After returning home, Senju Mori once again sat in his study. The many young clansmen who had filled the room earlier were now gone.
He had sent them all home, then invited his parents, uncles, grandparents, and other senior family members over for a family dinner — to reconnect and strengthen bonds.
After all, it would be the height of irony if, while he was busy winning over other clans, he ended up being betrayed by his own Senju kin.
Fortunately, when Senju Mori had first formed this small faction, he had planned carefully.
Counting himself, the thirteen people in his core group formed a web of connections so extensive that it nearly covered the entire Senju upper-jōnin circle.
The only exceptions were the two elderly clan elders, both long retired from active affairs — and Mori had no intention of wasting time worrying about their votes.
Now that he had secured the support of both the Hyūga clan and his own Senju clan, Mori's confidence had grown significantly.
There were only two days left until the jōnin confidence vote, meaning time was running short.
Still, Mori couldn't help but consider one last bold move — paying a visit to the Uchiha clan, just to test his luck.
After all, what if someone there did decide to back him?
Surely, not all thirty-some Uchiha jōnin were so fanatically loyal that they'd waste their valuable votes on their clan head without question.
Then his thoughts turned to Sarutobi Hiruzen, his chief rival. While Mori had been tirelessly courting support among the major clans, Hiruzen certainly hadn't been idle either.
According to the information Mori had gathered, Hiruzen was confident in the support of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, and had recently been visiting smaller clans such as the Inuzuka and Aburame.
Mori smirked.
"So, Sarutobi's that confident, huh? Let's see how he likes it when I chip away at that foundation."
With a sharp pop! sound, Mori bit his thumb and performed a summoning jutsu.
A puff of smoke filled the room, revealing his summoning beast, Kuromaru. Mori handed over a name card, instructing the creature to deliver it to Senju Hane, who would then present it to the Nara clan.
Compared to the stubborn Akimichi fatties, the clever minds of the Nara family might be a little more flexible in their thinking.
——
Later that evening, Mori received the Nara clan's reply — and it was clear why Hiruzen had been so confident.
Unlike the Hyūga clan's warm and formal reception, the Nara clan's response was far more subdued. They even subtly reminded him of the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance — the traditional unity of the three clans.
The implication was obvious:
If the Akimichi clan refused to change allegiance, the Nara would not abandon their allies and act alone.
Still, the Nara were the Nara — polite and composed as ever. While their attitude was cool, they showed no disrespect.
They followed proper etiquette by sending an official reply, inviting Senju Mori to meet the next afternoon.
Smart people never put all their eggs in one basket. Whatever the outcome, the Nara would make sure to leave themselves a way out.
——
Meanwhile, as Senju Mori spent his days running all over Konoha seeking allies, his biggest rival — Sarutobi Hiruzen — was not about to sit idly by.
That evening, within the Sarutobi clan compound, Hiruzen gathered his closest confidants.
Under the warm glow of lantern light, they sat around a small table, their meeting bearing an uncanny resemblance to what would one day become the "Konoha F4" private councils.
If there was one notable difference, it was that tonight's gathering included one extra participant — Akimichi Torifu.
Under the immense pressure brought by Senju Mori, Sarutobi Hiruzen was determined to seize every possible advantage he could find — there was no time left to worry about provoking the combined might of the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance.
"Hmph! To think all those recent disturbances were Mori's doing! He always acted so humble and proper… even Lord Tobirama himself was deceived by that facade."
"What a deeply calculating man…"
Danzō's expression was grim, his already harsh features made even more severe by the bandages covering half his face from past injuries. The sight of him radiated an almost tangible aura of bitterness and menace.
"Enough, Danzō," Hiruzen replied heavily. "Talking about that now won't change anything."
"Still," Shimura Homura interjected, frowning, "there's been no reply from the Hyūga. It seems they've already made their choice."
His tone was dark. After all, it had been Homura himself who personally delivered Hiruzen's visiting card to the Hyūga residence— and to be met with silence from such a proud, rule-bound clan was nothing short of an insult.
Normally, even in refusal, a family like the Hyūga would return a courteously worded reply out of etiquette.
Perhaps, after meeting with Senju Mori that afternoon, Hyūga Sōgo had been so angered by the remarks of one of his own elders that he decided to express his stance through such an extreme show of disregard.
Then a distinctly feminine voice joined the conversation.
"I'd really like to know what kind of offer Senju Mori made to drive that old man Sōgo mad like this…"
The speaker was Koharu Utatane. Though not the frail old woman she would one day become, even in her youth she was no great beauty — but she carried the sharp, commanding presence of a kunoichi, the kind of charisma that made people turn to look.
Hiruzen's expression was grave. Compared to Mori, who had swiftly secured the Hyūga's open support, his own two days of persuasion had yielded only modest gains — far less than he had hoped.
But that couldn't be helped.
The truth was simple: his offers just weren't rich enough.
It wasn't stinginess — it was reality.
The Sarutobi clan simply lacked the resources and influence of the mighty Senju.
After all, Senju Mori's promise to the Hyūga had been only a single advisory position — a symbolic gesture, not a bribe.
But Hiruzen?
Just to bring these few "old classmates" here tonight, he had already promised away four advisor positions.
And before he could even think about courting more clans, he first had to maintain his current political alliance — otherwise, his base would crumble before the real contest even began.
He couldn't possibly afford to offer two more advisor posts just to win over the Inuzuka and Aburame clans.
After all, the total sum of power and privilege in Konoha was fixed. The more freely such prestigious positions were handed out, the less value they carried.
As the group fell into uneasy silence, it was Akimichi Torifu, normally the quietest among them, who suddenly spoke up:
"Hiruzen, the terms you've offered are already generous. Instead of promising more positions, why not take a disciple from each of the Inuzuka and Aburame clans?"
"That would bind both families to you completely."
Hiruzen's eyes lit up slightly at the suggestion — but then he frowned again, hesitating.
"It's just that… before his death, Lord Tobirama entrusted me with training Tsunade and her teammates as my students…"
"What of it?" Danzō interrupted with a cold, dismissive snort. "Didn't Lord Tobirama also take in all five of us as his disciples? Who said a master can only have three students?"
After a brief pause, Danzō sneered, his tone cutting.
"Besides, Mori is a Senju. Even if you train Tsunade and the others, do you really think her clan will turn around and support you for Hokage?"
"Don't kid yourself."
"If securing the backing of the Aburame and Inuzuka clans guarantees their loyalty, then — combined with the jōnin already on our side — we could finally stand equal to Senju Mori."
"It's just..."