Naruto: Systematic Shinobi Chapter 310: A Day In The Life Of A Hokage - 20

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Gazing upward at the ceiling, Daiki's mind drifted to Hashirama. He found himself in disagreement with the man's policies and aspirations, save for the prosperity of Konoha. Indeed, while Hashirama had once terrified him to his core, casting a shadow of impending doom like a personal boogeyman whose true threat only he understood -

He found himself aligning more with Madara's perspective than Hashirama's. Madara had departed the village shortly after learning that Tobirama would succeed Hashirama as Hokage. This event marked the genesis of the significant schism between him, his clan, and the village.

Yet, even after his departure, Madara hadn't been consumed by seething rage or a thirst for vengeance. In truth, he hadn't harbored any inclination towards an asinine plan like the Moon Eye Plan.

No, Madara had traversed the Elemental Nations, and when other villages grew arrogant, believing themselves superior, he had ruthlessly subdued them, issuing stark warnings: should they ever contemplate attacking Konoha, he would obliterate them entirely.

…And it was upon hearing of this that Hashirama had hastily intervened, attempting to pacify Madara with his idealistic pursuit of peace. This ultimately culminated in their legendary clash and the formation of the Valley of the End.

Subsequently, Hashirama had moved to capture and distribute the tailed beasts. The fool, in his naivete, likely failed to grasp how poorly this reflected on Konoha's standing. His groveling plea for forgiveness, coupled with the gratuitous offer of the tailed beasts – before Lord Tobirama halted such foolishness by securing some monetary compensation – made the village appear weak.

As if mere money held the same value as a tailed beast. As if any amount of worldly riches could equate to the worth of Isobu!

The mere thought caused Daiki to clench his teeth. How dare he! That utterly incompetent, tree-hugging, hippie, useless sack of—!

'Calm yourself, Daiki,' Isobu's smooth voice interjected, 'It holds no significance now. It belongs to the past. Without those events, we would never have crossed paths. And you now possess the opportunity to rectify your predecessor's mistakes.'

He inhaled deeply through his nose, allowing the irritation to dissipate.

Indeed, there was no point in becoming agitated over it. He would set everything right. People yearned for peace? He would demonstrate the path to achieving it. Once he had subjugated every land and village, in a few decades, the ingrained hatred would wither away, and they would all become citizens of Konoha, their past grievances forgotten.

That was the closest the world would ever come to such an ideal. That notion of mutual understanding would never prevail without a divine ruler overseeing all, instilling a profound fear that would deter warfare throughout their lives.

Not even the Sage of Six Paths, with Ninshu at his command, could foster peace through understanding. The visions of peace held by Jiraiya, Minato, and later Naruto, were destined to be unsustainable.

Setting these thoughts aside, Daiki turned his gaze to the woman beside him. A question had long lingered in his mind, prompting him to ask, "Does the Slug Summoning Clan possess senjutsu?"

Tsunade pivoted, her brow arching at the abrupt shift in topic, "Why do you inquire?"

Daiki offered a shrug, "It just seemed peculiar. The Toads have senjutsu, as do the Snakes. And your grandfather, despite his hippie tendencies, also possessed it," he replied, "I was curious if the Slugs shared this trait, or if they were the anomaly."

"Well, for starters, there isn't a 'they' when it comes to the slug clan," Tsunade stated, propping her chin in her hand, "There is only one slug summon: Katsuyu. However, she possesses the ability to divide into smaller entities. The scale of the summon depends on the amount of chakra I channel; the larger Katsuyu becomes, the more chakra I expend. At her full magnitude, she dwarfs mountains, making that ancient walking wart, Gamabunta, and that slithering coin purse, Manda, appear minuscule." she elaborated, a discernible smugness in her tone.

He was already aware of this fact. Nevertheless, he chose not to correct her, allowing her the satisfaction of her moment.

"That still doesn't address my question," he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Katsuyu can utilize senjutsu and impart its knowledge," the blonde declared with a huff, "I simply never found it compelling. It was something I lacked the time to pursue during the height of the war. Especially after witnessing Jiraiya's years of fruitless attempts even before I learned of Katsuyu's capability. Afterward, I had relinquished my path as a Kunoichi and saw no necessity in acquiring it."

Intriguing, indeed.

"You ought to give it a try," Daiki advised sincerely.

"Oh, really?" Tsunade tilted her head, gazing up into his eyes from her chin-propped palm, "And why would I deign to waste my precious time on such a pursuit?"

"To attain greater strength, for one," he countered.

"I possess minimal enthusiasm for growth these days, kid," Tsunade scoffed. "Training and self-improvement are pursuits for the young to squander their time on and…" she faded, her eyelids drooping slowly.

Daiki grinned, "Have you forgotten you're physically twenty-one once more?"

Tsunade shut her eyes, exhaling deeply. "In a manner of speaking, yes. It has taken a bit to readjust. And I do forget sometimes," she chuckled softly, opening one eye to gaze at him with amusement. "Even so, I perceive little necessity for it. My chakra and physique never faltered due to a lack of training, as I constantly circulated my Qi daily. And with you restoring me to my youth, my Qi and more have become even more potent. I am measurably more powerful presently than I was even in my… previous zenith."

"You could attain significantly greater strength," he remarked.

"For what purpose? I have scant interest in becoming embroiled in conflicts nowadays. And with you present, why would I need to?" Tsunade responded. "Now, if you were to offer to broker a deal with one of the Bijuu for me to become a Jinchuuriki. I might consider your offer, allowing me to learn that remarkable jutsu of yours."

Hmph. Just as anticipated, he was such a trendsetter that others desired to emulate him and become Jinchuuriki.

Before long, the societal disapproval associated with being a Jinchuuriki would vanish entirely.

In the times ahead, assuming he had any influence, becoming a Jinchuuriki would be esteemed as one of the world's most profound honors.