The battle between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama had drastically altered the surrounding terrain. Not to mention the creation of the massive canyon that would later be known as the Valley of the End, the surrounding vegetation was severely damaged, and vast swathes of land were left in ruins. Many Villages and towns were caught in the crossfire, and after the battle ended, these places were essentially uninhabitable.
Regarding the homeless refugees, the ruler of the Land of Fire typically employed methods of consolation and repatriation. However, because those lands had been destroyed in the battle, they were unusable. Under normal circumstances, they would only have two paths forward: either rely on the local feudal lords or become displaced wanderers.
Upon the advice of Senju Tobirama, the Daimyo agreed to this request, allowing these refugees to live in Konohagakure. Furthermore, Senju Tobirama had other matters to discuss with the Daimyo. While he was still staying in the capital, orders had already been dispatched to Konohagakure to begin preparations to receive the refugees.
Toward Konohagakure, which had destroyed their homes, these displaced people naturally held no goodwill, feeling only that they had been victims of an unprovoked disaster. However, Konohagakure's attitude toward admitting fault was good, and they were willing to distribute land, so the people were still willing to accept the Village's goodwill.
One fortunate aspect was that before the scale of the battle escalated, the fight between Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had already caught their attention, allowing them to evacuate in time. Although their homes were not saved, not a single person had died.
Even if someone had truly died, their families might have hated Konoha, but faced with reality, they still would have chosen to settle in Konohagakure. The current situation, where no one died, was for the best; at the very least, it ensured they would not harbor hatred toward Konohagakure because of it.
In the eyes of Fūmori Masaki, these villagers were truly very lucky. They were people living in the Land of Fire, and even if they lost their homes, there would be those willing to take them in—after all, no one would refuse labor. Living in Konohagakure, they also did not have to worry about being exploited; because of the Village's system, it was unlike other feudal lords, as the bulk of their economy came from the Daimyo.
Among the villagers who came this time were those from the Village where Fūmori Masaki and the others had gone to execute a mission. They also saw Ichiro and that girl. Ichiro had never despised Konohagakure; this move by the Village was already very benevolent, or rather, deep down, Ichiro actually hoped to come and live in Konohagakure.
Ichiro had heard from the girl about how Fūmori Masaki and the others had performed when facing bandits. According to the news he heard, everyone living here was a Ninja like Fūmori Masaki. Settling in such a Village, if nothing else, at least meant not having to worry about bandits running over again.
Moreover, if they lived in this Village, they would not need to specifically pay commission fees; the Village would naturally fend off external enemies. Not having to worry about bandits and having land to farm—wasn't this living better than before?
Ichiro's thoughts were actually the thoughts of the masses. Although the battle between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama had affected their lives, they had also seen the power of Konohagakure. The sense of security was undoubtedly absolute, and after learning about the land rights they would enjoy, they all agreed that Konohagakure was better than the places they had lived before.
Although there were many villagers moving in this time, the land provided by the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan was enough to support their lives. To downplay the influence of Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Kagami gave even more land than the Senju Clan. While this was pleasing to everyone, it also caused some dissatisfaction within the Uchiha Clan.
The faction led by Uchiha Kagami knew that they needed to take responsibility, but some people who were dissatisfied with Uchiha Kagami felt there was no need to give up so much land—although this land was only a small portion for the Uchiha Clan, it was still painful to part with, especially since these people believed they did not need to be held responsible for Uchiha Madara's unauthorized actions.
Uchiha Kagami understood the selfish thoughts of these people; every clan had such individuals, and there were quite a few in the Uchiha Clan. But Uchiha Kagami was the clan head, and he was young yet exceptionally powerful. There were many who supported him, and those people were also very reasonable, so those dissenters only complained a little and could not influence the clan's decision-making.
After a period of reconstruction, Konohagakure returned to its original state, and those villagers settled down and lived happily in the Village, living just as they had in the past. At the same time, some of the children among these villagers became curious about Ninjas and asked about things related to them.
After Senju Tobirama returned from the capital, he heard about this and immediately felt it was a good opportunity, speaking to Senju Hashirama about reorganizing the Konoha Academy.
At this time, the Konoha Academy was already half-defunct. After Senju Tobirama took on disciples, the teachers who came to instruct were unwilling to reveal their clan's Secret Techniques, teaching only basic knowledge. This naturally held no attraction for the clan heirs, and only some side-branch disciples of the clans would come to listen.
Senju Tobirama believed that the role of the Konoha Academy had reached its limit and that they should try to open the Konoha Academy to other civilians. Knowledge that seemed like nothing to the clans was extremely precious to civilians.
After the battle with Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama could clearly feel that something important inside his body was gradually fading away. He had a premonition that he might not live much longer and already had the intention of abdicating to Senju Tobirama. Naturally, he did not need to say anything about this matter, leaving full authority to Senju Tobirama to handle.
Originally, Senju Hashirama intended to abdicate immediately and rest comfortably to heal his injuries, but since his life was nearing its end, he decided to let himself exert his final bit of usefulness. At this time, the five nations had already stabilized their domestic situations and began attempting to probe other nations. The Sengoku era had ended barely ten years ago, and nations still held onto the idea of further annexation and expanding their territories.
According to Senju Hashirama's original plan, he wanted to maintain harmony through holding a Five Kage Summit without resorting to force. But now it was different; he was dying. Once he passed away, Konohagakure would no longer possess the deterrent power over other nations.
But now, Senju Hashirama had thought of a new method. People would die and could not maintain a deterrent forever, but Tailed Beasts were different. Tailed Beasts were immortal; even if they died, they would resurrect again, making them a power that could maintain a deterrent forever. After seeing the power of the Nine-Tailed, Senju Hashirama firmly believed that what could replace him and Uchiha Madara were the Tailed Beasts.
This was also the reason why Senju Hashirama had people from other clans go and collect information on the Tailed Beasts. He wanted to use his remaining life to bind all these Tailed Beasts and then distribute them to other nations as a permanent military deterrent, balancing the power of each nation so as not to trigger wars between them.
Senju Tobirama knew about Senju Hashirama's physical condition and expressed his agreement with Senju Hashirama's final plan. He would also do his best to help Senju Hashirama handle the matter of distributing the Tailed Beasts.
"This will be my final mission as the First Hokage," Senju Hashirama said to Senju Tobirama. "After I die, you must protect the children in the Village and ensure they do not have to step onto the battlefield at a young age like we did in the past."
"I understand, brother," Senju Tobirama said solemnly. "No matter what method I use, I will ensure the safety of the Village and make brother's dream come true."
"Ah, I leave the Village to you from now on," Senju Hashirama said.
Afterward, the Ninja Clans handed the information on the Tailed Beasts to Senju Hashirama. After analysis, they determined the possible locations where the Tailed Beasts appeared and were hidden. Besides the Nine-Tailed inside Uzumaki Mito and the Ichibi sealed in a temple in the Land of Wind, there were seven Tailed Beasts in a free state. Immediately, Senju Hashirama began preparations to capture the Tailed Beasts.