Pressing from Both Within and Without

The war in the Land of Grass had reached a ceasefire.

The Leaf and Iwagakure had not decided a victor. They had simply fought until both sides considered their losses too great, and agreed to a temporary truce.

It was like shaking yourself off after taking a piss: you weren't completely dry, you just couldn't shake out any more full drops for the moment.

The war in the Land of Grass had temporarily ground to a halt, but neither side intended to dismantle its frontline headquarters.

An air of grief hung over the camp.

Kawadera Uchiha found Xingyue Senju, who was carefully tying Kanzuki Senju's hair with a ribbon.

That lock of hair would be buried behind Konoha's Memorial Stone in Kanzuki's place.

Only after Xingyue had carefully put the hair away did Kawadera signal for her to come with him.

Seeing how serious Kawadera looked, Xingyue knew something bad might have happened.

The two of them went to a quiet corner of the camp.

So many people had died that there were empty corners everywhere.

"Xingyue, there are only 193 ninja left in the Senju Clan, right?"

"That's right."

"I heard some terrible news through one of my special intelligence channels," Kawadera said. "There's a force working to wipe out the Senju Clan!"

Xingyue's eyes flew wide open as she stared at Kawadera in horror.

She remembered how, a few months earlier, Kawadera had told her that his intelligence channel had revealed someone was planning to assassinate Nawaki, the young clan leader.

Something just as horrifying was happening again—someone wanted to wipe out the Senju Clan?

"Who would dare do such a thing? I'll go find Princess Tsunade right away!"

Kawadera shook his head. "I'm not sure. I don't have any direct evidence.

"But the fact that only 193 ninja remain in the Senju Clan—that's evidence enough!

"Stay calm! We're up against a force powerful enough to wipe out the Senju Clan. One misstep could destroy us both!"

Xingyue reined in her impulse and swallowed with difficulty.

"Xingyue, I have a plan for protecting the Senju Clan. Remember what I'm about to tell you."

Xingyue's heart leapt. Kawadera had a fully formed plan. She quickly took out a scroll, then decided it could leave behind evidence and put it away, committing his words to memory instead.

Kawadera said:

"Your brother tried to get the Senju Clan to let go of the glory of founding the village, but Lady Mito rejected the idea.

"I don't think Lady Mito is incapable of compromise. The problem is that Konoha means too much to the previous generation of the Senju Clan. It matters more to them than their own lives.

"We won't go against the previous generation of the clan. We don't need to, and we couldn't persuade them anyway.

"In their eyes, Konoha is everything. The Senju Clan would protect the village even if it meant fighting to the last person.

"What we need to do is act and find a way to bring about change."

Xingyue nodded. She knew she couldn't persuade Lady Mito, Elder Toma, or the other senior members of the clan.

"What should we do?"

Without realizing it, Xingyue had come to regard Kawadera as the most important person in her life.

Kawadera said:

"I think the first thing we can do is build an alliance, then press from both within and without.

"Step one: build an alliance.

"Xingyue, you'll take the lead in finding allies.

"The Inuzuka, Aburame, and Kurama clans have all suffered heavy losses alongside the Senju Clan. Of course they want a chance to catch their breath.

"That's why your brother, Seiei Senju, was able to persuade them to join him in trying to talk to Lady Mito. Unfortunately, they failed.

"Besides those three clans, find out how the younger members of the Senju Clan feel. Anyone worried about the clan's future can become our ally.

"Once we have an alliance, influence, and people on our side, anything else we do will be possible."

Xingyue nodded again and again, already thinking of a few suitable people.

Her brother was one of the most important. He had long believed the clan should abandon the glory of founding the village.

Kawadera continued:

"Step two: once we have people on our side, we press from both within and without.

"On the outside, we deliberately publicize the Senju Clan's achievements in the war.

"Princess Tsunade is unquestionably the Senju Clan's public face right now.

"Promote the Sannin name. Emphasize how Princess Tsunade and her teammates stood up to Demigod Hanzo head-on. We need to create the impression that the Senju Clan is still one of the main forces on the battlefield.

"We can't let the Senju Clan end up on the wrong side of public opinion. Otherwise, village gossip will tear the clan to pieces."

Xingyue understood what Kawadera meant. As long as they kept publicizing Princess Tsunade's exploits, they could make it seem as though the Senju Clan was still fighting.

Kawadera said:

"The most important step is reform within the Senju Clan.

"Xingyue, you need to find a way to get the Senju Clan's current teenage ninja, along with the Genin who will graduate in the future, into Konoha Hospital and train them as medical ninja.

"Combat ninja and medical ninja should be kept separate.

"Princess Tsunade now, and Nawaki once he grows stronger, can represent the combat ninja and help the clan maintain its influence, so no one can accuse us of shirking our duty.

"As for everyone else, they need to learn to keep a low profile.

"Training medical ninja takes a long time. They need three years of Medical Ninjutsu, then three years of clinical training at Konoha Hospital or a frontline medical department, followed by three years as medical assistants. Only then will they be qualified medical ninja.

"Use the Senju Clan's accumulated knowledge of Medical Ninjutsu to tie the clan closely to Konoha Hospital.

"That way, many Senju ninja will have a safe environment in which to grow.

"Even on the battlefield, medical ninja receive tighter protection.

"Let's start with these measures: find allies, bring about change from within and without, and put a stop—for now—to the increasingly brutal death rate in the Senju Clan."

Xingyue strongly approved of Kawadera's suggestions.

They were practical. Her brother, on the other hand, had gone straight to Lady Mito with people and said the Senju Clan needed to change course. Of course Lady Mito had refused.

These small adjustments would be more discreet and effective.

"I'll head back to the Medical Department right away and talk to Jonin Mei Senju. I'll ask him to take on more students."

"Shingu Senju!" Xingyue said excitedly.

"I'll recommend Shingu to Mei-senpai as a student right away! We have to save whoever we can."

"Good," Kawadera said. "Xingyue, let's start changing the Senju Clan's tragic situation by changing Shingu's."

Xingyue turned and ran a few steps, then came back.

She looked up at Kawadera, her eyes full of gratitude and admiration.

"Kawadera, I don't even know how to thank you..."

Kawadera used a code phrase only the two of them understood:

"Didn't you say that repairing your muscles after controlled muscle fatigue could make them perkier?

"My glutes are perky enough already, but there are other places I'd like to perk up too.

"Once we've finished dealing with all this..."

Xingyue blushed, then said, "Maybe after a while. I'll help strengthen a man's final weakness."

She hurried off to find Shingu, then took him to see Mei Senju.