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"Who are you calling a plagiarist dog?"
Senju Tobirama's face went ashen and he shouted in fury.
These strategic plans that concerned Konoha's future were the result of days of seclusion and hard thinking. He had even prepared the execution roadmap. Plagiarism?
Every word on those proposals was written by his own hand.
If there was any copying, it was others copying him.
As a top-tier researcher, he could not tolerate a single grain of sand in his eye.
He loathed plagiarist dogs.
Especially the inherently evil Uchiha clan. With their pair of Sharingan they could copy the ninjutsu others had toiled to create. Shameless.
And today they still dared to play thief crying "stop thief."
Uchiha Madara, don't think I fear you just because you possess the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
My big brother is right here.
"I'm calling you a plagiarist dog."
"Did you not hear me?"
Uchiha Madara slapped the table and rose from his chair. He never liked wasting words. If there was a conflict, using his fists was far more straightforward.
But Senju Tobirama's identity was special. He had to give Hashirama some face.
Still.
Izuna… my Izuna… it was Senju Tobirama who wronged you.
Big Brother cannot avenge you.
But now that I have a chance to make Tobirama lose face, I won't let it pass.
Madara stood there with a cold, proud face, staring Tobirama down.
"Make it clear. Explain it to me."
"Who are you saying plagiarized?"
"Your evil Uchiha Sharingan is best at plagiarizing my ninjutsu, and now you dare to cry thief here."
Tobirama shot back without giving an inch.
He felt certain Madara was deliberately picking a fight today.
The scene bristled with tension.
The air grew heavy.
The clans in the council chamber sensed trouble. What if a brawl broke out here?
"Forget it, forget it."
"It's hard for everyone."
"Forget it, forget it. Lord Tobirama, you can't win against him. So what if you copied. It's for Konoha. No one will blame you."
Fearing a clash, the clans hurried to play peacemaker and began persuading them.
"That's right, little brother. Madara means no harm. He just likes to tell blunt truths." Senju Hashirama didn't just stand by; he quickly joined the peacemaking.
Madara didn't keep arguing with Tobirama. Fairness lives in people's hearts and the masses see clearly. The clans of Konoha had been watching every bit of news about Akatsuki Village. They all knew Tobirama was a shameless plagiarist dog.
"You all… I did not plagiarize."
Listening to the persuasion in his ears, Tobirama felt tightness in his chest, his breath catching from anger.
How could he possibly have plagiarized?
And plagiarize that inherently evil Uchiha Makoto from Akatsuki Village. Also, Big Brother, how can you not believe me?
"Hmph…"
Madara snorted.
Seeing Tobirama's bedraggled state, he was secretly delighted. The corner of his mouth curled up and he even hummed under his breath.
As his mood steadied, Tobirama's intellect retook the high ground. Wearing a cold face, he began to inquire about the facts.
"Uchiha Makoto also established a covert tactical assassination special force. Coincidence, nothing but coincidence."
"What… he also founded a ninja academy?"
"There's even a Will of Light?"
"…"
Tobirama fell silent.
He had not expected Uchiha Makoto's ideas to coincide with his.
His own power was not as monstrous as his brother's, so as Konoha's shadow Hokage he had to have an armed force that answered only to him, and he needed ideological cohesion, which gave rise to a matching Will of Light.
To cultivate power continuously, a training academy was a natural necessity.
Whether these things were in place was almost the watershed between a tender village and a mature one.
"Uchiha Makoto is truly a terrifying opponent."
In his heart Tobirama raised Makoto's danger rating again. Among the Uchiha, he was second only to Uchiha Madara.
Then a more frightening realization struck him.
Makoto's ideas matched his, but Makoto had moved faster. Wouldn't that make him a plagiarist dog in truth?
With ideas, whoever is slower looks like the plagiarist. At this point, unless something unexpected happened, there would be no washing this clean.
Tobirama didn't dare imagine what would come next. His mind raced to find a way to break the deadlock.
The room fell silent.
All eyes focused on the speechless Tobirama. Feeling those gazes, perhaps under the sway of his own psychology, he sensed mockery, disdain, and pity in them, which made him want to flee the council chamber at once.
But he could not flee now.
If he ran, he truly could not explain himself.
A leader can be stubborn and harsh, or weak and incompetent, or even foolish to the core, but he must never become a clown.
I didn't copy. I did not.
I truly didn't. What do I have to fear. My conscience is clean.
After a few seconds of mental fortification, Tobirama chose to speak and clear himself. "I didn't plagiarize. These are merely coincidences."
"Lord Tobirama's mouth is so stiff."
"Already caught red-handed and he still refuses to admit it. Impressive."
So thought the clans. Though Tobirama's stubbornness was laughable, they were shinobi trained to be professional. When it wasn't time to laugh, they would not laugh. No matter what, Lord Tobirama was acting for Konoha. Understandable.
"Big Brother, do you believe me?"
Seeing the room fall silent, Tobirama sought his brother to vouch for him. He had been shut in for days, and Hashirama knew it.
His own brother would surely believe him.
Hashirama lifted his head.
How could there be such coincidences in this world, three in a row and all identical.
Little brother, so you copied. As long as it is for Konoha's future development, borrowing a few good strategic plans isn't a big deal. Why be so stubborn.
Forget it.
As the elder brother, even if I know it's not great, I'll cover you at the key moment.
"I believe you."
The slow yet firm answer filled the room, and Tobirama was deeply moved by Hashirama's stance.
Big Brother, though you always like to hang around with that inherently evil Uchiha Madara, causing Sister-in-law to complain about me from time to time, and though I sometimes even suspect you are a fool.
You have always been my good big brother.
"Right, right, coincidence."
"Lord Hashirama is right. It's a coincidence. I believe Lord Tobirama too."
"I have always firmly believed in Lord Tobirama."
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