Konoha Falls into Madness

In the height of midsummer, a torrential downpour relentlessly lashed at the growing village of Konoha, replacing the lingering heat of the past few days with a refreshing, rain-soaked air.

Ever since Madara left for the Ninja Academy, the village had officially announced its plan to capture the Tailed Beasts to the public.

This time, it was an official government acknowledgment, not some piece of gossip leaked from a specific clan.

When they first heard the rumors, most had simply laughed it off as a joke; after all, the idea of sealing away so many Tailed Beasts sounded utterly impractical no matter how one looked at it.

But as the details of the plan were further revealed, they realized that it was all true, and that they themselves were the fools for doubting it.

Would the plan be leaked by hidden spies and suffer as a result?

There was absolutely no need to worry.

Because the Uzumaki Clan, masters of sealing jutsu, stood firmly on the side of Konoha.

The newborn village of Konoha, under the leadership of the first Hokage, Senju Hashirama, was about to pull off a grand feat—a stunt never before attempted in the ninja world: gather all nine Tailed Beasts to summon and possess unimaginable wealth.

A certain black creature hidden within Konoha was also extremely pleased upon hearing this news.

Having the Tailed Beasts that Hagoromo had released into the world captured and controlled by humans was highly advantageous for his future plans, and it would incidentally serve as a form of revenge for himself and Mother.

However, the vessels used for the sealing left him feeling deeply skeptical; he had held them in his hand and gestured with them, wondering how something so small could possibly seal a Tailed Beast. Yet, the exquisite craftsmanship and superior sealing formulas gave him confidence—it should be fine.

The heavy rain could not dampen the people's enthusiasm for witnessing the sealing of a Tailed Beast. Since ancient times, areas where Tailed Beasts appeared were classified as forbidden zones, and ordinary ninjas, for the sake of their lives, had no choice but to take long detours to avoid them.

When word spread that the first target for sealing was the Nine-Tails, the various clans were thrown into an absolute frenzy—that was the demon fox capable of changing the very color of the heavens and earth.

They soon realized the strategy: form an alliance with Uzushio Village, then seal the various Tailed Beasts one by one.

Many were filled with admiration for this particular stratagem of the Hokage.

When it was learned that those permitted to witness the sealing would be drawn exclusively from the new generation, selected from the Ninja Academy, the reaction was visceral.

Countless people beat their chests and wailed in the twilight, regretting deeply that they had missed the academy's expansion and had not enrolled their children.

They couldn't help but think of the Uchiha Clan, who had dissolved their own clan academy, and whispered among themselves whether those Uchiha had simply stumbled upon a lucky break or had been prepared all along. As expected, the Uchiha Clan would likely take the lion's share of the spots.

Ever since the news broke, every clan had used their own methods to send messages into the Hokage's Office, and the piles of letters had already vaguely surpassed the height of the official documents.

Buried under the letters, Hashirama clicked his tongue in annoyance, sitting in his chair and silently opening the letters to read them carefully.

Whether explicit or implied, every letter was a request to have their child participate. He was happy to see such active participation from everyone, unlike the Uchiha man at the neighboring desk who was resting with his eyes closed, chin propped on his hand, saving his energy just to bicker with him.

Closing the letter from the Hyuga Clan and setting it aside, Hashirama sighed to himself, never expecting that a whim of his would have such a massive impact.

Recently, various frictions and incidents in the village had plummeted, leaving him and Madara with a lack of the usual absurd gossip—such as a patient trying to cause a medical dispute only to be punched out by a doctor.

Tobirama, over at the Ninja Academy, was nearly driven to madness. Many parents used the excuse of dropping off their children to "coincidentally" run into him and strike up conversations about the Tailed Beasts.

They would even ambush him in the most hidden storage rooms in the school.

Tobirama put down his pen, his head aching, as he began to wonder if the parents trying to get their children on the list were even their biological ones.

Even if one trusted in the power of Elder Brother and Madara, one shouldn't endanger their children like this; if the Tailed Beast's power wasn't controlled properly, they would be wiped out instantly.

He lifted his water cup to his lips, shook it, and found it empty, so he stood up and headed toward the door.

It was break time, and a familiar figure walked straight past him. He hurriedly grabbed the young Uchiha and hauled him into the office.

"Sit."

Tobirama took a sip from his refilled cup and set it on the desk. The cool water sliding down his throat felt refreshing, and he gestured for the boy opposite him not to be so restrained.

Rikusei, having been pressed into service, felt a bit wronged; he had just been passing by. He sat quietly on the stool, blinking his blank eyes as he stared back at the intense gaze of Tobirama.

"Look, you're playing dumb again."

This look was all too familiar; Tobirama, having seen it several times already, said with a light chuckle.

"?"

Rikusei kept his eyes wide, looking at him in confusion, having no idea what the silver-haired man in front of him was talking about.

Tobirama glanced sideways at the other teachers, who nodded in understanding, signaling that they understood. He stood up decisively and gestured for the boy to follow him.

The bewildered Rikusei followed Tobirama's footsteps to a small, private room at the end of the hallway.

Tobirama gently closed the door and gazed at him with a piercing look. Seeing that he was still playing dumb, he cut to the chase: "It was you who gave Madara the suggestion, wasn't it?"

Rikusei, instantly understanding what was happening, pointed at himself, smiled, and hurriedly waved his hands in denial: "It really wasn't me."

He had just been looking for a teacher to take him along so he could watch the Nine-Tails get beaten up, never expecting the teacher to bring it up himself.

Seeing that the boy's demeanor didn't seem fake, Tobirama pondered for a moment. After some deduction, he suddenly realized: this suggestion must have been Elder Brother's own idea.

If it had been Madara's idea, Elder Brother would have discussed it with him. It must have been a sudden flash of inspiration for Hashirama, who then discussed it briefly with Madara, judged it feasible based on their own strength, and came to inform him.

After reconstructing the scene in his mind, Tobirama turned his head away, feeling a bit embarrassed by the boy's bright gaze, wanting to say something but unable to find the words.

Rikusei saw his awkwardness and sighed. How had he been painted as such a villain in his mind, as if he were some mastermind hidden within the Uchiha?

It was fine.

Knowing who the real mastermind was, Rikusei wouldn't hold it against him. He was just about to open the door and head back to the classroom when he was stopped, hearing a lingering question from behind him.

"Do you have any good methods?"

Rikusei, hand on the doorknob, naturally knew what he was talking about. He had seen those ferocious parents and was scared of them too. He turned his trembling body around, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward the ceiling made of black wood.

Carefully surveying the empty room, he cleared his throat and asked with confusion, "Didn't you already confirm that the candidates would be selected from the Ninja Academy, Teacher?"

"But the number of people in the village who want to participate is simply too high." Inside the room, Tobirama frowned, the red markings on his face twitching slightly as he said in distress.

"Then you could leak the news little by little. Since the scope has already been determined, you just need to set the number of spots, and finally decide the candidates based on exam rankings."

The crisp, far-from-pleasant school bell echoed urgently across the campus. Rikusei hurriedly voiced his shallow thoughts; the next period was Elder Kaku's taijutsu class, and he would definitely add some personal vendettas to make people suffer if he were obviously late.

Watching the boy's figure vanish in an instant, Tobirama, standing alone in the empty room, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately said nothing at all.

He had already thought of these suggestions, especially when faced with the requests of former comrades-in-arms, which made it truly difficult to choose.

Human sentiment was constantly influencing his judgment.

If Uchiha Setsuna knew, he would certainly offer a few mocking remarks: the once decisive and ruthless Second-in-Command of the Senju actually had a sentimental side.

Rikusei's words had completely awakened him; he should no longer be so hesitant. Where had the cold-faced Tobirama gone?

A humid Summer Wind passed through the wooden window, bringing moisture to his face. Enjoying it all alone, Tobirama's mind fell into an unprecedented state of clarity, making him feel as if he had rediscovered his former self.

His heart gradually turned as cold as steel. Not enrolled in the Ninja Academy, yet wanting to participate in Ninja Academy activities?

Then wait until you have joined the Ninja Academy to talk about it.

Capturing a Tailed Beast was exactly the best advertisement to launch the Ninja Academy.

Enroll to participate in the grand Tailed Beast capture event, personally led by the God of Shinobi, with Uchiha Madara himself providing protection.

With thoughts gushing like a spring, Tobirama hurriedly returned to his desk, grabbed a sketching pen to write down the ad copy, and casually drew a few simple posters, looking at his masterpiece with his hands on his hips and a face full of satisfaction.