Uchiha * Senju

The Elder's gaze swept over the assembled Elders, finally settling on Sarutobi Sōun, who sat at the head of the table. "Sarutobi Sōun, what do you think?"

Sarutobi Sōun said expressionlessly, "I don't know Madara Uchiha and Uchiha Izuna's personalities."

The subtext is clear: Don't ask me, I don't know them well, I can't make a decision about this.

The other elders exchanged glances.

Sasuke's uncle spoke first, his tone tinged with a hint of probing. "Sarutobi Sōun, isn't your Sasuke quite close to that Uchiha Izuna? And those elite members of the Uchiha Clan who were on good terms with Izuna are still lying in the hospital. Why don't you have Sasuke go and sound him out?"

Sarutobi Sōun put down his teacup and remained silent for a moment.

He remembered what Sasuke had said to him on his sickbed.

Those descriptions of Izuna, about the term "friend".

To be honest, he wasn't sure how much influence Sasuke had over Izuna, nor did he know what the Uchiha thought of him, a member of the Sarutobi Clan.

But now the clan needs a breakthrough, and Sasuke is the only one who can get in touch with him, so they have to let him try no matter what.

"I'll have Sasuke ask him tomorrow. Until then, let's hold back and see what the Uchiha are up to."

The Elder sighed and tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, "I just hope they won't use this favor to make us bleed a lot of money."

Similar conversations are playing out tonight in many clan Council Hall in Konoha.

The Akimichi Clan is discussing whether to send more cartloads of grain to the Uchiha Clan Compound, the Nara and Yamanaka Clans are taking stock of the Medicinal Herbs they can offer in their warehouses, and the Shimura Clan is already drafting a list of gifts to send Condolence Gifts.

The Senju, Hyuga, Inuzuka Clans were also discussing their own matters.

Everyone is grappling with the same thing: Uchiha Izuna saved so many people, how can they possibly repay this debt of gratitude?

However, what they didn't know was that the Uchiha Clan was also thinking about how to get this favor back in a less awkward way.

Under the same crescent moon, the Council Hall of the Uchiha Clan was also brightly lit.

The Elder, Shigō, tucked his hands into his sleeves and sighed, "Clan Head Ban is one thing. We all know he's a battle maniac, clueless about political intrigue, but how Tadayo, is also..."

Third Elder Emiko frowned, her fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of her teacup. "Although our Uchiha put in a lot of effort this time, and even saved many lives, not a single one of us stood up to show any support at the Konoha meeting."

"From beginning to end, Clan Head only uttered a few harsh words, Tadayo stood behind him without saying a word. If this continues, I'm afraid people in the village will start saying that we Uchiha are arrogant and conceited."

Second Elder Uchiha Sei leaned back in his chair and said in a deep voice, "Sigh. Now the village will say that we Uchiha are power-hungry and greedy."

The Fifth Elder, Naoaki, snorted coldly, slamming his teacup on the table, spilling a few drops of tea. "Hmph, what do you mean by 'being arrogant and power-hungry'? Even a blind man could see how much effort the Uchiha people put into this battle. What's wrong with wanting a little something? We're one of the two founding clans of Konoha, and the Senju clan didn't offer anything either."

Semoto didn't want to respond, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but sneer, "The Senju made their offer, but it just didn't work. Hashirama proposed at the meeting that the Uzumaki Clan of the Land of Whirlpools participate in the Barrier system, but we collectively rejected it. At least they made a suggestion; what about us? Clan Head Madara only said four words from beginning to end: 'Still recovering from injuries.' How are you expecting anyone else to respond?"

Emiko turned her gaze to Mase, her tone tinged with reproach. "Fourth Elder, your son Tadayo is serving under Clan Head. Couldn't he have offered a word of advice before the Clan Head said those things? If he had offered some suggestions, we wouldn't be sitting here arguing like this."

"Eh." Mase held up a finger, his tone unusually serious. "This time, I'm standing with Naoaki. The Clan Head is seriously injured; a section of his chest has collapsed, and he had to exhaust his life force to fill the hole. The Second-in-Command has been unconscious for three whole days, and Hikaku and Setsuna are both seriously injured, especially Setsuna, who risked his Hyuga to save his disciple, the Hiyuki. We've put in so much effort, so it's only right that we get some benefits!"

"Even so, we cannot act this way." Emiko's voice rose half an octave. "The greater the merit, the more humble we must be. The 'might makes right' approach from the Warring States Period is no longer applicable in the village. What we Uchiha need most right now is not to take more spots or more cartloads of supplies, but to make other clans see us as partners we can work with, not as superior benefactors."

Naoaki was about to retort, Elder Shigō finally raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"Alright, stop arguing. What's done is done, there's no point in arguing about it. Let's think about what to do next."

The Fifth Elder, Naoaki, spread his hands, his tone more businesslike and calm than during their earlier argument. " With the Clan Head absent, we cannot make decisions for the entire clan without his consent."

The Third Elder Emiko, nodded, a rare occurrence, and calmly replied, "Agreed."

The Elder Shigō watched the two of them singing in unison, and felt a mix of emotions.

You two were arguing the loudest just now, one wanting to take advantage and the other wanting to do a favor. Now, you've formed a united front on the issue of "not making decisions on your own."

"Of course I know what you're talking about." Shigō pulled his hand out of his sleeve, picked up the half-cooled tea on the table, took a sip, and moistened his slightly dry throat. "Before you came, I went to see Clan Head, but he wasn't home. I went to the Hokage Building to ask, and the guard said he had just left with Lord Hashirama and Lord Tobirama in a hurry, without saying where he was going. I couldn't find him to hold a meeting either."

Fourth Elder Mase's lips curled up in a smug smile, "Who told our clan Clan Head Ban to be both clan Clan Head and chief now, he's very busy."

Shigō put down his teacup, raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mase, if you don't speak, no one will think you're mute."

Mase shrugged and obediently shut his mouth, but the smile on his lips hadn't faded.

The Second Elder, Sei, had been flipping through a Roster of supplies on his lap since earlier. He spoke slowly and deliberately, "In short, regardless of whether the Clan Head is here or not, we need to show our attitude first."

"Let's send out a batch of supplies first—food, Medicinal Herbs, Ninja Tools, whatever we have. Also, let the young people in the clan take on more missions; send out everyone who can. We'll decide what to do next when the Clan Head arrives."

"This way, it won't be seen as us making decisions on our own, nor will it give the impression that we Uchiha shut ourselves off and do nothing after the war."

Shigō nodded. "Let's do it this way. You draft the supplies Roster and send it to the Hokage Building first thing tomorrow morning. I'll arrange for someone to notify each room about the mission. Also, let's give up our spots; we don't need to take up so many places."

Emiko put down her teacup, then suddenly remembered something, her brows furrowing slightly. "There's one more thing. Setsuna and Hikaku are both seriously injured, especially Setsuna. Although the penetrating wound in her leg has healed, the muscle damage will take at least Half a Month to heal. They're both still in the hospital right now. Should we send someone to 'visit' them?"

"I went to check on him Tadayo. His wife is taking care of him, Setsuna his disciple is looking after Hikaku too," Fourth Elder Mase said cheerfully. "He said that he's been scolded so badly that he doesn't know Hyuga is up, Setsuna doesn't dare to anger Hyuga -Hikaku kun. He hasn't even had a chance to run away. Don't worry."

Naoaki snorted, "Neither of them are the type to stay idle. If no one stops them, they might take off their bandages and be discharged from the hospital tomorrow."

Emiko sighed, "But the Uchiha has suffered heavy losses. Almost all the young men who could lead are bedridden, so it's understandable that they want to come back as soon as possible."

Second Elder Sei rolled up the supply Roster and stuffed it into his sleeve. "I'll arrange for someone to hold them off. But should we spread the news that Lord Izuna has woken up?"

"Not for now." Elder Shigō shook his head after a moment of contemplation. "Lord Izuna has just woken up, and Clan Head Madara is not in the clan. If we release this news in the middle of the night, a bunch of people will probably flock over to visit us the next day. Let's take care of the matter at hand first, and then we can talk about it again tomorrow when we find Clan Head Madara."

Fifth Elder Naoaki leaned back, arms crossed, and said, "I really don't think it's necessary to be so cautious. We Uchiha are honest and straightforward; we save people and that's it. We don't care about their favors. Do you expect us to willingly give up our spots? Isn't that just asking to be bullied?"

"That's true," Elder Shigō said, "But it's still a debt of life. They're worried we'll take advantage of our kindness and make unreasonable demands. Sixteen dead, seventy-six seriously injured—which survivor doesn't owe the Uchiha a life? The more you say you don't care, the more they'll think you're saving up to settle the score later."

Naoaki didn't respond.

"If we want to keep them in check, we must relinquish our positions." Shigō's voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed carefully chosen before uttering. "Especially in places like the Konoha Military Police Force, hospitals, and schools, we Uchiha must avoid suspicion and not get too involved."

Fourth Elder Mase was about to drink his tea when he heard this, his hand stopped in mid-air, and his eyebrows rose high. "Avoid suspicion? On what grounds? We contributed the most, yet we have to avoid suspicion? What kind of logic is that?"

Shigō said, "Because Clan Head is vying to become the next Hokage."

The Council Hall was silent for a full three seconds.

Mase's teacup remained suspended in mid-air, Naoaki were clasped to her chest. Emiko, however, did not show any surprise, as if she already knew.

"He wants to compete for Hokage?" Mase put his teacup back on the table, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice, his tone filled with barely suppressed curiosity. "How come I didn't know about this? Did the Clan Head tell you?"

"No," Shigō shook his head, "It's just that Lord Izuna's arrangement is too conspicuous."

"Think back to the beginning. First, you made the Madara Clan Head release Susanoo at the Amusement Park opening ceremony to intimidate the Envoys from the Four Nations, and then you made him take charge of approving S-Rank Missions."

"That's the highest level of mission allocation authority in the entire village. Every S-rank Ninja has to pass through Chief Clan Head's test before leaving the village."

"Previously, Lord Hashirama arranged for him to go door-to-door to register new residents, so that people from different clans would get used to his presence. These were all measures taken to make him Hokage."

Mase's lips twitched, and he laughed angrily. "You call that wanting him to be Hokage? Everyone knows what happened during the housewarming registration! Those troublemakers were all unruly, and when it came to management, we could only use harsh words and even physical force to suppress them. Back then, who could recommend someone who had beaten them up as their superior? If it weren't for Hashirama Senju later proving that he was indeed a complete idiot, I would have thought he did it on purpose!"

Naoaki coughed to suppress his laughter, "Agreed."

Shigō felt a headache coming on again, and regretted bringing it up. "In short, this whole series of arrangements was designed from beginning to end to put Clan Head in the public eye, to make his abilities visible, to make people think he's reliable, and to transform his image to make him more popular."

Mase clapped his hands. "Our Izuna is much more reliable. That's what you call a makeover. What a mess that Hashirama Senju, he made a complete mess of things."

Naoaki sighed, "It seems this position really will have to be relinquished."

"That's right, we must avoid suspicion," Shigō said. "If Clan Head Madara wants to compete for Hokage, the Uchiha cannot occupy too many positions in the village."

"Setsuna has already taken office at the Konoha Military Police Force. There's nothing we can do. As for the rest, except for the teacher positions at the school, we'll have to give them up. That way, the other clans won't think we're undermining the Hokage's power. Otherwise, forget about competition; just that suspicion will be enough to eliminate us."

Meanwhile, in the Senju Clan's Council Hall, they were also discussing this matter.

An Elder sitting to the side slammed his teacup down on the table with a dull thud. "He's certainly playing a clever game."

Another Elder sneered, tapping his fingers slowly on the table. "The Uchiha really doesn't take the Senju seriously at all."

"Lord Hashirama was the First Hokage, so the Second should naturally be one of us from the Senju Lord Hashirama. Those defeated underlings we crushed during the Warring States Period, those cowardly wimps Clan Head even deserted mid-battle—what right do they have to compete with our Lord Tobirama for the position of Second!"

Upon hearing this, the air in the Council Hall suddenly seemed to drop several degrees.

Senju Kai frowned deeply upon hearing this. "That's a rather harsh way to put it. The Second isn't the private property of our Senju Clan. Even Hashirama- Lord Hashirama said that the Hokage is elected by the villagers together. It's really inappropriate for you to make such a fuss about the Uchiha."

The Elder's face instantly darkened. He turned his head and stared at Kai with the look of someone scrutinizing a traitor. "Hmph, you, weren't you the one who disliked those Uchiha the most? Always Sharingan was untrustworthy, how come you're speaking well of them now? Traitor."

Kai clenched his fists on his knees, his knuckles cracking softly. He took a deep breath, about to retort, when a deep and authoritative shout came from the head of the table.

"Shut up!"

The Elder slammed his hand on the armrest; the sound wasn't loud, but it silenced everyone instantly.

He glanced around at the Elders present, his gaze finally settling on the face of the Elder who had called Kai a traitor, making the man sheepishly look away.

"Kay is right. We can't directly decide who the Second is."

"Hashirama was the First Hokage, and his successor must be elected by the village as a rule established when the village was founded. Your actions of criticizing the Uchiha behind closed doors will only make the Senju appear narrow-minded and power-hungry."

The Elders either lowered their heads or turned their faces away, and no one responded.

The Elder tucked his hands back into his sleeves, his voice deep and powerful. "Moreover, the two Uchiha brothers made a great contribution in this attack. If it weren't for Izuna stepping forward at the last moment, and if Madara hadn't held the line for so long, it's uncertain whether Konoha would still exist today. Just for this one contribution alone, both of them would be worthy of being recommended."

One of the Elders snorted and raised his head, "Don't forget that our Lord Tobirama also saved quite a few people! If it weren't for Uchiha Izuna stealing the spotlight at the end, Tobirama Senju would have been the one who saved the most lives!"

Kai suddenly stood up, his voice making the paper doors of the Council Hall rattle. "Then try stealing the limelight! It's true that Lord Tobirama saved many people, but do you know what condition those seriously injured people were in at the time?"

"Their hearts were pierced, half of their skulls were crushed, and their internal organs were so shattered that even Katsuyu couldn't touch them! Without Lord Izuna's final blow, all of these people would have died!"

"That wasn't stealing the limelight; that was literally pulling half the village back from the Sanzu River! Don't you feel ashamed to compare yourself to that?"

The Elder was so intimidated by Kai's imposing presence that he instinctively leaned back, but his arrogance from years of holding a high position made him quickly regain his composure.

He snorted coldly, tapping his finger on the table. "Kai, don't try to twist the facts. I admit Uchiha Izuna deserves a lot of credit, but was Lord Tobirama's contribution in this battle any less?"

"If it weren't for Lord Tobirama, you wouldn't even have had the chance to rush in and die! Since you admire Uchiha Izuna so much, why don't you just go spend the New Year at the Uchiha Clan Compound?"

"You--"

"Quiet down, all of you!"

The Elder slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to jump and spill tea onto the surface, where it slowly trickled along the wood grain.

His face was extremely grim, the veins on his forehead throbbed slightly, and his gaze swept over everyone present like a knife.

"Lord Tobirama hasn't even given the word, and you've already started vying for the position of Second! How disgraceful!"

The Council Hall was completely silent. Kai stood there, clenching his fists, his chest heaving violently a few times, before gritting his teeth and sitting back down on the cushion.

The Elder's lips twitched, but he ultimately swallowed back the words he was about to say.

The Elder slowly withdrew his hand, tucking it back into his sleeve. "These days, you all need to be on your guard. Don't cause trouble outside, and don't give others anything to gossip about. The Uchiha have done a good job, so treat them accordingly. Don't let people think that we Senju stand to see others succeed. Do you all understand?"