Konoha's various forces

A man in his early thirties strode in, his ordinary appearance belying the cold and oppressive aura that radiated from him. A conspicuous cross-shaped scar marred his right cheek, adding to the unsettling air.

"That's Gekkou Yoru," Senju Nawaki whispered to Aizen. "Anbu's vice-captain and Mitarashi Zashi's right-hand man. He's also known as the Konohagakure's Night Dancer."

A flicker of recognition crossed Aizen's face. He'd vaguely heard rumors of this character, another creation from a fan-made Naruto story.

Unlike a formal second-in-command position, a vice-captain is handpicked by the squad leader, serving as their most trusted confidante. It's an entirely discretionary role; Tsunade, for instance, never established a vice-captaincy within the Medical Division. Therefore, holding such a position signifies the captain's complete trust.

With Gekkou Yoru's arrival, the high-ranking officials within the base camp were finally all present. The long-awaited combat meeting commenced.

As expected, the leader spoke first. And Aizen finally understood the torment Senju Nawaki had alluded to.

Mitarashi Zashi was a natural-born leader, alright. Here he was, an hour into the meeting, still waxing eloquent with boundless enthusiasm, his words flowing like an unstoppable river.

A grudging admiration welled up within Aizen. He wouldn't last five minutes enduring such droning speeches.

With the meeting a lost cause, Aizen turned his attention to the current state of Konohagakure. He pieced together information gleaned from Tsunade and his own analysis.

Konohagakure's power structure currently revolved around three main forces:

The Major Clans and Elder Council. This group wielded immense influence, a legacy rooted in the village's founding. Back in the Warring States period, ninja society was clan-based. When Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara united to establish Konoha, they essentially merged various ninja clans to form the village. Their immense power initially held these disparate groups together.

The Hokage and Anbu: Senju Tobirama, Hashirama's successor, understood the need to dilute clan power and solidify the Hokage's authority. He established Anbu, an elite force directly loyal to the Hokage, by recruiting promising ninja from various backgrounds.

The Civilian Faction and Ninja Academy: Tobirama further balanced the power dynamics by nurturing civilian ninjas. The creation of the Ninja Academy allowed talented children from non-clan backgrounds to become ninja, significantly boosting Konoha's overall strength. This civilian population also played a vital role in the village's political landscape.

Furthermore, Tobirama supported the rise of capable ninja from smaller clans like the Hatake, Gekkou, and Mitarashi families. These individuals formed the backbone of Anbu, acting as a counterweight to the major clans and elevating commoner ninja within the village.

These policies effectively fostered Konohagakure's second major power bloc: a corps of elite ninja led by Mitarashi Zashi, who oversaw Anbu, and a burgeoning faction comprised of civilian ninja. Remarkably, Anbu was now primarily run by this new faction.

This shift in power dynamics also explains why Hiruzen Sarutobi initially agreed to Danzo Shimura's proposal to establish Root. It was a way to maintain some semblance of balance within the village.

The current core leadership of Anbu consists of Mitarashi Zashi, Gekkou Yoru, and Konohagakure's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo. These formidable individuals are referred to as the "Anbu Big Three" by some Konoha shinobi.

Driven by either Senju Tobirama's legacy or the desire to protect the interests of smaller clans, these figures naturally oppose the major clans, leading to a simmering conflict.

The new faction, ideally, would have served as a powerful pillar for the Hokage lineage. However, tragedy struck when Senju Tobirama died under mysterious circumstances during negotiations with Kumogakure, a plot orchestrated by the Gold and Silver Horn Brothers. This unforeseen event forced a rushed handover of the Hokage position to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

This sudden power shift raises several questions. Notably, Mitarashi Zashi, not Hiruzen, was initially favored for the Hokage position. When Hiruzen returned to the village, assuming the mantle of Hokage in accordance with Tobirama's wishes, it's easy to imagine Mitarashi's discontent.

To further complicate matters, upon assuming power, Hiruzen, in an attempt to curb Zashi's influence, fostered closer ties with certain powerful clans. This move further stoked Zashi's disapproval.

The core of the new faction, spearheaded by Mitarashi Zashi, champions the interests of smaller clans and some civilian ninja. However, the current Hokage seemingly contradicts the very policies established by the Second Hokage, aligning himself with some major clans. This is a situation Mitarashi finds utterly unacceptable.

As a result, the relationship between the Hokage lineage and the new faction has been strained for quite some time.

However, the Second Hokage's untimely demise left the path clear for Sarutobi Hiruzen to assume the Hokage mantle. This power shift, coupled with the resurgent ambitions of Konohagakure's major clans, forced the Hokage lineage and the new faction into an uneasy alliance. Both sides recognized the need to curb the growing influence of these powerful clans.

Even the Hokage lineage, despite its ambiguous relationship with some clan leadership, ultimately viewed them as pawns in a larger game. A case in point is the incident where Kumogakure abducted Hyuga Hinata. The resolution involved the Hyuga clan surrendering Hyuga Hizashi.

Many Hokage loyalists saw this as a weak compromise. However, Aizen interpreted it as a calculated move to weaken the Hyuga clan's power.

Consider the context: Konoha had just endured the Nine-Tails' rampage, which claimed the life of the Fourth Hokage and the jinchuriki containing the beast. The subsequent Uchiha clan rebellion further crippled the village's strength. In this vulnerable state, the Hyuga clan, with no strong leadership to challenge them, undoubtedly harbored ambitions of their own. Other major clans likely felt similarly emboldened.

Therefore, Sarutobi Hiruzen strategically exerted pressure on the Hyuga clan with the Hizashi incident, a display of power intended to remind them of their place. Of course, this tactic strained relations between the Hokage and the major clans.

However, Hiruzen had limited options at the time. This is painfully evident during Orochimaru's attack on Konoha. The village leader, the Hokage, found himself trapped in the Four-Symbol Seal while Orochimaru taunted him freely. Throughout the ordeal, he received no aid from powerful allies. Only a handful of Anbu were present to witness the events – a stark illustration of the Hokage's isolation.

Adding further fuel to the fire, it's curious to note that Hyuga, Ino-Shika-Cho, and other ninja suddenly appeared only after Sarutobi Hiruzen's demise. This timing is quite intriguing.

In addition to the above two forces, next, we have to talk about the third force.

This is the Hokage lineup that Naruto fans are most familiar with, but also probably the most unfamiliar with.