Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, October had arrived.
As expected, snow began to drift over Nightview City.
Located at the eastern-western border, it was easily affected by the eastern climate and entered winter ahead of schedule.
However, with enough heating facilities in place, no one had frozen to death in many years.
Thus, the city's many corners hummed with faint vibrations—the heating facilities beneath the ground were operating.
During this season, a ninja village called Konoha was quietly established in the Land of Fire.
With the vigorous support of the Land of Fire's daimyo, news of it swiftly spread throughout the Ninja World.
In the name of the ruler of the Land of Fire, the Land of Fire's daimyo reached an alliance contract with Konoha called "One Country, One Village."
Under the force of that contract, the nation's military defense gradually converged under the Hidden Leaf Village.
As the founders of the Hidden Leaf Village, the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan rapidly recruited many ninja clans into Konoha.
Some of those ninja clans were famous, while others were unknown, but their sheer numbers made them a formidable force after joining the Hidden Leaf Village.
Afterward, allied ninja clan forces such as the Sarutobi Clan, Yamanaka Clan, Nara Clan, and Akimichi Clan readily joined Konoha following a private discussion with Hashirama Senju, head of the Senju Clan.
Later still, the Inuzuka Clan, which possessed a secret technique inheritance, arrived after hearing of it.
By then, aside from a small number of ninja clans such as the Hyuga Clan that were still observing the situation, all had gathered in the ninja village called Konoha.
The upheaval caused in the Land of Fire during this period deeply shocked the daimyo of other nations who had been watching the situation.
Soon, every nation dispatched delegations to the capital of the Land of Fire to visit its daimyo. They wanted to understand exactly what the Land of Fire intended to do.
The Konoha ninja village founded by the Senju and Uchiha had absorbed one ninja clan after another from the Land of Fire and was set to take charge of the Land of Fire's military defense... Such an appalling development filled the daimyo of other nations with fear.
Could the Land of Fire be planning to declare war on all of their countries and begin a Shinobi World War?
The Land of Night, directly north of and bordering the Land of Fire, naturally followed suit. As its shogun, Yayoi dispatched a delegation to the Land of Fire's capital for a diplomatic visit.
However, since the distances between the various nations and the Land of Fire differed, the Land of Fire's daimyo announced that, for the convenience of negotiations, a formal conference would be held in the Land of Fire's capital half a month later.
The heads of the Senju and Uchiha Clans would also be invited to attend.
At once, the pressure on the various nations soared.
They hired powerful ninja to protect their diplomatic delegations, completely sealed their borders, and prepared to strike the Land of Fire first if anything went wrong.
If the Land of Fire dared make a move, whether the Ninja World sank or not was uncertain, but the Land of Fire would certainly be sunk first.
No matter how strong Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha were, could they defeat the entire Ninja World?
"So, it was established after all..."
Yayoi murmured as he looked through the intelligence continuously flowing in from the Land of Fire.
Recently, he had been paying close attention to developments in the Land of Fire. Whenever anything major happened, he had the intelligence agents infiltrating the country send Konoha's information back immediately.
Though he had long known that something like this would happen sooner or later, now that it was here, he still felt a pressure so heavy it was hard to breathe.
This was the irresistible tide of the times... Or, more accurately, it was Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha pushing this era into being.
To resist this era was to resist the will of those two men.
Madara Uchiha's strength alone was enough to judge what level Hashirama Senju stood at.
Because in the war between the Senju and the Uchiha, the Uchiha had been the losers.
Hashirama Senju's power was no weaker than Madara Uchiha's, only stronger.
There was no doubt that the strength of those two stood above the tide of the age.
"My lord husband, your expression looks terrible. Did something bad happen?"
Kicho saw Yayoi sitting unusually on the corridor of the Inner Court courtyard, holding a letter in his hand, with obvious emotion on his face.
Passing by, she was curious what the letter contained that could cause such a strong reaction from Yayoi.
It had already been a month since she married into this place.
Even if they had been strangers, after a month of intimate time together, she had come to understand Yayoi's general temperament, preferences, and daily habits.
Though he appeared gentle and easy to get along with, he was actually a man with an extremely strong and domineering sense of self-will.
Kicho could see that even in bed.
During this time, every night, she had been the one under his control.
And because of his confidence in his own strength, this husband of hers could handle many difficulties calmly.
He was a ninja who could quickly settle his chaotic emotions and make the right decision even in a crisis.
"It's the Senju and the Uchiha. They established the Hidden Leaf Village, signed a 'One Country, One Village' contract with the Land of Fire's daimyo, and successfully invited many ninja clans to join. At present, the military unification of the Land of Fire is already an unstoppable trend."
Facing his wife Kicho's question, Yayoi did not hide anything.
He concisely explained the major events that had recently taken place in the Land of Fire.
"A ninja... village? What is that? A village where ninja live?"
Kicho blinked in confusion.
This new term felt utterly unfamiliar to her.
The alliance between the Senju and the Uchiha had begun before she married into the Land of Night.
But for those two clans to establish some ninja village... it felt rather inexplicable.
In this era, ninja mostly acted in family units. Even when clans formed alliances, they clearly drew boundaries to preserve each clan's independence.
Yet a ninja village did not sound like that at all.
Moreover, Yayoi had said that even more ninja clans had already joined this ninja village called Konoha.
The Senju and Uchiha were already powerful enough. If even more ninja clans joined them...
Rather than startling news, it sounded like a horror story.
"It's far more complicated than that. In any case... all we can do now is wait calmly."
Yayoi rubbed his brow, took Kicho's fair and slender hand, and had her sit beside him, feeling her presence close against him.
Kicho did not mind at all. After all, they had already done far more intimate things countless times over these past days.
There was no part of her body that held any secrets from this man.
She took the letter from Yayoi's hand, her pure white eyes swiftly scanning its contents.
There was not much written in it, but what it revealed was immensely shocking.
Especially the so-called "One Country, One Village" contract, which resembled a new system separating military and political authority.
Under this system, the nation's daimyo would be responsible for its economy and political power in the future.
Military affairs, meanwhile, would transition to the ninja village, allowing the ninja village, which gathered a large number of ninja, to handle national defense.
Ninja would live and develop collectively in village units, allowing the various clans to break through their isolation and merge together. Moreover, to ensure the ninja village's development, the nation would allocate a certain proportion of funds each year as military investment.
In short, the benefits of such development were obvious at a glance.
But everything had two sides, and the risks existed as well.
After all, with so many ninja clans gathered in one place, would they really not explode into chaos?
Many ninja clans had blood feuds between them before this.
Kicho found it difficult to imagine that those ninja clans could truly coexist peacefully.
"It's a very novel idea. But how long this contractual system can last is difficult to predict. Still, one thing is obvious: a Conference of Nations that will determine the Ninja World's fate will soon take place in the Land of Fire."
Although the letter did not mention the Land of Fire's conference, Kicho's sharp instincts told her that a Conference of Nations was inevitable.
The Land of Fire's internal structure had changed too drastically. It was impossible for the other countries not to feel a sense of crisis.
If the Senju and Uchiha mishandled what came next, their actions could truly ignite a Shinobi World War.
Previously, it had been struggles between clans, but now that nations had entered the fray, the scale of war was bound to escalate into conflict between countries.
What followed would inevitably affect the entire world.
"You have a sharp mind, Kicho. I didn't expect you to realize that so quickly."
Yayoi looked at Kicho in surprise.
With a little reasoning, realizing that the Land of Fire would hold a Conference of Nations was not difficult. Anyone with a bit of insight could reach that conclusion after thinking carefully.
The difficult part was making such a prediction at a glance. Being intelligent was one thing, but possessing such a keen political instinct was even rarer.
"Does my lord husband see me as such a foolish woman?"
Kicho playfully pinched Yayoi's cheek, her eyes turning reproachful.
"No. Rather, you're remarkably clever and adorable—far beyond my expectations."
"Clever is clever. What does that have to do with being adorable?"
Kicho released Yayoi's cheek and put both hands on her hips.
Seeing Kicho standing there with her hands on her hips, looking dissatisfied and angry, Yayoi could not help smiling.
Perhaps he laughed too hard, because his cheek suddenly ached, making him suck in a sharp breath.
Rubbing the skin Kicho had pinched sore, Yayoi said resentfully, "You really didn't hold back at all."
"If I only pinched you for show, wouldn't it look like we were flirting?"
"We're husband and wife, and there's no one else around. Flirting is fine."
"To say something so improper to your young wife in broad daylight... You really are shameless."
"So that means it's fine to be improper at night?"
Hearing Yayoi's brazen words, Kicho rolled her eyes, yet inexplicably felt a trace of sweetness in her heart.
Whether she had initially gone along with the current or accepted things passively, at least for now, she did not dislike this man who indulged her somewhat.
"But the weather has gotten so cold lately. My lord husband, could you warm my hands?"
As she spoke, Kicho gently blew on her hands, which had turned white from the cold, hoping to bring them a little warmth.
"Of course."
Naturally, Yayoi would not say something so unromantic as, "Use chakra to ward off the cold."
His wife was acting so sweetly toward him; naturally, he had to indulge her.
So he enclosed Kicho's small hands in his broad palms.
She also nestled affectionately against his broad chest. Her freshly washed black hair carried a light, enticing fragrance that curled around Yayoi's nose in delicate strands.
Not only was the scent of her body stirring, she was soft in his embrace as well. Holding her felt like holding a soft, warm brazier.
Perhaps because she was too comfortable, steady breathing soon came from the girl in his arms. She curled her petite body up like a small animal and fell soundly asleep against Yayoi.
The Land of Fire's Conference of Nations officially began at the end of October.
Not only did the traditional Five Great Nations attend, but newly established countries like the Land of Night, along with the small nations that had once been insignificant within the Ninja World, all sent important figures to participate in this Conference of Nations.
Anyone could see that no matter the outcome, this conference would shape the future fate of the Ninja World.
The conference lasted a full month and was not officially declared over until nearly December.
During that time, letters constantly traveled between each nation's delegation and the country behind it. Representing the wills of their nations' highest rulers, they entered into dialogue with the Land of Fire's daimyo. At the same time, they learned of the Land of Fire's internal changes and began considering whether the ninja village system might be a path toward order.
That was right—war was something no one wanted.
Even the nation's daimyo had grown endlessly weary and exhausted by this long, chaotic Warring States era.
Many weak nations had even been dragged into endless fighting by the ninja clans within their borders, resulting in ruined countries and broken homes.
Many nations had vanished in war, only for new regimes to rise afterward.
The Land of Night was one such example, but it was not the only one.
In such an era, even great nations worried that their regimes might perish one day.
It was precisely for this reason that the Land of Fire's daimyo had chosen to cooperate with the Hidden Leaf Village established by the Senju and Uchiha.
The initial form of the One Country, One Village system was born under these circumstances.
Since ninja possessed the strongest violence, then the ninja should be allowed to settle down and abandon their old mercenary relationships.
Let the ninja establish an order united with the nation, eliminating domestic war while ensuring national stability and granting the country powerful protective strength.
Not only did the Land of Fire, which had already begun its transformation, see the benefits behind this system, but the daimyo of the other four great nations saw them as well.
As daimyo of great nations, they were already the most powerful political authorities within their countries. The ninja who had previously cooperated with them were likewise the strongest ninja groups in their respective nations; otherwise, they could not have secured their positions as daimyo.
Thus, after the Conference of Nations ended, leaving aside the small countries that worried whether the unknown future might destabilize their rule—
The other four great nations acted very quickly, holding secret overnight meetings with the strongest ninja groups in their countries to establish deeper cooperative relationships.
Clearly, the great nations, with their strong ability to withstand risk, left the small countries far behind in decisiveness. While the smaller nations still hesitated, they had already efficiently organized their domestic strength.
That was only natural. In chaotic times, every daimyo of a great nation was an ambitious ruler.
Useless or Conservative Faction rulers simply could not keep their positions as daimyo.
Thanks to this, the organizational power of great nations in this era was terrifying. Once an order was issued, action followed efficiently and swiftly.
Compared with the great nations preparing fervently for major action and the anxious small nations, the Land of Night returned to doing what it had been doing after a few minor ripples.
Land of Fire, Hidden Leaf Village.
Although it had not been established long, this enormous town had already begun to take shape.
The village was enclosed within the heart of the Land of Fire's great forest, surrounded by several broad roads that had been artificially carved out.
Tall walls of wood and stone, large enough to encircle the enormous village, were also being rapidly constructed under the efforts of countless craftsmen.
Naturally, the ninja contributed as well.
Though ninja did not understand fine construction work, they had plenty of strength and methods, greatly accelerating the village's formation.
At the base of a massive cliff north of Konoha stood a fairly tall circular building.
Inside a meeting room on the top floor, Tobirama Senju, a white-haired man dressed in black ninja attire, stood with his arms folded, leaning partly against the window.
"You said Hokage!? You're being far too reckless, Brother. How can such a position be handed over so casually? I understand why you recommended Madara as Hokage. But this isn't something you should decide alone. You should know whose contribution allowed those ninja clans to join so smoothly, shouldn't you? Besides, the daimyo's side also supports you becoming the Hokage, Brother."
Tobirama could not help frowning at his older brother Hashirama Senju's naïve and wildly reckless idea.
Saying that Madara should become Hokage—no matter how he looked at it, it was absurdly reckless.
Hokage—the ninja bearing that title would become the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village.
He would also be the stabilizing pillar that calmed the turbulent hearts of the major ninja clans.
Among the ninja currently in Konoha, Tobirama did not believe anyone other than his older brother Hashirama could bear that title.
"But I already agreed with Madara..."
Hashirama was not wearing the ninja clothes he used for battle. Instead, he wore loose everyday clothes as he sat in a chair nearby.
Faced with his younger brother's stern words, Hashirama could not help trying to argue.
"This is only your personal opinion. The ninja who came to join us all know who made the greatest contribution to this village. Now that the village has been established, we cannot use the standards of Father's era to choose its leader anymore. Great virtue, high prestige, and the ability to unite everyone are also important qualities in a leader. Brother, you are the ninja best able to unite everyone. That is an undeniable fact."
Of course, immense strength was also an important reason.
But if that were the case, those ninja clans would not have joined so easily. It was because he possessed both benevolence and compassion, as well as a leader's decisiveness and sense of responsibility, that those ninja clans trusted him.
If it were Madara Uchiha, then even with his immense strength, those ninja clans would rather die than peacefully join.
Ninja clans were not afraid of death. Tobirama had seen too many weaker ninja clans fight until their very last member and die rather than surrender.
To completely subdue ninja clans that feared no death, strength alone would not work.
In the end, all they would gain was a shattered Land of Fire.
"Besides, even the Uchiha Clan understands this. Within the Uchiha, they all support you, big brother, becoming the village's leader."
Tobirama's words directly crushed Hashirama's thoughts, leaving him speechless.
He had not known any of this.
He had assumed that, as clan head, Madara would be the one most respected by the Uchiha Clan.
"Madara became the Uchiha Clan's leader because he was the strongest. But you became the Senju leader and earned the clan's trust for more than just your strength. Your tolerance and compassion are the key factors in uniting both our clansmen and other clans."
At first, he had worried whether conflicts would arise after the other ninja clans joined.
But now, Tobirama felt that he had worried too much.
Hashirama's strength allowed the various clans to sit down and negotiate calmly.
And his tolerance and compassion gradually allowed the ninja clans to lower their guard.
Konoha had been built so smoothly because neither of those qualities could be absent.
"Gahahaha, am I really as good as you say, Tobirama?"
Hearing Tobirama say that, Hashirama immediately burst into laughter and scratched his head awkwardly.
Seeing Hashirama suddenly grinning like an idiot, a vein bulged on Tobirama's forehead. The fingers resting on his arm itched to use Water Release and snap him out of it.
It would be even better if he could change that habit of always grinning foolishly.
"Sigh." Tobirama let out a weary breath and said, exhausted, "Anyway, this discussion ends here. The meeting is about to begin. Also, big brother, be a little more serious. Stop talking to people in such a meek manner."
"Ah, then what should I do?"
"Just don't speak. I'll speak for you when the time comes."
"Well, actually, I think..."
"Shut up! I don't care what you think!"
Yelled at by Tobirama, Hashirama's body shuddered reflexively, and he shrank his neck.
Oh no, I made Tobirama angry again.
Before you continue