Chapter 238: Black Zetsu's ecstasy, Tailed Beast Capture Plan Test Version

With the other party holding a hostage, Senju Tobirama could only grit his teeth and lower his noble white hair to the curly-haired guy in front of him.

Ah, did this one take the wrong medicine too?

This sudden change made Uchiha Gin suspect whether this white-haired guy was impersonated by someone else, actually learning to speak softly. So he secretly activated his super-strong perception, scanned him up and down, and after confirming it was Tobirama himself, he immediately smoothed his eyebrows and nodded with satisfaction.

"Hmph, hmph~ since your attitude is so sincere, I'll tell you the origin of these dolls."

Looking past the strangely-faced Senju Tobirama, Uchiha Gin pointed to the eight dolls lined up in the exhibition cabinet and introduced them:

"These are creatures called Tailed Beasts. Don't look at the dolls being so Q; the real ones are a hundred feet tall."

Saying this, Uchiha Gin took out a round, chubby doll from the cabinet and continued to say to Senju Tobirama:

"For example, this raccoon dog, its name is Shukaku. Right now, it should be in jail in the Land of Wind."

"Jail? What does that mean?"

The quick-thinking Senju Tobirama, after hearing Uchiha Gin's introduction, looked at the earth-yellow raccoon dog he was holding, imagined the scene of the hundred-meter-tall Shukaku wreaking havoc, and couldn't help but ask.

"This kind of creature is essentially composed of chakra and can be sealed. As it happens, Shukaku, this unlucky guy, was sealed by the people of the Land of Wind."

Pinching the fat face of the Shukaku doll in his hand, Uchiha Gin patiently explained to Senju Tobirama.

Chakra creature... doesn't that mean it can be utilized!

Senju Tobirama, who had been full of schemes since he was a child, had a flash of brilliance in his scarlet eyes after hearing Uchiha Gin's explanation, and immediately began to plot against the Tailed Beasts in his heart.

Things without owners belong to those who are capable.

"However... how do you know such secret intelligence?"

Senju Tobirama, who was thinking about how to utilize the Tailed Beasts, suddenly came to his senses. How did Uchiha Gin, this salted fish, know such confidential intelligence? It couldn't be fake news, right?

"I have no other hobbies, just like making friends. As it happens, I have a close buddy in the Land of Wind, and he told me about this."

Uchiha Gin answered solemnly, his expression not looking like he was faking it.

"You still have friends in the Land of Wind?"

Regarding Uchiha Gin's words, Senju Tobirama expressed twelve points of skepticism. He didn't believe that this guy who didn't step out of the house would know people from other countries.

"My buddies are all over the world. From now on, no matter which country you go to, as long as you report my name, you'll definitely have good fruit juice to drink."

"Hmph~"

It's getting more and more outrageous. Just by you?

"Do you have news about other Tailed Beasts?"

Since the One-Tail was sealed in the Land of Wind, let's skip it. Anyway, this raccoon dog with one tail didn't look very strong. He then looked at the other Tailed Beasts in the display cabinet and asked.

"I don't know about that. However, these Tailed Beasts are huge and have distinct features. As long as you investigate a little, you can find clues."

Although very confused as to why Senju Tobirama was suddenly interested in Tailed Beasts, Uchiha Gin still told everything he knew and didn't know.

"Are there only these few Tailed Beasts?"

After counting the remaining seven Tailed Beasts, Senju Tobirama turned his head and asked.

"There are nine in total. I'm still missing one here to complete the set."

Shaking his head regretfully, Uchiha Gin looked at the empty space behind the Gyuki doll. There should be a Kurama doll there.

"Complete what?"

At this time, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, who had finished their heart-to-heart talk, were attracted by the conversation between Uchiha Gin and the other two, and stepped forward to ask what they were talking about.

"Tailed Beasts, ah. I'm still missing a Nine-Tails doll to complete the Tailed Beast doll bond."

Uchiha Gin put the Shukaku doll back, his tone full of regret.

Zhouxuan's body is getting worse and worse, I don't know when my Nine-Tails doll will arrive.

"Nine-Tails? Is it the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox?"

Hearing Uchiha Gin's words, Senju Hashirama touched his chin, pondered for a while, suddenly his eyes lit up, and then he asked.

"Uh... Hashirama, how did you know?"

"Haha, I once heard the elders of the clan say that in legend, there is a disaster beast in the Land of Fire that rampages everywhere, named the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. It is a hundred feet tall, cruel in nature, eats countless people, and specializes in eating children who don't sleep at night~"

"Stop! What kind of bedtime story is that? Why haven't I heard the elders tell it?"

The more he heard, the more wrong it sounded. Senju Tobirama immediately interrupted.

"Because Tobirama, you fall asleep every time, missing the wonderful story time."

Senju Hashirama on the side touched his head, full of regret.

Tobirama, ah, this is your missing childhood!

"Nine-Tailed Demon Fox..."

After confirming that the Tailed Beasts were real, a stream of light flickered in Senju Tobirama's eyes, and a bold plan began to take shape in his mind.

"Big cousin, you're missing a Nine-Tails. Do you want me to catch a real one and bring it back for you to raise in the backyard for fun!"

Seeing that Uchiha Gin really liked Tailed Beast dolls, Uchiha Madara immediately patted his chest and promised his big cousin.

Mere wild beasts, in front of my Uchiha, still have to bow down and submit.

"Hehe."

Uchiha Gin, upon hearing this, didn't respond immediately, but instead looked at his confident big cousin with a teasing expression, making the other party confused.

"Big Brother, the news has been notified, we should go back too."

Senju Tobirama, who already had a new plan, didn't want to waste a single moment and immediately dragged his big brother, preparing to leave.

"Ah? So fast? The tea hasn't even been served yet?"

Senju Hashirama, somewhat reluctant, swept his gaze toward a figure standing outside the door, and received a cold look from the other party, instantly becoming depressed.

"Alright..."

"I should go too. Still the same sentence, the Hokage position, I am bound to obtain. Big cousin, just watch!"

Seeing Senju Hashirama about to leave, Uchiha Madara no longer had the mind to stay, immediately got up to say goodbye, and chased after his Hashirama. Before leaving, he didn't forget to mention his Hokage dream.

"Go for it, I'm rooting for you~"

After everyone left, Uchiha Gin's house returned to its usual peace. Senju Itama, in home clothes, finally appeared, humming an inexplicable tune, methodically cleaning up the traces left by the few.

Judging by her expression, there was no sadness as Uchiha Gin had imagined.

"Still not ready to recognize each other? While the relationship between the two clans is still in the honeymoon phase, why don't you go back and recognize your ancestors?"

Looking at Senju Itama, who was in a good mood, Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow and asked tentatively.

"Shut up!"

"Alright, alright, as long as you're happy~"

Seeing Senju Itama, who had been smiling, instantly turn into a furious female beast after he finished asking, looking at him with an extremely unhappy expression, Uchiha Gin immediately raised both hands to surrender.

"Hmph~ what do you want to eat for lunch?"

Senju Itama, whose expression returned to normal, glanced at Uchiha Gin, who had admitted defeat, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

"Itama, I want to eat fish~"

Today, it was another leisurely day.

The next day.

"Thud!!!"

Uchiha Madara, who was organizing the official business at hand, had his office door pushed open violently. Then, a figure in a hurry walked in, holding something similar to an announcement in his hand.

"Izuna, I've told you how many times, you're almost thirty, don't be so rash."

In the entire Uchiha clan, there were only two people who dared to push the door like this. Uchiha Gin must still be sleeping at this time, so it was only his most beloved younger brother left.

"Big Brother, hurry and look at this, the competition that guy Senju Tobirama came up with."

"What?"

Uchiha Madara frowned upon hearing this. Anything related to Senju Tobirama definitely didn't have any good intentions.

"Let me see... 'Tailed Beast Hunting Competition'? This Senju Tobirama, what kind of moth is he making?"

Taking the announcement handed over by Izuna, Uchiha Madara saw the big characters written on it at a glance, then moved his eyes down and saw the specific details.

"Actually want to determine the Hokage candidate based on the number of Tailed Beasts captured, this is too..."

The more Uchiha Madara read, the brighter the light in his eyes became, and he even made a clicking sound in his mouth.

"Exactly, it's too rash..."

Izuna shook his head, sneering at Senju Tobirama's plan.

"Too fair!"

"Ha?"

"This Senju Tobirama, rarely did a good thing. Now, my Hokage position is a sure thing~"

At the same time, all the ninja clans in Konoha received this announcement. For a time, there was wailing everywhere.

"Sasuke! This Senju Tobirama is clearly playing with us!"

Shimura Kenichi, angry to the point of a flushed face, slapped the announcement in his hand in front of his best friend and said angrily.

"Tailed Beasts, those are famous fierce beasts, terrifying existences that can kill dozens of ninjas in one strike. They are simply not creatures that humans can contend with."

"What do you all think?"

Sarutobi Sasuke, who also knew the fierce name of the Tailed Beasts, didn't pay attention to his blustering friend, but turned to ask the three people sitting opposite.

"Hahaha, I don't know if Tailed Beast meat tastes good?"

The round Akimichi Shinji patted his big belly and smiled with squinted eyes.

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. It's written in the announcement that Tailed Beasts are suspected to be chakra aggregates and don't have real flesh and blood."

The man with the pineapple head sitting in the middle was carefully reading the announcement in his hand, trying to analyze more intelligence.

"Can we give up? The Yamanaka clan has no interest in Hokage or anything; we just want to make money now."

As the only woman present, Yamanaka Minako had heavy dark circles under her beautiful eyes, looking like she hadn't slept well. Facing the discussion about Tailed Beasts by everyone present, she seemed a bit uninterested.

After all, she still owed several hundred million, and with several million in interest every day, how could she sleep!

"I know, this is the Senju clan wanting us to retreat in the face of difficulties."

After analyzing for a long time, the man with the pineapple head raised his head, looked at their backbone Sarutobi Sasuke, and had an "I know it all" expression.

"I think so too."

Sarutobi Sasuke nodded in agreement, turned to look at everyone around, and said aloud:

"Now the Senju are strong, we should keep a low profile and accumulate strength. This Hokage position will one day be our turn to sit in!"

While speaking, Sarutobi Sasuke's eyes flashed with firm light. He believed that in the near future, his Sarutobi clan would definitely be able to produce a Hokage who would be the leader of the village.

"Hmph~ that's for sure!"

Shimura Kenichi, with great ambitions, was the first to stand up and respond to the call. He believed that among his descendants, there would definitely be a Hokage.

"Hahaha, our Akimichi clan just needs to eat well and be full; it doesn't matter who is Hokage~"

"Hokage, huh..."

The man with the pineapple head had wisdom flashing in his eyes. As a member of the Nara clan, he had always believed that force was by no means the first element of a leader; brains were the top priority.

"Make money, make money, make money..."

The scene shifted. In a quiet, ancient, and luxurious courtyard, an old man with white eyes and a vicissitudes face held an announcement, not knowing what he was thinking about. After a long while, he raised his head, looked at the young man who was respectful below, and said slowly:

"Xiang Tianyao, what do you think?"

"Father, if we use the power of the whole clan, our Hyuga clan has a great possibility of taking down a Tailed Beast, but relying on one person's power alone is simply a fantasy."

Facing his father, the usually arrogant Hyuga Xiang Tianyao was as obedient as a sheep at this moment, lowering his head and drooping his neck, his words filled with nothing but respect.

"Sigh... Senju Hashirama wants us to retreat in the face of difficulties~"

The old man with white eyes had twilight in his eyes. Approaching seventy, he had long lost the disdain of his youth. Now he considered too many things, and these worldly affairs had become shackles, just like the caged bird on the heads of the branch family.

Their main family, how could they not be caged prisoners unable to spread their wings.

"Then we..."

Hyuga Xiang Tianyao carefully raised his head, looked at his sighing father, and asked.

"Our Hyuga clan gives up competing for the Hokage position. You also stop going to find that Uchiha lately. Now is the time to take sides; don't leave any handles for the Senju clan."

He had thought that this Hokage position was for the capable, but he didn't expect Senju Tobirama to pull such a stunt, clearly wanting them, these ninja clans, to retreat in the face of difficulties, and then let his brother take the position.

Senju Hashirama's prestige, who in the Land of Fire didn't know? With his strength, if prepared sufficiently, he could definitely take down a Tailed Beast, right?

"Uh... Mr. Gin is a good person with high moral character. With his personality, he will definitely not get involved in political disputes."

Hearing his father's words, Hyuga Xiang Tianyao rarely protested. As Uchiha Gin, who had once guided his second development, he had always maintained great respect.

"Things are unpredictable. Who told him to be surnamed Uchiha? From today on, you go to the ancestral hall and stay for a while, and carefully comprehend the secret techniques left by your ancestors."

He hadn't expected that his usually obedient son would have a day of rebellion. The old man with white eyes had a flash of surprise in his calm eyes. He hadn't expected the personality charm of that Uchiha person to be so terrifying, so he immediately opened his mouth to arrange.

"... Yes."

To put it nicely, it was going to the ancestral hall to comprehend; to put it bluntly, it was confinement. It seemed Hyuga Xiang Tianyao would be locked up for a long time; at least until the Hokage position was determined, he wouldn't be able to come out.

"Tobirama, what are you trying to do with this announcement?"

In the temporary office of the Senju clan, Senju Hashirama looked at the pile of "Voluntary Abandonment Commitment Letters" in front of him with a headache. He had originally thought about mobilizing all the ninja clans in Konoha to participate in the Hokage selection and find some cushions for Uchiha Madara, so that even if he lost, he would have a better face. He didn't expect to be backstabbed by his own younger brother. An announcement of "Tailed Beast Hunting Competition" made those ninja clans vote to surrender at the start.

"Retiring from the competition is reasonable, but I have my considerations."

Facing his brother's accusation, Senju Tobirama was somewhat satisfied with his results, then nodded and explained:

"Big Brother, the plan I formulated is not without reason. After I came back yesterday, I specifically went to read ancient books and integrated the information about Tailed Beasts, finding that this kind of creature is not only terrifying in destructive power but also an immortal existence."

While speaking, Senju Tobirama placed the organized information in front of his big brother, signaling him to read it.

"Tailed Beasts... can actually be used as war weapons?"

Senju Hashirama opened the information in confusion, his expression gradually turning from relaxed to anxious. Looking at the records of Tailed Beasts by people before, he frowned and asked.

"That's right. Tailed Beasts, as aggregates of chakra, can be sealed and controlled. If used properly, they can be dropped into the enemy's interior, and then the seal can be broken. The crazy Tailed Beast will destroy everything living in front of it, endlessly."

Nodding, Senju Tobirama told how people used Tailed Beasts before. Although it was a one-time thing, the lethality was definitely not to be underestimated.

"Too dangerous, this kind of creature."

Thinking of Tailed Beasts being dropped into Konoha Village by people with ulterior motives, Senju Hashirama felt a tightness in his heart. The destructiveness of Tailed Beasts to ordinary people was no joke. Konoha was such a small place; if the Tailed Beasts rolled a few times, it would be ruined. With his thoughts cleared, he immediately listed the Tailed Beasts as the number one disaster.

"Therefore, we must firmly hold the Tailed Beasts in our hands to prevent people with ulterior motives from causing harm to Konoha."

Seeing that his big brother had developed a fear of Tailed Beasts, Senju Tobirama immediately struck while the iron was hot and stated his ultimate goal.

Using the guise of competing for the Hokage position to collect Tailed Beasts—in the end, the Hokage is his own, and the Tailed Beasts are his own. This was truly a brilliant plan to kill two birds with one stone.

"Tobirama, you're right!"

As long as it concerned the safety of Konoha, Senju Hashirama was like a different person. His entire body's momentum stagnated, and a powerful pressure permeated out, making Senju Tobirama opposite him feel a sense of suffocation.

"No time to lose, when are we leaving?"

"Not in a hurry yet. Wait until the ninja clans have all handed in their abandonment letters, then you can leave. You first look at the Tailed Beast information."

Senju Tobirama held down the impatient Senju Hashirama. Now there were still individual ninja clans that hadn't handed in their abandonment letters. Only after they all gave up could his big brother leave in a justified manner.

"Has the One-Tail already been sealed?"

"Yes, in the Land of Wind."

"Uh... then we must be careful of the Land of Wind. Do you want me to go and give a warning?"

"Not for now. You first catch the others. When the time comes, they will be the ones who are afraid to act."

Senju Hashirama, reading the information, found that the first Tailed Beast had already been caught by someone, and immediately asked in a hurry. Upon learning that it was sealed by the Land of Wind, a strange look flashed in his eyes, and he asked Tobirama if he wanted to use deterrence, but was rejected.

After a while, Senju Tobirama, who had received the abandonment letters one after another, found his expression becoming better and better. After checking the list for a long time, his expression became smelly again, which made Senju Hashirama, who was reading the information, very confused.

"What's wrong, did something happen?"

"Good news, all ninja clans have given up."

Senju Tobirama looked at the documents in his hand with an unhappy expression and said slowly.

"Meaning there's bad news?"

"That's right, Uchiha Madara is asking when the competition will start..."

"Haha, I knew Madara wouldn't give up~"

Senju Hashirama, who had thought he would have to fight alone, had a smile on his face. He knew his best friend wouldn't retreat in the face of difficulties.

"Hmph~ Big Brother, you can't let water go this time. This concerns the future of Konoha; you must not be careless."

Senju Tobirama, worried that his big brother would be blinded by love, began to give him a strong preventive injection.

"Relax, relax, I can still distinguish this kind of thing."

Senju Hashirama, in a great mood, waved his hand with a smile.

"However, Tobirama, why are these Tailed Beast pictures so Q?"

Senju Hashirama, picking up the information again, looked at the Tailed Beasts on it, one cuter than the other, and asked in confusion.

"Cough, cough, cough... after all, the time was rushed. This is the Tailed Beast appearance I drew based on the Tailed Beast dolls in Uchiha Gin's house. It should be about the same."

Senju Tobirama pointed at the Q-version Tailed Beasts on the information with a strange expression and guaranteed solemnly.

"So that's how it is~"

On the other side, Uchiha Gin looked at Uchiha Madara, who was holding his Tailed Beast doll, with a headache and couldn't help but complain.

"Big cousin, you don't have to take the doll to find them. Tailed Beasts all have such distinct features; they should be easy to identify."

"Uh... that's true. It's my fault for being reckless."

Uchiha Madara, who was preparing to run away with the doll, turned his head back somewhat embarrassedly after being stopped by a short-haired girl with an unhappy expression.

"And, what's the difference between this and a headless fly? The Ninja World is so big, you aren't going to look for them inch by inch, are you?"

Looking at his excited big cousin, Uchiha Gin held his forehead and reminded him.

"How is that possible? I'm not an idiot..."

Uchiha Madara, upon hearing this, was shocked in his heart, then his eyes dodged as he spoke stubbornly.

He had originally planned to fly into the sky with Susanoo and patrol the Ninja World.

"I know you well. Here, take this to find Xiao Mao-chan; she will help you collect intelligence about the location of the Tailed Beasts~"

Understanding the reckless nature of his cousin, Uchiha Gin shook his head. After fumbling in his backpack for a long time, he took out a golden cat coin and threw it into Uchiha Madara's hand.

"This is?"

Looking at the gold coin in his hand, Uchiha Madara raised an eyebrow. When he rubbed it, he found words on the back. Then he flipped it over and found a big "Sugar" character written on the back, and asked in confusion.

"I have some friendship with Xiao Mao-chan of the Empty Realm. You take my token and go there; she will help you."

"Empty Realm... is that the supplier that specializes in providing weapons for the Uchiha clan? When did they start acting as intelligence peddlers?"

As the Clan Leader of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Madara still knew something about the Empty Realm. In his impression, the other party was just a simple weapon peddler.

"Look, this is the importance of intelligence~"

Shaking his finger at Uchiha Madara, who was in a fog, Uchiha Gin said mysteriously.

"The spokesperson of the Empty Realm now is a proper cat person. Not long ago, she started raising ninja cats. You know, the circle of friends of cats is very wide~"

... It will be on the group in the next few days, and everyone is welcome to join the discussion then~

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 239 =====