Chapter 54 – Tsunade: Such a Dangerous Man (Swallows Hard)
Tsunade fell silent.
Uchiha Yujiro's words were spoken with such gravity, such unwavering sincerity,
that for a brief, dangerous moment—she almost believed him.
Rebuild the alliance between the Senju and the Uchiha?
She blinked, half-stunned, half-incredulous.
What kind of nonsense was this kid talking about?
Who even gave you the right?
Are you the Uchiha clan head now? Last she checked, that was still Uchiha Fugaku.
And even if she could represent the Senju—
(which, let's be honest, she couldn't)—
why on earth would she need to team up with him?
This wasn't the Warring States era anymore.
People didn't just shake hands and "build alliances" like it was the dawn of civilization.
She stared at Yujiro's outstretched hand, his eyes calm and unwavering,
and for a moment, the absurdity of it all nearly made her laugh out loud.
Was this some kind of Sharingan illusion?
It had to be.
And yet… beneath that disbelief,
something inside her stirred.
A pulse.
A dangerous, reckless urge to grab his hand and say, "Fine, let's do it—let's change everything."
Because, deep down, she wanted change too.
She wanted to crawl out of this wreck of a life—
to take all that pain, regret, and disillusionment, and build something new.
To make the Senju great again.
After all she'd lost, after so many years of running,
that flicker of ambition in her chest was still there—small, fragile, but burning.
She hadn't rotted away completely.
She wasn't one of those hopeless drunks who had drowned their souls in gambling and poison.
No—Tsunade still had pride.
She still had fire.
If someone extended a real hand to her,
she could still rise,
still show the world the strength of the Legendary Sannin.
But there were problems.
Big ones.
First, her disgust with Konoha's leadership—
especially Sarutobi Hiruzen and his inner circle.
And that disgust would only grow stronger once she learned the full truth:
Orochimaru's betrayal,
Danzō's grotesque experiments on the First Hokage's cells—
the corruption that had festered in the very heart of the Leaf.
Then came the second issue—trust.
Yujiro's speech sounded noble: "Reunite the clans, restore balance, create miracles."
But history told a different story.
Most of the time, the Senju and Uchiha didn't cooperate —
they killed each other.
The bond between Hashirama and Madara was the exception, not the rule.
Tobirama and Izuna—that was the norm.
So when an Uchiha suddenly appeared out of nowhere,
saying "Let's join forces and build a new future!"—
well, even an idiot would be suspicious.
And lastly… there was her hemophobia.
That part, honestly, was the easiest fix.
A mind-born fear only needed a mind-born cure.
If Yujiro ever turned that hypnotic Sharingan on her,
he could probably therapy-ninjutsu her trauma away in five minutes flat.
---
The sun was setting now, painting the sky a deep crimson.
In that red light, Uchiha Yujiro's words sounded almost prophetic.
"The Uchiha are in a difficult position," he said.
"But things are changing—slowly, for the better.
Konoha has a new Hokage now.
The old regime under the Third Hokage oppressed us for years,
and in turn, we grew bitter and distrustful."
"Distrust spirals downward like a vortex.
Keep descending, and the Uchiha will vanish—
just like the Senju before them."
---
Tsunade gave a small, dismissive huff,
but something in her expression softened.
By all logic, she should have been pleased to hear of the Uchiha's misfortune.
Her clan had been their enemies for generations, after all.
But she wasn't.
Instead, she felt a pang—
a kind of sorrow that transcended rivalry.
"First the Uzumaki, then the Senju, and now the Uchiha…"
"Is this what the elders of Konoha really wanted?
To watch one great clan after another vanish into history?"
Her voice trembled,
the bitterness cutting deeper than she intended.
She knew exactly how the Senju had fallen.
How the Uzumaki had been wiped out.
And if she was being honest—
she knew who had pushed them toward extinction.
Hiruzen. Danzō.
Their brand of peace had always been built on someone else's grave.
And the cruel joke?
After erasing their strongest allies,
Konoha had only weakened itself—
bleeding strength until the Third Hokage was finally forced to step down.
She wondered if, in his final years,
Hiruzen ever regretted it.
---
Yujiro's voice broke her thoughts.
"Then we share a common pain," he said softly.
"And a common goal."
His gaze burned with conviction.
"Our short-term mission is to rebuild our legacy—
to stabilize what remains of our clans."
"Our mid-term goal is to restore Konoha's strength."
"And our ultimate goal—"
He looked up toward the fading sun, his voice rising—
"—is to bring true peace to the ninja world.
To finish what Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama once began!"
His words carried such power,
such unshakable intensity,
that even without his Sharingan, his eyes seemed to glow crimson in the dusk.
For a heartbeat, Tsunade forgot to breathe.
Her heart pounded—
loud, fast, relentless.
He's dangerous, she thought.
Such a dangerous man…
And yet, despite herself—
she couldn't look away.
Tsunade's voice had changed.
The sharp edge of doubt was gone; what remained was steadier, quieter—
more like a woman in genuine conversation, not confrontation.
"Things destroyed can be rebuilt.
What's fallen apart can rise again.
As long as you're still alive… the Senju will never truly die."
Her lips trembled.
"I don't even bear the Senju name anymore!" she snapped, emotion breaking through her composure.
Yujiro only smiled.
"Yes, I know.
You were raised as a hime—a princess.
Your parents wanted you safe, far from the battlefield,
to live a gentle life: marry, raise children, stay behind the walls."
"But you defied that destiny.
You broke free of the cage and became a warrior—
one of the strongest shinobi to ever live.
"If you could shatter fate once," he said softly,
"then you can do it again.
So claim it.
Crown yourself.
Declare before the world that you are the last heir of the Senju clan."
---
Tsunade's breath hitched.
"Dangerous man," she murmured, voice low, almost trembling.
"You're dangerously persuasive. I'm this close to believing you."
She could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears—
loud, wild, unstoppable.
Her throat went dry; she swallowed hard, unable to help herself.
Every word from him struck like a genjutsu,
but it wasn't the Sharingan doing this.
No—this was something else.
This boy, Uchiha Yujiro, was dangerous not because of his eyes—
but because of his will.
His mind, his eloquence, his sheer presence—
they could hypnotize entire nations.
Power. Brilliance. Charisma.
He had all of it,
and it terrified her.
What kind of road would a man like this walk?
Would he lead the world toward peace—
or drag it into ruin again?
She didn't know.
She only knew that his kind of conviction was the same that once burned in men like Uchiha Madara.
And the Madaras of the world always left fire in their wake.
"Uchiha Yujiro," she said quietly.
"You're too dangerous."
She was about to refuse him outright—
to walk away before this spark grew into something unstoppable—
—but then he smiled.
And that smile made her hesitate.
"Then isn't that even more reason," he said lightly,
"for you to keep a close eye on me, Tsunade-sensei?
Watch me carefully.
And the moment I lose control—kill me, and save the world."
As he spoke, he drew a blade from his side—
the Fire half of his twin Blades.
The metal gleamed red in the dying light.
"Here," he said, holding it out to her.
"Take this.
If one day you believe I've strayed from the right path—
use this sword to end me."
He met her gaze with unflinching sincerity.
There was no arrogance there, no manipulation—
only conviction.
And that, somehow, made it impossible for Tsunade to refuse.
"…Then it's a deal," she said finally.
"A deal," Yujiro echoed, smiling faintly.
She extended her hand.
He took it.
Her fingers were soft yet strong—
too strong.
Yujiro winced slightly as her grip tightened,
veins flexing under her flawless skin.
Is she seriously using monster strength right now?
The thought made him chuckle,
and his grin grew brighter, warmer.
As expected of Tsunade Senju.