(I couldn't find anything about Tsunade's parents, but her mother must be alive at least, because Nawaki would be born during this period — but she shall be conveniently gone. Good riddance.)
...
(3rd POV)
When Azula left, the excitement vanished like smoke in the wind. The crowd that had gathered, hoping to witness something fun or dramatic, slowly began to drift apart. One by one, they left, bored or disappointed.
There was nothing to see anymore.
Tsunade was the first to walk away. She didn't say a word to anyone. She didn't want to.
Her little legs moved quickly, but her heart felt heavy—like someone had stuffed it full of wet stones.
Pictures kept flashing in her head, pictures she didn't want to see.
Her grandpa, Hashirama—his big laugh, his goofy grin, the way he used to lift her up like she weighed nothing. Everyone said he built the village. Everyone said he was a hero. But he wasn't here anymore. He never would be.
Her great-uncle Tobirama had been different—stern, smart, strict. He always looked like he was thinking ten steps ahead. He talked a lot about danger and duty.
He always mentioned the Uchiha like saying they were explosive tags. Tsunade never really understood why. She just nodded when adults talked. But he was gone too.
And then there was her daddy. Warm arms. Big hands. He used to carry her on his shoulders and run, making airplane noises. It felt like flying. Like magic. She remembered giggling so hard her cheeks hurt.
But now… he wasn't coming back either.
All of them were gone. So fast. Too fast.
"I have to be strong," she used to tell herself. "For Mama. For Grandma."
She had made that promise the day after Hashirama's funeral. She hadn't forgotten it.
As she walked, she coincidentally heard people talking about Azula, which made her reflect on the scene earlier.
In fact, Tsunade still didn't fully understand what "Uchiha" meant, but from the way Tobirama described them and how everyone talked about them, it sounded scary to her.
Two days ago, she had overheard Grandma Mito talking with that serious-looking man who always frowned—Danzo.
"Mito-sama," he said, his voice low. "The Uchiha are being unreasonable. They're rejecting Hiruzen's nomination for Hokage. Even with Kagami's support, they're resisting. Hiruzen offered to mentor Azula personally, showing goodwill to them, but even then, the clan refused. They want her to serve them, not the village. We might be raising another Madara."
Tsunade hadn't understood half of what they said, and she couldn't understand why everyone called her a genius or why even the Hokage who succeeded Tobirama wanted her to be his disciple, but she remembered Grandma Mito's face—tired eyes, a deep sigh.
She looked… worried. And Grandma Mito rarely looked worried.
In fact, by now, Tsunade understood that the reason she wanted to fight Azula earlier might have been because of jealousy.
Anyway, she wasn't sure anymore, and she started to feel a little bad about how she had acted.
Grandpa had told her stories once—about Madara. How he and Madara used to be friends. How the Uchiha weren't born evil.
"Maybe I was wrong," Tsunade mumbled to herself, looking down at her feet as she walked. "She never hurt anyone. She never even looked at me. Why did I think she was bad?"
She frowned, confused and frustrated.
"Grandpa said the village was made for peace… but why can't I understand anything?" she whispered, kicking a small rock off the road.
By the time she arrived at the Senju compound, she still hadn't found her answer.
She passed through the main gates. Some clan members greeted her warmly, but she barely responded. She just nodded and made her way straight to the place she always felt safest—home.
Inside, she found not just her grandmother, Mito, but also her mother, Tsukiyo.
Her mother had a big belly now. Tsunade's eyes lit up.
She remembered—her mom had said she was going to have a baby soon.
A little brother or sister! Just thinking about it made her heart feel a little lighter, the sadness melting just a tiny bit.
"Mother! Grandma! I'm back!" she said, her face brightening with a real, warm smile. She ran up and hugged her mother tightly.
Tsukiyo gently held her daughter, her expression soft but heavy with emotion. Mito, standing nearby, exchanged a long look with her daughter-in-law.
Both women knew how much Tsunade had lost. Just eight months ago, her father had died in the war. Not long after, Tobirama had been killed too. The blows had come one after another. But here she was—still smiling. Still trying to be strong.
It broke their hearts.
Mito, being an Uzumaki and the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, could feel the emotions inside her granddaughter. Even if Tsunade didn't show it, the storm was still there. Tsukiyo, though not a Jinchuriki, was also an Uzumaki—and a mother. She could sense it too.
They knew Tsunade was hiding more pain than she let on.
And Tsukiyo feared… that more sorrow was coming. Sorrow she couldn't protect her daughter from.
"Tsunade," Mito said gently, sensing the tension in the room and wanting to change the mood, "You came back a little late today. Did something happen?"
Tsunade's shoulders slumped as she sighed.
"Well… I wanted to fight Azula Uchiha. But she didn't want to fight me," she mumbled.
Both women blinked. That was unexpected.
Mito's eyebrows lifted with interest. If there was one thing she was confident about, it was reading people. Thanks to her long years as a kunoichi, a leader, and a Jinchuriki, she had developed the ability to sense emotions deeply—unless someone used special seals to block her.
Even Madara, Hashirama's old friend, couldn't hide from her senses.
Thinking about Madara always made her feel… complicated.
She had once been the pride of Uzushio—the Princess of the Uzumaki. Talented, powerful, admired. And beautiful. Many had wanted her hand in marriage, but she chose Hashirama.
He had shared everything with her—his hopes, his dreams, his pain.
He had told her about his friendship with Madara. How they'd once dreamed of peace. How the death of Madara's younger brother, killed by Tobirama, had shattered everything. How Hashirama had even offered to die to bring peace between the Uchiha and the Senju.
She remembered how Madara had never shown bloodlust toward the villagers. Never once toward her. His anger had always been directed at Tobirama. But even so… in the end, he had fallen into darkness.
And now… there was Azula.
Another Uchiha. Talented. Powerful for her age. With more chakra than a regular Genin—and she had just started the academy.
Mito didn't want Azula to become like Madara. She wanted the girl to build bonds before she ever saw the darkness. She wanted Azula to care about something, to have people she'd be willing to protect.
But the Uchiha clan was already isolating her.
Danzo was right about one thing—Azula was being sheltered by the clan. Cut off. If Mito forced the issue, the girl might lose trust in the village—and worse, in herself. That would only plant the seeds of another tragedy.
She couldn't let that happen.
"Why did you want to fight her?" Mito asked, keeping her tone light. "You're not usually the type to pick fights."
Tsunade puffed her cheeks slightly. She looked a little guilty but tried to defend herself.
"I'm not violent!" she said quickly. "I only hit Shikoku one time… and maybe Jiraiya three times. But they were annoying!"
She paused, then muttered, "And I didn't actually fight Azula, so it doesn't count."
Mito chuckled softly. That sounded more like the Tsunade she knew.
"It's just…" Tsunade continued, looking down, "Everyone says Azula's the best. That she's a genius. But she just draws all the time. She barely listens in class! So I thought… maybe if I beat her, they'd say I'm the best."
As she said it out loud, she started to feel silly.
Mito, though, was focused on something else entirely.
An Uchiha who liked to draw was unusual. Most Uchiha children trained relentlessly. Azula really was different.
But what worried Mito more was the way Tsunade talked. The need to prove herself. That kind of thinking could turn into envy. And envy could lead to hate, and hate would lead to darkness.
She walked over and gently placed her hand on Tsunade's head, ruffling her blonde hair.
"You don't have to prove anything to anyone," she said kindly. "The village wasn't made to show off who's the strongest. It was made to protect peace. Your grandfather would want you to fight for something—not against someone."
Tsunade blinked. Her eyes widened just a little.
That made sense. She didn't need to chase other people's approval. She had her own path.
A soft smile returned to her face. The storm inside her calmed, just a bit.
But she didn't see the look her mother and grandmother shared behind her back. A look filled with pain and helplessness.
They knew… something was coming.
And no matter how much they wanted to protect her—
They couldn't stop it.
...
...
...
(Azula's POV)
"I'm... sorry," Tsunade said, the words seeming to scrape against her throat like kunai on stone.
The sheer 'weight' of it, coming from her – the heiress practically raised on a throne of Senju privilege, destined to become a whirlwind of fists and fury – slammed into me with the force of a surprise Water Release jutsu.
My carefully maintained façade of 'somehow indifferent student' cracked. I just... stared. Brain: offline. Mouth: slightly agape. Cool points: evaporating faster than morning mist off the Hokage monument.
'Apologizing? Tsunade? Was this some bizarre genjutsu? Had Danzo finally cracked and started drugging the water supply with hallucinogens?' I knew, logically, it was probably about yesterday's... incident.
But still! That was the Senju princess in the anime who can't solve anything without a punch, and now she is swallowing her pride? In public? The sheer novelty was dizzying.
"Huh?" I managed, eloquently. Smooth, Uchiha. Real smooth.
Recovering a sliver of my composure (mostly), I waved a dismissive hand, trying to channel my inner Chinese and not 'teenager caught off guard'.
"Water under the bridge, Tsunade. As long as the lesson landed." My voice sounded unnaturally loud in the sudden quiet of the classroom.
What could I do? We weren't bosom buddies sharing dango. We were Uchiha and Senju. Our families had grudges older than the Hidden Leaf Village itself, etched in blood and battlefield dust.
She gave a curt, almost imperceptible nod – a queen granting a minor concession – and retreated like a storm cloud pulling back, settling at her usual table near her future legendary teammates.
My gaze swept the room as she sat. Okay, maybe our class wasn't quite the freak-show powerhouse factory Naruto's generation would become, but let's not undersell the sheer concentration of future monsters crammed into these wooden seats.
Just look around!
Orochimaru: Although not yet gloomy, was practically oozing unsettling genius even now, sketching complex fuinjutsu arrays in the margins of his notebook instead of notes. Future architect of an entire Hidden Village's downfall? Check.
Tsunade: The walking apology just delivered. Future Hokage, slug princess, living tank who could punch a mountain into gravel. Obvious.
Jiraiya: Currently trying to balance a pencil on his nose, oblivious to Tsunade's glare. Future Toad Sage, prophet (sort of), and author of literature that would make an Oni blush. Somehow, more powerful than he looked.
Might Duy: Beaming sunshine personified, doing invisible push-ups under his desk. The future Green Beast, the man who would define human potential, kicking open the Eighth Gate without a drop of alien blood or fancy eyeballs. The sheer, terrifying will radiating off him was almost tangible.
Nara Shikoku: Lazing by the window, shadows subtly pooling near his feet even in broad daylight. A strategic mind sharper than a senbon, yet... I'd never heard his name in the endless scrolls of anime lore. Talented, yes. But fate, it seemed, had other plans. A chilling reminder of how easily brilliance could be snuffed out in this world.
Hiruko: This one is indeed surprising, but yeah, he was the one who practically was the main antagonist in the Naruto movie because he developed the Chimera technique that allows him to absorb the chakra and kekkei genkai of others. What a terrible technique.
And then, my eyes snagged on a face in the second-year section visible through the open door.
Kato Dan. Recognition, fuzzy but insistent, prickled my memory. Tsunade's tragic future love. Doomed. Another name on the grim roster.
A cold realization slithered down my spine. The Senju men... Hashirama, the God of Shinobi – dead. Tobirama, the brilliant, ruthless Nidaime – dead. Nawaki, the hopeful grandson – dead. Dan – future dead. Was it a curse?
Had Tobirama, in his icy pragmatism, dissolved the Senju clan name, scattering them into the civilian populace not just to avoid elitism, but as a desperate gambit to break this relentless cycle of tragedy? The thought was pure, unadulterated shinobi gossip gold, the kind that could fuel a thousand tavern tales.
"Stop it, brain!"
I mentally swatted the conspiracy theories away like annoying flies. Focus! Time to look busy and scholarly. I shuffled my 'working materials'.
Contrary to what Tsunade and the snoozing kid next to me probably thought, I wasn't completely checked out.
Sure, the teacher's droning lectures on the Will of Fire could melt the resolve of a stone statue, inducing naps deeper than any genjutsu.
But buried beneath the patriotic fluff were gems – foundational chakra theory, tactical principles, historical precedents (often sanitized, but still). Knowledge was power, even the boring bits.
My secret weapon was my soul. Not to sound arrogant, but think about it! My original consciousness, fused with the fierce, firebending spirit of Azula (talk about baggage!), then poured into this Uchiha vessel?
That trifecta had to create something... denser. Unless you were the Sage of Six Paths himself or some chakra-ghost hermit, I'd bet a bowl of Ichiraku's that my spiritual energy – my Yin – dwarfed anything in this classroom, maybe even in the village among the living.
It explained the freakish chakra control I meticulously hid, and my brain's ability to run multiple complex thought threads simultaneously without melting down.
Right now, one thread sketched a surprisingly vicious Michael Jackson. Another half-listened to the lecture, dissecting the propaganda. A third, the main one, was plotting world domination – or at least, personal ascension.
Although I'm a genius, I have to know the level I should show, and I have it divided in two parts. The first part is my surface that I shall show.
The spinny ball of doom (Rasengan): Easy-peasy with my control. No need for shadow clones or water balloons. Pure, elegant, devastating force. Perfect 'look, I'm talented but not freakish to the point of making someone want to eliminate me no matter the cost or consequences.'
Then lightning my fire (Raiton Enhancement): Zap the body! Boost reaction speed, toughen tissues, turn these Uchiha limbs into living weapons capable of handling... bigger things later. Gotta build the temple before inviting the gods, right?
Then I would use fire release for long-range: The It 'Never Kills Anyone' special.
Anyway, it looks awesome, covers distance, and honestly? Against 90% of mooks, a faceful of dragon fire is plenty persuasive. Save the exotic stuff for the main bosses.
Then came the real me that I wouldn't show unless reaching Kage-level. The Real Power.
Forget hand signs and chakra exhaustion! Imagine flicking a wrist and the earth itself rises like a dragon's spine! Or snapping fingers and the air around an enemy implodes!
That's Bending Arts – manipulating elements with pure will and spiritual energy. An A-rank technique? More like a casual Tuesday afternoon. The sheer efficiency, the scale... this was my cheat code, my hidden ace. Mastering all five chakra natures was essential, and combining them with Bending principles is where true, Hiruzen-surpassing power lived.
It was like Water and Earth bending merging into an unstoppable Mud Tsunami, guided by Wind, ignited by Fire, solidified with Lightning chakra... pure, beautiful, terrifying synergy.
And then The Sharingan. Everyone thinks it needs trauma, despair, the death of your goldfish under tragic circumstances. Hogwash! It's pure Yin Release – spiritual power manifesting visually.
And guess who's got Yin reserves deeper than the ocean? 'This Queen'. The tricky part isn't having the potential; it's triggering the damn evolution.
Uchiha emotions run deep and cold, like subterranean rivers. It takes a seismic event – usually soul-crushing loss – to make the river burst forth, awakening the eyes.
Sadness, profound and shattering, was the key. Awakening it? Non-negotiable. The Mangekyou? A steeper climb, but with this soul... the view from the top would be spectacular.
Then I shall also master the Sage Mode. But crawling around Mount Myōboku getting slimed by toads while Jiraiya leers? Hard pass.
The mental image alone made my Sharingan itch. Ryūchi Cave? Snakes whispering temptations, Kabuto's unsettling vibe... no thanks. Shikkotsu Forest, home of the slugs? Theoretically Tsunade's turf, possibly Hashirama's source... intriguing, but shrouded in mystery.
A problem for Future Me. Seven years is an eternity in shinobi time. No point sprinting toward a finish line that might not even exist yet.
Then I should also try the Mad Scientist Mode (For Fun & Profit).
I have plenty of ideas and knowledge that no one in this world has.
Chakra nature combinations beyond Kekkei Genkai? Why stop at two? Aim for Kekkei Tōta – three natures! Dust Release was terrifying proof of concept.
What about applying real-world physics? Electromagnetism manipulating metallic weapons? Sonic vibrations shattering defenses? Chakra-powered plasma?
Every idle thought sparked a dozen more, a kaleidoscope of potential destruction and innovation. The sheer scope was intoxicating, but the only limit is time.
I estimated roughly fifty years until 'canon' would theoretically start... if it even happened.
Would Naruto Uzumaki even exist in this timeline? With my butterfly wings already flapping, that is very doubtful. The future was a blank scroll, and I was itching to write my epic – with fire, lightning, earth-shattering bending, and hopefully, minimal tragic backstory.
...
The academy days are indeed boring but this is the foundation, anyway, I plan to release a chapter at least every 48 hours from now on, hope you can understand I'm also somehow busy and am writing for fun and don't forget to vote guys, also thanks for the huge support earlier.