Eyes couldn't speak, and Uchiha Hikaru had absolutely no idea what Senju Yosuke was trying to express with his gestures.
He scratched his head, nearly manifesting a giant question mark above it.
Mito Uzumaki watched the whole exchange, a soft smile blooming on her lips. Even the sorrow in her heart lightened a bit.
To her, both Uchiha Hikaru and Senju Yosuke were still just kids.
Seeing them interact like this swept away some of the gloom clouding her heart.
Mito Uzumaki walked up to Uchiha Hikaru and gently ruffled his hair. She spoke softly:
"This child—is she the witness you mentioned?"
Uchiha Hikaru nodded in response. With that confirmation, Mito Uzumaki turned her attention to Nonō Yakushi.
Seeing the tension written all over her face, Mito gave her a warm smile and said gently:
"Don't be nervous. I'm Mito Uzumaki. No one here will hurt you anymore."
"Can you tell me your name?"
Though she was an orphan, Nonō Yakushi had heard of Mito Uzumaki.
Her clanmates used to gossip about Mito Uzumaki, saying she was the First Hokage's wife.
And as the Hokage's wife, surely she could protect her and Uchiha Hikaru from harm.
So the heart she had been carrying high ever since Hikaru stepped up for her finally began to settle.
A wave of calm started to wash away her nervousness.
Nonō looked up at Mito Uzumaki, then turned to glance at Uchiha Hikaru.
After a short pause, she finally spoke:
"Lady Mito, my name is Nonō Yakushi. I'm willing to testify in court."
"But I need assurance that the rest of us will be safe. Is that okay?"
Mito Uzumaki's smile grew even warmer.
"They're my children—I will protect them, and you're no exception."
"Rest easy. I'll take care of everything."
At those words, Nonō's eyes welled up with tears. One by one, they began to fall.
That simple phrase—"I'll take care of everything"—completely shattered her emotional defenses.
She was still a child. And every time she'd faced hardship before, she had secretly hoped someone would step in and shelter her.
Especially when it came to something that could change her entire fate.
Mito's words told her just that—that she could be the umbrella shielding her from the storm.
And with that, Nonō could no longer hold back the emotions in her heart. She began to cry silently.
Mito understood her pain and didn't try to lecture her with comforting words. She simply embraced her in silence.
Mito Uzumaki couldn't stop sadness from arising, but she could offer the warmth of her arms to ease Nonō's pain.
Standing to the side, Tsunade pouted slightly, a bit jealous.
But she was mature enough to understand. She knew Nonō was hurting and needed comfort right now.
It took quite a while before Nonō's tears finally subsided.
Mito Uzumaki gently patted her back before letting her go.
Then she turned toward Uchiha Hikaru, who had been standing to the side, watching all this unfold like a spectator.
"You take Nonō and get her cleaned up. I'll be taking both of you to the Jōnin Council shortly."
Uchiha Hikaru pointed at himself in surprise.
"I'm going too?"
Mito chuckled lightly and explained:
"You discovered the situation and were just attacked—you're a key witness. Of course you're going."
At that, Uchiha Hikaru's mind blanked out a little.
He'd already done so much today. At this rate, it felt like the 996 Schedule was waving at him from afar.
Still, Mito had a point.
He had been the one to uncover the situation and report it to Mito.
He had witnessed the whole thing from beginning to end.
So having him explain it was the most logical choice.
With that in mind, Uchiha Hikaru couldn't help but sigh at his own misfortune.
He was only six. He just wanted to slack off a little. Was that such a crime?
This made his resolve even stronger: he had to become the ultimate hands-off boss!
Let others do the work while he disappeared from sight.
Then he'd watch them fume while he basked in the sweet pleasure of doing nothing.
That's what he called a win-win. Uchiha Hikaru would win twice.
After daydreaming for a bit, he snapped back to reality.
He let out a long sigh and sluggishly pulled Nonō away to get cleaned up.
Mito Uzumaki watched with amusement, not sure whether to laugh or sigh.
Though Uchiha Hikaru was incredibly diligent when it came to study and training…
When it came to anything else, he turned lazy real fast.
She didn't say it out loud, but in truth, she had already started preparing him to be the next Hokage.
He had a knack for handling crises.
And his personal strength? No issue there at all.
Whether it was this latest ambush or the fireworks that once lit up the skies above Konoha—Mito hadn't forgotten either incident.
His strength was far from normal. She even started wondering—did he awaken the Mangekyō already?
She hadn't confirmed it, so she didn't jump to conclusions.
But by all accounts, Uchiha Hikaru had what it took to be Hokage.
The only problem? He was still too young. There was no way he could become Hokage now.
But he could be raised as the next in line.
Should I wait until he's an adult? Or maybe give him the hat at fourteen?
Maybe have him graduate now and work under me for administrative duties? That doesn't sound too bad either…
When it came to slacking off, Mito Uzumaki wasn't about to lose.
Even though the outcome was mostly decided—she was clearly next in line for Hokage or at least a stand-in…
She hadn't even taken the position yet and was already planning how to slack off in it.
Even if Madara Uchiha showed up now, he'd have to bow and call her the Queen of Shirking Duties.
People are just built different. The seat of Hokage was supposed to be the highest authority in Konoha.
Some clung to power for decades, unwilling to let go.
Others tossed it away like an old pair of shoes.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Hikaru was washing up with Nonō when he suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
He glanced around but didn't see anything unusual.
He blinked in confusion, completely lost as to what was going on.
He didn't realize it yet—but his dream of being the one who shirked responsibility was already being realized.
Just not by him.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't figure out where that cold feeling came from, so he just gave up.
Nonō had finished getting ready by then, so he took her downstairs.
After regrouping with Mito Uzumaki, they set off for the Hokage's office to officially deal with the situation.
Along the way, the streets—which were normally bustling—were eerily quiet.
Only a few shinobi heading to the Jōnin Council could be seen walking toward the Hokage building.
Every Jōnin who passed by Mito Uzumaki respectfully greeted her with a nod or a salute.
Just then, a round-faced ninja approached her and asked:
"Lady Mito, what exactly happened this time? Why the sudden council meeting?"
Mito looked closely, then said with some emotion:
"Ah, it's you, Torikaze… It seems a storm is coming."