Chapter 66: Chapter 66
"Sensei, I am done with that old man's naive ideals. He should understand the consequences of playing possum, even at such a time. He's just a hypocrite. When his son was ambushed, he didn't think about peace and simply mobilized the entire Konoha. Now, so many of our Leaf Shinobi are dead, and he still advises defense? Do you know how much leeway my uncle has given him in recent years? I know every clan has a responsibility to the village, but Sandaime is just acting too passive according to the whims of the council and the Daimyo. I don't care what he thinks anymore; I am going to implement the plans I had proposed earlier," Kazuki steadfastly declared. He knew that Hiruzen had been muddled in the head all these years and was still not willing to let go of petty ideals.
He understood the reason why the Sarutobi clan was assigned to the Iwagakure front but chose not to question it, as his uncle had asked him not to challenge Hiruzen's orders. He even felt that the entire troop deployment was a way for the Konoha higher-ups, especially the Daimyo faction, to curb the power of various Shinobi clans within the leaf village so that he could exert more control over the village.
"Kazuki, I am sure that was not Sensei's intention. He must have made a genuine mistake, and these decisions are not his alone." Tsunade tried to defend her master, even though she knew what Kazuki said was all true. She couldn't help but hope in the corner of her heart that this was a genuine mistake by the master.
Kazuki couldn't help but shake his head in frustration. "Master, please tell me, were you dropped on the head when you were a child? Even someone dumb would understand that the higher-ups are playing with the lives of Leaf Shinobi. If not, why would the old man ask us to stay quiet for so long, even after we won such a huge advantage? He even didn't take into consideration my advice. If I hadn't shared my concerns with my uncle, wouldn't our entire Nara clan elite be wiped out by now? All this for what? Just so they can play their political games."
Kazuki couldn't help but bash the table in anger. "Peace, my foot. I say we carry out my earlier plans. Tell me, Master, do you want your Senju clan to vanish from history? Did you not take up the mantle to rebuild the Senju clan to its former glory? Is this your attitude towards achieving your goal?" Kazuki barked at his master. She had been holding back on many of the ideas Kazuki had proposed because Hiruzen felt these methods were too inhumane and advised Tsunade to avoid such means. Originally reluctant, Kazuki had chosen to heed his master's words. However, with Iwa and Kumo ganging up and targeting them, Kazuki was furious and wanted Tsunade to set her priorities straight as well.
Tsunade's face couldn't help but turn ugly when she heard Kazuki's words, especially when he mentioned her role as the Senju clan head and her ambition to restore her clan. Although her sensei had openly apologized for the previous losses of the Senju clan, she was not naive enough to believe that her master did not have any ulterior motives. She still held resentment towards her master for pushing the Senju clan towards the brink of extinction, and Kazuki's words reminded her of these deep scars that she had hidden away. So she resolved herself: if she were to act passively like her Sensei, as Kazuki had mentioned, the Senju clan might really vanish from history.
"Fine, what do you propose? I will reassign the Sarutobi Shinobi to the Kumo front and also agree to reinforce them by double the amount, but I need a solid plan. I am not willing to unnecessarily risk the village's ninja lives, like my master. So, give me something substantial." Tsunade made a decision to heed Kazuki's words. Although the kid's ideas were borderline cruel in the Shinobi world, showing mercy to enemies was simply asking to be stabbed in the back.
Kazuki was relieved that his master was willing to listen to him, so he shared his ideas. "Master, I have a proposal. With your authority as commander and the Senju head, I want you to approach the other battlefield commanders regarding my plan."
Tsunade was confused because the kid was involving the other battlefronts in his new plans, and he asked her to use her status as Senju head as well. She couldn't help but look at Kazuki for further explanation.
"I want you to become the next Hokage! I want you to make so many contributions that even if the elder council and the Daimyo intervene, they cannot stop your ascension. It's high time those old coots realized that their era is long past. Especially the old man should quit and spend time with his grandchildren in peace," Kazuki commented, showing his resolve. He had mentally decided to help Tsunade ascend to the Hokage position. At least that way, he could rest assured that he and his clan could remain safe from the political agendas of those old coots.
"Please listen to me before you deny it, master. Now, your dream is to rebuild the Senju clan. Think about how this would influence it. And why do you think the other villages are so brashly attacking us even after all these years? Shodaime Hokage was strong; yes, I wouldn't deny it, but his act to share the bijuu was downright foolish," Kazuki continued. Tsunade glared, wanting to interrupt when he brought up the First Hokage, but Kazuki simply gestured for her not to interrupt.
"Shodaime Sama simply armed every major village with enough strength so they could challenge Konoha in the name of balance, thinking it would bring peace. But did he really consider what would happen after his death, Sensei? Four damn Shinobi wars—that's your answer! And your granduncle—I don't know if I should call him a genius or a fool. He implemented so many things for the betterment of the village, and in the meantime, he dug a pit for the entire village to be buried in." Kazuki shouted out all his frustration because he knew if he didn't put forth the points harshly, then his master might reconsider her decisions down the line.
"Kazuki, you shouldn't speak so harshly. I knew Grandpa better than most; he genuinely never expected that the other villages would break their pact right after his death. As for Granduncle Tobirama, he only did all those things to protect the village from the Uchiha. I know what he did was excessive, but you have no idea how much Uchiha Madara's actions affected the village." Tsunade, although reluctant, was not willing to give up her family when Kazuki accused them, even though she knew that her student was right.
"Aaaah! Sensei, sometimes you make me so angry that I feel like punching you in the face. What Nidaime-sama did almost brought the entire village to ruins. Do you think if the Senju and Uchiha retained their full strength to date, the other villages would have dared to wage four Shinobi wars? I understand what Madara Uchiha did was wrong; maybe some people would call it evil, but you cannot blame him entirely. You should know the reason better than me why he rebelled in the first place." Kazuki knew that his master held great attachment to her family, just like he did with his, but sometimes he couldn't help but want to yell at her.
"Kazuki, are you saying that Uchiha Madara was innocent and his actions were justified?" Now Tsunade couldn't help but fume with anger because her student was defending the actions of Madara in front of her. Although many were not aware of it, she knew that her grandfather died because of his clash with Madara; the injuries that he sustained gradually led him to his death.
"No, Sensei, you misunderstand me. I am not saying Madara is not to blame; I am just saying the way Nidaime treated the Uchiha was unwarranted. You don't brand an entire clan as cursed just because of one man's fault. If not for your recent intervention, do you know how the Uchiha would have ended up, Master? Let me tell you, they would have ended up just like the Senju or even worse." Kazuki knew how things would have progressed if Tsunade had not given a helping hand to the Uchiha.
"Kazuki, maybe he was wrong, but you cannot deny what my granduncle did was with the benefit of the village in mind, and the Uchiha had to take responsibility for Madara's actions." Tsunade couldn't help but sigh because she was arguing with a seven-year-old, trying to prove the actions of her predecessors.
"Sensei, can you genuinely say that everything they did was right? Forget it; I don't want to argue with you about things of the past. I just don't want you to repeat the mistakes that they made. You should understand that every clan is part of the village, and having an individual clan grow strong is not a curse but a blessing. Caution is fine, but being paranoid," Kazuki couldn't help but calm down a bit after looking at his Sensei's defeated look.
"Look who's talking about being paranoid." Tsunade couldn't help but huff at Kazuki's choice of words.
"Sensei, stop acting like a child; we have better things to do." Kazuki understood that talking about the old past wouldn't change a thing, and he still had to pay the other villages back for Konoha's recent loss. Even though Kazuki came from a modern world, he didn't, for a second, believe that in a Shinobi world where one could wield power over life and death, compromise would happen just because you spoke of peace. If you did not have enough strength to back up your claim, they would just stab you and move on.
"I suggest it's time we take back the things that your grandfather gave. The other villages have proven it time and time again that they cannot keep their end of the deal, so it's time we teach them that every action has its consequences." Kazuki downright exposed his aggressive thoughts to his master, expressing his intention of wanting to take back the bijuu.
"Kazuki, are you crazy? All the major villages will target us if we go after their bijuus. Have you forgotten that Kumo is still targeting your clan because Shikaku almost ended up killing their Jinchuriki?" Tsunade was shocked at her apprentice's daring proposal because she knew that after her grandfather shared the bijuu, even after the three previous wars, no village overextended to take control of another village's bijuu. Yet, her student was proposing to go after all the villages' bijuu.
"Why not, Master? The original agreement during the first Kage summit was to maintain peace between major villages after sharing the bijuu. Have they kept their word? No, so it is only right to take them back. Humans are greedy by nature, Master; don't ever forget that," Kazuki commented when Tsunade reacted to his idea of wanting to take back the bijuu.
"Even if we were to agree to your ideas, do you think we are in a position to safeguard Bijuu even when all the villages fight against us? You dream too big, Kazuki." Tsunade wanted her student to realize the flaws in his ideas.
"No, Sensei, it's you who lack proper vision. With enough strength, will, and proper planning, anything can be achieved. I just want your consent; I will personally work on it if you agree. Or are you saying the great Senju Princess is afraid to achieve a feat that her grandfather achieved?" Kazuki couldn't help but taunt his master because he knew Tsunade, although seeming jovial, held within her an ego and arrogance innate to every genius.
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