The First Hokage was not a sore loser.
The facts were right before his eyes.
Konoha's development was indeed not as good as Akatsuki Village's.
However, he had great confidence in his younger brother, Senju Tobirama. Now that Tobirama was already writing a development strategy for Konoha based on Akatsuki Village's policies, in time, Konoha would surely be able to catch up.
After such a mental pep talk.
Senju Hashirama quickly came to terms with it.
Moreover, the relationship between Konoha and Akatsuki Village was extraordinary. The two were not just allies; Uchiha Makoto and the Senju family were even going to be united by marriage, a relationship that couldn't be stronger.
For an outstanding junior like Uchiha Makoto.
Senju Hashirama mostly held an appreciative attitude.
This era belonged to him, and also to young people like Uchiha Makoto, but in the end, it still belonged to the young people.
Of course... the feeling of defeat would certainly not disappear in a short while.
"I wonder when Konoha can be like Akatsuki Village..."
"Makoto, with a young person like you in the ninja world, I can rest assured."
"If you hadn't left the Uchiha clan to establish Akatsuki Village on your own back then, it would have been great if you had joined Konoha."
"I think you could be the Hokage!"
"Hahaha..."
Senju Hashirama sighed, and the more he looked at Uchiha Makoto, the more he liked him. He even said something without any reservation that would have scared Senju Tobirama, who was far away in Konoha, sleepless.
Uchiha Makoto's face immediately lit up with a smile, his interest piqued.
"Then, Lord First, which generation of Hokage do you plan to make me?"
"The Second?"
"The Third, you're still young... hahaha, I want Madara to be the Second..."
"....."
Although Uchiha Makoto knew this was impossible, he still seriously hypothesized with Senju Hashirama.
As expected, there was no hope for the position of the Second Hokage...
From the bottom of his heart, Senju Hashirama wanted Uchiha Madara to sit in the Hokage's seat, for no other reason than to let him have a taste of being the Hokage.
But for the Third Hokage, Senju Hashirama had high hopes for Uchiha Makoto.
—Hmm... not bad. Senju Tobirama was completely ignored by Senju Hashirama. (Sad)
Senju Tobirama's long-term hard work and dedication had made Senju Hashirama accustomed to it. The silently dedicated person is always the easiest to be forgotten.
This is human nature.
Even Senju Hashirama was no exception.
However, regarding this topic, Uchiha Makoto chose to stop at the right time.
Senju Hashirama could say these things so naively, but... Uchiha Makoto couldn't. Senju Tobirama would really fly into a rage over this matter.
"Makoto, sometimes, I feel that our generation has fallen far behind you young people."
"Even Tobirama has to learn from you."
"Lord Hashirama, it is precisely because a senior like you laid the foundation for the era of ninja villages that young people like me have the opportunity to display their talents in an era of peace. If it weren't for you, Lord Hashirama, who knows what a mess the ninja world would be in... how many would be called hegemons, how many would be called Kage."
"Am I that amazing?"
Uchiha Makoto said, interrupting with flattering words.
—This is the time for commercial flattery.
One cannot lack in social etiquette!
Upon hearing this, Senju Hashirama immediately put his hands on his hips and laughed heartily, looking like a proud fool.
But Uchiha Madara, on the side, was slightly displeased. Uchiha Makoto had just said a whole bunch of things, and not a single one of them was something he liked to hear.
Uchiha Makoto, why are you only praising that fool Hashirama?
What about... what about me?
Thus...
Uchiha Madara: "Ahem, ahem..." (Uchiha Madara is displeased.jpg)
Senju Hashirama: "Madara, what's wrong? Why did you suddenly cough? Is your throat uncomfortable?"
"Hmm... Lord Madara is, of course, a senior I also respect. You and Lord Hashirama are the pillars of Konoha. Without either of you, Konoha would be incomplete..."
Uchiha Makoto instantly understood and offered a few compliments, which finally stopped Uchiha Madara's sudden "lung disease" attack.
Afterward, as usual...
Uchiha Makoto planned to take Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara for a few strolls around Akatsuki Village.
The prosperous scenes did have a great impact on Senju Hashirama, but what Uchiha Makoto really wanted him to see was not this "superficial prosperity."
But the spiritual and cultural construction and a series of welfare facilities of Akatsuki Village.
This was the cannonball that could hit Senju Hashirama's heart!
Especially the image projects recorded in the "New Ninja" magazine.
Although they usually seemed inconspicuous and were even considered meaningless expenses by the higher-ups of Akatsuki Village, at this moment, they were truly going to play a role.
For example, the orphanage.
Orphanages are always the most vulnerable institutions.
Orphans in the ninja world have no parents, no family, which means no one to back them up.
—No one will waste too much money on an orphanage.
Even most ninja villages in the ninja world don't have so-called orphanages. Even the orphanage established by Konoha was only allocated a meager amount of funds to barely maintain its operation.
As for the treatment...
Konoha's funding is limited. Even without mentioning the filth hidden in the darkness within, the competition for funding among the Konoha ninja clans has never stopped.
And it's an open and fair competition, the kind where the clan heads fight until their faces are red and their necks are thick!
After all, funds don't just fall from the sky for free.
If you don't fight for it, others will happily take it.
But who would bother to fight for funds for unrelated orphans?
It's enough to keep the orphans from starving.
To ask for more, Konoha's funds can't afford it.
Even the source of funding for Konoha's future orphanage, the children would become a bargaining chip for a certain pot-bearer—that's right, I'm talking about Danzo.
And in the Akatsuki Village orphanage...
Senju Hashirama saw rows of brand new, bright houses. Several caretaker aunts were teaching the children the most basic literacy.
Children who performed well could even get candy as a reward.
The children's rosy, smiling faces looked like they had received sufficient nutrition, and they looked exceptionally cute in the sunlight.
"Lord Light Shadow is here!"
"Ah, it's Lord Light Shadow!"
"It really is Lord Light Shadow."
The children cheered excitedly. The moment they saw Uchiha Makoto, they all screamed and gathered around him.
Uchiha Makoto was usually busy with official duties and would only come here for a visit during major festivals.
And for all the orphans, Uchiha Makoto was the Lord Light Shadow who had given them a new life, a leader, and also a father... in short, he had many identities, and any of them would do.
Uchiha Makoto smiled and patted these cute children, his mood becoming very pleasant.
Except for the naughty kids...
Those well-behaved little children, small, soft, and cute, could indeed be called angels, a gift from heaven.
In his happy mood, he gave out several boxes of candy.
Senju Hashirama's mood was the same... his original intention in establishing Konoha was so that children would not have to repeat the same mistakes, to go to the battlefield to fight, to bleed, to die at a flowery age.
Unsurprisingly, he also got to hug a few children.
After all, with Senju Hashirama's sunny, foolish smile and candy in his hand, it was really hard not to be popular with children.
Uchiha Madara was more tragic. He also liked children, but the smile he forced out scared a few of them, and then they cried and ran into the arms of Uchiha Makoto and Senju Hashirama. The two of them had to give them several candies to stop their sobbing.
The children became more and more excited.
And then... they gradually shifted their attention to the cute thing on Uchiha Makoto's shoulder.
"Lord Light Shadow, is this a cat?"
"It's so strange, it has two tails."
"Can I pet it?"
"....."
Faced with the children's requests, Uchiha Makoto had no objection at all.
After shrinking, the Two-Tails kitty was indeed very cute, making one want to pet it. Uchiha Makoto had already petted it many times on the way.
But the Two-Tails was a Tailed Beast, after all, not a real cat.
Faced with the demonic claws of a large group of human cubs, it instinctively wanted to resist, but... the Two-Tails kitty ultimately chose to submit, letting the children knead it.
There was no other way.
Those two great demon kings, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, were squatting on the side. The fate of a hissing cat would be the same as that of a biting dog: a combo of scallions, ginger, and garlic. If the Two-Tails dared to hiss, even Uchiha Makoto really couldn't save it.
After the children had had their fill, the Two-Tails kitty was finally rescued and returned to Uchiha Makoto's shoulder, looking exhausted.
—The cat is a good and decent cat. It had never received guests before. This was its first time dealing with so many people.
The happy times were short.
Uchiha Makoto had no choice but to wave goodbye to the children. The children, behind the caretaker aunts, looked at Uchiha Makoto's back with reluctance.
The next stop was the ninja nursing home...
Here, Senju Hashirama saw helpless, disabled ninjas working hard to exercise, and professional medical-nin treating them and changing their dressings on time.
There were even ninja beasts among them.
In the ninja world.
The injury and death rate of ninja beasts is no less than that of ninjas.
Once injured, the life of a ninja beast becomes very difficult. A ninja beast that has lost its combat ability is as helpless as a 35-year-old man who has been laid off.
Sometimes, the cost for ninjas to retrain a ninja beast is less than treating these ninja beasts.
But for many ninjas, their ninja beasts are like their family, fighting side by side on missions.
But... reality is just that cruel.
But fortunately, Akatsuki Village has a special policy.
Every disabled ninja and ninja beast, upon seeing Uchiha Makoto, was as if they had seen the sun, and then erupted in a tide of cheers.
Uchiha Makoto responded enthusiastically. After staying for a while, he went to the next stop.
One stop, one stop, and another stop...
....
There were many, many such image projects.
Uchiha Makoto only picked a few key ones.
And Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, after following Uchiha Makoto for half a day, had several doses of the Will of Light injected into their minds.
The two of them were truly greatly shocked.
Especially Senju Hashirama, he was unable to calm down for a long time.
Konoha is heartless, Akatsuki is full of情... it seems that Konoha is not just lacking in economic prosperity, but... in backward thinking!
But this is actually easy to understand.
Hokage is a shonen manga. Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara are both great figures who sit high in the clouds of the ninja world. They never have to worry about the problems of real life... and the readers don't like to read about these things.
But after all, it has gone from illusion to reality.
Reality is very complex, and the poverty of the weak is also unimaginable to those who have not experienced it.
And the two big shots are both figureheads.
They naively believe that as long as peace is achieved in the ninja world, everything will be fine.
But how can such a thing be possible?
In the past, the two of them had indeed not paid attention to the welfare issues of the Konoha ninjas and villagers.
"Konoha has to learn, it has to."
"Tobirama has never cared about Konoha's spiritual and cultural construction, welfare benefits... Konoha also has to be like Akatsuki Village... he is still too conservative."
"We must learn everything!"
Senju Hashirama couldn't help but say.
Uchiha Makoto couldn't help but nod in gratification.
These places, the last time Senju Tobirama came to Akatsuki Village, Uchiha Makoto had not taken him there on his own initiative.
Because Senju Tobirama is too rational.
When he sees these scenes, he will indeed be touched, but he will definitely not engage in these image and welfare projects in Konoha.
It's not that he doesn't want to, but... because Konoha doesn't have that much money.
Maintaining these image projects costs a lot of money.
For the sake of Konoha's development, Senju Tobirama had already shamelessly borrowed money from Uchiha Makoto. To spend the money on "useless" places can only be a waste.
If this money were used in other places in Konoha, it would play a greater role in the future.
Senju Tobirama was willing to call this a "necessary sacrifice."
One generation plants the trees, and the next enjoys the shade. Someone always has to bear the burden.
Let the villagers of Konoha suffer a little. The blame... no, what blame is there? The whole ninja world is like this now!
Not every village is as rich as Akatsuki Village—scalping the nobles, such a simple thing, they just can't learn it!
And... compared to Senju Tobirama, Senju Hashirama is a different story. Asura... his brain is more inclined to be emotional.
He's also used to being a figurehead.
When he encounters a problem, he just pressures his younger brother.
Senju Hashirama: "Tobirama, I think..."
Senju Tobirama: "What, you can't do it?"
Senju Hashirama: "Then I'll go and discuss it with the Uchiha clan... I heard they can do it..."
Senju Tobirama: "???"
Uchiha Makoto almost predicted what Senju Hashirama was going to do after he went back.
—Even if he was far away in Akatsuki Village, Uchiha Makoto had to find a way to create some trouble for Senju Tobirama.
The borrowed cash flow is very precious.
Senju Tobirama was just about to make a big move and talk cooperation with the Arasaka-affiliated wealthy merchants. To have the precious funds consumed on these "meaningless things," even if it was only a part, would be enough to make Senju Tobirama give up some benefits at the negotiating table. In the end, it would still be Akatsuki Village that would get more benefits.
If... he resisted and refused to agree to Senju Hashirama's "unreasonable demands."
Those idiots of the Uchiha clan should do something, right... spend some money, spend some... even if it's just a superficial effort, it would be enough to disgust Senju Tobirama for several days and make him unable to sleep.
Senju Tobirama is almost fifty years old, he sleeps little and has many things to do. How long can he last?
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