If you asked the first batch of students at Konoha Ninja Academy where to find the Uchiha Clan, where would they point?
They would all point, without a moment's hesitation, to the newly opened Dango Shop in the middle of the village. It was always surrounded by a crowd of Gunbai who loved dango.
And that was exactly what happened.
Ever since school had started, the three little Gunbai went straight to the Dango Shop every day at lunchtime, enjoyed a hearty meal, then returned to their clan grounds. Many people keeping an eye on the Uchiha had taken note of the sight.
The stereotype that Uchiha meant dango had taken root.
After all, who could resist the temptation of grilled skewers?
Naori's hand paused, her cheeks puffed out, as she watched Rikusei suddenly abandon his dango and dash out of the shop. She looked puzzled.
Kagami, sitting inside, swallowed his dango in one gulp and turned to look after him. He hesitated before asking, "Is he skipping out on the bill?"
"No." Naori smiled as she denied it, having noticed something. She gave Kagami a light, almost perfunctory smack. "Why would Rikusei skip out on the bill?"
The owner of the Dango Shop paused his work and smiled as he watched the two of them bicker.
Rikusei had run out and brought Madara back with him.
The usually laid-back Kagami immediately straightened up, sitting seriously as he gazed at the rows of Five-Color Dango on the table.
With his idol right there, he had to summon ten times the spirit and show his very best side.
Naori, meanwhile, kept to her usual manner, chewing slowly as she continued eating her dango.
Madara entered the shop and was about to greet them when he suddenly remembered the frightened look in the little girl's eyes as he and Hashirama helped her up after she'd fallen in the street. In the end, he could only nod to acknowledge them.
Rikusei plopped down beside him, completely at ease, and called to the owner, "Uncle, bring out another serving of everything I ordered earlier!"
"Coming right up!"
The headband-wearing man behind the counter made an OK sign, lifted the curtain, and went into the kitchen to get busy.
The cool dango slid down Rikusei's throat. It felt just right, and he asked quietly, "Teacher, why did you come out of the commission building alone?"
"That place should be called the Hokage Building now."
Madara corrected him, taking in the shop's furnishings as he sensed the area and looked for the best place to fight.
When the steaming dango was placed in front of him, he came to his senses. So, peace had already arrived.
Calmly, he picked up a Three-Color Dango and swallowed it. Its sweetness suppressed the ache in his heart, and he let out a long breath.
"The Hokage position?" Rikusei asked, even though he already knew the answer. He still couldn't accept it.
"It was an anonymous vote."
So it had been a vote.
The Uchiha Clan had certainly been at a disadvantage. The Senju Clan had far more connections than the Uchiha, and Madara's political savvy couldn't match Tobirama's.
"Want to take a look at the departments Konoha just established?"
After finishing the dango in front of him, Madara wiped his hands and the sauce from the corners of his mouth, then pulled out a small stack of papers.
Rikusei took them and read them carefully. They were more or less the same as in his previous life.
Thanks to his advice to Madara ahead of time, Konoha had paid special attention to the Medical Department, investing far more effort in it than in the previous timeline.
It had the most squads: the Medical Emergency Squad, Corpse Disposal Squad, Beast Taming and Care Squad, Pharmaceutical R&D Squad, and Pill Research Squad.
There were also two additional departments: the Barrier and Sealing Department and the Land Planning Department.
Tobirama had probably added them. As the inventor of numerous forbidden jutsu, he would surely recognize the importance of Sealing Jutsu, which were as elusive as ghosts.
"Which department will the Uchiha Clan be assigned to?"
Rikusei's question made Kagami and Naori quietly shift closer, ears pricked to listen.
"The Police Department," Madara answered without hesitation.
"We refuse."
"Huh? What do you mean? The Police Department sounds like it has a lot of power!" Kagami jumped to his feet in a panic, nearly tripping over his stool.
The atmosphere fell silent.
Naori lowered her hand, which had frozen in midair, and clenched it into a fist beneath her sleeve.
Rikusei could clearly see the fire burning in her bright eyes beneath her purple hair. He couldn't help feeling sorry for Kagami for a few seconds.
Madara glanced at his rather agitated junior, then looked at the disciple beside him, waiting for an answer.
"Before the village was founded, who in the clan was most likely to draw criticism from their own people?"
"The person in charge of maintaining order and enforcing punishments within the clan."
Madara answered himself in his mind. He understood now: the department looked powerful and prestigious, with authority that could rival the Anbu, but in reality it was a poisoned chalice.
The resentment that came from enforcing the law in every aspect of village life wouldn't be easy to appease.
"We can split it four ways: the Uchiha, the Hyuga, the other clans, and civilian shinobi." Rikusei closed the papers and gave his answer.
The four factions could keep one another in check. The Uchiha Clan couldn't be left holding the bag alone.
"The Uchiha Clan can also join the Interrogation Department." Rikusei looked meaningfully at Kagami, who was sitting obediently nearby. "The Sharingan's unique Illusion Technique can be used to extract information."
Madara nodded in agreement. Feeling a little hungry again, he called out, "Owner, bring us a few more servings of dango."
"Just a moment!" the busy owner called from behind the curtain.
"Teacher, can peace really last like this?"
The question came from the depths of his soul, shaking him to the core and filling his heart with conflict.
On one side was what the stone tablet recorded; on the other was his childhood dream, now right before his eyes.
But some of the writing farther down the tablet was still blurred. In a few days, once his visual prowess reached the next level, he should be able to read it.
Madara, who had seen the dark side of all kinds of people, shook his head. The Uchiha Clan was a clan that loved too deeply, and they were overly sensitive to the darker side of things.
At the meeting just now, he'd seen firsthand the dirty dealings between the different clans. There were too few people as naively hopeful about peace as Hashirama.
And that was without even considering the other Hidden Villages now being formed outside the Land of Fire.
Weren't they all just alliances of convenience, gathered to resist the newly established Konoha?
Seeing Madara's expression shift, Rikusei realized that Madara already knew the answer. He suggested, "What about capturing the Tailed Beasts? The other Hidden Villages will definitely set their sights on them once they're established."
Naori and Kagami, sitting at the neighboring table, were astonished by their companion's brilliant idea.
The Tailed Beasts!
They were calamities on the scale of natural disasters.
Wait, wasn't their clan leader basically a walking natural disaster?
"The Tailed Beasts?!"
Madara's left eye lit up. His chakra surged with such force that his long hair stirred in a windless breeze. His hidden right eye was exposed, brimming with the desire to fight.
Then he could fight alongside Hashirama again. Capturing the Tailed Beasts would also bring stability to the world. His long-dormant blood began to boil.
What a great idea.
Madara suddenly wanted to ruffle his disciple's hair in encouragement, but after considering how many people were around, he restrained his raised right hand.
If they fought the Tailed Beasts, his visual prowess should advance another level, and he would be able to read all the blurred writing on the tablet.
"The dango is here!"
The owner's melodious call brought Madara back from his daydream. His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan appeared in his eyes, and he carefully controlled its power, making eye contact with the owner the instant he looked up.
Rikusei had picked up a dango from Madara's plate. Staring at the dazzling pattern of the Mangekyo, he looked a little dazed.
Using the Mangekyo on an ordinary civilian—and the Eternal Mangekyo, at that.
Well, that's just like you, Teacher Madara.
Even ordinary Three-Tomoe Sharingan would have been enough to erase his memories.
Madara seemed to see what he was thinking and explained calmly, "Tobirama is not someone to underestimate."
Rikusei shrugged at the stunned Kagami and Naori, who was propping herself up against the table. Tobirama really did live up to that assessment.
The owner, whose gaze had been somewhat unfocused, came to and rubbed his eyes. He said apologetically, "Sorry, I got distracted."
"It's all right. Just take care of your health," Madara reassured him kindly as he chewed his dango. "How was school today?"
Rikusei glanced at Kagami, whose excitement was written all over his face, signaling for him to answer.
"Great Elder Kaku taught us Taijutsu today!"
Faced with his idol's question, Kagami straightened up and answered respectfully.
"Mm, don't be so nervous." Madara stood and gently pressed Kagami back into his seat. "Keep working hard. I have something to take care of, so I'll be going."
He carried his plate and sauntered outside, thinking, I have to let Hashirama try these dango. Tobirama? He can just watch from the side.
Holding the money Madara had given him, Rikusei looked at Kagami, who was so excited he was nearly in tears, then shook his head helplessly at Naori and whispered, "Let him enjoy this for a while."
Naori, her anger having faded, rested her cheek in her hand. Her purple hair spilled across the table like a waterfall as she gazed quietly at the ceiling and murmured, "The adult world is such a hassle."
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