Hashirama managed a weak smile, then looked at Tobirama and shook his head. Seeing this, Tobirama furrowed his brow and spoke again.
"I never imagined that the taciturn blind man from back then was the one behind all of this. Big Brother, we have to change our plans going forward!"
Hashirama took a few breaths, sat cross-legged on the ground, and looked at Tobirama, who was lost in thought. "What are you trying to say? Just say it!"
Tobirama crouched on the ground, one hand braced against it and the other supporting his chin. He spoke gravely. "The Uchiha Clan's current plan is to use the prestige of those in power to force the ninja clans to submit one by one. You have to understand, the many ninja clans in the Land of Fire may each have their own titles, but they're all citizens of the Land of Fire. That means they have to obey its laws. No matter how unwilling they are, they'll have to bow to the Uchiha Clan!"
At that, Tobirama suddenly fell silent. He looked at Hashirama, unsure how to explain further. After all, what he was describing was completely at odds with what Hashirama wanted to do, yet it would be countless times more effective. Hashirama seemed to notice Tobirama's doubts. Fixing his eyes on him, he demanded, "And if they refuse?"
"...!"
Tobirama didn't answer, but his silence only made Hashirama angrier. He shouted, "Say it!"
"Those who follow us will prosper; those who oppose us will perish!"
Tobirama knew he had to pierce through this veil of pretense. Otherwise, his big brother would never see the truth. He quickly said the words. Hashirama lowered his head and fell into a long silence. Just as Tobirama was about to speak up and persuade him, Hashirama suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Now that's the friend I know! Hahaha... No wonder it was Mingye and Madara. Their methods really are brilliant. Excellent... Exactly right... Open and aboveboard matters should be dealt with openly and aboveboard. I used to overthink everything... I can't believe Mingye had already thought this far ahead!"
"Big Brother...!"
Seeing Hashirama laughing uncontrollably, Tobirama couldn't tell what was going through his mind. He was just about to say something when Hashirama interrupted him again.
"Enough, Tobirama. Let's go back to the clan right now. I'll have Father hand the position of clan head over to me!"
Tobirama was astonished by Hashirama's resolute answer. He hadn't expected Hashirama to develop ambition in that instant. The word had never existed in Hashirama's heart before, yet it was now written all over his face. Tobirama asked uneasily, "Big Brother, you're not joking, are you?"
Hashirama's face was still pale, but a new vitality emanated from him. He rose to his feet and said to Tobirama, "Father is getting old. It's time for him to rest! I need the clan head's position to accomplish what I have to do!"
General Sato's Martial Pavilion was only opened during wartime. Early that morning, General Sato had been woken by some shocking news: unfamiliar ninja had been moving freely in and out of his home these past few days, as though strolling through their own garden. The thought sent a chill through him.
Dressed in military garb, Sato sat in the seat of honor with one hand resting on his upright sword, glaring at Mingye, who knelt before him. After a long silence, Sato drew his sword and hurled it at Mingye. It spun five or six times through the air before embedding itself in the floorboards right in front of him.
"Shouldn't you report what I want to know?"
Mingye remained composed. He bowed until his forehead touched the ground and replied apologetically, "General, the one who broke into the General's Pavilion was Tobirama Senju of the Senju of the Forest. He specializes in stealth, assassination, and Water Release. He is an exceptionally skilled assassin. My men spent seven full days tracking him before discovering his whereabouts. I failed to report this to you, and I am entirely to blame!"
Hearing the words Senju of the Forest again clearly enraged Sato. He demanded, "The Senju of the Forest again! Were they here to assassinate me? Why?"
Mingye sneered inwardly. I'm putting up with you and kneeling because, in my eyes, you're already a dead man. But insults aside, he still had to play his part. He answered respectfully, "I don't know, sir. The Senju of the Forest and the Uchiha Clan are mortal enemies. We have no idea what they're thinking, either!"
Sato wasn't stupid. Over the past few days, he'd learned a little about the two clans and their history. After pausing to collect himself, he asked Mingye darkly, "I want the Senju Clan wiped out, root and branch! Can your Uchiha Clan do it?"
Hook, line, and sinker! Mingye laughed inwardly and answered respectfully, "My lord, destroying the Senju Clan has long been the wish of the Uchiha Clan. Unfortunately, I can only tell you that we're evenly matched with the Senju of the Forest. We can't guarantee that we'll wipe them out completely."
Sato didn't think much beyond that. The Senju of the Forest were a thorn in his side, and he wanted them gone. Now that he had a trace of ambition himself, he rose and walked up to Mingye. He pulled the sword from the floorboards and rested its tip against Mingye's shoulder, signaling for him to stand and answer.
"What would it take for you to do it?"
Mingye stood before Sato, inclining his body slightly to show respect. After a long pause, he asked, "What do you think of the Uchiha Clan's standing in the Ninja World, General?"
"Why all the needless talk?"
Sato shot Mingye an impatient glance, clearly disliking his manner of speaking. Mingye paused briefly, then continued. "My Uchiha Clan is one of the strongest clans in the Ninja World. Yet even so, there are many who can stand against us. We're powerful, but not the strongest. That is the predicament our clan faces—just like you, General."
"Mingye!"
Mingye's words had struck a nerve. Sato pressed his sword against Mingye's neck and roared at him. Mingye's expression remained blank. Though his eyes were empty, at that moment they seemed to meet Sato's gaze with startling intensity.
"General, all under heaven belongs to the king, and all who live within its borders are his subjects. There can only be one sun in this world. Our Uchiha Clan wants to become the sun of the Ninja World, and we hope our master can become the sun of all mankind!" When Mingye finished, the entire hall fell silent. Everyone held their breath, even the servants attending the general and the guards standing by the door. All of them turned their eyes toward Mingye and Sato.
Sato's face didn't darken at Mingye's words. It was as if Mingye's speech had been a fuse, igniting the "explosive" called ambition and setting it off in a spectacular blast. Sato sheathed his sword. The clash of the hilt against the scabbard sounded like a command, and all the ninja on the roof dropped into the hall.
Twelve ninja swiftly killed every servant present, along with the soldiers standing guard at the entrance. Blood soon transformed the entire hall into a living hell.
Sato looked at Mingye impassively. Only after everyone had been killed did he speak again.
"I don't want to see another word about the Senju Clan. If your Uchiha Clan can't destroy them, then all of this is just empty talk. I'll use every resource at my disposal in the entire Land of Fire to annihilate your Uchiha Clan!"
His words sounded like a threat, but they also meant that Sato intended to give the Uchiha Clan his full support in preparing for war. Mingye dropped to one knee again.
"Please give the order, my lord!"
"Speak!"
With Sato's permission, Mingye stated his true purpose.
"We want official recognition! We want to become the Land of Fire's state-sanctioned ninja!"
Sato furrowed his brow. There had never been such a thing as officially recognized ninja. In this age, when clans ruled the world, their ninja were little more than death servants raised by their own clans. No one had ever considered bringing the ninja entirely under the state's control—or even bringing them into the open to participate in government. Yet Sato's ambition had already been ignited, and he felt this approach might not be a bad idea. He asked Mingye, "Heh! That won't be easy. But since you've brought it up, I can't dismiss it outright. Tell me your entire plan!"
Mingye knew that no one had ever done this before. But soon, in the future, Hashirama Senju would be the first to raise this banner, ending the age of chaos and bringing the ninja fully into the forefront of the world. That honor had to go to his brother now. Only then could they suppress the Senju Clan for a time.
Time was short, and people could learn at an astonishing rate. There was no way Mingye's actions could remain hidden from the Senju Clan. Once they got wind of the plan, the famously brilliant Tobirama Senju would be able to copy it step for step, setting the Uchiha Clan against them in the Land of Fire. Mingye absolutely didn't want that to happen. To seize the advantage, they had to stay one step ahead. One wrong step, and the Uchiha Clan's fate would be thrown back to where it had started. Thinking of this, Mingye spoke again.
"Although the Senju of the Forest and the Uchiha Clan are mortal enemies, our strength is evenly matched. We can't wipe them out with absolute certainty. But we can take another path and unite all the ninja clans in the Land of Fire. No matter how powerful the Senju Clan is, their fate would then be sealed. And don't you think the nation's military is far too weak as it stands, my lord? If you truly aspire to become the sun of all mankind, why not form a ninja army? You've seen the power of ninja for yourself. Wouldn't they be even stronger as an army?"
"Do you have a detailed plan?"
"Please review this, my lord!"
Sato paused to think, then asked again. Mingye took out the plan he had prepared in advance and handed it over. Sato opened it immediately and read through its comprehensive organizational plans, nodding firmly. He knew that in a chaotic age, no one was absolutely loyal to their master. Those who were blindly loyal often met terrible ends. It was clear that the Uchiha Clan wasn't among the blindly loyal.
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