The Altered Timeline

"Isn't saving young clan head Nawaki a good thing?"

Kawadera Uchiha asked, "Seigetsu, why would your brother have such doubts?"

Seeing the pained expression on Seigetsu Senju's face, which did not look like a joke, Kawadera Uchiha grew a bit more serious.

"My brother has been pushing for something lately, and I don't know if it's the right thing to do." Seigetsu Senju held his head, his eyes dazed. "I don't know, I really don't know..."

"What is your brother pushing for?"

Seigetsu Senju said, "When the Senju Clan helped build the village, we had over 2,000 ninja, well-deserving of the title as the greatest clan of the Warring States period.

After the First Shinobi World War, the Senju Clan had only 800 ninja left.

During times of peace, the Senju Clan took on the most dangerous missions, and our casualties continued to mount.

Before the Second Shinobi World War broke out, the Senju Clan was down to 500 ninja.

After Konoha was established, everything flourished, but there is no doubt that the Senju Clan was in decline.

Since the Second Shinobi World War began, the Senju Clan has suffered heavy losses.

Especially in the last month, with the War of the Land of Hot Water and the War of the Land of Grass, the Senju Clan sacrificed over 100 ninja in just one month.

At this moment, the Senju Clan has only 200 ninja left.

My brother says we cannot let the Senju Clan continue to wither away.

He returned to the village and connected with several people, hoping to make a change.

He first persuaded the heads of the Inuzuka Clan, the Aburame Clan, and the Kurama Clan.

Well, 'persuaded' might not be the right word; the three clan heads had long been seeking a change themselves.

The Senju Clan always charges to the front in every war, and as our allies of several hundred years, those three clans have followed closely behind, suffering massive casualties over these past few years.

My brother Seiei, along with the three clan heads, went together to see Lady Mito."

Kawadera Uchiha asked, "What did they say to Lady Mito?"

"Lady Mito said that precisely because the Second Shinobi World War has reached a stalemate, the Senju Clan, the other ninja clans, and the civilian ninja should fear no sacrifice to win the war for Konoha.

The Senju Clan is willing to fight to the last man for Konoha.

That rhetoric was repeated over and over again, until all three clan heads fell silent.

The Senju Clan has suffered heavy casualties, and the three clans have had it no better.

My brother Seiei said he would be the villain.

He proposed several plans, hoping Lady Mito would consider them.

The first plan was for the Senju Clan and the three vassal clans to withdraw from the front lines for a rotation, and have the Uchiha Clan, Hyuga Clan, Sarutobi Clan, Shimura Clan, and others serve as the main force on the battlefield.

It wasn't that the Senju Clan was afraid of battle, but rather that we should take turns fighting alongside the other clans in the village.

Lady Mito flatly rejected this plan, saying that if the Senju Clan withdrew and set such a poor example, how could anyone else continue to fight to the death for the village?

The Senju Clan carries the glory of founding the village and must never retreat at any time."

Kawadera Uchiha nodded; as a first-generation ninja who helped build the village, Lady Mito would certainly never agree to such a cowardly approach.

"My brother then proposed another plan, which was to redistribute the battlefields.

With the Land of Grass, the Land of Hot Water, and the Land of River, Konoha is fighting on three fronts, and the Senju Clan is currently spread across all three.

Since the Senju Clan is so small in number, could we be concentrated on one battlefield together with the three vassal clans to look out for one another?

For the other two battlefields, the village could deploy other forces.

Lady Mito rejected this plan as well, saying that the Senju Clan should have a presence on every battlefield to lead by example and boost the morale of Konoha's ninja."

Kawadera Uchiha sighed inwardly. Seiei Senju's plan was very practical, but unfortunately, Lady Mito could not let go of the glory of the Senju Clan as the founders, insisting on carrying the village on the Senju's shoulders.

The Uzumaki Clan had been wiped out, yet Lady Mito still worried about the village's jinchuriki until the very end, steadily passing on the Nine-Tails.

"In the end, my brother was nearly driven mad, and he finally made an outlandish proposal...

He... he actually...

He actually proposed that everyone in the Senju Clan abandon their surname, lay down the burden of the glory of founding the village, and contribute to Konoha as ordinary Konoha ninja!"

Kawadera Uchiha was shocked, frozen in place.

It was said that the Senju Clan eventually abandoned their surname and integrated into the village—could it be this moment?

The death of Nawaki Senju not only dealt a painful blow to Tsunade but also shattered the final persistence of the Senju Clan.

If Lady Mito were to hear the news of her own grandson's death, Seiei Senju's persuasion would surely have succeeded by then.

The Senju Clan would begin to abandon their surname at this time; to put it nicely, it was integrating into the village, but to put it bluntly, it was total despair.

If they integrated into the village now, the Senju Clan would still have 200 ninja and could preserve some strength.

If the Senju Clan insisted on holding out, then... the end of the Senju Clan might be even more miserable than in the original story.

Kawadera Uchiha hurriedly asked, "A brilliant proposal—abandoning the surname and letting go of the ideological burden. I think this is a very good plan. What did Lady Mito say?"

Just as Lady Mito was about to reprimand my brother, Clan Head Naka Aburame spoke up first: "One of my clansmen joined the Anbu and died during an investigation mission."

That investigation mission was to look into a rumor that had been growing increasingly rampant of late.

There was a faction within the village actively spreading rumors, claiming that the Senju Clan was worthy of being the founding clan, always charging to the front in every battle, and that we only needed to follow in their footsteps to keep winning victories.

Someone wanted to hoist the Senju Clan up on a pedestal, and someone wanted to hide behind the Senju Clan during the war.

Clan Head Naka Aburame's exact words were that someone wanted to squeeze the Senju Clan dry of its final value, until they obtained the thousand-year heritage of the Senju!

Upon hearing this rumor, Lady Mito Uzumaki fell into a rare silence.

However, Young Clan Head Nawaki Senju was carried into the great hall, where he sternly rebuked my brother and criticized the three clan heads.

For the sake of Konoha, what did a few sacrifices matter? The Senju Clan had never feared sacrifice.

In the Warring States period, the Senju Clan sacrificed for the clan.

In the era of ninja villages, the Senju Clan sacrificed for the Konoha we created.

Even with the bones of his lower body shattered, he was still thinking of recovering as quickly as possible to fight for Konoha; no one else should show even the slightest hint of weakness.

Lady Mito immediately abandoned her momentarily softened stance, ordering my brother to be confined and to reflect on his actions behind closed doors.

Kawadera Uchiha suddenly understood why Seiei Senju, in a fit of rage, had said that saving Young Clan Head Nawaki was not necessarily a good thing.

He felt it even more deeply than Seiei Senju did.

In the original timeline, Nawaki being blown to pieces had become the final straw that crushed the Senju Clan.

After the founding of the village, the casualties of the clan became increasingly tragic, so tragic that the glory of founding the village became a burden the Senju Clan could no longer bear.

The Senju Clan abandoned the glory of founding the village, gave up their surname, surrendered their clan lands, and lived within Konoha as ordinary villagers.

It was not glorious, but at least it secretly preserved their bloodline and their heritage.

The fact that Tsunade, as a core descendant of the Senju Clan, had also abandoned the surname proved that in the original plot, giving up the name had been accepted by everyone.

However, all of this had changed because Nawaki Senju had survived.

The remaining two hundred or so ninjas of the Senju Clan would continue to carry the glory of founding the village.

Powerful clan members like Ken Senju had long since been killed off, one after another.

Sending ninjas who had yet to fully grow, like Nawaki Senju and Seigetsu Senju, to the front lines would only lead to even more horrific casualties.

Kawadera Uchiha said, "Seigetsu, you shouldn't blame your brother too much."

"I actually approve of your brother's approach."

"For a great clan like the Senju, heritage comes first; one shouldn't dwell on temporary ups and downs."

"Your brother is also doing this to ensure the heritage of the Senju Clan, isn't he?"

"But, ever since I was a child, I heard my father say that everything the Senju Clan has was given to Konoha, and that Konoha is the future of the Senju Clan!"

Kawadera Uchiha said nothing more.

It is difficult to reverse concepts that have been instilled and reinforced over several generations in such a short time.

He only felt a sense of unease; if Nawaki Senju did not die, it would lead the Senju Clan toward an even more tragic end.

Was it impossible even to abandon their surname and live as ordinary villagers?

Ken Aburame suddenly approached and said:

"Captain Seigetsu! The squad leaders are gathering their subordinates; the troops are about to head deep into the Land of Grass with the Third Hokage!"