As the students finally all gathered on the field, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing the Third Hokage's robes and a Hokage Hat, stepped onto the stage and began explaining the Will of Fire to the students!
In other words, he began brainwashing everyone!
It had to be said, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was truly unmatched when it came to brainwashing!
"Wherever the leaves danced, the fire burned on..."
"The firelight would continue illuminating the village, allowing new leaves to sprout..."
Even Makoto Ito was left dazed by the Third Hokage's speech!
Fugaku Uchiha: Tsk, tsk, tsk... Listen to that, everyone! Just look at how smoothly he spins one line after another!
Madara Uchiha: This Third Hokage really has some skill.
Tobirama Senju: Could it be that Monkey governed Konoha into such prosperity through these things?
Izuna Uchiha: What a fucking talent!
Madara Uchiha: If I'd had his tricks back then, the entire Uchiha Clan probably would've rebelled with me, right?
Minato Namikaze: It's been so long since I last heard the Third Hokage's speech! It still sounds just as familiar now!
Shisui Uchiha: Yeah! Listening to it really makes me feel completely refreshed...
Izuna Uchiha: Two more brainwashed idiots have shown up!
Fugaku Uchiha: Shisui... Sigh... You kid, if I'd known things would turn out this way, our Uchiha Clan should've learned how to brainwash people too! Then you wouldn't have become what you are today!
And so, everyone in the group chatted idly for a while longer...
Hashirama Senju: Makoto Ito, are all the Ninja Academy students here now?
Seeing Hashirama Senju's message, Makoto Ito froze for a moment. He raised his head and looked around. Sure enough, it seemed that every class had arrived!
Makoto Ito: Yeah, students from every class are here! What's wrong?
Hashirama Senju: Something isn't right!
Tobirama Senju: What is it, Big Brother?
Makoto Ito: Yeah, what's wrong? These really are all the current Ninja Academy students!
Hashirama Senju: If this is the Ninja Academy, and all the students are here, then where are the Senju Clan's students? Why isn't there a single member of the Senju Clan on the field?
Tobirama Senju: What?
Hearing Hashirama Senju's words, Tobirama Senju hurriedly scanned the surroundings. Then he discovered this extremely serious problem as well: there truly was not a single Senju Clan member on the field!
Earlier, when they had been in the classroom, Hashirama Senju had already been puzzled by the fact that Makoto Ito's class had no Senju Clan students, but Tobirama Senju had shot him down.
Later, Tobirama Senju had also harbored deep doubts, but then the topic had shifted to Hizashi Hyuga, and right afterward, he had lost his head in anger.
Now that his elder brother had brought up the issue again, Tobirama Senju carefully checked several times and discovered that there truly was not a single Senju Clan member on the field!
Tobirama Senju: Fuck! What's going on here?
Hashirama Senju: Could it be that the Senju Clan's children don't attend the Ninja Academy? That really shouldn't be the case!
Tobirama Senju: Impossible, Big Brother! After I founded the Ninja Academy, I made it clear to everyone in the clan! Our Senju Clan must never receive special treatment! Once every child reached a certain age, they had to attend the Ninja Academy!
At that very moment, seeing this unfold, Makoto Ito licked his lips!
Was this earth-shattering scoop finally about to come out?!
I've waited so damn long for this!
Makoto Ito had considered whether he should reveal this matter himself earlier, but after thinking it over, he decided it would be better to let the Senju brothers discover it on their own!
After all, how could discovering it themselves possibly compare to hearing it from someone else?
Fugaku Uchiha: Oh my! Is the truth finally about to come to light? Is this huge scoop finally about to be exposed? Do you know how hard I've had to hold it in? I've been dying to say it for ages!
Tobirama Senju: Shut your mouth, Evil Uchiha!
Hashirama Senju: Enough, Tobirama! Is there some secret behind this? Makoto Ito, can you tell us? What exactly happened?
Makoto Ito: Ah, it's actually very simple. Your Senju Clan is gone. It has already been wiped out, and it was even wiped out earlier than the Uchiha Clan!
The moment Makoto Ito said this, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, both widened their eyes in the Pure Land!
Hashirama Senju: What did you say?
Tobirama Senju: How is that possible?
They simply could not believe it! The Senju Clan had been one of the strongest clans of the Warring States Period! More importantly, the Senju Clan had been one of Konoha's pillar clans!
Two Hokage had even emerged from their clan! How could they have suddenly been wiped out?
Even the powerful Uchiha Clan had always been suppressed by the Senju Clan!
How could they have been wiped out for no reason at all?
Fugaku Uchiha: But that is the truth.
Tobirama Senju: Makoto Ito! Explain this to me properly! How exactly was the Senju Clan wiped out? From our earlier conversations, I could tell that you seemed to know many things. You should know about this too, right?
Makoto Ito: Yeah, I do know about it! Then listen carefully as I explain... It's a long story...
Tobirama Senju: Then make a long story short!
Makoto Ito: How should I put this? You can think about it yourselves. The Senju Clan produced the First Hokage and the Second Hokage, two Hokage. Back then, the Senju Clan was at the height of its power in Konoha, and its influence was simply too great!
And what a coincidence, the Third Hokage who took office wasn't from the Senju Clan. Wouldn't the Senju Clan have had some negative impact on his rule?
So, after thinking long and hard, the Third Hokage finally came up with several excellent methods!
First, wasn't your Senju Clan powerful? Wasn't your influence enormous? Then let your influence keep expanding! Go intermarry with ordinary civilians! That way, wouldn't the number of Senju Clan members keep increasing?
Wouldn't that indirectly expand the Senju Clan's influence as well?
By this point, Tobirama Senju had actually already understood!
Before you continue