The First Hokage and a New Era

Tobirama Senju, the future Second Hokage of Konoha—Yayoi generally knew of his accomplishments.

Many of Konoha's important facilities and institutions had been established under his leadership.

For example, the Ninja Academy, which opened a path for civilians; the Anbu organization, which strengthened central authority and stabilized the Hokage's position; and even the Security Corps post he assigned to the Uchiha Clan, which indirectly became one of the fuses behind the clan's future downfall.

In short, he was one of Konoha's founding heroes who, even after his death, continued to influence the village's fate in every possible way.

Setting aside his strength, he was an exceptionally formidable figure in terms of political sharpness and execution.

"Coming to visit so late at night was rather presumptuous. I hope I didn't disturb the two of you."

Though Tobirama tried to soften his tone, his cold, rigid aura still made people uncomfortable.

His eyes remained fixed on Yayoi and Kicho, as if he were observing them, planning something, or confirming something.

"Not at all. On the contrary, it is quite an honor for me. Lord Tobirama, renowned for your godlike speed, I have long admired your name."

Yayoi smiled faintly and responded without giving anything away.

Kicho also smiled as she quietly sat beside Yayoi, calmly refilling his tea.

"Mm. Work is busy during the day. Only at this hour can I spare a little time."

Tobirama nodded and withdrew his probing gaze.

Ordinarily, testing the General of the Land of Night should have been left to the people from the Land of Fire's daimyo, just as they had handled the delegations from the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth.

But considering the Land of Night's unique circumstances, Tobirama decided it would be better to come in person.

After all, the General of the Land of Night was not merely a national leader. He was also an exceptionally powerful shinobi.

A top-tier puppeteer of the present age, he had swept aside the resistance forces of the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Iron through overwhelming power, then used them as stepping stones to establish the Land of Night... There were too many rumors about him. Even in the Land of Fire, Tobirama had kept some degree of watch over him.

However, the Senju Clan and the Land of Night had no conflicts of interest, and the Senju already had enemies like the Uchiha Clan. Thus, the two sides had little contact before this.

"I will not waste time on pleasantries. I came to visit you, General, because I have a deal I would like to discuss with you."

Tobirama got straight to the point. His time was precious, and there was no need to beat around the bush. This General did not look like someone who enjoyed verbal sparring either. Like Tobirama, he seemed to value efficiency in important matters.

"Please, go on."

Yayoi's expression turned much more serious.

Tobirama did not hesitate. "As far as I know, there are several mining areas in the eastern part of the Land of Night. They produce many high-quality minerals that can be forged into various types of Chakra Metal."

The eastern Land of Night had originally been the Land of Iron, a country of samurai.

It was also an area rich in mineral resources, producing many ores that could be forged into excellent Chakra Metal. It was an important strategic resource.

In the past, the samurai of the Land of Iron had relied on those abundant minerals to forge large quantities of armor and blades, using them as the foundation of their nation.

Naturally, the Land of Fire also possessed similar mineral deposits for producing Chakra Metal. Yet different types of ores produced Chakra Metal with vastly different properties.

Some of the properties found in the Land of Night's metal ores did not exist in the Land of Fire.

"So you mean an exchange of goods? If that is the case..."

Yayoi considered it. It was an acceptable trade.

"No. Rather than raw materials, I hope to purchase a batch of finished Chakra Metal products."

Tobirama shook his head and stated his true purpose.

Though Chakra Metal differed in its elemental tendencies, the finished products forged by the Land of Night surpassed those of the Land of Fire in quality. One could tell simply from what circulated on the market.

As a puppeteer, the General of the Land of Night was himself a master craftsman.

Tobirama suspected that the Land of Night's ability to continuously produce large amounts of superior Chakra Metal in recent years was closely connected to Yayoi, the General of the Land of Night.

Thanks to this supreme craft, Chakra Metal manufacturing had become one of the Land of Night's pillar industries, bringing the country immense profits every year.

The problem was that the quantity of finished Chakra Metal flowing out of the Land of Night was still too small.

"It seems the amount of finished Chakra Metal Lord Tobirama needs is not small. Could you be more specific?"

"Approximately one thousand tons."

"..."

Yayoi's mouth twitched.

Was Konoha planning to fight a Shinobi World War? Did Tobirama know how many shinobi that amount of Chakra Metal could arm with ninja tools?

The future Second Hokage truly had an enormous appetite.

Chakra Metal was not the same thing as ordinary steel.

Mixing even a small amount of Chakra Metal into an iron weapon could multiply its performance.

After all, shinobi fought using chakra. If a weapon could not conduct chakra effectively, it was no different from scrap in a shinobi's eyes and could not harm a shinobi.

Ordinary weapons could conduct chakra as well, but their conductivity was too poor and their lethality insufficient. They had never been among a shinobi's weapon options.

Therefore, the ninja tools used by shinobi, including kunai and shuriken, incorporated a certain proportion of Chakra Metal to grant them excellent chakra conductivity.

That was why shinobi, despite possessing physiques beyond ordinary people, could still be stabbed to death by a tiny kunai. Shinobi weapons were not forged from ordinary metal at all.

(This was hinted at in both the manga and official materials. Ninja tools such as kunai, shuriken, and ninja blades could conduct chakra and were fundamentally different from ordinary steel weapons. Ninja tools also required regular paid maintenance, or it would hurt terribly when they became unusable, because they really were expensive. Looking at it this way, shinobi might be poor, but the things they used were anything but cheap.)

It was said that some special Chakra Metals were even more expensive than gold. For instance, the Spirit Blade: Kumokiri used by Kicho was forged entirely from special Chakra Metal and was worth the heads of more than a dozen Sarutobi Asuma.

Then there was the necklace owned by Hashirama Senju. Similar to special Chakra Metal, it was made from an extremely rare Chakra Crystal. It could restrain Tailed Beasts and was worth the equivalent of three mountains.

Most Chakra Metal produced by the Land of Night fell within conventional categories; its advantage simply lay in its superior synthesis techniques.

But even with full production, it would be difficult for the Land of Night to synthesize one thousand tons of Chakra Metal meeting the required standards in a year.

And even if they produced it, they could not possibly sell all of it to Konoha.

Many of the Land of Night's own facilities required large quantities of Chakra Metal as well.

"Lord Tobirama must be joking."

"Then... five hundred tons?"

"At most, two hundred tons."

Yayoi's brow throbbed as he helplessly named a figure.

This amount was already considerable. Used sparingly, it would be enough for the current Konoha.

As long as the ninja tools were not made entirely from Chakra Metal, but instead used a certain proportion of Chakra Metal blended into iron ninja tools, two hundred tons of Chakra Metal could produce at least one million standard ninja tools such as kunai and shuriken.

And unless they specialized in ninja tool techniques, the average shinobi carried a very limited number of ninja tools, including kunai, shuriken, and ninja blades.

Therefore, this batch of Chakra Metal could arm at least ten thousand shinobi.

Konoha's current shinobi all came from shinobi clans. No matter how one counted them, there could not possibly be ten thousand shinobi.

Not to mention that ninja tools differed from ordinary cold weapons: they could be recovered, reprocessed, and reused. With proper maintenance, they could last a long time.

"Deal."

Tobirama answered readily, making Yayoi suddenly wonder whether he had offered too much.

Fortunately, two hundred tons of standard Chakra Metal was not much of a burden for the Land of Night, and it was not as though they would sell that much every year.

There were still more than a thousand tons of Chakra Metal stored in the General's Residence warehouse alone, but that had been accumulated by the Land of Night over several frugal years. It was an important strategic resource that absolutely could not be sold.

Over the following days, Yayoi rarely left his residence. He had already visited everyone he needed to visit, and the trades with the various countries had largely been finalized.

After attending the First Hokage's inauguration ceremony, he could return to the Land of Night.

However, just because things had quieted down on his side did not mean the other countries would remain so peaceful.

Delegations from other major powers, such as the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water, arrived one after another.

Perhaps they had some personal grudge, but the delegations from the Land of Water and the Land of Earth erupted into a fierce argument the moment they encountered each other. Their accompanying shinobi nearly fought in earnest as well. If not for the intervention of Senju and Uchiha shinobi afterward, it would likely have turned into a fierce clash.

Yayoi watched the entire conflict between the two countries from the side.

The leader of the Land of Earth delegation's guards was a tall, thin shinobi named Mu. He remained expressionless throughout, making it impossible to read his thoughts.

The leader of the Land of Water delegation's guards was Hozuki Gengetsu of the Hozuki Clan, the clan head of the Land of Water's Hozuki Clan. He was a shinobi with a small mustache and no eyebrows.

Among the shinobi fighting on both sides, these two fought the fiercest.

It was clear that both restrained themselves and did not unleash their full strength, so the fight ultimately ended without a victor.

"What an impressive invisibility ninjutsu. Even the Byakugan can only vaguely see the trajectory of chakra flow. If one is not careful, one will lose track of him. He can even fly through the air."

Kicho watched the battlefield with her Byakugan.

Mu of the Land of Earth used a strange invisibility ninjutsu. Only the Byakugan and powerful sensory shinobi could vaguely detect his location.

Furthermore, after using Earth Release, he could hover and fly through the air. He was one of the Ninja World's very rare flying shinobi.

Hozuki Gengetsu of the Land of Water had only displayed his Water Release ninjutsu. In a place without water, casually unleashing powerful Water Release techniques seemed effortless to him.

He had not displayed his other abilities, but judging from his fearless attitude, he certainly had stronger trump cards he had not yet used.

"Kekkei Tōta—Dust Release, along with invisibility and flight. This man's techniques are dangerous."

Leaving aside Hozuki Gengetsu, who had not revealed any more dangerous abilities, Mu of the Land of Earth was the more dangerous one in Yayoi's eyes.

Dust Release—during the Five Kage Summit in the original story, it was the Kekkei Tōta ninjutsu used by the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki.

It fused the three chakra nature transformations of wind, earth, and fire, releasing a translucent barrier of changing shape that enveloped the enemy. Once caught inside, the target would be broken down into atoms and reduced to dust.

Of course, Mu had not displayed this technique during the earlier fight, but his reputation as a Dust Release shinobi had long spread throughout the Land of Earth.

Coupled with the invisibility and flight he had now demonstrated, anyone targeted by this man would be in serious trouble.

Could he be the future Second Tsuchikage of Iwagakure?

Yayoi made that guess.

Kekkei Tōta could not be inherited, so the future Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, must have mastered Dust Release through training.

As for why he suspected Mu to be Iwagakure's Second Tsuchikage, it was because the strongest shinobi in the Land of Earth was a man named Ishikawa.

According to the intelligence Yayoi had obtained, Mu was Ishikawa's follower.

Thus, Ishikawa was most likely Iwagakure's First Tsuchikage.

"Hmph, we'll leave it here for today. Next time, I'll steam you straight into a mummy. Remember that!"

Under the mediation of the Senju and Uchiha shinobi, Hozuki Gengetsu ended his conflict with Mu. Yet before leaving, he still threw out a harsh threat.

"That is what I should be saying. I will use Dust Release to reduce you to dust, you mustached man with no eyebrows."

Mu was equally enraged. His face darkened, and his voice brimmed with killing intent.

Gengetsu's mouth twitched. His distinctive little mustache trembled even more, revealing the turmoil in his heart.

"My lord husband, do these two have some sort of grudge?"

Kicho tilted her head. Anyone could see the irreconcilable hostility between them.

"No, I am not sure. It looks like they probably had some personal grievance in the past. It is another country's business. We need not interfere."

Yayoi shook his head. His knowledge of Mu and Hozuki Gengetsu was limited to intelligence reports. He roughly knew their ninjutsu and fighting styles.

As for their specific personal histories, he had not managed to uncover them.

Besides the Land of Earth and the Land of Water, the other countries also carried varying degrees of private resentment between them. Fortunately, they remained relatively restrained and did not cause any major disturbances.

Amid this tense yet controlled atmosphere between the nations, the day finally came for Hashirama Senju to assume the position of First Hokage.

One after another, the heads of Konoha's shinobi clans attended the ceremony as representatives of Konoha's upper ranks, dressed in relatively formal attire.

These clan heads were led by Madara Uchiha, followed by the heads of the Sarutobi Clan, Yamanaka Clan, Akimichi Clan, Nara Clan, and other shinobi clans.

Aside from Madara Uchiha, a shinobi far beyond ordinary standards, the other clan heads were also not to be underestimated. Their gathered presence made the representatives from other nations attending the ceremony feel unprecedented pressure.

These shinobi from various clans, all renowned figures even within the mighty Land of Fire, now gathered around Hashirama Senju.

"From this day onward, I shall be the First Hokage who leads this village. Thank you all for coming, and also..."

Atop a towering building engraved with the character for "Fire," the head of the Senju Clan—Hashirama Senju—wore a white ceremonial haori and a conical hat bearing the character for "Kage" as he delivered the declaration of the Hokage in an incomparably solemn tone.

From this moment onward, he would lead and protect this newborn shinobi village—Konoha—as the First Hokage.

Yet in Yayoi's view, this moment required no words and no elaborate phrasing. Hashirama Senju merely had to stand there, and he represented a new era—a mighty, unstoppable torrent that would utterly crush the old Warring States Era.

Because clans that had never before done so were formally joining together. They now had shared interests and a shared leader.

Within the village of Konoha, they would adapt to one another, compromise, interact closely, and eventually merge into a whole.

It was a force capable of forcibly changing the course of the era.

"Hah... hah... This has to be a joke... something like this... it is simply..."

"Unbelievable. Is a new era really coming?"

"Can our country and clan truly continue to exist in this new era?"

"One Country, One Village... Damn the Land of Fire, damn Konoha... Why must such an era arrive... The Ninja World should not be like this..."

Even shinobi attending as observers, including figures of Mu and Hozuki Gengetsu's caliber, began trembling unconsciously. Cold sweat of fear covered their faces. They were so suffocated they could barely breathe, and even their voices carried unconcealed terror.

Some yearned for it, some feared it, some were wary, some were furious, and some gritted their teeth in hatred... Every representative from every country who had come to witness the ceremony wore an expression of extreme complexity.

They watched as Hashirama Senju, after finishing his declaration, raised the hat engraved with the character for "Fire" high into the air while wearing the white ceremonial robe symbolizing the Hokage.

The entire venue instantly fell silent.

At that moment, everyone confirmed one fact.

Villages!

Shinobi villages!

The Land of Fire had one, and every other nation needed one too!

Without a shinobi village, they would inevitably be abandoned by the future!

They roared unwillingly in their hearts that they had to establish shinobi villages belonging to their own countries!

Shinobi clans had to merge. This was no longer the Warring States Era of fighting alone.

What would take the stage next would be clashes and contests between nations, each formed by shinobi united under one country.

This was not merely the inauguration ceremony of the First Hokage. Through the Hidden Leaf Village, it was a declaration that a new era had officially arrived.

"The current situation... can only be described as terrifying."

In the audience section reserved for national leaders, Kicho, his wife, sat to his left, while Irori, serving as his guard, sat to his right.

Yayoi unconsciously pursed his lips and spoke those words in a hoarse voice, instinctively lowering his gaze.

Setting aside Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, the heads of those shinobi clans were also battle-hardened veterans. One or two of them possessed auras so deep they could not be fathomed.

The other clan heads were somewhat weaker, but they all remained at an exceptionally high level overall.

The Warring States Era had become so fiercely competitive that those who had survived and still made names for themselves were almost all elites among elites.

Not to mention that these were entire clans. Their strength did not rest solely with their clan heads; each clan had numerous powerful shinobi.

The ceremony was simple and efficient, without the slightest delay.

After the standardized ceremonial speech, Hashirama Senju smoothly completed the Hokage inauguration ceremony.

The title of First Hokage was officially established at that moment.

The village of Konoha was also truly born in the fullest sense, entering its first year.

The Land of Fire, Konoha, the One Country, One Village pact...

A new era that left everyone bewildered and unable to stop fear from rising in their hearts stood there, whether they acknowledged it or not, pressing equally upon the heads of every person in the Ninja World.