Senju Mori always acted decisively, never dragging his feet.
Barely ten minutes later, he had changed into battle gear and appeared in the forest outside Konoha.
He wore a dark red cuirass, a Konoha forehead protector, and a long ninjatō across his back.
From a distance, with his natural black hair and eyes, he resembled the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
Unlike the First, who often wore a gentle smile and seemed easy to talk to, Mori's gaze was razor-sharp and his features harder.
In temperament, he was closer to the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
Before him stood not only Senju Tao, who had left first, but also another figure with red hair.
Sarutobi Hiruzen might have had a team handpicked by Tobirama, but Mori had his own friends.
Like Mori, this man's clothing retained a strong Warring States style: black underlayer, light gray cuirass over it, and a conspicuous giant scroll on his back.
The spiral emblem on his garb and protector marked his identity.
He was a shinobi of Uzushio, a member of the Uzumaki clan.
"Chizawa, long time no see."
Mori smiled when he saw him, stepped forward, and embraced him warmly.
Uzumaki Chizawa wore a helpless look and half-grumbled, "Brother Mori, what's so secret that Peach had to lead me to sneak in from the Land of Fire's border? Isn't your clan head the Hokage of Konoha?"
"Not for long," Mori said evenly.
"What do you mean?"
Chizawa's expression turned solemn at once. For the allied Uzumaki, a change of Hokage in Konoha was no small matter. It concerned the fate of the Uzumaki clan and the entire Land of Whirlpools.
"Time is tight. We'll talk on the way."
Mori turned to instruct, "Head back, Peach. Follow the plan. Yu still needs your strength."
Senju Tao nodded, but knowing roughly where Mori was headed, worry flickered in his eyes.
"Please be careful, Brother Mori."
"Stop fretting. Don't you know my strength?"
Mori chided him with a smack on the head. In the next instant, he and Uzumaki Chizawa vanished.
…
For Mori, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
Senju Tobirama was only in his forties, in his prime. Given the Senju's exceptional constitution, his peak could last into his sixties.
If Tobirama didn't die prematurely, he could rule another twenty years.
In those twenty years he would have ample time to scatter the Senju completely and smoothly pass the Hokage's office and all its powers to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
That would leave Mori with no chance to seize the Third Hokage's seat. Worse, his Senju lineage and outstanding strength might arouse Hiruzen's suspicion once Hiruzen took office.
In that case, the best outcome would be to injure himself on purpose and spend the rest of his life malingering in the village.
If the Third Hokage ever felt like paying a visit, Mori would have to put on a look of gratitude and prove his undying loyalty.
The very thought was chilling.
Fortunately—
Since Hashirama's death, war had erupted soon after Tobirama formally took power, and before the war ended, Tobirama's life was cut short.
Thanks to the Gold and Silver Brothers who rebelled at the cost of their lives, Mori had this valuable opportunity.
He had to snatch the Third Hokage's position from Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He could not let the brothers' sacrifice be in vain.
…
A breeze stirred the leaves. Two figures flashed through the forests of the Land of Fire, leaping from treetop to treetop.
"You sensed that Uchiha along with Lord Tobirama's trail? Who is this guy?"
Uzumaki Chizawa, holding a photograph of Uchiha Kagami, asked in surprise.
"Uchiha Kagami. Member of the Shadow Guard. One of Clan Head Tobirama's disciples."
Mori's smile was bright, but his eyes were glacial.
He had asked Chizawa here partly because he was one of the few people Mori could fully trust, and partly for his exceptional sensory skills.
As a capable Uzumaki, Chizawa wielded Kagura's Mind Eye, a special sensory secret art paired with Uzumaki bloodline techniques.
Step one was to ambush and kill Uchiha Kagami.
…
Of Tobirama's six disciples, Sarutobi Hiruzen was the most outstanding and the near-certain next Hokage.
In later years, Danzō believed he missed his cherished chance at the Hokage's seat because he spoke one second too late, and he brooded over it for the rest of his life.
But what he didn't know was that Hiruzen becoming the Third wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision by Tobirama. It had been set while Hashirama was still alive.
Even if Danzō had spoken first to cover the retreat, Tobirama would likely have praised him and then told him to go back and assist Hiruzen.
It's also possible Tobirama would have said, "Good. I was right about you. You'll stay and cover the rear with me."
Either way, Danzō was never going to win the Hokage's seat based on that single act.
Back to the point.
In Tobirama's mind, if Hiruzen was the next Hokage, what were the roles of the others?
To Mori, the others were Hiruzen's guarantee of stability.
The Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado were not great clans.
If the Sarutobi were barely known thanks to Sarutobi Sasuke, the other three were nobodies when Konoha was founded.
Thus, for their own interests and positions, the four would unite closely.
Akimichi Torifu represented the Ino–Shika–Chō, and Uchiha Kagami represented the Uchiha—both major clans.
Their roles were to serve as bridges so the powers behind them would support Hiruzen's rise.
Strictly speaking, Hiruzen would have benefited from having a Senju and a Hyūga "classmate" to fully secure the situation.
But Tobirama likely feared that taking a Senju disciple would send the clan the wrong political signal, so he refrained.
The Hyūga problem was obvious as well: a main-house member would not risk losing the Byakugan by running missions with Tobirama or Hiruzen.
Taking a branch family disciple would be meaningless and wouldn't sway the Hyūga's stance.
A dilemma either way.
After thinking it through, Tobirama probably concluded that the Hyūga were consistently conservative. Even without making them choose early, they would never be the ones to stick their necks out against Hiruzen.
After all, the meek are easy targets, aren't they?