Uchiha Ryōsuke heard Tsunade claim she hadn't heard him clearly, but he knew that wasn't the case. She simply couldn't believe what she had heard. Without hesitation, he spoke again.
"I have admired you for a long time, Lady Tsunade. I want you to become my woman."
Upon hearing his confirmation, Tsunade's eyes widened, and a flash of anger crossed her face.
"I didn't expect you to be such a lecherous brat. You actually want me to be your woman? At my age, I could be your mother."
Ryōsuke replied, completely unphased, "They say an older woman is a treasure; I don't mind at all."
While it was true that Tsunade was old enough to be his mother, Ryōsuke intended to bring another woman into his life. Tsunade's beauty was still among the top in the ninja world. She had perhaps become a bit disheveled over the years for various reasons, but with the right care and attire, she still possessed immense charms.
Tsunade looked at him with sheer disbelief. "What kind of twisted logic is that? Are you some kind of pervert?"
If word of this got out—that she, Tsunade, had become the woman of an Uchiha brat—her granduncle Senju Tobirama would probably claw his way back from the grave just to beat her.
Ryōsuke didn't get angry at Tsunade's insults. He wasn't just acting out of some perversion; beyond desiring her, he wanted to end the feud between their two families that had lasted from the Warring States period to the present day. He sought a total reconciliation.
"Tsunade, do you know the historical origins of our two clans?"
Tsunade was confused, wondering why he was suddenly changing the subject. "What origins? What are you trying to say?"
Ryōsuke looked at her calmly and said, "In truth, the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan are both descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. The ancestor of our Uchiha Clan was the Sage's eldest son, Indra, and your Senju Clan descends from the second son, Asura."
Tsunade was stunned. It felt inconceivable. The Senju and Uchiha had fought for so many years, yet they were essentially part of the same family? It was absurd, but the Senju Clan had no records of this. Even her grandfather, Senju Hashirama, hadn't known.
However, she quickly regained her composure. "Even if that's true, what does it change?"
Ryōsuke countered, "What does it change? Our two clans share a common ancestor; we are naturally brother clans. It was only because my ancestor, Indra, and yours, Asura, had a falling out over the trivial matter of the Ninshū succession. My ancestor believed in his own power, while yours believed in cooperation and strengthening power through shared effort with others."
"The Sage of Six Paths ultimately chose Asura as his successor. Naturally, as the elder brother, Indra refused to accept this. Because his strength was greater than Asura's, he began a struggle that lasted over a thousand years. We, the descendants, have sacrificed countless clansmen for the sake of a boring fight between two men. Do you still think that's irrelevant? All those people died just for the seat of the Ninshū successor."
Tsunade found herself speechless. So the Senju and Uchiha had such a deep connection; their mutual distaste for one another was almost like destiny. They had been in a state of competition from the very beginning.
As Ryōsuke said, it truly was meaningless. The two clans had fought for so many years, and the death toll was beyond counting. Tsunade didn't just have two grandfathers; her grandfathers had many brothers as well, but they had all died on the battlefield. They were her family too, and many of them had died when they were younger than Shizune is now. It was a tragic world.
"So, what is it you want to achieve by telling me all this?" Tsunade asked.
Ryōsuke spoke slowly, "The meaningless disputes of our ancestors should end. Let our union symbolize the reconciliation of the Senju and Uchiha clans, bringing them back together as one."
This was Ryōsuke's genuine wish. Since they were all descendants of the Sage, there was no reason to keep killing one another.
Tsunade cursed the bastard in her mind. How could she possibly agree to be his woman? Even if his words sounded noble, there were plenty of other ways to achieve reconciliation between the clans. Why did she have to become his woman?
Ever since Dan Katō died, she hadn't been able to make room in her heart for another man. Even if this guy was handsome and stylish, he was so young. If she became his woman, wouldn't she be an 'old cow eating tender grass'?
"This won't do. Find another way to reconcile," she refused.
Ryōsuke ignored her rejection. "This isn't up to you. To ensure a true reconciliation and achieve peace—even the peace of the village—you must become my woman. There is no better way. And of course, the position of Fifth Hokage can be yours later on."
Tsunade felt a deep sense of helplessness. She knew that what he said was backed by strength; his combat power was visible to the naked eye. She could feel the aura rising from him. His Taijutsu was definitely stronger than hers, and that wasn't even considering his Mangekyō Sharingan or the Eight Inner Gates.
He was a terrifying individual. Still, she mocked him. "You really are like your ancestor Indra, worshipping power. Do you think you can force a reconciliation between two clans just by relying on strength?"
Ryōsuke agreed. "Power is inherently a good thing. Our union will represent the end of hundreds, even thousands, of years of conflict between the Uchiha and the Senju. You are the heir of the Senju, and I am the representative figure of the Uchiha. If Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama had been able to work together with one heart back then, the peace of the Hidden Leaf—and even the peace of the ninja world—would have been realized long ago."
"The village wouldn't have fallen into such a difficult situation in recent years, and those two ancestors wouldn't have had to die."
Tsunade couldn't deny his words because they rang true. Her grandfather's strength was something she couldn't even hope to match—be it his powerful Wood Style, Sage Art, or his vast reserves of chakra. Uchiha Madara was also a being who could stand on par with her grandfather; he was incredibly strong, especially after awakening the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Unlike the standard version, that eye didn't cause blindness from overusing its power.
If those two had been of one mind, there would have been no problem bringing peace to the world. Unfortunately, their philosophies were different. Her grandfather advocated for peace through dialogue, while Madara advocated for peace through force. She used to believe that peace seized by force wasn't true peace, but today, her thoughts were starting to shift.
Now, she was the only direct descendant of the Senju Clan left. Despite her reputation as a strong woman, she still felt incredibly lonely.