Uchiha: Starting as Tobirama's Jinchuriki

Don't wait for the second one, everyone!

I'm having a writer's block today; I've only managed 5,000 words since 3:20 PM.

Xiao Fan might need to organize the outline.

If there isn't a second update, I'll find time next week to add an extra chapter to make up for it!

Chapter 123 Jiraiya's Anger, and the Responses from Other Hidden Villages

"Qingshui, how can you call this being tactful..."

Tsunade remained expressionless. She had assumed that Aoshi would understand her meaning and write a diplomatic statement that was strong enough to prevent the major hidden villages from discerning Konoha's true intentions, but the overall attitude was still one of not wanting to start a war.

But Qing Shui's response was a direct attack, tearing off the pretense of civility and blaming each hidden village for its sore spots and hidden agendas...

Sunagakure is broke, Kumogakure is greedy, Iwagakure is militaristic and wasteful, Kirigakure is in turmoil, and Hanzo is full of wild ideas!

Tsunade could almost see the furious expressions on the faces of the other Kage from the hidden villages…

"Tsunade-sensei, everything's fine..."

Qingshui gestured for Tsunade to calm down, then shook his head and said:

"War is not something that can be changed by a few words, and given the mental fortitude and composure of the shadows of the major hidden villages, they will not be driven to anger and do anything irrational by a few words."

"On the contrary, they saw Konoha's unusual attitude. After the brief anger subsided, they will definitely start to think about where Konoha's confidence came from and why they showed an unprecedented attitude?"

"Compared to empty words, being more extreme can actually buy the village more time to prepare for war."

Tsunade frowned. She felt that Aoshui's thinking was very unconventional, but surprisingly, it made some sense.

Even so, Tsunade sighed, rubbing her forehead, "Aoshui, I might really have some problems with Root. You, who are usually so gentle, have become so arbitrary in your actions since arriving here..."

Qingshui smiled and said, "Tsunade-sensei, Uncle Hiruzen told me that the darkness of Root can temper my heart as a ninja. If I want to go further, this is an essential part."

"If I want to shoulder more responsibilities and protect the people around me, this is what I should experience."

"A gentle attitude is fine with those close to you, not something you reserve for your enemies..."

"Is that right, Tsunade-sensei?"

Tsunade pursed her lips, looked at the confident Aoshui, sighed softly, and nodded slowly.

She had originally planned to protect and guide Qingshui as his teacher, at least until he grew up...

However, Qingshui's strength and mental fortitude have improved at an unprecedented rate, far beyond what Tsunade has ever witnessed.

Sometimes, a master may feel helpless when his apprentice is too talented.

"Qingshui, what should we do if war breaks out?"

Tsunade's gaze was deep: "The gap in strength is unavoidable. Since the First Shinobi World War, Konoha has maintained its peace and tranquility for too long, neglecting the covert development of other hidden villages, which has widened the gap."

"As a village that once produced both the Shura of the Shinobi World and the God of Shinobi, there has always been a saying in the shinobi world that if Madara Uchiha and my grandfather hadn't fought amongst themselves, the other four hidden villages would have been wiped out long ago..."

"The fear that other hidden villages have of Konoha will never dissipate unless they have sufficient strength."

Tsunade's expression was somewhat somber. While the wealth of Konoha's ancestors had provided the village with a rich foundation, it also had its downsides.

Just as she said, the ninja world is grateful that Hashirama Senju is the god of the ninja world.

In the ninja world, almost everyone thinks like Madara Uchiha: since there's already an overwhelming gap in strength, they'll just make the enemy submit; nobody talks about peace...

Otherwise, wouldn't that be insane?

Even if we're going to talk about peace, it will only happen after we've unified and become family, and then we can discuss it behind closed doors.

Only Hashirama Senju, despite the overwhelming difference in combat power, inexplicably chose to negotiate, and even distributed the nine tailed beasts to various villages, hoping to use their power to maintain military deterrence between the villages.

I really don't know if it's because they look down on the talents of other ninjas, thinking that the rest of the ninjas are definitely no match for the tailed beasts, or if their thinking is just too naive...

Most importantly, the civil war between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha caused these two gods of Konoha to disappear, and their once unattainable martial prowess plummeted back to the level of mortals.

In the eyes of other hidden villages, only Konoha, with its Uchiha and Senju clans, has the potential to produce a new Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha in the future.

But if a new god of ninja emerges in Konoha, will his mind still be like Hashirama Senju's?

It’s highly unlikely!

Although all the hidden villages deeply respected Hashirama Senju's strength, almost all the ninjas were not fond of his idea of ​​mutual understanding and peace.

The reason no one laughed when Hashirama Senju presented this theory at the First Five Kage Summit was simply because he was too powerful.

Therefore, if the other hidden villages do not want to become vassals of Konoha, they should deal with Konoha first, as it is the only village with the potential to produce a ninja god. After that, everyone will be on the same level, and it will depend on their own abilities.

In short, kill anyone who might be cheating first!

Even though Konoha isn't a resource-rich or fertile land, the sense of oppression inherited from its ancestors and its current decline make this village a prime target for the ninja world...

This is a legacy issue from history.

"The fear won't disappear, Tsunade-sensei, but people can be hurt..."

The two exchanged a glance, and Qing Shui understood her thoughts: "Although the combined forces of the other hidden villages are far greater than those of Konoha, we actually don't have that many enemies to fight."

Tsunade frowned in confusion as she listened to Aoshui's explanation.

"What percentage of casualties will affect the combat capability of a military unit?"

Qingshui said slowly, revealing a mysterious smile: "If it were a samurai from the Warring States period, they would collapse when their casualty rate reached 30%. Ordinary ninjas would probably be in the same state."

"Even the elite troops of the five hidden villages, if they suffer more than fifty casualties, will almost all lose their will to fight. Deaths that exceed their tolerance limit will cause most of them to lose their belief in fighting and become defeated soldiers."

Tsunade nodded thoughtfully.

She was like that back then.

The death of a loved one can certainly bring anger, but if one’s comrades die one after another, the indescribable feeling of suffocation can almost engulf everyone’s heart, and only a few ninjas can survive it.

Not all ninjas in the ninja world are Uchiha. Strong emotional stimulation can lead to corruption, but it is more likely to lead to mental breakdown.

"If a ninja corps has three thousand people, even if enough elites are mobilized, there will be no more than two hundred Jonin. The corps will still be composed of Chunin and Genin."

"Jonin are not easy to kill, after all, they have a mature ninjutsu system. But Chunin and Genin can be killed easily with the right ninjutsu and tactics!"

Tsunade stared blankly at Aoshui, her gentle smile and beautiful lips uttering words of icy coldness:

"Tsunade-sensei, if enemy ninjas attack Konoha, I won't go after their strong ninjas to kill. Instead, I'll lead the Root to destroy their Root organization and focus our attacks on the genin and chunin who haven't yet matured, wiping them out!"

"Once the number of casualties reaches a sufficient level, even Jonin and Kage will not be able to withstand the internal pressure and will have no choice but to cease hostilities."

Tsunade took a deep breath, and at that moment, she seemed to see the shadow of Tobirama Senju in Aoshui's eyes.

Although she had never witnessed Tobirama Senju on the battlefield, Mito Uzumaki had told her stories—

Once on the battlefield, her usually gentle second grandfather becomes a demon feared by countless people, using every means at his disposal to break the enemy's spirit and take their lives.

That's how Tobirama Senju led Konoha to survive the First Shinobi World War.

At that time, not only was Konoha in dire straits, but the other four great hidden villages were also on the verge of collapse.

Of the two generations of five Kage, only the Second Kazekage survived; the other three—Lightning, Fire, Water, and Earth Kage—died in that war.

Tsunade looked at Aoshizuki's resolute expression and slowly exhaled a long breath.

"Qingshui, if you do this, you'll face a lot of controversy..."

Tsunade shook her head: "That's what my second grandfather did back then, but it was inseparable from the fact that he was my great-grandfather's younger brother and the prestige he had accumulated during the Warring States period. The controversy in the village and the condemnation from the ninja world never stopped."

Tsunade felt a pang of sympathy. Aoshui had gone to such lengths for the village, which might have made many people afraid of him and led to misunderstandings.

Moreover, killing so many people will be a severe test for Qing Shui's mental strength.

Qing Shui smiled gently: "As long as it's for the protection of the village, I will only think—"

"My heart and my actions are as clear as a clear mirror, and everything I do is righteous."

"As long as you support me, Tsunade-sensei, and the people around me won't leave me, I will have no fear."

Tsunade and Aokiji exchanged glances, and seeing the determination in those dark eyes, Tsunade's heart skipped a beat.

Tsunade turned her head away: "Stop talking big, Aoshui. Although you are a genius, you are still just a brat!"

"Tell me, is there anything I can do for you?"

Tsunade crossed her arms and hummed, "Your shoulders can't bear anything yet. Since you're so aware of this, I, as your teacher, certainly can't fall behind. After all, I'm the Hokage's assistant, and you're just the leader of Root!"

Qingshui nodded good-naturedly: "Yes, yes, Tsunade-sensei is the Hokage's assistant."

Faced with Tsunade's request to help, Aozumi hesitated for a moment before slowly saying:

"If possible, Tsunade-sensei, you could try to develop a poison that is as potent as possible within the budget of all Konoha ninja's kunai and shuriken that can be poisoned."

"Of course, you're a medical ninja, I know you have your own principles, don't force yourself..."

Tsunade frowned; she really didn't want to develop poison.

In her view, medical ninjutsu was meant to heal people, not kill them.

However, there was actually a precedent in the ninja world. Chiyo of Sunagakure was very skilled at detoxification and could deal with Hanzo's fierce poison mist, but she was also a master at making poisons.

Tsunade looked at Aoshui, her gaze gradually hardening.

For the sake of the village, Qingshui has decided to shoulder the darkness.

If she, as a teacher, is still so pretentious and fussy about trivial matters, how can she be considered to be standing by Qingshui's side and supporting him all the time?

Since Qingshui made a request to her, Tsunade intends to fulfill it!

"Don't worry, Qingshui, leave it to me..."

Tsunade said with some emotion, "It's very difficult to save someone with medicine, but killing someone is much simpler than saving them."

Qingshui shook his head, gazing at the hint of struggle deep in Tsunade's eyes, and took her hand:

“Tsunade-sensei, every enemy your poison takes away means one less danger for our comrades in the village. This is the best antidote for the poison that is used in the medical war in Konoha.”

Tsunade felt the warmth of Aoshui's palm, and her eyes involuntarily darted around: "Kid, you don't need to teach me this!"

Tobirama Senju watched this scene with a smile.

After catching up with Aoshui's pace, Tobirama Senju, the teacher of the Dark Lord of the Ninja World, became a strategist and offered Aoshui many plans, including but not limited to self-destruction, poisoning, attacking daimyo, and creating internal strife.

In the days when there were no restrictions from Mito Uzumaki and Hashirama Senju, Aoshimi, who only praised him, seemed to have aroused many of Tobirama Senju's unfulfilled regrets from back then, and wanted to put his forbidden techniques and battle tactics on the battlefield.

Aoshui, on the other hand, absorbed Tobirama Senju's strategies without any hesitation, cheering him on loudly and praising his less-than-upright imagination from time to time, calling him an extremely excellent straight man.