"What did you just say? Our clan… is gone?!"
Tobirama's brows furrowed sharply. His chakra senses spread instantly across Konoha.
But no matter how far he searched, he couldn't feel the presence of a single Senju shinobi.
Though he had long since integrated many members of the clan into the village, he had still left behind a considerable number to uphold the Senju name and guard its foundation. Yet now—nothing. Not even a trace of the clan remained.
Could it be… even Tsunade…? Tobirama's chest tightened. He didn't dare finish that thought, nor could he bring himself to believe that Hiruzen would ever go so far.
As for the Uchiha, he could see that Hiruzen and the others had carried out his original policy to perfection. Tobirama's intent had been to keep them in check, to ensure they never gained the position of Hokage. But extermination?
That hadn't been his command.
Still, for that, all Tobirama could think was: Well done.
But for Hiruzen to have dared touch the Senju Clan—his clan—that was something he could not forgive.
"Hiruzen! Explain this to me!"
Tobirama's glare bored into his former student, his voice edged with fury.
"Indeed, Hiruzen! Explain yourself! Why was Madara's clan wiped out?!"
Hashirama too turned to Hiruzen, his normally kind gaze hardened. The thought of facing Madara when his clan had been destroyed by Konoha itself weighed heavily on him.
"Shodai-sama! Nidaime-sama! Don't listen to that Demon Fox brat's slander!"
"This is just his one-sided story. The Uchiha were slaughtered by Uchiha Itachi, and the Senju died gloriously on the battlefield!"
"Don't trust him! He even tried to impersonate the Fourth Hokage's orphan!"
A man stepped forward from the crowd—a middle-aged shinobi wearing the vest of a jōnin. Nothing more than an ordinary Konoha shinobi, but his voice carried loudly.
"The Fourth Hokage…?"
Hashirama blinked in surprise, while Tobirama's eyes narrowed. A spark of suspicion glimmered within them as he turned back toward Hiruzen. He needed answers.
Tobirama had assumed there were no promising juniors left to inherit the Hokage's mantle. But now he learned even a Fourth Hokage had risen—and fallen—while the Sandaime still sat in power.
"The Fourth Hokage? How did he die?" Hashirama asked, puzzled.
"Shodai-sama, the Fourth Hokage died saving us!" the jōnin answered quickly. "He sealed the Nine-Tails with his own life!"
"Sealed the Nine-Tails… and died? That's it?" Hashirama's tone was almost dazed. "Why would that kill him? Anyone with sealing skill should have managed—"
"Brother! Enough!"
Tobirama cut him off sharply.
The way he scolded Hashirama made the legendary God of Shinobi seem oddly meek, as if cowed into silence like a scolded husband. The gathered shinobi found it difficult to reconcile this image with the man they revered in history.
But for ordinary shinobi, the very mention of a Tailed Beast was enough to inspire dread—it was a natural disaster in living form.
"Then tell me—who is Uchiha Itachi?" Tobirama demanded.
"Nidaime-sama, Uchiha Itachi is the son of the Uchiha clan head," someone in the crowd explained nervously. "He was the one who killed the entire clan."
Tobirama's eyes narrowed dangerously. The very notion was absurd. A single man, no matter how skilled, could not wipe out the entire Uchiha clan—especially within the walls of Konoha itself.
For an Uchiha to raise his hand against his own kin… impossible. There was more to this. That brat's story suddenly carried far more weight.
Whatever part Hiruzen and the others had played, one truth was already certain in Tobirama's mind: they should never have touched the Senju.
"Nidaime-sama… you should know better than anyone," Naruto spoke up again, his words sharp as a blade, "human hearts can't withstand the truth."
"You demon fox brat!" the same jōnin barked, "Are you trying to claim this is tied to the Sandaime-sama?! That's ridiculous! Don't forget—the Sandaime-sama is the strongest Hokage!"
Tobirama turned, his gaze locking on the speaker. Still the same man. Still the same loud proclamations.
Strongest Hokage?
What nonsense.
His eyes slid back toward Hiruzen.
Hiruzen's face twisted with embarrassment as he forced out, "It's… it's only the villagers' respect, nothing more."
But Naruto's voice cut in again, firm and unwavering:
"Naruto is indeed Minato's child!"
"What?!"
Everyone turned their eyes skyward as a burly, white-haired man in wooden clogs descended from above.
It was Jiraiya.
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected Jiraiya to catch up this time. Was this the butterfly effect at work?
It didn't matter.
With his current strength, Konoha would never be able to contain him.
"Jiraiya-sama!"
Gasps of disbelief rippled through the crowd. Many shinobi knew that Jiraiya had been the master of the Fourth Hokage, and his prestige in the village was second to none.
"Jiraiya-sama, what do you mean? How could this Demon Fox brat possibly be the Fourth Hokage's son?!"
But Jiraiya's very presence lent the claim weight. If it came from his mouth, then it wasn't seventy percent believable—it was absolute.
Which meant… they had been persecuting the son of their hero all along.
"Hn?"
Jiraiya's sharp eyes narrowed on the shinobi who had spoken. "Are you implying that I'm lying?"
Though Jiraiya was known for his easygoing manner, he was not a man to be taken lightly.
"N-no, of course not! I wouldn't dare!"
The shinobi shrank back immediately, his face paling as he retreated, unwilling to risk another word.
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
"No way… the Demon Fox brat was telling the truth?"
"Then… what have we done all these years?"
They couldn't bear to say it outright. The shame, disbelief, and fear churned in their hearts, leaving them trembling.
Hashirama, standing off to the side, looked utterly bewildered, still struggling to piece everything together.
Tobirama, however, frowned deeply. He understood now. This boy in front of him truly was the son of the Fourth Hokage. Judging by his words and demeanor, he had suffered unjustly at the hands of the village—so much so that he had allied himself with someone dangerous in retaliation against Konoha.
"Hiruzen! Where is Danzō?" Tobirama's cold voice cut through the murmurs like steel.
Hiruzen's expression shifted uneasily. Where was Danzō? Why hadn't he appeared yet? And where were his Root operatives?
A chill crept into his heart. He wouldn't actually be waiting for me to die just to take the Hokage's seat, would he?
He had always known that ambition lurked in Danzō's heart, but in this moment, the realization still stung. They had been lifelong comrades. He had trusted Danzō. And yet…
Seeing Hiruzen's hesitation, Tobirama already understood the answer. His eyes narrowed as he let out a cold snort.
"So… Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu haven't come either, have they? Truly, my good disciples. Then explain this, Hiruzen—what happened to the Senju? Where are my clansmen? Don't tell me not even one remains!"
His gaze was like a blade, cutting straight into Hiruzen's soul.
Hashirama's face hardened as well. "I want answers too, Hiruzen! Where is my Tsunade?"
Though often seen as overly gentle, Hashirama was not a fool. The thought of his granddaughter's fate weighed heavily in his heart.
Hiruzen lowered his head, his expression clouded with sorrow.
"Shodai-sama, Sensei… I am deeply sorry for your clan. After your passing, many sought to recreate your legend, Shodai-sama—to replicate the power of Wood Release, hoping it could bring peace to the world."
His voice grew heavy. "But then the Third Great Ninja War broke out. The Senju clan fought on the front lines. One by one… they sacrificed themselves for the village."
Tobirama's eyes hardened further.
"Hiruzen… you had better pray the truth is not as I imagine it to be."
He took a deep breath. As much as he valued justice, even against his own blood, he could see in Hiruzen's demeanor that there were layers of secrets behind this story.
But now was not the time to unravel them. Konoha was already standing at the edge of a precipice.
...
TN:
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