"Lord, I'm sorry. I wasn't by your side to protect you when you were attacked this time."
Senju Tojian's face showed both shame and relief, his wrinkles bunching together.
Having lived through the brutal Warring States period, he knew he had been deceived.
This may have all been a conspiracy. Someone wanted Senju Nawaki dead.
If Senju Nawaki died, the Senju Clan would exist in name only. Their resources would be divided up by the jackals lurking in the shadows, and they would never have another chance to rise again.
At the same time, there was a strange look in his eyes.
The Senju Nawaki before him had changed drastically from the boy he remembered. His former loyalty and youthful spirit had vanished. It was exactly what he had hoped to see.
What followed was ambition, and the unwillingness to accept being manipulated.
He had to thank Konoha. At last, it had revealed its true face, showing Senju Nawaki its dark side.
It had brought about Senju Nawaki's transformation.
A simple "thanks for your efforts" had erased all the resentment he had felt before.
The Senju Clan finally had hope.
Senju Nawaki also recalled why Senju Tojian hadn't been by his side during the attack. He trusted him even more now.
Konoha had received intelligence that Tsunade might be attacked while carrying out a mission, so they had passed the information on to him.
They had even identified the attacker as Hanzo of the Salamander.
He had been the one responsible for the humiliating title of Konoha Sannin, earned in their previous battle.
This time, only Tsunade and Jiraiya had gone on the mission. Orochimaru wasn't with them, so Senju Nawaki had sent Senju Tojian to protect Tsunade.
Now it seemed everything had been planned.
If Senju Tojian hadn't been a loyal member of the Senju Clan, they wouldn't have sent him away.
Konoha treated him like a dog—a stupid one, at that.
He remembered a warning from a senior labmate in his previous life.
This was a dirty trick used in the workplace and in life: quietly working someone to death.
They used emotional pressure to saddle you with piles of work, whether or not it was your responsibility.
They called it "for your own good" or "to help you grow."
The more you did, the more mistakes you made. Then they'd seize the opportunity to criticize you and manipulate you.
That was what you got for not fighting back, setting boundaries, or calling out unreasonable demands.
In the end, you either worked yourself to death or became an obedient dog.
What a vicious scheme.
But he was no longer the fool who could be slaughtered at will. He already had a way to break out of this predicament.
He wasn't just a shinobi of Konoha. He was also a noble of the Land of Fire.
He had the strength to escape this cage.
It was only his feelings and ideals that had kept him trapped. Those things had nothing to do with him anymore.
Those self-important people still thought he was the same fool they could butcher at will. Everything needed to start over.
"Grandpa Six, just call me Nawaki. I was wrong before. I want to become head of the Senju Clan now. What do you think?"
Senju Nawaki propped himself up and sat, looking at the old man before him. This was his chance to take control of the Senju Clan again, and to secure an ally he could truly trust.
He wanted to see how Senju Tojian would respond.
He came straight out with it.
He believed the elder who had watched him grow up would support him.
"This..."
Joy flared across Senju Tojian's face, followed by a conflicted expression.
Senju Nawaki's eyes dimmed with disappointment, but he quickly understood.
Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama had both made decisions that had cost the clan half its strength, folding it into Konoha.
His previous actions had cost him the trust of the clan members who wanted to preserve their Senju identity.
He had brought this on himself, and he would have to bear the consequences in silence.
All he had was the title of heir, and he had constantly squandered it.
"N-Nawaki, you've misunderstood! I'm only worried about your current condition. If this is what you've decided, I can help you.
"The strength we can gather now amounts to only about a fifth of the Senju Clan at its peak, but it's enough to protect ourselves."
A look of affection and resolve appeared in Senju Tojian's eyes, along with a trace of melancholy.
If he had realized this sooner, he could have gathered more strength.
He had always treated Senju Nawaki like his own grandson, and cherished him even more than Senju Tobirama, that grandson-harming fool.
As the clan's elder responsible for preserving its traditions, he had more influence over the conservative faction than Senju Tobirama.
"Grandpa Six, has the Senju Clan really declined this badly?" Senju Nawaki picked up the thread. He was curious about the clan's current strength, too.
"Senju Tobirama's orders led to a small portion of our strength being absorbed into Konoha, though we still maintain ties with the village.
"Our greatest loss came during the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools. Konoha had clearly signed an alliance with the Uzumaki Clan, yet it sent no shinobi troops. We of the Senju Clan couldn't betray that alliance, so we went to help. A great many shinobi died in that battle without anyone knowing why.
"On top of that, Senju Tobirama explicitly called for the dissolution of the Senju Clan. I could only gather this many."
Senju Tojian spoke at length, his words filled with contempt for Konoha and resentment toward Senju Tobirama.
There were also a few strangely long pauses.
Senju Nawaki reasoned that he was partly to blame for the Senju Clan's decline, too.
Konoha had used his influence to make the Senju Clan serve as cannon fodder in minor wars and skirmishes.
At the same time, it had made the clan's shinobi lose faith in him and willingly merge with Konoha.
Then there was his current physical condition. Could he shoulder this responsibility?
Could a crippled heir restore the Senju Clan to its former glory?
There would always be people who doubted him.
He had to produce proof that would convince them—at the very least, enough to convince Senju Tojian.
"This is enough. Please believe in me, too. I can restore the clan to its former glory."
Senju Nawaki nodded. As long as they had enough strength to protect themselves, he could use the Bloodline Completion System to grow stronger at an incredible pace if given time.
As he spoke, he raised one hand. A miniature shrub, no bigger than his fist, sprouted with vibrant life from his fingertip.
"Wood Release?"
Senju Tojian's voice held both doubt and excitement. That flash of green struck him to the core.
During the Warring States period,
the Senju Clan had excelled at Water Release and Earth Release. It was only when the genius Senju Hashirama awakened Wood Release that they were able to gain the upper hand over the Uchiha Clan.
Unfortunately, Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama hadn't been very bright. They had insisted on founding a village, and their subsequent blunders had left the Senju Clan speechless.
They hadn't just invited the Uchiha Clan and the other ninja clans; they had also wanted to dissolve the Senju Clan.
They could say Senju Hashirama hadn't been very bright, but they had to admit that Wood Release was powerful enough.
Powerful enough for one man to suppress the entire Ninja World and earn the title of God of Shinobi.
"Grandpa Six, please keep this secret. It's not time to reveal it yet. There are hidden enemies in Konoha, and there are traitors even within our clan.
"When I was attacked this time, the signal flare I used to call for help had been damaged.
"Our top priority is to find the traitor and gather the people who are truly loyal to us.
"Since Konoha is already rotten, we'll start somewhere else. Our Senju Clan has a stake in the Land of Fire, too."
Senju Nawaki put away Wood Release. The shrub in his hand turned back into pure chakra and flowed back into his body.
He laid out his plan to Senju Tojian.
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