Tsunade, Will You Still Help Me?

The first meeting after the Magistrate Office was renamed the Grand Governor's Mansion came to a close.

Watching Luzhen's robes flutter as he walked away, Yasuke nudged Kyuzo beside him with his elbow and lowered his voice.

"Do you know what those strange things Luzhen just said to the governor were about? He was acting so weird."

Kyuzo rubbed his chin, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I know a little. The governor gave Luzhen a book earlier, and after he finished reading it a few days ago, he started acting a bit strange."

Yasuke nodded thoughtfully.

"I want to borrow that book from Luzhen and study it. Kyuzo, are you coming?"

"Sure!"

Everyone had seen how much Dongfang Mao had just praised Luzhen.

Who wouldn't want to figure out how Luzhen had managed to win the governor's favor with his bizarre words and behavior?

It was the old saying: "As above, so below."

And Yasuke and Kyuzo were far from the only ones thinking that way.

Before long, many people had quietly fixed their attention on Luzhen and his book.

Meanwhile, after everyone had left, Tsunade had finally managed to corner Dongfang Mao alone.

She folded her arms across her chest, propping up her astonishingly ample figure.

Her sharp, hawklike gaze locked onto Dongfang Mao, and a knowing, chilly smile played at the corners of her mouth.

Feeling the terrifying pressure radiating from Tsunade, Dongfang Mao was already sweating. He wailed inwardly. It looked like there was no escaping this today.

He steeled himself, let his head droop, and lowered his eyes. His long lashes cast shadows across his face.

"Tsunade, I shouldn't have lied to you. I was wrong..."

His voice was low, and he looked just like a child caught doing something naughty.

Even his shoulders began to tremble slightly. He looked so utterly miserable that anyone seeing him couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Tsunade's eye twitched.

If she hadn't just seen Dongfang Mao commanding the room from the seat of honor, she might have been fooled by the brat all over again.

But even knowing that, the sight of him looking so pitiful somehow made most of the anger in her chest fade away.

"Honestly, you have no shame..."

She cursed herself inwardly, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to keep berating him.

"Enough, enough!"

Tsunade waved her hand impatiently, cutting him off.

"You've even turned the Magistrate Office into the Grand Governor's Mansion. Do you really think acting pitiful here is going to help?"

A flicker of delight passed through Dongfang Mao's eyes. That tone clearly meant she had cooled off.

Still, he pretended to be nervous as he tested the waters.

"Tsunade... you're not angry anymore?"

"Hmph!"

Tsunade gave a cold snort, then seemed to remember something. Her expression suddenly turned grave.

"You brat, I don't care what you did with the thirty million taels you swindled out of me anymore. But are you really sure you want to carry out Luzhen's plan? Do you realize how many people in the city will starve to death and lose their families once that policy is put into effect?"

Dongfang Mao froze at first. Then his expression settled, and all traces of hurt and helplessness vanished in an instant.

At that moment, Tsunade even felt a chill emanating from him.

He fell silent for a moment, then slowly said,

"My people won't starve. Those who aren't my people..."

Dongfang Mao paused and took a deep breath. His gaze turned utterly cold and resolute.

"What do I care?"

"You!"

Tsunade's pupils contracted. She stared at him in disbelief, her mind going blank.

She hadn't expected Dongfang Mao to say something like that.

"Tsunade, there's something I want to ask you."

With his hands clasped behind his back, Dongfang Mao walked slowly over to her and stood beside her.

Tsunade's body trembled slightly as she fixed her eyes on his handsome, stern face.

But he merely gazed through the window at Tsukimiura below, his deep eyes glimmering with inscrutable emotion.

"Tsunade, are you so good to me because I'm the last surviving member of the Senju Clan, and you've placed your hopes of restoring the clan on me?"

Tsunade was taken aback. At first, that really had been what she thought.

But after spending all this time with Dongfang Mao, she had gradually realized that the care she felt for him had long since gone beyond any supposed duty to her clan.

Now, what she felt was genuine concern for Dongfang Mao, along with a feeling she couldn't quite explain whenever he crossed her mind.

But how could she say something like that aloud? In the end, she could only grit her teeth and nod.

"Then that's settled. Konoha no longer has a Senju Clan. Tsukimiura will be the new starting point for our clan, and the beginning of its revival!"

Dongfang Mao turned to look straight at Tsunade, his expression more serious than ever.

"Tsunade, I'll be honest with you. My ambitions are great. I don't want to become just a powerful shinobi, and I don't want to be confined to a single village or clan.

"I want more. I want everything within my reach!

"Luzhen's plan can help me secure my rule in Tsukimiura as quickly as possible, so I'm going to see it through.

"This may disappoint you, but I still want to ask: Tsunade, will you still help me?"

Meeting Dongfang Mao's gaze and seeing his unwavering determination, Tsunade suddenly felt a pang of panic.

She had long since come to understand just how stubborn Dongfang Mao could be.

Whenever he made up his mind, even if she objected, he would humor her, try to persuade her, or even coax her. In the end, he'd keep it from her and carry out his plans without wavering.

And if she tried to stop him now, no matter what it took...

She had a feeling that a rift would form between them, one they might never be able to mend. They might even part ways because of it!

At the thought of that possibility, Tsunade—the Sannin who had once faced any obstacle with a scornful laugh before trampling it underfoot—lost her nerve and backed down.

Now that she had gradually overcome her inner demons by relying on Dongfang Mao, she couldn't bear to imagine what would become of her if she lost him too.

"Phew... Mao, from now on, don't mention my name in front of other people. If the people of Konoha find out I'm here, you could run into trouble..."

Tsunade took a deep breath before finally speaking, as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

After a brief struggle, she had made her choice.

She pitied the innocent civilians who might die because of Dongfang Mao's decision.

If anyone else dared to do something so vile, she'd knock their block off without a second thought.

But unfortunately, Mao meant too much to her. Since she couldn't talk him out of it, all she could do was support him without reservation.