Chapter 100

The Shinobi World was struck by an earthquake, causing those affected to tremble and lose their footing.

Senju Nawaki, a Shinobi of the Wood Release generation, was assassinated while returning to Konoha Hidden Village with his elder sister, Tsunade. The assassination had been meticulously planned.

A hundred thousand Explosive Tags detonated simultaneously, nearly sending Kage-level expert Tsunade to her demise. It was only due to the strength of the siblings, one being a Kage-level and the other a Jonin, that the outcome remained uncertain.

Hundreds of thousands of buried Explosive Tags and dozens of united Jonin launched the attack. This level of coordination surpassed what an ordinary faction could accomplish.

In the Shinobi World, it was widely known that Senju Nawaki, even at his weakest, possessed Kage-level power. It was only a matter of time before he reached the peak of Kage-level and eventually surpassed it.

However, it was commonly understood that genius was only referred to as such until it matured. Once it reached its full potential, it graduated from genius to true expertise.

Therefore, many in the Shinobi World had eagerly awaited the day when Senju Nawaki would falter.

Inside the Senju residence in Konoha Hidden Village, Tsunade and Nawaki lay weakly on a bed, emanating feeble auras. Uzumaki Mito's aura surged, as if an eruption of evil chakra could occur at any moment. Under her influence, the entire Senju Clan felt like a sinister cave. Uzumaki Mito was furious, and so were Sarutobi Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru.

If one were to ask Sarutobi Hiruzen which of his three students he least wanted to lose, the answer would be Tsunade. Her strategic value was comparable to that of a Village Kage. She single-handedly upheld Konoha's Medical-Ninjutsu system, giving the village unparalleled resilience in times of war.

Sarutobi Hiruzen would never allow her to die. Consider the original work: why did Konoha come out on top during the Third Shinobi World War? It was due to their exceptional staying power. As long as a Shinobi had acceptable aptitude, time would eventually mold them into a Special-Jonin. And if they were slightly better, becoming a Jonin posed no issue. Even the weakest among them was stronger than nothing.

All of this was contingent on time and survival rates. Tsunade's presence solved this problem. It ensured the security of Konoha's middle and lower-ranked Shinobi, which in turn ensured the abundance of high-ranking Shinobi.

"Find out where those Explosive Tags originated from, as well as the identity of the attacking Jonin. Investigate everyone involved, and I want them dead," Sarutobi Hiruzen erupted in fury, issuing his orders.

His tone was resolute, decisive, and weighty. The chilling atmosphere in the room left everyone present shivering. This time, there was no room for jokes; the situation was truly dire.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's anger burned intensely. Tsunade's absence would set back Konoha's Medical-Ninjutsu system by more than a decade, delaying progress. It would also mean the loss of a young Kage-level Shinobi and a future Kage-level peak. Killing Senju Nawaki wasn't just about the loss of an expert, it was a blow to Konoha's spirit.

In short, if this plan succeeded, Konoha's strength would invisibly diminish by 10%. A mere 10% might not seem significant, but it had the potential to ruin Konoha at a crucial moment.

One could say that if the plan succeeded, the other Hidden Villages would greatly benefit.

Shortly after Sarutobi Hiruzen issued his order, the other Shinobi left to mobilize troops and conduct thorough investigations. Two minutes later, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Hatake Sakumo returned.

"Several dozen Jonin... It's not something a single company could muster. I suspect at least three or even four companies joined forces. It's not impossible," Orochimaru commented with a gloomy expression.

"You mean, they attacked except for the four of us?" Sarutobi Hiruzen knocked on the table, lost in thought.

"Impossible. Nawaki had just returned from Sunagakure, and he and the Third Kazekage had a mentor-disciple relationship. It shouldn't have happened," Jiraiya retorted. He trusted Sunagakure more than the Third Kazekage, Hitoshi.

In the Shinobi World, relationships like mentor and disciple often rivaled that of a father and son.

"The Third Kazekage is a sincere person. His goal is to elevate Sunagakure. It would be of no benefit to him to eliminate Nawaki. It's more likely that they sent Nawaki to his death or simply observed his demise," Orochimaru gloomily remarked, his cold eyes sending shivers down Jiraiya's spine.

Jiraiya wasn't foolish; he knew this possibility was very real. Severing the future of someone, especially a future pillar of the village, was a grave matter.

"Forget about Sunagakure. Sakumo, lead an Anbu team to investigate the situation yourself. Bring Hyuga, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, and Aburame. Find out everything for me," Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't trust anyone except Konoha's own people.

Orochimaru's words served as a reminder that Sunagakure and Hitoshi had motives to intervene, but what about others?

Konoha's own people were out of the question.

Sarutobi Hiruzen could answer that question himself, and the answer was yes, but it wasn't a common possibility.

The Senju Clan possessed another Shinobi with Wood Release, which made the clan shine for decades. Moreover, if they had a second one, having a third was not impossible.

The Senju family, after several decades, would be deemed a failure if they failed to produce the next Wood Release Shinobi. Whenever he thought of the Senju Clan, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but think of the Hokage position. Perhaps in a few more years, someone from the clan would take that role.

To be honest, if it weren't for Uchiha Madara's continued existence and his breakthrough to Kage-level, Sarutobi Hiruzen would have liked to send the Senju Clan on a "path of decline" walk.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up at the three individuals before him and realized that they were the only ones he could trust in positions of power.

"Orochimaru, keep a close watch over all of Konoha and report any disturbances immediately. Jiraiya, investigate on the surface and adopt an imposing presence. Sakumo, conduct covert investigations. One in the light, one in the dark. I want to know who is speaking against us," Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered.

"Yes, sensei."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

After Sarutobi Hiruzen's order, Jiraiya personally led a dozen Jonin teams to conduct investigations, presenting a fierce appearance that contradicted his normally carefree demeanor.

Orochimaru appeared to take no action, remaining obediently focused on his experiments. However, there had been an increase in mysterious snakes within Konoha Hidden Village lately. These snakes displayed remarkable intelligence.

Hatake Sakumo donned his mask and led an Anbu team, tirelessly conducting covert investigations throughout the village.