Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

Chapter 237 The Struggle for the Leadership of Konoha

P.S.: Clearly, racing isn't my forte. Just to prove that A-Yin isn't a eunuch, I went a little too far with the last chapter, and it got blocked for a whole night. I had to delete and edit hundreds of words and contact the editor to get it unblocked. Waaaaah, I'll never do anything erotic again!

The above word count is not charged.

……

"Hmm~ Is this the taste of peace?"

At dawn, a ray of blinding sunlight pierced through the gap in the curtains, falling directly onto a handsome face that was still fast asleep. Amidst the bustling sounds outside the window, Uchiha Gin, who had just engaged in a fierce battle the night before, awoke from his brief, slumbering dream.

After shielding my eyes from the scorching sunlight, I slowly straightened up, rubbed my sleepy eyes, and couldn't help but sigh at this blissful, carefree time.

"Thump!!!"

After standing up, rubbing his still-fluffy curly hair, before Uchiha Gin could even do his morning exercises, the fragile bedroom door was forcibly broken open with tremendous force, sending splinters and dust flying everywhere.

"How many times have I told you? Can't you knock a little more gently? Even if this door can fix itself, you can't be so careless with it!"

Without even looking, Uchiha Gin knew who it was. His eyes, which had just regained some energy, instantly turned deadpan as he stared at the short-haired girl emerging from the smoke. His fists clenched.

"What did you do last night?"

Ignoring Uchiha Gin's rambling, Senju Itama, with narrowed eyes, sized up the muscular man before her, completely disregarding the fact that the man's upper body was naked. She focused on his face and neck, carefully searching for any signs of a crime. Finding them spotless, she frowned slightly and, unwilling to give up, questioned him.

"Ha~ I went for a night run yesterday."

Fortunately, his physique was extraordinary; the traces of his lovemaking with Mito Uzumaki yesterday had long since healed completely. Feeling much more at ease, Uchiha Gin crossed his arms and answered righteously.

"Then why were you breathing so loudly when you came back late at night?"

Looking suspiciously at Uchiha Gin, whose expression remained unchanged, she recalled that last night she had gotten up in the middle of the night and "passed by" Uchiha Gin's room, only to find it empty. A moment later, she quietly pulled out a curly-haired man from the darkness, but before she could ask him anything, he had already fallen asleep, panting heavily.

"Oh, it was you last night! I told you it was a night run, it's normal to be a little out of breath!"

No wonder, when he teleported back last night, he sensed someone spying on him nearby, but since they seemed harmless, he didn't pay any attention to it.

"Wait a minute, why do you smell like oysters?"

A young girl's sense of smell is terrifying.

"Can't I even have a late-night snack while jogging at night?"

He subconsciously sniffed himself and, besides the smell of male hormones, there was indeed a sweet oyster scent. Fortunately, Konoha's commercial street was currently hosting a night market with all sorts of snacks, so he immediately gave a very reasonable explanation.

"Don't sneak out to eat anymore. Go downstairs for dinner."

Senju Itama raised an eyebrow, her gaze inexplicably fixed on the righteous-looking Uchiha Gin, until the latter became somewhat uneasy under her stare. She then turned away and spoke a warning, but her beautiful face, now turned away, was as cold as frost, her pearly white teeth grinding together. Clearly, she had sensed something amiss.

"Okay~"

Uchiha Gin, who thought he had gotten away with it, was all smiles. He had finally reached the point where he could wake up to a world where he could eat as soon as he opened his eyes!

"Hiccup~ Your cooking skills are getting better and better, but there's not enough sugar in this porridge. Give me three more big spoonfuls~"

Three spoonfuls of sugar?

Having changed into his loungewear, Uchiha Gin wolfed down the breakfast that Senju Itama had meticulously prepared. After taking a sip of the sugary eight-treasure porridge in his hand, he couldn't help but boast to Senju Itama in front of him,

"You eat more sugar than I eat rice. The doctor said last time that high blood sugar can affect eyesight. You're supposed to be a ninja with eye techniques, so you should pay more attention to your health."

Senju Itama, her hands propping up her face, watched Uchiha Gin's swirling hair and a cute smile played on her lips. But when she heard him complain about the lack of sugar in his eight-treasure porridge, the girl couldn't help but frown with worry. During a routine checkup, the doctor had advised that this wretched curly-haired guy should limit his sugar intake to avoid affecting his health.

"I'll just add a small spoonful~"

Smacking his lips, Uchiha Gin held up his little finger, indicating that he would only add a tiny bit.

"No!"

No longer would she be fooled by the other party's feigned pitiful expression. Senju Itama remained true to herself, tightly guarding the candy jar.

"Hmph~"

Who are you underestimating? I, a dignified little tsutsuki from the ninja world, am not going to lose to a mere diabetic! How laughable!

"Knock knock knock~~"

Just as Uchiha Gin swallowed the last mouthful of eight-treasure porridge, a rhythmic knocking sounded at the door.

"Here it comes~"

Senju Itama responded and naturally ran to open the door. After a while, a stern-faced, black-haired man followed her in.

"I was looking for you, I'm going to wash the pot now~"

"Little cousin, what brings you here?"

Having eaten his fill, Uchiha Gin looked curiously at the icy, cold man before him. At this time, shouldn't Uchiha Madara be glued to Senju Hashirama every day, the two inseparable?

"Cousin, there are some things I'd like to ask for your opinion on."

As the saying goes, an elder brother is like a father. Since his father's unexpected death, the only elder he could talk to in the family was Uchiha Gin. Although this older cousin usually seemed unreliable, he really didn't know who else to consult on this matter.

"Has something happened in the tribe?"

Madara Uchiha rarely visits, so he must have encountered some troublesome matter. Gin Uchiha felt a tightness in his heart. Could it be that his "good deeds" had been exposed and his cousin had come to question him?

"No, it's about Konoha."

Konoha? You, Uchiha Madara, still have Konoha in your heart? I always thought you only had a block of wood in your heart.

Tell me about it~

This is quite intriguing. My younger cousin, who usually only cares about his own family and never cares about worldly affairs, actually wants to ask me questions about the village. It seems that Hashirama Senju's brainwashing skills are quite effective!

"Phew~ I want to be Hokage!"

Taking a deep breath, Madara Uchiha seemed to have made up his mind. He raised his head, a fiery will igniting in his cold eyes, and then spoke his thoughts, word by word.

"ha?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin was initially taken aback, his old CPU seemingly unable to process it for a moment. He then picked at his ear with his little finger, thinking he had misheard, and gestured for the other person to repeat himself.

"What kind of look is that? I said I want to be Hokage!"

From Gin's bewildered expression, Madara keenly sensed a look that seemed to say, "Is this kid an idiot?" This instantly silenced his older cousin, who had finally mustered the courage to talk about his dreams, causing him to freeze in frustration and ask, with a hint of annoyance, "Is this kid mentally challenged?"

"Are you sure you didn't take the wrong medicine?"

Hearing the other person repeat themselves, confirming he hadn't misheard, Uchiha Gin almost switched to his Byakugan on the spot. He then looked at Uchiha Madara, whose brows were furrowed, with concern and cautiously asked,

"Isn't that ridiculous?"

The Hokage is the person in charge of this village. Even the hot mom from Hashi is willing to push herself to the position, so why can't he be the one?

"Being Hokage isn't funny, but coming from you, it's kind of funny."

Throughout the original work, almost every Konoha kid dreams of becoming Hokage. Uchiha Gin thinks that's pretty normal, since they're from the right family. But for you, the future biggest traitor of Konoha, to also want to become Hokage is just hard to believe.

"Hmph~ Hot Mom Hasi has already decided that I will be the leader of Konoha, but I don't think we can be so hasty. The selection of Hokage should be fair, open and just."

Sensing the sarcasm in Uchiha Gin's tone, Madara Uchiha, his confidence swelled, immediately snorted coldly, his black eyes filled with arrogance, and told his older cousin that he had already been chosen.

"No, no, no, I think you shouldn't be here with me right now, but on the rooftop, holding a leaf in your hand and listening to Tobirama Senju make fun of you~"

Looking at his smug younger cousin, Uchiha Gin finally realized that this was exactly what happened in the original manga.

However, in that timeline, his uncle died young, his younger cousin died tragically, and Uchiha Madara, who had no one to rely on, could only visit Senju Hashirama whenever he had nothing to do. Just as he was about to push open the window to surprise the other party, he accidentally heard Senju Tobirama's heart-piercing words, and from then on he gave up his obsession with becoming Hokage and went down a dark path.

"What nonsense are you spouting? I'm serious."

Listening to Uchiha Gin's ramblings, Uchiha Madara was furious. He had finally decided to share this secret with his older cousin, only to be met with ridicule. So, he said indignantly...

"I'm serious!"

Little cousin, thank goodness I'm here, otherwise you would have really followed the same old path and gone down a dark road~

Susanoo

"Stop! Do you want to destroy my house?!"

Uchiha Gin, who was about to make a few more jokes, immediately shouted to stop Madara when he saw the four-armed phantom materializing behind him.

"Can't we talk properly now?"

"Bao's jailer!"

After the farce, the two brothers moved to the living room. Senju Itama, dressed in a black and white casual outfit, brought over some fragrant tea. Inhaling the faint aroma, Uchiha Gin took a small sip, his eyes lighting up.

"Big cousin, come and try this! This is green tea that I ordered from the land of tea at a high price. The annual production is less than a pound!"

Good things should naturally be shared with Oudoudou.

"Phew~ That's really good."

Madara Uchiha, who already loved tea, couldn't resist picking it up and taking a sip after hearing Gin Uchiha's introduction. His eyes lit up, and as he savored the taste, he suddenly saw his older cousin pull a large jar out of a drawer.

"What are you doing!"

Still wondering what the other person was going to do, he saw Uchiha Gin smilingly pick out a large, crystal-clear piece of rock sugar from the jar and throw it into the freshly brewed green tea without even looking at it. This wasteful act shocked him so much that his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"Oh? You want to add sugar too? It tastes quite bitter to me~"

If it weren't for showing off, why would he drink something so bitter? Next time, just bring out the strawberry milk from the fridge; it's convenient and delicious.

"you"

Madara Uchiha, heartbroken and trembling with pain, looked as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

"It's okay, you'll like it when you're older~"

After thoroughly stirring the tea and rock sugar, Uchiha Gin picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp. A satisfied expression appeared on his face as he said to Uchiha Madara,

"Heh, absolutely impossible!"

I hope you can stay this stubborn when you get a tube inserted~

Tell me about your dream of becoming Naruto!

Having absorbed the sugar, Uchiha Gin felt much more energetic and immediately began discussing serious matters.

"Actually, I didn't want to be one at first, but the hot mom from Haxi told me to do it first."

When the conversation turned to serious matters, Madara Uchiha immediately adopted a different expression, replying with a deep gaze.

"Do you think Hashirama's brother's word counts?"

"Is it not allowed? Konoha was founded by the two of us, and we don't even have this much privilege?"

Madara Uchiha tilted his head in confusion. Half of Konoha's surname is Senju, and the other half is Uchiha. The position of Hokage is just a matter of passing it from one hand to the other.

"Big cousin, times have changed~"

Seeing that Madara Uchiha still held onto outdated ideas, Gin Uchiha couldn't help but sigh and spoke up to remind him.

"Now it's all about following the will of the people, not the old days when clans ruled with their own opinions. Even if Hashirama's younger brother gave up the Hokage position, I reckon you still wouldn't be able to become Hokage."

"How is that possible!"

"First of all, you absolutely won't get past the white-haired guy. If you want to become Hokage, he'll be the first to jump up and oppose it!"

Uchiha Gin held up one finger, shook it, and said...

"Hmph! I haven't even settled old scores with him yet. If he dares to object, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Whenever Tobirama Senju is mentioned, Madara Uchiha's mind is filled with the horrific scene of his father's death. This image would involuntarily appear when he was studying the stone tablet, causing his hatred to slowly grow.

"Also, the daimyo should only recognize Hashirama's younger brother by now. If it were you, it's uncertain whether that one country, one village agreement could be preserved."

Extending his second finger, a glint of light flickered in Uchiha Gin's eyes. His words brought a sense of calm to Uchiha Madara's somewhat agitated heart, and also made him reflect on the series of chain reactions that had occurred since he became Hokage.

"We can talk to the nobles."

Madara Uchiha lowered his head and thought for a moment, then looked up and answered. In his opinion, the Daimyo didn't really care who became Hokage. All they wanted was stability in the Land of Fire. So, what Hashirama Senju could do, Madara Uchiha could do too!

"Okay, okay, then I'll talk about the third one, which is also the most important one."

Seeing that his younger cousin was still undeterred, Uchiha Gin sighed inwardly. "What a fine young man, how did he become so obsessed with the Will of Fire? Wouldn't it be better if he were just the clan leader?" He then narrowed his eyes, extended his third finger, and spoke.

"What is it?"

"In terms of public opinion and prestige, you are far inferior to Hashirama Senju. In the hearts of the Konoha ninja clan, it was Hashirama Senju who diligently built Konoha, while you, Madara Uchiha, have never made any substantial contributions."

"Do I, as Hokage, need to be subservient to those ants?"

Madara Uchiha was somewhat annoyed; Gin Uchiha's words were like a sharp dagger, piercing through his last line of defense.

"If you consider them as ants, then I advise you to give up the idea of ​​becoming Hokage as soon as possible."

He knew Madara Uchiha's pride; in the entire ninja world, only Hashirama Senju could catch his eye. After chasing him for many years, he finally had a chance to surpass him, and his younger cousin certainly couldn't let it slip by.

"."

Madara Uchiha remained silent upon hearing this.

"Actually, you don't really want to be Hokage; you just want to beat Hashirama's brother just once~"

Uchiha Gin's words hit the nail on the head, making the already silent Uchiha Madara even more silent.

"Knock knock knock~"

Suddenly, another knock sounded at the door, breaking the heavy silence between the two brothers.

Who is it?

Senju Itama's voice rang out again, accompanied by a cheerful knocking sound, and the gates of the Uchiha Gin family compound opened once more.

"Um, what are you doing here?"

After the door opened, there was a brief silence, followed by a surprised and uncertain voice from Senju Itama, indicating that the visitor was a rare guest.

"Haha, sis. It's nothing. We heard that Madara is here. Is he still here?"

A familiar voice rang out from outside the door, and the hearty laughter made Uchiha Madara raise an eyebrow.

"You can go to the reception room yourselves."

Um... So cold-hearted? Isn't he your older brother?

Oh, it must be because the other person didn't recognize me, so I'm sulking.

Only petty men and women are difficult to deal with.

"Mada, I've been looking for you so hard!"

A series of hurried footsteps were heard, and a cheerful man with long, straight black hair rushed in, followed by a white-haired tagalong. He was looking at Uchiha Madara with a displeased expression.

"Hot Mom from Hashi, what's up?"

Upon seeing Hashirama Senju arrive, Madara Uchiha regained some of his composure. He glanced at Tobirama Senju, who was glaring at him, and asked,

"actually."

Seeing the gloomy face of Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, who had a lot to say, couldn't bring himself to utter a word.

"You've changed your mind?"

Having just received Gin Uchiha's guidance, Madara Uchiha, as if waking from a dream, roughly guessed what Hashirama Senju was unable to say.

"Haha, I knew it! Madara is very smart, she can definitely handle it!"

Upon hearing Madara Uchiha's words, Hashirama Senju awkwardly scratched his head, then turned to his younger brother and smiled, saying...

"Hmph~ At least you have some self-awareness, knowing you're unworthy of your position."

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm still here! How dare you berate my child in front of the parents?"

Uchiha Gin, who had initially been watching with amusement, instantly became unhappy after hearing Senju Tobirama's words.

As expected, you are the quick-witted and eloquent thousand-armed songstress!

"Uchiha Gin, this has nothing to do with you."

Tobirama Senju shifted his gaze slightly, his crimson eyes sweeping over the indignant Gin Uchiha, before speaking.

"How can it be irrelevant? If my younger cousin is in charge, wouldn't I, as the older brother, be able to bully and oppress the villagers?"

Uchiha Gin, hands on his hips, retorted.

"Big cousin, didn't you just say I couldn't do it?"

Madara Uchiha, with a strange expression, nudged his cousin and asked in a low voice.

Upon hearing Uchiha Gin speak up for him, Uchiha Madara felt a warmth in his heart. He wasn't alone; he wouldn't let this white-haired guy bully him.

"Hmph~ Whether or not it's up to this white-haired guy isn't up to him!"

He couldn't bear to see his younger brother being wronged, and feeling indignant, Uchiha Gin waved his hand and said righteously,

"Brother Gin, don't be angry. Tobirama has always been straightforward, so please don't take it to heart."

Noticing that Uchiha Gin was a little angry, Senju Hashirama immediately stepped in to smooth things over. He first glared at his younger brother, then smiled and said...

"I'm here today just to tell Madara that although we can't directly appoint him as Hokage, he is still one of the candidates for Hokage."

Hashirama's younger brother knew how to handle people; even knowing that his cousin had little chance of becoming Hokage, he still gave him plenty of face.

"Candidates? Who else?"

Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow. Could it be that there are other Tom, Dick, and Harry coveting the position of Konoha's leader?

"Ahem, each ninja clan will send one representative, and these representatives are all eligible to run for the Hokage position~"

Originally, the only candidates were him and Madara Uchiha, but after Tobirama Senju's analysis, Hashirama Senju was startled. If what his brother said was true, wouldn't he be guaranteed to become Hokage, leaving Madara as a mere runner-up?

That won't do. We need to drag a few more down with us so that Mada can have some fun too!

"Wow, so many people?"

Upon hearing Hashirama Senju's explanation, Gin Uchiha couldn't help but feel uneasy. This was different from what he had seen before. People from the Shinobi Alliance could also run for the position of leader.

"That's natural. The selection of Hokage strives for fairness, openness, and impartiality."

That sounds familiar. They even said that you two aren't having an affair, but you're both on the same wavelength!

"Hassi Hot Mom, so you think the same way!"

Madara Uchiha, standing nearby, became so excited upon hearing someone who shared his ideals that his eyes turned red. Looking at Hashirama Senju, who spoke with unwavering conviction, he shouted,

"what?"

"Me too!"

The two, who felt a deep connection, were instantly moved to tears, and embraced each other with outstretched arms.

"So, what are your criteria for running for Hokage?"

Speechless, Uchiha Gin had no choice but to put aside his resentment and ask the white-haired man beside him.

"Standards? They're nothing more than things like strength and intelligence."

Tobirama Senju, who was examining the display case in the reception room, only snapped out of his reverie after hearing the voice beside him. He turned to look at Gin Uchiha, who looked bewildered, and replied somewhat uncertainly,

After all, it was the eldest brother who suggested having all ninja clan representatives participate in the Hokage election. Time was a bit short, and he hadn't had time to make plans yet, but it should be similar to a regular competition, consisting of a comprehensive set of assessments.

"This is an official event, can't you guys put in a little more effort?"

Unexpectedly, Tobirama Senju's explanation was also ambiguous, which displeased Gin Uchiha, who was merely observing the situation, and he immediately criticized it.

"What's your rush? You can't participate anyway. By the way, what are all these strange dolls of yours?"

Hearing Uchiha Gin's unfounded accusation, Senju Tobirama rolled his eyes in exasperation, muttered a sarcastic remark, and then pointed to several dolls lined up in the display case, asking in confusion, "..."

"Tsk! You white-haired bastard, do you even know whose territory this is? How dare you raise your voice at me like that?"

Just because I'm not showing my teeth doesn't mean I'm some kind of Hello Kitty. Believe me, I can give the order and have your sister come and beat you up.

Tobirama Senju scoffed at Gin Uchiha's threat and initially had no intention of paying it any mind, but suddenly he felt himself being locked onto by a gaze. Startled, he looked in the direction of the gaze.

Upon discovering Senju Itama stretching his limbs behind the disgruntled Uchiha Gin, the threatening look in Itama's eyes instantly made him break out in a cold sweat. After weighing his options, he could only apologize softly.

"Uh, sorry, I admit my voice was a bit loud just now."

(End of this chapter)