Chapter 781: Chapter 12: Tobirama Handcrafts a Stone Tablet, Izuna’s Troubles (Part 2)
Just like the Uchiha Stele, after being specially crafted with multiple Dojutsu and Fuinjutsu by Tobirama, the Senju Stele also has the function of revealing content layer by layer under the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Hmm... it looks too new, needs to be aged..."
Tobirama activated his Chakra, spraying corrosive liquid on the stele.
Instantly, after being corroded, the stele appeared much more aged.
Tobirama glanced at it, still dissatisfied, shook his head, and after a moment of thought, gathered a gust of wind in his palm to envelop the stele.
Artificial weathering!
The newly crafted stele, after this treatment, seemed as if it had been salvaged from deep underground where it had slumbered for a thousand years, resembling an artifact from the Ancient Era.
Young Hashirama watched this moment in astonishment.
Afterwards, Tobirama began to repair the stele in front of him, making it look not so terrible.
"Tobirama, what are you doing? Are you making a fake stele? You’re deceiving the Uchiha Clan!"
Young Hashirama felt as if he was finally starting to use his brain; this scene was too complex for him: "Besides, even if you’re faking it, why renovate it after it’s already done?"
"Of course, I’m faking it; what else could it be, giving birth?"
Tobirama retorted irritably, "When you fake something, there are bound to be flaws... So the safest way is to renovate after faking it, giving those imperfect details an excuse."
"This way, the marks of touch-ups will cover the traces of aging... Don’t underestimate the Mangekyo Sharingan’s observational prowess; I don’t want Izuna and Madara to recognize it by then."
Young Hashirama suddenly understood, so that’s why!
But immediately, he became more anxious, rushing to Tobirama, loudly questioning, "Tobirama, this is wrong! If we want to ally with the Uchiha Clan, how can we deceive them?"
"Never mind whether I’ve deceived them... Even if I have, can you think of a way to negotiate peace between the Uchiha and the Senju Clan? Or would you rather be an honest person and abandon everything I’ve worked for, to fight to the death on the battlefield with the clansmen?"
Facing Hashirama’s questions, Tobirama remained calm, leisurely asking in return, "If the leader of the Senju Clan decides so, then of course, you can make all this public..."
"However, once the Uchiha Clan knows the truth, they probably won’t rest until one or the other is destroyed with the Senju Clan, right?"
"But there’s no need to worry too much, since I have acquired the power of the Uchiha Clan, even if it comes to an all-out war with them, I’m confident I can annihilate them with the Senju Clan’s losses not exceeding one-fifth of its forces!"
Tobirama gazed at young Hashirama with half-closed eyes, his hand poised like a blade, ready to shatter the stele in front of him!
In young Hashirama’s mind flashed many images.
On one hand, based on Tobirama’s current plan, after the Senju and Uchiha form an alliance, the clansmen from both sides abandon their past prejudices, celebrating and drinking together, uniting to end the era of chaos, creating a peaceful village where children never have to go to the battlefield, enjoying a complete childhood.
On the other hand, if none of this happens, the Uchiha and Senju continue to hold enmity against each other like before, continuously killing one another in the immense hatred after Senju Butsuma and Uchiha Tajima die in battle.
Everyone is unable to extricate themselves from this millennium-old hate.
The stark contrast between these two scenarios made young Hashirama’s eyes turn red.
Suddenly, young Hashirama dashed in front of Tobirama, firmly grabbing his arm, and shouted in a deep voice, "Tobirama, calm down! This stele is the foundation of peace, it must not be destroyed!"
Tobirama raised his eyebrows with an indescribable look, sarcastically saying, "This isn’t about deceit, or fakery?"
The serious expression on young Hashirama’s face becoming awkward again.
Tobirama pulled his arm free from Hashirama’s grip, feeling quite satisfied looking at young Hashirama.
Since childhood, this brother wasn’t exactly principled...
During his childhood and youth, many times when Tobirama made some reasonable studies on Kinjutsu, Hashirama would firmly oppose it, suddenly changing from his usual good-natured self, forcibly suppressing it with might.
In the original timeline, when Tobirama, reincarnated by Orochimaru, intends to take action against Sasuke who was boasting arrogantly, Hashirama, standing by, bends his elbow outwards, suppressing his younger brother...
This is just a reflection.
But now, the situation has flipped.
When Hashirama questions Tobirama with so-called honesty and fakery.
Tobirama exposed the entire truth!
Bluntly telling Hashirama, I’m faking it, so what!
Do you want the truth and let the Senju and Uchiha clans battle to the death, or a fake so everyone becomes a family?
The method Tobirama used was an excellent negotiation tactic.
When he said he was prepared to obliterate the Uchiha Clan, so-called peace didn’t matter to him, then the fake stele which Hashirama initially found intolerable also became irrelevant.
Classic bargaining strategy: ask for a roof before asking for a window.
"Tobirama, that’s not what I meant, I just thought..."
Young Hashirama blushed, realizing even his own lauded Monster Strength seemed no longer a match for Tobirama.
If he wanted to suppress by force as before, it probably wouldn’t work anymore.
Moreover, what Tobirama said left him speechless... Just one lie, yet capable of obtaining peace between the Uchiha and the Senju Clan, isn’t it worth it?
"Besides, I haven’t deceived the Uchiha Clan..."
Tobirama pointed to his own Mangekyo Sharingan, softly saying, "Why do I know the stories of Asura and Indra? Why do I know the ancient secrets?"
"It’s not recorded in the Senju Clan’s literature, but comes from my Dojutsu."
"My Mangekyo Sharingan allows me to trace back the past, seeing fragments of what happened on this land... The fact that I’ve awakened this Dojutsu probably also relates to my affinity for researching the historical and ancient Kinjutsu in the literature."
"Therefore, the Senju Stele I created, you could say it’s fake... But conversely, the history it records is indeed true."
"I stand on the shoulders of past generations of both the Senju and Uchiha ninja clans, witnessing Indra and Asura using the Ninja World as their chessboard, causing us descendants to die like wild grass..."
"Thus, I must come forward to stop all this."
Tobirama looked directly into Hashirama’s eyes, speaking slowly, "Hashirama, if you truly think what I’m doing is wrong, then come and stop me... I can’t sit and watch the Ninja World continue falling into war!"
"I must let everyone enjoy peace!"
Young Hashirama looked at Tobirama, his eyes red, and felt chaos inside.
What, how did I become the destroyer preventing peace in the Ninja World?
I was just asking why you were making a fake stele; I didn’t know you could see the past through your Dojutsu!
It’s so unfair...
Tobirama’s manner also made young Hashirama doubt less about this brother’s regression to ancestor traits... This extreme demeanor and temper, it’s exactly like Madara’s!
Turn a face just like that!
"Regarding this matter, I was wrong just now; I fully support you!"
Young Hashirama took a deep breath, trying to recall a lighter topic, tentatively asking, "Tobirama, when do you plan to hold the marriage with Izuna?"
"What kind of arrangement do you think we should prepare? I think it should be extremely grand!"
At this moment, Tobirama was the one who was stunned.
What, why are we talking about marriage now?
Really getting married...
He was just joking!
——
Uchiha Clan Land.
Uchiha Madara sighed, looking worriedly at the bright moon outside the window.
It’s been two days since the negotiation with that bastard.
Izuna has been hiding in her room, refusing to come out, not even seeing him, her brother, not knowing what she’s up to.
"Is he lying to me? Or has he really been secretly in love with me since childhood..."
Izuna had her head buried in the quilt, never been this conflicted before: "Even the Mangekyo opened for me? But if he’s lying, why does the eye power resemble mine so much?"
"But if he’s not lying, do I really have to marry him? I made a bet with him in that battle and lost to this bastard!"
"No, there’s no way I can marry Senju Tobirama!"
Izuna muttered, but in her mind were Tobirama’s Mangekyo Sharingan, and the image of him during their battle, strolling leisurely yet gracefully.
A man like that seems rare in the Ninja World...
Or rather,
the only one reluctantly meeting her criteria?
