Konoha: Uchiha's Two-Way Travel in One Piece

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"Ah, I'm getting old. My time is short," Uzumaki Mito sighed deeply in her heart. "With Hiruzen's position as Hokage growing increasingly secure and his influence expanding year after year, my deterrent power has diminished significantly."

"Grandma, what's wrong? Why do you suddenly look so troubled?"

Tsunade noticed Mito's shift in mood, her expression turning heavy with worry.

Mito raised her gaze to Tsunade, gently patting her head as she let out a mournful sigh. "Tsunade, Grandma doesn't have much time left. When will you truly mature and stand on your own? When will you shoulder the responsibility of the Senju Clan?"

"This…"

Tsunade felt a lump in her throat, an inexplicable sense of unease welling up inside her. She tightly gripped her grandmother's hand and said with concern, "Grandma, don't say that! You'll live to a hundred for sure!"

"Heh."

Mito smiled faintly but with resignation. "Live to a hundred? Ninjas don't have such long lives."

"Ninja… being one is inherently a short-lived profession—a distorted profession. Even someone as strong and full of vitality as your grandfather died young. What hope do I have?"

"If not for the ninja way of life, with his natural vitality, your grandfather might have truly lived to a hundred. But alas…"

The life of a ninja, filled with battles, relentlessly consumed their own energy and life force. The more they fought, the shorter their lives became.

Tsunade nodded quietly, sadness flickering in her eyes. As a medical ninja, she understood this truth all too well. A ninja's existence depended on constantly extracting chakra, inevitably shortening their lifespan.

"Enough. Let's not dwell on this anymore."

Noticing the growing confusion on Tsunade's face, Mito decided to end the topic. She warned, "In any case, you're not young anymore. It's time to learn to grow up."

"Until Nawaki matures enough to take on the mantle of the Senju Clan, you must carry the burden in his stead. Do you understand?"

In truth, Mito had little faith in Nawaki's ability to lead the clan in the future. The boy was far too naive—more so than Hashirama in his youth. But unlike Hashirama, Nawaki lacked his great talent and even the steady guidance of a figure like Tobirama.

For now, Mito could only place her hopes on Tsunade to take responsibility for the family.

"I… I understand. I'll do it!"

Tsunade clenched her fists tightly. Yet, a question lingered in her mind: "But doesn't the village still have my teacher? Isn't it not a big deal?"

"Foolish girl!"

Mito's expression turned stern, a mixture of frustration and disappointment. "Sarutobi Hiruzen isn't just your teacher; he's also the Hokage of Konoha and the head of the Sarutobi Clan."

"When he accepted you as a disciple, it wasn't because of your talent. It was to draw closer to the Senju Clan—and me—so he could solidify his position as Hokage."

"You really think he values you so highly? In his heart, the Sarutobi Clan's interests come first, followed by Konoha's. Then, it's the interests of Danzo, Koharu, and Homura's clans."

"After that, the Senju Clan doesn't even rank. Instead, his focus shifts to the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and other small-to-medium clans or civilian ninjas he's roped in."

"He's been covertly suppressing the ninja clans led by the Senju for years. Haven't you noticed any of this?"

"How can I trust the Senju Clan's future to you? How can I leave this world in peace knowing this?"

Mito's voice was full of exasperation, a deep disappointment in Tsunade's naivety. She despised this harsh reality but couldn't allow Tsunade's illusions to persist.

"..."

Tsunade was stunned into silence. Her worldview shattered, and the image she had of her teacher crumbled like broken glass.

"How could this be?" Tsunade murmured in disbelief.

"Why not?" Mito snapped, her tone sharp. "Think carefully about the clan's development in recent years. Isn't it obvious?"

Initially, Mito had not intended to destroy Tsunade's illusion of Hiruzen. She thought that with Tsunade's trust in and bond with him, she might have a measure of protection even after Mito was gone.

But the recent changes in the Uchiha Clan, particularly under Uchiha Madara's descendant, had shifted her perspective.

"Perhaps forming a covert alliance with the Uchiha might be a better solution," Mito thought to herself.

"I…"

Now fully grasping Mito's words, Tsunade recalled countless past events—both within the Senju Clan and the village at large. Many actions that once seemed reasonable now appeared suspicious.

Her face darkened with anger and disbelief. "I can't believe it… That old man had such ulterior motives."

"Good. Now that you understand, I feel a bit better," Mito said, her tone softening slightly.

"But what should I do next, Grandma?" Tsunade asked, feeling lost.

"Let me meet that Uchiha Madara's descendant first. You must be present when that happens."

"Alright," Tsunade agreed, though she was still confused by her grandmother's anxiety.

"Ah, Tsunade. I'm not forcing you; the situation is becoming dire," Mito said with a weary sigh. "We've received troubling news from the Uzumaki Clan recently.

"Signs indicate that the other Great Shinobi Villages have turned their attention to Uzushiogakure, likely because of its expertise in jinchūriki and sealing techniques."

"Recently, spies from other villages have appeared more frequently in the Land of Whirlpools. Their intentions are anything but good."

"What?" Tsunade was shocked. "Then what should we do? Does the village know? How will it respond? Will they… send troops to aid the Uzumaki Clan?"

As she spoke, Mito's earlier words about Hiruzen resurfaced in her mind, and her tone became uncertain.

A chilling thought crept into her mind: What if aiding the Uzumaki Clan didn't align with her teacher's interests? What if their destruction was more beneficial to him?

With her previous illusions shattered, Tsunade could now see how Hiruzen's leadership had weakened the Senju Clan over the years.

During her granduncle Tobirama's time, the Senju had been the strongest ninja clan in the Hidden Leaf and the entire ninja world. But now?

The Senju's glory was a distant memory. Most of the clan's branch families had been assimilated into the civilian population. Many were lost in battle or had vanished over time. Even the main family had dwindled to almost nothing.

"Good. You've figured it out," Mito said, reading the changes in Tsunade's expression.

"This matter isn't something you can rely on Hiruzen or the village for. At best, they'll swoop in to reap the spoils of war."

"Originally, I wanted to persuade the Uzumaki Clan to relocate to Konoha for safety," Mito admitted. "But Uzumaki Ashina refused. I couldn't change his mind, so I gave up on that idea."

"Now, I'm preparing to send an elite force composed of Senju clan members—mainly the main family and some close branch families—to assist them."

"This decision will likely cost us what little strength the Senju Clan has left," she said heavily. "But I can't sit by and let the Uzumaki Clan be wiped out."

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