The wise old lady

I apologize for the delay in the chapter due to real life matters. I even tried to write it, but my mind wasn't in the right place, so I stopped when I saw it wasn't turning out well. If you notice any drop in quality, please let me know.

***

With a final punch into the air that echoed, Yujin sat on the ground, sweaty and tired.

Reflecting on the past was difficult for Yujin. In a way, after that day, he escaped the war by isolating himself in the mountains, contradicting his ideals of helping people.

Today, he doesn't believe he can be more like Naruto; positive and charismatic. He has become much more realistic, losing his dreams along the way.

Now, however, he realizes that he never told this story to Tsunade, and he never asked her about her dreams. Once, he had naive dreams of ending all wars, but nowadays, he lives differently.

He truly believed that one day the war would end, and people would understand each other. But at the same time, he believed it's impossible to change everyone's minds, no matter how charismatic you are.

It's something that requires time and the passage of generations.

Maybe it's possible in a storybook, a charismatic character gaining everyone's sympathy and leading them to a better future, but real life is different; things are much more complicated.

That's why he decided to wait for the day the war would end and he could return to the world. As a way to not only protect himself but also to protect the people.

His balance was already broken once; he couldn't risk it happening again, so he decided to wait.

Wait for the day when all of this would end.

But what about Tsunade? What does she want? What is her dream?

He never asked her that.

Why?

***

While Yujin was trying to make peace with himself and move forward, leaving his past behind and embracing the future, Tsunade was having a private conversation with Mito.

Kushina and Shizune had gone somewhere to play, leaving the two alone.

Mito seemed occupied in recent days. For a few hours each day, the elderly woman refused visits and stayed alone in her room.

Tsunade assumes it has to do with the situation of the fox, perhaps resting to preserve herself, and decided not to ask, afraid of the answer. The truth is, the old woman is using this time to develop the technique to divide the fox.

She was running out of time but was not impatient.

The two were talking at this moment, Tsunade trying to ignore the grandmother's future, and Mito assessing her granddaughter's mood.

In recent days, she noticed that Tsunade has been more distracted, with a more complex mood. She can feel the deep sadness due to the circumstances, but there was something else that was worrying her. She couldn't help but notice Yujin's absence, who was previously constantly supporting her.

"Did you and Yujin have a quarrel by any chance?" Mito was curious about what was happening. Until a few days ago, they seemed very close. How did they seem to distance themselves so quickly?

"... No..."

Mito watched Tsunade closely, trying to understand the situation better. She smiled and commented slowly.

"You're in a very fragile moment. Dan passed away, and now you have to say goodbye to this old lady. The death of the people you love is never easy, but when I saw you with Yujin, I was relieved."

Tsunade lifted her face to hear Mito, not understanding what she meant by that. The old woman smiled again.

"I wonder what it would be like if you two had met at another time."

She then put her finger on her chin, looking at the ceiling, imagining how it would be if they met before.

"If he were a village ninja, and you met at the academy. I'm sure it would be different in form, but not in result."

She then chuckled softly, imagining a young Yujin and Tsunade at the ninja academy. At first, they would be strangers and hardly talk. But Tsunade, when she was younger, had a stronger and more lively temperament. Yujin would be calmer and more compassionate, easily adapting to her temperament.

Over time, they would end up in a relationship, given enough opportunity; she believed in that.

"Result?" Tsunade didn't understand what was going on in Mito's mind. It didn't make much sense for her to imagine a completely different and younger Yujin.

"I just couldn't help but notice how good you two are for each other."

Mito laughed again, finding the whole situation amusing. It's as if Yujin had fallen from the sky just to keep Tsunade company at her most difficult moment.

"Well, yes. Yujin has always been understanding and kind. Even when I constantly cried, he never minded. I don't know if I could do that, honestly. If he cried so much in front of me, I would probably smack him on the head."

The old woman shook her head slowly, disagreeing with what she said.

"You wouldn't do that because you would be as understanding, and you would know that it's a difficult time, and the person needs all the support they can get to get through it well."

Mito leaned forward and placed her hand over Tsunade's hand.

"The death of your parents and Nawaki was a very hard blow for you. When I heard about Dan, I thought something would happen to you, but when I heard about Yujin and what kind of person he is, I was relieved."

Tsunade clenched her fists in silence upon hearing this; the image of Dan's blood rushing through her mind, sending shivers down her body.

"What happened between you two?" Mito asked, concerned. She has known Yujin for a short time but felt that he is a very sensible and calm young man, making it difficult for them to have fought in the first place.

'Maybe it's a misunderstanding, it's normal for young people not to communicate well. I'm sure with a little conversation, they'll be able to sort it out.'

Mito though, and Tsunade gathered her thoughts for a few seconds and asked.

"It might be a misunderstanding, so I'll ask you, Grandma."

She then coughed a bit, and a rosy tone appeared on her face and neck.

"What does it mean when a guy touches a girl's face like this and says, 'I really prefer your smile, you look ten times more beautiful. Give me your smile.'? That's a confession, right?"

Tsunade mirrored Yujin's hand on her cheek, and said, trying to imitate his tone. She already had an answer, but wanted confirmation from an experienced person like Mito, who laughed for a few seconds upon hearing the question.

"How wonderful, he wants your smile."

Seeing Mito's jovial smile, Tsunade also smiled, finding Yujin's way of confessing very cute. She only realized this now after seeing Mito's reaction.

"Was Grandpa like that with you?"

Mito shook her head and denied with a bitter smile.

"No... Our marriage was political... The Uzumaki Clan is very reserved about marriages because of our lineage, and so we usually marry among our members. But the Senju Clan is also our relatives, and to strengthen the relationship that was distancing over the years, they decided on this marriage."

She quickly continued, afraid that Tsunade might misunderstand her words.

"Of course, I loved your grandfather. I still love him, actually. But our feelings were nurtured over time in marriage; it's not like your romance with Yujin. All this passion hidden between lines, this fear of rejection, and concerns about your life, your past and the future. We simply got married. I'm not complaining. As I said, I love your grandfather."

Although she said that, Tsunade could feel a bit of envy from the old woman regarding her relationship with Yujin. She didn't comment, however. Who was she to comment on her grandmother's past?

"So what do you think?"

Mito calmed down a bit upon hearing the question and remained silent, thinking.

"I think you should respect the feelings of all parties involved. Dan's feelings, yours, and Yujin's. As long as you can make a decision that respects all these feelings, I think that's the right decision."

Although Tsunade didn't elaborate on the issue, Mito knew that, in the end, it was all about Dan and how this could be seen as unfair from his point of view.

He just died only two months ago, and Tsunade has already found someone else. It's disrespectful, of course, but people don't own their own feelings; they just happen.

Seeing that Tsunade is still confused, Mito sighed and wondered if she should help her. It's very easy, from her point of view, to elaborate on the problem and find solutions. But is this right? These are her feelings, so she has to think and make her decision.

"Do you love him?" She suddenly asked, catching Tsunade by surprise. The young woman thought for a long time, but she knew the answer the moment the question was asked.

"Yes."

She didn't elaborate on her feelings, just confirmed them. Inside, there was a feeling of guilt in her heart, but she couldn't lie to her grandmother or herself about her feelings. Especially when they are as clear as crystal.

"Good." The old woman nodded her head with a smile but didn't continue the conversation. Tsunade spent a long time in silence, thinking, and the old woman just enjoyed her granddaughter's company; happy for her.