Konoha was peaceful and flourishing.
Yet Senju Tobirama had just been turned away.
The day Senju Tobirama saw Uchiha Yan wield the power of the tailed beasts, he too began considering borrowing their strength. As a ninja contracted with the sea and Konoha's master of forbidden techniques, if he could wield the tailed beasts' immense chakra like Uchiha Yan and combine it with his forbidden techniques, how could the mere Uchiha Clan dare act so arrogantly before him?
This was called learning the barbarians' superior techniques to defeat the barbarians. Senju Tobirama was a pragmatist. So long as it made him stronger, he could even attempt human experimentation. Let alone this. If the enemy could go there, so could he. Since Uchiha Yan could borrow the tailed beasts' power, there was no reason he could not.
Thus, Senju Tobirama went to the Tailed Beast Paradise to find a tailed beast suitable for himself.
The moment he entered the Tailed Beast Paradise, Senju Tobirama frowned. After Uzumaki Ashina modified the seals, the Tailed Beast Paradise no longer drained the tailed beasts' chakra day and night. One by one, they were inside playing with sand, spraying water, and blowing bubbles.
Beasts are beasts. Senju Tobirama cursed inwardly. Who knows what method that evil Uchiha Yan used to subdue these tailed beasts.
"Uncle is back! Son Goku, as his nephew, why aren't you doing a somersault to pay respects to Uncle?" The foul-mouthed Shukaku spotted someone entering from afar and immediately shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Shukaku, no wonder you're the weakest tailed beast." Son Goku sprawled on a tree branch and mocked him without mercy. "He doesn't even smell like a fox."
"What uncle and nephew?" Senju Tobirama did not understand. He only found these beasts unbearably noisy.
"Damn it! Son Goku, you learned to talk like that stinking fox too! If you've got the guts, let's compete! We'll see who the weakest tailed beast is! So what if you, red-furred monkey, have four tails?" Shukaku was driven mad with fury.
"Who are you? What are you here for?" Two-Tails Matatabi looked at Senju Tobirama.
"I am Senju Tobirama. Senju Hashirama, the one who captured you and brought you here, is my elder brother." Senju Tobirama proudly raised his head.
To be honest, Senju Tobirama looked down on these tailed beasts. They looked neither like dogs nor cats. Especially that Eight-Tails, with a bull's head and an octopus's body—who knew what sort of thing it was supposed to be?
"Senju? Descendants of Ashura," Five-Tails Reverent King said.
"According to Uncle, Ashura is our elder brother. Since the Senju Clan are Ashura's descendants, this brat should call us Great-Uncles." Shukaku looked at Senju Tobirama with a sly grin.
Ever since Uchiha Yan acknowledged them as his nephews, Shukaku had acted as though he did not care, but he actually took it especially seriously.
What kind of nonsense was this? Senju Tobirama only felt that these beasts were sick in the head. He was the Senju Clan's second-in-command and Konoha's Chancellor, yet these beasts wanted him to call them Great-Uncles?
"Hmph, I don't know what Uchiha Yan told you. But I do know that Uchiha Yan borrowed your power."
"What an irritating fellow. He has no respect for his elders." Eight-Tails Ox Demon suppressed his rage. As the Sage of Six Paths' children, they were actually being treated this way by a descendant of Elder Brother Ashura.
"Name your terms. Whatever Uchiha Yan can do, I can do as well." Though communicating with these beasts was exhausting, Senju Tobirama felt he could endure it for now.
"Hahahaha..." Shukaku laughed in a mocking tone. "We're being looked down on."
"Get lost!"
Eight-Tails Ox Demon could no longer bear to listen. If not for the sake of Fourth Uncle, it would have made this fellow understand the difference in their strength.
Their father, the Sage of Six Paths, was the eldest, Hamura was Second Uncle, and Black Zetsu was Third Uncle. However, the original Black Zetsu had split into two, so the new Black Zetsu was called Third Uncle, while Uchiha Yan was Fourth Uncle.
"Hmph!" Senju Tobirama left the Tailed Beast Paradise in a fury.
That damned Uchiha Yan was truly devoid of conscience, rotten to the core—he had even scammed beasts. Though Senju Tobirama had not fully understood what they meant earlier, he had roughly guessed it: Uchiha Yan had acknowledged those beasts as his nephews. Those damned beasts even wanted him to become their nephew? Even if they became his nephews, he would still find them beneath him. He should never have come today.
"Tobirama."
Senju Tobirama returned to the Senju Clan Grounds in a rage, only to see his sister-in-law, Mito, call out to him.
"Sister-in-law, what is it?"
"It's about Uchiha Izuna."
"Izuna's matter? Sister-in-law, tell me in detail."
That day, Uzumaki Mito had heard Uori mention "an eternal, undying light" and "what a pity Yan has no brothers." After mulling it over, she felt she should tell her brother-in-law. After all, if Senju Tobirama kept acting so crazily, Mito feared he would lead Shuzong astray.
Uzumaki Mito repeated Uori's words from that day exactly as they had been said. Senju Tobirama's mind raced after hearing them. As the ninja world's master of forbidden techniques, Senju Tobirama's intelligence was beyond doubt. Before long, he had roughly deduced the reason Izuna had grown stronger.
Mangekyō Sharingan... biological brothers could affect each other... ultimately strengthening both of their ocular powers?
Izuna saying, "What a pity Yan has no brothers," meant this effect could only be achieved between blood-related brothers.
Since Uchiha Yan had no brothers, he could not strengthen his ocular power?
So was Izuna in such a hurry to have a second child because of this as well?
Senju Tobirama felt that he had uncovered the Uchiha Clan's secret.
Meanwhile, within the Uchiha Clan Grounds.
Uori had brought Shino and Nagetsuki to live in the Uchiha Clan Grounds. Of her two sisters, one liked Uchiha Madara, while the other liked Uchiha Yan. Letting them live in the Uchiha Clan Grounds meant gaining an advantage by being close.
That night, Izuna learned that Uzumaki Shino liked his elder brother and was overjoyed.
On the other side, Uchiha Yan heard about it from Izuna. The next day, he arranged a position for Shino as a "Hokage's assistant." However, she held no real authority. Her daily work merely involved organizing materials for the Hokage and serving tea and water.
Ever since Uchiha Madara returned, he had stepped down as acting Hokage. Now Uchiha Madara had to review documents at the Konoha White Palace every day, and the position of Hokage's assistant was perfect for easing Uchiha Madara's burden.
Unfortunately, progress on Uchiha Yui's side remained slow. However, compared to before, Senju Tobirama had grown accustomed to Yui. After Uchiha Yan's guidance, Yui often cooked for Tobirama. Their way of getting along had changed from Tobirama's initial yelling and shouting to a small degree of mutual understanding.
As for Uzumaki Nagetsuki...
Uchiha Yan had a headache.
People were not grass or trees; how could they be without feelings? It was simply that his ambitions did not lie in romance. Until the Otsutsuki Clan was eliminated, he truly had no mind for such matters.
It was not as though he failed to see Uzumaki Nagetsuki's feelings. He simply did not know how to respond.
For now, he could only put it off and deal with it later.
Before you continue