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34.txt
Mito Uzumaki was exhausted.
Qianyu, this boy… his mind was a fortress.
He'd clearly realized she'd seen through his act. His demeanor had shifted completely. Yet his words remained watertight—not a single crack.
Mito sighed, her voice laced with defeat. "Qianyu… can't we talk frankly? Just you and me. No one else will ever hear this. I know you resent me because of Kushina. So tell me. Right now, I'm not the Nine-Tails' vessel. I'm just Kushina's elder. Your elder."
Qianyu tilted his head slightly. His gaze was calm, unnervingly still. "Lord Mito. As her elder, you never asked if she wanted it. So why would my opinion matter?"
A pause. Deliberate.
"Whatever I think… Kushina will still replace you. She will become Konoha's vessel. Won't she?"Another pause."So… what's the point?"
Mito's eyes flickered. He was right. Kushina becoming the next Jinchūriki was already decided. Set in stone. Qianyu's feelings? Kushina's own wishes? They changed nothing.
But…
She leaned forward, her gaze intense. "It matters. Because your feelings matter to her."
Qianyu stared back. Silence stretched between them. Finally, he spoke, his voice low. "I want Kushina to be happy. Always."
The meaning was clear.
Becoming a Jinchūriki meant a lifetime of pain. Of isolation.
Mito had it better—wife of the First Hokage, master of sealing arts. The Nine-Tails rarely broke free. But in other villages? Jinchūriki were hunted. Feared. Hated. They fought their beasts every day for control. The pain was constant.
And extraction… having the tailed beast ripped from your soul… that pain was beyond description. It killed you. Slowly. Agonizingly.
Qianyu's wish for Kushina's happiness was his answer. A quiet, firm no.
Mito let out a weary breath. "But… it is her fate."
Irritation sparked in Qianyu's gut. Unbidden. Unwelcome. "It's only 'fate' because she's weak. Because she has no choice. You dress it up with a pretty name to make it easier to swallow. You know that better than anyone. Don't talk to me about fate."
Mito studied him. "If you wish for her happiness… will you try to change it?"
Qianyu looked down. "I'm just a genin. This isn't my concern. The Hokage will handle it."
Mito's head throbbed. There it was again. The walls slammed back up.
This conversation was over. She knew it. He'd never lower his guard around her. Not now. The reason was Kushina. As long as Kushina was destined for that cage, Qianyu's heart would remain locked. Not just to her. To Konoha itself.
Perhaps… even hostile to it.
She asked one final question. "Qianyu… is Konoha important to you?"
He threw it back at her. "Lord Mito… is Kushina important to you?"
Mito's expression grew somber. Was Kushina important? Of course. But compared to the village? To the Will of Fire?
Konoha came first. It always had.
Her answer was clear. So was his. He had something more important than the village. To him, Konoha might not matter at all. Just as, in his eyes, Kushina didn't truly matter to her.
Fatigue washed over Mito. Her voice softened. "Qianyu… I care for Kushina. Deeply. Believe it or not… I truly want you both to live well here."
Qianyu bowed slightly. "Of course I believe you care for her. You're her only family. And please don't worry. I live well in Konoha. I am… grateful."
Mito waved a hand, the gesture tired. "Good. Go on, then. She's missed you. Don't let an old woman keep you."
Qianyu turned and left. The door clicked shut behind him.
Mito slumped back, releasing a long, heavy sigh. A child. He was just a child. Yet he spoke with the cunning of a seasoned fox. Only once had his composure cracked—when she'd mentioned fate. A flicker of real anger. The rest? Impenetrable.
"A little fox indeed," she murmured. A small, wry smile touched her lips. Part frustration. Part… respect.
Outside, Qianyu found Kushina not far from the door. She was crouched low, utterly absorbed in something on the ground.
He walked over and knelt beside her. "What's so fascinating?"
Kushina pointed. Between the cracks of the wooden floorboards, a tiny wildflower had pushed through. "Look! A flower grew here! In this tiny crack! Isn't it pretty? Prettier than any garden flower!"
Qianyu stared at the fragile bloom. Life, stubborn and defiant, in the most barren of places. "Yeah," he said quietly. "It's incredible. So much vitality… to bloom in a place like this. Of course it's beautiful."
Before he could say more, Kushina scrambled onto his back, arms looping around his neck. "No time for staring! Let's go!"
Qianyu laughed, hoisting her up and adjusting his grip. "Hang on tight. My treat today. First mission payout."
Usually, genin split earnings with their sensei. But Orochimaru had let him keep it all. A full C-rank reward—sixty thousand ryō—now nestled in his pocket.
Kushina pumped a fist over his shoulder. "I'm eating everything!"
"Deal!"
With Kushina on his back, Qianyu broke into a light jog, his steps quick and carefree as he carried them away from Mito's quiet compound.
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