A father's far-reaching plans

Butsuma Senju looked at Yanbai and said evenly, "Didn't the side effect of your ability help you understand why there are no women on this list?"

Yanbai lowered his eyes. "Oh... I see."

Butsuma Senju raised an eyebrow. "You understand now?"

"Yes." Yanbai nodded, then looked up at Butsuma Senju and said earnestly, "Thank you, Father."

Based on everything Yanbai knew, Butsuma Senju already doted on him quite a bit-enough to call it spoiling him. Such treatment was unheard of in other clans, or even throughout the history of the Senju Clan.

Yanbai did not know what things were like in the Uzumaki Clan, nor did he know Mito Uzumaki's circumstances.

But he understood the situation in the Senju Clan very well.

This was the Warring States Period.

With so many children who might become heirs dying young, shinobi clans placed enormous importance on continuing their bloodlines.

Men were already valued above women, leaving women with even less standing.

To maintain their position within the clan, women had to keep bearing children.

Even then, many women were no different from the courtesans on the royal capital's street of kabuki theaters. If their men were not strong enough, then when those men died on missions, the women would be assigned to other surviving men in the clan to continue bearing children...

In other words, any man in the clan with sufficient strength could lay claim to them.

The women were like merchandise displayed on shelves, available for anyone to pick over and exploit.

Once the sons they bore could take care of themselves, they would be placed under the men for personal instruction.

The daughters they bore would be sent somewhere designated for their collective upbringing.

Once those daughters grew up, whether they were married off to forge alliances for the clan or handed over for the clan's own men to use, their fates differed little. That was why many girls did everything they could to become shinobi.

Only by becoming shinobi of the clan and risking their lives on the battlefield like men could they gain even a little control over their own destinies.

This was also one of the reasons Butsuma Senju had been so furious when Yanbai was first thought to be a "girl."

A little thought was enough for Yanbai to understand. No wonder...

In the original story, hardly any women were mentioned during the Warring States Period. Whether Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha, they only had brothers, never sisters.

Apart from female shinobi who were particularly exceptional or powerful, the women of the clans never appeared in the public eye.

Unless their abilities were so outstanding that even men could not replace them, they had almost no chance to rise above their circumstances.

This chaotic arrangement of relationships only ended with the founding of Konoha's Shinobi Village.

Such was the cruel Warring States Period.

Men and women alike were "working hard" in their different spheres.

Yanbai remained silent for a long time.

Butsuma Senju looked at him solemnly and said, "I can tell you're different from the other children. I hope you can understand the care and thought I've put into this as your father."

Yanbai remained silent.

Butsuma Senju patiently continued explaining his intentions.

Yanbai listened quietly. Only then did he realize that Butsuma Senju had begun watching him in secret after his change in identity.

Butsuma Senju knew that Yanbai's "Restoration Technique" was extraordinarily powerful.

By secretly observing how Yanbai interacted with his older brothers, Butsuma Senju had come to acknowledge his deep love for them;

Having secretly watched Yanbai beat up his older brothers, Butsuma Senju believed he had indeed inherited the Senju Clan's powerful bloodline;

Butsuma Senju believed the way Yanbai beat Tobirama and the other brothers was actually a variation of the Senju Clan's "monstrous strength."

Monstrous strength involved precisely controlling chakra, concentrating it throughout the body until it covered every part, then unleashing a powerful blast of air that could easily shatter obstacles.

But Yanbai used nothing but physical strength, without any chakra at all.

Yanbai could beat the older Tobirama Senju into a broken wreck using physical strength alone. If he added chakra, his power would be on an entirely different level.

His immense talent, combined with his extraordinary Restoration Technique, made Yanbai worth taking seriously.

Recently, however, Butsuma Senju had considered that if Yanbai could see injured clansmen's thoughts when using his Restoration Technique, he could not teach him the same way he had taught Hashirama and the others.

A child who thought like an adult could never be treated like an innocent child who knew nothing.

Especially after that picnic in the forest.

Butsuma Senju had realized he could no longer leave Yanbai to his own devices.

Yanbai's remark about "a little girl slowly becoming a hypocritical adult" had given Butsuma Senju a sense of impending danger.

By now, Butsuma Senju had set aside Yanbai's sex and regarded him as an exceptional descendant capable of shaping the clan's future.

If Yanbai became curious about a man from another clan, or even fell in love with him, and that man lured him away, the loss to the Senju Clan would be far too great.

That concern was precisely what had led to this conversation.

Butsuma Senju stared at Yanbai and said evenly, "Because of your sex, you and your older brothers cannot possibly share the same fate."

Yanbai could not help frowning at that.

Butsuma Senju continued, "If the Senju Clan faces annihilation, your older brothers might not survive. But you certainly can."

Hearing this, Yanbai could not help raising his eyes to meet his father's gaze.

"Your older brothers must keep growing stronger to survive. But you're different."

Butsuma Senju folded his arms and said calmly, "You possess beauty that people find difficult to resist, along with an extraordinary Restoration Technique. Even though you're a Senju, as long as you appear docile and obedient, any shinobi clan will do everything it can to bring you into its ranks. As long as you're alive, our Senju Clan can never truly perish."

Yanbai: "..."

Yanbai felt as though he had figured something out.

The scroll of information on people from three clans that his father had just shown him was more than a collection of profiles. It could also be seen as a "matchmaking catalog."

From the grandfathers all the way down to the grandsons, every damn man in those families was a potential match...

Is Dad afraid I'll become some ridiculously powerful fool who's obsessed with romance? Yanbai thought.

But judging by those profiles, his father absolutely did not want Yanbai getting involved with anyone from the Uchiha Clan.

Just look at how he had described the Uchiha Clan: "ruthless," "cunning and calculating," "cruel and lustful"...

Butsuma Senju stared at Yanbai and said with utmost seriousness, "You must understand the abilities and personalities of every important figure in every shinobi clan. Gather all the information you can on them, and prepare fully for any future encounters."

"Remember, no matter what happens, you must find a way to survive. I believe in you. I believe you can do better than the other children."

Then Butsuma Senju looked at Yanbai even more solemnly and said, "Tell me the truth, Yanbai. You and Hashirama kept going to the Naka River before. Who exactly were you meeting?"

As Butsuma Senju spoke, his tone grew increasingly grave. "Was he from the Hagoromo Clan? The Uchiha Clan? Or some other clan...? I'm not sure whether Hashirama guessed who he was, but you must know perfectly well, don't you?"

Yanbai stared steadily at Butsuma Senju. His father had spoken so openly with him today. Should he tell the truth, or should he lie?

First, Butsuma Senju had said, "As long as you live, the Senju Clan can continue to exist," and, "Whichever clan you choose to marry into, even if you marry a man from an enemy clan, I'll trust you and accept it";

Then he had asked, "Who exactly were you and Hashirama meeting?";

Look how sincere I've been. Look how understanding I've been. Shouldn't you tell me that secret of yours now?

Go on, tell me...

Wouldn't refusing to tell me make you an unfilial child? Wouldn't that betray all your father's heartfelt care?

Was Butsuma Senju deliberately building him up before pressing him, loosening the reins to draw him in, or did he genuinely want what was best for his child?

There was no way to be sure...

Wasn't that simply how shinobi operated?

If you wanted to avoid an open falling-out, you had to avoid giving the other person a reason for one.

As for Madara Uchiha, Yanbai believed he could handle the matter himself. There was no need to trouble his father with it.

To preserve their bond as father and son, Yanbai revealed a smile that eclipsed heaven and earth. "There was no one else, Father. My eldest brother and I only went out for extra meals. I kept him company while he trained and cooked for him to replenish his strength. I didn't want the clan's food to hold back his growth."

Butsuma Senju sighed. "From now on, tell me whatever you want. Your father will do everything he can to grant your wishes."

Yanbai nodded. "Thank you, Father."