Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

Credits: DammS

The Senju Clan.

"Grandpa, back when you lost to me so many times... let's just call this paying off your debt. Anyway, you're already dead, it won't hurt you..."

Tsunade muttered softly to herself as she carefully retrieved some tissue samples from the coffin. She inspected them thoroughly, letting out a silent sigh of relief.

"Even though Grandpa has already passed away, under the powerful life force of the Sage Body, the cells in his body are still incredibly active. The tissue I just took out will regenerate in no time..."

This realization made Tsunade feel relieved that she hadn't caused much damage to her grandfather's body.

"No wonder they were so bold. Turns out they knew my grandpa's body wouldn't show any signs of damage during an inspection."

It was clear to Tsunade that the old geezers in Konoha had secretly studied Wood Release. They must have discovered her grandfather's regenerative capabilities and therefore weren't worried about being caught.

After all, his body's immense life force continued to recover itself.

...

"Lady Tsunade!"

As Tsunade returned home, she was greeted by members of the ANBU, causing her to frown deeply.

"What is it? Can't wait, can you?"

Faced with Tsunade's intimidating gaze, the ANBU shivered and lowered their heads, replying in a small voice:

"Lord Hokage asked me to inform you that all research equipment, personnel, and laboratories are ready."

Just as Shirou had mentioned before, the prejudices in people's hearts are like immovable mountains—no matter how hard you try, you cannot shift them.

Now, Tsunade had firmly convinced herself that the old geezers had fallen into darkness. Naturally, she found everything they did unbearably.

Her reaction was a cold snort. "Get out! Go back and tell those old fossils that if ANBU steps foot into the Senju compound again, I'll personally dig up their ancestors' graves!"

Tsunade's furious shout left the ANBU visibly pale behind their mask. Without daring to say another word, they nodded respectfully and quickly fled.

Watching the ANBU retreat in panic, Tsunade ground her teeth in anger. Those old geezers treated the Senju compound like their own backyard, coming and going as they pleased.

"How laughable and pathetic. The height of human hypocrisy!"

Tsunade scoffed coldly and turned to head home.

...

In the Hokage's Office.

"Hiruzen, how dare she?! How dare Tsunade act like this!"

"Outrageous! Beyond outrageous! Hiruzen, we must do something about her!"

After the ANBU reported back, both Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were livid. Their faces turned green with rage, and they slammed the table in anger.

"Hiruzen, the laboratory is fully prepared, and everything is ready. We're just waiting for Tsunade! Doesn't she realize that delaying even one more day wastes countless precious resources?"

"Danzo! Say something! What's with Tsunade's behavior?!"

Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen remain silent, the two turned their fury towards Shimura Danzo.

Though the pair were fuming with anger, Danzo, who usually had the most extreme reactions, remained unusually calm this time.

"Tsunade's anger is understandable. After all, it's just venting through words. It's not like she's taking any action."

Danzo, for once, appeared unperturbed. He glanced at Hiruzen without much emotion. Although he was often seen as ruthless, even he understood that anyone would feel upset in this situation.

What's the big deal about cursing you out and threatening to dig up your ancestors' graves? Everyone knows it's just words spoken in anger. But in this case, she did dig up her own family's graves.

If you've already forced her to do something like this, what's wrong with letting her vent a little? His organization, Root, had been cursed in Konoha for years. Couldn't they handle a few insults?

Danzo even showed a rare look of disdain. These two always criticized him for being reckless, but now that the issue had landed on their laps, they couldn't keep their composure.

Seeing Danzo's attitude, Hiruzen sighed heavily, puffing on his pipe.

"Enough, everyone. Stop talking. You've known Tsunade's temper for years. At most, she's just venting her frustrations. She'll come tomorrow."

Tsunade's blunt and unrestrained anger reassured both Hiruzen and Danzo.

This was Tsunade's nature, after all. They were even prepared for her to storm into the Hokage's office and yell at them directly. The fact that she merely cursed them behind their backs was already an improvement.

Seeing Hiruzen and Danzo's calm demeanor, Homura and Koharu exchanged frustrated glances.

"Fine, fine. Now the two of you are on the same page again, huh?"

"Alright, since Tsunade is ready, the experiment can begin as early as tomorrow..."

After giving his final instructions, Hiruzen's expression grew more serious.

"The Second Shinobi War may be over, but the other villages are still holding grudges. They're all just waiting for an opportunity to strike, so we can't afford to let our guard down."

"Don't worry, Hiruzen. Konoha is the strongest."

Homura and Koharu spoke with confidence, especially after the Second Shinobi War had ended so easily. It had given them a false sense of superiority, as though all the other villages were nothing but weaklings.

Even Hiruzen and Danzo felt a similar sense of overconfidence.

In their minds, as long as they worked together, no other village could stand against Konoha.

...

The Senju Clan.

By evening, Uzumaki Kushina arrived home with Uchiha Shirou and Uchiha Mikoto in tow. She felt as though she was bringing a boyfriend to meet her family, her face slightly flushed the entire way.

"Grandma, this is Shirou and Mikoto."

Kushina introduced them in a cheerful voice, and both Shirou and Mikoto greeted her respectfully.

"Lady Mito."

The kind and elderly Uzumaki Mito smiled warmly at the two of them.

"Hehe, you're both Kushina and Tsunade's companions. Kushina has told me so much about your exploits on the battlefield that my ears are about to fall off..."

"Grandma Mito!" Kushina's face turned bright red, clearly embarrassed.

It wasn't a big deal to talk about her companions, but Kushina instinctively felt as though her grandmother was implying she often talked about Shirou specifically. This left her feeling extremely awkward.

Meanwhile, Mito subtly observed the relationship between the three, feeling a mix of concern and relief.

This Uchiha boy was indeed charming—handsome, strong, and with excellent character. If not for his Uchiha surname, he would have been a perfect match for Kushina. However, given his clan, there was no way the village would allow a Uchiha to gain control of the Nine-Tails.

Thus, Mito felt relieved when she noticed the mutual affection between Shirou and Mikoto. At most, Kushina seemed to have a small crush on Shirou, but nothing more.

"I'll make some tea for you all."

Kushina eagerly prepared tea to welcome her guests, while Mito smiled warmly and nodded in approval.

However, she was unaware that if it had been before, Kushina would indeed have acted as she imagined, and at most, the two would have stopped at simply developing a mutual fondness.

But due to the specifics of the previous incident, Kushina hadn't disclosed the details to Mito, let alone to Tsunade. This led to a discrepancy in information.

At this moment, as Kushina looked at Mikoto and Shirou appearing so compatible together, envy surged in her heart. However, a bold idea also formed within her. [TL: Harem! Harem! Harem!]

Anyway, Grandma Mito already said that my identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is too sensitive. And Mikoto also said she wouldn't mind before...

Thinking of this, a surge of excitement and thrill rose within Kushina's heart.

Especially since it was happening in her own home. With Grandma Mito still present and in front of both Mikoto and Shirou, it gave her a sense of illicit excitement.

"Sister Tsunade!"

At that moment, Tsunade came downstairs barefoot, and when Kushina saw her, she greeted her with a smile.

Although Tsunade wasn't in a great mood when she saw the visitors in her house, her upbringing as a member of the prestigious Senju clan compelled her to act with politeness. She approached everyone and greeted them courteously.

"Shirou-kun, let me just call you that. From what Tsunade and Kushina told me, after your recent return, you didn't go to the Police Force but instead went to the Medical Divisions to help Tsunade out. Tsunade has to thank you for that."

Uzumaki Mito said with a smile. Shirou, understanding her implications, politely nodded and replied:

"You're too kind, Lady Mito. Sister Tsunade has taken great care of me, and Kushina is my comrade. Whether it's the Police Force or the Medical Divisions, it's all for Konoha."

Good boy! What a smooth talker!

Hearing Shirou's tactful response, Mito couldn't help but silently mused him as a sly fox. But her eyes were filled with more admiration than criticism.

From what Tsunade had shared about his deeds, this young man, though shrewd, could also be remarkably stubborn at times—qualities that aligned well with the Uchiha character.

He had principles and a bottom line.

"Hehe, Tsunade, look at that. His sense of duty is much higher than yours."

Mito teased, and Tsunade, annoyed, pouted in response. Hmph, an obsessive Uchiha, and you're calling it a sense of duty?

Although Tsunade seemed displeased, a warm feeling filled her heart. After all, in a Konoha that had grown so dark, having a companion willing to risk their life for her was truly rare.

"Can you tell me more about the recent arrangements at the Police Force? I haven't been out much lately," Mito said with a smile, smoothly changing the topic.

Shirou respectfully nodded and responded:

"The Police Force is currently led by Captain Fugaku. The clan leader has been staying home due to illness. The Police Force, which is responsible for patrolling the village, has been opened up to outsiders and is no longer exclusive to the Uchiha.

However, the elite teams responsible for external patrols, mission execution, and apprehending spies are still composed of powerful ninjas who must pass stringent tests to join. For now, the Uchiha still dominate these roles…"

Shirou neutrally laid out the current state of the Police Force. While the department had opened up to outsiders for village patrols, the Uchiha still held the reins of power. He didn't shy away from this fact.

After all, the Police Force was originally the Uchiha's responsibility. Allowing outsiders to join was already a concession; there was no way they would give up all authority.

Mito nodded repeatedly as she listened. "I heard the Medical Division has been collaborating with the Police Force recently?"

While she feigned curiosity, it was clear Mito was probing to see if the Uchiha had any intentions of taking control of the Medical Divisions.

However, Shirou simply smiled. While Mito's insight was sharp, her perspective was limited. Or rather, the shinobi world itself had such a narrow vision that few had the capacity for broader strategies.

Absorbing the Medical Divisions into the Police Force would bring little benefit and would only provoke resentment from Konoha's shinobi.

What he aimed to do was transform the Medical Divisions into Konoha's indispensable medical institution—one that all shinobi would rely on in the future.

"Lady Mito, here's the situation. Previously, medical ninjas were often vulnerable to attacks by strong jōnin or emotionally unstable shinobi. This led to unnecessary injuries and a waste of medical resources.

Some situations that could've been resolved by junior medical ninjas ended up consuming advanced resources. If this habit were to persist during wartime, the waste would be even greater.

The personnel assigned by the Police Force to assist are drawn from various ninja ranks…"

Shirou respectfully explained, framing the Police Force as a temporary shield for the Medical Division to ensure order.

While the Police Force might offend others in the process, the Medical Divisions would reap the benefits.

Hearing about the improvements in the Medical Division's structure, Mito couldn't help but feel reflective. Was it the warped development of this shinobi world, or the overwhelming power of ninja abilities, that left political maneuvering so immature after a thousand years? She didn't notice anything off about Shirou's words.

In fact, by the end, Mito was nodding repeatedly, her gaze filled with admiration.

"This way, the Police Force will bear the brunt of criticism, while the Medical Divisions will ultimately benefit."

At this point, Mito turned to Tsunade and said with a serious tone:

"Tsunade, you proposed the Medical Division framework and are its leader. Now that the Uchiha Police Force helped you so much and even offended many on your behalf, you mustn't take this for granted."

Hearing her grandmother's reminder, Tsunade's heart warmed. After all, it was Shirou who had supported her during her darkest times. However, outwardly, she maintained her proud demeanor and nodded.

"Don't worry, Grandma. And it's not just this time. On the Land Rin battlefield, Shirou made such significant contributions, but the village treated its hero like this. Meanwhile, I hear someone's student's apprentice is being praised for completing a few A-rank missions!"

She spoke with sarcasm, her tone dripping with disdain. Discovering the underground river and uncovering the Rain Ninja's attack plans was enough to warrant an S-rank mission.

Not to mention risking Shirou's life to repel Hanzō of the Salamander—at least another S-rank mission. And then leading the shinobi forces to crush the Rain ninja—those contributions alone were monumental.

"Tsunade!"

Mito frowned, seemingly wanting to say something. But Tsunade sighed and waved her hand dismissively.

"I understand, Grandma. It's for the village, right? Don't worry. It's not like the Senju clan doesn't have their copies of the Sealed Scroll."

With a hint of arrogance, Tsunade nodded toward Shirou and Mikoto.

"I had Kushina invite you two tonight for this matter. And I also need to check your health."

Her words carried an undertone of significance as she glanced meaningfully at Shirou, who immediately understood.

"Thank you, Sister Tsunade."

Both Shirou and Mikoto expressed their gratitude respectfully, though Shirou was well aware that the health check was merely an excuse—the real reason was to examine Mikoto's eyes.