Senju Hashirama kept pestering, insisting his younger brother had to give those injured villagers an apology and an explanation, while Senju Tobirama fought him to the end, feeling his big brother was being stubborn and trying to make him suffer social death.
The mood grew tense again.
Uzumaki Mito listened with a deepening frown.
Villagers gathering to make trouble and spread rumors could be overlooked with one eye closed. Once Tobirama sent troops to assist, public opinion would naturally dissipate.
But those villagers actually wanted to go to the Hokage building to protest.
How could such a thing be indulged.
She had already learned that afternoon that Senju Tobirama had sent ANBU to stage a Konoha no-limits brawl with the villagers.
Though Tobirama's means were indeed rough, directly deploying ANBU to disperse the crowd by force, beating the villagers and locking them in ANBU, Uzumaki Mito still saw nothing wrong with what he did, because this touched the principles of village governance. If left unchecked, it would plant deep hidden dangers and might even drag the village into an abyss.
She understood Hashirama's thinking as well.
He had vowed to let villagers and shinobi live in harmony, to let children grow, study, and play under the village's protection rather than carry weapons into life-and-death battles as they had in youth. For that vow he could compromise, wrong himself, sacrifice everything, even his life.
But reality is complicated.
Sometimes hard choices must be made.
If one guards only for the sake of guarding, what can truly be protected.
In the end it would only leave hazards to explode at some future moment. So Mito inwardly leaned toward Tobirama. She did not say this aloud because she knew Hashirama's nature. Once he fixed on a belief, he would never waver.
"Enough, stop arguing."
Mito spoke again. She had to play mediator once more, because she noticed Hashirama was getting heated, his hands unconsciously forming a stance used to attack. Perhaps he meant to sneak in an elbow to Tobirama and force the issue through.
"Since you brothers cannot agree and this is no small matter, why not convene an emergency council and let Konoha's clans judge right and wrong."
Mito chose neither brother. She would call a council and let Konoha's clans decide. Even for a sister-in-law, doing things was hard.
"Good idea."
Tobirama nodded at once.
He had had enough of his brother's obstinacy. These years he had toiled night and day for Konoha's affairs, while also splitting attention for his research. The Uchiha were what they were. For Konoha he could endure anything.
Yet he could not understand.
Why the more he did for Konoha in silence, the more grievances he suffered.
His brother would stir trouble, that outward-leaning elbow every day. Uchiha Madara might elbow him anytime. The Uchiha clan's ambitions didn't die. Outside, Uchiha Makoto also watched like a tiger. And now, over such a small matter this afternoon, his brother refused to let go and wanted him socially dead.
Since so
let the clans of Konoha judge right and wrong.
Seeing Tobirama agree, Mito turned to Hashirama. "Hashirama, since Tobirama has agreed, what about you."
"Then let's do that."
Hashirama nodded. He still believed his conviction was right and the clans would side with him.
"Good. Big brother, let's agree beforehand to abide by the council's final decision."
Once Hashirama nodded, Tobirama finally smiled with relief and fixed the premise. Everything would be subject to the final outcome. He feared his brother would flip the table.
"Fine, no problem."
Tobirama's smile grew brighter at Hashirama's promise. His brother's might could flip tables at will, yes, but inside rules and debate, his brother was an amateur.
Konoha's personnel, finance, management—every rule was drafted by Konoha's Nine-Thousand-Year, the Shadow Hokage. Every clan lived under the systems he set. Their core heirs either apprenticed under him or served in his ANBU.
They had also participated in today's action.
Big brother.
If I made no preparations, I'd be ruined by you sooner or later.
The three walked out of the Hokage office together. A council to decide whether Senju Tobirama would suffer social death was quickly conveyed to the clan heads eating dinner. Without thinking, they put down their bowls and hurried to the council room.
The council room.
Tobirama swept the hall with his eyes. Every face was familiar.
Uchiha Madara. Uchiha Setsuna. And other Uchiha. Those bastards. The Uchiha born evil. They were surely here to laugh at him.
Ignore them.
As for the rest
Yes, they were all his people.
Tobirama nodded to them one by one. With a mere exchange of looks, the other side returned a reassuring gaze.
Lord Tobirama, rest easy.
We understand.
The council's purpose.
And the matter of ANBU beating and arresting villagers this afternoon—we already know.
You acted to protect the Hokage's honor and uphold the Hokage's authority. Konoha's rabble had grown far too brazen to do such a thing.
A heavy hand was necessary.
Though the Hokage looks angry.
We all know.
You are his brother, the Shadow Hokage, Nine-Thousand-Year. How could he truly be angry at you.
This council exists to protect you.
The meeting began quickly.
This time Tobirama had no chance to preside. He was the one deemed gravely at fault. Hashirama presided.
"Everyone, this afternoon my brother Tobirama sent ANBU to beat Konoha's villagers without authorization and locked them in ANBU. I believe Tobirama's mistake is very serious. He must personally apologize to those villagers beaten by ANBU."
Hashirama recounted the events, hoping the clans would recognize the gravity of Tobirama's error and make him admit fault and apologize, and take warning from it.
Unfortunately
the meeting had barely begun
its outcome was already set.
Unless Hashirama flipped the table with force.
Otherwise, they would not support him.
Clans who could empathize with ordinary villagers were vanishingly rare.
And setting aside Hashirama's identity and influence, from the clans' own standpoint
How could Konoha's clans empathize with mere villagers.
Almost no clan head or representative thought Tobirama had done wrong. Those villagers had grown so bold as to gather and make trouble, even planning to protest at the Hokage building. Tobirama merely sent ANBU to give them a beating and hauled them into ANBU for ideological instruction.
Not a single life lost.
It was said medical-nin were assigned to treat those rabble injured while rioting, free of charge.
Was that not mercy.
The clan heads and jōnin representatives were not fools.
Understanding the council's purpose
each had to think—what stance should I take today. What is the First Hokage's attitude.
Even if Hashirama was sincere.
Even if he truly sought justice for the villagers.
Should the clans stand with Hashirama to bring down Tobirama.
Should they, with Hashirama, make the Shadow Hokage, Konoha's Nine-Thousand-Year, bow and apologize to those brazen rabble who gathered and even came to protest at the Hokage building.
Only if they were mad.
Who was Tobirama.
He was Hashirama's own brother.
Which clan in Konoha didn't know that Tobirama did the Hokage's work. Which major matter wasn't coordinated by him. Which system wasn't planned and implemented by him. Tobirama was practically Hokage in substance.
The titles Shadow Hokage and Nine-Thousand-Year were not for nothing.
Would Hashirama actually strip his own brother of position and power for this.
He would not.
At present, no one could replace Tobirama in identity, status, and ability.
If they followed Hashirama's stance now and embarrassed Tobirama, while Hashirama imposed no substantive punishment and only wanted an apology to villagers, how could the clans follow that.
They were not the mighty Uchiha.
If today they joined to embarrass the Shadow Hokage, the Nine-Thousand-Year, Tobirama could pressure their clans tomorrow. With mission assignments alone he could make a small clan live in misery and drive its head to his door to beg forgiveness at midnight.
And that would be offending only Tobirama.
If Hashirama's attitude was merely to make a show—"I, Hashirama, am kind; I cannot stand villagers being beaten by shinobi. Even my brother cannot do that. He must learn a lesson and apologize. But since you clans all advised that Tobirama was not wrong, only rough in methods, I will heed your counsel."
Then they would offend both of Konoha's top figures at once and start planning how to slip their families out of Konoha.
Or
the Hokage was simply heated now and at odds with Tobirama for the moment. They were brothers. In a few days they would likely reconcile.
From every angle
they had to find a way to excuse Tobirama. Whoever embarrassed the Shadow Hokage, the Nine-Thousand-Year, would suffer greatly afterward.
"Everyone, your opinions."
After Hashirama's impassioned speech, even evoking the Will of Fire, clan heads below nodded from time to time.
But when it came to the vote
"Hokage-sama, I see nothing wrong with Lord Tobirama's decision. In that circumstance he had to be decisive. The villagers suffered only superficial injuries. There is no need to make Lord Tobirama bow and apologize. Those villagers acted far too boldly. I think teaching them a lesson was right."
Sarutobi Sasuke played the vanguard and cast the first opposing vote. His son had erred gravely and still was taken as Tobirama's disciple to be cultivated. He could never repay Tobirama's kindness. And Hiruzen had taken part in the action. Tobirama's compliance tests were everywhere.
He had to use this chance to show loyalty.
"Hokage-sama, I think so as well."
The Shimura clan head followed, a step late but clear in stance.
Lord Tobirama was not at fault.
The fault lay with those who sought to riot and even protest at the Hokage building.
"Hokage-sama, indeed. I cannot agree with your approach. Lord Tobirama has labored greatly. This time was for Konoha. We cannot—"
"Approve."
"Approve."
The Ino–Shika–Cho trio stood up.
"Hokage-sama, I think the same."
The Hyūga clan head, slippery as an eel, also voiced his stance.
"Hokage-sama."
"Hokage-sama."
More and more clan heads raised their hands.
Power finds its own master.
Hashirama had let it go.
Tobirama held it tight. The accompanying effects followed.
Today was also a kind of compliance test designed by Tobirama.
From beginning to end, Tobirama had not said a word. He simply sat in his seat and let his brother perform.
Big brother.
You're always this childishly willful.
If I made no preparations, I'd be ruined by you sooner or later.
The one-sided trend made Tobirama secretly rejoice.
His years of quiet cultivation in Konoha had not been in vain.
The clans supported Hashirama.
But they supported him as well.
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