"I would have been happy ignoring Konoha my whole life... but no. You just had to do the stunt with the Uchiha clan, had you not?" Tsunade pointedly gazed at Hiruzen whose eyebrow involuntarily twitched at the accusation... which could as well be a full-body flinch considering the people in the chamber knew at least something about reading the body language. "Well... no more. My grandfather didn't create this village to be a chessboard for some old bastards' amusement." Her cold stare briefly stopped on every single Elder, causing them to frown, ending on Danzo, to whom she gave a look a few degrees frostier than the others. "For those who still didn't get it..." Tsunade glanced at Tsume, "Itachi didn't go quite as mad as he was portrayed. He simply followed orders, didn't he? Eh, Sensei?"
Even Tsume Inuzuka understood Tsunade's meaning after she pointed it out so bluntly. Inuzuka's were fiercely loyal to the Third Hokage due to their pack mentality. He had a half-century to cement his position as an alpha in their minds and he certainly did not slack off in that regard. Hiruzen became shocked and inwardly winced at the piercing look Tsume threw him.
He found himself between Tsunade and a hard place. On one hand, he could play stupid but he knew the suspicion was cast and this could potentially tear the village apart in the near future. He definitely didn't miss how Hiashi Hyuuga narrowed his eyes at him. Him! He protected the village with his life for over half-century and now these... these upstarts wanted to take his pound of flesh? As if!
"It was all for the Will of Fire, Tsunade-chan." He said in a calm voice, adding the suffix to show her her place. He knew there was no point in trying to keep these facts hidden. "The Uchiha clan wanted to rebel. The final result was definitely unfortunate but not unexpected. Treason is treason, after all. No matter what I did, they simply wouldn't let it go. And in the end, I never ordered their massacre." He sadly shook his head.
"Bullshit. You, Hiruzen Sarutobi, LET. THAT. HAPPEN!" She emphasized her words by banging her fist on the table nearby while staring at her sensei, "You knew something was wrong for years. You were the reason why they were relocated to the outskirts and lost most of their political power in the first place. All because Danzo told you so. You know how prideful and vain Uchiha's were. You must have had an idea how this would end up. Especially with that twit Fugaku as the clan head. Don't try to screw with me by telling me you had no idea, Sensei. You are not called the Professor because you like Icha Icha: Schoolyard Crush." Tsunade deadpanned, making Hiruzen feel self-conscious as a small blush appeared on his wizened cheeks.
"Tsunade-hime," Koharu decided to interrupt the dressing down Tsunade was delivering to Hiruzen, "Even your grandfather would see the greater good in the unfortunate demise of the Uchiha clan. He always preached that others should see the village before their own clans. Uchihas simply went too far."
"I would think I knew my grandfather better than you, old hag." Tsunade snorted, stopping Koharu short, earning herself a glare from the short old woman, "No matter how hard you try to portray my grandfather as some idiot who would sacrifice anything for the village, I have known him. As big of a goof as he was when it came to politics, he was still a ninja and knew the importance of backup plans. Say what you want, but my grandfather was Senju first, Hokage second. Anyone who knew him more deeply was aware of that fact. That's also why Danzo holds more respect to my uncle, rather than my grandfather. My uncle simply hid his preference for our clan better." Tsunade stated, causing everyone to ponder what she just said. "How could it be any different? He created the village for his clan, for the children so they wouldn't have to fight. How could you sit there and tell me he would gladly sacrifice these same children for the village? Are you daft?"
"What do you mean?" Tsume asked, now fully invested in the discussion.
"Ah~, what a drag." Shikaku murmured, "Itachi didn't spare even children. Considering our esteemed Hokage and his Elder Koharu just indirectly admitted that it was an order of some sort..."
And the chamber grew somber at that.
The various clan heads felt their very own turmoil of emotions because of the revelation.
The Elders furiously thought about how to word their defense in order to prove what they did was fully for the village.
The civilian representatives simply stared, feeling out of the place and suddenly scared to let out even an 'eep'. After all, if an entire clan was eradicated just because they got out of hand... They all started considering their previous behavior during those meetings and sudden fear started to creep up their spines.
The Hokage just mournfully puffed his pipe, passively watching the whole council room. It was interesting how just a few words could accomplish what he in his entire career could not. Tsunade in just a few seconds shut up the entire council room. He found himself impressed despite it being at his expense. 'Maybe it really is time to retire, huh?'
After a brief silence, Tsunade started speaking again, "My grandfather certainly didn't create the village for you, the conniving bastards who scheme how to use the labors of my family to get more power and influence, corrupting this place in the process. How dare you take his name into your mouth, bitch?" She returned Koharu's glare, adding her killing intent on the top which instantly shook everybody in the room awake from their own contemplation as cracks appeared on the walls from the pressure emitted from Tsunade, making Koharu flinch as far back in her seat as she possibly could at the very physical representation of Tsunade's intent to do her harm. Inwardly satisfied, at the horrified face of the woman due to the inhuman levels of killing intent saturating the air, Tsunade looked back to the Hokage, finding his pipe fell from his mouth. She coldly smirked, "Hiruzen lost his marbles long ago. He believes in the Will of Fire so much, he became deranged. He let civilians run our ninja village as if they owned us." At that, many of the sweating civilians cringed, fearing for their lives. "He let his Elders walk all over him in order to appease them because of some misguided sense of camaraderie." Elders frowned, not daring to interrupt again due to their instincts screaming at them to be quiet, "And the saddest of it all, he totally forgot or willfully disregarded most of what my uncle tried to teach him. That Will of Fire was just a guideline that made all the clans closer. Nothing more than that. Alas, as long as something fit Hiruzen's image of the Will of Fire, all was a fair game." Tsunade glanced at Danzo in a way that would be painfully obvious to Hiruzen what she meant.
And notice, he did. It wasn't hard to put two and two together for Hiruzen. He knew ROOT did more bad than good but he still didn't want to believe Danzo fell so much into the darkness. After all, if he couldn't believe in his oldest friends and comrades, then who could he believe?
"The Senjus created this place." Tsunade continued, "We were never the biggest fans of formality but the hierarchy set up by my uncle and grandfather should have told you what place my ancestors envisioned for our clan. The very lands Konoha stands on are fully owned by my clan. We are the founding clan. We gave each of your clans a sanctuary. We handpicked four noble clans of these lands, giving them stature similar to nobles in the Fire Country. We promised a better future for the clans. And we delivered." She swept the clan heads with her unflinching and hardened gaze as if they were a bunch of misbehaving children, "Yet... when the Senju clan needed help, where were you exactly? Eh, Sarutobi? You knew Senju were hunted down but what did you do? You let it happen. That's what." Tsunade turned to the shocked clan heads. "I had enough. I have already signed the paperwork with the Daimyo and enacted the preventive clause of the Konoha Creation Act. From now on, Konoha is an autonomous territory within the Fire Country under the rule of the landowners, the Senju clan." She declared with finality.
The civilians and clans who had no idea what would happen were left speechless, not knowing what exactly to do. Who could blame them? Their homeland just became a different country right in front of their eyes and the only thing they could do was to gape.
Danzo's breath hitched. This was the whole reason why he helped Senjus on their way to the afterlife during the first and second wars. 'Damn you, Hiruzen! You and your sentiment! Why couldn't you just let me deal with your bitch of a student when I offered?' Naturally, Hiruzen knew about some of it. After all, it was in the time when the ROOT program was just starting, hence the organization was still a legitimate part of the village. They both discovered these clauses of the Konoha Creation Act. The Senju clan were simply too dangerous, being able to take the power from the Hokage at their whim.
Hiruzen wasn't even protesting. He was just so tired of it all. He knew Jiraiya would never become Hokage. That only left Tsunade. That was honestly half of the reason why he was searching for the whereabouts of his wayward student during all these recent years. He was well aware she was the only candidate fit to become the Hokage. What was the point of trying to prevent this? It would have happened sooner or later and he hoped sooner rather than later. He actually felt enormous pride that at least one of his students had it in them to oppose him in such a blatant manner. That at least one of his students would have the balls to keep Konoha safe. He also found it somewhat hilarious that, in the end, it was not Orochimaru or Jiraiya but Tsunade with these proverbial balls.
He has spent so much time trying to prevent her from learning about her birthright, and now, here they were. He, completely glad she actually learned about it and took the reins as there was no other option either way. Life was funny like that. To think it would throw him such a curveball in his old age.
At least, one of his students was not an utter failure. For the first time since the Kyuubi attack, he felt oddly at peace.
Tsunade raised her head high and looked straight into Hiruzen's eyes, daring him to say a word. "And as my first order as the owner of these lands, I hereby declare you, Hiruzen Sarutobi, fired from the position of Hokage." Her composed but firm voice rang through the room, astonishing the occupants even more.
'Well, she could have said it more politely, couldn't she?' Hiruzen sweatdropped.