"Go ahead," Uchiha Genmei said, staring at Sarutobi Hiruzen's serious face. He knew the man wasn't joking.
Uchiha Genmei took the opportunity to urge him to speak.
To name the condition...
In that instant, Yuan Ming considered many possibilities.
If Sarutobi Hiruzen's demand wasn't too unreasonable, he could agree to it outright.
A peaceful transfer of power was best for both of them, since they belonged to the same group.
Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his teacup and pondered for a moment before raising his eyes.
"After you become Hokage, you must promise not to purge my Sarutobi Clan. If you can agree to that, I'll do everything in my power to help you become Hokage!"
There was no helping it.
During his years as Hokage, the Sarutobi Clan had grown far too powerful.
For a hundred years, they had been the Senju Clan's loyal followers.
Now one of their own had risen to prominence and become the leader of the village—the Hokage.
He commanded the two great clans, the Forest of Senju and the Uchiha.
The Sarutobi Clan had become deeply intoxicated by their position.
So...
When his clansmen asked the village for this benefit or that, or tried to get their hands on one thing or another, others let it slide out of respect for the Third Hokage.
And he had turned a blind eye as well.
After all, who didn't want their own clan to grow stronger? As its clan head, the stronger his clan became, the more power he could wield as Hokage of Konoha.
That was true of samurai, shinobi, and merchants, not to mention the nobles and aristocrats.
They all used their clans to control the world's power.
As Hokage, he had followed their example.
Everything had gone smoothly, and the Sarutobi Clan's influence had continued