288. Deciding Konoha Affairs

Although Tobirama Senju was reluctant to admit it, the fact that Madara Uchiha was one of Konoha's top-tier combatants was undeniable, especially when it came to tasks like capturing tailed beasts. Aside from Hashirama Senju, who possessed the Wood Release, Madara was the only one who could single-handedly accomplish such missions.

Given the current situation, the Hokage himself certainly couldn't personally take on such tasks. The memory of Hashirama being assassinated upon his return from the Land of Wind was still fresh in Tobirama's mind, sending chills down his spine every time he recalled it.

Therefore, Tobirama had to come up with a reason to convince Madara to leave the village and capture the Nine-Tails, bringing it back to guard Konoha.

With this in mind, a red glint flashed in Tobirama's eyes as he casually remarked, "I never expected the Nine-Tails to be so terrifyingly powerful. Brother, you must never do something so dangerous again!"

Hashirama, who had just finished lying, was momentarily stunned. He didn't understand why his brother kept bringing this up, but not wanting to undermine Madara's confidence, he quickly nodded in agreement. "Of course, the Nine-Tails is far too dangerous!"

Madara, who had been listening intently, grew even more contemplative. As someone who had been overshadowed by Hashirama his entire life, he felt he had found a breakthrough. The thought of riding the Nine-Tails and beating Hashirama's wooden clones made him chuckle involuntarily. "Hehe~"

"Madara, what are you laughing about? Something good happen?"

"Uh..."

Caught off guard, Madara's expression tightened, fearing his thoughts had been exposed. In a moment of crisis, he glanced at Tobirama, who was smirking beside him, and his eyes lit up. He straightened his posture, wearing a troubled expression but with a smile tugging at his lips. "Ah, it's nothing much. It's just that Izuna..."

"Hmph! Caused trouble again? I've always said that guy was trouble from the start!"

Tobirama, having only heard half of Madara's sentence, immediately mocked him. His relationship with Izuna Uchiha was inherently adversarial; whenever they met, it was inevitable that they would clash.

"Madara, don't be too upset. If your brother has strayed from the right path, just correct him in time. There's no need to resort to violence or scolding."

When it came to topics about younger brothers, Hashirama perked up. Many years ago, he and Madara had once compared their younger brothers by the riverside, measuring their worth not in roots or strips.

Over the years, Tobirama and Izuna had been locked in a rivalry, one as still as stagnant water, the other as unyielding as a diamond. Their records were evenly matched.

However, after the founding of Konoha, Izuna had clearly shifted his focus to clan affairs, while Tobirama had taken advantage of the opportunity to infiltrate Konoha's political circles, gaining a slight edge.

Thus, Hashirama's expression carried a hint of smugness, as his younger brother was clearly more outstanding.

"Sigh~ It's not really a big deal. It's just that Izuna has started dating recently. It won't be long before I become an uncle~"

Madara deliberately raised his voice, his eyes fixed on Tobirama, who was secretly smirking.

"Nani?"

Tobirama was shocked. Despite being of similar age, that spiky-haired guy had secretly gotten into a relationship, leaving him in an awkward position.

"Ah! This..."

Hashirama, who had been feeling smug, was now at a loss for words. His triumphant expression froze on his face. He had thought he could tease Madara and belittle his younger brother, but instead, he had become the fool.

After a long pause, he awkwardly managed to say, "That's great news. Congratulations."

"Well, my younger brother isn't particularly outstanding in many areas, but his one saving grace is that he doesn't give me much trouble. Unlike some people, who are still single at this age and don't even consider the continuation of their family."

Hmm... why does it feel like I'm insulting myself too? Hurting the enemy by a thousand while damaging myself by eighty thousand.

Feeling uneasy, Tobirama put on his usual stoic expression and coldly said, "Don't discuss non-work-related matters during work hours."

Hashirama quickly nodded in agreement, fearing his younger brother might grind his teeth in jealousy.

Seeing Tobirama's sour expression, Madara decided to back off. After all, he was a straightforward, pressure-type ninja and didn't continue the verbal sparring. Instead, he returned to processing the mountain of documents piled up before him.

For a while, the office was quiet, with only the rustling of papers being flipped through.

After a long time, Madara suddenly looked up at Hashirama on the Hokage's seat and asked with a frown, "Hashirama, how long would it take you to finish a day's work without our help?"

While processing the documents, Madara had noticed that the submitted administrative tasks were a jumbled mess. One moment it was a report on mission completion rates, the next it was an application requesting the village to distribute breeding pigs. The abrupt shifts in content nearly caused his brain to short-circuit.

This kind of situation was all too common, which was why Madara had asked the question.

The lack of clear categorization and prioritization of administrative tasks was clearly reducing the Hokage's efficiency.

"Without your help, I might only be able to complete less than a third of the work."

Hashirama scratched his head when asked. He had also noticed this problem, but the sheer volume of documents submitted daily made it impossible to categorize them in time. As the Hokage, he had to be meticulous about everything, even if it was just repairing a toilet in the village. He had to carefully consider each decision.

"If you have time to discuss this, why not use it to focus on your work?"

Tobirama, who was used to this pace, looked up with a displeased expression. As Konoha's fastest shinobi, he processed administrative tasks much faster than Hashirama and Madara combined.

Moreover, he already had a solution to this problem, though it wasn't fully developed yet.

"I don't think this is sustainable. For example, this plan about border defense is undoubtedly one of Konoha's most classified pieces of intelligence. Yet it's casually mixed in with a list of genin missions. If there's a leak, it could lead to a disaster."

Madara, who always had Konoha's best interests at heart, didn't want the village he and Hashirama had founded to suffer any harm.

"There aren't that many leaks."

Even though Madara made a valid point, Tobirama coldly refuted it. After all, Madara had mocked him for being single earlier, and Tobirama would remember that grudge for life.

"You!"

Madara hadn't expected his well-meaning advice to be met with such indifference. Tobirama's dismissive attitude made his fists itch.

"Alright, Tobirama, Madara has a point!"

Once again, Hashirama had to step in to mediate. He stood up helplessly and looked at Madara, who was visibly annoyed, before speaking with some difficulty, "Madara, I understand what you're saying. But right now, all matters, big and small, whether they're related to civilian life or military affairs, require my attention. That's the duty of the Hokage."

Hashirama knew Madara was worried about him overworking himself, and he was deeply moved. However, he hadn't yet thought of a better solution.

"Sigh~ Hashirama, you're just too responsible. It's exhausting."

Madara could only shake his head at Hashirama's explanation.

"Brother, I've already thought of a solution, but it's not fully fleshed out yet. Once it's refined, I'll present it to you."

Seeing his brother and Madara exchanging meaningful glances, Tobirama couldn't help but feel irritated. He stood up and said, "I've already thought of a solution, but it's not fully developed yet. Once it's refined, I'll present it to you."

Just then, a familiar knocking sound echoed through the room, causing the three to raise their eyebrows. They had a feeling the visitor wasn't coming with good news.

"Come in~"

Hashirama called out in a clear voice.

"Creak~"

A curly-haired head poked through the door. It was Uchiha Gin, looking very unhappy.

"Ah, Brother Gin! What brings you here?"

Seeing that it was Uchiha Gin, Hashirama quickly walked over and greeted him warmly.

"Hmph~"

Uchiha Gin was furious. Konoha's development had been progressing smoothly, and a few days ago, he had heard the news that Konoha's prison had been completed. Overjoyed, he had waited at home for several days, but no appointment letter arrived—not even a text message.

At first, he thought Hashirama had simply forgotten due to his busy schedule. But as many of his former colleagues gradually returned to their posts, his heart sank day by day. Finally, upon hearing that the first batch of prisoners had already been admitted to Konoha's prison, Uchiha Gin went completely berserk.

Early this morning, Uchiha Gin stormed into the Hokage Building, determined to demand an explanation. After all the work he had done for Konoha, how could he not even secure a position as a prison guard?

Today, he was going to confront Hashirama face-to-face and ask whether this was intentional or just an oversight.

Along the way, the guards at the Hokage Building, seeing Uchiha Gin's unusually foul expression, kept their distance, not daring to approach him as they usually would, fearing they might provoke him

"Cousin, I've rested enough. I'm ready to return to work!"

Thinking that Uchiha Gin's displeasure was due to him coming to drag him back home to rest, Madara quickly stood up and explained.

"This has nothing to do with you. If you love working so much, you can work for the rest of your life."

Uchiha Gin ignored his anxious cousin and instead turned his gaze to the innocent-looking Senju brothers, gritting his teeth as he accused, "Konoha's prison is finished!"

"Uh... yes, I attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony a few days ago."

Not understanding Uchiha Gin's implication, Hashirama instinctively nodded in response.

"Good, good. I thought you didn't know about it."

Uchiha Gin laughed in frustration, his dark, dead-fish eyes fixed on Hashirama, with flames seemingly flickering within them.

"Huh?"

"What about your promise?"

"Ah!"

Uchiha Gin's reminder jolted Hashirama awake. He had indeed promised Uchiha Gin that he would assign him to work at the prison.

However, due to Uchiha Gin's outstanding contributions regarding the tailed beasts, Hashirama hadn't yet figured out how to reward him. If he rashly assigned him to be a prison guard, people who didn't know the truth might think the Hokage was taking credit for his achievements and harming a loyal subject.

"Brother Gin, don't worry. Let's talk this through."

"Worry? Of course I'm worried!"

With the recent peace, there had been no one to spar with. The members of the Shinobi Alliance all treated him with politeness, making it impossible to activate his "Heart of Steel." Moreover, Uchiha Gin still had a Konoha forehead protector in his pocket. He couldn't just go around bullying civilians, could he?

Every day he missed work was a day he couldn't train his "Heart of Steel." Uchiha Gin felt like he was losing out big time.

"You curly-haired fool, we've been too busy lately to deal with your trivial matters."

Seeing Uchiha Gin disrespecting his elder brother, Tobirama spoke up, giving him an explanation of sorts.

"Busy? With the way you're working, of course you're busy!"

Sure enough, these guys had completely forgotten about their promise to him. Uchiha Gin was so angry he nearly activated his Sharingan, ready to teach the white-haired guy a lesson with a Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion. Looking at the piles of documents on their desks, he sneered disdainfully, "Oh? Are you saying there's something wrong with the way we work?"

Hearing Uchiha Gin's words, Tobirama surprisingly didn't retort. Instead, he asked with interest, "Isn't it obvious?"

Uchiha Gin didn't beat around the bush. He walked over, picked up a document from the desk, and after seeing its title, rolled his eyes dramatically. Waving the document in his hand, he said in a strange tone, "You're the Hokage. Why are you dealing with something like pig breeding?"

"Uh... isn't that also a matter of civilian life?"

Hashirama scratched his head awkwardly. He had already approved many such documents. In terms of importance, it really didn't require the Hokage's personal attention.

"He's not very bright, but why are you following his lead?"

Ignoring the embarrassed Hashirama, Uchiha Gin turned his gaze to Tobirama, who was standing with his arms crossed. This white-haired guy was usually full of schemes, so why was he becoming increasingly foolish in his work?

"I already have a solution."

Faced with Uchiha Gin's direct criticism, Tobirama immediately retorted.

"Oh? Then tell me your solution."

Give this white-haired guy a chance. Let's hear what brilliant idea he has.

"*Sigh* I plan to establish a council of elders under the Hokage. After refining their responsibilities, they will share the management of various affairs."

Wow, so the council of elders was your idea, huh? Just to assign work to your disciples, right?

The moment Uchiha Gin heard the word "elders," his head started buzzing. The infamous Konoha F4 was truly terrifying.

"Hold it! Let me ask you this: Does the Senju clan have elders?"

Uchiha Gin immediately interrupted Tobirama.

"Uh... of course we do."

Any large clan would have a few elders. Tobirama answered without understanding the implication.

"Then what do you think elders are like?"

This question left Tobirama momentarily speechless. He instinctively recalled the elders of his clan and realized that they often popped up to make their presence known. Relying on their seniority and reputation, they would often boss the clan leader around.

When Hashirama first became clan leader, he had faced many difficulties due to the elders' interference. It was only out of respect for their age that he and his brother had tolerated them. Now, thinking back, Tobirama's knuckles itched with frustration.

"Hmph~ Aren't they annoying? Not only do they fail to help, but they also cause trouble from time to time. When it's time to act, they say you're too rash. When it's time to hold back, they say you're too cautious. No matter what, they always oppose you, right?"

Uchiha Gin's words struck a chord with Tobirama. The elders he had encountered were exactly like that—hypocritical, scheming, and never truly helpful.

"And those are elders from your own clan, bound by blood. If you appoint unrelated people as elders, you might not even realize when the Hokage's position has been sold out from under you."

"Indeed, I overlooked that."

After Uchiha Gin's speech, Tobirama surprisingly didn't argue. Instead, he lowered his head and pondered the possibility.

This curly-haired guy made some sense. While the elder system could share the Hokage's workload, over time, it could breed disloyalty. Once it reached a certain point, the elders might break away from the Hokage's control and usurp his authority.

"In that case, what good ideas do you have?"

Seeing that Uchiha Gin spoke so convincingly, Tobirama decided to swallow his pride and ask the curly-haired guy for advice.

"Huh?"

Uchiha Gin, who had just been spouting off, scratched his curly hair in confusion as he looked at Tobirama's slightly respectful expression. He was just a keyboard warrior, after all~

"Cousin, if you really have a good solution, please share it!"

Madara, seeing Uchiha Gin's strange expression, thought his cousin was unwilling to answer because he disliked Tobirama. Concerned for Konoha, he quickly urged, "Yes, Brother Gin, please help!"

Hashirama also chimed in, hoping Uchiha Gin could help him solve his current dilemma. After all, three mediocre minds could surpass even Zhuge Liang. Perhaps his idea could help resolve the issue.

"Uh..."

Under the expectant gazes of the three, Uchiha Gin felt trapped. Just as he hesitated, Tobirama slowly said, "If your method is helpful, the appointment letter for Konoha's prison can be issued today."

"Deal!"

Hearing this, Uchiha Gin was instantly energized. His brain began working at full speed. Even if it was just for the position of prison guard, he had to come up with a solution for these guys.

"..."

Thus, Uchiha Gin began pacing back and forth in the office, his eyes darting between Hashirama and Madara. Suddenly, inspiration struck, and he stopped in his tracks.

"I have an idea, but I'm not sure if I should share it."

With a plan in mind, Uchiha Gin looked at the three and slowly spoke.

"Brother Gin, don't hold back. Speak freely."

Hashirama nodded, encouraging Uchiha Gin to speak his mind.

"Then I'll say it~"

"Stop dragging your feet! Are you a man or not?"

The impatient Tobirama couldn't help but curse.

"Hmph! Whether I'm a man or not, someone knows~" (I fcked your sister)

"You!" Tobirama flared up.

"Alright, cousin, stop beating around the bush."

"Ahem... Currently, Konoha's higher-ups consist of only the Hokage, followed by you two unofficial Hokage candidates, right?"

Temporarily ignoring Tobirama, Uchiha Gin looked at the three and asked after a light cough.

"That's correct." Hashirama nodded.

Tobirama and Madara were both volunteering to help. The so-called Hokage candidates were just titles they used among themselves. In Konoha, they held no real authority and were merely there to assist the Hokage.

"Actually, there's no rule saying the village can only have one leader, right?"

"Heh."

Thinking Uchiha Gin would have some brilliant insight, Tobirama was disappointed to hear such a basic statement.

"Tobirama, let Brother Gin finish. Brother Gin, please continue."

"The Hokage, as the leader of Konoha, is essentially the village's mayor, right?"

"Correct." The three nodded in unison.

"Although village affairs are complex, if we categorize them, they can be divided into two main areas."

Looking at the piles of documents in the office, Uchiha Gin held up two fingers.

"Civilian life and military affairs."

Hashirama, Tobirama, and Madara exchanged glances, thought for a moment, and then nodded.

"Civilian life mainly involves issues related to Konoha's development and the ideological education of shinobi. Military affairs are responsible for internal stability and external warfare."

"No matter how much energy the Hokage has, he can't handle all these issues alone. So, my idea is to create one additional position under the Hokage to oversee either civilian life or military affairs."

"Dividing power like this could lead to factional strife, making things even more chaotic."

Tobirama immediately saw the flaw and shook his head in disapproval.

"If, as you say, one side oversees civilian development and the other oversees military security, the military side would undoubtedly be stronger. With just one order, Konoha would fall into their hands."

"Don't be so pessimistic. The civilian side controls financial power and the material foundation of shinobi life. As long as mission assignments remain under civilian control, the military side will never be able to cause trouble—unless they all become rogue ninjas."

Indeed, earning income through mission assignments had always been the primary way shinobi sustained themselves. As long as the civilian side controlled the channels and authority to assign missions, the military shinobi would remain loyal.

Unless they possessed endless wealth and overwhelming strength, becoming a rogue ninja wasn't an easy path~

"Moreover, the civilian side could establish an elite selection system to form their own unit, called the Anbu, to handle certain emergencies."

With the royal guards in place, who would dare to rebel?

"While this provides security, if there's always a divide between the two sides, it won't be conducive to the village's development."

Though somewhat convinced, Tobirama still felt a slight unease.

"As long as we optimize resource allocation and distribute resources fairly between civilian and military affairs to achieve the best utility for both, we can transform the relationship between military and civilian affairs from zero-sum game to harmonious coexistence."

Uchiha Gin nodded and then brought his two fingers together, clearly conveying his point.

"Hmm... that does make some sense. So, do you think the Hokage should oversee military or civilian affairs?"

After hearing Uchiha Gin's explanation, Tobirama pondered for a moment before posing his question.

"That depends on the Hokage's personality and skills. If the Hokage is kind and benevolent, he would naturally be better suited to managing civilian affairs. But if the Hokage is decisive and ruthless, then military affairs would be his domain."

"I think I can handle civilian affairs~"

Hashirama, who had been listening quietly, quickly stood up and volunteered with a smile. After all, he disliked war.

"Shut up! Sit down and let me finish asking!"

Tobirama angrily smacked his elder brother's head, scolding him for his lack of foresight. Then he turned to Uchiha Gin and asked, "So, what should the other position be called?"

"Uh... how about Village Secretary?"