UK:GSW Chapter 367 – Tsunade: Nawaki, Grandpa… you're on your own
Faced with her young grandmother's teasing, Tsunade felt utterly embarrassed. If it had been anyone else, she could have solved it with her Iron Fist, but when it came to her grandmother… there was simply nothing she could do except sit there, blushing, squirming, and completely at a loss for words.
Uzumaki Mito's smile only deepened, a trace of youthful playfulness shining through. Combined with her thirty-something body but appearance even younger—only in her twenties—her playfulness didn't seem out of place, and even came across as a little cute.
This was only natural—after all, she was from the Uzumaki clan, and Uzumaki by nature were never all that solemn or serious. The ones who were, had only forced themselves into it after bearing heavy responsibilities for years.
Once those burdens were gone, and there was no one left to constantly worry over or pressure them into acting serious, their true nature inevitably resurfaced.
Faced with this side of Uzumaki Mito, Tsunade's cheek twitched helplessly. The generational gap and her own childhood memories meant there was nothing she could do against a grandmother being cheeky.
Fortunately, Mito didn't keep teasing her granddaughter and instead took Tsunade's hand, moving on to other topics. She didn't bring up Tsunade's feelings for Uchiha Kei again—she could tell that the two of them didn't need her, "the elder," to meddle, and that it would be best to let things develop naturally.
Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief, and their conversation flowed more easily again.
Soon, Tsunade steered the topic toward the rest of the Senju clan. She explained that, in accordance with the First and Second Hokage's wishes, the Senju had abandoned their surname to integrate fully into the Hidden Leaf. Now, though the name "Senju" was gone, they were thoroughly part of the village. Many worked in safe, stable positions like the education department and logistics, while others had gone into business.
With the current boom in the Hidden Leaf, quite a few former Senju had joined the Hidden Leaf Gaming Association or other commercial ventures, riding the wave of success and living quite comfortably—thriving in all directions.
Hearing this, Mito was pleased. Though she was a princess of the Uzumaki clan, most of her life had been spent among the Senju, and later in the Hidden Leaf. It was only natural for her to be happy at the village's and the clan's prosperity.
But then, in the middle of this good news, Mito suddenly asked, "Then why is it that you haven't mentioned your younger brother Nawaki or your grandfather Hashirama at all?"
At once, Tsunade's expression froze and cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
Yes—she had been deliberately avoiding mentioning them. While she had come to accept, and even gotten used to, the fact that both of them now ran around the genjutsu game world using female avatars…
To someone like Uzumaki Mito, that was still far too bizarre. Tsunade was afraid her grandmother would explode on the spot if she found out—it was just too surreal.
Her gaze started to wander, her voice shaky. "Uh, well… actually, Grandpa and Nawaki are both doing fine. They… they each have their own things to do every day and are living very fulfilling lives. Yes, that's it—very fulfilling, and very busy."
"S-So they can't be found at the moment. But they'll be back in the evening, so… you don't need to worry, Grandma. You'll see them then."
Clearly, she was desperately trying to cover for them, to salvage a bit of dignity for the two who had gotten used to living as women, and to avoid shocking her grandmother too much.
Mito, however, simply watched her in calm silence—the kind of look that, to the uninformed, might seem like she was listening intently and accepting Tsunade's words… but to anyone who knew the situation, it was obvious she was silently watching to see how far Tsunade would spin her tale.
So, when Tsunade finished, thinking she had come up with a decent excuse, Mito said lightly, "Tsunade, before I met you, Kei-kun already used his privileges to secretly show me Nawaki and Hashirama."
Tsunade's eyes flew wide open, her whole body stiffening into an utterly priceless expression.
After a long moment, she swallowed hard. "G-Grandma… you… you saw everything?"
Mito nodded calmly. "Yes. I saw it all. And don't you blame Kei-kun for it—seeing Nawaki and Hashirama was my request. I'm very satisfied with him as a grandson-in-law, and you're not allowed to treat him the way you treat Jiraiya or Orochimaru."
Tsunade's face flushed hot. She had, in fact, been annoyed with Uchiha Kei for not telling her he had shown Mito, but her grandmother's blunt words left no room for that—leaving only the flustered, girlish tension of a thirty-something still unmarried.
Mito, an old hand at life, didn't give her the chance to hide behind tsundere bluster. She went on, "Well, I understand—you were only worried I wouldn't be able to accept Nawaki and Hashirama's current appearances. I don't blame you. Honestly, it was… quite surprising, even to me."
She paused to pick a word she felt was appropriate, then continued, "But I can see that Nawaki and Hashirama are happy, so… I'll take the time to understand and accept it."
Tsunade's eyes went wide again. "Grandma… you can accept something like that?"
Mito's tone was mild. "After all, they've already been living this way for some time before I was revived, and they both have their own reasons. What could a relic like me possibly say?"
Hearing this, more cold sweat ran down Tsunade's back. On the surface, Mito seemed to have accepted it, but Tsunade knew her grandmother well—she was definitely holding something back.
Beneath her noble bearing, Mito was still an Uzumaki—one of the most spirited clans in the entire ninja world. And the most spirited were often the best at stirring things up.
All Tsunade could do now was silently press her hands together in prayer for her foolish grandfather.
Hope he survives.jpg
Before long, Mito herself ended the conversation, noting that Tsunade, as the de facto Fourth Hokage, surely had a great deal of work to do, and had likely dropped everything to come here.
That wasn't good—being Hokage meant carrying one's responsibilities. Whatever needed to be said could wait until the evening.
For now, she would have Uchiha Kei come back to accompany her.
Tsunade, though reluctant to leave, knew her grandmother's personality. She sent a WeChat message to Kei, then returned to her Hokage duties.
Of course, her message included an angry emoji, expressing her displeasure at Kei not telling her Mito had already seen Nawaki and Hashirama.
Kei replied with a mischievous grin emoji—fully committed to being a troublemaker.
Tsunade snorted in exasperation and sent back a "we'll settle this tonight" sticker, to which Kei responded with a smug "afraid of you? I'll be waiting" emoji.
By the time they had finished their sticker battle, Kei had already returned to Mito's side.
This time, Mito's gaze toward Kei was even warmer—a grandmother's look at an exceptional grandson-in-law, full of affection and approval.
Before, Kei had only claimed his relationship with Tsunade was special; now that Mito had met Tsunade and seen her attitude toward him, she could confirm it for herself.
From what Kei had shown so far, he wasn't like that short-lived fool Dan Katō. That alone set Mito's mind at ease.
Both were from prestigious ninja clans, a perfect match in her eyes. That was what truly satisfied her—after all, Mito's upbringing and worldview were those of nobility.
She had never opposed Tsunade's relationship with Dan Katō only because Hashirama and Tobirama were working to integrate the Senju into the Hidden Leaf, making it awkward for her to speak against it.
Now, seeing her granddaughter with someone of equal status, Mito was naturally pleased.
What's more, Kei's abilities were so extraordinary that, in some ways, Mito felt Tsunade was the one marrying up. While Tsunade was beautiful and well-built, she was also notoriously hot-tempered and violent—not every man could handle that.
In short, Mito was very satisfied.
So much so that her warmth made Kei feel a bit uneasy.
And when Mito began peppering him with all sorts of questions about his family, his life, his standing in the Uchiha, and whether he had any needs—showing the full concern of an elder—it left him sweating.
Most of his so-called elders were people he had tricked at some point. Having an elder's genuine, heartfelt care made him feel like he was back on Earth, facing the barrage of questions from aunts and great-aunts at New Year's.
In the end, overwhelmed, Kei asked if she'd like to meet the two other Uzumaki still in the village, saying they would be thrilled to see her.
This caught Mito's interest at once.
She already knew about Uzumaki Kushina—her successor as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—but who was the other Uzumaki?
Kei explained about Uzumaki Kikyo, which made Mito even more curious, and she immediately agreed.
Soon after, with a quick WeChat notification, both Kushina and Kikyo entered the genjutsu world to meet Mito.
Kushina was instantly overjoyed, rushing forward to hug her and express how much she had missed her.
Kikyo, on the other hand, was curious yet a little reserved—Mito was a legendary figure to her, far removed in time, and a princess of the Uzumaki clan at that.
But with Mito's open friendliness and easygoing nature, Kikyo quickly relaxed, and the three of them began a lively conversation as only members of the Uzumaki could.
They spoke happily, with an easy, emotional atmosphere—after all, the current plight of the Uzumaki clan gave them much to reflect upon.
During this, Mito keenly noticed that Kikyo's feelings toward Kei were unusual. Subtly probing, she soon learned—thanks to Kikyo's lack of defenses—that the two were indeed heading toward marriage.
Which left her with a dilemma… if Kikyo was to marry Kei, what about Tsunade?
Then she learned that Kei didn't just have Kikyo and Tsunade—there was also another elite kunoichi from the Uchiha clan. And everyone had accepted this arrangement, with Kushina herself saying they all supported the four of them and were simply waiting for the wedding.
Mito felt the urge to comment, but in the end let it go.
Not just because children should live their own lives, but because—as she'd said—her thinking was shaped by a noble upbringing, and anyone who knew the nobles of the ninja world knew exactly what that meant.
Her own marriage to Hashirama was a product of his personality and the long-standing alliance between their clans. In another man's place as First Hokage, it would have been normal to marry several wives.
In other words, something like the Sound Hashira from Demon Slayer having three wives… was perfectly normal.
Like this story Leave a review ; it would really help me out a lot.
Want to Read Ahead in Advance?
Join my Patreon!
+75 Chapters
Support me in
Patreon.com/BestElysium