chapter 83 part 1
Chapter 83: Twilight Showdown of the Old Era: Madara VS Mito Uzumaki
Danzo did not conceal his purpose; it was also a blatant warning.
"You say you have no interest in the Rinnegan, and are unable to bear the Rinnegan, but if you were to secretly return to the Land of Rain yourself, who could stop you? I must ensure you don't do such a thing."
Danzo walked ahead, his voice cold.
Tsukasa Kaede appeared to be following closely. Occasionally, villagers and ninja cast concerned glances, and after recognizing the two, immediately showed respectful expressions.
In their eyes, the two looked solemn, whispering something; it was clearly a serious discussion between the village's higher-ups and a village genius, perhaps they had encountered a tricky mission? Tsukasa Kaede smiled and said, "So that's how it is. But your choice to do this might not be a good idea. You might forever lose the chance to get your hands on the Rinnegan."
Mito Uzumaki. Although her name was rarely mentioned in the village's propaganda and public discourse, it seemed there was a deliberate attempt to downplay the accomplishments of the First Hokage's wife.
This was understandable; after all, Mito Uzumaki was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. The village tried to minimize Mito Uzumaki's presence to protect her—yet, those in the know were well aware that although Mito Uzumaki was old, she was still a formidable expert who absolutely did not need protection.
Mito Uzumaki might not necessarily be interested in the Rinnegan, but she would certainly be interested in Nagato himself, precisely because Nagato was an Uzumaki descendant.
"Speaking of which, the village must have put in a lot of effort to get Kushina Uzumaki back then. Descendants of the Uzumaki Clan are truly too precious, and superior Uzumaki descendants with Life Force surpassing ordinary Uzumaki clansmen are even rarer."
Nagato was a top-tier Uzumaki clansman; his Life Force should be even stronger than Kushina's. Mito Uzumaki would definitely not let him go.
Danzo snorted coldly, "It's good that you know. With her intervening, you'll have no chance whatsoever to secretly steal the Rinnegan from me. It's better to completely sever any improper thoughts."
Danzo left on his own, completely ignoring Tsukasa Kaede.
Tsukasa Kaede stroked his chin, pondering for a long while, sensing that things were about to get troublesome.
With Mito Uzumaki interfering in Nagato's affairs, Madara was not blind and would never stand by idly.
"The Land of Rain is truly plagued by misfortune. However, at this point, there's nothing extra I can do. Let these people of the old era decide."
Tsukasa Kaede shook his head. He turned and returned to his residence, sorting out his current forces, especially meticulously learning about Terai and his group, whom he had just acquired.
Terai and Araki of the Sand were both important helpers he valued, one skilled in solo combat and the other in area-of-effect attacks, a perfect combination.
"Once the next Great Ninja War erupts, I can lead an entire zombie army into battle, hunting down experts from other villages and further expanding my own strength." The more Tsukasa Kaede thought, the more satisfied he became.
Life was looking up; the Ninja World's gospel would only increase... right?
...
Training Ground No. 34.
Mito Uzumaki had been teaching Kushina for some time.
In recent years, she had continuously trained Kushina, watching her grow stronger step by step. Kushina had basically mastered most of the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu and was already qualified to establish herself in this world.
Now, only the Reaper Death Seal remained. This Jutsu was too profound and abstract. Even if one managed to research and understand it, during the actual cultivation process, one wouldn't dare to truly use it to verify the results.
As a result, Kushina could never be sure how far she had progressed, or if she could successfully cast the Jutsu, only able to push forward with difficulty according to Mito Uzumaki's requirements.
Until a person slowly walked to the outskirts of the training ground, looking at the two individuals amidst a group of wooden stakes.
"Lady Mito, Shimura Danzō has an urgent matter to discuss," Danzo said in a deep voice.
"I am busy and don't participate in Konoha's political affairs. Leave," Mito Uzumaki didn't even bother to glance at him. Her powerful Sensory Ability meant she didn't need to use her eyes or ears to gather external information.
"Lady Mito, I wouldn't disturb you without good reason. What I'm about to say will surely interest you... Speaking of which, that young girl is practicing the Reaper Death Seal, isn't she? I happen to recognize her Hand Kaedegns sequence."
Danzo stared at Kushina. He originally placed great importance on this next Jinchuriki, but according to the Third Hokage's wishes, Danzo's faction was forbidden from contacting Kushina.
Now, he paid even more attention. Who knew why the Rinnegan had appeared in an Uzumaki Clan descendant? There must be something wrong.
Mito Uzumaki finally looked Danzo in the eye.
"Your Chakra has been severely depleted. Although you've tried hard to recover and conceal the traces of battle, you can't hide it from me. And that Sharingan of yours, how dare you appear before me without replacing it with ordinary eyes."
Mito Uzumaki's tone wasn't angry. In fact, she would die soon and couldn't be bothered with the Hidden Leaf Village's higher-ups' trivial matters.
Even in Hashirama Senju's era, when the Hidden Leaf Village had a small population and few ninja clans, political struggles weren't as severe as now, yet Madara's incident still happened. Let alone now, she couldn't manage it, nor did she want to participate.
Kushina was her entire life's work.
Kushina looked at Danzo curiously. She instinctively felt that this person was not good, otherwise, Grandma Mito wouldn't have such an attitude.
And what did he mean by Sharingan? Did this person have a Sharingan? An Uchiha Clan member? "As expected of Lady Mito, your Sensory Perception is as terrifying as ever. Even if I had replaced my eyes, you would have discovered it, and the Sharingan issue is minor."
"Did you just see the Reaper Death Seal in the Scroll of Seals?"
"No, I just saw someone use the Reaper Death Seal in the Land of Rain. It was a spectacular performance. After it was done, he even personally sent me back to the village," Danzo said in as calm a tone as possible.
This finally piqued a flicker of interest in Mito Uzumaki.
Land of Rain? Reaper Death Seal...