's attendant, Hyūga Aoi.
But because Aoi belonged to the branch family, she had been an overlooked marginal figure in the Hyūga clan. Most likely, there was not much familial affection between her and her grandfather, Hyūga Akajin.
Rinko's situation was the same. Among her relatives from the previous generation, there were also people from the main family. However, because she had not been the firstborn and because her talent was average, she had fallen into the branch family.
Hyūga Akajin did not come with any special purpose. He simply paid a brief visit to maintain the necessary connection.
After all, the cooperation between the Land of Night and the Hyūga clan had not been severed due to Kichō's presence. Instead, it had been maintained continuously. There was no need to do anything extra.
When Hyūga Akajin left, Yayoi symbolically returned a gift.
This time, Yayoi had brought many gifts that could be used in return, all for establishing relations with various countries.
"Father, the daimyo of the Land of Melody just sent a letter requesting a visit."
At that moment, Irori walked into the quiet room temporarily being used for talks. She held a letter in her hand and handed it to Yayoi, who was sitting cross-legged on a soft cushion.
"?"
Yayoi froze.
The Land of Melody?
Where was that country?
Was there such a country on the map?
It could not be one of those countries that was only represented by a single dot on the map, could it?
Although Yayoi knew at least something about the various countries in the ninja world, the countries he knew did not include tiny nations so small that one could not even find a colored patch for them on the map.
Several such countries appeared every year, then suddenly vanished again. It was all very strange and mysterious.
In order to avoid damaging the Land of Night's reputation in the eyes of other countries, Yayoi still agreed to the meeting.
Soon, the daimyo of the Land of Melody came personally to visit.
As expected, he had come to seek support. The Land of Melody was currently under attack by outside forces and could be destroyed at any time.
At the same time, Yayoi finally figured out where the Land of Melody was in the ninja world. Mm. It was half a continent away from the Land of Night.
To reach the Land of Melody from the Land of Night, even ninja running at full speed without sleeping or resting would need several days.
Most importantly, this country had no special products. It was just a stretch of forest, some mountains, two cities, and a few villages. It was so barren that looking at it was almost painful.
And who brought several princesses with him during negotiations?
This daimyo of the Land of Melody did.
It also made Yayoi feel somewhat sad. The man had fallen so far that he had to bring his daughters out to sell their future.
In the end, Yayoi could only promise that he would send a mixed unit of ninja and samurai. If the Land of Melody failed, they would ensure the daimyo's family could safely settle in the Land of Night and avoid having their entire clan slaughtered.
As for suppressing the unrest, that was impossible. The distance was too great, and there were too many variables. Protecting the daimyo's family was already the limit of what Yayoi could do.
Even so, Yayoi still accepted a large employment fee from the daimyo of the Land of Melody.
After all, after the founding of the Land of Night, its ninja and samurai no longer performed mercenary work. They were now fully part of the national defense force.
The salaries of ninja and samurai no longer came from mission rewards, but were paid monthly according to position and rank. If they performed excellently, their salary and treatment would be increased on that basis.
In other words, he, the shogun, was the one supporting all the ninja and samurai in the country.
The things ninja and samurai did most in daily life, aside from patrols and maintaining public order, were training their own abilities.
After the matter with the daimyo of the Land of Melody ended, people from several other countries came to visit.
Although Yayoi usually lived in seclusion and rarely appeared in public, the Land of Night was a rising star in the ninja world. Its momentum over the past few years had been fierce, and it would naturally attract the attention of many countries.
As the shogun's wife, Kichō sat beside Yayoi, watching the exchanges and cooperation between countries. Occasionally, she would also say a few words, sometimes cutting straight to the heart of the matter, and sometimes easing the atmosphere when tensions rose.
She fulfilled the role of a capable wife very well.
After this, her intelligence and beauty would surely spread widely among the people of various countries.
That undoubtedly gave Yayoi, as her husband, a great deal of face.
Who would not hope that their partner was an intelligent, beautiful, considerate woman who could also stand beside them in crucial moments?
Just like that, three days quietly passed.
More and more national envoys arrived in Konoha. One courtyard after another in the reception area became occupied, with tension and liveliness existing side by side.
Ninja and samurai could be seen everywhere as the escort forces of various envoys. They were mutually wary of one another, but all remained restrained.
During these few days in Konoha, Yayoi received envoys from fifteen countries in total. Among them, six countries had their daimyo personally negotiate with him.
During this period, Yayoi also paid an official visit to Senju Hashirama, who was about to assume the title of First Hokage.
"Greetings, Hashirama-sama. I have long heard of your great name."
Yayoi and Hashirama clasped hands briefly, then quickly separated.
Yayoi's first impression of Hashirama was...
A man who always smiled but did not speak much.
Most of the time, Hashirama stood there while his younger brother, Senju Tobirama, who stood beside him, handled the communication and discussion.
For some reason, the muscles on this Senju clan head's face seemed to be twitching a little...
Was it an illusion?
Judging only from appearance, Hashirama seemed gentle and easy to get along with. Beyond that, Yayoi could not see his depth.
His chakra was completely restrained, not leaking even the slightest amount. He looked like an ordinary person.
As for Uchiha Madara, Yayoi also saw him.
Madara leaned not far from the meeting area. His eyes seemed to fall only faintly on Hashirama. As for everyone else...
In his eyes, they were probably worth less than air.
Aside from Senju Hashirama, he does not put anyone in his eyes at all.
Yayoi's mood was extremely complicated.
Seeing Uchiha Madara again, he had originally wanted to go up, greet him, and become familiar before making further plans.
But after thinking it over, he decided against it. If he went over now, he would most likely be giving a warm face to a cold backside and only making things awkward for himself.
His exchange with Hashirama lasted only a few words. After all, there were diplomatic personnel from other countries waiting behind him, and Yayoi could not delay too long.
By the time he returned to the courtyard arranged by Konoha, it was already noon. After Yayoi and Kichō finished lunch, he took an afternoon nap together with her. The past few days had been busy, and Yayoi felt somewhat tired.
The nap with Kichō was entirely proper. Nothing happened.
When night fell, just after dinner, Irori received an unexpected visitor who had come to visit on his own initiative.
Yayoi brought Kichō with him and appeared in the meeting room. Someone had already been waiting there for some time.
He wore black ninja clothing, had sharp eyes and white hair.
It was Senju Tobirama.