Tsunade did not refute Yuzuru's viewpoint. She simply drank in silence.
Seeing her like this, Yuzuru wasn't surprised at all.
In the original timeline, Jiraiya once told Tsunade, "If you ever betray the village, I'll kill you." His words alone showed how obvious Tsunade's dissatisfaction with Konoha had always been.
But whether because she lacked the strength to change anything or because she couldn't harden her heart, she eventually chose to leave Konoha and wander the shinobi world.
With that in mind, Yuzuru spoke first. "Tsunade, come with me."
Tsunade blinked and looked at him. "What do you mean?"
Yuzuru smiled. "Konoha today has already strayed far from its founding principles. Let the Uchiha and the Senju join forces once more. Let's reshape Konoha into what it was meant to be."
At that, Tsunade's tone chilled. "You're telling me to betray my own teacher?"
"No, no…" Yuzuru shook his head. "You're not betraying your teacher. Your teacher betrayed you long ago."
"The Senju clan survived a thousand years and countless wars, yet in just a few years under Hiruzen Sarutobi's leadership, it vanished. You should know better than I do how many Senju are left."
"And every time someone dear to you died, their injuries were always severe enough that even the greatest medical-nin of the shinobi world couldn't arrive in time…"
"From the beloved Princess of Konoha to a lone wanderer drifting through the world—do you truly think all of that was coincidence?"
"You saw him as a teacher, but he never treated you as his student."
Tsunade's mind involuntarily summoned memories she never wished to revisit. Horrific scenes flickered through her thoughts, making her body tremble.
She lowered her head and whispered, "You said it yourself—I always lose my bets. Maybe I'm just cursed, like this necklace… a disaster that brings misfortune to anyone close to me."
Suddenly, a hand reached to her chest and ripped the necklace from around her neck.
She looked up to see Yuzuru already wearing it.
"You—you… what are you doing?" Tsunade stammered.
Yuzuru braced his hands against the table and leaned in close, his face mere inches from hers. "Stop running away. We are the rightful heirs of Konoha's legacy. Together, the Senju and the Uchiha will take back what belongs to us."
"And even if this necklace truly brings misfortune, I will personally shatter its curse."
Tsunade stared blankly. That confident smile so close to her face made her think of Nawaki…
If Nawaki were still alive, he would be about this age.
"Tsunade-sama! I finally found you!"
Bang!
The private room door burst open. Shizune rushed in, panting, Pig sprawled in her arms. "Tsunade-sama, did you gamble away the last of our money agai—"
Her voice froze.
Tsunade and a handsome young man sat face-to-face, so close their noses nearly touched.
And the necklace she treasured most… was on his neck.
Shizune gasped and covered her mouth, stunned. Pig slipped from her arms, hit the floor, and wailed pitifully.
Tsunade snapped to her senses as well. "Shizune, what are you doing here?"
Shizune looked between the two of them, bowed, and stammered, "I—I apologize! I didn't mean to interrupt!"
She turned to flee with Pig.
"Shizune!"
Seeing her misunderstanding, Tsunade jumped up, grabbed her, and shut the door.
A moment later, Shizune finally understood the situation.
"So… Tsunade-sama, you treated Yuzuru to dinner because he split his gambling winnings with you?"
Shizune smiled teasingly. "I thought you suddenly decided to fall in love. You scared me to death."
Tsunade snorted. "What nonsense is swirling in your head all day? Even if I died outside or jumped off a cliff, I would never fall in love with some Uchiha brat."
Shizune sneaked a glance at Yuzuru. "Tsunade-sama, that's a bit rude…"
"It's fine," Tsunade said, shrugging. "He wasn't polite to me at the casino either."
Shizune sighed helplessly. "Still… seeing you actually walk away with winnings from a casino—this is a first."
"Shizune!" Tsunade glared at her.
Grinning, Shizune asked, "I get how you met, but… why is your necklace on Yuzuru?"
Tsunade took a swig of sake. "He stole it."
"Huh?!" Shizune's jaw dropped. The world suddenly felt unreal.
With Tsunade's temperament, someone stealing her most precious necklace should have been pummeled into paste. Yet she was calmly drinking with him?
Absurd!
Seeing her confusion, Yuzuru continued, "I plan to invite Tsunade to the Hidden Cloud Village. The Senju and Uchiha will join forces again and reshape the shinobi world."
Shizune froze, staring at Tsunade. "Tsunade-sama… you're going to the Hidden Cloud Village?"
Though they'd traveled endlessly, Shizune had always thought of herself and Tsunade as Konoha shinobi.
Sitting with a Konoha rogue ninja was already pushing limits—now he wanted them to defect?
Tsunade shook her head. "That's only his wishful thinking. I haven't agreed."
Shizune exhaled in relief.
But before she could speak, Yuzuru added, "Tsunade, after you come to the Hidden Cloud, we'll hire you as a medical consultant. Your monthly salary will be one million ryō."
"With your abilities, I'm certain you can build the most advanced medical system in the world."
Hearing that, Shizune snapped, "Tsunade-sama grew up in Konoha and is its beloved princess—she would never betray Konoha! You should give up such a ridiculous—"
Before Shizune could finish, Tsunade grabbed her and pulled her behind her.
She smiled at Yuzuru. "Yuzuru… you know me too well."