Inside the Room
Tsunade sat cross-legged on a wooden chair, her slender hands—adorned with red nail polish—idly toying with a scroll. Locking eyes with Shirou, she let out a cold smirk.
"So, this is what you've been hiding?"
"Are you sure there's nothing else you're concealing?"
Facing Tsunade's sharp gaze, Shirou nodded frantically, his fear evident.
"Captain Tsunade, I swear, I'm not hiding anything else! The information the elders passed along—it's about spies within the village planning to assassinate you.
They also intend to provoke discord between the Senju clan and the village…"
But under Tsunade's calm, light-brown eyes, Shirou's voice faltered, trailing off into a whisper. In the end, he averted his gaze, unable to et her unyielding stare.
Seeing this, Tsunade's temper flared. Her anger surged, almost visibly simring beneath her calm exterior.
Shirou withholds such information!
"Do you think dying would put an end to all of this? Spill everything. Now!"
Her words were sharp, icy, and final as she stood, towering over him like a queen. Her light-brown eyes burned with fury.
"Don't push , Shirou!"
Under her threatening gaze, Shirou's expression darkened as if he'd finally realized he could no longer keep his secret.
Seeing his reluctant deanor, Tsunade's stern expression gradually softened. Stepping forward, she gently ruffled the black hair of Shirou who had, unknowingly, grown almost as tall as her now.
"You've never been alone. Just like in that cave—I didn't abandon you then, and I won't now."
Under her soothing words, Shirou lowered his head. In a hoarse voice, he began to reveal what he had been hiding.
"According to the elders' intel, the Senju clan has beco increasingly feared. After the war, so within the village plan to use experints on the First Hokage's cells as a pretext to secretly purge part of the Senju clan.
As for the White Fang incident, the specifics are unclear, but sothing's being planned after the war ends…"
Shirou carefully laid out these two matters, his voice steady but heavy. He wasn't exaggerating—these were deductions drawn from limited intel. As a Naruto fan skilled in analysis, and a forr top sales perforr in his previous life, he understood the critical importance of information.
In the original story, the Third Hokage had ntioned Konoha's secret research into the First Hokage's cells—sacrificing countless lives to revive Wood Release techniques.
This likely didn't happen during the First Shinobi World War, when Konoha had been up against four other major villages and the Senju clan was still a dominant force. For Konoha's leadership to undertake such experints, the Senju clan must have tacitly agreed, indicating that the clan had already begun to decline.
His inference aligned with history: such experints likely occurred between the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, during the Senju clan's waning years.
The death of White Fang and the failure of the Wood Release research had only further weakened the already fragile Senju clan, leaving the Hokage faction as the sole beneficiaries.
"Damn it!"
Tsunade erupted, slamming her fist into the nearby wall. Her anger was raw, unrestrained.
This was a long-conceived sche!
"Shirou, you hide this from !"
She glared furiously at Shirou, but as she glanced at the scroll in her hand, realization dawned. Shirou had been prepared to disappear with the truth, yet he had also chosen to warn her and the Senju clan.
The Senju and the village hadn't changed; the truth had remained buried, with only one life sacrificed to keep it hidden.
"Shirou!"
Her anger surged again—not because of his secrecy, but because she realized how much Shirou had endured for her sake.
"Well, you've certainly grown bold!"
Tsunade said, her anger giving way to an ironic laugh.
Shirou lowered his head in guilt, his hoarse voice trembling as he muttered, "I'm sorry. Everything I did was for the village."
His words carried no falsehood. The village would undoubtedly conduct experints with the First Hokage's cells, and the Senju clan would inevitably retaliate if they found out.
He had simply chosen to reveal the truth earlier, hoping to prevent further tragedy.
Before he could apologize further, Tsunade stepped forward and pulled him into a warm embrace. Her eyes reflected a mix of complex emotions—guilt, sorrow, and pride.
"You've done nothing wrong."
In her eyes, Shirou had borne everything—for the village, for the clan—even at the cost of his innocence.
And it had all started with her. From the mont of Nawaki's death, Shirou, consud by guilt, had awakened his Sharingan. Since then, he had beco a double agent for both the Uchiha and Senju clans, spiraling deeper into darkness with every secret he uncovered.
He longed for the light but had never taken a step toward it, choosing instead to bury the darkness within himself.
Tsunade felt it was her fault. A once-carefree boy had beco a solemn, restrained young man.
For soone as strong-willed as her, being protected by Shirou stirred emotions she couldn't ignore.
Suddenly, she noticed Shirou's flushed face and his awkward attempts to push her away. Lowering her gaze, she realized the cause—and smirked mischievously.
"Looks like you've grown up, brat."
She released him, and Shirou stepped back, gasping awkwardly. Her teasing tone lightened the mood, defusing the tension.
"Captain Tsunade—"
Before he could continue, Tsunade grasped his chin. Her playful expression gave way to sincerity.
"Shirou, you were never a replacent."
The matter of Nawaki remained unspoken, but at that mont, Tsunade's emotions were genuine. No longer driven by ulterior motives, she felt only guilt, self-reproach, and heartfelt concern for Shirou.
Feeling sothing warm touch his forehead, Shirou froze, his eyes widening in shock.
"Shirou, thank you for the birthday gift."
For once, Tsunade—so often commanding and authoritative—smiled warmly, like a kindhearted elder sister. She lifted the scroll in her hand, showing her gratitude.
Who could reject a boy who had sacrificed everything for the village, even preparing a thoughtful birthday gift for her?
The scroll contained an original A-rank jutsu he had created. Though it carried so ulterior motives—reminding her of the Uchiha clan's contributions—it also reflected his sincerity.
"Captain Tsunade—"
Noticing her teasing but tender gaze, Shirou softened his tone, correcting himself,
"Sister Tsunade, happy birthday."
It was August 2nd—Tsunade's birthday, and the day they returned to Konoha after narrowly escaping death in the Land of Grass.
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