Chapter 134: The Weight of a Name
After Uzumaki Miyuki delivered her message, Kagenori simply replied, "Understood. I will go immediately."
Uzumaki Miyuki stretched, a casual gesture that belied the gravity of the situation. "Well, my job is done. I'm heading back to get some rest."
Kagenori looked at her, a flicker of surprise in his otherwise impassive eyes. "You aren't coming?"
She offered a small, knowing smile. "Why would I? Lady Mito told me to inform you, not to accompany you. Besides, the Hokage visited her, and now she's summoning you. This is about the Jinchuriki selection. It's your affair. My role is simply to wait for the outcome."
Kagenori met her gaze, his voice low and sincere. "Thank you, Miyuki."
The Uzumaki girl's smile widened slightly. "That doesn't sound like you. And this was our agreement." She waved a hand dismissively. "I'm tired from the day's studies. I'll leave you to it."
She turned and left, her red hair a bright spot in the dimming evening light. Kagenori watched her go for a moment before setting off himself, his footsteps silent on the paved path leading to the secluded Uzumaki compound.
When he was admitted into Mito's chambers, the air was thick with the scent of incense and the quiet weight of impending mortality. Uzumaki Mito sat before him, her form frail and diminished, swallowed by the grandeur of her kimono. To Kagenori's heightened senses, a pall of deathly energy seemed to cling to her, a silent confirmation that her time was measured in weeks, not months.
"Kagenori," her voice was a dry rustle of leaves, "you have succeeded after all."
He couldn't decipher the tone—was it resignation? Disappointment? Or a strange form of approval? He remained silent, letting the stillness stretch.
"So," he finally said, his voice cutting through the quiet, "Kushina will not become the Jinchuriki as you intended. Are you disappointed?"
The old woman looked at him, her eyes clouded with age but still possessing a sharp, perceptive light. A faint, wrinkled smile touched her lips. "You are still so hostile toward me, Kagenori. Believe it or not, in this moment, I feel a sense of relief. I am happy for Kushina. And I am happy for you."
She paused, gathering her strength. "You managed to sway Hiruzen's will. That could not have been an easy feat. For Kushina's sake, you never yielded, you persevered on a path you walked alone. That tenacity, that depth of feeling… it proves the quality of your love for her. You were right about me. When forced to choose between Konoha and Kushina, I chose Konoha. This village was founded by my husband. It carries Hashirama's dream, and it is a dream I have sworn to protect."
Her gaze grew distant. "But my affection for Kushina was never a lie. I see her as my own child. I had high hopes for her. I wished for her to be the Jinchuriki not solely for Konoha's sake, but because I truly believed she had the strength to bend the Nine-Tails' power to her will." Her eyes refocused on him, filled with a profound, weary wisdom. "Kagenori, a shinobi's life is a series of impossible choices. You will face such a crossroads yourself one day. Perhaps then, you will understand my position."
Kagenori met her gaze unflinchingly, his own eyes hard as flint. "Lady Mito, I may indeed face such a choice one day. But I will never understand yours."
A flicker of surprise showed in her aged features.
"You speak of being forced to choose," Kagenori continued, his voice low and intense. "But were you ever truly forced? Ask yourself, did the next vessel for the Nine-Tails have to be Kushina? Did it even have to be an Uzumaki? Other villages maintain their Jinchuriki without our clan's unique vitality. You made a conscious decision from the very beginning, and Konoha was your only priority."
"Do not claim it was about stability, about the risk of the beast breaking free. The Hokage, Danzo, and you all know the truth—the Sharingan can control a Tailed Beast. Uchiha Madara proved that even the Mangekyō is not strictly necessary; a powerful enough three-tomoe genjutsu, especially from multiple Uchiha clansmen working in concert, could subdue the Nine-Tails during the transfer. But that would require trusting the Uchiha. And Konoha does not trust the Uchiha."
"I do not doubt you cared for Kushina. But you and this village sought to bind her with the chains of that very affection. How can you ask me to understand that?"
Uzumaki Mito had no rebuttal. His words, harsh as they were, struck with the weight of truth, leaving her silent.
Kagenori then shifted, his head tilting slightly. "Lady Mito, there is one question I have always wanted to ask you. After you married the First Hokage, why did you keep the name 'Uzumaki'?"
Mito blinked, the non-sequitur pulling her from her thoughts. "It was a condition of the alliance marriage. The leader of Uzushiogakure, Uzumaki Ashina, proposed that I retain my clan name as a symbol of the bond between our villages. Hashirama agreed."
Kagenori's stare was piercing. "And why do you think Lord Ashina made that request?"
"To ensure I would always remember my heritage," Mito replied, though a sliver of uncertainty entered her voice.
A cold, cynical smile touched Kagenori's lips. "So you knew the reason, Lady Mito. But did you honor it?"
A frown creased her brow. "What are you implying?"
"I am speaking of consistency," Kagenori stated, his voice like ice. "You kept the name to remember you were an Uzumaki. And yet, when Uzushiogakure was besieged and destroyed, where was the support from Konoha? Where were you?"
He didn't wait for an answer, pressing on relentantly. "My teacher, Orochimaru, once explained it to me. Konoha offered no aid because there was no strategic benefit. Uzushiogakure had already given Konoha its most powerful sealing arts. Sending shinobi to die for a lost cause with no tangible gain was not in the village's interest. So, Konoha stood by and watched the Land of Whirlpools burn."
He leaned forward slightly, his presence filling the room. "So I ask you, Lady Mito, if you always remembered you were an Uzumaki, why did you not go? If Konoha would not send its army, why did you not go yourself, as a member of your clan? If your duty as the Jinchuriki kept you here, then that is your answer. It means you are not truly an Uzumaki. You are merely a person who shares the name, a name that became disconnected from the fate of your people the moment it became inconvenient for Konoha."
Uzumaki Mito's hands, resting on her lap, trembled slightly. Even her renowned composure was cracking under his brutal, logical assault.
Kagenori was not finished. "And one more thing. Is the Konoha you are so determined to protect the same village the First Hokage dreamed of? You must have heard of the scandal surrounding Lord Sakumo. You have seen the hypocrisy, the political machinations. Can you look me in the eye and tell me that this village, as it is now, has not strayed from Hashirama's original vision? Are you protecting Konoha, Lady Mito, or are you protecting a ghost?"
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