Though Senju Tobirama hated to admit it, the fact remained: Uchiha Madara was one of Konoha's top-level forces.

Especially for something like capturing a Bijuu. Aside from his brother Hashirama and Mokuton, only Madara could accomplish it solo.

But the Hokage himself couldn't risk leaving the village again. The assassination attempt on Hashirama during his return from Wind Country still haunted Tobirama.

So now he needed a reason to trick Madara into leaving the village to find Kurama and bring it back as Konoha's guard dog.

Tobirama's scarlet eyes gleamed faintly. Casually, he spoke:

"Never thought the Kyuubi's power would be so terrifying. Brother, you must never again do such dangerous things!"

Hashirama, who'd just lied about barely going 50/50, froze. He didn't know why his brother kept bringing it up, but he didn't want to crush Madara's confidence, so he nodded quickly.

"Of course! Kurama is way too dangerous!"

Madara's ears twitched. His eyes filled with thought. For a man suppressed all his life by Hashirama, this sounded like a breakthrough.

The image of himself riding Kurama and smashing Hashirama's wooden giants filled his head—he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Heh heh~"

"Madara, what are you laughing at? Got some good news?"

"Eh—"

Madara stiffened. Afraid his little scheme would be exposed, he suddenly spotted Tobirama's sly grin. Inspiration hit. Straightening, he put on a fake frown but couldn't hide the smile tugging at his lips.

"Ah~ nothing much. Just Izuna, that brat…"

"Hmph! Causing trouble again? I said long ago, that one's no good!"

Tobirama cut in instantly. He and Izuna were natural enemies—every meeting meant sharp tongues flying.

"Don't be so harsh, Madara. If a younger brother strays, correct him, no need for constant scolding."

Hashirama perked up immediately at the topic of brothers. Years ago, he and Madara had even compared their little brothers by the riverbank.

The "units of measure" weren't length or size.

For years, Tobirama and Izuna had been neck-and-neck—one cold as dead water, the other a walking diamond body. Neither conceded.

But after Konoha's founding, Izuna turned to family matters, while Tobirama slid into politics, gaining the edge.

So Hashirama's face carried smug pride. His brother was clearly the better one.

"Sigh~ nothing major. Just that Izuna's in love lately. Won't be long before I'm an uncle~"

Madara deliberately raised his voice, staring at Tobirama with glee.

"Nani?!"

Tobirama froze. They were the same age. And that spiky-haired punk had managed to get a girlfriend first?! Humiliation.

"Ah… that…"

Hashirama, who'd been smug, now choked. His expression froze. He'd been ready to tease Madara by trashing Izuna—now he was the clown.

After an awkward pause, he squeezed out:

"That's… wonderful. Congratulations."

"Nothing I can do. My brother's useless in most ways, but at least he doesn't make me worry. Unlike some people—getting older yet still single, no thought for the clan's future."

Uh… Why did that sound like AOE damage? He'd just roasted himself.

Face dark, Tobirama put on his usual icy mask.

"Work time is not for idle chatter."

Hashirama nodded fast, worried his brother would grind his teeth to dust in jealousy.

Madara smirked and let it go. Straightforward as ever, he buried himself back in paperwork.

The office fell quiet, the rustle of papers filling the air.

After a while, Madara looked up, frowning at Hashirama on the Hokage's seat.

"Hashirama, without us helping, how much work could you even finish in a day?"

Sorting documents, Madara had nearly short-circuited. One moment it was mission completion reports, the next—applications for pig breeding permits. The chaos was maddening.

If this continued, mistakes were inevitable.

"Without you two, maybe a third at best."

Hashirama scratched his head. He knew the problem, but with so many documents flooding in, there was no time to sort them. As Hokage, he had to mind every detail—even toilets at the village gate.

"No point in discussing it. Just work."

Tobirama, the famed "fastest shinobi," processed papers faster than both of them combined. He already had a solution in mind, though still rough.

"This won't do. Look at this border defense plan—top-secret military intel, dumped right alongside genin mission lists. One slip-up could spell disaster."

Madara scowled. "Where there's smoke, there's fire. If Konoha falls to sloppy management, it dishonors everything we built."

"Hmph. You exaggerate."

Even when Madara was right, Tobirama refused to agree. He still held a grudge about that single-dog insult earlier.

"You—!"

Madara's fists twitched. His good intentions, brushed off like that…

"Enough, Tobirama. Madara has a point."

Once again, Hashirama leapt up to play peacemaker.

"I understand your concern, Madara. But as Hokage, all affairs—civil and military—must pass through me. That is my duty."

Madara sighed. "Hashirama, your sense of duty will crush you."

"Brother, I already have a solution. Not ready yet, but once refined, I'll present it."

Seeing his brother and Madara exchanging such looks, Tobirama nearly exploded with fury. He stood up sharply.

Bang bang bang!

A knock at the door. The three men frowned.

"Come in~" Hashirama called.

Creak…

In stepped a curly-haired, scowling Uchiha Gin.

"Gin-dono! What brings you here?"

Hashirama hurried down, warmly greeting him.

"Hmph."

Gin was furious. Konoha had stabilized, the prison completed, prisoners already transferred in—and yet, despite waiting days, his appointment had never arrived. No commission letter, not even a message.

At first he'd thought Hashirama was simply busy. But as old comrades returned to posts and he still sat idle, his patience snapped.

This morning, storming into the Hokage's office, he was determined to demand an answer.

"Big cousin, I've rested enough. I'm ready for work!"

Madara panicked, thinking Gin had come to drag him home. "I swear, it's not me this time!"

"Nothing to do with you. Work forever if you want."

Gin brushed him aside, glaring at the Senju brothers. His teeth clenched.

"Konoha Prison. It's finished."

"Eh? Yes, I even attended the ribbon-cutting a few days ago."

Hashirama nodded innocently.

"Good, good. Glad you know."

Gin's dead-fish eyes blazed.

"Where's. My. Appointment?!"

Hashirama's mind blanked. He remembered now—he had indeed promised Gin a position at the prison.

But Gin had done so much for Konoha lately. Assigning him as a mere guard felt like belittling him. The villagers might even think Hashirama was stealing credit.

"Gin-dono, don't be impatient."

"Impatient?! Easy for you to say! Every day without work, I lose another chance to grind my Heart of Steel! What do you expect me to do, bully civilians?!"

Gin's fury shook the room.

"You curly-haired brat, Hokage's too busy for your petty nonsense."

Tobirama's tone was cold, dismissive.

"Busy? With a mountain of pig-breeding requests? No wonder you can't manage."

Gin scoffed, waving a random file.

"You, the Hokage, sign off on sow breeding?!"

"W-well, it's still part of village life…" Hashirama muttered, embarrassed.

"You're a fool, but why are you following his idiocy?"

Gin turned his glare on Tobirama.

"I already have a solution."

"Oh? Then let's hear it."

Gin gave him the stage.

"My idea: establish a council of elders beneath the Hokage, dividing responsibilities—"

"Stop!"

Gin cut him off instantly.

"Do you Senju have elders?"

"…Of course."

"Then tell me: what do elders actually do?"

Tobirama froze, recalling their clan elders. Always interfering, nitpicking, undermining. Never helpful, always a thorn.

Gin sneered. "Annoying, useless, always stirring trouble. If even family elders are like that, imagine outsiders. They'll sell the Hokage's seat out from under you."

"…True. I was careless."

For once, Tobirama admitted fault, falling into thought.

"So what's your idea then?" he asked finally.

"Ha?" Gin scratched his curls. He hadn't expected to be taken seriously.

"Big cousin, if you have a plan, tell us!" Madara urged.

"Please, Gin-dono. Help us," Hashirama added.

"Uh…"

With three pairs of eyes on him, Gin hesitated.

"If your idea works, your prison appointment comes today," Tobirama promised.

"Deal!"

At those words, Gin's brain went into overdrive. For the sake of his guard job, he'd squeeze out something.

He paced the office, eyes darting between Hashirama and Madara—then froze, inspiration striking.

"I have a plan. Don't know if I should say it."

"Speak freely, Gin-dono." Hashirama encouraged.

"Stop stalling! Are you a man or not?!" Tobirama barked.

"Hmph! Someone knows the answer to that~" Gin shot back.

"You—!" White hair bristled.

"Alright, big cousin, enough games," Madara urged.

"Ahem. Currently, Konoha has only one leader, the Hokage. And beneath him, just you two—'candidates' with no real power."

"Yes." Hashirama nodded.

"But there's no rule saying a village can only have one leader, is there?"

"Ha." Tobirama's face twisted with disappointment. He'd expected wisdom, but this sounded like nonsense.

"Let him finish. Go on, Gin-dono." Hashirama pressed.

"The Hokage is basically the village head, right?"

"Correct."

"Well, village affairs, broadly speaking, split into two: civil and military." Gin raised two fingers.

"Civil covers development and shinobi ideology. Military covers internal security and external war. Even the Hokage can't handle both equally. So—just create another position. One takes civil, one takes military."

"That division invites factional struggle. It'll only get worse," Tobirama objected.

"Not if civil controls finances and missions. Shinobi live on mission pay. Without it, the military side has no leverage. Unless they all turn rogue—which they won't."

Madara and Hashirama exchanged glances. He had a point.

"And civil can form its own unit—an elite task force to handle emergencies. Call it… the Anbu."

A hidden guard corps. Who would dare oppose?

"Still, division breeds friction. Not good for growth," Tobirama muttered.

"Balance resources. Share properly. From zero-sum to symbiosis."

Gin pressed his fingers together.

"…Perhaps. Then should the Hokage take civil or military?"

"That depends on the Hokage's nature. Gentle and kind? Civil. Cold and decisive? Military."

"I'll take civil!" Hashirama jumped in immediately.

"Sit down! I wasn't done!" Tobirama smacked him on the head.

"And the other post—what do you call it?" he asked Gin.

"Uh… how about… Village Secretary?"

(End of Chapter)

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