At the beginning of March in the 15th year of Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Akimichi Torifu led their troops into a large-scale battle against the forces of Iwagakure. After a fierce confrontation, the regular army of the Land of Water was defeated and forced to retreat. Fortunately for the Water Country, the ninja from Kirigakure provided enough cover to prevent a complete annihilation. Nevertheless, the Land of Water no longer had the strength to continue the fight.
As a result, the Water Country began peace negotiations with the Land of Earth. Both armies withdrew, and Sarutobi Hiruzen and Akimichi Torifu reorganized the border defenses. Once they confirmed there was no longer an immediate threat, they set off to return to Konoha.
Upon their return, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Akimichi Torifu soon made their way to Konoha. As they handed over command of the troops, Sarutobi Hiruzen was greeted by his friend, Shimura Danzō.
"Long time no see, Danzō," Hiruzen greeted cheerfully. "Has anything happened in the village recently? Things seem a little different."
Shimura Danzō gave him a strange look and replied bluntly, "Have you been on the battlefield for so long that your brain's gone numb? Didn't you get the message from Sensei? Because of the influx of civilians into the village, any unnecessary land held by ninjas is being offered up for civilian use. I remember you agreed to this."
Managing the large influx of civilians into Konoha had become the village's top priority. Without proper resettlement, the village would not be able to stabilize. Emergency measures had worked during the war, but now that peace was on the horizon, a more permanent solution was needed.
After much deliberation, the village decided that ninja clans should offer up any extra land they were no longer able to manage. Due to the war, many clans had lost a significant portion of their members and could no longer control all of their original land. While they could reclaim the land when their population grew again, for now, it was important for the Senju clan to lead by example and offer their unused land. This would encourage other clans to do the same.
The larger clans like Uchiha, Hyuga, Sarutobi, and Shimura opted to hire civilians to farm their land, freeing themselves to focus on training and cultivation. The only clan to give up all their land was the Senju.
In this way, the large clans didn't lose much and were not heavily resistant to the changes. The smaller ninja clans, on the other hand, had no choice but to give up their land, as they lacked the strength to manage it. Although it was painful for them, they accepted their fate when the village provided compensation.
While the large clans had not been shaken to their core, their influence in the village had started to decline. The ninja clans were still an important part of the village, but they were no longer its foundation.
The First Shinobi War had begun to wash away the remnants of the Warring States period, solidifying the ninja village system established by Senju Hashirama. Everyone who had participated in the war understood that no single clan could survive on its own in the current shinobi world. Power now came from unity within the village.
"Yes, yes! You don't know how tough the forces from Kirigakure were," Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed, scratching the back of his head. "I've almost forgotten about everything else."
As they walked toward the village, Sarutobi Hiruzen noticed the number of civilians on the streets and was taken aback. The resettlement plan had placed civilians closer to the center of the village, with the ninja clans surrounding them like protective guards. For the ninja, this arrangement worked well, allowing them to focus on training while keeping their clan secrets.
"With so many people here, I assume the ninja academy will be seeing more students soon," Sarutobi Hiruzen remarked.
"Yes," Danzō replied. "A group of children has already been enrolled, but they're mostly orphans."
The war hadn't only devastated the shinobi ranks; civilians had also suffered. Even though Konoha hadn't targeted civilians, the conflict inevitably affected them, leaving some children without parents. Instead of letting them fend for themselves, the village decided to send them to the ninja academy, hoping to foster a sense of loyalty among these orphans.
"Orphans? What about their housing? The village isn't giving them land to farm, are they?" Hiruzen asked.
"Of course not. The village is supporting them, which is why Sensei had to negotiate with the daimyo for additional funding," Danzō explained with a shrug.
"Hokage has a tough job," Hiruzen said with a sigh.
"Indeed. I wonder who will become the third Hokage."
At this, the two of them fell silent. All of Tobirama's students harbored hopes of inheriting their Sensei's position. Both Hiruzen and Danzō were no exception. Although they were friends, they were also competitors, each wanting to surpass the other.
"So, what have you been up to lately?" Hiruzen asked, breaking the tension.
"I've been leading the Anbu to search for spies and gather intelligence. Kagami is managing the police force, and Koharu is setting up the medical department—where medical ninjas will work. As for Homura and Masaki, they're writing textbooks for the ninja academy."
"Huh?" Sarutobi Hiruzen was surprised. "Masaki is writing textbooks?"
Danzō nodded. "I was just as shocked. Given his strength, I thought it would be better if he left the teaching to Homura. But hey," he shrugged, "I guess he had other ideas."
Hiruzen fell into thought. Fumori Masaki had always been a peculiar individual, often saying unexpected things. Although Masaki had once been an average shinobi, his progress after a certain incident had been extraordinary. His strength now rivaled Hiruzen's, especially his mastery of wind-style jutsu and taijutsu, which made him a formidable close-combat fighter.
While Hiruzen saw Masaki as a potential Hokage candidate, he felt more competitive with Danzō than with Masaki.
"Why did he choose that?" Hiruzen wondered aloud.
"I think he just wants a break," Danzō replied. "Plus, Rimi is pregnant, so he probably just wants to spend time with his wife..."
"What? Rimi is pregnant?" Hiruzen exclaimed.
"Yes," Danzō confirmed, rolling his eyes. "Seems like the stress of the war got to a lot of people. Now that everyone's back, there's been a baby boom. More and more people are getting pregnant, almost as if we're approaching another birth peak."
"Dammit! It's because I stayed on the battlefield too long," Sarutobi Hiruzen groaned, grabbing his hair. "Wait, what about you? Would you—?"
"What do you think?" Danzō cut in. "Do I look like someone who's been lounging around?"
"I guess not," Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed, silently feeling sorry for Danzō's future wife. Then, with renewed determination, he declared, "Looks like I need to step up my game. I want to have kids too!"