Senju Nawaki, far away in the City of Wood, kept a close eye on the progress of the war.
He looked down on Konoha's actions and couldn't understand the Uchiha Clan's reaction.
The Uchiha Clan—if they didn't go extinct, who would? Every last one of them was crazier than the next.
Uchiha Itachi must have been influenced by that fool, Uchiha Fugaku.
Senju Nawaki had to admire Sarutobi Hiruzen for finding a way out of the crisis.
The Uchiha Clan had enough strength to take the Senju Clan's place.
But when it came to supplies and logistics, they couldn't compare to the Senju Clan.
The Uchiha Clan's main businesses were mining and weapons.
After Konoha realized the crisis it faced, it pressured the Land of Fire and the Senju Clan, hoping to restore their former trade relations and monopolize the Senju Clan's supplies.
Yet the price they offered was still the same as before, and they acted as if they were doing the Senju Clan a favor.
Senju Nawaki refused. He stuck to one condition: Sarutobi Shinnosuke had to apologize to him.
It seemed like a simple condition to meet, but Konoha would never be able to fulfill it.
Within Konoha, many people were dissatisfied with the Sarutobi Clan and Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, however, wasn't in a hurry. He used this as an excuse to urge the Land of Fields and the Nara Clan to quickly fill the gap left in trade by the Senju Clan, all while secretly congratulating himself.
Meanwhile, he began using Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, the two former Senju Clan leaders, to smear Senju Nawaki's reputation.
He denied the legitimacy of Nawaki's claim to become the Senju Clan leader.
All of this was laughable in the face of Wood Release.
City of Wood.
The City Lord's Mansion.
The Senju Clan's jonin gathered once more for a meeting.
The meeting room had been cleaned until it looked as good as new. A few bouquets of flowers on the table added a touch of life.
The Ninja World had begun smearing Senju Nawaki, and different voices had arisen within the Land of Fire as well, claiming he had no right to occupy the City of Wood.
"They're all ungrateful dogs. Tobirama was also to blame for leaving them something to hold over us.
"They actually see our charity and all we've done for them as their due?
"Using the so-called dying wish of the Hokage to bind us? What a joke."
Senju Tojian wore a faint smile as he spoke, his tone almost teasing.
He had every right to criticize Senju Tobirama.
As an elder of the Senju Clan, his status was second only to the clan leader's. Senju Tobirama, meanwhile, had never officially taken up the position of clan leader.
Senju Tobirama had devoted all his energy to Konoha. In the end, he ordered the Senju Clan to assimilate into the village.
He had treated the Senju Clan as his private property and offered it up to Konoha, giving no thought to how his clansmen felt.
Those present were far more loyal to their clan than to Konoha.
The surviving members of the Senju Clan, in particular, had all been harmed by Senju Tobirama's dying wish. How could they possibly keep following his wish to assimilate into Konoha?
The jonin seated around the table no longer looked as uneasy as they had at the first meeting. Instead, they were calm and full of hope.
Senju Nawaki's actions over the past half month had helped the Senju Clan establish itself. These rumors were nothing more than a sideshow.
"Don't blame Tobirama. Human greed knows no bounds; evil has simply triumphed over good.
"Human nature can never withstand a test."
Senju Zuoren looked troubled as he defended Senju Tobirama.
Back then, he had been one of Senju Tobirama's most important supporters. But because his influence was too great, he had been ranked as a Genin in the ninja assessment.
He, too, had once been so naïve, believing he could erase the divisions between people and that everyone could live as equals in Konoha.
The Senju Clan had lowered its standing, yet a horde of troublemakers had emerged in Konoha.
Those minor clans had developed a sense of superiority. They used the power in their hands to divide Konoha's people into ranks, completely betraying the village's founding ideals.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen is just as self-important as ever, stirring up trouble.
"He even sent an official letter asking about Sarutobi Shinnosuke's whereabouts."
Senju Nawaki shook his head, a mocking smile on his face.
Sarutobi Hiruzen must have realized that Senju Nawaki was involved in Sarutobi Shinnosuke's disappearance. That was why he wanted to test him this way.
The two sides had already fallen out, yet Sarutobi Hiruzen still wanted to throw his weight around as an elder. For a moment, Senju Nawaki was taken aback.
It seemed that the image Senju Nawaki had cultivated earlier had served its purpose.
Even after his temperament changed drastically, he couldn't possibly have become a completely different person.
Shimura Danzō hadn't given Sarutobi Hiruzen a detailed report on the situation in the City of Wood, which had led to this misjudgment.
Perhaps Sarutobi Hiruzen still believed that Senju Nawaki would be swayed by his Will of Fire, and that he was only being pushed around by the Senju Clan.
The other jonin looked indignant.
That old Sarutobi Hiruzen had the nerve to pull this kind of stunt?
Only Senju Tojian knew the full story. He secretly wondered whether they had left any loose ends.
"Clan leader, the rumors have spread far and wide. The people in our clan don't believe them, but they'll still affect us.
"The nobles of the Land of Fire are also beginning to voice different opinions.
"In time, this could have unpredictable consequences for the Senju Clan and damage our reputation.
"Should we take action?"
Senju Tojian looked at him questioningly, his words carrying a subtle hint.
Rumors were difficult to distinguish as true or false.
They could easily plant all kinds of ideas in people's minds, becoming tools for petty people to use in their struggles.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was especially skilled at using rumors.
The Senju Clan had been able to establish itself so quickly in large part because of the good reputation Senju Hashirama had built.
When the Five Great Nations were established, the Senju Clan had clearly been strong enough to force other nations to sign unequal treaties. Yet it had chosen to settle matters through negotiation. That, too, had earned goodwill.
Strength and reputation complemented each other. That was one reason Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to become the strongest Hokage.
"We expected this, and we were prepared for it.
"The ones who should really be worried are the people of Konoha, not us. Konoha's filth should be exposed to the Ninja World."
Senju Nawaki's indifference gave way to an expression of amusement as he watched the show.
The shinobi present looked puzzled.
"Our agreement with Kumogakure is that the truth behind the Land of Whirlpools' destruction will be made public. I didn't expect Kumogakure to be so patient," Senju Tojian explained.
"According to the intelligence, Kumogakure's forces have already assembled and are preparing to enter the war. Konoha's bargaining chip is useless now!"
Senju Nawaki nodded and revealed the inside story.
Konoha had offered the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu as a bargaining chip, thinking it could hold Kumogakure off for a while and bury the truth about the Uzumaki Clan's destruction.
By now, Kumogakure should have obtained the inheritance of Turtle Island. Killer B had become the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and was on the path to becoming a Perfect Jinchuriki.
At Senju Tojian's words, everyone present felt a rush of satisfaction.
The Senju Clan had suffered terrible losses on the battlefield in the Land of Whirlpools.
Konoha would ultimately pay for what it had done.
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