Chapter 109: The Brother and the Legend
Konoha Camp, Tsunade's Tent
Tsunade half-dragged, half-marched her squirming brother into the privacy of her assigned tent. Her face was a thundercloud, the air around her chilling with barely-contained frustration.
Inside, Nawaki finally wilted under her glare. He stared at his feet, fingers twisting together, the picture of a guilty child who knew he'd crossed a line. Being the last man of the Senju is hard, he thought miserably, when your sister treats you like a misbehaving puppy.
"Pack your things. Now," Tsunade commanded, her voice leaving no room for argument. "I'll have an ANBU escort take you back to Konoha before first light. A child has no business on a battlefield."
"But I came here secretly!" Nawaki blurted out, then instantly regretted it as Tsunade's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"Secretly?" The word was a whip-crack. "You've got nerve, I'll give you that. Explain."
"Th-the Third Hokage wouldn't let me come," Nawaki stammered, shrinking back. "I begged and begged. So… I snuck onto one of the Konoha supply caravans heading for the front. They didn't find me until we were halfway here."
"Enough. I don't want to hear another word of this insanity." Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, a headache blooming behind her eyes. Every second he stayed was a risk she couldn't calculate. And part of her feared if he kept talking, she'd lose her temper completely and do something she'd regret. He was still her little brother, even if he was an idiot.
"No! I won't go back!" Nawaki suddenly shouted, finding a scrap of defiance. He puffed out his chest, a comical gesture on his small frame. "You're here fighting to protect Konoha! How can the last man of the Senju hide at home?!"
"A man?" Tsunade's laugh was short and harsh. "You have no idea what that word means out here. If you saw real combat, you'd freeze. Or worse. You're going back." She punctuated the sentence with a sharp flick of her fingers against his forehead.
THWOK.
"Ow! I said no!" Nawaki yelled, tears of pain and frustration springing to his eyes.
"You're going, or I'll make you wish you had!" Tsunade raised her fist, not to strike, but as a final, visual threat.
Something in Nawaki snapped. He stared up at his sister, the person he admired most in the world, who now seemed like a jailer. His body trembled. He took a shuddering breath, but the dam broke.
"WAHHHHH!"
He wailed, the sound raw and heartbroken. "Sister, you only know how to bully me! I just… I just want to protect you! To protect the village! Why won't you let me? Why do you have to hit me? I HATE YOU!"
With that, he turned and bolted from the tent, the flap swinging wildly behind him.
Tsunade stood frozen, her raised fist slowly lowering to her side. The angry words echoed in the sudden silence, leaving behind a hollow, guilty ache.
"That stupid kid," she whispered to the empty tent, the fight draining out of her, replaced by a weary, profound worry.
She gave him a minute, then followed, her steps quieter now. She found him not far from the tent perimeter, sitting on a large, rain-slick rock, his back to the camp. His shoulders hitched occasionally. She could almost hear the muttered grievances against her.
The Senju's last direct heir… The weight of that legacy was a stone in her own stomach. She couldn't let anything happen to him. But seeing him so utterly dejected… it twisted something inside her.
She approached softly, the gravel crunching under her boots. "Still angry?"
Nawaki flinched at her voice but didn't turn, stubbornly presenting her with the back of his spiky head. The message was clear: I'm mad. You can't fix it.
Tsunade, whose patience was legendary for its brevity, found a surprising reserve. She sat down on the rock beside him, not touching him. "Nawaki… you can stay."
He went very still.
"But," she continued, her voice firm, "there are conditions. You listen to me, in everything. No arguments. You will train seriously—no goofing off like you did back in the academy. And you stay inside the camp perimeter. The front lines are not for you. Not yet."
A flicker of hope, quickly suppressed. He didn't turn, but his posture was less rigid.
Tsunade played her final card, the one she knew would work. "And if you do all that… if you behave and train hard… I'll let Rakshasa come see you."
That did it. Nawaki whirled around, his tear-streaked face alight with desperate hope. "Rakshasa?! Really, sis? You're not lying?"
"When has your sister ever lied to you about something important?" Tsunade asked, allowing a small, genuine smile to touch her lips. The kid was so transparent. Sometimes you had to fight fire with a different kind of fire.
"But… I want to see him now!" Nawaki begged, latching onto her arm.
"And who was the one giving me the silent treatment just a minute ago?" Tsunade teased, feigning hurt.
"Sis, I'm sorry! I was wrong! I'll listen to everything you say, I promise!" The words tumbled out in a fervent rush.
Tsunade reached out and ruffled his hair, the tension finally dissolving. "Alright, alright. I'll take you to see him tonight. But this is our secret. Just between brother and sister. You can't tell anyone. Not your friends, not the Hokage, no one. Understood?"
Nawaki nodded so vigorously it looked like his head might pop off. "Understood! A secret! I won't tell a soul!" His eyes shone with the absolute devotion of a fanatic. The legendary ANBU was going to acknowledge him.
Later, With Ragnar
Ragnar looked up from his seated position as Tsunade entered his quarters unannounced. He hadn't expected her.
She didn't bother with preamble, launching into an explanation about Nawaki—his sneak-arrival, his tantrum, his fanatical admiration for 'Rakshasa,' and her subsequent, desperate bargain.
"...so, as his honorary brother, you have to help me out here," she finished, a pleading note in her voice that was rare for the Slug Princess. "If you don't, that little monster will make my life a living hell. Just… play along for a bit. Please?"
Ragnar regarded her flatly. "I don't recall agreeing to be a bear-tamer for a spoiled heir."
"He's not spoiled, he's just… passionate!" Tsunade defended, then switched tactics. She moved closer, grabbing his arm in a sisterly grip. "Come on, Ragnar! Do this for your big sister!"
Ragnar detached himself with calm, practiced ease, putting a respectful distance between them. "Fine."
Tsunade's face lit up with relief and triumph. "I knew it! You're the best, Ragnar! The most reliable little brother a girl could ask for!"
Ragnar offered no response to the praise. Internally, he sighed. This woman has no sense of boundaries. But the thought was distant, analytical. He had accepted a role in her life; this was part of the package. As the ancient saying went, when heaven was about to place a great responsibility on a man, it first tried his patience with ridiculous errands.
That Night
Under the cover of darkness, the Konoha camp was a landscape of deep shadows and quiet sentries. Ragnar donned the full ANBU regalia—the form-fitting blacks, the armored plates, the gloves, the cloak that swallowed his silhouette. Lastly, he lifted the blood-red Rakshasa mask and secured it over his face. The transformation was complete. The young shinobi was gone; the legend walked.
He moved through the camp's less-traveled paths. Other ANBU, ghosts in the gloom, spotted him. They didn't challenge him. A nod, barely perceptible, was the only acknowledgment between shadows. His reputation and rank now preceded him, an unspoken pass.
He reached the small copse of trees at the camp's eastern edge, a pre-arranged neutral ground. Tsunade melted out from behind a thick trunk, her expression serious.
"He's waiting," she said quietly, gesturing deeper into the woods. "Just… be impressive. And maybe a little scary. It'll keep him in line."
Ragnar gave a single, slow nod from behind the mask. The porcelain face was impassive, inhuman.
"Thank you," Tsunade whispered, sincerity cutting through her usual bravado.
Without a word, Ragnar turned and walked into the deeper shadows of the trees, the cloak whispering against the undergrowth. He was going to meet his 'little brother.'
(End of Chapter)
✨If you're enjoying this story, consider supporting me on Patreon —
Patreon.com/TofuChan
💕Patreon members get early access to chapters, bonus content, and voting power on future ideas.💕
Every bit of support helps me write more and faster. Thank you so much for reading! 🥰
Bonus Chapter For Every 100 Power Stones
Lets hit the goal of 200 Patreon Members now for 5 Extra Chapters 💕