"Their numbers... won't be enough to withstand the combined forces of the three great villages!"
"And—if we focus too much on Uzushio, Konoha will be vulnerable to an attack from Kumogakure!"
"Even if we send troops now... the war will break out on two fronts!"
The room was still vibrating.
Hiruzen stared at Mito with a pale face.
As far as Hiruzen knew, that reasoning might be acceptable on paper.
But no ink and paper could write the wounds of betrayal.
Mito closed her eyes for a moment.
Her voice weakened, but it felt sharper.
"Even if you only send a small squad... it's better than sending no one," she said softly.
"But you... don't even show the intention to help. Not one of you stands up... even to pretend to care."
Danzo remained silent.
Still looking down.
But a thin smile briefly appeared—faint, yet enough to make Tsunade, who was watching Danzo, clench her fists tighter.
Mito looked around the room.
The chakra light surrounding Mito slowly dimmed, but the emotional pressure she radiated only deepened.
...
...
...
"You really are a bunch of disrespectful kids. Is this how Tobirama raised you?"
Mito's voice was cold, almost devoid of emotion, yet that was what made her so terrifying.
In front of the four adult men—Hiruzen, Danzo, Homura, and Koharu—Mito stood tall like a marble statue weathering a storm within her chest.
Mito's gaze pierced through, stripping away every sense of shame and guilt they tried to hide behind political posturing and diplomacy.
None of them dared to respond.
Even Danzo, who usually retorted quickly, merely turned his face away.
After a few suffocating seconds of silence, Mito slowly turned her body, her long cloak fluttering lightly as she stepped away.
Tsunade walked behind Mito, her face grim.
Nawaki bit his lip to hold back his emotions, and Kushina looked down, tears beginning to well in her eyes.
The footsteps of the four echoed in the empty stone corridor until the sound faded along with their shadows behind the door.
Once they were truly gone, Hiruzen let out a long, heavy sigh as if he had just been freed from the pressure of thousands of tons.
"That woman... doesn't realize that all of this is in vain," Danzo scoffed, his voice low but filled with disdain.
Danzo crossed his arms over his chest, hiding his anxiety behind a mask of arrogance.
"Danzo!" Hiruzen snapped, his eyes narrowing sharply.
"Do you realize what you just said?! Lady Mito is the wife of the First Hokage—Hashirama Senju! She is not just any woman!"
Danzo fell silent, his lips moved as if he wanted to retort, but not a single word came out.
Where Danzo knew Hiruzen was right.
Mito might appear old and frail, but behind that seemingly aging body lay a terrifying power—Bijuu, tailed beasts whose strength could destroy a village in an instant.
But if Mito lost control, or chose to attack... the destruction of Konoha would only be a matter of time.
Because of that, even though Mito was a woman and an Uzumaki, they all had no choice but to respect Mito... or fear her.
...
...
...
Some time later, within the Senju clan residence, a different atmosphere was felt.
The large old wooden houses stood quietly under the cloudy sky, covered in fallen leaves blown by the spring wind.
The remnants of past glory were still etched in the pillars of the houses, even though the complex was now inhabited by only a handful of people.
Mito walked with determined steps in front, though her heart felt heavy.
Tsunade was beside her, silent.
Nawaki still looked restless.
And behind them, Kushina—the young Uzumaki girl with bright red hair—walked with a sluggish gait and a face wet with tears.
------------------------------
[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
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