The Thousand-Hand Forest's Hidden

Since its founding over a decade ago, Konoha has developed under the leadership of the First and Second Hokage into a village with a comprehensive system, encompassing a vast array of administrative, intelligence, combat, and logistical institutions.

The Konoha Orphanage is one such institution. After all, being a ninja is a high-risk profession where sacrifice is a constant possibility, to say nothing of the periods during the Great Ninja Wars. Thus, the orphanage was established to care for the orphans of fallen ninjas and certain civilians.

However, given Hanyu's age, he was not exactly suited for the orphanage. At his age, he was already capable of self-care; he was at an age where he should be leaving such a place, not entering it.

Yet, for reasons unknown, he still ended up in the hands of the orphanage director.

"This will be your room from now on. You must have been through a lot these past few days, so get some rest for today. We can discuss the specifics tomorrow... Oh, right, I will arrange for someone to bring your meals," Sanshao said to Hanyu as she settled him into a private room within the facility.

"Understood." Hanyu had no complaints whatsoever regarding this arrangement. The room was a bit cramped but clean, and it was furnished with simple, essential items—a living environment Hanyu, who had spent years wandering, could never have imagined before.

As for what would happen next, Hanyu did not know, but this small room was a decent start.

The orphanage was quite large, housing nearly a hundred orphans, yet the area around the room Hanyu was temporarily occupying remained empty. It was clear that an outsider like him was being treated differently. Therefore, even though the village had not restricted his freedom, he would not wander about or interact with others unless explicitly instructed to do so. Hanyu confined his activities strictly to this room.

This was called self-awareness; choosing to live in seclusion was far better than being imprisoned for improper behavior. In Hanyu's experience, ninjas were not only keen on killing their enemies, but sometimes they were also quite keen on killing their own.

Setting aside Hanyu's messy considerations, once his affairs were settled, Sanshao quickly left the orphanage. Konoha was currently in a period of transition between old and new power, and because the handover had been so rushed, someone like Sanshao was incredibly busy; she could not afford to spend too much time on Hanyu.

Next, Sanshao had a matter of great importance to explain to one of the high-ranking figures in Konoha, and she needed to secure that person's approval and understanding as much as possible. That person held an extremely lofty position in Konoha: Uzumaki Mito, wife of the First Hokage. She was the one Sanshao was about to face.

In terms of status, Uzumaki Mito was the most revered person in Konoha, and even the succession of the Hokage required her approval. Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen needed the support of Uzumaki Mito to become Hokage, what Sanshao intended to do also required her backing.

Uzumaki Mito looked to be in her fifties, and the iconic crimson hair of her youth had lost its luster. After Sanshao arrived at her side, before she could even state her purpose, Uzumaki Mito spoke with a hint of exhaustion:

"Sanshao, have you truly decided to do this?"

Clearly, the Hokage's wife had already learned of Sanshao's intentions through some means.

"Yes, it is already a settled matter. By now, it is time for the Senju clan to retreat while they are still at their peak," Sanshao said. She paused deliberately, and seeing that there was no significant change in the expression on the other woman's face, she continued to explain, "Since the start of the Great Ninja War, our sense of honor as the 'Senju of the Forest' and our sense of duty as the clan of the Hokage have caused our people to be too 'eager to lead' during the war. Those who dare to fight to the death will surely die; in these past few years, the casualty rate of Senju ninjas has even surpassed that of the chaotic era before the founding of Konoha..."

"On the other hand, it is precisely because of this casualty rate that many outstanding clansmen died before they could truly grow up. Consequently, since the First and Second, the Senju have not produced any ninjas with the same brilliant intellect and overwhelming strength to unify the clan. Therefore... I feel it is time."

"Concealing the name of the Senju of the Forest is a correct decision for both the clan and Konoha. The logic is simple: the Senju clan cannot be the Hokage forever. If we were to remain the Senju, what would be the point of forming Konoha? Since the Senju cannot always be the Hokage, we do not need to bear responsibilities beyond those of ordinary ninjas. This does not mean forbidding our clansmen from becoming ninjas, but rather that they should no longer carry the heavy name of Senju." When Sanshao offered this explanation, her voice was filled with profound grief.

The "Senju of the Forest" had become a weight too heavy for their lives to bear.

Abandoning the Senju name was a decision that caused immense pain, but conversely, for one of the most prominent ninja clans in the world to give up their name, one could imagine the casualties they had suffered in the recent war.

"Is this the opinion of all the Senju clansmen?" Uzumaki Mito asked after a long silence.

"Yes. At the previous clan meeting, although everyone expressed great sorrow over this decision, the vast majority chose to accept it."

"So that is how it is. Has the Senju clan finally reached the point where they must discard their glorious name? I thought a significant portion would oppose such a decision, but... perhaps this is for the best. At this point, even if Hashirama were to return to life, I would have an answer for my husband; he would have nothing left to say," Uzumaki Mito said.

She hailed from the Uzumaki clan, and although she had married the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, she was not a true Senju—there were some things that only the purest of the Senju could decide.

That was because the clansmen who held the strongest sense of family pride and would have most vehemently opposed this decision had already died on the battlefield... Sanshao wanted to shout these words out, but in the end, she opened her mouth and said nothing.

Because this was not just something she understood; the person sitting across from her, who had accompanied the First Hokage throughout his life, understood it even better.

In summary, the death of the Second Hokage was the catalyst for the Senju clan's decision to hide their clan name. The war had reached its midpoint, and Konoha had thwarted the invasion of the Cloud Village; the two countries were about to sign a peace and alliance treaty, a result bought with the lives of countless Senju clansmen. Yet, all of this vanished with the sudden death of the Second Hokage.

Peace had been within reach, but it had disappeared without a trace. The disparity between the hope and the reality caused the morale of the Senju clan to plummet. They could not help but wonder: was their sacrifice all this time truly meaningful?

The answer was, of course, that it was meaningful.

However, their contribution was vastly disproportionate to the value of the results achieved.

So, when Sanshao proposed hiding the Senju name, the clansmen were initially shocked, but soon, the vast majority accepted the proposal.

And so, this proposal became the final decision.

The sacrifices of the Senju were not only understood by themselves, but by the entire village of Konoha. Based on the heavy price they had paid, no one had the standing to demand further sacrifices from them. Therefore, once the Senju clan made this decision, the village would not, and could not, stop them.

From this day forward, the most important ninja clan that formed Konoha, the world-renowned Senju clan, would gradually fade away. The surname Senju would, before long, exist only in history.

"Although there will be no more Senju ninjas in the future, it is only because all Senju ninjas have become Konoha ninjas. We have not abandoned our responsibilities, nor will we shirk the duties expected of Konoha ninjas. But for the long-term survival of the clan, we must do this. No matter how glorious a name is, it is hollow; compared to the vibrant lives of our clansmen, it is not worth mentioning... Therefore, the Senju will henceforth be born as Konoha ninjas, fight as Konoha ninjas, and even die as Konoha ninjas."

No other ninja clan could surpass the Senju in their sense of identity and belonging to Konoha, so Sanshao's words were trustworthy.

"However, after making this decision, to avoid unnecessary speculation within the village, I will head to the Land of Lightning again to take on the mission of acting as an envoy to the Cloud Village," she added. Attitude is one thing, and action is another; she needed to prove through her own behavior that the Senju's stance toward Konoha would not change.

"Go to the Cloud Village? You must know that with your current physical condition, you are not capable of executing high-intensity missions. You should..." Regarding this decision, Uzumaki Mito could not remain silent any longer.

"But my status is the best way to express Konoha's sincerity for peace. In terms of symbolic significance, there is no one more suitable for this mission than I am... The deaths of the Hokage and the Raikage were merely an accident; the desire for peace on both sides will not change because of it. As for myself, I do not begrudge the hatred toward the Cloud Village, but resentment is the simplest and easiest thing to do. What is difficult is to complete the unfinished business of the Second Hokage. This Great Ninja War was led by the Second Hokage for Konoha, so ending the war is also something the Senju must do... This will be the last thing the Senju does in the name of the Senju."

The determination reflected in Sanshao's words allowed for no change from anyone.

This caused Uzumaki Mito to fall silent once more. After a long period of reflection, she finally said: "If that is what you think, then go and do it. Whether it is the matter of the Senju or the matter of the Cloud Village, do it... Just remember, if you are determined to do it, you must succeed."

This highly respected elder finally gave her approval to Sanshao's plan.

"Of course, I will not fail."

Sanshao had the confidence to succeed.