"Hiruzen Sarutobi! Danzo Shimura! Utatane Koharu! Mitokado Homura! All you elders of Konoha—hear me! I, Ayanami Kaito, have returned to annihilate your clans!"

The moment this voice echoed through the village, it was as if a still lake had been struck by a massive boulder—sending ripples through every corner of Konoha.

"Did I hear that right? Is someone threatening to destroy the Hokage-sama's clan?"

"Is Konoha under attack?"

"Something serious is happening!"

As the alarm spread like wildfire, Minato Namikaze's expression turned grave. In an instant, he vanished from sight, flickering through the village shadows toward the Hokage's office.

---

Uchiha Compound

Uchiha Fugaku opened his eyes, the initial surprise in them quickly turning into a sly smile.

"Interesting. Let's see how Hokage handles this."

"Father, should we assist when the fighting begins?" asked a respectful Uchiha Itachi, standing to the side.

"Send a few people. Show a bit of courtesy. After all, this isn't our fight."

"Understood."

---

Across the village, reactions varied wildly. While the Uchiha remained calm and strategic, other prominent clans like the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka rallied toward the Hokage Building. In moments, the building was encircled by a sea of shinobi, led by the heads of each family, their faces a mixture of concern, calculation, and even subtle glee.

Inside the Hokage's office, the tension was thick. Hiruzen Sarutobi, along with Danzo, Koharu, and Homura, wore grim expressions.

"Outrageous!" Koharu snapped. "He dares to threaten us? Konoha must not allow this man to walk away alive tonight! He is provoking the entire village!"

"Do you think we have the power to stop him alone?" Hiruzen asked quietly, his voice calm but troubled. The news had clearly rattled him. That Kaito, the one they had underestimated, was a descendant of the Senju Clan, was an unexpected and dangerous revelation.

"We have all of Konoha on our side!" Koharu shouted. "Senju or not, he cannot defy the village and live!"

Ignoring her, Hiruzen turned to the silent Danzo and Homura. "Let's go. We need to see this for ourselves."

He stepped out with steady resolve, his thoughts heavy. So that's why he hates us so much. The Senju were erased… Could Konoha really withstand what's coming?

Danzo and Homura followed, their faces carved in ice.

"Hokage-sama!" came the collective greeting from the shinobi as they stepped out.

"Evacuate all civilians. Move them to the shelters. Initiate Level One alert!" Hiruzen commanded. Then, he looked over the gathered forces and offered a soft smile. "Everyone… follow me. Let us welcome our guest at the gate."

His voice was warm, almost soothing, and the shinobi around him eased ever so slightly—proof of Hiruzen's unnerving skill in manipulating morale.

Had Kaito heard this, he might've sneered, Number one brainwasher in all of Konoha.

---

At the gate stood Kaito.

Clad in tight, black tactical gear and wearing a blank ANBU mask, he exuded overwhelming presence as he watched the incoming storm of shinobi led by Hiruzen Sarutobi. His gaze was sharp and mocking.

"You must be Ayanami Kaito," Hiruzen said, stopping some distance away. "You bear the blood of the Senju… the founding clan of this village. You know,Lord Hashirama—the First Hokage—was your ancestor. There are still elders of your clan here, living peacefully in their final years."

Kaito's eyes narrowed behind the mask. His voice was laced with contempt.

"Yes. You kept two alive, old and powerless. But where are the rest of the Senju? Tell me that!"

Hiruzen sighed with practiced sorrow. "In the Second Shinobi World War, the Senju fought valiantly. They led the charge, and many… paid the ultimate price. Their sacrifices are honored on the memorial stone. They are heroes of Konoha."

Some of the younger shinobi stirred, visibly moved by his words.

Kaito sneered. "And yet, no sign of their remains when I visited their graves. Not even Hashirama's. What happened? Don't give me the 'rat ate the corpse' story. Tell me about your twisted experiments!"

"Kaito. As the last known Senju, you've been allowed to speak this far," Danzo said coldly, stepping forward. "But if you continue to challenge Konoha, you won't leave alive."

Kaito laughed harshly, pointing at Danzo.

"You're going to lecture me? You, a rat that hides in Konoha's sewers?"

Then, with a blur so fast most couldn't register it, Kaito appeared behind Danzo. His hand was wrapped around the old man's throat, lifting him effortlessly.

"You speak of honor, yet you poison everything in the dark."

"Kaito!" Hiruzen shouted. He had barely seen the motion—it was faster than anything he had witnessed, perhaps even swifter than Minato's Flying Thunder God.

"Let him go, Kaito. We can still talk this through."

"Talk? You know why I'm here." Kaito's voice remained composed, but his intent cut through the air like a blade. "This is a reckoning. You four—Hiruzen, Danzo, Koharu, Homura—you slaughtered the Senju. You erased Uzushiogakure. Today, I plan to erase you."

The weight of his words crashed into every shinobi present. For a moment, no one moved. All they could hear was the wind whistling between the silence, and the slow crack of Danzo's breathing under Kaito's crushing grip.

Whispers swept through the crowd.

The Hokage… destroyed the Senju clan? The Whirlpool Country…?

Shock froze even the most seasoned veterans.

Hiruzen's expression hardened. If this spirals out of control, Konoha might not survive what comes next.

---