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"Would you dare to name the child Senju Weasel?" Akio finally sighed after a long pause.
Nawaki stared at him, completely dumbfounded.
"Forget it, do whatever you want." Akio waved his hand dismissively. He wasn't in the mood to look at the newborn anymore and turned back to his room.
"Meow~"
As soon as he entered, the little kitten ran over, rubbing against his ankle to tell him it was hungry.
Akio picked it up, rubbed his cheek against its fur, and crumbled up some dried fish to feed it.
"Nawaki's got a son now," he murmured. "Once I give him Optimus Prime, you can stay with me." He didn't care if the kitten understood him or not—he just kept talking. "It's been 111 years since I crossed into the Naruto world… hah, 111 years. What a ridiculous number. Just like me."
"At first, I just wanted to go with the flow—live out a century and a half, see a real-life version of Naruto play out before me."
"But the more I interacted with the original characters, the less I wanted things to end the same way. I didn't want the Uzumaki Clan to be destroyed. I started changing things."
"I saved Tobirama, pushed Kumogakure out of the Five Great Nations' circle, and sealed Black Zetsu. Even after all that, I thought I could still steer things back on track. Then, because of some coincidences—and maybe a little of my interference—Minato and Kushina found their way back to each other. That put my heart at ease."
"Then Akatsuki appeared—some strange version of it that seemed to 'correct' the story. Honestly, I was happy. I thought everything would fall back into place eventually."
"Meow~"
The kitten finished one piece of dried fish, and Akio fed it another.
"Even when Mikoto married Nawaki, I didn't think much of it. I mean, the transmigrator seniors always said there's such a thing as 'world correction force,' right?"
At that phrase, Akio's expression twisted with irritation. "To hell with world correction! What kind of world lets a child take after his mother's clan instead of his father's!?"
"Meow?" The kitten's startled cry went up an octave.
Akio sighed again, running a hand down its soft fur.
"My future self once told me not to be too shocked by what would happen six months later—he had that annoying smirk on his face. I knew it wasn't going to be good. And he was right. How could I not be shocked? It was horrifying." He rubbed his temples.
"Ah, whatever. It's out of my hands now. And who knows—maybe Fugaku's unborn child will end up being named Uchiha Itachi?" Akio chuckled at the absurd thought. "A Senju Itachi versus an Uchiha Itachi—who would win?"
"Heh… daydreaming again," he muttered to himself.
Suddenly—
"Lady Mito!"
"Lady Mito!"
…
The noise outside startled Akio. He shot to his feet, heart sinking.
"Mito…"
He rushed out of the room and saw Mito surrounded by members of the Senju clan.
She was holding the newborn Senju Itachi in her arms. Tsunade and Kushina supported her on either side.
Her youthful appearance was gone—the mark on her forehead had faded away. All that remained was white hair and deep wrinkles.
The Uchihas' expressions grew solemn. Whatever thoughts they'd had before, none of it mattered now.
"Everyone, go back," Akio said quietly. When no one moved, he repeated, "Don't crowd around. Go back."
The crowd slowly dispersed. Akio stepped closer to Mito.
"Second Grandpa, let's prepare to transfer the Nine-Tails," she said softly. "Kushina, are you ready?"
Akio froze, completely caught off guard by her words.
Seeing his reaction, Mito smiled faintly and handed the baby to Tsunade. "I've lived long enough to see my great-great-grandson with my own eyes. I have no regrets. I'm not like you—I won't be around to see the Fifth or Sixth Hokage."
Akio sighed. "There's no rush for the Nine-Tails. With me here, even if its chakra dissipates, I can reassemble it."
"That's good. Then I can spend a little more time with Itachi. His future… I leave in your hands. With you watching over the Uzumaki, I'm not worried. But the Senju…" She looked around at everyone present. "Tsunade, Nawaki, and Dōzan all have potential, but none can compare to Tobirama—or Hashirama."
"Now that Itachi's here, as long as he grows up safely, the Senju can flourish for at least another sixty years."
Akio blinked, then took a closer look at the baby in Tsunade's arms. "The Sage Body… the Senju bloodline has produced a complete Sage Body again. Understood, Mito. I'll make sure he grows up well."
"Grandma Mito…" Kushina whispered, tears welling in her eyes. Having spent most of her life in Konoha, she'd grown deeply attached to Mito.
Mito smiled at their worried faces. "No need to be sad. If we don't transfer the Nine-Tails right away, I can last another ten days, maybe half a month. I'm not dying today."
Akio added, "Nawaki, go take care of Mikoto. Mito will be fine for now." After a moment's thought, he added, "Tsunade, you go too."
Then he turned to the Uchiha. "And the four of you—head back to your compound. Don't just stand there."
The Uchiha elder looked like he wanted to speak, but Kagami shot him a sharp glare, and the four men quickly left. They weren't going to rest, of course—they'd go straight to discuss how to handle the coming turmoil. Mito's position in Konoha was no lower than Hiruzen's—perhaps even higher.
Akio personally escorted Mito back to her room after dismissing the rest of the Senju.
"Second Grandpa, don't be sad. You knew this day would come," she said softly.
Akio smiled faintly and shook his head. "After sending off Hashirama and Tobirama, I've long grown used to it. There's no sadness left." But as he spoke, his voice trembled slightly, and he quickly changed the subject. "I'll set up a sealing barrier around your room. It'll keep the Nine-Tails' chakra from leaking out."
As Akio worked on the seals, Mito watched him quietly.
"Second Grandpa," she said after a while, "you don't seem very happy about Itachi's birth."
Akio paused mid-hand sign, then smiled. "What? Of course I'm happy."
"I don't know why," she murmured, "but I get the feeling you want everything to follow a certain path. Did Itachi… step off that path?"
Akio gave a rueful chuckle. "Didn't I tell you before? You're too smart for your own good. You'll end up with no friends."
"And you?" she teased. "You don't have any either."
He grinned shamelessly. "That's because I'm even smarter."
Mito shook her head, smiling. "Whatever the case, Itachi's birth makes me happy. Kenji's happy. Tsunade, Nawaki, Mikoto—they're all happy. Are you truly not happy?"
Akio finished the final hand seal. A soft blue light shimmered as the sealing barrier activated around the room.
He looked up at the starry sky through the window, then turned back to Mito's wrinkled yet peaceful smile.
"I am happy," he said quietly.
And with those words, the heaviness in his chest finally lifted.
This was his version of the shinobi world—and a world that never changed would be a world without surprises.
In the end, that would be the real boredom.
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