Winter of Year 30
Senju Compound.
Snow fell softly outside the Senju compound, blanketing the rooftops in silence. Inside the warmth of the hearth contrasted the chill beyond. Every member of the Senju clan head's direct lineage had gathered: Uzumaki Mito, Senju Tobirama, Senju Kenichi, Senju Atsuko, Senju Kenji, Senju Tsunade, and Senju Nawaki. They stood in quiet reverence around Senju Hahsirama, who sat upright in bed with a pale face and shallow breath.
He could feel it – his end was near.
"Hahaha… What's with that face, Tobirama?" Hashirama chuckled weakly. "Your behavior isn't befitting of a Hokage, you know~"
He returned the words Tobirama had so often used against him, now with a teasing smile.
"Anija..." Tobirama's voice was low, strained with heavy emotion.
Tsunade rushed forward and threw her arms around Hashirama.
"Hashi-jiichan, are you going to die? Don't die! I won't allow it!"
Hashirama laughed gently, stroking her hair and back with trembling hands.
"Little Tsuna… don't be sad. I'm sorry I won't be able to take you out to play anymore."
Tsunade's eyes welled with tears as she buried her face in his chest.
Hashirama's breath was shallow, but his voice carried the warmth. He looked around the room at his family, his eyes lingering on each face.
"All life must end. Kawarama, Itama... even Madara. My time is no different. We've been preparing for this moment our entire life."
The room fell silent, grief passing down like the snow outside.
"But this is not my end."
"?!" Tsunade looked up as her tear-streaked face searched his eyes.
Hashirama smiled warmly and wiped her cheeks gently.
"I told Tobirama before, and I'll say it again – to Tsuna, and to all of you. My death is inevitable. There's no changing that. But Konoha… Konoha is my legacy. Everything I gave my life to build. And through it, I'll live on."
He collapsed his hand over Tsunade's and placed it over her heart.
"As long as the dream and the will are passed down, I'm still here. In all of you."
The room stirred. One by one, his family touched their own hearts.
"Let's call it… a Will of Fire," Hashirama said with a faint smile. "As long as Konoha, the duty of Hokage, and this Will continue, I'll live on in everyone's heart."
Tsunade pressed her hand to her chest and whispered to herself.
"Will… of Fire…"
Tobirama sighed, shaking his head at the name.
'Everything is fire with him... Madara's influence, no doubt. Still… Will of Fire, huh.'
"Anija…"
However, the moment of sentiment disappeared as Hashirama's expression grew serious.
"There's one more thing. These are my final words. Disband the Senju name. Let our clansmen join the village."
"""??!!!!"""
"ANIJA!"
"FATHER!"
"HASHIRAMA!"
Hashirama raised a hand to silence them.
"I know what you're thinking. But I've thought this through. Tobirama, I know you've seen it too. With us as the First and Second Hokage, the other clans and villagers will eventually grow resentful if we continue to dominate the village's leadership."
Tobirama remained silent.
"I know you chose disciples from non-Senju clan precisely because you saw this coming."
"…"
"Even after splitting the clan once, the Senju are still too powerful. Konoha was meant to unite all people, but if this continues, it will become a private property of the Senju. That is what all clans are thinking, but just not voicing their thoughts. And since someone like me won't rise right away from the clan, other clans will rebel. The village will fracture from within. And I. Won't. Let. That. Happen... Again."
He looked around the room.
Tobirama finally spoke.
"Anija… I understand your point. But, without our clan, who's going to balance the Uchiha? Who's–"
"Tobirama." Hahsirama cut him off in a firm voice.
"?!"
Tobirama instinctively backed down, ready to listen.
"Sure, only Senju can counter Uchiha – that much is true. But, who will balance the Senju once we're gone? Can the clan carry on our will and vision? Or will they fall to temptation and cling to past glories and pride? You know the answer to that."
"…"
His gaze swept the room steadily despite his frailty.
"And after our passing, if the Third Hokage won't come from Senju. Can you guarantee that our clan won't turn against the village?"
Tobirama couldn't argue. He had to admit – His brother was just as extreme as the Uchiha Madara. They simply stood on the opposite ends of the spectrum.
"The village must be strong enough to stand on its own. Konoha itself and its civilians, many of whom are already descended from Senju should balance the power of the clans. Konoha should unite everyone, not be ruled by one name."
Hashirama drew a weary breath.
"Moreover, our former clansmen are starting to grow more distant from the clan. They rarely express it outward, but they resent the fact that some kept the name while they didn't. Look at Iwagakure and Ishikawa, their first Tsuchikage. He too discarded his clan's surname. His disciple Mu succeeded him, and Ishikawa's grandson Onoki will succeed Mu. We shouldn't cling to the name and legacy of Senju. We now have Konoha to rely on and grow."
Hashirama continued.
"Our clan began as a union; our ancestor's bloodline and his followers. Sen(千)ju(手), the Thousand(千) Hands(手), was born from unity. Just like Konoha. Now, we are simply extending our hands to all of Konoha. The Senju created Konoha. As long as Konoha stands, so too will Senju. Our name is not in blood, but in the village itself."
Hashirama's voice softened.
"This is my will."
***
After delivering his final will, Hashirama grew tired. He dismissed the family, asking only Mito to remain.
---
As soon as Tobirama exited the room, he acted immediately.
He invoked the dormant clan mission quotas, which until now remained ceremonial in name, and summoned every clan leader in Konoha. The contents of the meeting remained confidential, but the actions that followed reverberated across the Land of Fire and the Elemental Nations.
The Konoha mobilized their entire military prowess, sweeping through the village and eliminating foreign spies and rogue shinobi with surgical precision. Then led by Tobirama himself, they scattered across the countryside, purging hidden intel networks established by foreign villages.
Tobirama had long collected intelligence on these networks, feigning ignorance to avoid premature conflict. Now, he struck decisively, targeting every secular operatives and destabilizing enemy footholds.
His actions shocked the entire ninja world.
But nothing shook it more than what came next.
Three days later, Senju Hashirama passed away.
The snow continued to fall.
But the fire he lit in the hearts of Konoha's people burned on.
***
The entire village grieved.
Konoha held a funeral that lasted three days. Every citizen, shinobi, and clan member attended, following Hashirama's coffin as it was carried from the Hokage building to the cemetery.
Everyone wore black formal attire – black kimonos for the Senju, Hyuga, and Sarutobi clans, and high-collared black robes for the Uchiha. No one spoke. Only the soft cries of infants and the quiet sob of mourners echoed through the cemetery.
As if answering their sorrow, rain began to fall – gently and steadily washing away the tears that spilled from their eyes.
Tobirama stood alone at the head of the procession, the only one dressed in the white and red robes of the Hokage. He held the Hokage cap over his heart and left his face was bare to the downpour, disguising his tears that refused to be held back.
He turned to face the crowd and spoke in low but firm voice.
"People die every day. Whether in the past, the present, or the future – death comes for all of us."
He paused, letting the silence settle over the crowd.
"Shodaime, my brother, Senju Hashirama, dreamed of peace. He wanted children to smile without fear. He wanted a world where war and bloodshed belonged to the old , not the new. He ended the Warring Clans Era. He gave us one nation, one village. For thirty years, we flourished under his name. There's no denying it – we lived in the era of Senju Hashirama."
Tobirama's gaze swept across the mourners, his words despite the grief in his eyes.
"I once believed death was the end. The finish line of life's journey. But do you know when we truly die?"
He placed a hand over his heart.
"Men truly die when they are forgotten. When their legacies and wills are extinguished. My brother said this is not his end. And he is right. As long as Konoha exists… as long as his will and legacy are passed on… he lives on. In here. In each and every one of our hearts."
He stepped forward, his voice rising above the rain.
"This will – Hashirama's will – to safeguard the children, to strive for peace, to protect Konoha… as long as this Will of Fire is carried forward, from one generation to the next, we will continue to live on – even after death."
He let the words hang in the air, then spoke his final command.
"So do not grieve for Senju Hashirama. Lift your heads. Live. Move forward. Protect your families, your loved ones, and this village. So that he may continue to live inside all of us... In our Will of Fire."