Do You Want to Become Hokage?

Only now did Tobirama finally snap out of it, as if waking from a dream. He was inwardly astonished—he had actually let himself be led around by the thoughts of a child barely three or four years old!

If anyone else found out, they'd laugh themselves silly...

"Then, in your opinion, should your clan leader be the one to take the position of First? After all, my elder brother is comparatively mild in handling external affairs, while... your clan leader is more forceful and decisive."

As Tobirama spoke, he unconsciously shifted one small step backward and clasped his hands behind his back.

Hearing this, Qile instinctively shook his head. To be honest, he had no intention of discussing such a sensitive and thorny topic with Tobirama under the circumstances.

Unfortunately, although Qile chose to remain silent, that didn't mean Tobirama would let it go and stop asking.

Seeing that he wasn't answering, Tobirama continued, "Go on, tell me. You have your powerful clan leader backing you, after all, and I only want to hear what your Uchiha Clan truly thinks about this matter. The innermost thoughts of your Uchiha Clan are very difficult for outsiders like us to understand..."

At that, Qile couldn't help wondering if he should blurt out a question: Does that include you, among these so-called 'outsiders'?

After all, who didn't know that Senju Tobirama understood the Uchiha Clan so thoroughly that he'd practically gotten under their skin? He probably even knew the color of their underwear...

But Tobirama had already gone this far, and Qile found it difficult to keep silent.

Of course, he could use his young age as an excuse and say something irrelevant to muddle through, but he did have a little something on his mind when it came to Tobirama...

For example...

Flying Thunder God!

He wanted it so badly!

After a brief moment of thought, he finally opened his mouth and said softly, "In my opinion, Lord Hashirama seems more suited to become the Second Hokage." But he didn't say a word about who would make a good First!

Then he paused, as if gathering his thoughts, before adding, "That said, we need to be clear that the Hokage is currently elected by all the villagers. No matter what motives each person had for casting their vote, the final result was that Lord Hashirama won by a landslide. And in my view, even if the election were held again countless times, the outcome probably wouldn't change."

At this, Qile gave a faint shake of his head, a wry smile appearing on his young face. "Even if we take the most extreme case and the clan leader managed to become Hokage through some special means, that wouldn't necessarily make everything better. On the contrary, it might cause a whole string of unexpected troubles and problems."

Then he shifted his tone, a note of admiration creeping into his voice. "But there's no denying that the policies Lord Hashirama has pursued since taking office have brought the entire Ninja World the long-awaited dawn of peace. Every one of us can truly feel that change. If not for that, someone my age might already have been forced onto a brutal, bloody battlefield, with no telling whether I'd live or die."

Finally, Qile sighed with an air far beyond his years and said wistfully, "So, who can say what might have happened if things had gone differently..."

Qile gazed intently at the people hurrying to and fro through Konoha. Some smiled as they exchanged greetings; others discussed something with grave expressions. Everyone had something to do, and the whole village was filled with a busy yet orderly atmosphere.

Qile couldn't help spreading his arms, like a bird longing to soar through the sky, and savoring the faint coolness of the gentle breeze against his face. It was like a tender hand softly caressing his cheeks and body, filling him with an indescribable sense of comfort.

Tobirama gave a slight nod, showing his agreement with what Qile had said. "That's right. No one can know for certain how things that haven't happened will turn out." As he spoke, he brought his hands out from behind his back and folded his arms across his chest again, standing perfectly still with a deep, thoughtful gaze.

After a brief pause, Tobirama suddenly asked another question. "When everyone discussed and settled the rules back then, we agreed that my elder brother would serve as the First and that your clan leader would succeed him as the Second Hokage. What do you think of that arrangement?"

At this, Qile froze for a moment, then looked at Tobirama again as if he were a fool.

With a shocked expression, Qile said, "Lord Tobirama, have you lost your mind? Our clan leader is Madara Uchiha! How could someone as proud as him accept a lesser position after losing the fight for the one he wanted? Could anyone in the world really do such a thing...? Uh... all right, even if someone like that did exist, it definitely wouldn't be our clan leader."

He'd almost forgotten about the future darkness of the Ninja World...

This time, Tobirama didn't look the least bit embarrassed. He met Qile's gaze with a composed expression and immediately asked the question that had been weighing most heavily on his mind: "Then, would you want to become Hokage in the future?"

At the question, Qile paused briefly, then raised the corner of his mouth in a slightly disdainful smile and shook his head. "Hokage? You have to get up earlier than a chicken every day and stay up later than a dog. Whoever wants a job that exhausting can have it. I'm not interested!" He finished with a pout, looking completely unconcerned.

Tobirama frowned, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. He immediately pressed him further: "If that's the case, what is it you truly want?"

Qile answered without a moment's thought. "It's simple. I just want to make enough money to buy a home that's neither too big nor too small, but warm and comfortable. Then I'll find a good woman who truly loves me and marry her."

But after hearing this, Tobirama snorted and replied coldly, his expression frosty. "You lack ambition!"

Faced with Tobirama's merciless judgment, Qile's eyes widened as he shot back, "Hmph! What do you know? It's obvious you've never experienced the wonderful feeling of being in love! Once you've tasted the sweetness and warmth of love, you probably won't say that anymore... Besides, you think my dream is so easy to achieve in the Ninja World?"

"A three- or four-year-old child talking about love..." Tobirama glanced sideways at Qile, clearly disdainful.