Homura Mitokado's face was calm.
Don't be fooled by how close he usually acted with Hiruzen Sarutobi, all smiles and "brothers in arms." Deep down, he knew the truth.
Brotherhood?
Perhaps, back when they were young, it really had existed.
Back then, as disciples of Tobirama Senju, their bond was genuine. They even treated Uchiha Kagami as a true friend.
But later…
When their Sensei Tobirama died during the First Shinobi War, and Hiruzen immediately rose to the position of Third Hokage, everything changed.
Yes, the bond was still there—
But more than that came interests and calculations.
Because "power"—that word is the deadliest poison in the world.
With a single gesture, the masses bowed.
With a single signature on a document, the fate of a shinobi could be decided.
Especially the Daimyō's annual budget—astronomical sums that they alone controlled.
They were the arbiters of truth itself.
Faced with such immense power, they fell completely, never to return.
Whether Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, or Mitokado—
When their small clans first joined Konoha, they were nobodies. None of them had ever seen wealth or authority on this scale.
And they knew.
Tobirama had chosen Hiruzen to be Hokage not because of his brilliance, but precisely because of his hesitance, his tendency to waver.
And because the Sarutobi were a small clan!
The Third Hokage was meant only as a transitional figure—
A placeholder until the Senju heirs were ready.
At the time, Tsunade was far too young, unreliable, and Nawaki was just a child.
So, placing another in the Hokage seat wasn't safe.
But letting Hiruzen—a small clan shinobi—hold the position as a symbolic caretaker?
That way, when Tsunade and Nawaki grew up, with the Senju name and strength, taking back the title of Hokage would be easy.
At least, that was Tobirama's calculation.
But… Tobirama had overlooked one thing.
Perhaps they had been loyal, respectful small-clan shinobi back then.
But once Hiruzen truly became Hokage, once they themselves became Elders—everything changed.
In times of peace, perhaps they could only keep their heads down, serving as a temporary bridge for the Senju.
But the Second Shinobi War gave them their chance.
The Senju clan was strong, yes—but not invincible.
And far too foolish.
They inherited neither Hashirama's might nor Tobirama's cunning.
Caught in endless schemes, their strongest were bled dry on the battlefield.
Then came the reactivation of Tobirama's "Hashirama Cell Experiment."
The Senju, desperate to restore their glory, sent wave after wave of elites to the operating table—only to die as failed test subjects.
War and experimentation together exhausted the clan's foundation.
Bolder still, they manipulated Nawaki's innocence, leading him to his death on the battlefield.
And then there was Dan Katō.
Tsunade's lover.
He had chosen to support the Senju, and was powerful besides—mastering the Spirit Transformation Technique, capable of killing from afar.
If he ever discovered the truth, he could've retaliated against the Konoha elders.
So…
They killed him too.
And just as they had planned—
Tsunade fell into despair. Nawaki was dead, the Senju clan all but ruined.
Left with no choice, Uzumaki Mito approached them in secret.
In exchange for the Senju's withdrawal, Tsunade's safety would be guaranteed for life.
They agreed.
That victory thrilled them.
From then on, they went further—
During the Second Shinobi War, they engineered "accidents" for anyone who resisted.
Then they hit upon their grand plan: eradicate Konoha's great clans, seize total control.
The Uzumaki were annihilated.
The Uchiha were steadily ostracized.
They were close to success.
But then—
From the Uchiha rose Kai.
A prodigy.
Not only powerful, but cunning and unpredictable.
Even these seasoned old foxes repeatedly lost ground to him.
In the past—
To hoard power, they had united to get rid of Kagami, precisely because he was an Uchiha.
They'd also quietly targeted Akimichi Torifu, another Elder.
But the Ino–Shika–Cho saw the danger coming. Following their advice, Torifu abandoned his Elder seat and withdrew entirely to his clan.
And since the trio of clans supported the Hokage faction, they were left alone.
But now?
With their plans against the Uchiha failing, and Konoha suffering huge losses in the Third Shinobi War, someone had to take the fall.
Hiruzen had already slipped away.
Danzo's Root was still too useful.
That left the two of them—
The perfect scapegoats.
Yes.
Their little faction was fracturing again.
And Homura could only sigh at how corrosive power truly was.
He admitted it—
He'd given in.
After all these years, Hiruzen's position was unshakable.
Danzo controlled Root—far too valuable to discard.
That left only him and Koharu as expendable pieces.
Could he fight back?
No—he lacked the strength.
So, if Hiruzen demanded they carry the blame, he would.
On the other hand, Koharu wasn't stupid either.
After hearing Homura's words, she pondered for a while, then her face sagged into resignation.
"…Yes, Homura, you're right." She sighed deeply.
"This time, we'll just have to bear the blame."
"Our strength is too lacking. Whatever Hokage-sama orders, we can only obey."
"But it's fine!"
"Even if Hokage-sama escapes this unscathed, the Uchiha are no easy foe."
"Homura, we'll need to work together."
"When Hokage-sama and the Uchiha clash, we should… tug at his heels, just a little."
"No matter who wins, both sides will bleed."
"And when that happens, we'll already have our escape route ready."
"What do you think?"
To read 250+ Advance chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554