Tsunade: "…"
Hearing Uchiha Yorin say that with such earnestness, Tsunade was stunned.
Wait—what do you mean, "rebuild the Senju–Uchiha alliance" with me?
Do you get to decide that? Are you the Uchiha clan head? I thought the clan head was Uchiha Fugaku, right?
Even if I could "represent" the Senju… why would that mean I must form an alliance with you?
Times are not the Warring States anymore.
Looking at the very sincere Uchiha Yorin holding his hand out to her, Tsunade felt it was absurd—so absurd she briefly wondered if she was trapped in a Sharingan genjutsu.
But along with that absurdity came a strong impulse—an urge to grab his hand and build something great together.
Yes—she wanted change too. She wanted to turn this garbage life into something good—make Senju great again.
Especially after so much heartache, that desire had only grown more urgent.
At the end of the day, Tsunade hadn't rotted through; unlike those who drown in sex–gambling–drugs and end up ruined, she still had pride and ambition.
If someone would pull her up, she could still show the boldness and strength of a Legendary Sannin.
Of course, there were piles of problems—her deep disappointment in Konoha, especially in the Third's faction.
And that disappointment would only intensify with Orochimaru's defection and Danzō's secret experiments with First Hokage Hashirama's cells.
Second, trust.
Yorin painted it nicely—miracles born from Uchiha–Senju cooperation. But for most of history, Senju and Uchiha were mortal enemies.
Hashirama and Madara were the rare exception.
Tobirama and Izuna—that was the common, "reasonable" pattern.
So when an Uchiha shows up and says "let's form an alliance, build a new union and win together," even a fool would be wary—let alone Tsunade.
Third—and simplest—her hemophobia. That one's easiest: a heart-illness needs a heart-remedy. Yorin could just open the Sharingan and turn into a hypnosis master; her phobia would be gone in minutes.
…
So under the setting sun, Uchiha Yorin began "persuading" Tsunade again. For her every concern, he had an answer:
"The Uchiha clan's situation is bad now—but it's turning for the better, because Konoha has changed hands.
"In the Third's era, the Uchiha were heavily suppressed. We Uchiha distrusted and resented his governance.
"Distrust spirals downward like a screw. Left to run its course, the Uchiha would follow the Senju into the river of history and disappear."
…
Tsunade sniffed.
By rights, she and the Uchiha weren't on good terms—news of their downfall should please her.
But it didn't. She felt only a shared grief, "the hare dies and the fox grieves"—a pain of one kind fallen for another:
"First Uzumaki, then Senju, and now Uchiha—ancient, mighty clans falling one after another. Is that what Konoha's leadership wants to see?"
Hearing the Uchiha had been targeted by the Third's faction, that "hare–fox grief" sharpened into shared anger.
Who didn't know how the Senju ended—she knew. If the Third and his lot hadn't given a shove from behind, neither the Uzumaki nor the Senju would have been wiped out.
The funny part? After erasing their strongest allies and hardline fighters, Konoha itself weakened—battered and no longer what it was—so much so that it blundered through the Third Ninja War and forced the Third to step down.
In the dead of night, do they regret it?
"From that angle, we share interests and a goal, Tsunade-sensei," Yorin said earnestly.
"Our near-term goal is to restore and stabilize our lineage's interests.
"Mid-term is to make Konoha strong again. Ultimate goal—peace across the ninjaverse, completing the unfulfilled mission of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju!"
His voice carried a hint of fervor. Though his Sharingan wasn't open, in the sunset Tsunade almost saw a crimson light flicker in his eyes.
Her heart moved.
Fiercely.
And with that thrill, her guard shot up several levels:
"Even if you say so, the Senju are already… gone. They don't exist anymore…"
Her tone was calmer now—not the early suspicion, but closer to genuine discussion.
"What is destroyed can be reborn; what has collapsed can be rebuilt. As long as you live, the Senju will never die!"
"—I don't even bear the Senju name!" she burst out, a little heated.
"Yes. You were raised as a 'princess'—your parents wanted you safe in the rear, a family life of husband-and-child.
"But you broke fate's fetters and became a mighty shinobi, reaching heights most never will.
"If you broke fate once, you can break it twice. You can crown yourself—you can declare yourself the heir of the Senju."
"Dangerous man. I'm almost convinced."
Tsunade could hear her own heartbeat—so fierce it felt ready to leap from her chest. Her mouth went dry; she swallowed. With the excitement, her wariness rose in step.
Uchiha Yorin—this boy was too dangerous.
Even without the Sharingan, with words alone he could hypnotize countless people.
His strength, his mind, his talent—everything destined him for an uncommon path.
Would that path lead the world to peace—or to ruin?
She didn't know. She thought of Madara Uchiha and the clan's mad dreamers.
Yorin might be another of them.
"Uchiha Yorin—you're too dangerous."
She said it, and instinctively braced to refuse.
What she didn't expect was Yorin smiling—then saying:
"All the more reason for you to keep a tight hold on me—cut me down the moment I go astray and save the world, Tsunade-sensei."
As he spoke, he drew his side-sword—the Fire blade of his Thunder–Fire set. "Take this. If one day you judge I've stepped onto the wrong road, use this to cut me down. Can you, Tsunade-sensei?"
He looked at her with genuine sincerity—leaving her no words of refusal.
"Then—"
"It's a promise."
"Mm. A promise."
In the end, Uchiha Yorin took Tsunade's hand—white, slender, and surprisingly strong…
Wait—too strong. You're using Monster Strength for a handshake? Classic you.
Confirming it, Yorin's smile only grew brighter.