And then there were Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara—the sheer strength of these two shinobi…
The Fire Daimyō suddenly thought of many things, and even began thinking much further ahead.
That was why the daimyō’s mood was extremely unpleasant right now…
No, “absolutely terrible” would probably be more accurate.
But he couldn’t show it immediately, because Uchiha Makoto was still standing in front of him.
Makoto was also a member of the Uchiha clan.
If the Uchiha clan and Senju clan had made peace and abandoned their war, then surely he should be happy about it too.
After all…
It seemed that Uchiha Makoto wasn’t some natural-born killer who enjoyed taking a kunai or shuriken onto the battlefield and cutting people down while he was still young.
If you cut someone down today, someone else might cut you down tomorrow.
Who wouldn’t want to live a little longer?
Uchiha Makoto looked at the Fire Daimyō’s stiff smile, smiled himself, and then teased him.
“Your Highness, your expression looks a little strange.”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“Should I have a medical ninja come over and examine you…?”
The Fire Daimyō’s heart desperately wanted the Uchiha and Senju to slaughter each other until the battlefield ran red with blood, until their clans were reduced to ruins, until both sides were completely wiped out.
Yet here he was, forced to say all the right things against his true feelings.
This was filthy politics!
“No…
no need.”
“I just…
didn’t sleep well last night.”
Faced with Uchiha Makoto’s sudden concern, the Fire Daimyō could only brush him off verbally.
“Oh, then Your Highness must take good care of yourself!”
“The future of the Land of Fire rests upon your shoulders!”
Uchiha Makoto’s political awareness was exceptionally high.
Right now, he had to sing whatever song belonged to whatever mountain he was climbing.
Since that was the case, he might as well pile a little more weight onto the Fire Daimyō’s shoulders!
Once his own body had grown stronger, he could help the daimyō shoulder some of that burden…
But now was not the time!
One sentence from Uchiha Makoto made the Fire Daimyō’s expression considerably more pleasant.
That’s right!
The Land of Fire was resting on his shoulders!
Uchiha Makoto’s political awareness was even higher than he had imagined!
The Fire Daimyō couldn’t help but look at Makoto in a new light.
The previously heavy atmosphere also eased somewhat.
“That’s not all…”
“Senju Hashirama has an ambitious idea!”
“Senju Hashirama intends to join forces with Lord Madara to establish a shinobi village of their own, bringing all the shinobi clans of the entire shinobi world together…
and ultimately sweeping across the shinobi world.”
“Then they will establish an entirely new order for the shinobi world!”
Uchiha Makoto hadn’t forgotten the real purpose of his visit.
He had begun today’s main task—
Applying some eye drops to that good-natured fool, Senju Hashirama.
Of course…
Uchiha Makoto wasn’t simply fabricating rumors about Senju Hashirama.
This really was Hashirama’s ideal…
Establish a shinobi village, bring the shinobi clans together, and pacify the shinobi world…
Well, that last part wasn’t quite right.
This was the plus version of his ideal!
…..
Uchiha Makoto continued painting a grand vision of Senju Hashirama, talking without pause.
But every word sounded exceptionally grating in the Fire Daimyō’s ears.
Establish a shinobi village…
gather the shinobi clans from across the world…
and then sweep across the entire shinobi world…
The Fire Daimyō had absolutely no doubt about the capabilities of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
If the two joined forces, they could completely accomplish all three things.
“Susanoo wrapped around the Buddha, the two of them flattening the shinobi world” wasn’t merely an empty joke.
Sweeping across the shinobi world?
Honestly, they could probably do it in a matter of minutes, let alone a week.
Three days!
Unifying the shinobi world would be incredibly easy.
Far too easy!
But why wouldn’t Senju Hashirama do it?
Because he was benevolent.
He wanted peace in the shinobi world, not to become its ruler.
But the Fire Daimyō certainly wouldn’t see it that way.
First, establish an organization…
Establish a shinobi village.
Then recruit soldiers and gather resources…
Bring the shinobi clans under its banner.
Finally, sweep across the world.
Wasn’t that the three-step package for rebellion?
Senju Hashirama, what exactly are you planning?
And you even want to establish a new order for the shinobi world!
Are you really doing this for peace?
I almost feel embarrassed to point it out.
You’re obviously coveting everything I have here!
You shameless!
Damn it…
couldn’t you come up with a better excuse?
Do you really have to be this blatant?
Once all the shinobi join forces, with you as their leader, they will become a single community of shared interests.
Then, in the future, who will actually have the final say in the shinobi world?
Us daimyō and nobles?
Or all of you shinobi?
Terrifying…
It was simply too terrifying.
Senju Hashirama, you are truly frightening!!
As a political creature, the Fire Daimyō was instinctively sensitive to such matters.
Because some things weren’t about whether you wanted to do them or whether you were capable of doing them.
Sometimes, as events developed, everything simply fell into place…
Power would naturally seek out the person best suited to wield it.
The robe symbolizing the authority of the daimyō might somehow end up on Senju Hashirama’s shoulders…
Whether Hashirama wanted it or not.
There would always be capable ministers willing to remove every obstacle standing in Hashirama’s way.
“What an incredible idea.”
The Fire Daimyō unconsciously tightened his grip around the armrest of his chair, then spoke to Uchiha Makoto with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Outside the window, dusk had begun to settle…
A sliver of the setting sun hung upon the horizon.
But he felt that he probably wouldn’t be sleeping tonight.
Because there was no way he could sleep.
The smile on Uchiha Makoto’s face grew even brighter.
He knew he had accomplished his objective.
The more wary and frightened the Fire Daimyō became of the Uchiha and Senju clans making peace, the more advantageous it was for him.
“Your Highness, it seems that you approve of this?”
“Hmm…
I do have some slightly different thoughts.”
As the daimyō spoke, he repeatedly shook his head, bobbing it back and forth like a rattle drum.
Approve of Senju Hashirama establishing a shinobi village, gathering the shinobi clans, and ultimately sweeping across the shinobi world?
Unless he had gone insane!
The diplomatic objective of the daimyō had remained unchanged for a thousand years:
Keep the shinobi world divided.
Let the Uzumaki clan join forces with the Senju clan against the Uchiha clan. Get faster updates on g.com.
Let the Hyūga clan ally with the Uchiha clan while also competing with them.
Then there were the Kaguya clan, the Kurama clan…
In short—
Keep the shinobi world divided!
“Your Highness, I actually feel the same way.
I also have a different view regarding the alliance between the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan.”
Uchiha Makoto nodded as he said this to the Fire Daimyō.
The Fire Daimyō’s eyes immediately lit up upon hearing Makoto’s words.
He couldn’t help but eagerly anticipate what Uchiha Makoto would say next.
“As a true member of the Uchiha clan, I believe that the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan could never truly abandon their thousand-year blood feud and make peace!”
“This is simply absurd!”
The Fire Daimyō immediately nodded involuntarily.
Just look at that!
Listen to how authentic Uchiha Makoto sounded!
Now this was a true member of the true Uchiha!
The Senju clan?
They were heretics!
They all needed to be burned!
The setting sun gradually disappeared.
The sky grew dark.
But for the Fire Daimyō, even though electric lights had yet to become widely available, the room was still brightly illuminated.
The lamplight flickered.
Beneath its glow…
The smile on the Fire Daimyō’s face became even more distinct.
His appreciation for Uchiha Makoto was completely undisguised.
“The future of the Land of Fire rests upon my shoulders!”
“If there is one person in the Land of Fire who can call the wind and summon the rain, that person is me!”
“Those shinobi clans should obediently shield me from the wind and rain!”
Whether in terms of political awareness or his current position, Uchiha Makoto and the Fire Daimyō had reached a temporary understanding.
The Fire Daimyō didn’t want the Uchiha and Senju clans to unite, and even less did he want a shinobi village capable of sweeping across the entire shinobi world to emerge.
And Uchiha Makoto didn’t want that either.
After all, how could he have a chance to rise if his big brother didn’t die?
“Your Highness, do you really believe that the Senju clan and Uchiha clan can make peace, and ultimately abandon their thousand-year blood feud?”
“Our clan leader, Lord Madara, has already lost several younger brothers to the Senju clan.
Lord Izuna, in particular, died at the hands of Senju Tobirama, Senju Hashirama’s younger brother.”
Uchiha Makoto continued guiding the Fire Daimyō with his words.
“To accomplish something like that…
should be very difficult…” The Fire Daimyō shook his head.
When it came to the messy history between the Senju and Uchiha clans, the daimyō knew it all too well.
Who could have imagined…
That overnight, the Senju and Uchiha clans would actually make peace and simply stop fighting!
Didn’t the two of you want to avenge your fallen clansmen?
Especially that Senju clan leader, Senju Hashirama…
He had actually been willing to stake his own life to earn Uchiha Madara’s trust.
And he even used a kunai to stab himself.
Setting aside the whole issue of the kunai…
The Fire Daimyō genuinely questioned Senju Hashirama’s motives.
Could someone really be this foolish and naive?
There probably weren’t more than a handful of people like that in the entire shinobi world.
Senju Hashirama was either an idiot…
Or he was a deeply calculating, utterly ruthless schemer who was especially ruthless toward himself.
And as the leader of one of the shinobi world’s top kekkei-genkai clans, could he really be an idiot?
Obviously not!
Senju Hashirama…
He was truly terrifying.