"Enough, Enough—None of This Is Easy. Madara, You Can't Outplay My Big Brother."
"Madara, that's enough!"
"I absolutely cannot agree to this!"
"Why should we launch wars—continuous wars, no less—over something that hasn't even happened yet?"
"Have you forgotten why we founded Konoha in the first place?"
"So that children wouldn't have to walk onto the battlefield. So people could live in peace."
"And haven't we already achieved that?"
"Why can't we solve problems through dialogue—through negotiation, through mutual understanding and sincerity? These conflicts can be resolved that way!"
Senju Hashirama slammed the table and stood up.
He was deeply satisfied with the peaceful life they had now. There was no way he could accept Madara's proposal—to plunge Konoha into wars across the entire shinobi world in order to preempt some hypothetical future conflict.
That was completely putting the cart before the horse.
Not only would it destroy Konoha's current peace, it would drag the entire shinobi world into endless bloodshed.
It was absurd.
"Hashirama—you're far too naïve!"
Madara shot back sharply.
"Do you really think people can be honest with one another that easily?"
"Rather than letting Konoha face wars in the future, it's better for us to shoulder everything now—to fight all the wars in advance!"
In Madara's eyes, Hashirama's faith in human sincerity was laughably idealistic.
This wasn't just about individuals—it was about ninja villages.
Instead of gambling on fragile possibilities, it was better to seize control and decide everything themselves.
That was what Konoha should do.
"Nonsense!"
"Why is it impossible?!"
"Weren't the Senju and the Uchiha the best example?"
"We understood each other. We trusted each other. We ended a thousand years of bloodshed and built Konoha together!"
"We finally obtained peace—how can you break it so easily?!"
Hashirama was completely unmoved. Instead, he brought up the alliance between the Senju and Uchiha—the very thing he had personally achieved.
People relied on precedent.
Especially on successes they had personally experienced.
Hashirama believed that if he had done it once, he could do it again.
If the Senju and Uchiha—who had slaughtered each other for generations—could reconcile, then why couldn't ninja villages do the same?
Madara hadn't even tried.
The argument escalated rapidly.
Their ideologies were fundamentally incompatible.
At first, they still argued logically—but soon it degenerated into pure emotional venting, and eventually into a contest of whose voice was louder.
"Hashirama, you're naïve and foolish!!"
"Madara, you're stubborn and extreme!!"
Oppressive chakra radiated from both of them, filling the room with crushing pressure, as if a mountain weighed down on everyone present.
The clan heads sat frozen in shock.
Most of them had never witnessed Hashirama and Madara up close like this.
Even though the pressure wasn't directed at them—
They felt as if they could be killed at any moment.
Is the gap between us and them really this vast?
"Please don't fight!"
"Don't start killing each other!"
"We just came here for a meeting!!"
Panic spread internally among the clan heads.
Finally, those with quick reactions rushed to smooth things over.
"Enough, enough—none of this is easy!"
"Yes, yes!"
"We can talk this out! Madara-sama, Hashirama-sama—please don't hurt your relationship!"
"Everything you're doing is for Konoha!"
The clan heads chimed in one after another.
Watching all this, Senju Tobirama was genuinely worried the two might actually clash and devastate Konoha—
Yet deep down, he felt a perverse sense of satisfaction.
Go on. Tear into each other.
Let it all fall apart.
This is perfect.
"Enough, enough—none of this is easy," Tobirama called out perfunctorily.
"Madara, you can't outplay my big brother anyway."
Madara's eyes flicked toward Tobirama, cold and sharp.
With a snort, he turned and stormed out of the conference room.
Hashirama is still too naïve.
Hashirama immediately chased after him.
He believed he had to persuade Madara.
He absolutely could not let Madara do something reckless.
The meeting ended in utter chaos.
Madara left in anger.
Hashirama chased after him.
In the end, it was Tobirama who cleaned up the mess—finishing the remaining agenda, which mainly focused on silencing public discussion and imposing informal gag orders.
After all—
As a younger brother, Tobirama would always stand on Hashirama's side.
The enemies of peace had already revealed themselves.
One was Uchiha Madara.
Another was Uchiha Makoto.
Two peas in a pod.
Both possessed "world-shaking intelligence."
If Konoha let itself be led by them, this great ship would eventually capsize.
As for unifying the shinobi world?
Even if Konoha somehow accomplished such an unprecedented feat—
It certainly wouldn't be under Uchiha Madara.
Tobirama thought this firmly.
He concluded the meeting and dismissed everyone.
After the emergency meeting ended,
Konoha immediately issued a public statement.
Though Tobirama wanted nothing more than to strangle that innately wicked brat Uchiha Makoto, the wording of the announcement was extremely restrained.
Konoha did not openly oppose Akatsuki Village.
Silencing public discussion already went against popular sentiment.
If Konoha openly condemned Makoto, it would look like a blatant betrayal of an ally.
That was a reputation Tobirama absolutely refused to bear.
Akatsuki Village.
Uchiha Makoto sat in the Hokage's office, reading Konoha's latest announcement.
The message was clear:
Konoha urges Akatsuki Village to maintain restraint, adopt a proper attitude, avoid escalation, and propose reasonable negotiation terms.
At the same time—
Konoha would soon dispatch envoys for further talks.
"Just as expected."
Makoto showed no disappointment.
Konoha's stance was exactly what he had predicted—they would never fully align with him on this matter.
According to newly acquired intelligence,
Konoha's ninja clans had already begun strictly avoiding discussion of the Konoha–Akatsuki–Kumogakure conflict.
Even civilians had received warnings to keep silent.
The envoys Konoha sent would undoubtedly urge him to abandon the harsh compensation demands—for the sake of peace, to let things blow over.
Everyone would take a step back.
Problem solved.
"All things considered," Makoto murmured,
"Konoha didn't openly take Akatsuki's opposite side. That's restrained enough."
"As long as Konoha doesn't openly fall out with us, Kumogakure will assume Konoha and Akatsuki are playing good cop, bad cop."
Makoto didn't care whether Konoha would send troops.
Against Kumogakure—
Akatsuki Village alone was more than enough.
"Abandon Prepare for war."
"Konoha has spoken. Now it's Kumogakure's turn to respond."
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