At the same time, Wood Release flowed beneath his feet. He used the momentum to leap backward, attempting to rush toward the side door.
Chaos erupted in the hall.
"Stop him!"
Sarutobi's eyes darkened, and he ignited the signal talisman he had prepared in his hand.
More disciples lying in ambush outside rushed in, their chakra fluctuations intertwining into a net.
The moment Senju Akira's Wood Release unfolded, several pre-arranged sealing talismans were attached to it.
The wooden branches suddenly became sluggish, and their growth slowed greatly. His mind fell into chaos. Without caring about appearances, he directly drew the short blade at his waist and forcibly fought his way out with taijutsu.
"Get out of my way!"
He slashed apart the chains of the disciple in front of him, but a kunai coming from the side grazed his shoulder, splashing blood.
The pain made his movements pause for a moment. Two taijutsu experts behind him had already closed in, locking his arms from both sides.
"Let go of me! I am Lord Ashura's eldest grandson! What right do you have to..."
Senju Akira struggled desperately, clear panic and fear now in his voice.
Wood Release circulated wildly inside his body, but layer after layer of sealing talismans kept suppressing it.
His footing gave way, and his entire body was slammed to the ground.
"Hold him down!"
Several disciples exerted force at the same time, their knees firmly pressing against his back and thighs, while his hands were twisted behind him.
A specially made chakra-locking talisman was attached to the back of his neck. Several heavy chakra chains followed, completely binding his limbs and torso.
"Ugh...!"
Senju Akira's chakra seemed to be drained away in an instant, and his entire body went limp on the ground.
His face was pale, cold sweat streaming down his forehead. His struggles grew weaker and weaker, and he could only twist his body uselessly, his voice hoarse.
"You... will regret this... Sarutobi... you'll regret this...!"
Sarutobi walked over to him, looking every bit like the victor.
"You old bastard!! You damn old man!! Kind-looking but evil inside! I knew from the start that the founder of the Sarutobi clan was no good!!!"
Senju Akira roared angrily.
Influenced by conspiracy theories from his previous life, Senju Akira had always thought the Sarutobi and Shimura clans were both sinister.
Sarutobi looked down at the young man being held against the ground, his voice calm. "For the sake of the Ninshu, this has to be done tonight."
"Drag him away. Lock him in the stone prison in the rear mountain. Use multiple layers of seals and guard him day and night."
Two disciples stepped forward and took hold of Senju Akira's arms.
His body was dragged across the ground for a distance, the soles of his boots scraping against the stone floor with a harsh sound.
"Let me go!! Let me go! You can't treat me like this!!! My subordinates will rebel!!!"
He continued instinctively kicking and resisting, but he could no longer cause any disturbance. He could only watch helplessly as the doors of the meeting hall slowly closed behind him.
The hall fell completely silent.
Sarutobi withdrew his gaze and met the complicated looks of the other elders. He slowly spoke.
"From tonight onward, all private contact with the Uchiha is forbidden. Anyone who violates this will be punished as Akira was."
"Also, as for Senju Akira's subordinates, I'll handle them personally!"
———
[Three Days Later]
[Side Hall Of The Meeting Chamber]
More than a dozen people were brought together here.
Most of them were young disciples and mid-level shinobi who had taken the initiative to approach Senju Akira over the past half month.
Some had received his guidance in training. Some had heard his private discussions about "recruiting the Uchiha again." Some had even begun secretly passing border intelligence to him.
At this moment, they were made to kneel in two rows, their hands loosely bound, each wearing a different expression.
Some were terrified, some angry, while others lowered their heads in silence, clearly having guessed what had happened.
Sarutobi stood at the head of the hall, with several hardline elders and fully armed disciples behind him.
His gaze swept across them. His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable pressure.
"You should all know what happened last night."
"Senju Akira attempted to contact the Uchiha privately and gathered forces within the sect, seriously threatening the stability of the Ninshu. He has already been placed under supervision."
"Now, I'll give you a chance."
He raised his hand, and a disciple unfolded a list.
"Anyone who voluntarily explains their dealings with Akira, hands over all relevant information, and publicly declares that they are cutting ties with him, past offenses will be forgiven."
"You may continue staying in the Ninshu, and your positions may even be reassigned based on your performance."
"But if anyone insists on protecting him, concealing information, or still holds onto his so-called 'ideals'..."
Sarutobi paused, his tone turning cold.
"Then you will be punished together with him. Imprisonment, loss of your shinobi position, or being sent to the border for hard labor. Choose one of the three."
The side hall fell silent.
After a moment, someone was the first to break.
A young disciple who had once received Senju Akira's guidance in the basics of Wood Release spoke with a trembling voice.
"I... I just thought Young Master Akira made sense. I never thought about betraying the Ninshu! I'll tell you everything! He once asked me to keep an eye out for people among the border caravans who might have old ties with the Uchiha..."
Once the floodgates opened, others gradually followed.
Someone revealed that they had helped him compile a possible list of members of the Uchiha's moderate faction.
Someone admitted that they had privately discussed at night how "if the Uchiha returned, the Ninshu would become even stronger."
Someone else cried and said that they had only been moved by Akira's enthusiasm and had never actually participated in any actions.
Sarutobi listened to each of them and ordered people to record their statements, his expression remaining calm throughout.
However, not everyone chose to submit.
At the back, three disciples who had been closest to Senju Akira remained silent.
One of them raised his head, his eyes stubborn.
"Young Master Akira only wanted to stop the Ninshu from completely splitting apart. He hasn't betrayed anyone. You're the ones trampling on Lord Ashura's ideals with force."
Sarutobi looked at him. There was no anger in his eyes, only an almost cold contempt.
"Take them away."
"These three will be imprisoned and guarded together with Senju Akira."
"As for everyone else who voluntarily confessed, place them under temporary house arrest for three days. After a thorough review, we'll decide what to do with them.
"From today onward, no one is allowed to privately discuss 'recruiting the Uchiha' again. Anyone who violates this will be severely punished without exception."
Disciples stepped forward and forcibly dragged away the three stubborn holdouts.
The remaining people lowered their heads, and no one spoke again.
———
[That Afternoon]
Sarutobi stood alone in the corridor outside the meeting hall, looking toward the rear mountain, where security had been strengthened.
A trusted subordinate approached and reported quietly, "Elder, the core members have been isolated, while most of those on the outside have chosen to cut ties. Akira's faction has basically been broken apart."
Sarutobi nodded, his voice very soft.
"Don't kill them.
"If we kill them, it will cause unnecessary backlash. Grind away their edge. Make them afraid. Make them understand this, in the Ninshu, ideals must give way to order."
"As for Akira..."
His gaze narrowed slightly.
"Keep him locked up for now. Once the turmoil has completely settled, permanently strip him of his right to speak. He is ultimately Ashura's bloodline, so we can't kill him."
"We have to treat him civilly. Then let him remain under house arrest. As for his treatment, keep it ordinary. Three meat dishes and one vegetable. And don't let him marry or have children!"
Sarutobi ordered with his hands behind his back.