"What is this!?"
As Tsunade took the intelligence scroll handed over by Uchiha Yo, her brow furrowed deeply. The sight of it brought back unpleasant memories—it was eerily similar to the scroll that had almost led to Nawaki's death.
Her expression turned grave.
Uchiha Yo, sensing the shift in her demeanor, maintained his serious posture as he spoke.
"Captain Tsunade, after I returned from the Nanga Shrine, Elder Setsuna secretly entrusted this scroll to me."
When Tsunade opened the scroll, her face darkened further. By the time she finished reading, her anger erupted.
With a loud bang, her fist came crashing down on the desk, splitting it in two.
"Damn it!"
Her bright brown eyes burned with fury. Someone had dared to scheme against her.
The contents of the scroll were simple but insidious: it contained a detailed psychological analysis of Tsunade's grief and vulnerability following Nawaki's death. It proposed a plan to exploit her emotional state, predicting that she would double down on her medical proposals during the upcoming jonin meeting.
The calculated precision of this "exploit-the-weakness" strategy enraged her even further. Whoever had devised it knew her too well, including details about her medical proposals that only a select few were privy to.
This betrayal struck a nerve.
Uchiha Yo, witnessing her rage, lowered his head and said gravely:
"Captain Tsunade, Elder Setsuna is in poor health. Based on my observations, he probably has only two or three years left to live."
Yo deliberately played up the elder's declining condition to frame the intelligence in a different light. He continued, his tone steady but firm:
"Captain Tsunade, while this intelligence was uncovered by Elder Setsuna, it doesn't mean it couldn't have been orchestrated by enemy villages."
Pausing for a moment, Yo added with conviction, as if convincing himself:
"I believe this is a spy's attempt to sow discord between the Senju Clan and Konoha."
Tsunade sneered at his earnestness. "Kid, no wonder the Uchiha want you to approach Kushina. This scroll must have influenced their decision as well."
She threw the scroll back at him, her lips curling into a cold smile.
Yo caught it, feigning shock as he glanced at its contents. His eyes widened as if in disbelief. "This! This!"
The intelligence detailed a strategy eerily similar to his mission with Kushina—approach the target under the guise of friendship and exploit the relationship for political gain. The only difference was the target: Tsunade instead of Kushina.
The parallel was painfully obvious.
"What's the matter, kid? Cat got your tongue?"
Tsunade's sarcastic tone made Yo shrink further into his act, awkwardly averting his gaze.
Her smirk deepened. What happened to the fiery speeches and righteous indignation? Is this the same kid who made me apologize earlier?
Still, as she pondered the situation, her perspective shifted. Given her position and experience, she could see the broader implications. Elder Setsuna, despite his declining health, likely had access to a deeply buried intelligence network.
More importantly, with the elder nearing the end of his life, Yo was poised to inherit his influence.
Tsunade's thoughts began to crystallize: This kid, loyal to both his clan and the village, with his straightforward and zealous nature, could become the perfect intermediary.
A boy who unlocked the Sharingan out of guilt, who fought for his clan and Konoha's unity—he was someone she could mold.
If Yo inherited the elder's network after Setsuna's death, it would effectively be under her control, given the boy's dependency on her.
Her lips curled into a faint smile.
"Kid, you're too naive," she said with a snort.
Tsunade had already decided to maintain a defensive posture. While Yo dismissed the scroll as a spy's ploy, she wasn't so sure. If the Uchiha elder truly possessed such detailed intelligence, Konoha's infiltration by spies was a much larger concern.
But another possibility loomed: the scroll itself might be a gesture of goodwill from the Uchiha Clan, a symbolic attempt to bridge the gap between their clan and the village.
The idea took root in her mind, especially given Yo's repeated emphasis on the Uchiha and Senju founding the village together.
Her heart swayed. Why not? Konoha was built by the Senju, after all. My grandfather and great-uncle were its first two Hokage. Who dares to say the Senju and Konoha aren't synonymous?
"Captain Tsunade, I…"
Yo's face flushed with embarrassment. The mission he'd been given was difficult to even speak of, especially for a proud Uchiha. Most of his clanmates would rather fight on the front lines in the Rain Country than accept such an assignment.
Tsunade's laugh was cold and mocking.
"Kid, the Senju Clan appreciates the Uchiha's goodwill. I won't interfere with Kushina, but let me warn you—don't try any tricks."
Her sharp gaze pinned him in place.
Yo thumped his chest confidently. "Captain Tsunade, you can count on me! I swear on the honor of the Uchiha!"
Inwardly, however, he was calculating his next move. Approaching Kushina too closely would put him in direct conflict with the Third Hokage's faction, a risk he wasn't willing to take.
If I can't have her, then no one else will benefit either.
Kushina's tragic past, coupled with her distrustful nature, meant she would be a hard nut to crack. Yo was determined to sow enough doubt in her heart to keep her from aligning with anyone completely.
"This matter ends here, kid."
Yo nodded solemnly. "Captain Tsunade, you have my word. The Uchiha Clan has its own safeguards, including memory seals to prevent the extraction of information. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't reveal classified details."
He spoke with conviction, emphasizing the Uchiha's protective measures against enemy interrogation.
Tsunade's sharp mind quickly pieced things together. The elder's decision to provide this intelligence clearly demonstrated goodwill. Betraying that trust would be counterproductive.
She wasn't foolish enough to alienate a potential ally.
Meanwhile, Yo silently breathed a sigh of relief. Carrying the blame for Elder Setsuna's actions was a small price to pay if it ensured Tsu
nade's trust.
If Elder Setsuna were still alive to see this, he'd understand. It's all for the Uchiha.