A campaign to weaken Konoha's major ninja clans had unfolded amid the smoke of the Ninja World War.
On the muddy battlefields of the Land of Rain, the brutal clashes between Konoha, Iwagakure, and Hidden Cloud Village had swallowed nearly ninety percent of each clan's Jonin.
The Senju Clan's losses had been the most devastating.
To uphold the First Hokage's Will of Fire, and for the so-called peace of the village, nearly the entire Senju Clan had been sent to the front lines.
The enemy had singled them out on the battlefield. Even Tsunade and the other two had been forced into a cave by Hidden Stone Village ninja.
That had been the closest the Sannin had ever come to death.
The three had held on desperately until reinforcements arrived.
From then on, Tsunade had become one of the few remaining Jonin in the Senju Clan.
Just when Konoha's forces had finally driven Iwagakure's ninja back to the Land of Earth and raised their blades to reap the fruits of victory, Hiruzen Sarutobi had stepped forward and overturned the table.
He had suppressed every objection, wagered his position as Hokage, and forcibly signed a peace treaty with Iwagakure.
The strength of every ninja clan had been cut down at its roots, while the Sarutobi Clan had taken the opportunity to become one of the few great clans in Konoha still able to stand tall.
Danzo had been unable to swallow that.
He had led Root into Amegakure, disguised them as Hidden Stone Village ninja, and stirred up trouble in an attempt to sabotage the peace treaty.
Along the way, he had run into Yahiko's Akatsuki group.
During the clash, the secret of the Rinnegan had come to light, and Danzo's thoughts had immediately gone astray.
He had tossed his original