Tsunade watched her grandmother's back disappear behind the curtain, leaving her alone in the quiet room once more.
The sunlight outside the window seemed to have shifted, and even the scent of sandalwood in the air appeared to settle.
She sat cross-legged again and formed hand seals with both hands, yet found it difficult to immediately enter the proper state of mind.
Great-Uncle Shui Yuan... the clan head who had lost almost everything... What would Grandma, he, and Uncle Kumoi talk about?
She shook her head, casting aside the stray thoughts and focusing on the chakra at her fingertips.
These were matters the adults needed to face and resolve. What she needed to do now was grow stronger, just as her grandmother hoped.
Perhaps one day, she too would possess enough strength to protect the family and home that mattered to her, ensuring such sorrow would never repeat itself.
Senju Ancestral Home, eastern wing reception hall.
This place was entirely different in style from the quiet room where Tsunade trained, possessing a greater sense of solemnity and heritage.
The room was spacious, its furnishings antique yet imposing. All the wood was premium material that had been carefully maintained for years, giving off a calm luster.
Several landscape scrolls with profound artistic conception hung on the walls. Wisps of smoke rose from the bronze incense burner in the corner, carrying the sandalwood fragrance Mito usually favored for calming the mind.
Sunlight filtered through the carefully designed window lattice, illuminating the slowly drifting dust in the air and the jade-smooth tea set before the seat of honor.
Nangō Kumoi and Shui Yuan Uzumaki were already waiting there.
Clan Head Shui Yuan still wore the dark crimson garments representing the Uzumaki Clan, but his complexion was even more haggard than it had been