Chương 108: Heart-To-Heart Conversation
A few more tables were sent flying by Tsunade who also pulverized a wall in her frustration. The surrounding players fell into a hushed silence, sensing the impending eruption of chaos. A few casino guards came to calm her down. She delivered a lightning-fast kick. The unexpected strike caught the nearest guard in the stomach, sending him crashing into a stack of chips.
Chaos finally erupted as other guards rushed in to subdue the Sannin. She deftly dodged their attempts, countering with a flurry of precise strikes. The players gasped and retreated, creating an impromptu arena for the escalating brawl. The guards struggled to contain the unleashed Tsunade.
As the brawl continued, it became evident that the guards were no match for Tsunade's strength and skill. With each move, she delivered a resounding beating to her adversaries, leaving them disoriented and struggling to regroup. The casino's management finally appeared. Faced with the escalating chaos, they got on their knees and begged Tsunade to leave the premises, promising to compensate her for her financial loss.
She sent a final thunderous kick to a guard, sending him sprawling to the ground. She took the money offered by the casino and left the building on her own. Her fierce gaze remained unwavering. The players, still in awe of the spectacle, returned to their games, leaving behind an atmosphere tinged with excitement and disbelief. The doors closed behind Tsunade, marking the end of a dramatic confrontation in the clandestine world of the casino.
During the whole ordeal, Jun made sure to remain out of sight of the Senju. He didn't want to become collateral damage, especially since he was the cause of her actions.
The Uchiha found her in a nearby bar that evening. He had given her time to process what he told her. Tsunade was drowning her sorrow with alcohol when Jun entered the room. She seemed to have calmed down a bit. The bar was almost deserted as if the customers had been driven out by Tsunade's presence and the tense air around her.
She sat at one of the most remote tables, five bottles of empty sake at her side, and one nearly empty in her hand. She was staring at the clear liquid as if seeking solace within its depths. The bar's atmosphere was quiet. Only distant laughter and the clinking of glasses could be heard. But in Tsunade's world, it was a silent refuge for reflection.
As she brought the liquor to her lips, the bitter warmth of the drink momentarily replaced the heaviness in her heart. Tsunade's usually vibrant demeanor seemed subdued, and her shoulders slouched under the weight of unseen burdens. Shizune, recognizing the somber state of her teacher, kept a respectful distance, allowing her the solitude to drown her sorrows.
When Tsunade saw Jun approaching, she looked up at him.
"Uchiha."
The Jonin realized Shizune had sold him out. Jun raised an eyebrow and retorted in the same tone.
"Senju."
He too could be rude. Tsunade emitted an amused sniff, no doubt perceiving the irony. Uchiha and Senju… two sides of a coin. The two founding clans of Konoha. The Sannin kicked the stool in front of her, shifting it from the table and implicitly inviting Jun to sit down. Then, once the Jonin had sat cautiously, Tsunade leaned against her seat, crossed her arms under her imposing chest, and examined him with a displeased gaze.
"Start talking; who sent you?"
Jun grimaced.
"No one sent me. The subject came up during the clan leaders meeting, and I was the lucky one to take on the task."
"The task…" the Sannin repeated in a sharp tone. "Bring me back to Konoha, right? Don't even dare deny it. There's only one reason why this damn village would come to reveal to me I have a relative with the Mokuton."
She finished her bottle, then slammed it on the table and stared at Jun.
"Talk; I want the truth this time. About this relative of mine, about why you came, about what's going on. Then I'll send you to hell, but before that, I want the long version."
"Well… as you guessed, It's a long story."
Tsunade narrows her eyes.
"I have time."
Jun glanced at his surroundings. No one was in their immediate vicinity. Then he noticed Shizune, who seemed to sit all by herself but was creating a sort of perimeter around their table, ensuring their peace of mind and privacy. It was well done. This reflected a long understanding between teacher and student, an instinctive understanding.
"So?" The Sannin became impatient.
Jun leaned against his chair. It was his chance to convince Tsunade to return to Konoha, but suddenly he didn't know what to say. There were so many things, and at the same time, so little argument to make.
"I don't know where to start. There are too many events that influence each other. I could tell you about Orochimaru, and what he did after you left. Children he kidnapped, tortured and turned into lab rats. I could tell you about Danzo who used those children and kidnapped even more to create his own branch within the ANBU.
I could tell you about the Senjus with their number on the brink of extinction. I could tell you about all these young people who are Senju, who are worthy of it, and who grew up thinking that they were only orphans without families because their parents were not allowed to pass on the surname to them.
I could tell you about Ume, Tenten, or Kanna. I could tell you about the secrets, the danger of those who knew but kept silent because it was their orders, or to save their skin. I could tell you about Shisui Uchiha and his suicide, an explosive seal that the Hokage has forbidden to mention, about an alleged hero whose treachery was buried by all the high-ups in the village. I could tell you about the feeling of helplessness that you feel when you face an institution and not an enemy beast that we could kill.
I could tell you about Karin Uzumaki, and what was done to her family. I could tell you about Naruto Uzumaki, and what was done to him. I could tell you about the ANBU, the kind of childhood they had growing up behind a mask, without even having the right to their name. I could tell you about the Root, and what happened to it after Danzo's death. I could tell you about Shin, Sai ... and my friend, Yamato who is one of Orochimaru's victims."
He stopped and took a deep breath. Words suddenly came to him more easily as if they've always been there, ready to be released.
"But the truth is… what happened to all these people is tragic, but it is not surprising. Konoha is considered to be the nicest, most peaceful village. But in the world we live in, can everything done by Konoha be described as kind? Hyuga practiced slavery with their Branch Family. The Uchihas are called the fratricidal clan, and rightly so. But we live in this world. We think it's normal. Kidnapped children and orphans… It's a sad story that puts tears in everyone's eyes, but what about children who are not kidnapped, who are sent to the battlefield at twelve or younger, and who return in a body bag?"
"Do you think I don't know that reality?" Tsunade asked in a bitter tone.
The Senju abruptly rested her bottle of sake on the table and leaned forward in a threatening pose.
"Do you think I don't know how difficult a shinobi's life is? Do you think I don't know how hard it is to see kids die? To see friends, allies, innocent people, guilty people die… all these people carried away by the war, and who could have lived and aged quietly instead of being sent to the battlefield! Why do you think I left all of it behind?"
"I know," Jun gently replied.
"No, you don't know," the Sannin retorted. "I spent most of my life at war, on battlefields, kid. I had a brother, cousins, parents, a fiance… all gone… for what?"
Her voice broke briefly. In other circumstances, perhaps Tsunade would have stopped there, in her rage or sadness, and would have kept silent about how she felt. But perhaps she had too much to drink, or perhaps Jun had touched something in her by talking about the cruelty of the ninja world. Tsunade's voice found her strength and continued.
"They didn't have to die. Their death did not change anything. It was neither heroic nor meaningful. They were not protecting anyone; they did nothing important. They were sent to war, and the war killed them. They were so many, and they all died for nothing. Do you think I blame Kanoha?! It goes far beyond Konoha. It's no one's fault and everyone's responsibility.
The wars could have ended earlier. There could have been another way. But no, all these useless deaths have continued for years and years. And does weeping over the injustice of the world make them come back? No. I've been there… done that. So you can keep your moral lessons for yourself, Uchiha. I know the world is unfair. I know it'll never change. Someday, you too will know what it's like to see every person you've gotten close to being snatched from you unnecessarily, crushed by the gears that make our world. It's senseless and inevitable…"
Tsunade stopped, with a hiccup and shortness of breath. She let out a bitter laugh and grabbed another bottle.
"You don't know a thing, kid. But me, I know. I've lived it. And that's why I'm done fighting."
"Lady Tsunade, I'm…"
"No, keep it to yourself, Uchiha. Telling me about Mokuton was a good move, but you can go home. I no longer want to fight for anything in Konoha."
Jun swallowed his saliva. He wasn't good at talking. He could make great passionate monologues when he had time to prepare. But in this situation, he was a bit lost for words.
"Not even for your family?" He tried. "You have relatives in Konoha. Ume is probably your distant niece. Her grandfather is related to your father. Tenten descends from the Senjus. Kanna inherited the Doton talent from your clan. Yamato doesn't know who his parents are, but they were probably Senjus. The fact that Orochimaru injected him with your grandfather's cells and that he was the only one to survive out of hundreds of children proves it. Genma…"
"That's enough, kid" Tsunade whispered.
Her rage seemed to have deserted her. She rested on the table as if her energy had left her. Jun stubbornly refused to be silent.
"They have names, faces, stories. They are people, and they exist. And even beyond them, the village still exists. Thousands of people deserve to be protected."
"Do they deserve it after everything you said about Konoha?" Tsunade retorted.
"Yes, they do. There's garbage, idiots, killers, profiteers, and a whole bunch of bad people… yes I know that. But even if there were only bad people, they are ours. We only have one village that can protect our loved ones. We only have one village that will accept us for who we are, you and me, Uchiha and Senju. We only have this place to defend; we only have this place to live. So it deserves to be fought for to be protected."
Tsunade let out a deep sigh. She seemed very tired.
"I told you, kid. I don't want to fight for Konoha."
Jun knocked his fist down on the table and exploded.
"So change Konoha! Change what you dislike, change people, the age to graduate from the Academy, the rules of the ANBU, the restrictions of the clans, change everything! Change it to a place worth fighting for. Fighting isn't just driving a kunai into the enemy's chest! It's also talking to people you don't like, yelling, and reaching a compromise! Or do research and seek information! Or convince people to change the way they act!"
Jun was almost trembling… Was it rage or helplessness facing Tsunade's stubbornness, he didn't know. It was liberating and terrifying at the same time to finally let go of what he had in his heart.
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