But... those are all my own people, relatives I can connect with through blood!
When her old friend said those things, Utatane Koharu realized that he had already taken good care of her.
The number of students Utatane is currently the highest, so we're maintaining the 12 o'clock mark as the minimum.
Even if some spots need to be allocated to the other three races, the Utatane Clan can still take away most of the talented children and young people.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's friend's emotional change told him that she had accepted it in her heart, but was just having some trouble understanding it.
So he took a Scroll from his Ninja Tool Pouch on the table and handed it to her, saying, " Koharu, go make the arrangements! It's always better to start early."
"I want to rest for a while, otherwise my body won't be able to hold up in the upcoming battle!"
Utatane Koharu; in fact, he was also upset when he made these decisions.
However, if the Senju launch a surprise attack, whether it's a breakout or a rescue, most of the ordinary people, the elderly, women, and children of the Four Clans will still die.
Furthermore, due to the burden of these people, the breakout and rescue of the Four Clans will also require a large number of Ninja casualties.
At this critical juncture for the survival of his Clan, he had to harden his heart and spare all the ordinary people, the elderly, the weak, women and children.
Aside from using them to gamble on whether Senju would kill, and exploiting the subsequent consequences.
To ensure the continuation of the Clan, everyone must serve the greater plan before the Clan!
Nodding, Utatane Koharu took the Scroll from her old friend, then left with only a emotionless "Get some rest" before opening the door and walking out!
She understands the reasoning, but she's just having trouble accepting it right now.
Once she stepped out of the room, she had to harden her heart and arrange matters in the best interests of the Clan!
The surprise attack was thwarted by the enemy's nearly one thousand Impure World Reincarnation, so Senju Toka took the opportunity to have her troops gather the group together.
After reinforcements arrived, the first group of ninjas from various Shinobi Clan withdrew.
With newly formed and mixed units taking turns, the battlefield descended into a protracted siege!
The Senju clan didn't intend to suffer too many casualties to eliminate Sarutobi; these enemies would serve as a whetstone for their next move.
Apart from the neutral Shinobi Clan territories, the Uchiha Clan Compound, and the battlefield at the front, all other scattered enemies within the village have been completely wiped out. Therefore, the Senju clan members have no worries about Logistics, Medical Treatment, or other war-related matters.
The situation was thus brought under control, entering a stalemate that both sides desired!
After the battlefield had become a rotating battlefield, the rooftop of a five-story building not far from the battlefield became a bustling place with people coming and going!
This location is neither too far nor too close to the battlefield, just enough to avoid being affected by the fighting.
It just so happens to be the highest point in the vicinity, and the best place to observe the battlefield situation.
So it was requisitioned by the Senju and became their current command post!
But the reason for the commotion here, besides being the command center, is also related to the two people with unusual identities who were captured and brought back inside.
Some were curious whether he was truly an elder, while many others came to visit him, their loyalty undiminished!
They dealt with and sent away several clan leaders from allied tribes who had come to gather intelligence.
After everyone had left, Hashirama Senju, wrapped up like a Hashirama Senju with only his head showing, said, " Mito needs to strengthen the Sealing Jutsu; I can already sense the seal weakening."
"Oh?"
Mito Uzumaki in studying the Scroll in her hand, asked with some surprise, "The improved limb seal can only last for such a short time?"
He stepped forward and carefully examined the strips of cloth on Hashirama's body, noticing the fading seal patterns inside.
She frowned and squatted down to examine it carefully!
The seals on Hashirama now are ones that she specially modified based on his characteristics.
Judging from the situation, simply sealing the body won't be enough.
However, if something at the level of the Four Symbols or the Eight Trigrams were used, the Ninjutsu that was maintaining the existence of Hashirama Senju and his companion would most likely be destroyed.
It will take a lot of effort to catch it again!
Knowing that Mito Uzumaki wasn't asking him a question, but rather it was a habitual self-talk she did when faced with a problem, Hashirama Senju wisely remained silent.
Although they hadn't seen each other for decades, he didn't want to test whether Mito's temper had changed!
If we get beaten up with this large group of younger people here, it would be incredibly embarrassing!
So, the very wise Hashirama Senju shut his mouth, lowered his head, and focused his gaze on the still young face in front of him, which was furrowed in thought.
After decades apart, he couldn't get enough of looking at the face before him!
"So beautiful!"
"Decades have passed, and you are still as beautiful as when we first met. Time has left no mark on your face, but it has drawn a chasm between us!"
Looking at the person before him, Hashirama Senju, who had lost that special Chakra after that First Shinobi World War, was momentarily lost in memories.
Even now, he still remembers the wedding and the scene when he first met Mito.
At that time, he had not yet embarked on the path of establishing Konoha.
Relatives, friends, family, and clansmen were all by his side, celebrating their wedding and the friendship between the two groups.
And after that, for the sake of his 'ideal'?
One by one, familiar faces left; war, war, war, until finally, that last friend left... and it all came to an end!
Because of the unique nature of Ninjutsu, Hashirama Senju's face always had that unchanging expression.
Those black pupils, which had even lost the ability to blink, stared blankly at the woman opposite them.
In a daze, he felt as if he had never left, and the scene before him seemed to be the same as when they first met!
"Bang!"
Three thuds sounded almost simultaneously as three fully armed and armored figures appeared on the roof of the five-story building.
As soon as they jumped up, the sight of the two people in front of them almost scared the three of them so much that they immediately turned around and jumped down!
If it weren't for the conspicuous strips of cloth covering the two of them, the three of them would have made a huge fool of themselves today.
After carefully observing the two individuals' conditions, the three quickly suppressed their emotions and bowed respectfully to the person in the head seat who was looking away from the map, saying, " Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi greet Clan Head Toka!"
"Please rise, all three of you!" With a gesture of encouragement, Senju Toka indicated to the chairs nearby, saying, "The battlefield is simple; please forgive Senju rudeness."
" Clan Head Toka Taohua."
"The conditions on any battlefield are already excellent!"
"Yes, yes, Clan Head Toka is too kind!"
As they spoke, the three of them took their seats in the three chairs to the left of the head of the table, following the head of the table's instructions.
Having just sat down, before the head of the clan could even speak, the Nara Clan Head, as the long-time representative of the three clans, spoke first, " Clan Head Toka, I have brought all the Ninja from the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans within the village."
"Which direction do you think is suitable for us? You can arrange the people of the three races as you see fit!"
On their way here, they had already used their Sensory Technique to roughly scan the battlefield.
They had all witnessed the current situation of both sides in the conflict, as well as the army of the dead that the Fourth Elder had mentioned.
The Ninja from the three clans who had come were in a state of great excitement.
If we don't let them go out and kill a few Sarutobi Four Clans, the three of us will be cursed to death by the old guys in our clans!
The three people's attitude caused a hint of surprise to flash in Senju Toka's eyes upon hearing this.
But judging from the serious expressions on the faces of the three clan leaders to the side, she guessed that they must have already inspected the battlefield.
"Is he consumed by rage because he learned that the bodies of his elders had been desecrated by the Sarutobi clan?"
A thought flashed through my mind: This... saves me a lot of trouble!
So, Senju Toka nodded and replied, "Alright, it seems the three of you already know what happened. I'll arrange for you to go up and fight in the next batch!"
"However, the three of you should remember to tell the people below not to rush in too aggressively and get trapped."
"There's a high chance there will be another battle outside the village. These people who got surrounded and killed will be good practice for the little ones down below!"
Having already grasped the current situation of both sides after a quick glance at the battlefield, the Nara Clan Head quickly rose with the two beside him, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Yes, Clan Head Toka, rest assured, we will definitely complete the mission according to the rules*3."
Senju Toka was very satisfied with the three's attitude; the Ino-Shika-Cho truly lived up to their reputation as the most adept at choosing sides among the Shinobi Clan.
Just as she was about to nod and say something to encourage and welcome the three of them, a loud bang suddenly came from afar, followed by an uncontrollable tremor of the ground.
The people standing on the top of the five-story building were all quite powerful, and everyone immediately turned their attention to the source of the disturbance.
When they saw countless trees in the distance swaying their branches and rushing towards the ground, Senju Toka and Mito Uzumaki, who knew the situation, couldn't help but smile!
With his head fixed in place, he couldn't see behind him, but he could see Mito and Toka's expressions. He also vaguely sensed the wave-like flow of Wood Release Chakra from the outside world. Hashirama Senju made a guess and asked the person in front of him, "Is my grandson-in-law coming?"
Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi Clan Head, were intently observing the movements in the distance.
They knew that the battle was between the Senju Wood Release and the Uchiha, and when the result came out, they wanted to see clearly what the situation was like on that side.
But the sudden sound startled them.
They knew very well who the people on the roof of the building were.
That unfamiliar voice, clearly coming from above?
But they didn't notice that there were extra people up there!
After they saw who it was, they were relieved that there were no extra people.
But the dead man spoke, and the voice matched the appearance in my memory?
This scene caused all three of them to involuntarily take a step back!
According to the intelligence they received, the enemy would summon weaker beings from the bodies of the dead to fight.
But it didn't reveal what the true nature of a human is, or the information that the dead can speak!
Before Mito Uzumaki could answer Hashirama's question, the commotion of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans leaders drew everyone's attention.
Hashirama Senju's dark eyes noticed the surprise of the three people opposite him. His expression remained unchanged, but his tone carried a playful undertone. "What, don't you little ones recognize me?"
"It seems your father was called out too. How about we ask your Mito to bring him over later, so the three of you can catch up?"
The relaxed atmosphere on the top floor, which had eased due to the commotion at the Uchiha Clan Compound in the distance, froze instantly with these words.
Several Senju the Senju clan and Mito Uzumaki nearly burst out laughing at their Clan's absurd remarks.
The thought of how these neutral Shinobi Clan would react upon seeing their elders and learning that their corpses had been destroyed by Sarutobi was unbearable.
Sarutobi's actions this time are truly helping the Senju win over hearts and minds for free!
The words spoken by the person opposite them shocked and enraged the leaders of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans!
The three men's expressions changed drastically, making their expressions quite interesting.
But their anger was not directed at Hashirama Senju's words, but at the actions of the Sarutobi Four Clans!
During their brief inspection of the battlefield earlier, they hadn't spotted any of their family members.
Those summoned were all elders of the clansmen, and of course, the elders of the clansmen were also their elders, but their own direct relatives had not been harmed by the Sarutobi Four Clans.
From this perspective, they had previously thought that the Sarutobi Four Clans were still sensible, at least knowing that some things shouldn't be done to the point of no return!
Judging from what this senior was saying, their fathers, grandfathers, and other close relatives had also been harmed by the Sarutobi Clan?
The shock and anger in their hearts were beyond words; they had now fully experienced what their tribesmen had felt before.
The occasion was inappropriate, and they couldn't afford to be impolite. The three of them suppressed their rising anger and bowed to Senju Toka had stood up to inspect the situation in the distance. " Clan Head Toka," they said, "We're next in the group. Could you please issue us a warrant so we can carefully observe the battlefield and gather some intelligence?"
The excuse was so perfect that everyone present could see that the three of them wanted to go to the battlefield to check on which of their family elders' graves had been desecrated.
But they saw through it all but kept it to themselves, as they were people who had only recently withdrawn from the battlefield.
They fully understand how much benefit these people will bring to their family after they conduct the inspection.
Just when everyone except the Mito thought the chief patriarch would agree.
Unexpectedly, Senju Toka shook her head and waved her hand, saying, "The situation has changed, and I cannot let the three of you leave here for the time being."
"The previous orders for the next batch of troops to go into battle are on hold for now. We need to gather our forces and reassess the situation of this war!"
Being rejected is unpleasant, but the three clan leaders, Ino-Shika-Cho, simply wanted to confirm which elders had been harmed.
However, they all heard the leader's words, "The situation has changed."
After exchanging glances, the three bowed again and agreed, returning to their seats to await further developments.
Having refused the three's requests, Senju Toka shifted her gaze to her own people and ordered, "Go and inform the First Elder, the Third Elder, and the other clan leaders."
"Tell them to drop what they're doing and come here immediately!"
The several guards, Senju Ninja, waiting on the top floor, quickly bowed and replied, "Yes!"