Senju Clan.
In a bright study, the usually bold Tsunade had returned home and sat quietly in an unusually obedient manner.
"Tsunade, you were too impulsive this time."
After tonight's incident caused by her granddaughter Tsunade, the Senju clan—though weakened—was far from gone, and Mito Uzumaki could not ignore it. When Tsunade returned, Mito looked at her gravely.
Tsunade lifted her head stubbornly. "Grandma Mito, those old geezers went too far — first Nawaki, now me."
Mito sighed slowly. "It's over now. But have you thought of the consequences of dragging the Uchiha in?"
What sort of temperament does the Uchiha clan have?
Mito knew it all too well. They could be fine on the surface, but once something serious happened, those extreme temperaments could easily lead to trouble.
Tsunade did not agree with Mito's caution. She said seriously, "Grandma Mito, the Uchiha elders have provided us two pieces of crucial intelligence. It's obvious — the Uchiha have been isolated for so long; they want to return to the center of power."
"Tonight was my warning." Tsunade's voice hardened. "I told Konoha: the Senju are still here. Push us too far and we'll join with the Uchiha."
She spoke arrogantly, young and fiery — she wouldn't tolerate being plotted against repeatedly. She would strike back.
"And that's what the Uchiha want too." Tsunade glanced at Mito and continued in a measured voice, "This isn't a rash act. From my covert observations at the front, Uchiha Fugaku, the young deputy-head, is loyal to the village. I don't know what the old men think, but Fugaku is nearly twenty now — his character is mature."
She looked at her grandmother again. "If the Uchiha are pulled in, the Senju will feel much less pressure."
Tsunade's meaning was clear: bring the Uchiha in to share the burden of being feared. Mito understood implicitly — she may have distrusted the Uchiha before, but she knew Fugaku's loyalty to the village.
"And what about that brat?" Mito asked, frowning.
Tsunade smiled and teased, "Isn't that perfect? He'll flush out the schemers. That kid won't betray the village, and we'll get to hear the Uchiha voice."
Uchiha Ye: a stubborn zealot for the Will of Fire. Tsunade knew his type well, and he could convey the Uchiha's movements to her.
Mito, seeing her granddaughter resolute, frowned but felt anger and bitterness stir inside her. First her grandson, then her granddaughter — who could stand that? If she were still in her prime, she'd have unleashed the Nine-Tails' deterrent against these malicious schemers long ago.
"All right then. The Rain front is perilous. The Uchiha's fire style is restricted, but they're still powerful. You can feel safe using those Uchiha shinobi at the front," Mito said. She was confident the Uchiha at the front would follow family orders. After all, the clan had long sought the village's trust.
The next day, the rumor that "Tsunade has a little Uchiha pet" spread through Konoha like wildfire. It became everyone's favorite gossip: the Senju princess had been "taken."
Senju Compound.
Boom — the door burst open. A flushed Kushina stormed into the lab and angrily confronted Tsunade.
"Tsunade, did Uchiha Ye seduce you!?"
Kushina's fierce protectiveness made Tsunade burst out laughing.
"Oh? Kushina, jealous?"
Kushina growled and ground her teeth. "I knew it — evil Uchiha. He pretended to approach me, but actually, he was getting close to you!"
Kushina felt betrayed: the Uchiha had deceived even Mikoto.
Tsunade put down her tools and sat, folding her arms with a teasing smile. But inside, she felt a rising danger. First Shigure, then herself. Could Kushina be next?
"If Ye knew what I suspected, he'd give you a thumbs-up. Yes — he guessed the order right," Tsunade thought — and indeed, that was the sequence.
"Tsunade, Shigure's incident is behind us, but last night at the Jōnin meeting someone—" Tsunade began, her tone growing serious as she recounted the previous night's occurrences to Kushina.
Kushina's face fell as she listened. "What?" she cried, shocked and incredulous. "Tsunade, there are such people in the village who dare plot against you!?"
For Tsunade, Kato Dan's speech and its suspicious timing were too coincidental: the meeting's support, followed by the casual revelation about his "lost sister" — all of which mirrored what happened with Shigure. Those coincidences, plus the fact that no obvious trace could be found, raised her alarm.
"You must be careful," Tsunade warned Kushina. "The village is not all good people."
Kushina, naturally sensitive from being from the Uzumaki homeland and being far from home, listened nervously and agreed to be cautious.
Tsunade and the Senju had begun to suspect a directed plot; knowing some future events already, Ye naturally used that information to further his own ends.
Damaging others to benefit himself? He was a professional at it.
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