"???"
As Kei Uchiha finished speaking, question marks practically appeared over everyone's heads.
Inoichi Yamanaka finally couldn't hold back. "Kei, I don't understand... how could we possibly predict something like war as we are now?"
"Even if the war ends and temporary peace returns to the shinobi world, the First accomplished the same thing back then, but..."
Kei smiled. "That's true. We really can't predict what will happen a hundred years from now, because Hashirama Senju would die, and all of us would die, but..."
Kei abruptly fell silent.
He stopped at a crucial point that left endless room for speculation.
The clan leaders were puzzled at first, then startled.
They exchanged looks.
Wait...
What's that supposed to mean, stopping there?
Just then, Princess Tsunade, who looked as though she had only just woken up, her eyes still half-open, lifted her flushed face. "Kid, are you going to bring up that whole unifying the shinobi world thing too?"
"?" Everyone froze.
"What unification?"
"Wait! Unification?"
"...Isn't that what Madara Uchiha advocated back then?!"
As soon as Princess Tsunade finished, a mosquito-like buzz filled the meeting room. Everyone's expression changed dramatically, and they straightened in their seats.
Their astonished gazes first turned to Kei, then to Tsunade.
What Princess Tsunade had implied was...
Someone had once discussed the ideas and principles of unification with her.
As for who...
That went without saying!
So this was Shinji Uchiha's intention?!
One thought after another arose in some of their minds. They still remembered... being gathered for a meeting just like this back then.
The subject of that meeting had been:
The "threat" the seventeen-year-old head of the Uchiha Clan posed to the village...
At that thought.
Everyone went numb.
So?
Sarutobi and Danzo...
"No..."
Seeing the dangerous turn their expressions had taken, Shikaku