"Shikai Nara, I presume? I am Tsunade Senju." She said with a slight smile that hinted at sadness.
Shikai raised an eyebrow.
"A Senju? That explains a lot."
"As expected, you're a Nara too, after all." She said, laughing at my lack of reaction to her name. Having received the title of Sannin, she was quite confident in her popularity.
She approached him and lifted him off the ground.
"From here, I can sense your inherent vitality as a Senju. You know, you can call me aunt. Your mother was the cousin of my father, and thus my aunt."
"Hmm, could you put me down? You smell strongly of alcohol, legendary Sannin." Shikai said sarcastically.
"Ha ha."
Tsunade put him down and ruffled his hair.
"Soon after your birth, you were taken away from the clan due to tensions and its decline. You were entrusted to your father's clan, the Nara clan. Even though you are very intelligent, there are some things you don't need to know yet, Shikai. So, if you need anything, let me know."
Tsunade looked at him tenderly, as if she saw her own deceased brother in him.
"Thank you for your kindness, legendary Sannin. But right now, I just need a little nap."
"Huh... Ok."
On Tsunade's disheartened face, one could notice that she hadn't expected this reaction at all.
Shikai, bored by all this, walked away with his hands in his pockets, taking a nonchalant step.
...
[Shikai: Aunt Tsunade is so kind, can I have some sweets?
Tsunade: Don't worry, Shikai, as long as you accompany me, you'll have all the candies in the world.]
[Shikai: Aunt Tsunade is so strong, I want to be like her.
Tsunade: He he, that's indeed the case, as long as you accompany me, I'll train you myself, kid.]
[Shikai: Aunt Tsunade, I'd like to know more about my mother?
Tsunade: Your mother and I were very close, as long as you accompany me...]
POV: Shikai
'Any response, whether childish, more mature, or sentimental, would have meant traveling for years with a depressed alcoholic, addicted to gambling.
In my opinion, it's not a good idea, especially since I have many important relationships to forge for the future. And especially, I didn't want to become the replacement for her deceased little brother. At that time, Tsunade was very mentally weak due to the death of her fiancé and Naraki. My existence as her family was like an escape from her traumas. But for my future plans, our relationship must be built on something beyond the bond of kinship.
"It is said that broken people rebuild themselves better together, isn't it?"
Yeah, I'm going to deliberately forge relationships to suffer losses and fall into depression.
With a smirk on my face, I left the Nara estate. To save this Shinobi world, there must be many more people with potential that I can train. Whether it's the copy ninja with a thousand techniques who dies from a lack of chakra and even becomes Hokage later on. I can say loud and clear that this world is fucked up.
Among the clans, there are no more Senju left. The Uchiha clan remains to be saved.
In the year 46, two years before the Kyubi attack, Shisui and Itachi should not have met yet, and I must prevent at all costs that asshole Shisui from filling Itachi's head with his shit.
'And I also have to train my physique to maximize my chakra.'
What better than to head towards the forest favorite of our protagonists. Even though he trains most often within the Uchiha clan's premises. No matter when, if he ventures outside, I could meet them.
This is how Shikai sneaked out of the village, into the forest.
***
Hokage's Office, in a hushed atmosphere, early in the evening. Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, is dealing with some paperwork when he hears a knock on the door. Tsunade, known for her rare appearances in the village, enters without waiting for permission.
Tsunade, with her arms crossed, was visibly concerned,
"Minato, I need to talk to you. It's about an orphan Nara... Shikai Nara."
He raised his eyes, intrigued, "Shikai? What's the matter with him, Tsunade-sama?"
"No, there's no problem... not yet. It's precisely to avoid any problems that I'm here. Listen, I'll be frank. This child is not just a simple Nara. He's also a Senju."
Tsunade, initially hesitant, but said directly without beating around the bush,
"A Senju? Are you sure about what you're saying? Why would he be hidden among the Nara?"
The Sannin sighed deeply, her gaze dark.
"It's a long story, but I'll summarize the facts. During the war, you know that the Senju clan was almost annihilated. Too many losses, too many battles where my clan didn't receive the requested reinforcements, and I wouldn't be surprised if it had been orchestrated, in part, by that bastard Danzo."
Minato wanted to refute but knew that this elder wasn't entirely innocent.
He sat up straight, looking attentive,
"Why do you think he would be involved?"
"Because he hates anything that could threaten his ambitions. The Senju were an obstacle for him. We represented a direct line with the First Hokage, and Danzo couldn't tolerate that. Shikai was sent away to be protected, but his potential... It's undeniable. If he's discovered, Danzo might want to make him a tool, as he's done with so many others."
Minato, still hesitant, asked,
"Why come to me then? Why not ask the professor directly? He's always there to maintain the village's balance as an elder."
Tsunade's tone became increasingly bitter,
"Because, Minato, Hiruzen is too lax. He's tolerated Danzo's manipulations for too long. I can't fully trust him, not when it comes to protecting the last remnants of my clan. You, on the other hand... you're different. You're upright, and above all, you're the only Hokage who has managed to balance firmness and compassion. I'd like to bring him with me, but I don't think I should ruin his childhood by becoming a nomad like me."