"Orochimaru, our teacher forbade you from studying Impure World Reincarnation for your own good. Why don't you go back and talk it over with him first?
The most important thing now is to stop Nawaki's reckless behavior.
You know how much damage this will do to Konoha, don't you?"
Jiraiya had also noticed the contents of the scroll and anxiously tried to stop Orochimaru.
What worried him more was Orochimaru's behavior. He seemed to have no intention of stopping Senju Nawaki from carrying out what he planned to do next.
The mad Senju Nawaki before them had to be restrained immediately, or he would bring unimaginable disaster upon Konoha.
Orochimaru merely glanced at him, then continued reading, paying no more attention to anything around him.
That fool still hadn't understood the situation. Even if everyone joined forces, they couldn't stop Senju Nawaki.
Senju Tojian alone was beyond their ability to fight, let alone the Senju Clan, which was about to gather in full.
As the true commander on the battlefield, Orochimaru knew the Senju Clan's strength on the Land of Rain front. To say the entire clan was committed to the war was no exaggeration.
The cannon fodder Konoha had once been so proud of had now gained minds of their own.
Recalling everything that had happened in the camp over the past few days, Orochimaru realized Senju Nawaki must have been plotting this for a long time. Konoha, too, must have made some preparations.
He had to reassess Senju Nawaki. How had someone who'd been a hot-blooded idiot with no guile become this monster, advancing one careful step at a time? What had happened to turn him into this?
Then he reconsidered. Let his teacher worry about all this!
He was already immersed in Impure World Reincarnation, seeing in it the hope of immortality.
Jiraiya looked at Hatake Sakumo and Tsunade, but neither responded. He could only turn back and stare grimly at Senju Nawaki. If he dealt with him, he could put an end to all this upheaval. He bit his finger, preparing to carry out his plan.
Swish! Swish!
Vines emerged from the ground, binding the fool again and stuffing his mouth. Four wooden stakes pierced his limbs.
Senju Tojian glanced at Jiraiya with disgust. So this was Sarutobi Hiruzen's most loyal student.
He actually wanted to attack Senju Nawaki?
In Jiraiya's eyes, everything in Konoha was supposed to be handled by the Hokage.
He even regarded the forbidden jutsu Senju Nawaki had revealed as Sarutobi Hiruzen's private property?
They were clearly the Senju Clan's legacy, yet the Sarutobi clan had openly claimed them as their own and thought they had the right to control them. His hatred for Senju Tobirama surged anew.
It was true that Senju Tobirama had developed the forbidden jutsu he controlled, but the foundation of it all was the Senju Clan's heritage. The Gate of the Great God and Impure World Reincarnation were both connected to the Senju Clan's legacy. The most obvious clue was the torii gate design, a gateway dividing the living world from the Pure Land.
The Senju Clan's suffering was largely the result of Senju Tobirama's actions. He deserved to bear more than half the blame.
Senju Nawaki's gaze fell on Orochimaru, who was engrossed in the forbidden jutsu. Apart from the fact that Orochimaru had saved him, the scientific aura about him alone made Senju Nawaki feel favorably toward him.
He had only done it on a whim. More importantly, he wanted to tell Sarutobi Hiruzen that the forbidden jutsu recorded in the Scroll of Seals—the knowledge Hiruzen wanted kept secret and hidden—had originally belonged to the Senju Clan.
None of this had ever belonged to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He was a shameless thief. Someday, Senju Nawaki would take back what was his.
Sweat streamed down Hatake Sakumo's head.
His gaze swept over the Senju Clan shinobi gathering around them, and his heart grew heavier.
Only then did he realize, with a start, that nearly every Senju Clan shinobi had come here. Only now did he understand how much the Senju Clan had contributed to the war.
Konoha had been able to gain the upper hand in the war precisely because of these unheralded Senju.
But not one of the rights they deserved had been protected.
Not a single commander on the Land of Rain front or captain of a combat squad was from the Senju Clan. Every one of them was a close confidant of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Now he was sure Senju Nawaki had been telling the truth: Konoha had been using the war to wear down the Senju Clan.
As a shinobi clan close to the Senju, and one that had partly split off from them, Hatake Sakumo had no grounds to keep accusing Senju Nawaki. He was acting only to find a sliver of hope for himself and the Senju Clan.
He quietly stepped back a few paces.
Only Tsunade remained, staring blankly at everything unfolding before her.
She looked at her former clansmen too, and saw distance in their eyes—perhaps even hostility.
She had once been the pride of the Senju Clan. With the Third's praise, she had become the pride of Konoha, and then the pride of the Senju Clan.
Senju Nawaki, who had never been particularly outstanding, had been little more than her foil.
Only now did Tsunade realize how ridiculous she had been.
All her achievements had relied on the Third's teaching and the Senju Clan's heritage.
The very Senju Nawaki she had always wanted to protect had been the one she was stifling, while the Third suppressed him.
The moment she saw Senju Nawaki use Wood Release, all of the Third's suppression became a joke.
Wood Release was a legend in Konoha and throughout the Ninja World.
Every doubt and every attempt to suppress it had become a joke.
Tsunade staggered back a few paces, already anticipating Senju Nawaki's next move.
Among the leaders of Konoha's camp, all but Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who was already dead, understood that they had no way to stop Senju Nawaki's next move—and no reason to stop him, either.
Konoha's injustice was the root cause of all this.
Senju Nawaki moved forward a few steps.
He opened his eyes wide and looked over the Senju Clan members present.
Most of them were already in their forties or fifties—old by shinobi standards, and too old to be on the battlefield.
Most of their clothes were worn out. Some had bandages and bloodstains on them, and they could barely hide their exhaustion.
Yet their eyes shone with hope.
Was the injustice they had endured finally going to be put to an end?
Senju Nawaki drew a deep breath and bowed, apologizing for the foolish things his previous self had done and making a clean break with the person he had been.
"My fellow Senju, you have suffered enough!"
He straightened up and used chakra to amplify his voice, sending it across the entire camp.
The Senju Clan shinobi trembled, their eyes reddening.
At last, their grievances had been acknowledged.
Senju Tojian's eyes widened. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and his heart swelled with relief. At last, the Senju Clan had hope.
More and more shinobi gathered nearby, whispering among themselves.
There was no other reason: they realized something terrifying was happening.
Senju Nawaki's behavior now was completely different from everything he had done before.
He had been someone they considered a coward, eager to save his own skin and hungry for praise. Yet at that moment, he radiated such charisma that it left them dazed.
Recalling the Senju Clan's unusual behavior and the unfair treatment they had suffered, they grew increasingly uneasy.
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