"My respects, Lady Mito."
"Thank you for everything you have done for Konoha."
As a member of Konoha, Kawakaze cannot claim to hold much respect for the Third Hokage. To him, the man seems simple-minded, a conspiracy theorist lacking genuine drive.
However, his feelings toward the ageless goddess standing before him are entirely different. Mito Uzumaki, willing to become a Jinchūriki for the village, commands his deepest admiration. Despite enduring pain, she continues to love the village her husband built, dedicating her life to its prosperity.
"It's just a small contribution. This is all the work of Hashirama," Mito said nostalgically. She clinked glasses with Kawakaze, raised her long sleeve to cover her face, and finished her wine in one elegant gulp.
"It's now your young people's world."
"I heard there will be a war soon," Kawakaze murmured. "I wonder how many ninja from Konoha will die in a foreign land."
"No matter the era, war is inevitable," Mito replied with a sigh. "This is also something Hashirama never wanted to see."
As a Jinchūriki, Mito Uzumaki bore the weight of being Konohagakure's ultimate weapon.
Tsunade quietly refilled her grandmother's cup. "Because war is imminent, I proposed that medical-nin be included in mission teams, but Sarutobi-sensei rejected the idea." Her voice betrayed her disappointment.
"Sandaime-sama has his own plans," Kawakaze offered, trying to reassure her. "I think it's only a matter of time before your proposal is approved."
Despite Kawakaze's optimism, the proposal was reconsidered and ultimately shelved. It would not be implemented until Tsunade herself ascended to the position of Hokage.
"You mean well, but medical technology is underdeveloped, and there are only a handful of medical-nin," Mito noted, her experienced perspective immediately pinpointing the proposal's weakness. "Wouldn't equipping a mission team with a ninja who only knows how to heal reduce its combat effectiveness?"
Tsunade fell silent, deep in thought. She was still too young to fully grasp the complexities of such a reform. Compared to the seasoned leaders like Hiruzen Sarutobi, she was like a newborn, inexperienced in navigating the intricate balance of power. Hiruzen, who had likely used her suggestion to gauge faction reactions, managed to suppress and then reintroduce it without any personal loss—an example of political finesse that would take Tsunade years to master.
"If there aren't enough people, we can train them," she finally said. "Sooner or later, that day will come."
"Why trouble yourself with such thoughts when there's good wine before you?" Kawakaze interjected, noticing her unhappy expression. He raised his glass, clinking it lightly with hers, and took a sip.
"Thank you, Kawakaze," Tsunade replied with a forced smile, finishing her drink as well.
The conversation steered away from heavy topics after that. Kawakaze used his knowledge of the modern era to share amusing anecdotes, making both Mito and Tsunade laugh heartily. The atmosphere gradually turned lighter and more relaxed.
Meanwhile, Nawaki and Kushina, who had already finished their meal, were enthusiastically discussing the Eight-Sided Han Sword. In their excitement, they accidentally knocked over a cup on the table, earning a disapproving look from Mito.
She stood, taking the Eight-Sided Han Sword in her hands and drawing it slightly from its sheath. It was indeed an extraordinary blade.
"Kawakaze," Mito said, turning to him, "carrying a sword every day must be troublesome and inconvenient." She smiled softly. "Today, I'll give you a little something."
Kawakaze watched curiously as she approached him.
"Extend your right hand."
Unsure of her intentions, Kawakaze obeyed.
Mito held the sword in one hand while forming a hand seal with the other. A powerful surge of chakra accompanied by a strange fluctuation filled the room.
"Seal."
When the hand seal was complete, Mito pressed the sword against Kawakaze's palm. In an instant, the Eight-Sided Han Sword vanished, leaving behind only a large "sword" character imprinted on his palm.
Such powerful Fūinjutsu! It was no wonder Mito Uzumaki was regarded as the pinnacle of the Uzumaki Clan's sealing arts.
"You can release your sword by stimulating the seal with your chakra," Mito Uzumaki explained, treating it as a trivial matter. For most ninjas, weapons were typically sealed within scrolls for convenience.
But this? This was different. Kawakaze had never seen a weapon sealed directly onto a body. Even Orochimaru, with his sinister ingenuity, had only hidden the Kusanagi Sword within his body. Intrigued, Kawakaze couldn't resist trying it out. He focused his chakra on the seal, and the Eight-Sided Han Sword materialized in his hands.
This... This is the power of space, Kawakaze thought in awe.
"Lady Mito, I'm afraid your Fūinjutsu is unparalleled in the world," Kawakaze said earnestly, marveling at the precision and complexity of her technique. The use of spatial power in such a refined manner was a realm most ninjas couldn't even fathom.
"It's nothing," Mito replied, dismissing the praise with calm humility. "I was just inspired by Tobirama." With that, she returned to her seat, her earlier euphoria now replaced by her usual composed demeanor.
"I also owe my Strength of a Hundred Technique to my grandmother's help," Tsunade remarked, her tone cutting through Kawakaze's flattery. She seemed unimpressed, perhaps even disdainful. To her, Kawakaze was just a young man, too green and untraveled to truly understand the world.
Kawakaze didn't seem bothered by Tsunade's reaction. Letting go of the Eight-Sided Han Sword, he watched as it disappeared again, vanishing like a magician's trick.
"Thank you, Lady Mito, for your generous gift," he said, bowing deeply.
Mito, however, seemed distracted, her gaze unfocused and distant. Kawakaze continued speaking, but she gave no response. She was elsewhere—immersed in the sealed world within her body.
Inside that world, a vast prison cage stood under dim light. Water dripped rhythmically onto the ground, the sound echoing through the silence: tick-tock, tick-tock. Behind the bars loomed a massive shadowy figure—a fox with nine tails, its glowing scarlet eyes filled with malice.
The beast's deep, menacing voice rumbled from the shadows. "Mito, this man gives me a very dangerous feeling."
Mito stood far from the cage, her expression calm but wary. The Nine-Tails' piercing gaze seemed almost predatory, its aura brimming with hunger and hostility.
"An aura that can make even the Nine-Tails feel fear?" Mito questioned, a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice. She wasn't pleased that the fox had pulled her into this conversation unbidden.
"Ridiculous," the Nine-Tails snapped, its pride stung. "I only feel slightly threatened. Who am I afraid of?"
Its arrogance, laced with malice, was palpable. Despite the unease it had confessed moments before, the Nine-Tails' pride would not allow it to show weakness.
"So, you're not afraid of those eyes either?"
Mito Uzumaki's words cut deeply into the Nine-Tails' pride, and the beast let out a deafening roar that reverberated within its cage, shaking the sealed world.
"It's just a toy," Mito said dismissively, her voice calm and unyielding. With a huff, the Nine-Tails retreated, curling back into its original form, brooding in silence.
"It's just a trivial thing, not worth thanking me for," Mito said, finally addressing Kawakaze's earlier gratitude. "In the future, Tsunade will need your help."
Her tone carried a quiet weight. Mito had heard Kawakaze's earlier words and, influenced by the Nine-Tails' observations, now believed that this man's strength could be invaluable to her granddaughter. The looming war brought uncertainty, and even with Tsunade's prodigious abilities, Mito couldn't help but worry about the unexpected.
"Grandma~" Tsunade pouted, her dissatisfaction plain in her expression. The insinuation that she might need someone to rely on irked her. Her defiant posture—a rare display of a more feminine side—momentarily stunned Kawakaze.
In that instant, his heart raced, and a thought crossed his mind: the name for their future child.
"Naturally, I will do my best," Kawakaze replied smoothly, a handsome smile curving his lips. His agreement was as wholehearted as it was sincere.
The banquet drew to a close without any of them drinking excessively—not even enough to feel tipsy. As they bid farewell to Mito Uzumaki, Tsunade and Nawaki escorted Kawakaze to the door, with Kushina bounding alongside them.
"Come drink at my house when you have time," Kawakaze said casually, though his words were clearly meant for Tsunade rather than the others.
"Okay," Tsunade replied without hesitation, her agreement as natural as her tone.
"I want to go too!" Kushina piped up, her lively personality shining through. After being cooped up at school for so long, she was eager for any chance to have fun.
"Of course you can," Kawakaze said warmly, reaching out to tousle her red hair. "It's really pretty, but unfortunately mine is silver."
Kushina giggled, her cheeks turning a faint pink at the compliment.
"Big Brother, see you tomorrow," Nawaki said with a subtle wink, hoping his gesture would convey the message.