The morning sun pierced the layers of roof tiles and luxuriant branches and leaves in Konoha, trying to dispel the pall of slaughter that had hung over the village the previous night. Yet the scent of blood and fear was like a shadow clinging to the depths of the soul, not so easily erased.
The compounds of the six great clans that had been exterminated were now completely enclosed by towering earthen walls. The walls still carried the damp scent of soil, as if testifying to how recently they had been built. Curious and frightened villagers approached the mysterious, terrifying areas from time to time, their eyes full of inquiry and unease. Every time, however, the stern figures of the Hokage's Shadow Guard turned them away without mercy. The guards wore tight black clothing and fearsome masks, and the weapons in their hands gleamed coldly in the morning light, silently warning everyone that the area was off-limits.
An atmosphere so oppressive it was hard to breathe filled the Hokage Building's grand conference hall. The heads of the major clans filed in, their footsteps heavy and their faces seemingly shrouded in gloom. When they met one another, they exchanged only slight nods. The usual greetings and pleasantries were nowhere to be found, replaced by hushed, anxious discussions.
"This happened too suddenly. Such big clans were wiped out just like that. What's our clan supposed to do from now on?" Fukuda Sukeichi, head of the Fukuda Clan, asked Nishimura Ryo, head of the Nishimura Clan, in a low voice, his brow furrowed.
Nishimura Ryo shook his head with a bitter smile. "Who knows? The situation feels even harder to read than it did during the Shinobi World War. Let's find out what happened first."
Nearby, Miyamoto Masatake, head of the Miyamoto Clan, looked deeply worried. "No matter what, we have to protect our clans first. We can't let anything else go wrong. If it comes to it, we can just leave Konoha and live somewhere remote."
Kimura Takuya, head of the Kimura Clan, said gravely, "The Senju Clan truly is a prestigious clan with a thousand years of history. I saw it clearly from my roof yesterday. The Shinozuka Clan had seven or eight thousand ninja, but a hundred or so Senju Clan members trapped them in their compound, and they couldn't break out. The hidden weapon grandmaster Senju Yasuhei sent hidden weapons down like rain, killing ninja as easily as slaughtering chickens and dogs. Six women formed a battle formation and charged into the Shinozuka Clan as if no one were there. It was terrifying."
Takeda Makoto, head of the Takeda Clan, said, "That's right. My home isn't far from the Yamamoto Clan. I saw the First Hokage's wife slaughter more than ten thousand members of the Yamamoto Clan, all by herself. Not one of them was left, old or young. We smaller clans had better not do anything to offend the great clans! Otherwise, if one person wipes out our whole clan, who can we turn to for justice?"
Inoue Tsukikage, head of the Inoue Clan, stared fearfully at the Hokage as he walked onto the raised platform. "Stop talking, all of you. Lord Hokage is here!"
As the imposing figure of the Hokage, Tobirama Senju, walked onto the platform and slowly sat down, the conference hall, where people had still been whispering among themselves, fell instantly silent, as though time itself had stopped. The clan heads all turned their eyes to Tobirama Senju, their gazes full of complicated emotions: some were ingratiating, trying to demonstrate their loyalty in this turbulent time; some were angry, both at the Hokage's sudden, inhumane extermination of six great clans and at the chaos into which the village had fallen; others were deep in thought, considering their clans' positions and futures amid this upheaval.
Tobirama Senju slowly swept his gaze over the crowd, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's, as though he could see through everyone's thoughts. Once the hall had quieted, he cleared his throat and said in a deep but powerful voice, "I expect every clan already knows about what happened last night. I led the Hokage's Secret Guard to wipe out six great clans overnight: the Ikeda Clan, the Yamashita Clan, the Takahashi Clan, the Ishikawa Clan, the Yamamoto Clan, and the Shinozuka Clan. As for why they were exterminated..." He pointed to the documents in the guards' hands. "These are the evidence of the six clans' crimes. I'll give each clan a copy. Once you've read it, you can share your views." With that, he raised a hand slightly, signaling the Hokage's Secret Guard to distribute the documents detailing the six clans' crimes to the clan heads.
As the documents were distributed, only the rustling of paper could be heard in the conference hall. Tobirama Senju continued, his tone growing even more solemn. "What these clans have done over the years is simply outrageous. They ambushed and murdered talented young members of the various clans-people who were the future hope of our Konoha! They also trafficked the children and women of bloodline clans, trading people like merchandise. They utterly abandoned the basic standards of conduct expected of ninja and of human beings! They also incited the clans of Konoha to attack one another, throwing the village into turmoil and leaving everyone in fear. They even colluded with enemy nations, betraying the village for profit and using Konoha's secrets and the lives of our fellow villagers as bargaining chips for personal gain!"
Tobirama Senju paused briefly, sweeping his gaze toward Uchiha Clan Head Uchiha Tomioki before looking at Tennin Hyuga. "Perhaps even their backers didn't know about their crimes. Take the Ikeda Clan and the Yamashita Clan, vassals of the Uchiha Clan. They even dared sell members of their own backers' Uchiha bloodline to the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth. The Takahashi Clan and the Ishikawa Clan, vassals of the Hyuga Clan, also sold members of the Hyuga bloodline to the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water. You all have the evidence in your hands. It contains clear records of statements from foreign spies captured by our Senju Clan, as well as from the people we rescued. The evidence is irrefutable! In recent years, more and more people from the clans have gone missing. I don't know whether any other clans were involved, but I want to tell you all that Konoha has absolutely zero tolerance for the trafficking of clan children! Anyone discovered doing it will be killed without exception, and in serious cases, their entire clan will be exterminated! If any clan dares cross Konoha's bottom line, then don't blame me for showing no mercy and making that clan disappear from this world entirely! Konoha has no need for clans with no bottom line!"
"As for the Yamamoto Clan and the Shinozuka Clan, their crimes are even more unforgivable! Yesterday, they ambushed and murdered the First Hokage's heir. The Hyuga Clan exposed and accused them, and the evidence is conclusive! What's more, this matter also involves more than a dozen clans, including the Sarutobi Clan, the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, and the Shimura Clan. They're all identified in the evidence documents. After this meeting, the heads of those clans must give the First Hokage an explanation. Otherwise, you won't be able to bear the consequences! Now, the clans may share their views on this incident."
After reading the evidence, Uchiha Clan Head Uchiha Tomioki felt a surge of rage rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. He roared inwardly, I treated the Ikeda Clan and the Yamashita Clan as branches of my own clan and protected them with care, yet they bit me behind my back! Our Uchiha Clan has truly lost all face this time. How were we fooled for so long by what was right under our noses, never once suspecting they would do something so utterly beneath human decency! He shot to his feet, his hands clenched so tightly into fists that his knuckles turned white, the anger on his face almost beyond control. He shouted, "A clan's bottom line must not be violated! The Yamashita Clan and the Ikeda Clan dared lay their hands on Kekkei Genkai and traffic members of our clan's bloodline. They deserved to die! I, an Uchiha, firmly support the Hokage's extermination of their clans. I only wish I could charge into those walled-off compounds myself and tear those traitors to pieces! The Uchiha declare here and now that if anything like this happens again in Konoha, our Uchiha Clan will absolutely be at the forefront, purging these evil forces for Konoha. We will never allow such a disgrace to happen again under our noses!" His voice echoed through the conference hall, full of resolve and anger.