Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 326: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

The Nara Clan.

"Shikaku, what should we do now? People from the two elders' sides have already come, and they've likely informed Danzo too."

Yamanaka Inoichi frowned, looking troubled. He had thought that Tsunade's time in power would remain stable for a while, but who would have expected things to change so suddenly?

Akimichi Choza, usually enjoying his meals, now wore a rare frown on his round face.

"Shikaku, give us your analysis. What should we do now? We can probably forget about staying neutral. If we stay neutral, no matter who wins or even if things reach a stalemate, we'll eventually face retaliation."

In situations where factions are vying for power, neutrality is the most dangerous stance. Especially in a place like Konoha, which can function perfectly well without you, being neutral is pointless!

The truth is, anyone who stays neutral in a conflict between two major factions is either supremely confident that they'll still be needed by the victor or delusional. Otherwise, the first to be eliminated will always be the so-called neutral parties who fail to recognize their strength—or lack thereof.

Of course, there's one exception: those who think they're important but aren't. People or groups who do not influence the overall situation can afford to remain neutral because they don't matter to anyone.

Take, for example, the minor Kurama Clan in the village, which only has a handful of members. Does anyone care about them? No.

"It's difficult."

Nara Shikaku wore a deeply troubled expression. As smart as he was, this wasn't a problem that could be solved by intelligence alone.

"Tsunade-sama's sudden actions came without any warning—there wasn't even the slightest hint beforehand."

That was the most frustrating part. No one had been prepared for this.

"But based on the clues we've gathered so far, it seems that ever since someone joined Tsunade-sama's household, her personality has undergone a drastic change. Her decisive and forceful actions now faintly resemble her style during the Second Shinobi War, back when she was one of the Legendary Sannin."

Hearing this, Yamanaka Inoichi couldn't help but feel suspicious. "Shikaku, are you saying you suspect the person who appeared in Tsunade-sama's household?"

"Exactly!"

Nara Shikaku nodded slightly, his expression growing even more serious.

"Based on the information we have—or rather, based on the fact that Tsunade-sama hasn't even tried to hide it—the person's surname is Senju. I believe you've already guessed what this means."

Senju.

Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza's pupils contracted instantly. The name of the Senju Clan, long forgotten in Konoha, was known only to the older generation like them.

Even though they had only grown up hearing legends about the Senju Clan; they had never witnessed the clan's peak era.

"A suddenly reappearing Senju, combined with Tsunade-sama's abrupt transformation!"

The three of them exchanged uneasy glances. Even Choza, usually calm and steady, couldn't help but feel his heart race.

Was the Senju Clan, dormant for decades, preparing to rise again?

But based on their understanding of the Senju Clan's current strength, which was roughly equivalent to that of the Hyuga Clan, such a move didn't make sense.

The situation didn't add up.

Nara Shikaku noticed the doubts in his two companions' eyes. Frowning, he spoke in a grave tone:

"If the Senju Clan truly had such ambitions, they would have acted three years ago when Tsunade-sama first took power. There's no way they would wait until now to make a move. The only explanation for this decision is that something must have changed—something significant!"

Under the weight of Inoichi and Chozas's concerned gazes, Shikaku did something rare: he lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled a cloud of smoke before speaking in a low voice:

"Tsunade-sama now possesses the power to suppress everything—even to the point where she no longer considers Jiraiya-sama's influence."

The weight of those words left the three men in silence.

What kind of power could the Senju Clan possibly possess to suppress everything? Wood Release?

That possibility didn't even cross their minds. Instead, they assumed it must involve one of the Second Hokage's forbidden techniques—something so powerful it could dominate any situation.

"So, what should we do?"

As the three of them were deep in discussion, the sound of hurried footsteps outside the room made Shikaku frown in annoyance.

"Father!"

To his irritation, the one barging in was none other than his son, Nara Shikamaru. Shikaku's frown deepened.

"Shikamaru, what has you so flustered!?"

"Father, something bad has happened!"

Shikamaru's face was full of worry as he explained the rumors spreading through the village.

"Word is going around that Asuma-sensei was killed during a mission, and people are saying it's a covert move by Tsunade-sama to eliminate the Third Hokage's lingering influence..."

What!?

Hearing this, Shikaku's expression changed drastically. Then, in a rare display of anger, he slammed the table with his hand.

"Idiots! How could they escalate the situation like this, dragging the entire village into it?!"

This power struggle among the higher-ups was supposed to remain confined to their level. No matter what happened, it wasn't supposed to affect the village's development.

But now, thanks to the elders' short-sighted actions, the entire village was being dragged into the conflict to collectively oppose Tsunade.

They hadn't considered how dangerous this could become. Once the struggle reached the general populace, the consequences could spiral out of control.

"Father!"

Shikamaru spoke hesitantly. He knew the truth about Asuma's death: his sensei had died defending his comrades after encountering the Akatsuki during a mission related to the Fire Temple. It had nothing to do with any conspiracy by Tsunade-sama. But the rest of Konoha didn't know that.

"Find Jiraiya-sama!"

Shikaku gritted his teeth, but deep down, he felt a sense of relief. What had been a difficult decision for them was now made easier thanks to the elders' blunder.

Before, the power struggle had been solely between the Third Hokage's old faction and the Fifth Hokage's administration. Now, by involving the entire village, the elders had inadvertently created an opportunity for the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans to align with Jiraiya, forming a new neutral faction that could genuinely influence Konoha's balance of power.

"Jiraiya-sama?!"

Yamanaka Inoichi suddenly understood and smiled. What had seemed like an impossible dilemma now had a solution, thanks to the elders' foolishness.

Even Akimichi Choza, though appearing simple-minded, had grasped the situation. His seemingly naive demeanor concealed a sharp intellect.

...

As rumors continued to spread throughout the village, the Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Utatane clans—along with the tiny Shimura Clan, which barely had a dozen members—found themselves in chaos.

"Unbelievable! Traitors! After all we've done for the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, they're abandoning us now. Even a dog would show more loyalty!"

Utatane Koharu's fury had already caused her to smash three cups. The betrayal of the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans at such a critical moment enraged her.

Even Mitokado Homura's face was dark with anger.

"We'll deal with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio later. Do they think neutrality will save them? Neither side will trust them after this."

Nara Shikaku had likely thought of this possibility too. However, given how much influence their trio of clans had built up over the years, stepping back now to avoid becoming targets was the wiser move.

"Danzo has sent word. He's working on gaining support from other factions within the Fire Daimyo's court. For now, we need to stabilize the situation in the village."

Mitokado Homura sighed helplessly. If not for Tsunade's erratic moves, they wouldn't have had to turn to Danzo. Despite being old allies, they knew very well what kind of person he was. Looking at the Shimura Clan's pitiful state was proof enough—Danzo wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice anyone, even his people.

But even though they can't do anything about it right now.

"How about calling Jiraiya!"

Koharu couldn't bear the thought of letting Danzo take the stage.

"Let Jiraiya step in to stabilize the situation. If Tsunade insists on being reckless, we'll just push Jiraiya to the forefront!"

"Anyway, we've already received word from Danzo: even within the Senju clan at the Daimyo's residence, there are differing opinions about Konoha's internal turmoil. We must act quickly!"

This time, Tsunade truly caught everyone off guard. No one was prepared—it was too sudden!

It's not just them; even within the Senju clan at the Daimyo's residence, there are divisions.

For so many years, they had thought about revitalizing the glory of the Senju clan under Tsunade's leadership, but Tsunade had completely given up and shown no ambition, which caused many within the clan to lose hope.

Now, all of a sudden, Tsunade, who had been quiet and unresponsive, dropped such a bombshell. It left the Senju clan's heads spinning.

Some in the clan called for going back to support Lady Tsunade, to restore the Senju clan's honor.

Others thought Tsunade's moves were too abrupt—how could she act so recklessly? What if something went wrong?

In short, Tsunade's actions as the Fifth Hokage threw all sides into chaos.

But no one knows the reason behind it yet! How did the entire upper echelons of the Land of Fire fall into such disarray?

...

"It's all in turmoil! Everything's in turmoil! The entire leadership of Konoha and even the Land of Fire is in complete chaos, and no one knows the reason for Tsunade's sudden actions!"

When Jiraiya heard the news while he was away, his eyes widened in shock, and he hurried back immediately.

"Damn it! What is going on? Orochimaru is still up to who-knows-what, and now Tsunade is acting out too!"

Initially, Jiraiya had received word that Orochimaru, who was supposed to have been killed, suddenly appeared at a northern stronghold. So, he set out to investigate what was going on—whether Orochimaru was truly alive or if someone was using his identity.

But just as Jiraiya reached the northern stronghold, he received an urgent summons from the two elders of Konoha.

...

"Shizune, what do you think of this outfit? And these shoes?"

At a time when everyone else was utterly baffled, the Fifth Hokage Tsunade was, instead, quite relaxed. After finishing her work, she was all smiles as she dragged Shizune around a shop, shopping for clothes.

A hesitant Shizune, carrying bags upon bags, seemed like she wanted to say something but didn't know if she should. Faced with Tsunade's excited gaze, she could only nod repeatedly.

"Lady Tsunade, I think you look good in anything."

"Tch, Shizune, I was talking about you wearing this outfit, not me!"

"Ah!" Shizune froze, watching as Lady Tsunade held up some clothes and compared them against her. Shizune rarely looked so flustered.

"Lady Tsunade, what exactly happened? Why have you changed so much all of a sudden?"

In the end, Shizune couldn't hold back and nervously asked the question that had been on her mind. At this moment, she realized she had never truly understood her master.

"Alright, Shizune, I know you're worried."

Tsunade, with a lighthearted smile, picked out a few more outfits for Shizune.

"Come on, come on, I'm not worried, so why are you?"

Seeing Tsunade so carefree, Shizune couldn't help but complain inwardly:

"Lady Tsunade, because of your recent policies, the entire village's upper management and the major clans are in chaos. Everyone is scrambling to take sides and form alliances, yet you still have the mood to go shopping!"

But Tsunade, upon hearing this, waved her hand impatiently, looking annoyed by Shizune's nagging.

"Shizune, I already told you, stop worrying so much. They're just a bunch of clowns jumping around. Here, try on this outfit, and change the inner layer and shoes too. Tonight, you'll come with me to meet my boyfriend."

"What?!" Shizune's eyes widened. Did Lady Tsunade have a man she was keeping?

Tsunade's beautiful light-brown eyes sparkled with amusement. She wasn't exactly lying.

In this world, Uchiha Shirou didn't have any deep foundations to rely on, so of course, he'd have to depend on her. Even though she had to rely on his strength as well.

But still, essentially, she was supporting her man.

At least now, she could finally understand why her counterpart in another world acted the way she did. It was thrilling, to say the least.

This sense of achievement! This excitement!

It was something indescribable!

Watching Shizune awkwardly and reluctantly try on clothes, Tsunade squinted her eyes and nodded in satisfaction.

"Shizune is still the most reliable one. Sakura is still too naive. She hasn't even thought to check on her Sensei during a time like this."

In times of trouble, you see people's true colors. Right now, her disciple Haruno Sakura was completely distracted, and preoccupied with Uchiha Sasuke.

She hadn't even thought to care about her Sensei or her comrades.

"In another world, people are all forming alliances and factions. Here, at least it's my world. I might as well gather some useful people for support. And with that man's domineering nature, there's no way he'd let Shizune run off..."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, her mind racing with calculations. She even felt a competitive urge to measure up to her counterpart in another world.

In terms of strength and research, she'd already fallen behind.

Having wasted nearly twenty years, the gap wasn't something she could close quickly. But in certain other areas, things were more equal for women.

"At least when it comes to having children, everyone starts at the same starting line."

As this thought crossed her mind, Tsunade's eyes sparkled. The data report from her counterpart in another world had tempted her. She also understood that the other Tsunade likely wanted to use her.

But she couldn't help but be drawn in!

No medical ninja could resist the allure of such a monumental opportunity!

"To create a god, huh?"

Tsunade smiled with satisfaction as she watched Shizune try on yet another outfit.

There was no rush. For now, she needed Shizune to familiarize herself with the other world. Once Shizune had seen the new horizons, she would understand her intentions.

"Oh, and notify Anko and Hinata as well. The time flow between the two worlds is different, and I just happen to need capable people."

Compared to her counterpart in the other world, this version of Tsunade, as the Fifth Hokage, was more adept at political maneuvering. After all, one version had sat in the Hokage's seat, while the other had focused solely on research. Seeing the village prosper was enough to reassure the latter of her past choices.

The personalities and methods of the two Tsunades had diverged onto different paths. frёewebηovel.cѳm