Jiraiya was the first one who couldn't help but narrate the news circulating in the Konoha camp.
"People say you were determined to make a name for yourself on the battlefield. You ordered the two Jōnin stationed at the camp to head to the war zone. You were both attacked, but you abandoned your companions and escaped alone. You caused unimaginable damage to Konoha."
"You should reflect on yourself for abusing your privilege, ordering a Jōnin around, and abandoning your companions."
Orochimaru didn't want to talk and scoffed at Jiraiya's words. This kind of news was full of loopholes, yet there were people who believed it and spread it so widely.
He leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and rested, not wanting to argue with the idiot. He was already exhausted after yesterday.
"Haha~"
Senju Nawaki showed sarcasm on his face and laughed out loud.
He felt at this moment just like in his previous life, when his teacher had snatched away his first author position on a paper.
This kind of verbal attack on him, using the public's words, was really similar.
Tsunade frowned, not quite understanding what Nawaki meant, but the rumors around her made her feel a bit resistant.
She always felt that she shouldn't blame everything on Nawaki.
"I'm a little tired, you guys go out!"
Senju Nawaki's face stiffened, trying to hide the changes in his heart.
"Nawaki, don't feel too burdened. It's not all your fault. I will ask the Hokage to show some leniency."
Tsunade comforted him softly. In her heart, Nawaki was just a child who had done something wrong, one who would only hide and not dare to take responsibility.
As an older sister, she must help Senju Nawaki and take on the responsibility.
"Nawaki, be a man and take responsibility for your actions. You—"
Jiraiya showed displeasure on his face. He also thought that Nawaki was evading responsibility at this time, so he began preaching to him as a senior.
Tsunade stopped Jiraiya from continuing, saying Nawaki should have learned his lesson by now and she shouldn't continue to rub salt in his wounds.
Orochimaru simply shook his head, stepped over the broken door, and before leaving, he reattached it to the doorframe.
Inside the ward,
Senju Nawaki stared at the door, already damaged and riddled with holes, shaking as it tried to block the wind from blowing in. He had the urge to smash it to pieces.
This door was like the Senju clan at this moment—
Still fulfilling its responsibility to protect the people inside from harm.
But everyone knew that the door was already shaky and would be abandoned as soon as a new one came.
This broken door would be thrown away as waste, or perhaps recycled and burned in a bonfire, illuminating for only a while longer.
His mind was completely empty.
He couldn't stay in Konoha at all.
Even his own sister was brainwashed and didn't doubt the village at all?
That rumor was full of loopholes, yet people still believed it.
With his original stupidity, could he have commanded the loyal Jōnin of the Ino–Shika–Chō clan, who were aligned under the Sarutobi?
Since a battle had taken place, who was the enemy?
What "huge losses" to the village? What losses?
Everything was groundless.
Although he was the victim, he still needed to prove he wasn't the perpetrator.
Anyone who believed the rumor was either stupid, malicious, or both.
Those who truly controlled the words behind the scenes were all motivated by profit.
The Senju clan also controlled a large amount of resources, which made many people jealous.
Nawaki mentally took stock of the power in his hands.
In terms of military strength, even though the Senju clan had declined, it still had a certain foundation after several major wars. There were still more than a dozen ninja and senior ninja in the clan—enough to launch a small war.
The "compensation" that the Konoha Anbu mentioned just now was probably a way to send the remaining loyal Senju shinobi on dangerous missions, weakening the clan's strength. His predecessor, that idiot, often agreed to this sort of thing.
In terms of financial resources, his aunt—who had married into the Genji family of the Land of Fire—managed trade in food and medicinal herbs along with the Senju clan.
They controlled part of the food trade in the shinobi world, which was their greatest source of wealth.
The people of the Senju clan, even if they discarded their name, still had a natural affinity for plants.
There were also various other small resources, and even under Konoha's squeeze, the clan still held certain advantages.
He realized the power in his hands was not weak, but the original fool hadn't known how to use it and had been led around by Sarutobi Hiruzen. With the help of Tsunade—turned into the Hokage's sword—his strength had been cut down and devoured by other families.
In the future, the Senju family's medicinal trade would be taken over by the Nara clan…
In the end, the ones who benefited were Sarutobi Hiruzen's loyal subjects.
Tsunade did not truly inherit the Senju name and could not convince the older generation of Senju shinobi.
He was not the fool Senju Nawaki had once been, who wanted to contribute everything to Konoha.
He did not dare to become a loyal pawn of Konoha.
He had to think of ways to break the deadlock.
Strength!
The first step was to have the power to protect himself before he could carry out the next plan.
He should also take back the remaining power of the Senju clan.
The corners of his mouth drooped, bitter.
Only then did he recall how much of the Senju clan's remaining strength he had wasted in the previous war. Some were already dissatisfied with him. Fortunately, there were still "loyal elders."
There was still time.
"Granduncle Dōma, come out!"
As Senju Nawaki sensed the changes in the surrounding environment, they faintly resonated with the Wood Release bloodline in his body.
His eyes fixed on the ground beside him, and a name appeared in his mind.
"Young Master Nawaki."
The ground twisted, and a hunched figure appeared. He wore loose black Sengoku armor and bore an ugly scar on his face, like tree bark.
The most striking thing was the forehead protector on his head—not the symbol of Konoha, but the emblem of the Senju clan.
He bowed slightly and saluted Senju Nawaki.
Senju Dōma was of the same generation as Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama. He had once tried to practice Wood Release but failed, leaving the scar on his face. His strength, however, should not be underestimated.
He also carried another identity: the Inherited Elder of the Senju clan, mastering all of the clan's secret techniques. At the same time, he had been the elder most opposed to the Senju clan's "civilianization" at that time.
There was a rule for Inherited Elders: they could not have offspring.
Because once they had descendants, they would compete with future heirs for power. Instead, they were bound to the clan's heir from an early age.
It was a system designed to ensure the heir could smoothly control the family.
The heirs and the Inherited Elder of this generation were Senju Nawaki and Senju Dōma.
This was one of the reasons why Senju Nawaki trusted Senju Dōma so much.
When Nawaki was young, many resources were secretly given to him by this old man. The reason why the ninjutsu panel in his soul space was so luxurious was also thanks to Dōma's teachings.
Unfortunately, his predecessor had been brainwashed by Konoha's environment and gradually became alienated from the elder. From being very close to him in childhood, they could no longer be close now.
Now he understood who was truly good to him.
No matter how good the words sounded, if they weren't put into practice, they were meaningless.
"Granduncle Dōma, thank you for your hard work over the years. I won't make the same mistakes again. I will listen to your teachings."
Senju Nawaki sighed.
Even when Nawaki had explicitly denied the continued existence of the Senju clan, Senju Dōma had still trained him as the clan's young master.
The relationship between them was even closer than that between Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju.
Just like in the Sengoku Period, the clan elders fulfilled their duties—all for the sake of family inheritance.
Senju Nawaki had done many foolish things, and it was this old man who had cleaned up the mess, consuming the clan's resources over and over.