The morning haze had lifted, leaving the Senju Compound bathed in soft golden light, for once, Kuma Senju felt, good.
He strolled toward the Clan Head's Office with a rare spring in his step, the birds chirped, the air was fresh, and the Editor System hadn't drained him with pop-up warnings for the first time in days. With nearly 2,000 Editor Points still untouched and a jutsu that could vaporize trees at fifty meters, he was beginning to feel unstoppable and not a single scroll on my desk better try to ruin that mood, he thought.
He pushed open the door to his office and blinked, Inside stood Mito Uzumaki, serene and unmoving like a stone pillar, and Tsunade, arms crossed, scowl already locked in place like she had been saving it just for him.
He straightened up, offering a light smirk, "To what do I owe the pleasure? Don't tell me it's just to see my handsome face."
Tsunade rolled her eyes,b"You wish."
Mito, however, gave him a ghost of a smile, "If only it were that simple."
Kuma raised a brow, walking over to his desk, "What's going on?"
"There are rumors, Kuma," Mito said gently, "Whispers about your leadership. About the instability."
Kuma's hand hovered over a scroll mid-reach, "Already?"
"You killed two shinobi last night," Tsunade said bluntly, "You really thought they'd let that slide?"
Kuma's fingers slowly curled into a fist, "I was expecting pushback. Not a smear campaign."
Mito nodded, "Danzo's hand is all over it. The whispers say you're endangering the clan. That you've cut off critical alliances. That you've inherited your father's recklessness."
Kuma flinched, just slightly, Tsunade caught it, "You knew this would happen."
"I knew something would happen," Kuma admitted, pacing now, "I just didn't expect it this fast. Or this loud."
Before Mito could respond, a sudden crash of sound interrupted them, yelling, loud, angry, from just outside.
Kuma's head snapped toward the window. "What the hell?"
The three of them exited the office quickly, stepping into the courtyard outside the Senju Compound's main hall.
What awaited them stopped Kuma cold, Dozens of Senju had gathered, shinobi and civilians alike. Their faces were wary, curious, and anxious. A line of figures in standard-issue flak jackets stood at the front, ANBU and Root.
And standing at the center was Shigusa Senju, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
Kuma stepped forward, his mouth halfway open to speak, relief beginning to bloom in his chest, They came back, they listened but then, Shigusa turned to face him.
Her voice was loud and sharp, "Kuma Senju. I challenge your authority as Clan Head."
Gasps erupted like detonated paper bombs. Even the birds went silent.
Kuma froze, "What—?"
Shigusa stepped forward, eyes fierce, "The clan deserves better than blind pride and reckless isolation. Your decisions have endangered all of us, and your attack on Leaf shinobi has invited scrutiny. You've divided the Senju instead of uniting it."
Kuma blinked. His mouth opened, then closed, The momentum of the moment had shifted so fast he could barely register it.
And then came the knife, "You're your father's son," Shigusa spat, "And his failure cost us a third of our warriors during the war. Now you would do the same in peacetime?"
The crowd murmured louder now, hurt, confused, that wound hadn't healed. Couldn't heal, mothers who'd lost sons. Cousins who'd buried kin. Civilians who had watched funerals fill the gardens of their once-proud compound.
Tsunade stepped beside Kuma, eyes narrowing. "That's low, Shigusa."
But it didn't matter, the crowd was turning, not yet against him but not with him, either.
And Kuma, for the first time since he'd arrived in this world, felt the weight of being surrounded.
"I challenge you for the Clan Head position, I will make the Senju clan great again," Yelled Shigusa making sure everyone heard it, Once processed a heavy silence fell over the courtyard.
The crowd of Senju, young, old, battle-hardened, and scarred, stood like stone as Shigusa Senju extended her challenge. The confidence in her voice, the pain in her accusation, and the history behind her words, all cracked the already fragile support around Kuma Senju.
He didn't move, not yet, Tsunade took a step forward, fists clenched.
"I'll fight in his place," she said coldly, golden eyes locked on Shigusa's, gasps rippled across the gathering. Even those who feared Tsunade respected her. Feared her more than Shigusa.
But Shigusa didn't flinch, "You've already refused the position once, Tsunade," she said, voice like a scalpel, "This is not a duel of protectors. This is a challenge for leadership. He wears the mantle. Let him defend it."
Tsunade's jaw clenched, but she said nothing more, Mito Uzumaki stood near the steps of the Clan Head's Office, unmoving. Her gaze swept over the faces of the gathered clan, calculating, observing. She could shield Kuma from many things, but this... this was internal.
Even with her influence, she couldn't block a blood claim within the Senju. Not without shattering the clan's fragile dignity.
And she knew it, this wasn't just politics, it was personal, and then, Kuma laughed.
Not nervously, not like someone cornered, he laughed like a man who'd already seen the ending.
Everyone turned to him, "I've heard a lot of stupid ideas in my time," Kuma said, smirking, "But this might top them."
Shigusa's expression darkened, "You're proposing a challenge for something I already own. I'm the Clan Head. Officially. Legally. Spiritually. Politically. You, on the other hand, have everything to gain and nothing to lose. So tell me, what do I get if I win?"
That silenced even the most confident supporters, Tsunade blinked in surprise, Mito's brows arched slightly.
The crowd, slowly awakening from its emotional trance, looked at one another, It was a question no one expected. Even Shigusa hesitated a fraction before replying.
"You gain your continued leadership, "Kuma chuckled again, waving a hand. "No, no, no. That's like betting on a fight where the loser gets their life ruined, and the winner gets to… not have their life ruined. Nah."
He stepped forward, hands behind his back like a teacher lecturing students, "If I accept this fight, I want terms."
The words echoed like a jutsu detonation, Shigusa narrowed her eyes, "Terms?"
Kuma raised a finger, "One. If I lose, I step down immediately. You take the title. No complaints."
He held up a second, "Two. If I win, you and every Senju who followed you into ANBU and Root will publicly renounce the Senju name. No clan inheritance, no council say, you walk away."
Now people were gasping in the open, He held up a third finger.
"Three. You pay me ten million Ryo for the inconvenience of this ambush."
The silence turned stunned, even Mito blinked, Tsunade let out a short, sharp breath, and Shigusa?
For the first time, she hesitated.
"That's ridiculous," she said tightly, "No," Kuma said, stepping closer, "What's ridiculous is you demanding a fight like it's a ritual when in reality it's just a power grab dressed in tradition. You want the throne without the consequences."
He leaned in just enough to let the nearby Senju hear, "Be grateful I didn't make the terms harsher. After all… this isn't just about power. It's about how much damage you're willing to take if you lose."
Shigusa's jaw flexed, and Kuma turned to the crowd, speaking to them now.
"This isn't about pride. This isn't about legacy. This is about what happens after the fight. You side with her, and maybe she wins. But if she loses? You'll have to cut your ties with me, and I won't forget that. And neither will history."
Mito's gaze sharpened. She saw the layers now, this wasn't defiance, it was strategy, Kuma wasn't just trying to win the fight, and he was preparing to rule after it.
Shigusa Senju stared at Kuma with eyes sharp enough to cut steel, "…Very well," she said coldly. "I accept your terms."
Her voice projected across the courtyard with the precision of a trained commander. The crowd of Senju shinobi behind her didn't cheer but they didn't object either. Her authority still held weight, but doubt had been planted. And doubt, spread like fire.
"I'll formally request Lord Third to act as the witness," Shigusa added, "So everything will be official."
Kuma inclined his head, expression unreadable, She turned, motioning to her loyalists.
And just like that, Shigusa Senju left, the once-unified crowd peeling away with her like tide from stone, voices whispering like leaves in a restless breeze.
Only a few remained and behind them, silence.
Tsunade exhaled harshly, "That could've gone worse," she muttered, rubbing her temples.
Kuma didn't reply, he just turned on his heel and walked calmly back toward the Clan Head's Office.
Tsunade and Mito shared a glance, then followed.
Inside, the office door clicked shut, and the paper stacks remained untouched, forgotten for now.
Tsunade broke the silence first, "Are you insane?"
Kuma stopped in front of his desk, dusting off the edge like he was preparing for tea, not war.
"She's an elite jonin," Tsunade snapped, pacing now, "She fought in both Great Ninja Wars. She's seen more death than most people have seen missions. And you?"
"I'm a Jonin," Kuma said flatly, "I know."
"Not even a high-level one!" Tsunade shot back, "Kuma, I've seen what she can do. Shigusa's not some puffed-up clan relic. She's fast, smart, and she doesn't hold back. This isn't a sparring match. This is a leadership duel. You lose, and she doesn't just take your title, she breaks your spine."
Kuma sat down, crossed his arms, and smiled, "Tsunade," he said calmly, "I'll win."
Tsunade stopped mid-step, her frustration crashing against his calm like waves on stone, "You're being reckless."
"I'm being precise."
His eyes flicked up to hers, "She thinks this is about pride. Strength. Reputation. But she's wrong. This is about leverage. Planning. Timing. Control."
He gestured to the side, "I already turned the crowd once. I'll do it again. But this time… I'm going to leave a crater so deep they'll never question my place again."
Tsunade's mouth opened to argue then closed again, She hated how confident he sounded. Hated that she couldn't shake the tiny part of herself that believed him.
"…You're impossible," she muttered, Kuma turned toward Mito, who had remained quiet through it all, standing near the window with her arms tucked within her sleeves.
"And you?" he asked, "No lecture? No warning? No prophecy of doom?"
She met his eyes and smiled.
"You knew something like this would happen," she said softly, "The moment you stood before the Hokage and demanded the Senju step back from Root, you invited a storm."
Kuma nodded once, "And now it's here."
Mito stepped forward, "You could've walked away. Refused the challenge. Kept your pride and let the clan fracture quietly. But you didn't."
She placed a hand on the desk, gentle, almost grandmotherly, "That tells me you've already prepared for this."
Kuma's eyes glinted, "I have."
"Then I won't waste my breath," she said, "I trust you. And win or lose… so will history."
With that, she turned to leave, Tsunade lingered for a moment, chewing the inside of her cheek.
Then finally muttered, "I'll be ringside," Kuma chuckled, "Try not to bet against me."
She rolled her eyes and followed Mito out and once more, Kuma was alone in his office, alone with silence and strategy.