"Phew~~~~"
Kushina wiped the sweat from her forehead, pouting her lips, which were still glistening with oil. The sight made Takuya want to take a bite.
"Takuya, Tsunade's granduncle is way too fierce! I really don't understand why she used to cling to him when she was younger."
"He's always so grumpy—no wonder he stayed single his whole life!"
"Pfft~~~"
Pakura almost spat out her drink.
Hyūga Suzune was wide-eyed in shock, nearly dropping her beverage.
Uchiha Mikoto pounded her chest, having nearly choked on her drink.
What kind of savage words are these?
If Tobirama heard that, his face would probably stretch three meters long.
Takuya never expected Kushina to be this blunt. He burst into laughter, his stomach hurting as tears formed in his eyes.
Her words were ruthless but deeply satisfying.
Laughing, Takuya gave Kushina a thumbs-up.
"You're absolutely right. The Senju always had a habit of snatching Uzumaki women. Tobirama was one of the worst offenders—so roasting him is totally justified."
"Captain…"
Suzune hesitated. "The Senju and Uzumaki had arranged marriages. It wasn't 'snatching'."
Takuya rolled his eyes.
"Arranged my ass!
The Senju were powerful, and the Uzumaki wanted nothing to do with them. They preferred to stay far away rather than be absorbed into Konoha.
Do you really think the Uzumaki built their own nation just because they were ambitious?
The person who schemed against them the most was Tobirama—he wanted nothing more than to merge the Uzumaki and Senju into one clan."
All that talk about "distant relatives" was just an excuse.
The Uzumaki weren't idiots. They knew what the Senju were trying to do, so they escaped to an island and built their own country.
Even then, the Senju never stopped trying to take advantage of them.
"Don't worry about that old fossil. So what if he's grumpy? What's he gonna do, bite me?"
Others might be intimidated by Tobirama, but Takuya wasn't.
After all, Hashirama and Tobirama cared more about Konoha than anything else—that much was certain.
And with Tsunade in the mix, as long as the two brothers weren't completely brain-dead, they wouldn't dare cause trouble.
If only Tobirama had been revived, there might have been issues.
But with Hashirama there, Tobirama would be completely overpowered.
If he wanted to stir things up, he'd have to get past his big brother first.
No doubt, both of them were currently focused on dealing with Uchiha Madara and his whole "Infinite Tsukuyomi" nonsense. They didn't have time to target him—or the Uchiha.
"Go back and tell Fugaku: eat well, sleep well, and stop worrying about those two old men. As long as the Uchiha remain loyal to Konoha, no one can touch them."
"Is this Tsunade's promise, or…?"
Mikoto blinked, clearly hoping for a more solid guarantee.
As much as Fugaku respected Tsunade as Hokage, when it came to serious matters, he put more faith in Takuya's word.
After all, no matter what title Tsunade had, the real power in Konoha rested in Takuya's hands.
Strength ruled the shinobi world, and that truth never changed.
Takuya leaned back, his tone casual.
"My promise. Tsunade thinks the same way, but you can just tell Fugaku I said so."
Mikoto had rushed over on Fugaku's orders.
Among all the clans, the Uchiha were the most on edge after hearing about Hashirama and Tobirama's revival.
Frankly, they hated Orochimaru.
Seriously, why does that freak keep messing with things?
Now, thanks to him, both Senju brothers were back.
Hashirama wasn't a problem, but Tobirama…
Fugaku was worried sick that Tobirama would start his usual nonsense again—spouting rhetoric, stirring up hostility against the Uchiha, and making their lives miserable.
After finally enjoying some peace, the last thing Fugaku wanted was more trouble.
So, the moment the lockdown was lifted, he sent Mikoto straight to Takuya for answers.
The Uchiha needed a guarantee.
They needed to know they wouldn't be targeted again.
And only Takuya's word could reassure them.
Even if Tsunade made a promise, it wouldn't mean much—because in the end, power is the only thing that matters.
Hearing his answer, Mikoto smiled sweetly.
She hugged Takuya briefly and whispered, "I'll probably be busy for the next few days, but once things settle down, I'll make it up to you."
"Not staying tonight?"
Takuya looked disappointed.
There went his plans for a cozy night with her.
"After all this is sorted out."
Mikoto quickly said her goodbyes and rushed off after greeting the others.
—
While Takuya enjoyed his leisurely lifestyle, Hatake Sakumo felt like his legs were about to give out from running around all day.
For now, they had to suppress news of the Senju brothers' revival. But considering the massive scene they had made, who knew if enemy spies had caught wind of it?
If word got out, it would be a headache.
Not because they feared other villages knowing—but because of Uchiha Madara.
Thanks to all the chaos, Tsunade didn't get a moment's rest, spending the entire night dealing with the fallout.
To make matters worse, since Tobirama had caught her playing cards instead of working, she didn't even dare go home to sleep.
She had to endure it.
Second Grandpa's temper is terrifying…
—
The next morning, Takuya woke up and instinctively pulled the person next to him closer.
Breathing in their scent, something felt off.
Tsunade came back?
No, that didn't make sense.
And Kushina wasn't this… well-endowed.
Blinking sleepily, he sat up and looked at the sleeping figure beside him.
Pakura.
Takuya scratched his head, confused.
When did I bring Pakura to my room?
Oh well.
Work first.
The ANBU had been waiting outside for a while.
Otherwise, he could have slept until noon.
"Lord Takuya."
When he opened the door, the waiting ANBU member bowed.
"The Hokage has requested your presence at the office."
"What for? She can handle things herself. It's too early for this."
Takuya muttered as he washed up, completely ignoring the ANBU's reaction.
The best course of action was to pretend they hadn't heard a thing.
Reporting this would be pointless—Takuya would be fine, but they'd be the ones in trouble.
After a quick wash, he made his way to the Hokage's office.
As expected, the moment he stepped inside, he was greeted by the sight of the completely refreshed Senju brothers—while Tsunade and the Third Hokage sat there with massive dark circles under their eyes.
Hiruzen was even still in his pajamas.
He clearly hadn't been allowed to go home and was forced to stay behind.
At least he was wearing a full robe—if he had slept in something less modest, he probably would have died of embarrassment.
Ignoring Tobirama's dagger-like stare, Takuya walked straight to Tsunade, setting a breakfast box on her desk before casually perching on the table himself.
"So, what's so urgent that you had to drag me here this early?"
"Haa… it's Grandpa and Second Grandpa who wanted to see you."
Tsunade yawned as she grabbed the food and started eating.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
You two… this is way too much.
What about me?
Did I just get completely forgotten?
Takuya only brought breakfast for Tsunade, and she immediately started eating without a second thought—completely ignoring her old sensei.
As the Senju brothers watched all this unfold, their lips twitched.
They glanced at the pitiful Third Hokage.
Not a shred of dignity left.
Now he knew how it felt to be cast aside.
"Tsk…"
___________________________
(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING