The Foundation of the Senju Clan and the Revelation of Wood Style

"Young Master, I apologize. I was not by your side to protect you during this ambush."

Senju Tojian's face displayed a mixture of shame and relief, his wrinkles bunching together.

Having survived the brutal Warring States period, he already knew he had been deceived.

All of this was likely a conspiracy; someone wanted Senju Nawaki's life.

Once Senju Nawaki died, the Senju clan would exist in name only, and the resources they controlled would be devoured by the hyenas lurking in the shadows, leaving no chance for a resurgence.

At the same time, a strange glint appeared in his eyes.

The Senju Nawaki before him had changed drastically from the image in his memory. The boy's former sentimentality and youthful impulsiveness had vanished—exactly what he had hoped would happen.

In their place was ambition and the unwillingness to be manipulated.

He had to thank Konoha for finally revealing its true face, exposing its dark side to Senju Nawaki.

It had forced Senju Nawaki to undergo a metamorphosis.

A single word of comfort from the boy caused the dissatisfaction in his heart to vanish completely.

The Senju clan finally had hope.

Senju Nawaki also recalled why Senju Tojian had not been by his side during this ambush, and his trust in the man deepened.

Konoha had received intelligence that Tsunade might be attacked while on a mission, and they had passed this information to him.

They had even confirmed the attacker was Hanzo of the Salamander.

He was the very person who had bestowed the humiliating title of the "Legendary Sannin" upon them during a previous battle.

This time, only Tsunade and Jiraiya were sent on the mission, without Orochimaru, which was why Senju Nawaki had sent Senju Tojian to protect Tsunade.

Now it seemed that all of this had been planned.

If Senju Tojian hadn't been a loyal retainer, they wouldn't have been able to lure him away.

Konoha treated him like a dog—a foolish dog at that.

He recalled a warning from a senior in his laboratory in his past life.

This was a dirty trick used in both the workplace and life: working someone to death in silence.

They use emotional blackmail, piling work on you regardless of whether it is your duty, all under the guise of "doing it for your own good" or "training you."

The more you do, the more you err, allowing them to criticize and gaslight you at their convenience.

Who told you not to resist, not to set conditions, or not to refute the unreasonable demands?

The final result is either being worked to death by the assigned tasks or becoming a submissive dog.

It was truly sinister.

But he was no longer the fool waiting to be slaughtered; he already had a plan to break the deadlock.

He was not just a Konoha ninja; he was also a noble of the Land of Fire.

He had the strength to leap out of this cage.

He had only been imprisoned by emotions and ideals, but those things no longer concerned the man he was now.

Those self-righteous people still thought he was the fool waiting to be slaughtered, but everything was about to start anew.

"Sixth Granduncle, call me Nawaki. I was wrong before. I want to become the head of the Senju clan now. What do you think?"

Senju Nawaki propped himself up to sit, looking at the old man before him. This was his chance to regain control of the Senju clan and a force truly worthy of his trust.

He wanted to see what Senju Tojian's attitude would be.

He threw the ball straight at him.

He believed that this elder, who had watched him grow up, would support him.

"This..."

Joy erupted on Senju Tojian's face, followed by a look of hesitation.

Senju Nawaki's eyes dimmed with disappointment, but he understood in an instant.

Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, those two grandfathers who had failed their descendant, had caused the Senju clan to lose half its strength as it integrated into Konoha.

His predecessor's many actions had caused him to lose the trust of the clansmen who wanted to preserve the Senju identity.

He had sown these bitter fruits himself, and he had to bear them in silence.

He had only held the status of an heir, and he had squandered it constantly.

"Naw-Nawaki, you misunderstand! I am only worried about your current physical condition. If you have decided, I will help you.

The strength we can gather in the end is probably only one-fifth of the Senju clan's prime, but it is enough for self-preservation."

A look of affection and determination appeared in Senju Tojian's eyes, along with a hint of melancholy.

If he had realized this sooner, they could have commanded more power.

He had always treated Senju Nawaki as his own grandson, and he cherished him even more than Senju Tobirama, that grandfather who had failed his kin.

As the hereditary elder, his control over the hardliners even surpassed that of Senju Tobirama.

"Granduncle, has the Senju Clan truly declined to such a state?" Senju Nawaki took up the conversation, his curiosity piqued regarding the current strength of the Senju Clan.

"Senju Tobirama's orders caused nearly half of our strength to be absorbed into Konoha, maintaining those lingering ties of kinship.

"The greatest loss, however, was the war that destroyed the Land of Whirlpools. Konoha had clearly signed an alliance with the Uzumaki Clan, yet Konoha failed to dispatch a single unit of ninja. Our Senju family could not bring ourselves to break that oath, so we went to provide support. A large portion of our ninja died inexplicably in that battle.

"On top of that, Senju Tobirama explicitly proposed the dissolution of the Senju Clan. This is all the strength I could manage to gather."

Senju Tojian spoke at length, his words dripping with disdain for Konoha and resentment toward Senju Tobirama.

There were also some unnatural pauses in his speech.

Senju Nawaki analyzed the situation in his mind; part of the Senju Clan's decline was also due to him.

Konoha had utilized his influence to turn the Senju Clan into cannon fodder during various small-scale conflicts.

At the same time, they made the Senju ninja lose faith in him, prompting them to integrate into Konoha of their own volition.

There was also the question of whether his current physical condition could shoulder this heavy responsibility.

Could a crippled heir restore the glory of the Senju Clan?

There would always be those who doubted.

He had to produce evidence convincing enough to win them over, or at the very least, to make Senju Tojian believe in him.

"That is enough. Please believe in me; I will certainly restore the glory of our family."

Senju Nawaki nodded. As long as he possessed the power to protect himself, given time and the assistance of the Bloodline Completion System, his strength would improve rapidly.

As he spoke, he raised one of his hands. At his fingertips, a miniature shrub the size of a fist sprouted, vibrant and full of life.

"Wood Release?"

Senju Tojian's voice was filled with doubt and excitement; that flash of green struck his eyes with force.

During the Warring States period, the Senju Clan excelled in Water and Earth Release. It was only because the genius Senju Hashirama appeared and awakened Wood Release that they were able to suppress the Uchiha Clan.

It was a pity that Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama were not quite right in the head; they insisted on establishing a village, and their subsequent foolish maneuvers left the Senju family dumbfounded.

Not only did they invite the Uchiha Clan and other ninja clans to join, but they also wanted to dissolve the Senju Clan itself?

They could call Senju Hashirama foolish, but they had to admit that the power of Wood Release was formidable.

It was powerful enough for one man to suppress the ninja world, earning him the title of God of Shinobi.

"Granduncle, please keep this a secret. Now is not the time for it to be exposed. Not only are there hidden enemies within Konoha, but there are also traitors within our own family.

"When I was attacked this time, the signal flare I used to call for help had been tampered with.

"The most important thing now is to root out the traitors and gather the forces that are truly loyal to us.

"Since Konoha has already rotted, we shall start elsewhere. After all, the Land of Fire also belongs in part to our Senju family."

Senju Nawaki retracted his Wood Release, and the shrub on his hand dissolved back into pure chakra, feeding it back into his own body.

He revealed his plans to Senju Tojian.