24: He's an Uchiha, and you, Tsunade, are the last of the Senju.

Another morning arrived, and Tsunade rose early once again, skillfully and stealthily slipping into the kitchen to place the prepared food into a lunchbox.

"Up early again today, little Tsunade."

However, there was a familiar figure in the living room today.

"Eh? Grand... Grandmother?"

Tsunade's body stiffened, and she subconsciously hid the lunchbox behind her back, staring at the beautiful woman sitting on the sofa.

With red hair and brown eyes, her hair styled into buns and wearing a white kimono with a circular headpiece at the back, she looked to be in her thirties, breathtakingly beautiful.

However, what drew the most attention was the purple diamond-shaped mark on her forehead, radiating a sense of vitality.

Mito Uzumaki, wife of the God of Shinobi Hashirama Senju, the woman who had dedicated her entire life to being the ultimate weapon of Konoha.

Although she appeared to be in her thirties, she was actually nearing eighty and was Tsunade's biological grandmother.

"Grandmother!? You... when did you come out?"

Seeing Mito Uzumaki, Tsunade was startled and hurriedly asked with caution.

"Probably around the time you got up this morning."

Mito Uzumaki glanced at her granddaughter and said with a faint smile, "You were so loud... you didn't even let Grandmother sleep in a little longer."

"Sorry, Grandmother."

Tsunade lowered her head honestly to apologize, "I disturbed your rest."

"I'm fine, I'm just a bit curious."

Mito Uzumaki looked her granddaughter over, "My granddaughter, who usually doesn't get up until noon, why has she been waking up so early every day lately? And..."

Her gaze rested on the hand behind Tsunade's back, "Making a love-filled bento every day—who is it for? I don't recall any boys around you who have been pursuing you."

"No... I don't sleep until noon every day, you know!"

Tsunade corrected her, feeling shy and annoyed, "Besides, these past few days it's just... just..."

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. I've already heard about it from Little Monkey. Is it that little boy from the Uchiha clan?"

Mito Uzumaki chose to go straight to the point.

"Little Monkey said that you've been very close to that little boy lately. The most outstanding genius of this Uchiha generation, the little guy who opened his Three Tomoe at only a dozen years old and has limitless potential."

"...Yeah."

Since Mito Uzumaki chose to lay her cards on the table, Tsunade stopped pretending.

"His name is Uchiha Sakuya."

"Sakuya... I see. Is it the beginning of the new moon night?"

Mito Uzumaki recited the pronunciation of Sakuya's name and nodded, "It's a name that sounds quite cold and detached; it almost sounds like a girl's name."

"Eh? Is that so?"

Tsunade blinked.

As a ninja who graduated very early, she naturally hadn't taken literature classes seriously.

In other words, the current Tsunade was also illiterate.

"I haven't heard that guy talk about the origin of his name..."

"Little Tsunade."

Ignoring her illiterate granddaughter, Mito Uzumaki spoke, "I remember that little boy... is only fourteen, right?"

"Yeah..."

Tsunade nodded.

Although that guy is only half a head shorter than me and doesn't look like a fourteen-year-old at all.

"Fourteen, huh..."

Mito Uzumaki's expression was somewhat strange, "How old are you?"

"...Twenty-three."

Tsunade honestly reported her age.

"That's a nine-year gap, little Tsunade."

Mito Uzumaki emphasized her age, "I don't mean to mock my own granddaughter, but that is quite a large difference."

"...So what if it is."

Tsunade hurriedly retorted, "Grandmother, aren't you eight years younger than Grandfather? To bring it closer to home, isn't Biwako five years older than the Old Man?"

"...Fine, fine, you have a point."

Mito Uzumaki shook her head, unable to laugh or cry, "Grandmother is just reminding you about the age gap; as long as you're aware of it."

"I'm leaving."

Tsunade turned her head away, her face flushed red.

"Wait a moment."

Mito Uzumaki looked at her granddaughter and said, "There is one more thing I want you to know in advance."

"What is it?"

"The Uchiha clan has a tradition. I don't know if you've ever heard of it."

"A tradition?"

"Yes. Every woman who marries into the Uchiha clan must change her surname."

When mentioning the name change, Mito Uzumaki's expression turned very serious: "And you are the last of the Senju."

"..."

Tsunade remained silent.

"Grandmother supports you, but the elders from the old days might not, little Tsunade."

Mito Uzumaki continued, "Especially since your Second Grandfather went against all opposition to ensure you were the only one left to carry the Senju name; many people objected to that back then. If you marry into the Uchiha clan now and voluntarily give up the Senju surname, do you know how those elders will view you?"

"...So, so what if they do?"

Tsunade turned her head away: "I am only following what Grandfather said, about giving up the small family to embrace the big one..."

"But..."

"Alright, Grandmother."

Seeing that Mito Uzumaki still wanted to say something, Tsunade spoke up, feeling quite embarrassed: "I know, but don't worry. He and I... we just have a good relationship; we haven't reached that stage yet."

"?"

Mito Uzumaki was stunned. She looked at her granddaughter, whose face was flushed red, in disbelief: "You aren't...?"

"I... I haven't been formally confessed to by him yet!"

Tsunade felt a bit anxious and somewhat defensive: "I... I've already done this much, and he... he still hasn't said anything."

"...Heh, hahahaha."

Seeing her granddaughter's anxious appearance, Mito Uzumaki burst into laughter.

"He clearly knows my feelings... yet he says nothing... even though I would have agreed the moment he asked, that idiot!"

Tsunade stomped her foot on the ground, speaking with a hint of defiance.

"I will absolutely not be the one to speak first, that guy!"

In reality, it was mostly that Tsunade couldn't bring herself to say it, though she subconsciously ignored that fact.

"You..."

Seeing this, Mito Uzumaki let out a long sigh.

She shook her head and said, "Suit yourself, suit yourself."

As an elder, she understood her granddaughter's personality very well.

But as someone who had been through it all, she also understood the consequences of her granddaughter being so stubborn.

If you like someone, you should just say it directly.

If you don't speak up, you might just miss your chance.

Hashirama was like that back then; he clearly wanted to have a good talk with Madara Uchiha, but he always assumed that since Madara Uchiha was his best friend, they were of one mind and understood each other perfectly.

The result was... their mutual slaughter, ending with him killing his best friend and dying of depression.

Now, Tsunade was the same.

People always said that the people of the Uchiha clan had very twisted personalities; they couldn't be direct and liked to hide everything.

And the Senju clan was like a brother to the Uchiha, assuming the other side understood them and thinking that nothing needed to be said, but the result was...

If Tsunade didn't take a direct approach, she might have to wait a very long time for things to truly blossom.

Moreover, in this day and age, war was approaching once again.

And that child was an Uchiha.

If, by any chance...

Staring at Tsunade's departing back, Mito Uzumaki let out a deep sigh.

She hoped her granddaughter wouldn't end up with the same regrets as her grandfather.

Such stubbornness now.