Hokage Office
After accepting their mission, Senju Hashirama brought Uchiha Madara to the Hokage's office to bid farewell to Senju Tobirama and complete the routine report.
Under normal circumstances, once someone reached the position of Hokage, they were effectively insulated from taking missions.
But Hashirama was clearly an exception.
"Big Brother," Tobirama said, sitting behind the Hokage's desk, his tone heavy with restrained patience,
"I knew from the start that your so-called plan would only end up wasting Konoha's precious funds."
"Still, since you refuse to give up, I won't stop you. Just remember—while you're out on missions, you must be extremely cautious."
"Do not cause any major incidents in the shinobi world."
"Remember what I said."
As he spoke, Tobirama lifted his gaze toward Hashirama, his peripheral vision drifting—unwillingly—toward Madara standing beside him.
Madara didn't even bother giving Tobirama a full glance.
He clearly had no interest whatsoever in interacting with that inherently evil Senju Tobirama.
An upstart bureaucrat, he thought dismissively.
Of course, Tobirama felt the same way.
If possible, he would much rather never cross paths with the inherently evil Uchiha Madara again.
But he was worried.
If Hashirama were heading out alone, Tobirama wouldn't be concerned in the slightest.
But his brother just had to drag Madara along.
That was what truly unsettled him.
It wasn't that Tobirama doubted their strength—an S-rank mission would be trivial for the two of them.
What worried him was something else entirely.
If these two started fighting for no reason—
The resulting devastation might not even be covered by the mission reward.
Tobirama had seen it happen before.
Once, during an escort mission, Hashirama failed to control his strength and completely destroyed the goods they were supposed to protect.
Not only did they earn nothing—they had to pay compensation and personally bow in apology to the client.
"Alright, alright, I get it," Hashirama laughed awkwardly.
"That was ages ago. Back then my strength had just jumped too fast—I wasn't used to it yet."
He hastily tried to smooth things over.
"Anyway, Madara and I will be heading out now. Konoha will be in your hands while we're gone."
"Oh—right. I almost forgot."
"I still haven't told Mito about this, so when you get home tonight, make sure you explain it to her for me."
As he spoke, Hashirama impatiently grabbed Madara and started dragging him toward the exit, eager to leave Konoha and begin their first mission together.
"Big Brother, you bastard…!"
Tobirama stared at Hashirama's retreating back, grinding his teeth.
I'm the one who's going to get yelled at again tonight, aren't I?
Every time there was a situation that required staying out overnight, Hashirama never informed Sister-in-law Mito himself—he always dumped it on Tobirama.
And once Mito got angry, her Adamantine Sealing Chains showed absolutely no mercy.
After venting his frustrations, Tobirama picked up a book from his desk.
The latest issue of New Ninja.
Ever since he'd noticed that Hashirama's "symptoms" were worsening, Tobirama had begun collecting every issue of the magazine.
Thanks to Uchiha Makoto's overwhelming financial backing, the publication's circulation had skyrocketed. It had become extremely popular in Konoha.
On the surface, its contents were unremarkable—no different from an ordinary periodical.
Except for one thing.
Every issue featured, in its most prominent section, a short essay that left Tobirama deeply unsettled after reading it.
The previous one had already demonstrated its disturbing persuasive power.
And once Tobirama connected it to the fact that the stories all revolved around Amegakure, founded by that inherently evil Uchiha Makoto—
His sense of vigilance intensified.
"Should I take compulsory measures against New Ninja…?"
"The stories look harmless, but they're far too good at influencing people."
He hesitated.
The problem was that New Ninja contained nothing that violated Konoha's security regulations.
Taking action without justification would be improper—and would almost certainly provoke resistance from Amegakure.
It would be both illegitimate and counterproductive.
"…Let's see what the latest issue is trying to sell this time."
Tobirama flipped it open.
One particular short story immediately caught his attention.
Excerpt from New Ninja
Amegakure has a peculiar regulation:
Whenever a new student enrolls in the Ninja Academy, teachers distribute two vouchers—
one Book Voucher, redeemable for any book,
and one Honey Voucher, exchangeable for a small jar of Amegakure-brand honey.
Both vouchers must be used together. Neither is valid alone.
No one understood why—until the Light Shadow once gave a speech at the Academy.
Uchiha Makoto, not wearing his ceremonial robes, held up an old book. He opened the cover to reveal a water stain—shaped exactly like a drop of honey.
"Fifty years ago, my grandfather was the poorest genin in our clan," he said.
"One day, our house caught fire while he was on a mission. He rushed back and saved only two things: this book, its pages curled by heat—and half a jar of unopened honey."
"He said the truly valuable thing was the knowledge inside the book.
The honey was only there so the knowledge wouldn't taste too bitter for the future."
Then Makoto produced a document: 'Amegakure Research Funding Expansion Proposal'—its cover also stained with a single drop of honey.
"From today onward," he declared,
"for every Book Voucher redeemed, the Finance Department will automatically allocate 1,790 ryō to the Amegakure Research Fund."
"This fund is reserved exclusively for children under twelve.
Books, parts, tools—anything is allowed.
The only requirement is that their budget report must include one page from their favorite book."
The audience fell silent—then erupted.
"Buying books saves money?" a parent muttered.
Makoto smiled.
"Books are seeds. Research is the tree.
The Finance Department is simply cashing in future shade ahead of time."
Within days, long lines formed outside the academy bookstore.
Children exchanged their vouchers for titles like Three Years a Medical Ninja, Five Years a Medical Master and Introduction to Fire Release Chakra Nature.
Two months later, a group of students demonstrated basic Fire Release, forming glowing letters in the air:
'Books are sweet. Funding is too.'
From then on, a saying spread through Amegakure:
"The more you read, the faster funding flows.
The faster funding flows, the faster jutsu are learned."
A daimyō observing in secret finally understood.
Tapping the railing, he sighed to his secretary:
"Do you see it? Amegakure's backbone isn't ninjutsu—it's treating books as seeds and silver as water.
A child turns a page, the treasury pours a ladle.
When the tree grows tall, you prune a branch and plant it again.
Repeat this cycle—and knowledge becomes a forest."
"One day, Amegakure will be the strongest and wealthiest village in the entire shinobi world."
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