Konoha Falls into Madness

In the height of summer, torrential rain beat mercilessly against Konoha as the village grew day by day, replacing the oppressive heat of recent days with the refreshing scent of rain.

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

This time, it was an official announcement—not some rumor that had trickled out of a clan.

When people first heard the rumor, most had laughed it off as a joke. After all, sealing so many Tailed Beasts sounded utterly unrealistic.

But as more details of the plan were made public, they realized it was all true. Turns out I was the fool all along.

Would the plan be leaked by hidden spies and compromised?

There was no need to worry about that.

The Uzumaki Clan, who possessed Sealing Jutsu, stood on Konoha's side.

Under the leadership of Konoha's first Hokage, Senju Hashirama, the newly founded village was about to attempt something unprecedented in the Shinobi World: gather all Nine Tailed Beasts, and they would be able to summon—and possess—wealth beyond imagination.

A certain black creature hidden in Konoha was delighted when he heard the news.

Capturing all the Tailed Beasts Hagoromo had released into the Shinobi World and bringing them under human control would greatly benefit his future plans. It would also give him and his mother a chance to vent their anger.

Still, he was baffled by the objects being used for the seals. He had once held one in his hand and wondered how something so small could seal a Tailed Beast. But its fine craftsmanship and excellent sealing formula gave him confidence that it would work.

The heavy rain could not dampen people's eagerness to witness a Tailed Beast being sealed. Since ancient times, places where Tailed Beasts appeared had been designated as forbidden zones. Ordinary shinobi could not venture near them and had to take long detours for their own safety.

When they heard that the first target would be the Nine-Tails, every clan was thrown into an uproar. That was the demon fox capable of turning heaven and earth upside down!

Then they realized that Konoha had allied with Uzushio Village and planned to seal all the Tailed Beasts.

Many people were impressed by Lord Hokage's strategy.

When they learned that only members of the new generation would be allowed to witness the sealing, and that they would be selected from the Ninja Academy, countless people beat their chests and wailed in anguish as dusk fell. They had missed the Academy's expanded enrollment and deeply regretted not sending their children there.

They could not help thinking of the Uchiha Clan, which had disbanded its Clan Academy. They wondered if the clan had simply gotten lucky or if it had planned ahead. As expected, the Uchiha Clan would probably claim the most places this time.

From the moment the news broke, every clan used its own connections to send messages to the Hokage's Office. The pile of letters had grown so tall it nearly surpassed the stack of official documents.

Half-buried in letters, Hashirama clicked his tongue in amazement. Sitting in his chair, he quietly opened each letter and read it carefully.

Whether they said so outright or hinted at it, every letter asked for the sender's child to be included. He was glad to see everyone so eager to participate. Unlike the Uchiha man at the desk beside him, who rested his chin on one hand with his eyes closed, only to wake up refreshed and start bickering with him.

Hashirama set the Hyuga Clan's letter aside and sighed to himself. He had never expected his spur-of-the-moment idea to have such an impact.

Recently, the village had seen a sharp decline in all sorts of disputes and incidents. That left him and Madara with far fewer ridiculous stories to laugh about, like the one about someone trying to cause trouble at a clinic only to be knocked out by a doctor with a single punch.

Tobirama, at the Ninja Academy, was nearly driven crazy. Quite a few parents used dropping off their children as an excuse to "happen" to run into him and bring up the Tailed Beasts.

They even managed to run into him in the school's most secluded storeroom.

Tobirama stopped writing the lesson materials and rubbed his temples. He was beginning to wonder if the parents who wanted their children on the list were actually their real parents.

No matter how much they trusted his elder brother and Madara's strength, they shouldn't put their children at such risk. What if a Tailed Beast's power got out of control? Their children could die on the spot.

He lifted his cup to his lips, then shook it and found it empty. Rising to his feet, he headed for the door.

It was recess, and a familiar figure walked right past him. Tobirama hurriedly grabbed the young Uchiha with one hand and led him into the office.

"Have a seat."

Tobirama took a sip of his freshly refilled tea and set the cup on the desk. The water cooled his throat, and he sighed in comfort, gesturing for the boy across from him to relax.

Rikusei, who had been roped into this for no reason, felt unjustly accused. He had just been passing by. He sat quietly on the stool, blinking in confusion as he met Tobirama's intent gaze.

"See? You're pretending not to understand again."

Tobirama chuckled. He knew that look all too well by now; he had seen it several times before.

"?"

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

Tobirama glanced at the other teachers. They understood and nodded, so he stood up without hesitation and motioned for Rikusei to follow.

Still thoroughly confused, Rikusei followed him to a small room at the end of the corridor.

Tobirama gently closed the door and looked at him earnestly. Seeing that he was still playing dumb, he cut to the chase. "You were the one who gave Madara the idea, weren't you?"

Rikusei immediately understood what had happened. Pointing to himself, he smiled and hurriedly waved his hands in denial. "It really wasn't me."

He had been about to ask the teachers to take him along so he could watch the Nine-Tails get beaten up. He hadn't expected the teacher to bring it up himself.

Tobirama could tell from his expression that he wasn't pretending. He pondered for a moment, then pieced things together and suddenly saw the truth: his elder brother must have come up with the idea himself.

If Madara had suggested it, his elder brother would have discussed it with him first. Most likely, Hashirama had thought of it on a whim, discussed it briefly with Madara, decided it was feasible based on their own strength, and then came to tell him.

After reconstructing the whole scene in his mind, Tobirama felt a little embarrassed under the boy's bright gaze and turned his head away. He wanted to say something, but couldn't bring himself to.

Rikusei could see how awkward he felt and sighed. How had Tobirama managed to imagine him as such a bad person? It was as if he were some hidden mastermind among the Uchiha.

It's fine.

Rikusei knew who the real mastermind was, so he didn't hold it against Tobirama. He was about to open the door and head back to class when Tobirama stopped him. A moment later, he heard a question from behind.

"Have you thought of any good solutions?"

Rikusei knew exactly what he meant. Those aggressive parents scared him too. He turned around, his body trembling, and couldn't help glancing up at the dark wooden ceiling.

He studied the empty room, cleared his throat, then asked in confusion, "Teacher, haven't you already decided to choose from the Ninja Academy?"

"But there are far too many people in the village who want to take part." Tobirama frowned. The red markings on his face twitched as he spoke in frustration.

"Then you can let the news out little by little. Since you've already settled on the pool of candidates, decide how many spots there'll be, then choose based on exam rankings."

The shrill, unpleasant class bell rang urgently across the campus. Rikusei hurriedly shared his modest idea. Next period was Taijutsu Class with Elder Kaku, and if he was obviously late, the elder would use the opportunity to make him take a beating.

Watching the boy vanish in an instant, Tobirama stood alone in the empty room and opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.

He had already thought of all those suggestions, especially since it was so hard to turn down requests from comrades who had once fought beside him.

Personal ties kept clouding his judgment.

If Uchiha Setsuna found out, he would surely mock him. The once decisive second-in-command of the Senju had apparently developed a soft spot for other people's feelings.

Rikusei's words had finally opened his eyes. He couldn't keep hesitating like this. What had happened to the cold-blooded Tobirama?

The damp summer breeze swept through the wooden window, carrying moisture into the room. As Tobirama stood alone and took it all in, his mind slipped into a clarity he had never experienced before. It was as though he had rediscovered his old self.

His heart gradually turned to ice. If you hadn't enrolled in the Ninja Academy but wanted to take part in its activities?

Then enroll first. You could take part after that.

Wasn't capturing Tailed Beasts the perfect way to promote the Ninja Academy?

Enroll and take part in a major Tailed Beast capture event, led by the God of Shinobi himself, with Madara personally watching over you.

Ideas came pouring into Tobirama's mind. He hurried back to his desk, grabbed a sketching pen, and wrote down the promotional slogan. He quickly drew up a few simple posters, then stood with his hands on his hips, gazing proudly at his handiwork.