Unification * Ninja

With nothing else to do, Izuna eventually strolled back to the Hokage Building.

While silently criticizing his twisted mentality of "being bored when not working and finding work troublesome" in his mind, he expertly pulled out the chair in the Meeting Room.

He sat down and casually picked up a stack of unprocessed documents to start flipping through.

Hashirama expected, Hashirama's eyes widened the moment he saw Madara's new hairstyle, and he let out a series of exaggerated exclamations.

Wow! Ban! Your hairstyle is awesome! You should have had it done a long time ago! It makes you look so much more energetic!

Hashirama stood up and circled Madara, clicking his tongue in amazement. He even reached out to pat Madara's shoulder, but was stopped by a cold look from Madara.

Without even looking up, Izuna scribbled annotations on the document as he coolly remarked, "Right? I told you I should have tied it up a long time ago. It's such a waste to hide my face."

Madara ignored Hashirama's antics, went straight to his seat, and began to review a document.

Hashirama made a fuss for a while, but seeing that Madara was completely unmoved, he also got bored.

He toned down his exaggerated expression, walked to the head seat, and glanced between Madara and Izuna before finally fixing his gaze on Izuna.

"Madara," Hashirama suddenly spoke, his tone becoming much more serious, "Can I speak with Izuna alone?"

Madara's hand, holding the document, paused almost imperceptibly, but he didn't look up, simply replying with three words: "Ask Izuna."

Hashirama was stunned, looking at Madara with some surprise.

This guy... just a few hours ago when he left the Meeting Room, he was like a devoted caregiver, watching over Izuna closely, but how come his attitude changed so drastically after he went out for a stroll and came back?

They actually handed over the decision-making power entirely to Izuna himself?

However, this is for the best.

Hashirama felt he had to have a serious talk with Izuna about "military unification" after Izuna's astonishing remarks at the Daimyo's mansion.

He needed to know how Izuna truly viewed power, order, and peace deep down.

"Izuna, come to my Office for a moment." Hashirama stood up, his tone gentle but authoritative.

Izuna looked up from the pile of documents, glanced at Hashirama's serious expression, and then at Madara.

"Okay." He put down his pen, stood up, and followed Hashirama out of the Meeting Room.

Ban's gaze lingered on the departing figures of the two for a moment before returning to the documents, though his grip on the pen tightened slightly.

In the Office belonging to the Hashirama, sunlight streamed through the windows, casting bright dappled patterns on the floor.

Hashirama sat with Izuna on the tatami platform by the window, their posture appearing more equal and intimate.

He poured Izuna a cup of tea himself, then remained silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts.

"Izuna," Hashirama finally spoke, his gaze fixed on Izuna's clear eyes, "Was what you said to the Daimyo that day about 'becoming king yourself' true?"

His tone was calm, without any accusation, just a simple inquiry, carrying the concern and worry of an older brother.

Izuna didn't touch the tea; he calmly looked at Hashirama.

It's true.

"If it weren't for the fact that the village has already been built, and everyone has finally been able to live a relatively peaceful life... I might actually have encouraged you to give it a try."

Hashirama's hands, resting on his knees, clenched slightly, his voice deepening. "Izuna, you wrote the Tale of the Heike, you should know... why I didn't want to do that. You know better than anyone the fate of the Taira. Overpowering others with force is never sustainable; rise and fall are inevitable. I don't want Konoha, I don't want the Ninjas, to go down that path."

"I know, Hashirama- nii." Izuna nodded, his tone still calm, "But does the Taira have you and Madara-nii?"

Hashirama was stunned.

Izuna continued, his voice calm and measured. "Taira no Kiyomori relied on controlling the emperor to command the feudal lords, on marriage alliances with nobles, and on military intimidation. His foundation was like shifting sand; once his strongest military force weakened, or internal cracks appeared, his collapse would be instantaneous."

"But you are different." Izuna's gaze sharpened. "Hashirama, Madara, you are truly individuals who have transcended the understanding of your time, reaching the pinnacle of individual martial prowess. Your very existence is a rule."

"What is the root cause of the endless wars that have plagued the Shinobi World for a thousand years? Is it resources? Hatred? Ideology? Perhaps all of these. But the most direct reason is that no individual or group possesses the 'absolute power' sufficient to suppress all dissent and forcibly establish and maintain a new order."

"And now, this 'absolute power' has appeared," Izuna said, emphasizing each word, "It's you and Madara."

Hashirama pursed his lips, his knuckles turning slightly white as he placed his hands on his knees. Izuna's words were like a sharp knife, slicing open the bloody reality he had been trying to conceal with ideals and goodwill.

"Hashirama- nii, to be honest," Izuna suddenly sighed.

"I'm a... extremely, extremely peace-loving guy. I hate bloodshed, I hate sacrifice, I hate all meaningless fighting. So, I don't want to start any more trouble, I don't want to destroy the village you and Brother Ban have worked so hard to build, and I don't want to see everyone's newly settled life thrown into turmoil again."

He paused, his voice softening but carrying even greater weight. "But, Hashirama- kun, you need to know..."

"You have a chance."

"There is an opportunity to unify the Five Great Nations directly, ending the millennia-long Warring States period and bringing true, lasting peace to the entire continent."

"Use your power to forcibly shatter old national borders and chains of hatred, and establish a unified order. Even if it is accompanied by bloodshed and suppression in the early stages, in the long run, it may save many more people from dying needlessly in endless wars in the future."

A long silence fell over the Office.

Only the faint sounds of rustling Konoha outside the window and the two people's soft breathing could be heard.

The sunlight slowly moved, lengthening the shadows of the two people.

After a long while, Hashirama spoke, his voice hoarse and filled with deep weariness.

"If... if you had been there, I might... have really considered it."

He looked up at Izuna.

"We Ninjas... don't have that kind of magnanimity, Izuna."

"Unifying the continent requires more than just overwhelming military force. It also requires governance capabilities, an inclusive mindset, the wisdom to balance the interests of all parties, and... a 'shared vision' that allows people of different cultures and ethnicities to gradually recognize and be willing to live together."

"What are we Ninjas?" Hashirama's voice carried a hint of self-mockery. "What we excel at is fighting, destruction, and completing missions in the shadows. We're used to sticking together as clans; even establishing a village is this difficult, let alone a nation."

"Even if Madara and I were to forcibly unify the continent through sheer power, then what?"

"Who will manage those vast and unfamiliar territories and populations? Will we, the Ninjas who only know Ninjutsu and missions, be relied upon? Or will we rely on those old nobles and officials filled with resentment?"

"Immense power and resources can quickly corrupt people's hearts. Former comrades can become estranged due to unequal distribution, and conflicts can accumulate between different Shinobi Clans and remnants of different nations..."

Hashirama shook his head, his eyes filled with pain yet clear-headedness.

In the end, there will be no need for external enemies to attack.

"We will disintegrate ourselves first, or even erupt into a more devastating Internal Battle than ever before, because of poor management, internal suspicion, greed, and power struggles."

"Ninjas... that's what they are, Izuna."

We can be the sharpest knife, the strongest shield, but we... can hardly become the 'jade' that governs the world and harmonizes yin and yang.

"Not yet, at least not now."

Izuna sat quietly opposite him, looking at the man revered as the "God of Shinobi".

He suddenly understood why Hashirama his childhood dream instead of taking it a step further.

That's not weakness or naivety.

That was the most pragmatic and long-term choice made based on an understanding of the limitations of Ninjas themselves.

He was trying to find a path for the Ninjas that would allow them to gradually learn governance, integrate into the world, and ultimately perhaps truly take control of their own destiny.

Although slow and fraught with uncertainty, it avoided the fate of the Qin dynasty, which perished after only two generations.

Hashirama finished speaking, he seemed to break free from a heavy introspection and let out a long sigh of relief.

He looked up at the young man before him and smiled.

"Speaking of which, I should thank you, Izuna."

"If it weren't for you, if it weren't for you organizing this performance and proposing the idea of a 'Special Administrative Region,' perhaps Konoha's future would really be just as you said... gradually being pushed along by the tides of the times, and ultimately unable to escape its fate of becoming a weapon of war."

"But things are different now."

"You've shown us a completely different path. A path that allows us Ninjas to stand openly in the sunlight, to live and create value in our own way, instead of just wasting our lives."

"Regarding this..." Hashirama looked solemnly at Izuna, "I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Izuna."

Izuna was a little embarrassed by Hashirama's sudden and earnest thanks. He touched his nose and looked away, saying, "Oh, not at all... I just suggested an idea. As for the specifics of how to get there, that's still you and Madara worrying about..."

He muttered to himself, trying to break the overly formal atmosphere.

But just then, Izuna suddenly remembered something.

He turned his head sharply, staring intently at Hashirama, and asked, "By the way, Hashirama- nii, are we still going to capture that Tailed Beast?"

Hashirama: "... Eh?"

We were just discussing the future of Ninjas and the path to peace, how did we suddenly jump to the Tailed Beasts?

He blinked a few times, trying to keep up with Izuna's train of thought, before he remembered that he and Madara had indeed been planning something big before Izuna's return.

They gathered the Tailed Beasts scattered across various regions, either consolidating or dispersing these natural disasters with devastating power, in an attempt to use them as a deterrent and fundamentally eliminate the possibility of other Shinobi Villages or forces launching large-scale wars.

However, this plan was temporarily shelved after Izuna returned due to various reasons, but it was not canceled.

When asked by Izuna at this moment, Hashirama fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

He looked at Izuna's eager expression, raised an eyebrow, and threw the question back at him.

What do you think?

Izuna stroked his chin. "We definitely can't grab him."

He abruptly changed the subject, his voice taking on a strange lightness, "But we can become friends with them!"

Hashirama: "...?"

"Ah?"