The Senju Clan's Elder of Succession - Senju Tojian

Jiraiya was the first to lose his patience, recounting the rumors currently circulating through the Konoha camp.

"Everyone out there is saying that you were desperate to make a name for yourself on the battlefield. They say you ordered two jonin stationed at the camp to head into the war zone, and when you were all ambushed, you abandoned your comrades and fled alone, causing Konoha to suffer unimaginable losses."

"You really ought to reflect on yourself. To think you would actually abuse your authority to command jonin, only to abandon your comrades in the end."

Orochimaru had no desire to speak, sneering at Jiraiya's words. Such rumors were riddled with holes; it was baffling that anyone would believe them, let alone spread them so widely.

He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes to rest, having no interest in arguing with an idiot. He was already exhausted enough from the previous day.

"Haha~"

Senju Nawaki's face twisted into a mocking smile as he let out a laugh.

His current mood was exactly like that of his past life, when his own professor had stolen the lead authorship of his research paper.

Being subjected to this kind of public trial, where the masses were incited to tear him apart with their tongues, really was a similar experience.

Tsunade frowned, not quite understanding what Nawaki meant, but the rumors swirling around them filled her with a sense of repulsion.

She couldn't help but feel that it was wrong to blame everything on Nawaki.

"I'm a bit tired. You all should leave."

Senju Nawaki's face turned rigid as he masked the shift in his inner thoughts.

"Nawaki, don't put too much pressure on yourself. It isn't entirely your fault; I will beg the Hokage to show some leniency."

Tsunade comforted him in a soft voice. In her heart, the Nawaki before her was just a child who had made a mistake, hiding away because he dared not take responsibility.

As his older sister, she felt she had to help Senju Nawaki shoulder that burden.

"Nawaki, a man must take responsibility for his own actions. You..."

Jiraiya's face darkened with displeasure. He also believed that Nawaki was merely evading responsibility, and he began to lecture Senju Nawaki from the position of a senior.

Tsunade stopped Jiraiya from continuing. Nawaki had surely been taught a lesson by now, and there was no need to keep rubbing salt into his wounds.

Orochimaru simply shook his head and stepped over the shattered door. Before leaving, he even repaired it and hung it back on the doorframe.

Inside the infirmary.

Senju Nawaki stared at the door, now riddled with holes. He swayed as he tried to block the wind blowing in, a sudden urge to smash it to pieces rising within him.

This door was just like the Senju Clan at this moment.

It was still fulfilling its duty, protecting those inside from harm.

Yet everyone knew the door was already teetering on the brink of collapse, waiting only for a new one to arrive before being discarded.

This broken door would be tossed aside as trash, or perhaps recycled as firewood, continuing to provide light for a little while longer.

His mind went completely blank.

He couldn't stay in this Konoha for a second longer.

Even his own sister had been brainwashed—how could she not harbor a single doubt about the village?

The rumors were full of contradictions, yet people still believed them.

Given his predecessor's original foolish nature, could he have possibly commanded the loyal jonin of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans under the Sarutobi Clan?

If a battle had occurred, then who was the enemy?

And as for causing the village huge losses—what losses?

Everything was a fabrication.

He was clearly the victim, yet he was the one expected to prove he wasn't the perpetrator.

Those who believed these rumors were either stupid, malicious, or both.

The people truly controlling the narrative behind the scenes were all doing it for their own profit.

The Senju Clan still held vast resources, which made many people covetous.

He began to mentally inventory the power at his disposal.

In terms of military strength, even though the Senju Clan had declined after several great wars, they still possessed a foundation. There were over a dozen jonin in the clan, enough to ignite a small-scale war.

The "compensation" the Konoha Anbu had mentioned earlier was likely a ploy to send jonin loyal to the Senju Clan on dangerous missions to weaken their strength—a tactic the fool who previously occupied this body had often fallen for.

In terms of financial power, his aunt, who had married into the Genji Clan of the Land of Fire, had been trading grain and medicinal herbs with the Senju Clan all along.

They controlled a portion of the ninja world's grain trade, which was their greatest wealth.

The people of the Senju Clan, even if they abandoned their name, possessed a natural affinity for plants.

There were various other minor resources as well, and even under the suppression of the Konoha powers, they still held certain advantages.

He realized that the power in his hands was not weak; the previous fool simply hadn't known how to use it, allowing himself to be led by the nose by Sarutobi Hiruzen, who used Tsunade as a blade to sever the power from his grasp.

They were gradually being devoured by other clans.

In the future, the Senju Clan's medicinal herb business would be taken over by the Nara Clan...

In the end, the beneficiaries were all loyal subjects under Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Tsunade had never truly inherited the Senju name, and she was unable to truly win the conviction of the older generation of Senju ninja.

He was certainly not that fool Senju Nawaki from before, who wanted to sacrifice everything for Konoha.

He dared not accept the title of a loyal subject to Konoha.

He pondered methods to break the deadlock in his mind.

Power!

The first step required the power to protect himself before he could proceed with his subsequent plans.

It was time for him to reclaim the remaining strength of the Senju Clan.

The corners of his mouth turned down, tasting a hint of bitterness.

Only then did he recall how much of the Senju Clan's residual power he had squandered in previous wars; some people were already dissatisfied with him, though fortunately, there were still "loyal subjects" among them.

Everything was still salvageable.

"Sixth Granduncle, come out!"

Within the sensory range of Senju Nawaki's body, the surrounding environment shifted, faintly resonating with the Wood Release bloodline inside him.

His gaze locked onto the ground to the side, and a name surfaced in his mind.

"Young Master Nawaki."

The ground distorted, and a hunched figure emerged, wearing a loose, black Warring States-era armor with an unsightly, bark-like scar across his face.

The most prominent feature was the forehead protector he wore; it did not bear the Konoha symbol, but the crest of the Senju Clan.

He bowed slightly, saluting Senju Nawaki.

Senju Tojian was of the same generation as Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama; he had once attempted to master Wood Release but failed, leaving the scar on his face, yet his strength was not to be underestimated.

He held another identity: the Heritage Elder of the Senju Clan, who mastered all the clan's secret techniques. At the same time, he was the elder who had most vehemently opposed the civilianization of the Senju Clan.

There was a rule for Heritage Elders: they could not have descendants.

Because having descendants would lead to power struggles with the future heir, they were bound to the clan's heir from childhood.

It was a means to ensure the heir could smoothly take control of the family.

The heir and Heritage Elder of this generation were Senju Nawaki and Senju Tojian.

This was one of the reasons why Senju Nawaki trusted Senju Tojian so deeply.

When Senju Nawaki was young, this old man had secretly provided him with many resources; the reason the ninjutsu panel within his soul space was so luxurious was entirely due to his teachings.

Regrettably, his predecessor had been brainwashed by the environment of Konoha, gradually distancing himself from this old man, moving from childhood intimacy to the inability to feel close now.

Only now did he realize who truly cared for him.

No matter how well things were said, nothing was as substantial as actions.

"Sixth Granduncle, you have worked hard all these years. That won't happen again; I will listen to your teachings from now on."

Senju Nawaki sighed with emotion.

Even when he had explicitly refused the continued existence of the Senju Clan, Senju Tojian had still cultivated him as the Young Master of the Senju Clan.

Their relationship was even closer than that of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama.

Just like in the Warring States period, the Heritage Elder fulfilled his duty, doing everything for the sake of the clan's legacy.

Whenever Senju Nawaki committed foolish acts, it was this old man who cleaned up the mess, constantly depleting the foundation of the Senju Clan.