Naruto: Uchiha Youngjo's Konoha Spring

Chapter 266 The Strongest Strategist, Tobirama Senju, Arrives
Uchiha Touko paused in his departing steps, turned back to look at Senju Tobirama, and smiled:
"What are you saying, Second Hokage? Is there any ninja village in the ninja world that isn't preparing for a possible war in the future?" Uchiha Touko said.

"Don't try to beat around the bush with me," Tobirama Senju said sternly. "Everything you've done since becoming the Fifth Hokage—whether it's training large numbers of medical ninjas, sending large ninja armies to neighboring countries under the guise of alliances, or your recent reforms of the ninja system—all of it undoubtedly points to one thing." Tobirama stared intently into Touko Uchiha's eyes. "You're preparing for a war where Konoha will single-handedly challenge the entire ninja world."

As Tobirama Senju finished speaking, Hashirama Senju, who had just received a set of dice from Touko Uchiha and was grinning foolishly, also raised his head and looked at Touko Uchiha with disbelief.

"Can I say that he truly lives up to the Second Hokage's reputation? He was able to discover this based on just this little bit of record." Seeing this, Uchiha Touko stopped and turned around to laugh.

"More importantly, over the years, you've used various means to recover most of the tailed beasts that your elder brother distributed to other villages. Tell me, what exactly are your plans?" Tobirama Senju asked.

"Didn't the Second Hokage already guess my plan? I am indeed preparing for a war, a war to pacify the entire ninja world and end all the conflicts in my generation's war," Uchiha Touko said calmly.

As soon as Uchiha Touko finished speaking, Tobirama Senju and Hashirama Senju's gazes simultaneously sharpened.

"Doukaku, war cannot bring peace," Hashirama Senju said solemnly to Toukaku Uchiha.

Uchiha Touko calmly chuckled, "Is that so? Then, did the First Hokage's actions bring peace?"

Upon hearing this, Hashirama Senju immediately lowered his head. Although he and Madara Uchiha had created the era of the ninja village and brought nearly twenty years of peace, the flames of war in the ninja world immediately reignited after his death. In just a few decades, the ninja world had experienced three Shinobi World Wars.

Furthermore, after entering the era of ninja villages, the intensity of wars fought on a village and country basis far exceeded the scale of the great melee between various ninja clans during the Warring States period.

“I once heard that the First Hokage’s original intention in establishing the village was to prevent young children from going to the battlefield. However, this was only changed after I came to power, when the military reforms were implemented, and the conscription age for the army was fixed at 14 years old,” Uchiha Tokō said. “In the previous Third Shinobi World War, I stepped onto the battlefield at the age of 9. I was lucky that the Uchiha bloodline awakened these eyes, which gave me the ability to survive. However, less than 20% of my classmates from the Ninja Academy survived.”

Hashirama Senju remained silent, while Tobirama Senju observed Touko Uchiha with great interest.

Seeing his gaze, Uchiha Touko smiled and replied, "What, Second Hokage, is there anything else you want to say? Let me make this clear first: if you intend to stop me, then I will have no choice but to undo the Impure World Reincarnation. Rather than having to face you two directly in the future war, I would rather you two become obstacles for me from the rear right now."

"Why should I stop you?" Tobirama Senju unexpectedly asked at that moment.

Upon hearing Tobirama Senju's words, Touko Uchiha raised an eyebrow.

"Don't look at me like that. After the First Shinobi World War, I know that my brother's methods don't work anymore." Tobirama Senju said, "The peace that my brother brought was a castle in the air built on his strength. As soon as he was gone, it collapsed like a bubble."

"Tobirama, do you say that too?" Upon hearing this, Hashirama Senju's aura instantly darkened.

“Madara Uchiha’s thoughts were similar to yours back then, but you were much calmer than him. You can see that from your arrangements in the Land of Waterfall. Everything you’re doing now, besides strengthening your village, is also consciously weakening the strength of other villages. What you want is a low-intensity, quick victory, to achieve your goal while minimizing the impact of the war on the ninja world, right?” Tobirama Senju said.

Uchiha Touko nodded with a smile. Senju Tobirama was indeed the only one among the four Hokage before him who could be called a strategist. He could see this through just a few clues in the history that Tobirama had embellished and a night of investigation. The only thing he lacked was the perspective limited by being born in the Warring States period.

“If you were like Madara Uchiha, without any plan and want to declare war on the entire ninja world simply by relying on your own strength, then my brother and I would stop you no matter what. However, since you already have a well-developed plan, we have no reason to stop our junior. After all, according to my calculations, your plan has a full 80% success rate, and Konoha will be the final winner,” Tobirama Senju said.

"So, Second Hokage, what are you trying to do by telling me all this?" Uchiha Touko asked with a smile.

"Since you're just idling around anyway, why don't you arrange a position for me in your staff?" Tobirama Senju said with a smile.

"Of course. With you, the Second Hokage, as the strategist of the ninja world, you can help me fill in the gaps in the plan. This is something I would be very happy to do."

Compared to the Uchiha clan, the two strongest brothers of the previous generation of the Senju clan had clearly put aside the Senju clan's thousand-year glory during the Warring States period after establishing the village. This can be seen from the fact that they abandoned the Senju surname when naming their grandchildren. For them, the village they established was their new spiritual anchor.

"Tobirama, is war really the only way to eliminate it?" Hashirama Senju sighed as he looked at his younger brother, who had already made up his mind, and then asked.

"First Hokage, you have only just returned to the human world, and you may not yet be aware of the current state of the ninja world. This war is already inevitable. Konoha was the target of everyone's attacks in the previous three Shinobi World Wars, so I had no choice but to strike first," Uchiha Touko said. "Moreover, I once heard a saying: Dignity lies only on the edge of the sword, and truth lies only within the range of ninjutsu."

"Sigh...it seems that Madara might have been right back then," Hashirama Senju sighed.

"Brother, you mustn't confuse this kid with Uchiha Madara," Tobirama Senju warned. "This little guy is much stronger than Madara, who only relies on brute force. Besides, if I hadn't seen his plans, I wouldn't have agreed to his actions." "Hehe, Second Hokage, you flatter me. Compared to Lord Madara, I'm still far behind," Touko Uchiha chuckled humbly. "However, there's one thing the Second Hokage said earlier that I must correct."

"Hmm?" Tobirama Senju frowned as he looked at Touko Uchiha.

"My plan has a 100% chance of success," Uchiha Touko said confidently.

From that day on, Tobirama Senju, disguised, entered Uchiha Touko's staff. After reviewing in detail all of Uchiha Touko's past deeds in the ninja world, except for his dealings with White Zetsu, he couldn't help but sigh. It was fortunate that this guy was born into the Uchiha clan and became the Hokage of Konoha. If he had been born in another ninja village, and these methods had been used on Konoha, which was already riddled with conflicts, Konoha would probably have exploded by now.

After examining some of the truly hidden secrets of the past few years, Tobirama Senju came to the conclusion that the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan was probably the least noteworthy of Uchiha Touko's abilities.

……

"The Hidden Cloud Village has been making a lot of moves lately. The reparations you agreed to after defeating them seem to have backfired." Some time later, Tobirama Senju and Touko Uchiha were in the Hokage's office, looking at the intelligence reports sent back by Konoha spies from all over the ninja world. Tobirama picked up a separate report, his brows furrowed.

Uchiha Touko had already seen this intelligence report beforehand, so he calmly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and smiled, "I really didn't expect that the Hidden Cloud Village would actually let that black guy find the only way to break the deadlock."

Now, after Donald lost control of his Fifth Hokage Rock before he could even begin carving it, and after A regained power, Kumogakure has essentially stepped on the gas and is racing headlong down the path of militarism.

First, after Ai took over as Grand Minister of State, in order to prevent similar things from happening again, he directly stripped their daimyo of their power. Their daimyo also wisely relinquished all power and only acted as mascots at each court assembly.

From then on, the military and political power of the Land of Lightning was completely in the hands of A. In fact, his power was even greater than that of Uchiha Touko in the Land of Fire. At least Uchiha Touko had to give some face to the nobles and merchants in the Land of Fire who were willing to cooperate with him in reforms, and he had to make a lot of money with them every year.

Ai, on the other hand, was even more ruthless than him in using a tangible kunai to rub against an invisible giant hand.

The civil officials and nobles who had attacked A after the Land of Lightning's defeat were all wiped out by the Cloud Village ninjas according to their family genealogies after A's triumphant return. All their property was confiscated, and nearly half of the reparations owed by the Land of Lightning were repaid.

In fact, this money was enough to pay off all the indemnities at once, but Ai deliberately withheld more than half of it and used it to expand the military. Moreover, this huge sum of money was not enough. After taking office, Ai directly increased the tax revenue of the Land of Lightning under the pretext of preparing for war.

Moreover, when collecting taxes, he stated directly that he was forced to do so by the reparations from the Land of Fire.

Inside Kumogakure, when faced with racial tensions within the village, A no longer hesitated. Including Donald, A directly dealt with several leaders of white ninjas who attempted to cause trouble, and then promoted several previously relatively obedient white ninjas. He also made it clear that in the future war with Konoha, as long as they could achieve meritorious service, their skin color would absolutely not be an obstacle to their advancement to a higher position.

With this series of maneuvers, he successfully shifted the internal conflict within the Land of Lightning, which Uchiha Tomitsu had painstakingly ignited, outwards.

In the Land of Lightning, even a dog harbors extreme hatred towards the people of the Land of Fire. Among those most affected are the merchants from the Land of Fire who have businesses in the Land of Lightning. Gato has reported to Uchiha Touko more than once that his and some of his business allies' businesses in the Land of Lightning have been directly seized by those bandits.

"You don't seem to be in any hurry at all?" Tobirama Senju asked, looking at Touko Uchiha's leisurely demeanor. "At the current rate of development of the Land of Lightning's military, it probably won't be long before it catches up with Konoha."

“Since the Land of Lightning has already embarked on such a wicked path, then this rate of development is to be expected.” Uchiha Touko handed a cup of tea to Senju Tobirama and said unhurriedly, “Although doing so can narrow the gap between our Konoha and us in terms of military equipment in a short period of time, the most fundamental problem has not been solved, which is that their Raikage is no match for me.”

"Moreover, and more importantly, by doing this, they are undoubtedly handing over the greater good to us," Uchiha Touko said.

“The Land of Lightning may seem to have suppressed its conflicts, but it’s like a balloon. All their internal conflicts can be suppressed when facing a huge enemy like me, but once the war really starts and their Raikage loses to me again, then this suppressed resentment will destroy the entire Land of Lightning’s belief in an instant,” Uchiha Touko said.

"Furthermore, compared to ninjas, their civilians are currently suffering real oppression from high taxes," Uchiha Touko said. "With this approach, when we attack the Land of Lightning in the future, we won't have to bear the name of invaders. At that time, our Konoha ninjas will be the liberators who have come to liberate the mountain that oppresses them!"

"Is the righteous cause you're talking about really that important?" Tobirama Senju couldn't quite understand Touko Uchiha's words. According to his ninja mindset, what they should be doing at this time was sending an elite squad to sabotage the enemy's military factory.

“Of course, Second Hokage.” Uchiha Touko said with a smile, “The reason why the First Hokage was able to successfully establish this village under our feet was because most of the clans in the Warring States period were tired of the endless war. And that was the great cause of that era.”

(End of this chapter)