Sigh... I truly am getting old. My time is running out. Meanwhile, Sarutobi's position as Hokage only grows stronger, and his influence keeps expanding. My ability to intimidate others has diminished greatly over the years...
Uzumaki Mito sighed silently.
"Grandma? What's wrong? Why do you suddenly look so worried and sad?"
Tsunade noticed her grandmother's mood had taken a sharp turn for the worse, a heavy sorrow settling over her features.
Mito looked up at her, gently stroked her granddaughter's head, and murmured, "Tsunade, Grandma doesn't have many years left. When will you truly mature—become strong and independent enough to carry the Senju Clan's future?"
"I..."
Tsunade didn't know why, but her heart felt tight and uncomfortable.
She quickly grasped her grandmother's hand, concern etched on her face. "Grandma, what are you saying? You'll live a long, long life!"
"Heh..."
Mito gave a tired smile. "A long life? For a ninja? That's just a fantasy."
"Ninjas... We live short, twisted lives."
"Even someone with your grand-uncle Hashirama's life force and power died young. So what hope do I have?"
"If he hadn't been a ninja, with his constitution, he could've truly lived to a hundred. But..."
The more a ninja fights, the more they drain themselves.
The shorter their lives become.
Tsunade fell silent, sadness clouding her eyes.
As a medical ninja, she understood this all too well.
A ninja's survival depends on extracting chakra—and that always shortens their lifespan. It's inevitable.
"Enough. No more of that."
Mito saw the confusion and sorrow on Tsunade's face and decisively changed the subject. "Anyway, you're not a child anymore. It's time to grow up."
"Until Nawaki matures enough to carry the burden of the Senju, you'll have to shoulder it for him, understood?"
Truthfully, Mito didn't have much hope for Nawaki becoming the Senju's pillar.
The boy was far too naive—more so than Hashirama back in the day.
But unlike Hashirama, Nawaki didn't possess overwhelming talent. And he had no "Tobirama" to support him.
Her only hope now was for Tsunade to step up as the elder sister and take responsibility.
"I... I understand! I'll do it!"
Tsunade clenched her fists tightly, then hesitated. "But, Grandma... isn't the village still under sensei's leadership? There's no real crisis, is there?"
"Foolish girl."
Mito's expression twisted in exasperation. "Sarutobi Hiruzen is not just your sensei. He's the Hokage. He's the head of the Sarutobi Clan."
"The only reason he took you in as a student was to win over the Senju and me—to solidify his claim to the Hokage seat."
"You really think he picked you because of your talent?"
"In his mind, the Sarutobi Clan comes first. Then Konoha. Then Danzo, Koharu, and Homura's clans. Only after that does he even think about the Senju—if at all."
"All these years, he's been quietly suppressing the major clans, especially the Senju. Have you never noticed?"
"And yet you still want me to entrust the Senju Clan to someone like you? How can I rest in peace knowing that?"
Her voice trembled—not from weakness, but from frustration and heartbreak.
Mito was truly furious.
The bonds of master and student meant nothing in the face of self-interest.
"..."
Tsunade was stunned. Her worldview shattered in an instant, and her idolized image of the Third Hokage crumbled.
"How... how could this be?"
She whispered in disbelief.
Mito rolled her eyes. "Why not? Just think about how the clan has declined over the years. Isn't it obvious?"
Originally, Mito had no intention of breaking Tsunade's fantasy.
She hoped that even if she died, Tsunade's faith in Hiruzen and their bond might protect her.
But the Uchiha's recent changes—especially Uchiha Chiri's actions—had made her reconsider.
She could no longer afford to sit back and do nothing.
"Maybe... allying with the Uchiha in secret really is a viable path."
Mito couldn't help but think.
"I..."
Tsunade's lips trembled. Her grandmother's words echoed in her mind, breaking apart her long-held beliefs.
Recalling various events—Hiruzen's treatment of the clan, the village's policies—she began to see just how much she had overlooked.
Her face darkened. "So it's true... The old man's intentions were never pure."
"Glad you finally understand."
Mito looked a little more at ease.
"What should I do now, Grandma?" Tsunade asked helplessly.
"Wait until I've met with Uchiha Chiri," Mito replied. "You'll be there too."
"Okay," Tsunade nodded, no longer arguing.
She had lost her direction—but she'd follow her grandmother's lead for now.
Even if she didn't yet understand why Mito was so anxious.
"Ah... it's not that I want to pressure you, but the situation really is getting worse for us."
Mito's tone softened.
"More troubling reports have been coming from the Uzumaki Clan recently."
"All signs indicate that the other four great ninja villages have their eyes on them—for their sealing techniques and their jinchuriki potential."
"Lately, many foreign spies have been spotted in the Land of Whirlpools. Clearly, nothing good is coming."
"What?!"
Tsunade's face went pale. "Then... what should we do?"
"Does the old man know? Will the village send help?"
But as she asked, she remembered Mito's earlier words about Hiruzen's true nature.
Her tone wavered.
Deep down, she already feared the truth:
Her teacher might not lift a finger to help.
In fact, the destruction of the Uzumaki might serve him best.
He'd gain access to their secrets and heritage—and cripple the Senju in the process.
With her blinders removed, Tsunade now saw how far the Senju had fallen under Hiruzen's leadership.
Once the greatest clan in the ninja world, now barely hanging on.
Their branch families had mostly faded into the civilian population.
Many had vanished entirely—killed in war or during missions.
Even the main family had lost most of its members.
The Senju stood at the brink of extinction.
Mito had been observing Tsunade carefully. Seeing her granddaughter finally awaken to the truth, she said solemnly:
"Looks like you understand now."
"Don't expect the Hokage or the village to truly help us. At best, they'll scavenge for benefits while we burn."
"I'd considered asking the Uzumaki Clan to relocate to Konoha."
"But Uzumaki Kushina's father, Ashina, refused. I couldn't change his mind."
"So now, I'm preparing to send what remains of the Senju—our main family and a few loyal branches—as a support force."
"This may cost us the last of our strength... but I have no choice."
"I will not sit idly by and watch the Uzumaki perish."