"Back then, you said it yourself—this clan is nothing but a band of robbers and should be completely eradicated. So why is it that when the Uchiha do the same thing, you suddenly think it's wrong?"
"To be honest, Tobirama, it's you who's looking at people through tinted lenses. And you don't have to worry. Even though I went to speak with Madara, he refused my request. In the future, the Uchiha will have many enemies. If they can't hold out, they'll be wiped out by the other clans. We don't even need to get involved."
On the surface, Hashirama might look like a simple, easygoing man—almost unreliable.
But those who knew him understood just how terrifying he could be when he was serious.
Tobirama knew this better than anyone. He might lecture his elder brother on normal days, but when Hashirama was serious, even Tobirama had to follow his lead.
"I understand."
The young Tobirama had no words to counter him. At this age, his hatred for the Uchiha clan was something he didn't even bother to hide—foreshadowing the calculating Second Hokage he would one day become.
"Brother, I was waiting here for you because Father asked me to tell you—once you got back, you should go see him right away. The Sarutobi clan has arrived, along with the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans."
"I understand. I'll go right away!"
Hashirama turned and headed toward the reception hall.
The Senju compound was completely different from the Uchiha's gathering place.
Here, numerous wooden houses had been built, giving the area the appearance of a settled village.
As soon as he stepped into the largest wooden hall—
"Ah, as expected, this child has the look of a fine young man. Clan Leader Senju has truly raised a good son."
"Tsk tsk, this young man—he's only in his early teens, yet he already wields such strength. The Senju clan is certain to become the leader among us in the future."
"Indeed, if my own child had such ability, I could rest easy."
The moment Hashirama entered, the representatives of each clan showered him with praise, speaking as if he were unmatched under heaven.
"Ahem, enough now. He's still just a child and can't shoulder all this praise," the Senju leader replied, though his heart was clearly full of pride.
"Father, why did you call me here? Is there something important?"
Seeing the gathering of clan leaders, Hashirama had already guessed part of the reason.
"It's like this—they wish to form an alliance with the Senju to deal with the Uchiha clan. I haven't agreed yet. I'm still thinking it over and wanted to hear your opinions."
Tobirama was the first to respond.
"That's right. We came here with sincerity to form an alliance. The Uchiha are powerful, and they've already destroyed the Kyokukaze clan. If we don't join forces, we'll be picked off one by one. Our clans will meet the same fate as Kyokukaze."
"The Senju and Uchiha are mortal enemies. When they attack you, they'll have to divide their forces. If you strike them first, we can wipe them out completely."
"Exactly. Once the ninja world is free of the Uchiha—the most evil of clans—everything will be better. There will be no more fighting between clans."
One after another, the clan leaders spoke, their true goal to push the Senju into making the first move.
Some of the Senju in the room began to consider it. After decades of bloody conflict, many of them hated the Uchiha to the core. If they could completely annihilate them…
Tobirama was still weighing the idea.
But Hashirama's anger flared as he listened.
Sure enough, just as Madara had said—these clans had no other solution but this.
The Uchiha were only slightly stronger than others. If they were eliminated, who would be next? Probably the Senju. Because once the Uchiha were gone, the Senju would be the strongest in the entire ninja world.
"So tell me—if the Uchiha are destroyed, how exactly will true peace come about? Do you intend to sit down together and create a new world, or will we simply return to the days when each clan ruled itself?"
His question silenced the room.
True peace? Impossible.
If the Uchiha were gone, the other clans would rush to divide up their possessions. How would the Sharingan be distributed? What would happen to any surviving Uchiha? And besides, these clans had fought each other for decades, with deep blood debts between them.
The only reason they stood together now was the Uchiha threat. Once that was gone, they would become enemies again.
And with the limited resources of the ninja world—if peace meant equal sharing—why should the strong give up what they had for the weak?
The strongest clans were the Senju and the Uchiha, followed by the Hyūga and Sarutobi, and then the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi. The rest were small, scattered families.
Equal sharing? Laughable.
In a world where the strong devoured the weak, it was unthinkable to expect the strong to hand over their spoils.
Hashirama's question left many of the clans in awkward silence.
Perhaps fearing that silence meant agreement with him, the Nara representative quickly added, "Peace talks can come later. For now, the priority is to eliminate the Uchiha. After that, we'll see how things develop—no need to decide everything now."
It sounded reasonable, but it was only a stalling tactic.
Hearing this, Hashirama felt his hope fading.
(End of Chapter)
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