Chapter 501
Tobirama, learning from Akatsuki is an urgent matter!
Chapter 501 Tobirama, learning from Akatsuki is an urgent matter!
The negotiation ended with both of them harboring their own ulterior motives.
With a soft creak, the study door was pulled open again.
Uchiha Makoto walked ahead with a refreshed and light step, while Senju Tobirama, who was half a step behind him, exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay, and followed behind without saying a word.
The two walked one after the other through the slightly dimly lit corridor and returned to the spacious meeting room they had just been in.
Inside the room, Hashirama Senju was sitting cross-legged on the tatami mat, completely unconcerned.
The tea on the table in front of him had been changed three or four times, but this did not affect his good mood at all. He was happily waiting for the result of his younger brother's "friendly exchange" with Uchiha Makoto, humming an unknown Konoha country tune, looking leisurely and carefree.
At this moment, Tobirama Senju, who had just learned of the betrayal by the Konoha ninja clan and even the Senju clan, was in an extremely bad mood.
As a result, the moment Tobirama Senju stepped into the room and looked up, his gaze met Hashirama Senju's iconic smile.
"Hey! Tobirama, Makoto! You're done talking?"
"How was it? How was it? Have you cleared up all the misunderstandings from before?"
"I knew it! We've all known each other for a long time. If we sit down and have a good talk, and speak our minds, there's no knot in this world that can't be untied..."
Upon hearing the door open, Hashirama Senju immediately straightened up, beaming with excitement, and waved to the two people who came out.
Hearing this naive, almost idiotic statement, Tobirama Senju's mood immediately became even more gloomy.
"Ah... Lord Hashirama, of course."
"Tobirama and I have known each other for many years; we've had a long-standing friendship."
"The bonds between us, forged from our collaborations since the village's inception," cannot be explained in just a few words.
"Konoha and Akatsuki are separated only by a strip of water, and are as close as family."
"Since we're all family, what misunderstanding can't be resolved?"
At this moment, Uchiha Makoto was in a very good mood, his face beaming with smiles, and he continued to speak in the same vein as Senju Hashirama. He even subtly emphasized the words "old friendship" and "like family."
Beside Uchiha Makoto, Senju Tobirama coldly observed Uchiha Makoto's hypocritical and pretentious face.
His older brother was an idiot and couldn't understand the hidden meaning in those words, but how could Tobirama Senju not understand?
What does it mean to be "as close as family"?
Uchiha Makoto is practically considering Konoha as his own possession. If Akatsuki were to annex Konoha, they would be "as close as family."
However, on the surface, Tobirama Senju could only swallow his anger.
After all, circumstances are beyond our control.
His older brother was too naive.
Even if I told my older brother about this news that concerns the life and death of the village, given his naive personality, he wouldn't believe it. He might even turn around and accuse me of being paranoid, thinking that I was just being suspicious and that I was deliberately fabricating these lies to exclude the Uchiha clan out of prejudice against them and jealousy of Makoto Uchiha's talent.
I have no choice but to endure it now!
The atmosphere in the room became somewhat heavy for a moment.
Hashirama Senju, completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere in the room, pulled Makoto Uchiha down to sit and began to chatter enthusiastically.
"Cheng, please sit down! I have so much to talk to you about!"
Actually, putting aside his purpose in attending Madara Uchiha's funeral, Hashirama Senju had been harboring many questions and had long wanted to find an opportunity to ask Makoto Uchiha in person.
Hashirama Senju's journey from Konoha to Akatsuki was not simply a matter of traveling.
He witnessed firsthand the series of major actions carried out by the Akatsuki in that vast territory of one-fifth of the Land of Fire, which they had already effectively controlled.
These actions were completely different from, and even contrary to, the traditional principles that Hashirama Senju had always upheld and practiced. In the past, Hashirama Senju would have considered this an extremely dangerous transgression that could have caused chaos in the ninja world.
But reality gave him a harsh lesson.
He saw it.
He clearly saw the heartfelt reverence and fervent light in the eyes of ordinary people on that land when they mentioned Akatsuki Village and the name Uchiha Makoto. He had only ever seen that hopeful look in their eyes before, back when Konoha had just been established and everyone had finally ushered in peace.
In stark and ironic contrast, when ordinary people learned that Konoha ninjas had forcibly rescued nobles and taken away their enormous wealth in order to carry out a protection mission ordered by the Daimyo and nobles, the ordinary people's eyes revealed undisguised contempt, indifference, and even hatred.
The extremely intense visual and psychological impact of this journey deeply shook Hashirama Senju's originally unbreakable beliefs.
This kind of wavering is something that Madara Uchiha could not achieve back then.
Makoto Uchiha is different from Madara Uchiha.
That night at the Nakagawa Shrine, Madara Uchiha fell into an extremely obsessive and fanatical state, focusing solely on...
The earth was saying strange things to Hashirama Senju, such as "true dreams," "the path guided by the stone tablet," and "false peace," which were all nonsensical and lacked any basis in reality.
He gave no room for communication whatsoever, and then walked away without a second thought.
When the two met again, Madara Uchiha was already standing on the Nine-Tails, planning to demolish the Konoha they had jointly built.
Faced with the rage that threatened to destroy everything in the village, Hashirama Senju tried to dissuade him again and again. In the end, in order to protect Konoha, he had no choice but to take the drastic step of severing the bond he cherished most with his own hands.
But Uchiha Makoto was different.
Uchiha Makoto possessed an extremely mature theory of social reconstruction, which he put into practice within the actual control area of Akatsuki Village, presenting Hashirama Senju with a reality where there was no daimyo exploitation, no noble privileges, and commoners and ninjas created wealth together.
It was a vibrant and thriving place, where everything was flourishing.
Although Hashirama Senju was innocent and naive, and somewhat slow to understand human relationships, he was not stupid.
As the one who brought an end to the Warring States period, he possessed his own keen intuition.
In many cases, he simply didn't want to think the worst of people, didn't want to confront the darkest and most selfish corners of human nature, and didn't want to use cruel and bloody methods to resolve differences and conflicts.
Because he had witnessed too much death, he longed for peace.
Even if it is a distorted peace that needs to be maintained with lies and compromises.
But now, faced with the prosperity of Akatsuki, he wanted to understand the reasons behind it. Even a very bold idea was brewing deep within him—if Uchiha Makoto was right, perhaps Konoha could learn from him.
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