章節 75: Naruto: I Am Uchiha Shirou [74]
Inside the Hokage's office:
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes were heavy with thought, but when Uzumaki Mito brought up the First Hokage's trust in the Uchiha clan, he simply smiled and nodded.
"Naturally, Mito-sama's words are reasonable."
This tactful evasion only added to Mito's fatigue. Staring at the familiar figure before her, her gaze grew distant.
The young little monkey from long ago had now occupied the Hokage's seat for twenty years. He was no longer the person she once knew.
After all, not everyone could match the strength and magnanimity of the First Hokage.
By bouncing her words back unchanged, he essentially placed her and the Senju clan on a metaphorical hot seat.
It was as if the Senju and Uzumaki Mito were the true masters of Konoha, while the Hokage was merely a puppet.
Suppressing the exhaustion within her, Mito forced a kind smile and nodded.
"With you leading Konoha, I can rest easy. The pressure on you as Hokage must be immense with the frontline situation being so dire."
Beside her, the Uchiha clan head, prepared for this moment, stepped forward with flushed excitement and exclaimed loudly,
"Please rest assured, Mito-sama! The elite of the Uchiha clan are ready at any time to follow Commander Tsunade to the battlefield!"
"Pfft!"
The serious atmosphere was abruptly broken as Tsunade couldn't hold back her laughter. Her reaction drew all eyes to her, breaking the tension in the room.
Especially noticeable was the look from her grandmother, Uzumaki Mito—seemingly reproachful, yet indulgent. Feeling a little awkward, Tsunade lowered her head in embarrassment.
The Uchiha clan's statement was essentially a declaration of alliance with the Senju. However, their promise to follow was more nuanced—what they truly emphasized was equality under Tsunade's leadership.
"You—already such a grown-up," Mito remarked, her tone seemingly chiding, though internally, she gave Tsunade a mental thumbs-up.
This granddaughter of hers had made notable strides in maturity lately.
Turning her gaze, Mito smiled warmly at Sarutobi Hiruzen and his companions, saying with a light-hearted tone,
"Over the years, my body has grown frail, and even the Yin Seal has become difficult to maintain. The Nine-Tails' chakra is far too powerful."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted towards Danzo Shimura, and she sighed,
"Little monkey, you know as well as I do that people trained in the Root are filled with darkness. While I may last a few more years, such a candidate would be too dangerous."
"With the current state of the ninja world, the burden on you as Hokage is heavy. Too many have already sacrificed their lives in this war. Even Nawaki..."
The mention of Nawaki caused a visible change in everyone's expressions. Mito abruptly cut herself off, shaking her head and sighing,
"I'm old, truly useless now. Kushina has grown up under my watch. Since the test has shown her love for the village, I plan to seal part of the Nine-Tails' chakra while I still have the strength..."
"In case anything unforeseen happens in the future, the remaining Nine-Tails' power should be manageable for you, Hiruzen."
Her words turned to Sarutobi Hiruzen, now the leader of Konoha.
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen clenched his hand tightly before slowly releasing it. With a stiff smile, he nodded.
"As expected of Mito-sama, your foresight is unparalleled. Those raised by the Root indeed carry too much darkness. But I believe Konoha's Will of Fire will dispel all darkness in our hearts."
Fixing Hiruzen with a deep gaze, Mito smiled and nodded.
"Yes, I believe in Hashirama's Will of Fire too, Third Hokage!"
This remark left Hiruzen momentarily speechless. How could he claim the Will of Fire wasn't inherited from the First Hokage?
Moreover, Mito's deliberate shift in tone from Little Monkey to Third Hokage underscored her intentions. She was determined to leave the Senju clan a safeguard.
Though Hiruzen gained part of what he wanted, he took a deep breath, understanding the weight of this concession.
"Grandma."
"Let's go. These old bones can't sit long on such hard chairs," Mito said wearily.
With Tsunade and the Uchiha clan head supporting her, she smiled at the Third Hokage and his group before leaving the office slowly.
The moment she was out of sight, a loud bang echoed as Danzo slammed his hand on the table.
"Hiruzen! You're the Third Hokage, and now the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is to be split in two? How can it still be considered an ultimate weapon? Why didn't you confront Mito-sama about this?"
Still fuming, Hiruzen turned his ire toward Danzo.
"Danzo! Look at the state of the people you've raised in the Root! If not for them, we wouldn't be in such a passive position!"
"And Nawaki's incident? If it was truly an accident, then convince Mito-sama of that! Stop giving the Senju a reason to hold onto this grudge!"
Hiruzen's fiery words left Danzo seething but speechless, his face turning an ugly shade of blue.
Koharu Utatane shook her head and sighed, trying to mediate.
"Danzo, enough. Hiruzen has already made the greatest effort."
The earlier exchange had been a game of give-and-take. Mito needed a Jinchuriki to protect the weakened Senju, while the Uchiha clan's support was crucial for the ongoing war.
"Yes, Hiruzen did well. But Danzo!"
Even Homura Mitokado chimed in, though his gaze turned critical toward Danzo.
"If the Root hadn't turned its people into tools filled with darkness, Hiruzen wouldn't have lost the leverage to negotiate."
"You—you all!"
Danzo glared at his three companions, incredulous.
So, this is what loyalty looked like?
Now they blamed him for making Root too dark? Hadn't they approved of this approach before? Root was never meant to nurture love!
Hiruzen, seeing the bickering, pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Nawaki's incident remains unresolved, and the Senju clan is far too weak. Mito-sama's wish to leave behind a Jinchuriki is understandable."
At least, they now held half of the Nine-Tails' power.
"But if Mito-sama separates part of the tailed beast's power, what will happen to her body?"
Homura furrowed his brow, appearing concerned, though his expression betrayed a subtle sense of relief.
Hiruzen's eyes gleamed momentarily, and the room fell silent.
At least one thing was certain—the looming presence of Mito would fade within a few years, granting them more freedom in the future.
For now, patience would suffice.
Standing by the window, Hiruzen gazed at the retreating figures on the street, his eyes filled with resolve.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票