For the Mission, He Was Really Going All Out

"Pfft...! System, were you specially designed for idiots?"

"You're hilarious...!"

Seeing the three options in front of him, even an idiot would know to pick the third one. But wasn't this supposed to be a kingly aura, not a turtle aura?

The reward was so ridiculous it left him dumbfounded. But then again!

This turtle aura seemed pretty effective at attracting girls. Heh heh heh.

"The turtle aura really does have its uses. Will beautiful women just come knocking when the time comes? And then, and then...!"

After seeing what the turtle aura did, a wicked smile flashed across Senju Fujima's face.

"What? Young Master, what do you mean by that?"

"Yeah! Young Master, the Uchiha Clan killed so many of our brothers and sisters. Are we really supposed to let them off just like that?"

"That's right, Young Master. You're still young and don't know how brutal war is. So many members of the Senju Clan have died at their hands. They're the source of all evil. We have to kill every last one of them."

"Young Master, you can't afford to go soft. In this world, a soft heart can put you in danger."

Senju Fujima's words hit the room like an atomic bomb. The elders erupted, their faces flushed as they spoke over one another.

Even Tobirama Senju was stunned. He hadn't expected the nephew he'd taken such a liking to to share his father's views. Deep down, he was extremely unwilling to let the Uchiha Clan go.

Some might wonder why the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, hated the Uchiha Clan so much. The reason was right here.

Seven years earlier, the Uchiha Clan had taken Tobirama Senju's fiancée: Shizuka Sarutobi, the princess of the Sarutobi Clan at the time.

The Senju Clan had originally planned to form an alliance with the Sarutobi Clan, so Tobirama's father, Butsuma Senju, had arranged the marriage.

The Sarutobi Clan wasn't particularly strong, but the Senju Clan had been fighting the Uchiha Clan and the Hagoromo Clan alone, suffering heavy losses.

They'd only decided to bring the Sarutobi Clan into the alliance afterward. The weaker a clan was, the more obedient it would be. Once the marriage was arranged, they would become a pawn in the Senju Clan's hands.

If it had been the Hyuga Clan, would they have agreed to marry their princess to Tobirama Senju? Obviously not.

People within each clan generally married among their own, to keep their bloodline from spreading outside the family.

The Sarutobi Clan also wanted to ally itself with the powerful Senju Clan, so it finally agreed. But on the day of the wedding, the Uchiha Clan saw through their plan and came to steal the bride.

In the end, the Uchiha Clan abducted Shizuka Sarutobi. Though she was eventually returned home, she was no longer pure. That left Tobirama Senju deeply resentful of the Uchiha Clan.

"Ha ha, that's my son, all right! Just like your old man, you love peace. Your dad gives you a thumbs-up! Ha ha!"

When Hashirama Senju heard Senju Fujima's words, the corners of his mouth lifted. He cheered his son on in his heart, delighted.

"Elders, you all know the Uchiha Clan has killed many of our people."

"But what about us? We've also killed countless members of the Uchiha Clan."

"Why have our people died, and why have theirs?"

"It's because of war."

"If there were no war, no one would die. Everyone could live happily to a ripe old age."

"If we keep waging war, countless people from our clan will continue to rush to the front lines and be killed by the Uchiha Clan."

"And they'll keep being killed by our Senju Clan, too."

"An eye for an eye only leaves everyone blind. The past...! Uh, wrong saying."

"An eye for an eye gets us nowhere. If we make peace now, our people won't have to keep giving their lives for this."

"Elders, do you think I'm right?"

Senju Fujima wasn't afraid at all. He looked around at the elders as he spoke.

"This?"

"This?"

The elders looked at one another. For a moment, none of them seemed to know what to say.

"Fujima, have you considered that even if we agree, our people might not?"

"Many of them hate the Uchiha Clan because their loved ones have died."

"And even if our people agree, what about the Uchiha Clan? Will they agree to make peace with us?"

At that moment, Tobirama Senju fixed Senju Fujima with a sharp gaze and posed a question that had plagued generations.

That was right. Even if you agreed and we agreed, would the clan members agree?

And even if they did, what about the Uchiha Clan? Senju Fujima really had made it sound too simple.

"Exactly! Young Master, what good is it if we agree?"

"That's right, Young Master. It's not up to us. The clan members have to agree, too. Our agreement doesn't count for much."

"Exactly, Young Master. It's the clan members who decide. We can't control what other people think."

The elders found Tobirama Senju's words convincing and nodded in agreement.

If you think this book is good, add it to your bookshelf so you won't lose it next time!

"If our people don't agree, let them fight among themselves."

"If the Uchiha Clan doesn't agree, we'll fight until they do."

"I don't want to see any more of my brothers and sisters die on the battlefield, so I'm asking you, elders, to help me."

"Please give me a chance. I'll find a way to convince our people and the Uchiha Clan to reconcile."

"We'll build a village together and protect it, along with the children who live there."

"Let the children in the village and our people in the future live in peace and make a living. Please, give me a chance."

Senju Fujima quickly bowed to the elders. The years of fighting had left them all consumed by hatred, so persuading them to give up their fight against the Uchiha Clan wouldn't be easy.

He didn't know what his father had done in the original story to convince these stubborn old men.

But he was just a child, and maybe that made them more willing to listen to what he had to say.

"Ha ha, I think Fujima's right. You're all just too competitive."

"If we can live in peace, our Senju Clan will be able to grow stronger."

"Think about it. After a thousand years of growth, why are there still only a few thousand of us?"

"If we lived in peaceful times, our Senju Clan would flourish. Before long, we'd have tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of clan members."

"Do you think the Senju Clan would still be weak then?"

Hashirama Senju stood up as well and addressed the elders.

"This?"

"This?"

Seeing Hashirama Senju speak up in agreement, the elders found themselves at a loss. They struggled to decide what to do.

They hadn't known that Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha were friends. That secret was known only to Tobirama Senju.

"Hmph."

Tobirama Senju snorted without a word. His silence counted as agreement, though deep down he was strongly against it.

"Thanks, Second Uncle. Heh heh!"

Seeing Tobirama Senju's expression, Senju Fujima felt a flash of gratitude.

"Heh heh, gorgeous women from the Uchiha Clan, come right to me!"

The thought of gorgeous women from the Uchiha Clan filled Senju Fujima with delight.

In the end, with Hashirama Senju's support, all eight elders agreed. If Senju Fujima could convince the clan members, they had no objections.

But it still depended on the Uchiha Clan agreeing. Otherwise, there was no chance of making peace.

"Thank you all for trusting me. I'll summon the clan members right away and discuss this with them."

Senju Fujima quickly bowed to the elders, then turned and headed straight for the door.

"Heh, that's my son, all right."

Hashirama Senju watched Senju Fujima leave, the corners of his mouth lifting.

Soon, Senju Fujima had everyone summoned. Young and old alike gathered at the training ground in the clan compound.

"I heard the Young Master summoned us to give a speech. Is something important going on?"

"I have no idea! Look, they've brought everyone, young and old. What could this be about?"

"I heard it's something huge. I just don't know what."

"Pfft...! Then you haven't told us anything. What are you even talking about?"

"It's not nothing. At least I know it's something huge. Do you know what it is?"

"I don't, but I do know that anyone could guess that if they summoned this many people, it must be something huge."

Once all the clan members had gathered, they looked confused and began whispering among themselves.

"Everyone, please quiet down for a moment."

"I have something to tell you all. I hope you won't get upset."

Senju Fujima looked at the gathered clan members and called out loudly.

"Quiet! The Young Master's about to speak."

"Shh...!"

The moment Senju Fujima spoke, everyone fell silent and looked at him. They were all confused, wondering what earthshaking news he was about to announce.

"All right, I have something to announce."

"I'm giving you all a choice. If you could give up fighting the Uchiha Clan, live in peace, and never suffer another war or another parting from your loved ones, would you be willing?"

"If you're willing, stand to my left. If you aren't, stand to my right."

Senju Fujima quickly addressed the crowd. First, he wanted to see who was willing and who wasn't. Then he could try to persuade those who weren't.