Hokage: Unable to persuade Madara, I chose to build my own ninja village.

Chapter 491 Tobirama Senju, you brought your elder brother to Madara Uchiha's funeral, why were you doing it so secretly?

May 12th, the eleventh year of Xiaoren's reign.

Today is auspicious for offering sacrifices!

The huge open-air mourning hall was solemn and dignified.

The black and white mourning banners fluttered in the breeze. In the center of the mourning hall stood a black and white portrait of Uchiha Madara, a man with a stern expression and an air of dominance over the world.

Not only the high-ranking officials of Konoha and the Land of Fire, but also the large and small ninja villages in the ninja world received invitations to attend the ceremony.

As the saying goes, people don't come to happy occasions unless invited, but they show up uninvited for funerals.

The fact that Akatsuki has taken the initiative to send them invitations is essentially a test of obedience. After all, Madara Uchiha carries extremely complex labels: although he was one of the founders of Konoha, he betrayed Konoha, was hunted down to death by the First Hokage, and was later definitively labeled as an unpardonable traitor by the Second Hokage.

However, Akatsuki Village never approved of such a thing. In Uchiha Makoto's view, betraying Konoha was utter nonsense.

This involves an extremely sensitive issue of stance.

Refusing the invitation would be tantamount to acknowledging Konoha's claim and thus completely antagonizing Akatsuki; while accepting the invitation to pay respects would be tantamount to openly slapping Konoha in the face and acknowledging the greatness of Uchiha Madara and Akatsuki's ideals.

Both Konoha and Akatsuki are behemoths in the ninja world.

For them, no matter which choice they make, they will offend one of them, and if they are not careful, they will get burned.

This dilemma is quite unfavorable, and many forces are feeling uneasy about it.

Moreover, besides these peripheral forces, the situation is also quite unpleasant for Konoha and Akatsuki. Konoha and Akatsuki are nominal allies, but their relationship has become so tense that it seems they could start a fight at the slightest provocation, causing deep concern among many.

Of course, while some people are worried, there are also many people secretly rejoicing.

For example, there's the Fire Country Daimyo, who long felt the ninja villages were too powerful to control and wished for the ninjas to stab each other in the back; the Cloud Village, which had a blood feud with the Akatsuki on the battlefield; and a bunch of other factions who usually disapproved of the Akatsuki's domineering and aggressive behavior but dared not speak out. They now dream of Konoha and the Akatsuki going to war as soon as possible, preferably a bloody battle where both sides are severely weakened.

But for Makoto Uchiha, he really had no choice in pushing the situation to this point.

From the moment Tobirama Senju officially took over as the Second Hokage and used his power to definitively label Madara Uchiha as a Konoha traitor, Makoto Uchiha had no choice but to bite the bullet and take preemptive countermeasures and remedial actions.

If he hadn't reacted and had chosen to back down, allowing Tobirama Senju to use Madara Uchiha's stain to internally suppress the Uchiha clan in Konoha and externally use this as an excuse to interfere with Akatsuki, Akatsuki would have been in a very passive position.

So instead of waiting to die, it's better to take the initiative and fabricate all sorts of conspiracy theories about "treason and framing" and "stealing the Hokage position" to drag Tobirama Senju into it... Anyway, after Tobirama Senju becomes the Second Hokage, the so-called alliance between Konoha and Akatsuki will break down sooner or later, and now it's just speeding up that process.

This time, the result naturally satisfied Uchiha Makoto.

He stood quietly to one side of the altar, dressed in a black undergarment and a robe of divine light and shadow, arms crossed, his eyes deep and thoughtful. In the square in front of him, the procession of mourners had already formed several squares, and everyone had changed into pure black mourning clothes with a white flower pinned to their chests.

Then, Uchiha Makoto slowly walked to the center of the altar and began this eulogy that was destined to be recorded in the annals of the ninja world.

"Today, we stand here to bid farewell to the true founder of Konoha and the great pioneer of the Uchiha clan—Lord Uchiha Madara."

"I know there are some shameless scoundrels outside who fear Lord Madara and spare no effort to smear him, but how could those vested interests who covet a false peace, those who only sit in their offices weighing pros and cons and playing power games, possibly understand what true 'love' is?"

"Lord Madara loves this ninja world more than anyone else in the world! Because he loves it so much, he suffers!"

He saw through the facade of the so-called village—a facade masking shady political compromises.

"He could have remained content in his high position, comfortably enjoying power. But he didn't! To build a truly great nation with laws and order, he was willing to give up everything, even break with his close friends who had helped him build the village, all to try and carry on the legacy of his ancestor Indra..."

The square was completely silent, except for the lingering, impassioned voice of Uchiha Makoto, which resonated violently in the air.

These words can be seen as a response to the doubts from the outside world in front of many forces in the ninja world—why did Uchiha Madara leave Konoha?

The answer is simple: it wasn't about vying for power and profit, but rather a fundamental clash of ideologies. It was because Madara Uchiha saw through the village's outwardly glamorous facade and the underhanded, self-serving compromises beneath.

Those dirty tricks disgusted him.

This is similar to the conflict between Ashura, the ancestor of the Senju clan, and Indra, the ancestor of the Uchiha clan. Their differing ideologies led to their violent clash.

As for which "shameless villain" from Konoha is behind this underhanded scheme?

Who forced Madara Uchiha to see the true face of Konoha?

This question was debated by a great Confucian scholar for Uchiha Madara.

By taking advantage of this funeral, Akatsuki could also claim to be inheriting Indra's will and the legacy of the Ninja Clan, thus gaining a claim in the entire ninja world and finding a legal basis for Akatsuki to annex the Land of Fire and even the entire ninja world in the future.

The so-called legitimacy of the daimyo is nothing more than an old system that has been passed down from the Warring States period for hundreds of years.

When it comes to orthodoxy, how could the lineage of Indra, the eldest son of the Sage of Six Paths, who is said to have created the ninja world, be inferior to that of a secular daimyo? ... Many things can be silenced as long as they have a plausible name.

The rest depends on whether you can keep winning.

Of course, Madara Uchiha wasn't as great as his eulogy made him out to be.

In the original story, he was nothing more than a pathetic wretch who was completely fooled by Black Zetsu and a tampered stone tablet at the Naga Shrine, and was deceived for his entire life. The "peace" he wanted was nothing more than dragging the whole world into a grand illusionary dream called Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Makoto Uchiha forcibly packaged his own political ambitions, reform ideas, and those glittering honors and shared them with Madara Uchiha.

However, that doesn't matter at all.

For Makoto Uchiha, sometimes the dead are indeed more useful than the living.

Madara Uchiha's death was far greater than his life.

"Although Lord Madara is gone, the flame left by our ancestor Indra has been completely ignited in our Akatsuki Village."

"As long as Akatsuki Village stands on this land, as long as the banner of the Clan of Love flies high, then from this day forward, the will of our ancestor Indra will surely spread throughout the entire ninja world."

"A moment of silence! Lay flowers!"

Whoosh!

With a final, low shout from Uchiha Makoto, nearly a thousand people in the plaza bowed their heads in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized. Then, guided by the ANBU ninja, the massive procession began to slowly incline forward.

Representatives from various factions, leaders of vassal ninja villages, and even nobles from the Land of Fire who had secretly defected, walked one by one to Madara Uchiha's portrait, then held the pure white chrysanthemums in their hands and gently placed them on the altar.

Soon, the white chrysanthemums in front of the altar were piled up into an eye-catching little mountain.

At the edge of the square, in a very inconspicuous queue.

Tobirama Senju and Hashirama Senju stood side by side. After some twists and turns, they had finally managed to conceal their identities and chakra fluctuations and blend into the funeral procession.

And then, from the high platform, Uchiha Makoto delivered a highly inflammatory eulogy.

Even though Tobirama Senju had prepared himself mentally before coming, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

Damn it!

What does it mean to be a "shameless scoundrel who fears Lord Madara"? What does it mean to "spare no effort in splashing dirty water"? And what about that other thing?

"A beneficiary who lives in a false peace," "Someone who only knows how to play power games in his office"... these words are practically tantamount to having Tobirama Senju's name engraved next to his portrait and paraded through the streets for all to see!

One can imagine that after this grand funeral that attracted the attention of the entire ninja world, the words spoken by the Akatsuki officials will spread throughout the ninja world.

He, Tobirama Senju, can no longer be completely cleared of the conspiracy theories surrounding him regarding "treason and framing" and "usurping the Hokage position."

Suppressing the murderous intent surging within him, Tobirama Senju could only take a deep breath and scan the surrounding crowd with a gloomy gaze.

The more he looked, the more upset he became.

Besides that, he actually saw many familiar faces at the funeral that were enough to make his heart pound.

Those small ninja villages that were originally close to Konoha and even depended on Konoha for survival, and those few nobles from the Land of Fire who usually acted arrogantly in front of me, didn't you want to be irreconcilable enemies with Akatsuki?

Even... there are ninjas from Konoha itself!

The presence of the Uchiha clan from Akatsuki Village, along with several close ninja clans whose interests were already intertwined with the Uchiha, is self-evident; they are all birds of a feather.

However, among the mourning procession, the ninja group that was grouped with the Uchiha clan always seemed very familiar to Tobirama Senju, exuding an inexplicable eeriness.

Although those people tried their best to conceal their presence, their familiar stances and subtle chakra fluctuations made them look like they were from Konoha... These are definitely Konoha ninja clans, sneaking into Akatsuki to pay respects at Uchiha Madara's grave?

This is absolutely outrageous!

We must find out the real identities of these people later, and then deal with them one by one!

Just as Tobirama Senju was thinking this, it was their turn in the line. He could only lower his head, walk forward silently, and pretend to place the white chrysanthemum in his hand on the altar.

Hashirama Senju stood shoulder to shoulder with him, a distance between them, gazing intently at the black and white portrait on the altar, their eyes filled with complex emotions and sorrow, remaining silent for a long time.

Seeing that Hashirama was still in a daze, Tobirama Senju quickly lowered his voice and tugged at his sleeve.

"Cough cough cough... I can walk now."

"Oh oh oh..."

Hashirama Senju immediately realized what was happening and quickly retreated into the crowd with his younger brother.

Madara Uchiha, who had always stayed by Makoto Uchiha's side as his bodyguard and had personally come to attend his own funeral, perhaps due to the power of their bonds or the Indra chakra within him, keenly sensed a very familiar aura.

Coincidentally, Uchiha Makoto, who was standing to the side, felt the same way.

However, what caught Uchiha Makoto's attention wasn't Hashirama Senju's heartfelt and reluctant expression. After all, these days, there are far too many actors who, in order to curry favor with Akatsuki, come to funerals and frantically add drama to their performances.

Just now, one or two guys whose names Makoto Uchiha didn't even know came forward to offer flowers, and they immediately knelt down before the altar. The moment they handed over the flowers, snot and tears streamed down their faces, and they wailed so heartbreakingly.

That was real crying!

Wanting to emulate Director Qi's advancement is nothing to be ashamed of.

What truly made Uchiha Makoto feel something was wrong was the guy next to Senju Hashirama who was frantically pulling people away.

Although the man kept his head down the whole time, pretending to be honest and simple, his eyes kept glancing at Uchiha Makoto unconsciously, without him even realizing it.

That strange feeling, filled with scrutiny and wariness, made Uchiha Makoto's heart skip a beat.

Holy crap, could this guy be Tobirama Senju?

Logically speaking, this makes no sense at all, but I just have this strong intuition.

So, Uchiha Makoto turned his head and gave a look to Uchiha Madara behind him.

The two reached a consensus with remarkable tacit understanding: those two guys were most likely suspicious.

However, this is just speculation at the moment, and there is no need to act rashly in public and alert the enemy.

If you mistake someone for the wrong person and make a fool of yourself, that would be a real problem.

The somber atmosphere of mourning lasted all day.

To be honest, Madara Uchiha had a terrible temper and always had a cold face. Apart from the oddball Hashirama Senju, few people were willing to get close to him. Even within the Uchiha clan, they collectively opposed and abandoned him. Their attitudes toward Madara Uchiha were actually quite subtle.

The reason so many people are here today to offer flowers and bow is all because of Makoto Uchiha.

By evening, the tedious mourning process finally came to an end, and the crowds gradually dispersed.

After changing out of their somber mourning clothes, everyone immediately revealed their true selves and went about their own business.

After all, it's rare for major powers to visit Akatsuki Village, and all the prominent figures in the ninja world gather here. Taking this opportunity to test each other's limits and secretly form alliances is also extremely important.

Uchiha Makoto also planned to host a banquet to entertain some very important figures.

And that very night.

A cold moon was half-hidden by dark clouds. The newly built Uchiha Madara cemetery was deserted, with only a few unknown summer insects chirping in the grass.

Two figures, deliberately keeping their aura low, landed silently in front of the huge, brand-new tombstone.

With his arms crossed and a look of annoyance on his face, Tobirama Senju finally couldn't help but complain, "Big brother, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

"The daytime procedures are already over! We've gathered enough intelligence in the chaos. Instead of sneaking out of Akatsuki under the cover of darkness, you insist on coming here and causing trouble. If you're suddenly discovered, it'll be a real problem."

Tobirama Senju glanced coldly at the empty surroundings and gave a disgruntled snort.

"And I knew it... Who would genuinely like Madara Uchiha, that inherently evil old man? During the day, those people in the plaza were all crying their hearts out, but now that night has come, their true colors are showing, aren't they? This dilapidated cemetery doesn't even have anyone keeping vigil or offering prayers!"

Hashirama Senju simply stared blankly at the tombstone.

"Tobirama, it's too crowded and noisy during the day. I want to talk to Madara alone... It won't take long."

Hashirama Senju didn't turn his head, his voice low and deep: "The guards here have also been temporarily controlled by your genjutsu... Go and keep an eye on things around the perimeter for me."

"Okay, okay, hurry up!"

Tobirama Senju scratched his white hair in frustration, sighed, and decided to give his elder brother some privacy.

The relationship between the eldest brother and Madara Uchiha is simply a complicated and tangled entanglement.

Without saying anything more, he flashed away, becoming a blur as he retreated into the shadows outside the cemetery, wary of any movement around him.

On the other side.

In the shadows of the dense woods surrounding the cemetery, the leaves rustled slightly.

"Lord Madara, why are you so happy? Your mask can barely hide the corners of your mouth that are turning up. We haven't even completely confirmed that those two are Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju yet."

Uchiha Makoto crossed his arms and leaned against a thick tree trunk, taunting him mercilessly in a low voice.

"Do you really want Hashirama Senju to come and worship you in the middle of the night?"

"Tch..."

'

Madara Uchiha, wearing the ANBU mask, visibly stiffened for a moment.

He snorted coldly, forcibly suppressing the hint of expectation in his tone, and said with feigned ruthlessness, "I just want to find out what kind of shady rat dares to sneak around in front of my tombstone in the middle of the night. If it's some troublemaker, I'll take care of it."

"Alright, alright, you don't need to explain so much about what happened between you two."

Uchiha Makoto rolled his eyes, too lazy to expose the arrogance of this evil old man.

"But we have a deal, you have to hide your identity. You're just an ANBU ninja from Akatsuki now, and in the eyes of the entire ninja world, you're already dead. Don't let anyone find out anything. When the time comes, just stand behind me and don't say a word."

"I know what I'm doing!"

Madara Uchiha immediately replied in an annoyed tone.

Then, the two, who were prepared, quietly suppressed their chakra and, under the cover of the night and the tree canopy, slowly made their way toward the tombstone.

At this time, Tobirama Senju had already gone to the outer intersection to keep watch.

Before the large and desolate tombstone, only Hashirama Senju remained.