After Hizuki made his position clear, the atmosphere shifted instantly.
The six—Bu Chopper, Kisame, Haku, Nagajirō, Ringo, and Ming—all drew their weapons at once.
Even the Hashirama frowned at the sight.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist—this was his first time encountering Kirigakure's infamous special-operations force.
Every one of them wielded a unique ninja blade, and each one was an elite by any standard.
Their combined battle strength was terrifying.
If all seven attacked together, even Hashirama Senju would find them troublesome.
"Naruto, don't act rashly right now."
Fighting the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kirigakure would be a nightmare, and behind them lay the entire Hidden Mist… and Shigure, whom Hashirama had already witnessed firsthand.
That man was a complete monster.
Provoking someone like that was definitely not in Konoha's best interest.
"Anyway, I'm bringing you back today, Sasuke!"
Naruto showed no hesitation at all.
Sasuke only smirked. "You don't need to worry about me. Leave this guy to me. Keep the others away from our fight."
Hizuki frowned.
Shigure had specifically tasked him with ensuring Sasuke's safety.
If Sasuke insisted on fighting alone, protecting him would be nearly impossible.
But Hizuki didn't argue.
He simply nodded. If Sasuke was in real danger, he would act the moment it became necessary.
Hashirama looked at the prepared Naruto, then turned his attention toward Sasuke. He needed to understand this situation better.
"That brat Uchiha Sasuke… why did he defect from the village?"
"Isn't he afraid the village will punish his entire clan for it?"
Sasuke gave a bitter smile.
"The Uchiha clan has been extinct for years. There's no clan left to punish."
Hashirama froze.
The Uchiha… exterminated?
Impossible.
The Uchiha were one of Konoha's founding clans. The only way they would ever be eradicated was if the whole village fell with them.
And Konoha clearly still existed.
"How did the clan get wiped out? What happened?" Hashirama asked.
Sai—still called "Sasui" by habit—didn't know the exact details.
He only knew a single name.
"Uchiha Itachi. He killed his entire clan by himself… and then fled the village."
A deep, instinctive unease washed through Hashirama.
A man killing his entire clan for no reason?
That made no sense. And even among the Uchiha, after awakening their Sharingan, their strength skyrocketed.
A lone individual wiping out a whole clan was absurd.
Something more sinister had to be behind it.
"So that Uchiha boy chose to leave the village afterward…" Hashirama murmured.
The bitter smile on his face deepened.
It seemed that after his death, Konoha had changed—dramatically.
But why would the Uchiha clan ever be destroyed?
"The Uchiha were Konoha's police force… the village garrison."
Sai said it casually, but Hashirama's eyes sharpened instantly.
Excluded from Konoha's political core.
Prevented from having a say in village decisions.
Restricted to policing duty.
"Who gave that order?" Hashirama asked.
Sai blinked, confused by Hashirama's sudden intensity.
"…The Second Hokage."
Hashirama froze.
His own younger brother.
His face darkened.
To think that Tobirama had pushed the Uchiha to the margins so thoroughly…
To turn them into convenient shields—cannon fodder for the village.
But if they were already marginalized, why take the final step and annihilate them?
A name surfaced in Hashirama's thoughts.
Hiruzen Sarutobi—the Third Hokage.
Tobirama's disciple.
If Hiruzen had inherited Tobirama's distrust…
If he repeated the same mistakes…
Then the Uchiha massacre, as horrific as it was, suddenly became horrifyingly plausible.
"What a bunch of fools…" Hashirama muttered, trembling.
"Why… why did it come to this?"
Konoha and the Uchiha could have built a better future together.
Instead, they destroyed each other.
How could annihilating the Uchiha possibly bring stability?
Bang! Bang!
Naruto and Sasuke suddenly clashed.
Both were using basic taijutsu—no chakra enhancements, no ninjutsu, no special abilities.
At this stage, their physical power was nearly identical.
And the real battle had only just begun.
And their performance was truly astonishing.
Watching Naruto and Sasuke clash with such raw force, Hashirama couldn't help but feel a deep sense of pity.
"Such a talented brat… forced out of Konoha in the end. What a waste."
He sighed heavily.
But Sakura, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.
"The most talented one… is still Shigure."
"If it weren't for Danzo, Shigure-kun wouldn't have left Konoha at all."
Danzo?
Hashirama blinked.
Another name he didn't recognize.
But judging by the way Sakura spoke, this Danzo had clearly played a major role in driving Shigure away.
Hashirama's sigh only deepened.
What on earth had become of Konoha?
Why would the village repeatedly cast away its brightest talent?
"It would be wonderful if Sasuke and Shigure could come back," Sakura murmured.
"Then… Team 7 could be together again."
Hashirama frowned. "Team 7?"
Sakura nodded. "Yes. Team 7—Gekkō Shigure, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto. The three of them used to be on the same squad. They were companions."
Hashirama froze.
They were teammates?
Those three brats—who were now fighting each other with such hostility—were once in the same squad?
He truly couldn't understand it.
If those three had grown up together peacefully…
If their bond had been allowed to strengthen instead of shatter…
Konoha would have ushered in an age of prosperity beyond anything before it.
So why had the village chosen a path that forced one genius away…and then another?
Were the people running Konoha completely out of their minds?
"Chidori!"
"Rasengan!"
Naruto's and Sasuke's shouts cut through the air, and an instant later, blinding lightning and swirling chakra light collided.
A shockwave rippled outward.
The next moment, everything vanished into a brilliant white flash.
And then—
A calm, familiar voice echoed through the battlefield.
"You two are fighting again?"
Hashirama stiffened.
That voice…
As the white haze cleared, Shigure appeared—standing squarely between Naruto and Sasuke, having stopped the clash effortlessly.
He glanced at Naruto first.
"Why are you here?"
Naruto frowned. "Why are you here?"
Shigure answered simply, "You came because of the Akatsuki, didn't you? You wanted revenge."
Naruto didn't reply—but the silence was answer enough.
Shigure continued, voice calm but absolute.
"Unfortunately for you… Nagato is already dead. I killed him."
"You won't be able to take your revenge personally."