Inside the Hokage Building, in the office.
Senju Mori sat alone beside a wide desk, signing the latest document—
a public commendation honoring Shimura Danzō and six others, granting them the title of "Heroes of Konoha."
After losing three precious jōnin from the clan, the Shimura clan had suffered devastating losses in the war.
Almost overnight, it had declined into a small shinobi clan—no different from the likes of the Hatake or Shiranui clans.
To Senju Mori at this point, the deceased Danzō and the others were no longer potential threats—
but shining golden banners he could proudly display.
He could bestow upon them the highest honor without hesitation.
Over the past few days, Senju Mori had sat inside this office issuing countless similar documents.
In addition to the previously announced rewards and compensation, he had declared new funding for the Konoha Orphanage, the Ninja Academy, and Konoha Hospital.
He also allocated funds for repairing the Memorial Stone and the village's various training grounds.
He even ordered that a special shop be opened in the plaza in front of the Hokage Building,
selling chakra metal and other precious materials to shinobi at prices far lower than market value…
With every decree he issued, huge sums of money injected new vitality into all of Konoha.
All of it—was the dividend brought by winning the war.
Knock, knock, knock…
A rhythmic knocking sounded.
"Come in," he said.
The office door pushed open from the outside, and nine people entered in single file.
"Brother Mori."
Hearing this familiar form of address, Senju Mori couldn't help but smile.
His gaze swept slowly over each of their faces.
"Sōji, Tao, Shin, Enji, Gennosuke, Arashi…"
"You're all here."
Of his original twelve-man core team, only Senju Genma (in the ANBU), Senju Shin (in the Defense Division), and Senju Hane (in the Strategy Division) were absent.
The remaining nine had all been summoned.
"There is something special I want to entrust to you."
Senju Mori took a document from a drawer, signed his name, and slid it toward them.
The document listed over a hundred names in dense rows.
Next to each name were rank, brief personal information, and home address.
"These are the Konoha shinobi who died in this war.
I want you to personally visit each of their families and deliver the compensation that the village has allocated."
Seeing their faint surprise, Senju Mori's expression grew slightly more serious.
"No matter how many benefits the First and Second Hokage left Konoha,
those are already matters of the past.
Time will eventually fade all memories."
"If our clan wishes to flourish for generations, we must maintain our strength—
but more importantly, we must ensure that Konoha constantly feels our presence."
"This is our opportunity.
Let the shinobi of the village remember the Senju clan.
Remember your faces.
Remember who brought them comfort at the darkest moment of their grief."
The nine instantly understood the deeper meaning behind his words.
Senju Sōji solemnly picked up the list and said:
"Leave it to us, Brother Mori.
We will personally deliver every payment to every family."
...
After sending them off, Senju Mori soon left the office as well.
He was someone who understood delegation—
there was no need for him to micromanage every trivial matter.
With nine departments handling the village's internal affairs, he had surprisingly few daily administrative burdens.
Along the way, nearly every moment someone—villager or shinobi—greeted him.
Senju Mori smiled back at each one, displaying the warmth and accessibility of a truly competent Hokage.
A Hokage who leads the village to victory is already popular enough—
but Senju Mori had just enacted a series of generous welfare policies.
His prestige had reached its absolute peak.
Senju Mori's destination was the mountain behind Konoha.
As he approached, the presence of people gradually thinned out.
Sunlight was blocked more and more by the dense forest canopy, and Senju Mori's figure slowly blended into the shadows.
After walking another four or five minutes—once he was certain no one else was nearby—he stopped beside a massive tree stump.
Using a special method, he released a barrier.
A pitch-black passage materialized out of thin air.
Senju Mori stepped into the tunnel and walked downward until he reached a large metal door at the end.
When he pushed open the heavy door, a pungent smell rushed out—
a mix of disinfectant, preservative chemicals, and a faint odor of blood—
enough to make anyone instinctively nauseous.
This was a secret laboratory unknown to the outside world,
constructed inside a vast chamber beneath Konohagakure.
The lab's interior was spacious.
Cold white light poured down from above, illuminating rows of sophisticated machines with flickering indicator lights,
along with more than a dozen figures in white coats.
Senju Mori's arrival caused no commotion.
The researchers paused only briefly to bow respectfully, then promptly returned to their work.
It had to be said—
the legacy left behind by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, was immense.
Aside from numerous jutsu and forbidden techniques, he had also left behind a small research team.
To develop new jutsu and forbidden techniques like Edo Tensei,
Tobirama had conducted extensive human experimentation during his lifetime.
He was the first to experiment on Wood Release cells,
and had even dissected Uchiha corpses, uncovering the physiological changes that occurred in their bodies when the Sharingan awakened.
In the right section of the lab, several enormous cultivation tanks were neatly arranged.
The tanks were filled with pale green nutrient fluid.
Pieces of pallid flesh floated inside, occasionally twitching faintly,
as though some trace of life still lingered.
Even through the specialized glass, Senju Mori could feel the overwhelming vitality contained within those cells.
"Lord Hokage."
The lead researcher of the area hurried over and handed him a report.
"The activity level of Sample A-17 remains beyond controllable limits.
All test animals receiving implanted material undergo complete wood-ification within ten minutes…
We lack a proper 'vessel' capable of bearing its power."
Senju Mori scanned the data expressionlessly.
He knew that the so-called "vessel" would not be found until decades later—
only after Orochimaru and Danzō conducted countless brutal human experiments
would Yamato finally emerge as a barely successful example.
"Continue testing different suppression methods.
Find a way to neutralize the corrosive nature of this power—
not merely force it into living hosts."
"Understood."
The team leader quickly recorded his instructions, then returned to the ongoing experiments.
Senju Mori walked to the left side of the lab.
The sight here was far more disturbing—
the corpses of the Gold and Silver Brothers lay separately on two dissection tables,
their bodies cut open in multiple places, exposing their internal structures.
Their flesh had an uncanny, luminous quality not found in ordinary humans.
Even in death, their muscle fibers retained a density and vitality far beyond that of normal shinobi.