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

Chapter 247 The First Konoha Pokémon Masters Tournament

From the beginning, Uchiha Gin had a feeling that things wouldn't go so smoothly. Looking at the smug Senju Tobirama, he thoughtfully stroked his bald chin.

The situation has now become 4v4, and the outcome has suddenly become unpredictable.

"Snap. What are we competing for? Who has more tails?"

While cracking sunflower seeds, Senju Itama's bewildered gaze darted back and forth between his older brother and Uchiha Madara, showing no sign of worry whatsoever. Instead, he turned to Uchiha Gin with great interest and asked...

"Give it to me, you rascal! Aren't you worried at all about your older brother losing power?"

Having already finished his own sunflower seeds, Uchiha Gin unceremoniously snatched the last few from Senju Itama's delicate white hands, ignoring the few glistening saliva seeds on them, and tossed them straight into his mouth.

"Ah! Hmph~ It doesn't matter who becomes Hokage. I think your cousin is actually a pretty good person, except for his grumpy face~"

Puffing his cheeks up like a bun, Senju Itama glared fiercely at Uchiha Gin for his banditry, then shook his head, adopting an indifferent expression, and casually replied,

"Phew~ If only everyone thought as simply as you~"

Uchiha Gin casually patted Senju Itama's head. This habitual gesture caused the nearly 1.7-meter-tall girl to stiffen instantly, her expression turning strange. She seemed about to lash out, but remained silent.

"Sasuke, the Senju clan leader still has a chance. We don't necessarily have to listen to that wretched curly-haired guy's whims!"

Just moments before, Kenichi Shimura had been utterly devastated, but upon seeing that Hashirama Senju still had a chance, he instantly revived, excitedly approaching Sarutobi Sasuke and saying...

"Don't rush, let's wait and see."

Sarutobi Sasuke calmly analyzed the situation. In his view, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha were both founders of Konoha, and it wouldn't have a significant impact on the Sarutobi clan who were chosen, regardless of who was selected.

"Ah Yin, what do you think they'll compete in next?"

The black-haired girl watched the several tailed beasts present with great interest. Uchiha Hikaru showed a strong interest in these creatures composed of aggregates of chakra.

It looks like it's easy to control.

When asked, Uchiha Gin stretched his stiff body and casually replied,

"It'll most likely be a fight, since the two haven't sparred in a long time. But if it's really a contest of tail count, who knows?"

Having stood for quite some time and feeling his legs ache, Uchiha Gin immediately pulled out several stools from his backpack and casually distributed them to the women around him. Then, looking at the Ninja Alliance members sitting in a circle, he waved the remaining stools in his hand.

"Want one? 1000 taels each~"

"1000 taels? Why don't you just rob someone!"

Kenichi Shimura immediately jumped out, gritting his teeth as he accused,

He would even consider 100 taels of silver too expensive for such a small, shabby stool.

"No need, thank you, we're not tired yet."

Reaching out to tug at his jumping-up friend, Sarutobi Sasuke gave an apologetic smile and waved to Uchiha Gin.

"Phew~ Okay."

Although he failed to sell his Wood Release stool, Uchiha Gin was not discouraged.

He believes that gold will always shine, and that his carefully crafted stools will one day sell well all over the world.

Above the wooden cage, Hashirama Senju, knowing he still had a chance to continue the match, beamed with a bright smile, drawing a sidelong glance from Madara Uchiha.

"Haha, Mada, I'm back again~"

"Hmph~ Whatever, I'll defeat you again and make you admit defeat wholeheartedly."

Quickly averting his gaze, Madara Uchiha crossed his arms, gave a haughty snort, and declared to Hashirama Senju, who was rubbing his hands together in anticipation,

Then, turning his head to look at the smug-looking Tobirama Senju, he coldly asked,

"Tobirama Senju, stop keeping me in suspense! Tell me what you want to compete in!"

When questioned, Tobirama Senju didn't answer immediately. Instead, he shrugged the tailed beasts present, his crimson eyes filled with scheming and plotting. A slight upturn of his thin lips revealed his true intentions. He then shouted loudly,

"Since you two have the same number of tailed beasts, then the comparison will be based on the number of tailed beast tails."

"Whoa~~~"

Before Tobirama Senju could finish speaking, a chorus of mocking boos erupted from the crowd. Everyone below wore expressions that said, "I knew it."

The undisguised contempt made even the usually aloof Tobirama Senju feel a burning sensation on his face.

He had no choice but to abandon all pretense of decency to ensure his elder brother's victory.

This battle, no matter what, must be won!

"Tobirama Senju, I work from 8 AM, do you have any shame?"

My younger cousin, Izuna, trembled with rage, his black eyes instantly turning crimson as he unleashed a torrent of profanities upon Tobirama Senju above him.

"Hey, can you stop being so boring? At least try to make it more entertaining!"

Uchiha Gin, standing to the side, also waved his hands and loudly complained that the organizers were extremely perfunctory, and that this epic battle was too anticlimactic and not worth the ticket price at all.

"Exactly!"

Senju Itama immediately followed, waving his little fists, his eyes filled with a threat that Senju Tobirama could understand.

"Uh..."

Tobirama Senju, who was already happily popping open a bottle of champagne in his mind, never expected that his little scheme would be perfectly seen through by the discerning eyes of the crowd. Especially after seeing the look in his sister's eyes, his heart skipped a beat.

Therefore, Tobirama Senju began to review the events in his mind.

With all the members of the Ninja Alliance present, it would be unreasonable to determine the winner solely based on the number of tails, and the result would naturally be unconvincing.

So, what method should be used to determine the winner?

"Tobirama, I also feel this is unfair."

With an unusually serious expression, Hashirama Senju shook his head at his favored younger brother and verbally rejected the Tail Tournament.

"Big brother, it's me."

Tobirama Senju was heartbroken. He had spared no effort in helping his elder brother become Hokage, and the current situation was something he had never anticipated.

"Heh~ Chongming! You just wait, I'll beat you up first when we get out of here!"

Just as Tobirama Senju was in a predicament, he suddenly heard the Nine-Tails' roar from the wooden cage beneath him. The sound, filled with a violent aura, made the surrounding tailed beasts cower in fear.

Especially the giant beetle that had deceived everyone, huddled in the corner of the wooden cage, afraid to raise its head, lest any unnecessary movement displease the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Hmm~ The nine-tailed fox that Big Brother captured is so powerful that it can make the other tailed beasts retreat. It must be the tailed beast's leader!

Thinking of this, Tobirama Senju, who had been somewhat caught in a dilemma, suddenly brightened up. He straightened his back, which had been bent by his elder brother, solemnly surveyed the crowd present, raised one hand, and loudly announced,

"I, Tobirama Senju, have come here for only three things: fairness! Fairness! And damn it, fairness!"

"How can such a hasty decision as comparing the number of tails determine the position of Hokage?"

"Oh~"

Upon hearing this, everyone simultaneously wore expressions of disbelief.

This Tobirama Senju, his ability to change his expression far surpasses that of Kawajima.

"Is this really going to be a tense and exciting 1v1 battle between men?"

Gin Uchiha, who had been watching the spectacle, looked up at Tobirama Senju, who was speaking eloquently above him, raised an eyebrow, and guessed.

"Are we going to fight?"

"Isn't that inappropriate? Using force to determine the leader's position sets a bad precedent."

"Hey, I thought the village would be different, but it turns out the fighting still counts!"

The crowd below was abuzz with speculation, and various guesses poured in, causing Hashirama Senju, the man with superhuman senses, to darken his face. His gaze towards his younger brother grew increasingly hostile, veins bulging on his forehead, and he seemed on the verge of exploding.

Tobirama Senju had previously promised him that he would never use force against any member of the village, but now he's being asked to hit a motor. It seems this kid needs a good beating lately.

"Cough cough cough, stop making wild guesses. When did I say I was going to settle things with force?"

Caught in his elder brother's gaze, Tobirama Senju broke out in a cold sweat, fearing he would be punished by Hashirama Senju's iron fist at any moment. He hurriedly shouted to stop the escalating rumors.

"Really?"

Everyone present expressed disbelief, their mocking eyes making Tobirama Senju break out in a cold sweat.

"The next battle will not require the two players to directly participate in the competition."

Composing himself, Tobirama Senju focused his gaze on the massive tailed beast and slowly began to speak.

"What? What do you mean?"

This statement left everyone present completely bewildered, prompting them to ask themselves some profound questions.

"Tobirama, if we don't step in, what's the point of the competition? Are we just going to skip stones?"

"No!"

When it comes to skipping stones, Madara Uchiha, who had always kept his back straight, eventually bent over.

"No, the next battle will be fought by the two contestants and the tailed beasts they have captured."

Shaking his head, Tobirama Senju pointed to the four tailed beasts captured by both sides on either side, then announced the details of the competition in a deep voice.

"Huh?" *N

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone and beasts present uttered heavy voices of doubt.

"Roar!!! Damn humans, we're not your toys!"

After a brief moment of confusion, Kurama (the Nine-Tails) was the first to regain its senses, opening its gaping maw and roaring at Tobirama Senju above it.

"roar!!"

"Hiss~"

"Shuffle~"

The five, six, and seven tailed creatures also straightened up and responded simultaneously, each letting out an angry roar. Steam, acidic mist, and squinting scales shot into the sky, causing the onlookers to tense up.

Feeling the power generated by the Tailed Beast's rage, Sarutobi Sasuke patted his chest, still shaken. His eyes, which had been relaxed, were now filled with seriousness.

"I almost forgot, the Tailed Beasts are known as calamity beasts."

Previously, seeing these tailed beasts so easily controlled by Madara Uchiha and casually imprisoned by Hashirama Senju, they almost forgot the fearsome reputation of the tailed beasts and regarded them as pets to be manipulated at will.

"Holy crap, isn't this the first Pokémon Masters Tournament in Konoha Village?"

The power unleashed by the tailed beasts felt like a gentle breeze, stirring no emotion within him. Instead, he watched the enraged tailed beasts with curiosity, beginning to imagine the scene from the battle.

Madara Uchiha: Jenny Isobu, use Rocket Headbutt!

Hashirama Senju: Hitoshi Shigeaki, fly up and use the Mega Cannon!

Holy crap, that's a vivid image, it's really getting exciting!

"Hurry up and start, I really want to see it!"

Unable to contain his excitement, Uchiha Gin jumped up from his stool, brandishing a megaphone he'd somehow produced, and shouted urging them on.

"It seems pretty interesting~"

Senju Itama, standing to the side, glanced back and forth among the many tailed beasts, then, like Uchiha Gin, his eyes lit up, and he waved his little fist and shouted.

"Everyone wants to see it, hurry up!"

Phew~ I almost got exposed!

Fortunately, Uchiha Gin was engrossed in his fantasy of Pokémon and Digimon battles and didn't notice the girl's slip of the tongue.

"Indeed, this kind of competition is much more interesting than real-life battles."

Uchiha Rinpoche, sitting demurely on a small stool, expressed his thoughts with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Big brother! Keep it up!"

Uchiha Izuna pulled out a support flag from somewhere, which read "Uchiha will win!"

He took off his shirt, revealing his strong upper body, and stood in front of the crowd, waving the flag in his hand with great vigor.

"Hmph~ I have no objection."

Although somewhat disappointed that he couldn't face Hashirama Senju head-on, Madara Uchiha nodded in approval of this format.

Glancing at the incredibly strong bull demon at his feet, Madara Uchiha was full of confidence. Such a powerful tailed beast would surely blast those few chickens and dogs of Hasi Lama into dust.

"I agree, but..."

Seeing that his opponents had no objections, Hashirama Senju had no choice but to nod in agreement. He then lowered his head and looked at the four tailed beasts in the wooden cage, who were showing great resistance. He was troubled.

Unlike Madara Uchiha, Hashirama Senju could not use the Sharingan to hypnotize and manipulate tailed beasts into obeying his commands.

When he captured the tailed beasts, he used Wood Release to physically hypnotize them. Now that these tailed beasts he had trapped have awakened, how could they possibly fight for him?

"Do you need my help?"

Recognizing the predicament faced by Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha "thoughtfully" offered assistance.

Although controlling all eight tailed beasts at once was a bit strenuous, he's the future Hokage, so he can persevere even if it's tough.

"Hmm~ No need, wait a moment, I'll 'communicate' with these tailed beasts. You go and warm up first!"

If Madara Uchiha really manages to control all of his creatures, then what's the point of him even competing?

1v9?

"Okay, let me know when you're ready."

Since the Second Hokage was so unappreciative, Madara Uchiha, who already considered himself the First Hokage, could only shake his head regretfully and then control the four obedient tailed beasts as he headed deeper into the forest.

After watching Madara Uchiha walk away, Hashirama Senju, his brow furrowed, looked at the snarling Nine-Tails in the wooden cage at his feet and began to try to communicate with it.

"Hello, my name is Hashirama Senju. It may be presumptuous of me, but I'd like to ask if you could help me in a fight?"

Hashirama Senju adopted a very humble attitude, speaking to the tailed beasts in a consultative tone when discussing the match.

"Don't even think about it! You damned humans, we tailed beasts would rather die than be used by you!"

Kurama, who had been betrayed by humans countless times, immediately bared his teeth, declaring that he was the King of Tailed Beasts and would never compromise with humans in the slightest.

"That's right, that's right~"

"The worst that can happen is death!"

"Sigh~ I finally shed my skin, but before I could even take off, I have to be reborn again?"

The other tailed beasts also united, showing great resistance, acting as if they were completely unfazed.

Since they can be resurrected after death anyway, these tailed beasts are fearless and await their demise.

"Oh, this."

The tailed beasts' attitude was unexpectedly resolute, leaving Hashirama Senju at a loss. He then turned to Tobirama Senju, who was deep in thought, for help.

"Hmm, you tailed beasts measure your strength by the number of your tails, right?"

Tobirama Senju, who had been advising Hashirama Senju, slowly raised his head and coldly questioned the tailed beasts at his feet.

"Hmph~ That's right, we tailed beasts are stronger the more tails we have!"

This question truly touched on the Nine-Tailed Fox's heart. Its enormous mouth couldn't help but curve upwards, its fox head held high, its words brimming with smugness.

"Um, I think so~"

Looking at the seven tails behind him, Chongming's tone became less confident and more hesitant.

I don't think I've ever really won a fight before.

"That's right! The fewer tails, the weaker the opponent!"

The Rhinoceros Dog gets excited whenever tails are mentioned. As a six-tailed dog, it always thinks that anything with fewer tails than itself is trash!

"Cough cough cough"

King Mu, who has the fewest tails among the four beasts, expressed his unwillingness to join the chat.

"Wu-Tails, is your throat inflamed? Why are you coughing like that!"

The Nine-Tails, who was basking in its self-satisfaction, suddenly sharpened its gaze upon hearing that King Mu had not responded to its words. Its threatening beastly eyes made the Five-Tails' skin crawl.

"Cough, Chongming! Your scales are making me choke!"

Even the tailed beasts understand this principle: pick on the weakest target.

"Since you have so many tails, are you afraid of losing to those few tailed beasts?"

The despicable white-haired man used a provocation tactic against the innocent tailed beast!

"Roar! How could that be? Those few pieces of trash wouldn't stand a chance against me, even if they were shoulder to shoulder!"

A simple provocation tactic is extremely effective on beasts.

"Then why don't you fight?"

Pressing his advantage, Tobirama Senju posed probing questions, attempting to find the Tailed Beasts' psychological weaknesses and gradually break through their defenses.

"Hmph~ Mere humans, daring to manipulate us? At worst, they'll die. Once resurrected, prepare to face our revenge!"

The pride of a tailed beast meant that Kurama (the Nine-Tails) had never considered bowing its head before anyone other than the Sage of Six Paths' family.

Its yellow beastly eyes darted around, staring intently at the Thousand Hands Brothers, as if trying to etch their faces into its memory so it could take revenge on them in the future.

"Hmph~ You dare! Believe me or not, I'll kill you every time I see you!"

Unexpectedly, Kurama (the Nine-Tails) was so vengeful. Worried that Konoha would suffer retaliation, Hashirama Senju, his face grim, coldly threatened...

The cold glint in his eyes made the tailed beasts avert their gazes and lower their voices.

Stared at by Hashirama Senju, Kurama suddenly had a sense of déjà vu, and then subconsciously tucked its nine tails into its rear end.

A thousand years ago, it had just killed a group of humans who tried to control it when the Asura suddenly appeared, staring at it in the same way.

Then, a colossal Buddha statue appeared, and its tail was completely ripped off. It never wanted to experience that feeling again.

"How about you let us go? We promise we'll never set foot in the Land of Fire again!"

Fearing a repeat of what happened a thousand years ago, a disgrace far worse than death, he worried that if the other tailed beasts found out, his image as a reliable and trustworthy person would be ruined. He lowered his head and replied in a conciliatory tone.

"No way! If we release you, my brother's Hokage position will be handed over to someone else!"

Unexpectedly, when these tailed beasts tried to take advantage of the situation for free, Tobirama Senju was the first to refuse. He then exchanged a subtle glance with Hashirama Senju, his face darkening as he spoke.

We're already being lenient by not asking for ransom, yet you expect us to release them for free? Dream on!

"Then we can just keep them locked up forever, we won't starve anyway~"

Seeing no hope of freedom, the Nine-Tails chose to give up. As long as it had chakra, its lifespan was infinite. If it could just outlive this human with the aura of Ashura, it could regain its freedom.

Human lifespan is only a few decades, which is nothing more than a blink of an eye in the eyes of the tailed beasts.

"Hmph! You think I'd let you stay here peacefully?"

Seeing the tailed beasts refusing to cooperate, Tobirama Senju narrowed his eyes, his mind filled with ingenious schemes.

He's currently researching a few forbidden techniques, and using them on humans wouldn't align with his values. However, using rare materials like tailed beasts for experiments would be a complete waste.

I have plenty of ways to make them wish they were dead.

"Hiss, you look dangerous."

The Nine-Tails possesses a special ability to sense good and evil. While Tobirama Senju was planning how to dissect the Tailed Beasts, it suddenly felt a chill run down its spine. Looking at the white-haired human radiating tangible malice, it swallowed hard and spoke.

"I'm giving you one last chance to consider whether to participate in the competition or the experiment."

With a gloomy expression, Tobirama Senju crossed his arms and stared at the tailed beasts. Although there were no tomoe in his scarlet eyes, they gave the tailed beasts a sense of dread, as if they were facing Indra.

"Cough cough cough, it's not like we can't discuss it~"

After a fierce internal struggle, Kurama chose to compromise. The white-haired human in front of her was simply too evil.

They dared not imagine the inhuman torture they would suffer if they fell into his hands.

"Haha, it's good that we can discuss it. Tobirama, don't scare them~"

The brothers worked seamlessly together, and after Tobirama Senju finished singing with a dark expression, Hashirama Senju stepped in with a smile to smooth things over.

With a smile on his face, he looked down at the now docile tailed beasts and slowly spoke,

"How about this: if you win the match, I promise to release you, how about that?"

If, as the Tailed Beasts say, strength is calculated based on the number of tails, then with four powerful tails (five, six, seven, and nine), wouldn't I be able to utterly obliterate Madara?

"really!"

Upon hearing that it could regain its freedom, Kurama instantly perked up, its two enormous beastly eyes fixed intently on Hashirama Senju, repeatedly confirming its presence.

Despite the fact that this human could so easily manipulate her, the Nine-Tails still harbored a certain fear in her heart, a wound etched deep into her soul from a thousand years ago.

"Wrapped up~"

Hashirama Senju patted his chest and guaranteed.

Of course, the release is based on the premise that the tailed beasts win the battle; if they lose, it doesn't count.

Looking at the human before them, with his righteous and righteous demeanor, the tailed beasts felt reassured. Their long-standing arrogance had prevented them from ever considering the possibility of defeat.

Immediately, the four tailed beasts raised their massive heads in unison, locking their gazes on the four enormous figures standing not far away, their eyes blazing with battle intent.

The moment their eyes meet, the battle begins!

"Tatakai, we can't wait for an exciting and thrilling duel! Yada thief~"

(End of this chapter)