With hostages in hand, Tobirama could only grit his teeth and lower his proud white head to the curly-haired man before him.
Wait, did this guy take the wrong medicine?
This sudden change made Gin suspicious whether this was really Tobirama or someone in disguise. For him to actually speak so politely—it was unbelievable. So Gin secretly activated his ultra-perception, scanning up and down. After confirming it was indeed the real Tobirama, he relaxed and nodded in satisfaction.
"Hmph~ Since you're being so polite, I'll tell you where these dolls came from."
His gaze passed over Tobirama's complicated expression, and Gin pointed to the eight neatly lined-up plushies in the display case.
"These are creatures known as bijū (tailed beasts). Don't be fooled by their cute doll forms—the real ones are each over a hundred feet tall."
As he spoke, Gin picked up a round, chubby doll and continued explaining to Tobirama.
"For example, this tanuki is called Shukaku. Right now, he's probably imprisoned in the Land of Wind."
"Imprisoned? What do you mean?"
Tobirama, sharp as ever, scrutinized the chubby tanuki in Gin's hands, imagining a hundred-foot monster rampaging about. He couldn't help but ask.
"These beings are essentially formed from chakra and can be sealed. As luck would have it, this unlucky guy Shukaku was sealed by someone in the Land of Wind."
Gin pinched the plush Shukaku's chubby face as he patiently explained.
Chakra-based creatures... that means they can be utilized!
Ever the schemer, Tobirama's crimson eyes gleamed with calculating light after Gin's explanation. He was already formulating plans regarding the tailed beasts.
They belong to no one—whoever can take them, keeps them.
"But... how do you even know about this classified intel?"
Just as he was planning how to exploit the tailed beasts, Tobirama suddenly realized something. This kind of information shouldn't be known by a slacker like Gin. Could it be fake?
"I don't have many hobbies—just like making friends. And it so happens I have a close buddy in the Land of Wind. He told me all about it."
Gin answered seriously, his expression not suggesting any deceit.
"You? Friends in the Land of Wind?"
Tobirama clearly didn't buy it. This guy hardly ever even leaves his house—how would he know people from another country?
"My homies are all over the place. Wherever you go, just mention my name—you'll definitely get treated to some fine fruit juice."
"Hmph~"
The more you talk, the more ridiculous it gets...
"Do you know anything about the other tailed beasts?"
If the One-Tail was sealed in the Land of Wind, then they'd just skip that one. It didn't look all that powerful anyway. He turned toward the remaining beasts in the case and asked.
"That I'm not sure of. But these beasts are huge and have very distinctive features. With a little investigating, we should be able to find clues."
Although he was confused about Tobirama's sudden interest, Gin still shared everything he knew—and didn't know.
"There are only these ones?"
Tobirama turned and asked after counting the remaining seven dolls.
"There are nine in total. I'm still missing one to complete the set."
Gin shook his head regretfully as he looked at the empty spot behind the Gyūki doll—where the Kurama plush should have been.
"Complete what?"
At that moment, Hashirama and Madara, having finished their heart-to-heart, were drawn over by the conversation.
"The tailed beasts. I'm just missing the Nine-Tails to complete the tailed beast plushie bond bonus."
Gin put the Shukaku doll back and answered with a tone of regret.
His cousin's body was deteriorating more and more... he really hoped that Kurama doll would arrive soon.
"Nine-Tails? As in the Nine-Tailed Fox?"
Hashirama stroked his chin thoughtfully, and his eyes suddenly lit up as he asked.
"Eh? How do you know?"
"Haha! I once heard the elders say there's a legendary disaster beast in the Land of Fire called the Nine-Tailed Fox. It's enormous, ferocious, devours humans, and especially loves eating naughty kids who stay up too late~"
"Stop! What kind of bedtime story is this? Why didn't I ever hear that one?"
Tobirama interrupted, his expression growing weirder the more he listened.
"That's because you always fell asleep too fast and missed story time."
Hashirama scratched his head with regret.
Tobirama... that's what your childhood lacked!
"Nine-Tailed Fox..."
Now that Tobirama was convinced tailed beasts were real, a bold plan was forming in his mind.
"Big bro, you're missing the Nine-Tails, right? Want me to catch a real one for your backyard?"
Noticing how much Gin liked the dolls, Madara thumped his chest and made a bold promise.
A mere beast? It will bow to me like the rest.
"Heh."
Gin didn't reply, just gave Madara a mocking look that left the younger Uchiha confused.
"Big bro, the message has been sent—we should head back."
Tobirama, already developing his new plan, wasted no time dragging his brother out the door.
"Huh? Already? We didn't even get tea yet..."
Hashirama looked longingly at the door, catching a cold glare from the figure outside. He slumped in defeat.
"Fine..."
"I should go too. Still, like I said, the position of Hokage is mine to win, big bro—just watch!"
As Hashirama left, Madara also stood and made his exit, declaring once again his Hokage dream.
"Good luck! I believe in you~"
Once everyone had left, peace returned to Gin's house. Itama, dressed in comfy homewear, finally emerged, humming some tuneless ditty as he calmly cleaned the room.
Surprisingly, he didn't look as sad as Gin expected.
"Still not ready to reconnect with your family? While relations are good between the clans, maybe you should acknowledge your roots?"
Noticing Itama in a good mood, Gin raised an eyebrow and asked tentatively.
"Shut up!"
"Alright, alright, whatever makes you happy~"
Gin instantly surrendered when Itama shot him a glare that could kill.
"Hmph~ What do you want for lunch?"
Returning to normal, Itama glanced at Gin and asked with a smirk.
"Itama~ I want fish~"
Another peaceful day.
The next day.
BANG!
As Madara was handling paperwork in his office, the door burst open, and a hurried figure stormed in holding what looked like an announcement.
"Izuna! How many times have I told you—you're almost thirty! Stop barging in like that!"
Only two people dared enter like that. Gin would still be asleep at this hour, so that left only his dear little brother.
"Big bro, look at this! It's something Tobirama cooked up—a competition!"
"What?"
Madara frowned. Anything involving Tobirama was probably trouble.
"'Tailed Beast Hunting Competition'? What's this guy trying to pull?"
He took the paper and scanned it, his eyes narrowing at the bold headline before reading the details.
"Using the number of captured tailed beasts to determine the Hokage... this is..."
The more he read, the brighter his eyes became.
"Exactly! Totally reckless—"
"Totally fair!"
"Huh?"
"This is the first decent thing Tobirama's ever done. Now my shot at Hokage is practically guaranteed~"
Meanwhile, the various shinobi clans in Konoha were also receiving the announcement—and reacting in horror.
"Sasuke! Tobirama's screwing with us!"
Shaking with anger, Shimura Kenichi slammed the notice onto his friend's desk.
"Tailed beasts are terrifying monsters. One strike from them can wipe out dozens of ninja. We can't compete with that!"
"What do you all think?"
Ignoring his friend's tantrum, Sarutobi Sasuke turned to the others.
"Hahaha, I wonder if they taste good?"
Akimichi Shinji patted his belly, smiling.
"Probably not. The notice says tailed beasts are chakra constructs—no real flesh or blood."
The spiky-haired man in the center analyzed the announcement carefully.
"Can we just opt out? The Yamanaka clan isn't interested in Hokage. We just want to make money."
Yamanaka Minako, the only woman present, yawned with dark circles under her eyes, barely paying attention. She owed billions. She couldn't afford to dream about power.
"I get it now... the Senju clan wants to scare us off."
The pineapple-haired man looked up at Sasuke with a knowing expression.
"Exactly."
Sasuke nodded and addressed the room.
"Right now, the Senju hold the upper hand. We should conserve our strength. One day, a shinobi from our clans will become Hokage!"
His eyes glimmered with determination.
"Of course!"
Kenichi stood and declared with passion. He believed one of his descendants would definitely become Hokage.
"Hahaha, we Akimichi are fine as long as we're fed. Hokage doesn't matter."
"Hokage, huh..."
The Nara clan member's eyes shone with wisdom. To him, intelligence was the real key to leadership—not power.
"Money, money, money..."
Meanwhile, in a tranquil courtyard, an elderly Hyūga patriarch held the announcement and pondered. After a long silence, he spoke to the young man before him.
"Tenyō, what do you think?"
"Father, if we mobilize the entire Hyūga clan, we might capture one tailed beast. But for a single person to do it? Impossible."
Though usually rebellious, Tenyō showed nothing but respect now.
"Sigh... this is just the Senju's way of making us withdraw."
The old man's eyes were weary. Age had softened his ambition. The world of politics was like the caged bird mark—restraining and suffocating.
"So, we..."
"We withdraw from the race. Also, stop meeting that Uchiha. Now is the time to pick a side."
What they thought was a fair competition was clearly rigged so Hashirama could win with Tobirama's help.
"Mr. Gin is a noble soul. He would never get involved in politics."
Tenyō couldn't help but speak up. He had immense respect for the man who had once mentored him through... adolescence.
"The world is unpredictable. And he's still an Uchiha. Starting today, you'll stay in the clan's shrine and study the ancestral scrolls."
So, the boy was being grounded—until the Hokage was decided.
"Tobirama... what's this all for?"
In the Senju's office, Hashirama looked helplessly at a pile of "Withdrawal Declarations."
He had hoped to encourage competition, give Madara some real opponents so he wouldn't be humiliated even if he lost. But Tobirama's announcement ruined it all.
"The withdrawals were expected. I have my reasons."
Tobirama looked quite satisfied and explained.
"I went through ancient texts after coming back yesterday. These creatures are not just powerful—they're immortal."
He placed his research in front of Hashirama.
"Tailed beasts... can be used as weapons?"
Hashirama's expression shifted as he read. This wasn't a game anymore.
"Yes. Since they're chakra-based, they can be sealed. If used properly, unleash one in enemy territory—it'll destroy everything in its path."
Even a one-time use would be catastrophic.
"Too dangerous..."
Hashirama shuddered. If someone dropped a tailed beast on Konoha, the village would be annihilated.
"That's why we must secure them all—for Konoha's safety."
Tobirama pressed his case. His plan was clear: pretend this was about the Hokage race, gather the tailed beasts, and end up with both the title and the weapons.
"You're right!"
Whenever Konoha's safety was involved, Hashirama became laser-focused. A powerful aura erupted from him, suffocating even Tobirama.
"When do we leave?"
"Not yet. Wait for all the withdrawals. Then go. For now, review the files."
Tobirama held him back.
"The One-Tail is already sealed?"
"Yes, in the Land of Wind."
"Hmm... Should I go warn them?"
"No need. Let them worry about it later."
More withdrawal letters came in, making Tobirama happier by the second. But then his face fell.
"What's wrong?"
"Good news: all the clans withdrew."
"And the bad news?"
"Madara's asking when the competition starts..."
"Haha! I knew Madara wouldn't back down~"
Hashirama smiled with pride. His best friend never disappointed.
"Big bro, don't go easy on him. This concerns Konoha's future."
"Relax. I know where to draw the line."
"But... why are these tailed beast drawings so cute?"
Hashirama tilted his head at the adorable sketches.
"Ahem. Time was tight—I copied them from Gin's plushies. Should be close enough."
On the other side, Gin looked speechlessly at Madara, who was hugging plushies.
"Little cousin, do you have to bring the dolls? They're distinctive—you'll recognize them."
"Er... good point. My bad."
Madara was about to fly out with Susano'o to search the entire ninja world when a short-haired girl blocked his path. He turned back, a little embarrassed.
"You're just going to fly around aimlessly?"
Gin facepalmed.
"Of course not. I'm not an idiot..."
Madara looked away guiltily.
He was planning to do that...
"Here, take this. Go find Neko-chan. She'll help you gather intel."
Gin knew how reckless Madara could be, so he handed him a golden coin with the word "Candy" engraved on the back.
"This is...?"
Madara studied it curiously.
"I've got ties with Neko-chan from the Sky Realm. She'll help if you show this."
"The Sky Realm? Aren't they just weapons dealers for the Uchiha? Since when are they intelligence brokers?"
As clan leader, Madara was familiar with the Sky Realm. He thought they only sold weapons.
"You see? That's why intel is so valuable~"
Gin waved a finger mysteriously.
"The new boss of Sky Realm is a total cat lover. She's been raising ninja cats. And those little furballs... they've got a wide social network~"
(End of Chapter)
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