Passing through the Senju clan compound, Aizen couldn't help but feel a deep sadness lingering in the atmosphere.
So far, he had seen only the elderly and the young. The middle-aged shinobi were notably scarce.
He knew the likely reason. They had probably been quietly removed under the guise of the Second Ninja War.
Of course, they couldn't eliminate everyone outright. The Senju and Uchiha didn't become the strongest clans through mere reputation. They couldn't be openly targeted. Most likely, it was the upcoming Third Ninja War that would mark their true end. After all, Mito Uzumaki had still been alive for some years following the war, offering the Senju a sliver of protection.
But that protection was now gone.
What remained of the Senju clan was soon to follow, withered and erased like an inconvenient memory.
A chill ran down Aizen's spine at the thought. The Konoha elders were terrifyingly clever. The Senju had never expected this. No one had.
Most believed that, being Tobirama's students, the leadership would only target the Uchiha. But the twist had been as brutal as it was unexpected.
The Senju, the clan known as the loving heart of the village, was left to rot. And the Uzumaki, their closest allies, had been destroyed completely. By the time anyone realised what had happened, it was already too late. The sharpest minds in the village had begun to understand the terrifying political cunning of the Third Hokage.
And that was why no one ever opposed him.
Aizen couldn't help but feel a flicker of pity for them. After all, with the Uchiha, the situation had always been tense, unstable, political. But the Senju were betrayed quietly and unexpectedly.
Still, it was clear. The Senju were no longer what they once were and probably never would be again, unless a miracle occurred.
Knock. Knock.
He rapped his knuckles lightly on the door, arriving at the location the guards had directed him to. Truthfully, he hadn't expected to be allowed in. Knowing Tsunade's temperament, he was certain she would deny his request outright.
But when the guard returned and told him she'd agreed to see him, he was genuinely taken aback, momentarily dumbfounded.
The door opened with a soft creak, and a stern voice greeted him.
"Come in. Lady Tsunade is waiting."
"Thank you for letting me in," Aizen said with a respectful bow. Still, his mind lingered on the man, wondering whether he was merely a subordinate or if someone else of interest was present as well.
As they approached a room near the end of the hallway, the man came to a halt.
"You can go in," he said flatly, making it clear he had no intention of following.
Aizen stood before the door, pausing politely.
"May I come in?" he asked, wanting to receive permission first.
"Come in," a calm voice replied from within.
Hearing the response, Aizen gently pushed the door open and stepped inside.
What came into view was a woman with long blonde hair and a faintly glowing diamond-shaped mark on her forehead.
She's already maintaining the Yin Seal? Aizen mused, eyes scanning briefly before forcing himself to focus.
He made sure not to let his gaze linger on the melons proudly defying gravity beneath her cloak. Nope. Focus. You're not here for that, idiot.
Still, she was far from the Tsunade of the future. Aizen nodded subtly to himself, thinking that her body still needed a few more years and a lot more nutrients to fill out the way he remembered.
"What happened?" Tsunade asked, frowning slightly as she noticed Aizen lost in thought. She couldn't help but wonder why an Uchiha had come to see her in the first place.
Her impression of the clan wasn't exactly warm. Sure, the Uchiha had fought bravely in both Great Ninja Wars, some even serving directly under her command, but the bitterness ran deep. Her grandfather, Hashirama Senju, had died not long after his final battle with Uchiha Madara, and no matter how much the records claimed that Madara had broken off from the clan, the village had never truly separated him from the Uchiha name.
To Tsunade, the resentment lingered, not just as a memory but as an undercurrent that shaped her instincts.
"Sorry, I was just lost in thought," Aizen said quickly, snapping out of his daze. "I'm lucky to have the chance to meet you, after all."
"Oh?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, her tone sharp. "You think you're lucky?"
Aizen acted as if he hadn't noticed the edge in her voice, focusing only on her words. "Of course," he replied, his expression sincere. "You're Tsunade Senju, granddaughter of the First Hokage, grand-niece of the second Hokage, student of the Third, one of the Legendary Sannin, the finest medical-nin in the entire Shinobi world, and one of the village's top combatants. Meeting someone like you is nothing short of a blessing."
His eyes gleamed, but whether it was admiration or strategy behind them, only he knew.
Tsunade coughed lightly, clearly taken aback by the sudden burst of enthusiasm.
"You've got quite the silver tongue for a kid," she muttered, folding her arms across her chest. Was she really that great?
She gave him a pointed look, her sharp eyes scanning for any cracks in his cheerful expression.
"But alright, you've got my attention. Speak. What brings an Uchiha to my door?"
Ignoring her question entirely, Aizen leaned forward slightly, eyes wide with something close to admiration.
"It's not flattery," he said earnestly. "Isn't it all true? Even now, you're working tirelessly in Konoha Hospital. You don't just fight, you heal. You live the Will of Fire the Third Hokage believes in."
His words came out fast, almost breathless, like a fan on the verge of rambling.
"You're proof that a shinobi shouldn't just grow stronger to protect themselves, but to be able to help others. Just like the Third Hokage, protecting the village in his own way."
Seeing him continue to praise both her and the Hokage, Tsunade couldn't help but wonder to herself, was he really an Uchiha?
He didn't stop.
"When the tree's leaves dance,
One shall find flames.
The fire's shadow will light the village,
And the leaves shall bloom again."
Aizen recited softly, as if repeating something sacred.
"You fought in the Second Ninja War, side by side with countless others, protecting the village just like the Third Hokage once did. Like an old tree standing firm, shielding the young roots beneath it, taking the sunlight, the rain, the dust, and the storm without hesitation."
His voice held neither mockery nor agenda. Just something strangely honest.
*********
Other village situation