Tobirama Senju

Night fell.

Inside the brightly lit office in the Hidden Leaf Village, Hashirama sat in a chair.

Before him on the desk were official diplomatic documents submitted like snowflakes from various countries.

Some were simple courtesy visits, while others revealed wariness and distrust toward Konoha between the lines, suspecting that Hashirama harbored some hidden conspiracy.

Others hoped to take advantage of Konoha as it awaited reconstruction, desiring to establish cooperation and trade with the village.

"Thirteen delegations have arrived in Konoha so far. The delegations from the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth are the most important, and we must pay close attention to them later. It's just that neither Daimyo personally came, sending other high-ranking officials instead, and their entourages consist entirely of tricky ninja."

Tobirama concisely explained the current situation.

Hosting delegations from so many countries at once was also a huge test for Konoha.

Yet, in Tobirama's view, some of those countries could hardly be called nations at all. On the map, their territories were no different from tiny dots, and it would not be strange if they suddenly vanished and were wiped out by someone.

These days, folks who built a single town and called themselves Daimyo were everywhere.

There was no need to initiate cooperation with such places. Tobirama deeply worried that the moment they cooperated, that nation would suddenly cease to exist, and the only things harmed would be the interests of Konoha and the Land of Fire.

"Aside from the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, we must also watch out for the Land of Night to the north. The ruler of this country is called the 'General', the supreme leader who governs both the civil and military affairs of the state. Well, the fact that there is no Daimyo is quite special, and he also seems to command greater pulling power than a Daimyo. It's just like how the Land of Demons far to the west is led by a shrine maiden."

The General of the Land of Night and the Shrine Maiden of the Land of Demons were both leaders without the title of Daimyo who directed their respective countries.

In Tobirama's eyes, the leaders of both nations—be it the General or the Shrine Maiden—exercised total control over both military and political power, representing a mutated variant of the Daimyo.

"...Hey, are you listening, big brother?"

Not hearing Hashirama give any response, Tobirama could not help frowning.

"Huh? Oh, of course I'm listening. Yep, let's just do things that way."

Hashirama immediately straightened his back, all sleepiness instantly vanishing from his face, and nodded solemnly.

Tobirama: "..."

Had he not heard a single thing?

"You're tired enough to fall asleep over this little bit—have you grown a bit slack lately, big brother?"

"I can't be blamed for this, you know. When I was greeting people today, I smiled so much my mouth cramped."

At the mere mention of this, Hashirama felt utterly depressed.

Those delegations talked endlessly for reasons unknown. Even when it came to trivial matters, they just kept lecturing him on and on, making them more hypnotic than a ninja's Genjutsu.

Especially since Tobirama had instructed him not to speak as much as possible during the receptions, but rather to keep smiling and nod in response while leaving the talking to Tobirama.

Therefore, Hashirama's responses to the delegations of various nations consisted only of short words like 'yeah', 'okay', and 'sure'.

When he returned, he discovered that his face had cramped from smiling, and the muscles in his face had even started twitching.

Worst of all, he had let Madara see it and become the butt of jokes for a long time.

"That's because the moment you open your mouth, big brother, you easily do foolish things. This is an important window for dealing with other countries, and if the leader suddenly acts foolishly, it severely impacts the dignity of the country and the village."

Tobirama sighed.

"Yeah~~"

Hashirama drew out his tone, clearly not taking Tobirama's lecture to heart.

"I'm telling you, big brother..."

"Anyway, I'll handle the subsequent reception work seriously. Is there anything else to add?"

"Regarding that, there is indeed one very important matter. As for the Hyuga Clan, although some elders are willing to join Konoha, there are also quite a few opposition factions within the clan... I hear the arguments are fierce, and things might erupt into an armed conflict in the end."

Tobirama rubbed his chin as he spoke of the current plight of the Hyuga Clan.

Konoha was taking in more and more ninja clans at this time. Through Hashirama's enticements, many large and small ninja clans in the Land of Fire had undergone peaceful evolution. They had completed the integration work with almost no bloodshed.

Yet the Land of Fire still possessed some stubborn bones, with the Hyuga Clan foremost among them.

"The Hyuga are just as ancient in their heritage as the Senju, but their family rules are extremely rigid, enforcing a Main House and Branch House system within the clan. Moreover, branch family members are even branded with a Cursed Seal like the 'Caged Bird'... I don't know the specific reasons behind it, but given the current status of the Hyuga Clan, handling them can be described as tricky."

Tobirama took a deep breath. In his view, the problem of the Hyuga Clan was second only to the Uchiha Clan.

Their rigid family rules and doctrinal regulations still followed ancient traditions with almost no flexibility. Every time he interacted with members of the Hyuga Clan, he was met with deadpan expressions that left a depressing weight in one's chest.

"Is it to prevent the Kekkei Genkai from leaking outward?"

Hashirama knew a thing or two about the Hyuga style.

As fellow elite ninja clans, maintaining interactions with one another was quite normal.

"If that were the case, a Cursed Seal like the 'Caged Bird' cannot prevent it. I believe there must be a deeper reason that led to the birth of the 'Caged Bird'."

"It seems persuading them won't be very easy, then."

Hashirama rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Negotiating with old antiques is always like this, just like Father was in the past. However, I heard that not long ago, they formed a marriage alliance with the Land of Night. A Main House daughter of the Hyuga is now the General's Wife of the Land of Night."

Tobirama recalled rumors that had spread not long ago, pondering whether a marriage alliance might be an effective method.

Such tactics were common currency during the Warring States Era, and the marriage between a ninja clan and a national leader made the Hyuga and the Land of Night no isolated case.

Even between clans, maintaining connections often required marriage alliances.

For instance, his own older brother Hashirama had married a woman of the Uzumaki Clan, thereby securing the support of the Uzumaki Clan.

Konoha had originally intended to invite the Uzumaki Clan to join, but after some deliberation, the Uzumaki Clan declined.

Finding a vast, unadministered patch of land bordering the southeast of the Land of Fire, the Uzumaki Clan seemed intent on establishing a nation there.

Tobirama felt this arrangement was fine as well; even if the Uzumaki Clan encountered any danger in the future, Konoha could respond swiftly and provide support.

"In other words, the Hyuga have the intention to migrate to the Land of Night?"

Hashirama blinked.

"No, if they had that intention, they would have migrated directly just like the Aburame Clan. Yet after Konoha was established, they still remained in the Land of Fire... Added to the fact that half the clan opposes joining Konoha while the other half supports it, they might just be waiting to sell themselves to the highest bidder."

Tobirama curled his lip.

If that truly was the plan of the Hyuga Clan, they were being far too optimistic.

"Then I'll go pay them a visit later."

Hashirama planned to make a trip to the Hyuga Clan after his Hokage inauguration ceremony.

At a time like this, direct, face-to-face negotiations were still the best option.

"Right, the Hyuga Clan has also sent people for this ceremony. Later, I will have someone test their waters to first determine which side their stance leans toward."

"Sorry for the trouble, Tobirama. Having you here really saves me a lot of effort."

Hashirama walked over, patted Tobirama's shoulder, and offered his affirmation.

"Sigh... As long as you can rein in your headstrong and impulsive personality, big brother, it would save me a lot of trouble."

Whether it was the alliance with the Uchiha or Konoha as it stood now... in Tobirama's view, neither resembled a plan formulated after deep deliberation by Hashirama.

They felt more like sudden flashes of inspiration in Hashirama's head that he abruptly slammed his fist down to decide.

Without him assisting on the side, this village would go under sooner rather than later.

Yet it was precisely because of this emotional style that those ninja clans could let down their guard against one another.

Hashirama determined the overarching direction of the village and harmonized the conflicts among various clans, allowing them to communicate on equal terms, while Tobirama built upon that foundation to flesh out the village's framework and bring dreams into reality.

The day after arriving in Konoha.

As the General of the Land of Night, Yayoi first received the visit from the Hyuga Clan.

The person sent by the Hyuga Clan to Konoha this time was not Kicho's father, Hyuga Hideto, but rather another Main House elder, Hyuga Sekijin.

Around sixty years of age with a stern expression, he wore his ninja outfit meticulously, fitting the Hyuga's rigid style to a T.

According to disclosures from Kicho, this Elder Sekijin was also a powerful ninja who had charged into the thick of battle in his youth.

Most importantly, he was also the grandfather of Kicho's maid, Hyuga Aoi.

Yet because Aoi belonged to the branch family, she had been a marginalized figure who received little regard back in the Hyuga Clan, so she likely shared very little familial affection with her grandfather, Hyuga Sekijin.

Rinko's situation was much the same; older generations of relatives all belonged to the Main House, and because she was not the firstborn and possessed mediocre talent, she had been relegated to the branch family.

Hyuga Sekijin had no special purpose in coming here beyond a simple visit to maintain necessary ties.

After all, cooperation between the Land of Night and the Hyuga Clan had not been broken due to Kicho's existence, but had been continuously maintained, rendering redundant gestures unnecessary.

As Hyuga Sekijin departed, Yayoi reciprocated with symbolic gifts.

Coming this far, Yayoi had brought along plenty of return gifts meant for establishing diplomatic relations with various nations.

"Lord Yayoi, the Daimyo of the Land of Song just sent someone to deliver a visiting letter."

At that moment, Irori walked into the temporary reception sitting room, holding a letter that she handed to Yayoi, who sat cross-legged on a soft cushion.

"?"

Yayoi was stunned.

The Land of Song? What kind of country was that?

Did that country even exist on the map? Surely it wasn't one of those nations represented by nothing more than a single dot on the map?

Although Yayoi possessed some understanding of the various nations across the ninja world, the countries he understood did not involve tiny nations that lacked even a colored block on the map.

Such countries appeared a few times every year and then vanished just as suddenly, making them exceedingly bizarre and mysterious.

In order not to affect the Land of Night's reputation among other nations, Yayoi still agreed to grant an audience.

Before long, the Daimyo of the Land of Song personally paid a visit.

True to expectation, he had come to lobby for assistance; the Land of Song was currently suffering attacks from external forces and faced the destruction of its state at any moment.

At the same time, Yayoi also figured out where the Land of Song was located in the ninja world—well, it was separated from the Land of Night by more than half a continent.

Traveling from the Land of Night to the Land of Song required a ninja running at full speed without rest or sleep for several days.

Most importantly, this country had no local specialties whatsoever, consisting merely of a forest, some mountainous terrain, two towns, and a few villages, impoverished to a degree that was unbearable to look upon.

Besides, what kind of person came to negotiate while dragging along several princesses all at once?

The Land of Song Daimyo drank up.

It also looked quite heartbreaking to Yayoi, who had been reduced to selling out his own daughter.

In the end, Yayoi could only promise to dispatch a mixed force of ninja and samurai that could allow the Land of Song Daimyo's family to safely settle down in the Land of Night in the event of failure, saving them from the fate of having their entire clan killed.

As for suppressing the rebellion, that was impossible; the distance was too great and there were too many variables, so protecting the Daimyo's family was already the limit of what Yayoi could do.

Even so, Yayoi collected a large hiring fee from the Land of Song Daimyo.

After all, the ninja and samurai of the Land of Night no longer undertook mercenary functions after the establishment of the Land of Night, but were completely subordinate to the national defense forces.

The salaries of ninja and samurai did not come from mission rewards, but were distributed monthly according to their position and rank, and if they performed well, their salary treatment would be increased on that basis.

In other words, it was he, the general, who was supporting the ninja and samurai of the entire country.

Aside from patrolling and maintaining public security, the most common thing for ninja and samurai to do on weekdays was to train their own abilities.

The matter of the Land of Song Daimyo came to an end, and then people from several other countries came to visit.

Although Yayoi usually kept a low profile and stayed at home, the Land of Night, as a rising star in the Ninja World, had developed with extremely fierce momentum over the past few years, so it was bound to be noticed by many countries.

As the general's wife, Kicho naturally sat beside Yayoi, watching the communication and cooperation between countries, and occasionally she would also speak a few words, either cutting straight to the point or easing the atmosphere when things became tense.

She very well fulfilled the duties of a supportive wife.

Following this matter, her intelligence and beauty would presumably spread far and wide among the personnel of various countries.

This was undoubtedly a matter that brought great prestige to Yayoi as a husband.

Who wouldn't hope that their partner was an intelligent, beautiful, considerate woman who could also fight side by side with them at critical moments?

Just like that, three days quietly passed.

More and more national delegations arrived in Konoha, and one courtyard after another in the reception area was occupied, with tension and liveliness coexisting.

Ninja and samurai could be seen everywhere serving as the guard forces for the delegations of various countries, wary of each other, but all very restrained.

During his days in Konoha, Yayoi received delegations from fifteen countries in total, among which six countries had the Daimyo themselves negotiate in person.

During this period, Yayoi also went to officially visit Hashirama Senju, who was about to take on the title of the First.

"Hello, Lord Hashirama, it is truly an honor to meet you."

Yayoi and Hashirama shook hands and quickly separated.

Yayoi's first impression of Hashirama... a person who always smiled, but spoke very little.

Most of the time, his younger brother Tobirama Senju stood next to him and was responsible for communication and exchange.

He somehow felt that the facial muscles of this Senju clan head were twitching a bit... it must have been his imagination, right?

Judging solely from his appearance, he should be considered relatively kind and easy to get along with, and nothing else could be fathomed.

His chakra was completely restrained without leaking a single bit, seeming just like an ordinary normal person.

As for Madara Uchiha, Yayoi also saw him. The other party was leaning not far from the meeting venue, a pair of eyes just falling vaguely and indifferently on Hashirama, while the rest of the people... might not even be as good as air in his eyes.

Aside from Hashirama Senju, he doesn't take anyone else seriously at all.

Yayoi's mood was exceptionally complicated.

Seeing Madara Uchiha again, he originally wanted to go up and greet him too, get somewhat familiar first, and then make further plans.

But after thinking about it, he decided against it; if he went over now, it would most likely be a warm face pressed against a cold backside, purely asking for humiliation.

The exchange with Hashirama only took a few words, after all there were diplomatic personnel from other countries coming up afterwards, so Yayoi could not delay for too long.

Returning to the courtyard arranged by Konoha, it was already noon. Yayoi and Kicho finished lunch and took a nap together in the afternoon. Having been busy these past few days, Yayoi also felt a slight fatigue.

They did nothing during the nap with Kicho, the very wholesome kind.

Until nightfall, just after finishing dinner, under Irori's reception, an unexpected person took the initiative to pay a visit.

Yayoi brought Kicho and appeared in the meeting room, where someone had already been waiting for some time.

Dressed in a black Ninja Outfit with a sharp gaze and a head of white hair, it was none other than Tobirama Senju.