After briefly exchanging words with Mito Uzumaki and confirming her condition remained relatively stable, Haseo left the place to meet with the Third Hokage.
He couldn't very well pretend the Hokage didn't matter—just returning to the village without reporting in wasn't an option.
Upon meeting the Hokage, Haseo first gave a summary report regarding the war on the Eastern Front, which had now temporarily concluded. Then he asked for instructions about his future assignments.
The answer was that Haseo would remain in Konoha until the situation surrounding the Nine-Tails had fully stabilized.
Although deploying someone of his skill on the Western Front might tilt the scales decisively in Konoha's favor, considering how messy and entrenched the Western Front had become, it wouldn't shift entirely just because one ninja joined the fight… Attacks relying on artistic flair required solid intel and enemies who played right into your hands. Unless infiltrating behind enemy lines, fireworks weren't that easy to pull off.
Moreover, this current chaos essentially represented a sort of "balance"—it wasn't easy to disrupt, nor could one easily predict what consequences might follow if it were disturbed.
Hmm, of course this arrangement had absolutely nothing to do with Haseo's usual behavior that often defied the village's strategic expectations… The Western Front commander was Danzo Shimura, and naturally, Haseo could never feel at ease under his command. Likewise, from Danzo's perspective, he lacked effective means to control Haseo—subordinates who kept coming up with their own plans weren't easy to manage.
So unless the Third Hokage intended to replace the Western Front's commanding officer, Haseo basically wouldn't be integrated into Konoha's war structure deployed toward the Land of Rain—the position simply didn't exist for him there.
Besides, especially during wartime, maintaining stability within Konoha's core position became even more important; at such times, the Nine-Tails absolutely could not cause problems… Mist had already vividly demonstrated what happened when Tailed Beasts went out of control.
Leaving Haseo in Konoha acted as an added precaution against any potential Nine-Tails-related issues.
All these measures made one fact abundantly clear: Mito Uzumaki's time was running short.
This was the fate of every jinchuriki—one almost never died peacefully of old age. Although Mito still had much of her natural lifespan remaining, separating the Nine-Tails would inevitably mark the end of her life.
Mito had known and accepted this truth long ago. Now, she simply met everything with quiet resolve.
Her only regret was that she had to pass this tragic destiny forward—through her own hands, deliberately selecting the most outstanding member of the Uzumaki clan to inherit burdens no one should bear.
Black Cat left Mito Uzumaki's side, darting a few steps into the western forest. A moment later, it returned—Kushina Uzumaki followed closely behind, back from her classes at the Ninja Academy.
Every day after school but before heading home, she'd come to visit Mito Uzumaki. Sometimes she'd go to Kagenami afterward, but even then, seeing Mito always came first.
As the next jinchūriki candidate, she had much to learn, and a great deal of it needed to be mastered quickly.
"Lady Mito, has Lord Haseo returned?"
Kushina approached Lady Mito, asking this clearly already informed by a certain feline messenger.
"Yes, he's just come back, and he'll be staying in the village for quite some time."
"Has the war ended then?"
A bright smile spread across Kushina's face. If the commander had returned and wasn't planning to leave again, that could only mean the war was over.
The outbreak of war had taken away all those carefree days she used to enjoy—eating, sleeping, and messing around with her classmates. There were so many things she couldn't yet grasp at her young age, but the tension in the air and the moods of the grown-ups around her slowly shaped how she saw the world.
She had some idea that war meant death—but what exactly was death, and what did it really mean?
Kushina understood some things now, but there were still so many she didn't comprehend.
She stepped into the house, grabbed a watering can, and got ready to take care of the potted plants they'd brought over from Lady Mito's garden. Before, these plants had been cared for together by the two of them, but now it had become a solitary task for her alone.
"The war is far from over. I should say only a small portion of it—the part which perhaps never should have begun—has calmed down," Lady Mito said, shaking her head.
Even she couldn't see where the end of this war might lie.
"Then… why has Lord Haseo returned to the village?"
"For my sake, naturally. But also for yours."
Since Kushina was destined to become the next jinchūriki, Mito had decided it was time to reveal certain truths. "Little Kushina," she continued, "do you remember what I told you earlier—that I carry within me a 'calamity'? It is something that must be restrained for the sake of the village and our clan. But life has its limits, and I am nearing mine. The burden of suppressing it must now pass to someone else…
That someone is you. Even among the Uzumaki, you're different. With a gift like yours comes a fate unlike anyone else's."
This was no lucky fortune. Those with ability often bore heavier burdens—some willingly taken on, others forcibly thrust upon them without choice. Strictly speaking, Kushina was someone who had no choice but to carry that burden.
"Lady Mito… I'm just afraid I won't be able to do it. I'm not as strong as you are."
Of course Kushina remembered what Mito had previously told her. She didn't yet understand exactly what this calamity was, nor did she grasp the true consequences of inheriting such a burden. At this moment, all she worried about was whether or not she could complete the "task"—whether she was capable of such a thing.
"You most certainly can, little Kushina. You're the one I chose. One day, you'll become a ninja far greater than I could ever be."
Mito Uzumaki's warm words brought a smile to Kushina's face, though they were largely just comforting reassurance.
"If that's the case, then anything that can help Lady Mito, assist our clansmen, and benefit the village is something I'm willing to do."
It was exactly what little Kushina wanted to do.
"I hope to become a strong ninja under Lady Mito's expectations."
Mito Uzumaki hesitated slightly. At this moment, some memories and figures seemed to overlap with the young girl before her eyes, and eventually she showed a gentle smile.
"Yes, I'm certain I'll see it."
This was something she would definitely never witness.
"But not right now. Time will move forward slowly, very slowly, and I will continue taking steps forward until...the day comes when I must pass my responsibilities to you."
No one knew better than Mito Uzumaki just how crushing the burdens on her shoulders truly were. So as long as she could endure a little longer, this precious child before her might delay experiencing them for just one more day.
It was something never meant to be tied to beauty or joy.
Ninjas lived their entire lives surrounded by conflict, though these battles weren't always waged on open battlefields or soaked in blood.
A ninja's life was equally fragile; they could die with startling ease. Therefore, how they died mattered greatly.
A ninja's conviction must endure even when staring death in the face.
There were certainly more than a few ninjas in this world with such unwavering conviction.
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