Chapter 34 — Tsunade's Return to the Clan
There is, however, a classic misconception that needs to be clarified—namely, the idea that top-tier shinobi of the ninja world have no need for hand seals at all, and can simply perform the legendary move of "clap their hands and summon whatever they want."
The original manga makes it perfectly clear that when truly casting ninjutsu, both Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara still used hand seals.
While their extraordinary chakra control allowed them to simplify seals to an extreme degree, this did not mean that seals could be completely omitted.
For example, when Madara used Great Fire Annihilation, he clearly formed the Horse Seal.
When employing Wood Release—an element he was not fully accustomed to—he used the Snake Seal.
When performing clone techniques, he adopted the same distinctive hand posture Naruto later used for the Shadow Clone Technique.
Hashirama was no exception.
During his first Edo Tensei revival under Orochimaru, he performed visible hand seals—even though that incarnation was only an imperfect version of himself.
Later, during the Fourth Shinobi World War, Hashirama again used hand seals when deploying techniques such as Four Red Yang Formation (forming the Ram Seal) and Wood Clone Technique (forming the Rat Seal).
After all, even the Sage of Six Paths' eldest son acknowledged the usefulness of hand seals in chakra manipulation. How, then, could later generations hope to transcend them entirely?
The only techniques that truly required no hand seals were those tied directly to one's Kekkei Genkai.
Hashirama's Wood Release.
Madara's Susanoo activated through the Sharingan.
Later, the various techniques of the Rinnegan.
These abilities flowed directly from the bloodline itself. No seals were needed—just as Sasuke never required hand seals to activate his dōjutsu.
As for the iconic "hands clapped together" pose, it had nothing to do with hand seals at all.
It was merely a posture for focusing the mind and refining chakra.
In fact, even the so-called "strongest tailed beast," the Nine-Tails, instinctively brought its forepaws together when gathering chakra.
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The following day, Senju Morin formally began preparations to take on disciples.
Before formally taking Tsunade and the others as his disciples, Senju Morin still had two matters that had to be settled.
The first was to officially assume the long-vacant position of clan head of the Senju.
Konoha had been founded for barely twenty years. Many of its great clans—including the Senju—still retained strong vestiges of the Warring States era, where the position of clan head was typically inherited by the strongest member of the family.
In terms of raw power, Morin had not yet reached Senju Tobirama's absolute peak. But with Tobirama's death, he had nonetheless become the unquestioned strongest shinobi within the Senju clan.
More importantly, Morin was still only in his twenties. His strength was in its golden growth phase, with vast untapped potential and enormous room for further advancement.
Since Tobirama's passing, the clan elders had lost their greatest pillar of support, while the younger generation had long since rallied around Morin without hesitation.
In truth, from the moment Morin returned to Konoha, he had already been the de facto head of the Senju clan. What remained was merely formal recognition.
Even the reception he received from the Hyūga and Nara clans had followed the protocol reserved for a Senju clan head.
Now that Morin had ascended to the position of Third Hokage, it was only natural that this final matter of legitimacy be settled through a proper, formal ceremony.
After experiencing two exceptionally "selfless" clan heads—Hashirama and Tobirama—the Senju clan's expectations had been lowered to an almost absurd degree.
In Hashirama's case, as long as one was strong enough, rewarded merit fairly, punished wrongdoing decisively, and occasionally listened to the clan's opinions, one was already considered an exemplary clan head.
In Tobirama's case, even providing no tangible support to the clan at all was acceptable—so long as he did not actively harm Senju interests, he was still deemed a "qualified" leader.
Against that backdrop, no one in the clan could possibly oppose Morin.
In fact, the clan members were not merely satisfied—they were ecstatic.
In just a few short days, Morin had placed Senju shinobi into key positions across the village's power structure, reclaiming in one sweep much of the authority and influence the clan had lost during Tobirama's tenure.
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The second matter Morin intended to resolve was closely tied to the first.
At the same time he formally assumed leadership of the Senju clan, he would hold a solemn ceremony restoring Tsunade to the Senju lineage.
Though Tsunade was a direct descendant of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, all that remained of her heritage was her given name—and the honorary title of "Princess Tsunade" bestowed by the daimyō.
She had not inherited the Senju surname.
Morin intended to return that name to her.
To this end, he had already contacted Tsunade's parents, who were living in the Fire Capital.
Upon hearing that yet another Senju had become Hokage—and that this new Hokage wished for Tsunade to return to the main clan—they agreed without the slightest hesitation.
Morin wanted this ceremony to send a clear message to the Senju clan: he was not the same as Tobirama.
He was a Hokage who valued his clan.
He would not sacrifice clan interests.
He would protect his family and his people.
He would ensure that those who truly followed him lived better lives and walked toward a brighter future.
By personally serving as headmaster of the Ninja Academy while simultaneously holding Tsunade's restoration ceremony, Morin was also making a statement to all of Konoha.
While he would continue to value civilian-born shinobi, the so-called "de-clanization" policies promoted under the First and Second Hokage were now officially terminated—and would never be revived during the Third Hokage's era.
From this point forward, both ninja clans and civilian shinobi would be inseparable components of Konoha, and both would remain indispensable sources of strength.
Morin did not believe in the extremist notion that one group must be destroyed for the other to thrive.
Civilian shinobi were vital to the village—but had the clans not also sacrificed and bled for Konoha?
Was Konoha not founded by the union of clans in the first place?
Civilian shinobi did not need to grow by standing atop the corpses of the clans, feeding on their blood and bones.
That idea was fundamentally flawed.
Those who preached such doctrines were either dangerously naïve idealists—or scheming conspirators with ulterior motives.
Because in such a distorted ecosystem, the true beneficiaries would never be the masses of civilian shinobi…
…but rather, the birth of new ninja clans.
And history had proven this time and time again.