Glory Is Not Mine Alone! The Great Clans' Support!

The bonfire painted the sky red, and the air was thick with the charred aroma of roasted meat and the sharp bite of strong liquor.

"Everyone."

Tobirama sat in the seat of honor, one foot planted on a stool, a half-empty bottle of sake dangling from his hand in a wild, uninhibited pose.

"You all heard the treaty we just signed, didn't you?"

"Two trillion ryo in cash reparations, annual resource tributes, the strategic value of the Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki, as well as resource rights in the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning, and so on..."

A teasing smile curled across Tobirama's lips as his gaze swept over every clan head present.

"This cake is huge."

"So huge that it could fill the entire Land of Fire to bursting."

At the mention of those figures, even seasoned clan heads from great families like the Hyuga Clan and Nara Clan began breathing heavily.

Two trillion ryo!

What kind of concept was that?

Even Konoha's total fiscal revenue over ten years probably would not amount to that much!

It was practically a mountain of gold!

"This money is more than just spoils of war."

Tobirama's voice was brimming with temptation.

"It is the capital we will use to expand our influence, strengthen ourselves, and even... rewrite Konoha's power structure."

"As for how this money will be divided..."

Tobirama paused, deliberately leaving them hanging.

"Well..."

Shikaku Nara, seated below, set down his wine cup and scratched his distinctive pineapple-shaped hair, a shrewd gleam flickering in his eyes.

"Lord Tobirama."

"By rights, spoils of war on this scale should all be handed over to the village treasury, then distributed by Lord Hokage and the Advisory Council, shouldn't they?"

"After all, those are the village rules."

The moment Shikaku said that, the entire hall fell silent.

The atmosphere turned a little awkward.

Everyone knew that was the rule, but who did not have their own calculations? They had fought so hard, and if all the money was taken by those old men up top, were they supposed to live on the wind?

Still, someone had to ask it. Shikaku was playing that role.

"Rules?"

Tobirama sneered and slammed the wine bottle heavily onto the table.

"Shikaku, you are a smart man."

"But sometimes, smart people are easily trapped by rigid rules."

"That old man Hiruzen Sarutobi sits in his office drinking tea and reading newspapers. He has not even set foot on the battlefield."

"Meanwhile, we risk our lives on the front lines, shedding blood and sweat."

"Why should he get the biggest share just by moving his lips?"

Those words were far too blunt, far too outrageous.

Yet a trace of agreement flashed through the eyes of the clan heads present.

Tobirama rose to his feet, walked over to Shikaku, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Besides."

"I have already reached an agreement with the old man."

"After the war ends, I will become Acting Hokage."

"And the next Hokage, the Fourth Hokage..."

Tobirama pointed at himself, overflowing with dominance.

"Can be none other than me."

"Since this world will be mine sooner or later, naturally I will decide how the money is divided!"

Boom!

Those words were like a reassuring pill, putting everyone's hearts at ease.

Acting Hokage! Fourth Hokage!

That meant the young man before them was practically Konoha's next emperor already!

"Of course."

Tobirama changed the subject, and his expression became warm and approachable.

"I, Tobirama Uchiha, am not someone who keeps everything for himself."

"Everyone here—the Hyuga Clan, Ino–Shika–Cho, the Aburame Clan, the Inuzuka Clan... You are all comrades who carried weapons and killed enemies alongside me."

"You are Konoha's true pillars!"

"It could be said that Konoha's safety rests upon our shoulders!"

"Though the days of war were cruel and brief!"

"After victory, I will never keep this glory and these benefits all to myself!"

With a grand sweep of his hand, Tobirama declared boldly:

"Of those two trillion, fifty billion will be used as compensation and bonuses for all ninja on the front lines!"

"Another one hundred and fifty billion will be used to establish the Konoha Development Fund."

"Every clan here will get a share!"

"From now on, resource development and commercial trade in the Land of Rain, Land of Earth, and Land of Lightning will all be given priority to your great clans!"

"I will make everyone... rich!"

"Good!"

Hyuga Hiashi was the first to rise to his feet, so excited that he even activated his Byakugan.

"Lord Tobirama is righteous!"

"The Hyuga Clan swears to follow Lord Tobirama unto death!"

"The Nara Clan is also willing to follow Lord Tobirama unto death!"

"The Yamanaka Clan is also willing to follow Lord Tobirama unto death!"

"The Akimichi Clan as well!"

The other clan heads also rose one after another, cheering.

Money and resources—those were tangible benefits! Tobirama was ten thousand times better than the Third Hokage, that old man who only knew how to paint grand fantasies about the Will of Fire!

"There is more."

Tobirama raised a hand to quiet them and revealed the true bombshell.

"I know that all of you have had enough of being pushed around by those two old advisers and Danzo in the village."

"You clearly contribute the most, yet have no voice."

"So..."

"Once I officially take office, I will abolish the current Advisory Council system."

"I will establish a brand-new Hokage Aide Cabinet!"

"The cabinet members will consist of the heads of the great clans and outstanding ninja representatives from among the civilians!"

"From now on, all major and minor village affairs will be governed with your participation. It will no longer be decided solely by those few old fossils."

"Instead, everyone will govern Konoha together!"

This was called binding interests together while decentralizing power, and it was also Tobirama's ultimate move against Konoha's great noble clans.

At that moment, every clan head's eyes reddened.

Not from bloodlust, but from excitement!

Entering the core decision-making circle!

It was something they had never even dared dream of!

During the Third Hokage's era, power had been tightly held by F4. The great clans could only serve as enforcers, and the slightest independent thought would be ruthlessly crushed by F4.

But Tobirama was directly giving them the right to take charge of their own affairs!

"Lord Tobirama!"

Shikaku Nara hesitated no longer. He dropped to one knee and performed the highest gesture of allegiance.

"The Nara Clan is willing to be commanded by Lord Tobirama! We will brave fire and water without hesitation!"

"The Akimichi Clan seconds this!"

"The Yamanaka Clan seconds this!"

"The Aburame Clan seconds this!"

In an instant.

Everyone in the hall except Jiraiya had knelt.

This was not merely submission. It was endorsement!

This was a bloodless coup.

Tobirama stood amid the crowd, watching the scene of universal devotion, the corner of his lips lifting slightly.

Half of Konoha now bore the Uchiha Clan name.

And in a corner.

Jiraiya silently took a swig of wine, his expression complicated.

He looked at the high-spirited youth, then at the frenzied crowd around him.

He knew that the era belonging to Hiruzen Sarutobi had completely ended.

"Konoha... is truly about to change."

Jiraiya sighed, yet said nothing more.

The tide of events could not be stopped, and he no longer wished to stop it.

After all... this kid truly was more like a leader than the old man.

Late at night.

The noise faded away.

Reeking of alcohol, Tobirama pushed open the door to the top-floor bedroom.

The room was quiet, save for the crackling fire in the fireplace.

Tsunade had already washed up and was sitting by the bed, drying her wet hair.

She wore a loose bathrobe.

Its hem barely covered the tops of her thighs, while her long, shapely legs glowed pale beneath the firelight. Its buttons were fastened carelessly, revealing a glimpse of the unfathomable cleavage beneath.

Its destructive power was simply off the charts.

"You're back?"

Tsunade glanced up at him, her cheeks faintly flushed.

"You talked that bunch of old foxes into limping away, didn't you?"

"That is called personal charm."

Tobirama shut the door behind him and tossed aside his vest, his eyes instantly turning scorching hot.

He walked up to Tsunade and directly pulled her onto his lap.

"Mmph... You reek of alcohol. It smells awful."

Tsunade pushed at his chest in disdain, but her body was soft as water as she naturally leaned into his embrace.

"The smell of alcohol?"

Tobirama buried his face in the crook of her neck and took a deep breath of the pleasant scent of her body wash.

"This is victory wine."

"But..."

"I think Teacher Tsunade's scent is even more intoxicating."

Tobirama's hand slipped mischievously beneath the hem of her shirt.

The touch was smooth and delicate, warm as jade.

"Don't..."

Tsunade trembled lightly and caught his wandering hand, gazing at him with hazy eyes.

"We still have to return to Konoha tomorrow..."

"Tomorrow's business can wait until tomorrow."

Tobirama kissed her earlobe, his voice hoarse and low.

"Right now, it is time for the secretary to report her work to the boss."

"And time for me... to collect interest."

"You... rogue..."

Tsunade's voice melted into softness, finally turning into a suppressed gasp.

Rip!

Several buttons on her shirt popped open.

In the flickering firelight, the room overflowed with springtime allure.

The Senju Clan's Sage Body possessed vigorous vitality and astonishing recovery.

The Uchiha Clan's Eternal Eye possessed boundless stamina and meticulous insight.

This was a contest between evenly matched opponents.

And a reunion celebration after a long separation.

"Tobirama..."

Tsunade's nails dug deep into Tobirama's back. Those hands that usually commanded the world could only clutch the bedsheets helplessly now.

"Am I... getting old?"

She suddenly asked a foolish question.

After all, Tobirama was at the peak of his vigor.

"Old?"

Tobirama cut her off with a wicked grin.

"Teacher Tsunade, you're... perfectly ripe."

"Just right. This is exactly how I like it."

"You bastard..."

The rest of her protests were drowned in the storm-like rhythm.

That night.

The top floor of Amegakure's tower seemed to have endured a small earthquake.

From the bathroom to the windowsill, from the carpet to the bed.

The collision of Wood Release's vitality and chakra made this proud flower of Konoha bloom into her most ravishing form.

A brief parting made their reunion sweeter than newlyweds.

The ancients truly did not deceive us.