Naruto: Marrying Tsunade

Chapter 6 - What a Misunderstanding

Her grandma suddenly erupted into a coughing fit.

Tsunade jumped down from Mito's lap, her golden eyes brimming with concern. "What's wrong, Grandma Mito? You don't look so good. Are you alright?"

Mito's serene expression didn't waver, but there was a weight behind her gaze. She studied Tsunade for a long moment before sighing softly in a raspy voice. "I'm fine."

Then, with a knowing look, she added, "I just hope that, in the future, you won't come to regret certain things."

Tsunade tilted her head, puzzled. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

Mito chuckled lightly, brushing off the topic. "Nothing you need to worry about just yet."

Rather than burden the child with heavy thoughts, she decided to change the subject. "You've started school recently, haven't you? Tell me about it. How are things at the Academy?"

Tsunade groaned and crossed her arms behind her head, leaning back as if the question alone exhausted her. "The Ninja Academy? Ugh, there's really not much to say."

She shot Mito a pleading look. "Grandma Mito, can I just apply for early graduation?"

Mito arched an elegant brow. "Why the rush?"

"The graduation exam only tests the Three Basic Jutsu," Tsunade explained, her tone bordering on boredom. "I mastered all of them ages ago. What's the point of staying there when I could just move on?"

She wasn't wrong. As the granddaughter of the First Hokage and a prodigy trained directly by the Second, Tsunade had already surpassed the standard curriculum. The Academy's lessons felt more like a formality than a necessity.

But Mito simply shook her head. "You're thinking about this all wrong, little one. The Academy isn't just about learning ninjutsu. It's about building relationships. The classmates you meet there may one day become your comrades in battle."

Tsunade lowered her hands, frowning slightly. "Comrades, huh…"

She knew that upon graduation, students were assigned to three-man teams under the guidance of a jōnin instructor. It was a system designed to balance strengths and weaknesses, ensuring that each new shinobi had a solid support network.

"Is there anyone in your class that you find promising?" Mito asked.

Tsunade thought for a moment before answering. "There's a guy named Orochimaru. He seems pretty good. Pale skin, really calm, crazy talented… He looks like the type you'd want to have as a teammate."

Then, a sly glint flickered in her eyes. "Grandma Mito, can you pull some strings and make sure we end up on the same team when I graduate?"

Mito let out a soft laugh. "That won't do."

Tsunade pouted. "Why not? Just this once—"

Mito cut her off with a gentle but firm tone. "Not even once. The team assignments are determined through careful evaluation, taking multiple factors into consideration. We can't abuse power for personal convenience."

Tsunade groaned and clung to Mito's arm, shaking it slightly. "Come on, pleeease—"

"If you're so eager, you can always ask your grand uncle."

That single suggestion made Tsunade stiffen instantly.

"Uh—never mind, then," she muttered, quickly withdrawing her hands. "Forget I said anything."

The thought of asking her grand uncle, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, was enough to make her give up entirely. Unlike her warm and kind-hearted grandfather, Tobirama was serious and intimidating. He always carried himself with a strict, no-nonsense demeanor, and Tsunade knew better than to push her luck with him.

Mito chuckled knowingly before shifting the conversation. "I heard there's a Uchiha boy in your class. Is that right?"

As the wife of the First Hokage, Mito had always paid close attention to the Uchiha clan, given their deep history with the Senju.

More importantly, this particular Uchiha was different from previous generations—his parents came from two different bloodline limit clans.

If he inherited both bloodline limits, his potential would be immeasurable.

In all her long years since the Warring States Period, Mito had encountered only a handful of ninjas with dual bloodline limits, and without exception, they were all terrifyingly powerful.

Many nations had tried to artificially create dual bloodline ninjas, but they eventually realized it was nearly impossible.

Single bloodline limits were rare, but with strategic planning—such as widespread breeding within a clan—an entire lineage could be cultivated over time.

But dual bloodlines? That was a different story.

The issue wasn't just genetics—it was pride. Those born with bloodline limits were often extremely proud. Who would willingly let their lineage be tampered with?

And even if two bloodline limits were combined, the offspring often suffered from severe genetic incompatibilities. If a child was born healthy and inherited even one of their parents' abilities, it was already considered a blessing.

Dual bloodline limits were simply too rare to engineer.

Mito wasn't expecting this Uchiha boy to awaken both abilities—she was more interested in whether he would inherit his mother's Ice Release. If he did, then Konoha might, over generations, develop its own clan specializing in Ice Release.

The change in topic immediately darkened Tsunade's expression. Her lips curled in irritation, and her brows furrowed.

"Yeah, his name's Uchiha Aokiji."

The way she said it made it clear—she wasn't exactly fond of him.

Mito's curiosity was piqued. "From the way you're speaking, I take it you don't like him?"

Tsunade shook her head. "I wouldn't say I hate him, but…" She huffed. "He's just annoying."

"Oh?" Mito smiled faintly. "And what exactly makes him so annoying?"

Tsunade crossed her arms. "He has so much talent, but he wastes it by sleeping all the time. It's frustrating."

Mito, however, remained thoughtful. "Perhaps he has his reasons."

Tsunade scoffed. "Reasons? Ha. What kind of reason justifies slacking off that much?"

Mito knew more about Aokiji's situation than she let on.

The Senju clan had always been known for drawing power from love, while the Uchiha clan was said to draw power from ninjutsu. But that was a misconception.

In truth, no one loved as deeply as the Uchiha.

The difference was that they often repressed those emotions—until, one day, they truly understood what love was. And when that love was lost, their suppressed feelings would erupt with overwhelming force, often awakening the power of their Sharingan.

The Uchiha weren't driven by cold ambition. They were driven by their hearts.

And that was precisely why they were so dangerous.

When an Uchiha suffered loss, their pain didn't simply fade away. It could curdle into something dark—something uncontrollable. Their love, once so powerful, could twist into hatred. Their grief could fester into vengeance.

That was the hidden danger of their clan.

Aokiji, though still young, had already suffered such a loss.

The death of his grandmother—the last family he had left—had changed him.

Sleeping all day, keeping his distance from others… It wasn't laziness. It was his way of escaping reality.

Mito wasn't sure if Tsunade would understand, so she chose not to elaborate.

But Tsunade, oblivious to the weight of Aokiji's past, simply rolled her eyes.

"Whatever his reasons are, I don't really care. All I know is that this guy doesn't just sleep all day—he also sneaks around at night looking at weird stuff."

Mito raised an eyebrow. "Weird stuff?"

Tsunade hesitated for a moment, as if debating whether to speak further. "Well... you know..."

Mito's expression remained expectant. "What kind of weird stuff?"

Tsunade's face flushed slightly. She lowered her voice as if someone might overhear them. "...Those books."

Mito blinked.

A long pause followed.

Then realization dawned, and her expression became unreadable.

Tsunade, frustrated by her own embarrassment, quickly tried to change the subject. "Anyway! That guy is seriously annoying! During the shuriken exam, I actually lost to him! Can you believe it? I'm a disgrace to the Senju clan! Next time, I'll definitely beat him."

Mito, however, was still processing what she had just heard.

A five-year-old sneaking around at night... to read those books?

If his grandmother's spirit was watching from the afterlife, she must be utterly speechless.

---

After visiting his grandmother's grave at the Memorial Stone, Aokiji walked down the quiet path leading back to the Uchiha compound. His mind was restless, filled with thoughts that refused to settle.

Was his grandmother truly killed in battle?

Or was it something much worse?

The so-called Will of Fire—friendship, unity, self-sacrifice—was just a polished veneer. Beneath it lay something far uglier.

Betrayals. Assassinations. Political purges. Indoctrination.

If he naively treated this as a simple shonen world, he would be dead before he even realized it.

For now, the best move was to maintain a low profile—keep up the lazy act, avoid drawing too much attention, and survive.

As he continued walking, a voice called out.

"You sure took your time."

Aokiji looked up to see a white-haired boy standing a short distance away. He exhaled through his nose. "...What do you want, Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya grinned mischievously, rocking back on his heels. "Nothing much, just wanted to apologize."

Aokiji narrowed his eyes. "Apologize?"

Jiraiya held out a black plastic bag. "Yeah. I kinda got you in trouble last time, so... consider this a gift of apology."

Aokiji took the bag cautiously, feeling its unexpected weight. His fingers curled around the edge. "...What is this?"

"Good stuff," Jiraiya said, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

Aokiji shot him a suspicious look before finally peeking inside. The moment his eyes landed on the contents, his face darkened.

"...Seriously?"

"Heh, nice, right?"

Without hesitation, Aokiji shoved the bag back at him.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Jiraiya protested.

"What do you think? You've screwed me over enough already!"

"Come on, if you don't take it, I'll feel guilty."

"Get lost."

Aokiji turned away, trying to walk off, but Jiraiya grabbed his wrist and pushed the bag back toward him. What started as a small scuffle quickly turned into a full-blown tug-of-war.

In their struggle, neither noticed how loosely the bag had been tied.

A moment later, the knot came undone.

The contents of the bag spilled onto the dirt road.

Aokiji's eyes widened in horror as several small, thin books tumbled onto the ground, their illustrated covers flashing for the world to see.

For a brief, agonizing moment, silence fell between them.

Then, Aokiji snapped into action, crouching down in a frantic attempt to scoop up the books before anyone noticed.

But just as his fingers brushed against one of them, a shadow loomed over him.

A pair of delicate, fair legs entered his vision.

Dread sank into his stomach.

Slowly, his gaze traveled upward.

Standing before him was Tsunade.

Her golden eyes flickered with curiosity as she bent down and picked up one of the books.

Aokiji's breath caught.

Tsunade examined the cover, flipping to the first few pages. The moment she realized what she was holding, her face went scarlet.

Aokiji shot up, hands raised in defense. "This isn't mine!"

Tsunade didn't reply.

She just punched him.

Hard.

Aokiji staggered backward, now sporting a fresh bruise on his face. He groaned, pressing a hand to his aching cheek.

Off to the side, Jiraiya whistled innocently, arms crossed behind his head, looking anywhere but at Aokiji's glare of pure, burning resentment.