The Old Routine of Public Opinion Offensive

Far away in the City of Wood, Senju Nawaki kept a constant watch on the progress of the war.

He sneered at the actions taken within Konoha and found the reactions of the Uchiha Clan utterly incomprehensible.

Uchiha Clan, if you don't perish, who will? You're all more unhinged than the last.

Uchiha Itachi must have been influenced by that fool, Uchiha Fugaku.

Senju Nawaki couldn't help but admire Sarutobi Hiruzen for his ability to find a way out amidst such a crisis.

The strength of the Uchiha Clan was sufficient to replace the Senju Clan.

Yet, when it came to logistical supplies, they were no match for the Senju.

The primary industries operated by the Uchiha Clan were ore and weaponry.

Once Konoha realized the crisis, they pressured the Land of Fire and the Senju Clan, hoping to restore their former trade relations and monopolize the Senju's supplies.

The prices they offered, however, remained the same as before, all while maintaining an air of condescension.

Senju Nawaki did not agree; he held firm to one condition: Sarutobi Shinnosuke must come to apologize to him.

This condition, which seemed to have no barrier to entry, was something Konoha would never be able to fulfill.

Within Konoha, there was quite a bit of grumbling regarding the Sarutobi Clan and Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, however, was not anxious. He used this excuse to have the Land of Fields and the Nara Clan scramble to fill the trade void left by the Senju, secretly feeling pleased with himself.

Externally, he began to use the names of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama—the two former Senju patriarchs—to smear Senju Nawaki's reputation.

He sought to deny the legitimacy of Nawaki's position as the Senju patriarch.

All of this, in the face of Wood Release, was nothing more than the antics of a clown.

City of Wood.

City Lord's Mansion.

The jonin of the Senju Clan gathered once again for a meeting.

The conference room had been cleaned until it sparkled, and a few bouquets of flowers on the table added a touch of vitality.

The Ninja World had begun to smear Senju Nawaki, and within the Land of Fire, dissenting voices had also emerged, claiming that Senju Nawaki had no right to occupy the City of Wood.

"They are all ungrateful dogs. It's also Tobirama's fault for leaving behind such a mess. To think he viewed our charity and our sacrifices as something owed to them? Using the so-called 'Will of Fire' to bind us—it's truly laughable."

Senju Tojian said with a smile, his tone mocking.

He had the standing to judge Senju Tobirama.

As a legacy elder of the Senju Clan, his status was second only to the patriarch, and Senju Tobirama had never officially succeeded as the patriarch of the Senju Clan.

Senju Tobirama had dedicated all his energy to Konoha, ultimately issuing the order for the Senju Clan to integrate into the village.

He treated the Senju Clan as his own private property to be gifted to Konoha, never once considering the feelings of his clansmen.

The people present held a loyalty to their family that far exceeded any loyalty to Konoha.

Especially those among the current Senju who had been burned by Tobirama's final wishes; how could they possibly continue to abide by a directive to integrate into Konoha?

The faces of every jonin present no longer showed the unease of the first meeting; instead, they were calm and filled with hope.

Senju Nawaki's actions over the past half-month had allowed the Senju Clan to stand firm, and these rumors were merely a minor distraction.

"Don't blame Tobirama. Human greed is infinite, and evil eventually triumphed over good. Human nature can never withstand the test."

Senju Zuoren said with a melancholy expression, offering an explanation for Senju Tobirama.

He had once been a key supporter of Tobirama, yet because his influence was deemed too great, he had been rated as a genin during the ninja assessments.

He, too, had once been so naive, believing that they could eliminate the barriers between people and that everyone could live as equals within Konoha.

But as the Senju Clan lowered their status, a swarm of monsters and demons emerged within Konoha.

Those small, former clans developed a sense of superiority, using their power to divide the people of Konoha into different classes, completely violating the original intent behind the village's founding.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen is still as self-righteous as ever, stirring up trouble. He even sent an official document asking about the whereabouts of Sarutobi Shinnosuke."

Senju Nawaki shook his head, a look of mockery on his face.

Sarutobi Hiruzen must have realized that Shinnosuke's disappearance had something to do with him, which was why he was trying to probe in this manner.

Even though both sides had already torn off the mask of civility, Hiruzen still wanted to use his status as an elder to pressure him, which left Senju Nawaki momentarily dazed.

It seemed his previous persona had played a certain role.

Even if his temperament had changed drastically, it was impossible for him to seem like an entirely different person overnight.

Shimura Danzo must not have reported the intelligence from the City of Wood to Sarutobi Hiruzen in detail, which led to this misjudgment.

Perhaps in Hiruzen's heart, Senju Nawaki was still influenced by his "Will of Fire," and was merely being coerced by the rest of the Senju Clan.

The other jonin wore expressions of indignation.

That old man, Sarutobi Hiruzen, actually dared to do such a thing.

Only Senju Tojian understood the details of the situation, secretly pondering whether he had left any flaws behind.

"Clan Head, the rumors have spread too widely. While our clansmen do not believe them, they will inevitably have an impact on us.

The nobles of the Land of Fire have also begun to voice different opinions.

In the future, this will lead to unpredictable, dire consequences for the Senju Clan and damage our reputation.

Should we take measures?"

Senju Tojian looked on with an inquiring gaze, his words carrying a subtle hint.

Rumors were things where it was difficult to define what was true and what was false.

They easily led people to develop ulterior motives and became tools for the schemes of petty men.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was precisely the type of person skilled at utilizing rumors.

The Senju Clan's ability to establish a firm foothold so quickly had a great deal to do with the sterling reputation Senju Hashirama had cultivated.

Back when the Five Great Nations were established, they clearly had the strength to force other nations to sign unequal treaties, yet they chose to resolve issues through negotiation—this could be considered a gesture of goodwill.

Strength and reputation complemented each other, which was one of the reasons Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to become the strongest Hokage.

"I anticipated this long ago, and I have long been prepared.

The ones who should truly be concerned are Konoha, not us. The filth within Konoha deserves to be exposed to the Ninja World."

Senju Nawaki's expression shifted from indifference to that of a spectator watching a show.

The ninjas present wore looks of confusion.

"The agreement with Kumogakure Village will reveal the truth about the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools. I didn't expect Kumogakure Village to be so patient," Senju Tojian explained.

"Intelligence indicates that the forces of Kumogakure Village have already assembled and are preparing to enter the fray. The chips in Konoha's hands are now useless!"

Senju Nawaki nodded and revealed the secret.

Konoha had used the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki Clan as a bargaining chip, thinking they could briefly stall Kumogakure Village and bury the truth about the Uzumaki Clan's annihilation.

By now, Kumogakure Village should have already obtained the inheritance from Turtle Island, and Killer Bee had become the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, well on his way to becoming a perfect jinchuriki.

Upon hearing Senju Tojian's words, a sense of grim satisfaction filled the hearts of everyone present.

The Senju Clan had suffered heavy losses on the battlefield of the Land of Whirlpools.

Konoha would ultimately pay the price for its own actions.