Tsunade glanced at Yoruichi with disdain. "With your fear of death, the administration wouldn't even think about giving you a mission like this."
Uzumaki Mito gave Tsunade a warning look. "Tsunade, don't bring up missions if you're going to speak like that. Let's not make a scene here."
Tsunade folded her arms and frowned. "Grandma, do you seriously want Yoruichi to go on a mission? No way. Not until Kushina has a child."
Yoruichi froze. What the hell? His thoughts raced. Am I being treated like some sort of breeding stock now?
Kushina's face turned bright red. She shifted awkwardly and shot Yoruichi a quick glare before looking away. "Tsunade, don't say things like that!"
Mito sighed and shook her head. "Tsunade, if you keep talking like this, what will people think of us Senju? The village comes first. Everyone must serve it, no exceptions."
"Tch," Tsunade scoffed. "Better to stay alive than throw your life away."
She glanced at Yoruichi and added, "After what happened to Nawaki and Dan, I'm not taking any risks. Yoruichi is the only male Senju left. We can't lose him too."
Yoruichi blinked. Wasn't she just giving me crap earlier? He scratched his head, confused. What's with this sudden protective vibe?
Tsunade leaned back and continued. "Besides, with Yoruichi's strength, once the old man steps down, he'll become Hokage with our support."
Mito gave her an unimpressed look. "Strength alone doesn't make a Hokage, Tsunade. The village decides. Hokage is chosen by the people, not by one clan's support."
Yoruichi's ears perked up. He listened carefully as Mito explained.
"Think about Madara," Mito said. "He was strong, wasn't he? But he never became Hokage. Even his own clan doubted him. It's not just about power—it's about earning the village's trust."
Tsunade sighed, crossing her arms again. "I get it, Grandma. But this still doesn't change what I said. If Yoruichi refuses missions, people will look down on him and us. How can we expect him to compete for Hokage later?"
Mito shook her head. "That's why he needs to take on missions and gain experience, Tsunade. It's how he'll build respect."
Yoruichi smirked internally. If only they knew peace isn't gonna last. Another war's coming soon.
Before Tsunade could argue more, Jiraiya walked into the yard, his face partially bandaged from a previous fight.
"Yoruichi," Jiraiya said, glancing around. "I need to talk to you."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Jiraiya, before you talk about anything, tell me—does one flower count as enough for Yoruichi proposing to Kushina?"
Jiraiya hesitated, touching his bandaged cheek. "Uh… yeah, I think it's fine—"
He didn't get to finish. Tsunade's fist smashed into his face, sending him flying out of the yard.
Bang!
Ten minutes later, Jiraiya sat across from Yoruichi, fresh bandages wrapped around his face. His voice was muffled. "Anyway, there's a mission."
"Mist Village, right?" Yoruichi guessed.
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you're well-informed. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen's bloody actions have created chaos there. Civilians are fleeing, but we can't save all of them."
He leaned forward. "Our mission is to save one person. A little girl with two Kekkei Genkai."
Yoruichi's eyes narrowed. Two Kekkei Genkai? That could only mean one thing…
###
Join the Patreon for 15+ advance chapters.
Link: P atreon.com/Tyrouge
(Remove the space in the link ;)