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(POV – Senju Nawaki)
Time passed, and Nawaki, ever observant, had begun to notice a curious pattern. Even amidst the hectic routines of the Academy, there was always something—or rather, someone—watching him. And it wasn't hard to figure out. He was a Senju, after all. Sharp instincts practically ran in his blood.
Even when he trained after hours—alone, in the rain, in mud or wind—she was there. Tsunade. His older sister. The princess of the Senju clan. Supposedly too busy with Team Sarutobi's advanced training, yet somehow... she always showed up, scroll in hand, gaze far too curious to be just "big-sisterly."
She didn't look at him like she used to—like a little boy to be protected. No. It was different now. A mix of pride... and scrutiny? Maybe rivalry? Nawaki couldn't say for sure. But he did know one thing: it was time to confront it.
He wasn't that clingy kid wrapped around her kimono anymore. No. He was the top student of his Academy year, the last male Senju in Konoha, and—though few knew—a soul reborn.
So, he did what any determined prodigy would do.
SWOOSH!
Using the Shunshin no Jutsu, he appeared right in front of her, midway between the training fields and the lake. Tsunade, caught off guard while trailing him for the tenth time that week, flinched and instinctively stepped back.
— Why have you been following me, Tsuna-oneesama?
His tone was direct. No teasing. Just enough to send a chill down her spine. Her usual boldness melted for a second. She froze. Stammered.
— I-I wasn't... following! I-I was just... passing by!
— Passing by the same trail three times in one week? — Nawaki tilted his head, that playful smirk creeping onto his lips. — Sounds a lot like... curiosity.
Tsunade took another step back. THUMP! Her back hit a tree, eyes wide.
He stepped closer. One step. Two. Three. Close enough for her to feel his breath. He placed one hand beside her head, against the trunk. She was boxed in. No escape.
— Very suspicious... — he whispered, lowering his tone. — Are you curious to see how far your little brother's come?
Tsunade's heart was pounding. BADUM. BADUM. BADUM.
She couldn't form words. Her face flushed deep red, ears burning. This wasn't the little Nawaki she used to carry on her back. This was a shinobi. Strong. Confident.
— D-damn it... — she mumbled, trying to seem unbothered.
And then...
PLUMP!
She fainted. Just collapsed, like her brain short-circuited from sheer embarrassment.
— Tsk... — Nawaki sighed, crouching. — You're always so dramatic, Onee-sama...
He checked her pulse. Steady. Warm. Nothing serious. Just classic Tsunade: too much heat, too much emotion... and way too much pride.
Gently, he scooped her into his arms. FWWMP!
— Time you started training properly — he murmured, walking toward a hidden clearing he often used.
There, among tall trees and the soft gurgle of a distant spring, he laid her carefully on the grass and sat nearby.
Didn't take long.
COUGH COUGH
Tsunade stirred and sat up with a jolt.
— Where... am I?
— Somewhere you'll stop spying on me and start learning from me — he said, calmly looking up at the sky.
She sat up straighter, arms crossed.
— You carried me here?!
— Would you have preferred to pass out against a rock?
She pouted, clearly flustered, but said nothing. Something gnawed at her, though.
— Alright... what do you want to teach me?
Nawaki stood, focused his chakra into his palm—
WHIRRRRRR...
The sound filled the clearing like a pulse. In his hand, a perfect Rasengan spun, compact and controlled like a piece of nature itself tamed.
— This.
Tsunade's eyes widened.
— But... that jutsu... no hand seals?
— Pure chakra control. Density, rotation, form. All in the palm. A jutsu you'd only learn years from now. If I weren't here.
She stepped closer, drawn to the swirling orb like it was alive.
— Why teach me this?
— Because you're my rival. And because... if I'm going to protect you, you need to be strong enough to stand beside me.
She didn't know whether to feel flattered... or used. But her heart, still racing, told her this moment... mattered.
— Then teach me — she said, voice steady now.
Nawaki smiled.
— First step: stabilize your chakra in your palm. Then rotate. Slowly. No rushing.
And there, in that quiet forest clearing, something new began. A different kind of bond. Between siblings. Between rivals. Between those who bore the name Senju not as a title... but as a legacy.
The sky darkened above them, tinged with deep blue and gold. And Nawaki knew: this was only the beginning.
Because the real game... hadn't even started yet.
**
(POV – Tobirama)
From the top of the Hokage Tower, Tobirama Senju observed in silence, eyes narrowed and brow slightly furrowed. The mist inside the crystal orb swirled like an ancient lake stirred by invisible winds. At the center of the vision was Nawaki Senju, alone in a distant clearing, training with concentration, precision, and unwavering resolve.
Tobirama stood motionless for long minutes. His expression was made of stone, but deep inside, a wave of silent intrigue stirred.
— He's just a child... — he murmured, more intrigued than surprised.
Behind him, the ANBU — Crow and Fox — remained still as statues.
Nawaki was the last remaining male of the Senju clan. The only one. And what Tobirama saw wasn't just aptitude… it was creation. The boy seemed to be developing techniques no one had ever documented. At just six years old, he was already manipulating medical chakra, combining brute strength with refined control — something that usually took decades to master.
But what Tobirama didn't realize was that these weren't new techniques. Unbeknownst to him, Nawaki — a reincarnated soul — was merely replicating and refining skills that Tsunade herself would master in the future. To Tobirama, however, the boy appeared to be a once-in-a-generation genius.
— This isn't just talent — he murmured. — It's genius. A rare Senju genius.
He turned slightly, gazing at the sky bathed in amber.
But then his expression hardened as another name surfaced in his mind — one that had been tossed around in recent weeks. A simple boy, unremarkable, from a minor clan.
Katō Dan.
— Tch... that boy... — Tobirama muttered, his eyes narrowing again.
Dan, a promising jonin at best. Intelligent, perhaps. But Tobirama had a way of reading people, and what he saw in Dan was limitation. A low ceiling. Nothing to justify his growing closeness to Tsunade.
— He is not worthy of her. — The words fell from his mouth like a decree.
Tobirama knew the Katō clan. Decent people, loyal. But beyond that, ordinary. And Dan — with his calm demeanor and seemingly humble nature — was hiding insecurity beneath a facade of serenity.
— Tsunade needs someone who will challenge her. Someone who will elevate her. — His gaze returned to Nawaki. — And perhaps, ironically… that person is her brother.
The thought surprised even him.
Tsunade had grown up far too quickly. When their parents died in the war, she had barely been four. And there, on the dark wooden floor of the Senju home, she had sworn to protect Nawaki with her life. Since then, she had molded the boy with near-maternal zeal — guarding, guiding… and perhaps, controlling him.
But what Tobirama saw now was something even she didn't realize: Nawaki no longer needed protection.
— He's forging his own legacy... — he murmured, fascinated.
But what would come of it?
If Nawaki truly stood on the brink of something extraordinary — if he was to become a new pillar for Konoha's future — then Tsunade needed to understand that her brother was no longer just an extension of her pride. He was a true heir in his own right.
— Give me a full report — he suddenly ordered, not turning around. — Every training session. Every pattern. I want to understand where this power is coming from.
— And if it turns out to be... abnormal? — the Crow-masked ANBU asked.
— Just inform me. It's not time to interfere.
Silence.
Tobirama left the tower, his white cloak fluttering with the evening breeze. His footsteps were firm, but his mind restless. He needed to speak with Mito.
...
Moments later, at the temple where Mito Uzumaki often meditated alone, he found her sitting under the red pillars' shadow. The setting sun painted the ground in golden hues.
— Mito-sama... I need your insight.
She opened her eyes slowly. Despite her age, they still held the sharpness of someone who had once sealed a Tailed Beast within herself.
— About Tsunade... and Nawaki?
— Yes.
Mito took a slow breath, then gave a small smile.
— She has the blood of the Senju. She's determined to keep our name alive — even if it means tying her brother's future entirely to hers. She sees him as her chance to preserve the clan.
— And she's succeeding. He calls her "One-sama." He lives to please her. — Tobirama paused. — But even so... he's getting strong. Too fast.
Mito said nothing at first. Then, calmly:
— And maybe because of that, she clings even tighter. The fear of losing someone you love… is what forges the most dangerous bonds.
— And Katō Dan?
Mito raised an eyebrow.
— A mediocre boy. At best, a jonin with a curious technique.
— Curious, but useless against the truly powerful. — Tobirama's tone turned sharp. — Reika no Jutsu is no match for Nawaki. Nor even for Tsunade, once she awakens her true potential.
— Then let them grow. And watch. — Mito met his gaze. — The world is going to need them.
Tobirama nodded silently. As he stepped out, the night wind stirred the trees, whispering of turbulent times to come.
At the top of the stone stairs, gazing out over the village, he murmured:
— May the gods be prepared... because we are not.