(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
-------------------------------------------------
Uzushiogakure...
Leo's Residence, Meeting Hall...
The doors slid open with a soft wooden glide.
Mito, Tsunade, and Nawaki stepped inside, escorted by Uzumaki guards who quietly took their positions outside once the guests entered.
The room was simple.
No excessive luxury. No overwhelming display of power.
Just a long wooden table, carefully arranged seating, and a calm atmosphere that felt… deliberate.
At the far end—Leo was already seated.
Waiting. No attendants. No guards.
Just him.
Mito walked forward without hesitation and took her seat.
Tsunade followed, her eyes never leaving Leo.
Nawaki sat beside her, trying to appear composed despite the curiosity clearly written across his face.
On the opposite side—Kazuma took his place.
Not as a brother.
But as the Uzukage.
Silence settled.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Not awkward. Not tense. Just… measured.
Each person in the room was weighing the others.
Mito was the first to break it.
"Thank you for granting this audience."
Her voice was calm. Controlled.
Leo nodded slightly hearing her words.
-Nod
"You came with purpose."
"Speak."
No pleasantries. No games.
Straight to the point.
Mito placed a sealed document on the table.
Not the earlier scroll.
A different one. Older. Heavier.
"This is the original pact between the Senju and Uzumaki clans."
Kazuma's eyes flickered briefly.
Even he hadn't seen that document in years.
Mito continued.
"This agreement predates Konohagakure. It binds our clans as allies… and as family."
Tsunade glanced at the scroll. Even she hadn't seen it before.
Mito's gaze lifted to Leo.
"The Uzumaki have chosen to stand under your rule. That makes you the authority governing this pact."
Clear. Direct.
She wasn't circling the matter. She was placing it in his hands.
Leo leaned back slightly.
"...."
Listening. Not interrupting.
Mito continued to explain.
"The Senju clan does not reject its bonds."
Her voice lowered just slightly.
"But those bonds were strained."
A brief pause.
Acknowledgment. Not apology. Not yet.
Then—
"I have come to reaffirm that pact."
The words landed with weight.
Tsunade's fingers tightened slightly.
Nawaki leaned forward a little.
Kazuma remained still trying to keep his expression on his face clam.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Leo finally spoke.
"And what form does this reaffirmation take?"
Mito's eyes sharpened.
"Recognition. Cooperation. Mutual protection."
Then—She added the real intent.
"And alignment… with your authority."
The room went still.
Even Tsunade's eyes widened slightly.
"...."
That was not a simple alliance. That was positioning.
Leo watched her quietly. Then smiled faintly.
"You're not here to restore the past."
Mito returned the look.
"No. I am here to secure the future."
A brief silence followed.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Then—Leo leaned forward slightly.
"And what does the Senju offer in return?"
Tsunade's eyes flickered.
Because now—This was no longer about history. This was negotiation.
Mito did not hesitate.
"The Senju name. Their strength. Their influence within Konohagakure."
Kazuma's gaze sharpened. Even he felt the weight of that statement.
"...."
Mito continued calmly.
"And…"
Her eyes locked onto Leo's.
"Access."
That word hung heavier than the rest.
Leo's smile widened slightly.
"Access… to Konoha."
Mito did not deny it.
Tsunade finally spoke.
"…Grandma."
A warning. A question. A realization.
Mito did not look at her.
Because this was already decided.
Leo tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
Thinking.
Then—He spoke.
"You're offering a bridge."
Mito nodded hearing his conclusion.
"Yes."
Leo leaned back again.
"And you expect me to accept it."
Mito's answer was simple.
"I expect you to consider its value."
Silence returned.
"...."
"...."
"...."
But this time—It was heavier.
The air had already grown heavy with intent.
But Leo's next question sharpened it further.
"How," he asked calmly, "do you plan to do that?"
Simple. Direct.
But it cut straight through the strategy.
Mito did not answer immediately.
Instead—She turned her head.
Slowly. Toward Tsunade.
Tsunade felt it instantly. That look. Not affectionate.
Not casual. Calculated. Her instincts screamed.
'Something was wrong.'
"…Grandma?"
Mito didn't respond to her. She turned back to Leo.
And spoke.
"As per the original pact…"
Her voice remained steady.
"I propose a marriage alliance."
Silence. Absolute.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Nawaki blinked caught off guard by his grandma's decision.
"…Huh?"
Tsunade froze. Her mind didn't process it immediately.
Then—It did.
"…What?"
Kazuma's eyes widened slightly.
"...."
Even he hadn't expected her to play that card so directly.
Mito continued without hesitation.
"You are the current ruler acknowledged by the Uzumaki. To bind Senju and Uzumaki under your authority …the most stable method is through blood."
Her gaze remained fixed on Leo.
"Marriage."
Tsunade stood up abruptly.
"WAIT."
Her voice cut through the room.
"You didn't tell me about this."
Mito didn't look at her.
"I did not need to."
That answer hit harder than the proposal itself.
Tsunade's fists clenched.
"…So that's it? I'm a political piece now?"
Her voice carried anger. Not childish. Not emotional. Sharp.
Mito finally turned slightly toward her.
Not unkind. But firm.
"You are a Senju. And the heir of our bloodline."
Tsunade's jaw tightened.
"I'm also a person."
The tension spiked.
Nawaki looked between them nervously.
"…Uh… should I leave?"
No one answered him.
Kazuma remained silent.
"...."
But his expression had changed.
He understood Mito's move.
It was brilliant. Cold. Effective. And dangerous.
Mito turned back to Leo. Ignoring the emotional turbulence beside her.
"This is my proposal. A marriage alliance between Senju and your house."
No hesitation. No apology.
Leo watched the entire exchange.
Calm. Observant. Unmoved.
Then—He spoke.
"You didn't ask her."
Not accusatory. Just a statement.
Mito replied evenly.
"I am asking you."
Tsunade laughed once clearly irritated.
Short. Sharp.
-Haha
"Of course."
Leo's red eyes shifted briefly to Tsunade. Then back to Mito.
"You're trying to anchor your clan to me."
Mito nodded hearing him seriously.
-Nod
"Yes."
Leo tilted his head slightly.
"And use that to stabilize your I mean Senju clan's position within Konoha."
Another nod.
-Nod
"And regain Uzumaki's trust."
Silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Then—
"…Yes."
Leo leaned back. A faint smile on his lips.
"You're efficient."
The room remained tense.
Because now—This wasn't just politics. This was personal.
Leo tapped the table lightly. Then said something unexpected.
"I don't accept terms that ignore the person involved."
All eyes turned to him.
He looked at Tsunade directly.
"Do you agree to this?"
The question shifted the entire room.
Tsunade blinked. Caught off guard. No one had asked her.
Until now.
"...."
Mito's eyes narrowed slightly.
But she didn't interrupt.
The room held its breath.
Because now—The decision no longer belonged to strategy.
Or bloodlines. Or history.
It belonged—To Tsunade Senju.
The silence lingered around Tsunade.
Heavy. Unanswered.
Not because she didn't have thoughts—But because there were too many.
Before she could speak—Leo did. Calm. Steady.
"I already have wives."
The statement landed without hesitation.
No pride. No concealment. Just fact.
Tsunade blinked slightly.
-Blink!
"...."
Mito's expression didn't change. Since she already knew about it from Kazuma who informed her about it in his letter.
Kazuma remained still.
"...."
Leo continued calmly.
"I am a king. So that is not unusual."
Then—He added something that shifted the tone entirely.
"But I do not force people into marriage."
His eyes moved briefly to Tsunade.
Then back to Mito.
"Not for politics."
The room quieted again.
But this time—It was different.
Leo rested his arm lightly on the table.
"All of my relationships… were chosen."
He shrugged slightly.
"Call it love. Call it mutual agreement."
A faint smirk appeared.
-Smirk!
"Nothing complicated."
Tsunade stared at him.
Not because of what he said—But because of how simply he said it.
No arrogance. No expectation. Just… boundaries.
Leo leaned back as he finished his explanation.
"If she agrees, I consider it. If she doesn't…"
He shrugged again.
"Then it ends there."
Mito's eyes narrowed slightly. Not in anger. In thought.
"...."
Because this—Was not how higher ups of what ever clans would usually responded.
Kazuma glanced at Leo briefly.
"...."
Then at Mito. He could already tell—This negotiation had shifted.
From strategy… To something else.
Tsunade exhaled slowly. Her fists relaxed slightly.
-Sigh!
Because for the first time since entering the room—She didn't feel cornered.
Nawaki leaned slightly toward her and whispered:
"…So you don't have to marry him?"
Tsunade smacked the back of his head lightly.
-BONK!!!
"Shut up."
Leo looked at Mito again.
"You want alliance. I understand that."
"But I don't build it by ignoring the person involved."
Mito finally spoke.
"…You are not what I expected."
Leo smiled faintly.
"I get that a lot."
The room settled into a new kind of silence.
Not tense. Not hostile. But recalibrating.
The silence stretched just long enough to become a decision.
Tsunade inhaled slowly.
She could feel every gaze in the room resting on her. Her grandmother's expectation.
"...."
Kazuma's quiet observation.
Nawaki's confusion. And Leo's… patience.
That last one unsettled her the most.
He wasn't pressuring her.
He wasn't persuading her.
He was simply… waiting. That made the choice feel heavier.
"…I need time."
Her voice was firm. Not uncertain. Just deliberate.
Leo nodded immediately.
"Take it."
No conditions. No limits.
"You can stay as long as you want."
Mito didn't interrupt. Didn't argue.
Which, in itself, told Tsunade how serious this was.
Kazuma stood.
"I'll have you escorted back."
Mito rose gracefully.
Nawaki followed quickly, still trying to process everything.
Tsunade was the last to move. She glanced at Leo once more.
"...."
He was already leaning back again. Calm. As if the outcome didn't concern him.
That annoyed her slightly.
The group walked in silence.
The earlier neutrality of the village now felt different to Tsunade.
Heavier. More personal.
Nawaki couldn't hold it in anymore.
"…So are you going to marry him?"
Tsunade stopped walking.
Turned. And smacked him lightly again.
"I said I'm thinking."
"OW—"
Kazuma walked slightly ahead with Mito. His voice low.
"You moved faster than I expected."
Mito replied calmly.
"We don't have the luxury of time."
Kazuma didn't argue. Because she was right.
Behind them—Tsunade slowed her pace. Her thoughts spiraled.
Marriage. Alliance. Eldoria. Konoha. Uzumaki.
Everything was tangled together.
She clenched her fist slightly.
"…What am I even deciding?"
Was this about her? Or her clan? Or the future? Or fixing a mistake Konoha had made?
The image of the village flashed in her mind.
The way Uzumaki people looked at them.
Not hostile. Not welcoming.
Just… distant.
That stung more than anger.
Then—Another thought surfaced. Leo. His words.
"If she agrees, I consider it. If she doesn't… it ends there."
No manipulation. No pressure. No bargaining using power.
"…Tch."
She exhaled sharply for some reason she felt irritated.
-Sigh!
"That idiot…"
Nawaki blinked who was walking besides her asked after hearing her words.
"…Which one?"
"Shut up."
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Guys My New Fic name is:
-->Star Entertainment: Building An Empire.
-->Mahabharat: Shiva's Last Variable
Check it out... I hope you will like it
Whats your thought's guys.
(A/N): I hope you guys are enjoying the story.
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give areview
And power stone!!!
It will Motivate Me.