Konoha.
Hokage's office.
Uchiha Setsuna didn't knock. He pushed the door open, flopped into a chair, and poured himself a cup of tea.
"Well now, if it isn't our grand field commander, Lord Senju Tobirama. Not busy with munitions today? How do you still have time to invite me for tea at the Hokage's office?"
He took a sip.
Setsuna's face curled into a mocking smile as he laid on the sarcasm.
Tobirama's brows knit. A hard look flashed across his face as he stared at Setsuna, cursing fluently in his heart: "Born-evil Uchiha…" He truly wanted to carve the man in front of him in half with a Flying Thunder God slash.
Damn it.
Public opinion in the village had exploded.
News that Akatsuki had wiped out over a thousand Cloud ninja in a single night at the front had suddenly spread everywhere—news Tobirama had been suppressing for the time being, though he knew it was ultimately pointless.
The villagers would learn sooner or later.
But buying time was still useful. He had only just managed to tamp down the last opinion storm. He did not want another one now; it was terrible for his plan to "pluck the fruit." He intended to stall longer before marching, to keep Akatsuki and Cloud grinding each other down.
Yet
his plan fell apart.
The "thousand slain overnight" raced through Konoha faster than he expected.
Even that was within tolerance; Konoha did intend to deploy, merely awaiting the proper moment.
That reason could easily fob off the villagers.
Who had more say on when an army marched than Konoha's own leadership? What would civilians know of military affairs?
Besides, civilian chatter didn't alter final decisions. If resentment boiled over, he could always issue a self-reproach in the Hokage's name. The people wanted to feel "heard." A statement would do. Case closed.
In a year or two—perhaps a few months—who would even remember?
No one.
But events outpaced Tobirama's expectations.
The rhetoric turned outrageous.
"When an ally advances, you sit like a mountain. When an ally collapses, you 'redeploy' like the wind. When the tide favors you, you invade like fire. When the situation's unclear, you move as slowly as the forest."
"The three virtues of a shinobi: benevolence, righteousness, courage."
"Akatsuki wins three straight—Konoha loses face."
"Konoha's bad roots."
Worse, tongues began to ask whether the Senju were fit to hold the Hokage's seat at all. What if an Uchiha became Hokage—wouldn't that be… Words this treasonous were now coming from villagers' mouths.
Lawless.
Did they think the Anbu were for show?
Publicly questioning the Senju's capacity to rule was rank sedition.
Yet Tobirama's political sense was razor-sharp. He immediately realized this went beyond spontaneous grumbling.
If villagers' talk could shake the Senju's hold on Konoha, that meant someone was working behind them to shake it.
There had to be a hand in the shadows.
Of course.
The born-evil Uchiha.
The greatest threat—and the greatest beneficiaries.
The thought came to him like a reflex.
So,
Tobirama didn't move against the civilians first. He sent Anbu to investigate quietly and gather proof. As expected, the trail led to Uchiha patrol districts.
Without their say-so, how would villagers dare speak such heresy?
Born-evil Uchiha.
Already itching to collude with Akatsuki inside and out, already salivating for the Hokage's chair. How could the labor of his days and nights, the village he and his brother had built, be stolen by the Uchiha?
And one of the culprits sat right before him.
"Uchiha Setsuna, did you have people spread these dangerous lines in Konoha?"
Tobirama's gaze turned glacial as he tossed a stack of papers onto the desk. Setsuna didn't so much as blink. He picked them up and read from start to finish.
He didn't actually know who'd lit this particular fire.
But even if he didn't know the spark, he had no hesitation about fanning the flames.
Damn that evil old Senju. Perched on his brother's prestige, arrogant even to allies like Akatsuki, puffed-up in front of Setsuna the other day.
"Konoha's safety, peace of the shinobi world—fine words if spoken by the Hokage. Senju Tobirama thinks he deserves those words?"
"Does he take the Uchiha for ornaments? Half this village is ours."
"The Hokage's seat rotates—next year it's ours. The Second Hokage must be Lord Madara. He, like the First, doesn't like day-to-day work, so I, Uchiha Setsuna, can handle it in his stead."
Rage simmered in Setsuna's heart as he finished reading, thoughts racing.
"What's wrong? Tongue-tied now that I've exposed your schemes?"
"Schemes? Tobirama, your words are foul. Set aside whether I spread these lines or not. Even if I, Uchiha Setsuna, did—what then?"
"Kill me?"
"Do you think Lord Madara's Susanoo is for show?"
Setsuna snorted, giving Tobirama no face at all.
It wasn't as if he lacked backing.
"Hmph."
"My brother is not without teeth. The old scores between our clans may be written off, but the outcome was long decided."
"Need I remind you?"
Tobirama smiled brilliantly.
This was the last topic he feared debating with Uchiha.
The wars between Uchiha and Senju had a clear victor.
He himself had slain Uchiha Izuna.
His brother had defeated Uchiha Madara.
The Senju were the rightful winners.
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