Tsunade felt a deep sense of relief hearing Shikaku speak like that. She truly did have the intention of taking the position now.
She couldn't place all her hopes on the Uchiha clan. As a member of the Senju clan, it was equally necessary for her to offer her own strength to protect the Leaf Village. However, even with Shikaku's support, successfully taking the position meant she would have to overcome the hurdle that was the Uchiha clan.
"Then do you think that if I win the election for the Fifth Hokage over the Uchiha, they would resort to an armed coup out of shame and anger?" she asked.
Tsunade was quite confident in herself. The prestige of the Senju clan in the Leaf Village was unrivaled, significantly higher than that of the Uchiha. Furthermore, her competitor was just a teenage Uchiha youth. No matter how she looked at it, she should be the more experienced choice. The opponent relied more on his powerful combat strength, which clearly wouldn't make everyone completely submit.
Shikaku lowered his head and thought for a moment before answering, "I don't think so. I feel that the current Uchiha clan is quite reasonable. At least, I haven't noticed any intention of them seizing power by force. Of course, their desire to take the position is very strong."
Tsunade did indeed feel that the Uchiha had changed somewhat. In the past, they were incredibly arrogant. They were people who would start a fight at the slightest disagreement, yet now they were actually listening to reason. It was truly strange.
Seeing that Tsunade intended to run for the Fifth Hokage, Shikaku also felt inclined to support her. "If you run for the position, then our Ino-Shika-Cho families will definitely support you, Lady Tsunade."
He believed that the Uchiha wouldn't target their three clans because of this; it was his intuition. As for the discovery of the Senju Nawaki experimental subject in Danzo's laboratory, he didn't really want to tell Lady Tsunade yet. If he did, it would likely cause her to fall into grief once again.
Hearing this, the smile on Tsunade's face grew even wider. "Interesting. Then I'll consider it further. If I attend the Clan Head meeting, it will represent the Senju clan competing for the position of Fifth Hokage."
"Good," Shikaku replied. "Then I will wait for you to make your decision. I'll take my leave now."
After Shikaku left, Tsunade initially wanted to send Shizune to the Uchiha district to invite Uchiha Ryosuke over, but after a moment's thought, she gave up on the idea. 'The girl is tired too, let her rest. There are still four days left, anyway.' She herself was also quite exhausted from the journey back and needed some rest.
The next day, the news of Tsunade's return to the village naturally spread through most of the Leaf Village. Naturally, it reached the Uchiha clan as well.
A trace of worry appeared on Uchiha Fugaku's face. What exactly did Tsunade want to do by returning to the village at this time? He wasn't worried about her seeking revenge for the Third Hokage, because the Third's suicide under the weight of his crimes was entirely his own doing, backed by ironclad evidence. If Tsunade came to the Uchiha clan to seek revenge, it would actually suit his desires, as he could use the opportunity to arrest her.
But clearly, Tsunade hadn't returned for revenge. That very day, several Clan Heads went to visit her. It was already self-evident what they wanted; they simply wanted Tsunade to run for the position of Fifth Hokage.
The position of Fifth Hokage had to belong to someone from the Uchiha clan. Moreover, he had already received Ryosuke's permission that he, Fugaku, would be the one to run for the seat. Wasn't Tsunade's return an attempt to snatch his position? The Senju clan had already produced two Hokage, while the Uchiha clan's count remained at zero. This time, they absolutely could not fail again.
They had to suppress Tsunade this time. The Uchiha clan had a massive advantage now; compared to any other time, they were currently the number one noble house and the primary military force of the Leaf Village.
To be safe, Fugaku went directly to Uchiha Ryosuke to ask for his advice. He informed Ryosuke of the news of Tsunade's return.
"Ryosuke, with Tsunade back in the village, my election for Fifth Hokage might face some threats. Should we do something?"
Ryosuke instead asked, "What do you plan to do?"
Fugaku had nothing to hide and told him truthfully, "I'll pressure the families supporting Tsunade and make sure they don't do anything stupid." For the sake of the Hokage position and the Uchiha clan, doing this much was acceptable.
However, Ryosuke directly refused. "There's no need for that. Doing so will only trigger even stronger resistance from them. After all, Tsunade is a woman with a temper. I have other arrangements for this matter."
Tsunade's return was perfect for incorporating her into his harem. Tsunade possessed Kage-level strength, something few in the ninja world had. Additionally, there was Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage of the Mist Village—though she might not have taken the position yet. He could pull her into his harem as well. Since Mei Terumi seemed to remain single even in her older years in the original story, he could consider this a good deed.
Both Tsunade and Mei Terumi were Kage-level powerhouses; the children born from them would grant even higher rewards. It might even be possible to obtain the Rinnegan. These two were already among the most powerful women in the current ninja world. If he couldn't get the Rinnegan from them, his only other option would be to find Otsutsuki Kaguya, who was sealed on the moon. That woman was considered powerful even in the entire universe; she would surely provide the Rinnegan.
However, it seemed his current strength wasn't enough to capture such a woman, so he would set that aside for now.
Seeing that Ryosuke had spoken, Fugaku abandoned his plan to move against the Clan Heads supporting Tsunade. Ryosuke seemed completely unconcerned about Tsunade's return, so he must have a backup plan. Now that the Senju clan had declined while the Uchiha were in their prime, the Clan Heads would know how to choose. Furthermore, Tsunade had been away from the village for many years and even suffered from hemophobia, making her unable to even act as a ninja. The villagers should be able to distinguish who was more fit to be the Fifth Hokage. With that, he immediately turned and took his leave.
On the other side, at the Senju residence, Tsunade likewise ordered Shizune to go and invite Uchiha Ryosuke of the Uchiha clan.
When Shizune heard this command, her eyes widened. "Lady Tsunade, isn't this a bit inappropriate?" She was also a bit afraid of the people from that "red-eye" clan.
Tsunade snapped immediately, "If I tell you to go, then go! Are you afraid they're going to eat you or something?"
Shizune could only head out helplessly. Sure enough, as she expected, the Uchiha guards at the district gate were full of surprise and even a bit of hostility when they learned she was a subordinate of Lady Tsunade. Fortunately, they had no intention of attacking and even told her Uchiha Ryosuke's location.
Uchiha Ryosuke wasn't in the clan district; he had gone out early in the morning to train. Thus, she had to head toward a small forest. Before long, she saw a man wearing the characteristic Uchiha clothing. He had a cool physique and well-developed muscles.
She was shocked. 'How can there be such a handsome guy in the Uchiha clan?' Her eyes were practically sparkling. 'It would be wonderful if I could have a passionate romance with such a fit boy.'