Senju Clan

Senju Clan Symbol

*"With Nature as our guide, We'll never be led astray.*

*With Honour on our side, We'll never glance away.*

*As Senju, proud of all, we stand here today,*

*Big or small, our clan will not fade away!"*

One of the two establishing clans of Konohagakure, the Senju clan were once a Great Taika clan which had a prominent stand among the Taika clans. In present time, they have suffered some decline, but they still have a historical honor among the different clans

## Traits

* Wind Release Affinity

While this is not a well known fact, many of the shinobi that came from the Senju clan have Wind Release as their affinity.

* Connection to Nature

Many of the Senju traditions or main occupations revolve around some kind of connection to the nature. They also have immense respect towards anyone who possesses the Wood Release, which they view as the most direct connection to nature one could have among the shinobi, and the same release both Gakuro Senju and their mythical founder had.

* Muddy-colours

The majority of the Senju have brown hair and eyes, something which makes them appear much more like a common person, but something they take pride in, as they feel it shows a connection between them and the mud from which many more plants grow.

## History

Most of the history of the Senju, specifically that of the times before the Warring Clans Era, had been lost due to the loss of old temples to time, along with many records.

### The Times prior to the Warring Clans Era

*No records exist of this*

Throughout the times prior to the Warring Clans, the Senju would see a rise in their power and prestige. Thanks to both what were considered impressive diplomatic capabilities and a very capable show of strength, other smaller clans began following the Senju. There were some who claimed a connection between the Sage and the clan existed throughout this time, but without any support from the clan leaders of the time those claims quickly vanished.

Thanks to the growing influence of the clan and the increase in power, the Senju soon attracted the attention of another prominent clan, being the Uchiha clan. Knowing this occurred, the Senju reached out to them, and after some negotiations, a trade agreement was formed between the two clans. After some time, with trust having been established between the two clans, the trade agreement have turned into a full alliance, one which appeared to be one of the strongest alliances in the Taika clans.

There were also many tales of how the Senju dealt with traitors from within the clans, ones who tried to turn the clan into one that was completely militaristic. Those tales often ended with incredibly harsh and unusual punishments for the traitors, something that led to the idea that those who took on the name of Senju should not try and go against the wishes of the clan. The most notable tale was that of Mosamura Senju, who tried causing a full war with a clan that was much smaller and still independent. Although his attempt failed, the smaller clan ended up deciding to follow the Senju, thanks to the was the ongoing events were resolved. Mosamura himself was caged, and then the cage was placed in a river, so that the nature will keep flowing over him and remind him of the deed he had committed until the end of his days.

### Warring Clans Era

*Few records exist of this*

During these times, the Senju initially kept seeing a rise in their prestige and power, as they helped the smaller Taika clans around them, offering those clans protection and aid. Initially, there were some worries about the Tokugawa, who waged a war along with the Hon against their allies, the Uchiha and Hanta. However, having never received a call to arms from their allies, the Senju kept their focus on the smaller clans, either keeping them safe in exchange for support, or having them assimilated into the clan as part of keeping the people safe.

Eventually, however, the Senju saw themselves enter what would be considered the biggest conflict of the Warring Clans era. Not willing to see the smaller clan be led astray by the deceits of the Cho, the Senju attempted to call them out for their lies. The Cho stood their ground, calling the Senju as the aggressors, and soon enough, this led to the Cho-Senju Confrontation.

Upon the Confrontation's end, having been the loss of the Senju, it was clear that the clan suffered greatly. Both its military power had been severely harmed, and the clan had lost its leader. The void that has been left in the leadership caused an upset in the clan, with many trying to claim the title of the clan leader. After some internal upset, a leader was elected. However, much of the clan did not see the appointment as a good one, which would see the beginning of the decline of the Senju.

The remainder of the era saw the clan go back to doing what it had done before, helping the smaller clans secure their standings and stay alive. However, it became clear that not everyone was as eager to serve in the military as before, and some members where beginning to spread rumours of the clan leadership being a much weaker one now. By the time the era ended, the Senju clan was being led by Gakuro Senju, with the clan's opinion of his leadership being split. Some called him the best leader in a century, and some called him the worst.

### The Formation of Konohagakure

The Warring Era had come to pass, and with it came the time for the Senju's diplomatic side to finally shine. The young leader of the Senju clan at the time, Gakuro Senju, had approached the much respected elder leader of the Uchiha, Yoshimitsu Uchiha. Together they had settled on the details that would lead to the formation of one of the very first Shinobi villages, Konohagakure. They had performed a public voting on who should be the first leader, with the choice that was made being Gakuro. While he had been uncertain himself, he did receive the support of Yoshimitsu, something which boosted the young leader's confidence.

Slowly and steadily, the village would grow, with Gakuro setting his sights on being the best leader he can be for the village. While many of his clan members begun feeling as though he was putting the village before the clan, Gakuro kept reassuring them this was not the case, and that both were equally important in his eyes. He kept the traditions alive as best as he could, and also begun to delegate some responsibilities to those he trusted within the clan to perform some.

Due to the delegations of responsibilities and his lessened appearances in clan events, many people within the clan had began losing their faith in the leadership. This led to the beginning of a phenomenon in which members of the clan started looking to other clans for a sense of union, as the feeling was beginning to be at a loss in the clan in their opinion. It was mostly done through marriages into other clans, but some also elected to try and find a home elsewhere, and leave behind the name Senju. There were those who also chose to simply take up a new home in the young Konohagakure village, but stay away from the Senju compound. This change also saw the decline in the maintenance of the Senju settlements, which would eventually make them turn into the shadow of what they once were.

After 30 years, Gakuro eventually passed away, and his daughter, the militaristic Shizume, took over as a leader. Many initially viewed this as a poor choice, for she better on a battlefield than in politics, and it still did not help bolster the trust of the clan members within the leadership.

### The Great Shinobi War and Afterwards

Even though their numbers kept declining, Shizume still believed in the militaristic force of the clan. She made sure to support the village as much as possible with clan members, while still leaving some to protect the clan grounds. Throughout the first year, this seemed to work, but during the second year it has proven to fail, as Shizume's own son was kidnapped by Earth Country forces as an attempt to cause the Fire Country harm by forcing her, one the generals, to give up in favor of her own son's life. This led to a tactic being formed by Shizume, one that was just barely accepted by the village leadership too. The action ended up taking out a couple of generals from the Earth Country, along with several troops, but also saw the loss of Shizume Senju.

An urgent voting took place among the Senju council, which saw the rise of Nakashima Senju, Gakuro's first grandson, to the leadership. While the young man had managed to lead the clan through the war, many thought he lacked the experience to lead them afterwards, concerns that only grew once the war have ended and the man started showing more erratic and paranoid behavior. Soon enough, Nakashima attacked his own sibling and uncle before fleeing the village, leaving the clan once more without a leader. Masaru was elected to become a temporary leader at first, before being voted to become a permanent leader.

Masaru's leadership saw a more stable time for the clan. Less people became inclined to leave the clan under him, but he could not convince those who left to return, as they lost their faith in the clan. Masaru made sure the clan kept sustaining itself while also supporting the village, but unlike his father, he had put the focus on the clan rather than the village.

For the first five years, Masaru led the clan in what many view was a calm and rather uneventful way. The next four years of his leadership, however, saw a change for the worse, as his actions begun being influenced by those around him. Eventually, at the year of 473, Masaru was led to a trap which brought upon his death.

There was some speculations regarding if either of Gakuro's descendants, Sakamoto Senju or Gakuro Senju (The Second, son of Shizume Senju), would step up as potential candidates, but neither did initially. Through the support of Sakamoto, Gakuro stepped up to the voting and ended up as one of two final candidates, eventually managing to win over the people.

By 474, a year later, Gakuro had performed several changes that were meant to attract back former clan members or their children, while also working on preserving the history that led the clan and village to this point. His leadership saw the lowest point of the decline, but also the very slow beginning of a rise in numbers. Gakuro had also made the rather outrageous claim that the Senju should not be called a "Clan" anymore, something which he ended up taking back upon seeing the numbers of the members in the clan begin to slowly rise back.

## Members

***Current Clan Leader:***

Gakuro Senju (The Second) (male), aged 21, not married.

***Current Heir:*** None currently.

***Notable Characters:***

Sakamoto Senju (Deceased, 474) (male) - Former member of the Third Hokage Guard and ANBU of Konohagakure.

***Current Leading Line:***

The family line of Gakuro Senju (The First, goes a bit further back but unrecorded)

## Military

### Techniques

The Senju clan is quite notable in the aspect that they have no known unique or special techniques that separate them from other clans. There are rumours that such techniques may have existed in the past for users of Wood Release, but those have been lost to time.

### Taijutsu Fighting Style - Nezashita

While the Senju do not have any clan unique techniques, they do possess a special fighting style, which is based on their connection to nature, and more specifically, the trees. It is unknown who exactly created this style of Taijutsu, but it is known that in order to perform it correctly, one must learn to follow a few rules:

1) Always remain connected to the ground. 2) Never use a fist. 3) Never let your sight stray. 4) Never take a life using this style.

These rules, when mastered, are said to allow a person to both become immobile as a tree, without the need of Chakra. While this an exaggeration, masters of this style are known to be much more difficult to move from a singular spot. It has been said on masters of the Nezashita that they are effectively as rooted into the ground as an actual tree, having learned to utilize the way nature moves.

Many also question the fourth rule at first, not understanding what is it for. But masters of the Nezashita know that the thought of killing another, regardless of the reason, will always disrupt the mindset required for this style, and thus those who try learning this style in order to take another's life will never be capable of truly achieving this.

### Formal Guard - The Wood Safekeepers

While not commonly known by the large public, the Senju clan has their own guards. They are not considered elite when compared to any of the village's special units, but those are guards which are given free roam access to anywhere on the compound at any time. Due to this, they are chosen with strict overlook by the clan leader and the head of the clan's security, who is the person the Wood Safekeepers consider as their superior.

The Wood Safekeepers follow a very strict set of rules given to them, which they can only disobey should one of the rules clash with the safety of the Village, or Empire. They are also given special training in at least two weapons multiple times a year, with those training sessions being provided by either clan experts or hired experts. All of the Wood Safekeepers are capable of using the Nezashita, though they are not required to master it. Since the addition of the War Academy, there is also an obligation to attend the War Academy at least twice a month.

This Formal Guard does have a unique armor set they receive once they are accepted to the Guard, but rather a patch they must sew onto their regular uniform. This patch is usually placed upon the shoulder of a uniform, and is the only indicator of the person being a Wood Safekeeper. If the patch becomes damaged or it is removed directly, a seal that is set upon it will cause it to quickly ignite and turn to ash, as a means to prevent anyone from attempting to pretend to be a Wood Safekeeper. The igniting will also occur if anyone attempts to sew a patch a second time onto a cloth, thus requiring all members to procure new patches should they acquire new uniforms. The patches are made on the spot for each member of the Guard in order to prevent any counterfeiting.

## Traditions

Many traditions were abandoned over the years, being either completely put aside or replaced with younger versions of the traditions as time passed and leaders changed, however the most recent leader, Gakuro Senju (The Second), brought back several of the old traditions back.

It is very clear many of the traditions are based around appreciating the nature and the circle of life.

The Senju clan do not have any special ways of celebrating the new year itself, aside from having a small feast that is kept to members of the clan, and it is thus not regarded as an extra special day, but rather only the passing of a year.

### Special Days

* 7th January, ***Day of the Growth***

 This is the day which is meant to celebrate the growth of the younger members. Anyone who is beneath the age of 16 gets to run around and spread sprouts around the compound, in order to showcase how much they want to grow and "sprout" further.

At the day's Sunrise, all those who will turn 16 in the current year escort the members of the Senju council to the council hall. There, they each receive a task they must achieve. This effectively sends all those who are eligible to be acknowledged as adults to a Rite of Passage for the clan. These tasks are not hard in nature, and only serve to show the loyalty the new adults have to the clan and to the nature. They can always be achieved within a day, and the new adults have until Sundown to perform their task.

At Sundown, the families have the option to gather at the local Senju community center, and celebrate with others the growth of the children into adults.

* 10th April, ***The Test of Skill***

Once a year, on this day, any rising shinobi, be it a shinobi of the village or not, who did not pass this before may participate in a test of their skills. This test can go through any of the potential skills a shinobi needs to know. In order to set it properly, no one is allowed to know of what the yearly test will be until that very day, except for the clan leader and those who set it up. This test usually takes place in one of the old hidden shelters or temples, but new and temporary set ups have been created for the occasion as well. It is required for members of the clan to pass this in order to be eligible to apply for the Wood Safekeepers.

* 15th June, ***Festival of the Green***

On the Day of Green, anyone who has an occupation that has any connection to nature, be it farming, fishing, woodcutting and so on, they get a day's rest. There is a large celebration that goes on in the Senju lands and compounds, open for all who wish to join from both the clan and out of it. There are stalls and festivities all around, with the green theme being ever present.

At noon, a local representative of the Senju council speaks at the local community center, and from that point different bands start to play until 4pm. At that time, the bands get off, and instead theater shows, dedicated to nature, are shown, all the way until 9pm. It is then that all activities and festivities stop, in order to allow the nature to rest well, just as they need to rest.

* September 7th-17th, ***Days of Memory, Recollection And Respect***

These ten days have a couple of purposes behind them. The first is remembering all those who had fallen in the past year and paying respects to everyone who gave their life for the clan in one way or another. Each building receives a potted sapling with lantern attached to it, one which they keep lit until the last day, during which they go out and plant the sapling as a show that those who gave their lives will still live on through those who are growing today.

The second purpose is to serve as days which the focus shifts from not just paying respects, but also learning about the past. There are small plaques of information regarding each family within the Senju clan that are set up (Only if given prior permission), and then the wider public can come into the cities or the compound and read about the many people who helped the clan in one way or another. At noon of each of those days, except for the first and last, there is a lecture held by one of the members of the Council about a historic topic of their choosing, and the lecture ends after an hour with one minute of silence for those who died in the past year.

* September 30th & October 1st - ***Winter's Bounty Day***

During this days, there is a small ritual that occurs in order to raise the spirits of the clan members ahead of Winter. A note that says "Bounty" is carried away by a wild pigeon and taken to an unknown spot (The note is never safely attached to the pigeon and thus gets carried away by the wind not long after the pigeon flies off). The children of the clan then need to find it in order to bring forth the blessing of nature with the note for the workers for the upcoming winter. If they do not manage to bring it before midnight of that day, then a prayer is shared among the present members. The Senju council then speaks to the clan, reminding them how nature will always allow them to share in its bounty as long as they keep respecting it.

* December 30th - ***Regrowing Connections Time***

On this day, there are no special celebrations. The day is meant for anyone who feels they need to apologize or reconnect with anyone else within the clan and have not done so before this day. This day offers up a special occasion to do so as within the tradition, the members of the clan need to listen to what anyone has to say, putting aside their personal feelings until the words of the other have been spoken. Once that is done, they may choose whatever course of action they wish, but forgiveness on this day will also be much more highly regarded by anyone in the clan, as it shows they have chosen to regrow a broken or completely burnt bridge before the new year arrives.

## Relations

* Uchiha Clan : Allied

The Uchiha and the Senju have had a very long relationship, dating much further than most records can account for. The Senju view the Uchiha as brothers, and they will not hesitate to show support to them should any kind of issue will rise.

* Homura Dynasty : Loyal

The Senju view the birth of the Homura Dynasty and the ruling of Kiyomi over the Empire of Akino as the next step in the growth that has been occurring in the lands around them since the creation of Konohagakure. Not only do they have no issues with this change, but they are willing to keep helping push forward the Empire and the Homura Dynasty.

* Hon Clan : Respected

The clan did not approach the Senju or the first Hokage regarding joining the village while the first Hokage was still in charge, which made them wary of the clan at first, but once the Hon joined the village during the ruling of the second Hokage and they got to start working alongside them, they begun respecting the clan, something which only grew as they saw the rise of Zakito Hon, and later of Kiyomi Sato-Hon, who shall later be known as Kiyomi Homura, the first Empress.

* Cho clan : Respected, Resentful

Due to the shared history of the two clans, the Senju have grown to respect the military prowess the other clan has, but also remained quite resentful due to how the confrontation between the two have ended. Since the Cho clan joined Konohagakure, however, the resentment has decreased slightly. The belief the victory should've been the Senju's, however, remains.

* Other Konohagakure Clans - Friendly

The Senju clan view all other clans that support the village they helped created in some manner in a friendly manner. They may not have the full respect of the clan, but as long as the support keeps being present, the friendly manner will remain.