It had been three days since they repelled the invading Ninja.
That day, the Shimada Clan, and indeed the entire Ninja World, received explosive news.
The Uchiha Clan and the Hagoromo Clan had jointly attacked the Senju Clan, but at a crucial moment, the Shimada Clan supported the Senju, and the two clans together managed to counterattack and defeat them.
The Shimada Clan Head, Shimada Shigenen, had personally slain the Uchiha Clan's Sixth Elder, while the Clan Head, Uchiha Tajima, was severely wounded and fled.
After this battle, the Uchiha Clan was greatly weakened and had lost the capital to contend with the Senju Clan in the short term.
Conversely, the Shimada Clan's reputation soared; for a time, it subtly showed signs of replacing the Uchiha and becoming one of the two strongest clans of the Sengoku period.
When Hanzō heard these reports, he was not as excited as the other clan members.
As the saying goes, 'cooking with fire and oil'—the Shimada Clan's prestige had reached its peak, but it also sowed the seeds of disaster.
Hanzō knew without a doubt that the Senju Clan, who had been fighting alongside them in the same trenches just hours before, would be the first to have misgivings.
And after the Daimyo learned the full story, he would inevitably become wary of the Shimada Clan.
There was even less to say about General Yoshinobu, the Hagoromo, and the Uchiha, who had just suffered losses.
Looking across the entire Land of Fire, in the short term, only the Hyuga Clan remained a force that the Shimada Clan could potentially win over and was worth winning over.
However, no matter how worried Hanzō was, at only four years old, he had no say.
Although his successful persuasion of Hitomi had made The Elders pay more attention to him afterward, things like 'biding his time' were not for him to decide.
Especially for a Ninja Clan, which was essentially 'mercenaries,' such prestige was the highest honor.
If he were to jump out now and say the clan faced a crisis and had a risk of overturning, people would only think he was causing trouble and nothing else.
"I can only wait a couple of days and find an opportunity to talk to Father..." Hanzō thought to himself.
Hanzō knew he didn't have the influence to sway other high-ranking officials, but influencing his own father had a certain chance of success.
At the very least, Hanzō knew that Shigenen would definitely listen to him seriously until he finished speaking, rather than dismissing it as a child's mischief.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
That afternoon, Shigenen led his clan members back to their encampment.
Of course, they returned with a large amount of supplies.
The Senju Clan had also suffered significant losses in this battle; the Uchiha Clan had learned its lesson, and the Hagoromo Clan would naturally not fare well either.
The two clans grandly marched to the Hagoromo Clan's encampment, forcing the Hagoromo Clan to hand over substantial supplies, including a large number of Ninja tools, medicines, and so on.
Although the Senju Clan took the lion's share, the Shimada Clan also gained a considerable amount.
As for the rewards from the Daimyo, after setting aside a portion for working capital, Shigenen converted the rest into various daily necessities and Ninja tools.
Compared to their abundant gains, the Shimada Clan's losses were minimal; they had truly made a fortune.
"What? Yoshinobu's army raided the clan's territory?"
As soon as the high-spirited Shigenen returned to the clan, before he could even share his joy with his wife, he received this disheartening news.
"Yes. If Hanzō hadn't discovered some clues beforehand, the clan would probably have suffered a heavy blow this time."
The Sixth Elder said gravely to Shigenen and the three elders who had just returned to the clan.
Shigenen was silent for a while, while The Elders and the steward Yoshitō all watched Shigenen quietly, waiting for him to make the final decision.
After a long moment, Shigenen said, "Let's relocate. The clan has been in this encampment for quite some time. This time, Yoshinobu's Ninja Army's raid will inevitably expose some of the encampment's situation. It's no longer safe here."
"Clan Head!" The Fourth Elder, who had a somewhat fiery temper, was the first to stand up and say, "Are we just going to let this sneak attack go?"
"That's right, Clan Head, I also think we shouldn't let that fellow Yoshinobu off so easily." The Sixth Elder also objected.
"Enough!" Shigenen frowned and snapped.
The Elders immediately quieted down.
This time, Shigenen had displayed great divine power on the battlefield, even using the transformation technique only possible with the Black Dragon Mark.
Although incomplete, it made everyone realize that his strength had reached a new height.
Strength determines status; now, among the Shimada Clan's high-ranking members, it was not an exaggeration to say that Shigenen's word was law, and The Elders would not have the slightest dissatisfaction.
Just like Senju Hashirama in later generations, even if Tobirama had many complaints about his decisions, he could not stop Hashirama's will.
"Do you think that the Shimada Clan is already very strong now, and it's time to take another step forward?" Shigenen said in a deep voice.
The Elders did not speak, but from their eyes, it was clear that this was exactly what they thought.
Only the Second Elder looked pensive, while the Sixth Elder looked at Shigenen with some relief.
"Although we gained a lot from this mission, we also made bitter enemies with the Hagoromo, Uchiha, and General Yoshinobu. Even though the Daimyo and that fellow Senju Butsuma greeted us with smiles, they may not be without apprehension towards us." Shigenen explained, his thoughts surprisingly aligning with Hanzō's.
"Our current strength is indeed great, but that's only because I condensed an incomplete transformation technique.
And our minimal losses in these two battles were also due to many objective factors; in a direct one-on-one confrontation, we might not have a significant advantage.
However, if we just wait twenty years, or even fifteen years, for Hanzō and the Genji brothers to grow up, what kind of state will our clan be in then? I don't think I need to say more for you all to understand."
"Hahahahahahaha."
Just as The Elders were realizing this, the Sixth Elder suddenly burst into laughter.
He stood up and said with relief, "Shigenen, you have truly grown. I can finally rest assured entrusting the clan to you."
With that, the Sixth Elder handed the jade ring, which symbolized the position of the clan's Sixth Elder, to the Second Elder beside him, saying, "Tsurumatsu, starting today, you are the Sixth Elder. This old man can finally retire."
"Uncle Hidenaga, you..." The Second Elder, Shimada Tsurumatsu, was quite taken aback, even letting slip his informal address.
"Remember, you must assist Shigenen well." The Sixth Elder, no, Shimada Hidenaga, did not listen to him further and directly instructed.
Then he turned to Shigenen and said, "Clan Head, my body is getting worse day by day. Now that the Clan Head has strategies in mind and successors, I can finally rest easy. This burden can finally be lifted."
"Uncle Hidenaga, the clan still needs you." Shigenen was also a bit stunned and said subconsciously.
"Ah, I am only stepping down from the position of Sixth Elder. If the clan needs this old bone of mine in the future, I will naturally not shirk my duty." Shimada Hidenaga said.
Shigenen hesitated for a moment, looking at Hidenaga's somewhat gaunt body, already past sixty, and finally said, "Uncle Hidenaga has dedicated his life to the clan; it's time for him to rest. I remember that boy Ayi is almost two years old, isn't he? Uncle Hidenaga can also spend some quality time with his grandson."
Recalling his grandson, Hidenaga also showed a hint of a smile, but he still said, "I must properly train that brat so he can assist the Young Clan Head in the future."
Finally, led by Shigenen, The Elders and the steward Yoshitō bowed together to this meritorious old man.
After the meeting, Yoshitō, who had witnessed the entire process, secretly sighed, "One era has ended... But when will another era begin?"
He couldn't help but look towards the Clan Head's residence, his gaze seemingly piercing through all obstacles, seeing the four-year-old child who had just finished his day's training and returned home...