Preparing to Ignite the Ninja World War

Sarutobi Hiruzen's actions, while seemingly subtle, were perfectly transparent to old relics like them who had survived the Warring States period.

The Second Shinobi World War was the conflict that officially solidified the hidden village system.

The five great hidden villages fought one another, vying for the resources and interests they desired, and the power consumed in the process was that of the ninja clans who did not align with the village authorities.

When Konoha couldn't win, what did they do?

They had no choice but to cut off their own flesh.

The Uzumaki Clan of the Land of Whirlpools was a test, a sacrifice, but unfortunately, it failed to satisfy the appetites of the other hidden villages.

Next came the Senju Clan; these were things Sarutobi Hiruzen had long prepared to discard.

The most direct proof was that the Senju Clan's grain and medicinal trade was being stripped away through various means.

The Land of Fields, which had close marriage ties with the Sarutobi Clan, was gradually taking over the grain trade, while the Ino-Shika-Cho clans were slowly gaining control over medicinal production.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was using this war to wear down the Senju Clan—or rather, not just them, but also the Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan. These anomalies, capable of pitting a single clan against an entire hidden village, were ultimately being targeted for the sake of profit.

The hidden village system had become the mainstream of the shinobi world, and the ninja clans within these villages divided up various interests under the control of the Kage.

To tell a fool to consider the "big picture"—like the Senju Clan—was simply a way of preparing to sacrifice them.

Senju Nawaki's current approach allowed them to leap out of the trap and store up their strength during the Second Shinobi World War.

The other Senju ninjas present whispered among themselves; the worried expressions on their faces vanished, replaced by looks of eagerness.

They were not cowards who would only endure slander without fighting back.

The humiliation brought upon them by Konoha and the Sarutobi Clan could be washed away in this war.

Now that the Senju Clan had become nobles of the Land of Fire, they were no longer Konoha's bait to be sacrificed at will; instead, Konoha had become their protective umbrella.

Their status and positions had completely reversed.

"Clan Leader, just give the order, and we will execute it."

There was a hint of shame in Senju Zuoren's voice; his earlier suspicion of Senju Nawaki had now turned into blind conviction.

As soon as he finished speaking, the other members of the Senju Clan chimed in one after another.

Senju Nawaki's performance had exceeded their expectations.

In their minds, under Sarutobi Hiruzen's deliberate cultivation, Senju Nawaki was supposed to be a fool—ambitious but incompetent, hot-blooded, brainless, and obsessed with becoming Hokage.

His performance over this period had completely overturned their perception.

The analysis he had just given regarding the shinobi world alone had opened their eyes; such a grasp of the big picture and such an analysis of the interests and systems of the shinobi world were unprecedented.

Senju Nawaki stood at an unprecedented height, looking down from a position of strength, with everything under his control.

This method of governance was not Senju Hashirama's overwhelming charisma, nor was it Senju Tobirama's manipulative scheming; it was the very logic of how the world operated.

He saw through the various appearances to the essence within.

In this world, such a thing had never appeared before.

[Transcendental eye legends, five-village brawls, Otsutsuki domestic violence, "Mommy love me again"—these petty, small-minded things. After all, it was a small island nation, castrated many times by the Eagle, and they hadn't attended many classes on ideology, law, or morality.]

"The Second Shinobi World War shall be opened by me.

The delegations from the major powers are all in the City of Wood right now; it is time to break the balance."

A cold glint shot from Senju Nawaki's eyes as he stroked his right arm. Although it looked no different from his original body, his current right arm and legs were products of the Wood Human Technique.

This shinobi world war would not only restore his body but also reclaim everything that belonged to him from Konoha.

Everything Konoha owed him would be paid back, slowly.

"The corpse of Senju Sakuragi has also reached the time to be of use."

His gaze fell upon the body of Senju Sakuragi, and a series of absurd ideas emerged from the bottom of his heart.

Wasn't Konoha always being blackmailed? Forcing Hyuga Hizashi to his death? He could copy that directly.

He wanted to see if Sarutobi Hiruzen could be as "great" as others, practicing the twisted Will of Fire he spoke of so often.

Night fell.

The embassies in the City of Wood were packed to the brim, with the five great hidden villages occupying the best rooms.

The prime location was occupied by the people of Konoha; after all, this was still the Land of Fire, and Konoha was the most powerful armed force in the country.

From the brightly lit room came bursts of angry shouting.

Even now, the people of Konoha still believed that the members of the Senju Clan were their subordinates and should obey their orders.

"What exactly does this brat Senju Nawaki mean, making me wait alongside the delegations from other hidden villages!"

Bang...

A bandaged hand slammed onto the tea table, leaving behind cracks that spoke of his current fury.

The teacups wobbled, spilling droplets of tea.

His already sinister eyes narrowed into slits, sending a chill down anyone's spine.

This man was none other than the "Pot King" of Konoha—Shimura Danzo.

A guard by his side wiped a spilled cup clean and poured fresh tea for Danzo.

He had come to the City of Wood expecting an easy achievement, never imagining such a blunder would occur, leaving him unable to even meet with Senju Nawaki.

He understood Senju Nawaki's personality perfectly; his teacher's grandson harbored a naive dream of becoming Hokage.

He only needed to use the Will of Fire to apply a little pressure, and the boy would obey his commands.

He could then logically take over a portion of the Senju Clan's influence, though he did have to worry about Senju Tojian.

That remnant of the old era was not as easily fooled as Senju Nawaki.

Only upon arriving at the City of Wood did he realize the traps hidden within.

An unpredictable change had occurred within Senju Nawaki, causing a drastic shift in his temperament.

Perhaps Hiruzen never intended to reconcile with the Senju Clan at all?

The thought flashed through Shimura Danzo's mind unbidden, and his expression darkened.

The intelligence he had received regarding the events at the Konoha camp was incomplete.

The most widely circulated rumor was that Sarutobi Shinnosuke had attempted to assassinate Senju Nawaki, turning them into the laughingstock of the other ninja villages.

Even up until the moment he departed for this place, the whereabouts of Sarutobi Shinnosuke remained a mystery.