Chapter 76: Meeting Uzumaki Mito
Danzo was deep in thought, an especially fierce headache pounding at his temples.
But soon, he made a decision.
He had no choice but to act according to his plan.
Given how unfavorable his situation was, this was already his only chance.
Meanwhile, some distance away, Kei was inside the Senju clan compound.
If outsiders discovered that, they would be stunned.
No matter how one looked at it, Kei was Uchiha by blood.
And the Senju and the Uchiha had been sworn enemies for generations.
In the past, only Madara had ever walked into the Senju compound as an Uchiha.
Kei might be the second to accomplish it.
"Keep it up, Kei!"
Inside the Senju compound, Tsunade clenched her fists, her eyes bright as she cheered him on.
"I absolutely support you becoming Hokage!"
"When I grow up, you can pass the Hokage position to me and let me be Konoha's Fourth Hokage!"
Several years had passed, and Tsunade had grown quite a bit. She was now an early teen, already carrying herself like a young kunoichi.
Under Tobirama's arrangements, she attended the Ninja Academy like any ordinary student, and her grades were excellent.
Within Konoha, she was already recognized as one of the most brilliant geniuses of her generation.
"Becoming Hokage isn't that easy."
Kei met her gaze and smiled. "If you want that goal, you'll have to work much harder."
"Definitely."
Tsunade nodded without hesitation. "None of the students my age can beat me. Except for one named Orochimaru who's somewhat decent, the rest aren't anything special."
"What about Jiraiya?" Kei asked. "He seems pretty capable too."
"Tch. He's just a dead last."
The moment Jiraiya's name came up, Tsunade looked openly disdainful.
If Tsunade and Orochimaru at this age were absolute geniuses, then Jiraiya still looked completely unremarkable.
His talent had not awakened yet, and his performance was mediocre.
In the original path, it was Hiruzen who later noticed Jiraiya's potential and took him as a disciple, eventually shaping him into the Toad Sage.
For now, it was still too early.
Kei kept walking, thoughts steady, expression unchanged.
Up ahead, trees thickened, and several Senju stood among them, guarding the inner area.
"Lady Mito is waiting for you inside."
A middle aged woman stepped forward and spoke to Kei.
It was Touka, a Senju who had once followed Hashirama, and one of the few elite jonin still remaining within the Senju today.
Her attitude toward Kei was neither warm nor openly hostile. Only when she looked at Tsunade did her expression soften slightly.
"Thank you for the trouble."
Kei did not react to Touka's tone. He simply nodded and continued forward.
After a short walk, he reached the deeper part of the compound.
A woman was seated there quietly, waiting for him.
Uzumaki Mito.
The First Hokage's wife.
And Konoha's Nine Tails jinchuriki.
At this time, with Hashirama and Tobirama gone one after another, Mito was the undisputed strongest person in all of Konoha.
"You're here."
As Kei approached, Mito turned toward him and smiled.
"Sit down and have some tea first."
As she spoke, she personally prepared tea for Kei, pouring from a pot that had already been readied.
If others saw this, they would be shocked.
In Konoha, Mito was not only the strongest, she also carried the highest seniority.
She was the First Hokage's wife. In terms of standing, she belonged to the founding generation.
Even the Hokage had to treat her with respect.
Kei sat across from her, respectful and quiet, watching her movements calmly.
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
"I still remember when you first came here. You were such a small child, and in the blink of an eye, you've grown into an adult."
Mito sighed softly, as if recalling the boy Kei had once been.
"Back then, Tobirama brought you here. I had never seen him praise someone so highly."
"After that, I knew you would be extraordinary in the future, and that has proven true."
"In just a few years, you've achieved great things. In terms of contribution to the village alone, you are not inferior to Tobirama."
She spoke as if reminiscing, not immediately going to the main topic.
"It was only because Lord Tobirama valued me."
Kei shook his head, expression calm.
"I do not have any extraordinary talent. I only did what I could to help Lord Tobirama."
"You're still so humble."
Mito smiled, then her gaze sharpened slightly.
"It's been quite lively outside lately. What do you think about it?"
She finally arrived at the point.
"A farce."
Kei shook his head.
"My teacher has gone missing, yet powerful enemies remain outside. If this continues, the village will suffer significant losses."
"In my opinion, it's time for this farce to end."
"Yes. It is indeed time for it to end."
Mito nodded gently, unsurprised. Then she sighed.
"Continuing like this won't be good for anyone."
"Kei."
Her eyes settled on him.
"Do you want to become Hokage?"
Kei nodded, then shook his head.
"Becoming Hokage is the wish of my teacher, and of many others."
"Although my teacher is missing now, I still want to fulfill that dream for him."
"Using my power to protect this village that he and Lord Tobirama loved."
As he spoke, his heart was perfectly calm.
Even though Hiruzen's disappearance was his own doing, he felt no guilt.
Judging by Konoha's future, replacing Hiruzen as the Third Hokage would only mean Konoha would be better off.
If that was the case, what was there to feel guilty about?
"It's good that you have confidence."
Mito smiled, having watched Kei carefully the entire time.
She would never trust someone easily.
But she trusted the Kei sitting in front of her.
Kei was different from the other Uchiha.
His chakra carried warmth and peace, not the cold, dark aura she sensed from most Uchiha shinobi.
For Mito, the Nine Tails jinchuriki, whose perception far surpassed ordinary people, that difference was unmistakable.
A person's words could lie.
But their chakra could not.
In Mito's judgment, Kei was undoubtedly a good person.
.....
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