Chapter 12

Looking at his son before him,

Tobirama Senju felt for the first time in his heart,

Was he still not awake yet???

Or had he himself already grown old??

Hashirama...

He actually said he had completely mastered Wood Release??

"Hashirama... even if you've mastered all of Wood Release..."

"You are still a member of the Senju clan... We and the Uchiha clan..."

Before Tobirama Senju could finish speaking,

A flash of deep disgust crossed young Hashirama's face!!!

"The same old argument again..."

"The conflict between the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan... in the end, isn't it all because of those old fogeys in the clan..."

"If it weren't for their demands, how could we have been forced onto the battlefield since we were children!!!!"

"I don't understand the grudges from before, and I don't know about them either..."

"But right now I only know one thing — no one can order me around anymore!!"

"Now I only need to follow my own heart, and that is enough!!"

After hearing young Hashirama's words,

A look of both fear and dread flashed across Tobirama Senju's face.

"Hashirama!!! Are you insane?!!!!"

"You actually dare to question the elders' decisions!!!!"

Tobirama Senju knew,

On the surface, it appeared,

That he, the clan head of the Senju, was quite glorious.

But in reality,

The entire Senju clan,

The ones who could make the final decisions were those elders!!!

Those elders,

They could even use the advantage of the Elder Council,

To replace him, the clan head!!!

The clan elders,

Their authority within the clan,

Even far surpassed him, the clan head!!!!

As long as the clan elders were dissatisfied,

He, the clan head, could be replaced immediately!!!

And young Hashirama's words just now,

If they were overheard by the clan elders,

He, as the father, probably wouldn't be able to protect him either!!!

【Madara Uchiha:... That's right... Just like with our Uchiha clan, if it weren't for the elders in the clan, our Uchiha clan probably wouldn't have lost so many people back then!!! My clansmen died not so much at the hands of enemies, but at their hands!!!】

【Tobirama Senju: If big brother hadn't ultimately mastered all of Wood Release... the Senju clan would probably never have been able to successfully establish Konoha... These clan elders... truly are a cancer!!!】

【Hiruzen Sarutobi: I didn't expect... the First Hokage-sama actually had such boldness back then, openly challenging the Elder Council!!!】

【Shimura Danzo: Heh... I discovered long ago that the biggest flaw of this clan system is these elders...】

Inside the Hokage's office,

The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Shimura Danzo's comment,

And even he felt a chill in his heart!!!

Danzo was truly ruthless and vicious,

Even the Third Hokage had to admire Danzo!!!

To consolidate his own position,

The first batch of people Danzo sacrificed were the people of his own Shimura clan!!!

It could be said,

Everyone in the Shimura clan, high and low,

Basically all became stepping stones for Danzo's ambition!!!

If it were the Third Hokage instead,

He believed he could never do such a thing to the Sarutobi clan!!!

【Neji Hyuga: So... if one's strength is great enough... can one change things within the clan?】

【Hiashi Hyuga: Neji!!! Don't be influenced by this video!! The elders in the clan — all their decisions are for the clan's prosperity and flourishing!!! They are not acting for their own selfish desires!!!】

【Orochimaru: Interesting... After so many years in the shinobi world, the Hyuga clan seems to be one of the few clans that still retains the main-branch and branch-house system... No wonder, you people will forever only rank below the Uchiha clan!!!!】

The young Hashirama in the video,

After hearing Tobirama Senju's words,

A flash of pity and reluctance crossed his face!!

He still remembered to this day,

Back then, his own father—

His brothers and sisters had also died in all manner of senseless wars!!!

And the reasons for those wars,

could even be said to have been no reason at all!!!

From the moment they were born,

they had been indoctrinated with the notion that everything was for the clan's benefit!!!

No one had ever told them,

besides killing,

what on earth else they could do!!!

Young Hashirama could still vaguely remember to this day,

how high-spirited his own father had once been,

full of ideals…

But what about now?

Young Hashirama glanced disappointedly at Senju Butsuma.

"Father, do you still remember why you were so determined to become the head of the Senju clan back then??"

"Do you still remember how Mother died??"

"You said you would change the Senju clan, you would change this world… but what about now…"

"Are you truly Senju Butsuma, or just a blade in the hands of the Elder Council? …"

"Have you given up on the self you once were?"

Zhang Zui parted his lips,

Senju Butsuma murmured.

"No… it's not like that…"

"I haven't given up…"

"I just… I just…"

The color drained more and more from Senju Butsuma's face,

because he too realized,

that he himself seemed to be drifting further and further from the path he had once walked,

whatever the Elder Council told him to do,

he would go and do it himself!!!