Visitors from the Land of Fire

"Haha... Clan Head, you don't need to address me like that in the future; you must maintain your dignity."

"There are some things I haven't made clear to you. According to family records, only by finding one's own Ninja Way and practicing it can one possibly break through a certain limitation. It is a form of transcendence; according to Hashirama and Madara, it is Beyond Kage."

"I found my Ninja Way long ago—to protect the clan and develop the clan—but in the process of practicing it, I encountered obstacles and could never take that further step."

"Now, with your leadership, I have already surpassed my former self, combining the unique techniques of Wood Release to form my own style."

"My strength is also improving rapidly."

Senju Tojian laughed heartily. While he was very happy about how Senju Nawaki addressed him, he knew this could not continue.

A clan head must maintain his dignity. As the Legacy Elder and an elder of Senju Nawaki, he had to uphold the authority of the clan head.

Only in this way could the Senju Clan go further.

He then explained some of the secrets of the ninja world to Senju Nawaki.

His current strength might not be equal to the peak of Senju Hashirama or Senju Tobirama, but he was already above Hanzo of the Salamander; dealing with one or two Kage would be effortless.

His style was just as Senju Nawaki had described, similar to a Venus Flytrap; once anyone harbored ill intentions toward the Senju Clan, they would be strangled by him.

He would stop at nothing to protect the Senju Clan and protect Senju Nawaki.

"I have been somewhat arrogant. When there is time, it is necessary to study the family's collection of books."

Senju Nawaki's brow furrowed slightly before relaxing, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

He had been a bit high and mighty lately. After Senju Tojian's reminder, he realized that this world was still full of geniuses.

Not only were there the reincarnations of Asura and Indra, but also various heroes, such as the freakish talent Senju Tobirama, and the Uchiha's Izanami and Izanagi.

And that was just within Konoha; the Ninja World was even broader.

All kinds of strange techniques and strange people could potentially cause him harm and affect his plans.

He had to take this seriously.

He stroked his right arm, feeling a hint of regret in his heart.

He shouldn't have personally entered the fray to frame Sarutobi Shinnosuke back then.

Once he finished dealing with the Land of Fields, he had to force his body to undergo a metamorphosis and regenerate his severed limb as soon as possible; in this state, his strength was limited.

"You are most welcome to; that way, I can fulfill my duties as the Legacy Elder."

Senju Tojian wore a gratified smile, as if he could see the future glory of the Senju Clan.

As the Legacy Elder, he hadn't fully fulfilled his responsibilities. For so many years, due to Konoha's suppression, the guidance and resources Senju Nawaki received were far inferior to those of a girl like Tsunade, and he had never received formal training as a clan head.

However, in his heart, Senju Nawaki was becoming an increasingly mature and qualified clan head.

"Let's begin. The two of us will have to work hard over these next few days."

"This plant might be able to help us."

"Through my observations, it has strong vitality, high reproductive capacity, and is poisonous. It is only suitable for growth in the Land of Fields, and it will destroy the soil and water. If we destroy some of the giant Wood Release trees left behind to improve the land, the situation in the Land of Fields will regress to its current state by next year."

"Those giant Wood Release trees have an extraordinary influence on the land of the Land of Fields; only Wood Release can have any effect on them."

Senju Nawaki narrowed his eyes and said with a light laugh, pulling a handful of seeds from his hand.

They were sesame-sized, thorny seeds.

"Everything for the Senju Clan."

"These are tumbleweed seeds. They were once a scourge in the Land of Fields. It was only because Hashirama used Wood Release that their continued growth was curbed and they disappeared. Where did you find them?"

Senju Tojian took them, examined them carefully, and used Wood Release chakra to probe the condition of the tumbleweed seeds.

He had lived through the era when the Senju Clan transformed the Land of Fields and knew very well the trouble tumbleweeds caused.

It was Senju Hashirama who had used Wood Release to limit the further propagation of the tumbleweeds.

Now that they were using Wood Release to let the tumbleweeds bloom again on the land of the Land of Fields, it could be considered a tit-for-tat.

He was just very curious about how Senju Nawaki had discovered the tumbleweed seeds.

"Guided by the nature of Wood Release."

Senju Nawaki's mouth curved slightly as he said with a touch of candor.

Senju Tojian's belief was to protect the Senju Clan, and he projected this belief into his Wood Release combat methods—just like the cage he had woven in the past, it was both a guard and a protection.

Senju Nawaki's belief was a form of self-righteous fairness, a fairness within his own cognition. It might be a narrow existence, utilizing every means possible.

This belief was projected into Senju Nawaki's style of conduct, and while looking for ways to destroy the Land of Fields, he received guidance from Wood Release.

He discovered two things.

One was the Wood Release creations Senju Hashirama had once left within the borders of the Land of Fields—the giant trees that stabilized the soil.

The other was the nearly extinct tumbleweed.

Senju Nawaki made his decision.

Destroy the Wood Release creations left behind by Senju Hashirama and let the tumbleweeds return to the land of the Land of Fields.

Once everything was completed, he would let the Senju Clan reshape the terrain of the Land of Fields, returning it to a landscape where even a monkey might fall to its death, just like the rocky mountains they were standing on now.

If the Sarutobi Clan and Konoha want this Land of Fields, then let them have it.

The same goes for any other faction.

Let them remember that without the Senju Clan, the Land of Fields has another name: the Land of Crushed Stone.

For the past two days, the Land of Fields has been plunged into an eerie silence.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fields, Banda Yiming, has spent this time in constant fear, bracing himself for a counterattack from the Senju Clan, only to find it was a false alarm.

He felt relieved by his own choice.

The honest and thick-skinned traditions of the Senju Clan gave him a glimmer of hope.

Only by defecting to the new rulers of Konoha could the Land of Fields continue to survive, and only then could his Banda Family achieve even greater development.

He had already received permission from the Sarutobi Family to relocate a portion of his kin into Konoha to live, and those with talent for ninjutsu would even be allowed to enroll in the Ninja Academy.

They would become commoners of Konoha.

One has to admire the shrewdness of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

One of the key factors that allowed him to control public opinion in Konoha for decades to come was that the commoners within the village had already been cycled through many times.

These commoners were all dependents of his family, having received favors from Sarutobi Hiruzen just like the Banda Family to enter Konoha, which was why they adored him so much.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fields did not realize his mistake in the slightest.

It was not until the new representative from Konoha arrived that he realized it was Tsunade.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fields treated her with caution, yet he felt secure in his position.

No matter what, someone still needed to cultivate these fields, someone still needed to manage the harvesting for them, and someone still needed to collect the grain.

He realized his own awkward predicament at this moment; letting Tsunade enter the scene now was his way of seeking peace talks.

As long as he controlled the land of the Land of Fields, held sway over its cheap labor, and maintained the right to distribute the grain, he could still hold the initiative and remain a partner to the Sarutobi Clan.