But Tobirama Hadn't Finished Speaking

Hibari perked right up.

He wasn't unfamiliar with this world, but most of what he knew was only surface-level. He especially knew next to nothing about all the things that had happened when Konoha Village was first founded. He'd been itching with curiosity for ages.

Sarutobi Sasuke, Sarutobi Hiruzen's father, was one of Konoha's top shinobi, and a trusted right-hand man to Uncle Hashirama and Second Uncle Tobirama. He used to visit the Senju Clan's mansion often, and the two families were close.

But Hibari hadn't seen him in quite a while. He figured Sasuke had gone out on some kind of mission.

It wasn't the sort of thing a kid like him could ask about. Now that Hiruzen had brought it up out of the blue, Hibari figured something interesting must have happened.

"Did something interesting happen? Or was it something huge?" Hibari leaned closer, his eyes shining. "If even your father was involved, it must be a big deal..."

But this time, when Sarutobi Hiruzen saw Hibari's curious expression, he didn't spill everything right away. Instead, he grinned. "This concerns village secrets. I can't just tell a little kid like you.

"If you really want to know, why don't we go see Teacher Tobirama and Lord Hokage together? We'll see if they're willing to tell you."

Hibari's eyes lit up even more. Hiruzen was always going on about trivial things, so whatever had made him keep his mouth shut had to be a big deal.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Hibari immediately grew impatient. "If you hadn't suddenly stopped me just now, I'd already be drinking tea in the Hokage's office... Come on!"

Before he'd even finished speaking, he turned and strode toward the Hokage Building without waiting for Hiruzen to answer.

Sarutobi Hiruzen watched him hurry off and could only shake his head with a smile. "That kid's still so curious..." he muttered. "But I suppose that's not a bad thing."

At the same time, inside the Hokage's office, the brothers Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama were talking.

"Brother, we need to tighten our control over the Uchiha Clan."

Tobirama's tone was even, but left no room for argument. "The situation outside the village is gradually settling down. What does the village need most right now? Stability. Only once things are stable can we talk about development. And throughout the entire village..."

He paused briefly, a cold glint passing through his eyes.

"The biggest concern right now is the Uchiha Clan. Setting everything else aside, just look at their attitude—they practically hold their noses in the air. They look down on even ordinary shinobi clans. What kind of treatment do you think they give civilians?"

Why had Tobirama been wary of the Uchiha Clan ever since the village was founded? Aside from believing there was something "evil" in their nature, the main reason was that they were simply too arrogant.

The Senju and Uchiha had joined forces to found Konoha, but even though the First came from the Senju, the Senju Clan had never thrown its weight around in the village.

On the contrary, for some reason, Hibari had always felt that the Senju Clan had grown even more low-key in recent years. They'd always had a good reputation in the village.

But the Uchiha? Their clan produced genius after genius, and they'd always been proud. Add in their status as founders of the village, and they practically had their noses in the clouds.

They looked down on ordinary shinobi clans because they weren't as strong. They barely considered the Hyuga Clan worth noticing, and even then they still looked down on them a little. As for powerful clans like the Sarutobi, the Uchiha couldn't even be bothered to give them a proper look.

If they treated the great clans that way, what kind of respect could anyone expect them to show powerless civilians?

Over time, the Uchiha Clan had gained a reputation for "throwing their weight around" in Konoha. And it was there that Tobirama saw the discontent simmering beneath the village's surface.

Just think about it. If a bunch of entitled young nobles strutted around your village every day, acting superior and looking down on everyone, would you be happy about it?

Of course not. Let that resentment build up for long enough, and it would turn into bitterness. Once that bitterness became too much to contain, all kinds of terrible things could happen—even turmoil within the village!

That was one of the key reasons Tobirama believed the Uchiha Clan would threaten Konoha's stability.

"Tobirama, I think they just haven't fully integrated into the village yet." Hashirama frowned. His tone was gentle. "Give them more time..."

"Brother, you're too softhearted." Tobirama looked at his brother's naive expression, irritation rising in him. "They may not appreciate your tolerance. It could just encourage their arrogance.

"Besides... Uchiha Madara's whereabouts are still unknown. Do you think he's the sort of person who'd find somewhere to settle down and live out his days in peace? Sooner or later..."

Tobirama was just about to continue explaining things to his "naive" brother when someone knocked on the Hokage's office door.

The interruption didn't anger Tobirama. This was simply how things went during office hours.

"Come in." He steadied his tone, his voice returning to its usual calm.

He carried himself as if Hashirama were his assistant and he were the real Hokage.

Hashirama, however, seemed relieved. He was clearly used to his younger brother's lectures and didn't mind them at all. There was no suspicion between the brothers; they were deeply devoted to each other.

But before Tobirama could finish speaking, the office door opened.

Hibari's voice arrived before he did, full of boisterous energy.

"Lord Hokage! Second Uncle! Grandpa Sasuke had some news and sent Uncle Hiruzen to deliver it. You two had better listen carefully!" He strode in as he spoke, acting as if he were a regular fixture in the office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen came in behind him, looking a little helpless, and shut the door behind them.

As soon as Tobirama heard Hibari's opening line, he sensed something was off. His eyes shifted, and the corner of his mouth curled up slightly as he looked straight at Sarutobi Hiruzen. The meaning in his gaze couldn't have been clearer.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was a sharp fellow. The moment he met his teacher's gaze, he understood. He gave a slight shake of his head with a smile, and his meaning was just as clear.

That was all it took for Tobirama to understand. Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't told the kid a thing. Hibari was putting on airs, pretending to be an "insider" so he could have an excuse to stick around and hear the report.

What a devious little scheme.

"Hmph." Tobirama glared at Hibari, annoyed. "All you do all day is plot these little tricks. You think you can fool your Second Uncle?"

Hashirama, standing nearby, hadn't understood a thing. Wearing his Hokage hat, he stared at one and then the other, completely bewildered. What was going on? Hibari had only said a few words.

Why did it suddenly feel as if the air were filled with clashing blades? He scratched his head, but couldn't make sense of it.

Normally, Tobirama would have thrown the little troublemaker Hibari out by now.

But when he saw the awkward, sheepish look on Hibari's face after his little act had been exposed, something in Tobirama's heart was gently stirred.

It had happened many years ago. Back then, he and his brother Hashirama hadn't been the only brothers.

They'd originally been four brothers, but in that brutal Sengoku era, their other two younger brothers hadn't survived. They'd died young in the endless slaughter between shinobi.

Thinking back, they'd probably been about as old as the lively Hibari standing before him when they were killed.

Perhaps... that was why he always unconsciously tried to keep Hibari away from the truly bloody and dangerous affairs of the shinobi world.

As a result, despite all the kid's talent, he was like a flower raised in a greenhouse. At most, he sparred with people he knew. He'd never once experienced a real fight to the death.

Maybe... I've been too overprotective, Tobirama thought silently. If an eagle never pushes its chick from the nest, it'll never learn to fly.

Hibari, meanwhile, had realized that Second Uncle had seen right through his little trick. Feeling embarrassed, he was about to make himself scarce. That would be better than getting thrown out in front of everyone.

But just then, he heard Tobirama speak again.

"Hiruzen," Tobirama said, turning to Sarutobi Hiruzen, his tone returning to its usual composure. "What did Sasuke find? Has there been any progress on that mission? Tell us."

Hibari's eyes immediately lit up, and the foot he'd just started to move planted itself right back in place. Hey, Second Uncle wasn't kicking him out! Then why should he be polite? He was definitely staying to hear this!

That was what he thought, but he kept a well-behaved look on his face. He quietly moved to the side, stood still, and pricked up his ears to catch every word.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at his teacher, then glanced at Lord Hokage, who still seemed to be out of the loop. Since Teacher Tobirama had spoken, and Lord Hokage hadn't objected, what did he have to worry about?

Perhaps his teacher had finally decided to truly put Hibari through his paces.

So he nodded and began his report. "Here's what happened. Early this morning, the Intelligence Division received a message from the Jonin Sarutobi Sasuke. We've found a lead on the request from Takigakure, as well as the whereabouts of Seven-Tails Chomei.

"But there's trouble, too. Takigakure has a missing-nin named Kakuzu.

"He seems to be planning to sell the information about Seven-Tails Chomei's whereabouts to a third party for a high price. The situation's still unclear. We don't know if the information has already gotten out, or whether another faction really intends to get involved.

"So Jonin Sarutobi Sasuke has asked the village what we should do next."

Hibari, standing quietly to the side and playing the part of an obedient listener, had eyes that practically sparkled. What a big deal! Seven-Tails Chomei! The missing-nin Kakuzu! Just hearing those names made him itch with excitement!

After hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's report, Hashirama, who'd seemed somewhat relaxed before, began to radiate the imposing presence of the "Hokage." He seemed to grow much more serious.

As his presence changed, Hibari immediately felt an indescribable pressure. So this is the weight of the God of Shinobi, even when he lets it show without thinking?

At the same time, Tobirama's expression turned completely serious, and his brows furrowed slightly. He clearly realized how serious the situation was.

Hashirama folded his arms across his chest, his brow furrowed into a knot. "The Five Kage Summit just ended, and we only just settled the matter of the Tailed Beasts. We've barely had a chance to breathe, and now word about the Seven-Tails has leaked."

His voice was heavy. "If some village gets greedy and can't keep its hands to itself, the situation we worked so hard to stabilize could fall apart on the spot."

Tobirama immediately picked up the thread, his tone just as grave. "That's not the only problem. We made a clear agreement with Takigakure, they've paid in full, and we promised to help them secure the Seven-Tails.

"If someone snatches it from under our noses, where does that leave Konoha? We'd ruin our reputation, and our relationship with Takigakure would be strained."

The two leaders spoke back and forth while Hibari and Sarutobi Hiruzen stood obediently to the side and listened. Hibari felt a surge of heat rise from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. His eyes sparkled with barely contained excitement, and he was itching to hear more.