"Creak-!"
The sound of the door opening interrupted the two's conversation.
Uka turned around and saw the three people entering. He quickly stood and saluted them. "Greetings, First Elder, Second Elder, and Lady Mito!"
The First Elder and Mito Uzumaki had grim expressions. They nodded slightly in response, then sat down on either side of the tea table.
"Come sit beside your great-uncle, little guy!" The Second Elder smiled as he patted Uka's head.
After pulling him over to sit beside him, he looked at Toka and asked, "Tell me, why did you suddenly take people toward the northeast?"
Senju Toka smiled and held up her left hand to count off the points. "Two things. First: Uka ran into Anbu on his way home from school. They said Danzo wanted to see him. After he refused, they tried to take him by force."
"And there was also a squad outside blocking Chiharu!"
"Wait!" Mito Uzumaki interrupted Toka. She looked at the white-haired boy and asked gently, "Uka, are you sure it was Danzo and Anbu?"
Uka nodded and replied to the woman, who was already sixty but still had a girl's face, "That's what they said, and they were dressed like Anbu too. The bodies should have been brought back by Brother Kenchū and the others by now!"
Mito Uzumaki nodded, indicating that Toka should continue.
Although the expression on her face hadn't changed at all,
the aura she gave off told everyone that she was furious!
She'd fought today and still hadn't let the First Elder get his way.
Now that this had happened, she had no choice but to give in!
Unbothered by the interruption, Senju Toka kept smiling and said, "The second thing: Uka awakened Wood Release!"
"What!"
With a clatter, the tea table was knocked over. The First Elder sprang to his feet in shock, while Mito Uzumaki could no longer maintain her smile and stared blankly at Uka.
Seeing the tea spill toward him, Senju Uka hurriedly stood up to dodge.
But the pain on his head pinned him in place.
"Hiss-!"
Uka sucked in a sharp breath. He rubbed the top of his head with one hand while pulling away his soaked clothes with the other.
His eyes were welling up with tears from the pain.
Then he glared angrily at the Second Elder and the First Elder. "Great-uncle Kofu, what did I ever do to you?"
"The hot water was spilling toward me. If you weren't going to dodge it, why did you have to grab my hair and stop me from moving!"
"And Uncle Sawagen, there's hot water in that pot. What were you two thinking?"
Looking at the rather miserable Uka, the First Elder gave an apologetic laugh and set the overturned tea table back in place!
The Second Elder smiled awkwardly, then discreetly tucked his right hand toward his chest!
He'd been so nervous that he'd forgotten to let go and had pulled out a handful of hair. He was afraid Uka would get even angrier if he saw it!
Seeing this, Senju Toka, who was already in a good mood, became even happier. Smiling, she said, "Uka, don't be so rude. Your great-uncle and Uncle Sawagen didn't do it on purpose!"
After hearing his aunt's lecture, Uka stopped complaining.
He stood to one side and took off his wet clothes, then sat back down.
Only the hand rubbing the top of his head nonstop showed his protest.
"All right, don't scold Uka. It was this old man's fault. I got nervous and forgot to let go!" The Second Elder smiled and stopped Toka, who was saying one thing but thinking another.
When she looked at him questioningly, the Second Elder hesitated, then gave a slight nod to show that he understood.
Then he said to Uka beside him, "Boy, show us your Wood Release!"
"Okay!"
Uka circulated his Chakra and placed one hand on the tea table.
Three branches slowly sprouted from the wooden table!
Seeing this, Mito Uzumaki, the First Elder, and the Second Elder each reached out and snapped off a branch to examine it.
The hall fell silent for a while, with only the sound of Uka rubbing his head.
Having had that much hair yanked out hurt like hell, and it itched too!
A moment later.
"Whew-hehe!" The Second Elder let out a long breath, and the kind smile he usually wore returned to his face.
Once the other two had finished their examinations, the Second Elder smiled and said, "It's Wood Release, but it's different from Hashirama's. It lacks Yang and is made up of Earth and Water attributes. The way it's used will be different, but the results won't differ too much!"
From the Warring States period until now, he had watched Hashirama Senju grow up.
So he had plenty of experience with Hashirama's Wood Release and had a basic understanding of it.
Beside him, Mito Uzumaki nodded in agreement with what the Second Elder had said. Then she looked at Uka with a hint of puzzlement and said, "Come here, little guy. Let me examine you. Your Wood Release seems to be a Kekkei Genkai?"
She'd figured that out already?
Could she tell all that from a single branch?
Lowering his hand from his head, Senju Uka suppressed his astonishment and walked over to her.
Hearing Mito's conclusion, the First Elder and the Second Elder also came over to Uka and placed their hands on his shoulders.
As their Chakra flowed, Uka could clearly feel three different strands of Chakra circulating through the meridians in his body.
Hmm... It didn't hurt... or itch.
But what was this swelling sensation?
Watching the occasional bulges appear on the panel, Uka held back his restlessness and quietly waited for them to finish examining him!
About ten minutes later, after the Chakra had traveled through his meridians several times, Mito Uzumaki was the first to withdraw her hand!
When the other two had finished as well, delight showed in her eyes. Her voice gentle, she smiled at Uka and said, "Go back and sit down, little guy!"
Then she looked at the two elders and said, "My conclusion is that it's a Kekkei Genkai!"
"Mm!"
"Same here!"
After speaking, the two elders exchanged smiles!
They had their answer after examining him.
But they'd also worried they might be wrong. Now that everyone had reached the same conclusion, there was no doubt that this Wood Release was a Kekkei Genkai!
Wood Release different from Hashirama's, but one that could be passed down through blood!
The Senju had reached this point, with internal conflicts out in the open.
And now a new hope had appeared.
Haha, the clan's thousand years of glory could continue!
Suppressing the urge to burst into laughter on the spot, the First Elder made his way back to his seat with light steps.
As he passed Uka, he even gently patted his head.
Seeing everyone's reactions, Uka was very satisfied too.
This was the effect he wanted.
Only this way could he get more resources and protection.
Only this way could he pass through the growing-up stage safely!
Once everyone had calmed down, Mito Uzumaki looked around and spoke first. "I agree to checking everyone's memories, but all the clan's senior members must be checked. The four of us will do it!"
"As for ours, we can check each other's first!"
"If there's nothing there, then Nawaki's position as clan leader will have to be settled. If there is..."
Mito didn't finish, but everyone understood what she meant.
If there was something, then the position of clan leader, held by the Clan Leader's Line for a thousand years, would probably have to be handed over!
Everyone had to be checked?
After hesitating for a moment, the First Elder nodded and added, "One person checks while the other three stand guard. All the memories will be viewed by... by the Second Elder first. If there's no problem, no one else is allowed to examine them!"
After saying this, he lowered his head, his face a little red, not daring to look at the Second Elder's reaction.
Check memories?
Senju Uka was wondering why Mito had brought it up!
Then he heard the First Elder's words and nearly burst out laughing.
He really hadn't realized the First Elder had it in him.
Was he thinking that the Second Elder was old and might be gone one day?
So he was comfortable letting him view everyone's secrets?
It was... a pretty good idea!
But saying it to the Second Elder's face-wasn't that a bit like pointing at a monk and calling him bald?
The Second Elder shot an annoyed glance at the First Elder and the boy beside him, who was trying not to laugh. He waved his hand and said with an exasperated look, "I can't be bothered to look at all your dirty secrets."
"No need to check everyone. Just examine the Clan Leader's Line!"
Hearing this, the smile that had been on Mito Uzumaki's face vanished.
She looked at the Second Elder very calmly, waiting for him to explain!
The First Elder, on the other hand, slowly let out a breath of relief.
Last night, the Second Elder had come to him and offered support, but he had to cooperate with Soratate to send people out and seal off the clan grounds.
To bring the Senju's split to an end as soon as possible, he could only trust the Second Elder's claim that it was for "security"!
But after what had happened that morning, he'd started to suspect that the Second Elder had another purpose.
As expected, the Soratate Branch had something in its hands.
That explained why they had suddenly changed their attitude!
Supporting me probably meant using me as a weapon, charging in to test the waters!
Ignoring the two people with strange expressions, the Second Elder took a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Toka across from him!
Seeing his move, Senju Toka immediately circulated her Chakra and raised a soundproof barrier.
Then she turned to Mito Uzumaki and the First Elder and explained, "We don't know how many people are involved, or whether Mito is implicated!"
"So the original plan was to investigate slowly. After all, we've already found the enemy outside, so we can't lose the game of catching the traitor. But now that Uka has Wood Release, we can't afford to take it slow!"
"And Mito's attitude just now also proved her innocence, so let's all listen carefully!"