Chapter 118: A Silent Contest; Madara vs. Hiruzen
The Uchiha Estate.
Tobirama Senju watched the reaction of the Uchiha clan with a clinical eye.
If he could help it, he obviously wouldn't choose to spend his time insulting
himself. But given his reputation among the Uchiha, it was impossible to become
an "influencer" without taking a hard stance on the existence known as Tobirama
Senju.
Even though the Second Hokage believed he had never targeted the Uchiha out of
malice—that every policy had been for the survival of the village—he knew that
logic didn't work here. To win over these "Red-Eyed Melodramatics," he had to
use his past self as a sacrificial lamb. He had to lead the chant of his own
condemnation to earn their empathy.
Unsurprisingly, as Seisui (Tobirama) tore into the Second Hokage, the Uchiha
veterans nodded in fierce agreement.
I have to play the part, Tobirama mused. I'll denounce my past methods, but I'll
use that momentum to elevate Saru and Hashirama. I'll reinforce the current
administration's legitimacy by making myself the historical villain. It
preserves the village's stability while giving me the keys to the clan.
It was a masterclass in psychological subversion—and since he was analyzing
himself, he knew exactly where the weak points were.
"Tobirama Senju is a name that was alien to me until two months ago," Seisui
said, his voice echoing in the training field. "But since arriving here, I've
heard a thousand stories. I've scoured our archives. I've questioned our
elders."
This wasn't a lie. While researching Madara and Izuna, Tobirama had "subtly"
asked about himself. Hearing the Uchiha elders curse his name provided a
strange, cathartic sense of satisfaction. It was like a criminal returning to
the scene of a crime to admire his own handiwork.
"I understand your hatred. His policies were designed to make us feel like
outcasts in our own home. They were cold. They were calculated."
"But we cannot stop at curses! We must be smarter! We must 'Know the Enemy, and
take the Enemy's Strength'!"
"Take his jutsus, for example. The man lacked a Sharingan, yet he possessed the
genius to invent the Flying Raijin specifically to kill Lord Izuna. It was a
cowardly, underhanded strike, yes—but we must recognize the power of that
innovation!"
"We cannot rot in the past, dreaming of the days when the Great Patriarch ruled
the battlefield! We are stagnant!"
Seisui's voice turned low and gravelly. "Therefore, for the sake of our
bloodline, I will study this 'Enemy of the Uchiha.' I will strip his techniques
of their Senju origin and weaponize them for us!"
"I have a gift for Ninjutsu. If you trust me, I will work with you to develop
arts that are actually worthy of our eyes!"
"And mark my words: the current Hokage is not like his master."
"Lord Hiruzen carries the spirit of the First. He understands that I am working
for the village and the clan simultaneously. He is not blinded by the Second's
paranoia."
Elder Isshin stood in deep thought.
The first half of Seisui's speech? Isshin agreed with every fiber of his being.
Cursing Tobirama was a clan hobby, but Seisui was right—cursing a dead man
didn't put food on the table or power in their eyes. They needed to evolve. They
needed to out-research the researcher.
But the second half—the praise for Hiruzen? Isshin was hesitant.
A year ago, he would have rejected it instantly. But lately, the evidence was
piling up.
The pensions. The child support. The pay raises for the Police Force. Hiruzen
wasn't "caging" them with rules; he was "capping" them with prosperity. Even
Isshin couldn't find a way to frame a welfare check as an act of war without
looking like a lunatic.
Then there was the "Secret Meeting" at the Hokage Rock. Hiruzen had looked
Isshin in the eye and essentially said: "I know the kid is a miracle. I'm giving
him back to you anyway because I trust the Uchiha."
Hiruzen knows Seisui is an 'Izuna-tier' talent, yet he力排眾議 (brushed aside all
opposition) to let him join the clan, Isshin realized. The Hokage's reputation
for 'Fairness' isn't a lie. He's been a better 'Master' to us than the actual
Master was.
Isshin stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Seisui.
"Seisui is correct!" Isshin shouted. "The Third is the Third. Tobirama is the
Dead Dog."
"Even if the Hokage was the Second's student, the whole world knows he follows
the path of Lord Hashirama! We must recognize the difference! We do not pick a
fight with a man who treats us like family!"
The Great Decoupling had begun.
Tobirama (as Seisui) smirked inwardly. Isshin is quite the politician. He's
separating my legacy from Saru's administration with surgical precision.
It's annoying that everyone believes I'm the problem and Saru is the solution...
but as long as it works, I'll accept the 'Dead Dog' label. After all, he's my
student. His win is my win.
"The Hokage is different!" En Uchiha shouted from the crowd, his one arm raised
high. "He gave me this cigarette case! He treated me like a man! I'll back the
Clan Head on this—the Monkey is a straight-shooter!"
The Uchiha elites erupted into cheers. Even the "Hawks" found it hard to argue
against a leader who was currently making them richer than they'd been in forty
years.
In the Mountains' Graveyard.
Madara Uchiha hummed, his Rinnegan glowing. "Interesting..."
"This boy... he wants to synthesize my strength, Izuna's character, and
Tobirama's techniques?"
Madara had initially been repulsed by the "Senju Software" running on Seisui's
Uchiha hardware. But Seisui's explanation—that he was "studying the enemy to
conquer him"—resonated with Madara's own warrior logic.
To kill a god, you must first understand his divinity, Madara thought.
"If Seisui becomes my heir... he will be the ultimate Uchiha. A man with Izuna's
face, my will, and the stolen genius of the Second Hokage."
"This is the perfect revenge against Tobirama Senju. His own jutsus will be the
ones that complete the Infinite Tsukuyomi!"
Madara began to laugh—a low, satisfied rumble. He was already imagining the look
on a reanimated Tobirama's face when he saw an "Uchiha Genius" using the Flying
Raijin to end the world.
"Lord Madara, you're laughing again. It's creepy," a White Zetsu noted.
"Hmph." Madara ignored the clone. His tactical brain was finally back in gear.
"Seisui's loyalty to the village is deep. He's been bought by Saru's kindness.
Logic won't break him."
"Kindness is a fantasy. It only exists in the absence of pressure."
Madara crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing.
"I need to dismantle the Will of Fire. I need to show Seisui that the village is
just a different kind of cage—one that will sacrifice him the moment the 'Rules'
demand it."
"I need a stage. A mission where the 'Shinobi Code' and the 'Will of Fire'
collide."
"I'll force the Hokage to choose between a 'Tool' and a 'Comrade.' And when the
system breaks Seisui's heart, I will be there to offer him the Moon."
The Uchiha Estate.
"Seisui, get your thoughts in order," Isshin said solemnly.
"The Hidden Mist delegation will be arriving in a few days. As a High
Commissioner, I'll be attending the summit. They're sending Elder Genji to offer
a formal apology for the 'Grass Incident.' They're even bringing a 'National
Treasure' to gift to the Hokage."
"Seven days from now, we will hold a Grand Clan Meeting at the Naka Shrine."
"I've cleared it with Hiruzen. Even the Police Force members on duty will be
given a rotation break to attend."
Isshin looked at Seisui with a look of heavy expectation. "That will be your
night, boy. Show them who the Uchiha are meant to be."
Tobirama (Seisui) nodded. "Understood, Elder."
Apologies from the Mist? National treasures? A Grand Meeting?
The board is getting crowded, Tobirama thought. But if everyone is coming to the
party, I'd better make sure I'm the one picking the music.
☆☆☆
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