Uchiha Madara: "What?! My Uchiha clan was wiped out?!"
Senju Hashirama: "Madara, calm down!"
Uchiha Madara: "How can I be calm?! It's not your Senju clan that was annihilated!"
Senju Hashirama: "Now that you mention it… what did happen to the Senju clan? Hiruzen, do you know?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "…"
Senju Hashirama: "Hiruzen, your silence is suspicious. Don't tell me…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen: cough cough
Senju Tsunade: "I'll explain. The Senju clan died out during the great wars that followed."
Senju Hashirama: "They all perished… in the war?"
Senju Tsunade: "As far as I know, yes. I'm not sure of the details, but that's the general understanding."
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Shodai-sama, it's true. Ever since the Second Hokage's death, Konoha was in constant turmoil. The Senju clan stepped up during every crisis. Without their sacrifice, Konoha wouldn't have survived."
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "They truly carried the Will of Fire within them. Their sacrifices were immense."
Senju Hashirama: "I see… I never imagined the Senju clan would be erased by the passage of time."
Senju Tobirama: "That doesn't add up, Hiruzen. War was cruel, yes. But how come every other clan in Konoha is still standing while the Senju clan alone vanished?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "That… I don't know either. Danzo was in charge of the Senju's deployments back then. He later formed the Root organization. You know—he was your student."
Senju Tobirama: "Danzo… explain yourself!"
Shimura Danzo: "Ahem. Teacher Tobirama, you know me. If I ever wanted to harm the Senju clan, I wouldn't do it secretly—especially not when Konoha's safety was at stake."
Tobirama fell silent. As his teacher and mentor, he had long recognized Danzo's cunning nature. Danzo was never one to act out of pure malice—but he was willing to make sacrifices for what he considered the "greater good."
Tobirama had always viewed Danzo as a necessary evil—someone who would do what needed to be done, even if it was morally grey. Still, if Danzo had really targeted the Senju clan, then Konoha itself would have been endangered.
But Danzo was still loyal to Konoha.
So perhaps... the Senju clan's decline had simply been a tragic coincidence?
Seeing his brother deep in thought, Hashirama decided not to pursue the issue further.
After all, in Hashirama's heart, whether it was Senju or Uchiha, Sarutobi, Hyuga, Yamanaka, or any other clan—they were all part of Konoha.
In this great family, there should be no distinction. Everyone should work together in unity.
Hashirama's idealism had always been criticized by Tobirama as naive or "childish," but he held firmly to the belief that someday, the ninja world would reach an era of mutual understanding and peace.
Uchiha Madara: "Stop changing the subject! Uchiha Madara may be long gone, but I'm not a fool!"
Senju Hashirama: "(#‵′)!!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "This is all a complicated story that took place long ago."
Fourth Raikage: "No problem, I'm not in a rush. I even brought sunflower seeds. Go on, take your time."
Ohnoki: "I want to hear it too."
Terumi Mei: "So it's not just Kirigakure that's had internal chaos—Konoha's history is just as messy."
Fourth Kazekage Rasa: "See? I told you things were safer in Sunagakure. I didn't even dare let Gaara sleep peacefully!"
Rasa: "If I get resurrected, choose me as Kazekage again! I'll build a brand new village!"
Gaara: "…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Listen—Konoha never intended to wipe out the Uchiha clan. The Fourth Hokage was working tirelessly to maintain a balance between the village and the Uchiha."
Namikaze Minato: "That's true. I always believed that the Uchiha could integrate with the village and be understood."
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "To support that vision, I promoted two exceptional Uchiha—Itachi and Shisui. I placed one under my command, and the other under Danzo's."
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "So how could I possibly harbor ill will toward the Uchiha? The massacre… that was a tragic accident. Yes, Uchiha Itachi carried it out, but I had no knowledge of it until it was already done."
Shimura Danzo: "Hiruzen's right. And as for why Itachi suddenly wiped out his clan—or why Shisui died—I have no idea."
Uchiha Shisui: "…"
Shimura Danzo: "Wait—Shisui, you're here in the group chat too?! Why didn't you speak up earlier?"
Danzo (smirking): "You know, your good friend's little brother, Uchiha Sasuke, misses you deeply."
Uchiha Shisui: "Sasuke…"
Orochimaru: "Oh my, did I just hear a veiled threat in your voice, Danzo?"
Shimura Danzo: "What? Of course not. I, Shimura Danzo, have always convinced people with logic and reason!"
The group fell silent.
Everyone knew what kind of man Danzo really was. His so-called "reason" was often laced with schemes, secrecy, and ruthlessness.
Even the Second Hokage couldn't bear to watch this charade anymore.
Senju Tobirama: "Enough, Danzo. Hiruzen, drop the matter. We're airing Konoha's dirty laundry in front of other villages."
The moment Tobirama spoke, both Hiruzen and Danzo exhaled in relief.
If the discussion continued, the full truth would eventually surface.
Because the truth of the Uchiha's destruction...
Was far from simple.
It wasn't Hiruzen's decision.
It wasn't Danzo's alone either.
It was the "village"—or rather, the collective will of Konoha—that deemed the Uchiha clan a threat that must be erased.
And so, the entire clan was purged.
Uchiha Itachi understood this dark reality. That's why he took on the burden himself—to prevent a civil war and protect his younger brother, Sasuke.
That was the only request he made—to spare Sasuke.
Hiruzen agreed without hesitation.
If the Uchiha had to be eliminated, then it was best that it be done from within, leaving no room for outsiders to take advantage or cast suspicion.
As a personal Anbu under Hiruzen, Itachi knew the ins and outs of Konoha's internal politics. He also knew—
Had the Fourth Hokage not died suddenly in the Nine-Tails attack, the fragile balance between Uchiha and Konoha would have remained intact.
Minato's strength, paired with the Sarutobi clan's influence, could have kept tensions at bay.
But with Minato's unexpected death, that balance crumbled.
And Asuma, Hiruzen's own son, was not yet strong or mature enough to inherit the Hokage's mantle or uphold the same stability.
There had been one other man, long ago, who had the power to act as a counterbalance to the Uchiha—
Konoha's White Fang.
A man trained personally by Hiruzen. A man who embodied strength, loyalty, and skill.
But sadly… he made a mistake. A mistake the village could not forgive.
He abandoned a mission to save his comrades.
Though noble in heart, this action defied the village's expectations.
And in the end, under immense public pressure and disgrace, Konoha's White Fang took his own life.
Hiruzen always regretted that.
But for the sake of the village's unity and ideals—
It was deemed necessary.
Even if it meant sacrificing a hero.
Even if it meant losing a clan.
In Konoha… sometimes, the village came before all else.
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