What kind of person was the Second Hokage?
Cold, ruthless, and possessing a massive appetite for killing!
To him, there were only two weaknesses in the world.
The first was Konoha, the village founded by his older brother, Hashirama.
The second was Tsunade, the legitimate heir of the Senju clan.
He wanted the Senju clan to multiply and prosper, to grow stronger than ever.
Tsunade was his ultimate hope for that future.
So, if someone wanted to use Tsunade’s status to climb the ranks, to leach off her wealth and power as a toy boy, or perhaps harbor even darker, ulterior motives in secret…
‘What is Sensei going to do?’ Tatsukaze narrowed his eyes, maliciously anticipating the outcome.
In terms of pure killing intent alone, the Second Hokage—who lacked any real compassion or kindness—was absolutely on a different level than Hashirama Senju!
Tobirama uncrossed his arms and formed a two-finger hand seal.
He tilted his head up slightly.
His gloomy, horrifying killing intent boiled over like an enraged tidal wave, rolling and surging violently until it formed a tangible, invisible field of pressure.
“What exactly is the meaning of this?”
This was the precursor to unleashing a jutsu!
Tatsukaze chuckled softly.
Right now, he was the only person in the room not paralyzed stiff by the oppressive weight of the Second Hokage’s killing intent.
“It’s nothing much.
Just a cliché, vulgar little gigolo,” Tatsukaze said softly, though his words dripped with profound malice.
“After all, those declining clans always face far too much pressure.
Since the elders are utterly useless, they force all that burden onto the younger generation.”
“And what those juniors might resort to under such intense pressure isn’t exactly hard to imagine!”
Tatsukaze smiled, looking so carefree and heroic, but the hearts of the surrounding clan heads suddenly plummeted into the abyss.
‘He’s deliberately pushing the Kato clan toward total annihilation!’
“As a professional teacher, I merely stepped in to protect my student.
It’s really no big deal.” If Tatsukaze were wearing glasses, pushing them up his nose right now would have perfectly completed the intimidating villain look.
But even without that added visual effect, his sheer presence was enough to scare Taka Kato to the point of nearly bursting into tears.
This was the Second Hokage’s granddaughter!
The noblest bloodline in all of Konoha!
The absolute princess of the Land of Fire!
A tiny, declining clan actually dared to covet such a supreme existence?!
Taka Kato’s face turned as white as chalk.
With a loud thud, he collapsed limply to the floor, his eyes completely vacant as his body twitched involuntarily.
“How is this possible…
How could he…
I was completely unaware of this!”
Masho Uchiha’s heart sank to the bottom of the ocean.
‘This Kato clan…
They don’t even understand their own lowly status, yet they dared to pull a stunt like this!’
‘However…
the Kato clan just pledged their absolute loyalty to my Uchiha clan.
If I abandon him now, my prestige will be…’
Taka Kato seemed to suddenly realize this as well.
Crawling over in a pathetic display of panic—literally pissing himself—he hugged Masho Uchiha’s leg tightly.
With tears streaming down his face, he pleaded, “Lord Masho, please, you must save the Kato clan!
We just became vassals of the Uchiha, you can’t just throw us away!”
If this were the Warring States period, sacrificing a vassal for personal gain would be a no-brainer.
But in the current era, as a functioning village, political maneuvering was sometimes far more crucial than sheer brute strength.
Masho Uchiha understood this perfectly.
That was precisely why he managed to force Madara Uchiha out and still had the audacity to push back against the Second Hokage.
Because he knew that unless there was undeniable, concrete evidence of a crime, not even the Hokage had the right to execute a high-ranking village elder.
‘I used these exact political machinations to attain my current status.
This is the true path to power!
Madara Uchiha!
Tobirama Senju!
What does it matter if you are stronger than me?
I will always be the final victor!’
Bolstering himself internally, Masho Uchiha took a step forward.
Though his face remained as dark and still as deep water, he managed to block the brunt of the Second Hokage’s killing intent.
“Lord Second, in my eyes, this matter is nothing more than child’s play.
Although Dan Kato’s behavior was highly inappropriate, he has already received his punishment.
Why don’t we just let this go?” Masho said, feigning a relaxed tone.
“I have no interest in making trouble for a mere child.
But do not forget the reason why you all came here today!”
The Second Hokage’s voice was frigid to the absolute extreme, chilling to the bone.
His murderous intent grew exponentially thicker, making the surrounding air feel as if it had solidified, suffocating everyone.
A bead of cold sweat involuntarily rolled down Masho’s forehead.
He swallowed hard and said, “This was a lapse in judgment on our part.
We acted without thoroughly investigating the…”
“For so many of Konoha’s highest-ranking elders to act recklessly without conducting a proper investigation…
it seems the quality of our village’s leadership is vastly inconsistent, to put it mildly,” Tatsukaze commented casually, acting as if it were a passing observation.
The Second Hokage’s eyes lit up, and he immediately chimed in.
“Indeed!
It appears the caliber of Konoha’s upper management genuinely needs improvement.
Perhaps it’s time for a thorough downsizing!”
“Lord Second!”
“Please reconsider!”
The clan heads could no longer sit still. This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
“Downsizing the elders” blatantly meant removing some of them from power.
The moment their own interests and privileges were threatened, the way they looked at Taka Kato and Masho Uchiha instantly changed.
It was a glare filled with profound hostility.
Masho Uchiha’s expression shifted rapidly through several shades.
Ultimately, he made his decision.
Looking as if he had just been forced to eat shit, he said, “I also believe…
that Clan Head Kato has crossed a line in this matter.”
“Lord Masho!” Taka Kato stared up at Masho Uchiha’s face, utterly consumed by absolute despair.
Masho ignored Taka Kato’s cries.
Instead, with a violent flick of his sleeve, he mercilessly swept aside the man desperately clinging to his leg.
“We were all misled by Clan Head Kato on this issue.
I strongly suggest stripping Clan Head Kato of his position as a high-ranking elder!”
“I agree!”
“Agreed!”
In an instant, Taka Kato became the target of a unified barrage.
Almost every single clan head wanted to stomp on him while he was down, as if doing so was the only way to prove they had nothing to do with the phrase “inconsistent quality of leadership.”
‘It’s over!’ This time, Taka Kato plunged into a despair even more bottomless than before.
If it were just the Second Hokage, no matter how much he hated the Kato clan, he would still preserve some face for them, given his status as Hokage.
But if every single Konoha elder—both the Hokage faction and the major clan faction—unanimously wanted to kick them while they were down, what clan in Konoha could possibly withstand that?
All the clans in Konoha would now treat the Kato clan with hostility.
No one would help them.
They would only throw stones while the Kato clan drowned, permanently holding a grudge against them.
How could the Kato clan possibly have a future left?
In an instant, he seemed to age thirty years, looking like a man at the very end of his life.
Slumped on the floor with a vacant expression, he suddenly began to laugh.
A foolish, idiotic laugh.
A completely unhinged chuckle.
He had been struck down by total hopelessness.
The monumental guilt of bringing about his clan’s complete destruction pressed down on him, thoroughly crushing his sanity.
He…
had gone completely insane.
The surrounding clan heads suddenly felt a chilling draft wash over them.
Looking at Tatsukaze, whose smiling face hadn’t changed in the slightest, their hearts turned to ice.
‘Such a bright and sunny young man…
yet in just two short days, he drove his generation’s greatest genius completely insane, and then drove a major clan head—a Konoha elder—straight into madness!’
‘Driving the genius insane only took a few threats.
But driving the clan head insane?
It only took two sentences!’