Naruto: About the Fact That my Brother is Madara-Chapter 290: Prelude to the Night of Annihilation

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"Lord Hokage!"

"Thank goodness, Haruto has finally realized his dream."

"Heh, the Uchiha now boasts two Hokage in our lineage. What does the Senju have to compare against us?"

"Did you hear? Apparently, a new genius has recently emerged."

"You mean the one who awakened Wood Release? Hmm, he does seem a bit troublesome."

Amid the thunderous cheers of the vast crowd, the stern faces of the Senju clan stood out conspicuously.

Those in the know believed they were on high alert, preventing possible chaos. To others, they seemed like a group displeased with having lost the seat of Hokage.

Surrounded by disdainful glances and openly mocking conversations, many members of the Police Force felt their anger boil over.

Was this the treatment the founding clan of Konoha deserved?

Let it not be forgotten that it was Lord Hashirama who first conceived the idea of establishing the Hidden Leaf Village. Without the Senju, there would be no such flourishing village as it is today.

But it was of no concern now. Young Master Nawaki had awakened the Wood Release. In time, he would surely rise to become an invincible, Super-Kage level shinobi.

The seat of the Fourth Hokage was destined to be his. When that time came, every slight and humiliation would be repaid one by one.

With such thoughts swirling in their minds, many of the Senju could not suppress the sinister and unsettling smiles that crept across their faces.

This behavior greatly displeased Nawaki, who stood at the center of attention. He believed that his clansmen's actions would only serve to deepen the distrust that the village and the other clans already harbored toward them.

"Ah! Lord Hokage is coming out!"

A sudden uproar jolted Nawaki from his thoughts and pulled his attention back to reality.

Atop the Hokage Building, Uchiha Haruto stood tall, draped in a pure white ceremonial robe. With calm and composed grace, he waved toward the crowd below.

The sight stirred something within Nawaki. While he had his issues with the family, it had never meant that he did not wish to become Hokage himself.

No matter how complicated things were, the dream of becoming Hokage still burned within him. If he was to chase that dream, the first step would be to resolve the problems within his clan.

"It's time I spoke with Great-Uncle," Nawaki murmured inwardly, resolving himself.

Elsewhere, Kyōsuke sat beside his wife atop one of the village's great stone faces, a location that offered an unobstructed view of the ceremony.

"He's finally grown up," the old father murmured, his voice tinged with emotion.

"Yes," Mito replied softly with a gentle smile, her eyes shimmering with memories. "I still remember what he looked like the day he was born. And now, to think he has become a Hokage who can protect the village."

As she spoke, her gaze shifted to the people beside their son.

Although his parents had not attended the ceremony, Haruto's wife and daughter would certainly not miss this moment.

Eri was still the same as always. What truly concerned Mito was their younger daughter, Uchiha Nagisa.

In terms of strength, Nagisa's abilities leaned more toward support and healing. She had never shown the determination to become one of the strongest. As long as she could protect herself, that was enough.

But emotionally, she was a cause for worry.

Life as a shinobi was unpredictable, death lurking around every mission. All of them had blood on their hands. Even Mito herself could not confidently say that every person she had killed truly deserved it.

Because of that, it was not uncommon for shinobi to never marry. Her younger daughter seemed to be walking a similar path.

From Mito's perspective, Kurama Jun was actually a fine young man. As Kyōsuke's student and a close friend to both Haruto and Eri, he and her daughter were practically a match made in heaven.

Jun's intentions were sincere and unwavering. He had made it clear—he would marry no one but her.

The only issue was that Nagisa didn't seem particularly interested in him.

Mito let out a long sigh, her twin buns swaying slightly as she shook her head.

Perhaps it was better this way. So long as her daughter lived a happy and carefree life, what need was there for marriage?

Recently, her daughter had started working at the Ninja Academy, occasionally giving lessons to the younger students. It was even said that she was considering becoming a team leader for the next generation.

Glancing at his wife's somber expression, Kyōsuke smiled softly and shook his head. He felt no urgency about the matter.

As long as his daughter was happy, that was enough. Marriage had never been a necessity in life—not in this one, nor in the last.

"Come with me to the Land of Whirlpools," Mito said suddenly, looking up at her husband after a long silence. "Father misses us."

Hearing this, Kyōsuke nodded. "Alright. Once the celebration ends, we'll take the whole family and visit him."

The former patriarch of the Uzumaki clan, Uzumaki Ashina, had grown old. His once-vibrant red hair had faded into snowy white.

During the war in the Land of Whirlpools several years ago, he had suffered numerous severe injuries.

If not for the efforts of Uchiha Nagisa and Izuna, who had fought together to defend the nation, the Land of Whirlpools might not have survived that conflict.

Though they had managed to drive back the invaders, Ashina's health had never recovered. With each passing day, his body grew weaker.

He had spent his entire life working for the good of his homeland. In these final years, all he longed for was the warmth of his family.

Looking at his wife nestled in his arms, Kyōsuke suddenly chuckled.

"At this rate, he probably doesn't have many years left. Let's bring him home to stay with us this time."

"...I know you mean well, but could you please express it a little more gently and warmly?"

"How about this? Let him hug his great-granddaughter a few more times before he passes away?"

"...Fine. As long as you two don't start bickering the moment you see each other, I'll be satisfied."

"Haha, I could poke him to death with just one finger."

Mito let out a long sigh, clearly exasperated.

The tension between her father and Kyōsuke had stretched on for many years. A peaceful interaction between them was nearly impossible. If not for the looming threat of war the last time, her father likely would never have set foot in Uchiha territory.

Part of it was due to politics. But part of it stemmed from what happened when Kyōsuke had once stormed the Land of Whirlpools to demand her hand in marriage.

She couldn't help but laugh at the memory of that moment thirty years ago. That young man who had once threatened the entire nation, declaring that if he could not take her with him, he would bring ruin upon them all.

"Kyōsuke~"

"Hm?"

"Nothing."

After the celebration ended, Kyōsuke brought the entire family to the Land of Whirlpools to enjoy a rare moment of familial peace.

When Ashina saw the adorable little Kaoru arrive, he was so overwhelmed with emotion he nearly fainted.

If that chubby little girl had asked for it, he might have handed the entire nation over to her.

But far from such warmth, the atmosphere within the Senju clan was far less harmonious.

That night, in the clan leader's study.

"Lord Tobirama, we have nowhere left to retreat!" someone shouted in anguish.

"This Konoha Military Police Force position was a trap from the beginning. Taking it on has only made us a target of everyone's hatred!"

"There was never any real peace. From the very start, we never should have aligned ourselves with the Uchiha..."

"Enough!"

Seeing that the man was going further and further off track, Tobirama finally cut him off.

"Do not say anything more that harms our unity."

"But..."

"No more buts. This village was my brother's dream. I will never agree to your proposal."

That man had come to persuade the clan leader to seek another path, away from the village.

It sounded simple on the surface, but where could the Senju even go once they left Konoha? Did they truly think it was still an age where clans ruled alone?

The Land of Fire would be off-limits—Konoha would never let a defecting clan go unpunished.

What about the other great nations?

Going there would only mean becoming someone else's lackeys, and there was no guarantee their lives would be any better.

And if they turned to smaller countries, one war was all it would take. A few hundred people wouldn't last a single round of large-scale ninjutsu.

As for seeking refuge with the Shinobi Sect, even if the sect offered protection now, it would not last forever.

Once the crisis passed and the sect withdrew again into seclusion, what would the Senju do then?

Retreat into the mountains and forests and live like hermits?

Tobirama had already considered every possibility before his subordinate even raised the issue.

The Senju had only one viable path left: to reclaim power from the current leadership aligned with the Hokage.

The situation was clear. The Uchiha and Hyuga clans were working closely together. In a direct confrontation, the Senju stood no chance of victory.

If they wished to seize power from within, their first step would be to divide their enemies.

While Kyōsuke had lived, such thoughts remained nothing more than fantasies. But now that he was gone, the bond that once united the two clans had been severed.

(The shinobi world remained unaware that Kyōsuke had returned to life.)

What mattered now was how to make use of that advantage.

Coincidentally, an unstable element had always existed within the Hyuga clan. Perhaps that individual could now serve a particular purpose.

"Great-Uncle," Nawaki stepped out from behind the folding screen, a hint of sorrow visible on his face.

Seeing this, Tobirama gently consoled him, "Do not worry. The Senju clan will never fall so far as to be forced into fleeing the Land of Fire."

"One day, I will make the village return everything it owes us."

Now that the greatest obstacle had been removed, Tobirama felt confident in his ability to shift the balance of advantages and disadvantages between the two sides.

Just as the outside world had speculated, once Nawaki matured, the title of Fourth Hokage would undoubtedly belong to the Senju. It was a position destined to fall into their hands.

When that day arrived, every debt and every slight would be settled, one by one.

It was not just the ordinary clansmen. Even Tobirama, who had restrained himself for far too long, began to grow excited at the sight of a glimmer of hope.

Unfortunately, no one noticed the change in young Senju Nawaki, the one the clan regarded as their future. In his eyes, there was now unmistakable disappointment.

"Great-Uncle is the same. You place the interests of the clan above the welfare of the village."

"As I thought, the Senju has already decayed beyond repair."

"If I wish to change the clan, I must first gain enough authority to make my voice heard."

There is a saying that the environment shapes a person, and it is not wrong.

In the original story, Nawaki's personality had resembled Naruto's—cheerful, resilient, and full of determination.

But circumstances had changed. With external pressure and internal manipulation, it was no surprise that Nawaki had strayed from his original path.

Of course, his current thoughts had not yet become extreme. There was still a small gap between what he was now and what Kyōsuke had hoped to see.

Still, it did not matter. The trap Kyōsuke had set for the Senju was already open and impossible to avoid. Even if they came to understand it, they would fall into it all the same.

To be precise, he had only replicated the very method the Senju once used to deal with the Uchiha.

And judging by the outcome, it had proven quite effective. Even the one who had orchestrated it all, Tobirama, could no longer find a way to break free.

As for Senju Nawaki, he had become the executioner Kyōsuke had chosen to carry out the destruction of the clan.

He had promised Hashirama that he would not personally take action against the Senju. And in truth, Kyōsuke had kept that promise. He had not concerned himself with their affairs for quite some time.

Tobirama had already exhausted every option. Now, it was only a matter of time.

When all resistance becomes futile, only two paths remain for those on the losing side.

The first is complete submission. From that moment onward, they would exist merely as servants under Uchiha rule.

But that was simply impossible.

The second is to initiate a coup and willingly step onto the path of their own annihilation.

When that moment came, Senju Nawaki would never allow the clan to destroy the peace he believed in.

Kyōsuke was truly looking forward to seeing what would happen then.

"The rebellion was initiated by the Senju themselves. The ones who wiped out your clan were your own kin."

"Tell me, what does any of this have to do with me, Uchiha Kyōsuke?"

He truly had no desire to pay them any more attention. Not long ago, his shadow clone had returned with news that the strange stone from Hoshigakure had finally been recovered.

This meant that Kyōsuke could now begin studying the stone in earnest.

Through it, he would be able to trace the presence of a hidden alien civilization that had been lying in wait behind everything.

..

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[Chapter End's]

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