Nara Shikaku, after hearing the summons, could only head alone to the pavilion where Tsunade was resting.
When he arrived, he caught sight of her sitting there, as imposing and striking as ever. He gave a small bow of respect.
"Lady Tsunade, what brings you back to the village?"
His heart brimmed with emotions. Even now, Tsunade carried the same magnetic presence she had in the past. Once, she had been the village's most admired woman—Konoha's beloved beauty. And now, though years had passed, she had grown even more alluring, her mature womanly aura blending with her fiery personality.
Her figure was as captivating as ever, yet in Shikaku's eyes, there was also a melancholy weight. Everyone knew her heart had once belonged to Dan Katō, the man who had died tragically on the battlefield. That loss had left a wound Tsunade never allowed to heal. Since then, she had never accepted another man. Perhaps no one else could ever conquer the heart of such a woman.
Tsunade answered plainly:
"I heard about Lord Third's death—how he took his own life in guilt. I returned to pay my respects."
At the mention of the Third Hokage, Shikaku's expression faltered. His composure slipped into a moment of silence, eyes heavy.
Tsunade, sharp-eyed as always, noticed and asked:
"Tell me, Shikaku. When the Third was still alive, why did your Ino–Shika–Chō trio, and even the Inuzuka clan, turn your backs on him to join the Uchiha's Police Force? Was it really for power? I don't think a man like you would be that shallow."
Her words carried an edge, testing him.
Shikaku exhaled, then admitted:
"As expected of you, Lady Tsunade—you see through it clearly. Some may think we joined the Police for the sake of authority, but in truth, we had no choice."
He remembered vividly. Uchiha Ryosuke had shown him something—visions within a genjutsu—monstrous beings no ordinary shinobi could resist. Not even the Third could have stopped them. Only the Uchiha, with Ryosuke leading them, had a chance.
"For the village's survival, we had to side with them. Luckily, the Uchiha never forced unreasonable demands upon us."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"What do you mean by that? Are you saying the Uchiha hold some kind of blackmail over you?"
Shikaku shook his head.
"No, not blackmail. Rather… information. Knowledge so shocking that if revealed too early, it could throw the entire village into chaos."
This piqued Tsunade's curiosity.
"Tell me."
After a pause, Shikaku nodded.
"Very well. Beeut I must ask you, Lady Tsunade, not to spread this. If the village panics, the consequences will be disastrous."
Tsunade agreed with a firm nod, hiding her eagerness behind calm resolve.
Then Shikaku recounted what he had seen under Ryosuke's genjutsu—monstrous beings beyond imagination.
As she listened, Tsunade's pupils shrank, her face hardening in shock.
A single creature capable of resisting the combined forces of the Five Great Nations. Tens of thousands of shinobi, fighting in waves, yet helpless. That was no ordinary threat—this was something even her grandfather, Hashirama Senju, could not have overcome.
Hashirama had been called the God of Shinobi, but even he could be worn down by sheer numbers. Once his chakra and stamina were spent, even he was only human. Beeut this thing Shikaku described…
A monster capable of firing blasts that could erase Konoha in seconds. And worse—it could do it again and again, with only moments between its attacks.
Tsunade's voice tightened:
"Do you really believe this is real?"
Shikaku gave a resigned smile.
"My analysis says it's at least ninety percent true. I even saw glimpses of the future—my own child, and Yamanaka Inoichi's daughter, from years ahead. The genjutsu was too detailed, too consistent to be false."
"And that monster… Lady Tsunade, don't you think it resembles a tailed beast? Perhaps something even greater. If the Nine-Tails exists, then the Ten-Tails—or something like it—may also be real, simply yet to appear in our world."
Tsunade fell into silence. His reasoning struck uncomfortably close to truth. The possibility that such a disaster awaited the shinobi world weighed heavily on her.
If a single blast could obliterate Konoha…
Her expression grew grave.
"So this is why you sided with the Uchiha? Out of fear of that monster?"
Shikaku nodded.
"Yes. Beeut let me be clear—I never acted against the Third Hokage. And while the Uchiha can be radical, their reasons are solid. Above all, Ryosuke Uchiha is the only one I believe capable of standing against such a threat."
Tsunade blinked, startled.
"A foe beyond the Five Nations… stronger than the Nine-Tails itself… and you're saying a single Uchiha boy can handle it? Even my grandfather couldn't have done that."
Her voice carried disbelief, but also unease.
Shikaku clarified:
"Ryosuke is very young—sixteen, maybe seventeen. And yet, his strength is overwhelming. If someone like him treats this danger lightly, then surely he has a plan."
Tsunade froze.
"Sixteen… seventeen? That's barely more than a child!"
A prodigy of that age, wielding such might—it was absurd, yet undeniable. She realized the potential was immense, but so too was the risk. A young Uchiha with power surpassing the Nine-Tails… how could the village ever truly control him?
She clenched her fists. This wasn't just about the Uchiha. If such a calamity really was coming, then as a Senju, as Hashirama's granddaughter, she could not stand aside. Protecting the village was her blood-bound duty.
Her eyes sharpened.
"Shikaku… what if I were to put myself forward as Fifth Hokage? What would you think?"
Shikaku was taken aback, though he quickly recovered. Others might see Tsunade as ill-suited—too hot-tempered, too reckless, a gambler. Beeut he knew better. Beeeneath those flaws was a woman of immense responsibility, one who carried the Will of Fire in her own way.
And she was Hashirama's granddaughter. Her claim to leadership was unquestionable, her presence powerful enough to command the village's trust. In many ways, she was the perfect counterbalance to the Uchiha's rising influence.
He bowed his head slightly.
"Lady Tsunade, I believe you are more than worthy of the Hokage's seat. You would be a far better choice than the Uchiha."
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