"Hashirama-sama, he—" Fumori Masaki was stunned by the news. Though it was not entirely unexpected, given Hashirama's deteriorating health, it still felt unreal. Emotionally, it was hard to accept.
"Hurry back and prepare yourself. The sooner you return, the more likely you'll catch him in time. If you delay, it might be too late," Tobirama urged.
"Sensei, won't you go back to see him?" Masaki asked, unable to help himself.
Tobirama shook his head. "I can't leave here. If I do, the Land of Lightning will counterattack immediately. Besides—" He picked up a scroll from the side and handed it to Masaki. "Take a look at this."
Masaki took the scroll and read it. It detailed the movement of troops from the Land of Water, heading north along the coast. Masaki quickly understood—the Land of Water was moving to support the Land of Lightning. Their forces were strategically positioning themselves to strengthen their front, rather than directly engaging in battle.
"You see the situation now," Tobirama sighed. "At this critical moment, I can't afford to leave. I would rather be there for my brother, but my duty as Hokage demands that I stay. That's why I'm sending you back in my stead. You're both our disciple, and even though your relationship with my brother is largely built on the Sage Arts, there's still a bond."
Tobirama then wrote a few words on a scroll and handed it to Masaki. "Also, take this with you. It's a document appointing Kagami as a Jonin. He'll lead our forces against the Land of Wind. The movement from the Land of Water is actually advantageous for us. Kagami won't have to face the Mist Ninjas but can focus on the Sand Ninjas. It should be an easier battle for him."
Masaki considered this and agreed. The Uchiha clan, adept at fire-style jutsu, would have a natural advantage against the Sand Ninjas. Their fire-style techniques were particularly effective in countering both the wind-style jutsu and the puppet techniques of the Sand Village. The only real threat was the Sand Village's secret techniques, which posed little threat in the Land of Fire's terrain. As long as Kagami maintained a strong defense, victory should be within reach.
While Uchiha Kagami's situation was improving, the pressure on their own front was intensifying. Thankfully, the Land of Earth was an ally, and their earth-style techniques were effective against the Mist Ninjas. Similarly, the Land of Lightning, also an ally, could handle the Land of Earth, leaving Konoha to focus on the Land of Lightning. This mutual restraint would only strengthen their alliance. However, with four nations involved, the conflict was bound to be brutal.
Masaki recalled that the Second Tsuchikage and the Second Mizukage were both active on this battlefield. Even the leaders of the Shinobi villages were personally engaged, which underscored the ferocity of the battles. This brought back painful memories from the First Ninja War.
Tobirama was also aware that the battlefield would become even more intense with the Land of Water's involvement, leading to greater losses for the village. Thus, he agreed with Masaki's proposal: if peace talks were possible, they should pursue them. It wasn't necessary to completely destroy the Land of Lightning, just secure a favorable outcome.
Masaki suggested that they focus on the main battle groups led by the Golden and Silver Brothers and leverage the captured Kumo Ninjas. As long as the Kumo Village valued their prisoners, they would be inclined to negotiate peace. Disagreement among the factions in Kumo could be advantageous for Konoha.
"I'll issue a statement," Tobirama said. "According to your suggestion, we should treat these Kumo Ninjas well and emphasize the importance of peace to them?"
"Yes, Sensei," Masaki replied. "If peace talks happen, these prisoners will be sent back. Treating them well will enhance Konoha's reputation. Even if they have differing loyalties, they'll have a more favorable view of us in the future. After all, people are not made of stone. Additionally, there's a girl named Sora among them. If nothing unexpected happens, she could become a high-ranking member of Kumo Village. If we treat her well and help her understand Hashirama-sama's ideals, she might contribute to peace in the Shinobi world."
"Are you sure the enemy will appreciate such kindness?" Tobirama asked skeptically.
"Sensei, if we continue to view the Land of Lightning or any other country as our enemy, the Shinobi world will never know peace," Masaki said. "Except for a few lunatics and power-hungry individuals, most people just want to live in peace. Just like in the past, when clans constantly fought each other, people grew weary of endless conflict. But after Konoha was founded, and shinobi began to serve nations directly rather than warring lords, they were able to live together in peace. If it weren't for this war threatening our survival, we wouldn't be fighting now."
Tobirama nodded slightly. "So, your idea is to show these prisoners the true cost of war and convince them that peace is the better path. This way, when they return, they might become our allies, especially Sora. She could influence the entire Kumo Village."
"Exactly, Sensei," Masaki agreed. "While we can't rely entirely on them, fostering these relationships is crucial in the current situation. We can't directly defeat any major nation or inflict heavy losses. Both sides will suffer greatly in this war."
From Masaki's perspective, the best long-term solution would be to unify the Shinobi world under a single set of values. Once unified, and if the system was stable, after a few generations, the likelihood of division would be minimal. But if unification wasn't possible, the next best option would be for the Land of Fire to become the dominant power, weakening the other great nations so that they couldn't pose a significant threat. Controlling these countries through economic and political influence would allow the Land of Fire to maintain peace by forming a Ninja Alliance centered around itself, extending its influence into all aspects of the other nations.
This strategy, however, depended on the development pace of other countries. Masaki had his own ideas on how to strengthen and prosper the Land of Fire, but the specific approach would depend on the circumstances. If the Land of Fire could eventually absorb all other countries, that would be the start of unification.
However, this would only work if other countries couldn't match the Land of Fire's development or if they lagged behind in terms of systems. Given that other Shinobi villages were eager to learn and adapt, Masaki couldn't guarantee they wouldn't adopt similar methods, leading to stronger nations. In that case, he would have to consider establishing a Ninja Alliance, as the cost of unification might be too great for the Land of Fire to bear.
"We'll discuss this later," Tobirama said. "Right now, the priority is to end this war quickly."
Masaki left the camp to prepare for his return to the village. His first task was to escort the refugees who had lost their homes due to the war back to Konoha. This wasn't merely an act of kindness; it was also a practical move. The village needed to replenish its numbers after the heavy losses suffered during the war, and integrating civilians into the ninja ranks was a step closer to Hashirama's ideal.
While Tobirama had additional motives, the official narrative focused on providing the refugees with a better life. This would encourage them to willingly join Konoha. And Tobirama wasn't lying—life in Konoha was indeed much better than under the rule of other lords, largely due to the different systems governing the village.
After organizing the refugees, Masaki selected some wounded soldiers and those unable to continue fighting as his subordinates. Then, together with the Fourth Unit, who had come to provide support, they set off to escort the refugees back to Konoha.
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Those who's wondering why masaki generation, took a while to get a promotion.
because Hashirama as hokage really tried his best to realize his dream where no minors really did dangerous missions risking their life.
And if any of you still confused how old actually they are in this story. Just think of this way. The MC was like 7 or 8 when the first year of konoha .
So if it 12 years of konoha it would be like 19 or 20
for chapter below 63 I haven't really fixed it. I will edit from chapter 1 on Saturday and Sunday. if it's all done please read it again if you want hehe. anyway for chapter 63 and above I have edited it. most likely there is a typography error. if you find it please let me know so I can fix it right away. thank you. Ciao