Master and Disciple

Because of the Second Hokage's overly wary attitude towards the Uchiha Clan, some people in later generations have interpreted Tobirama Senju as a "Hokage who discriminated against the Uchiha."

But this interpretation is wrong from the start.

The Second Hokage never harbored any prejudice against the Uchiha Clan; he simply knew them all too well.

Understand their lineage, the evolutionary patterns of their Sharingan, their emotional patterns, and their predictable behavioral logic.

That was the knowledge he gained through a lifetime of observation, analysis, and personal confrontation with them.

Hokage Hokage needs to consider the big picture, make decisions that are in the best interest of the village, Hokage absolutely cannot act on emotion.

Therefore, Tobirama Senju believed that the Uchiha Clan, who valued emotions above all else, were unsuitable to become Hokage or to enter the core of Konoha's high-level power structure.

This conclusion is based on rational analysis and has nothing to do with discrimination.

At the same time, Tobirama Senju truly regarded the Uchiha Clan as an inseparable part of Konoha.

This has never changed.

The Uchiha Clan, possessing the Kekkei Genkai Sharingan), is undeniably powerful. Their strength is Konoha's treasure, a sharp sword Konoha can rely on when facing external enemies.

If used well, and managed properly.

Therefore, Tobirama Senju's approach to the Uchiha was never one of "elimination" or "exclusion".

Instead, the goal is to utilize the Uchiha for the village's benefit, allowing them to realize their full potential, but at the same time, to ensure they never get close to the core of power.

But...

Even after his death, as his teachings were passed down, some things were still misinterpreted.

Those later generations, filled with apprehension, interpreted his words in a different way.

In the Pure Land.

Moonlight streamed down, illuminating the grassland that Naruto had transformed. Tobirama Senju stood before Danzo, his crimson eyes fixed on the disciple he had personally trained.

He just asked that question.

"Danzo, what happened to the Uchiha Clan in Konoha?"

Danzo looked at him, his aged face expressionless. A flicker of almost fanatical light flashed in his eyes.

The light made Tobirama's heart sink.

"Teacher," Danzo spoke, "The Uchiha clan no longer exists in Konoha."

Tobirama's pupils contracted slightly.

"I have fulfilled your teachings," Danzo continued, a hint of pride in his voice. "From now on, Konoha will no longer have to worry about the Uchiha Clan."

"...!!!"

The next second.

"Boom--!!!"

A massive burst of chakra erupted from Tobirama Senju! The energy spread outwards as if it were a tangible force, uprooting the grass beneath his feet and distorting the surrounding air!

His eyes were wide open to the limit, and his usually stern face was now filled with unbelievable rage.

I still heard the answer I least wanted to hear.

The information that flooded his mind—the plan to exterminate the clan, the annihilation of the Uchiha name—now all became a bloody reality, crashing down on his heart.

"Danzo." His voice was as cold as if it had been squeezed from a layer of millennia-old ice. "Who carried it out? Was it an official decision by the village, or your private action?"

Although he asked the question, Tobirama Senju didn't want to hear either answer.

If that was the village's official decision—it meant that the Konoha's leadership had collectively made the decision to "eliminate their own people." It meant that Konoha was no longer the village he and his older brother had founded.

If that was Danzo's private operation, it would mean that his own protégé planned and carried out a massacre of his fellow villagers without any formal authorization.

This means that Tobirama Senju's teachings were distorted into this terrible thing.

He didn't want to hear either of them.

Danzo there, stunned.

He stood there, staring at the teacher who exuded a terrifying aura of oppression, his face filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Why was the teacher angry? Shouldn't he be relieved?

He clearly fulfilled his teacher's teachings, ensuring that Konoha no longer had to worry about the Uchiha. He eliminated the hidden threat within the village, making the greatest contribution to Konoha's stability.

In those years, he walked alone in the darkness countless times, burdened by sin. Wasn't it all for this moment, all for becoming Hokage? Wasn't it all for gaining his teacher's approval?

But now, the teacher stood before him, looking at him with an expression that was neither gratification nor praise, but a kind of scorching anger he had never seen before.

"It's my personal decision."

Danzo finally spoke, with an unwavering conviction that he would not back down even in the face of his teacher's wrath. That conviction stemmed from his deep-seated conviction in his own actions—he had done the right thing, he had protected Konoha, and he had done nothing wrong.

"Hiruzen was too weak. Back then, he just couldn't make up his mind."

He paused, recalling the moment that had disappointed him. The Third Hokage, his old friend, that always indecisive old man, had hesitated once again when faced with the Uchiha problem, even choosing to believe in something that could alter one's will.

But Danzo was different. He always knew that some things had to be done and some sins had to be borne.

"So I..."

"Where's the mirror?!"

Tobirama Senju abruptly interrupted him, "You mean you also...?"

Tobirama's voice trembled slightly for a moment, a very slight tremor, but Danzo noticed it. He saw something flickering slightly in his teacher's eyes.

"And there are descendants of Jing! You didn't harm your own comrades, did you!"

Kagami Uchiha...

He was the only person in the Uchiha Clan whom Tobirama Senju truly trusted, the only young man whom Tobirama was willing to lower his guard and genuinely regard as his disciple.

Kagami inherited the Will of Fire and was willing to dedicate everything to the village. He was an extraordinary Uchiha —he was Tobirama's pride and the hope that he could prove to everyone that "Uchiha can also become Hokage."

Tobirama was afraid to hear that answer, afraid to hear Kagami's name appear in Danzo's "achievements," but he had to ask.

"... Teacher, I cannot entrust my hopes to his descendants."

He met Tobirama's crimson eyes. There was no guilt, no remorse in those eyes, only the light of self-pity.

That kind of light is something only those who walk alone in the darkness possess—the unwavering belief that they bear the righteous sins, the conviction that their sacrifices will ultimately be understood.

"For the sake of Konoha, I have no other choice."

These words struck Tobirama Senju's heart like a heavy hammer blow.

The descendant of Kagami. The child who most likely inherited Kagami's will. The young man who could have become the second "Kagami Uchiha".

He was killed because Danzo him.

"... tell me."

Tobirama Senju's voice was so cold that it revealed no emotion whatsoever. That coldness wasn't a deliberate pretense, but rather the calm that settled after emotions had surged to their peak—the calm before the storm.

What was your reason for doing that?

He had made up his mind, no matter what reasons Danzo gave, no matter how "just," "helpless," or "for the sake of Konoha" those reasons sounded—

He must cleanse the Uchiha Massacre today.

"The Uchiha Clan is plotting a coup!"

Danzo's voice suddenly rose, his face showing a mixture of excitement and grievance. He could finally speak, "If we hadn't done that back then, if the enemy had taken advantage of the situation, the entire Konoha would have ceased to exist!"

"So."

Tobirama Senju's eyes narrowed slightly. "You didn't even spare the Uchiha civilians? You didn't leave a single Sharingan bloodline in the village?"

"But teacher!"

Danzo retorted loudly, "Isn't this the only way to break free from the shackles of hatred?!"

He paused, took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself down. Then, his gaze became even more profound.

"I agreed at the time, to keep that child, that brat named Satsuki."

"But—if I don't die, I won't give up. This last hidden danger must be dealt with."

Tobirama Senju closed his eyes.

He used all his strength to take a deep breath and barely managed to suppress the anger that was threatening to make him faint.

He had experienced one coup d'état by the Uchiha.

That was led by a man named Setsuna Uchiha. At that time, there were indeed restless forces within the Uchiha Clan who were trying to challenge the village's authority and seize power.

That time, he solved the problem in his own way—using the methods of Hokage, with precise control over the situation.

In the end, the Uchiha remained the Uchiha of Konoha, still the sword of Konoha, and still a part of Konoha.

If it truly was a matter of insufficient ability that forced them to wage war against the Uchiha —if that were the case, Tobirama Senju might have tried to understand and accept it. After all, some things simply don't have perfect solutions.

But what about now?

What has this so-called "disciple" before him done, using his teachings and his name?

This is not a matter of "lack of ability" or "helplessness".

This person just wants the Uchiha to die!

"The Uchiha Clan does indeed harbor the hidden danger of the ' Curse of Hatred '," Tobirama Senju said slowly. "It requires vigilance and checks and balances. I understood this even in my lifetime."

He paused, opened his eyes, and his eyes burned with anger, sadness, self-blame, and deep disappointment.

"But 'extermination'—" His gaze was fixed on Danzo. "is the most foolish and irreversible solution."

Danzo opened his mouth, wanting to say something, wanting to defend himself, but Tobirama's gaze forced him back down.

"Danzo," Tobirama Senju interrupted him. "You've turned my teachings into a killing machine, and you think you're inheriting my will."

His voice grew colder and deeper. "In reality—you destroyed everything I built with your own hands."

"... But this is also my failure."

"If I absolutely must apologize..."

For the first time, his voice carried a hint of weariness and age. "I can only say that I chose the wrong disciple and taught the wrong person. A portion of the Uchiha blood is stained on my hands."

Danzo's expression changed completely in that instant.

"Danzo."

Tobirama Senju's chakra began to erupt completely.

That immense power swept across the surroundings! The grass beneath our feet was uprooted by the force of the airflow, and the air around us was compressed and distorted. "I cannot forgive you. Otherwise, I would have no face to face the mirror."

He raised his finger.

That hand had once taught Danzo Ninjutsu, protected him on the battlefield, and guided him when he was lost.

At that moment, that hand was pointed at him.

"Now—let me do it myself—!"

Danzo's one eye widened to its limit.

In those eyes was the image of his most respected teacher, the one he had followed his whole life and longed to be recognized, launching an attack on him.