No one knew what Madara and Uchiha Gen had discussed during their late-night heart-to-heart. But from that day onward, Uchiha Gen began keeping a low profile, no longer even attending Konoha's meetings.
Without Uchiha Gen there to "cause trouble," Konoha quickly settled on its first Hokage. As expected, Hashirama Senju took the position.
Hokage, as the name implied, was a shadow. Konoha had been established in the Land of Fire, which already had a Daimyo, so Konoha served as the Land of Fire's protector, its shadow behind the scenes. Part of the reason was that Hashirama had actually wanted Madara to lead Konoha, and the Uchiha also happened to excel at Fire Release. But Tobirama opposed it, and Madara himself had no interest in becoming Hokage, so the matter was dropped.
With the leader decided, it was time to distribute authority. Tobirama wanted to hand Konoha's Military Police Force to the Uchiha Clan, but this time, Uchiha Gen rejected it without hesitation.
"Military Police Force? The Uchiha can't handle that. Rather than giving us the Military Police Force, why not let us take charge of the Anbu?"
"The Anbu is impossible." Tobirama immediately shook his head furiously. What kind of joke was that? "The Anbu is the Hokage's direct force! It can't be handed over to any clan!"
"Then how about this? Since the Anbu is out of the question, establish a Root."
"What is Root?"
Uchiha Gen was full of underhanded schemes as he smiled and explained,
"Konoha's roots, Root for short. The roots of Konoha, this towering tree."
Tobirama truly deserved his reputation as a genius. Once he thought about it, he understood. This so-called Root would help the Hokage handle dirty work that could not be brought into the open.
"Well..."
"What are you hesitating for? The