Youya gradually fell silent after the initial shock.
He really hadn't expected that Senju Hashirama's expectations for him would be this high...
How should he put it? Senju Hashirama never mentioned Yuya's combat abilities. Yuya understood that. No matter how exceptional his skills might be, how could they compare to the ninja world's "God"?
So, Senju Hashirama had directly proposed another aspect.
He wanted Yuya to lead Konoha Village to prosperity.
Yuya did have this ability. Not to mention his special abilities, he could definitely develop Konoha's economy.
The Golden Emperor could build an entire city with gold. Yuya didn't believe he was any less capable of generating wealth than the Golden Emperor.
But...
All of this had a prerequisite.
Senju Tobirama had to manage the village peacefully for the next ten years.
Yuya looked at Hashirama and said, "If possible, I will find a way to make Konoha wealthy."
Just as Senju Hashirama nodded in satisfaction, Yuya quickly followed up, "But there is one question. After you die, master, won't other countries take the opportunity to attack us?"
Senju Hashirama smiled even more broadly.
Senju Tobirama, who was standing beside him, also smiled and said, "The fact that you're thinking about the village like this shows how much you care."
"Yes, it's possible that other villages might try something, but we are not afraid."
Senju Tobirama looked at Yuya seriously: "Konoha now has the largest number of ninjas among the five great nations. We are not afraid of any village, so don't worry."
Yuya: "..."
Is this a flag?
Let me tell you, we do win the battle, but you're gone, boss...
It wasn't like Yuya could actually say that, or he would definitely get dissected.
He could only nod in silence.
Hashirama smiled, clearly envisioning Konoha's bright future.
Sadly, he wouldn't live to see it.
Regarding the Impure World Reincarnation technique developed by Senju Tobirama, both brothers had the same view: the living belong among the living, the dead belong with the dead, and it's wrong to disturb the dead's rest.
Senju Tobirama had even wanted to completely erase any trace of the jutsu.
However, he hesitated, worried that Konoha might one day decline and get attacked by other villages. In that case, bringing back some of the dead could help.
"That's all I have to say about the village," Hashirama said, looking at Uzumaki Mito, who had been silent. "I'm sorry. I haven't been a good husband. You'll be on your own after I'm gone."
Uzumaki Mito looked at him coldly. "Hmph, you think too highly of yourself. I only married you because of the clan's arrangement."
This was true. Strictly speaking, the marriage between Uzumaki Mito and Senju Hashirama was purely political.
In return, the Uzumaki clan got the chance to become a shinobi village in a small country.
If you gave the choice of becoming a ninja village or joining Konoha, many clans would choose to become a ninja village.
But whether they were strong enough to handle it was another matter.
The Uzumaki clan wasn't especially powerful, but with Uzumaki Mito marrying Hashirama, they became allied with Konoha. This meant anyone who wanted to mess with the Uzumaki clan would also have to deal with Konoha.
Hashirama looked at his wife and smiled. "That's good. If you meet someone suitable after I'm gone, you can remarry. I won't hold it against you."
Uzumaki Mito's eyes suddenly reddened. "Why would I care what you think?! If you die today, I'll find someone else to marry tomorrow! That'll show you!"
Senju Hashirama burst into laughter.
He was genuinely sincere in his words.
But he had forgotten that the person he was talking to was Uzumaki Mito, a powerful kunoichi in her own right. Who else could she possibly want after him?
In the original story, Uzumaki Mito lived the rest of her life alone.
Senju Hashirama turned to Tobirama. "Take care of Tsunade."
Tobirama nodded.
That little girl Tsunade had a mother, but no father, which is why Hashirama made this request.
Hashirama then looked at Yuya. "That child likes you a lot. If possible, when you're older, marry her, hahaha."
Yuya's face darkened, but Uzumaki Mito started rolling up her sleeves: "Don't worry about that! I'll make sure Yuya finds the right wife in the future!"
Hashirama laughed heartily again.
The three of them, one older and two younger, continued chatting. Every now and then, the sound of laughter echoed.
Tobirama even used the Flying Thunder God technique to get some food and drinks, but Yuya noticed that his eyes were a little moist.
After eating and drinking, Senju Hashirama asked the others to leave. He didn't want them to see his final moments.
However, none of them were willing to go.
Seeing no other choice, Senju Hashirama continued to wait for his end.
Later, Senju Hashirama asked Yuya if he had any plans for Konoha Village. If Yuya became Hokage in ten years, how would he make Konoha stronger?
Yuya was silent for a moment, then delivered a detailed response.
The ninja system needed reform. Ninjas should be treated as a separate military line. They could have ranks and units, but they shouldn't compete with ordinary people in business or politics. If they wanted to make money, they should leave the ninja corps and focus on business.
The economic model also needed to change. Instead of just allowing outside merchants to bring goods to Konoha, Konoha should start selling its own products to the outside world.
Yuya only shared a small part of his ideas, like the ninja military structure. He even thought about keeping ninjas out of official government roles, but that wasn't realistic with the current situation.
But the ninja ranks definitely needed more subdivision. The current structure of upper, middle, and lower ranks was too simple. It should be broken down further, like from squads to armies.
As for the economy, Konoha was already in a good location in the Land of Fire, which had access to ports and could trade with the Land of Earth, Land of Water, and Land of Lightning by sea.
What about the Land of Wind?
It was a poor desert nation with little wealth to offer.
And transportation between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire could only be done by land, which was too inefficient.
So, the Land of Wind wasn't a priority.
But these were all future concerns. If Yuya really became Hokage in ten years...
Tobirama, let's see if you can survive another year...
Senju Hashirama, Tobirama, and Mito were all amazed at Yuya's detailed plan. They hadn't expected that he already had such a clear vision.
Although some parts of his plan still needed refinement, it was more than enough for a child.
Hashirama was finally at peace.
Later, as night fell, Senju Hashirama felt an overwhelming drowsiness. He said his goodbyes to the three of them and fell into a deep sleep.
Uzumaki Mito couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and Yuya turned away, unable to watch.
No matter what, if Senju Hashirama hadn't saved him back then, Yuya would have starved to death.
This life-saving kindness... Yuya would never forget.
As for Senju Tobirama, he poured the remaining wine onto Hashirama's body. Then, after forming a few hand seals, Senju Hashirama's body sank into the earth.
On an evening in the sixteenth year of Konoha, Senju Hashirama entered his eternal rest.
That night, the woods outside Konoha Village changed dramatically. Trees began to grow wildly, merging together to form massive trunks that took hundreds of people to embrace.
These towering trees formed a natural wonder that stretched for miles.
Senju Tobirama, as the newly appointed Second Hokage, declared the area a forbidden zone and gave it a name:
The Forest of Death.
Yes, it was the same Forest of Death where the Chūnin Exams would be held in the future. .
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