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Chapter 316: Tsunade, the Casino, and Wielding the Currency Known as "The Land of Fire"
🕑 Added 2025-01-29 13:43:26 +0000 UTCChapter 316: Tsunade, the Casino, and Wielding the Currency Known as "The Land of Fire"
"Hahaha!"
Senju Hashirama laughed heartily for a moment before speaking seriously. "Thank you for your acknowledgment. Now, the second question."
"What you're doing now is exactly what Madara once wanted to do, but I stopped him. So, do you think I was wrong?"
Hyuga Fuji stroked his chin and shook his head.
"Judging by the outcome, unifying the shinobi world in that era might not have led to a good result. But if the goal was to reduce warfare, then as long as you and Madara didn't fall out, the shinobi world wouldn’t have experienced wars like the three previous Great Ninja Wars, at least for a long time."
However, it was impossible for Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara to coexist peacefully.
Madara was the strongest Uchiha in history, the first to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō, and the perfect offering that Black Zetsu had been waiting nearly a thousand years for. There was no way Zetsu would let go of such a chance—he would have stirred up conflict one way or another.
But that, too, was a matter of hindsight. No need to dwell on it.
"But, First Hokage-sama, I don't think that's the answer you're looking for. Let me put it another way: The shinobi world is still at war. Can you accept that outcome? And if you had another chance, do you think you could do better?"
Senju Hashirama frowned slightly, nodded in thought.
No matter what, the fact remained—the shinobi world was still embroiled in wars after his death. That was a result he found difficult to accept.
And could he have done better?
Hmm... If he had another chance, he definitely wouldn’t have sold off the Tailed Beasts!
Besides that, he wouldn't have let Madara leave. Even if he agreed with Madara’s vision of unity, he would have found a way to keep him around.
And since he now believed he could have done better, it meant he had made mistakes before.
Standing nearby, Orochimaru remained expressionless.
Senju Hashirama might have been asking Hyuga Fuji, but in truth, he was questioning himself. This was all leading up to the final question.
Hashirama narrowed his eyes. "Last question—do you think the dead should participate in shaping the future of the world?"
"You already have your own answer to that question. If you thought they should, you would have acted already. As for my answer..."
Hyuga Fuji paused before replying, "Just like in the past—when one shinobi clan falls, it creates room for others to grow. If the dead continue to shape the world, the living will naturally have fewer opportunities and resources."
"The cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death is a natural part of the world. It’s a mechanism that makes room for future generations to develop."
"Then we share the same view," Hashirama sighed. "The dead should not interfere in the struggles of the living. That’s why I haven’t acted against you."
"But then, why does the Land of Snow allow the deceased to hold so much power?"
"That’s a fourth question," Hyuga Fuji teased, but still answered with a smile. "The previous answer was from the perspective of internal balance within the shinobi world. But if you consider external threats beyond this world, then naturally, the more talent we have, the better."
Orochimaru’s head snapped up, and he licked his lips. "Interesting. It seems you've made another new discovery."
Hashirama also frowned.
"Beyond the shinobi world? What’s out there?"
"You've exceeded your question limit," Hyuga Fuji chuckled. "If neither of you intends to stop me, I’ll be on my way."
Hashirama crossed his arms and studied him for a moment. Then, glancing at Orochimaru, who seemed unhurried, he scratched his head in resignation and stepped aside.
"Alright, go on then."
As they watched Hyuga Fuji leave, Orochimaru suddenly asked, "What do you think?"
"Better than I expected."
Hashirama nodded but then sighed upon remembering that Hyuga Fuji was a member of the Hyuga clan. He chose not to dwell on the topic and instead asked,
"By the way, who is the current Hokage and Daimyō?"
Everything Hashirama knew about the outside world came from Orochimaru. Previously, Orochimaru had mentioned that Hyuga Fuji had abolished the "one country, one village" system, but he hadn’t yet shared who the current leaders were.
Hashirama didn’t mind the system change—after all, he was dead. He had no right to interfere with the world. How future generations governed was their business. What right did he have to meddle? He was just here to observe.
But he was still curious about who had become the first person to hold both the titles of Daimyō and Hokage.
"The current Daimyō and Fifth Hokage is Tsunade."
"Oh, Tsunade, huh? What kind of shinobi is she? Can she bear such responsibility...? Wait, WHO did you just say?!"
Hashirama suddenly snapped back to reality, his eyes widening as he stared at Orochimaru.
"Who is the Daimyō and Hokage?!"
Orochimaru’s face remained blank as he repeated, "Your granddaughter, Tsunade."
"...Tsunade???"
In an instant, several keywords flashed through Hashirama’s mind—
Casinos.
A laughing little girl.
That little girl waving around wads of cash.
As a child, Tsunade had always laughed so freely, gleefully waving huge stacks of money in casinos.
And if you replaced that money with the entire Land of Fire...
Hashirama gasped, his expression turning grave. "Is the Land of Fire still okay?! Tsunade didn’t sell it off to pay her gambling debts, did she?!"
Orochimaru stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly as if struggling to suppress the absurdity of the question.
Then again...
If one day Tsunade really did put the Land of Fire on the betting table, given her luck, there was indeed a very real possibility that she could lose the entire country in a single bet.
Orochimaru remained silent for a few seconds, as though contemplating how to respond to such an outrageous yet strangely plausible concern.
"The Land of Fire is currently stable," he finally said in his usual calm tone. "Tsunade may be a bit... reckless, but she inherited your Will of Fire. When it truly matters, she won’t make the wrong choice."
Hashirama exhaled in relief, but the worry in his eyes hadn’t entirely faded.
He just couldn’t shake the mental image of Tsunade laughing in a casino, flinging around "The Land of Fire" like a stack of cash.
"That reminds me..."
Hashirama's expression sharpened as he spoke. "If Tsunade’s gambling habits actually threaten the stability of the Land of Fire... I won’t sit idly by. Orochimaru, do you know how much debt she has right now? I’ll pay it off."
At that moment, all his principles about not interfering with the world of the living went out the window.
"I don’t know!"
Orochimaru looked at Hashirama, suddenly considering whether he should call Hyuga Fuji back and have them swap places in the Edo Tensei.
Never in his wildest imagination did he expect the legendary First Hokage, the so-called "God of Shinobi," to be such a goofball!
…
Meanwhile, Hyuga Fuji walked toward the center of Ideal City and stepped into Akatsuki’s hidden base. It felt as if he had passed through an invisible membrane.
In an instant, the peaceful streets and buildings vanished.
He found himself in a vast, dimly lit space.
At the center of this realm, a towering Divine Tree stood, radiating a deep blue chakra glow.
(Chapter End)
