Senju Mori had always been a man of swift and decisive action — never one to hesitate once a decision was made.
Barely ten minutes later, he had already changed into his battle attire and appeared in the forest outside the Hidden Leaf Village.
At this moment, he wore a dark red cuirass over his body, a Konoha forehead protector upon his head, and a long ninja blade strapped to his back.
From a distance, with his black hair and dark eyes, his figure bore an uncanny resemblance to the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
The difference was that, unlike the ever-smiling, gentle Hashirama — whose kindness put people at ease — Mori's gaze was sharp and cutting, his features cold and hard as steel.
In terms of aura, he actually resembled the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, far more.
Before him, aside from Senju Tao, who had departed earlier, stood another figure — a man with striking red hair.
Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen had the loyal comrades chosen for him by Tobirama, Senju Mori too had his own allies.
This red-haired man's attire also carried the lingering style of the Warring States Era: a black undershirt beneath a light gray cuirass, and a massive scroll strapped across his back.
The spiral symbol on his clothing and forehead protector made his identity clear.
He was a shinobi of the Uzushiogakure, a member of the Uzumaki clan.
"Chisawa, long time no see."
Seeing him, Mori smiled and greeted him first, stepping forward to pull him into a warm embrace.
Uzumaki Chisawa, however, wore a helpless expression as he half-grumbled, half-joked:
"Brother Mori, what's with all this secrecy? You even had Momoko sneak me in from the border of the Land of Fire. Isn't your clan head the Hokage of Konoha himself?"
"Momoko" — a nickname for Senju Tao — was something only close friends within the Senju clan used.
"Not for much longer," Mori replied calmly.
"What do you mean by that?"
At those words, Chisawa's casual tone vanished, replaced by solemn concern.
For the Uzumaki Clan, longtime allies of the Senju, a change in Konoha's Hokage was no small matter — it could affect not only their clan but the very survival of the Land of Whirlpools itself.
"Time is short. We'll talk on the way."
Then Mori turned to give further instructions:
"Head back, Tao. Follow the plan exactly. Ha still needs your support."
Senju Tao nodded, though worry flickered in his eyes — he knew, at least in part, what Mori's true destination was.
"Please… be careful, Brother Mori."
"Stop overthinking it. Don't you know my strength by now?"
Mori chuckled, half in jest, giving Tao a light slap on the head — and in the next instant, he and Uzumaki Chisawa vanished from sight.
...
For Senju Mori, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, was only in his forties — the prime of his life. Considering the exceptional vitality of the Senju bloodline, his peak could easily last until sixty.
That meant that unless Tobirama died unexpectedly, he could rule for another twenty years at least.
In those twenty years, he would have all the time he needed to completely dissolve the Senju Clan's influence — and to peacefully transfer the Hokage's title and authority to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Which, in turn, meant that Senju Mori would never have a chance to seize the Hokage's seat.
Worse still, because of his own Senju heritage and formidable power, once Hiruzen became Hokage, Mori would likely become a target of suspicion.
When that day came, the best ending he could hope for… would be to injure himself on purpose, feign illness, and spend the rest of his life quietly fading away in Konoha.
If someday Sarutobi Hiruzen were in a good mood and decided to "visit" him,
Senju Mori would have to pretend to be grateful — smiling, bowing, showing nothing but "loyalty" to the great Third Hokage.
Just the thought of that made his skin crawl.
But fortunately—
Fortunately, ever since Senju Hashirama's death, the moment Tobirama officially took power, the Shinobi World plunged straight into war.
And before that war could even end, Tobirama's own life came to an end as well.
Thanks to the rebellion of the Gold and Silver Brothers, who sacrificed their lives to defy fate, Mori now had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He had to seize the position of Third Hokage from Sarutobi Hiruzen's hands—
He absolutely could not let the Gold and Silver Brothers die in vain!
A breeze rustled through the forest as two figures leapt between the towering trees of the Land of Fire.
"I'm sensing… an Uchiha? And traces of Lord Tobirama's chakra too! Who is this guy?"
Holding a photo of Uchiha Kagami, Uzumaki Chisawa looked puzzled.
"Uchiha Kagami. A current member of the Kage Guard Squad, one of Lord Tobirama's personal disciples."
Senju Mori smiled brightly, though his eyes were cold as ice.
He had brought Chisawa along not only because the man was one of the few he could completely trust, but also for his exceptional sensory abilities.
As a skilled shinobi of the Uzumaki Clan, Chisawa had mastered the Kagura Mind's Eye — a special sensory jutsu unique to his clan's bloodline.
And Mori's first move… was to eliminate Uchiha Kagami.
Among Tobirama's six disciples, Sarutobi Hiruzen was the most outstanding — practically the Hokage's designated successor.
Later, Shimura Danzō would spend his entire life believing that if only he had spoken one second earlier to volunteer as decoy,
he might have become Hokage instead — a regret that haunted him until death.
But what he never knew was that Hiruzen's succession had already been decided — not by Tobirama on a whim, but way back when Hashirama was still alive.
Even if Danzō had spoken first, Tobirama would likely have just praised him for his spirit…
and then told him, "Good. Then return to support Hiruzen well."
Of course, there was a slim chance he'd say something like, "Excellent! I knew you had it in you. Come die beside me, then!"
Either way, thinking he could win the Hokage's title through one heroic gesture was pure fantasy.
Back to the main point:
In Tobirama's eyes, what roles did the other five disciples play, aside from Hiruzen?
To Senju Mori, the answer was simple — they were the pillars ensuring Hiruzen's reign remained unshakable.
Sarutobi, Shimura, Koharu, and Homura all came from minor clans.
If the Sarutobi Clan was at least somewhat known because of Sarutobi Sasuke,
then the others were nobodies — barely recognized during Konoha's founding.
This meant that, for the sake of their own positions and interests, the four of them would naturally stick together and support Hiruzen's rule.
As for Akimichi Torifu— representing the Ino–Shika–Chō trio — and Uchiha Kagami, representing the Uchiha Clan, they were there for another purpose:
To act as bridges between Konoha's great clans and ensure their support for Hiruzen's succession.
Logically, Hiruzen should also have had one Senju and one Hyūga disciple — to completely stabilize the village's political balance.
But Tobirama, likely wary that taking in a Senju student might send the wrong political signal to the clan,
chose to avoid that risk altogether.
As for the Hyūga… their situation was obvious.
The main family would never risk their Byakugan by following Tobirama or Hiruzen on dangerous missions.
And if he accepted a branch family member instead, it would mean nothing politically —
it wouldn't change the Hyūga leadership's stance at all.
A dilemma either way.
So, after much thought, Tobirama likely decided that since the Hyūga had always been obedient and reserved,
there was no need to force them to take sides early.
After all… quiet, obedient people — weren't they the easiest to control?