"Well, Katsuro, I think that the slightly lower reparations are a way to build trust - if we make the Stone suffer too harshly we could see another war! And the 4 Tails was a condition of peace! Without it, we could not have gotten this armistice. Onoki has promised me that Iwa regrets their actions and will refrain from doing it again! By assuring peace now we are saving countless Leaf lives! Now, you should prepare alongside the rest of the Shinobi, to return home to Konoha, and celebrate our victory!"
And with that, Hiruzen successfully ended the conversation, not wanting to receive anymore of his mistakes or actions pointed out and criticised. Meanwhile, the rest of the Konoha force around them hesitated, torn between finally having the peace and victory they fought for and their own logic. Hardline Hokage supporters like those of the Sarutobi or Shimura clans expressed their happiness cheering, causing a ripple effect of somewhat half hearted cheers mainly among civilian ninjas and neutrals, and those who didn't really know what to do. Many clans like the Senju stayed solemn, seeing the position they had been left in and they looked toward Katsuro in admiration seeing his honesty speaking up for all of them against the Hokage.
Katsuro, not having the energy to argue back against someone who wasn't willing to listen, decided to leave it there, and turned around, leaving without saying another word, not even saying a farewell to the Hokage, who internally seethed but also smugly smiled, thinking of how much his fame and position would rise now having gotten peace. But many Ninja had begun realising that the forces at play in the Leaf Village were butting heads. Soon, there would be widespread change, and as the catalyst for this change walked away, the eyes of the Leaf ninja subconsciously turned to watch him leave.
///
After all discussions had been cleared, the Shinobi of Konoha finally started packing to make their way home. The Senju leader knew he wouldn't be able to change the Hokage's stubborn mind, so decided to leave promptly instead of wasting anymore time, after helping to clear up and account for all logistics. He met his sensei, and began to pour out some of his frustrations. Eventually during his rant, he made his way towards a more delicate subject, one he was sure his sensei would be against.
"Sensei, everything would be so much better if you were Hokage. How about it? If you don't, I fear I might have to take some drastic measures."
Sakumo, who had duty written in his very bones, barely bat an eye to his disciple's almost traitorous words. But time with Katsuro had shown him the difference between blindly following a leader and being loyal to the village. This very scenario, with the highly infamous and respected White Fang supported by the equally renowned Stormbreaker was the Hokage's worst nightmare. Power would completely leave his hands. But if he heard Sakumo's reply, the plans forming in his head would be needless. "Being Hokage, it's not for me Katsuro. I am suited as a Shinobi, to carry out my duty with my sword."
He continued to try to convince Sakumo while they were walking, but Katsuro contemplated the aftermath of the war. Konoha itself had reached an overwhelming victory, managing to defeat its opponents with ease and if not considering numbers, seemed to come out even stronger with the Sannin and the Wind Emperor. But Katsuro more specifically thought about the Senju - there had been casualties, yes, but less than 60 during the entire war with most of them unfortunately being Genin. Their casualty rates were much lower than any other clan and their impact was just as large, if not bigger. Katsuro's dedication to strengthening his clan, providing them with the Shadow Clone Jutsu and directly protecting them especially with the Flying Raijin led to such 'positive' numbers. But needless to say, those deaths were all people, members of his clan who had given their lives in what he saw as a pointless war. Katsuro lamented their fate - they were his responsibility after all. But he had done everything he could, he could not be there for every single dangerous moment and they would not have wanted him to baby them. They were Shinobi, and they had made their choice.
But another more hopeful thought that refused to leave him alone, was the conversation with the image of 'Nagato'- the boy he and the Sannin had found alongside two other orphans.
That chakra, it was a pretty significant amount for a child so malnourished. The hair - red, just like Kushina's. His parents escaped from a land which he did not know himself, and the timeline also adds up. A people who were keeping themselves hidden, from unknown enemies. It is very possible he is an Uzumaki, and if he survived then there will be others.
His determination affirmed itself, as he sought to pay back some of the favours a certain Granny had bestowed upon him. But he wouldn't reveal anything just yet - creating hope for an endeavour that might be pointless was cruel. It would also be prudent to keep this under wraps to avoid any possible enemies gaining the same information and going to hunt the members, so therefore a smaller party would suffice. And for this, with his current strength, he alone would be more than enough.
I'll find them if they live, and give them a place to call home. I need to find them quickly, the longer I take the more likely it is that the survivors are hunted down. I need to leave immediately. I will finally pay back the debts the Village and the Senju owe to them.
His train of thoughts were interrupted.
"Lord Katsuro, did something happen?" Kaito asked in a lowered voice, seemingly realising that the Patriarch had been contemplating something, as they stopped to rest temporarily, not wanting to raise any alarm or bring any unnecessary attention to them.
"You noticed, did you?" Katsuro smiled at his right-hand man's quick perception, looking around for any eavesdroppers before continuing in a slightly quieter voice, drifting not too far away from the rest of the Senju. "Well, it seems that I need to leave, Kaito. I need to leave for a while. There is something urgent that needs to be taken care of, immediately. The war may be over, but there are still some people I need to help. I want you and the rest of the clan members back to Konoha. While I'm gone, tell Tsunade and the others that she is in charge. Help her out Kaito, I trust you. It may be a while until you see me, but I want you all to stay vigilant, we can't lower our guards even after the war."
Kaito was tacked aback, momentarily. His leader had randomly decided to take a random hiatus straight after the war. Or maybe it wasn't random… Regardless, Kaito was nothing if not faithful. He trusted Katsuro, without missing a beat nodded his head, not pressing his leader about his mission.
"Of course, Lord Katsuro. I won't press you about what this is about, but I wish you luck with whatever it is. Please return back safely."
Katsuro smiled, silently proud and honoured that his clan member blindly trusted him completely. And with that, Katsuro patted Kaito firmly on the shoulder.
"You're in charge while I'm gone, Kaito. Watch over the clan and Kushina - I'll see you all soon," Katsuro grinned as he shimmered and disappeared, heading away from the group. Kaito sighed.
Good luck, Lord Katsuro.
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