Konoha, year 20, autumn.
"Mori kid! Do you even know what you're saying? You are questioning Konoha! Are you questioning Lord Hashirama's Ninja Way?!"
"This is treason!"
"Get back! How dare you openly express such remarks at a clan meeting! Do you want to nullify decades of the clan's efforts?"
"This is Clan Head Tobirama's decision! How can it be shaken by your few words!"
A fierce argument was erupting within the Senju Clan's compound.
Several elderly clan elders were shouting excitedly, one of them couldn't help but lean on his cane, trembling as he stood up, his old face filled with shock and anger.
One must know that both Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, even after serving as Clan Head, maintained a certain level of respect for these elderly clan members.
However, the young man who was the target of their scolding remained unmoved, staring back at them without yielding, his words even more sharp.
"Completely integrate into Konoha?"
"Heh heh... It sounds good, but how is this different from disbanding the Senju Clan?"
"A thousand years of clan glory scattered in an instant; if the Senju become extinct because of this in a few decades, all you old geezers will be sinners. How will you face Old Clan Head Butsuma after you're gone!"
Seeing these old men try to pressure him by invoking the names of the Senju brothers, Senju Mori was not intimidated at all, directly bringing up the name of the old Clan Head, Senju Butsuma.
"You, you, you—"
"Outrageous! This is truly outrageous!"
Seeing that Senju Mori had no intention of backing down, the clan elders all turned red with anger.
Just then, several equally young voices also spoke up beside Senju Mori.
"Hmph! A bunch of short-sighted old fools, easily swayed by a few sweet words."
"Big Brother Mori, let's go, don't mind them."
"They can't even wield a Ninja sword anymore, yet they still have the nerve to meddle in clan affairs!"
Unlike the aging clan elders, a group of young Senju Clan members also gathered around Senju Mori, speaking up one after another at this time.
Their words were not only impolite but also subtly filled with disdain.
The clan elders' fury was immediately drawn to this group of young people, and the oldest among them simply cast a glance, then said with even greater displeasure:
"Look at what you've turned these children into. Let me ask you, where is that child Tao?"
"Just because he was promoted to Jonin, he disregards clan rules and doesn't even bother to attend the clan meeting?"
Senju Mori narrowed his eyes, and retorted with a rather sarcastic tone:
"To do what? To listen to you talk about how to dismember the clan and let the thousand-year prestige of the senju of the forest be lost forever?"
"Nonsense!"
"The junior is truly arrogant!"
The clan elders grew even angrier, roaring with stern voices.
In the end, this Senju Clan meeting ended unhappily.
"We can't control you anymore!"
"We're old! So old!"
"Absolutely no respect for elders! We have dedicated decades to the clan, and now we're being ridden over by the younger generation!"
"When the Clan Head returns, let's see how you explain yourself to him!"
Before leaving in anger, several clan elders did not forget to leave a few harsh words, their canes thudding loudly on the wooden floor.
The current Senju Clan elders are all old relics from the Sengoku period.
For some specific reasons, Senju Hashirama did not appoint a single new clan elder during his tenure as Clan Head, and his brother, Senju Tobirama, continued this tradition.
How to put it?
Anyway, in Senju Mori's view, it gave him a peculiar feeling of 'one less when one dies of old age.'
After the clan meeting, not only did the several clan elders leave in a huff, but these young Senju Clan members also had angry expressions.
The reason for such intense conflict within the originally harmonious Senju Clan was a proposal by the current Clan Head and Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
"Completely integrate the Senju Clan into Konohagakure."
This proposal was not first put forward by Senju Tobirama; his brother, the "God of Shinobi" Senju Hashirama, had proposed this idea at the beginning of Konoha's founding.
However, unlike today's atmosphere, at that time, even Senju Hashirama, who held immense prestige, faced fierce opposition from almost all Senju Clan members.
Senju Hashirama was not Uchiha Madara; even though he had great expectations for the nascent Konoha Village, he was unwilling to force his clan members for his ideals.
Therefore, on the surface, this proposal was temporarily shelved.
However, unlike Senju Hashirama, the idealist, his brother Senju Tobirama was a thorough pragmatist.
Even when Senju Hashirama was Hokage, a considerable portion of administrative affairs was handled by Senju Tobirama.
The Konoha Ninja Academy and Konoha Anbu were established during the First Hokage's era, with only the Konoha Police Department being a department created during the Second Hokage's era.
Like his brother Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama also held great expectations for the future of Konoha Village.
Influenced by both Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, he believed that it was the existence of the various Ninja Clans that created distance and barriers among the Konoha Ninja.
Therefore, during the First Ninja World War that broke out after Senju Hashirama's death, Senju Tobirama, on one hand, led the Senju Clan's Ninja to shed their blood and fight on the front lines for Konohagakure.
On the other hand, he secretly eliminated the Senju Clan's influence, taking many important positions within the Village and selflessly distributing them to other Ninja Clans and even civilian Ninja.
Therefore, don't be fooled into thinking the Senju Clan is so remarkable just because it produced two Hokage in a row.
In reality, the Senju family's already limited privileges as a Hokage family had completely ended after Senju Hashirama's death.
Although Senju Tobirama also bore the Senju name, he was essentially a Hokage of Konoha, not a Hokage of the Senju Clan.
Among the many disciples this Second Hokage had taken so far, there was even one from the Uchiha Clan, whom he disliked the most, yet not a single one bore the Senju surname.
This was the most powerful evidence.
Senju Mori understood this very clearly; the most straightforward interpretation of Senju Tobirama's actions was that he did not want Konoha to have a third Hokage from the Senju Clan.
As the First Ninja World War gradually drew to a close under Senju Tobirama's leadership, the Hidden Cloud Village of the Land of Lightning recently sent an alliance invitation to Konoha.
Senju Tobirama, who had been planning for a long time, finally "revealed his true intentions," exposing his real goal to the many Senju Clan members.
He not only brought up Senju Hashirama's old idea but also integrated some very specific methods based on his own thoughts.
For example, in Senju Tobirama's vision, the Senju Clan members would no longer live concentrated within the clan compound but would be dispersed, living freely throughout various parts of Konoha Village.
In addition, he would no longer prohibit, but even encourage, Senju Clan members to intermarry with Konoha's civilian Ninja, Ninja from various smaller Ninja Clans, and even nobles from the Land of Fire.
He euphemistically called this "integrating into Konoha."