Tennin Hyuga studied the evidence, his face as dark as the night sky before a storm. His feelings were a tangled mix of shock, anger and regret. These clans were as meek as servants on ordinary days, yet they dared do something so utterly unconscionable! No wonder we couldn't find the second elder's child, no matter how hard we searched after the child disappeared. Those traitors in our midst stole and sold the child! I must have been blind not to see their wolfish ambitions all this time. If the Senju Clan hadn't uncovered the truth, who knows how much longer they would have kept us fooled? It looks like I really do owe the Senju a great favor this time. He slowly rose, straightened his clothes and said with solemn gravity, "The Hyuga Clan pledges here and now to give the Hokage our full support from this day forward. We Hyuga will never tolerate clans with no principles whatsoever. We will show them zero tolerance. The Hokage was right to wipe them out, and he did it well! It was done for justice throughout Konoha, and to protect the future of every one of our clans."
After reading the documents, Sasuke Sarutobi's heart skipped a beat. So it was the Hyuga Clan watching us in secret. No wonder the Hokage was able to strike the Shinozuka Clan and Yamamoto Clan with such precision. This is trouble. I need to find a way to distance us from them, fast. He collected himself and forced an innocent, earnest expression onto his face. Standing, he bowed slightly to Tobirama Senju. "Please see the truth, Lord Hokage! Our Sarutobi Clan did indeed have good relations with the Shinozuka and Yamamoto Clans in private, and we had some dealings with them. But heaven and earth are my witnesses, we never took part in any assassination attempts, and we knew nothing of the filthy acts of treason they committed! If I'd known what heartless traitors they were, I would surely have been the first to wipe them out! They hid it so well that they fooled us all completely. We're victims too!" As he spoke, he secretly watched Tobirama's expression, trying to find a trace of trust on that stern face.
Dansuke Shimura could no longer sit still either. He hurried to his feet, waving his hands as he loudly protested his innocence. "We've been falsely accused, Lord Hokage! The Shinozuka and Yamamoto Clans led our Shimura Clan into a terrible mess. They never breathed a word to us when they were doing those evil things. We always regarded them as friends. Who could have imagined they were such two-faced scoundrels? The sun and moon can attest to our loyalty to the First Hokage. How could we possibly have taken part in something so treacherous?"
The heads of the dozen or so other clans implicated also rose one after another, each more agitated and shouting louder than the last.
Chisato Utatane, head of the Utatane Clan, flushed red and shouted, "Our Utatane Clan is part of the Land of Fire's nobility. We have always acted honorably and openly. How could we have joined forces with such traitors? They must have framed us!"
Yohei Mito, head of the Mito Clan, wore a grim expression as he said coldly, "Our clan focuses on its own economic development and Ninjutsu research. Though we associate with many clans, we never take part in these disputes. We've definitely been falsely accused this time."
Momiji Yamanaka, head of the Yamanaka Clan, nervously wrung her fingers, her voice trembling slightly. "Our Yamanaka Clan has always kept out of disputes. We really have nothing to do with assassinations or treason." For a time, the entire meeting hall descended into chaos, cries of innocence and explanations rising one after another.
Tobirama Senju frowned, his expression growing darker. He slammed a hand on the table and shouted, "Enough! All of you, stop! Once this meeting is over, each of you will come to the Hokage's office and explain yourselves. There are more important matters on today's agenda. Sit down!" His angry shout rang out like a great bell, making the entire meeting room tremble slightly. Only then did the clan heads reluctantly sit, and the room fell quiet again, though tension and unease still hung in the air.
Tobirama Senju took a deep breath and calmed himself before continuing. "First, in response to incidents like this, Konoha should establish a criminal code. Without rules, there can be no order. Everyone must understand the consequences of crossing the line. Second, how should Konoha respond to the increasingly grave situation in the Shinobi World? The other hidden villages are eyeing us hungrily, and we must be fully prepared. Third, how should Konoha deal with the rampant espionage by other nations? They are stealing intelligence and kidnapping children with bloodline abilities right under our noses, and they have already seriously endangered the village's safety. Fourth, this incident has revealed a serious discrepancy between the number of registered ninja in Konoha and the actual number. More than half of the ninja in the major clans have not been reported. This has caused enormous difficulties in assessing the village's fighting strength and assigning missions. Fifth, there is the matter of Konoha's barrier. Spies can come and go as they please, and so can clan ninja. The barrier might as well not exist. It must be reinforced and improved. Sixth... seventh..." Tobirama Senju raised around a hundred practical problems facing Konoha in succession, each one like a heavy stone weighing on the clan heads' hearts.
Over the following days, the clan heads engaged in heated discussions about these problems. They covered everything from the specifics of conducting a census in Konoha to the design and management of entry and exit passes; from reinforcing and rearranging the barriers throughout the village to the details of establishing Konoha's spy organization, the Anbu. Every detail was discussed and weighed repeatedly, because every matter concerned the personal safety and daily lives of Konoha's residents, as well as the village's future course.
The meeting lasted a full seven days. During that time, the people in the meeting room sometimes argued until their faces were red, and sometimes fell into thoughtful silence.
Drawing on his exceptional strategic skill, Shikaboshi Nara, the Nara Clan Head, offered many constructive suggestions for the census plan and took charge of counting and registering ninja. Konoha's registered ninja population rose from 200,000 to a staggering 430,000. The number of ninja hidden by the clans was roughly equal to the number registered with Konoha. Members of the Nara Clan began entering the administrative department to assist Tobirama Senju in managing matters affecting the people's livelihood.
Momiji Yamanaka, meanwhile, used her unique mind-reading ability to help design interrogation procedures for spies. The Yamanaka Clan cooperated fully with the Uchiha to purge Konoha of spies. The Memory Reading Technique made an enormous contribution. Yamanaka clansmen began entering the intelligence department and the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force.
Chozan Akimichi volunteered to organize his clan members to help reinforce the barriers. Those among them who knew the Multi-Size Technique made good laborers.
The Hatake, Yuhi, Gekko, Uzuki and other clans also contributed to solving the various problems, each drawing on its own strengths.
The Mito, Utatane and other clans kept relatively low profiles, but used their networks among the nobility to procure various necessary supplies. They quietly supported the implementation of each decision. Seeing these clans cooperate with all their hearts and strength, Tobirama Senju let go of some of his prejudice against them.
In the end, after those long and difficult seven days, Konoha underwent a major transformation. The loose system under which each clan governed itself gave way to one that dispersed the clans and integrated them into Konoha. A "one clan, two systems" policy was also adopted, with each clan governed jointly by the Hokage and its head. A new criminal code was established, the Anbu was formally founded, the barriers were comprehensively reinforced and upgraded, and the census and ninja registration proceeded in an orderly manner. After its bloody baptism, Konoha seemed to be reborn. All the clans were undergoing a transformation, taking on an entirely new form as they prepared to face the even graver challenges ahead.