Orochimaru obediently nodded along with Mito's words.
Even he couldn't help feeling somewhat nervous in her presence. Her near mind-reading sensory abilities and immense seniority spoke for themselves...
As a devoted member of the "Tobirama faction" among researchers, Orochimaru naturally knew many of Mito's legends...
'Sensei really is determined to make me Hokage...'
The corner of Orochimaru's mouth curled upward almost imperceptibly.
In his eyes, Hiruzen could easily have handled this matter himself, yet he had left it to him...
The reason was obvious.
He wanted Orochimaru to share in the credit, so that the Hyūga Branch Family would remember not only the Hokage's kindness, but also that it was Orochimaru who had personally helped bring about the major reform of the Caged Bird...
That way, when he became Hokage in the future, he would have the Hyūga Clan as part of his support base and sit more securely in the position.
'Suddenly, I feel a little sorry for Sensei...'
'He suffered too much after inheriting the position of Hokage without having Tobirama-sama there to support him. He doesn't want me to go through the same hardships.'
Orochimaru sighed inwardly.
His teacher truly treated him like his own son!
Not only that, this was also part of teaching him how to become Hokage through practical experience.
Any mature Hokage needed to learn how to play the villain before learning how to play the hero.
Only then, after sitting in that seat, could one understand how to continuously gather reputation and authority onto oneself instead of being manipulated by the people working beneath them.
And that was only part of Hiruzen's reasoning.
Having Orochimaru handle such matters appeared to disrupt his research schedule somewhat, but in reality it was necessary.
If Orochimaru were allowed to focus exclusively on research without participating in core decision-making, sooner or later he would inevitably develop some different ideas...
After all, Danzō was constantly working on the front lines and interacted with a much broader range of people and issues.
Especially now that Tobirama had become his "disciple," Danzō's methods would naturally become much more sophisticated. That could place a certain amount of pressure on Orochimaru.
Hiruzen had to maintain the balance carefully.
Tobirama had strengthened Danzō, so Hiruzen needed to balance the scales for his beloved disciple as well...
"Tenzō, you've done well."
"To have the courage to change a thousand-year-old Hyūga clan law and actively embrace the Will of Fire... I think Hashirama might cry from excitement if he saw this."
Mito said with a smile: "If you run into any trouble in the future, I may not necessarily be able to help, but you're always welcome to come listen to an old woman complain."
Tenzō's Byakugan practically lit up.
"I understand, Mito-sama!"
After learning that Isshin had once subtly bragged that Seisui had received Mito's approval, Tenzō had spent quite some time feeling anxious about it.
Within Konoha, aside from the Hokage's endorsement, there was no better seal of approval than Mito's!
But there was nothing he could do about it. The Hyūga Clan had no overlapping business with Mito. Who knew how Isshin had managed to connect the Uchiha Clan with her...
But things were different now!
Through his own efforts, Tenzō had earned Mito's recognition and high praise!
That would be enormously beneficial for the entire Hyūga Clan.
'When I get back to the clan compound tonight, if Hizashi isn't on duty, I'll drag that brat over for a talk!'
'I'll make sure he understands...'
'His old man will always be his old man! How many years has he even spent studying the Will of Fire compared to me?'
Thinking about his perpetually stern-faced son and imagining his expression when he learned that Tenzō had voluntarily abolished the Caged Bird and received Mito's praise, Tenzō couldn't help wanting to laugh.
And if the projects in Kirigakure and Amegakure achieved results as well...
Tenzō would definitely prepare a lavish feast and show off his accomplishments in front of Hizashi!
Of course, the real purpose was to repair the relationship between father and son...
After all, they were both working for the village!
After Orochimaru and Tenzō left, Mito smiled and said to Shio and Kushina: "See?"
"Everyone in Konoha is working hard. Even Yamato is diligently building his foundations."
"The best way to keep up with Minato is to constantly improve yourself, to become someone valuable to both the village and to him, while also having your own ideals and ambitions. Don't become someone's appendage."
Mito chuckled softly. The confidence unique to the woman who had once been the strongest kunoichi in the shinobi world shone through her eyes.
"My husband may have been the God of Shinobi, but even during the Warring States Era, I earned the respect of the vast majority of people without relying on that identity. Even Uchiha Madara was no exception!"
Mito wasn't exaggerating.
Back when the Uchiha and Senju were at war, her arrival had effectively tipped the entire balance of power.
The countering power of the Fire Sealing Method, the overwhelming dominance of Adamantine Sealing Chains, the Mind's Eye of the Kagura—which provided even more thorough detection than the Byakugan—and her downright unreasonable sixth sense...
They had nearly fried Izuna's brain.
Prediction, x-ray vision, and overwhelming combat ability all rolled into one—how was that remotely fair?
Back then, Tobirama had been having a great time.
As long as Izuna was getting suppressed, he was happy.
After the village was founded, however, Tobirama—who had been under Mito's watch while conducting research—came to understand the pressure Izuna had been under.
One could only say they were truly a pair of unfortunate brothers with plenty in common...
Kushina nodded solemnly. She had clearly taken Mito's words to heart.
Back in her Ninja Academy days, the girl known as the Red-Hot Habanero had once dreamed of becoming Hokage herself!
Although Kushina had no intention of competing with Minato for the position anymore, that didn't mean she wanted to become a housewife. She still wanted to possess her own strength and become a powerful shinobi...
She had never forgotten the humiliation of being kidnapped by Kumogakure.
Shio nodded blankly. To be honest, she hadn't really understood.
Ever since leaving Kusagakure, every day she spent in Konoha felt fulfilling. Even if she and Seisui were never destined to become anything more, weren't they still like brother and sister?
Seisui had already told her that his true love was Konoha, and that he had no intentions in that regard...
Shio understood.
"Let's start testing these seal structures. The two of you can handle the implementation. Don't be afraid of making mistakes."
"Hiruzen already spoke to me about it. Large quantities of blank sealing-scroll stock will be made available. As long as you're using them to improve your proficiency and not wasting them, don't hold back."
The moment Hiruzen was mentioned, Mito's expression grew noticeably more gentle.
Not only had he treated the Uzumaki well, he'd even thought through the logistical support for Fūinjutsu training. He truly was Hashirama's finest disciple!
Kushina and Shio answered in unison: "Yes, Mito-sama!"
"You've both worked hard in your training recently. Once you've finished today's work, go home and get some rest."
"From now on, just come here during the day."
Mito nodded with a smile.
The intensive training period beforehand had been intended to build their foundations, test their abilities, and determine the direction of their future development.
After returning to her bedroom,
Mito gazed at Hashirama's photograph, a trace of nostalgia flashing through her eyes.
"I actually found myself wondering... if Konoha continues developing this well, perhaps one day I should use Tobirama's technique to call Hashirama back from the Pure Land and let him see the village with his own eyes..."
"It seems Tobirama's forbidden techniques aren't only useful against enemies. They have their merits in other areas too!"
Still, although Konoha was developing rapidly, it wasn't perfect enough in Mito's eyes yet...
Or rather, Mito wanted Hashirama to return from the Pure Land and react like an excited child every time he saw a new corner of Konoha, every new change—jumping around and talking endlessly about it...
Only then would it be worth convincing herself to summon her beloved back through Impure World Reincarnation.
"Still carrying on that fool Hashirama's dream?"
The Nine-Tails' voice echoed from within Mito.
"Partly."
Mito replied calmly.
"But turning the Will of Fire into reality and letting it bloom and bear fruit is also my dream."
"What about you, Nine-Tails? Even without Hashirama, you wouldn't have gotten the better of me at my peak. Don't you agree?"
There was a hint of amusement in Mito's voice.
"Tch!"
The Nine-Tails snorted heavily but didn't refute her.
The reason Mito had earned its respect wasn't simply because she was Hashirama's widow. That only accounted for a small part of it. Tailed Beasts didn't care much about human social conventions...
What, was the dead Hashirama going to jump back out of the Pure Land and beat it up?
Ultimately, it was Mito's strength, personality, and many other qualities that forced the Nine-Tails to give her that damned respect from the bottom of its heart...
Whenever it encountered a difficult question, the Nine-Tails smoothly changed the subject.
"What about that proposal you mentioned before? Does it still stand?"
It was referring to one of Mito's suggestions.
The Nine-Tails would provide a portion of its chakra and infuse it into Kushina or Shio, allowing them to become partial jinchūriki and gain the power of a Tailed Beast.
The precedent was the Gold and Silver Brothers of Kumogakure.
Although Kushina and Shio didn't possess the monstrous physiques of those two brothers, who had literally bitten chunks of the Nine-Tails' flesh off and digested them alive...
They could achieve a similar effect through the Nine-Tails willingly sharing its chakra and with the support of sealing techniques.
And in return, Mito would use Fūinjutsu to regulate the Nine-Tails' violent chakra. While gradually teaching it the principles behind ninjutsu, she would also give it some "cultural lessons" and help it understand the stories and lives of shinobi.
Mito wasn't worried that the Nine-Tails might develop dangerous ideas as it became increasingly intelligent.
Because she held no ill intentions.
In the current shinobi world, even a Tailed Beast didn't truly possess enough ability to protect itself.
Joining an organization and receiving equal treatment would absolutely be a good thing.
If their cooperation went well, Mito even promised to help the Nine-Tails create something similar to a Shadow Clone, allowing its main body to remain asleep while a miniature Nine-Tails roamed freely.
With Hiruzen's approval, it would even be allowed to move around the village on its own...
In that case, it would be almost no different from the Nine-Tails appearing personally.
The combination of a Tailed Beast's self-induced dormancy and the Shadow Clone Technique was just that miraculous...
The Nine-Tails wouldn't have to worry about backlash when the clone disappeared, nor would it need to worry about running out of chakra.
In a sense, the Shadow Clone Technique seemed practically tailor-made for it...
"Of course it still stands."
"But we'll need to wait. Even if it's not your actual body, carrying Tailed Beast chakra still requires courage."
"Kushina and Minato are about to get married. They might want children afterward, and they're planning to apply for village subsidies."
Mito spoke leisurely.
"As for Shio, she's still lost. I can't sense any real determination from her. A shinobi who hasn't figured out her own life or how she wants to realize her self-worth won't be able to unleash true power even if she's given Tailed Beast chakra."
"At her current stage, there's no need to waste your chakra."
The Nine-Tails silently nodded.
Now that was something it liked hearing!
It might possess a vast amount of chakra, but that didn't mean it was some cheap commodity to be handed out freely...
"Then tell me this. Do you think Uzumaki Shio will eventually seek power and become stronger because of it?"
The Nine-Tails frowned.
"How about I give it a try?"
"Even if you successfully tempt her, she still wouldn't possess the mentality necessary to control that power. A little violent Tailed Beast chakra wouldn't be much help to the village."
Mito shook her head.
"Shio is a very gifted child. Even among the Uzumaki Clan, her physique is exceptionally rare. Her talents in other areas are excellent as well."
"The only thing she's lacking is ambition, and that has a lot to do with her upbringing..."
"We can only wait and see whether someone can change that."
Mito had no intention of actively changing Uzumaki Shio herself, because doing so usually only produced superficial results.
If a person didn't genuinely want to become an independent and capable individual from the depths of their heart, no amount of external pressure would help...
At best, it would produce a mediocre shinobi who was barely usable.
But Konoha wasn't in a hurry right now, so Mito could afford to wait and see whether some person or event would ignite Shio's drive and draw out her full potential.
In Mito's eyes, Shio's extraordinary life force made her one of the rare Uzumaki capable of combining the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, Adamantine Sealing Chains, and Tailed Beast chakra all in one person...
That evening.
After leaving the Senju ancestral estate and walking two streets away, Shio discovered a young Uchiha waiting for her.
"Seisui!"
Shio exclaimed in surprise, with a trace of delight in her voice.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to ask for your help."
Tobirama got straight to the point.
"I need your physique to save the life of a Konoha shinobi. Can you help me?"
At that moment, Izuna chuckled inside Tobirama.
Recently, while researching the specialized Rinkaichū, his Mangekyō Sharingan's observational abilities had contributed greatly, so he hadn't returned to the Pure Land very often. Instead, he had remained in the living world despite the ongoing drain on his ocular power.
His chakra, affinity, and overall compatibility with "Seisui" were highly compatible, so the burden wasn't particularly severe.
But there was another key reason...
Izuna simply wanted to watch the drama unfold!
He didn't want to miss it.
Back in the Pure Land, returning felt like being put under full anesthesia. His consciousness would disperse and stagnate by force.
How could that possibly be more entertaining than watching a good show?
"Well, he's not wrong. It really is about saving a comrade's life..."
Izuna couldn't help commenting.
"Of course, Seisui!"
Shio looked at Tobirama's face, her cheeks flushing slightly as she nodded.
"I told you before. I'm willing to use my physique to help Konoha's shinobi. That's something I've always wanted to do..."
"Good. That's all I needed to hear."
Tobirama nodded.
"Come to the Konoha Research Department tomorrow and find me."
With that, he turned around and left without hesitation.
Shio agreed and watched his retreating figure, her mind already wandering.
Who was he trying to save?
"Ever since Seisui gently turned me down, he's been acting like he's avoiding me, as though he's afraid I'll distract him from serving the village..."
"It must be someone very important to him. A shinobi who made great contributions to Konoha?"
That was what Shio thought to herself, and she couldn't help looking forward to tomorrow.
Being someone with a somewhat romantic disposition, she even found herself fantasizing.
Could this be an opportunity for her and Seisui to break the ice?
Forget romance—shouldn't they at least interact from time to time?
After all, they had escaped together from the hell that was Kusagakure...
The next day.
Shio arrived at the Konoha Research Department.
Under the guidance of staff members, she was led to the operating room prepared for Tomie.
After entering, Shio's first reaction was surprise.
She realized that nearly everyone present was a major figure in Konoha!
Orochimaru, Tsunade, Hiruko...
"Greetings, Committee Members..."
Shio greeted them somewhat nervously.
Even though she spent every day with Mito, Mito was Mito, and she was herself.
At least that much, Shio could distinguish.
"Kid, this is the method you mentioned for maintaining vital signs during large-scale blood replacement?"
Tsunade looked at Shio, her expression becoming difficult to control.
The situation between Shio and Seisui had become fairly well-known gossip within the village...
Tsunade's mind immediately began racing.
What kind of strategy was this?
'Could it be that Seisui is hopelessly in love with this girl named Tomie? So he's using such an extreme method to publicly show that he's cutting ties with Uzumaki Shio?'
Tsunade felt her teeth ache slightly.
'That's definitely the sort of extreme solution only an Uchiha could come up with! Second Grandpa was right. Some Uchiha brats really are born evil!'
Tsunade wasn't in a great mood.
No matter what, Shio was a member of Mito's clan and technically a distant relative of hers...
Wasn't this practically treating her the same way Kusagakure had?
Orochimaru merely smiled without saying a word.
On the surface, he was here for the experiment.
In reality, he was here to relax.
And enjoy the show...
He had just finished arranging another matter for Tenzō.
He had contacted Kakuzu and arranged for him to assist the Hyūga Clan with investigating noble assets. The work had left him somewhat tired...
Occasionally watching an awkward young romance unfold was good for one's mental health.
As a bonus, Orochimaru could observe Uzumaki Shio's unusual physique up close.
'Kid? Tsunade actually called me 'kid'? What kind of upside-down world is this?'
Although Tobirama maintained a calm expression, he couldn't completely suppress his displeasure.
Just as Shio was about to say something to comfort him, the corner of her eye caught sight of Tomie sitting up on the hospital bed, gazing affectionately at the young man who had saved her.
Shio felt as though she had been struck by lightning.
"And this is...?"
"I'm Seisui's friend. Nice to meet you..."
Tomie forced a smile onto her pale face.
Even she didn't know how she was supposed to face Shio.
Her feelings were complicated.
"Are you ready?"
Tobirama glanced at Shio.
"I'm going to begin saving her."
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