Chapter 129: Who Said the Senju Clan Was Gone?!
After she shouted it out loud.
Tsunade seemed to calm down a bit. She was indeed furious. After all, she was one of the Sannin, and in terms of seniority, she was on the same level as Jiraiya. And the brat in front of her was Minato's disciple—no matter how you looked at it, she was his senior. How he found out about her Strength of a Hundred Technique wasn’t something she could control. But how could he take someone else’s side?
“Come back to Konoha with me. I’ll help you beat him up.”
Hakken shook his head. He wasn’t exposing Tsunade’s trump card just to stir trouble; he only wanted to stop her from fighting the Nine-Tails. If she really lost her temper, this little town wouldn’t survive. Tsunade might not die, but she would definitely get hurt. Creation Rebirth came with heavy side effects. Stopping this fight was for her own good.
Right now, Hakken just wanted to talk to her properly about returning to the village. Once she was back, he still needed to head to the Land of Earth for the next step of his plan. He couldn’t keep Shisui and the others waiting.
“Why should I go back with you?”
Letting out a cold snort, Tsunade returned to her seat. She was still fuming. Calling her an old woman was bad enough, but dragging her grandfather Hashirama Senju into it? That was the Senju clan’s very symbol of faith.
“Fine. Then I’ll change the way we talk.”
Hakken shook his head, lifted his gourd for a drink, and glanced at Kurama.
“And you—eat your meat quietly, or I’m chopping your head off.”
This time, he was truly angry.
Kurama clicked his tongue and grabbed another piece of grilled meat.
“What do you want to talk about? I already said I’m not going back to Konoha.”
Just hearing the name Konoha made a flash of pain flicker in Tsunade’s eyes. It was a place filled with sorrow. If nothing unexpected happened, she planned to stay away for the rest of her life. She might be drowning in gambling debt out here, but she’d grown used to this drunken, drifting lifestyle. What was there in Konoha for her to return to?
“Let’s talk about the fall of the Senju clan.”
Hakken spoke the most explosive words in the calmest tone.
“Who says the Senju clan fell?”
Tsunade slapped the table again, impatience thick in her voice.
“As far as I know, quite a few members of the Senju clan serve as educators in Konoha.”
“You call those people the Senju clan? May I ask what Senju traits they still possess?”
Hakken smiled, his expression filled with scorn and contempt.
“What exactly are you implying?”
Tsunade’s expression grew solemn. She had the distinct feeling this kid knew something.
“Let me start from the beginning,” Hakken said calmly.
“Hashirama Senju once instructed the Senju clan to integrate into Konoha through intermarriage. To protect his people, he even had them abandon the Senju surname.
But the blood passed down from the Warring States era doesn’t forget its own glory, and the Senju bloodline does not simply vanish.
“So a sizeable branch still exists, hiding their lineage to continue the bloodline. Those who fully assimilated into Konoha are distant relatives at best, with little true Senju blood.”
“But after the deaths of the First and Second Hokage, during the Second Shinobi World War, even that purer bloodline branch was forcibly drafted to the battlefield—including Nawaki Senju, who had just graduated from the Academy.”
“As the fighting went on, something felt wrong.”
“The deaths among those possessing Senju blood—a group that wasn’t small—became more and more outrageous.”
“The First and Second Hokage’s methods of protecting their clan were smart, but certain people targeted the true inheritors of the bloodline.”
Hakken paused slightly and folded his arms.
“The one who acted was Danzō. The one who watched was Hiruzen Sarutobi.”
“The only one who remained was the Third’s disciple, Tsunade, one of the Sannin.”
“Disheartened, you left Konoha.”
Hakken finished in one breath and picked up his gourd again.
“Now, the above is simply my conjecture.
As for where the Senju clan—who once rivaled the Uchiha during the Warring States—actually went…”
“Could you give me an answer?”
Why did the Senju vanish?
Where did the assimilated ones go?
Before the Second Hokage’s death, the Senju clearly had their own compound and many clan members.
Even if they hid themselves for protection, it was impossible for only Tsunade to remain.
Thus, these guesses emerged.
Hakken felt that some details might be off, but the overall direction—pointing straight at Konoha’s higher-ups—was absolutely correct.
And Nawaki’s death was deeply suspicious.
Accidentally triggering explosive tags and getting blown apart, his internal organs even gouged out?
Was such brutality necessary?
What value could a child’s organs possibly hold?
Considering Nawaki’s teacher was Orochimaru, Hakken felt he understood something.
The barbecue shop fell silent. Tsunade held her cup, lost in thought.
She didn’t confirm or deny Hakken’s words, nor did she offer an explanation.
She simply sat there, staring blankly.
Hakken didn’t rush her. He gave Tsunade time to think.
Everything he said touched on her deepest wounds.
He ate grilled meat and drank sake, occasionally clinking cups with Kurama.
Time passed, minute by minute.
Shizune and Jiraiya sat quietly as well.
Hakken glanced outside at the pitch-black late night, then at the shop owner, who seemed desperate to close but too afraid to interrupt. He sighed.
“However, Tsunade-senpai.”
He suddenly stood and raised his cup toward her, his expression deadly serious.
“I do not agree with your grandfather’s decisions.
I believe the Senju clan’s legacy is essential. A village founded by two Hokage needs that banner to continue.”
“I admit I cannot fully approve of the First Hokage’s methods, but he is still Konoha’s unquestioned founder—a hero.
Just like Madara Uchiha, his name will be passed down.”
This brat…
Tsunade lifted her head and stared dumbfounded at him.
“But as you said earlier…
“Who says the Senju clan is extinct?!”
Exuding a trace of dominance, Hakken nodded confidently.
“The Senju still have you—Hashirama Senju’s direct granddaughter.
As long as you live, the Senju legacy can continue!”
“Now, the Third has fully retired. Minato-sensei is determined to change Konoha.
Danzō is dead—his blood spilled on the Pillar of Shame in the center of Konoha.”
“I’ve avenged your clan. In this situation… would you still refuse to return?
“Konoha needs you. It needs the banner of the Senju clan.”
He raised his gourd and took a long drink, then poured the strong liquor into Tsunade’s cup. Hakken took a deep breath and looked at her steadily.
He had done everything he could.
Persuasion wasn’t his strength.
If she refused now, he’d have to throw a sack over her and drag her back.
Under the table, Kurama was gnawing on a sack. Hakken shot him a look.
The message was obvious:
If words fail, we grab her.
Konoha needs me.
The Senju clan, passed down since the Warring States… needs me…
And I won’t have to face that old man’s face anymore…
Her expression shifted from calm, to stirred, to slightly flushed.
Then, suddenly, the old woman snorted a laugh. The sudden shift made Hakken freeze.
“Kid, the true Senju clan… only has me left.”
“What exactly is there to pass on?”
That was a problem.
But that attitude… that sounded like agreement.
Relieved, Hakken suddenly thought of something.
“Simple. I’ll capture Orochimaru later, then have him clone someone using your grandfather’s cells to get a little First Hokage bloodline. You can use that fo—”
Thud!
A fist tapped Hakken’s head, soft enough to feel like a gentle pat.
Tsunade leaned in close, her eyes dangerous.
“Kid, forget cloning. I’m not into that.”
“I’m just thinking… your bloodline’s not bad at all. Even the Nine-Tails couldn’t beat you.”
“Ever heard of robbing the cradle?”