Senju Tobirama was a man of deep thoughts, but Hane Genma's mind was no less intricate. This was evident from the fact that he chose to approach the Nara Clan first with Akimichi Jinsei, rather than the Yamanaka Clan.
Given that their mission was, in a sense, akin to undermining the local daimyo, the two decided to schedule their visit for the evening.
Thanks to Akimichi Jinsei's reputation, they easily secured an audience with the Nara Clan's leader. Guided by a young ninja, the "two and a half" men traversed a small village.
This village wasn't far from the core of the local power structure—or rather, it was the core. Genma only had to glance up to see the towering, majestic keep of Kikyo Castle.
"Are all the residents of this village members of the Nara Clan?" Genma asked, curiosity piqued.
If that were the case, the Nara Clan was undoubtedly thriving compared to the Akimichi Clan.
The ninja leading them, Nara Koichi, had already introduced himself upon meeting. Out of respect for Akimichi Jinsei, he answered Genma's question.
"No, Lord Genma. Most of the villagers are ordinary people with no blood ties to the Nara Clan. Our clan makes up only a small portion of the population."
This wasn't exactly a closely guarded secret. Anyone who cared to investigate could find out easily enough.
The Nara Clan's population might be slightly larger than the Akimichi Clan's, but only just.
"Living alongside commoners, huh? That's pretty rare," Genma remarked.
In his mind, he noted that the Nara Clan must be quite confident in certain aspects. Such a mixed living arrangement could complicate matters, leaving vulnerabilities that enemy spies could easily exploit.
"Lord Genma, this injured person is…?" Nara Koichi's curiosity got the better of him. He found it odd that Akimichi Jinsei was carrying an unconscious man on his back. Who in their right mind would bring an injured person on an official visit?
Genma, unfazed, added weight to his explanation. "This is the son of the Senju Clan's leader. On our way here, we happened to see him being ambushed by unknown enemies, so we rescued him."
The Senju Clan's reputation was casually offered up by Genma as a kind of social currency.
The identity of the unconscious man made Nara Koichi gasp. The son of the Senju Clan's leader, and you just happened to save him?
Unintentionally, Genma's stature grew in Koichi's eyes.
"You maintain good relations with the Senju Clan?" Koichi asked.
"I wouldn't say 'good,' exactly. Let's just say our relationship with Senju Tobirama is… decent." Genma wasn't lying—he was merely omitting a word or two.
This was significant information, and Koichi made a mental note to report it to the clan leader.
Genma exercised restraint, refraining from prying further into the Nara Clan's affairs. Shocked by the revelation, Koichi fell silent as well.
Thus, the four of them (the unconscious man barely counting as a person) continued onward, soon arriving at the clan leader's residence.
The Nara Clan's leader, Nara Naoji, was already waiting outside in the courtyard to greet his guests.
Two ninja stood behind him.
"Lord Genma, welcome to the Nara Clan… Akimichi Jinsei, it's been a while," Naoji said warmly, his face adorned with a smile. His manners were impeccable, though his gaze lingered briefly on Jinsei's forehead protector.
As this was a formal visit, Genma had, for once, worn his own forehead protector.
Genma's first impression of Naoji was positive. The man appeared to be in his forties, not quite of the same generation as Jinsei.
But age was an advantage. The older and wiser one was, the more they considered the survival of their clan, understanding the importance of diversifying risks and securing multiple paths forward.
Under Naoji's guidance, Genma and Jinsei entered the residence. During this time, Koichi quietly informed Naoji of Tobirama's identity.
Naoji nodded subtly, his expression unchanged.
They arrived at a meeting room, and after an exchange of pleasantries, they took their seats.
In a place visible to Genma, Naoji had arranged for someone to temporarily care for the unconscious Tobirama.
"Jinsei, when I received your letter, I was quite surprised. I never imagined the Akimichi Clan would join a new ninja organization…" Naoji began, using their familiarity as an entry point. His tone carried a hint of regret.
The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi Clans had long intended to unite, but internal disputes had delayed their plans. Now, the Akimichi Clan had taken the lead.
Before their arrival, Jinsei had sent word of their intentions through a special summoned beast, so the Nara Clan was prepared.
It was precisely because of this method of communication that Genma realized the bond between the three clans was stronger than he had thought, giving him confidence that this visit would go smoothly.
"It was half by choice, half by circumstance. But now, we're starting to see the benefits of joining forces," Jinsei said honestly, speaking his mind.
Half by choice, half by circumstance?
Naoji turned to Genma. "Lord Genma, I understand your purpose here. Could you tell me more about the Firefly Organization?"
Though Genma considered himself a minor figure and his organization unremarkable, someone as astute as Naoji naturally treated him with the utmost respect. A leader of an alliance visiting personally demanded such regard.
Genma began explaining the organization's founding principles, then focused on its current composition.
"In short, the only named clans in the Firefly Organization are the Fuma Clan and the Akimichi Clan. The rest are ordinary ninja…"
"There are also a few members from prominent clans, but since they joined as individuals, I cannot disclose their origins. I hope you understand, Clan Leader Nara."
Naoji glanced at the unconscious son of the Senju Clan's leader. His intuition told him Genma was telling the truth.
And Genma wasn't lying. Wasn't Uchiha Nanami from a prominent clan? And didn't "a few" include "one"?
Naoji nodded, appearing deep in thought. In truth, he had made his decision before Genma's arrival. After meeting Genma and exchanging a few words, he finalized his choice.
It was merely a matter of sending two ninja. It wasn't as if the entire clan was switching allegiance, so there was little to debate.
He temporarily set the topic aside and arranged a simple banquet for Genma and Jinsei. During the meal, they discussed the Firefly Organization's journey since its founding, as well as the ongoing conflicts it faced, deepening Naoji's understanding of the group.
After the banquet, Naoji pointed to the two ninja who had been standing by his side.
"Hideji, Kenoji, your mission is to head to Kawagenkoku and follow Lord Genma's orders."
"Yes, Clan Leader," they responded in unison.
"Thank you, Clan Leader Nara, for your support. We'll ensure the safety of our two new friends," Genma said, finally showing a genuine, radiant smile.
As the saying goes, an elder in the house is like a treasure. This Nara Clan leader was truly wise and handled matters with remarkable clarity.
Not every Nara was a genius, but those who mastered the clan's shadow techniques were certainly no fools.
After all, shadow techniques, yin chakra, mental strength, and intelligence were positively correlated—at least the first three strongly so, with intelligence being a weaker link. Well, perhaps Genma was embellishing a bit. Mental strength didn't necessarily equate to high intelligence.
But Genma was here to recruit muscle, not brains.
After the banquet, Genma and Jinsei stayed the night, planning to depart the next morning.
As others cleaned the meeting room, Naoji stood alone in the courtyard, gazing at the cloudy night sky.
After a long moment, he sighed and murmured to himself, "One more path forward is always a good thing…"
He had a clear understanding of the current state of the ninja world and knew what choices were right, what actions were necessary.
The next morning, having achieved his goal, Genma bid farewell. By this time, his group had grown to five members.
With Senju Tobirama's vitality, he should have woken up by now. Yet he remained unconscious because Genma wanted him to stay that way. To ensure this, Genma had been siphoning Tobirama's chakra, keeping him in a weakened state.
Recovery? Without energy, he could only stay unconscious.
As the saying goes, the hardest part is the beginning. Establishing ties with the Akimichi Clan had been the most challenging, but through them, connecting with the Nara Clan was much easier. When Genma brought members of both the Akimichi and Nara Clans to meet the Yamanaka Clan's leader, things became simpler still.
It wasn't just trust in the two clans; the Yamanaka Clan had faith in Naoji's judgment. If Naoji had made this choice, they would follow suit.
The Yamanaka Clan's leader, Yamanaka Tokuya, was easy to work with. Genma effortlessly secured a ninja named Yamanaka Keiya.
The Yamanaka Clan was in worse shape than the Akimichi Clan, with their ninja numbers barely reaching double digits. Sending even one ninja to Genma was a significant gesture. At this rate, they were less a clan and more a "Yamanaka family."
In short, this mission was a resounding success. Genma got the sensory ninja he wanted and could even form an Ino-Shika-Cho team if he chose.
There was also an unexpected bonus: Senju Tobirama.
Expect Genma to willingly return Tobirama to the Senju Clan? That was asking too much. Genma planned to take Tobirama to Kikyo Castle, where, after exhaustive efforts to save him, he could be truly revived.
Tobirama would owe Genma a debt he couldn't repay. No issue there, right?
Senju Tobirama found himself on a battlefield soaked in blood and littered with severed limbs.
The Senju Clan was surrounded by enemies, each one formidable. More unsettling was that, despite their varied shapes and sizes, every enemy lacked facial features.
In a moment of distraction, a small figure darted past him, charging toward the horde of enemies.
"Itama!"
Before he could finish shouting, the small figure was pierced by countless blades. The faceless enemies' foreheads began to display the Uchiha Clan's emblem, their featureless faces taking on a grotesque, pebble-like expression in Tobirama's eyes.
"Kawama!"
Then he heard another brother's scream.
Strangely, his older brother, Senju Hashirama, was nowhere to be seen on this battlefield. Without their main force, Tobirama had to rely on himself.
He charged forward, weaving through the enemies, cutting them down one by one. Soon, his own body was riddled with wounds.
After what felt like an eternity, the enemies were all dead, leaving Tobirama alone on the battlefield.
He rushed to a clansman still clinging to life, whose mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.
Tobirama leaned in close to hear what the man was saying.
"Huh, this kid again?"
"So pale, just like before."
"I'll go get Big Sis Takamitsu…"
What the hell?
As Tobirama struggled to make sense of it, a sharp pain erupted in his chest. A long sword had pierced his heart from behind.
Stunned, he turned to see a faceless figure clinging to his back.
Slowly, the figure's features began to take shape, forming a familiar face. Then, a devilish whisper sounded in his ear:
"Your Flying Thunder God technique isn't fast enough, is it?"
Tobirama let out a scream, his upper body jolting upright from the bed. He forced his eyes open, scanning his surroundings. Several vaguely familiar male ninja and one middle-aged female ninja stared at him in shock.
Following their gazes, Tobirama realized he was completely naked. Whether it was the sudden movement causing a lack of oxygen to his brain or the mental humiliation, he promptly passed out again with a thud.
Some time later, when Tobirama regained consciousness, he felt something gently wiping his forehead.
Opening his eyes, he saw a person, perhaps a few years older than himself, sitting by his bedside.
"Oh? You're finally awake?"
Morinaga Chihori moved away from the window, allowing the sidelight to illuminate her face clearly in Tobirama's vision.
"Awake or not?" she asked, waving a hand in front of his face when he didn't respond.
"Sorry, I was a bit out of it… I'm awake now," Tobirama replied.
Chihori's lips curled into a smile, as if recalling something amusing. "My companions were worried about startling you, so they asked me to look after you for now… Let me introduce myself. My name is Morinaga Chihori."
How could Chihori not smile? She'd heard this man was the son of the illustrious Senju Clan's leader, yet for some reason, he'd been so terrified by a few clansmen that he'd screamed like a slaughtered pig. The contrast was just too comical.
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