If possible… he wanted to end this war.
Standing at the edge of the formation, Ryujin let his gaze sweep across the gathered Uchiha shinobi as the thought surfaced quietly in his mind. It wasn't something he voiced, nor something he intended to share. It simply existed, like a distant possibility.
But ending a war was never simple.
Not in this world.
There were no easy solutions, no clean resolutions. If there was a single method worth considering—one extreme path that might truly erase conflict—it would be absolute unification.
Unify Konoha.
Unify the entire ninja world.
Only then would war disappear.
But that path demanded a far greater price, one that even he could not fully measure. And whether such an attempt would succeed… remained uncertain.
Ryujin exhaled softly, letting the thought fade.
In the end, he wasn't trying to save the world.
He only wanted to protect what mattered to him.
Everything else—
Was irrelevant.
"Uchiha Ryujin. Time to move."
A clear female voice cut through his thoughts, pulling him back to reality.
He turned slightly.
A group of shinobi approached from the distance, their movements swift and disciplined. At the front of the group stood a woman whose presence drew attention without effort.
Her golden hair flowed down her back like sunlight, untamed yet radiant. Her features were refined and balanced, every detail sharp yet elegant. There was a natural authority in the way she carried herself, something that could not be taught.
But what stood out the most—
Was her figure.
Even by Ryujin's standards, it was… excessive.
He had seen many people, many powerful women, but this was something else entirely.
The thought surfaced instinctively.
And just as quickly—
He dismissed it.
It didn't quite align with the image of an Uchiha Clan Head.
But he was still human.
Still a man.
And some thoughts…
Were unavoidable.
The woman before him was none other than the Senju Clan's princess.
Tsunade.
They had known each other for a long time.
In fact, they had grown up together.
Back then, she hadn't been like this.
But as time passed…
Certain aspects of her had developed in ways that defied logic.
The human body truly held endless mysteries.
Ryujin gave a small, calm nod.
"Let's move."
His expression remained perfectly composed, revealing nothing.
Not even Tsunade could guess what had just crossed his mind.
With that, the Senju and Uchiha forces set off simultaneously.
Though they shared the same destination, the two groups maintained distance. Their routes differed, their formations separate. The tension between the clans lingered even in motion, unspoken yet undeniable.
Only at the front—
Did Ryujin and Tsunade remain within close range of each other.
As they moved swiftly across the terrain, Ryujin spoke without turning his head.
"Keep your distance."
His tone was calm.
Cold.
"I wouldn't want your clan reporting back to the elders again."
Tsunade shot him an irritated look, her brows furrowing as she quickened her pace to match his.
"You're still holding onto that?"
There was clear frustration in her voice.
"What happened last time was an accident. And you know how our clans are. It's not like I control everything they do."
Ryujin's response came without hesitation.
"Mm. We're enemies."
Tsunade choked on her words, her temper flaring instantly.
Enemies?
"Yes, our clans are enemies," she snapped. "But that doesn't mean we are!"
Their relationship had never been simple.
From the outside, they should have hated each other. Uchiha and Senju—rivals since the founding of Konoha, locked in a history of conflict and opposition.
But between them—
It was different.
They had grown up together.
Argued constantly.
Clashed over everything.
And more often than not—
Tsunade lost those verbal battles.
Somewhere along the way, that rivalry had changed.
Shifted into something else.
Something closer.
Closer than it should have been.
Close enough that they could almost be called childhood friends.
But everything had changed—
A year ago.
The night after Ryujin became Clan Head.
Tsunade had invited him out to drink. They sat by the river, grilling meat and sharing drinks beneath the open sky. It had been simple. Familiar.
And somewhere along the way—
They both got drunk.
Ryujin had taken her back to the Uchiha district.
That single decision—
Nearly ignited a war.
That same night, five senior elders of the Senju Clan, accompanied by dozens of elite Jōnin, stormed into Uchiha territory, demanding that Ryujin return their "princess."
The situation escalated instantly.
Both clans stood on the brink of open conflict.
Only later did Ryujin learn the truth.
Tsunade had brought guards.
And those guards had reported everything.
That incident had deepened the already fragile divide between the clans.
Ryujin didn't care about the political consequences.
But one thing—
Had stayed with him.
She brought guards.
Did she think he would harm her?
If he had truly intended to act, there had been countless opportunities. He didn't need tricks. Didn't need schemes.
That lack of trust—
Was what irritated him.
Ryujin was not someone who let things go easily.
Call it stubbornness.
Or precision.
Either way—
He remembered.
"Hey… don't be like that."
Tsunade suddenly stepped closer and grabbed his arm without hesitation, her grip firm and unyielding. Her strength was undeniable, a reflection of the Senju's physical prowess—just as the Sharingan reflected the Uchiha's power.
"I'm telling you, I didn't know anything about it."
Her voice carried real frustration.
This time—
She wasn't arguing.
She was explaining.
And she refused to let go.
Because some things—
Couldn't be left unresolved.
Even on the road to war.