{The review goal was completed but the ps fell a bit short but I'll be magnanimous and give you an extra chapter cuz with that chapter it'll end the political, administrative and the clan talks}

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Ren placed the deed on the table for everyone to see.

Hidden Leaf Village

Official Land Ownership & Authority Deed

Issued Under Authority Of:

Hokage's Office - Konohagakure no Sato, Land of Fire

Registry ID: KLV-0001-LANDMASTER

Date of Registration: 14th day of the Seventh Moon, Year 01 of the Village Era

Registered Owner(s):

Primary: Senju Clan - Sole Legal Proprietor of all surface, subsurface, and airborne real estate within the administrative boundaries of Konohagakure no Sato.

Representative of Record: The Latest Senju Clan Head, Acting Executor & Enforcer of Property Rights.

Boundaries of Property:

North: From the "Old Watchtower" ridge to the outer patrol line at the Fire Country border checkpoint.

South: From the riverbank near Tanzaku Path to the edge of the southern forest hunting grounds.

East: Up to and including the Yamanaka flower fields (including personal gardens).

West: Extending into the Hidden Leaf Genin Reserve Training Range, including the western cliff face.

Included Assets:

All residential, commercial, military, and administrative structures within the above boundaries.

Subterranean facilities, tunnels, and storage bunkers.

Airspace rights up to 1,000 meters above the highest constructed structure.

Right of Way over all public and private roads, paths, and waterways within village limits.

Privileges & Authority Granted:

Collection of Rent and Usage Fees from all businesses in exchange of acting as a guardian.

Eviction Rights against any non-paying occupant with a grace period of three days.

Approval/Denial of construction, renovation, or demolition within village limits.

Exclusive authorization to lease or transfer portions of village land to external parties.

Hokage Endorsement:

This document is certified by the Hokage's Seal and carries full legal weight under the Laws of the Land of Fire. Alteration or destruction of this deed is punishable by forfeiture of shinobi rank and permanent banishment.

(Signature & Red Seal of the First Hokage - Hashirama Senju)

(Signature & Red Seal of the Fire Daimyo - Nikyuu Madoka)

Everyone's expressions turned serious the moment Ren unrolled the seal and presented it to the room. The atmosphere shifted instantly, no one in the council chamber even considered the possibility of it being fake. The reason was simple, the chakra signature of the First Hokage himself was embedded inside the calligraphic stroke of his name, sealed there by an ancient Fuinjutsu. That was not something that could be forged. Not in this lifetime.

Seeing the shift in mood, Tsunade decided to add more weight to the moment. Her tone carried a measured gravity as she spoke,

"Grandma gave this deed to me long before she died. She told me it might come in use one day." She glanced at each clan leader in turn, making sure they were listening before she continued. "As you just saw, this isn't some ordinary document. This deed was made using a special sealing method, one that only my grandmother could perform. Only someone with Senju blood in their veins and the knowledge of the correct seals can display it."

She leaned back slightly, but her eyes sharpened, cutting across the table. "So, do tell me… why would you even doubt that the Senju clan still holds the deed?"

A tense silence followed, and slowly, every gaze in the room shifted to Hiruzen. The Third Hokage exhaled through his nose, almost as if bracing himself, then reached into his robes. Without a word, he drew out a rolled-up scroll and unfurled it across the table for everyone to see.

The scroll was eerily similar to the one Tsunade had just presented. A few clan heads exchanged confused glances, unsure of what to make of it. For a brief second, it truly looked like there were two equally valid claims sitting side by side.

That illusion didn't last long.

Both scrolls gave off a faint glow, but then the one Hiruzen had laid out began to change. The carefully inked writing dissolved, line by line, as if the parchment itself was erasing its own history. Slowly, fresh words formed, large, bold, and written in a hand that carried a very familiar mocking weight.

"I told you, monkey boy, don't be overconfident."

A ripple of disbelief passed through the room, though no one dared speak it aloud.

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, staring at the words. The air seemed heavier somehow. He didn't need to guess who the message was from. Even after all these years, Mito Uzumaki's presence was unmistakable.

And just like that, he realized he had been played with, deliberately and effortlessly. Even in death, she had managed to scold him.

The memories came unbidden, Mito lecturing him in the Hokage's office, chastising him for trying to control every little thing, warning him about the dangers of overconfidence. She had always been able to see through his intentions before he could act on them, and it was now painfully clear that she'd anticipated his plan to sideline the Senju clan decades before he even made his first move.

She had been waiting for this moment.

The realization dug deep. Sitting in the Hokage's seat for so many years had made him confident, too confident that everything in the village was within the reach of his plans. Even the current situation with Danzo, though unpleasant, was something he had prepared contingencies for. Nothing truly shocked him anymore… or so he had believed.

But this, this was a clean break in that illusion.

His eyes lingered on the mocking words again, and then they flicked to Ren and Tsunade, who were both reading the message alongside him. Neither of them looked smug about it, which only added to the weight in his chest.

Finally, his gaze drifted toward Shikaku. The Nara head looked as unreadable as ever, but something in Hiruzen's mind started connecting pieces. 'Hmm… doesn't seem like those three were in on this.'

A thought came to him, half suspicion, half reluctant respect. 'So was this your plan, Yoru? To make me realize my mistakes?'

The idea felt absurd at first, but it wouldn't leave him alone. He thought of the man known officially as the ANBU Commander… but the real position Yoru held was different, the Guardian of the Leaf. A man whose loyalty was to the village above all else, even the Hokage.

'Was this all part of his design?' Hiruzen's thoughts churned. 'Danzō's arrest… telling Ren the deed was in my possession, knowing full well it was a fake… Ren calling Tsunade here at the perfect moment… my failure in front of the clan heads… Is this his way of telling me to put the village first again? Was he manipulating every single one of us? Me, Tsunade, Shikaku, Fugaku, Ren, playing all of us at once?'

The sheer audacity of it almost made him scoff. Almost. But then another face came to mind, a man who used to operate exactly like that. Always three steps ahead. Always protecting the village in ways others would never see until it was too late. His teacher.

Tobirama Senju.

Hiruzen pushed the thought away before it could take root. 'Ridiculous, I'm letting my mind wander too far.'

No matter how tangled the theories became, the present was still in front of him, and the council was still watching. He couldn't just sit there in silence forever. He knew what he had to do now, even if it stung his pride.

He would have to speak.

And the best thing he could do, the only thing left was to accept every single thing.

He took a deep breath before speaking again, his voice steady but carrying the weight of finality.

"It appears that everything is in order. Then… from this moment onwards, the Senju clan can once again begin collecting rents from the one hundred and ninety-two shops belonging to both clans and private owners. How this will proceed needs to be officially notified by the Senju clan as soon as possible. If any clan head has a problem with the rental scheme that the Senju clan proposes, then they may discuss it privately with the Senju clan first. If no resolution can be reached, the affected clan may then involve the village to mediate."

He let his gaze sweep over the room before continuing.

"Since the Senju clan is now officially considered an active clan again, all their properties shall be returned to them at the earliest possible time, unless, of course, the Senju clan has other plans regarding certain properties. The taxes that the Senju clan will need to pay on their income shall also resume from this moment onwards."

Hiruzen spoke for a while longer, going over a few more procedural details, before finally adding,

"If anyone has any disagreements regarding the matters I have just announced, please raise your hands. Otherwise, these decisions will be effective from the moment this council meeting disbands."

The room was silent.

The clan leaders, however, were anything but happy. Every single one of them was stewing in frustration. This meeting had turned into a disaster for them. Not only would they now have to start paying rents again, something Hiruzen himself had previously promised he would make sure they didn't have to do, but they would also have to hand over properties that had been under their control for years, maybe even decades. And yet… none of them dared to raise their hands.

The way Hiruzen had worded it was deliberate. Only those dissatisfied would need to raise their hands. Which meant that doing so would be putting themselves directly in the line of fire, figuratively and maybe even literally.

If it had been just Ren here today, maybe some of them would have spoken up, tested the waters, or at least voiced their displeasure. But Tsunade was present, sitting right there beside him. And Tsunade wasn't just some symbolic figurehead of a dying clan, she was a monster in her own right.

If someone made a list ranking the strongest people in the village right now, Tsunade would comfortably sit in third place. That fact alone was enough to make even the most stubborn clan heads think twice before opening their mouths and it wasn't just her.

The two people ranked above her were Jiraiya and Hiruzen himself, both of whom were deeply connected to Tsunade. Jiraiya would be the first to step in if anyone dared to slander her, and while her relationship with Hiruzen might have looked strained during the meeting, there was no guarantee that was real. No one wanted to risk finding out the hard way.

So, they all stayed silent. Because even if the times had changed, this was still a world where strength could silence words before they were even spoken.

Hiruzen let the silence linger for a few seconds before nodding. "It appears there is no objection. So, as of this moment, the Senju clan is officially recognized as active again, and all their rights as a founding clan and as a noble clan are reinstated."

Ren and Tsunade exchanged a quick, satisfied glance before raising their hands and slapping them together in a high five. Ren rolled up the scroll with deliberate care, slid it into his belt, then casually stepped up onto the council table. Tsunade followed suit, standing beside him as if she owned the room.

"The meeting was a pleasure, ladies and gentlemen," Ren said with a smirk that only made a few faces tighten further. "Since we have to discuss the rent details, we'll be leaving now. Thank you for your time."

And with that, Ren, Tsunade, and Shizune disappeared in a blur of movement, flickering out of the chamber in less than a second.

Hiruzen remained seated as he looked at Tsunade's seat, looking as if he wanted to stop her, talk to her, but he couldn't, atleast not right now.

He looked around at the faces of the clan leaders who clearly had no intention of leaving. He could almost feel the tension in the air pressing against him. He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples.

'Looks like they really won't leave without explanations,' he thought grimly.

~~~~~

{Did Yoru really do this? Who knows~}

{Also, now that the meeting is over I'll explain things that might have been confusing in the previous chapters one by one so keep reading.}

{If you want, you can support me on pat-reon}

{ h t t p s : / / w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / Z e e n o n }

{You know what else}

{280 Stones = Extra chapter}

{STONES!!!!}