266. Imminent War

Peaceful days are always so fleeting...

Inside the brand-new Hokage building:

“Ha-ha~ Madara, wanna hang out after work and play a few rounds?”

“Let’s get this straight: I don’t have any money, so don’t expect me to pay off your gambling debts!”

“It’s a sure win, trust me!”

Hashirama Senju, who had returned to his post, was working on some paperwork while casually chatting with Uchiha Madara next to him. Both wore faint smiles, creating a harmonious scene.

"Thud, thud, thud!"
"Creak!"

However, the peaceful atmosphere was shattered by hurried footsteps and the sudden forceful opening of the office door. Tobirama Senju, holding a document with a slightly grim expression, strode in.

“Ah? Tobirama, we were just discussing work!”

Seeing his brother’s dark face, Hashirama immediately shrank his neck and quickly explained.

“I don’t care about such things!”

With a furrowed brow, Tobirama slammed the document onto the table and angrily shouted, casting a sharp glare at Madara beside him.

“Calm down, calm down. Madara, make Tobirama some tea!”

“Hmph!”

When asked to make tea for Tobirama, Madara turned his head with a huff, gazing at the scenery outside the window as if he hadn’t heard.

“No need, I’d rather not risk getting poisoned.”

After taking a moment to compose himself, Tobirama rolled his eyes discreetly and turned his attention to the document on the desk.

“Big Brother, war has broken out.”

“What?!”

The jovial Hashirama froze instantly at the news. A flash of chilling killing intent appeared in his black eyes as his aura shifted. Frowning deeply, he picked up the document from the table.

As he read through it, his expression gradually softened.

“Phew~ Turns out it’s the Land of Earth and the Land of Water fighting each other. I thought the Land of Fire was being invaded!”

After finishing, Hashirama let out a long sigh of relief. Though his face didn’t show a smile, his demeanor was noticeably more relaxed.

According to the document Tobirama brought, tensions between the Land of Earth and the Land of Water had escalated recently, leading to the deployment of many ninjas. The situation between the two nations had become dire.

“The Land of Water is so far from the Land of Earth. Why would they insist on starting a war? That doesn’t make sense,” Madara asked, his face showing some puzzlement as he came over to glance at the document.

“Reports from the coastal areas suggest the Land of Water’s influence in the Eastern Sea has suddenly diminished. A large region was occupied by the Land of Whirlpools, forcing them to extend their maritime territory northward, thus clashing with the Land of Earth.”

Huh? When did the Land of Whirlpools get so powerful?

“What about the Land of Lightning?”

If the Land of Water wanted to expand north, they would have to pass through the maritime territory of the Land of Lightning. Given their bandit-like nature, it was unlikely they’d relinquish their routes so easily.

“That’s unclear. They might have reached some unspeakable agreement,” Tobirama replied, lacking intelligence on that front and refraining from speculation.

“So if it’s not about us, why were you so worked up earlier?” Madara rolled his eyes and tossed the document back onto the table, crossing his arms with an exasperated expression.

“Typical of the underdeveloped brains of the Uchiha clan,” Tobirama quipped, throwing a dismissive glance at Madara with a sneer.

“Tobirama, you—”

“All right, all right, stop arguing!”

Seeing the two bickering again, Hashirama quickly got up to mediate, fearing they might destroy the newly inaugurated Hokage building.

“Hmph, I won’t stoop to your level.”

Knowing it wasn’t the time for disputes, Tobirama snorted and focused back on his brother, detailing the overlooked parts of the document:

“Big Brother, while the Land of Earth and the Land of Water haven’t directly involved us, our neighbor, the Land of Taki, has declared itself an ally of the Land of Earth and joined the war.”

“The Land of Taki?”

“Correct. If the Land of Earth allies with the Land of Taki, the Land of Water is destined to lose. Though not as strong as the Five Great Nations, the Land of Taki is formidable among smaller countries. Their Hidden Taki Village boasts many elite ninjas. With their support, the Land of Water will suffer greatly.”

“And how does that concern us?”

“Big Brother, think long-term! If the Land of Earth wins, they won’t stop there. Once the Land of Water retreats to their island to recover, what do you think a war-hardened and resource-depleted Land of Earth will do next?”

“Target us?”

Hashirama’s face hardened as he realized Tobirama’s point.

“Exactly. They could use the Land of Taki as a route to invade the wealthy Land of Fire to replenish their losses.”

“No way! I’m leaving now!”

Hashirama jumped to his feet, ready to head out without even changing.

“And what are you going to do?” Tobirama quickly stopped him.

“I’ll mediate!”

Hashirama’s plan was to act as a mediator, stepping in to end the war himself.

“Big Brother, you’re too naive. Conflicts between nations only escalate over time. You alone cannot achieve peace in the ninja world.”

“Then what’s your plan?”

Tobirama smirked confidently, “It’s time to use the Tailed Beasts.”

“Tailed Beasts?”

“Yes, we’ll distribute them to the great nations to maintain balance. This way, everyone will hesitate to start a war, knowing the risks.”

Madara was immediately incensed, “No way! You want to give the beasts I helped capture to our enemies? Over my dead body!”

Hashirama, however, began to see Tobirama’s cleverness: the distribution would not only prevent wars but also burden nations with the cost of controlling the beasts, making them less inclined to fight.

“Fine, let’s proceed with your plan,” Hashirama said, settling back into his seat with newfound calm.

Madara, still fuming, crossed his arms and muttered, “Idiots.”


Tobirama Senju, frustrated by the ongoing conversation, waved his hand dismissively, implying that this was not worth discussing further.

“Brother, just tell me: yes or no!”

“Don’t agree to it, Hashirama!”

Uchiha Madara and Tobirama stood on either side of Hashirama, putting him in a difficult position.

Faced with such a tense situation, Hashirama was clearly torn.

“Let’s discuss this further—”

“No!”

“You need to give an answer now. Pick me or him!”

Before Hashirama, ever the peacemaker, could finish his sentence, Madara suddenly kissed him.

Deep down, Hashirama, who leaned toward resolving conflicts peacefully, couldn’t bear to see the village he had just founded fall into chaos. With regret in his heart, he looked at Madara and softly said:

“Forgive me, Madara—just this once.”

Thud!

The expectant expression on Madara’s face froze. Years of camaraderie culminated in this betrayal. Silent and heartbroken, he ignored Tobirama’s victorious smirk and stormed out of the room.

True heartbreak, after all, isn’t loud or dramatic—it’s quiet.

“Brother, you can apologize to him after work. For now, look at my proposal,” Tobirama said, handing over a meticulously prepared plan to Hashirama.

Hashirama sighed softly and sat back in his Hokage’s chair, the weight of leadership pressing on him.

Madara could afford to throw a tantrum and storm off. Hashirama, as the Hokage, had much more to consider.

“He’s old enough to manage his emotions,” Hashirama thought to himself before shifting his attention to the proposal.

“Hmm… a Five Kage Summit?”


---

Meanwhile, outside the Hokage building, Madara lingered, hoping Hashirama would come after him. But as the minutes dragged on and no one appeared, his heart sank further.

“Damn that white-haired bastard! Hashirama shouldn’t have saved him back then!” he muttered before storming off toward the Uchiha compound.

“Greetings, Lord Clan Leader.”

Madara’s icy demeanor and oppressive aura silenced the guards at the entrance, leaving them petrified.

“Whew, thought I was going to die! Who upset the clan leader this time?” one guard whispered as Madara disappeared into the compound.


---

“Big brother! You actually came home?” Uchiha Izuna exclaimed in surprise.

“Why, is that so strange?” Madara’s expression softened at the sight of his younger brother, his frosty demeanor melting away.

“I thought you’d abandoned us to move into the Hokage’s office,” Izuna teased.

Madara raised an eyebrow. “Run away? Have you ever heard of a Hokage fleeing?”

“Brother, did you finally win?”

“Almost!” Madara replied, though his tone lacked conviction.

“I’ll be at the Naka Shrine for a few days. Unless Hashirama personally comes to see me, I won’t meet anyone,” Madara declared.

Izuna sighed, realizing his brother was just sulking over a spat with Hashirama.

At the shrine, Madara sat before the Uchiha clan’s sacred stone tablet, his curiosity piqued.

“Let’s see what secrets the ancestors left behind…”

But in the shadows nearby, a dark presence emerged, watching Madara with unsettling anticipation.

“It’s finally happening…”


---

Back at the Hokage’s office, Hashirama beamed as he presented an invitation letter he had personally written.

“What do you think, Tobirama?”

“It’s… fine, I guess,” Tobirama said reluctantly, his expression stiff as he read the overly humble wording.

“Well, it’ll work. Get them here first; we’ll deal with the rest later,” Tobirama concluded.


---

Land of Wind

In the fledgling Sunagakure, the First Kazekage, Reto, frowned at a financial report.

“Money! Everything needs money!”

“Lord Reto, a letter for you!”

“A letter from the Daimyō?”

“No, it’s from Hashirama of the Hidden Leaf,” the messenger replied, handing over the letter.

Reto’s eyebrows lifted as he read.

“A Five Kage Summit? What is Hashirama planning?”


---

Land of Water

In Kirigakure, the First Mizukage, Byakuren, inspected a wounded subordinate.

“Byakuren-sama, you have a letter from the Hidden Leaf,” a young assistant announced.

Byakuren opened the letter and chuckled softly.

“A Five Kage Summit? This might be the way out we’ve been seeking.”


---

Land of Earth

In Iwagakure, the First Tsuchikage, Ishikawa, was deep in negotiations when his student Onoki interrupted with a letter.

“This better be important, Onoki. You need to be as steady as stone,” Ishikawa admonished.

“It’s a letter from Hashirama of the Hidden Leaf,” Onoki stammered.

Reading the letter, Ishikawa laughed dismissively.

“Hashirama’s naivety never ceases to amaze me.”

Yet the mention of tail beasts gave him pause.

“Perhaps I should attend…”