Target: The Land of Fields

"This list of crimes, combined with the information leaked by Kumogakure, will be more than enough to make Sarutobi Hiruzen sweat."

Senju Nawaki wore a smile, and there was a self-satisfied glint in his eyes.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was so good at using public opinion to attack others. How would he handle the rumors now?

None of what he'd said was made up.

Every detail was true. There was no need to investigate. Anyone who didn't deceive themselves and simply opened their eyes could see it.

The Sarutobi Clan was now powerful enough to be called Konoha's foremost clan, surpassing the Uchiha Clan. That was thanks to Sarutobi Hiruzen's skillful use of his authority ever since Year 17 of Konoha.

Its strength came from several sources.

First, its original foundation. The Sarutobi Clan had always been a major clan. During the Warring States period, it was not as powerful as the Uchiha, Senju, or Hyuga, but it was still a second-tier power in the Ninja World.

Second, the Ino-Shika-Cho families. Each generation's Ino-Shika-Cho trio had been formed under the Sarutobi Clan's supervision, and the trio's members were very likely to be the heads of their respective clans.

Third, Sarutobi Hiruzen had used the advantages of his position as Hokage to seize the remaining influence of the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan. It had yet to be fully absorbed.

That included the grain and medicine trade, the agricultural bases in the Land of Fields, and the sealing market left behind by the Uzumaki Clan.

Senju Nawaki intended to dismantle the Sarutobi Clan's power piece by piece, starting with the power that should never have belonged to them.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen's vile face will eventually be exposed," Senju Zuoren said with a sneer.

He had been recruited into the Sarutobi Clan's ranks, so he knew their ways better than anyone.

Whenever a battle broke out, the Sarutobi Ninja were nowhere to be seen.

But whenever rewards were handed out, the Sarutobi Ninja were always at the very top of the list.

Such shameless behavior had practically become an unspoken rule on the battlefield.

Before, no one had dared to resist or voice objections because Sarutobi Hiruzen was Hokage. Now that the Ninja World was at war, if they kept acting this way, Konoha's ninja forces would collapse.

Once an unspoken rule was brought into the open, it could no longer remain in place.

"This is only the first step. What we need to do now is take control of the grain trade. That's our foundation.

"Whoever controls the grain controls the people.

"The Land of Fields will be the next battleground between us and the Sarutobi Clan."

Senju Nawaki rose to his feet and pointed at the map behind him, toward the Land of Fields.

If war broke out, it would become a contested region.

Half of the Senju Clan's grain trade came from the farming regions within the Land of Fire, represented by the City of Wood. The other half came from the Land of Fields.

The Land of Fields had once been unsuitable for farming. It was Senju Hashirama, during his time as Hokage, who had used Wood Release to reshape the terrain and environment, making it as fertile as it was today. Yet the country had betrayed the Senju Clan.

As the Senju Clan weakened, the Land of Fields forgot the kindness it had once received and forged close ties with the Sarutobi Clan, becoming part of its strength.

It had even become a weapon in the hands of the Sarutobi Family, used to attack the Senju Clan.

Senju Nawaki intended to reclaim the foundation on which the Senju Clan stood.

Control the grain, control the population, control the currency—and the entire Ninja World would be under their control.

"Traitors must pay the price. I volunteer to handle this. I'll make the Land of Fields return to the embrace of the Senju Clan."

Senju Tojian spoke with a solemn expression, a trace of melancholy in his eyes.

When the Land of Fields had betrayed the Senju Clan and reached out to the Sarutobi Clan, he had wanted to move against the traitors.

Back then, Senju Nawaki had stopped him. At the time, his predecessor had still harbored the foolish dream of becoming Hokage.

"No. We'll all go. This is a battle for the very foundation of the Senju Clan.

"Morally, the daimyo of the Land of Fields is the one who betrayed our kindness. Everything there was a gift from the Senju Clan, so we have every right to take action.

"We also need to show the Ninja World the true strength of the Senju Clan.

"Otherwise, sooner or later, someone will set their sights on us.

"Military might is what suppresses all unrest."

Senju Nawaki's eyes glinted. He sensed something strange, but no matter how hard he searched, he couldn't find its source. He could only announce his decision.

The various powers of the Ninja World had yet to set their sights on the Senju Clan for several reasons.

First, he had used his status as a member of the Senju Clan to become a noble of the Land of Fire, earning temporary protection.

Second, they still benefited from Senju Hashirama's legacy. Neither the clan's strength nor its reputation would be questioned for a time.

Everything had to be built on strength. They needed a war to demonstrate the Senju Clan's might.

The Land of Fields was the battleground Senju Nawaki had chosen. It would accomplish three things at once.

They could weaken the Sarutobi Clan, reclaim what belonged to the Senju Clan, and establish the Senju Clan's authority in the Ninja World.

They had to handle this flawlessly.

"We'll obey the clan leader's orders!" A note of caution flashed through Senju Tojian's eyes as he immediately voiced his support.

Having lived through the Warring States period, he firmly believed that strength was everything.

It was time to fight for the Senju Clan, instead of making pointless sacrifices for Konoha.

"We'll obey the clan leader's orders..."

The other ninja voiced their agreement as well.

Some of them looked eager to get started.

This was the Senju Clan's first battle since leaving Konoha. It would put their name back on the map in the Ninja World.

"Go and summon the clan members. Senju Tojian, stay behind."

Senju Nawaki's ears twitched. The feeling of being watched grew stronger.

He soon found the source. He sent the clan members away, preparing to deal with it.

After everyone had left, only Senju Nawaki and Senju Tojian remained in the meeting room.

"Grandpa Six, there are bugs here," Senju Nawaki said coldly, his gaze settling on the vase of decorative flowers on the conference table.

Senju Tojian had looked confused at first, but at those words, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

Someone had been eavesdropping on their conversation. The source was the wooden table in front of them.

He sensed the fluctuations of Wood Release as well.

The two of them attacked at the same time.

"Wood Release: Prison!"

Vines and roots intertwined, forming a prison that sealed off the meeting room.

Their unique chakra signatures invaded the enormous wooden table before them, forcing two white, humanoid creatures out of it.

They writhed incessantly, trying to break out of the prison, but to no avail.

The poison in Senju Tojian's Wood Release had paralyzed them.

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

Senju Tojian strode forward, his face full of astonishment.

He hadn't expected something like this to be right under their noses, hidden in the desk and the flowers. If they hadn't awakened Wood Release, they would never have noticed them.

He grabbed one White Zetsu by the throat and began examining it.

"White Zetsu?" Senju Nawaki was startled. Had Uchiha Madara set his sights on them?

He spread his sensory field, probing the area around them, and confirmed there were only two White Zetsu.

Were they monitoring the Ninja World as usual, or had they come specifically for them?