The two of them exchanged mutual flattery for a while.
Uchiha Makoto knew his objective had been achieved. With Uzumaki Mito's endorsement, his "inspirational short essays" would be able to circulate freely through Konoha without resistance.
As for whether the "chicken soup" he had poured into Mito's heart would cause a marital crisis for Senju Hashirama—
That was not Makoto's concern.
Perhaps,
for Uzumaki Mito herself,
it could even be considered a good thing.
After all, within a few short years, Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara would fall out because of a certain "mysterious force" lurking within Konoha. Madara would then defect from the village, trample the Nine-Tails beneath his feet, and become a tragic avenger bent on destroying Konoha.
In the end, one of them would die, and the other would "die for love."
Konoha would suffer greatly because of their clash—and Uzumaki Mito would be one of the victims.
To become a widow at such a prime age was truly regrettable.
And because of her identity and status, Mito would never be allowed to remarry. Of course, having once stood beside a man who embodied the very pinnacle of the shinobi world, she likely wouldn't look twice at any other man anyway.
No matter how one looked at it,
the latter half of Uzumaki Mito's life was destined to be spent in loneliness and solitude.
But now, things were different.
She had found a new direction in life.
With her abilities, this was practically a "great heroine" script of the shinobi world. Once she devoted herself to her career, loneliness and emptiness would naturally fade away—because a busy person simply has no time for emotional self-consumption.
Uzumaki Mito herself was filled with joy.
She felt strength surging through her body. She wanted to fight for the kunoichi of Konoha who were still oppressed and bound by family obligations. She had to realize her own value in life.
She never wanted to return to those muddled, stagnant days again.
She would live—for herself.
"Mito-sama," Makoto said,
"these are several short essays I've written. I plan to publish them in the next issue of The New Shinobi. Please take a look. If there's anything inappropriate, don't hesitate to correct it."
At last, Makoto revealed his true intention.
From his desk drawer, he took out several essays he had already prepared—pieces he intended to distribute in Konoha shortly after his wedding.
They revolved around themes of female independence, awakening, and self-worth.
Uzumaki Mito accepted the papers and read them carefully. Each short story carried layered meaning and lingering resonance.
Reading a good article was like drinking fine wine.
"Kunoichi can hold up half the sky!"
The simple, straightforward phrase struck directly at Mito's heart.
Although the prevailing belief in the shinobi world was that male ninja were stronger than female ninja, that view was fundamentally flawed.
Shinobi warfare was diverse and unpredictable. Ninjutsu, secret techniques, kekkei genkai, powerful Sage Arts—endless variations existed. Shinobi themselves were essentially glass cannons.
Even the strongest ninja could fall to the right combination—
Hidan paired with Black Zetsu, for example.
So—
Setting aside freaks like Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju—
Before the era of giant chakra constructs and Susanoo-scale warfare, individual brute strength was only part of the equation.
Shinobi wars were far more about intelligence, equipment, tactics, and deception.
Uchiha Izuna, wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan, had been ambushed and killed by Tobirama Senju's Flying Thunder God technique.
And karmic irony followed swiftly—
Tobirama himself later fell to the Gold and Silver Brothers.
"Female ninja are not inferior to male ninja."
Uzumaki Mito murmured to herself, her emotions surging.
She could hardly wait to return to Konoha and speak out for the kunoichi—to help them break free from traditional shackles, reclaim their ninja way, and realize their own worth.
"Mito-sama," Makoto asked calmly,
"what do you think of these articles?"
He already knew the answer from her expression, but he asked anyway.
"They're excellent!"
"They're truly written too well!"
"Konoha needs this kind of fresh wind to drive change. Once these are published, I'll immediately buy hundreds of copies of The New Shinobi and distribute them for free in Konoha."
"No—better yet, I'll have Tobirama approve a special allocation. Something this meaningful deserves an official fund to purchase The New Shinobi in bulk."
"This will also be a chance to clearly convey the village's stance to ordinary kunoichi."
At first, Mito planned to pay for the copies herself. But she quickly realized that official funding would be far more impactful.
It wasn't about money.
It was about sending a message.
Don't fear tradition.
Konoha supports its kunoichi.
Hearing her enthusiastic response, Makoto couldn't help but smile innocently, even humming softly to himself.
The New Shinobi needed more supporters in Konoha. By the time Tobirama realized something was wrong, any attempt at suppression would already face internal resistance.
These methods might be underhanded, but they were effective.
They would give Tobirama a headache—and gradually weaken Konoha.
Makoto would have preferred to defeat Konoha openly and honestly.
But Konoha's health bar was absurdly thick.
In the First three Great Ninja Wars, it had essentially fought one-versus-four, or at worst one-versus-two—while being drained internally by "geniuses" like Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō Shimura, and the other two useless elders.
And yet, prodigies kept emerging.
Even after burning through generations of talent, Konoha still held on until Uzumaki Naruto's rise.
And now?
Makoto was facing peak Konoha, with Tobirama Senju—
that innately troublesome old fox.
Without sabotaging them from the shadows, the difficulty would be absurd.
"Still…" Makoto said, feigning concern,
"this goes against tradition. Mito-sama, do you think Tobirama-sama will really approve it?"
"And Lord Hashirama… he could be an issue as well."
He smoothly applied another layer of "eye drops," sowing doubt with apparent sincerity.
"Hashirama… won't oppose it."
"As for Tobirama, I'll persuade him."
Mito thought of Hashirama—that infuriating man who cared only about Madara, skipped the Hokage's office entirely, and left all governance to his brother.
Convincing Tobirama would be enough.
And as for Tobirama—
She had her own methods.
He knew her situation perfectly well.
Her husband had already neglected her this badly.
If necessary—
She'd just play the pitiful card.
Thinking this, Uzumaki Mito felt that the future of Konoha's kunoichi was brighter than ever.
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