Night.
Senju Tobirama, having worked hard all day, stretched lazily and stood up from his seat.
After a short rest...
Senju Tobirama left the Hokage building, but he didn't choose to go home. Instead, he came to his meticulously prepared underground laboratory.
Honestly.
He didn't actually like Konoha's internal affairs. The reason he spent most of his time and energy on Konoha's internal affairs every day was simply because he loved Konoha!
Konoha was the home of the Senju Clan, and also his home. Senju Tobirama absolutely would not tolerate anyone destroying it.
Even if it was the Uchiha!
As soon as he stepped into the laboratory, Senju Tobirama felt like he was home, and his whole spirit was lifted.
He quietly admired his newly renovated laboratory for a while.
The laboratory was filled with the smell of money. Every instrument and experimental material was invaluable; just a bottle of potion placed on the experimental table cost tens of thousands of ryō.
This was about the highest specification laboratory that Senju Tobirama could afford and build!
Any higher, and he would have to find a way to get funds from Konoha's budget. However, Senju Tobirama didn't want to do this as it violated his principles... He was going to become the Hokage in the future and had to set an example, absolutely not walking on the path of crime.
But Senju Tobirama was already very satisfied with the current situation.
"So good."
"When can I get rid of Konoha's government affairs and devote myself wholeheartedly to this place? I must work hard for a few months!"
"I want to work sleeplessly, and even use Shadow Clones!"
Senju Tobirama's love for scientific research came from the bottom of his heart.
Whenever he captured an unknown phenomenon that no one had ever discovered, he would feel his blood boiling with excitement. This pure joy of exploration was far more interesting than dealing with those tedious government affairs in Konoha and struggling to balance the powers of major ninja clans.
It was just that the current situation did not allow it.
The Uchiha Clan was determined to get the position of Hokage, and Uchiha Makoto was eyeing Konoha covetously. Coupled with numerous opponents obstructing Konoha's great reform plan everywhere, to protect Konoha, he was entangled by these messy things and had to compress the time for pursuing his scientific research hobby to very little.
Otherwise, Senju Tobirama felt he could stay in the laboratory and work sleeplessly.
Of course.
Senju Tobirama felt he could only dream about such good days; he probably wouldn't live such a happy and free life in this lifetime.
After some lamenting.
Senju Tobirama formed hand seals, and a sealing scroll appeared in his hand.
The sealing scroll contained Senju Hashirama's various physical data, as well as the most important blood samples and body cell tissues, which could be called priceless treasures.
It was just a pity he couldn't get more important tissues and organs.
Senju Tobirama looked at the bottles and jars in front of him with a hint of excitement. Although the experimental materials were limited, to some extent, they could be considered endless.
Anyway, his big brother's physical fitness was strong. Drawing a few hundred milliliters of blood from him elicited no reaction at all; when used up, he could just take more from him.
It seems a bit unfair to Big Brother...
But this is all for Konoha!
"Big Brother, I want to research what kind of monster you really are."
"Hiss... this cell activity... Big Brother really isn't human..."
"Why is there corrosiveness too! This ordinary white mouse couldn't even last a minute before the cells all over its body were completely corroded..."
After a brief test.
The excitement on Senju Tobirama's face didn't fade at all. Instead, on this basis, a nearly burning desire for knowledge rose.
He had to admit that his big brother Senju Hashirama's physique had exceeded the scope of normal humans.
If he hadn't watched his big brother grow up with his own eyes, he would almost have regarded these cells as some unknown biological tissue with extremely vigorous vitality.
The good news now was that the white mouse injected with a little Hashirama cells indeed showed a significant increase in vitality initially. This proved that transplanting Hashirama cells could obtain significant enhancement.
As everyone knows.
Chakra is originally the product of the fusion of physical energy and spiritual energy. This means that as long as Hashirama cells can be successfully transplanted, the host's life level can be greatly elevated. Furthermore, there is a chance to obtain terrifying chakra volume and rapid self-healing physical fitness like Big Brother.
But this was obviously not that easy to achieve.
There is rejection between cells of different people, and Big Brother's cells even have corrosiveness; ordinary white mice couldn't last a minute.
Senju Tobirama carefully analyzed and summarized the existing intelligence.
While he was focused on thinking, changes quietly appeared in the white mouse on the experimental table, and the strange noise quickly attracted Senju Tobirama's attention.
Senju Tobirama's gaze suddenly froze, full of shock.
The body of the white mouse on the experimental table twisted and distorted at a speed visible to the naked eye. The crisp sound of bones shattering could be faintly heard. In an instant, it completely lost its original form and turned into a twisted small tree.
"Big Brother's cells can actually distort the original form of living organisms?"
"The white mouse.... turned into a tree... then why is Big Brother still human!"
Senju Tobirama considered himself accustomed to storms in the experimental field. He was already used to scenes where special cells corroded white mice causing their death. But a strange scene like this, where cells directly twisted a living creature into a plant, was the first time he had seen it.
Immediately after.
Senju Tobirama took out experimental tools and very cautiously cut a small amount of tissue from that "white mouse tree."
After careful identification, he confirmed that the original animal cells had completely mutated into plant cells, leaving not a trace of original characteristics.
"Big Brother's cells are dangerous... very dangerous!"
Senju Tobirama frowned; he had greatly underestimated the secrets hidden in his big brother's body.
However, the burning desire for knowledge in his eyes became even hotter.... For Senju Tobirama, the more difficult the experiment and the rarer the experimental materials, the more it could arouse his desire for knowledge.
Moreover, Big Brother's inhuman power wasn't that easy to obtain.
....
A night passed quietly.
It wasn't until dawn that Senju Tobirama stopped the Hashirama cell experiment.
The busyness of the whole night yesterday indeed made him feel physically tired, but his spirit was now radiant.
And regarding the Hashirama cell experiment, Senju Tobirama now held infinite expectations.
According to his expectations, as long as the Hashirama cell experiment was successfully completed, the ninja who fused with Hashirama cells would greatly improve their physical fitness, obtain a large amount of chakra, and even have a certain possibility of awakening Big Brother Senju Hashirama's Wood Release.
This could be said to be of extraordinary significance to the entire Senju Clan and even the entire Konoha.
However, the powerful corrosiveness and assimilation of Hashirama cells were indeed very tricky, and Senju Tobirama didn't have any effective solution for a while.
Based on past experimental experience, he thought of several ideas to solve the problem. Some of these methods not only required human experiments but were also extremely dangerous. If not careful, the "consumables" participating in the experiment would be like the white mice that died one after another last night, with cells all over their bodies corroded by Hashirama cells, finally completely mutating into a brand new sapling.
So to minimize casualties as much as possible, Senju Tobirama still intended to conduct preliminary experiments on animal bodies first.
It would just take more time, energy, and many experimental materials to verify, but there was no other way.
With many thoughts in his mind, Senju Tobirama finally left his secret laboratory.
Now was not a good time to devote himself wholeheartedly to the Hashirama cell experiment.
Because.... the Six Kage Summit.
Not long after, Senju Tobirama finally embarked on the journey to Akatsuki Village with Senju Hashirama.
.......
Akatsuki Village.
The tide of the times rolled in.
The six Kages were about to formulate a new order for the ninja world, and small ninja villages also needed to find their own place in this order. Therefore, because of the convening of the Six Kage Summit, ninjas from large and small ninja villages in the ninja world gathered here coincidentally.
And as soon as they stepped onto the land of Akatsuki Village, they felt an atmosphere—that vibrant vitality, the realm of all things flourishing was right before their eyes.
Crowds surged, clothes fluttered.
The metal ninja village symbols on various forehead protectors flashed overlappingly under the sunlight; these strangers were particularly conspicuous in the crowd.
Without exception, their faces showed astonishment, obviously shocked by the scene before them.
However, Akatsuki Village villagers and ninjas were already accustomed to this. Recently, they had seen many such "country bumpkins"..... Akatsuki Village had long grasped the pulse of the times and walked at the forefront of the ninja world.
"Is this Akatsuki Village...."
"Although I had prepared myself psychologically long ago, seeing it with my own eyes still feels incredible."
"Is the gap actually this big... It really makes one feel unwilling."
The First Kazekage thought this in his heart.
It was his first time stepping onto the land of Akatsuki Village. Looking around at the environment, the First Kazekage's gaze swept over the bustling crowd and finally landed on the small fountains constantly spewing clear water in the center of the square. In his expression, which he tried hard to keep calm, there was a trace of imperceptible complexity.... Such extremely extravagant and wasteful behavior, whether in the Land of Wind or Sunagakure, would result in being hung up and strafed with kunai.
No one could tolerate such squandering of precious clear water.
Soon, intelligence about Akatsuki Village quickly surfaced in the First Kazekage's mind.
Akatsuki Village had made such a big commotion in the ninja world over these years; it couldn't be hidden from these Kages who controlled the lifeline of intelligence in the ninja world.
Various dossiers about Akatsuki Village in their hands had long piled up like a mountain.
Without a doubt, the First Kazekage had long known that Akatsuki Village was a behemoth with comprehensive strength far exceeding Sunagakure.
However, intelligence on paper was ultimately just cold data and words. Only by being there personally and seeing it with one's own eyes could one truly feel that suffocating oppression and vitality.
Just looking at these faces full of vigor, glowing red because of sufficient meat, eggs, and milk, the First Kazekage felt a deep sense of powerlessness in his heart—these people must be strong and healthy, and full of gratitude and loyalty to Akatsuki Village. They were the highest quality source of troops for Akatsuki Village!!
While Sunagakure... even meeting basic living needs was somewhat difficult.
Especially this year, grain production across the entire ninja world would decrease.
For a ninja village like Sunagakure that relied heavily on grain imports, the climate of the ninja world was their barometer, and grain production was their lifeline.
And as the First Kazekage, he certainly wanted to achieve something. However, being in the barren land of the Land of Wind, and with his Daimyō being extremely stingy, the more he wanted to do something, the more hopeless he felt about the road ahead.
The gap between the two sides was like a chasm!
The First Kazekage's mood became somewhat low for a time, but soon, he wasn't so sad anymore.
Not far away, he saw ninjas from Kumogakure.
Akatsuki Village was indeed suffocatingly powerful, but Sunagakure was in a desert area and had no conflict with Akatsuki Village. They could even cooperate friendly with each other.... The Land of Fire was a major grain-producing country!
But Kumogakure was different.
The grudge they formed with Akatsuki Village was not ordinarily large.
And Kumogakure was the defeated ninja village last time. Seeing Akatsuki Village's strength now, the resentment in their hearts could be imagined.
His own family was indeed miserable... Kumogakure wasn't any better off; everyone could be considered fellow sufferers.
With such a mood, the First Kazekage took the initiative to step forward.
"Raikage, first time meeting."
"Kazekage... pleased to meet you."
The Second Raikage nodded, a forced smile on his face.
His mood was very bad right now; tonight was destined to be a sleepless night for him.
Since Kumogakure was defeated, its vitality was greatly damaged. After several years, they finally caught their breath, and what to do next was revenge.
When Uchiha Makoto proposed convening the Six Kage Summit and attempted to sign a peace agreement for the entire ninja world, the Second Raikage was unmoved. Even though the First Tsuchikage of Iwagakure mediated several times, he directly chose to ignore it.
The reason he came this time was purely for Konoha's Tailed Beasts.
As for the peace agreement... who would care about such a paper agreement?
The Second Raikage planned that as long as he got the Tailed Beasts, endured for a few more years to continue resting and building up strength, he could find an opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Akatsuki Village and wipe away the shame!
That's right, a surprise attack!
The reason Akatsuki Village could defeat Kumogakure last time was largely because they prepared for battle in advance and then launched a surprise attack, catching Kumogakure off guard. It was reasonable for Kumogakure to want to replicate such tactics.
But Akatsuki Village's development speed was simply too scary.
In the last war, Akatsuki Village was indeed the victor, but the price they bore themselves was not small.
Although in intelligence, he had long known that the Hikarikage was good at making money, in the Second Raikage's mind, Kumogakure, with the strong support of the Land of Lightning, even if lagging behind, wouldn't be too far off.
But the scene before him... was truly suffocating despair.
Relying solely on Kumogakure's strength, even launching a surprise attack, it would be really difficult to defeat Akatsuki Village.