Torifu chuckled. "I ate a bit early, and I have a lot of free time with nothing to do, so I thought I'd go find the Hokage-sama to see if there's anything I can help with."
Shishin smiled upon hearing this. "Then you go on with your business. When you have some free time, you must come to my house for a visit. Hiashi and Hizashi are really eager to see you."
Torifu nodded. "Of course. Once I'm done with things these next few days, I'll come find you, Shishin-nii."
When Hiashi and Hizashi were born, Torifu had given them each a pendant, and they still wore them to this day. In the original world, the two brothers' fates were tragic, and the Caged Bird system led the Hyuga clan further into decline. However, this time, Torifu wouldn't let such a thing happen.
After bidding farewell to Hyuga Shishin, Torifu set off for the Hokage Building once more. This time, he didn't encounter any acquaintances. Upon entering the building, Torifu headed straight for the office. He knocked on the door and then pushed it open.
Inside, Tobirama and Kagami were discussing something, but seeing Torifu enter, they stopped.
"Torifu, what brings you here?"
Torifu scratched his head. "Hehe, just idle, thought I'd see if there's anything I can help with."
Kagami was even more handsome than three years ago. He had grown a bit taller and was more mature and composed. Having awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan at a young age, he had already been recognized by the clan head as the next leader of the Uchiha. However, Kagami's father was hale and hearty, so Kagami likely wouldn't become clan head too soon; it would probably be another four or five years. This period was perfect for him to study under Tobirama. If he could truly grasp how Tobirama governed Konoha Village, then managing a single clan would be more than sufficient.
Because the Uchiha clan's hawkish elements had been eliminated on the night of the rebellion, the current Uchiha were not as belligerent. Tobirama had also followed Torifu's advice and did not grant the Uchiha clan authority over the Police Force. Through Naori and Kagami's tireless efforts over the years, many Uchiha children had shed their arrogant demeanor and narrow views, actively seeking friendships with civilian shinobi in their classes. This significantly improved the Uchiha's reputation in Konoha, and villagers began to fear the Uchiha less.
"Speaking of which, Kagami-nii, what were you discussing with Hokage-sama? Why don't you include me?"
Kagami offered a gentle smile. "Sensei and I were discussing Konoha's population. Many people came to Konoha Village some time ago, but recently, there seem to be signs of them moving away again." He continued, "So I suggested to Sensei that we implement stricter vetting for newly arriving residents to prevent such occurrences."
Torifu nodded in agreement. These individuals likely never intended to settle in Konoha in the first place; they only came because they heard about the various benefits of Konoha Village. Now, with rumors of war breaking out in the shinobi world, they were all preparing to flee. Even if such people remained in Konoha, they wouldn't contribute much to the village. The moment danger arose, they'd be the first to run. It was better for them to leave sooner.
"Kagami-nii is right. We really need measures for those who intend to settle in Konoha, otherwise, Konoha will become a place where people can come and go as they please."
Tobirama actually knew this, but vetting them would be incredibly troublesome, and there simply wasn't enough manpower to thoroughly investigate their pasts. As Konoha Village grew larger, more and more villagers would move in. If they were all vetted, then more than half of the village's shinobi would have to be assigned to that task, leaving no one to handle the village's missions.
Torifu saw through Tobirama's thoughts and said, "Actually, simply raising the threshold for entering the village might suffice. That way, those who do enter the village will cherish it more."
Tobirama pondered this. "The specific details will need further discussion. This isn't something that can be resolved in a moment."
Torifu nodded. He had merely offered a suggestion; how it would be implemented was still up to the Hokage to decide.
"Let's not talk about this for now. It won't be too late to decide after I go home and discuss it with my elder brother."
At this point, Torifu asked, "Hokage-sama, regarding what we discussed the other day..." Torifu's hesitant manner made Tobirama understand. He then dispatched Kagami on a mission. Kagami was also a perceptive person, knowing he didn't need to be privy to this matter, and turned to leave.
"Hokage-sama, when do we proceed with the next step? There are already rumors in the shinobi world recently; otherwise, those merchants wouldn't be so eager to move." Torifu was, of course, referring to the issue of initiating war against Kumogakure.
Konoha's secrecy efforts were excellent, so the news could only have originated from the Land of Lightning. Hashirama hadn't made an appearance for a long time. Apart from the Senju clan members, no one knew how Hashirama was doing. Tobirama had also instructed his clan members not to reveal any information about the clan head. The false intelligence sent back by Kumogakure's spies made the people of Kumogakure believe it and stir restlessly. From three years ago until now, they must be unable to hold back any longer.
"Once the next piece of intelligence is delivered, we can act."
Because three years was enough time for Kumogakure to scheme, just in case, Tobirama had used Edo Tensei to reanimate many more powerful shinobi corpses. These were all renowned shinobi from the Warring States period, totaling about sixty individuals. Added to the previous fifty, that made a hundred and ten. What a sight it would be if these Edo Tensei puppets used mutual detonating tags all at once! Torifu almost didn't dare to imagine. Last time, just four people had badly blasted the Six-Tails. This time, with a hundred and ten individuals and an opponent without the Six-Tails' sturdy skin and body, the outcome would surely be unimaginably grim.
Although Torifu didn't particularly like war, if they wanted to invade his village, Torifu would certainly not show any mercy. And it would also be a good opportunity to test out the Sage Mode he had cultivated. Torifu had been waiting for this combat opportunity for a long time.
However, Tobirama didn't know that Torifu already possessed Kage-level strength, so he had no intention of having him go along. After all, it was war, and the situation could change in an instant. No one could guarantee there wouldn't be accidents, and Tobirama's most solid shield was his elder brother. He planned to go home tonight and discuss this matter with his elder brother. If he explained it clearly, he figured his elder brother wouldn't object. After all, if Kumogakure had no ambition, no matter how many false messages Tobirama sent, they wouldn't start a war. Therefore, the fault lay with Kumogakure.
Although Tobirama didn't plan to let Torifu go, how could Torifu possibly listen to him? Leaving a shadow clone and sneaking out himself would be very simple. It would just be best to avoid Tobirama's puppet forces, otherwise, being discovered wouldn't be good. If he had the chance, Torifu wanted to face the Nidaime Raikage, that big oaf, to see if he had improved over the years and what his true strength was like.