Madara in the Hokage Building

The world of shinobi wasn't all fighting and killing. More often, it was about navigating human relationships.

Rikusei wanted to tell Madara, "You can't handle this stuff. Leave it to your disciple." But after looking at his own small frame, he didn't dare.

The morning sun was gentle, and the slightly cool summer breeze chased away the heat. Rikusei passed through the bustling crowd and headed toward the bright orange building at the center of the village.

During Taijutsu Class, Kaku pulled Rikusei aside and complained that Madara hadn't returned to the clan grounds in days. Rikusei understood what he meant. He wanted him to find Madara, who had been captivated by Hashirama, and get him to return before the Clan Tournament.

Rikusei knew exactly what his teacher was thinking.

The clan grounds were full of tedious day-to-day affairs and all sorts of trivial nonsense. No wonder it gave people a headache. Perhaps disappearing to watch the new Hokage get swamped with work would cheer Madara up a little.

How could a shinobi born for battle be bogged down by trivial matters?

He'd seen the building from afar before, but this was Rikusei's first time inside. The first floor was the Mission Request Hall, and its furnishings were distinctly reminiscent of the Warring States era.

The clan crests, carved from wood, hung in neat rows along the wooden walls. Shinobi in all sorts of armor were everywhere, their clattering plates ringing clearly. The scars on their faces, and the weapons of every kind strapped to their backs and waists, left Rikusei dazzled.

The little boy, all by himself in a place full of hardened shinobi, looked completely out of place. It was simple enough to explain: he wasn't wearing a Forehead Protector, so everyone could tell at a glance.

The receptionist had seen plenty of kids like him. He was probably from one of the clans, a little boy who'd come to satisfy his curiosity about the Mission Request Hall.

The pattern on the boy's back confirmed her guess. The red-and-white Flame Gunbai stood out against his black clothes. So he was from the Uchiha Clan.

"What brings you here, little shinobi?"

The female shinobi crouched down, her emerald eyes a little drowsy. She gazed at the boy's delicate, youthful face and thought that with those strong features, he'd surely grow into a captivatingly handsome man.

Beauty lay in the bones, not the skin. Besides, beauty wasn't limited to one gender.

Rikusei looked curiously at the kind blonde big sister crouching in front of him. Her emerald eyes, like green gemstones, were growing hazy, so he spoke up. "I'm here to see my clan head."

"Ah, you're looking for Lord Madara. Then come with me, sweetheart." The female shinobi grew more and more delighted as she looked at him. She reached out to ruffle the boy's black hair, then stood up, satisfied.

Rikusei looked up at the kind big sister leading the way. The crest on the armband around her slender arm gave away her surname.

She was one of the Yamanaka Clan, the only clan in Konoha with a whole nest of blondes. They were as easy to recognize as the Pineapple Heads of the Nara Clan and the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan.

On the top floor, Rikusei watched the big sister walk away, reluctant to leave. Even before he knocked, he could sense the lively atmosphere behind the door. He listened closely: it seemed Madara was doing most of the talking, complaining about work to Hashirama.

No, he had to interrupt them.

An insistent knock sounded, cutting off the two men arguing in the room.

As expected, Madara opened the door.

Madara looked down at Rikusei, who was nearly swallowed by his shadow, his face full of disbelief. He held a finger to his lips, signaling him to stay quiet.

"He's here to see me. You can get back to work."

Madara placed a hand on Rikusei's shoulder and gently pushed him back, then glanced over at Hashirama, who was sitting behind the desk, and spoke softly.

The moment the wooden door closed, Hashirama's booming voice came through. "We still need to discuss how to seal the Tailed Beasts! And what you said about just slaughtering those 'beasts'—that's not a good choice of words!"

Madara let Hashirama's words go in one ear and out the other. For now, he was only concerned with making sure Hashirama didn't see his disciple. He still remembered Hashirama trying to steal him away on the cliff.

On the balcony, Madara rested both hands on the railing. His shinobi sandals, which left his toes exposed, were planted firmly on the wooden boards as he looked down from Konoha's tallest building at the thriving village.

His long black hair fluttered freely in the wind. The high-collared robe suited him perfectly, accentuating his powerful, cold demeanor. He spoke. "This is about the Clan Tournament, right? Don't worry about that little girl, Naori. I'll lend you the Flame Gunbai."

"..."

Rikusei turned his head, looking a little sheepish. Then it occurred to him that every event held within a clan had to be documented, with a copy sent to the Hokage's office. Madara must have noticed it while he was there.

The sun rose higher, and the streets gradually grew quieter. Rikusei spoke softly. "Teacher, I want to use the Clan Tournament as an opportunity to dismantle the Clan Academy completely."

"Is that so? Tell me what you have in mind."

Madara turned around and leaned against the railing, arms crossed as he watched the boy. The wind picked up, whipping his robe with a loud flutter.

"Some people in the clan say the Ninja Academy is a Senju school. If we send all our school-age children there, won't it become our Uchiha school?" Rikusei looked Madara straight in the eye as he explained his idea.

Now that was a neat trick—turning the tables on them. Madara was a little stunned. Looking at the families in the first class, they were indeed all closely connected to the Senju.

Seeing Madara hesitate, Rikusei continued. "The Senju have already started to fade into the background in Konoha. The Uchiha should do something too."

"Did Kaku put you up to this again?"

Madara immediately spotted the flaw. He walked over to smooth the boy's messy hair, then bent down and asked with a smile.

"!"

Rikusei stared at him in shock, his little face full of grievance.

His pure-hearted desire to make life better for the Uchiha Clan had been dealt a devastating blow. The hot blood in his chest surged, then began to turn cold.

He thought dejectedly, Maybe I should just jump off the building and end this life of being suspected!

I know ninjutsu anyway, so I wouldn't die from the fall.

"I hit the mark, didn't I? This was Kaku's idea too, right?" Madara said, amusement in his eyes as he watched the boy's expression change.

Rikusei couldn't have made a decision this significant by himself. Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to propose it and risk offending most of the clan.

After spending several months at the Ninja Academy, Kaku had been stunned by the immense power contained in the newly founded Hidden Village. He realized that they could no longer approach Konoha with the old mindset that the clans came first.

The first Ninja Academy class had already stirred up great enthusiasm among the people. It would surely grow larger with every passing year. It wouldn't just have students from the clans; there would certainly be children of ordinary shinobi from the village too. None of them could be underestimated.

Better to offer help when it was needed than to add something after the fact. After all, when the first village in the Shinobi World was founded, it had been the Senju and Uchiha who proposed the idea!

"What do you plan to do after that?" Madara asked.

"Invite people from the other clans to watch the Uchiha Clan Tournament, then announce the news at the end, after Naori, Kagami, and I win." Rikusei honestly told his clan head the plan he'd worked out with Kaku.

"Go ahead and handle the details yourselves. I have something more important to do here." Madara's deep gaze passed over the corridor and settled on the office bearing the Hokage sign. "With your chakra reserves, you can take the Uchiha Gunbai from the Clan Hall if you want."

Rikusei shook his head to say he didn't need it. Using the clan's sacred weapon to beat up little kids would be a little too brutal. He had something else he wanted to ask. "Why isn't there a ceremony to celebrate the Hokage's inauguration?"

"?"

Madara looked at him curiously. He hadn't held a celebration when he became clan head, either. If anything counted as one, then the battlefield's forest of swords and rivers of blood probably qualified.

"Didn't that old Senju, Tobirama, remind you?" Rikusei asked, then changed his tone when he saw Madara's gaze grow sharp.

"He said there wasn't enough funding. The expenses for the newly established departments and the equipment to seal those 'beasts'—" The wooden door in the corridor opened. Madara saw the familiar figure and paused before continuing. "The Tailed Beasts all cost a lot of money. We have to save wherever we can."

"We can just greet everyone from the rooftop. It won't cost much, and a ceremony is still important." Rikusei had no idea that Hashirama, dressed in a white robe, was standing behind him in the corridor, watching with a smile.

With his excellent eyesight, Rikusei saw the figure behind him reflected in Madara's eyes. He turned around and spoke softly. "Lord Hokage."

"You must be Rikusei." Hashirama crouched down to meet his eyes and said gently, "Tobirama told me about you. You really are impressive."

"Thank you for your kind praise, Lord Hokage."

Rikusei bowed to him and Madara, then headed downstairs.

Madara pulled his gaze back from the stairs and asked the figure beside him, who was holding on to the wooden railing, "Has the Uzumaki Clan set out yet?"

"The advance party has already arrived in the village. They're working with the Artisan Ninja to develop ninja tools. Now we just have to wait for the delegation led by Clan Head Ashina."

The cool summer breeze couldn't quell Hashirama's surging enthusiasm. He gazed at the village, flourishing more with each passing day, and spoke in a solemn voice.