"Heya, what's gotten into you today? You actually dared to say that in front of the Third Hokage."
Inside a modest restaurant in Konoha—
Yuichi, still disguised as Heya, had been invited here by several fellow Jōnin after leaving the Hokage building.
Since these men seemed to be close friends of Heya, Yuichi naturally accepted the invitation.
Fortunately, after spending enough time studying Kazuya, Yuichi had memorized his tone, expressions, and way of speaking well enough to avoid suspicion.
With a casual smile, Yuichi answered, "That kid isn't just some ordinary Genin. Making him wait days just to take the Chūnin Exam would be far too wasteful."
"That's true!" the Jōnin who had questioned him let out a long sigh. "Now I get it—you just don't want your student to suffer through the same delays we did."
Another ninja chimed in bitterly. "The number of Chūnin slots is always decided beforehand. Our brats can only squeeze in when someone drops out, or when the big clans don't put forward enough of their own."
"Five years I was stuck as a Genin before finally getting my turn at promotion. And once I made Chūnin? Another five years of waiting before I even had the chance to advance again."
"Even now, as a Jōnin, it'll take ten more years before I qualify for an actual promotion—and that's still just for a chance."
He lifted his cup and drained it in one long swallow, sighing heavily.
"My father always said things weren't like this back in his day."
Yuichi had worried at first that he wouldn't be able to perfectly imitate Heya's mannerisms. But it quickly became clear these men didn't care about small inconsistencies.
Their anger and frustration were aimed elsewhere—at the unfair treatment of civilian shinobi.
Yuichi had already sensed the divide between clan-born and common-born, but to hear even seasoned Jōnin complain so openly still surprised him.
"Careful, Kanan," one of them warned softly. "If the Third hears you mouthing off again, you'll be in trouble."
But the man called Kanan only shook his head and sneered. "The Third treats the clan shinobi like treasured heirs. I can understand doing that back when the village needed stability…"
He slammed his cup down. "But now? The world is at peace! Why keep giving the clans everything, while we—civilian shinobi—bleed and sacrifice for nothing?"
"Hey! We all feel the same, Kanan. But shut it already—you want ANBU breathing down our necks?"
Why did the Hokage pamper the clans?
Yuichi already knew the answer.
The Hokage needed their support. And the clans demanded favors in return.
A silent trade: the Hokage secured his position, and the clans secured their privileges. Mutual interests bound tightly together.
Yuichi studied the men around him, already drunk and spilling their bitterness into their cups. Lifting his own glass, he mused aloud, "Whoever the next Hokage is, things won't change. Our future will never get brighter."
"Ha! You and me both," one of them barked. "But who knows who'll even be the Fifth Hokage?"
"If it were up to me," another declared, raising his cup, "I'd recommend Lady Tsunade without hesitation."
"Tsunade-sama?" Yuichi asked, feigning surprise. "Didn't she leave the village long ago?"
The man chuckled. "She did. But if she were here… if Tsunade-sama became Fifth Hokage, things would be different. Civilian shinobi like us would finally have someone on our side."
"I'd want that too," Kanan added firmly. "Tsunade-sama as Hokage would be the best for us."
"Is Tsunade-sama really that revered?" Yuichi asked, feigning curiosity.
After all, she was long gone. What gave her such lasting prestige? Was it because she was one of the Sannin? Or because of her unparalleled medical ninjutsu?
"Of course!" another laughed. "She's the granddaughter of the First Hokage himself, born of the Senju clan. When my father was young, the Second Hokage ruled the village—and back then, it didn't matter if you were clan-born or common-born. Everyone was treated the same."
"Unfortunately, after the Second's death, the Senju clan dwindled. Aside from Tsunade-sama, no one rose to prominence. The proud Senju name faded from Konoha."
The four of them clinked their glasses together.
Yuichi took a sip, but behind his lowered lashes, his thoughts spun rapidly.
So… even if the Senju clan had vanished, their name still carried a weight that refused to disappear.
The First and Second Hokage's contributions to Konoha were etched too deeply into memory to be forgotten.
"The Senju name is gone from Konoha… but has the clan itself truly vanished?" Yuichi asked casually.
Kanan chuckled. "Who knows? My father told me once that my grandmother was from a branch of the Senju. If that's true, then I too carry the blood of the First and Second. That's why, no matter what, I'll always protect Konoha."
"My mother also claimed my grandfather was Senju-born," another added with a laugh.
Yuichi's eyes narrowed slightly. He had only asked in passing, but two men already claimed Senju lineage.
"Then why don't any of you bear the Senju name?" Yuichi pressed.
"I heard it was the First Hokage's own decree. When Konoha was founded, tensions between clans and villagers were fierce. To ease the strife, the First ordered the Senju clan to abandon their surname and blend in with the people. That way, no one could tell who was a true commoner and who was secretly Senju. The resentment faded soon after."
Yuichi nodded slowly.
The First Hokage had united the warring nations. Back then, every ninja operated by clan loyalties. It was only natural that clans would look down on ordinary people without special bloodlines.
To erase that arrogance, Hashirama himself had sacrificed the Senju name.
So yes—the Senju still lived in Konoha. Just hidden, scattered, untraceable.
And that explained why, even absent, Tsunade still commanded immense respect—at least among civilian shinobi.
It also solved another riddle Yuichi had long pondered: in the anime, when the Hokage's seat sat vacant, why hadn't Danzo seized the opportunity? Why had Tsunade been chosen instead?
The answer was simple.
It wasn't that Danzo lacked ambition. It was that no one could compete with Tsunade's identity.
I see…
A faint smile curved Yuichi's lips.
Now he understood why his carefully built reputation and talent had been dismissed by the Third Hokage. Why he was instead pushed toward hiding in the shadows of Root.
Hiruzen suspected.
He suspected Yuichi carried Senju blood.
No… not just suspicion. Yuichi himself was beginning to believe it.
And if so… then his future might be brighter than he had ever imagined.
If that's true… then I really do have a chance.