272. Better Negotiator

"Sigh~ Little Haruka really bullied me for being old and powerless!"

Uchiha Gin let out a sorrowful sigh, disheartened after failing to score a second bowl of honey-drenched shaved ice. His gaze shifted to the excited Chiyo, who was happily holding her red bean ice cream.

Since even Chiyo has arrived, that means Sunagakure's people are in place. Add to that the ones I saw from Kirigakure and Kumogakure today...

He thought back to the mysterious bandaged man and the scar-faced little guy the younger group had mentioned during their barbecue. They must be from Iwagakure.

So now the leaders of the Four Great Nations have all gathered in Konoha. Just waiting for Hashirama to convene the meeting, Gin mused as he licked the last drops of syrup from his bowl, earning a disdainful glance from Chiyo.


---

At the Naka River Shrine

In the dimly lit main hall of the shrine, a pair of blood-red Sharingan eyes slowly opened. Their owner, Uchiha Madara, stared at the ancient stone tablet before him with a conflicted expression.

Having already deciphered 80% of its contents, Madara was now deeply torn. The last time he read the tablet, the ancestors had urged Uchiha and Senju to unite their strengths to create peace. But upon flipping to the next section, the tone had shifted drastically.

"So, Infinite Tsukuyomi..."

Madara frowned. Whether or not the shinobi world achieved peace didn’t concern him much—he could barely manage Konoha, let alone the entire world. The idea of trapping everyone in an eternal dream world? That held no appeal to him.

His brothers were healthy, Hashirama was a bit of a pain but nothing irreparable, and Konoha was thriving. Why would he abandon this success for some dubious Infinite Tsukuyomi plan?

"Hashirama, have you forgotten about me?"

Madara glared at the shrine's immovable door, frustration mounting. He had expected Hashirama to come looking for him long ago.

Could it be that Izuna didn’t spread the word about my "detention"?

As Madara simmered in indignation, a shadowy black liquid began to ooze from a dark corner of the shrine. Two glowing, bead-like eyes fixed on Madara with a mix of confusion and frustration.

"This Indra reincarnation is so hard to handle! He knows about Infinite Tsukuyomi but isn’t even trying to awaken the Rinnegan," Black Zetsu fumed internally, clenching its ethereal fists.

Could it be he hasn’t hit rock bottom yet?

Black Zetsu pondered for a moment. Madara’s life was, objectively, going great—supportive brothers, financial security, and the possibility of becoming Hokage. Who would abandon such a fulfilling life to gamble on an abstract plan?

Realizing this, Black Zetsu grew even more anxious. I’ve waited so long for a suitable Indra reincarnation. I can’t let this opportunity slip away.


---

Suddenly, loud knocking broke the silence.

"Madara! It’s me! Open the door!"

Madara’s ears perked up at the familiar voice. A smug smile spread across his face.

Finally, he’s remembered me.

Composing himself, Madara adjusted his clothing and adopted a frosty expression before opening the creaking door.

"What is it, Hashirama?" he asked coolly.

Standing outside was Senju Hashirama, dressed casually, his face glowing with a bright smile.

"Madara, if you don’t come out soon, you’ll miss the big event!"

"Big event? What kind of event?" Madara raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.

"The leaders of the Four Great Nations have arrived in Konoha."

"They’re making their move, huh? I knew you couldn’t handle this without me!" Madara exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

Hashirama’s smile froze.

"Madara! They’ve come for peace. You better not cause trouble at this critical moment."

Hashirama’s tone turned serious as he admonished Madara.

What? Not fight them? Am I supposed to hand them gift baskets instead? Madara tilted his head, his face full of confusion.

"I’m organizing a Five Kage Summit. This meeting is crucial, and I want you to join me," Hashirama said earnestly.

"Hmph. Since you’re asking, I’ll reluctantly agree..."

Though secretly pleased, Madara maintained his aloof facade, pretending to deliberate before nodding.

Just as things seemed settled, a streak of blue lightning flashed behind Hashirama, and a white-haired figure, gasping for breath, appeared between the two men.

"I knew it! Big brother, don’t act recklessly!"


Senju Tobirama, having just performed multiple Flying Raijin Technique teleports, stood pale-faced as he glared at the two men before him. His crimson eyes radiated displeasure.

“Tobirama! You actually planted a Flying Thundergod marker on me?”

Realizing that his younger brother had been monitoring him, Senju Hashirama frowned slightly.

“It’s for safety,” Tobirama replied, his face regaining color thanks to the Senju clan’s strong vitality. “You’re the leader of the village. We can’t afford for anything to happen to you.”

Confident that his actions were entirely justified, Tobirama gave his elder brother a displeased look and declared, “As the initiator of this summit, only I am qualified to join you in the Five Kage Summit.”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Uchiha Madara, and with a disdainful snort, he added, “High-level meetings like these aren’t for just anyone to attend.”

“Senju Tobirama, I’ll deal with you later!”

Having his reunion with Hashirama interrupted again by this white-haired nuisance, Madara couldn’t help but curse.

“See, big brother?” Tobirama seized the moment to add fuel to the fire. “With behavior like that, bringing him to the Five Kage Summit would make Konoha a laughingstock.”

“And you think you’re more qualified than me, you white-haired pest?”

Madara’s voice dripped with venom as he glared at Tobirama’s smug face.

“With my intelligence, I can secure greater benefits for Konoha at the summit,” Tobirama declared, puffing out his chest with confidence.

“Benefits? Hah!” Madara crossed his arms and sneered. “And what benefits would you secure? With your shortsightedness, you’ll probably fight over crumbs.”

To Madara, Tobirama’s narrow-minded focus on small gains was laughable, utterly incapable of securing anything truly meaningful for Konoha.

“Stop arguing! Stop arguing!”

Caught in the middle, Hashirama felt overwhelmed. Over the years, Madara and Tobirama had bickered endlessly, with minor arguments every three days and major disputes every five. It was enough to wear down even his nerves.

“Big brother/Hashirama, who are you taking with you?”

Hearing Hashirama’s voice, the two immediately turned their attention to him, forcing him to make a decision.

“Uh... How about I don’t go, and you two attend instead?”

Shrinking back, Hashirama suggested a compromise, only to be met with piercing death glares from both sides.

“Phew...” Madara exhaled sharply and leaned forward. “Hashirama, what’s your real purpose in organizing the Five Kage Summit?”



Uchiha Madara let out a long sigh, regaining some composure. With a faint glimmer in his eyes, he looked at the somewhat troubled Senju Hashirama and asked,
“What’s the purpose of this summit?”

“Peace! I want to mediate the conflicts between nations,” Hashirama replied, clenching his fists, his eyes radiating determination.

“And?” Madara pressed further, skeptical.

If the goal was merely to talk peace, the Five Kage Summit would lack substance. No nation would abandon ongoing wars because of a simple discussion. Once war began, the seeds of hatred were already sown.

“To distribute the tailed beasts. If we allocate the tailed beasts to each nation, they’ll be less likely to provoke war,” Hashirama said, scratching the back of his head, as though it were a natural solution. He explained the plan in detail, revealing his intentions.

“We’re really giving away the tailed beasts? They’re our spoils of war! How can we hand them over so easily?” Madara frowned, displeased that Hashirama had adopted Tobirama’s suggestion. Tailed beasts were weapons of war—how could he feel at ease if they weren’t under Konoha’s control?

“Of course, it won’t be free. Konoha’s finances are tight, and the funding from the daimyo isn’t enough to cover our deficit. Using the tailed beasts as leverage, we’ll extract a heavy price from the other nations, leaving them struggling for a while,” Tobirama interjected, shaking his head as he explained his plan.

“Hmph. Looks like your brain isn’t entirely waterlogged this time,” Madara sneered. Though reluctant, he found no significant fault in Tobirama’s proposal—surprisingly, it wasn’t as shortsighted as usual.

“And I’ve also planted safeguards within the tailed beasts. If any nation makes a wrong move, we can detonate them at any time,” Tobirama said coldly, his crimson eyes glinting with a chilling light.

“Safeguards? Tobirama, you didn’t tell me about this!” Hashirama exclaimed in shock. He had no intention of handing over defective goods.

“Safeguards? You?” Madara raised an eyebrow, skeptical of Tobirama’s capabilities. Though he agreed with the plan, he doubted Tobirama’s ability to execute it effectively.

“I entrusted the task to Uchiha Gin,” Tobirama replied, suppressing his irritation at Madara’s disdain.

“Oh, Cousin Gin? Then there’s no problem,” Madara immediately dropped his skepticism. He knew that Uchiha Gin, with his team of Mangekyo Sharingan users, could handle something as simple as planting traps with ease.

Seeing the tension ease slightly, Hashirama stepped in, criticizing Tobirama for acting without prior approval. “Tobirama, in the future, inform me before making such decisions. I’ll let this one slide, but don’t do it again.”

Hashirama then turned to Madara, whose displeased expression hadn’t fully softened. Torn between his brother and his friend, Hashirama hesitated.

“Big Brother, trust my ability to negotiate. I’ll get the tailed beasts sold for a good price! Not only will we pay off the Land of Waves’ debt, but we’ll also expand Konoha,” Tobirama declared confidently, determined to secure his seat at the Five Kage Summit.

Madara, knowing he couldn’t outtalk the smooth-tongued Tobirama, hatched a new plan. Recalling a stack of IOUs from his clan, a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes, and his lips curled into a sly smile.

“Hashirama, if we’re talking about negotiating skills, Tobirama isn’t even Konoha’s best, is he?” Madara said, puffing up with pride.

“Excuse me?” Hashirama, whose decision was leaning toward Tobirama, frowned at Madara’s bold claim.

“Ridiculous! I admit there are better negotiators in Konoha, but none of them understand tailed beasts like I do,” Tobirama snapped, his temper flaring.

“Someone better at both negotiation and understanding tailed beasts?” Hashirama’s face lit up with realization. He looked at Tobirama with a complex expression. “Tobirama, it seems Madara is starting to think strategically. You’ll need to step up your game.”

“Hmph! And who’s better than me at all that?” Tobirama asked, smugly patting his chest before hesitating mid-sentence.

“Tobirama, there is someone who’s better,” Hashirama said, a complicated look on his face. The balance of his judgment was tipped.

Meanwhile, at the village’s cold drink shop, Uchiha Gin was staring at a group of younger ninja devouring shaved ice with gusto. Suddenly, a messenger ninja entered the shop.

“Hashirama wants to see me?” Gin raised an eyebrow, intrigued.