The Senju Clan Gathers

"I only want an apology and justice. Can you give me that? As long as you can find Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who attempted to assassinate me."

Senju Nawaki's face was full of grievance; even Jiraiya could not find a word to say. Judging by the current display, Senju Nawaki was the victim, and the only point of contention was what Senju Nawaki had asked: where was Sarutobi Shinnosuke, and what had he done?

The condition he proposed sounded incredibly simple. It only required finding Sarutobi Shinnosuke. Yet, the current Sarutobi Shinnosuke was inside Senju Nawaki's Soul Space; how could anyone possibly find him? This effectively severed the path for the Senju Clan to return to Konoha.

"Sarutobi Shinnosuke?" Hatake Sakumo murmured the name. He, too, was searching for traces of Sarutobi Shinnosuke's presence. Their group had seen Sarutobi Shinnosuke walk in with their own eyes. But was that truly just a Shadow Clone of Sarutobi Shinnosuke? If not, where was he? From the moment he entered, he had been distracted by the severity of Senju Nawaki's injuries, and though he had begun searching for traces of Sarutobi Shinnosuke, he could find absolutely nothing.

Could it really be as Senju Nawaki claimed? That the Sarutobi Shinnosuke who had just entered was merely a Shadow Clone? He gripped the forehead protector in his hand and let out a long sigh. He was starting to believe that Senju Nawaki was a victim of the power struggles within Konoha's upper echelons. He could already foresee the predicament Konoha would face in the future. On one side were the current rulers of Konoha—the Sarutobi Clan. On the other were the original founders of Konoha—the Senju Clan. If handled poorly, Konoha would fall apart. This was no longer a matter he could resolve.

On the other side, Senju Nawaki changed into clean clothes and sat on a bed that Senju Tojian had created using Wood Release. He shook his head to himself; his severe injuries were already mostly healed, his body's cellular vitality being his greatest reliance. If he hadn't reacted quickly and changed into new clothes, Hatake Sakumo would have already spotted the flaw. This was also the reason Senju Tojian had not allowed Tsunade to get close. Even the sharpest among them, Orochimaru, had noticed some discrepancies but had chosen not to point them out.

Senju Nawaki's gaze fell upon Tsunade. At this moment, Tsunade looked distraught, her eyes filled with struggle; it seemed she still hadn't made a choice. He finally sighed; having no choice was, in itself, a choice. Tsunade would not leave with him. He then nodded at Senju Tojian; their plan could begin. It was time for the Senju Clan to leave the darkness of Konoha. Senju Tojian responded by pulling a signal flare from behind his back and firing it.

Whoosh...

A red signal flare, shaped like the Senju Clan's crest, hung over the Konoha camp. Within the camp, the ninjas of the Senju Clan looked up one after another. They tore off their Konoha forehead protectors, revealing smiles of relief. They had endured enough of Konoha's oppressive atmosphere. They were clearly the founding family of Konoha, having made the greatest contributions to the village, yet they had suffered the greatest injustices. After Senju Tobirama died, the order to integrate the Senju Clan into Konoha had become a shackle, a means for Konoha to control them. They did the dirtiest and most exhausting work, yet the rewards they received were not even as good as those of civilian ninjas. Seeing no hope, they could only be slowly worn down by Konoha, becoming nothing more than nutrients for the village. They could already foresee their own tragic ends. Now, they saw hope once again. Abandoning their tasks, they began to move.

"Takagi, what are you doing? The anomaly that just occurred will surely attract the prying eyes of others. Hurry to the perimeter of the camp and stand guard!"

A Chunin from the Sarutobi Clan barked the order at an elderly ninja.

They were guards of the Konoha camp, currently executing emergency protocols.

Whenever the camp suffered an attack or an unexpected event, they acted as a defensive force, moving to pre-assigned positions to guard against any unforeseen circumstances.

"Who do you think you are! A mere Chunin, daring to speak to me like that. You trash of the Sarutobi Clan truly have no upbringing."

The ninja, who had previously been hunched over, removed his forehead protector and straightened his back, his eyes flashing with a sharp, piercing light.

The aura radiating from his body was so intense that others dared not look him in the eye.

The other ninjas, unaware of the truth, were astonished to discover that this ninja, who had always been collecting a Genin's stipend, possessed strength far exceeding that of their captain—he was likely a Jonin.

"You... you are a part of Konoha, and I am the squad captain. Naturally, you must follow my arrangements."

The Sarutobi Clan Chunin stammered.

He was the son of a Sarutobi Clan elder, which was the only reason he could serve as a squad captain despite being a mere Chunin.

The Takagi before him was a former Jonin of the Senju Clan who had been oppressed through various means, forced to retake exams, and demoted to a Genin; he was the very beast of burden his father had hand-picked for him.

The current turn of events left him feeling deeply uneasy.

"Even now, you haven't even remembered my real name. My name is Senju Zuoren."

Senju Zuoren turned around, staring intensely at the members of the Sarutobi Clan.

Ever since that pitfall Senju Tobirama announced the dissolution of the Senju Clan, his surname had changed from Senju to Takagi.

Having lost the backing of his clan, he had been stripped of his Jonin title.

His treatment had plummeted, and for the sake of his son and family, he had been forced to perform all sorts of dirty and grueling tasks, only for the credit to be claimed by the idiot before him.

What he found most difficult to accept was the attitude this person held toward their Senju Clan.

Now, their Senju Clan had returned, and he finally saw hope.

He reached into the ninja pouch on his leg, pulled out a tattered forehead protector, and tied it back onto his head; the crest of the Senju Clan drew everyone's gaze.

He turned his head to look toward the rear of the camp, where the medical facility was located—the very place where Senju Nawaki was.

The Senju Clan would surely reclaim its former glory.

Swish...

He left an afterimage in his wake as he rushed toward that location.

He left the Konoha ninjas behind, mired in shock and suspicion.

"Captain, it seems a special incident has occurred. We need to relay this intelligence back to the village."

A ninja beside him looked up and spoke.

Upon seeing Senju Zuoren put the Senju Clan forehead protector back on, a sense of dread began to spread in his heart.

The fact that Konoha currently held a temporary advantage on the battlefield was largely due to the exhaustion of the Senju Clan's foundations.

Such scenes were playing out all over the Konoha camp.

Too many suppressed Senju Clan ninjas were finally beginning to erupt.

In some places, this even escalated into small-scale conflicts.

They were astonished to discover that those obscure Senju Clan ninjas, those who had been assessed as Genin, possessed strength that did not match their titles.

Konoha's ranking system was full of loopholes; these people had been deliberately targeted.

For a moment, no one was able to suppress the members of the Senju Clan.

They were all rushing toward the location where the signal had originated.

They realized that a massive change was about to sweep through Konoha.

Spies from other villages were secretly delighted.

They recorded what was happening in the camp, preparing to transmit the information out, while paying even closer attention to the events that would follow.