The moment Tsunade grabbed Ryujin's arm—
Everything stopped.
Behind them, hundreds of Uchiha and Senju shinobi halted in unison, their movements freezing mid-step. Dozens—no, hundreds—of eyes locked onto the two figures at the front.
The atmosphere tightened instantly.
Tense.
Explosive.
If Tsunade applied even a fraction more force—
The Uchiha would strike without hesitation.
Touch their Clan Head?
Even if it was the Senju—
It didn't matter.
The Uchiha feared no one.
"…Tsunade."
Ryujin's voice was calm.
Almost too calm.
"You're not a child anymore. Stop acting on impulse."
Tsunade glared at him. Her grip loosened before she finally withdrew her hand, clicking her tongue in irritation.
"Hmph. I've never seen someone as petty as you."
The surrounding shinobi watched closely for a moment longer. When no conflict erupted, they slowly relaxed.
The formation resumed.
But the tension lingered.
"Petty?" Ryujin's tone remained cold. "This is about trust."
That single word—
Carried weight.
In both his past life and this one, there was one thing he valued above all else.
Trust.
If someone he trusted broke that—
He wouldn't forgive it easily.
Call it stubborn.
Call it narrow-minded.
But to him—
Trust was absolute.
He had trusted Tsunade.
Despite the centuries-old hostility between their clans—
Despite everything—
He had still trusted her.
And yet—
She hadn't trusted him completely.
That was the problem.
"That wasn't me!" Tsunade snapped, frustration evident in her voice. "I didn't bring them on purpose! No—wait—I didn't even bring anyone!"
She ran a hand through her hair, clearly annoyed at her inability to explain it properly.
She knew him.
Better than most.
Ryujin was precise.
Meticulous.
To those he trusted—
He gave everything.
But once that trust cracked—
Even slightly—
It was almost impossible to repair.
In all of Konoha—
The number of people he truly trusted could probably be counted on one hand.
And she—
Had been one of them.
That was why she wanted to explain.
Not because he was being unreasonable—
But because she understood him.
Perhaps…
More than anyone else.
Tsunade let out a small sigh.
She could see it clearly.
Ryujin had grown up differently.
His parents died early.
His clan was isolated.
From a young age—
He had to fight harder than anyone else.
Work harder.
Bleed more.
Only then—
Could he stand where he was now.
As Clan Head.
As protector.
As someone who carried everything on his shoulders.
And because of that—
He valued bonds differently.
More intensely.
More carefully.
Tsunade was the same.
That was why—
Despite everything between their clans—
They had grown close.
Close enough…
To be more than just allies.
Even now—
She didn't want to lose that.
The journey continued.
Their argument didn't end—
But it softened.
Tsunade kept talking, trying to explain, correcting herself, arguing.
Ryujin didn't respond much.
But—
The coldness from earlier had already faded slightly.
At the very least—
He no longer believed she had doubted him.
That was enough.
For now.
…
Several days later—
The reinforcement forces finally reached the front lines.
Konoha's war camp.
Located in the southern region of the Land of Rain, a temporary stronghold had been established.
Countless shinobi gathered there—
Strategizing.
Recovering.
Preparing for the next clash.
This battlefield—
Was chaos.
The Land of Fire.
The Land of Wind.
The Land of Earth.
The Land of Rain.
Four nations entangled in a brutal conflict.
There was no worse situation than this.
At the center of Konoha's forces stood two familiar figures.
Jiraiya.
Orochimaru.
Commanding the front lines.
As reinforcements—
Ryujin and Tsunade arrived together.
A Konoha Jōnin approached, holding a document, his expression tense yet respectful.
"You are… Uchiha Ryujin-sama? Clan Head of the Uchiha?"
"Yes."
Ryujin nodded slightly.
"The Uchiha Clan has come to support Konoha… for the sake of peace."
The Jōnin's face lit up instantly.
"Thank you! Your arrival will greatly relieve the pressure on our forces!"
On the battlefield—
There were no clans.
Only comrades.
Regardless of the political tensions within Konoha, to the average shinobi here, the arrival of the Uchiha meant one thing—
Hope.
Relief.
Reinforcement.
They didn't care about internal conflicts.
They only knew—
More strength meant more survival.
And for that—
They were grateful.
At that moment—
A blood-stained shinobi rushed toward them.
"Tsunade-sama!"
"There are multiple poisoned shinobi in critical condition! We need you immediately!"
There was no time for formalities.
War didn't wait.
"Understood!"
Tsunade stepped forward without hesitation.
She glanced at Ryujin.
There were still things she wanted to say.
But not now.
Not here.
Not when lives were on the line.
Tonight.
She gave him a brief nod—
A silent message.
Be careful.
Then turned—
And followed the shinobi toward the medical unit.
At this point in time, Tsunade had not yet developed her fear of blood.
She was at her peak.
As were Jiraiya—
And Orochimaru.
In fact—
During times of war, shinobi often reached their greatest heights.
Because war—
Refined them.
Tempered them.
Or—
Destroyed them.
And this battlefield—
Was where legends would rise.
Or fall.
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