The Senju Clan's Tragedy

None of them?

That left Jueming somewhat puzzled.

"Actually..."

The Great Elder seemed to have something difficult to say.

But after gritting his teeth, he decided to reveal the truth.

"Every clan has some extremists..."

Bipolar people—there were people like that everywhere.

The Senju Clan was no exception.

"Some extremists poisoned the underground water source of our Senju Clan back then."

"..."

Jueming fell silent.

They had poisoned the water source with Hashirama Senju's experimental cells. In other words...

"Everyone in the Senju Clan drank water containing Wood Release Cells..."

"Sigh... sigh..."

The Great Elder stroked his beard, ashamed beyond measure.

So the question was, Gul'dan Senju—what was the price?

"After drinking it, all our people had Hashirama Cells in their bodies... Though they were diluted to the extreme, once they fused with the Senju Clan's unique bloodline, they could... produce effects they never should have..."

The same old saying.

It was like throwing gasoline into liquefied gas.

The Ninja world placed great importance on genetics, DNA, and bloodlines.

It was understandable that the Senju Clan's bloodline amplified Hashirama Cells.

From then on, every member of the Senju Clan carried Hashirama's Demon Blood within them. They had become completely alike.

"Wait."

Jueming frowned, spotting the key point.

"Why was only our Senju Clan's water source contaminated? What about everyone else?"

What about the Uchiha Clan? The Sarutobi? Ino-Shika-Cho? The other clans?

Why was everyone else fine?

Or rather...

Was the Senju Clan's water source separate? Why was that?

"Because of Tobirama Senju."

Mito Uzumaki's voice rang out in his mind.

"Tobirama had always been wary of the Uchiha Clan, afraid that those evil Uchiha might plot something, so he had established a separate water source for the Senju Clan..."

And because of that...

He had instead protected the Uchiha Clan, only to harm One of Our Own in the end.

This was probably what it meant to be too clever for one's own good and end up dropping a rock on one's own foot.

"What a pair of geniuses."

Jueming almost laughed.

"What a bunch of idiots. No wonder the Senju Clan declined. With such narrow minds, if you weren't wiped out, who would be?!"

"Senju Jueming!"

Mito Uzumaki shouted sharply.

"You don't understand anything at all!!"

"Woman, you never let me understand anything!" Jueming retorted.

Always talking in riddles and acting all high and mighty.

"Who are you putting on that act for? Who do you think I am? Your husband? Do I have to coax you every day?"

As Jueming berated her, he thought...

One day, after I revive this woman, I'll spank her while making her call me Daddy!

"And you say the Uchiha Clan is an evil clan??"

Honestly, Jueming could not see anything evil about his two Uchiha classmates—Obito Uchiha and Tekka Uchiha.

Obito Uchiha looked like a complete airhead, clearly missing a screw.

Tekka Uchiha could not be made to utter a word even after three kicks. He was obviously the quiet, brooding type.

"The Uchiha Clan's ocular techniques are far more powerful than you can imagine!"

Mito Uzumaki argued fiercely.

"For example, Madara Uchiha's younger brother, Izuna Uchiha, could use Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi... Amaterasu burned everything to ash, while Kagutsuchi altered the flames' shape..."

"Oh."

Jueming thought, So it's just setting fires.

What did it matter if the temperature was a little higher?

What did it matter if the flames could change shape?

Could they really be that much stronger than ordinary Fire Release?

"For example, Kagami Uchiha... Though his Sharingan only had Three Tomoe, it was said that one of his ancestors could use an Illusion Technique called 'Kotoamatsukami'... With a single glance, it could completely control someone, turning their entire body and mind into a puppet under the user's control! If they wanted to rebel, just how terrifying would that be!"

"The Uchiha are indeed an evil clan." Jueming immediately said sternly, his expression grave.

Mito Uzumaki: "..."

The Great Elder did not know about the covert clash of wills between Jueming and Mito Uzumaki.

He stared at Senju Akira's corpse, his eyes filled with grief.

And Jueming learned once more.

Senju Clan members often vanished without explanation. They had not actually disappeared—their bodies had been devoured by Wood Release Cells!

Then they went mad!

The Great Elder and the others had no choice but to act and eliminate those dangers.

The entire Senju Clan lived beneath the shadow of possibly turning into monsters at any moment...

It was only natural that they declined further with each passing year.

"Is there no way to reverse it?"

Jueming asked.

"..."

The Great Elder shook his head.

This was something that had seeped into their DNA.

Now that Human Experimentation was forbidden, the Senju Clan could only watch helplessly as it marched toward extinction.

Fortunately...

The water source had long since been purified.

Even Hashirama Cells, with their immense vitality, could not possibly survive in flowing water indefinitely.

Some of those Cells had accelerated the growth of aquatic plants.

Others had simply faded away.

"So that's why you said to 'go with the flow'?"

Jueming recalled the Great Elder's earlier advice.

Once he discovered that a clansman was showing symptoms of an "episode"...

The Great Elder would persuade them to stop working so hard and enjoy life instead.

He would also make him or her take medicine on time.

Because once their mental state slipped out of control, Hashirama Cells would take over.

"To truly solve this problem, I'm afraid one would have to reach the level of the Sage of Six Paths to possess such divine means..."

The Great Elder spoke of something ethereal, something utterly impossible to achieve.

The Sage of Six Paths.

He was a mythical figure from a thousand years ago.

It was said that he founded the Ninja Creed.

Only then did Ninja appear in the world.

One branch of the descendants of his son, Asura, was the Senju Clan.

It could also be said...

That the ancestor of the Senju Clan was the Sage of Six Paths.

"Six Paths..."

Jueming's gaze burned.

What the Great Elder believed impossible...

He could attain.

Jueming believed that with the System's help, combined with his own diligent cultivation.

One day, he would surely become a Six Paths Level powerhouse.

To truly revive the Senju Clan, he would likely need to become a Six Paths Level powerhouse first, then erase the remaining Wood Release Cell factors from the DNA chains of the Senju Clan members.

"Rest in peace."

He pulled out the two blades of Grass that had pierced the girl's eyes.

Jueming closed Senju Akira's eyes for her...

[Scrap Achieved]

[Bullied a girl, illuminating the "Grass Release - Grass" Skill Tree!]

[Learned skill: "Grass Release - Grass - Eat Meat"]

[Description: I am a man-eating flower. By bullying girls, you, a carnivorous type, have enhanced flesh.]

[Note 1: When bullying girls, Kidney Development +1]

[Note 2: Stronger kidneys can bring a dual boost to Limb strength and endurance.]

After Jueming left.

The Great Elder sealed away Senju Akira's remains, then headed to Momoka Senju's residence.

"Lord Momoka."

By the time he arrived, it was already midnight.

Standing before the door, he recounted everything that had happened.

After that... came an eerie silence.

Momoka Senju deeply regretted the death of a clanswoman.

But there was nothing that could be done.

"Continue observing him for a while."

Momoka Senju's voice came from within.

"If Senju Jueming has not gone mad by then, it will be time to pass on our legacy... The Senju Clan's various techniques, taijutsu, and secret arts... must never die with us."

Of course, they could not put all their eggs in one basket.

"Select several more promising youngsters..."

"..." The Great Elder hesitated.

"What is it?" Momoka Senju asked.

"Other than Jueming, that child, the younger generation already... has no promising youngsters left..."

After saying that, the Great Elder lowered his head.

"..."

The long night stretched on as the winds rose and clouds shifted.

After a long while, Momoka Senju finally let out a long sigh.

"Such is the time. Such is fate."

If staking everything on one gamble would ultimately lead to failure, then I was willing to accept this fate.

After all, the Senju Clan had been the first to violate the taboo.

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