"It has come to this point and they haven't fought?"
Konoha's confrontation with the Uchiha had been pushed forward by White Zetsu's interference. The entire operation wasn't to cause violence-it was to provoke Konoha's leadership enough to draw Akira out. The mission focused solely on confirming whether Akira was alive or not.
White Zetsu had wanted instability. Suspicions and disorder among the clans would eventually force Akira's hand. What Zetsu hadn't anticipated was Mito getting involved. She had intervened and de-escalated the entire situation herself.
"Why are the people of the Senju clan so fucking annoying?"
Regardless of how annoyed he felt, Zetsu kept moving forward with his plan. Hiruzen and Uchiha Tatsuo had pulled out of the area, so he needed another way in.
His attention turned to someone less consequential-a man without power but wrapped in deep symbolism. Son to Hashirama, father to Tsunade, and connected by blood to Akira Senju. If anything happened to him, it would rattle the structure of Konoha completely. Mito wouldn't be able to protect everything if forced to react alone… and that would leave space for Akira to emerge from hiding.
At worst, Zetsu might get Mito out of the house long enough to infiltrate. She was one of the only people he couldn't risk facing directly-at least not without preparation.
Zetsu slipped into position and acted immediately. A special poison dissolved into warm tea. Tsunade's father drank it, unaware.
Thump-
He collapsed against the floor, hand clutching his stomach as he went down hard. Tsunade and her mother froze in place.
"Father-Your Excellency!"
Tsunade stared, horror mounting as she watched him writhe in pain.
It didn't last long. Whatever resistance he had faded fast-but his chest continued rising and falling.
He wasn't dead, but it was enough to paralyze them both in shock.
Tsunade's mother shook out of it first. Years of nobility drowned under crisis instincts as she turned toward the main doors and barked out orders to the housekeeper for medical support.
While she worked, she turned back and addressed her daughter with alarming seriousness.
"Tsunade, listen to me."
Tears clung to the little girl's cheeks as she looked back at her mother. She didn't understand what was happening-only that it was bad.
"Go find your Grandma Mito right now. Stay with her until I call for you-no matter what. I'll take care of your father."
"But I don't want to leave him-"
"No buts!"
Her mother's tone shifted from worried to commanding in half a second. The scolding cut deeper than anything Tsunade had heard before.
"From now on, the only people you trust are your grandmother Mito and me. Do you understand?"
"What about the Hokage?"
Tsunade's childlike instincts sought comfort in authority-her family stood at Konoha's center after everything. Hashirama had been Hokage. Tobirama too… surely they could help?
Her mother fell silent before replying flatly-
"No one else. Only your Grandma Mito and me."
Those words broke whatever certainty Tsunade had left. Her father's collapse… her mother's coldness… and now even the title of Hokage felt hollow.
She wanted to stay. Her legs nearly refused their job-but somewhere inside, she knew leaving was necessary.
Without looking back, she ran straight toward Akira Senju's home.
…
Footsteps pounded through polished wood before the screen door slammed open again.
"Mito Grandma!"
Tsunade launched herself straight into Mito's arms, face streaked with fresh tears and her body trembling.
Mito held her close, confused. With how unruly Tsunade usually acted-even toward Akira-there weren't many people who could intimidate her at home. No tantrum or sulk came from her now-just fear and desperation knotted tight against her ribs.
Mito lowered her stance gently and asked-
"Tsunade, what are you doing here?"
"Grandma-I don't know why but Father collapsed! Mother told me to come find you-and that I shouldn't trust anyone else!"
Tsunade sniffled through her explanation in choppy phrases that only half-made sense-but Mito understood what she needed to from it.
"So your father collapsed… and your mother doesn't want you trusting anyone?"
"Mm-hmm…"
Mito's eyes narrowed sharply at that confirmation.
It didn't sound like anything internal to Konoha-but why would Tsunade's mother isolate herself this way?
"No one in the village would target your father… so is it someone from outside?"
Mito glanced over her shoulder at Tsunade, then back toward the window. She needed answers-and fast-but none of this lined up cleanly.
Tsunade's father was nobody tactical. There was no benefit in hurting him unless your goal was chaos-and if that was true-then there could only be one target next-
"Could it be… they're after Brother Akira?"
Mito clenched the edge of her sleeve tightly as the thought pierced through her chest like steel.
"No… absolutely not."
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