Danzo understood the situation clearly, which was why he remained seated in silence until the very end of the meeting.
> "I must create my own organization—one that can do in the shadows what the village cannot."
As this thought ran through his mind, Danzo's head remained bowed, but his eyes gleamed with an ever-growing intensity. Determination surged within him like a rising tide.
---
Back at his residence, Jaxon stormed into his room, his steps heavy with frustration. He paced back and forth for a few minutes before calming down just enough to open a drawer and pull out a sealed letter. With firm resolve, he stepped outside and handed the envelope directly to Afu, who had been waiting quietly near the door.
"Take this letter to my father in the capital," Jaxon ordered curtly.
Afu didn't ask questions. Although he didn't know exactly what had transpired, it wasn't hard to guess that it had something to do with the Hokage. Without a word, he accepted the envelope with both hands, bowed slightly, and turned to leave, vanishing swiftly into the village streets.
---
Meanwhile, inside the Senju Clan compound...
Tsunade looked like she had just rolled out of bed. Her usually smooth, golden hair was wildly tousled, as though she had been caught in a storm. She wore a pair of loose pajamas, the collar slightly open to reveal a sliver of porcelain skin. Her long, flawless legs were fully exposed to the air, as pale and smooth as jade, evoking a subtle allure. On her feet were a pair of worn slippers that clacked loudly with each step as she stomped through the corridor.
She looked nothing like the refined daughter of a noble clan. Her posture was casual, even sloppy, and her face held a scowl of irritation. Just like that, Tsunade barged into the room where Uzumaki Mito sat, utterly ignoring decorum or image.
Upon seeing her grandmother, Tsunade didn't hesitate to speak her mind.
"Grandma! Is that bastard Jaxon really coming to our house?" she demanded, hands on her hips, eyebrows drawn tightly together. A fiery glint burned in her brown eyes.
Uzumaki Mito, calmly seated on the edge of her bed, sighed heavily. Her gaze settled on Tsunade's chaotic appearance, and a look of helplessness flickered in her eyes.
"Look at yourself," she scolded gently but firmly. "You sleep half the day away, you roam around in your pajamas, and now you barge in like this. Who raised you to behave like this?"
But Tsunade brushed off her grandmother's words as though she hadn't heard a thing. Her mind was preoccupied with only one concern—Jaxon's visit.
"Don't change the subject! Just tell me—is that bastard really coming here?"
Mito nodded solemnly. "He is a noble, after all. Since he's traveled all this way, we must treat him with courtesy. But look at you now. You're a disgrace to our clan! Go and change into something presentable. Now!"
Her voice grew sharper as she spoke. She loved her granddaughter dearly, but Tsunade's reckless behavior left her both exasperated and worried.
"You may be a girl," Mito muttered under her breath, "but you act exactly like your grandfather…"
Tsunade, however, was having none of it.
"If he really shows up, I won't let him off lightly! I'll show him just how strong I've become!" she grumbled, rolling her eyes dramatically as she turned to leave.
Still, she could feel the weight of Mito's stern gaze behind her and decided it was better not to push her luck. Huffing and puffing, she stomped away like an angry teenager, muttering curses under her breath with each step.
---
Outside the room, a small figure was peeking around the corner, quietly observing the commotion. The moment Tsunade noticed him, the figure tried to bolt—but she was quicker.
In a flash, she appeared behind him and caught him by the collar, lifting him off the ground effortlessly.
"You little brat! Trying to run, are you?" she growled.
The squirming captive was none other than her younger brother, Senju Nawaki. He gave her a sheepish grin, clearly nervous under her grip.
"Sis! I… I was just passing by, I swear!"
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Passing by, huh? Then why were you hiding behind the wall?"
"I came to see Grandma!" Nawaki insisted. "I wasn't going to run!"
"Liar," Tsunade snorted. "Anyway, never mind that. Come and play a few rounds of gambling with me!"
"Huh? No! Sis—wait! Let me go!"
Despite his frantic resistance, Tsunade dragged him by the collar all the way to her room, completely ignoring his protests.
---
At that very moment, Jaxon and Afu were arriving at the Senju Clan estate.
"Truly worthy of a thousand-year-old clan," Jaxon murmured, gazing up at the majestic plaque above the gate. The bold characters for "Senju" gleamed under the sun, flanked by the clan's crest. Though Konoha had existed for decades, the wooden signage looked freshly carved.
The craftsmanship was exquisite—timeless. Even the massive wooden pillars at the entrance showed no signs of wear or rot.
> This must be Senju Hashirama's doing, Jaxon thought. He likely used his Wood Release to grow this entire gate in one breath.
Even though Hashirama had died years ago, the gate remained a testament to his might. Just standing before it, Jaxon could feel the weight of history pressing down on him.
"Young Master," Afu said from behind, carrying a bundle of documents and gifts, "according to our plan, the Senju Clan isn't very useful to us, is it?"
It was true. The current business strategy only considered a handful of clans in Konoha to be relevant partners, and the Senju weren't on that list.
Jaxon smiled faintly.
> I can't tell him that I'm here just to replicate a plot point, can I?
Out loud, he said, "Cooperation is important—but etiquette is even more crucial. We've visited so many other clans already. Skipping the Senju, who once produced the First Hokage, would make us appear disrespectful. Besides, our families share a distant bond."
Indeed, Tsunade's mother was the younger sister of the current Daimyo of the Land of Fire. That made her a cousin to Jaxon's father, albeit a very distant one.
"I see," Afu nodded thoughtfully. "Understood, Young Master."
"Let's go knock."
---
Though not yet as desolate as it would become in later years, the Senju estate already showed signs of decline. Once filled with vibrant energy, the compound now stood eerily quiet. Grass and weeds crept up along the paths, and empty courtyards stretched out in all directions.
The clan's golden age had long since passed.
Most of its members had gradually lost hope and integrated into Konoha's civilian population, giving up the pride and responsibility of the Senju name.
Still, those who remained numbered in the hundreds—perhaps over a thousand. They either couldn't bear to leave or still clung to a shred of hope for revival.
Each of them had witnessed the clan's fall from grace.
As Jaxon stepped through the front gate, he could feel their eyes on him—cautious, curious, perhaps even resentful. He straightened his robe and took a deep breath. Though this visit served a personal purpose, he would carry it out with the formality expected of a nobleman.
He adjusted his sleeves, gave Afu a slight nod, and stepped into the heart of the fading legacy known as the Senju Clan.
Øóffer going on for diamond tier
pàtreøn (Gk31)