He was going to reclaim the Senju clan name!
"Big Brother… even though Grandpa Tobirama said that when you graduate, you'd automatically take over as the acting clan leader from Big Sis… so it's not wrong for you to declare yourself the head of the Senju clan now," said Nawaki hesitantly from a distance. "But..."
He fell into silence.
The policy for the Senju clan to hide their name and blend into Konoha had been passed down from their great-grandfather—the First Hokage—before he died. When their brilliance was tucked away, it equated to protecting the existence of the clan itself. As long as Konoha survived, so did the Senju.
It was the First Hokage's order.
To restore the Senju name… wasn't that the same as openly opposing Hashirama Senju's will?
Senju Yukika wasn't a fool. He never acted rashly or disobeyed the will of their ancestors. Yet now, Nawaki found himself caught in a difficult decision.
Should he stand and support their great-grandfather's vision?
Or should he follow in Yukika's footsteps and declare: "My name is Senju Nawaki!"
As the classroom fell into an eerie silence, Yukika sighed quietly.
When did it become unacceptable for the head of the Senju clan to make a simple declaration?
Hashirama Senju?
Was the First Hokage truly always right?
Clearly not.
If things had continued the way they were in the original history, what would've become of the Senju clan?
They would've slowly faded into Konoha, disappearing altogether, leaving behind only a few nameless, run-of-the-mill educators bearing the Senju name in the Shippuden era.
Even if he managed to save Nawaki, it wouldn't change the fact that the Senju would eventually be forgotten.
So Yukika had his own plan—a complete one—on how to revitalize the Senju name, how to rouse their people from apathy.
Step one was simple: make sure the clan never forgot their own name!
That was easier said than done.
On one side was a newly appointed young clan leader. On the other, the God of Shinobi himself—Hashirama Senju.
Yukika's authority couldn't compare to the First Hokage's. To bring about change, he needed time, a process, and most importantly—a trigger.
And that trigger would come willingly from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
It would be the moment that opened the eyes of the Senju clan to the truth about Konoha's leadership.
But any plan comes with risks.
For example, by standing here now and openly opposing Hashirama's legacy, Yukika had instantly become the center of attention.
Without a doubt, he was now under surveillance by the village leadership.
But Yukika wasn't afraid.
The reason was simple.
First of all, even if his stance clashed with Hashirama's ideals, he was still the newly acknowledged clan leader of the Senju. That was something no one could deny.
The Senju may have fallen from grace, but they were still a symbol of Konoha's legacy. Unless Sarutobi Hiruzen completely lost his mind, he wouldn't dare openly act against Yukika.
Instead, he and his ever-faithful partner Danzo would strike from the shadows—just like with the "accident" involving the explosive tag trap that would kill Nawaki.
Yes.
To Yukika, Nawaki's death was anything but an accident.
His younger brother might have been a bit naive, but he was not an idiot.
Since they were striking from the dark, Yukika wasn't worried.
They underestimated the power Yukika had obtained from unlocking his first inherited ability from Ulquiorra: nerve sensing.
No matter how skilled someone was at hiding themselves, their soul's frequency could never lie.
That was the power of the Hollow.