Tobirama Senju's helplessness stemmed from his elder brother's impatience for quick success. Yet given the circumstances, it truly had been the best possible moment. Unfortunately, everything had happened too suddenly, and the Uchiha Clan's counterattack had been too fierce. At the very least, only three days had passed since they joined Konoha, yet all three Uchiha brothers had returned. This game of chess would undoubtedly take far longer than he had imagined.
That afternoon, Mingye, Madara, and Izuna held another discussion in the study. After the three had chatted for a while, Hatake Zangshuo, the head of the Hatake Clan, pushed open the door and entered. Seeing the elder about to bow to them, Mingye quickly spoke.
"No need for formalities. I invited you here because I have an important matter to entrust to you, Senior."
Hatake Zangshuo smiled faintly, sat cross-legged to one side, and slowly replied.
"This old man has been rather unpopular among the ninjas of many clans lately. Lord Mingye always seems to hand our clan some very unpleasant assignments. Don't you think this is rather harmful to our clan?"
Mingye smiled and shook his head as he explained.
"Senior, your rebuke is too harsh. I merely know how to make use of your sons. A sharp blade must always be drawn from its sheath to temper its edge, must it not? If a treasured blade is never drawn, how would the world ever know its sharpness? Even if those clans currently hold some misunderstandings toward the Hatake Clan, they will understand in the future. Believe me—so long as the Uchiha Clan remains in power, the Hatake Clan will always stand second only to one. That will not change."
Mingye's promise made Hatake Zangshuo chuckle. It was not contempt, but rather that his decades of