Hiruzen, anticipating the weight of the moment, stood and first expressed his gratitude to Senju Daiki. Then, in a calm but resolute voice, he addressed the assembly.
"The village stands above any single family, for it is the heart that sustains us all. As ninjas of Konoha, our loyalty must lie first with the well-being of the village. The village is our true home, and each clan within it, is but a household that thrives through its strength. Without the village's survival, how can any of us endure?"
Turning to Setsuna, he posed a pointed question.
"Patriarch Setsuna, tell me—should the interests of your Uchiha clan outweigh those of an ordinary Uchiha family?"
Before Setsuna could reply, Hiruzen continued.
"A great clan is built by individuals who share not just a name, but a vision. They trust one another, support one another, and work together for their clan's prosperity. That unity gives the clan its strength."
"Now, we strive to extend this very principle to a grander vision—not only uniting clans but binding the entire village together. In unity, there is strength. So I ask you, why should we not place our trust in one another? Why can we not join forces to build something far greater than what any of us could achieve alone?"
Uchiha Setsuna sneered.
"Why? Because I am Uchiha and he is Hyuga. Even now, we carry different names. Besides, let us not forget—twenty years ago, we were at war, sworn enemies willing to kill each other."
His words carried weight, but Hiruzen was unfazed. He had expected this resistance. With a measured tone, he responded.
"That may be true, but today, we share a greater identity—we are all Konoha shinobi. We all strive to protect our home and prevent the horrors of war from returning."
"Since the village's founding, our way of thinking must evolve. The village itself is now our great family and under its protection, every clan and every household can find stability and prosperity."
Setsuna's expression remained stern, but his tone softened slightly.
"Sarutobi, I will admit there is truth in your words. No one wishes for war. The Uchiha and Senju came together to build this village precisely because we despised the endless cycle of bloodshed."
"We also did not wish for our people to live in constant fear. That was our purpose in founding Konoha."
"But tell me this—if one day the name of Uchiha were to vanish from history, what would have been the point?"
"Let me ask everyone here—if your clan's name were to disappear, what is the meaning would remain in all of our sacrifices?"
A heavy silence fell over the chamber. The sentiment resonated with many.
Hyuga Hayato quickly added his voice.
"Indeed, the Hyuga clan does not exist solely to pass down our bloodline. We are entrusted with preserving our name, our legacy, and the honor of our heritage. It is through this that we contribute to the village, not just as individuals, but as a part of a greater whole."
Nara Shikatsu spoke next.
"The Nara have preserved not just our name, but our techniques and traditions. To forsake the clan for the village—at least as things stand now—is something we cannot do."
The heads of the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans followed suit, voicing their agreement.
The weight of tradition loomed over them all.
Shikaru had been following Hiruzen for a long time. Whether it was due to his influence or not, he hesitated before saying,
"A name, in itself, may seem like nothing more than an empty title, a symbol with no substance. But the true value lies not in the name itself, but in the legacy it carries. It's not about the title, but what it represents—our history, our sacrifices, and the path we've walked. A name cannot be consumed, but it holds the essence of who we are and the burdens we bear. Letting go of it may seem freeing, but it is the meaning behind it that shapes us."
"You don't understand anything! You have no right to speak here!"
Predictably, his father shut him down without hesitation.
Hiruzen chuckled. "I think there's been a misunderstanding. Who said that in order to develop the village, you have to abandon your family? The village exists to protect everyone. How could we carelessly discard the names that have been passed down for generations?"
Hearing this, everyone turned their attention to him, eager to hear what kind of argument he was about to present.
Unfazed, Hiruzen continued with the speech he had already prepared in his mind. "The growth of the village and the development of the individual clans are not mutually exclusive. There's a concept called 'win-win'—a situation where both the village and the clans benefit."
"Since the founding of Konoha, although we have all lived in the same village, our life have remained separate. For the most part, the various clans have only come together when the First Hokage had an important announcement. Otherwise, each family continued its own affairs as before. The divisions between clans still exist where each family continues to train its own ninjas."
"To address this, the Second Hokage, Lord Tobirama, established Konoha Academy—the predecessor of today's Ninja Academy. His goal was to break down the walls between clans by allowing the younger generation to play together, learn together, and build friendships. This, in turn, would promote integration among the different families. Although only a few clans embraced the idea at first, the results spoke for themselves. It was clear that the interactions between the clans had increased."
"Then, during the outbreak of the Shinobi World War, we united and fought side by side, ultimately defeating the other four great village. That victory was a remarkable achievement, but more importantly, it proved that the alliance between clans was an incredible force."
"Because of our unity, we won the war. We secured the peace for the ninja world. We protected what we wanted to protect and our rewards were far greater than anything we could have gained through individual battles."
"The village grew stronger, and with our increased resources, I took the step of transforming Konoha Academy into the current Konoha Ninja Academy. Education became free. Families no longer had to bear the burden of training costs, and in return, the Academy helped produce well-trained ninjas for the village."
"This was a perfect example of a win-win situation—the families helped the village to achieve victory over powerful enemies, and the village, in turn, safeguarded their women and children."
"But we must not stop here. We have all come together under one village. We should have the same aspirations, the same goals—not just superficial cooperation."
"We need to break the invisible barriers the between clans. We must share what we have, exchange ninjutsu, and learn from each other's combat experience."
"We should be more than just allies on the battlefield. We should be comrades who trust each other with our lives."
"Perhaps in the past, we fought for the survival of our own clans, but now, we are all part of Konoha. There is no reason to remain wary of one another. This village is our home and within our own home, do we really need to treat one another like strangers?
"I know that change is difficult, and it won't happen overnight but that's alright. If it cannot happen immediately, then we will start with the next generation."
"From now on, the next generation will share a common identity—they will all be Konoha shinobi. They will share the same dream—peace for the world. They will have the same goal—to climb to the pinnacle of the ninja path."
Hiruzen had spoken continuously without pause, and his throat was starting to feel dry. He glanced around at the clan leaders, noticing that they still seemed skeptical. He knew that words alone would not be enough to convince them. To truly persuade them, he needed something more—something tangible.
It was time to reveal his trump card.
He had no doubt that once he did, these very same clan leaders, who now viewed his words as mere idealistic rhetoric, would instead see them as undeniable truth.