Konoha's Shock

"Hiruzen! How could this have happened with you there?!"

"Were you the only guard who shamelessly survived? You have no shame!"

One of the village elders spat accusations at Hiruzen for "abandoning" the Second.

"Not only Lord Second, but the 'young master' too... We're too ashamed to face Lord Hashirama!"

Even more than a decade after his death, the people's reverence for the First, Senju Hashirama, had not faded.

To the elders, Diejian, whose resemblance to Hashirama had gradually become more apparent as he grew, was like seeing the god Hashirama himself.

—A coup had taken place in Kumogakure. During it, the Second and Senju Diejian had gone missing.

This news, brought back by Sarutobi Hiruzen from Kumogakure, now a land of death, dealt a tremendous blow to Konoha's High Command, who had eagerly awaited good news of a successful alliance with Kumogakure.

The village elders immediately convened an emergency meeting with the heads of Konoha's great clans and established a crisis response headquarters.

But the meeting made little progress, eventually turning into a trial over Hiruzen's responsibility.

Though Hiruzen knew that this was probably an attempt to strip the Sarutobi Clan of the authority it had long enjoyed under the protection of the First and Second, he willingly endured the accusations leveled against him before the clan heads.

He did so out of guilt.

As captain of the Second's personal guard, he had not only failed in his duty, but had left a young junior alone in a land of death and returned alive himself, shamelessly. This fact weighed on Hiruzen like an unbearable burden.

Once before, when the First had died young, an emergency meeting had likewise been convened, followed by fierce debate.

Hiruzen remembered the elders shouting over one another as they argued about Hashirama's cause of death and who was to blame.

That desolate forest, the bodies strewn about, and the three children huddled beside Hashirama's corpse—

When that battle ended, Diejian had just been brought back to life by Hashirama. He was gravely injured and unconscious.

Ina and Sakumo had witnessed their friend being killed before their eyes. Exhausted in body and mind, they needed to recover through sleep.

That was why Hashirama had forced Ina and Sakumo into a deep sleep before he died.

If they had been left alone then, the two of them might have been scarred for life.

Even so, the elders had been willing to wake the sleeping children to uncover the truth.

The one who stopped the chaos from spreading to the fragile children and brought the situation under control was Senju Tobirama, who had hurried back from a diplomatic mission.

Afterward, while waiting for the three children to wake naturally, he had secretly laid the groundwork for taking office as the Second.

Then, as soon as Ina awoke, he had acted at once, suppressing all opposition and factions and swiftly taking office as the Second.

But that was something only Tobirama could have done.

He was the First's younger brother and one of the founding heroes who had established Konohagakure.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, on the other hand, had only just taken over as clan head of the Sarutobi Clan. He was still young.

It was simply impossible to expect him to do what Tobirama had done.

"—I hereby convey the final decree bestowed by the Second."

The one who interrupted the downward spiral was a young man with a cross-shaped scar on his chin—Shimura Danzō.

He shoved the door open and strode into the meeting room, his footsteps ringing out as he barged in without a hint of deference.

His arrogant, discourteous attitude made the Uchiha Clan Head frown, and the elders raised their voices. Danzō, however, nonchalantly took his place beside Hiruzen.

"Appoint Sarutobi Hiruzen as the Third Hokage—"

The meeting room erupted in a buzz.

Danzō continued, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"These were the Second's final words. Anyone who defies them will be considered a traitor to the Second and dealt with by me, according to the rules."

The Second had sacrificed himself to protect them.

The final words of the man Danzō had admired had taken deep root in his heart.

"—You Shimura brat, you're out of line."

"The Second's decree is fine. But we can't have Hiruzen take office immediately, Danzō. The Hokage isn't appointed by the previous Hokage. We also need the Feudal Lord's approval. Think of the future—this is a bad move, Danzō."

However, Konoha's elders saw nothing in Danzō's manner but arrogance and disrespect.

The burly head of the Inuzuka Clan brought his imposing presence to bear on Danzō.

His thick beard and painted face added to the man's intimidating appearance. His bulging muscles and battle scars gave him the air of a seasoned general.

Then the elderly Nara Clan Head fixed Danzō with a sharp gaze and said nothing.

"The Second's final decree—it sounds nice, but the Hokage is elected, not appointed. Don't get it wrong, Shimura brat."

The Uchiha Clan Head spoke.

His words implied that the Uchiha Clan had the right to put forward a candidate for Third Hokage, too.

It seemed less like dissatisfaction with Danzō and Hiruzen and more like a provocation directed at the Sarutobi and Shimura Clans.

—After all, the Uchiha only respected the Senju.

The likes of the Shimura and Sarutobi were ultimately second-rate...

That was probably what he meant.

The Uchiha Clan and its head were not hostile toward the Senju Clan at present.

They had not opposed Tobirama when he took office as the Second, either.

The Uchiha were a rare example of a moderate faction... but that only applied to their attitude toward the Senju Clan.

The Uchiha Clan had once produced Madara, a great enemy. Even so, Senju Hashirama had welcomed the Uchiha as members of Konoha.

As a result, the Uchiha—or at least the current Uchiha Clan Head—could not hold their heads high in front of the Senju.

But Tobirama's death had removed that restraint.

In the Uchiha Clan's eyes, there was no reason to yield to the Sarutobi or Shimura Clans, who were no more than Senju hangers-on.

"See? Just as I thought."

At the Nara Clan Head's words, spoken as if he could hardly be bothered, Danzō frowned.

He cursed inwardly. The Nara Clan really was difficult to deal with.

That said, the Nara Clan Head was not rejecting the idea of Hiruzen becoming Third Hokage.

In this crisis, Danzō's words and actions would only stir up unnecessary hostility.

The Nara Clan Head was warning Danzō that if he kept acting this way, opposition to Hiruzen as a candidate for Third Hokage would grow, too. There was no need to turn clan heads who had not yet made up their minds into enemies for no reason.

Sure enough, worried voices began to rise, wondering whether Hiruzen was still too young for the job.

Though the Uchiha Clan had been pushed out of the political center, their influence remained considerable.

With the head of the largest faction, the Senju Clan, absent, more than a few people leaned toward the Uchiha—

"—Quiet."

Suddenly, a woman's icy voice rang out.

Her clear voice rippled through the room, instantly quelling the chaotic debate.

The doors stood open.

A woman wrapped in a lavish kimono appeared.

Her dignified presence made someone suck in a breath.

"Lady Mito..."

A glittering hairpin swayed and jingled amid her gorgeous red hair.

Someone's whisper seeped into the silence.

The woman's name was Mito Uzumaki—or Mito Senju—the woman beloved by the First, Senju Hashirama.

Just as someone whispered, "Why is she here?" the Nara Clan Head spoke, as if to cut them off.

"Everyone, what do you think—"

In the silent room, the Nara Clan Head, the focus of everyone's attention, met Mito's gaze steadily and nodded.

Mito responded by closing her eyes, signaling to the Nara Clan Head that she was willing to accept whatever he decided.

The Nara Clan Head was awed by her resolve.

When he heard that the Second had gone missing, he had foreseen that the meeting would descend into chaos, so he had invited Mito Uzumaki to attend.

Though the First had passed away, his influence remained immeasurable.

She rarely appeared in public by nature, but as his wife—and as the Jinchuriki, the village's ultimate weapon—Mito wielded far greater influence than any adviser.

Therefore—

"—As the wife of the late Lord Hashirama, Lady Mito was once a princess of the Land of Whirlpools... Until the Second's fate is known, we can't go on arguing like this. We'll put off the Third Hokage's appointment for now and have Lady Mito act in the Second's place. What does everyone think?"

"W-well, if it's Lady Mito, surely no one could object."

Mito Uzumaki was the mother of Konoha, a figure who stood high above the clouds.

No one could possibly oppose her.

To do so would be tantamount to making an enemy of the Senju Clan.

Besides, the Second had not been confirmed dead.

Rather than oppose her recklessly, it was safer to have her act as a symbol while standing in for him.

The heads of all the clans nodded in unison.

"—Hiruzen, what's with that 'attitude' of yours?!"

"..."

After the meeting, in an empty corridor, Danzō checked that no one was around, then grabbed Hiruzen by the front of his clothes.

"Why didn't you object?!"

"Danzō... I... It's true that I failed in my duty as captain of the guard... And Diejian, whom Lord Hashirama entrusted to me, hasn't come back. I..."

"That's enough, 'Third Hokage'! You're the one the 'previous generation' entrusted with this name—not me, and not Diejian. You!! You!!"

Clutching Hiruzen's clothes, Danzō spoke as though he meant to slam him against the wall.

His fist trembled where it gripped Hiruzen's clothes. Danzō lowered his head as if holding something back, his expression twisted.

Danzō's anguished cry sank into Hiruzen's heart.

It was the desperate voice of a friend who had once strived alongside him to become Hokage.

Hiruzen turned over the meaning of what had been entrusted to him.

Now that it had been entrusted to him, he was not allowed to run away.

No matter how many hardships lay ahead, he was not allowed to cast off the burden he carried.

Everything he had strived for alongside his friend, learned from Hashirama, and been entrusted with by Tobirama—being Hokage meant walking ahead on a path where none existed, leading the way along a perilous road.

It meant bearing more hardship than anyone else and enduring every trial for the village, that family.

The village had now lost its "great father."

The one who would face the hardships that would soon befall the village and carve a path through the thorns was—

"—Sarutobi Hiruzen! If you keep acting this weak, I'll take the 'Hokage' position away from you!"

"Danzō..."

Danzō raised his head and glared at Hiruzen with upturned eyes.

Hiruzen widened his eyes and whispered his childhood friend's name.

"It was because of you that Diejian stayed behind. You're his senior, aren't you? You have to believe he'll come back."

"...Thank you, Danzō. I'm glad to have you as my closest friend—ow."

Seeing Hiruzen smile like the sun, Danzō scowled and shoved him away.

Hiruzen hit the wall and rubbed the back of his head in pain.

"That's the part of you I hate."

Danzō frowned in displeasure and turned his face away from Hiruzen.

Tsunade heard the terrible news just as she had finished training with Jiraiya and Orochimaru and returned home.

A ninja wearing a bizarre mask, impossible to tell whether it was a fox or a raccoon dog, had come to visit her home.

The mask marked him as a member of the Hokage's direct assassination and special tactical force, known as ANBU, whose members were required to conceal their identities.

The ANBU were supposed to be an elite force, yet they had failed to notice Tsunade's presence. Something extremely serious must have happened. Their unusually unsettled, uncharacteristically agitated atmosphere stirred Tsunade's feminine intuition.

So, half jokingly, Tsunade hid beside the wall surrounding the estate.

After a while, her grandmother Mito came out to meet the ANBU Ninja.

Tsunade pricked up her ears to hear what the matter was. The astonishing facts the ANBU revealed hit her like a blow that left her bloodless.

It was terrible news about her brother.

Unable to sit still, Tsunade ran out on the spot.

She had no specific destination in mind.

All that had flashed through Tsunade's mind was the face of her brother's close friend, White Fang, Hatake Sakumo.

Perhaps she had latched onto the uncertain hope that "if anyone could do something, it might be him."

Many people watched Tsunade rush past in a panic, as if she had seen the Nine-Tails.

Then—because of the information Tsunade brought, the atmosphere in the teahouse changed in an instant.

Agitation, despair, confusion.

Sakumo, Ina, and Juri each sensed the village's Chakra in their own way to verify the truth of what Tsunade had told them.

The Uchiha, Aburame, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Nara, and Inuzuka— the heads of Konoha's great clans were gathered at the Hokage's residence.

Unless the situation was extremely urgent, so many important figures would not gather in one place.

And from Tsunade's near-tearful expression, the three of them were certain the information was true.

"My brother... might be dead..."

"—Tsunade. This information—has anyone besides us..."

"Uh... N-no, I haven't told anyone..."

"I see... Then you mustn't tell anyone else about this. Konoha's ANBU aren't fools, either. They've probably already realized that you know about this. They'll issue a gag order any moment."

Of the three, Hatake Sakumo was the calmest.

That might also have been because he had been through so much as a Jonin and had matured mentally.

Sakumo reminded Tsunade because he was considering the effect that news of the Second's disappearance would have on the village.

The situation was different from when the First had died.

At the time, with the exceptional ninja Senju Tobirama holding things together, the "unease" caused by the "vacancy in the Hokage seat" was almost nonexistent.

The villagers had the room to mourn Hashirama's death and nothing else.

But the Second had no successor.

That successor might one day have been Sakumo or Diejian, but for now, no ninja had yet grown strong enough to shoulder the entire burden.

Sakumo rose and looked toward the Hokage's residence.

Since Tobirama had given him considerable influence as a "banner," Sakumo expected a summons to reach him before long.

He resolved that when it came, he would be the first to propose forming a Tobirama-and-Diejian search party and would stand at its head.

"..."

Ina stared at Sakumo's profile as he stood, as if she were looking at something impossible to believe.

What flashed through Ina's mind was Diejian's body, mangled and bloody after Kakuzu had killed him.

The back of her childhood friend, whom she had seen off just a few days ago.

Diejian's face as he lay unconscious in the hospital for months, like a corpse.

Her childhood friend, bearing the Senju name, looking back over his shoulder with a happy smile.

The despair and agitation she had felt when Diejian was killed surged up like a Turbid Current.

Happy memories and desperate recollections assailed Ina's heart in turn.

"Brother..."

"Ah..."

Amid the sensation that the world was spinning, a faint murmur seeped through.

Tsunade's voice, from the younger sister of her childhood friend and a dear friend in her own right, broke Ina's heart.

Smack! Ina slapped herself across the face.

A flush rose on her bloodless cheeks.

Ina took a deep breath.

How could she, as the older one and a female Jonin, stand there looking dazed in front of a girl shaken by the possibility of losing her brother?

It would be utterly unbecoming.

With a brisk motion, Ina picked up the teacup on the table and gulped down the tea still left in it.

The warmth of the water gradually seeped into her body.

After letting out a rough breath, Ina smiled faintly and gently cupped Tsunade's face, touching her cheeks.

"It's all right, Tsunade. There's no way that guy could die."

"—Ina."

"Yeah, I understand."

In response to Sakumo's call, Ina nodded firmly to show she was all right now.

But what about Juri, the last of them? She seemed lost in thought, muttering something indistinct as she shook her head slightly.

"Juri...? Eek!"

Worried, Ina bent down to check Juri's face as she hung her head.

But almost at the same moment, Juri jerked her head up with startling force, her face taking on a terrifyingly intense expression.

Ina recoiled in fright and stumbled back several steps.

"Juri, what are you—"

"I have to go..."

"W-wait!"

Juri sprang to her feet, knocking over her chair.

But she didn't even look at it. She snapped her head around and strode toward the teahouse exit.

Seeing her act so strangely, Ina hurriedly spoke up as she righted the chair, but Juri didn't respond.

"Juri, where are you going?"

Was she planning to leave the village and search for Diejian? Judging by Juri's personality, Sakumo guessed the answer and stepped in front of her.

"Move, Sakumo. Diejian is calling me."

"As your fellow Jonin, I can't let you act on your own."

So that was it. Sakumo narrowed his eyes.

There was nothing wrong with worrying about a comrade.

Sakumo himself wanted to go look for Diejian right away. He understood how Juri felt.

But the Land of Lightning, where Kumogakure was located, was no smaller than the Land of Fire. There was no way they could find him by searching aimlessly.

It would be a waste of time, and Juri and Sakumo could end up being listed as missing too, forcing the village to form a search party.

That would mean fewer people searching for Diejian and the Second, and could well reduce their chances of survival.

They might even run into the ninja who had launched the coup, Kinkaku and Ginkaku's group.

He didn't know the situation, but even the Second had been forced to flee from them. Sakumo didn't believe Juri could win.

But Juri didn't care about any of that.

Her eyes burned as if boiling, and the world before her was dyed crimson.

In the illusion that reality was spinning away from her, Diejian's voice calling for help echoed again and again.

The urge to rush to him at once—Juri didn't believe it was wrong.

And yet Sakumo, her friend, was standing in her way.

Juri felt a black flame blaze up inside her.

"Move, Sakumo."

"...Juri, I didn't say you couldn't go. I said there was no harm in waiting until we got information from Teacher Kagami or Lord Hiruzen before acting."

"Move, Sakumo... or I'll kill you."

"Are you serious, Juri...?"

Anger twisted Juri's otherwise well-proportioned face as she glared at Sakumo, who was blocking her way.

Her brow furrowed deeply, creasing her skin, and the corners of her eyes slanted sharply upward.

Her words, "I'll kill you," were no empty threat. Juri drew a Kunai with a shaky hand and aimed its tip at Sakumo.

Her eyes turned deep red, and three Tomoe appeared.

She was utterly different from the childish girl who had been crying just moments ago. This was the look of a ninja honed by experience, fitting for her age, and it made even Sakumo feel afraid.

A chill ran down Sakumo's spine, but he didn't move from where he stood.

It wasn't out of stubbornness or a sense of duty. He wanted to stop Juri from throwing herself into danger.

"Stop, Ina. That technique won't work on me anymore. I don't want to hurt you... Stop."

The Mind Body Switch Technique—Ina had formed its Hand Seals and aimed them at Juri. At those words from behind her, she gasped.

She hadn't finished molding her Chakra.

He had sensed her Hand Seals even though she'd been completely in his blind spot.

If she used the technique now, Juri could easily dodge it.

Then it would hit Sakumo, who was standing directly behind her.

And no one would be able to stop Juri once she went on a rampage.

Still holding her Hand Seals, Ina twisted her face in frustration.

"You're the same, Sakumo. I'll say it one last time. Move."

—Have you gone mad, Juri?

Kagami had once told him that when someone from the Uchiha Clan lost a person they loved deeply, their personality sometimes changed abruptly.

Sakumo knew how deeply Juri cared for Diejian and understood why she had changed so suddenly, but that didn't mean he could let her act recklessly.

As her teammate, as a man, and—as her friend.

He didn't know how much her recently recovered body could manage, but he had no choice but to try.

Sakumo lowered his stance—but then—

"Damn it, a flash bomb!"

Suddenly, light flooded the teahouse, blinding Sakumo.

The unexpected impact caught him completely off guard, leaving him unable to move.

In the world swallowed by light, Sakumo shielded his head against Juri's attack—but nothing came.

When his vision returned, Juri had vanished.

Sakumo stared at his palms, confirming that he was unharmed.

He also checked his Chakra for any signs of disruption.

He hadn't been caught in a genjutsu. Nothing had happened at all.

In that case, he should be able to catch up with her right away.

With a certain confidence, Sakumo molded Chakra and sensed Juri's location.

Her Chakra, hot as a burning flame, had already left the village.

Sakumo didn't know that Juri had used the Body Activation Technique she had shown during her fight with Diejian.

It was a technique that gave Juri incredible speed at the cost of being sensed by Sakumo.

"Are you okay, Sakumo?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine. What about you and Tsunade, Ina?"

"We're fine too, but..."

Ina, whose vision had returned a little later, ran over to Sakumo.

Sakumo raised a hand to stop the worried Ina and asked in a calm voice.

Seeing Ina nod in relief, Sakumo turned his back to her.

"Then I'll leave this place to you. I'm going after Juri."

"Wait!"

Ignoring Ina's attempt to stop him, Sakumo dashed out of the teahouse as if he were flying.

So everyone on the team was cut from the same cloth, Ina thought.

If she stayed here, she'd surely dash out after them just as Sakumo had.

She prayed for the safety of the three of them, including her other childhood friend, and gently lowered her eyes.

In the silence, only the sound of the waterfall could be heard.

Water splashed up and fell, never ceasing.

The wild beauty of nature was eternal, while the rushing river gave a sense of impermanence.

The Valley of the End.

Long ago, this was where the First, Senju Hashirama, and Uchiha Madara had fought their final battle.

This place on the border of the Land of Fire held statues of Senju Hashirama, standing as if to protect the Land of Fire, and Uchiha Madara, facing him.

The two pairs of statues, looking across the river at each other, told the story of the beginning and end of that battle beneath the blue sky.

"I had a feeling you'd pass through here."

Silver hair swayed in the wind atop Uchiha Madara's statue.

"Looks like you were faster after all, Sakumo."

Bright black hair fluttered in the wind atop Senju Hashirama's statue.