"Now are you satisfied?!"
Tobirama Senju glared darkly at Uchiha Ren.
To think he had fallen so low—
Calling an Uchiha brat "Hokage-sama."
A tiger fell to the plains, bullied by dogs.
But this wasn't over.
Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—
The tides would turn.
"More or less."
Ren nodded, clearly pleased.
That single "Hokage-sama"—
It felt like drinking ice-cold water in the height of summer.
Refreshing.
Among all the Uchiha—
He was probably the only one who had ever forced Tobirama this far.
…Satisfying.
"Enough nonsense."
Tobirama cut in sharply.
"What exactly do you want me to research?"
"Mass-killing forbidden techniques?"
"Body enhancement modifications?"
"Or something like Edo Tensei—defiling the souls of the dead?"
He spoke fluently.
One after another—
A stream of ideas poured out.
As long as funding was sufficient—
He could produce anything.
After all—
Ren had gone to such lengths to summon him.
It had to be for power.
Forbidden techniques.
Destruction.
If one sought excitement—
Then go all the way.
There were many ideas he had never been able to pursue in life.
A pity.
Ren frowned slightly as he listened.
…And this man had the nerve to call him evil?
"You Senju old devil!"
Ren snapped.
"Who asked you to research pointless killing techniques?!"
Tobirama froze.
…That was his line.
"What do you mean?"
He narrowed his eyes.
If not for killing—
Then what was research for?
"You disappoint me, Tobirama."
Ren shook his head.
"Though I suppose it's not entirely your fault."
"You may have been Hokage…"
"But at your core—you're still just a shinobi."
"Shinobi think about killing."
"But Hokage…"
"Must think about everything else."
Tobirama's gaze turned sharp.
"What are you implying?"
"That I was an unqualified Hokage?"
The air grew tense.
Konoha—
Had been built by his own hands.
From nothing.
His brother, Hashirama Senju, provided strength—
But governance?
Structure?
Systems?
All of it—
Had been his work.
And now this brat dared question him?
"That's not what I said."
Ren raised a hand.
"You were a qualified Hokage."
"But…"
"There's still room for improvement."
A pause.
"In funding."
Tobirama scoffed immediately.
"The Fire Daimyō provides Konoha with the highest funding in the shinobi world."
"This year, I even secured tens of billions more."
He crossed his arms.
"Based on my estimates, Sunagakure's budget might even be cut."
His tone carried a hint of pride.
Ren blinked.
…You're proud of that?
Comparing who's less broke?
This terrible habit—
Even here?
"Tobirama…"
Ren sighed.
"You need to broaden your perspective."
"Why should we rely on the Daimyō for money?"
"We should become self-sufficient."
Tobirama frowned.
"You mean mission income?"
The standard model.
Shinobi took missions.
The village took a cut.
Simple.
But limited.
"Not even close."
Ren shook his head.
"I mean production."
"We build our own systems."
"Our own industries."
"Our own economy."
"And when that happens—"
"The Daimyō…"
"Becomes unnecessary."
Silence.
For the first time—
Tobirama didn't respond immediately.
Because this—
Was something he had never truly considered.
Or perhaps—
Something he had never believed possible.
Ren continued calmly.
"The current system…"
"Is flawed."
"Ninja are tools."
"Daimyō hold power."
"And the people—"
"Bear the cost."
The imbalance was obvious.
Shinobi—
Were powerful.
But few.
The common population—
Countless.
And public opinion—
Was not on the shinobi's side.
Daimyō represented that majority.
They controlled wealth.
Narratives.
Structure.
For generations—
They had shaped the system.
And shinobi had adapted to it.
Served it.
Benefited from it.
"…Hmph."
Tobirama finally spoke.
"And you think you can change that?"
Ren smiled faintly.
"I won't just change it."
"I'll replace it."
His gaze locked onto Tobirama.
"That's the kind of research I need from you."
"Not how to kill faster."
"But how to build something greater."
A pause.
"Now tell me, Lord Tobirama—"
"Can you do that?"
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