Night fell.
Inside the brightly lit office in Konoha Ninja Village, Hashirama sat in his chair.
On the desk before him lay formal diplomatic documents submitted by various countries, piling up like snowflakes.
Some were simple courtesy visits, while others revealed vigilance and distrust toward Konoha between the lines, suspecting that Hashirama was plotting something behind the scenes.
Others, hoping to take advantage of Konoha’s state of reconstruction, sought to establish cooperation and exchange resources with the Village.
“There are thirteen delegations that have arrived in Konoha so far.
The delegations from the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth are the most important, so we need to pay close attention to them.
It’s just that the Daimyos of these two countries didn’t come in person, sending high-ranking officials to act as proxies instead, and their retinues are filled with troublesome Ninjas.” Tobirama explained the current situation concisely.
Hosting so many diplomatic delegations at once was a huge test for Konoha.
However, in Tobirama’s view, some of these nations couldn’t really be called countries at all.
On the map, their territories were no different from tiny dots; it wouldn’t be surprising if they suddenly disappeared or were wiped out at any moment.
In this day and age, there were countless people who built a single city and called themselves Daimyo.
There was no need to engage in cooperation with these types of countries.
Tobirama was worried that if they formed a partnership, the country might suddenly vanish shortly after, which would only harm the interests of Konoha and the Land of Fire.
“Besides the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, we must also pay attention to the Land of Night from the north.
The ruler of this country is called a’Shogun’, the supreme leader who governs both the civil and military affairs of the nation.
Hmm, the fact that they don’t have a Daimyo is quite unique, and they seem to possess a stronger ability to rally people than a Daimyo.
It’s the same as the Land of Demon in the far west, which is led by a shrine maiden.” The Shogun of the Land of Night and the shrine maiden of the Land of Demon were leaders who governed their nations without the title of Daimyo.
In Tobirama’s view, the leaders of these two countries—whether the Shogun or the shrine maiden—were figures who held total control over both military and political power, representing a variant of a Daimyo.
“…Hey, are you listening, older brother?” Receiving no response from Hashirama, Tobirama couldn’t help but frown.
“Ah?
Oh, of course I’m listening.
Hmm, let’s handle things that way.” Hashirama immediately straightened his back, the sleepiness vanishing from his Face, and nodded solemnly.
Tobirama: “…” Hadn’t he heard absolutely nothing?
“You’re tired enough to fall asleep from just this?
Have you been slacking off lately, older brother?” “You can’t blame me for that.
When I was hosting today, I smiled until my mouth cramped.” Mentioning this made Hashirama feel incredibly depressed.
He didn’t know why those delegations were so talkative; they kept telling him about trivial matters, which was more hypnotic than a Ninja’s genjutsu.
Especially since Tobirama had requested that he try not to speak during the hosting, but instead keep smiling and just nod in response, leaving the talking to Tobirama.
Therefore, Hashirama’s responses to the delegations were limited to short words like ‘Hmm’, ‘Okay’, or ‘That’s fine’.
Upon returning, he realized his Face had cramped, and the muscles in his Face had started twitching.
The worst part was that Uchiha Madara had seen it and teased him about it for a long time.
“It’s because whenever you open your mouth, older brother, you easily say something foolish.
This is an important window for engaging with other countries; if the leader suddenly acts foolish, it greatly affects the reputation of the nation and the Village.” Tobirama sighed.
“Yeah~~” Hashirama drawled, clearly not taking Tobirama’s lecture to heart.
“I’m telling you, older brother…” “Anyway, I will take the subsequent hosting work seriously.
Is there anything else to add?” “Regarding that, there is indeed one very important matter.
As for the Hyuga Clan, although some Elders are willing to join Konoha, there are quite a few opposition factions within the clan…
I heard the debate is intense, and if things go poorly, it might erupt into armed conflict.” Tobirama rubbed his chin and described the current situation of the Hyuga Clan.
Konoha was accepting more and more Ninja clans at this time.
Under Hashirama’s persuasion, many large and small Ninja clans in the Land of Fire had undergone peaceful evolution.
The task of gathering them had been completed with almost no bloodshed.
However, there were still some tough nuts to crack in the Land of Fire, with the Hyuga Clan being the most prominent among them.
“The Hyuga Clan has a Legacy as long as the Senju Clan, but their family customs are very rigid.
They implement a Main Branch and Branch House strategy within the clan, and members of the Branch House are even branded with a curse mark called ‘Caged Bird’…
I don’t know the specific reason for it, but given the current situation of the Hyuga Clan, handling them is quite tricky.” Tobirama took a deep breath.
In his view, the problem with the Hyuga Clan was second only to the Uchiha Clan.
Their rigid family customs and rules still adopted ancient traditions, with almost no flexibility.
Every time he interacted with people from the Hyuga Clan, they looked like corpses, which made one feel repressed inside.
“Is it to prevent their Bloodline Limit from spreading outside?” Hashirama knew a little about the Hyuga style.
As fellow prestigious Ninja clans, it was normal for them to have some contact.
“If that were the case, a curse mark like ‘Caged Bird’ wouldn’t be able to prevent it.
I believe there must be a deeper reason that led to the creation of the ‘Caged Bird’.” “It seems it won’t be easy to persuade them.” Hashirama rubbed his brow.
“Negotiating with old fogies is like this, just like with Father back in the day.
However, I heard that not long ago, they formed a marriage alliance with the Land of Night, and a daughter of the Hyuga Main Branch has now become the wife of the Shogun of the Land of Night.” Tobirama thought again about the rumors that had spread not long ago, considering whether a marriage alliance might be an effective method.
This tactic was common during the Sengoku era; the marriage alliance between the Hyuga and the Land of Night was not an isolated case.
Even between clans, marriage alliances were often needed to maintain connections.
For instance, his older brother Hashirama had married a woman from the Uzumaki Clan, gaining the support of the Uzumaki Clan.
Originally, Konoha intended to invite the Uzumaki Clan to join, but after some consideration, the Uzumaki Clan declined.
Adjacent to the southeastern border of the Land of Fire, the Uzumaki Clan had found a vast, ungoverned piece of land and seemed to have the intention of establishing a country there.
Tobirama thought this wasn’t bad; even if the Uzumaki Clan encountered any danger in the future, Konoha could react quickly and provide support.
“So, the Hyuga have the intention of relocating to the Land of Night?” Hashirama blinked.
“No, if they had that intention, they would have just migrated directly like the Aburame Clan.
However, after Konoha was established, they still remained in the Land of Fire…
Plus, with half the clan opposing joining Konoha and half supporting it, they might be waiting to sell at a high price.” Tobirama curled his lip.
If the Hyuga Clan truly had this intention, they were being far too optimistic.
“Then, I’ll go take a look later.” Hashirama planned to make a trip to the Hyuga Clan after his inauguration as Hokage.
In times like these, direct Face-to-Face negotiation was better.
“Hmm, the Hyuga Clan has also sent people for this ceremony.
Later, I will have someone sound them out to first determine which side their stance leans toward.” “Thanks for the trouble, Tobirama.
Having you here really saves me a lot of effort.” Hashirama walked over, patted Tobirama on the shoulder, and gave his affirmation.
“Sigh…
As long as you can restrain your impulsive nature, older brother, it would save a lot of trouble.” Whether it was the alliance with the Uchiha or the current Konoha…
in Tobirama’s view, neither seemed like a plan Hashirama had provided after careful deliberation.
It felt more like ideas that suddenly popped into Hashirama’s head, and he made the decision on the spot.
Without him assisting on the side, this Village would be doomed sooner or later.
However, it was precisely because of this emotional style that those Ninja clans were able to let down their guard against each other.
Hashirama determined the general direction of the Village, reconciled conflicts between various clans, and allowed them to communicate as equals, while he, on this foundation, perfected the framework of the Village and brought the dream into reality.
The day after arriving in Konoha.
Yayoi, as the Shogun of the Land of Night, first received a visit from the Hyuga Clan.
The person the Hyuga Clan sent to Konoha this time was not Kicho’s father, Hyuga Shuzen, but another Main Branch Elder, Hyuga Aka-jin.
He was in his sixties with a stern Face, and his Ninja outfit was worn meticulously, very much in line with the Hyuga’s rigid style.
According to Kicho, this Elder Aka-jin was also a powerful Ninja who charged into battle when he was young.
Most importantly, he was also the grandfather of Kicho’s maid, Hyuga Aoi.
But because Aoi was from the Branch House, she was a marginalized person who was not valued in the Hyuga Clan, and for the most part, there was no family affection to speak of between her and her grandfather, Hyuga Aka-jin.
Rinko’s situation was the same; her relatives in the generation above were all from the Main Branch, but because she wasn’t the firstborn and her talent was average, she ended up in the Branch House.
Hyuga Aka-jin had no special purpose for coming here; it was just a simple visit to maintain necessary connections.
After all, the cooperation between the Land of Night and the Hyuga Clan had not been broken due to Kicho’s presence, but had been maintained, so there was no need for superfluous actions.
When Hyuga Aka-jin left, Yayoi symbolically returned a gift.
This time, Yayoi had brought many gifts that could be given in return, used to establish diplomatic relations with various countries.
“Father, the Daimyo of the Land of Melody just sent someone to deliver a letter of visit.” Irori walked into the quiet room temporarily used for meetings, holding a letter in her hand, and handed it to Yayoi, who was sitting cross-legged on a cushion.
“?” Yayoi was stunned.
The Land of Melody?
Where was that country?
Was this country on the map?
It wouldn’t be one of those countries that was just a dot on the map, would it?
Although Yayoi had some understanding of the various countries in the Ninja World, the countries he knew did not include those small nations that couldn’t even be found as a colored block on the map.
Such countries appeared every year and then suddenly disappeared, which was quite strange and mysterious.
In order not to affect other countries’ reputation of the Land of Night, Yayoi still agreed to the meeting.
Soon, the Daimyo of the Land of Melody came to visit in person.
As expected, he came to solicit help; the Land of Melody was currently suffering attacks from external forces and could be destroyed at any time.
At the same time, Yayoi also figured out where the Land of Melody was in the Ninja World; hmm, it was separated from the Land of Night by more than half the continent.
To reach the Land of Melody from the Land of Night, even if a Ninja ran at full speed without sleep or rest, it would take several days.
Most importantly, this country had no specialties; it was just a forest, some mountains, two cities, and a few Villages, so barren that it was unbearable to look at.
And who would bring several princesses along when negotiating?
This Daimyo of the Land of Melody had done it.
It looked quite heartbreaking to Yayoi; he had fallen to the point of dragging his daughters out to sell.
In the end, Yayoi could only promise to dispatch a mixed unit of Ninjas and samurai so that in the event of failure, the Daimyo of the Land of Melody and his family could settle safely in the Land of Night, so they wouldn’t end up with their whole clan being slaughtered.
As for quelling the rebellion, it was impossible; the distance was too far, and there were too many variables.
Being able to protect the Daimyo and his family was already the limit of what Yayoi could do.
Even so, Yayoi still collected a large sum of hiring fees from the Daimyo of the Land of Melody.
After all, after the Land of Night was established, the Ninjas and samurai of the Land of Night no longer assumed the function of being hired, but belonged entirely to the national defense force.
The salaries of Ninjas and samurai did not come from mission rewards, but were paid monthly according to their position and Rank; if their performance was excellent, their salary and benefits would be increased on that basis.
In other words, it was he, the Shogun, who was supporting all the Ninjas and samurai of the country.
The most common things for Ninjas and samurai to do on a daily basis, besides patrolling and maintaining public order, were training their own abilities.
The matter of the Daimyo of the Land of Melody ended, and then people from several other countries came to visit.
Although Yayoi lived a reclusive life, the Land of Night, as a rising star in the Ninja World, had been developing extremely fiercely over the years, so it would certainly be noticed by many countries.
As the Shogun’s wife, Kicho naturally sat beside Yayoi, watching the exchanges and cooperation between countries, occasionally saying a few words, either cutting straight to the point or easing the atmosphere when things were tense.
She fulfilled the duties of a virtuous wife very well.
After this, her intelligence and beauty would surely be widely spread among the personnel of various countries.
This was undoubtedly a matter that brought great Face to Yayoi as a husband.
Who wouldn’t want their partner to be an intelligent, beautiful, understanding woman who could also fight side-by-side at critical moments?
Just like that, three days passed quietly.
More and more national delegations arrived at Konoha, and one courtyard after another in the reception area was occupied, with tension and liveliness coexisting.
Ninjas or samurai were visible everywhere as the guard forces for the various delegations, wary of each other, but all very restrained.
During the few days Yayoi was in Konoha, he received delegations from fifteen countries in total, six of which were negotiated by the Daimyo themselves.
During this period, Yayoi also paid a formal visit to Senju Hashirama, who was about to assume the title of First Hokage.
“Hello, Your Excellency Hashirama, I have long admired your reputation.” Yayoi and Hashirama shook hands, then quickly separated.
Yayoi’s first impression of Hashirama…
a person who always smiled but didn’t speak much.
Most of the time, his younger brother, Senju Tobirama, was standing next to him, responsible for communication.
He always felt that the muscles on the Face of this Senju Clan Chief were twitching a bit…
was it an illusion?
Judging only from his appearance, he seemed kind and easy to get along with; otherwise, he couldn’t tell how deep he was.
His Chakra was completely restrained, not leaking a bit, as if he were an ordinary person.
As for Uchiha Madara, Yayoi also saw him.
The other party was leaning against a spot not far from the meeting venue, his eyes landing on Hashirama only vaguely, while as for the others…
in his eyes, they might not even be as good as air.
‘Except for Senju Hashirama, he simply doesn’t put anyone in his eyes.’ Yayoi’s mood was exceptionally complex.
Seeing Uchiha Madara again, he had wanted to go up and say hello, to get familiar before making further plans.
But after thinking about it, he decided against it; going over now would likely be like asking for a cold shoulder, purely asking for trouble.
The exchange with Hashirama was only a matter of a few sentences; after all, there were diplomatic personnel from other countries coming up next, and Yayoi couldn’t delay for too long.
Returning to the courtyard arranged by Konoha, it was already noon.
Yayoi and Kicho finished lunch and took a nap together in the afternoon.
Yayoi had been busy for the past few days and felt a little tired.
During the nap, he and Kicho didn’t do anything; it was the very platonic kind.
Until night fell, just after dinner, under Irori’s reception, an unexpected person took the initiative to visit.
Yayoi brought Kicho and appeared in the meeting room, where someone had already been waiting for a while.
Wearing a black Ninja outfit, with sharp eyes and white hair, it was none other than Senju Tobirama.