[3rd POV]
"What could you possibly know about loss? About the things that I have been through? And you think you have the right to call me a coward? Who the fuck do you think you are?" Tsunade scowled angrily as Wanda softly smiled, as she decided to reveal a bit of information.
And what she said next was the truth, as all her lives were a part of her, this one more deeply.
"I lost my sons, you know" Wanda said, as Tsunade paused, with both Milim and Naruto looking at her in shock.
"At one point, in...a sort of different life, I had two sons. They were darling little things, smart, strong, inherited power rivaling mine. They were a...light to my life. But, eventually...they were taken from me. That was...the worst time of my entire life" Wanda spoke, as she continued.
"I had gone through something far far worse than you could even imagine after that, Tsunade Senju. I did things...things that could make even the worst slaughters, worst killings, worst wars, look like ants in comparison" Wanda said, remembering the words that she, or at least, another her, spoke.
'No...More...Mutants'
Those words had killed an infinite amount of mutants, so many lives snuffed out with three words. A trillion trillion lives, so many lives, that she had permanently reworked the entire multiverse in a meaningful way, and had ended the lives of more people than just about anyone else in that multiverse.
"So yes, I can certainly say I know what you have been through, Tsunade. I have been through worse than you, and yet, here I stand. Not wallowing in self pity and sadness, not hating myself and drinking my life away, and certainly not contemplating the thought of working with Orochimaru" Wanda said, as Tsunade stared into her eyes.
"And before you even think of responding, I would be very careful with what you say. Should even a single word about them come from that mouth, I will kill you" Wanda stopped her, knowing what the woman might have said. And while they were no longer her sons technically, she still felt the warmth for them, still thought of them as such.
And she would not allow someone to speak of them in such a manner, just as she wouldn't for Milim and Naruto, who were both hugging her at this point, sadness in their eyes once she revealed this information.
"...How do you know about Orochimaru" Tsunade said, picking her words carefully.
"I am far stronger than I look, Tsunade. And thanks to that, I know that he has offered to revive them, to bring them back to the world of the living. But I also know that this will not work in the way you think" Wanda responded, as Tsunade looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"When they are brought back, they will be under his complete and absolute control, being nothing more than puppets that will serve him. Not only that, but they will be husks of their former selves, unkillable, but not alive. They'd be nothing more than corpses walking around with their soul shoved back into their form. It would be desecration, it would be...a terrible thing to do to those you love" Wanda answered, as she continued to sip on her tea.
Tsunade looked alarmed at what she heard from this, as she realized that she couldn't accept Orochimaru's offer, not if that was what it could do to Nawaki and Dan, her brother and lover.
"...Why did you come with Jiraiya? You are strong, obviously. So why bother?" Tsunade asked, as she stared at Wanda who hummed.
"Because my adoptive son, Naruto, wanted me to come. And I thought it would be fun. That, and he wished to meet one of his last living relatives, even if it's distantly" Wanda responded, as Tsunade's eyes widened slightly.
"What?"
"Hmm? You didn't know? Naruto's grandmother on his mothers side is a Senju. I myself only found out a few days ago, but in terms of blood, I believe he is your cousin" Wanda responded, and this was actually the truth shockingly enough.
It was one of the AU differences in this world, and a major one, considering that this woman was...Tsunade's sister.
"Wha-what was her name?" Tsunade asked, as even Jiraiya looked shocked.
"Hmm? I believe it was Moriko Senju" Wanda responded, as Tsunade stepped back in shock, realizing that Naruto was her grand nephew of sorts.
"I-I didn't realize she was married" Tsunade whispered to herself, as she gazed at Naruto with a new light, realizing that they were related. And while it was a rather strange way, he was still a Senju by blood.
"The kid is a Senju!?" Jiraiya exclaimed, as Wanda nodded.
"Mmhmm, distantly, but he does have Senju blood running through his veins" Wanda responded, as the man looked back at Naruto who wasn't shocked, as he had been told by Wanda a few days ago once she found out. As this wasn't something that she wanted to hide from him.
It'd be wrong of her to keep that sort of information from him. It'd be wrong to keep that from anyone, really.
"...Why me? Why choose me of all people to be Hokage? Even you'd be better, Jiraiya. Especially with my fear of blood, with my...problems in general" Tsunade asked her old friend as the man sighed.
"Because you, even with those problems, are the best possible choice. I can't run Konoha and run my spy ring, Tsunade. I don't have the connections that you do. I haven't done nearly as much for the village as you have with your medical jutsu and everything else you have done" Jiraiya responded.
"And you being related to the first two Hokages, and being one of the three protégés of the Third is also a very big part of it" Jiraiya added, being pretty open that she was getting this not only because of her own hard work, but also because she was already related to three of the four last Hokages, in one way or another.
"And you expect me to become Hokage even with my fear of blood and the gambling and drinking? Yeah right, the council would throw a fit the second I enter that office" Tsunade said with a snort, knowing exactly how the civilian council was.
"You just need to get past your trauma, Tsunade. Get past the loss of Dan and Nawaki, and understand that neither of them would want you to remain consumed in the past. Once you get past that, the fear of blood will naturally begin to disappear" Wanda answered, as it really was rather simple.
It was just a bit difficult to actually do. But with the event with Orochimaru coming up...it should naturally be possible.
"Easier said than done" Tsunade responded with a snort, as she decided that there was no point fighting about this anymore. Instead, she wanted to go find and beat the living snot out of Orochimaru for trying to manipulate her into doing something so horrible.
"So will you do it? Will you become Hokage?" Jiraiya asked, as Tsunade stared at him in silence, contemplating it, before Naruto added something.
"He'll also pay off all your debts" Naruto added, as Jiraiya's eyes widened and his head snapped to Naruto's a glare tearing into the boy who could only grin in response, while Wanda let out a giggle as Tsunade smirked.
"Deal!" She instantly said, as Jiraiya visibly deflated, knowing that he wouldn't be getting out of that promise. Jiraiya could only inwardly cry at the money that would be lost from this, while Wanda smiled, pleased that this went better than she was expecting initially.
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Later, after Wanda and her children left for the hotel, Tsunade and Jiraiya were still in the restaurant.
"That woman...who the hell is she?" Tsunade asked, as she looked at her teammate, visible concern on her face.
"I've got no clue, but...all I know is that her daughter, Milim, is stronger than me, way way stronger. And if Milim's claims are right...then Wanda can crush her in a single move even when she is going all out" Jiraiya responded, as Tsunade let out a breath.
"...So basically...don't fuck with them" Tsunade said, as Jiraiya nodded.
At the nod, Tsunade could only let out a small laugh at the absurdity of it, and said one final thing.
"Just when I thought my life couldn't get any more ridiculous"
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That's the end of the chapter!
The next chapter will be dealing with Orochimaru, and then after that will be Danzo, and THEN it will be back to the Bookstore.
Anyways, have a good day!