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

Peaceful days are always so short.

Inside the brand-new Hokage Building.

"Haha~ Mada, wanna play a couple of games after get off work today?"

"Let me make this clear first, I don't have any money. Don't expect me to pay off your gambling debts!"

"It's a guaranteed win, trust me!"

Hashirama Senju, back at his post, was processing the documents at hand, chatting casually with Madara Uchiha beside him. Both of them had a few smiles on their faces, looking quite pleased with each other.

"Ta-da~"

"Crunch~"

However, accompanied by a series of hurried footsteps, the office door was roughly pushed open, and Tobirama Senju, with a slightly somber expression, strode in holding a document.

"Huh? Tobirama, we were just talking about work!"

Seeing his younger brother's gloomy expression, Hashirama Senju immediately shrank back and retorted,

"I don't want to get involved in that kind of thing!"

With a furrowed brow, Tobirama Senju glared angrily at Madara Uchiha beside him, slammed the documents in his hand on the table, and then roared.

"Calm down, Ma Da, quickly make Tobirama a cup of tea~"

"snort!"

Upon hearing that he was to make tea for Tobirama Senju, Madara Uchiha immediately tossed his head away, looked out the window at the scenery, and pretended not to have heard.

"No need, I'm afraid he'll poison me."

After calming himself down slightly, Tobirama Senju subtly rolled his eyes, then straightened his expression and focused his gaze on the documents on the table.

"Brother, war has broken out."

"What?!"

Just a moment ago, Hashirama Senju was all smiles, but upon hearing this news, his aura hardened, a chilling killing intent flashed in his black eyes, and he frowned as he picked up the documents on the table.

Hashirama Senju, his face grave, looked at the document in his hand. As the contents unfolded, his expression gradually softened.

"Phew~ So it's the Land of Earth and the Land of Water fighting. I thought it was the Land of Fire that was being invaded~"

After reading it, Hashirama Senju finally let out a long sigh of relief. Although he didn't smile, he looked more relaxed.

According to the documents brought by Tobirama Senju, the conflict between the Land of Earth and the Land of Water has recently escalated, with both sides sending out a large number of ninjas to fight, and the situation between the two countries has suddenly become tense.

"The Land of Water is so far from the Land of Earth, why are they so determined to go to war with them? It doesn't make sense!"

Madara Uchiha, who had been admiring the scenery, also came over, picked up the document, looked at it, and then asked with a strange expression, "..."

"According to news from the coastline, the Land of Water's influence in the East Blue has suddenly weakened, and a large area of ​​the East Blue has been occupied by the Land of Whirlpools. They had no choice but to extend their territorial waters northward, which led to conflict with the Land of Earth."

Huh? When did Uzumaki Hanamichi become so strong?

"What about the Land of Thunder?"

If the Land of Water were to extend northward, it would inevitably have to pass through the territorial waters of the Land of Lightning. Given the nature of those notorious bandits, it's unlikely they would so easily relinquish the sea route.

"That's unclear. There must have been some shady deal between the two countries."

Tobirama Senju did not have any information on this matter, so he dared not make any rash judgments.

"Since they didn't reach us, Tobirama Senju, what were you getting so worked up about just now?!"

After asking the question, Madara Uchiha rolled his eyes, casually tossed the file back onto the table, crossed his arms, and looked speechlessly at the startled Tobirama Senju.

"As expected, the cerebellum of the Uchiha clan is not fully developed."

Tobirama Senju glanced at Madara Uchiha, sneered, and launched into a sweeping attack.

"Tobirama Senju, I..."

"Alright, alright, stop arguing!"

Seeing the two start fighting again, Hashirama Senju, who was having a headache, quickly got up to stop them. If they were to fight, the Hokage Building, which he hadn't even settled into yet, would probably have to retire early.

"Hmph, I can't be bothered to argue with you."

Knowing this wasn't the time to argue, Tobirama Senju snorted coldly, then turned to his elder brother and recounted the details not mentioned in the documents.

"Brother, although the war between the Land of Earth and the Land of Water has not affected us, the Land of Waterfall, which is adjacent to us, has declared itself an ally of the Land of Earth and will participate in this war."

"The country of Taki?"

It's just the place where they caught the giant beetle; the people from that country have a foul mouth.

"That's right. If the Land of Earth and the Land of Waterfalls ally, it's only a matter of time before the Land of Water falls."

Although the Land of Waterfall is not as strong as the Five Great Nations, it is still considered one of the best among the small countries. It previously followed the example of the Land of Fire and established the Hidden Takigakure village. It has a number of ninjas with the strength of elite captains. With their help, the Land of Water will definitely not have a good time in this war.

"What does that have to do with us?"

It's just a fight between a few neighboring countries; it hasn't affected us yet. Otherwise, Hashirama Senju would definitely have shown them what it means to be a Susanoo-clad Buddha.

"Brother, can't you think a little further ahead?"

Seeing his older brother who showed no sense of crisis whatsoever, Tobirama Senju was speechless with anger. Did he really have to feed him by hand?

"Do you think the Land of Earth will let this go after they win? The Land of Water is just across the sea from them. If they lose, they will surely retreat to their islands and lie low. So what will the Land of Earth, which has suffered heavy losses but is still full of fighting spirit, do?"

It's not that Tobirama Senju was too dark-minded; he was just good at using the greatest malice to speculate about others.

"What can you do?"

"Who do you think the Land of Earth and the Land of Waterfall will target?"

Slightly propping himself up, Tobirama Senju looked intently at his older brother, who was deep in thought.

"us?"

As a man capable of being a clan leader, Hashirama Senju possessed considerable strategic acumen. After Tobirama Senju offered him some pointers, he instantly understood.

The Land of Earth could easily use the Land of Waterfall as a route to advance on the Land of Fire, the richest of the Five Great Nations, and plunder it to replenish their war losses.

"No! I'm leaving right now!"

Startled, Hashirama Senju immediately stood up and prepared to leave without even changing his clothes.

"What do you want to do?"

Tobirama Senju quickly grabbed his elder brother, fearing that this hothead might do something incomprehensible.

"I'll go and break up the fight!"

It turns out that Hashirama Senju wanted to act as a mediator and single-handedly quell the war between the two countries.

"You're just going to go like that?"

"Otherwise what?"

Stunned by the question, Hashirama Senju scratched the back of his head in confusion. He prepared to stand in the middle with the Buddha statue in his hand and slap anyone who disagreed until they shook hands and made peace.

"Brother, you are still too naive. This kind of friction between countries will only escalate. You alone cannot achieve peace in the ninja world."

"Then tell me, what should we do?"

Having calmed down, Hashirama Senju then asked his strategist a question.

"Hmph~ Actually, I had expected this day, I was just waiting for it to come."

Tobirama Senju smiled arrogantly, as if he had everything under control, leaving Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha completely bewildered.

"Speak up, or I'll hit you!"

Seeing his younger brother remain silent and pretend to be a master, Hashirama Senju, unable to bear it any longer, coldly extended his hand.

"Cough cough cough, big brother, it's a tailed beast, it's a tailed beast!"

His eye twitched involuntarily, and Tobirama Senju coughed a few times feigning surprise. Looking at the two impatient individuals, he spoke...

"Tailed Beast?"

Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha immediately exchanged bewildered glances, wondering what Tobirama Senju was up to.

"That's right, my plan is to distribute these tailed beasts to various major powers for the purpose of maintaining a balance of power."

When the word "allocation" was mentioned, a glint appeared in Tobirama Senju's eyes.

If he can't squeeze a good amount of money out of Konoha this time to fill this bottomless pit, then he's prepared to hand over the position of Second Hokage to that guy Uchiha Madara, since he has a rich brother who can revitalize the village.

As mobile nuclear weapons, the Tailed Beasts have a formidable deterrent effect. Once these countries possess Tailed Beasts, they will be more cautious and weigh the consequences of war when conflicts arise.

"Don't even think about it!"

Upon hearing that Tobirama Senju had taken it upon himself to give away the tailed beast he had captured, Madara Uchiha was the first to object. He immediately jumped out and started attacking the white-haired man.

You think you can use the Tailed Beasts I capture to aid the enemy? Dream on!

"Hassi Hot Mom, it's just the four great nations. Let me take a few tailed beasts there, and I'll wipe them all out!"

Madara Uchiha believed in the principle of "if you can fight, don't talk nonsense," and immediately asked Hashirama Senju for permission to sweep through the four countries by himself and show those guys his strength.

"Mada la zh."

In fact, Hashirama Senju also hesitated a bit. He had personally captured the Tailed Beasts, and he was naturally very familiar with the destructive power of such creatures.

Even setting aside the destructive power of the tailed beasts, the very act of imprisoning them would be extremely costly in terms of time, manpower, and resources for any country.

Just as Hashirama Senju was about to refute his younger brother, he suddenly had a flash of insight when he thought of the matter of imprisonment.

He realized that his younger brother's move was a series of elaborate schemes!

On the one hand, the tailed beasts are distributed to various countries to keep each other in check; on the other hand, these countries are made to spend a lot of energy to maintain the tailed beasts, making it more difficult for war to break out.

After all, once the war starts, everyone has to worry about whether the tailed beasts in their own villages will go berserk.

"Tobirama, you're such a clever little devil!"

Having figured out the plan, Hashirama Senju immediately smiled and then gracefully sat back on the Hokage's throne, showing no trace of his earlier anxiety, leaving Madara Uchiha completely bewildered.

"Hassi Hot Mom, say something!"

Madara Uchiha wasn't thinking that far ahead; he was currently planning which tailed beasts to take to attack the four great nations.

"idiot!"

Glancing at the bewildered Uchiha Madara, Tobirama Senju's lips curled into a mocking sneer.

"Do you really think the four great powers are pushovers?"

"Isn't that right?"

Madara Uchiha, who was very confident in his strength, immediately frowned. In his opinion, the only person in the world who could go toe-to-toe with him was Hashirama Senju.

As for the rest, he regarded them as worthless.

Uchiha Hikaru: Gintoki's brother, have I given you the time of day?

Uchiha Gin: My cousin is still young, don't let him get away with this!

"What a frog in a well! The current leaders of the ninja villages in the four great nations are all legendary powerhouses in their respective countries, and their strength should not be underestimated."

Although Tobirama Senju's words were somewhat meant to boost the morale of others while diminishing his own, that was the reality of the situation.

"Hmph~ Who knows if he's just bragging!"

Madara Uchiha, unwilling to accept defeat, crossed his arms, looking completely unconcerned.

"Go try it yourself if you get the chance. If you die, don't say you're from Konoha."

When Tobirama Senju realized that he couldn't reason with him, he immediately waved his hand dismissively, indicating that this young man was not worth discussing things with.

"Big brother, just tell me if it's okay or not!"

"Don't agree to him, hot mom from Hasi!"

Uchiha Madara and Senju Tobirama stood on either side of him, putting Senju Hashirama in a difficult position.

What is he supposed to do in this chaotic situation?

"How about we discuss it again?"

"No!"

"Give me your answer now: me or him!"

Hashirama Senju, who was trying to smooth things over, was kissed on the lips before he could finish speaking.

Hashirama Senju, who actually preferred a peaceful resolution, couldn't bear to see his newly established Konoha ravaged by war.

Having come to terms with his situation, he could only look at Uchiha Madara with a deeply apologetic gaze and softly say,

"Sorry, Mada, just this once."

"Thump!"

The expectant expression on his face froze. He never expected that years of friendship would be rewarded with betrayal. Uchiha Madara fell silent and said nothing. Ignoring the victorious smile on Senju Tobirama's face, he slammed the door and left.

True heartbreak isn't expressed through loud arguments.

"Big brother, wait until you get off work to go and appease that guy. First, take a look at my plan."

Seeing the still trembling gate, Tobirama Senju's victorious smile vanished. Instead, he pulled out a pre-prepared plan from behind his back and handed it to Hashirama Senju, who was about to get up and chase after him.

"Well, okay, Madara's not a kid anymore, he probably won't do anything outrageous~"

With a slight sigh, Hashirama Senju returned to his seat as Hokage, now bearing the responsibility of the position in addition to his personal identity.

Madara Uchiha only needed to throw a tantrum and slam the door, but Hashirama Senju, as the Hokage, had to consider many more things.

Realizing that Mada was old enough to regulate himself, Hashirama Senju immediately focused his attention on the plan that Tobirama Senju had handed him.

"The Five Shadows Summit, huh?"

"That damn white-haired guy! My cousin shouldn't have saved him back in Nanhechuan!"

After lingering in front of the Hokage Building for a long time without seeing Hashirama Senju chasing after him, Madara Uchiha felt utterly dejected. His happy mood for the day had been completely ruined by that despicable Tobirama Senju. He then began to curse the culprit.

Izuna: Brother! You're my real brother?

"Ah, Chieftain, hello."

Madara Uchiha, exuding an aura of "do not disturb strangers," returned to the Uchiha clan's territory with a cold expression. The clan members guarding the gate were about to bow to their long-absent clan leader when they were startled by his icy gaze and stood frozen in place.

"Phew~ I thought I was going to die. Who was it that had offended the clan leader again?"

After Madara Uchiha left, the clansmen guarding the gate patted their chests with lingering fear, their faces showing signs of relief.

"Big brother! You still remember to come home!"

A short while later, Uchiha Izuna, who was preparing for his lunch break, saw his older brother and exclaimed in surprise.

Is it strange that I came back?

Upon seeing his younger brother, Madara Uchiha's expression softened somewhat, and his icy aura melted away like spring snow.

"Of course! If you don't show your face soon, we'll assume you've defected!"

The Hokage Building, funded by Madara Uchiha, is much more spacious than the original one. It not only has numerous offices but also a dedicated floor for relaxation, offering a complete range of leisure and entertainment options.

During this period, Madara Uchiha, in order to compete with Tobirama Senju, treated his post like his home, living in the Hokage Building's lounge every day, lying on a three-meter-wide soft bed, enduring loneliness alone.

"Defect? ​​Have you ever heard of a Hokage defecting?"

Raising an eyebrow, Madara Uchiha spoke to his younger brother with an arrogant tone.

"Big brother, you did it?"

"Almost there, almost there~"

Ignoring Izuna's mocking gaze, Madara, looking somewhat embarrassed, spoke up.

"I'll stay at the shrine for a few days, and I won't see anyone except for Hasi Hot Mom who comes to my door in person."

"Okay, okay, I got it~"

Uchiha Izuna was greatly frustrated. He thought that Uchiha Madara was feeling guilty and had returned to fulfill his responsibilities as clan leader. He didn't expect that Madara was just having a fight with Senju Hashirama.

After bidding farewell to his younger brother, Madara Uchiha arrived at the Nakagawa Shrine. He pushed open the door and went straight to the ancestral stone tablet of the Uchiha clan.

"Sigh~ I was so busy before that I almost forgot. I haven't finished reading the stone tablet yet, and I don't know what the contents are."

Sitting cross-legged before the gray-white stone tablet, Madara Uchiha wore a hint of curiosity. Since he had nothing better to do, he figured he might as well sneak a peek at the diary left by his ancestor.

However, in the darkness not far from the shrine, a pool of black energy emerged from the ground, and a pair of unidentified eyes watched with a meaningful gaze as Uchiha Madara opened his Sharingan. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

"It's finally here!"

"Tobirama, what do you think of my writing?"

Hashirama Senju, who personally drafted the meeting invitation, wore a hearty smile.

"It's alright, just a little..."

Tobirama Senju glanced at the invitation and a slightly unnatural expression appeared on his face. Wasn't the tone in his older brother's letter far too humble?

However, this is also a good thing, as overly harsh words may provoke a rebellious mentality.

Let's lure those guys over first.

Soon, a series of heartfelt invitations were sent from the Land of Fire, heading straight for the four great nations.

Kingdom of the Wind

In the heart of the desert, where the yellow wind blows fiercely, earthen fortresses have sprung up from nowhere. As a newly built village, Sunagakure is still in a state of disrepair.

In the Kazekage Building, located at the very center of Sunagakure, a composed middle-aged man was frowning as he looked at the financial statements in his hands.

"Money! We need money everywhere!"

The thought of Sunagakure's current financial crisis gave Retsuto, the First Kazekage, an inescapable headache.

"Lord Retsuto, there is a letter for you."

Just then, a tall, bald man pushed open the door and entered, holding a framed letter in his hand.

"Shamon, is this a reply from the daimyo?"

The monk, whom I hadn't seen for a long time, had a weathered look on his face, and his small eyes had lost some of their former innocence, replaced by a hint of wisdom.

"It wasn't a reply from the daimyo."

Shamon's answer sent a chill down Retsuto's spine. The development of Sunagakure couldn't have been possible without the support of the Daimyo of the Land of Wind.

However, the daimyo seemed to want to use this to control Sunagakure, repeatedly reducing the promised military funding and even starting to delay payments, making it even more difficult for Sunagakure, which was under construction.

Sunagakure must find its own way to make money in the future, even if it means digging, it must dig gold out of this desert!

"Who is that?"

A fleeting thought of slander crossed his mind. Lie Dou rallied himself, looked at his most capable subordinate, and asked...

"The letter came from Konoha Village in the Land of Fire."

Looking at the sender, Shamen couldn't help but think of the man who had given him a lot of guidance many years ago. He wondered if Mr. Yin was still in the Land of Fire.

Shamon wanted to share his success with Uchiha Gin.

"Konoha? Let me see it."

"yes!"

Shamen had already checked the letter beforehand, so he had no concerns and quickly handed it to Liedou.

Flipping through the letter in his hand, Retsudou raised an eyebrow, quite surprised by its contents.

"Huh? The Five Kage Summit? What exactly does Hashirama Senju want to do?"

Water Country

At this moment, the great war in the Land of Water is imminent. The newly established Hidden Mist Village is filled with all kinds of demons and monsters, each with sharp teeth and fangs, unlike ordinary people. There are also some that look like normal people, but each of them has a cold expression, as if someone owes them a lot of money.

"Lord White Lotus! We have received a letter from you!"

In the medical station of Kirigakure, the First Mizukage, Byakuren, who was examining the injuries of his trusted lieutenant, slowly stood up from the bedside. His white hair was draped over his shoulders, his deeply lined old face was slightly furrowed, and his eyes shone with a light of wisdom.

"Is it that old bastard Shihe again?"

The Land of Water, which has recently fallen into decline, has received many letters from the Land of Earth urging it to surrender.

"not really."

The person holding the letter was a young man with long, straight black hair. His slightly narrowed eyes revealed no discernible thought, and his fair face showed reverence. He held the letter up with both hands and handed it to Bai Lian.

"It's a letter from the Land of Fire, sent by Hashirama Senju."

"Hashirama Senju? The First Hokage of Konoha, right?"

Bai Lian opened the letter the young man handed her thoughtfully and then read it carefully.

"Lord White Lotus, what about Huan Yue's injuries?"

While Bai Lian was reading the letter, the young man with long, straight black hair looked at the unconscious man on the hospital bed with a worried expression and cautiously asked, "..."

"Hmph~ This kid is lucky to have escaped with his life, but Shihe's disciple is in a much worse state."

With a cold snort, Bai Lian looked at the man on the hospital bed with undisguised admiration in her eyes. After her initial surprise, she turned to look at the letter in her hand, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"The Five Kage Summit is also a way to escape."

country of earth

Ishigawa, the First Tsuchikage, was discussing a collaboration with the leader of Takigakure when, at a crucial moment, a hurried figure burst through the door.

"Master Tsuchikage!"

Interrupted, Shihe looked at the disheveled intruder with displeasure.

"Onoki, I have taught you many times to be as steady as a rock."

The scolding made the intruding boy's heart tighten; his freckled face immediately scrunched up like a chrysanthemum.

"Has that brat Wu Na woken up?"

"The teacher hasn't woken up yet, but there's a letter from you!"

Upon hearing this, Onoki quickly shook his head, then pulled out a framed letter from his person and held it above his head.

"Give it to me, is it that old codger Bai Lian's letter of surrender?"

Seeing this, the leader of Takigakure across the way smiled and indicated that they could discuss the previous topic later. Ishigawa then extended his hand.

"No. It's a letter from the Land of Fire, signed by Hashirama Senju."

Looking at his grandfather's serious face, Onoki shakily handed him the letter.

"puff!!!"

Upon hearing the name, Ishigawa was only slightly surprised, while the leader of Takigakure opposite him spat out the tea in his mouth, which sprayed directly into Onoki's face.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Having been caught off guard and sprayed with tea in his face, Onoki immediately let out a loud cry of anger.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

Realizing the situation, the leader of Takigakure apologized repeatedly, but a hidden ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

"The Hokage of Konoha is really naive, wanting the five great nations to sit down and talk together."

After reading the letter in his hand, Shihe smiled disdainfully. They were about to overthrow the Land of Water, and their next target was the Land of Fire, which was closest to them. He had no interest in attending this meeting at this time.

"Lord Tsuchikage, didn't Hashirama Senju explain why he wanted to organize the talks?"

The leader of Takigakure, whose expression was strange, hurriedly asked after hearing about the so-called Five Kage Summit.

"Let me see. They say it's for the sake of peace, and they need to discuss the distribution of the tailed beasts."

"Lord Tsuchikage, I think it's very necessary for you to attend this important meeting, otherwise you might become the target of the other major powers."

The leader of Takigakure, whose eyes had been gleaming slightly, changed his expression with a speed comparable to Kawakita's upon hearing the words "Tailed Beast."

"What you're saying makes some sense."

Shihe, who hadn't taken it seriously at first, started to think there was some truth to what he was saying.

"Lord Ishigawa, when you participate, could you please bring me along too?" (End of Chapter)