Chapter 290: The Struggle for Konoha's Leadership

PS: It turns out speed-racing isn't my lane. Just to prove that Uchiha Gin isn't a eunuch, I wrote a bit too excessively in the last chapter and got blocked for an entire night. I finally had to delete and edit hundreds of words and find an editor to get it unblocked. Wuwuwu, I won't do "that" again next time~

The word count above is not charged.

……

"Hmm~ Is this the taste of peace?"

Early in the morning, a ray of blinding sunlight pierced through the gap in the curtains, spilling directly onto a handsome face deep in slumber. Following the clamor of voices outside the window, Uchiha Gin, who had just engaged in a fierce battle of passion last night, woke up from a fleeting, erotic dream.

After reaching out to block the scorching sunlight, he slowly sat up and rubbed his sleepy eyes, unable to help but sigh at this happy, lazy time.

"THUD!!!"

After standing up and rubbing his still-fluffy curly hair, before Uchiha Gin could even do his morning stretches, the fragile bedroom door was forcibly broken open by a massive force. For a moment, wood chips filled the air and dust billowed.

"How many times have I told you? Can't you be gentler when you knock? Even if this door can self-repair, you shouldn't be so reckless with it!"

Without even needing to look, Uchiha Gin knew who it was. His eyes, which had just gained a bit of spirit, instantly turned into dead fish eyes. Looking at the short-haired girl walking in from the smoke, his fists were about to harden.

"What did you do last night?"

Ignoring Uchiha Gin's nagging, the squinting Senju Itama looked the sturdy man in front of her up and down. Disregarding the fact that his upper body was completely bare, she focused on his face and neck, carefully searching for traces of a crime. Finding his skin as clean as new, she furrowed her delicate little brows and questioned him, unwilling to give up.

"Ha~ I went out for a night run yesterday."

Fortunately, his physique was different from ordinary people; the traces of his tryst with Kushina Uzumaki from yesterday had already recovered as if new. Feeling relieved, Uchiha Gin crossed his arms and answered righteously.

"Then why did you come back in the middle of the night panting so loudly?"

She looked suspiciously at the calm-faced Uchiha Gin. Last night, she had gotten up in the night and "passed by" Uchiha Gin's room, only to find it empty. Not long after, she saw a curly-haired guy sneaking out of the darkness. Before she could even question him, the other party had already collapsed and fallen asleep while panting heavily.

"So it was you last night~ I told you I was on a night run; it's normal to pant loudly!"

No wonder. When he teleported back last night, he sensed someone peeking nearby, but since there was no malice, he hadn't paid it any mind.

"That's not right, why do you smell like sea oysters?"

A girl's sense of smell is truly terrifying.

"Can't I have a late-night snack during a night run?"

Subconsciously sniffing himself, besides the scent of male hormones, there was indeed a fresh, sweet smell of sea oysters. Fortunately, the Konoha commercial street had been hosting a night market recently, filled with all kinds of snacks, so he immediately gave a very reasonable explanation.

"Stop sneaking food outside in the future. Come down to eat."

Senju Itama raised an eyebrow, staring inexplicably at the righteous-looking Uchiha Gin. Only when she made him feel a bit uneasy did she turn around and issue a warning. However, her pretty face, now turned away, was as cold as frost, and her snow-white teeth were gritted together. Clearly, she had still sensed something amiss.

"Alrighty~"

Thinking he had successfully pulled the wool over her eyes, Uchiha Gin smiled very happily. He had finally reached the good life where he could eat as soon as he opened his eyes~

"Burp~ Your cooking is getting better and better, but there's not enough sugar in this porridge. Give me three more big spoonfuls~"

Sugar plus three spoonfuls?

Uchiha Gin, having changed into his loungewear, was wolfing down the breakfast Senju Itama had carefully prepared. After taking a sip of the sugar-loaded eight-treasure porridge in his hand, he couldn't help but praise the Senju Itama before him.

"You eat more sugar than I eat rice. The doctor said last time that high blood sugar affects eyesight. You're a dojutsu ninja, after all; pay more attention to your health."

Senju Itama, resting her chin on her hands, watched the ravenous Uchiha Gin, a cute curve forming at the corners of her mouth. Upon hearing him complain that there wasn't enough sugar in the eight-treasure porridge, the girl couldn't help but frown in worry. During his last routine check-up, the doctor had instructed this annoying curly-haired guy to consume less sugar to avoid health issues.

"Just one small spoonful~"

Smacking his lips, Uchiha Gin held up a pinky finger, signaling for just a tiny bit.

"No!"

Refusing to be fooled by his feigned pitiful expression again, Senju Itama held firm to her principles and clutched the sugar jar tightly.

"Hmph~"

Underestimating whom? I, the dignified Little Otsutsuki of the ninja world, could lose to mere diabetes? Ridiculous!

"Knock knock knock~~"

Just as Uchiha Gin swallowed the last mouthful of eight-treasure porridge, a rhythmic knocking sounded outside the door.

"Coming~"

Senju Itama replied and ran over to open the door naturally. A moment later, a cold-faced man with black hair walked in behind her.

"He's here for you. I'm going to wash the pot~"

"Big cousin, what wind blew you here?"

Feeling quite full, Uchiha Gin looked curiously at the iceberg-like, cold man before him. At this time, shouldn't Uchiha Madara be clinging to Hashirama Senju every day, the two of them inseparable?

"Cousin, there are some things I want to ask for your opinion on."

As the saying goes, an elder brother is like a father. Ever since his father passed away unexpectedly, Uchiha Gin was the only elder in the family he could talk to. Although this big cousin usually seemed very unreliable, he really didn't know who else to consult about this matter.

"Did something happen in the clan?"

It was rare for Uchiha Madara to visit; he must have encountered something tricky. Uchiha Gin's heart tightened. Could it be that the "good deeds" he had done had come to light, and his big cousin was here to hold him accountable?

"No, it's about Konoha."

Konoha? You, Uchiha Madara, still have Konoha in your heart? I always thought you only had that wooden man in your heart.

"Let's hear it~"

This was quite curious. His big cousin, who usually only cared about his own affairs and never asked about the world, actually had questions about the village to ask him. It seems Hashirama Senju's brainwashing skills were quite effective!

"Sigh~ I want to be Hokage!"

Taking a deep breath, Uchiha Madara seemed to have made up his mind. He raised his head, and a spark of the Will of Fire ignited in his cold eyes, then he spoke his thoughts word by word.

"Huh?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin was stunned for a moment, his old CPU failing to process the information for a long time. Then, he picked his ear with his pinky, thinking he had misheard, and signaled with his eyes for the other party to say it again.

"What kind of look is that? I said I want to be Hokage!"

From Uchiha Gin's bewildered expression, Uchiha Madara keenly sensed a look that said "Is this kid mentally retarded?" This immediately made his big cousin, who had finally mustered the courage to talk about his dream, feel stifled, and he questioned him with slight annoyance.

"Did you take the wrong medicine?"

Hearing the other party repeat it, confirming he hadn't misheard, Uchiha Gin almost switched on his Byakugan on the spot. Then, he looked at the furrowed-brow Uchiha Madara with concern and asked cautiously.

"Is it ridiculous?"

The Hokage is the one in charge of this village. Hashirama is even willing to push me to the position, so why can't I do it?

"Being Hokage isn't ridiculous, but coming from your mouth, it makes people want to laugh."

Looking at the original work, every kid in Konoha basically has a Hokage dream. Uchiha Gin thinks it's all quite normal, after all, they are the true-blue successors. But for you, the future greatest rogue ninja of Konoha, to also want to be Hokage, it's quite hard to handle.

"Hmph~ Hashirama has already internally decided that I will be the one in charge of Konoha. But I don't think it should be so rash. The selection of the Hokage should be fair, open, and just."

Hearing the mockery in Uchiha Gin's tone, the confident Uchiha Madara snorted coldly, his black eyes full of arrogance, and told his big cousin about his internal nomination.

"No, no, no. I don't think you should be here right now; you should be on the roof, holding a leaf, listening to how Tobirama Senju is badmouthing you~"

Looking at his smug big cousin, Uchiha Gin finally realized that this was the plot from the original story.

It's just that in that timeline, his uncle had passed away early, his little cousin had died tragically, and Uchiha Madara, having no one to rely on, could only go to Hashirama Senju for comfort. Just as he was about to open the window to surprise him, he accidentally overheard Tobirama Senju's heart-piercing words, and from then on, he let go of his obsession with the Hokage and went down a dark path.

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about? I'm serious."

Listening to Uchiha Gin's gibberish, Uchiha Madara was furious. He had finally decided to share this secret with his big cousin, only to be met with ridicule, so he said indignantly.

"I'm serious too~"

Big cousin, it's a good thing you have me, otherwise you'd really go down that old path and walk into the darkness~

"Susanoo—"

"Stop! Do you want to destroy my house!"

Uchiha Gin, who had intended to tease him a bit more, saw the phantom with four arms condensing behind Uchiha Madara and immediately shouted to stop him.

"Can we talk properly now?"

"You got it, cousin!"

After the farce, the two brothers moved to the parlor. Senju Itama, wearing black and white loungewear, brought in fragrant tea at the right moment. Sniffing the faint tea fragrance in his hand, Uchiha Gin took a small sip, and his eyes lit up.

"Big cousin, hurry and taste this. This is green tea I ordered at a high price from the Land of Tea. The annual production is less than a pound~"

Good things should naturally be shared with one's little brother.

"Sigh~ It is indeed good."

Uchiha Madara, who loved good tea, couldn't help but pick it up to taste it after hearing Uchiha Gin's introduction. His eyes also lit up. Just as he was savoring it, he suddenly saw his big cousin take a large jar out of the drawer.

"What are you doing!"

Still wondering what the other party was doing, he saw Uchiha Gin smiling as he took a large piece of crystal-clear rock sugar from the jar and threw it into the freshly brewed green tea without even looking. This act of wasting a heavenly treasure made his eyes pop out.

"Ah? Do you want sugar too? I find it quite bitter~"

If it weren't for the sake of showing off, why would he drink something so bitter? Next time, he'd just bring out the strawberry milk from the fridge; it's convenient and delicious.

"You..."

Uchiha Madara, his heart aching to the point of trembling, looked like he had more to say but couldn't.

"It's fine, you'll like it when you're older~"

After thoroughly stirring the tea and rock sugar, Uchiha Gin drank it in one gulp, then showed a satisfied expression and said to Uchiha Madara.

"Hehe, absolutely impossible!"

I hope your mouth stays this stiff when you're on life support~

"Tell me about your Hokage dream~"

Having absorbed the sugar, Uchiha Gin felt much more energetic and immediately started discussing serious business.

"Actually, I didn't want to be it at first, but Hashirama said he'd let me do it first..."

When it came to serious business, Uchiha Madara immediately changed his expression, answering with deep eyes.

"Do you think Hashirama's word counts?"

"Doesn't it? Konoha was founded by both of us. Don't we even have that much privilege?"

Uchiha Madara tilted his head in confusion. Half of Konoha is surnamed Senju, and half is surnamed Uchiha. The position of Hokage is just a matter of passing it from the left hand to the right.

"Cousin, times have changed~"

Seeing that Uchiha Madara still held onto the mindset of the old era, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but sigh and offer a reminder.

"Nowadays, it's all about following the will of the people, not the one-man rule of the clans from before. Even if Brother Hashirama were to give up the position of Hokage, I doubt you'd be able to get it~"

"How is that possible!"

"First of all, you definitely wouldn't get past that white-haired guy. If you were to become Hokage, he would be the first to jump up and oppose it~"

Uchiha Gin held up a finger, shook it, and said,

"Hmph! I haven't even settled old scores with him yet. If he dares to oppose me, don't blame me for being heartless!"

At the mention of Tobirama Senju, Uchiha Madara's mind was filled with the tragic scene of his father's death. This image appeared involuntarily whenever he contemplated the stone tablet, slowly fueling his hatred.

"Furthermore, the Daimyo has likely set his sights solely on Brother Hashirama. If it were replaced by you, whether the agreement of 'one country, one village' could be maintained would be an unknown."

Extending a second finger, a faint glimmer swirled in Uchiha Gin's eyes. His words brought a touch of coolness to Uchiha Madara's somewhat agitated heart, and also caused him to start reflecting on the chain reaction that would follow after becoming Hokage.

"The nobles can be negotiated with."

Uchiha Madara lowered his head to ponder for a moment, then looked up and replied. In his view, the Daimyo didn't truly care who became Hokage; all they wanted was the stability of the Land of Fire. If Hashirama Senju could achieve that, then he, Uchiha Madara, could too!

"Fine, fine, fine. Then let me talk about the third point, which is also the most important one."

Seeing that his cousin still wouldn't give up, Uchiha Gin sighed inwardly. Such a fine young man, why was he so obsessed with the Will of Fire? Wasn't it good enough to be the clan head at home? So, he squinted his eyes, held up a third finger, and said,

"What is it?"

"Public opinion. When it comes to reputation, you and Hashirama Senju are worlds apart. In the eyes of the ninja clans in Konoha, it was Hashirama Senju who painstakingly built Konoha, while you, Uchiha Madara, have never made any substantial contributions."

"Do I need to care about the opinions of those ants to be Hokage?"

Uchiha Madara felt a surge of anger. Uchiha Gin's words were like a sharp blade, piercing his final line of defense.

"If you treat them as ants, then I advise you to give up the idea of being Hokage as soon as possible."

He knew Uchiha Madara's pride. In the entire ninja world, the only person who could catch his eye was Hashirama Senju. Having chased him for many years, he finally had a chance to get the upper hand, and his cousin certainly wouldn't let it go.

"."

Uchiha Madara was silent upon hearing this.

"Actually, you don't really want to be Hokage; you just want to win against Brother Hashirama once~"

Uchiha Gin's words hit the nail on the head, making the already silent Uchiha Madara even more quiet.

"Knock, knock, knock~"

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door again, breaking the frozen silence between the two brothers.

"Who is it~"

The voice of Itama Senju rang out again. Accompanied by a cheerful pattering sound, the front door of Uchiha Gin's house was opened once more.

"Uh... what are you doing here?"

After the door opened, there was a brief silence, followed by Itama Senju's voice, filled with surprise and uncertainty. It was clear that the visitors were rare guests.

"Haha, sis... nothing. We heard that Madara is here. May I ask if he is still here?"

A familiar voice sounded from outside the door. The hearty laughter made Uchiha Madara, who was right there, raise an eyebrow.

"He's in the reception hall. Go ahead yourselves."

Uh... so cold? Isn't he your big brother?

Oh~ it must be because the other party didn't recognize him, so he's sulking~

Only villains and women are hard to deal with~

"Madara, I've had such a hard time looking for you!"

Hearing a rush of footsteps, a cheerful man with long black hair rushed in, followed by a white-haired tagalong who was looking at Uchiha Madara with an unhappy expression.

"Hashirama, is there something the matter?"

Seeing Hashirama Senju arrive, Uchiha Madara finally regained some of his spirit. He glanced at Tobirama Senju, who was glaring at him, and asked.

"Actually..."

Seeing Uchiha Madara's gloomy face, Hashirama Senju, who had been full of words, found himself unable to speak.

"Changed your mind?"

Through Uchiha Gin's earlier guidance, Uchiha Madara, now awakened as if from a dream, could roughly guess what Hashirama Senju couldn't bring himself to say.

"Haha, I told you, Madara is very smart and will definitely be up to the task~"

Hearing Uchiha Madara's words, Hashirama Senju scratched his head in embarrassment and turned to smile at his younger brother.

"Hmph~ at least he has some self-awareness, knowing he isn't fit for the position."

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm still here. How can you criticize my child right in front of his guardian?"

Uchiha Gin, who had been enjoying the show, became instantly displeased after hearing Tobirama Senju's words.

As expected, you really are the sharp-tongued diva of the Senju clan~

"Uchiha Gin, this matter has nothing to do with you."

Tobirama Senju shifted his gaze slightly. After looking at the indignant Uchiha Gin with his scarlet eyes, he spoke.

"How does it have nothing to do with me? If my cousin becomes the leader, wouldn't I, as his older brother, be able to bully the locals~"

Uchiha Gin put his hands on his hips and retorted.

"Uh... Cousin, didn't you just say I couldn't do it?"

Uchiha Madara, with a strange expression, nudged his cousin and asked in a low voice.

Upon hearing Uchiha Gin speak up for him, Uchiha Madara felt a warmth in his heart. He wasn't alone, and he wouldn't let this white-haired guy bully him.

"Hmph~ whether he can do it or not isn't up to this white-haired guy to decide!"

Uchiha Gin, who couldn't stand seeing his younger brother being wronged, waved his hand and said righteously.

"Brother Gin, please don't be angry. Tobirama has always been blunt; please don't take it to heart~"

Sensing that Uchiha Gin was a bit angry, Hashirama Senju immediately stepped in to smooth things over. He first glared at his younger brother, then smiled and said,

"I came here this time just to tell Madara that although I cannot directly appoint him as Hokage, he is still one of the candidates."

Brother Hashirama really knows how to handle people. Even knowing that his cousin likely had no chance at the Hokage position, he still left him with plenty of face.

"Candidate? Who else is there?"

Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow. Could it be that other stray cats and dogs were coveting the position of Konoha's leader?

"Ahem... every ninja clan will send a representative, and these representatives will all be eligible to run for the position of Hokage~"

Originally, the only candidates were him and Uchiha Madara, but after Tobirama Senju's analysis, Hashirama Senju was shocked. If it went as his brother said, wouldn't he be the Hokage by default, making Madara just a runner-up?

That wouldn't do. He had to pull in a few more people to pad the numbers and let Madara have some fun~

"Uh... so many people?"

Hearing Hashirama Senju's explanation, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but mutter to himself. How was this different from what he had seen before? Could those people from the ninja clan alliance also run for leader?

"That is only natural. The selection of the Hokage strives to be fair, open, and just."

Why does that sound so familiar? And you two say you don't have a secret connection; you're already of one mind!

"Hashirama, so you think that way too!"

Uchiha Madara, standing to the side, became so excited that his eyes turned red upon hearing the same philosophy as his own. Looking at the firm Hashirama Senju, he shouted loudly.

"Ah?"

"Me too!"

The two kindred spirits were instantly moved to tears, and with a spread of their arms, they hugged each other.

"So, what are your criteria for running for Hokage?"

Watching the two hugging and weeping in silence, Uchiha Gin had to put aside his prejudice and ask the white-haired guy beside him.

"... riteria? Nothing more than strength, wisdom, and the like."

Tobirama Senju, who had been examining the display cabinet in the reception hall, finally came back to his senses after hearing the voice in his ear. Turning to look at the confused Uchiha Gin, he answered with some uncertainty.

After all, having all ninja clan representatives participate in the Hokage election was his older brother's idea. The time was a bit rushed, and he hadn't had time to make a plan, but it should be like a regular competition—just some comprehensive assessment items.

"It's an official event, can you guys put some effort into it?"

Uchiha Gin, as a bystander, was unhappy that Tobirama Senju was so vague, and immediately criticized him.

"Why are you in such a rush? You can't participate anyway. By the way, what are these strange dolls?"

Hearing Uchiha Gin's groundless accusation, Tobirama Senju rolled his eyes in annoyance. After making a snide remark, he pointed his finger at the dolls lined up in the display cabinet and asked with confusion.

"Tsk! You white-haired guy, do you know whose territory this is? How dare you raise your voice at me?"

If a tiger doesn't show its power, you treat me like Hello Kitty? Do you believe that with one word from me, I can call your sister to beat you up?

Tobirama Senju scoffed at Uchiha Gin's threat. He hadn't intended to pay attention, but suddenly he sensed he was being locked onto by a gaze. In surprise, he followed the direction of the gaze.

He discovered that behind the indignant Uchiha Gin, Itama Senju was loosening his muscles. The threatening look in his eyes made Tobirama Senju break into a cold sweat. Weighing his options, he had to apologize in a low voice.

"Uh... sorry, I admit my voice was a bit loud just now."

(End of chapter)