Activated~Edo Tensei Madara

(bonus)

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"Haha… yeah, that's how Tobirama is! Always hung up on his hatred and prejudice against the Uchiha!"

"I've been telling him off about it for years, but it's no use!"

"Haaaa."

The First Hokage sighed, smiling helplessly and shaking his head. He looked like he had a headache dealing with Tobirama's stubbornness.

Little did he know, he was just as stubborn himself.

"Forget about that guy, Tobirama!"

At this point, Uchiha Naori quickly changed the subject and teased Kaito with a sly grin, "I see you've delegated most of the administrative tasks and duties."

" Let me guess—it's not just about fair distribution of power. You're slacking off, aren't you?"

"Don't think I don't know you! You hate trouble and can be super lazy sometimes, huh!"

Who knows a person better than their own family?

Luckily, when it came to training and getting stronger, Kaito was diligent and persistent. Otherwise…

"Huh? Is that true?"

Hearing this, Uzumaki Mito and Hashirama both blinked in surprise, their gazes turning inquisitively toward Kaito.

"Heh heh."

Kaito scratched the back of his head, laughing sheepishly. "I knew I couldn't hide it from you, Mom!"

"Yeah, that's part of the reason!"

"But honestly, I think it's totally fine!"

"Why waste my precious time on trivial stuff? That's just a waste of my life!"

"As Hokage, my job is to keep getting stronger, set the village on the right course, and guide its development. Isn't that enough?"

"The little details? Leave those to the people under me! If they can't handle that, then what's the point of having them around?"

"Under my leadership, the capable rise, and the incompetent step aside."

"With this approach, there's no need to worry about things going wrong!"

Prioritizing the big picture over the small stuff—that's the way to go.

"Well, you've got a point."

Uchiha Naori chuckled, nodding.

The group then got into a detailed discussion, refining the policies and addressing overlooked issues. Gradually, their plans became more thorough and reasonable.

They discussed until noon without even stopping for a meal, instead pulling food out of a storage scroll and eating as they talked.

"Gulp…"

The aroma of roasted sea kings and beast meat filled the air, rich with vitality and nutrients. Hashirama couldn't help but swallow hard, his eyes glued to the food on the table.

"Uh… there's no poison in that, right? So can I have some? Just a bite?"

"What's this stuff anyway? It smells so full of life and energy!"

Uzumaki Mito rolled her eyes and snapped, "You're basically a walking corpse. What's the point of eating? It's a waste!"

"Just sit tight and behave!"

"And maybe—just maybe—when Kaito finds a way to fully resurrect you, we'll talk."

"This food is incredibly rare in the Shinobi World, and we can't waste it!"

Hashirama shot his wife a pitiful look, feeling utterly unloved.

"Alright, alright! Let our first hokage eat a little. It's not that big of a deal!"

Uchiha Naori couldn't take it anymore, laughing as he handed the Hokage a small portion of meat and a set of utensils. "Not too much, though. Just enough for a taste—I don't like to waste any."

It wasn't like they were short on food anymore.

The Pirate World team had people regularly hunting sea kings and beasts, not just for meals but also to supply the growing nutrition factories.

Given the size of the Pirate World and its abundant resources, they didn't have to worry about overhunting.

"Thanks! Heh heh!"

Hashirama clapped his hands together in gratitude, then eagerly dug into the bowl in front of him. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating with gusto.

"Mmm… so good! Sooo good!"

As he ate, he couldn't help but praise the food.

He wasn't exaggerating—this was genuinely the best meal he'd ever had, even better than anything from when he was alive.

Especially the sea king meat. The vitality and nutrients in it were unmatched.

Unfortunately, All of it went to waste because his current body couldn't absorb it.

This realization made him feel a little down.

"Kaito, when do you think you'll figure out a way to properly resurrect me? I'm really starting to hate this half-dead state!"

"If it's not possible, I might as well head back to the Pure Land. At least I wouldn't have to sit here drooling over food."

"Just hang in there a bit longer!"

Kaito waved him off casually. "I'm working on it! Give me a year, maybe less, and I should have it sorted out!"

— — —

Ever since Hashirama started appreciating his plans for the village, his favorability had been steadily increasing.

It was already at 76 points—just a little more, and he'd meet the contract requirements.

Probably just a few more days, maybe a week or two.

"I wonder what'll happen when I form a contract with a half-dead First Hokage?"

"Will it even work?"

The thought made Kaito curious.

"A year?"

"It's going to take that long? That's gonna be tough!" Hashirama groaned, looking utterly defeated.

"Don't worry!"

Kaito chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. "If it gets too boring, you can find your old friend to share your misery with!"

"Not only will Tobirama be revived soon,"

"But I've already brought Uchiha Madara back too!"

"What?"

That bombshell left Hashirama, Uzumaki Mito, and Uchiha Naori all stunned.

Uchiha Naori frowned. "He's already been revived? Where is he now? Are you sure he won't get out of control?"

Even though she trusted her son, it was still Uchiha Madara they were talking about. Not exactly someone easy to handle.

"Exactly!"

Hashirama nodded seriously. "I've said it before: I can break free from the restraints of this technique anytime I want. Madara can undoubtedly do the same."

"Relax!"

Kaito, sensing their concern, smiled reassuringly.

"I didn't use White Zetsu as a sacrifice. Instead, I chose a lowly Iwa-nin prisoner from the front-line camp's jail—a guy who committed plenty of heinous crimes. He was perfect for the job."

"Because of that, the Madara I revived is capped at around upper Jonin or mid-Kage level in strength at best."

"Plus, I haven't even fully activated him yet. I've only summoned his soul and created a reanimated body using the Edo Tensei."

"I'm planning to have Mom and Lady Mito help add layers of powerful and complex seals on him, restricting both his power and actions even further."

"When that's done, he'll be the perfect company for the First Hokage!"

"Of course, it'd be best if we could capture Black Zetsu as well, or at least ensure Madara won't have a chance to escape."

These things couldn't be left to chance.

"That sounds good!"

Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Naori both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sure thing," Mito said, "I'll help you add the seals when the time comes!"

"Great!"

The meal went on for a good half-hour before wrapping up.

— — —

Afterward, they continued refining Konoha's first five-year plan. Kaito even invited temporary village leaders and representatives from various shinobi clans to join the discussion.

When these representatives saw the content of the plan, they were visibly amazed.

Naturally, the fact that Kaito was willing to delegate more authority made them quite happy.

They began thinking that having Kaito as Hokage was leagues better than the Third Hokage.

After all, during the Third's rule, he had constantly suppressed the clans, centralized power, and siphoned off village resources to strengthen himself.

He wanted to control everything, and it made the clans incredibly uncomfortable.

This plan was ambitious so that it couldn't be finalized in just one day.

Over the course of five days, Kaito and his team worked tirelessly to polish the plan. Finally, they nailed it down.

By then, Kaito felt a huge sense of relief.

Not only had they finalized the reform and development plan, but most of the appointments for the new organizational structure were also settled. Future reforms would be much easier to manage.

During those same five days, with the help of Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Naori, Kaito also completed the sealing and modification of Uchiha Madara's reanimated body.

Now, Madara was utterly incapable of escaping.

His power could be adjusted to remain completely sealed or reduced to an immobile state, weaker than an average Kage-level ninja.

Moreover, Madara couldn't act without Kaito or his allies' permission.

Escape was impossible—his location would be monitored in real time, and if he tried to leave the designated area, he'd be completely sealed, rendered powerless, and instantly transported to a specially constructed Uchiha death cell.

Alternatively, at Kaito's command, Madara could be knocked unconscious and confined in isolation for a predetermined time.

With all these layers of precautions in place, Kaito finally activated Uchiha Madara and handed him over to the First Hokage.

He hoped Hashirama could bring Madara back to the right path.

— — —

"What is this…?"

The moment Edo Tensei was activated, Madara opened his eyes and immediately saw Hashirama and Kaito standing before him.

In an instant, his mind snapped into focus. His face hardened, his body tensed, and he took up a battle stance, ready to kill Kaito and anyone else nearby.

But the next second, his body went limp.

"Thud!" He collapsed onto the ground, stunned.

"What… what is this? Where's my strength?"

"And this feeling… is this Edo Tensei?!"

"Did you bring me back in this form? And you tampered with me?"

As he spoke, Uchiha Madara glared at Kaito and the others, his eyes burning with disbelief and indignation.

He wanted nothing more than to tear them to pieces.

"Don't bother struggling—it's pointless. We've prepared every safeguard. You can't escape, and you definitely can't harm anyone in Konoha!"

Kaito smiled faintly at Madara's reaction.

He then calmly explained the restrictions and countermeasures they had put in place.

Of course, he only mentioned the existence of these measures, not their specific details. He wasn't stupid.

"You… you…"

Madara's face darkened as he listened, feeling a surge of frustration. His hand, barely regaining some strength, trembled as he pointed at Kaito.

The sheer humiliation made him want to vomit blood.

If looks could kill, Kaito and the others would've been shredded into pieces by Madara's glare.

This was too cruel. Too damn underhanded!

Madara couldn't accept how he lost the battle before and now this...!

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