The Uchiha Clan's Sun

"This contract is indeed genuine, but you've arrived a little too late. The Senju clan is gone, so this contract is naturally invalid!"

"If you really want to honor this contract, go find the person who gave it to you, and don't bother me!"

Tsunade won't let some contract that suddenly appears tie her hands!

Even if Hashirama Senju had been dead for many years and the Senju clan had become a thing of the past, even if Hashirama Senju were still alive and the Senju clan were still prosperous, Tsunade would still dare to throw this contract in Hashirama Senju's face!

The two guards looked at each other, exchanged a glance, and then put away the scroll, preparing to take their leave.

This decisive attitude surprised Tsunade.

Tsunade looked at the two of them with suspicion and asked, "Although I won't agree no matter what, can't you two at least try a little harder? How can you explain yourselves like this when you go back?"

Tsunade didn't mean anything by it; she was just genuinely curious.

After all, this wasn't the first or second time that people from Daming Prefecture had sought her out; they had often wanted her to come and help treat people's illnesses and such.

If they were really short of money, Tsunade would go and take a look. But if she had money on hand and it wasn't on her way, she would directly refuse their requests. And those who came to invite her would pester her relentlessly, which annoyed her to no end.

This matter was clearly much more important than asking her to treat someone's illness, and the two guards' decisive attitude was undoubtedly very unusual to Tsunade.

Upon hearing this, the two guards looked at each other, and the last guard hesitated before speaking, "Your Highness, actually the other side also doesn't agree to this matter. The Daimyo directly offered 3 billion taels of silver before the other side relented, but it seems that the other side calculated that you wouldn't agree to this matter either, so they'll agree if you do."

"The daimyo knew that this matter would probably come to nothing in the end, so he just sent us here to try and ask for your opinion. Even if we fail, it won't matter."

These two guards clearly knew some of the inside story, so they were speaking very logically and persuasively!

Tsunade's eyebrows furrowed upon hearing this, and she said, "What did you say? It's one thing for me to look down on him, but he looks down on me too? And he only reluctantly agreed after receiving three billion taels of silver? Wait a minute..."

Tsunade suddenly realized something, her eyes widening as she exclaimed, "How much money did you say? Thirty... billion taels?!"

That's three billion taels of silver!

Even if she lost a million taels every day, it would still take her about ten years to lose it all!

Tsunade has never seen such a large sum of money before!

Another guard hesitated for a moment, then added, "Actually, it's not just 3 billion taels. I heard that all the funds that the Daimyo Prefecture will allocate to Konoha in the future will be transferred directly to them!"

Tsunade:"???"

Mute: "!!!"

Tsunade finally realized that something was wrong; the truth behind this matter was far more complicated than she had imagined!

Tsunade frowned and asked, "Do you know who this guy who's going to marry me is?"

The scroll the daimyo gave her only mentioned the matter of marriage and contract, without specifying who the marriage partner was.

A guard replied, "It is the current head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Jin!"

"Uchiha Jin?"

Tsunade pondered the name repeatedly, her eyes showing both relief and deep confusion.

What's reassuring is that since the other party is the inherently evil Uchiha, it's perfectly normal for him not to think highly of her.

What's puzzling is how the Uchiha clan got involved with the Daimyo's mansion? And where did this Uchiha Jin come from? How did he suddenly become the head of the Uchiha clan?

Tsunade has spent most of her years traveling the ninja world in a drunken stupor, either gambling or on her way to gamble. She has never taken the initiative to gather information, so the information she has is very outdated. Not to mention Uchiha Jin, she doesn't even know about the Battle of Kikyo Mountain that caused such a stir in the ninja world recently!

However, Tsunade's political acumen was still very sharp. Although she didn't know exactly what had happened, she guessed that Konoha was in complete chaos!

Tsunade asked, "The Uchiha clan has taken away one of Konoha's sources of income. My Hokage teacher must be having a very hard time right now!"

“It is indeed not a good time,” a guard nodded and said. “Your teacher is no longer the Hokage, but just the leader of a mission team and the Minister of Finance.”

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, and said, "Tell me about all the important things that have happened in Konoha recently!"

Despite her dissatisfaction with the village's leadership, Tsunade still had feelings for Konoha and wanted to know how the village was doing.

The two guards did not hide anything, and recounted the major events that had recently occurred and the intelligence that Daming Prefecture had obtained.

Finally, Tsunade, with a dark expression, said, "So, right now, Danzo Shimura and Minato Namikaze are running for Hokage in Konoha. The Uchiha and Hyuga clans, these big clans, support Danzo Shimura, while my teacher and the others support Minato Namikaze. And my teacher and the others are at a disadvantage?"

"Judging from the current situation, that's definitely the case!"

Both guards nodded.

Tsunade glared at him and said, "What does that daimyo want to do? Is he going to support Shimura Danzo too? This is ridiculous!"

One of the guards' eyes flickered, and he said, "The daimyo doesn't support Shimura Danzo; he supports the Uchiha clan. Whoever the Uchiha clan supports, he supports!"

"Damn it! Could the Daimyo have fallen under the Uchiha clan's genjutsu?!"

Tsunade gritted her teeth, a hint of impatience creeping into her expression.

Although Tsunade has no interest in becoming the Hokage of Konoha right now, she doesn't want Shimura Danzo to become the Fourth Hokage of the village from the bottom of her heart!

Based on her understanding of Danzo Shimura, if Danzo Shimura really became Hokage, the village would not be far from its demise!

This is something Tsunade absolutely doesn't want to see!

"Wait a minute!" Tsunade suddenly realized something and said, "Everyone knows that Danzo Shimura despises the Uchiha clan the most, and the Uchiha clan also wants to get rid of Danzo Shimura as soon as possible. How could Danzo Shimura have gotten together with the Uchiha clan?"

Chapter 266 The Mouse Serves as the Cat's Bridesmaid!

"We don't know the specifics, but we heard that Danzo Shimura offered the Uchiha clan very generous terms, so they joined forces!"

The two guards didn't know much about the inside story either, and could only offer some general guesses.

Tsunade frowned upon hearing this and murmured, "Conditions? Would those Uchiha guys really forget their hatred for some benefits?"

Although she was born into the Senju clan, Tsunade did not actually have much prejudice against the Uchiha clan.

Thanks to her Senju clan background, Tsunade has a better understanding of the Uchiha clan, her sworn enemy, than others!

Tsunade knew that the Uchiha clan were a group of very stubborn people. Although they appeared cold on the surface, they actually valued emotions more than anyone else!

Even when Tsunade was a child, she heard her great-uncle Tobirama Senju say that the Uchiha clan was the true 'clan of love'!

Would an Uchiha like this really forget past grudges for the sake of some benefits?

Tsunade frowned in thought, already considering returning to Konoha to take a look.

Just then, the tavern door was pushed open again, and two figures dressed as ninjas but without headbands walked into the tavern.

Like the two guards, the two men's eyes lit up when they saw Tsunade and they walked straight over.

"Tsunade-sama!"

The two men first bowed to Tsunade, then scrutinized the two guards beside them with a critical look.

"Konoha's Anbu?"

Although she already had a guess, Tsunade still asked.

The two hesitated for a moment, but finally shook their heads and denied Tsunade's guess.

"No, we are ninjas from the Sarutobi clan!"

Although they were indeed ANBU ninjas, Hiruzen Sarutobi was no longer the Hokage. The ANBU chief, Shinnosuke Sarutobi, had also died in the previous attack. Hiruzen Sarutobi had lost command of the ANBU and had no reason to use any ANBU members!

So before the two of them arrived, Hiruzen Sarutobi specifically instructed them not to act as ANBU ninjas, lest they be caught out!

"Ninjas from the Sarutobi clan?" Tsunade frowned upon hearing this, her assessment of Konoha's current situation becoming even more serious. She said, "Speak, what does the old man want with you?"

The two ninjas exchanged a glance but remained silent. Instead, they turned their gazes to the two guards beside them, their intentions quite clear.

They felt uncomfortable speaking up because there were outsiders present.

Seeing this, Tsunade casually waved her hand and said, "Don't worry, they were sent by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to ask me to return and arrange a marriage with the Uchiha clan. They're practically on our side!"

The daimyo of the Land of Fire? A marriage alliance with the Uchiha clan?

Upon hearing this, the two froze on the spot, somewhat at a loss for what to do.

You see, Hiruzen Sarutobi sent them here so that Tsunade could go to the Daimyo's residence and sever the ties between the Daimyo and the Uchiha clan. But the Daimyo wanted Tsunade to return and arrange a marriage with the Uchiha clan, which clearly meant he wanted to strengthen ties with the Uchiha clan. This made it even more difficult for them to speak up!

Seeing the two of them hesitate, Tsunade had a sudden thought and began to make some guesses.

Tsunade asked directly, "What, did the old man send you to me about the Uchiha clan and the Daimyo's residence?"

Seeing that Tsunade had asked directly, the two men no longer hesitated. One of them said, "Indeed, it's because of this matter. The connection between the Uchiha clan and the Daimyo's residence has put the Third Hokage in a very passive position, especially since the Uchiha clan supports Elder Shimura!"

"The Third Hokage said that even if Elder Shimura fails to become the Fourth Hokage, given the connection between the Uchiha clan and the Daimyo's residence, even if Lord Minato becomes the Fourth Hokage, he will basically be unable to exercise the Hokage's authority normally! If Elder Shimura were to resort to desperate measures, the village would truly be in danger!"

Upon hearing this, Tsunade understood what Hiruzen Sarutobi was worried about; it was indeed a very serious problem.

Tsunade pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you know what conditions that old man, Danzo Shimura, used to persuade the Uchiha clan to support him?"

This is a problem that Tsunade has never been able to figure out; she always felt that there was something seriously wrong with it!

The man thought for a moment and then replied, "There's a rumor that Elder Shimura promised the Uchiha clan that if they could help him become Hokage, they would give the Uchiha clan a position as a Konoha elder and Hokage's assistant. Elder Shimura offered the Hyuga clan the same terms."

"But this information is only 70% reliable; it cannot be 100% certain!"

These two had left the village to search for Tsunade before Hiruzen Sarutobi approached King Uchiha. Their information was still based on what they had learned a few days earlier, so they were unaware that Hiruzen Sarutobi had already confirmed with King Uchiha the conditions that Danzo Shimura had offered to the Uchiha clan.

"Elders of Konoha, with the Hokage's assistance..."

Tsunade murmured softly. Although at first glance the conditions seemed very generous, upon closer inspection she felt they were not enough to make Shimura Danzo and the Uchiha clan reconcile.

This offer is enough to win over the Hyuga clan, since Danzo Shimura never targeted the Hyuga clan the way he targeted the Uchiha clan before!

But putting aside the fact that the Uchiha clan's obsession has always been the position of Hokage, it's hard to say whether even if the Uchiha clan were given the position of Hokage, they would be able to let go of their grudge against Shimura Danzo!

Tsunade thought about it again and again, but she still felt that there was something strange about this whole thing!

The Uchiha clan supporting Danzo Shimura is like a mouse being a bridesmaid for a cat—it defies all logic!

Shaking her head, Tsunade didn't dwell on it any longer. She turned to the two guards from the Daimyo's residence and said, "Go back and report to the Daimyo's residence. Tell them that I will make a decision about the matter between me and the Uchiha clan after I have met with that Uchiha Jin!"

Before clarifying the truth, Tsunade decided to play it safe for now, postponing everything until things became clearer, in order to avoid any mistakes.

"Yes!"

The two guards agreed, bowed to Tsunade, and left the tavern.

Tsunade then looked at the two people from Konoha and said, "You two wait for me outside the town. I'll pack up and then we'll go back to Konoha!"

Both of them hesitated upon hearing this. Their mission was not to send Tsunade back to Konoha, but to send her to the Daimyo's residence!

"I'll explain to the old man myself, you two don't need to worry about it!" Tsunade snorted, ignoring the two, and turned to Shizune, saying, "Shizune, go find the tavern owner to compensate for the damage here, then go to the inn to pack your things and return to Konoha!"

Chapter 267 Shimura Danzo's Suspicion!

Time flies, and soon it was the night before the election for the Fourth Hokage.

In the past few days, Danzo Shimura and Minato Namikaze have launched a massive campaign in Konoha to promote their candidacy for the Fourth Hokage.

Danzo Shimura also began openly visiting various clans in Konoha to garner votes for himself.

During this time, Shimura Danzo also approached Uchiha Jin several times to confirm the Uchiha clan's attitude, but Uchiha Jin reassured him each time.

However, at this last moment, Danzo Shimura still came to the door with some lingering concerns!

Inside the Uchiha Jin family's reception room, Shimura Danzo sat in the guest seat with a gloomy expression, his one eye fixed on Uchiha Jin, his gaze full of doubt and inquiry.

"Elder Shimura, you've been here for a quarter of an hour. If you have something to say, just get to the point. What's the meaning of staring at me like this without saying a word?"

After finishing his third cup of tea, Uchiha Jin didn't want to waste any more time with Shimura Danzo and asked directly.

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo broke his silence and said coldly, "Uchiha Jin, you should know very well why I'm here. This is the final moment. What exactly is your Uchiha clan thinking?"

Uchiha Jin shrugged, somewhat helplessly, and said, "Elder Shimura, this is the third time you've come to me to ask this question, and my answer is still the same as the previous two times: our Uchiha clan will definitely stand on your side!"

"I think my answer is clear enough. What are you worried about? Or what are you doubting?"

"If you truly distrust our Uchiha clan to this extent, then I see no need for us to continue cooperating!"

Uchiha Jin never expected that Shimura Danzo would be so suspicious, coming over every day to check on the Uchiha's attitude.

However, this also shows that Danzo Shimura was very guilty and anxious at this moment!

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo snorted coldly and said indifferently, "Uchiha Jin, you don't need to say such nice words. Our relationship is based on mutual benefit, so what's this talk of 'trust'!"

"I have never trusted you Uchiha, and you Uchiha will never trust me. We are just taking what we need!"

"but......"

After a pause, Shimura Danzo's tone suddenly turned icy as he said, "But no matter what, we are still partners. Is it really okay for you to keep this from me like this?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Jin raised an eyebrow and said, "Elder Shimura, what are you talking about? What have I been hiding from you?"