The sky gradually darkened.
After a long day, Tsunade returned to her temporary residence within the Uchiha compound—a rare and awkward arrangement, made possible only by political necessity. As she pushed open the courtyard gate, she immediately spotted Byakuya sitting cross-legged in the middle of the yard, sipping tea calmly.
"Hey… Byakuya? What are you doing here?" Tsunade asked, her voice laced with fatigue. "What are you drinking? Pour me some. I'm completely wiped out."
"I seriously regret agreeing to help train your Uchiha medical unit..." she grumbled as she walked over, snatching the cup from his hand and downing a mouthful.
"Pah, pah—ugh! Tea? I thought that was sake!"
Byakuya chuckled. "Not good for old people to drink too much, you know."
"Old people? Who are you calling old!?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she clenched her fist.
Before she could throw a punch, a calm voice interrupted, "Ahem… Tsunade, he's talking about me."
Senju Kohaku, one of the few elders remaining in the Senju line—approached slowly from the side path.
"Grandpa Kohaku!? What are you doing here?" Tsunade's expression changed to one of concern. "Did this guy force you here or—"
"I came of my own accord," the elder interrupted with a faint smile. "There's something I need to discuss with Byakuya."
"…Oh." Tsunade lowered her fist awkwardly. "Well then… I'll leave you to it. I need some rest anyway." She gave a dramatic yawn and trudged off toward her room.
Once she disappeared inside, Kohaku sat down opposite Byakuya and picked up a fresh cup.
"I apologize on her behalf. Tsunade lost her parents during the First Great Ninja War, and with Hashirama and Tobirama both gone, no one was truly able to raise her properly. That's why she is… how she is."
"I doubt you came here just to talk about Tsunade's temperament," Byakuya replied flatly, sipping his tea.
Kohaku smiled faintly. "You're right. Let me ask—how do you feel about Konoha now?"
"Stable. Peaceful. The people live under the protection of the Will of Fire. The usual stuff."
"Indeed," Kohaku said. "On the surface, Konoha flourishes. But within that prosperity, the Senju have declined. Our blood thins. Our name fades."
"Well, that's great news for us Uchiha," Byakuya replied without hesitation. "One less rival clan means we're the strongest left."
Kohaku raised an eyebrow. "Has anyone ever told you you're remarkably tactless?"
"I get that a lot. Anyway, enough small talk. Just say what you came to say. I'm not Sarutobi Hiruzen—I don't do subtle politics."
Kohaku chuckled. "Then I'll be blunt. The Senju clan wishes to cooperate."
"…Cooperate?" Byakuya's tone turned skeptical.
"Yes," the old man said with a serious expression. "Under Sarutobi Hiruzen's leadership, our clan was systematically sidelined. During the Second Great Ninja War, Senju shinobi were disproportionately sent to the frontlines. Most never returned. It was too late by the time I realized the pattern."
He paused. "I was there in Tobirama's time. I even trained Hiruzen when he was still a boy—agile as a monkey, just like they said. We thought him loyal to the ideals of the Senju. But when he became Hokage… he buried us with smiles."
Byakuya leaned back, raising an eyebrow. "I'm surprised. I thought the whole Senju clan was brainwashed by the Will of Fire."
"Some were," Kohaku admitted bitterly. "I wasn't. But by the time I saw through the deception, we had already lost too much. Tobirama believed in merit over bloodline. That was his mistake—he trusted too easily."
Most of the powerful shinobi of the Senju clan had already passed away.
Only the old, the infirm, and a few distant descendants remained.
If nothing changed, the Senju name—once a pillar of Konoha's founding—would disappear within a generation.
In this moment of crisis, Senju Kohaku watched the situation in Konoha with a calculating gaze.
The emergence of Uchiha Byakuya, a formidable and unorthodox figure within the Uchiha clan, stirred something in him.
He had openly challenged Sarutobi Hiruzen's authority, and for the first time in years, someone dared to defy the political order Hiruzen had maintained.
That gave Kohaku an idea:
Perhaps an alliance with the Uchiha was the only way to save the Senju name.
As for Tsunade… she was no longer reliable.
Blinded by the "Will of Fire," she had long since abandoned her clan's survival for idealistic dreams.
"This is all your fault… the Senju clan…"
"To think the successor chosen by Tobirama Senju would become the very one to suppress the Senju bloodline. What a cruel irony."
Byakuya sneered, his tone dripping with contempt.
"I wonder… if Tobirama were to see what his so-called legacy has become, would he claw his way out of the grave in shame?"
"Watch your mouth!" Kohaku snapped, irritation flashing in his eyes.
"Must you mock us at every turn?"
He had come to negotiate, but Byakuya's tone was nothing but derision.
Was the fall of the Senju clan really such an amusing spectacle?
Byakuya smirked.
"Relax. Let's not get hung up on the small talk. Continue—how exactly do you propose we cooperate?"
Senju Kohaku took a deep breath, forcing down his pride.
"The Senju clan needs protection," he said slowly.
"If the Uchiha clan is willing to shield us, we will offer our support in return."
"We still control assets—land, businesses, compounds. While our numbers may be few, our influence still lingers."
Kohaku paused, his gaze steady.
"The Sarutobi, the Shimura, even the Homura and Koharu factions… they've had their eyes on our holdings for years."
"If our clan is extinguished, they'll devour everything we've built. I'd rather give it to the Uchiha than let them claim it."
It wasn't just about survival anymore.
It was about legacy. About revenge.
If the Will of Fire had turned its back on the Senju, then perhaps it was time the Senju turned their back on the village.
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