No Wonder Tobirama Senju Wanted to Skin You Alive...
Having led Flame Ninja Village and navigated the courts of various clans for many years, he, who was usually calm and experienced, showed a rare sign of panic at this moment—the kind of embarrassment that comes from having one's little schemes exposed on the spot, yet still having to forcefully maintain one's composure.
He even subconsciously raised his hand to straighten his clothes, concealing his unease, and coughed lightly, trying to regain his composure.
"Ahem, this is a long story."
"Lord Hashirama accompanied Lady Mito to Flame Ninja Village to visit relatives. Lady Mito was on her way back to the Uzumaki Clan to visit the Ashina head, so Lord Hashirama stopped by to visit the Uchiha clan members who remained here. Lord Madara was also present that day. You can ask Lord Madara about this."
Natsu turned her head to look at Ban.
Ban crossed his arms, his expression cold, and gave a slight nod in response.
He witnessed the scene that day with his own eyes, and the whole thing was crystal clear.
He watched as Jin, during a break in the clan's council, subtly steered the conversation toward the younger generation, mentioning that the children of the two families were of similar age and had compatible personalities.
Hashirama was gentle by nature and easily influenced, and he was most pleased to see harmony among the various races. After being persuaded and lobbied by Jin at just the right time, he immediately became very interested and made the decision to arrange the marriage.
By the time Tobirama Senju, far away in Konoha, learned of the news, it was too late; there was no room for maneuver.
From then on, every time Tobirama ran into Tobirama, he would unabashedly curse him as "the treacherous and cunning Uchiha."
Ironically, the entire scheme was orchestrated by Jin, yet in the end, most of the resentment fell on the Uchiha Clan, with even Madara being unjustly blamed.
Natsu leaned back in her chair, raised her hand and pressed her knuckles against her temple, remaining silent for a long time.
After a long pause, he finally managed to squeeze out a sigh, his tone filled with a clear and sudden realization.
"Now I finally understand why Tobirama Senju Flame Ninja Village is mentioned, as if someone has desecrated his ancestral graves."
He looked up at Jhin across from him, asking with a hint of mockery.
"The Senju Clan and Uchiha have been sworn enemies for a thousand years, their blood feud piled up to this day. Do you think the enmity between the two sides isn't deep enough? Do you have to use a marriage alliance to undermine their relationship and forcibly bind the two clans together with one rope?"
Upon hearing this, Jin's expression remained unchanged. He calmly picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and as the tea went down his throat, his tone was frank and self-assured.
"This isn't called scheming; this is called long-term planning."
"Once the two children grow up and get married, the Senju Clan and Uchiha will be true blood relatives. In the future, if Tobirama wants to harm the Flame Ninja Village again, he'll have to ask his own grandniece for permission first."
Natsu, remaining silent for a long time before finally picking up her teacup again and taking a sip. The playfulness in her eyes faded, leaving only a hint of knowing amusement.
"The biggest gain from today's visit to Flame Ninja Village is that we have finally figured out the root of Tobirama Senju's resentment."
"Those high-sounding sanctions, border frictions, and ethnic checks and balances are all just a facade in the end."
The core issue boils down to one thing—my own simple-minded and soft-hearted older brother was tricked into doing favors and getting engaged, and afterwards he even happily helped others count the benefits. Who could swallow such an insult?
He paused slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, and added a casual remark.
"Well done, though."
Upon hearing this, Jin laughed heartily, his laughter open and composed, showing no trace of the embarrassment he had felt when he was caught.
"My stability for the next few years will largely depend on this marriage."
He looked directly at Natsu, his tone earnest yet tinged with a hint of playfulness, revealing his profound understanding.
"So I will naturally accept and hold onto the trump card you gave me. In case Tobirama is ever pushed to the brink and takes a desperate gamble, I will at least have some leverage left as a dowry for my future daughter-in-law."
Natsu twirled the pale blue Gene Serum between her fingertips, lightly spinning it twice in her palm.
The next instant, with a flick of his wrist, the transparent vial shot out, tracing a clean and crisp arc before landing steadily in the palm of Uchiha King's outstretched hand.
His relaxed and casual tone suddenly turned serious.
Stripped of its casual banter, it is replaced by a cold and profound weight, forged through slaughter, displacement, and the baptism of war; every word carries the sharp edge of time.
"We come from the same origin and have both witnessed true modern civilization firsthand, so naturally we see things more clearly than the people who were born and raised here."
"You know better than anyone the true nature of the nobles and Daimyo of this world."
Jin carefully tucked the potion into his pocket, the composed smile on his face vanishing completely.
He nodded silently, listening attentively without interrupting.
He already knew what Natsu meant, but now that it was pointed out so bluntly, it felt even more chilling and sobering.
"Daimyo never need allies; they only need obedient pawns."
Natsu's voice was steady yet sharp, incisively dissecting the essence of power in the Ninja World.
"The reason they support you today to keep Konoha in check is because you still have value to them."
But once Konoha falls, the Flame Ninja Village, having lost its checks and balances, will become their next threat to eliminate.
"The nobles of the Land of Fire think this way, and so do the rulers of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Wind."
These powerful figures in high positions never allow any ninja clan to truly grow strong, much less allow the Uchiha completely establish themselves, gain a foothold, and break free from their control.
He raised his eyes, his scarlet Sharingan clear and cold, silently locking onto Jin's gaze without yielding an inch.
"You already understand these intricacies of weighing pros and cons, so I don't need to elaborate. But I still want to remind you—don't follow Konoha's old path."
"Never gamble the future of the Uchiha Clan on the Daimyo's empty benevolence. They are utterly unworthy."
A long silence fell over the office. Jin lowered his eyes and pondered for a long time, his mind churning with many thoughts. In the end, he solemnly uttered a single word, steady and powerful.
"Good."
Natsu leaned back in her chair, her fierce aura slowly dissipating, and her gaze returned to its calm and indifferent state.
"My arrival in this world was purely by chance. I will stay for at most a month and will not interfere in the Ninja World's affairs for long."
"This is a rare chance for you to catch your breath."
His tone shifted slightly, and his calm demeanor suddenly took on an unyielding and forceful quality, leaving no room for discussion.
"But if I return here again, all the rules will be different. Then you will only have two choices—to submit to me, or to perish here."
A deathly silence spread through the room, weighing heavily on everyone's heart.
After a long while, Jin suddenly smiled.
That smile shed its usual smoothness, politeness, caution, and restraint; it completely tore away the disguise, revealing the arrogance and sharpness inherent in the Uchiha clan.
That was pure, bloodthirsty spirit, ignited by a powerful enemy and unwilling to submit.