Target: Land of Fields

"This list of crimes, coupled with the information leaked by Kumogakure Village, will be enough to give Sarutobi Hiruzen a real headache."

Senju Nawaki wore a smile, his eyes glinting with a sense of self-satisfaction.

How would Sarutobi Hiruzen, a man who excelled at using public opinion to attack others, handle himself when faced with rumors?

Everything he had spoken of was far from fictional.

Every single point was a reality that had occurred; there was no need for investigation. One only had to be honest with oneself, open one's eyes, and look to see it.

The current strength of the Sarutobi Family was enough to be called the greatest clan in Konoha, surpassing even the Uchiha Clan. This was all thanks to Sarutobi Hiruzen's adept use of the power in his hands from the 17th year of Konoha to the present.

The primary sources of their strength were divided into several parts.

The first part was their original foundation. The Sarutobi Family had always been a large clan, though during the Warring States period, they were inferior to the Uchiha, Senju, and Hyuga, placing them in the second tier of the Ninja World—a strong power, nonetheless.

The second part was the Ino-Shika-Cho clans. Every generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio was formed under the witness of the Sarutobi Family, and this combination was very likely to be led by the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho families.

The third part was the exploitation of his position as Hokage to swallow up the remnants of the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan, a process that was not yet fully digested.

For instance, the grain and medicinal trade, the cultivation bases in the Land of Fields, and the sealing markets left behind by the Uzumaki Clan.

Senju Nawaki intended to uproot the power of the Sarutobi Family one by one, starting with the strength that never should have belonged to them in the first place.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen—his ugly face will eventually be exposed," Senju Zuoren sneered.

Having been conscripted into the Sarutobi Family's forces, he was the one who understood their style best.

Whenever a battle broke out, one could never find the ninjas of the Sarutobi Family.

Yet, whenever it came time to reward merit, the ninjas of the Sarutobi Family were always at the very top of the list.

Such shameful conduct had almost become an unspoken rule on the battlefield.

Previously, because of Sarutobi Hiruzen's position as Hokage, no one dared to resist or raise objections. But now, having entered a period of war in the Ninja World, if they still dared to act this way, the Konoha ninja army would collapse.

An unspoken rule that had been brought into the light would no longer be able to exist.

"This is only the first step. What we must do now is control the grain trade; that is our foundation."

"Whoever controls the grain controls humanity."

"The Land of Fields will be the next battlefield between us and the Sarutobi Family."

Senju Nawaki stood up and pointed to the map behind him, the direction indicating the Land of Fields.

Once war broke out, that place would be a point of contention.

Half of the Senju Clan's grain trade came from grain-producing areas represented by the City of Wood within the Land of Fire, and the other half came from the Land of Fields.

The Land of Fields had not originally been suitable for farming. It was only during Senju Hashirama's tenure as Hokage that he used Wood Release to alter the terrain and environment, leading to its current abundance—yet they had betrayed the Senju Clan.

Because of the decline of the Senju Clan, the Land of Fields had forgotten their past favors, cooperated closely with the Sarutobi Family, and become a part of the Sarutobi Family's strength.

Instead, they had become a blade in the hands of the Sarutobi Family, used to strike at the Senju Clan.

Senju Nawaki was going to take back the very foundation of the Senju Clan's existence.

Control the grain, control the population, control the currency—and he would control the entire Ninja World.

"Traitors must pay the price. I request to be the one to carry out this task. I will make the Land of Fields return to the embrace of the Senju Clan."

Senju Tojian's face was solemn, a trace of melancholy in his eyes.

Back when the Land of Fields betrayed the Senju Clan and took the initiative to approach the Sarutobi Family, he had wanted to move to eliminate the traitors.

At that time, Senju Nawaki had stopped him; after all, back then, his predecessor still held the foolish dream of being Hokage.

"No, everyone will go out in full force. This is the battle for the Senju Clan's survival."

"In terms of righteousness, the Daimyo of the Land of Fields is ungrateful. Everything there was a gift bestowed by the Senju Clan, so we have every reason to act."

"We also need to let the Ninja World see the true power of the Senju Clan."

"Otherwise, sooner or later, someone will set their sights on the Senju Clan."

"Military force is the source that suppresses all unrest."

Senju Nawaki's eyes flickered. He felt something strange, though he could not find the source, and could only announce his decision.

There were several reasons why the various forces in the Ninja World were not currently plotting against the Senju Clan.

The first was that he had used his status as a member of the Senju Clan to become a noble of the Land of Fire, receiving temporary protection.

The second was the legacy left behind by Senju Hashirama; whether it was strength or reputation, no one dared to question it in the short term.

Everything needed to be built on the foundation of strength. They needed a war to manifest the martial power of the Senju Clan.

The Land of Fields was the battlefield Senju Nawaki had chosen—a place where he could achieve three goals at once.

It would strike at the power of the Sarutobi Family, reclaim what belonged to the Senju Clan, and establish the prestige of the Senju Clan in the Ninja World.

This matter had to be handled perfectly.

"I obey the Clan Head's command!" A trace of gravity flashed in Senju Tojian's eyes, and he immediately agreed.

Having walked through the Warring States period, he firmly believed that power was everything.

It was time to fight for the Senju Clan, and no longer make useless sacrifices for Konoha.

"We obey the Clan Head's command..."

The other ninjas echoed the sentiment immediately.

In the eyes of some, there was a palpable eagerness to test their mettle.

This was the first battle for the Senju Clan since leaving Konoha, a chance to let the name of the Senju Clan reappear in the Ninja World.

"Go, gather the clansmen. Senju Tojian, stay behind."

Senju Nawaki's ears twitched slightly; the sensation of being watched had grown increasingly intense.

He quickly pinpointed the source, dismissed his clansmen, and prepared to deal with it.

Once everyone had left, only Senju Nawaki and Senju Tojian remained in the conference room.

"Sixth Granduncle, there are bugs among us!" Senju Nawaki said coldly, his gaze fixed on the decorative vase sitting on the conference table.

Senju Tojian, who had been somewhat bewildered, felt a sharp, fierce look flash across his eyes at these words.

Someone had been eavesdropping on their conversation, and the source was none other than the wooden table right in front of them.

They had both sensed the fluctuations of Wood Release.

The two acted in unison.

"Wood Release: Prison!"

Vines and tree roots wove together to form a cage, sealing off the conference room.

Their unique chakra signatures surged into the massive wooden table, forcing two white, humanoid entities out from within it.

The creatures writhed incessantly, attempting to break through the prison, but their efforts were in vain.

They were paralyzed by the toxins inherent in Senju Tojian's Wood Release.

"What are these things? I can sense the aura of Wood Release coming from them."

Senju Tojian took a long stride forward, his face filled with shock and suspicion.

He had never imagined that such things could exist right under their noses, blended into the desk and the plants. If they hadn't awakened their Wood Release, it would have been impossible to notice them at all.

He gripped one of the White Zetsu by the neck with a large hand and began to examine it.

White Zetsu? Senju Nawaki felt a jolt of alarm. Have we been targeted by Uchiha Madara?

He spread his sensory perception to scan the surroundings, confirming that there were only these two White Zetsu.

Was this a routine monitoring of the Ninja World, or had they come specifically for them?