Jiraiya had already left.
When he left, he still carried the same confusion he had when he arrived.
To be fair, he had expected Senju Yukika to argue back, to righteously claim that everything he did was solely for the sake of the Senju clan. That would have made perfect sense.
He had not anticipated that, in the end, Yukika would simply admit so openly that he was "a child of evil."
Was such a thing even possible?
Jiraiya truly couldn't understand what Senju Yukika was thinking.
Nonetheless, he wouldn't spread the news. Nor would he put any stock in the rumors about an "evil child."
But from today onward, he could no longer blindly trust the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.
Xu Ye Palace
Senju Yukika did not possess the kind of complex thought processes Jiraiya did.
His thinking was straightforward.
From the behavior of the Toad Elder before and after, he had deduced that he had killed off Ashura's chakra.
A thousand years ago, the Toad Elder had tempted the Sage of Six Paths into studying Sage Arts and eventually sealing away his mother with the Six Paths Star Destruction Seal. Even after the Sage's death, his soul remained, still observing the conflicts of his sons across the ninja world.
Yukika had reason to believe there was some hidden connection between the Toad Elder and the Sage of Six Paths, to the extent that Jiraiya's quest to find the "Child of Destiny" was really about locating Ashura's reincarnation.
Now that Ashura's soul had been destroyed and Yukika had absorbed Ashura's chakra, he had, in a sense, inherited the title of "Child of Destiny."
But Mount Myōboku would never recognize that.
Instead, it was far more convenient for them to label him as a "Child of Evil."
Even so, Yukika figured Jiraiya wouldn't believe it easily.
Most likely, they would now begin plotting new methods to deal with him.
But Yukika didn't mind.
At least for now, neither the Sage of Six Paths nor Mount Myōboku had any means of threatening him.
He'd find some time to "clean up" those troublesome toads later.
Facing a room full of squinting elders, Yukika remained utterly calm.
As for the Sage of Six Paths, someday, given the chance, he'd have a good talk with him too—to ask that "unfilial son" exactly what he thought he was doing.
Maintaining peace in the ninja world?
Such lofty ideals always hid dark schemes.
Senju Yukika rose from his throne and walked forward.
The clan's elites had gathered in the council room. It was the first official meeting since Xu Ye Palace's establishment, and they were here to discuss the future.
Today's topic was no longer about basic infrastructure—it was about the strength of the family.
Entering the conference room, Yukika surveyed the crowd's passionate gazes and stood at the front.
Most had already accepted their transformation into "Hollows."
But this was only the beginning.
The differences in their talents meant that even after the Hollow transformation, their capabilities varied greatly.
Plus, their new bodies would take time to fully adapt.
That was where the training grounds came into play.
Just from the sweat glistening on Shouki's face, Yukika could tell he had been pushing himself hard to adapt to his ever-increasing strength before being called here.
Everyone had unforgettable memories—and it was through struggles that one grew stronger.
This, Tsunade had once said, and Yukika agreed wholeheartedly.
The Senju clan had pulled back from the edge of a cliff and slowly, painfully, gotten back on track.
Those were the most beautiful memories.
To ensure history wouldn't repeat itself, everyone knew they had to rely on their own strength.
To follow Yukika's lead—this was the shared direction of the Senju clan.
This was the true spirit of the Senju.
Yukika felt deeply moved.
His gaze swept over the assembly.
There were many familiar faces: Mito, Tsunade, Shouki, Orochimaru, and Sakumo Hatake.
And besides them, a wave of younger talents.
They were the pillars of the clan's future.
Taking a deep breath, Yukika smiled.
"Everyone," he began, "when we announced our withdrawal from Konoha, many laughed and waited for our downfall."
"But today, you can proudly tell the world—"
"Without Konoha, the Senju still thrives!"
"Stronger than ever!"
Cheers filled the room.
It was thanks to their new clan leader that such changes had occurred!
"But!" Yukika's tone shifted, and the hall grew silent.
He set aside his smile, his voice serious.
"Everything we have now... was won through my own strength."
"Frankly, the clan provided little help."
His words were harsh, but undeniably true.
Throughout the Senju clan's revival, Yukika had done most of the heavy lifting.
Aside from one moment—defeating the ninja coalition surrounding them—the clan had mostly just tagged along.
"So," Yukika said, "next time the Senju rises, I want you all to contribute your own strength."
"Let the world see the true power of the Senju!"
He handed a set of documents to Kushina beside him.
The clan needed a push.
Otherwise, they'd start feeling entitled.
And if they lost their fighting spirit, that would be fatal.
The Senju needed elites.
True revival only came through conflict.
Yukika was sure of that.
The documents detailed upcoming team dungeons and training protocols.
Once the clan members understood, Yukika would personally lead them to experience the power of other worlds.
It was normal to get crushed the first time.
After adapting, their will to fight would ignite.
Through cycles of death and rebirth, they would grow.
This was inevitable.
"Miss Orochimaru has already mastered the Hollow experiments, so let's pick up the pace," Yukika said, assigning her a new target.
Then he turned to Sakumo Hatake.
"You can join a training squad. Show me how you organize it."
Sakumo nodded, though he looked puzzled when reading the documents.
"Other worlds?"
Not just him—everyone else was baffled too.
Were their enemies now from another dimension?
Was there really another world beyond the ninja world?
"I know what you're thinking," Yukika said, sighing as he sat back down.
The shock was understandable.
People always assumed their own world was unique.
Calmly, he extended a hand.
A Rasengan formed.
He didn't need to overthink it—he had complete mastery over chakra control.
"Where does the core chakra for ninjutsu come from?" he asked.
Nobody answered.
"It isn't from our world."
He dispelled the Rasengan and pointed skyward.
"It was brought here from another world thousands of years ago."
Another world.
It truly existed.
"Someday soon, you'll see it for yourselves."
"You'll even meet those who originally brought chakra here."
"Imagine facing enemies as strong as the First Hokage—or the Sage of Six Paths."
"How will we survive then?"
The concept was overwhelming.
The Senju clan stared at Yukika, their faces frozen in disbelief—on the brink of confronting a truth that could shatter everything they thought they knew.
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