After Tsubasa coaxed them away, he returned to the hospital room. Biwako was still crying, her shoulders shaking. He couldn't help thinking, Women really are made of water. She's been crying for half an hour, hasn't she?
"Senior Sister, are you still crying?" Tsubasa asked with a smile, a hint of concern on his face.
"What's it to you? Why did you even come back?" Biwako asked, her face red and her voice tearful and still trembling slightly.
"I just coaxed my mothers away, and now I'm back to coax you. Look how long you've been crying. It breaks my heart." Tsubasa's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze.
"Who asked you to coax me? You should just coax your mothers. They're all so awful, forcing you to marry seven wives," Biwako said through her tears, her nose growing stuffy from crying.
"Senior Sister, would you like to hear their story?" Tsubasa looked at Biwako, his eyes full of sincerity.
"Go on, then!" Biwako said between sobs, wiping away her tears with her hand from time to time.
Tsubasa began slowly, "Eleven years before Konoha was founded, the Uchiha Clan and the Hagoromo Clan joined forces and sent two thousand ninja to launch a sneak attack on the Senju Clan's camp at Snake Scale Mountain. Eight Elite Jonin from our clan volunteered to stay behind and cover the retreat, buying time for three hundred Senju clansmen to escape. My eldest and second uncles were among those eight. My eldest uncle, Tentoku, was twenty-two, and my second uncle, Tenjin, was twenty-one. After they died in battle, both my aunts wanted to follow them in death. They were saved, and only gave up on taking their own lives because they still had two children who were a little over four years old." At this point, Tsubasa's eyes filled with grief, and his voice grew low.
"In March, nine years before Konoha was founded, my third uncle, Tenkō, died fighting the Hyuga at the age of twenty-two. He left no children. In July of the same year, my fourth uncle, Tenrai, died on a mission at twenty-one, also leaving no children. My third and fourth aunts, Kaidō Senju and Nanshin Senju, had been married for less than a year when they became widows. Grandpa urged them to remarry, but the Senju are stubborn. They would rather die than remarry. Later, they both became warriors under Grandpa and followed him into battle everywhere."
"Eight years before Konoha was founded, my fifth uncle, Ten'u, died on a mission at nineteen, and Grandpa gained another Jonin under his command: my fifth aunt, Ame Senju."
"Six years before Konoha was founded, my sixth uncle, Tenshun, died on a mission at nineteen. My sixth aunt, In Senju, who had only just married him, also became a Jonin under Grandpa's command."
"Three years before Konoha was founded, the Senju Clan fought a decisive battle against the Uchiha. An Uchiha special operations team launched a sneak attack on the Senju supply line, and my eldest and second uncles' two eleven-year-old children died on the battlefield. The two women who had lost their children and the four who had lost their husbands became madwomen on the battlefield. Under my grandfather Senju Yasuhei's leadership, they formed a team and appeared and vanished like ghosts on the battlefield. Every day, they were either killing enemies or on their way to kill them. They killed countless enemies using guerrilla tactics and became known as the Senju Ghosts."
"As for my father, Tenpuku, and my mother, Senju Ga, they were both as strong as Elite Jonin, but neither of them ever set foot on a battlefield. They only served in the clan guard. If they wanted to go on missions, they first had to have a child.
"I wasn't born until the day Konoha was founded. Because of the baptism of natural energy, I spent more than six years confined to a sickbed. Grandpa and my six aunts all retired as ninja and devoted themselves to caring for me. The whole clan's money was spent on me alone. For my sake, they spent all the savings they'd risked their lives to earn and even fell heavily into debt. Over the years, the known expenses for me alone came to seven billion ryo. I became Konoha's infamous Gold-Swallowing Beast. The day I recovered, I learned what had been weighing on their hearts, so I decided to marry seven wives and carry on each of the seven family lines. Do you think I'm doing the right thing?" When he finished, Tsubasa looked expectantly at Biwako, hoping she would understand.
Biwako's face was already covered in tears. She choked out, "They've suffered so much. I understand why you're doing this, but isn't there any other way to repay them?"
Tsubasa gave a bitter smile and asked, "Then tell me, how else can I repay them?"
Biwako wiped away her tears and said, "We could take care of them in their old age, earn lots of money for them, or find advanced Ninjutsu for them."
Tsubasa shook his head. "They don't care about money. With their achievements on the battlefield, they can learn any of the Senju Clan's Ninjutsu they want."
Biwako blushed. "If it comes to that, I'll just have seven children for you and give one to each of them to adopt. That way, they can carry on your uncles' family lines."
Tsubasa smiled. "That doesn't sound bad either, but wouldn't it be too unfair to you? You'd spend your whole life having and raising children."
Biwako said, "There's nothing else we can do!"
Tsubasa asked, "Does that mean you've agreed to be my wife, Senior Sister?"
Biwako said, "You're so young, and you're already thinking about getting married, and you're so fickle too. You actually want as many as seven wives. I'm telling you, you can only marry me. If I find out you like another girl, I'll beat you flat. Got it?"
Tsubasa laughed. "I'm only six! Marriage will have to wait another ten years. There's no rush. What if you come to like another boy during those ten years, Senior Sister? So there's no need to think too much about it."
Biwako said, "That's true. Oh, right, what did you do this afternoon? Were you at the school watching the matches? Who won in the end?"
Tsubasa said, "I didn't go watch. I went to carry out Martial Uncle Tobirama's plan this afternoon, so I don't know who won the Ninja Academy matches in the end."
Biwako exclaimed, "Are you all right, then? You weren't hurt, were you? Hurry and tell me what happened this afternoon..."
In the Sarutobi Clan's secret meeting room, candle flames flickered over the faces of eighteen clan leaders, some grim, others anxious. The room was normally a confidential place for discussing important clan matters, but now it seemed to have become the center of a storm, about to be swallowed by an even greater crisis.
Kazuo Shinozuka slammed his fist on the meeting table. A shallow crack appeared in the heavy solid-wood surface, showing the depth of his rage. "What happened today was clearly a trap set by Tobirama Senju!" His words seemed to come through clenched teeth, filled with barely restrained hatred. "We lost a whole Suicide Special Operations Team because of it! They were all elites painstakingly trained by my Shinozuka Clan, and they were lost for nothing!" His eyes were bloodshot, like those of an enraged beast. The faces of his dead clansmen kept appearing in his mind, and he was filled with resentment and regret. He wondered how his plan could have been seen through so easily if Tobirama Senju hadn't been so cunning.
Kazuo Yamamoto also flew into a rage. He kicked over the chair beside him and roared, "We can't let this matter end here! I'll make the Senju Clan repay this debt with the blood of a hundred of their people!" Madness was written all over his face, and his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. To him, the Senju Clan was an unforgivable enemy that had to be made to pay a terrible price. Thinking of the strength his clan had built up over time and its well-trained ninja, he felt that even in a direct clash with the Senju Clan, they might not lose too badly.
Dansuke Shimura stood in the shadows, his whole figure seeming to blend into the darkness, with only his eyes visible, glinting ominously. "Recently, several ninja of the Senju Clan have been assassinated while on missions." His voice was low and chilling, like a cold wind on a winter night. "I suspect Tobirama Senju has already begun to suspect the clans of Konoha. This was a trap set by the Senju Clan in retaliation." He narrowed his eyes slightly, constantly considering what Tobirama Senju might do next and how he could keep the Shimura Clan safe in this storm. He knew Tobirama Senju was not someone to be trifled with, and this retaliation might only be the beginning.
Sasuke Sarutobi smiled bitterly, the wrinkles on his face looking as though they had been carved there, making him seem even more careworn. "The worst part is that we walked straight into this death trap ourselves." He sighed helplessly, his eyes full of worry. "You'd better pray that Tobirama Senju didn't find the slightest trace linking any of those death warriors to us. Otherwise, just wait for the Senju Clan's furious retaliation." He knew very well that the Senju Clan's position in Konoha was deeply entrenched, and its strength was not to be underestimated. If they really did find something to use against them, all eighteen clans would be plunged into a hopeless situation. He privately regretted ever getting involved so readily in the assassination attempt, but it was too late for regrets now.
Shikaboshi Nara rose slowly, his expression grave, and swept his gaze over everyone's faces one by one. His eyes seemed capable of seeing through each person's thoughts. "Based on my analysis, this is definitely not so simple." His voice was steady but carried a trace of chill. "This should be the beginning of a major move by the Senju Clan. Tobirama Senju will probably make a move against some of Konoha's clans next." He paused briefly, then continued, "All our death-warrior special operations teams have Sealing Jutsu in their brains, so there shouldn't be any flaws in principle. But none of our people were involved in the earlier murders of the Senju clansmen, were they?" In truth, he wasn't sure either. He feared that some clan might have acted on its own for short-term gain, leaving behind a fatal danger.
Kazuo Shinozuka's face went deathly pale at once, and beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead. "My clansmen... killed four Senju clansmen who were on missions." His voice began to tremble involuntarily. "They shouldn't have left any evidence." He desperately tried to recall the details of those operations, praying that his clansmen had been careful enough not to leave anything Tobirama Senju could use against them. He thought that if the Senju Clan really did find out, his clan would likely face annihilation.
Shikaboshi Nara's face darkened, and he said coldly, "You'd better pray they didn't leave any flaws. Otherwise, your clan will be in serious trouble. We'd also better hope there were no flaws with our death-warrior special operations team this time, or we'll all be in serious trouble. Tobirama Senju is definitely no pushover. Hashirama no longer handles affairs, and Madara Uchiha is dead. There's no one left who can keep him in check. More than a dozen Senju clansmen have died right after he took office, and now the clan heir has been assassinated in Konoha. Tell me, will he go mad and use this as a reason to wipe out a clan to establish his authority?" The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, and the deeper his worries grew. He knew how ruthless Tobirama Senju could be. To protect the Senju Clan's position and dignity, he was entirely capable of wiping out a clan.
Kazuo Shinozuka began to panic. "Then what do we do next?" he asked urgently. "If it comes to it, we'll strike first and fight the Senju Clan to the bitter end!" Blinded by anger and fear, he wanted only to find a solution quickly, even if it meant mutual destruction. Thinking of his clan's honor and dignity and of his dead clansmen, he felt his anger flare up again.
Shikaboshi Nara sneered, his eyes full of disdain. "I told you long ago not to act on your own, and now you want to fight to the bitter end? The fish might die, but the net might not even break. The ninja of all our clans combined make up only one-eighth of Konoha's total. Besides, a ninja's strength isn't determined by numbers. Even if both sides were destroyed, what good would that do us? What we need to do is live as parasites on the Senju Clan and make them the best nourishment for our growth." He knew that confronting the Senju Clan head-on would be like throwing an egg against a rock. He considered how to preserve his own clan through this crisis while also gaining more benefits from the Senju Clan.
He paused, then continued, "I advise any clans that might be exposed to send their gifted young disciples out of Konoha immediately. Otherwise, if your clans are called to account, you might not even be able to preserve your family lines." He surveyed the room, his gaze conveying an unquestionable authority. He knew that only by preserving their clans' hope could they rise again in the future.