Entering the house, Tatsuma didn't immediately respond to Tsunade. Instead, he picked up the kettle and started filling it with water to boil. Tsunade's gaze remained fixed on him, following him wherever he went. It was as if she feared he might flee at any moment.
Yet Tatsuma showed no intention of running away. After all, he had deliberately interrupted the meeting to bring Tsunade back for this conversation. Moreover, who in the village could protect him now?
The only person who could possibly stop Tsunade was Mito, but she wouldn't involve herself in this matter. Even if Tatsuma were to try to meet with Mito now, he might not succeed, even if she was in the next room over.
After boiling the water, Tatsuma brewed a pot of tea and handed a cup to Tsunade. She looked at Tatsuma with an odd expression and asked, "Are you intending to apologize?"
"No, I'm just offering you tea, especially since it's rare for you to come to my place," Tatsuma replied. He poured himself a cup as well and continued, "Besides, have I done something wrong that requires me to apologize to you?"
"You..." Tsunade narrowed her eyes and said, "Do you dare say you didn't know the agenda of today's meeting beforehand?!"
"I knew, and I even participated in organizing and refining the proposals, including the Wood Release Ninja proposal, which I planned. Moreover, arranging for you to see the good news first before the Wood Release Ninja proposal was also my doing," Tatsuma explained.
Listening to Tatsuma's words, any lingering hope Tsunade had that perhaps her disciple didn't know the truth shattered completely. Tatsuma had even trampled on the last remnants of her hopeful thoughts.
Tsunade asked through gritted teeth, "You haven't even met my grandfather, and the Senju have no grievances against you. I'm your sensei, and my grandmother cares for you deeply. Why... why would you do something that disgraces the Senju?"
"I never intended to tarnish the Senju Clan or disrespect Senju Hashirama-sama, Grandma Mito, or you. I remember all the kindness the Senju have shown me," Tatsuma replied. "But I couldn't prevent this from happening. Whether I carry it out or someone else does, it won't change."
Upon hearing Tatsuma's explanation, Tsunade realized and asked, "Who wants to cultivate Wood Release Ninjas? Sarutobi Hiruzen? Or Shimura Danzo?"
"The Daimyo," Tatsuma answered.
Upon hearing this, Tsunade's mouth dropped open in astonishment, followed by anger. "How dare he?! His ancestors were buried in the dust of history long before my grandfather!"
"My grandfather chose to coexist with the Daimyo, giving his ancestors a chance to survive and him his current position. How dare he?!"
"The current Daimyo is not the same as those from before, and the Senju are not the same as they were. In the past, if Senju Hashirama-sama had been willing to kill the Daimyo and abolish their rule, that would have been called reform. But now, not to mention how many would be willing to attack the Daimyo, even if successful, it would only lead to rogue ninjas everywhere, not just in the Land of Fire."
"This applies to the Daimyo of all Five Great Nations. Decades of habit have already been enough to change the mindset of entire countries and their people and ninjas. Anyone who lays hands on the Daimyo is an enemy of the village. Any village that dares to attack the Daimyo becomes an enemy of the ninja world."
Tatsuma took a sip of tea and continued, "Grandma Mito is elderly now, and the growth limit for you and Nawaki is already clear. If the Senju descendants who are left, the old, weak, sick, and disabled, are left unattended, the Senju will eventually become a page in history."
"And what the Daimyo wants is to squeeze out the last bit of profit from the Senju before their complete demise."
"I absolutely won't allow such a thing to happen! I won't agree, even if... even if I have to give up everything."
Tsunade shook her head, her face full of resistance. Tatsuma also shook his head, but it was in response to Tsunade's words. He said, "Sensei, your opposition won't have much effect. If you refuse this proposal at today's meeting, what do you think will happen?"
"As long as I don't agree, this proposal absolutely cannot pass! If they dare to go against Grandfather, dare to strike at the Senju Clan, then soon enough, the village will turn against other ninja clans. They won't agree to this."
"For a Jonin meeting, it only requires the attendance of more than half of the Jonin, and in special circumstances, the standards can be lowered. Today, the room is filled mostly with clan Jonin, and they will follow your lead in opposition."
"But if tomorrow, they draft a new attendee list with civilian ninjas predominating?"
"Even Jonin of civilian origin cannot forget the contributions of my grandfather, second grandfather, and the entire Senju Clan. Without the Senju Clan, they wouldn't even be able to become ninjas!"
Tsunade's words were resolute, expressing extreme confidence in the prestige of her grandfather and the Senju Clan within Konoha.
Tatsuma nodded in agreement. "That's true indeed." However, Tatsuma lifted his head and looked at Tsunade, asking, "Even if the Jonin meetings fail once or twice, it doesn't matter. As long as the Daimyo doesn't give up, the village will continue to try. And if, at this moment, rumors start circulating that Tsunade, for personal reasons, disregards the village's interests and obstructs the stability between the village and the country, would that not be unworthy of representing the Senju Clan? How would you feel about that?
"If you still hold your ground, it's fine. It will just continue to fuel public opinion. Statements like 'The First Hokage devoted himself wholeheartedly to the village, how could there be such descendants?' or 'If the First Hokage knew he could still contribute to the village after his death, he would surely agree,' or 'How can someone without a clan represent the Senju?' What would your response be at that point? How would you treat others?"
"I..."
Tsunade's eyes suddenly lost focus, the color draining from her lips, but quickly she regained her composure and gritted her teeth. "The villagers can't be that naive! How could they possibly think like that?"
"It doesn't matter if they don't think like that themselves, as long as others do. They only need to be listeners and spreaders of rumors. When these words spread, what will you do? Leave the village in anger?"
Upon hearing this, Tsunade instinctively nodded, as it seemed like something she might do. Tatsuma shrugged and said, "Indeed, you could leave, and the village might not even refuse to assign you long-term missions elsewhere. But what then?
"Can Nawaki also leave the village? Perhaps he could stay at home or by Orochimaru-sama's side, avoiding public opinion. But what about the elderly of the Senju Clan who have just lost their children? What about the children who have lost their parents? Their lineage will subject them to gossip, poking at their backs."
"Senju Clan is fierce by nature. When that time comes, do you think the Senju descendants will resist? Once they resist, how will you handle the issue of Senju oppressing the civilians?
"Moreover, if because of this, the few remaining Senju descendants are angered to the point where some elderly are driven to death and children are severely bullied, leading to internal complaints against you, how will you deal with it?"
With each speculated scenario Tatsuma voiced, Tsunade trembled more intensely. Eventually, she became utterly despondent.
"What should I do then? Should I agree? Should I let them desecrate my grandfather's corpse?"
For a long time, Tsunade squeezed out these dry words. Tatsuma's possibilities were terrifying, and could they happen? Yes.
Therefore, Tsunade knew that if she acted stubbornly, the tragedies Tatsuma envisioned would unfold just as he predicted. Even Tatsuma might become a part of it.
Whether he would be an accomplice or a victim, that remained unclear. But regardless of which, Tsunade did not want to see it happen.
And if she doesn't act impulsively, she doesn't know what else to do, so besides seeking help from her disciple who is currently 'plotting' against her, Tsunade has no other way.
Sighing, Tatsuma continued, "Regardless, you can't protect the remains of Senju Hashirama sama. Since that's the case, why not proactively use it as leverage?"
"Life is often disappointing, and situations where you can't win no matter what you do are quite common. Everyone wants to resist, but in reality, nobody can truly succeed.
"You either endure this hardship or that hardship. The bitter fruits of reality, everyone has to taste, whether willingly or unwillingly."
Hearing Tatsuma's answer, Tsunade fell silent once again. Tatsuma was right about everything, and she couldn't refute any of it. But using her grandfather's remains as leverage to gain something else, Tsunade found it difficult to accept.
And Tsunade added with resignation, "What can the village give me that I want? Just the funds they've already promised me?"
Tsunade doesn't really want anything. She doesn't want power, nor does she have any need for ninjutsu. Perhaps the only thing she wants is money, but Tsunade would never ask for it.
"The most precious things are those that cannot be truly obtained."
Tatsuma looked at Tsunade and said, "No material possession can match the value of Senju Hashirama-sama's remains."
Tsunade nodded, but still felt uneasy. After all, Tatsuma's words seemed to imply that he was treating her grandfather's remains as mere goods.
But she decided to wait for Tatsuma to finish. Tatsuma was a good kid, but like Orochimaru or Hiruzen, the real answer would never come in the first sentence. It always took a few more sentences to coax it out.
If Tatsuma knew what Tsunade was thinking, he would probably feel helpless. Sometimes, being straightforward was the worst way to communicate.
On the other hand, when he communicated with Mito, any directly relevant words didn't need explanation. A few hints were enough for both parties to understand each other's questions and answers. Even in refusal, it preserved both sides' dignity.
Tatsuma was accustomed to his own way of speaking, so he found it difficult to communicate effectively with Tsunade and the Senju descendants.
Seeing Tsunade still eagerly looking at him, Tatsuma hinted, "Grandma Mito holds a supreme position in the village. As long as she's here, the Senju Clan will never be forgotten."
"Okay," Tsunade nodded, continuing to gaze eagerly at Tatsuma. Tatsuma smirked and added, "But as I mentioned earlier, Grandma Mito is very old."
"Okay," Tsunade nodded again. Seeing that Tsunade still didn't understand his point, Tatsuma sighed and explained, "Therefore, after Grandma Mito passes away, the Senju Clan must have another person to uphold the status of the clan."
"Hmm?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. Tatsuma finally breathed a sigh of relief, but Tsunade's raised eyebrow soon lowered, and she said, "But Grandma has decided to... never mind, you wouldn't understand."
"I do understand, I'm not talking about that!"
Tatsuma was getting impatient, abandoning any tactfulness and said, "What I mean is, you need to make everyone in the village aware that the future stability of the village is something you, as the heir of the Senju Clan, granddaughter of the First Hokage, have sacrificed everything for. You must become the focal point of the villagers' memory of the Senju Clan, someone they genuinely admire from the heart. The village must achieve this to match the value of your donation of Senju Hashirama-sama's remains."
"Oh, I see. But the village can't just grab every villager and use Genjutsu on them, can they?"
"Public opinion! Public opinion! Public opinion! I've explained so much to you, don't you understand the power of public opinion? You really have a wooden head, no, a rotten wooden head that can't be carved!"
Watching Tatsuma's outburst, Tsunade didn't immediately get angry, instead awakening some childhood memories.
"Seems like it. Just like Second Grandpa scolding Grandpa."
"No way! This kid's scolding me?!"
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