Looking at the letter in his hand, Hibari frowned, saying with some surprise, "The Land of Fire Daimyō's court? I don't have any dealings with them! Why would a letter be specifically sent to me? Could it be for Hashirama-jiisan or you, Tobirama-jiisan? A mistake in writing? Or maybe for Tsunade?"
Tobirama calmly said, "It's for you, brat, alright. Just open it and see for yourself."
Hibari looked at Tobirama with some confusion, then without hesitation, he opened the envelope and began to read.
A moment later, Hibari's eyebrows twitched, and his expression became a little strange.
After a long while, Hibari tossed the read letter onto the table and said, "These people from the Daimyō's court, are they out of their minds? Out of everyone, they want to choose me? I think Hiruzen-jisan fits the bill perfectly! Why not send Hiruzen-jisan to be this so-called 'Twelve Guardian Ninja'?"
Indeed, this letter was sent from the Land of Fire Daimyō's court specifically to Hibari personally. And, to be precise, it wasn't a small matter; it was an invitation for Hibari to join the Daimyō's 'Twelve Guardian Ninja'.
This 'Twelve Guardian Ninja' had a long history. Before Hashirama and the others established the ninja villages, the Daimyō of various countries would often hire reputable ninja clans to carry out tasks, but they also had their own direct forces. Among these, the most powerful force held by the Land of Fire Daimyō was precisely the 'Twelve Guardian Ninja'.
However, with the establishment of the hidden villages, the military forces of various countries began to undergo earth-shattering changes. Previously, shinobi were not used as large-scale combat units; they mostly carried out small-scale combat missions. The front lines were still fought by samurai, warriors, and commoners, and the battles were extremely brutal.
Later, the establishment of the hidden villages also made various countries notice the other uses of shinobi. Finally, after more than ten years of development, the military power of the Five Great Nations had basically shifted to the major hidden villages, and the Kage were the leaders of these five powerful military organizations!
Essentially, shinobi from various countries would gather in the hidden villages, but the Daimyō also needed some security forces. Therefore, the role of the Twelve Guardian Ninja gradually transformed, becoming an important force protecting the Daimyō.
It could be said that the Twelve Guardian Ninja was a very 'honorable' ninja title. They recruited elite shinobi from all walks of life in the Land of Fire, and their strength was extraordinary.
This time, a position in the Twelve Guardian Ninja became vacant for some unknown reason, perhaps due to retirement or death. And when the Land of Fire Daimyō's court was selecting a successor, they took a liking to Hibari.
Since Konohagakure belonged to the Land of Fire, for the Land of Fire, there were absolutely no secrets that they couldn't investigate within the entire Konohagakure. There was no need to hide, nor was there any reason to hide anything.
So, the Daimyō's court was very clear about Hibari's information. For example, he successfully completed an S-rank mission on his first attempt, and he also assisted the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, in defeating Madara Uchiha at the Valley of the End. He was also commissioned by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, to establish a special unit directly under the Hokage.
Although it seems like little, each point represents very solid qualifications. From these few simple aspects, it's very clear that Hibari Senju is a shinobi with strength, potential, and ability.
This precisely met the requirements of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. More importantly, Hibari was a Senju clan member. The Senju clan had a very good relationship with the Daimyō's court; otherwise, little Tsunade would not have been granted the title of 'Hime' by the Daimyō's court shortly after her birth.
It's important to know that Tsunade's 'Hime' title wasn't just useful within Konohagakure; it was 'internationally recognized' and had to be acknowledged by all Five Great Nations. She was a legitimate Princess of the Land of Fire.
Of course, being granted the title of Hime wasn't a big deal, as the 'Hime' in the Land of Fire didn't have much right of succession; it was more of an honorary privilege. But being granted the title of a King would be different; that would come with succession rights. Therefore, Hibari, being a boy, did not receive such a titled status.
Perhaps it was also due to factors like 'compensation' that allowed Hibari to benefit from the Twelve Guardian Ninja selection, gaining some recognition?
Hearing Hibari's words, Tobirama smiled and asked, "What? From what you're saying, you're not willing to go? Hibari, this is a very good opportunity! It will deepen our ties with the Daimyō. In the future, no matter what you do, you'll have advantages in the Land of Fire."
"It's nothing like that. I have a butt-load of things I haven't finished yet. Where would I find the leisure to be the Daimyō's bodyguard?" Hibari said without hesitation.
Seeing this, Tobirama also sighed and said, "Is that so?"
Looking at Tobirama's expression, Hibari was slightly puzzled. He then asked, "What's wrong, Tobirama-jiisan? Are there some twists and turns I don't know about? Or is there some other deeper meaning?"
Tobirama looked at Hibari, then thought for a moment and said, "It's about time I told you some secrets..."
Hearing this, Hibari's heart sank. He sat down on the chair very seriously. Sasuke swiftly locked the office door.
Only then did Tobirama speak, "You just said that our Senju clan is the number one noble family in the ninja world. That's true, but being a noble family isn't that easy. Our Senju clan is currently at a turning point..."
Hibari didn't speak upon hearing this but looked at Tobirama seriously. Then he heard him continue, "Long before Konohagakure was founded, our Senju clan was often hired by the Land of Fire Daimyō. Over time, a deep friendship formed between both sides. This is one of the reasons why our creation of Konohagakure in the Land of Fire was so smooth."
Hibari nodded, hearing this. He knew all these things; there were relevant records in the Senju family, which stated that this friendship had lasted for several centuries.
"However, times have changed, Hibari. The Senju clan of today is not the Senju clan of the past. Our Senju clan now controls the most powerful military organization in the entire Land of Fire. Do you understand what this means?" Tobirama asked, looking at Hibari.
Hibari thought for a moment, then said, "This means... our power is too great, making the Daimyō's court feel 'threatened'?"
Tobirama smiled upon hearing Hibari's reply, then said, "Precisely, you're still so clever. Think about it, if our Senju clan were to truly initiate some kind of 'coup,' would the Land of Fire Daimyō stand a chance?"
Hibari thought carefully. As far as he knew, if the Senju clan wanted to cause trouble, the Land of Fire Daimyō would truly be in a bind, with no effective means to counter them. Even the Twelve Guardian Ninja would not be enough against Tobirama alone.
"And precisely because they worry that we might do something unfavorable, the Daimyō's court has been trying to win us over all these years. Tsuna being granted the title of 'Hime' is one example, and this time, their invitation for you, brat, to become one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja is another. Think about it: we now possess not only powerful military strength but also a legitimate Princess. If we truly wanted to change flags, it wouldn't be difficult. However, doing so would ultimately be unfavorable, as it would inevitably brand our Senju clan as 'traitors.' So, we have never considered such things. In fact, in some areas, we've even made concessions... or rather, deepened our ties with the Daimyō's court...." Tobirama continued.
"What are you talking about, Tobirama-jiisan?" This time, Hibari asked with some confusion.
"Perhaps you've already noticed some strange things: why our Senju clan seems to have no particularly outstanding performers in the cultivation of second-generation shinobi, completely unlike the Uchiha clan, which produces geniuses constantly... Is it truly as the rumors say, that our geniuses were all assassinated by other countries or sacrificed on the battlefield?" Tobirama countered.
Hibari's expression darkened upon hearing this. He said, "Could it be that the Daimyō's court assassinated..."
Tobirama first froze for a moment, then quickly waved his hand and said, "What nonsense are you thinking, brat? Even if they had the guts, do you think they'd dare to do such a thing?"
"Then I am indeed somewhat confused. What exactly is the reason?" Hibari also chuckled and asked.
"Because our Senju clan changed its strategy, or rather, changed some directions of development. We've been cultivating the second-generation clan members towards 'governance talent,' rather than excessively instilling ninja knowledge in them. If nothing unexpected happens, your generation will also be cultivated this way: talented individuals with ninja aptitude will continue to be shinobi, while other 'ordinary' clan members will develop in other directions..." Tobirama said with a smile.
Hibari showed an expression of sudden realization upon hearing this. He said, "In other words, our Senju clan is developing towards the political power stratum of the Land of Fire?"
"That's right, this is a kind of unspoken agreement between us and the Daimyō's court. We no longer continue to cultivate a large number of powerful shinobi, thereby reducing our influence in ninja matters. In exchange, and as a reward, the Daimyō's court will grant our Senju clan preferential treatment within the Land of Fire's power hierarchy. And this time, the Twelve Guardian Ninja is another 'gesture of sincerity' they've offered. As long as you join the Twelve Guardian Ninja and accumulate some connections and experience within it, if you then wish to develop in other areas, you'll have a very promising future. By then, you might even become a powerful figure whose every action influences the entire nation's trajectory," Tobirama said, looking at Hibari.
At this moment, Hibari somewhat understood why fewer and fewer Senju clan members were seen in Konohagakure in the future. After all this time, it wasn't that they were being secretly harmed, but rather that the Senju clan had shifted its class?
It must be said that, at present, it seems the Senju clan is somewhat 'foolishly' weakening its own power. The entire clan, apart from the two Hokage, doesn't have many other truly exceptional experts.
However, Hibari thought carefully. Once this transformation succeeds, the benefits to the Senju clan would likely far surpass those of shinobi families like the Uchiha clan or the Hyūga clan.
After all, these clans, in the end, are still operating within the ninja sphere. At best, they're confined to Konohagakure. But the Senju clan has already begun to get involved with the entire Land of Fire.
A whole country versus a single village—can't you see the difference?
No wonder little Tsunade wandered outside for so long, yet upon returning to Konohagakure, she could still gain the support of the entire Land of Fire's power hierarchy to become Hokage. The Senju clan might very well have been exerting influence behind the scenes!
However, although Hibari roughly understood that this strategic shift should be more beneficial than harmful to the entire Senju clan, Hibari still chuckled and said, "I understand the reasoning, but for me to cripple my own skills and go into politics... I think I'll pass, Tobirama-jiisan. As for this Twelve Guardian Ninja thing, see if any of our uncles are interested in it and let them go. I'll just honestly stay in the village and be a small commander, hahaha."
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