"..."
After hearing her granduncle's explanation, Tsunade finally understood that the whole thing had been a performance.
Looking at his beloved granddaughter, Hashirama Senju asked, "Little Tsunade, something seems off. Your appearance... is it a disguise?"
"Of course, nothing escapes your eyes, Grandpa," Tsunade chuckled lightly. "I'm already over forty years old..."
"You're almost fifty?" Hashirama tilted his head in surprise, muttering, "Time flies so fast; my granddaughter is this old already..."
Tsunade glared, "Grandpa, I'm just over forty! I'm not fifty yet! Don't use the word 'old' in front of me!"
Tobirama Senju, amused by his brother's bluntness, said, "Big brother, you haven't changed, whether alive or dead."
Tobirama then walked over to Tsunade, smiling, "Little Tsunade, the last time I saw you, you were a cute little girl. It's hard to believe you've grown up to be such a beauty."
Tsunade smiled, "Uncle Tobirama always knows what to say."
Tobirama had always doted on his brother's granddaughter. Even when conducting his research on new jutsus, he often brought Tsunade along, letting her doodle around without ever getting angry.
Seeing Tsunade so close to his brother while ignoring him, Hashirama felt a bit jealous. He cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to change the subject.
"Ahem... Little Tsunade, who is the current Hokage?"
"It's my teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi. He told me it was Uncle Tobirama's decision," Tsunade replied.
Tobirama nodded in affirmation, "Indeed. In terms of leadership and strength, Sarutobi was qualified to be Hokage. Most importantly, he has a heart willing to sacrifice for the village and his comrades."
Hashirama seemed satisfied, "If Sarutobi is leading the village, then I am at ease. He truly embodies the Will of Fire. You made a good choice, Tobirama."
"But tell me, how is the village now? How are the Senju and Uchiha clans getting along?"
Hearing his brother's question, Tobirama also looked at Tsunade, eager to know the answer.
"Uh..." Tsunade lowered her head, avoiding eye contact, reluctant to answer.
Sensing Tsunade's hesitation, Jiraiya stepped forward, "Allow me to explain, my Lords. I'm Jiraiya, like Tsunade, a student of the Third Hokage."
Tobirama examined Jiraiya, noting the presence of Fukasaku and Shima on his shoulders, and greeted them respectfully, "Since regaining consciousness, I've noticed the presence of the two Sages from Mount Myoboku. I apologize if we were rude earlier."
Fukasaku replied politely, "No worries, we understand. It's not your fault. It's getting late, and we still need to prepare dinner for the children. You all continue your discussion."
"Safe travels, Sages."
With two puffs of smoke, Fukasaku and Shima disappeared from Jiraiya's shoulders.
Hashirama looked approvingly at Jiraiya, "So you're Jiraiya. Being recognized by the two Sages and becoming a Sage yourself is quite an achievement. Now, please tell us, what has become of the Senju and Uchiha clans..."
Seeing Tsunade's earlier reaction, Hashirama had a bad feeling. He was desperate to know the truth.
Jiraiya sighed deeply and began, "The Senju clan has almost fallen into obscurity..."
"After the deaths of you two, we faced issues with the instability of the Nine-Tails. My teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and other village leaders decided to initiate a cell transplant project..."
"The cells were sourced from you, First Hokage, because your power could perfectly suppress the Nine-Tails' rampages."
"Initially, the entire village knew about it, and many volunteered to be subjects for the transplant, with most being members of the Senju clan. Given their close blood relation to you, the village leaders believed their chances of success were higher..."
"But unfortunately... Your cells were too strong. Regardless of whether they were other volunteers or your clan members, all who received the transplant perished. Eventually, my teacher had to halt the experiment and seal it away as a dark history, never to be mentioned again."
Hearing the word "experiment," Hashirama's face darkened, and he twitched slightly, pointing at Tobirama and scolding, "Another dangerous human experiment! Tobirama, tell me honestly, was this plan your idea? When I was alive, you always loved these kinds of things. You sacrificed many innocent lives for your Edo Tensei, didn't you?"
Tobirama, unfazed by his brother's scolding, replied with pride, "As long as it protects the village, I'll use any means necessary. Mercy has no place on the battlefield, Brother! When will you understand that? Besides, I had nothing to do with this particular experiment. You're my brother; I wouldn't be cold-hearted enough to experiment with your cells..."
Seeing Tobirama's denial, Hashirama dropped the subject.
To break the tension, Jiraiya quickly interjected, "Because of this experiment, the Senju clan lost many members..."
"Even though the experiment was stopped, Danzo and Orochimaru secretly continued it, using children as test subjects for the cell transplants. In the end, only one child successfully adapted to the cells. When my teacher discovered these horrible acts, he brought the child into the ANBU. If I remember correctly, he should be an adult by now..."
Tsunade nodded, "Yes, I remember that child. His name is Yamato. He's a few years younger than Kakashi. Seeing him use Wood Release at such a young age was truly astonishing..."
"Wait, I heard you mention Danzo?" Tobirama was more interested in the name Danzo than the child using Wood Release.
"Yes, that's him! Most of the village's troubles can be traced back to him!" Tsunade fumed. "Grandpa, Uncle Tobirama, after you both passed away, there were two more great wars. Our remaining Senju clan members perished on the battlefield, even my little brother Nawaki..."
Thinking of Nawaki's death brought tears to Tsunade's eyes.
"Nawaki was born after you two passed, twelve years younger than me. He died so young, with his whole life ahead of him, on the battlefield..."
"My grandson... His name was Nawaki?" Hashirama, learning he had a grandson who died young, couldn't help but feel sorrowful.
Tsunade continued, "It's all Danzo's fault! I'm sure he did it on purpose! As a senior advisor of the village, he constantly sent Senju clan members to the most dangerous battlefields! And the idea to prioritize Senju members for the cell transplant experiments must have been his!"
Tsunade's anger was palpable, but there was nothing she could do back then. Her status was not high enough to challenge Danzo, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's tolerance of Danzo only added to her frustration.
"Since then, the Senju clan has been severely weakened. The few remaining members left the village, and even I left. I've only recently returned..."
"Grandpa, Uncle Tobirama, the Senju clan... is finished!"
Hashirama and Tobirama's faces remained expressionless, but their hearts were heavy with grief.
The once world-renowned Senju clan had fallen?
It was something they could never have imagined, even in death and resurrection.
Tobirama quickly asked, "What about the Uchiha clan? How are they faring?"
Without the restraint of the Senju clan, he feared the Uchiha might run amok.
Even Tobirama, strong as he was, felt a sense of unease.
But Tsunade's words shocked the brothers.
"They're also finished..."
"But they've recently regained some strength. Two years ago, the Uchiha clan was massacred..."
"What?"
Hashirama and Tobirama asked in unison, "The Uchiha clan was massacred? By whom?"
Tsunade gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with hatred, "At first, I thought it was an internal conflict within the Uchiha. But I recently learned the truth! The mastermind behind the massacre... was Danzo! Since he took power, Konoha has known no peace!"
"Wrong!!!"
A strong voice suddenly interrupted from behind them.
"Danzo was merely a scapegoat..."
And so, the story continues. If you enjoyed this chapter, please remember to add to the library and follow for more updates and support me on my Patreon if you want good quality and more chapters: patreon.com/Betek.