Tsunade's Jealousy, Master of Keeping the Peace in a Shura Field

A breeze swept a few fallen leaves along the wooden corridor outside the Senju Main House.

Inside, the faint scent of medicine had yet to disperse. Mikoto placed the empty porcelain bowl onto a tray and was about to rise when the paper sliding door was suddenly shoved open without warning.

Bang!

The wooden track let out a piercing scrape. Tsunade strode into the room, her dazzling blonde hair slightly disheveled, her eyes still bloodshot from working through the night at the hospital. Worried about Sosuke's condition, she had rushed back to the clan grounds immediately after handing over the wounded, not even taking off the coat that still smelled of disinfectant.

Yet the moment she took in the scene inside, she came to an abrupt halt.

Mikoto was kneeling beside Sosuke's bed, with barely any distance between them. Worse still, as one of the greatest medical ninja in the shinobi world, Tsunade possessed an exceptionally sharp eye. Her amber eyes narrowed at once, her gaze sweeping over Mikoto's face and figure like a blade.

She looked far too radiant.

The cold aloofness and lingering melancholy unique to the Uchiha clan that had once lingered between Mikoto's brows had completely vanished. In its place was a startling charm that could only come from being thoroughly nourished by an immense, pure life force. What made Tsunade's breathing stop was the faint chakra fluctuation emanating from deep within Mikoto's fair neck—a sensation Tsunade knew to her bones.

It was the lingering aura of Senju Sosuke's Yang Release origin!

Just a few nights ago, in that desperate struggle on the brink of life and death, she herself had only just experienced the cleansing and invasion of that domineering power.

"You two..." Tsunade's hands clenched tightly at her sides, her knuckles cracking. Violent chakra erupted around her, whipping the curtains inside the room into a frenzy.

A fierce sense of betrayal and uncontrollable jealousy devoured Tsunade's reason like wildfire. To preserve the Senju Clan's last remaining heir, she had cast aside even propriety and the dignity of an older sister. Yet while she had been fighting for her life at the hospital to save the wounded, this bastard had gone and put an Uchiha woman in his bed!

"Lady Tsunade." Mikoto's breath caught beneath that tangible killing intent, but she did not retreat. Setting down the tray, she straightened her back and stood in front of Sosuke's sickbed with a poised bearing that carried an unmistakable claim of possession.

"Move!" Tsunade laughed in fury, a dangerous chill flashing through her eyes. "You little Uchiha brat, do you think climbing into his bed makes you the mistress of the Senju Clan Grounds? The Hidden Leaf higher-ups are already desperate for an excuse to deal with the Senju Clan. You're pushing him straight into the fire!"

With that, Tsunade strode forward, her hand imbued with monstrous strength reaching directly for Mikoto's shoulder.

"Enough."

A low, hoarse voice carrying absolute, irresistible authority suddenly rang through the room.

Sosuke threw back the thin blanket and stepped barefoot onto the cool tatami. He formed no seals and released no chakra, yet merely standing there, the pressure of his fully developed Sage Body silently forced down Tsunade's violent aura.

He wrapped an arm around Mikoto's slender waist and gently moved her behind him. Then he lifted his deep black eyes and looked straight at the enraged Tsunade.

"Sister Tsunade, are you going to hit my woman in my room?"

Those words were like a basin of cold water, yet they carried barbs of absolute dominance that stabbed viciously into Tsunade's heart. She looked at this clansman who should have been frail and helpless, someone who needed her protection at every moment, yet now he radiated the aura of a formidable ruler that felt unfamiliar and made her heart pound.

"Your woman?" Tsunade gritted her teeth, a helpless flush of grievance appearing in her reddened eyes. "Senju Sosuke! Do you even know what you're doing? The divine erosion within you was only just suppressed! Do you know what I did for you..."

She did not finish, because Sosuke stepped forward and seized her wrist.

"Mikoto, go outside first. Close the courtyard gate. Don't let anyone come near." Sosuke gave the order without looking back.

Mikoto glanced at the two of them, then obediently lowered her head. "Yes, husband." Without hesitation, she quickly left the room and thoughtfully pulled the paper door shut behind her.

Only the two of them remained inside.

Tsunade struggled fiercely, only to discover in shock that the strength coming from Sosuke's palm was like forged iron. The monstrous strength she had always been proud of could not shake him in the slightest.

"Let go!" Tsunade turned her head away, stubbornly refusing to let her tears fall.

Not only did Sosuke refuse to release her, he gave a sharp pull and dragged the tall, voluptuous Tsunade straight into his arms. The blazing warmth of his fully developed Sage Body passed through their clothes, firmly enveloping her.

"Are you insane?!" Tsunade panted heavily, both hands pressed against Sosuke's chest.

"I'm not insane." Sosuke lowered his head, lightly resting his chin on Tsunade's golden hair. His voice was soft, yet every word struck directly at her weakest point. "Sister, you're a smart woman. You should know that the bloodline backlash from Wood Release cannot be completely eradicated through a single union. If I don't disperse this immense divine life force, I'll still become a tree without emotions."

Tsunade's body stiffened abruptly, her fingers against Sosuke's chest curling slightly.

Taking the opportunity, Sosuke gripped her chin and forced her to raise her head and meet his gaze. The gentle disguise he wore before others was gone from those black eyes, replaced by an intensely aggressive possessiveness.

"The Hidden Leaf higher-ups want to wipe out the Senju bloodline, so I'll make the Senju Clan flourish instead. Mikoto is the jewel of the Uchiha clan. The resources and intelligence behind her are a sharp blade I can use to tear apart the Hidden Leaf's current power structure." Sosuke's thumb gently brushed Tsunade's soft lips, his tone filled with absolute control. "But a sharp blade is only a tool."

"You..." The fury in Tsunade's eyes began to crumble beneath Sosuke's blunt, almost cruel analysis.

"The Senju Clan needs to multiply. In the future, many women will enter this courtyard, and many children will be born." Sosuke stared into Tsunade's eyes and spoke each word with deliberate emphasis. "But no matter how much the Senju Clan expands, the mistress of this clan, the empress who rules the inner household, will always be you alone—Senju Tsunade."

Empress.

Those two words carried immense weight and incomparable emotional force, smashing through Tsunade's final psychological defense. What she had never wanted was the empty title of exclusive possession. What she wanted was Sosuke's irreplaceable regard, his recognition of everything she had given.

In this cruel shinobi world, it was normal for the strong to have multiple partners in order to continue their clans. She had been angry only because she feared being treated like medicine dregs, discarded once her use was spent.

But now, Sosuke had given her the highest promise in the most domineering way possible.

Tsunade's tense body finally softened completely. She closed her eyes, and a tear slipped from the corner of one eye. Then she wrapped her arms tightly around Sosuke's waist, buried her face in his chest, and spoke through gritted teeth as though venting her frustration. "You... bastard! You'd better remember what you said today. If you dare lie to me, I'll personally break every bone in your body!"

A satisfied curve lifted at Sosuke's lips. He knew that this proud lioness had been completely tamed.

He gently stroked Tsunade's back, feeling her emotions settle. Then his tone shifted as he brought the conversation back to its proper course.

"Sister, you've spent so many years at Hidden Leaf Hospital. You should understand that the reason Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo were able to force us into a corner was because they controlled the power of the system." Sosuke's gaze became unfathomably deep. "If the Senju Clan wants to truly rise again, force alone won't be enough. We must hollow out Hidden Leaf's foundations, piece by piece."

Tsunade lifted her head from his chest, a sharp glint flashing through her amber eyes. "What do you want to do?"

"The medical system is the best opening." Sosuke pulled Tsunade down to sit on the tatami, dipped a finger into some tea, and drew a circle on the low table. "The war at the front is intense. Large numbers of wounded are sent back to the village every day. Civilian ninja have no clan resources to rely on. Once they're injured, Hidden Leaf Hospital is their only hope."

"But the hospital is now a complete mess because of the higher-ups' bureaucracy. Resources are always prioritized for the major clans and ANBU." Sosuke gave a cold laugh. "I want you to take over Hidden Leaf Hospital completely in the name of the Senju Clan. And that's not all—we'll implement an entirely new medical reform."

Tsunade frowned slightly, slipping into a professional state. "The higher-ups won't surrender their authority so easily."

"They won't have a choice." A calculating gleam flashed in Sosuke's eyes. "I'll have the covert guards spread evidence that the hospital leadership embezzled medical supplies and delayed treatment for civilian ninja. Once public outrage erupts, you'll step forward as the Hidden Leaf's greatest medical ninja and turn the situation around. I want the name Senju to become a talisman of survival in the hearts of every civilian ninja."

He looked at Tsunade, his voice deeply persuasive. "Whoever controls medicine controls the lives of the people at the bottom. When seventy percent of all ninja in the Hidden Leaf have received the Senju Clan's grace, when they have all placed their lives in your hands... Hiruzen Sarutobi's position as Hokage will be nothing but an empty shell."

As Tsunade listened to Sosuke's crushing political strategy, her heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably. Looking at this man who planned everything with such confidence, she felt an unprecedented surge of passion boiling within her.

This was how a man of the Senju Clan should be!

"Fine." A dazzling light ignited in Tsunade's eyes, and the domineering presence of one of the Hidden Leaf's Legendary Three Ninja returned to her. "Leave the hospital to me. I'll make those old fools understand that the Senju Clan isn't extinct yet!"

Sosuke smiled in satisfaction. Not only had the fire in the inner household been extinguished, he had added fuel to it and turned the flames toward the enemy camp.

At that moment, an exceptionally shrill eagle cry came from outside the window.

An ANBU messenger hawk, its feathers stained with dark red blood, shot toward the Hokage Building like an out-of-control arrow. That piercing, mournful cry instantly tore apart the false peace hanging over the Hidden Leaf.

Sosuke turned to look out the window, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The wind had changed. The current blowing in from far away carried the heavy stench of gunpowder and death. It seemed the meat grinder at the front had finally turned toward the Hidden Leaf.