The Senju Clan: A Coveted Prize

The Sarutobi Clan sought to encroach upon the Senju Clan's influence, utilizing two primary channels: food supplies and medicinal herbs.

Sarutobi Hiruzen employed the method of political marriage to silence any potential dissent, choosing a member of the Sakuragi Clan—formerly elders of the Senju Clan—as the bride.

This tactic was essentially a predatory seizure of the Senju family's resources while Senju Nawaki was still alive; it is no wonder Senju Nawaki would speak and act as he did.

Reflecting on the series of actions taken by Konoha, it is clear why this enmity is one of life and death. Sarutobi Hiruzen never intended for the Senju Clan to return to Konoha; instead, he sought to seize this opportunity to devour all of the Senju Clan's power.

Yet, they had not anticipated that Senju Nawaki would suddenly awaken, capable of organizing a counterattack of such scale that it dragged Konoha into a quagmire.

Under the leadership of Sarutobi Hiruzen, Konoha has reached a point of no return. With the Senju Clan broken free from their control and their own strength waning, they are destined to face the challenges of the Ninja World.

In the future, Konoha will become a target for all.

His presence in the City of Wood today was merely to serve as a scapegoat for Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had long anticipated this outcome.

If he were to die, the Shimura Clan would simply step in to take over the Senju Clan's tasks, becoming the next sacrifice for Konoha.

He cannot die!

Otherwise, the Shimura Clan will have no voice within Konoha, and their only fate will be total annihilation.

"I understand. I will never set foot in the City of Wood again."

Shimura Danzo looked at Senju Nawaki with a trace of reverence, his eyes filled with inquiry.

It was as if he were looking at his former teacher.

As he spoke, he sealed the corpse of Senju Sakuragi into a scroll.

"Smart."

Senju Nawaki waved his hand, signaling that he could leave.

Shimura Danzo glanced at the corpse on the ground, a flicker of struggle crossing his eyes before he vanished from the spot.

He left behind a scene of utter chaos.

"Everyone, you should be clear on my stance and the stance of the Senju Clan: the Senju Clan and the Sarutobi Clan are irreconcilable.

I apologize for the disturbance today. We shall hold in-depth negotiations tomorrow, and I guarantee that you will not return empty-handed; you will obtain exactly what you desire."

Senju Nawaki's gaze swept over the other delegations, his voice ringing out with absolute clarity.

Only then did the crowd realize that the scene they had just witnessed was a play performed specifically for their benefit, and he had made no effort to hide the reasons why.

Through this performance, Senju Nawaki made his attitude toward Konoha clear, especially regarding his relationship with the current leader of Konoha, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The rift with Konoha was absolute, with no possibility of reconciliation, which stirred their ambitions.

Konoha's power had been weakened; if they wished to seize fertile lands and resources, now was the best opportunity.

The Senju Clan would not only refuse to help Konoha, but would also cheer from the sidelines.

The once-loyal subject of Konoha, its strongest barrier, had been driven from his home by the foolish actions of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Some began to set their sights on the Senju Clan itself, calculating how much convenience the resources they still held could provide, even in their decline.

Senju Nawaki's words just now were a direct hint to them.

The delegations from Sunagakure and the Land of Wind, in particular, were the factions most in need of food and medicine.

Due to their past hostility, the Senju Clan had rejected them many times, but now, there was a turning point.

Senju Nawaki turned and left, leaving the various factions to their own imaginations.

The next day.

The events of the previous night remained etched in their minds.

It also prompted them to organize the day's events into intelligence reports to be sent back to their respective factions.

Some, having obtained the answers they sought and confirmed the Senju Clan's stance toward Konoha, departed from the City of Wood.

They were already prepared to carve up Konoha, eager to tear a fat piece of meat from its body.

The remaining half stayed in the City of Wood to explore the possibility of cooperation; Senju Nawaki's final words had ignited the greed in their hearts.

In Senju Nawaki's hands lay the resources of a "mini-Konoha."

Inside the City Lord's Mansion.

Senju Nawaki received the various factions to determine the grand direction of the future.

First were the Five Great Ninja Villages and the Five Great Ninja Nations.

Between the villages and the nations, there existed a relationship of mutual dependence, yet conflict remained.

His attitude toward Konoha had already been made clear: as long as Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Sarutobi Family existed, the relationship between the two sides would be a fight to the death.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire happened to harbor prejudices against Sarutobi Hiruzen. Ever since Hiruzen became Hokage, the Hokage's influence had continuously expanded, and his desire to create the title of "Twin Jade" had touched the Daimyo's bottom line.

The power of the Hokage and the Daimyo was a zero-sum game.

In the Land of Wind and Sunagakure, the Daimyo held the greatest power, and the Kazekage's authority was suppressed to the maximum; if the Daimyo wanted to cut off their military funding, he would cut it off.

In contrast, the Land of Lightning and Kumogakure have a Daimyo with almost no authority; the Raikage can decide anything with a single word, and even declaring war requires only a single sentence.

The Hokage and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire are evenly matched, keeping each other in check and maintaining a relative balance.

In the eyes of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, he, Senju Nawaki, is also a tool to balance Sarutobi Hiruzen, with everything depending on the final gamble.

At this moment, Senju Nawaki is meeting with the Daimyo's confidant—Kazuma, one of the future Twelve Guardian Ninja.

Kazuma was originally the son of the palace guard captain and is only twelve years old at this time, even younger than Senju Nawaki.

The red sash around his waist bears a golden "Fire" character, a mark bestowed by the Daimyo upon those he trusts.

The two sides quickly reached an agreement: the Senju Clan would provide a portion of their ninjutsu records to the Daimyo to help him train a team to protect the country.

This was the prototype of the Twelve Guardian Ninja; by this time, the Daimyo had already realized that military power should be in his own hands rather than relying solely on the military institution of Konoha.

Through his contact with Kazuma and the letters exchanged with his aunt, Senju Nawaki gained a preliminary understanding of the current situation in the Land of Fire.

Sarutobi Hiruzen is constantly eroding the Daimyo's power through the influence of ninja clans, which is the reason the Daimyo reached out to him.

The reputation of the Senju Clan in the Ninja World, especially within the Land of Fire, is exceptionally good.

The solution the Daimyo of the Land of Fire found to break this deadlock was to cultivate his own armed force: the Twelve Guardian Ninja.

Originally, Sarutobi Hiruzen would have inserted his own people into this military organization by sending his son, Sarutobi Asuma, into its ranks.

The Twelve Guardian Ninja were eventually split into two factions, with Sarutobi Hiruzen emerging victorious, secretly controlling and influencing the group.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's influence over Konoha and the Land of Fire once reached its peak.

Now, with the addition of Senju Nawaki, he will not let such a thing happen and will focus all his efforts on cultivating the Twelve Guardian Ninja.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire is using Senju Nawaki, and Senju Nawaki is using him in return.

Both sides have their own agendas, yet they have ultimately reached a cooperation.

The Senju Clan will help the Daimyo of the Land of Fire train his own armed forces.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire will help the Senju Clan regain control of Konoha.

Both sides share a common enemy: Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Sarutobi Family.