Gasps rose one after another.
Some people instinctively stepped back, while others stared fixedly at the wooden vines that were still writhing slightly, their faces filled with disbelief.
Even the most senior elders of the older generation were completely speechless at this moment.
They had seen Kekkei Genkai and all kinds of powerful ninjutsu, but they had never seen such domineering, life-filled power.
It could summon trees directly from the earth and control them with a precision that was suffocating.
Hashirama stood behind the wooden wall and slowly withdrew his hand.
Those wooden vines seemed to have a life of their own. They quickly faded away and retracted into the ground, and in the blink of an eye, the meeting hall returned to its original appearance.
Only a few fresh cracks remained on the ground, proving that everything that had just happened was not an illusion.
He raised his head and calmly swept his gaze across the entire hall. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached every person's ears.
"This is my power."
"From now on, I will decide the path of the Senju."
"If anyone wants to object, you can step forward now. I'll take you on."
No one spoke again.
The elders who had been roaring just moments ago were all pale now. Their lips moved, but not a single word came out.
The younger generation was even more dumbfounded. Some of them even subconsciously swallowed.
In this dead silence, the corner of Tobirama's mouth curved upward ever so slightly.
That smile came quickly and disappeared just as quickly, but it had truly existed.
He looked at his elder brother's back, a hint of understanding and satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
"As expected…"
"Big Brother is already prepared."
Tobirama said quietly in his heart.
Hashirama did not turn around. He simply said, "Effective immediately, I will temporarily take the position of clan head. All border deployments and troop movements must be reported to me. Three days from now, we will hold a formal clan meeting to discuss our future direction."
He paused, then added, "We will find a way to retrieve Father's body. As for the Uchiha… remain still for now."
No one dared to raise an objection again.
The meeting hall was left with only the faint sound of wood chips falling and the heavy breathing of the people who had yet to calm down.
"Meeting adjourned!"
After saying that, Senju Hashirama turned and left directly.
———
[Seven Days Later]
In the Senju clan grounds, when the morning light had just broken through the clouds, the square outside the meeting hall was already packed with people.
Nearly every man, woman, old person, and child of the clan had come out. Some stood on the rooftops at higher places, some stood on tiptoe, and a few children were carried on adults' shoulders.
Today was the succession ceremony for the Senju clan head.
Hashirama stood in the center of the hastily constructed platform.
Senju Hashirama was not wearing an elaborate ceremonial robe. He was simply dressed in a clean, dark cyan clan uniform. The wound on his shoulder was wrapped simply with white cloth, and the cuffs still bore scorch marks left over from last night's battlefield.
Tobirama stood half a step behind him, both hands behind his back, his gaze like a blade as he swept over everyone who might cause trouble.
A white-haired elder stepped forward, holding out in both hands a black greatsword symbolizing the authority of the clan head and the clan emblem jade tablet.
The old man's eyes almost carried a trace of unwillingness.
After all, he had lived for so long and endured for so many years to build up his seniority, only for Senju Hashirama to take it away.
Who could put up with that?
As everyone knew, the position of clan head was not hereditary. It belonged to whoever was capable.
But when he raised his eyes and saw the ground behind Hashirama, which had still been cracked open the night before, his fingers still steadily handed them over.
"Senju Hashirama, from today onward, you are the clan head of the Senju clan."
Hashirama took the greatsword and jade tablet but did not speak immediately.
He first lowered his head and looked at the blade. Traces of the chakra his father had often used during his lifetime still remained on it, a faint earth-natured fluctuation that was almost about to dissipate.
He gently rubbed the hilt with his thumb, then raised his head. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached every corner of the square.
"Father is dead."
The entire square fell silent.
"He traded his life for the opening we have today. I won't waste it."
Hashirama placed the greatsword on his back, hung the jade tablet against his chest, and continued, "From today onward, the Senju will no longer take 'killing all the Uchiha' as our only goal. We need to survive."
"We need to let the children survive. If anyone still wants to keep filling the battlefield with the lives of the entire clan, come ask me first."
An elder of the war faction could not help speaking up. "Clan Head! That bastard Tajima just died. This is exactly the time to strike while the iron is hot! If you talk about a truce now, won't you break the hearts of the soldiers on the front line?"
Hashirama looked at him, his gaze gentle.
"The hearts of the soldiers on the front line, do they want to go home, or do they want to die in the next river valley?"
The elder was rendered speechless.
Tobirama spoke at the right moment, his voice cold but precise. "The casualties from last night have already been counted. Thirty-seven dead, eighty-two seriously wounded, and countless lightly wounded."
"If we launch a full-scale attack again immediately, with our current forces, we can last at most half a month. After half a month, we won't even have enough people to defend the clan grounds."
Someone in the square sucked in a sharp breath.
Hashirama nodded. "Therefore, within three days, all border troops will retreat one kilometre, reinforce the defenses, and arrange accommodations for the wounded. Three days from now, I will personally write a letter to the Uchiha."
"To whom?" someone asked.
"To Madara."
"He should already be their clan head now.", Hashirama said calmly.
People began whispering among themselves.
Some said Hashirama was too naive, some said he was soft-hearted, and some secretly looked toward Tobirama, hoping to find a trace of opposition on the face of this younger brother known for his composure.
Tobirama merely turned his head slightly and said to Hashirama, "Big Brother, I'll draft the letter."
Hashirama shook his head. "No need. I'll write it myself."
Senju Hashirama paused, then added, "Father's body… is still in the hands of the Uchiha. I want to get it back."
As soon as he said this, the square fell silent again.
Many old people's eyes reddened.
When news of Butsuma's death had arrived, they had already suffered through one round of grief.
The ceremony ended at noon.
That night, Hashirama locked himself in the study his father had used during his lifetime.
The oil lamp was lit, and a blank sheet of paper lay spread across the desk.
Tobirama pushed the door open. Seeing his elder brother staring blankly at the blank paper, he went over and sat to the side without saying anything.
After a long time, Hashirama finally spoke. "Tobirama, what do you think… Madara will think?"
"He'll hate us."
"Father died, and Tajima died too. Both sides are carrying blood debts. If he truly wasn't moved at all, that would be strange."
Tobirama answered bluntly.
"But I still want to try. Back then, by the river, he told me that he wanted to build a village. That wasn't a lie.", Hashirama said quietly.
Tobirama was silent for a moment before saying, "Big Brother, you can try. But don't put the lives of the entire clan on 'trying.'"
Hashirama nodded and finally put pen to paper.
The letter was very long.
He first wrote about the fact that his father and Tajima had died together, without assigning blame or embellishing anything.
Then he wrote about his decision after becoming clan head, that he was willing to return Tajima's body (if the Uchiha needed it), while also requesting that the Uchiha return Butsuma's body.