238. Capture

With a hostage in the enemy’s hands, Tobirama Senju had no choice but to lower his white-haired head to the curly-haired figure before him.

"Has this guy taken the wrong medicine?"

The sudden turn of events made Uchiha Gin suspect whether this white-haired man was an imposter. Tobirama actually spoke politely!

Gin activated his heightened sensory abilities and scanned him from head to toe. Confirming it was indeed Tobirama himself, Gin relaxed and nodded with satisfaction.

"Hmph. Since you’re so sincere, I’ll tell you about the origins of these dolls."

Gin's gaze bypassed Tobirama's perplexed expression and landed on the eight dolls neatly arranged in the display case. He gestured toward them and began explaining:

"These are creatures known as Tailed Beasts. Don’t be fooled by their cute doll-like appearance. In reality, they’re massive beings, spanning hundreds of feet in length."

As he spoke, Gin picked up a chubby doll from the display and continued,
"For example, this tanuki here is called Shukaku. Right now, it’s imprisoned in the Land of Wind."

"Imprisoned? What do you mean?"

Quick-witted as ever, Tobirama carefully examined the tanuki doll in Gin’s hands, imagining a hundred-meter-tall Shukaku rampaging through the land. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked further.

"These creatures are essentially made of chakra and can be sealed. As luck would have it, poor Shukaku was sealed by people from the Land of Wind."

Gin squeezed the chubby face of the Shukaku doll and patiently explained.

"Chakra constructs... doesn’t that mean they can be utilized?"

Scheming as always, Tobirama's scarlet eyes glinted with a dangerous light after hearing Gin’s explanation. A plan involving the Tailed Beasts began forming in his mind.

"Ownerless property belongs to the capable," he thought.

"But how do you know such classified information?"

Tobirama snapped out of his thoughts and turned a sharp gaze toward Gin. How could this laid-back Uchiha know such a secret? Could it be false?

"I don’t have many hobbies, but I do love making friends. Coincidentally, I have a close buddy in the Land of Wind who told me about this," Gin replied with a straight face, his expression sincere.

"You have friends in the Land of Wind?"

Tobirama raised a skeptical brow, finding it hard to believe this recluse had connections abroad.

"My connections span the globe. Mention my name anywhere, and you’ll enjoy the finest hospitality."

"Hmph."

"Sure."

Unconvinced, Tobirama dismissed the exaggeration and shifted focus to the other dolls.

"Do you have information on the other Tailed Beasts?"

"That, I don’t know. But these creatures are enormous and have distinct features. With a little investigation, you could find clues."

Though puzzled by Tobirama’s sudden interest, Gin shared everything he knew—or didn’t know.

"Are there only these few Tailed Beasts?"

Counting the seven remaining beasts in the display case, Tobirama asked again.

"There are nine in total. I’m missing one to complete my collection."

Gin sighed regretfully, glancing at the empty spot meant for the Nine-Tails doll.

"Complete what?"

At this moment, Hashirama and Madara, having finished their heart-to-heart, joined the conversation, curious about the topic.

"Tailed Beasts. I just need the Nine-Tails to complete my doll set," Gin explained, placing the Shukaku doll back.

"Nine-Tails? Do you mean the Nine-Tailed Fox?"

Hashirama’s eyes lit up as he stroked his chin, recalling a story he had heard.

"Uh, Hashirama, how do you know about this?"

"Haha! An elder in my clan once told me about a beast called the Nine-Tailed Fox, a hundred-foot-tall creature known for its violent temperament and appetite for mischievous children who don’t sleep at night."

"Stop! What kind of bedtime story is that? I’ve never heard it before."

Tobirama interrupted, feeling something was off.

"That’s because you always fell asleep right away and missed story time," Hashirama replied wistfully.

"The Nine-Tailed Fox..."

Now certain of the Tailed Beasts’ existence, Tobirama's mind raced with a bold plan. He turned to Gin and offered,

"If you’re missing the Nine-Tails, how about I catch a real one for you to keep in your backyard?"

"Hah! The mere thought of that beast submitting is laughable," Gin replied, though his amused gaze lingered on Madara.

Madara, however, puffed out his chest confidently.
"Hah! Even a wild beast must bow before an Uchiha. Leave it to me."

____

The Next Day

The peace was interrupted in Madara’s office as Izuna burst in with a document.

"Brother! Look at this—Tobirama’s up to something again!"

Grabbing the paper, Madara's eyes widened as he read:

"Tailed Beast Hunting Contest?"

The announcement stated that the next Hokage would be decided based on the number of Tailed Beasts captured.

Madara’s shock quickly turned into excitement.

"Fair? No, this is brilliant! The Hokage title is as good as mine!"

Meanwhile, across the village, groans echoed among the clans as the absurdity of the competition dawned on them.

"Tailed Beasts are untamable monsters! This is madness!"

But one ninja muttered curiously,
"I wonder... does Tailed Beast meat taste any good?"



The round and chubby Akimichi Shinji patted his big belly, squinted his eyes, and said with a smile,

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. The announcement says that the Tailed Beasts are suspected to be chakra entities, with no actual flesh and blood."

The spiky-haired man sitting in the center was carefully reading the notice, attempting to extract more information.

"Can we just let it go? Becoming Hokage? The Yamanaka clan isn’t interested. All we want right now is to make money."

The only woman present, Yamanaka Minako, had a delicate face marred by deep dark circles under her eyes, making her look like she hadn’t slept in days.

Listening to the others discuss the Tailed Beasts, she appeared uninterested. After all, with billions in debt and interest payments of millions daily, how could she sleep well?

"I see. This is the Senju Clan trying to discourage us."

After analyzing for a while, the spiky-haired man raised his head, wearing a knowing expression as he addressed Sarutobi Sasuke, the backbone of their group.

"I think so too," Sarutobi Sasuke nodded in agreement. He then looked around and said loudly,
"The Senju are currently dominant, so we should bide our time and gather strength. One day, the position of Hokage will come to us ninja clans!"

His eyes sparkled with determination as he spoke, firmly believing that his Sarutobi clan would one day produce a leader worthy of the village.

"Hmph, of course!"

Shimura Kenichi stood up in agreement, convinced that one of his descendants would surely become Hokage.

"Hahaha, as for us Akimichi, as long as we eat well, it doesn’t matter who becomes Hokage!"

"Hokage, huh..."

The spiky-haired man from the Nara Clan's eyes glimmered with wisdom. In his view, leadership required brains, not brute force.

"Money, money, money..."

Meanwhile, in an ancient and luxurious courtyard, a weary-looking elder with Byakugan held the announcement, lost in thought. After a long silence, he raised his head and asked the young man standing respectfully before him,
"Tenya, what do you think?"

"Father, if we mobilize the full power of the Hyuga Clan, we stand a significant chance of capturing a Tailed Beast. But relying on a single individual? That’s a fool's errand."

Despite his usual rebellious demeanor, Hyuga Tenya appeared docile and respectful in front of his father.

"Sigh, Senju Hashirama is trying to discourage us from competing."

The elder's weary eyes betrayed his frustration. Having lived a long life, he was no longer the ambitious man he once was. His thoughts now felt weighed down by worldly burdens, much like the caged bird seal placed on the branch families. The main family, too, was no better than a caged bird.

"What about us?"

Tenya cautiously asked, watching his father with concern.

"Our Hyuga Clan will withdraw from the competition for Hokage. And you, stop meeting with that Uchiha. It's time to take sides, and we can’t let the Senju Clan have an excuse to criticize us."

He had initially thought that the Hokage position would be earned through merit, but now it was clear that Tobirama’s tactics were meant to dissuade the ninja clans and pave the way for his brother’s ascension.

"Lord Gin is a noble man. He would never get involved in political strife," Tenya protested, showing rare defiance when it came to Uchiha Gin, someone he greatly respected for his mentorship.

"Life is unpredictable. But his surname is Uchiha, after all. Starting today, you’ll stay in the shrine to study our ancestors' teachings."

Surprised by his son’s defiance, the elder resolved to act. Tenya would be confined to the shrine, effectively grounded until the Hokage matter was settled.

Meanwhile, at the Senju Clan’s office, Hashirama looked at a stack of "voluntary withdrawal agreements" with a headache. His plan to involve all ninja clans in the Hokage selection had backfired. Tobirama's "Tailed Beast Hunting Competition" announcement had scared them all off.

"I understand their withdrawal, but I have my reasons," Tobirama calmly explained. He handed his brother detailed research on the Tailed Beasts, emphasizing their destructive power and immortality.

"Tailed Beasts can be used as weapons of war?" Hashirama's relaxed expression turned serious as he read the reports.

"Yes. If controlled properly, they can be unleashed on enemies, causing massive destruction before being resealed. Their potential as weapons cannot be ignored," Tobirama explained.

Realizing the threat Tailed Beasts posed to the village, Hashirama agreed to Tobirama's plan to secure them for Konoha’s protection. However, he couldn't help but notice that the drawings of the Tailed Beasts in Tobirama's report looked unusually cute.

"Ahem. I used the Uchiha family’s Tailed Beast plushies as references," Tobirama admitted.

Elsewhere, Uchiha Madara was preparing for the hunt. Holding a plushie, he seemed ready to charge off aimlessly until his cousin Gin intervened, offering a golden coin as a token to a reliable informant in the ninja world.

"Madara, please don’t fly around blindly. Use this to gather intelligence."

Though skeptical, Madara accepted the coin, setting the stage for the fierce competition ahead.