Even though Koharu and Homura had long realized that Senju Haruto and the Fire Daimyō were destined for a fight to the death, the instant they actually witnessed the Daimyō's head roll from his shoulders, their hearts still trembled with shock.
They knew well what this meant.
Even the God of Shinobi himself—Senju Hashirama, a man revered almost like the Sage of Six Paths—had bowed to the authority of the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, submitting to their command.
Tobirama, the Second Hokage, famed for his iron-blooded will, had defied the Daimyō's influence many times, yet even he showed caution and respected the delicate balance of power.
But now, with Haruto—
For nothing more than a clash of ideals, he had cut down the Fire Daimyō without hesitation!
Such resolve could never be dismissed as a moment of impulse.
Countless shinobi had dreamed of taking the Daimyō's life.
The Twelve Guardian Ninja had been replaced time and again, each protector silently harboring thoughts of rebellion.
Yet none of them had ever succeeded.
That Haruto could do so, here and now—it was a feat almost unthinkable.
"You…"
Homura stared at the Daimyō's ruined corpse, his breath catching in his throat. He had seen many bodies in his life, but this one sent an icy chill crawling down his spine.
It took him a long while before he could steady his own emotions.
"What do you plan to do next? Will you leave the village?"
He dragged his gaze away from the Daimyō's body and fixed it instead on Haruto.
Koharu, too, waited for the answer with unspoken tension.
But what they wanted to hear was not that Haruto would abandon Konoha, branded a missing-nin for the rest of his life.
If that happened, then though the Daimyō was dead, his heirs and the family's political power would remain intact.
All it would mean was Haruto living as a traitor, and Sarutobi Hiruzen carrying the eternal stain of having lost control.
It would do nothing to shatter the system itself.
Yet Homura's expression carried a flicker of expectation that Haruto did not miss.
"From this day forward," Haruto declared, his voice striking like steel against stone, "the Daimyō will be nothing but history."
His eyes swept across Koharu and Homura, his words ringing with finality.
This had always been his true plan: the Hokage would replace the Daimyō, merging the Land of Fire and Konohagakure completely.
Politics, economy, and military might—all would rest in the hands of the Hokage alone.
Koharu and Homura exchanged a brief glance, and only then did they exhale in relief.
If Haruto had chosen to flee at this moment, it would all have been wasted.
"You two don't intend to stop me?" Haruto asked, his gaze lingering on them.
Though they were all Konoha's elders, he knew these two were not like Hiruzen. They were not soft, not indecisive.
When Orochimaru had invaded Konoha and killed the Third Hokage, it had been Koharu and Homura who suppressed Danzo, despite his overwhelming power at the time and his clear intention to seize the Hokage's seat.
Jiraiya had left the village with Naruto in search of Tsunade.
The ANBU were crippled.
Kakashi lay unconscious under Itachi's genjutsu.
It was, without exaggeration, the perfect storm for Danzo—strongest man left in the village, his faction unrivaled.
And yet, even then, Koharu and Homura had crushed his ambitions.
Could anyone believe they had no cunning, no methods, no vision?
Haruto certainly did not.
"That's right." Koharu nodded firmly.
The meeting hall was silent but for the three of them, none of the others conscious to overhear.
"You've heard the tales of Lord Hashirama, haven't you?" Homura asked after a moment's thought.
Both he and Koharu had been disciples of Tobirama. In their youth, they had witnessed Hashirama's presence firsthand.
His strength, his unwavering resolve to protect the village—it had once filled them with admiration.
And the stories of him, they knew far more than most.
"Of course I know," Haruto replied without hesitation.
After all, he was of the Senju clan himself.
How could he not know the legacy of Senju Hashirama?
"It was only because of him—and Uchiha Madara—that the village came to be," Haruto continued quietly. "They put aside hatred, clasped hands, and together founded Konohagakure."
Koharu and Homura both inclined their heads, acknowledging the truth of his words.
Even though Madara later betrayed that vision and clashed with Hashirama at the Valley of the End, history could not erase the fact: it was Hashirama who had set the current of change in motion.
"Because of his conviction and his unmatched strength," Homura said, "the alliance with the Uchiha encouraged countless other clans to set aside grudges. The Nara, the Sarutobi, the Hyūga… one by one they joined, and Konoha was born."
"Not only that," Koharu added, "but Lord Hashirama's glory spread through the shinobi world. Other regions followed his example. The age of endless clan wars ended. The era of villages began."
"It was Hashirama who created it all. He was the true mover of history."
"And now," Homura drew a deep breath, his eyes steady, "it is time for history to move again."
It was not only Haruto's fearless execution of the Daimyō that swayed them, nor merely his overwhelming strength.
It was his name.
Senju.
That word carried weight far beyond Haruto's own understanding.
If someone were to declare him Heaven's chosen child, the hand of destiny itself—Koharu and Homura would believe it without hesitation.
And in truth, that was exactly what they thought.
The blood of the First Hokage's Wood Release.
The eyes of Uchiha Madara's Mangekyō Sharingan.
If this was not destiny, what was?
As those thoughts filled them, Homura made a simple gesture with his hand—a sharp motion, like a blade cutting downward.
Haruto understood at once.
Uproot it, or it will grow back again.
Though the Daimyō was dead, his faction still remained.
His death was only the beginning.
The beginning of a revolution.
"You're not worried about the Third Hokage waking and discovering all this?" Haruto asked casually.
But the question was half performance.
For in truth, Koharu and Homura had never considered themselves beneath Hiruzen, despite his title as Hokage.
The Uchiha Massacre was proof enough.
Yes, Itachi had wielded the blade. Yes, Danzo had struck the deal.
But Koharu and Homura had supported it all, never siding with Hiruzen.
If they could stand with Danzo then, they could stand with Haruto now.
And as expected, both shook their heads at his question.
"We've had enough of this system," Koharu said coldly. "If you truly intend to begin a revolution, to wipe out the Daimyō, then we will give you our full support."
Their eyes drifted to the unconscious Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Hiruzen is an old man now," Homura murmured. "Konoha will need a Fifth Hokage."