"Kakuzu, you should understand what the Senju clan means to us in Konoha." Sarutobi Hiruzen's words made Kakuzu frown slightly.
"Of course, I know." Without the Senju, there would be no Konoha. In fact, without them, the entire system of one nation, one village might never have come to be. But why was Hiruzen bringing this up now?
Seeing that Kakuzu hadn't fully grasped his meaning, Danzo stepped forward, his gaze dark and severe.
"The Senju are not like the Uchiha. They have inherited our teacher's will, willing to nurture Konoha with their lives and blood."
Good grief. Seeing Danzo clench his jaw so hard it might break, Kakuzu understood—Danzo had fully embraced the ideology of their teacher, Senju Tobirama.
That naturally evil Uchiha brat… Old man, I'll personally deal with him… Any Uchiha under Danzo's watch was bound to suffer terribly.
At the same time, Kakuzu finally understood the full context. The Senju, Konoha's founding clan, saw the village as their responsibility to protect. During the First Great Ninja War, nearly every other major clan in Konoha suffered little loss. Why? Because the Senju bore the brunt of the casualties. And now, in the Second Great Ninja War, the same was happening again.
From the elder Senju Momoka to the youngest child still bearing the Senju name, Senju Nawaki—all had fallen on the battlefield.
Of course, these deaths alone weren't enough to wipe out the Senju completely. The real turning point was that their surname had been abolished. Many of the newly born children didn't even realize they carried Senju blood.
Now, among the remaining Senju who were still alive and battle-capable, only a little over sixty remained. In the coming days, they would either perish in war or change their names and fade into obscurity within Konoha.
Why did the Senju treat themselves so ruthlessly?
One reason—damn Sarutobi Hiruzen's incompetence.
Konoha went 1v4 in the Second Great Ninja War. Who knew how many Senju had been thrown into the meat grinder to ensure the village's children could grow up safely? Next time, with no Senju left to sacrifice, those children wouldn't be smiling anymore.
The second reason was their name. The Senju bore a unique mission, a duty that demanded sacrifice. Their dedication and willingness to give everything forged what later became known as the Will of Fire.
In contrast, the Uchiha had contributed during the First and Second Great Ninja Wars—but far less than the Senju. Unfortunately for them, being compared to the Senju made their efforts look like cowardice.
No wonder Danzo already harbored such resentment toward the Uchiha.
Sarutobi Hiruzen knew why Kakuzu had come today. He pulled a file from a stack of documents and handed it to him.
"Momoka indeed had a younger sister, named Senju Rika."
"Momoka was powerful, but her sister was frail since childhood. To protect her, Momoka never let her become a ninja. Over ten years ago, Senju Rika was married off."
"Following the ideals of the First Hokage, she abandoned the Senju surname and took her husband's name instead."
Taking the file, Kakuzu nodded. Preserving Momoka's last remaining family was the only thing he could do for her now. Not a ninja, married, staying within the village—this should be safe, right?
But as he scanned the documents, Kakuzu's green pupils suddenly contracted. He had just discovered something astonishing.
Maintaining his composure, he asked Sarutobi Hiruzen, "What was Senju Rika's husband's name?"
Hiruzen hesitated for a moment before flipping through the file again. Danzo glanced at the page and spoke up.
"Just a civilian ninja from the village, named Namikaze Genya… Unfortunately, he died four months ago on the battlefield in the Land of Rain."
"Namikaze Genya and Namikaze Rika had a child, who is now eleven years old—he'll graduate from the academy in a year. His name is… Namikaze Minato."
...
Konoha Training Grounds.
"Children, remember this: where the leaves dance, the fire burns. The fire's light will illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's sermon about the Will of Fire had begun.
His words stirred the hearts of the children before him, filling them with fervor and admiration for that sacred "Will."
After the speech, the students were dismissed, but one particular boy was called to stand before the Hokage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen ruffled the soft blond hair of the child before him, a warm smile on his face.
"Minato, how have you been lately?"
"Thank you for your concern, Hokage-sama. Jiraiya-sama has been teaching me Wind Release jutsu, and I've learned quite a lot. I will continue to work even harder."
Hearing Namikaze Minato's response, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled.
This boy was the most outstanding student of his generation. During a recent academy event, he had been chosen to represent his class and speak before the crowd. That was when Jiraiya, who happened to be passing by, noticed him immediately.
Jiraiya had since repeatedly told Sarutobi Hiruzen that once Namikaze Minato graduated, he would take him on as his personal student.
Jiraiya had taken a liking to Minato Namikaze at first sight, seeing great potential in him. But Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't buy into the words of this wandering rogue. Jiraiya was either off fooling around or on his way to do so—what kind of good student could he possibly train?
Still, one thing was undeniable—Jiraiya's fondness for Minato was genuine. He had even used his own military achievements to exchange for a forbidden jutsu scroll left behind by the Second Hokage, allowing Minato to study it in hopes that he might gain some insight.
As for whether Minato had actually learned any forbidden techniques from it, Hiruzen never asked. After all, his own thoughts on the matter were simple:
I'm the Hokage, and even I haven't mastered those techniques—how could Minato have learned them?
Of course, no matter what he thought deep down, Hiruzen didn't let it show. He simply maintained his usual smile and gave Minato words of encouragement.
Then, Hiruzen shifted his gaze toward Kakuzu. His meaning was clear—the answer Kakuzu sought was right in front of him.
Senju Momoka had never married and had no children. Her only remaining blood relative was her younger sister, who was now Namikaze Rika. That meant, by bloodline, Minato Namikaze carried the lineage of Senju Momoka as well.
Momoka might not have been on the same monstrous level as Hashirama, but she had still been one of the top-tier powerhouses in the ninja world. Even though the Namikaze name was that of an ordinary civilian family, this blond-haired kid's future was boundless.
What everyone had once assumed to be the "Light of the Commoners" turned out to be… something else entirely.
Kakuzu couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
This world truly revolved around talent and bloodlines.
And if one didn't have them?
Simple.
They would have to create their own talent and forge their own bloodline.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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