"So, my suggestion is this, every nation should immediately cease their wars and return the smaller countries they annexed before."
Uchiha Madara said calmly as he revealed his Sharingan.
The instant Madara exposed his Sharingan... everyone's expressions changed.
None of them expected Uchiha Madara to openly use his Sharingan to threaten them.
Every person present was a towering figure and peerless talent from their respective nations. How could they tolerate this kind of attitude from Madara?
Mu's face darkened as he was just about to act.
But Black Zetsu immediately held him back.
"Endure it, Mu!"
Mu frowned, then quietly nodded.
Gengetsu Hozuki had always had a sharp tongue and was about to speak, but Fukasaku immediately signaled for him not to stand out.
The First Raikage, however, could not endure it.
Madara's pressure crashed down like a tidal wave, the cold gleam of his three-tomoe Sharingan bearing down directly on him. The First Raikage felt his chest tighten, but the fierce pride in his bones surged forth instantly.
The First Raikage slammed the conference table violently, shattering the wooden surface on the spot.
He glared at Uchiha Madara and roared back furiously, "Uchiha Madara, don't push it too far!"
"My Kumogakure builds military strength and stockpiles power to protect our people. Since when did that become some kind of conspiracy in your mouth?"
"You say war will spread to Konoha? That's nothing more than your own speculation!"
"The ninja world handles its own affairs. We attack small ninja villages, but we haven't provoked Konoha in the slightest. What gives you the right to stand there preaching to us?"
"Don't think just because Konoha's strong that you can bully the four of us however you want. I'm not buying your overbearing act!"
The First Raikage unleashed his full presence as he openly confronted Madara.
Beside him, the First Kazekage Reto also glared angrily at Madara. He had only recently swallowed several small nations with fertile land, and now Madara wanted him to spit them back out?
Sunagakure was nothing but barren wasteland. If they gave those territories up, what were they supposed to live on?
"Hmph. Meat I've swallowed never gets spit back out. This world is survival of the fittest. Want to compare fists with me?", The First Raikage said coldly.
Madara raised a brow.
'Oh?'
Talking about survival of the fittest in front of him?
"You people seem incapable of understanding the situation. The only reason I'm standing here speaking to you peacefully is because I, Uchiha Madara, wish to resolve this without conflict. But if you insist on refusing what's good for you..."
As he spoke, Madara instantly released his full aura and erupted with chakra.
In an instant, overwhelming pressure swept across the entire conference hall. Everyone's expressions changed drastically.
Mu clenched his teeth tightly, his gaze turning grave as traces of Sage Art flickered in his eyes.
The First Raikage looked shocked.
'Wasn't Senju Hashirama supposed to be Konoha's strongest fighter? Why is Uchiha Madara this strong too?'
"What terrifying power...", Gengetsu muttered quietly.
Senju Tobirama remained expressionless, completely unsurprised.
The fact that Uchiha Madara was even willing to talk properly with these people was already generous enough.
If it were truly survival of the fittest, Madara would've attacked directly long ago.
Simply displaying his strength as intimidation was nothing.
A few seconds later, Madara withdrew his power.
"Go back and think it over carefully. If you continue expanding, you'll only disrupt Konoha's trade routes. And when that happens, in order to protect Konoha's economy, we'll have no choice but to intervene as well."
"Meeting adjourned.", Madara said coldly.
After speaking, he left together with Senju Tobirama.
The others exchanged glances, then departed with dark expressions.
The moment they stepped out of the building, Mu could no longer hold himself back.
"Black Zetsu, why did you stop me earlier when we had such a good chance to deal with Uchiha Madara?", Mu finally asked.
Black Zetsu's face darkened, "Mu, even though you've learned Sage Arts, fighting Uchiha Madara is still extremely difficult."
"Besides, if a battle broke out there, we'd have been completely isolated with no support..."
———
[Inside The Office]
Uchiha Madara and Senju Tobirama were enthusiastically discussing even grander plans.
"Tobirama, what do you think of this idea? We station Konoha's military forces in every small country. Those nations will become our tributary states. That way, we can both protect them and intimidate the other four great nations.", Madara said with a grin.
"Establishing military bases across the entire ninja world? Not a bad idea. But what about Konoha's own defenses if we spread ourselves thin?", Tobirama asked.
Madara waved his hand dismissively, "Konoha itself has Hashirama and me. There's no need to worry."
Just as the two were passionately discussing the feasibility of military deployments...
Senju Hashirama hurriedly burst into the room.
"Madara! I heard you threatened the Four Kage with war during the meeting? How can you do that?!", Hashirama immediately spoke anxiously.
Madara shook his head, "Hashirama, I was only scaring them. I had no intention of actually using force against them. If I truly planned to attack, I would've subdued them right there during the meeting."
"That still isn't acceptable! The Four Kage are your equals after all. They traveled all the way here, so how can we threaten them like that?", Hashirama said again.
"Enough, Hashirama. I'm the Hokage."
Tobirama, standing nearby, also felt it was no big deal, so he slowly added, "Big Brother, Madara knows his limits. Besides, aren't I here too?"
"You two... sigh!"
Hashirama's face stiffened.
He knew Madara and Tobirama far too well.
Uchiha Madara was extremely aggressive.
And Senju Tobirama was the same.
Don't be fooled by Tobirama's rational expression most of the time. In private, he was absolutely the complete opposite.
You could tell just from the forbidden techniques he researched.
Impure World Reincarnation.
Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags.
All kinds of sinister forbidden jutsu.
The man practically embodied the concept of having no bottom line.
The two of them together were basically made to cause trouble.
In the end, Senju Hashirama left.
After Hashirama departed...
Madara and Tobirama exchanged strange smiles.
"Tobirama, how's that technique you researched last time progressing?", Madara asked.
Tobirama narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Impure World Reincarnation is nearly complete already. It just requires living sacrifices. This matter absolutely cannot be discovered by Big Brother."
Madara smiled and nodded lightly.
Then he seemed to think of something and spoke again.
"If Konoha declared war on the entire ninja world at the same time and launched a blitzkrieg, what are our chances of victory?"
Tobirama raised a brow and seriously answered the question.
"As bold as you dare to be, Hokage, that's how fast I, Senju Tobirama, can move!"
Madara abruptly turned to look at Tobirama, smiling broadly.
"Tobirama, hearing you talk is like drinking fine wine. Go on, tell me your thinking."
Madara pointed toward the ninja world map hanging on the wall.
"My strategy is simple. I use my Flying Thunder God to move Konoha's forces around, descending like divine soldiers directly into enemy villages and carrying out decapitation strikes!"
"Or perhaps... I bring you along with me..."
Tobirama slowly laid out his strategy.
As Madara listened, his eyes began shining.
This strategy really could work.
"But the First Hokage doesn't want us going to war."
Tobirama said while rubbing his forehead.
Madara merely smiled faintly after hearing that.
"Heh. My great-grandfather once said something. Tobirama, have you heard it before?"
Tobirama asked, "What saying?"
Madara leaned against the windowsill and looked toward the portrait of Arisu hanging inside the Hokage office as he spoke calmly,
"My great-grandfather once said, no matter how powerful someone is, once they're dead, they're dead. Only the living can decide the road forward."