A Few Days Later – Second World, Near the Allied Shinobi Forces Base, Temporary Hospital
"Hey, you four—stop playing cards over there!"
Kushina #1 came out of the ward, speaking in a half-whisper but full of "feisty cuteness."
Those four had the nerve to be playing cards right outside a patient's room.
The two pairs of Senju grandparents/grandkids turned around in unison. Tsunade #1, cards still in hand, muttered while mixing up the pile, "There are at least ten more hours to go. What else are we supposed to do if we don't play cards?"
Childbirth isn't like using the toilet—it's only at the contraction stage now. They had plenty of time until the baby would actually be born. Calling everyone over this early was mostly due to worries about the Nine-Tails making trouble. The four Senju just happened to be free. Plus, Tsunade #1—on vacation with her boyfriend "immersed in his job," and sidekick Anko Mitarashi off filming something—had ended her vacation to come back.
Also present were two pairs of Hiruzen and Biwako Sarutobi, four Konoha advisors, two Minatos, two Danzo, two Narutos, three Sasukes… Even Main-World Jiraiya #1 had taken leave to come.
Aside from the two constantly busy Tobirama, this temporary hospital was basically an All-Star lineup. Some people were here out of genuine care, others due to blood ties, and still others—like Danzo—just to stick their nose in.
Because the baby about to be born wasn't just "Naruto," but also the very first child of the Alliance's new era—the Alliance Crown Prince, so to speak.
"I was this close to winning!" Hashirama #2 lamented tearfully, seeing his precious cards get scrambled.
All four of them playing together, all about the same skill level, meant that luck decided everything. It was indeed kinda fun.
"Kushina…" Hiruzen #1 edged closer, speaking quietly. "Can we talk privately?"
Kushina #1 crossed her arms, glanced toward her son (currently staring at Web Net with a silly grin), and sighed. "Let's forget it, Third Hokage-sama. I shouldn't have blamed you so much in the first place."
Once she calmed down, she realized it was somewhat unfair to hold a "busy Hokage" fully accountable for Naruto being led astray. That man did afford Naruto—"the jinchūriki's son"—a lot of freedom and protection. At the time in Konoha, the only real candidate who could mentor Naruto was Jiraiya. If you got right down to it, she and Minato also bore plenty of responsibility.
Hiruzen #1 opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Watching Kushina #1 walk off to the bathroom, he felt some relief; while her anger wasn't the main reason he'd run off, not having her forgiveness would've weighed heavily on him. Sure, he'd treated Naruto plenty well, but just like Minato sometimes lamented he "wasn't fast enough" when regrets piled up, Hiruzen felt he could have done more. That guilt lingered.
Sitting back on a bench in the hallway, he opened Web Net to browse the latest news. Suddenly, a message from Hiruzen #2 in this same Second World popped up:
[Chat privately?]
"Here comes trouble," Hiruzen #1 thought instinctively, reaching for his beard—only to remember he didn't have one anymore. He stood, following his older counterpart down the corridor to a balcony at its far end.
Click—
They shut the door. The faint sounds of Earth-Release ninja working on a nearby construction site could be heard.
Hiruzen #2 looked noticeably elderly in casual clothes. Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, his gaze turned toward a freshly built earthen wall in the distance. "So… how've you been?"
(Wait, wasn't he going to ask for my help or something?)
Hiruzen #1 let out a small sigh of relief. Seeing how worn out the other "him" looked—much older than the same age he'd been—filled him with mixed feelings. Aloud, he said, "I've been all right. Traveled a lot, saw some wonderful sights."
"Is that so…" murmured Hiruzen #2 vaguely, with a hint of sorrow.
Hiruzen #1 didn't want to veer into Konoha's recent issues, so he carried on describing his adventures. He found himself quite excited recounting his journeys, immersed in the storytelling. Occasionally, he sent images, videos, and audio clips over Web Net to illustrate what he'd seen.
Konoha's problems, in truth, boiled down to the "Uchiha Massacre Incident." But in this Second World, that was still a ways off in the future. Having learned about it early, could the Uchiha clan really just remain in Konoha?
As the Third Hokage, Hiruzen #2 wanted a peaceful solution—keep the Uchiha in the village, preserve stability. But the Uchiha leadership didn't agree. After a few secret negotiations with the reincarnated Uchiha Fugaku, most of the clan decisively switched sides, joining the Allied Shinobi Forces base, openly leaving Konoha and merging with their reincarnated Uchiha counterparts.
So what was Konoha supposed to do?
Behind those reincarnated Uchiha was Sasuke, and behind Sasuke was Link—the "High Emperor" of the Alliance. Obviously, Tobirama would never let this Second-World Konoha use force to solve the problem. That was just the start.
The old saying goes, "Well begun is half done"—but a bad start can be unstoppable. In days past, ninja clans needed the village's protection, and the village needed the clans' strength. But in today's world, under the Alliance's system, that was no longer a necessity. Why should we hand over the contribution we earn to the village?
In the new era of Web Net, secrets couldn't remain hidden. Less than a day after Uchiha's "defection," gossip filled the net. And since the Uchiha seceded successfully, many other clans started having similar ideas. Not just in Konoha—other villages too. Konoha's situation was trickier because the Alliance itself had been built by "another Konoha." The Alliance's top brass featured many ninja from Main-World Konoha.
In other words, if Konoha #2's clans wanted to follow the Uchiha's lead, they could merge with those same clans in Konoha #1, instantly becoming part of the Alliance leadership.
That was the predicament. The Hyūga clan, for instance—some of them had ties to Kumogakure from an old alliance, hardly loyal to the village. If they showed more affiliation to their own clan's interest than to Konoha's, how could you stop them? Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi (the Ino-Shika-Cho trio) might remain loyal to the Sarutobi clan; but beyond that, many were tempted to leave.
And even among any given clan, opinions weren't monolithic. Look at the Uchiha—splintered between Shisui's faction (aligned with Konoha) and Fugaku's faction (aligned with the Alliance). Their ideals were worlds apart.
Everyone could see the Alliance was unstoppable, ushering in a new era. Once the Uchiha defected and Konoha had no solution, the "village-based" system was doomed. Some suggested that it was all Tobirama's doing from behind the scenes, aiming to dismantle ninja villages that might refuse to obey Alliance commands.
But for the villages themselves—and for the Kage—it was harsh. That's why, back then, Hiruzen #1 had felt overwhelmed by Konoha #2 people constantly pleading emotional blackmail. At a loss for how to help, he used Kushina's arrival as an excuse to run away.
Life can be like that—sometimes you just want out.