Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 323: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

"It's getting late. Let's call it a day."

Suddenly, Shirou's gentle voice echoed beside her ears. Just a moment ago, Tsunade had been deeply engrossed in gambling, her gambler's eyes red with desperation. But upon hearing those words, her bright brown pupils instantly cleared up.

From beginning to end, she had never truly lost herself in the game. Or perhaps it was the will of a ninja—gambling was merely a hobby, and she still had that level of self-control.

"Damn it, it's not even that late yet."

Tsunade didn't even notice her change—instead, she pouted slightly, almost as if she were acting spoiled.

Or rather, she wanted to play the role of this world's version of herself so that others wouldn't notice anything. Of course, this was also an excuse she gave herself deep down.

However, Shirou, who had always indulged her, merely smiled silently this time as he looked at her, which left Tsunade no choice but to wave her hand in defeat.

"Fine, fine. I'll stop since I can't argue with you."

Seeing Tsunade's childish temper, Shirou smiled and gently took the cards from her hands, placing them down. The other gamblers in the casino erupted into cheers once again.

"Damn it! I can't believe I lost so much tonight. Don't worry, I'll pay you back once we get back."

Tsunade spoke irritably, not expecting to have lost so much in just one careless night.

However, Shirou, who had his arm around her waist, teased her with a laugh:

"Pay me back? This casino belongs to us. Why would you need to pay back your own house?"

"What?!"

Tsunade's eyes widened in shock upon hearing that this magnificent casino belonged to her.

As they stepped outside, she looked back at the golden, castle-like casino behind her. At that moment, she felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.

This version of her in this world had such an easy life!

She had everything—even her passion for gambling had led to owning such a massive casino.

Tsunade grew increasingly envious of this world's version of herself, her eyes even reddening a little.

They were the same person, so why did fate feel like it was playing a joke on her, leading them down two completely different paths?

As for Shirou, he regarded the casino with indifference. To him, it was merely a money-making tool for completing missions for the nobles.

Especially with Tsunade, the biggest sheep, occasionally visiting the casino to hand out wealth. The result? A horde of gamblers flocked to it, unaware that he was profiting even more.

When Shirou noticed the sadness in Tsunade's eyes, he smiled and gently tapped her forehead, catching her off guard.

"I'm not saying you can't gamble anymore. I'll bring you back tomorrow. But for now, it's time to go home."

At that moment, Tsunade snapped out of her thoughts. Looking up at the night sky of Konoha, she saw a prosperous and powerful village—so different from her world.

And yet, it was filled with so many familiar faces, leaving her feeling a bit lost.

Could it be that her world was truly wrong? Was this world the right one?

At least, judging by Konoha's prosperity and strength!

Even while gambling in the casino, Tsunade, with her sharp ninja senses, had been using the place as a prime location to gather intelligence.

In just a few hours, she had already pieced together most of this world's basic information.

And that was what shocked her!

This world's Konoha was indeed the number one ninja village, but it was nothing like she had imagined. It was on a completely different level of being number one!

At first, she thought it might just be like Konoha during its peak in her world—dominant in its time.

But this world told her otherwise. Konoha had stationed troops in countless small nations throughout the ninja world, not to mention that the Sand Village of the Land of Wind and the Mist Village of the Land Water had already been absorbed into Konoha.

The integration was practically set in stone.

Konoha had taken over half of the ninja world!

Once everything was fully digested, they could launch their campaign to dominate the ninja world at any moment.

This world's Konoha was absurdly strong!

It was simply outrageous!

When she saw the massive castle, a dreamlike structure straight out of a fairy tale, Tsunade was even more stunned.

"This..."

Beside her, Shirou smiled and explained, "You know how Kushina is. To be honest, the house is a bit big, but it's very comfortable."

"A bit big?"

It was way more than just "a bit big"!

It was like a castle from a fairy tale brought to life!

"Comfortable?!" Tsunade swore she was truly bitter now.

This world's version of her was too fortunate—to be able to live in a place like this.

A fairy-tale castle where one could forget all their worries and rest comfortably.

But as they entered the castle, Tsunade, despite showing no outward changes, was hesitant. Her body even stiffened slightly.

"Don't worry. I've already let everyone know—they're all eagerly waiting for you."

Shirou smiled to reassure her, but Tsunade raised an eyebrow and said stubbornly, "Tch, as if I'd be scared!"

The moment they stepped inside, the lights turned on instantly, followed by the sound of celebratory confetti popping.

In an instant, the dazzling lights of the dreamlike castle illuminated the scene, and countless colorful ribbons fell from above.

"Sister Tsunade, happy birthday!"

"Sister Tsunade, you're finally back..."

"Come, come, let me see if my Sister Tsunade is still as—" Kushina excitedly rushed forward and hugged Tsunade.

Then, Kushina's large eyes focused on Tsunade's ample chest, her expression turning sour.

"They're still this big?! Damn it, I thought the Sister Tsunade from another world might be smaller!"

"Sister Tsunade, welcome back." With a warm, gentle voice, Mikoto approached with a bright smile.

At that moment, Tsunade stood there, stunned, staring at the familiar smiling faces in front of her and the colorful ribbons flying everywhere. The festive atmosphere left her momentarily speechless.

It wasn't until Shirou gently patted her back and softly reminded her:

"Today is August 2nd—it's your birthday. Also, if you look at the ribbons on the ground, you'll see they already celebrated once before."

The first part of his reminder was about her birthday, while the second part subtly hinted that this world's Tsunade had already returned and received a similarly grand welcome.

"Welcome home."

When this world's Senju Tsunade appeared, the crowd gasped in surprise. Two identical Tsunades stood before them.

The Tsunade standing beside Shirou was stunned. She could tell that while they looked the same, this world's version of herself exuded pride and happiness that she lacked.

This world's Senju Tsunade wore a radiant smile, her noble demeanor and the joy in her eyes unmistakable.

In contrast, her version, though steadfast and determined to the core, couldn't help but show a bitter smile in comparison.

It seems I really lost, and I lost completely!

In every aspect, the other party had defeated her.

They were fundamentally different!

Even so, Tsunade's personality wouldn't allow her to show weakness outwardly. She took a deep breath, exuding the aura of the Fifth Hokage, and strode forward to face the other Tsunade with a calm nod.

"So, you're me in this world. To be honest, I'm a bit envious of you—sometimes even a little jealous."

"Is that so? Well, there's nothing I can do about it. I must be smarter than you. I figured out the essence of this world early on and started pursuing power during the Second Shinobi War. Only by relying on power could I protect the people I wanted to protect."

"Oh, is that how it is? Too bad I'm not as lucky as you. I never expected your little husband to be so helpful to you."

"That's truly unfortunate. But Husband is perfection itself."

"You're carefully grooming someone? Or just an experiment? Or did it become serious at some point, and you ended up together?"

Senju Tsunade versus Fifth Hokage Tsunade—although the two were smiling warmly at each other, everyone present could tell.

The atmosphere was tense, sharp as a blade, danger lurking everywhere!

Off to the side, Kushina's eyes lit up as she watched the scene unfold. She whispered to Mikoto:

"Sister Mikoto, do you think the two Tsunades will start fighting?"

Mikoto gently patted the mischievous Kushina, amused. This troublemaker was still trying to stir the pot at a time like this.

"Aren't you curious to see which Sister Tsunade is stronger?"

The bold Kushina, unable to contain her excitement, teased Mikoto with a sly look.

Mikoto lowered her head and whispered:

"Kushina, you'd better be careful, or Sister Tsunade will punish you later. Have you already forgotten the last time you transformed into Tsunade late at night, and she tied you up...?"

Hearing Mikoto bring up her embarrassing past, Kushina pouted and muttered:

"Come on, Siste Tsunade enjoyed it herself, even though she pretended otherwise. When she tied me up to teach me a lesson, why didn't she just let me undo the transformation jutsu? She even made me watch her having sex with Anata-sama... and then made me use my mouth to make her wet..."

Good grief!

Mikoto, who was normally composed, couldn't help but blush at Kushina's words. She scolded:

"Kushina, you're such a grown woman now. Why are you still as playful as you were as a girl?"

"But it's true! Sister Mikoto, don't you remember how excited and happy you were when I used my mouth to help you?"

Kushina raised an eyebrow suggestively, making Mikoto's face turn an even deeper shade of red.

Mikoto, known for her gentle and composed demeanor, was usually the perfect example of a caring woman. But next to the lively and mischievous Kushina, even she couldn't maintain her cool.

Senju Tsunade, with her commanding presence, managed the household with Mikoto's support, ensuring everything was orderly and harmonious. Meanwhile, Kushina's playful energy added a lively, childlike atmosphere to the family.

The large, luxurious dining table was surrounded by smiles and laughter.

"Happy birthday, Sister Tsunade!"

"No, it should be both Tsunades—happy birthday!"

"I thought about getting two birthday cakes, but Kushina said since they're both Tsunade, we should just use one and make a shared birthday wish."

The enormous birthday cake was lit with candles, their flames flickering warmly. Both Tsunades smiled, closed their eyes, and made their wishes.

Under everyone's cheerful blessings, the two Tsunades opened their eyes simultaneously, as if they were in perfect sync, and blew out the candles together.

"Wow, happy birthday, Sister Tsunade!"

"I want the chocolate part of the cake. Since there are two Tsunades, I want two slices!"

Kushina's playful personality brought a lighthearted atmosphere to the gathering, making everyone laugh.

"Go ahead and cut it. But remember, it's your birthday, Tsunade."

With Shirou's gentle smile, the two Tsunades exchanged a glance before picking up knives and forks to start slicing the cake.

As she faced the group celebrating her birthday, Tsunade's expression softened into a genuine smile. Deep down, though, she felt a twinge of emotion—almost a tremble.

A birthday... When was the last time she'd celebrated one?

It had been so long that she'd nearly forgotten.

Who would have thought that she'd get to celebrate her birthday again during her lifetime? And this time, it wasn't purely for political or ninja-related reasons. Well... maybe there was some ulterior motive involved.

The joyful faces and intense gazes of those around her made her heart feel both full and uneasy.

The two Tsunades carefully cut the cake, ensuring everyone received two slices.

When it was Kushina's turn, she spoke boldly:

"Sister Tsunade, you should stay here. If worst comes to worst, we'll just beg Anata-sama to make sure he doesn't harm the Konoha of your world. I don't want you to go back."

Though Kushina wore her usual cheerful smile, her tearful eyes and trembling voice betrayed her true feelings.

Kushina, like Uzumaki Mito, had a unique ability to sense good and evil in others. Being so close, she could feel the emotions within Tsunade's heart.

Her pure, earnest gaze made Tsunade's pupils tremble slightly. But in front of everyone, Tsunade simply smiled warmly.

"My, Kushina has grown up so much and is still so adorable. Here's a slice of cake personally cut by your big sister."

Tsunade avoided the topic entirely, pinching Kushina's cheek playfully.

The other Tsunade—Senju Tsunade—watched the interaction and shook her head with a smile.

Out of everyone here, even including herself, only Kushina's heart remained truly pure and innocent.

Even she had to admit she couldn't match Kushina in that regard.

"Thank you, Sister Tsunade!"

"Happy birthday to both big sister Tsunades!"

Pakura said warmly. When it was Mei Terumi's turn, she gave Tsunade a flirtatious look and leaned in close, whispering:

"Sister Tsunade, let me tell you—Shirou-sama's abilities are incredible. Even when we all teamed up, we couldn't win against him even once..."

Goodness!

Mei's suggestive tone made everyone present, all ninjas with sharp hearing, clearly understand her meaning.

The same words, when spoken by Mei and Kushina, carried completely different tones. Mei's words were seductive and provocative, while Kushina's were playful and innocent.

"Happy birthday to both Tsunades!"

When it was Shirou's turn, he looked apologetically at the two Tsunades and explained:

"Brother Nawaki is still out on a mission. I notified him in advance, but the earliest he can return is in three days. He won't make it in time for today's celebration, but there's always next year."

"Tch, that brat should just stay out there and train hard," Senju Tsunade said dismissively, waving her hand as if it didn't matter.

At the same time, the Fifth Hokage Tsunade, upon hearing the name "Nawaki," had a tremor in her pupils, but her face remained completely unchanged.

As the two Tsunades exchanged continuous gazes, neither of them wanted to back down. Even when facing someone from this world, the Fifth Hokage Tsunade exuded a unique aura.

They were both Tsunade, yet each gave off a distinctly different presence.