Chapter 59: Tobirama-sama
"Yes, yes, I know, you can continue."
"Please get to the point. There's no need to elaborate on these clichés."
Uchiha Nan picked at his ear. These words were just for listening; perhaps only an idealist like the First Hokage would take them seriously.
The Tobirama Senju before him was a seasoned schemer with a black heart. There was no persuasive power in his words, especially since Uchiha Nan was an Uchiha, one of the people he racially discriminated against.
Damn brat!
Seeing Uchiha Nan's nonchalant attitude, Tobirama Senju's inner fire began to rise again.
"Brat, this is important!"
Tobirama Senju's tone was unpleasant, his expression serious. Seeing this, Uchiha Nan restrained his expression, and Tobirama Senju continued:
"Konoha isn't one person's Konoha, nor is it one clan's Konoha. It belongs to everyone in Konoha."
"And the Senju clan has already produced two Hokage."
"There's already talk within the clan that 'Senju is Konoha.' When my brother and I were alive, we could suppress the clan's ambitions. But my brother is now dead, and when I die, if the Third Hokage position is still passed to the Senju clan, who can suppress this power?"
"Touma certainly has the ability and qualifications to become Hokage, but he happens to be named Senju."
Tobirama Senju spoke his reasons calmly, without expression.
Impressive!
Uchiha Nan looked at Tobirama Senju with new eyes.
In ancient dynasties, once a dynasty lasted three generations, it essentially gained dynastic inertia. Unless a divinely foolish emperor appeared, the dynasty could continue for about a hundred years.
The same was true for the Hokage position. If Tobirama Senju had really passed the Hokage position to Senju Touma, perhaps the subsequent generations of Hokage would all be named Senju.
Ruthless!
For Konoha, he could even scheme against his own clan, forcefully cutting off the Senju clan's continued dominance of Konoha for several years, a decade, or even decades.
"Well said!"
"Tobirama-sama is truly selfless!"
"But you still haven't fully answered my question. Why specifically Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
Uchiha Nan's eyes were burning as he looked at Tobirama Senju. He couldn't be fooled by such words.
"Why not Uchiha Kagami?"
"If you could choose Hiruzen Sarutobi as Hokage, how is Uchiha Kagami any worse?"
"Combining personal strength, clan influence, personal character, and will, how is Uchiha Kagami not more suitable to become Hokage?"
"The Uchiha are also the founders of Konoha. Your Senju clan has produced two Hokage; it should be the Uchiha's turn."
Uchiha Nan's questioning was resounding, choking Tobirama Senju's words.
Tobirama Senju, you're being fair and selfless, calculating everything. Your Senju clan has produced two Hokage, but the Uchiha clan is still waiting for its share.
You really don't consider the Uchiha as people, do you? Once you're full, you want to break the pot?
Tobirama Senju couldn't speak. His words were too beautiful and grand, but the Uchiha were an unavoidable hurdle.
Uchiha Kagami was indeed qualified to become Hokage. His strength and character were excellent choices, but he happened to be an Uchiha!
But the Uchiha couldn't become Hokage. Tobirama Senju knew what kind of people they were—all potential madmen and psychopaths.
He had misjudged while alive, overlooking Uchiha Nan. If he had chosen Uchiha Kagami as the Third Hokage, what if he activated the Mangekyou Sharingan and became a madman?
A madman Hokage leading a group of madman Uchiha—Tobirama Senju couldn't put Konoha in such a dangerous position.
Although it had become this way, it was an unexpected state. Tobirama Senju couldn't create such a dangerous situation with his own hands.
Even if there was only a slight possibility, Tobirama Senju wouldn't do it.
"Can't say it?"
"Tobirama-sama, then I'll say it."
"You never considered the Uchiha as comrades, did you? You've always been using the Uchiha's strength, wanting to treat the Uchiha as Konoha's watchdogs."
"To make the Uchiha feel at ease as dogs, you even gave them the police force, but that's just a dog leash!"
Uchiha Nan didn't give Tobirama Senju any face, directly speaking his thoughts.
The Uchiha police force had great power, from arresting spies to managing Konoha's daily patrols, and even an armed force independent of the ANBU.
But Tobirama Senju was clearly no good. He knew the Uchiha's nature too well. In the game of political power, the Uchiha were even worse than the Hyuga.
Under his suppression and deliberate guidance, the Uchiha had subconsciously treated themselves as Konoha's police, handling petty theft and acting as city guards.
Treating the Uchiha as police and city guards?
Anyone who knows the daily work of the police knows it's not easy. Petty, trivial, and boring matters tormented the Uchiha every day.
The Uchiha were born warriors, proud and naturally prone to laughter.
The spirit of serving villagers with a smile was impossible. How could the proud Uchiha put on a smiling face for ordinary villagers?
It was a joke.
The Uchiha's enforcement was usually very rough, always showing villagers a bad face, sometimes even solving cases with genjutsu, which was absolutely forbidden in Konoha. Konoha ninjas were prohibited from using ninjutsu on villagers.
But this prohibition clearly didn't work for the Uchiha. Any villager who disagreed would report it, and they would be taken to the police force for tea.
The Uchiha didn't have an advantage in the power arena and didn't enter core power. Over time, they lost the hearts of even the lowest-level people.
It was only because it was wartime, and the Uchiha shed blood for Konoha, sacrificing many clan members, that Konoha villagers still relied on the Uchiha's military power to protect themselves.
When peace came, the cunning rabbit would be killed, and the good bow would be stored. Villagers were very forgetful and would soon forget how much blood the Uchiha shed and how many clan members died to protect them.
In later generations, the same people who insulted and bullied Naruto would later praise him as Konoha's hero.
These accumulated grievances and hatred would slowly backlash against the Uchiha.
Even worse, the mainstay of Konoha's future was civilian ninjas. The powerful bloodline clans disappeared like fleeting clouds, and these civilian ninjas were descendants of the villagers who were violently enforced by the Uchiha.
The Uchiha had offended both the upper and lower levels of Konoha. They still wanted a chance for a clan member to become Hokage?
Dream on!
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