Six members of the Hyuga Clan's branch family had gone missing. Konoha High Command knew the Ōtsutsuki Clan was responsible, but after several peaceful months of defensive preparations, everyone settled into developing the village while remaining on guard.
Even without Yanbai, time continued to pass in the shinobi world.
To maintain his combat strength, Hashirama Senju could not afford to be bogged down in administrative trivialities. He needed to keep training.
Thus, Konoha Shinobi Village introduced a new policy.
The Hokage position would change hands every five years.
After Hashirama Senju stepped down as Hokage,
Uchiha Izuna, the Uchiha Clan's current clan leader, succeeded him as the Second Hokage.
Five years later, Tobirama Senju succeeded him as the Third Hokage...
The rules of Hokage succession differed from those of the original timeline, but the Senju, Hyuga, and Uchiha clans still took turns governing.
The Hyuga Clan seemed wary of something and always voluntarily withdrew from consideration, leaving the Hokage position to alternate between the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan.
Meanwhile, Madara Uchiha had completely withdrawn from the world to live in seclusion. Hashirama Senju and the others did not disturb him, even during holidays.
Madara Uchiha had effectively vanished from everyone's sight. Many villagers who had recently moved to Konoha, as well as the new generation of shinobi growing up there, did not know the real Madara Uchiha.
Konoha Shinobi Village had been founded more than a decade earlier than in the original timeline.
Konoha High Command had also learned of the Ōtsutsuki's existence ahead of time, so the measures they took were naturally different from those in the original timeline.
While Hashirama Senju was still in office, Tobirama Senju had already begun devoting himself to researching forbidden techniques.
The Ōtsutsuki Clan hung over everyone's heads like a sword.