However, here I need to clarify a classic misconception, which is the idea that top-tier powerhouses in the Ninja World don't need to perform hand seals at all, and can instantly achieve results—"just clap their hands and whatever they call for appears."
In the original manga, there are clear panels showing that when truly performing Ninjutsu, both Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara also needed to perform hand seals.
Although their powerful Chakra control simplified hand seals to the extreme, it doesn't mean they could completely omit the hand seal step.
For example, Madara would form the "Horse seal" when using Great Fire Annihilation.
Besides that, he would form the "Serpent seal" when using the less familiar Wood Release, and when using the Shadow Clone Jutsu, he would make the same special hand seal gesture as Naruto when he uses Shadow Clone Jutsu... and Senju Hashirama was naturally no exception.
He clearly performed hand seals when he was first reanimated by Orochimaru, even though his state at that time was only a "defective product."
But even when he was reanimated a second time and participated in the Great Ninja War, Hashirama still formed the "Sheep seal" when using the Four Red Yang Formation, and the "Rat seal" when using Wood Clone Jutsu.
After all, even the eldest son of the Six Paths Sage believed that hand seals were very helpful for casting Jutsu, so how could later generations be an exception?
What truly allowed them to "just clap their hands and whatever they call for appears" was when they used their respective Bloodline Limits.
For example, Hashirama's Wood Release, Madara's Susanoo performed with the Sharingan, and later the Rinnegan's ocular Jutsu.
Only when performing these Bloodline Limits did they completely not need hand seals, just as Sasuke never needed to use hand seals to use his Sharingan ocular Jutsu.
As for the classic "clap hands" action, it was simply to concentrate and refine Chakra, having nothing to do with hand seals.
Even the "strongest Tailed Beast," the Nine-Tailed, would make the classic "clap paws" gesture when refining Chakra... The next day, Senju Mori officially began preparations for taking on disciples.
However, before accepting Tsunade and others as disciples, Senju Mori still had to complete two other things.
First, he had to formally take over the vacant Clan Head position of the Senju Clan.
Konoha had only been established for twenty years, and many Ninja Clans, including the Senju Clan, still retained much of the Sengoku period's customs, with the Clan Head usually being assumed by the strongest within the clan.
Although in terms of strength, Senju Mori was still not comparable to Senju Tobirama in his prime, today, after Tobirama's death, he was already the true strongest in the Senju Clan.
Furthermore, Senju Mori was only in his twenties, his strength was in its golden ascending period, and he still possessed enormous untapped potential and ample room for improvement.
And ever since Tobirama's death, the elders within the clan had lost their greatest backing and reliance, while the younger generation within the clan had long since looked to Senju Mori as their leader.
It could be said that as early as when Senju Mori returned to Konoha, he was already the de facto Clan Head of the Senju Clan; all that was missing was a truly formal title.
Even the reception given to him by the Hyuga and Nara Clans earlier was conducted according to the protocol for a Senju Clan Head.
Now that he had ascended to the position of Third Hokage, he naturally had to definitively settle this last remaining issue of status with a formal ceremony.
After two "selfless" Clan Heads like Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, the clan members' satisfaction threshold had been lowered to an absolute minimum.
Taking Senju Hashirama as an example, as long as he was strong enough, could administer clear rewards and punishments, and occasionally listened to the opinions of his clan members, he was an undisputed "good Clan Head."
Taking Senju Tobirama as an example, even if he didn't provide any support to the clan, as long as he didn't "excessively" harm the clan's interests, he could be called a "qualified" Clan Head.
Therefore, for a Clan Head like Senju Mori, it was even less likely that any clan member would be crazy enough to object.
They were incredibly satisfied, even to the point of being "overjoyed."
He had only been in office for a few days, and he had already placed numerous Senju Clan members in various important departments of the Village.
It could even be said that he had recovered in one fell swoop most of the power and benefits that the Senju Clan had lost during the reign of the Second Hokage, Clan Head Tobirama... As for the second thing Senju Mori had to do.
It was to hold a formal ceremony for Tsunade's return to the main family simultaneously with his inauguration as Clan Head of the Senju Clan.
Although Tsunade was a direct descendant of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, she only had the name Tsunade, and the title "Tsunade Hime" bestowed by the Daimyo.
She had not inherited the surname "Senju."
And now, Senju Mori wanted to restore this surname, full of history and glory, to Tsunade.
To this end, Senju Mori had already sent people to contact Tsunade's parents, who were far away in the capital of the Land of Fire.
Upon hearing that a member of the Senju Clan had again inherited the position of Hokage, and that this new Hokage wished for Tsunade to return to her original clan and main family, they were naturally a hundred, a thousand times willing.
Senju Mori wanted to use this ceremony to tell all Senju Clan members the difference between him and the previous Clan Head, Senju Tobirama.
He was a Hokage who cared about his clan.
He would no longer harm the interests of the clan, he would cherish the clan and its members, and he would ensure that those who truly followed him would live better lives and move towards a brighter future.
By personally serving as the Ninja Academy principal and holding such a grand ceremony for Tsunade's return to the clan, Senju Mori's actions were undoubtedly also a declaration to the entire Konoha.
While maintaining his emphasis on civilian Ninja, the "de-familialization" policy promoted by the First and Second Hokage had been completely halted, and it would not be restarted again throughout the entire "Third Hokage Era."
From then on, whether they were large or small Ninja Clans or civilian Ninja, they would all become an inseparable part of Konoha, and an undeniable force for Konoha.
Senju Mori never held the extreme view that one side must be completely eliminated for the other to survive.
Civilian Ninja were indeed an important part of the Village, but hadn't the Ninja Clans also made sacrifices and contributions to Konoha? Wasn't Konoha a Village created by the combined efforts of the Ninja Clans?
Civilian Ninja absolutely did not need to grow strong and develop step by step only by rooting themselves in the corpses of Ninja Clans, by sucking the flesh, blood, and bones of Ninja Clans.
Those were all wrong views.
Those who could propose such arguments were either overly naive idealists or conspirators with ulterior motives.
Because under such a distorted ecology, what would truly develop would never be the numerous civilian Ninja, but rather new Ninja Clans...