Senju Tobirama finally turned his gaze toward Takigakure Village, his expression complicated beyond words.
"What exactly do you want to do?!"
For perhaps the first time in a long while, Senju Tobirama regretted agreeing to follow Uchiha Makoto out today.
Uchiha Makoto did not immediately answer. Instead, he spoke calmly, as though recalling something from long ago.
"When I was very young," Makoto said slowly, "I took part in my first real mission after becoming a ninja. It was commissioned by a powerful noble. The task was simple—suppress an armed rebellion of local civilians."
Tobirama's brows furrowed.
"The mission was completed smoothly," Makoto continued. "Against ninja, those civilians were as fragile as ants. They had no chance at all."
His voice remained steady, but something darker lay beneath it.
"They were poorly clothed. Malnourished. Their only wish was to have enough food to survive."
Makoto paused for a moment.
"I imagine the Senju Clan has accepted similar missions. At the time, I kept asking myself—why do we ninja, who possess such overwhelming power, have to obey nobles without question?"
Tobirama remained silent.
"Why can't ninja do what they are truly capable of doing?"
Makoto lifted his gaze, looking far beyond the village.
"The political structure of today's ninja world is fundamentally outdated. The more I understand it, the more I realize—it must change."
He let out a quiet breath.
"But relying solely on the Akatsuki Ninja Village to slowly push the world forward is far too inefficient."
The old powers still controlled the initiative. That was precisely why Konoha had leapt forward so aggressively, relentlessly pursuing Akatsuki, even after Makoto had deliberately given them an excuse to withdraw.
Takigakure was meant to be the perfect scapegoat.
Yet Senju Tobirama refused to let the matter end there. He was obsessively chasing the truth, continuing to pursue Akatsuki with dogged determination. Even if Konoha could be deceived once, similar incidents would inevitably arise again.
Discontent nobles would quietly exert pressure, squeezing Akatsuki's living space from every direction.
And they would do it silently.
Without leaving a single flaw.
Nobles were never soft-hearted when their interests were involved. And Akatsuki could not resolve every problem by killing. Konoha might be fooled once—but never twice, let alone three times.
If this continued, Senju Hashirama himself might eventually intervene.
Makoto had no desire to waste his energy on such trivialities.
Of course, he wasn't worried that Konoha would suddenly see the bigger picture.
Aside from rare anomalies like transmigrators—people like himself—almost no one could break free from the deeply rooted ideology of the ninja world.
Even the Senju Tobirama standing before him was no exception.
As for Senju Hashirama?
Makoto inwardly shook his head.
A textbook conservative.
To change the world, a broader vision was required. A long-term plan.
The world should not remain this way.
And the first step had to be taken—now.
If Konoha leaned even slightly toward Akatsuki in this incident, a significant portion of the nobles' hostility would be redirected toward Konoha instead. That alone would greatly benefit Akatsuki's expansion within the Land of Fire.
"Are you insane?"
Senju Tobirama's face twitched violently.
Makoto's idea was something every ninja had once thought about in secret—but never dared to say aloud, much less act upon.
During the Warring States Period, the nobles were even more powerful than they were now. Ninja clans were divided, surrounded by enemies, with few allies. A sufficiently wealthy noble could easily fund the destruction of a single clan.
Such thinking was dangerous then.
And it was no less dangerous now.
"If you truly intend to challenge the millennia-old order of the ninja world…" Tobirama's voice dropped.
Tradition.
Ancestral law.
Unchangeable.
That was what people believed.
Daimyo and nobles were said to be born to rule, to shepherd the common people. Many genuinely believed this was truth itself.
Countless people would willingly die for their daimyo, rushing toward death like fanatics.
To challenge this was to ignite a war that would engulf the entire ninja world.
"Everyone has lived this way since ancient times," Tobirama said coldly. "Even since the Sage of Six Paths spread chakra, this order has never changed."
"But does that make it right?"
Makoto turned to him.
"Before ninja existed, samurai ruled the world. Now they barely survive in forgotten corners."
Tobirama fell silent.
Was something true simply because it had always existed?
The samurai had indeed been pushed aside by ninja and now clung to isolated territories.
Yet even so, Tobirama could not agree with Makoto.
A thousand years of ideology could not be erased by a few sentences.
Considering Makoto's identity, Tobirama subconsciously attributed all of this to—
Another Uchiha episode.
Madara Uchiha had once dreamed of unifying the ninja world, yet even he had not openly challenged the daimyo and nobles who supported the villages.
After all, you don't slap the hand that feeds you.
The rulers of the Land of Fire had provided enormous assistance during Konoha's founding. Every year, large sums were deposited into the village's coffers.
Was Konoha to repay kindness with betrayal?
But Makoto was different.
He was aiming directly at the very peak of the ninja world's power structure.
"Uchiha Makoto," Tobirama snarled, "you inherently evil Uchiha brat—I think you're out of your mind!"
"The Lords of the Land of Fire have been generous to Akatsuki. Don't forget—the purpose of your village is to protect this land!"
Now that Akatsuki's situation had finally stabilized, did Makoto really want to become a traitor?
"Inherently evil," Makoto repeated calmly.
"Are the things I'm doing not beneficial to the Land of Fire?"
He gestured around them.
"Look at the land beneath your feet. Haven't the common people regained hope because of me?"
"You're too narrow-minded, Tobirama."
"What did you say?"
"I mean your vision is too limited," Makoto said plainly. "You only think of Konoha. Only of immediate利益. What I want is to benefit the entire ninja class—and the common people—rather than having ninja grovel before nobles for scraps or slaughter one another in endless wars."
Makoto's face remained serene.
To change this rotten world, he had long since learned to set aside personal shame.
The value of what he pursued far exceeded it.
"Smooth talk!"
Tobirama clenched his fists.
Yet he found himself unable to seize the moral high ground.
Makoto always explained his actions from a higher plane, wrapping them in righteous logic.
"You won't succeed," Tobirama said harshly. "Konoha will stop you. My elder brother will stop you."
Hashirama's principles were immovable.
Akatsuki was still skirting the line—but the moment Makoto openly rebelled, the daimyo would issue an order.
And Hashirama would obey.
To prevent a world war, Hashirama would do anything.
He had once stabbed Madara in the back without hesitation.
"I know," Makoto replied quietly. "The First Hokage is stubborn. Unbelievably stubborn."
He glanced at Tobirama.
"You must have suffered a lot because of that."
Tobirama nodded subconsciously.
Then froze.
"…Cough! That has nothing to do with you!"
Makoto smiled faintly.
"So give up," Tobirama said quickly. "Hand over a few ninja to Konoha. Let this end here."
Makoto shook his head.
"Ninja and commoners both look up to something greater," he said. "You've seen the canning factory. Sealing jutsu applied to daily life—that's only the beginning."
"Ninjutsu will develop productivity. Science parks, new technologies, new industries."
"The profits will be enormous."
"And the nobles will want to take them."
Tobirama's face went pale.
"You're dragging me into this!"
Makoto laughed softly.
"You already dragged yourself in."
Tobirama gritted his teeth.
He couldn't quit now.
Too much had already been invested.
"You won't freeload off me!" he snapped.
Makoto said nothing.
That alone was answer enough.
As Tobirama wandered the village, watching the smiling faces of ordinary people, his heart grew heavier with each step.
Finally, he sighed.
"Takigakure…"
"There's no other way."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)