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At this moment, the Hidden Leaf Village was seething beneath the surface, with undercurrents surging violently. Such a description was by no means an exaggeration.
Many high-ranking individuals with sharp intuition had already sensed the unusual movements coming from the Senju clan.
If Tobirama could win over the Uchiha, then naturally, Izuna could also win over members of the Senju clan.
"The tenth of next month... there's only just over a week left," someone murmured.
Night had already fallen, yet the council chamber of the Uchiha clan remained brightly lit. Izuna, Kochou, Haruto and Nagisa, four of the clan's most powerful figures, were all gathered there.
"Hahahaha." Izuna laughed heartily and without restraint. "Tobirama, oh Tobirama... so, you finally meet your downfall."
Once, Tobirama had misjudged Uchiha Kagami. He had placed his hopes for a coup in the hands of the wrong person. And now, history was repeating itself. He had once again entrusted his plan to a mere youth named Nawaki.
No matter how powerful that boy may be, he remained, in the end, just a boy.
A youthful heart lacked maturity and was easily swayed by others. That was the price one paid for inexperience.
Only now did Haruto and Izuna learn the truth: the Senju clan's famed prodigy, the young genius spoken of far and wide, was in fact a pawn cultivated from the beginning by Yayoi.
"To use the Senju's future hope to bury the entire clan," Izuna said slowly, his voice filled with an eerie admiration. "What a ruthless and brilliant plan."
"Lord Kyōsuke said this is the retribution the Senju clan deserves," someone commented coldly.
"Why would he say such a thing?"
"I do not know," the speaker replied after a brief pause.
No one could ever truly predict Kyōsuke's thoughts. Thus, Izuna chose not to dwell on that mystery any further.
What truly demanded attention now was how they would handle the rebellious intentions of the Senju.
If Tobirama dared to spread this news in advance, was he not afraid the Hokage faction would catch wind of it?
Or perhaps, this was never meant to be hidden in the first place.
Even without a spy sending word, any unusual movement would immediately trigger intense alertness across the village.
It was a pity, however, that everyone had underestimated the Senju clan of the Forest.
Once a force equal to the Uchiha, they had indeed declined over the years, but a dying camel is still larger than a horse.
In the Hidden Leaf Village, the Senju still held a status higher than most.
The Sarutobi, the Shimura, and the Ino-Shika-Chō were among the factions that openly stood with them. And who could even begin to guess how many more forces lurked in the shadows?
"Clean them out?" someone scoffed. It was easy to say, but once a single thread was pulled, the entire situation would begin to unravel. Any reckless move could set off a full-scale civil war.
If they made the first move, the Senju could immediately retaliate by accusing the Hokage faction of plotting to exterminate them.
This move was as if they were loudly declaring to the Hokage faction: we are rebelling—if you dare, come and strike us down.
But if such a battle did erupt, the consequences would be catastrophic. Public outcry would follow like a flood.
Regardless of what the higher-ups tried to explain later, the people would not believe them.
The only thing they would see was that the Uchiha lacked tolerance, and that they had heartlessly destroyed one of the founding clans of the village.
If the people lost faith, then only disgrace and forced abdication would await Uchiha Haruto. And if that happened, the very title of "Hokage" would lose all its meaning in the hearts of the villagers.
It had to be said that this was undoubtedly the work of Tobirama. His mastery of political maneuvering had reached a level close to perfection.
Even when placed in such a passive and perilous position, he had managed to reverse the situation entirely, shifting all the pressure onto the Uchiha.
Unfortunately for him, he had likely never imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that the ones to strike first would not be the Uchiha.
Instead, it was the very youth in whom he had placed all his hopes.
---
Deep into the night, a piercing scream shattered the silence of the sky.
The Senju clan's compound, which had been quiet and peaceful, was suddenly plunged into chaos. A dense stench of blood quickly spread through the air, jolting everyone into the realization that something was terribly wrong.
"Have the Uchiha gone mad?" Tobirama muttered, a rare flicker of confusion flashing in his eyes.
He could not understand it. The Uchiha held the upper hand. Why would they risk destroying their reputation by launching a reckless assault on the Senju?
Unless...
"They've come up with a way to break the deadlock," Tobirama said softly, his gaze growing darker.
That was the only explanation for the Uchiha's bizarre and sudden actions.
As for whether their enemies would succeed, the very idea was laughable. If it were truly that easy to crush them, then the Senju would not have inspired fear for generations.
Wood Style: Nativity of a World of Trees!
Just as the Senju began to regroup and organize a counterattack, an enormous forest surged forth from the earth like an unstoppable tide, engulfing the entire clan grounds.
"What is this…"
The might of the Wood Style was overwhelming. Against opponents of lesser strength, it became a merciless technique that mowed down enemies like grass beneath a blade.
And now, unleashed at full power, it left the Senju utterly stunned.
But the most shocking thing was this: why would Wood Style be used against their own kin?
"Agh! My leg!"
"Damn it! Why is the enemy using Wood Style?!"
"No... wait... this chakra—"
The ninja with strong sensory abilities quickly locked onto the figure masked by the faint light of the moon.
Disguises could hide appearances, and masks could conceal faces. But chakra, especially that of a young man, could never be hidden.
"Nawaki?! Nawaki?!" More than a few people stood frozen in disbelief.
Atop the swaying treetop, Nawaki remained silent. He showed no response to the cries and curses hurled at him by his clansmen, as if their voices could no longer reach him. Or perhaps he had already steeled his heart against them.
His gaze cut through the sea of people and finally settled on a familiar face amidst the chaos. It was the face of his second grand-uncle, Senju Tobirama, whose eyes were filled with disbelief and grief.
"Why... why would you betray your own clan?" Tobirama's voice trembled with a pain that rose from the depths of his heart.
In that moment, he felt as though he had been dragged back to the day their father died.
That same sense of helplessness welled up within him once more. It had been so long since he had felt this way.
He could not understand. Why? Why would his elder brother's grandson, the child they had placed such hopes on, turn against the Senju clan?
Did you not once say your dream for the future was to become Hokage?
I have done everything I could to help you realize that dream.
"No. All you've ever thought about… was the clan." Nawaki's voice was calm, yet resolute, his eyes reflecting an unyielding determination.
By now, no amount of questions or pleading could sway him. His heart was already set.
No matter what happens tonight, the Senju clan will fall.
No one, absolutely no one, would be allowed to disrupt the peace of the Hidden Leaf Village.
NO ONE!!!!
As Tobirama stared at that distant and unfamiliar figure, his eyes wavered with a flood of emotions. Regret, fury, sorrow, grief, and even a faint flicker of ridicule filled his heart. The feelings were too tangled, too contradictory, for any outsider to truly comprehend.
But none of it mattered anymore. He no longer cared about betrayal. The Senju clan had long since reached a dead end.
Rather than wait for the Uchiha to slowly devour them, it was better to risk everything on one final, desperate counterattack—while they still had the strength to stand and fight.
"Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!"
With a complex hand seal, Tobirama activated the forbidden technique. From the ground around him, lifeless husks began to emerge, bodies he had long prepared for this very moment.
After years of study, his mastery over the technique had advanced considerably. He could now draw out at least sixty percent of a deceased shinobi's power. And, with no limit to the number of summoned bodies, he feared no prolonged battle of attrition.
"Tch. Still clinging to that repulsive technique?" A familiar voice rang out from above, laced with mockery.
The Senju members all looked up. Under the pale moonlight, a man stood with his hands behind his back, his figure imposing and calm. It was none other than the long-absent head of the Uchiha clan—Uchiha Izuna.
Tobirama's old nemesis had arrived!
The grudge between them had never been settled. Last time, Izuna had been too careless and underestimated the progress of Tobirama's Flying Thunder God Technique.
But this time, Izuna had no intention of repeating the same mistake. He had sworn to wash away the humiliation of that defeat.
"You're still alive?" Tobirama said coldly, his voice dripping with venom. "No matter. I will personally send you to join the ghost of your brother."
Those words pierced straight into Izuna's heart.
A flash of deep emerald light burst forth and surged into the sky, as a fully formed Susanoo erupted into existence, its massive form towering over the battlefield.
After more than thirty years, the battle between Izuna and Tobirama began once more.
And the ancient feud between the Senju and the Uchiha resumed its blood-soaked symphony under the pale moonlight.
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[IMAGE]
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[Chapter End's]
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