The Reactions of All Sides... Fear

In the records, he saw information about Tumbleweed and the history of the Land of Fields' development. He also learned why the Land of Fields had become what it was today.

Only then did he understand the full story—and what the Senju Clan's revenge entailed!

His eyes were bloodshot, the veins on his fingers bulging as he gouged deep scratches into the ground.

"The Senju Clan is no longer that honest, kind-hearted clan. They're destroying the very roots of my Land of Fields!"

He looked up and let out a shrill, remorse-filled cry. Blood spilled from his mouth, and he fainted.

Before losing consciousness, he realized one thing: the Land of Fields, transformed so completely, no longer existed!

Without the Land of Fields, neither the Sakata Clan nor his relatives and children in Konoha would have a good future.

The Sakata Clan was now worse off than the commoners who had once lived in Konoha.

After what had happened before, what might the Sarutobi Clan do, given their character? He already knew the answer.

They had once been nobles. Now they were refugees wandering the Ninja World.

No matter how much he regretted it, nothing could be undone.

If he had another chance, he would never let himself be deceived by that schemer, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The Third Raikage and A sat staring blankly at the intelligence in their hands.

A's achievements in the Land of Fields had raised his standing and prestige in Kumogakure. There had been no obstacle left to his becoming the Fourth Raikage.

Now, this turn of events had rendered all of it meaningless.

A looked thoroughly crestfallen, with a trace of unease.

Once again, Senju Nawaki had seen through him.

Recalling Ebizo's reaction, he realized he still had a long way to go before he could match the older generation of strong shinobi.

The Third Raikage consoled him. "A, never underestimate anyone, especially a shinobi clan with a thousand-year legacy.

"Even I never expected Senju Nawaki to do what he did.

"The Senju Clan has completely changed its old ways. They've become extremely aggressive, and they're even harder to deal with than they were under Senju Tobirama."

A frowned deeply as he leafed through the thick stack of reports on the table.

They reconstructed nearly everything the Senju Clan had done in the Land of Fields.

They had investigated out of fear that the Senju Clan might do the same to Kumogakure and the Land of Lightning, destroying the foundations of their nation.

After investigating, they were finally reassured.

He somewhat understood the Senju Clan's aggressive actions, and from the bottom of his heart, he despised the Land of Fields.

Everything the Land of Fields had was given to it by the Senju Clan, yet it had shamelessly betrayed them and sided with their current enemy, Konoha.

What the Senju Clan had done was simply take back all the benefits it had once bestowed on the Land of Fields.

"Father, Senju Nawaki is a terrifying enemy. His whole plan looks immature on the surface, yet it strikes right at people's hearts and is truly shocking.

"Once word of the Land of Fields spreads, even the Five Great Shinobi Villages will have to reconsider how they deal with the Senju Clan.

"Should we have Anbu step up surveillance?"

A set down the reports. A hint of confusion flashed through his eyes as he thought back to his time with Senju Nawaki.

Regardless of his strength, the information he possessed alone included many of the Ninja World's secrets.

Was it really just because the Senju Clan had such an ancient legacy?

"A, your instincts are sharp enough for you to take on the role of Raikage.

"The people in the Strategy Department have already listed Senju Nawaki as a key subject of study and created a file specifically for him.

"Based on their analysis, his actions over the next few years will affect the course of the entire Ninja World.

"In the short term, his focus should be on Konoha—no, more specifically, on the current Third, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"No matter how they fight, it will benefit us.

"Next, you should focus on the battlefield in the Land of Rain.

"The latest intelligence says Hatake Sakumo killed Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law. Konoha and Sunagakure are now fighting in earnest, massing troops at the border and preparing for a larger war.

"Our target is the Land of Grass. Its pastures are good for raising Thunder Oxen.

"Once we have enough Thunder Oxen, they'll help our shinobi grow stronger.

"In the Ninja World, strength is everything."

The Third's expression turned serious. He stood and gazed into the distance.

Thunder Oxen were edible ninja beasts that could speed up chakra and Nintaijutsu training. They could also awaken their bloodline, enhancing their control over Lightning- and Water-Style chakra.

Just like Kinkaku and Ginkaku, who had gained some of the Nine-Tails' traits by eating its flesh, most shinobi in Kumogakure possessed this kind of bloodline.

As long as they had enough Thunder Oxen, Kumogakure would become strong enough.

Unfortunately, Thunder Oxen needed high-quality pasture containing Water-Style chakra. They could not be raised in ordinary places, and Kumogakure had only a small amount of land suitable for growing it. The Land of Grass, however, was ideal.

That was why they had set their sights on the Land of Grass.

This war was their best chance to surpass Konohagakure and become the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

For Kumogakure, this was good news.

Konohagakure was beset by internal and external troubles.

Internally, Sarutobi Hiruzen was incompetent and dim-witted, concerned only with enriching his own clan through unscrupulous means. He had forced the powerful Senju Clan to leave Konoha and distributed resources unfairly, provoking a backlash from the village's other factions.

Externally, even Sunagakure—the weakest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—could put pressure on Konohagakure.

All of this presented opportunities for Kumogakure.

This time, the Third Raikage was determined to make Kumogakure the strongest in the Ninja World and fulfill the wish of its predecessors.

"Understood, Father."

A's eyes were filled with ambition as well.

He stood beside the Third Raikage atop the Raikage Building. Through the glass, they looked down over all of Kumogakure.

The villagers were united, and the village was thriving.

They would surely lead Kumogakure past the nightmare that was Konohagakure.

Konohagakure.

Another jōnin assembly was convened inside the Hokage Building.

Representatives from every shinobi clan in Konoha were present. All of them looked troubled.

The incident in the Land of Fields had erupted, and aside from the Land of Fields itself, Konoha was the most deeply affected.

They were beginning to fear the Senju Clan's revenge. They knew perfectly well that Konohagakure was also a village founded by the Senju Clan, and that the clan had given no less to Konoha than it had to the Land of Fields.

Their regret grew more intense by the day.

Now, Konoha was also facing the fallout from losing the Senju Clan.

Basic supplies in Konoha, including common staples such as rice and flour, had become exorbitantly expensive.

Supplies for the front lines were also running low.

This was all because they had forced the Senju Clan to leave but lacked the ability to clean up the mess left behind. The main culprits were the Sarutobi Clan and the Nara Clan.

What angered them even more was that the Sarutobi Clan and the Nara Clan were making a fortune from the crisis.

They were selling off the basic supplies, food, and medicine they had hoarded, charging Konoha inflated prices.

Even the Uchiha Clan, though not the sharpest, had begun to question Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Everyone had unconsciously begun comparing the Sarutobi Clan with the Senju Clan, and Sarutobi Hiruzen with Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama. They had begun to miss the Senju Clan.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was facing unprecedented criticism.

At that very moment, a crisis erupted on the battlefield in the Land of Rain, exposing the true colors of the Sarutobi Clan and the Ino-Shika-Cho clans once and for all.