"Mito-sama, dinner is ready."
Takashi, who had been temporarily recruited, was still a little confused. Why exactly did Uzumaki Mito call for him?
It couldn't be just to make a meal, right?
"Takashi!"
Kushina jumped up in excitement, while Nawaki, who was rubbing his aching ear, also looked over curiously.
There hadn't been any guests at home for quite a while, and it was even more surprising that this guest was Kushina's friend.
Nawaki couldn't quite figure it out either. How did Takashi become friends with Kushina? After all, there was quite an age difference between them.
"Are you happy?" Uzumaki Mito asked with a gentle smile.
Kushina nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes! Grandma Mito is the best. I've wanted to invite Takashi over for a long time, but I was afraid you'd be unhappy."
"Silly child," Uzumaki Mito said, pulling Kushina closer.
Seeing Kushina being treated like a treasure by her grandmother, Nawaki started to feel jealous.
"Takashi, let me tell you, I made some new friends at school. There was also this blond kid who wanted to be friends with me, but I ignored him."
At the dinner table, Kushina chatted away about her school life, even mentioning a certain blond boy.
"Don't say things like that."
Tsunade flicked Kushina's forehead. "If he's a 'blond kid,' then what does that make your sister Tsunade?"
Tsunade had initially been curious about who the 'blond kid' was. But once she understood the nickname, she was irritated and felt like giving Takashi a good kick.
According to that logic, wouldn't that make me, Tsunade, the "old blond"?
"Hehe, you're still my sister Tsunade!" Kushina laughed mischievously.
As time passed, Kushina, who gradually became part of this household, grew more outgoing, and her face bore a lot more smiles than before.
Uzumaki Mito felt deeply comforted by this.
It proved that her decision was correct, and Takashi had not let her down, even though he had turned Kushina into a feisty little girl.
Uzumaki Mito didn't think there was anything wrong with that.
So what if a girl has a bad temper when she's young?
She herself had a fiery temper when she was younger, and so did Tsunade. With the two of them leading the way, Kushina's little bit of violence didn't seem like a big deal at all.
While the Senju ancestral home was filled with lively conversation, the Hokage's office was just as busy.
Shimura Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado had all gathered there, except for Torifu Akimichi, who preferred to stay home and avoid getting involved.
The three stared intently at the Third Hokage, their intention obvious.
The Third Hokage remained calm, continuing to process his paperwork.
"Hiruzen, what exactly does Mito-sama mean by this? Are we supposed to start taking Hyuga Takashi seriously?"
Uzumaki Mito's identity was far too special, her status too high. Any move she made could have a huge impact—just like inviting Takashi to the Senju ancestral home.
This action alone had them stirred up.
If only Tsunade and Uzumaki Mito had acknowledged Takashi, it would have been easier—treat him as half an insider, no need to give him too much importance, but also no need to target him.
But now, he had actually been invited to the Senju residence.
Was this some kind of signal?
Under their unwavering gaze, the Third Hokage finally had to put down his papers, pick up his pipe, light it, and take a few deep puffs.
"Koharu, let's not jump to conclusions. I trust that Mito-sama is not a rash person. She will surely give us an explanation."
"Sarutobi, you are the Hokage of this village! As Hokage, why would you just sit by and let something like this, which is beyond our control, happen?"
Who cares about Uzumaki Mito and her special status; the Hokage's authority is what matters most!
If he were Hokage, he certainly wouldn't allow something like this to happen.
Having been admonished, Shimura Danzo started harboring a lot of resentment towards Uzumaki Mito.
Good heavens! Had Danzo lost his mind? How dare he speak like that!
The Third Hokage closed his eyes in frustration. Koharu Utatane rolled her eyes dramatically at Danzo, turned her head to the side in disdain, and made it clear she didn't want to speak to him. Just looking at him annoyed her.
Homura Mitokado could only shake his head.
He wouldn't step in to reprimand Danzo for the Hokage, but neither would he speak in Danzo's favor.
"Enough!" Danzo was unwilling to back down, but the Third Hokage's shout silenced him. "It's precisely because I'm Hokage that I trust Mito-sama. Danzo, is ambition the only thing in your head?"
What do you mean?
Are you saying I'm brainless?
Danzo was stunned, his angry face slowly darkening.
On the surface, besides her own strength, Uzumaki Mito's main identity was as the wife of the First Hokage.
In reality, though?
Even the Fire Country Daimyo would rush over to greet her out of respect, as they were, in fact, close relatives.
Why did the Daimyo formally title Tsunade as the Princess of Konoha?
It wasn't just to curry favor with Hashirama Senju. The familial ties through marriage were also a key reason.
To be blunt, if Uzumaki Mito expressed dissatisfaction with the Third Hokage, the Daimyo's office could immediately put a stranglehold on him.
And what happens when the Daimyo cuts off your resources? Just look at the future Sand Village for the answer.
Tighten your belts and prepare for a rough time.
Even though the Land of Fire is rich, its taxes go to the Daimyo's office, not Konoha. Konoha can't sustain itself without support from the Daimyo. Without that backing, the village's situation would quickly turn bleak.
If resources are cut off, it's bad enough—but if they start sending missions to other villages, Konoha's finances would collapse completely.
Don't doubt it; the Daimyo is capable of that. And he would do it, because the village's development relies heavily on his support.
Otherwise, the Daimyo wouldn't need to be involved in appointing a new Hokage.
"Sarutobi, what do you mean?"
The Third Hokage frowned. "Danzo, you're tired. Go home and rest. As for your role as Hokage's Advisor, I'll put it on hold for now. Once you've figured things out, you can come back and see me."
Becoming the Third Hokage's Advisor had essentially made Danzo a nominal figure, wielding less power than even the elders.
But the elders would never accept someone as ambitious as Danzo.
Nor would the Third Hokage easily delegate power to Danzo, which meant that Danzo's presence among the council was fairly inconspicuous.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, you intend to take away my position?" Danzo pounded on the desk in anger. "Don't forget, without my assistance, without my contributions, you wouldn't be able to sit securely in that chair!"
The Third Hokage smoked silently, watching the furious Danzo.
Without power to support it, ambition is just empty talk.
Precisely because Danzo's ambition was too great, the Third Hokage had sidelined him, reducing his role as Advisor to an empty title.
And now, even that empty title was gone.
Are you just going to let him behave like this?
The Council had the authority to block some of the Hokage's misguided decisions, and Danzo pinned his hopes on Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
After all, the Council was centered around these two.
Unfortunately, Homura had always kept out of these kinds of issues.