(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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Leo had barely taken a second sip of his tea when the shadows near the wall stirred quietly.
One of the Shadow Soldiers emerged from the darkness and bowed its head.
"Uzumaki Mito has arrived,"
It reported in its hollow, layered voice.
"Along with Tsunade and Nawaki. They state their visit concerns the marriage alliance."
Leo's fingers paused lightly against the teacup.
"...."
"So they've made a decision,"
He murmured to himself.
The Shadow Soldier nodded once.
-Nod!
"They claim Tsunade has an answer."
Leo raised an eyebrow at that before setting his cup down.
"Let them in."
The shadow dissolved instantly.
A few moments later...
The doors to the common room opened and the three guests stepped inside.
Morning light filtered through the windows behind them, giving the room a calm warmth that contrasted sharply with the political tension that had been brewing over the last few days.
Leo sat relaxed on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, tea still in hand.
He greeted them with a small nod.
-Nod!
"...."
Mito returned it gracefully while Nawaki gave a respectful greeting.
Tsunade, meanwhile, avoided looking directly at him for more than a second.
"...."
The shadows moved soundlessly through the room, placing cups of tea before the guests before retreating once more into stillness.
Even now, Tsunade still found those creatures unsettling.
Mito wrapped her fingers around the warm cup which seems to be brewed just now before speaking.
"We are here regarding the alliance between the Senju and Uzumaki clans."
Her tone was calm, measured, but carried a quiet seriousness beneath it.
"The bond between our clans has weakened over the this conflict, especially due to the actions and interference of Konoha's higher authorities."
Her eyes sharpened slightly at the unspoken reference to Danzō and the others.
"I originally intended to use the marriage agreement to secure that alliance once more."
She glanced briefly at her granddaughter before continuing.
"But circumstances have changed. The Uzumaki now stand under your protection, Leo. Whether politically or practically, your word carries greater weight than anyone else's here."
Leo listened without interrupting.
"...."
Then Mito smiled faintly.
"So as you previously said the final decision was left to Tsunade."
At that, Leo turned his gaze toward her.
Tsunade immediately stiffened.
"…Why are you looking at me like that?"
She muttered, though the redness creeping across her face ruined any attempt at composure.
Truthfully, even she found it strange how quickly things had changed.
At first, she had resisted the very idea.
Political marriages were the kind of thing she hated.
The thought of being pushed into one because of clan obligations had infuriated her.
But after everything that happened during the past few days…
The gambling hall. The games. Their conversations.
The way he treated pressure and threats like passing weather.
And somehow, absurdly enough, her terrible luck seemed quieter whenever she was around him.
It felt ridiculous. Yet real.
And despite knowing he already had other womens close to him, despite knowing Aemma and Sasami were living in this very mansion…
She still found herself wanting to stay.
Even through she hated it.
That realization alone had nearly driven her insane last night.
Tsunade took a slow breath before finally lifting her eyes to meet his directly.
-Sigh!
"I've made my decision."
The room became still.
Even Nawaki stopped fidgeting.
Tsunade's cheeks remained slightly red, but her voice no longer wavered.
"I want to marry you."
No dramatic declaration. No hesitation at the end.
Just honesty of her decision she had made after careful consideration.
Leo studied her quietly for a few seconds.
His expression didn't change much, but the atmosphere around him shifted subtly.
"...."
More serious. More grounded.
When he finally spoke, his voice was calm.
"I take relationships seriously, Tsunade."
The casual amusement he usually carried was gone for the moment.
"I don't treat them as political tools or temporary arrangements."
Tsunade held his gaze without backing away.
"…Good," she replied softly. "Neither do I."
For a brief second, silence hung between them before Leo leaned back again, the heaviness in the room easing almost immediately.
"...."
"...."
"...."
"Then we'll hold the wedding in a week."
The abruptness of it made Nawaki blink.
-Blink!
"…Wait, that fast?!"
Mito, meanwhile, simply chuckled into her tea as though she had expected exactly that answer.
-Chuckle!
Tsunade stared at Leo for a moment before narrowing her eyes slightly.
"…You really don't waste time, do you?"
Leo smirked faintly as he picked his teacup back up.
-Smirk!
"Delaying things is usually annoying."
That earned a snort from Tsunade despite herself.
And just like that, the tense political alliance that had begun as strategy quietly transformed into something far more personal.
Uzushiogakure...
Far from the calm shores of Uzushiogakure, thunder rolled endlessly across the mountains of Kumogakure.
The Hidden Cloud Village was alive with motion as shinobi moved between towers, training grounds, and command halls.
Unlike the Mist Village, which had descended into internal bloodshed, Kumogakure stood sharp and disciplined, watching the changing balance of power with growing caution.
Raikage's office...
Inside the Raikage's office, the atmosphere was heavy.
The Third Raikage sat behind his massive desk, his towering frame radiating pressure even in silence.
Reports lay scattered before him, each carrying fragments of troubling information gathered over the past few weeks.
"...."
Kirigakure's civil conflict.
The destruction of bloodline clans.
The emergence of Uzushiogakure as an independent force once more.
And at the center of it all—Leo Morningstar.
The man who had seemingly appeared from nowhere and somehow taken control of a nation that should have remained fractured and vulnerable.
The Raikage's fingers tapped once against the desk as his gaze settled on the shinobi standing before him.
Three jōnin. Four chūnin.
All carefully selected.
Not for brute strength alone, but for infiltration, survival, and intelligence gathering.
"You understand the mission?"
The Raikage asked to make sure they all understood their mission well.
The lead jōnin stepped forward immediately.
"Yes, Raikage-sama."
The Raikage leaned back slightly, his sharp eyes narrowing.
"The war between Uzushiogakure and Kirigakure has ended, but the situation surrounding the Uzumaki remains unclear. Kirigakure is collapsing into internal conflict, yet Uzushiogakure…"
He paused for a second.
"…is growing stronger."
Nobody in the room interrupted him.
"Reports described and also the Uzumaki clan its self officially announced a man named Leo Morningstar as the one currently standing above the Uzumaki clan. Some even claim the clan serves him directly."
Even saying it sounded strange.
The Uzumaki were not weak people. For them to willingly follow an outsider raised too many questions.
Then there was the other matter.
"The multi-headed tailed beast."
The room became quieter.
"...."
"...."
"...."
The rumors surrounding it had spread rapidly across the great nations.
A creature unlike anything recorded before.
Some called it a mutation.
Others believed it to be a hidden weapon.
A few even whispered that it was something older than the tailed beasts themselves.
The Raikage didn't care for rumors.
He cared about facts.
"And I intend to learn exactly how dangerous that thing is."
The lead jōnin nodded again.
"We'll infiltrate Uzushiogakure, gather information on Leo Morningstar, the village's military strength, and the tailed beast. If possible, we'll establish long-term positions inside the village."
"Without alerting them,"
The Raikage added sharply.
The pressure in the room intensified.
"I don't want a pointless confrontation. If this man truly possesses the strength these reports describe, then provoking him blindly would be idiotic."
The shinobi remained composed, though even they understood the seriousness behind those words.
This wasn't a standard espionage mission anymore.
It was reconnaissance against an unknown force.
The Raikage folded his arms.
"If necessary, abandon the mission before compromising yourselves. Survival and information come first."
"Yes, Raikage-sama!"
The response echoed in unison.
The Raikage studied them for a moment longer before giving a final order.
"You leave tonight."
Lightning flashed outside the tower windows.
For a brief moment, the office glowed white.
And somewhere far across the sea, hidden behind whirlpools and ancient seals, Uzushiogakure remained unaware that yet another village had begun turning its eyes toward it.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Guys My New Fic name is:
-->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.
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And power stone!!!
It will Motivate Me.