Chapter 67: Tsunade's Sense of Urgency.

Although the nicotine in tobacco no longer has any stimulating effect on his body, for men, smoking can be considered a mysterious ritual—a sentiment that only those who understand would get.

Sweating profusely, Tsunade lay weakly on the sofa, still savoring the recent madness. At the moment, it was halftime.

"Grandma Mito told me that in a few days, she wants to invite you to our house," Tsunade said lazily while stroking Hanma's thigh, feeling its strength.

"She has heard about you taking over as the Uchiha clan leader and is very pleased. She wants to chat with you."

"Sure. But I'd prefer to visit after I formally take over as the clan leader. It would seem more appropriate," Hanma replied.

Tsunade nodded and closed her eyes to take a nap. Barring any surprises, another bout of intimacy awaited her soon. Hanma, on the other hand, pondered the intentions of Uzumaki Mito.

Though she was Tsunade's grandmother, Mito was also the wife of the First Hokage and the sister-in-law of Tobirama. Besides these identities, she was the eldest princess of the Uzumaki clan, a founder of Konoha, the first Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and a formidable ninja. Her stance towards the Uchiha clan, towards Hanma, or even towards Hiruzen's faction, held significant weight.

"Could it be about the Nine-Tails?" He wondered. As a candidate for becoming a Jinchuriki, Kushina possessed pure Uzumaki blood. But she was not the most ideal candidate in Hiruzen's mind at the moment. Kushina's heart was firmly tied to Minato, who the higher-ups of Konoha already considered part of the Uchiha faction. If the Uchiha faction got hold of the Nine-Tails, Hiruzen might as well step down immediately.

Seeing Hanma deep in thought, Tsunade poked him and muttered, "Do you think I can control the power of the Nine-Tails? After all, with both Senju and Uzumaki blood running through my veins, I'm more suitable than Kushina, right?"

Hanma was taken aback and his expression turned serious. "Little Tsunade, why do you have such a thought?"

Lowering her head, Tsunade slowly replied, "I just don't want to hold you back anymore. When facing Hanzo and the Tailed Beasts, I don't have any effective way to respond and need you to come to my rescue. If you hadn't shielded me from that Tailed Beast Bomb, I might not even be here now."

Becoming more emotional, Tsunade even began to sob gently. "I don't want you to risk your life for my sake. I too have my own goals as a ninja! And the power of the Nine-Tails is the fastest way to gain strength."

After listening to her, Hanma felt an overwhelming mix of emotions. He understood Tsunade well enough to know that she was a proud woman with strong self-respect. She could accept a minor gap between them, but she would never submit to playing the role of a sheltered canary.

In their previous battle, Hanzo's overwhelming power had significantly impacted her, and Hanma's act of shielding her from a Tailed Beast Bomb had deeply shocked her. Tsunade's pride and self-respect were what Hanma found most attractive about her, but these traits also caused her anxiety over her growing disparity in strength with Hanma.

Hanma carefully chose his words, knowing he had to dispel Tsunade's notion of becoming a Jinchuriki and, more importantly, fully untangle the issues weighing on her mind.

"If you want to compare, you might as well go up against Uchiha Madara or even the Sage of Six Paths," Hanma said with a wry smile. After all, it's not like he didn't possess the power of special abilities and enhancements himself, leaving no room for figures like Otsutsuki to stand unmatched in his presence.

Pulling Tsunade into his embrace, their breaths mingled closely, calming her restless heart. Gently wiping away her tears, Hanma looked earnestly into her eyes and softly said, "Since the Warring States period, the Nine-Tails has been seen as the embodiment of war, hatred, and betrayal. Even if Grandma Mito wanted to seal such a beast inside you, I would never agree."

Tsunade shook her head softly and said, "This was just my own idea."

Feeling relieved, Hanma grasped Tsunade's delicate hand and lightly squeezed her fingertips while jesting, "Even though you're destined to be the future matriarch of the Uchiha clan, you can't entirely abandon the Senju name, can you? Back then, even with the Nine-Tails under his control, Uchiha Madara lost to your grandfather, Hashirama. Instead of becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, which is a dangerous shortcut, why not aspire to master the First Hokage's Senjutsu and Wood Release?"

Raising his voice slightly, Hanma pinched Tsunade's fair nose and sternly declared, "I firmly oppose the idea of you becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Focus on sincere training, honing your ninjutsu and taijutsu. Don't always dream of overnight success. Do you think you're the Sage of Six Paths?"

Letting go of her inhibitions, Tsunade, though blushing from Hanma's continuous admonishment, had indeed been persuaded. Despite her pride, she couldn't help but start to feel a bit hurt watching Hanma grow so rapidly.

Pouting slightly, Tsunade retorted without much conviction, still clinging to her initial stubbornness. Seeing her act out in this manner, Hanma decided to drop the reasoning and playfully took out a dice cup.

"No more words, let's settle this with a bet. If it's an even number, Tsunade, you have to promise never to entertain the thought of becoming a Jinchuriki again and agree to one additional condition of mine. If it's an odd number, I'll let you set any condition for me to do whatever you want."

Eyes sparkling, Tsunade readily agreed and with a flourish said, "Deal!"

Hanma deftly shook the dice cup, a trace of blood slipping inside to manipulate the dice results. Despite Tsunade's notorious bad luck in gambling, Hanma wanted to ensure everything went smoothly. This level of meticulousness was typical for how Hanma approached all challenges.

Opening the dice cup with a flourish, Hanma grinned, "See, this is fate!"

Seeing the dice showing six, Tsunade lightly grunted in response, "Alright, tell me the additional condition."

Clearing his throat, Hanma handed Tsunade a carefully selected set of clothes, "It's nothing much, just that during our next training session, remember to change into these and strike a few stylish poses."

"Humph!" Browsing the bag filled with trendy revealing outfits, and socks, Tsunade's face reddened even more, yet a hint of anticipation gleamed in her eyes.