229.Winter Afternoon

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Afternoon, Hokage Office, Konoha Village. 

After lunch, Tsunade, with nothing pressing to do, sat behind her desk, enthusiastically playing with a set of dice. 

The door creaked open, and with lightning reflexes, she stashed the dice into a drawer, assuming a serious expression. 

Shizune entered, carrying a stack of documents. 

"Oh, it's just you, Shizune." 

Tsunade immediately slumped her shoulders and retrieved the dice, rolling them onto the desk and shaking them under her tea cup. 

"Lady Tsunade!" 

Shizune placed the heavy pile of documents on the desk, glaring at Tsunade, who was clearly in a playful mood. 

"Alright, alright, stop nagging." 

Tsunade didn't even look up as she lifted the tea cup dramatically, revealing her roll. 

"Tch." 

Unhappy with the outcome, she slammed the cup back down. 

Unfazed, Shizune diverted her gaze from the tea cup. 

"Lady Tsunade," she reminded her, "you must make a decision regarding the Hyuga clan issue now." 

Tsunade gave the dice another shake, revealed the result, and, frustrated, hurled the dice back into the drawer. 

"Lately, my luck's been terrible," she muttered. 

"Lady Tsunade!!!" 

"Fine, fine, I get it!" 

Closing the drawer, Tsunade looked up at Shizune. 

"To be honest, I didn't expect this," she said with an intrigued smile. "That little girl from the Hyuga clan is truly remarkable." 

Shizune recalled Hanabi Hyuga's bold demeanor during her negotiation at the Hokage's office and nodded in agreement. 

"Miss Hanabi is indeed extraordinary." 

"At first, I thought she was just a puppet put forth by the branch family," Tsunade mused, tapping her fingers on the desk. "But it turns out she's a girl with her own mind. The surprising part is that the Hyuga clan actually respects her." 

Thinking about the Hyuga members' behavior, Shizune nodded again. 

Tsunade got up, walked to the window, and leaned sideways against the sill. 

"She's stronger than I was at her age," Tsunade said with a nostalgic smile. "When the Senju clan was reduced to just me and Nawaki, all I wanted was for him to grow up happily. I never considered taking on the burden of our clan's legacy." 

"In the end, I accomplished none of it." Tsunade sighed. "I didn't carry the Senju name forward, and I couldn't protect my brother." 

"Lady Tsunade." Shizune approached her gently, speaking with care. "The Senju clan is different from others." 

"It is different." 

Tsunade brushed away the sudden melancholy and smiled, looking at the bustling streets below. 

"Both my grandfather and great-uncle used to say that the Senju would fully integrate into Konoha. This village, as it stands today, is the Senju clan's proudest creation." 

"Both the First and Second Hokage had extraordinary foresight," Shizune said, offering a cup of hot tea. 

"Maybe." Tsunade held the tea to warm her hands, hesitating. "I used to believe that too. But now that I'm older, I'm not so sure anymore." 

Shizune wisely chose not to respond, standing quietly by her side. 

"My grandfather was undoubtedly a great man." 

Tsunade stared at the steam rising from her tea, her voice distant. 

"His grand dreams inspired so many people—even my great-uncle made it his life's mission to fulfill them. But they sacrificed too much for those dreams. To the rest of the clan, they might not have been good leaders. Sometimes I wonder if other Senju clan members were resentful of them." 

"You're overthinking it," Shizune reassured her. "Lord Hashirama is revered as the God of Shinobi, and everyone in Konoha takes pride in him." 

"You're right, I'm overthinking it." 

Tsunade's expression lightened, and she returned to her desk, tea cup in hand. Sitting down, she picked up the top document from the pile. 

"Let's get to work." 

"Lady Tsunade, about the Hyuga clan?" Shizune prompted again. 

"I know." Tsunade kept her eyes on the papers. "Go fetch Shikaku and Kakashi." 

"Yes." 

Shizune, sensing that Tsunade already had a plan in mind, turned and left the room. 

---

Uchiha Cemetery Barrier. 

In a simple wooden hut within the barrier, Itachi sat peacefully, holding a cup of hot water. 

The door creaked open, and Kaito's paper clone entered, hands tucked into its sleeves as it pushed the door with its foot. 

"Hmm?" Kaito glanced at the burning firewood in the pit and smiled. "Looks like you're doing well." 

A cold draft swept in, and Itachi instinctively hunched his shoulders. 

"Sorry." 

Kaito closed the door, found a small wooden stool, and sat down. 

"You've been busy lately," Itachi said, setting out another tea cup and pouring hot water from the kettle suspended over the fire. 

Kaito picked up the cup, smiling. "You don't have to be so polite. I'm just a clone—I don't eat or drink." 

"You can still feel warmth and cold." 

Itachi gazed at the flames. 

"Seems like you've changed a bit," Kaito observed, studying Itachi's expression. 

"Perhaps." Itachi's eyes remained calm. "How is Sasuke?" 

"He's doing fine, I think." Kaito met Itachi's gaze. "That kid hasn't contacted me lately." 

"By the way…" Kaito looked around the room at the supplies. "You seem well-stocked." 

"I'm doing fine," Itachi replied, his attention returning to the fire. "What about you? What's keeping you busy?" 

"Hmm?" Kaito smirked knowingly. "You're really curious. Worried I might be causing trouble in Konoha?" 

Itachi's gaze lowered. "Just making conversation." 

"The Hyuga clan situation," Kaito answered lightly. "I like to see things through to the end." 

"So it's true. You're involved in the Hyuga affair." Itachi's tone turned cold. 

"Of course." Kaito sipped his tea leisurely. 

"You shouldn't drag Sasuke into this." Itachi's voice hardened as he looked directly at Kaito. 

"Don't worry, I'll keep Sasuke safe," Kaito replied casually, unfazed by Itachi's glare. "Besides, the boy's grown up. Experiencing more will do him good." 

"Do as you please." Itachi sighed, his frustration fading. 

"You're too uptight. Sasuke's sixteen now—think back to what you were doing at that age." 

Kaito tapped the tea cup, the sound crisp. 

"Speaking of age, the current head of the Hyuga clan is an eleven-year-old girl. Sasuke better not let someone that young outshine him." 

"No chance of that." Itachi's confidence was unwavering. "Sasuke is already very strong." 

"I'm not talking about strength," Kaito said, tapping the cup again. "I mean his mindset." 

"Sasuke was always too tightly wound," Kaito continued, glaring at Itachi. "He's better now, but he still needs more challenges to truly mature."