As the Senju Clan Fell into Decline

The sky gradually darkened.

After a busy day, Tsunade returned to her little courtyard in the Uchiha Clan compound.

As soon as she opened the gate, she saw Bai Ye sitting in the middle of the courtyard, drinking tea.

"Oh... Bai Ye, what are you doing here?"

"Whatever you're drinking, pour me a cup too."

"I'm exhausted..."

"I really regret agreeing to help you train medical ninja..."

Tsunade complained as she walked straight over to Bai Ye, grabbed a cup, and drank.

"Ptooey, ptooey... Why is it tea?"

"I thought it was sake..."

She took a sip, immediately spat it out, and said with a look of disgust.

"Old people shouldn't drink alcohol..."

Bai Ye looked at Tsunade and said.

"Old people? There aren't any old people here!"

"Are you calling me old?"

Tsunade clenched her fist angrily and was about to punch Bai Ye.

"Ahem... Tsunade, he was talking about me..."

Just then, Goketsu Senju appeared nearby. No one knew when he had arrived.

"Grandpa Goketsu, what are you doing here?"

"Did that bastard drag you here?"

"I'll teach him a lesson right now..."

Tsunade, who had just lowered her fist, raised it again.

"Little Tsunade, you're a ninja now. You should learn to be more composed."

"I came here on my own."

"I have something to discuss with Bai Ye..."

Goketsu Senju looked at Tsunade with a smile.

"Uh... Haha! So that's what it is!"

"Well, you two talk, then."

"I'm going to get some rest..."

Tsunade yawned and headed for her room.

"Sorry you had to see that. Tsunade lost both her parents when she was young, and no one was there to discipline her. That's how she ended up with this personality..."

Goketsu Senju came over and sat down in front of Bai Ye, then picked up a teacup and took a sip.

"You didn't come to see me this late at night just to tell me that, did you?"

Bai Ye took a sip of tea as well and looked at Goketsu Senju.

"Tell me, what do you think of Konoha now?"

Goketsu Senju looked at Bai Ye and asked.

"Very good. The people live and work in peace, the village is prosperous and powerful, and every Konoha Ninja is immersed in the Will of Fire..."

Bai Ye replied casually.

"Indeed! Konoha is in a very good place now."

"But beneath all that prosperity, our Senju Clan has fallen into decline..."

Goketsu Senju said with a self-deprecating smile.

"That's wonderful!"

"With your Senju Clan in decline, the Uchiha Clan will be the strongest clan in all of Konoha..."

Bai Ye said gleefully.

"Do you have any idea how infuriating you are?"

Goketsu Senju said, irritated by Bai Ye's words.

"Heh. Just say what you came to say."

"Stop beating around the bush. I'm not like Hiruzen Sarutobi, that old schemer. I don't have time to play mind games with you..."

Bai Ye continued.

"We Senju came here to propose an alliance..."

Goketsu Senju continued.

"An alliance?"

Bai Ye looked at Goketsu Senju in surprise.

"That's right. An alliance."

"Under Hiruzen Sarutobi's schemes, our Senju Clan fell into decline..."

Goketsu Senju spoke with a hint of sadness.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had once been a young boy from the Sarutobi Clan, nimble as a monkey.

The Second Hokage Tobirama Senju had taken a liking to him and made him one of his students.

Goketsu Senju had met the boy, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He had even taught him how to train.

But Goketsu Senju had never expected that after Tobirama Senju died and Hiruzen Sarutobi became Hokage, he would turn against the Senju Clan.

"I never thought there'd be anyone clearheaded in the Senju Clan."

"I thought you were all people brainwashed by the Will of Fire..."

Bai Ye looked at Goketsu Senju in surprise.

"Heh... Too bad I realized it too late..."

Goketsu Senju had lived in the same era as Hashirama Senju. He wasn't a fool.

When the Second Shinobi World War broke out, the Senju Clan's ninja were sent to the battlefield in large numbers, where many of them died.

That was when Goketsu Senju realized something was wrong.

He had wanted to stop it, but unfortunately, it was already too late.

The powerful ninja of the Senju Clan had all died.

Those who remained were the old, the weak, and the injured.

If the Senju Clan didn't make a change soon, it might disappear altogether within a few decades.

Just then, Bai Ye had suddenly appeared on the scene in a show of strength, repeatedly striking at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

That gave Goketsu Senju an idea.

He could ally with the Uchiha Clan to oppose Hiruzen Sarutobi and preserve the Senju Clan.

As for Tsunade, he might as well forget it.

Tsunade had long been brainwashed by the so-called Will of Fire.

"This is all your own doing, Senju Clan..."

"The heir Tobirama Senju chose ended up targeting your clan. How ironic!"

"I wonder if Tobirama Senju would crawl out of his grave if he found out..."

Bai Ye continued to taunt him.

"You! Can't you speak normally for once?"

"Is it really so amusing to mock the Senju Clan?"

Goketsu Senju said, getting irritated.

He had come to seek an alliance, so why did Bai Ye keep making sarcastic remarks and riling him up?

Was it really that amusing to mock the Senju Clan?

"Heh... Don't sweat the small stuff."

"Go on... How do you want to form an alliance with the Uchiha Clan?"

Bai Ye said with a smile, watching the irritated Goketsu Senju.

"Phew... Our Senju Clan needs protection..."

Goketsu Senju took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and continued.

"If the Uchiha Clan protects us, our Senju Clan can support you in return."

"Our Senju Clan owns countless houses, shops, and properties... We can give them all to the Uchiha Clan..."

Goketsu Senju looked at Bai Ye as he spoke.

The Senju Clan had fallen into decline, but it had once been a powerful clan, and its resources were still considerable.

It owned a great deal of property in Konoha.

Goketsu Senju knew perfectly well that the Sarutobi Clan, the Shimura Clan, and the other clans had long coveted the Senju Clan's assets.

He had no doubt that once the Senju Clan truly fell, the families represented in the Konoha High Command would swallow up those assets.

Rather than let those clans take them, he would sooner hand them over to the Uchiha Clan.

So Goketsu Senju planned to offer those assets in exchange for the Uchiha Clan's protection.