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Later, Youya opened a textile factory and a canning factory.
Senju Hashirama was very satisfied with this and equally pleased with Youya's performance. The only thing he wasn't happy about was that the boy wouldn't get moving without a bit of a push—like a whip.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner if you had the ability!" Senju Hashirama thought, frustrated.
Hashirama felt that if Youya had shown this ability to improve the village a few years earlier, Konoha would be in a much better place by now.
As for why Youya hadn't done this sooner, the reason was simple: he didn't want to be seen as a monster.
A few years ago, at the age of six, Youya didn't want to stand out too much. He thought if he performed too well, he might be dragged into endless research projects. However, in this world, being six years old was hardly an excuse. After all, kids went to the battlefield at that age (Uchiha Fugaku would definitely give this a thumbs up).
Even so, Youya felt that outperforming others could still lead to unwanted attention. Besides, what was the point of showing off if there was no immediate benefit for him?
What benefit could a six-year-old expect from Senju Hashirama?
Additionally, these two ventures—a textile factory and a canning factory—were things that Konoha would have developed eventually, with or without Youya's involvement.
Konoha Village essentially functioned as the capital of an independent, small kingdom in the anime's official lore. The relationship between Konoha Village and the Land of Fire wasn't a superior-subordinate dynamic but more of a partnership. That's why the Land of Fire could only recommend, but not decide, who would be Hokage.
Konoha had the strength and potential to become a self-sustaining political and economic power. But over time, large subsidies from the Land of Fire distracted the village from further development, which is why no Hokage since Hashirama seriously pursued Konoha's growth in that direction.
Senju Hashirama and Tobirama grew up in a chaotic time of war. They were constantly in battle—big or small—and fighting with the Uchiha clan whenever they could. They didn't have time or energy to focus on development.
For them, it was more about perfecting ninjutsu, which is why Tobirama became known for his vast arsenal of jutsu.
Hashirama's goal was to end the chaotic war era, but he didn't have a detailed plan for future development. His faith lay in the wisdom of future generations, trusting them to carry Konoha forward.
Thus, from the first year of Konoha until decades later when Naruto took power, Konoha's development—and that of the entire Naruto world—focused primarily on military strength.
This wasn't entirely wrong, as military power was crucial for survival, but sometimes force and development didn't have to be at odds. In fact, economic development can often fuel military strength.
While Youya could transform Konoha's infrastructure within six months, he couldn't turn the village into a thriving superpower overnight. That would take time.
A few months later, on what seemed like an ordinary day for most of Konoha, Senju Hashirama called Senju Tobirama, Uzumaki Mito, and Youya into his room.
Hashirama's face was flushed with color, but his body radiated an extremely dangerous aura—his chakra was overflowing. Even the small amounts that leaked out were enough to make Youya's heart tremble.
The strength of the God of Shinobi was truly unimaginable.
"As you can see, I can no longer control the chakra in my body. To prevent chaos after my death, we need to go somewhere else," Hashirama said.
Without a word, Tobirama formed a quick hand seal, and in the next moment, Youya found himself outside, in a forest near Konoha Village.
"As we discussed before," Hashirama said, turning to Tobirama, "once I'm gone, you need to seal my body to stop anyone from desecrating it."
Senju Hashirama had dispersed the Senju clan within Konoha Village and had them change their names to prevent those hungry for the power of his Wood Release from targeting the clan.
Hashirama had seen the future clearly: after his death, the Senju clan would be attacked. Even during his lifetime, his son had been targeted by those coveting Hashirama's Wood Release powers. But as history would show, except for Hashirama, none of the Senju had the chakra type necessary for Wood Release.
The danger was real, and Hashirama knew people would try to get his body after he passed. If his body weren't so resistant to fire or water, he would've told Tobirama to burn him.
For those who lived through the chaos of the war era, death wasn't something to fear. They had long come to terms with it.
"I understand, brother," Tobirama nodded solemnly.
"Now, a few pieces of advice." Hashirama scratched his head, chuckling. "Don't take the Uchiha too seriously, Tobirama. Relax when it's appropriate."
Tobirama frowned, thinking of Uchiha Madara. With that example, it was hard for him to trust the Uchiha.
"Forget it, you have your plans. Uchiha Kagami is a good successor. When he becomes the leader of the Uchiha clan, you can direct more resources toward them."
Tobirama nodded again.
Meanwhile, Youya was deep in thought when Hashirama suddenly turned to him. "Youya, compared to Tobirama, I haven't taught you much. I haven't been the most attentive master," he said with a warm smile.
Youya was silent for a moment, then replied, "Master… no matter what, I will never forget the life-saving grace you gave me."
Hashirama looked at Youya and said softly, "After Tobirama, how would you like to become the Third Hokage?"
Youya's eyes widened, and he stared at Hashirama in shock.
"Master… are you serious?"
Hashirama smiled and turned to Tobirama. "With Tobirama around, you'll have time to grow. In ten years, I believe you can change Konoha's future."
Hashirama took a deep breath and looked at Youya with utmost seriousness. "Tobirama and I are fighters. We know how to protect Konoha, but we don't know how to help everyone live a better life. You're different, Youya.
"I believe that if you focus on improving your abilities over the next ten years, you can succeed Tobirama as the Third Hokage. Under your leadership, Konoha will flourish in ways we couldn't even imagine."
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**End of Chapter**