It might have worked—if anyone else had been sitting in the Hokage's chair.
Old or future Hokage, perhaps.
But unfortunately… the man seated there now was Sarutobi Hiruzen.
A pragmatist to the core, and more importantly—a coward at heart.
For him, involving Konoha in a war unrelated to the village's direct interests, and without tangible benefit, was unthinkable.
And so, after only a brief discussion, he discarded the idea of sending aid to the Uzumaki clan entirely.
Still… there was a problem. A very big one.
They needed an Uzumaki clansman for the Nine-Tails' next jinchūriki.
It wasn't for lack of trying with others—they had tested multiple candidates. But none possessed even the bare minimum requirement: the massive chakra reserves needed to contain the Kyūbi.
The original plan had been simple. Go to the Uzumaki under the pretense of helping them, and in the chaos, bring back a few suitable clansmen.
But now… they hadn't asked for help at all.
How do we go to them now? Sarutobi imagined the absurdity:
"Yo, we heard four of the major ninja villages are going to attack you. Unfortunately, we won't be sending any help… but could you give us some of your people for our Nine-Tails jinchūriki? You know, just like your enemies want to."
Obviously, the plan in its current form wouldn't work.
They had to find another approach.
Their steps eventually carried them to the far end of the village, where a sprawling wooden mansion stood. Even before crossing the gates, one could feel it—the thick vitality radiating from the premises, a living testament to the skill of its creator.
This estate had been built personally by Senju Hashirama, crafted with utmost care.
Sarutobi and his companion, Danzō, approached the main house and knocked on the heavy wooden door.
It opened to reveal a black-haired maid. Upon seeing who stood outside, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Hokage-sama," she said with a polite bow. "Please wait a moment, I will inform Mito-sama. You may sit here."
Without another glance, she turned and disappeared into the halls.
Sarutobi stepped inside, entirely missing the flash of annoyance on Danzō's face as the maid ignored him completely. Danzō's gaze lingered on her retreating figure before he reluctantly followed the Hokage in.
A short while later, the maid returned.
"Mito-sama is already waiting inside. Please, come."
They entered the inner room, where Mito Uzumaki sat with her usual dignified presence.
Sarutobi did not waste time. "Mito-sama, this concerns the Uzumaki village."
His words were clipped and urgent—there was little time, and he needed to form a new plan quickly.
For the first time, a shadow passed over Mito's composed face. "Has it already happened?" she asked quietly.
"No, Mito-sama," Sarutobi replied. "But the allied ninja villages have already gathered and begun marching toward them."
"Oh."
The single syllable carried a weight of resignation.
"It's estimated they will arrive within a day," Sarutobi continued. "The Uzumaki clan should already be aware… but—"
"But what?" Mito's voice turned sharp, impatient.
"They have not asked for help, as we imagined they would."
"Oh," she replied again—but this time, there was the faintest trace of surprise in her tone.
"Mito-sama," Sarutobi pressed, leaning forward slightly. "Does the Uzumaki village possess some power capable of defending against three major ninja villages?"
Her lips curved faintly, though not into a smile. "Maybe they do. Maybe they don't. I don't know."
"Really?" Sarutobi's voice carried disbelief.
Mito's eyes sharpened. "Tell me, Hiruzen—Konoha and Kusagakure are partners, yes? If your daughter married into their clan, would you send the complete book od seals with her? Or even let her learn every one of them?"
Sarutobi froze. The answer was obvious.
Of course not.
Even with a strong alliance, even between husband and wife, some secrets remained guarded—especially in an age born of the Warring States period.
He understood now. The Uzumaki would never hand over all their secrets to the Senju, no matter how close their relationship.
He was about to speak again—when Mito's gaze turned cold and distant, a silent command to leave her be.
"I don't want to discuss this matter any further," she said flatly.
Sarutobi rose from his seat without another word. Danzō followed suit, though not without a final question as they reached the door.
"What should we do about the jinchūriki matter?"
Mito looked at him with eyes like ice. After a long moment, she answered, "Do what you think is best for Konoha."
It was the same answer Sarutobi had given her about the Uzumaki clan.
Danzō's chest tightened slightly—not from fear, but from a vague sense of embarrassment.
Sarutobi didn't know whether Mito had spoken the truth or not. But he did know one thing—he didn't have the courage to push her further.
Who was the strongest in terms of pure strength in Konoha? Mito Uzumaki.
And who held the most influence? Also Mito Uzumaki.
The Senju clan had long since merged into Konoha's civilian population. One word from her, and his position as Hokage could easily become unstable.
Thankfully, she had chosen Konoha's stability over her previous family. But even so, he would not risk provoking her further.
As they walked away from the mansion, Sarutobi finally spoke.
"We are allies, so we should send a team to rescue as many as possible."
Danzō gave him a sidelong glance. That hypocritical smile… wasn't this just his roundabout way of saying kidnap them in the chaos?
The thought made Danzō silently curse in his heart.
Later, when Mito inevitably learned of it, he would be the one blamed.
But in the end, he still had to do it.
Even knowing exactly how this might unfold… the stability of the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki was too important for Konoha to ignore.