Senju Tobirama, the future Second Hokage of Konoha—Yayoi was generally clear about his achievements.
Many of Konoha’s important facilities and institutions were established under his leadership.
For example, the Ninja Academy that opened paths for civilians, the Anbu organization that strengthened centralized power and solidified the Hokage’s status, and even the Military Police Force position he arranged for the Uchiha Clan, which indirectly became one of the fuses for the Uchiha Clan’s future destruction.
In short, he was one of the founding fathers who, even after his death, would continue to influence the fate of Konoha in every aspect.
Setting aside his strength, he was a formidable figure in terms of political acumen and execution ability.
“Apologies for the late visit; I hope I haven’t disturbed your rest.” Although Tobirama tried to soften his tone, that cold and rigid demeanor still made people feel uncomfortable.
His eyes remained fixed on Yayoi and Kicho, as if he were observing, planning, and ascertaining something.
“Not at all.
On the contrary, I am honored.
I have long heard of you, Your Excellency Tobirama, who bears the name of Godspeed.” Yayoi smiled slightly and responded calmly.
Kicho also smiled, sat quietly beside Yayoi, and silently poured tea for him.
“Hmm, work is very busy during the day, and this is the only time I could spare a little leisure.” Tobirama nodded and withdrew his gaze.
Originally, testing the General of the Land of Night should have been handled by people from the Land of Fire’s Daimyo, just like the delegations from the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth.
However, considering the unique nature of the Land of Night, Tobirama decided it was better to come in person.
Because this General of the Land of Night was not only the head of state but also a powerful Ninja in his own right.
A top-tier Puppeteer of the current era, he had swept away the resistance forces of the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Iron with absolute power, using that as a springboard to establish the Land of Night…
There were too many rumors about this person; even he in the Land of Fire had paid more or less attention to him.
It was just that there were no conflicting interests between the Senju and the Land of Night, and they had rivals like the Uchiha, so the two sides had no contact before this.
“I will skip the pleasantries.
I have come to visit you, General, because there is a deal I would like to discuss with you.” Tobirama got straight to the point; his time was precious, and there was no need for small talk.
This General did not seem like someone who enjoyed verbal sparring either, but rather, like him, valued efficiency in major matters.
“Please, go ahead.” Yayoi’s expression became much more serious.
Tobirama did not hesitate and spoke directly: “As far as I know, there are several mining areas in the eastern part of the Land of Night that produce high-quality minerals, which can be forged into various types of Chakra metal.” The eastern part of the Land of Night used to be the Land of Iron, the land of samurai.
It was also a mineral-rich region, producing many ores that could be forged into excellent Chakra metal, an important strategic resource.
In the past, the samurai of the Land of Iron relied on the abundant minerals there to forge many armors and swords as the foundation of their nation.
Of course, the Land of Fire also had similar minerals used to forge Chakra metal.
But due to differences in categories, the Chakra metal forged would have huge differences in attributes.
The metal ores of the Land of Night possessed properties that the Land of Fire lacked.
“In other words, you want to exchange resources, is that it?
If so…” Yayoi thought about it; it was an acceptable deal.
“No, rather than raw materials, I hope to buy a batch of finished Chakra metal.” Tobirama shook his head and stated his purpose.
Although Chakra metal varied, that was just an attribute preference.
In terms of quality, the finished products forged by the Land of Night, just judging from what circulated on the market, were known to exceed those of the Land of Fire.
As a Puppeteer, this General of the Land of Night was himself a top-tier craftsman.
Tobirama suspected that the Land of Night’s ability to consistently produce large quantities of excellent Chakra metal in recent years had a lot to do with Yayoi, this General of the Land of Night.
With this top-tier skill, Chakra metal manufacturing had become one of the pillar industries of the Land of Night, bringing in immensely rich profits every year.
But the problem was, the amount of finished Chakra metal flowing out of the Land of Night was still too small.
“It seems the finished Chakra metal Your Excellency Tobirama needs is not a small amount.
Could you be more specific?” “I need about a thousand tons.” “…” Yayoi’s mouth twitched.
Was Konoha planning to fight a Ninja World War?
Did he know how many Ninjas could be armed with this magnitude of Chakra metal?
This future Second Hokage was really asking for an exorbitant amount.
Chakra metal was not the same thing as ordinary steel.
By mixing a small amount of Chakra metal into iron weapons, their performance could be multiplied.
After all, Ninjas fought using Chakra; if weapons could not conduct Chakra well, they were no different from scrap in the eyes of a Ninja and would pose no threat to them.
And ordinary weapons, while capable of conducting Chakra, had such poor conductivity that their lethality was insufficient, so they were never in the weapon options for Ninjas from the start.
Therefore, the Ninja tools used by Ninjas, including Kunai and shuriken, were all infused with a certain proportion of Chakra metal to ensure good Chakra conductivity.
This was also the reason why Ninjas, despite having Physiques far superior to ordinary people, could still be stabbed to death by a small Kunai—because Ninja weapons were simply not made of ordinary metal.
(There are hints in both the manga and official canon that Ninja tools like Kunai, shuriken, and Ninja swords all have the function of conducting Chakra and are fundamentally different from ordinary steel weapons.
Moreover, Ninja tools require regular paid maintenance, otherwise, you would be heartbroken if they broke because they are really expensive.
Looking at it this way, although Ninjas are poor, the things they use are actually not cheap.) It is said that some special Chakra metals are more expensive than gold, such as the spirit blade Kumokiri used by Kicho, which is entirely forged from special Chakra metal and is worth the heads of a dozen Asuma Sarutobis.
Another example is the necklace owned by Senju Hashirama, which is similar to special Chakra metal; it is made of extremely rare Chakra crystals and can restrain Tailed Beasts, with a value equivalent to three mountains.
The Chakra metal produced by the Land of Night mostly belongs to the conventional category; it is just that the synthesis technique field is more excellent.
But a thousand tons of Chakra metal meeting the qualified standards would be very difficult for the Land of Night to synthesize in a year, even at full capacity.
Even if it were manufactured, it would be impossible to sell it all to Konoha.
Many facilities in the Land of Night also require a large amount of Chakra metal themselves.
“Your Excellency Tobirama is joking.” “Then…
five hundred tons?” “Two hundred tons at most.” Yayoi’s brow began to twitch, and he helplessly gave a number.
This amount was actually quite considerable; with a little conservation, it would be enough for the current Konoha.
As long as the forged Ninja tools were not made entirely of Chakra metal, but rather had a certain proportion of Chakra metal infused into iron Ninja tools, two hundred tons of Chakra metal could produce at least one million conventional Ninja tools like Kunai and shuriken.
And the number of Kunai, shuriken, Ninja swords, and other Ninja tools carried by each Ninja on average was very limited, unless they were Ninjas skilled in Ninja tool operation.
Therefore, this batch of Chakra metal could arm at least ten thousand Ninjas.
The current Ninjas of Konoha were all from Ninja clans, and no matter how you counted, there couldn’t be ten thousand Ninjas.
Not to mention that Ninja tools were different from general cold weapons; they could be recycled, reprocessed, and reused, and if maintained carefully, they could be used for a long time.
“Deal.” Tobirama answered readily, and Yayoi suddenly felt like he might have said too much.
Fortunately, two hundred tons of standard Chakra metal was not a big burden for the Land of Night, and it wasn’t like he was selling that much every year.
In the warehouse of his General’s Mansion, there were still over a thousand tons of Chakra metal stored, but that was something the Land of Night had saved up over several years and was an important strategic resource that absolutely could not be sold.
In the following days, Yayoi basically stayed indoors.
He had finished visiting everyone he needed to visit, and the trades with various countries were basically negotiated.
Afterward, he only needed to attend the inauguration ceremony of the First Hokage before returning to the Land of Night.
However, just because things had quieted down on his end did not mean the other countries would be just as quiet.
Delegations from other major powers, such as the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water, arrived one after another.
Perhaps due to some personal grudges, when the delegations from the Land of Water and the Land of Earth met, they started a fierce quarrel, and the accompanying Ninjas almost started a real fight.
If not for the Ninjas from the Senju and Uchiha Clans stepping in, it would likely have triggered a fierce battle.
Yayoi watched the entire process of the conflict between these two countries from the sidelines.
The head of the Land of Earth delegation’s guard was a tall and thin Ninja named Mū.
He remained expressionless throughout, making it impossible to read his thoughts.
The guard leader of the Land of Water delegation was Hōzuki Gengetsu, the Clan Chief of the Hozuki Clan.
He was a Ninja with a small mustache and no eyebrows.
Among the Ninjas clashing from both sides, these two fought the most fiercely.
It was clear that they were showing restraint and did not unleash their full power, so the battle ended in a draw.
“What sophisticated Invisibility Ninjutsu.
Even with the Byakugan, I can only vaguely see the Chakra flow; I’d lose track of him if I wasn’t careful.
He can even fly in the sky.” Kicho used her Byakugan to observe the battlefield.
Mū of the Land of Earth used a bizarre Invisibility Ninjutsu that only the Byakugan or a powerful Sensory Ninja could vaguely detect.
Furthermore, after performing Earth Release, he could fly through the air, making him a very rare Flying Ninja in the Ninja World.
Hōzuki Gengetsu of the Land of Water, on the other hand, only displayed his Water Release.
Effortlessly unleashing high-level Water Release in a waterless place was something he could do with ease.
His other abilities were not shown, but judging by his carefree attitude, he certainly had stronger trump cards held back.
“Kekkei Tōta—Dust Release, along with invisibility and flight…
this guy’s techniques are quite dangerous.” Setting aside Hōzuki Gengetsu, who hadn’t shown more dangerous abilities, Mū of the Land of Earth seemed more dangerous in Yayoi’s eyes.
Dust Release—this was the Kekkei Tōta technique used by the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki during the Five Kage Summit in the original story.
It Fusions the Nature Transformations of wind, earth, and fire Chakra to release a shape-shifting translucent barrier that traps the enemy.
Once caught, they are decomposed into an atomic state and completely disintegrated.
Of course, Mū had not displayed this technique in the previous battle, but his reputation as a Dust Release Ninja had long since spread throughout the Land of Earth.
Combined with the invisibility and flight he just demonstrated, it would be very tricky if one were targeted by this person.
‘Could he be the future Second Tsuchikage of Iwagakure?’ Yayoi speculated.
Kekkei Tōta is not a hereditary ability, so the later Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, must have mastered Dust Release through cultivation.
As for why he guessed Mū was the Second Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, it was because the strongest Ninja in the Land of Earth was a man named Ishikawa.
According to the intelligence he gathered, Mū was a follower of Ishikawa.
Therefore, Ishikawa was most likely the First Tsuchikage of Iwagakure.
“Hmph, that’s enough for today.
Next time, I’ll scald you directly into a mummy.
Remember that!” Under the mediation of the Senju and Uchiha Ninjas, Hōzuki Gengetsu ended his fight with Mū, but he still left a harsh parting word before leaving.
“I should be the one saying that.
I’ll use Dust Release to turn you into ash, you eyebrowless mustache guy.” Mū was also very angry, his expression dark and his voice filled with killing intent.
Gengetsu’s lips twitched, and his iconic mustache quivered, revealing its owner’s inner turmoil.
“Husband, is there some grudge between these two?” Kicho tilted her head; anyone could see that these two were as incompatible as water and fire.
“I’m not entirely sure, but it looks like there’s mostly some personal enmity from the past.
We don’t need to interfere in the affairs of other countries.” Yayoi shook his head.
His understanding of Mū and Hōzuki Gengetsu was based only on intelligence, knowing their Ninjutsu and fighting styles in general.
As for their specific personal histories, he hadn’t managed to find out.
Besides the Land of Earth and the Land of Water, other countries also harbored some personal grudges, but fortunately, everyone was relatively restrained and didn’t cause too much of a disturbance.
Amidst this tense yet restrained atmosphere among the nations, the day finally arrived for Senju Hashirama to take office as the First Hokage.
One by one, the Ninja Clan Chiefs of Konoha, acting as the high-level representatives of the Village, attended the ceremony together, dressed in formal attire.
These Clan Chiefs were led by Uchiha Madara, followed by the heads of the Sarutobi Clan, Yamanaka Clan, Akimichi Clan, Nara Clan, and other Ninja clans.
Apart from the extraordinary Ninja Uchiha Madara, the strength of the other Clan Chiefs was also not to be underestimated.
Their collective presence made the personnel from various countries visiting the ceremony feel an unprecedented pressure.
These Ninjas from various families, each famous in their own right within the powerful Land of Fire, were now gathered around Senju Hashirama.
“From now on, I am the First Hokage who leads this Village.
I thank you all for coming, and…” Atop the tall building engraved with the word ‘Fire’, the leader of the Senju Clan—Senju Hashirama—donned a white God Robe and wore the Kage Hat, delivering the Hokage’s oath in an extremely solemn tone.
From this moment on, he would lead and protect this newborn Ninja Village—Konoha—as the ‘First Hokage’.
However, in Yayoi’s view, no words or phrasing were actually needed at this moment.
Senju Hashirama only needed to stand there to signify that a new era, carrying an invincible torrent, would completely crush the old Sengoku.
Because for the first time, clans began to officially unite, sharing common interests and a common leader.
They would integrate, accommodate, and interact closely within the Village of Konoha, eventually forming a single entity.
That was a force capable of forcibly turning the tide of an era.
“Ha…
ha…
you’ve got to be kidding, this kind of thing…
is simply…” “Unbelievable, is a new era truly coming?” “Can our countries and families really continue to exist in this new era?” “one country, one village…
damn Land of Fire, damn Konoha…
why let such an era arrive…
the Ninja World shouldn’t be like this…” The visiting Ninjas, even those at the level of Mū and Hōzuki Gengetsu, unconsciously began to tremble.
Their faces were covered in cold sweat from fear, they were suffocating to the point where their breathing almost stopped, and even their words carried an unhideable terror.
Some were yearning, some were terrified, some were wary, some were angry, and some were gnashing their teeth…
the expressions on the faces of every national representative who came to watch the ceremony were complex to the extreme.
They saw Senju Hashirama, after finishing his oath, wearing the white God Robe symbolizing the Hokage, high-lifting the hat engraved with the word ‘Fire’.
The entire venue fell instantly silent.
At this moment, everyone confirmed a fact.
A Village!
A Ninja Village!
This thing, the Land of Fire has it, and the other countries must have it too!
Without a Ninja Village, they would surely be abandoned by the era in the future!
They roared with unwilling hearts; they must create a Ninja Village belonging to their own country!
Ninja clans must Fusion; this was no longer the Sengoku of fighting alone.
What would appear next was a competition and clash between nations, carried out by the united Ninjas of a country.
This was not just an inauguration ceremony for the First Hokage, but a declaration through the Konoha Ninja Village that a new era had officially arrived.
“The current situation…
can only be described as terrifying.” In the spectator seats reserved for national leaders, his wife Kicho sat on his left, and Irori, acting as a guard, sat on his right.
Yayoi unconsciously pursed his lips and uttered these words in a hoarse voice, instinctively lowering his gaze.
Setting aside Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, those Ninja Clan Chiefs were also battle-hardened, with one or two possessing unfathomable auras.
The other Clan Chiefs were slightly weaker, but overall they all maintained an extremely high level.
Having survived the intense competition of the Sengoku until now, those who could still make a name for themselves were almost all the elite of the elite.
Not to mention, these were entire clans; it wasn’t just the Clan Chiefs who were strong, each clan had a large number of powerful Ninjas.
The ceremony was simple and efficient, without the slightest dragging.
After the standardized speech, Senju Hashirama successfully completed the Hokage inauguration ceremony.
The title of First Hokage was officially established at this moment.
The Village of Konoha was also truly born, entering its first year.
The Land of Fire, Konoha, the one country, one village treaty…
A new era that made everyone feel lost and inevitably fearful was there, whether they acknowledged it or not, pressing equally upon the head of every person in the Ninja World.