The moment Senju Tobirama entered the room, he saw a handsome youth with flowing black hair. Based on years of dealing with the Uchiha, this kid was almost certainly an Uchiha.
So he stopped smiling.
Damn it. Why would a naturally evil Uchiha brat be here?
"Hello there."
Uchiha Makoto remained seated on the sofa, waved at Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, and greeted them.
Hashirama responded warmly, while Tobirama's face turned into a scowl.
After a round of introductions, Uchiha Makoto stated his identity.
"Uchiha Makoto, why is a naturally evil Uchiha brat like you here!"
Once he confirmed who Makoto was, Tobirama dropped the pretense and barked the question at him.
If not for the fact that this was the Daimyo of the Land of Fire's domain, he would have opened with a Flying Thunder God Slash at Makoto.
But Uchiha Makoto felt no panic at all. He sat there at ease, sipping tea, eyes on Tobirama, a mocking smile on his face.
Naturally evil old Senju geezer.
If I'd followed the Uchiha and joined Konoha, I'd indeed have to keep my head down before you. But right now I'm the head of Akatsuki Village, the daimyo's favored man. How could I be cowed by your aura?
Makoto took a deep breath and roared at Tobirama: "This is the Daimyo of the Land of Fire's reception room, and I am the senior official responsible for negotiating with your Konoha!"
"Senju Tobirama, how dare you shout in front of me!"
"You're completely out of line!"
Tobirama's vision went dark. He wondered if he'd misheard. Uchiha Makoto had somehow become a senior official of the Land of Fire, specifically in charge of this negotiation.
Sweet.
Seeing Tobirama's face turn ashen and at a loss for words, Makoto felt a surge of secret delight. Pointing at Tobirama's nose and scolding him felt too good.
"All right, all right, Uchiha Makoto, my little brother is just like that, don't take it to heart. For this negotiation, Tobirama even spent a long time in his room practicing his smile..."
Just as the tension peaked, Hashirama stepped in to smooth things over, bringing a smile to Makoto's face and making Tobirama's expression even uglier.
"Big Brother, is practicing my smile in front of a mirror something you should say out loud in public?"
"Do I not need any dignity?"
"And the bastard in front of us is a naturally evil Uchiha brat."
Tobirama roared inside. He felt his big brother was basically an idiot who only looked like a normal person because he could take care of himself and happened to be strong.
Makoto's smile grew even brighter. Practicing smiles was great. He should keep practicing.
With Hashirama acting as lubricant on the side, the negotiation finally continued.
"Why are you here?"
"Where is the daimyo?"
"..."
But Tobirama showed no intention of getting down to business, firing off question after question at Makoto.
In response, Makoto was completely frank. There was no need to hide anything; sooner or later Tobirama would learn about his identity and the village he had founded.
"I have no interest in your Konoha, so I left the Uchiha on my own and struck out to start a village. If members of the Uchiha clan are unhappy living in Konoha, they're welcome to join my village.
"As for why I'm here, the daimyo values me. He appreciates my talent and position."
Makoto spoke and gave Hashirama and Tobirama a rough explanation.
Hashirama remained the same carefree self, feeling Makoto had it hard on his own outside. If he couldn't hold out, he could always join Konoha and return to the Uchiha. Konoha's gates would always be open to him.
"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Hashirama. I can still get by for now. If there's a chance in the future, you're very welcome to visit Akatsuki Village."
Makoto politely declined Hashirama's goodwill, even using honorifics.
Hashirama was a genuinely good man. Makoto had been spreading rumors about him before the daimyo of the Land of Fire, which did make him feel a little guilty, but there was no helping it. Times were hard. Even if he'd fleeced people until they lost everything and pinned the blame on Konoha, he still considered himself a good person.
Tobirama watched Makoto like a predator, feeling he was extremely dangerous. That Akatsuki Village would probably become a mortal threat to Konoha. Hmph. The evil Uchiha clan had actually hidden a backup plan behind the Senju before Konoha was even founded. Their hearts were truly sinister.
"Enough small talk. What business do you two have in seeking an audience with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire?"
Makoto asked though he already knew the answer.
Hashirama kept silent. Before entering, Tobirama had stressed to him over and over that once the negotiation began, he was to keep his mouth shut and leave everything to Tobirama, only acting according to his cues.
Tobirama, however, was torn. He and his brother had come to the Land of Fire to seek the daimyo's help. When you beg, you must look the part; otherwise he wouldn't have practiced his smile alone in front of a mirror.
But now Uchiha Makoto had taken over the negotiation and could speak with the daimyo's authority. That naturally evil Uchiha brat. With this posture, he clearly meant to make things difficult. Damn it. He couldn't possibly bow his head to an evil Uchiha brat.
Silence hung for a few seconds. Sensing something off, Hashirama signaled Tobirama to say something quickly. To him, running into an Uchiha during negotiations was great news. After all, Konoha was founded together by the Senju and Uchiha. Makoto couldn't ignore his own clan. Having someone you know makes things easier.
Damn it... I'll endure.
Feeling his brother's gaze, Tobirama, for the village's future, reluctantly chose to lower his head for now. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west; the face he lost today he would surely take back.
"This time, we..."
"Senju Tobirama, why are you talking to me with such a sour face? Weren't you just practicing your smile in the other room? Is something making you unhappy?
"You don't have a problem with me, do you?
"Give me a smile."
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