Black Zetsu's plan was carefully crafted.
The only issue was its execution, which proved less smooth than expected.
For instance, arranging a meeting between Madara Uchiha and Shigen in Konoha was nearly impossible. Uzumaki Mito's powerful sensory abilities meant that Madara could not set foot in the village without being detected.
Case in point—when Uzumaki Mito saw Tsunade returning alone to the village, she immediately sensed Madara's presence nearby, triggering a wave of panic throughout Konoha.
The entire village was on high alert, fearing another attack by Madara Uchiha.
Without the protection of Hashirama Senju, the only person with the confidence to confront Madara was Uzumaki Mito as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. The rest of Konoha's defenders were filled with unease.
It wasn't until Shigen returned to the village and informed them of Madara's visit to pay respects to Hashirama that the tension eased. Shigen's reputation and assurance were enough to calm the village.
"Hmmph…"
"That bastard killed my brother…"
"And now he dares to come to Konoha to mourn him?"
Tobirama Senju was incensed when he heard the news. However, he had no way of dealing with Madara. Konoha currently lacked the means or strength to hunt him down.
Instead of chasing Madara, Tobirama shifted focus to consolidating Konoha's internal strength.
The reports coming from Konoha's borders carried the scent of war, particularly from the Land of Wind. The frequent incursions by Sunagakure's ninja into the Land of Fire hinted at looming conflict.
War was approaching, and Konoha's time was running out.
As the villagers began recovering from the grief of Hashirama's death, they were met with a whirlwind of large-scale reforms under Tobirama's leadership as the Second Hokage.
Tobirama wasted no time restructuring nearly every institution in Konoha. He established a dedicated department for training medical-nin in Konoha Hospital, reformed the curriculum of the ninja academy, and expanded the ranks of the ANBU.
Among these changes, however, one matter proved the most troublesome: the Uchiha Clan.
The fact that Madara Uchiha was still alive greatly heightened Tobirama's concerns about the Uchiha. They might serve as internal collaborators should Madara decide to attack Konoha.
Yet Tobirama couldn't simply annihilate the Uchiha Clan, nor could he afford to let them go unchecked. Instead, he began fostering individuals within the clan who leaned toward loyalty to Konoha. One such individual, Uchiha Kagami, was even promoted to Tobirama's personal guard.
In addition to fostering loyalty, Tobirama's surveillance measures were set into motion.
The Uchiha Clan was ordered to live in an isolated area of Konoha, where they formed an independent Konoha Police Force. This force was tasked with guarding the village's prison and resolving internal disputes among villagers.
Naturally, this isolation raised eyebrows.
Within the Uchiha Clan, some expressed dissatisfaction with the blatant segregation. Others, however, saw it as proof of the clan's status as the strongest in Konoha, especially since the Senju Clan had been scattered and dissolved.
Despite some opposition to Tobirama's policies, dissenting voices were quickly silenced. The establishment of the Uchiha-led police force was finalized.
"All of this is for Konoha," Tobirama said, dismissing any objections with a firm and unyielding tone. "The village cannot afford internal unrest during such a critical time. War is inevitable."
And indeed, war came swiftly—much faster than Tobirama had anticipated.
Ninjas from Sunagakure gathered their forces, crossed the River Country, and breached the borders of the Land of Fire, launching an attack on Konoha.
But this was only the beginning.
The scale of the conflict expanded far beyond expectations.
At first, it was believed that Sunagakure's assault stemmed from frustration over their barren lands and their desire to seize Konoha's fertile territory.
However, the war soon engulfed the entire shinobi world.
Seeing the conflict between Konoha and Sunagakure, other villages—such as Iwagakure of the Land of Earth and Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning—mobilized their forces, hoping to claim the spoils of war.
Even Kirigakure of the distant Land of Water joined the fray. The entire ninja world was thrown into chaos, with smaller nations like the Land of Whirlpools dragged into the conflict.
Tobirama had long anticipated war and devised a strategy of "attack the weak, defend against the strong."
Konoha's forces focused on swiftly defeating the weaker Sunagakure, forcing their surrender. Afterward, the plan was to march northward to defend against the combined armies of Iwagakure and Kumogakure.
As for the southern front, it was left to the Land of Whirlpools and Uzushiogakure.
Led by the Uzumaki Clan, Konoha's allies in the Land of Whirlpools served as a vital buffer against enemy forces. Their alliance with Konoha was even reflected in Konoha's symbol, derived from the Uzumaki Clan's emblem.
Tobirama believed that, given enough time, conflict would inevitably break out between Kumogakure and Iwagakure. Their proximity to one another made territorial disputes unavoidable, and their fragile cooperation would eventually collapse.
With this in mind, Tobirama felt cautiously optimistic about the war's outcome.
As a result, he did not halt Konoha's daily operations.
At the ninja academy, students continued their lessons. However, the experienced instructors were replaced by chūnin due to the war, and the curriculum was reduced to the most basic ninja skills.
"My old teacher went to the battlefield," one child whispered.
"I heard a lot of people from the village have died. Someone from the class next door lost both parents in the war…"
"There are so many injured people at the hospital these days…"
Tsunade had also begun attending the ninja academy. During the day, she studied at school, and in the evenings, she would sneak off to Konoha Hospital to learn medical ninjutsu from Shigen.
The influx of injured soldiers strained the hospital's resources. Many of Konoha's medical-nin had been dispatched to the battlefield, leaving the hospital short-staffed. Even worse, some of the wounded brought back to the village were beyond the capabilities of ordinary medics.
This was a direct result of Tobirama's orders.
After inspecting battlefield medical conditions, Tobirama had devised a pragmatic solution: field medics would stabilize critical injuries and conserve their chakra by transporting patients back to the village, where Shigen's superior skills could save them.
This strategy worked brilliantly.
Many lives were saved as a result, especially those with injuries too severe for battlefield treatment. Tobirama knew Shigen, recognized even by the Sage of Six Paths, would never abandon his patients.
At Konoha Hospital, Shigen was performing miracles.
Numerous patients who would have otherwise died were saved by his hands.
Shigen's palm glowed with vibrant green chakra as he skillfully repaired a patient's heart, stitching damaged blood vessels together with chakra threads finer than hair.
"Tsunade," Shigen called, noticing the young girl's arrival. "Wait in the next room for a moment. I'll be done with this surgery soon."
"I'm not scared, Lord Shigen!"
Tsunade boldly stepped closer, her small hands glowing with faint green chakra. Her expression was determined. "I can help!"
"Then pay close attention," Shigen said, his tone gentle. "These chakra threads promote healing. For internal surgeries like this, you need to convert your medical chakra into thread form. That way, the stitches will dissolve once the wound heals, leaving no complications behind."
"Understood…"
Tsunade carefully handed him a sterile cloth, eager to assist.
"Thank you," Shigen said, using the cloth to absorb blood from the wound. As the surgery concluded, he sighed. "It seems the number of injured continues to grow…"
"You're the one working so hard, Lord Shigen," Tsunade said, her face tinged with sadness. "How can we save more people? There's only one of you… How can you possibly save everyone?"
"With greater skill."
"With more experience."
"And most importantly…"
Shigen paused, his voice lowering almost to a whisper.
"With greater power."
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Powerstones?
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