Chapter 617: I’m Only Responsible for Kushina’s Safety—The Rest Is None of My Business

"No, it's not just the Sarutobi clan. Several other clans benefited as well."

Tobirama's voice was sharp as he locked eyes with Hiruzen.

"Monkey, you really outdid yourself. You had the guts to do what even your teacher wouldn't dare."

Most of the people in the room already understood the situation.

No one said anything.

They didn't need to.

Let Tobirama handle it.

It was his mess to clean up, after all.

He was the one who had pushed Hiruzen into the Hokage's seat in the first place.

If the student had gotten his hands dirty, then it was only right that the teacher be the one to deal with it.

And Tobirama was ruthless enough to do it.

Even his own clan hadn't been spared.

Hiruzen lowered his head.

There was no point in arguing.

No one would believe his excuses now.

Worse, if he pushed too hard, it would only anger Tobirama further.

And an angry Tobirama was not something anyone wanted to deal with.

So he did the only thing he could.

He stayed silent.

It was the smartest move he could make.

Seeing that his student wasn't going to put up a fight, Tobirama narrowed his eyes before speaking again.

"The Sarutobi clan, the Shimura clan, and the rest—these families have already grown to their current size. There's no point in dwelling on the past."

He exhaled slowly.

"But we can't let this slide either."

His fingers tapped against the desk.

"I propose this: we dismantle the branch families and forcibly integrate them as civilians. Only the main bloodline will remain as an official clan."

The decision was final.

A way to settle things without outright destroying the clans.

By forcing the branch families into civilian status, Hiruzen would lose control over them.

And there would be resentment.

The newly branded civilians wouldn't just let it go.

Why should they be forced out of the clan while the main family remained untouched?

It wasn't fair.

That frustration would divide the Sarutobi clan from within.

Once that happened, Hiruzen's influence in Konoha would be finished.

"I agree," Hashirama said immediately.

It was rare for him to take a serious stance, but even he knew when something had to be done.

The Senju clan had been dissolved for the sake of the village.

Why should the Sarutobi be any different?

Tsunade nodded.

"I'm on board with this."

She had wanted to deal with this mess for a while now.

The problem was, if she had pushed for it herself, it would have caused a major backlash.

But now that Tobirama had taken the lead?

Hiruzen and his people couldn't say a word.

Nobody was going to protest against Tobirama.

Not if they wanted to keep their heads.

Everyone turned to look at Takuya.

He rolled his eyes.

"What are you all staring at? Do you really think I'd object?"

If anything, he wanted these old men gone even more than they did.

"Since no one is against it, then the matter is settled," Tobirama declared.

He didn't even bother asking Hiruzen's opinion.

It wasn't necessary.

With him and Hashirama backing the decision, Hiruzen had no room to refuse.

Even the Hokage's advisors didn't dare say a word.

They should be grateful they hadn't been targeted directly.

They knew better than to push their luck.

With that matter closed, Tobirama finally addressed the other pressing issue.

"The Cloud Village sent an urgent report."

His expression darkened.

"Madara made his move."

But… not personally.

"It wasn't him who attacked. It was that kid, Uchiha Obito."

There it was.

The entire room tensed.

Even Hashirama, who usually brushed things off, became serious.

Hiruzen momentarily forgot about his own problems.

For all his faults, he still cared about the village.

Tobirama continued.

"Obito infiltrated the Cloud Village and targeted the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki. The attack led to a Tailed Beast Rampage."

He paused, letting the weight of the words settle in.

"When the Cloud Village attempted to reseal the beast, Obito attacked their sealing team. The casualties were severe."

"The Third Raikage has requested our aid," Tobirama stated.

"They specifically want Kushina to be sent over to help them uncover the infiltrators."

Hiruzen's expression tightened.

"They didn't manage to stop him?"

"No," Tobirama admitted.

"The Third Raikage shattered his Susanoo. But Obito didn't stick around. As soon as he realized he was at a disadvantage, he used his space-time jutsu and escaped."

Tobirama's frown deepened.

A shinobi who could appear and disappear at will—it was one of the most troublesome opponents to face.

Even with the Flying Thunder God, he wasn't sure if he could keep up with that kind of ability.

The risk was too high.

If the spatial dimension itself became unstable, he could be permanently trapped inside.

Fortunately, Kamui wasn't destructive enough to cause that kind of problem.

Otherwise, every user of the Flying Thunder God would be walking on a death trap.

"We need to act," Hashirama said, pushing himself up from his chair.

"There's no time to waste. We should—"

"Sit down."

Tobirama cut him off.

Hashirama blinked.

"But—"

"Are you trying to hand the Nine-Tails over to Madara?"

Tobirama's voice was sharp.

Hashirama hesitated.

That was exactly what Madara wanted.

Cause enough chaos to force them to send their own Jinchūriki to the battlefield.

Then, he could strike.

It was a trap.

"…Right," Hashirama muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "That would be bad."

Tobirama exhaled.

"Of course we'll send aid. We also need to prevent Madara from obtaining the second Rinnegan."

His gaze flickered over the room.

"But we can't just rush in blindly."

He tapped the desk.

"We will send a team. But we must ensure that Kushina's safety is guaranteed. If we send her only to lose her, then the entire mission will have been pointless."

He straightened up.

"I will lead the main operation. During this mission, we will also call for a Five Kage Summit. The Five Great Villages need to unify—Madara can't be allowed to continue unchecked."

His gaze landed on Takuya.

"Takuya, I need you to lead the advance team to the Cloud Village. Hashirama and I will remain hidden."

Takuya sighed.

He knew there was no getting out of this.

"I'll handle it," he said lazily.

"But I'm only responsible for Kushina's safety. The rest of it? That's none of my business."

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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01. 

DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING