The "lawyer's letter" sent by Senju Butsuma was ignored by everyone.
Three days later, nothing happened.
And over the next ten years...
Arisu never changed his original intention and continued to do things his own way.
He focused wholeheartedly on expanding Konoha's commercial territory, digging deep into the economy, pushing development hard, and quietly accumulating strength and wealth.
Internally, Arisu listed Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Madara, Senju Tobirama, and Uchiha Izuna as core training targets, designating them early on as the backbone of Konoha's second-generation governing team.
He taught according to their individual talents, cultivating them with precision. He devoted his efforts to refining Hashirama and Madara, turning the two into Konoha's top combat pillars.
At the same time, he focused on tempering Tobirama and Izuna's abilities in governance, strategy, internal administration, decision-making, and planning, enabling them to shoulder the heavy responsibility of ruling Konoha and guiding clan development.
Meanwhile, Arisu carried out sweeping reforms to improve and enrich the ninja school system. Not only did he build a fully structured ninja academy, but he also innovatively established civilian schools.
This comprehensively raised the overall quality of Konoha's residents.
From the root, it eliminated the toxic tendencies within the village of the strong bullying the weak and rampant harassment.
It prevented situations like in later generations, where a bunch of unruly villagers in Konoha would bully Naruto in the morning and bully Hinata in the afternoon.
Externally, he always held high the banner of peace, constantly extending goodwill to the major clans of the ninja world, repeatedly calling on all sides to set aside past grudges, come together under Konoha, and jointly build a stable era.
For outsiders who voluntarily sneaked into Konoha seeking a peaceful life, Arisu uniformly provided living subsidies and proper resettlement benefits.
But for those with ill intentions who tried to stir trouble within Konoha, Arisu showed no mercy and refused them outright.
However, long-term peaceful development eventually planted significant drawbacks.
Konoha as a whole became immersed in a stable and smooth atmosphere. A considerable portion of the ninja gradually lost their fighting spirit and the courage to face real warfare.
Just like in the original story, where the Uchiha clan grew tired of conflict and isolated Uchiha Madara, this kind of war-averse mindset spread more and more within Konoha.
There was no need to mention the Hyuga clan. Ever since receiving the token of exemption from war from the Sage of Six Paths, they had stayed far from conflict, keeping to themselves, long accustomed to living in peace.
Even the once fierce and warlike Uchiha clan gradually let go of the desire to fight amid this prolonged peace. The vast majority of the clan no longer wished to ignite bloody conflicts.
What was even more unexpected...
The ones within Konoha who most desired to start a war were actually various civilian groups.
Trapped within fixed social classes and unable to achieve upward mobility, they longed to use a great war to break the existing structure, to use the flames of war to free themselves from class constraints and completely change their fate.
It was precisely this difference in ideology that gradually gave rise to two major factions within Konoha.
The dove faction, led by Arisu, adhered to peaceful development and steady progress, unwilling to easily provoke war.
The hawk faction, centered around Uchiha Tajima, Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama, Izuna, and others, advocated launching a unification war of the ninja world, hoping to end the chaotic era through decisive force.
Over these nearly twenty years, under Arisu's careful cultivation, Hashirama, Madara, and the others had grown rapidly, long shedding their youthful immaturity and becoming the pillars supporting Konoha.
In terms of strength and prestige among the younger generation of Konoha, none could match them.
Only Madara and Izuna had yet to awaken the Uchiha clan's supreme Mangekyō Sharingan.
Arisu had protected them too thoroughly. They had never experienced the life-and-death separations, the blood and tears of losing loved ones like in the original story, and thus naturally lacked the conditions to awaken the Mangekyō.
The current Uchiha Madara had healthy parents, his younger brother by his side, and great-grandfather Arisu protecting and guiding him with all his strength.
His life was stable and smooth. His state of mind was far gentler and calmer than in the original story, with less obsession and loneliness, and more grounded stability. The difference in circumstances was like night and day.
The environment really can change a person.
Inside the elders' building...
"Grandfather, I really can't understand! Our Konoha has focused on development for nearly twenty years."
"Our strength already surpasses the entire ninja world, yet the new generation has never experienced true tempering in war!"
"If we keep delaying like this, our clansmen will only grow more and more afraid of war. When war actually comes, I'm afraid everyone will be at a loss!", Tajima spoke anxiously in admonition.
Watching Konoha day after day doing nothing but taking missions, earning resources, and blindly focusing on development...
Arisu was just too patient. Too focused on development.
For nearly twenty years, not a single major war had been started. Tajima had long grown restless, feeling that Arisu was overly restrained and cautious, always unwilling to take the crucial step toward unifying the ninja world.
Arisu saw through Tajima's impatience at a glance.
To be fair, Tajima's urgency wasn't without reason.
Because in the original story, at this point, Uchiha Madara and Hashirama had already begun establishing Konoha.
Yet he himself had still not unified the world.
Although Konoha had been established earlier, unification had been delayed by quite a bit.
Arisu remained calm and composed as he slowly spoke to reassure him. "Do not be anxious. We must never take the initiative to start a war."
"Only when others strike first, and we have just cause, can we firmly hold the moral high ground."
Hearing this, Uchiha Tajima's expression tightened. In his urgency, he spoke without thinking, "If we keep waiting like this, who knows how long it will take!"
"If it really comes to it, we could deliberately provoke something at another clan's border, claim that one of our ninja went missing there, and use that as a pretext to act. What do you think?"
"Oh?"
Arisu looked at Tajima in surprise at first.
Then a flash of insight suddenly appeared in his eyes, as if everything became clear in an instant. An excellent idea quickly took shape in his mind.
"Tajima, what you just said… that actually reminds me!"
Arisu lightly tapped his hand, his tone carrying a hint of realization and certainty.
Tajima froze for a moment, then hope flashed in his eyes. He quickly stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Grandfather, have you thought of a solution?"
A mysterious smile curved on Arisu's lips. He beckoned him closer. "Come here. I've thought of a plan that kills two birds with one stone."
Tajima stepped forward as told and leaned in close beside Arisu. Arisu lowered his voice and whispered several sentences into his ear.
After hearing the plan, Tajima's eyes instantly lit up with excitement, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement.
But a moment later, hesitation appeared on his face, his brows slightly furrowed.
Tajima spoke hesitantly, "This plan is indeed brilliant. It gives us just cause and pushes the situation forward!"
"But… using this to make Madara and Izuna awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan… is that really a good thing or a bad thing…"
The scene of Uchiha Yuto awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan back then was still vivid in his mind.
The devastating power it brought came with a huge risk of blindness. He had always remembered it, and couldn't help but feel worried.
Arisu looked at his concerned expression and spoke calmly, though his tone carried deeper meaning. "Whether it is a blessing or a curse ultimately depends on their own character and choices, on whether they can control this power."
"Tajima, you don't want to see your two sons surpassed by the Senju brothers, Hashirama and Tobirama, do you?", Arisu said as he sipped his tea.
After thinking it over carefully, Uchiha Tajima nodded seriously. "Alright, I'll do it!"