The Hidden Leaf Village had been established over a decade ago, and under the leadership of The First and The Second Hokage, it had now developed a fully established system. Corresponding supporting institutions for intelligence, administration, military operations, and logistics had also been systematically established.
One example of these institutions was the village's welfare center. After all, being a ninja was an inherently dangerous profession where sacrifices could happen at any time—especially during the Great Ninja War. Therefore, to care for the orphans of fallen ninja and civilian families alike, this welfare center was created.
However, considering Haseo Yu's age, he was no longer truly suited to remain in the welfare institution... Someone his age already possessed the ability to live independently. He should've been leaving the welfare center, not arriving at it.
Yet for reasons unknown, he still ended up in the director's hands.
"This will be your room from now on. You've surely gone through a lot these past two days, so rest well today. We can discuss specific matters tomorrow… Oh, right, meals will be arranged and delivered to you," Sansho said to Haseo, placing him in a private room within the welfare center.
"Yeah, got it." Haseo showed not the slightest sign of dissatisfaction with the arrangement. Though slightly cramped, the room was neat and tidy, containing simple yet sufficient furniture—an environment he never dared to dream of just a few years ago after enduring years of wandering life.
As for what would come next, Haseo didn't know. But this small room truly marked a promising beginning.
The welfare center was massive, housing approximately hundreds of orphans. Yet the room where Haseo temporarily stayed had no nearby neighbors. Obviously, outsiders like him were still treated differently. Therefore, although the village imposed no restrictions on his freedom, unless explicitly instructed otherwise, he wouldn't go wandering about nor attempt to interact with others in the village. Haseo limited himself strictly to this single room.
That was just him being realistic about his situation. Choosing voluntary isolation was certainly better than being imprisoned due to inappropriate actions. In Haseo's eyes, ninjas weren't just eager to take down enemies—they sometimes liked wiping out their own side too.
As for Haseo's messy thoughts… after arranging everything for him, Sansho quickly left the welfare center. At this moment, the Hidden Leaf Village stood at the crossroads of power transition between generations. Because this change happened so suddenly, people like Sansho were extremely busy. She simply couldn't afford to spend excessive time on Haseo.
Next, Sansho had very important explanations to make to one of the Hidden Leaf Village's top officials, trying her best to secure that person's recognition and understanding. That figure held an extremely revered status within the Hidden Leaf Village—Mito Uzumaki, wife of the First Hokage. This was exactly who Sansho was about to face.
In terms of status alone, Mito Uzumaki was the most respected figure in the Hidden Leaf Village—even the succession of the Hokage required her approval. Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi required Mito's support for the position of Hokage, Sansho also needed her backing for her own proposal regarding the Hokage position.
Mito Uzumaki appeared to be in her fifties. Her once-vibrant red hair, so iconic in her youth, had long lost its shine. Before Sansho could even explain the purpose of her visit, Mito spoke with a knowing expression.
"Sansho, are you truly determined to do this?"
Clearly, the Hokage's wife had already learned of Sansho's intentions through some means.
"Yes... This has already been decided," Sansho replied. She paused deliberately, watching as Mito's expression remained unchanged before continuing, "Ever since the Great Ninja War began, our sense of honor as 'the Forest Senju' and our duty as the Hokage's lineage have driven us to constantly place ourselves on the front lines. Those who charge recklessly into danger inevitably meet their end. In recent years, our casualties among Senju ninja have even surpassed those of the chaotic era before Konoha was founded..."
"On the other hand, precisely because of such heavy losses, many excellent clan members have died before truly coming into their own. Since the days of the First and Second Hokage, we haven't seen any ninja who could match those two legendary leaders—ones capable of uniting the entire clan through their extraordinary talent and strength. Therefore... I believe the time has come."
"It is the right decision—for both our clan and for Konoha—to retire the name 'Forest Senju.' The reasoning is simple: the Senju cannot—and should not—remain the Hokage forever. Otherwise, what purpose was there in forming Konoha at all? If the Senju cannot always be the Hokage, then we should no longer bear responsibilities beyond those of ordinary ninja. This doesn't mean forbidding clan members from becoming ninja, but rather freeing them from the immense burden of the Senju name." As Sansho explained, her voice carried immense sorrow.
"The 'Forest Senju' has become a burden too heavy for their very lives to carry."
Abandoning the Senju name was undoubtedly a painful decision, yet it revealed just how devastating their losses must have been during the previous wars for the second-most powerful ninja clan in the world to forsake their own identity.
"Does every member of the Senju clan truly stand behind this decision?" Mito asked after a long silence.
"Yes. Although everyone expressed deep regret at the previous clan meeting, most ultimately accepted it."
"I see... So the Senju clan has finally come to the point where they must abandon their honored name. I thought there would be significant opposition, but... perhaps it is for the best. Under these circumstances, even if Hashirama himself returned from the dead, I believe I could offer my husband a justification he would have no choice but to accept." Mito said.
Though she had married the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, Mito had been born an Uzumaki. Some decisions could only be made by those of the purest Senju bloodline.
That was because the clan members who held the strongest familial values—those who would have opposed this decision most fiercely—had already died on the battlefield... Sansho wanted to scream the words, but in the end, she merely parted her lips and said nothing.
Because she wasn't the only one who understood this—Mito Uzumaki sitting across from her, the person who had spent her life throughout the First Hokage's lifetime, understood it even better.
In the end, the death of the Second Hokage served as the catalyst for the Senju clan's decision to conceal their ancestral surname. By that point, the war had already reached its midpoint. Konoha had successfully driven back Kumo's forces, and peace—along with an alliance treaty—seemed within reach. This achievement came at the cost of countless Senju lives. Yet all that sacrifice crumbled in an instant with the sudden death of the Second.
Peace had been within reach—like mist slipping through their fingers, it vanished before they could grasp it. The sharp contrast left the morale of the Senju clan plummeting. They couldn't help but question whether all their sacrifices had truly been worthwhile.
The answer, of course, was yes—but only technically.
Yet the value of what they gained—and the significance of that meaning—was far too disproportionate compared to what they had sacrificed.
So when Sansho first proposed hiding the Senju name, the initial reaction among the clan members was shock and disbelief. But soon after, the vast majority accepted this proposal.
And thus, that suggestion became the final decision.
The Senju's sacrifice wasn't something only they themselves understood—everyone in Konoha village did too. Given the heavy price they had paid, no one could realistically demand further sacrifices from them. Therefore, if the Senju decided to take this path, the village had neither the right nor the ability to stop them.
From this day forward, the Senju clan—the founding family of Hidden Leaf and one of the most revered names in the ninja world—would slowly vanish from history. Soon enough, the surname "Senju" would exist only in history books.
"Even though there will be no more Senju ninja from now on, that is simply because every last Senju has become a ninja of Konoha. We haven't abandoned our responsibilities, nor do we intend to evade the duties we bear as ninja of Hidden Leaf. But for the long-term survival of our clan, this is the only way. No matter how glorious our name once was, it's just an illusion. Compared to the lives of our clansmen, it is utterly insignificant... From now on, the Senju will be born as ninja of Konoha, fight as ninja of Konoha, and even die as ninja of Konoha."
No clan felt a stronger connection or loyalty to Konoha than the Senju did. For this reason, Sansho's words could be trusted.
"But still," she added, "now that we've made this decision, to prevent unnecessary speculation from the village, I will personally travel again to the Land of Lightning and accept the diplomatic mission to Kumo." Attitude meant one thing, action another—she needed to prove through her deeds that the Senju's loyalty to Konoha had not wavered.
"To Kumo? You must understand that your current physical condition doesn't allow you to carry out high-intensity missions. You should..." Mito Uzumaki could remain silent no longer at such a decision.
"But my identity is the most suitable to demonstrate Konoha's sincerity toward peace. In that symbolic sense, no one could be better suited for this mission than me... The deaths of the Hokage and Raikage were just tragic incidents; they won't change either side's desire for peace. As for me, I have no shortage of hatred for Kumo. However, hatred is the simplest and easiest thing to carry out. What's hard is finishing what The Second started but failed to complete. This Great Ninja World War was launched by The Second on behalf of Senju, so ending this war is also something that must be done by Senju... This will be the final act the Senju carry out in the name of the Senju legacy."
There was no wavering in Sansho's words.
This left Mito Uzumaki speechless once more. After a long silence, she finally spoke, "If you really feel this way, then go ahead. Deal with both Senju matters and Kumo matters as you see fit... Remember one thing—once you've made your choice, you must see it through to success."
Ultimately, this highly respected elder still acknowledged Sansho's plan.
"Certainly, I will not fail."
Sansho had full confidence in success.
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