"I get it. You can't wait to be Hokage," Tsunade said, rubbing her temples. "But seriously… how exactly are you planning to pull that off?"
She asked herself silently. _She wouldn't just be thinking about storming into the Hokage Tower, snatching the hat off Hiruzen-sensei's head, and plopping down in his chair, right? Because she honestly fears it may be Azula's definition of 'rebellion'._
Azula rolled her eyes. "Is that seriously the best plan you could imagine?"
Then she smirked. "I've got something way more elaborate."
She spoke like she was sharing state secrets.
"I'll challenge Hiruzen to a children's card game with the winner taking the hat. And you—" she pointed at Tsunade, "—will be my cheerleader. Full outfit, pom-poms and doing the work."
Tsunade's eyes twitched.
"When I win," Azula continued, "I'll rename the village 'Azulagakure' and make you the official village greeter. Your first job would be simple, just smiling and waving at every single visitor without complaining, this'll definitely increase Konoha's tourists."
She painted the picture so vividly that Tsunade could actually see it in her head. It took her a solid few seconds to snap back to reality.
"Seriously?" Tsunade said, annoyance creeping into her voice.
"I'm joking…" Azula waved a hand. Then her smirk returned. "You can be allowed to complain, but only in writing."
Tsunade just stared at her with a deadpan _get real expression._
That finally got Azula to drop the jokes.
"I honestly do have a few plans," Azula said. Tsunade believed that much.
"I just don't know which one to use yet. In the end, it all depends on Hiruzen."
She paused, then added almost casually, "Worst case? I don't want to teleport a Tailed Beast Ball into the Hokage Tower. But I'm not ruling it out."
That sentence immediately painted a vivid picture in Tsunade's mind.
She could see it perfectly: Azula makes a clone, sends it to Kumo, stealthily sets up a barrier around the Hokage Tower, then pop—a Tailed Beast Ball appears right in the middle of Hiruzen's office. Problem solved with the gone building as the collateral damage.
Tsunade shook her head quickly. "No. Absolutely not. You can't do something that dangerous because no matter how carefully you plan, accidents happen. That could kill thousands of civilians."
Azula just shrugged. "I'm not saying I would do it. I'm just saying, if Hiruzen gets really stubborn. The ideal scenario is him handing over the chair, retiring to his cozy home, and enjoying family time."
"But you know me. I don't like basing plans on what other people might do. I only care about what I can do. And do you know what I can do?"
Rhetorical question. She knew Tsunade knew.
And sure enough, when Tsunade actually stopped to think about what Azula was capable of… she froze.
Not because she didn't know. She just never really thought about it carefully.
She sighed. "I know. I understand you. But… do you understand my position?"
Her voice felt a little overwhelmed. But what Azula did next caught her completely off guard.
They were in Tsunade's room. Azula had been sitting on the bed. Tsunade was standing in front, questioning her.
Then Azula reached out, and yanked Tsunade onto the bed.
"I know your worries," She said softly, her thumb brushing against Tsunade's hand. "And trust me, you're the main reason I haven't done anything yet."
Tsunade's breath caught.
"I know what this village really means to you. And I know that if it was for my cause… you'd be ready to kill your own teacher."
She paused, then added, "But you should trust me too. I know my responsibilities. As long as Hiruzen doesn't test my patience, I'll do things peacefully."
A small smirk. "Don't you know who I am?"
They were lying side by side on the bed, holding hands without either of them really noticing.
"Y-you know…" Tsunade stammered, trying so hard to sound cool and failing spectacularly. "If you wanted to hold my hand, you could've just… asked."
Then she squeezed Azula's fingers without thinking.
And immediately realized what she did.
And wanted to die.
She whipped her head away, staring at the wall like it held the secrets of the universe.
That only made Azula want to tease her more.
So she did. She wrapped her arms around Tsunade from behind, hugging her close, right as Tsunade was facing the other way, trying desperately to stop blushing.
Unfortunately, she lost the fight.
"You are simply impossible," Tsunade mumbled after a while, finally calming down. But her hands had drifted down to her belly, where Azula's arms were wrapped around her.
She wasn't trying to pull away. She didn't even notice. She just… wanted to touch Azula's hands.
"You know," Tsunade said quietly, confessing, "deep down… I'm sure the village will reach heights like never before. Being a ninja and a medical ninja, I know that sometimes, a sacrifice really is necessary for the greater good."
She paused.
"I don't want the village to be like that future you described. I want it to be like my grandfather wrote about. A place where everyone can live happily without any dark shadows."
She squeezed Azula's hand tighter.
"But Hiruzen… no matter what, he was my sensei. He taught me so much about being a ninja. He helped shape the woman I am today." Her voice softened. "I want him to end with dignity."
Then her eyes hardened.
"But if not…" She took a breath. "I can understand if you need to take certain measures. Just… involve as few people as possible."
Azula didn't speak. Tsunade had said everything she needed to.
So Azula just held her.
And Tsunade, feeling warm and safe fell asleep without even realizing it.
•••
The war between Azula and Hiruzen started the very next day.
Just not in the way anyone expected. Well, anyone except Azula herself.
"Ever since this village was founded," said Kosuke, his cooking gear strapped to his back like he was about to open a food stall mid-battle, "I've never seen it this busy."
He clutched a book in his hands like his life depended on it. Several people stared at him with pure envy.
But he wasn't wrong. If you looked at Konoha from a bird's-eye view, you'd see practically every street packed with people.
This was mostly a huge coincidence.
First, the war had just ended, so most frontline soldiers were back home. And after such a weird war, nobody was rushing to take new missions. The same went for most Konoha-nin.
Second, merchants could finally travel again now that the fighting had stopped.
But there was one primordial reason that caused all this chaos.
Azula released a manga.
And not just any manga. A manga about the legendary Madara Uchiha and the First Hokage.
Just from holding it in his hands, Kosuke felt like all his suffering, the gritting of teeth, the perseverance, the near-death experiences, had been worth it.
He couldn't wait to get home and read it. After all, he'd been a personal subordinate of Tobirama. But Madara and Hashirama? They were mysteries he'd never been able to unravel.
His home was very humble. No wife, no kids—he'd chosen that life after taking too many others.
Nevertheless, he sat down immediately and started reading.
(END OF THE CHAPTER)