Beside Mito walked Tsunade Senju, Mito's granddaughter and Hashirama's, with a worried yet composed expression.
Behind them were Nawaki—still young but clearly carrying a tension he couldn't hide—and Kushina Uzumaki, who looked restless even since they left home.
Kushina's gaze kept shifting to Mito, as if she wanted to ask something, but the words never came out.
They didn't speak the entire way.
Their silence wasn't due to a lack of things to say, but because anger and anxiety had enveloped them too strongly, binding their mouths and holding their breaths.
As they arrived in front of the central power building of Konoha, the Hokage's office appeared like a silent room's door.
Without hesitation, Mito pushed the main door open with a heavy creak.
Inside, the large room with high ceilings felt quiet yet oppressive.
Four people were seated within: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and Danzo Shimura.
They all sat in front of a rectangular table, their backs to the evening light streaming in from the large window behind them.
Their eyes immediately fixed on the door.
Hiruzen's face tensed upon seeing who had arrived.
Danzo merely glanced briefly, then looked down, as if he were just a shadow in the room.
Homura and Koharu exchanged a brief look, then turned their worried and cautious gazes toward Mito, as if waiting for a storm.
Mito wasted no time.
Her steps echoed firmly against the wooden floor, producing a loud sound that reverberated like the clang of iron.
When Mito stopped, the room seemed to hold its breath.
"Why didn't you help Uzushio?" Mito's voice was cold.
Flat.
But everyone present knew it was not a request for an explanation.
It was a voice of judgment.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the room changed drastically.
The air became denser, as if held within a pressure dome.
Tsunade clenched her fists at her sides, her face tense.
Nawaki swallowed nervously.
Kushina slightly bowed her head, not daring to look at anyone.
Hiruzen opened his mouth, but no sound came out for several seconds.
Hiruzen's eyes moved restlessly.
Where Hiruzen knew, he couldn't lie.
Not to Mito.
"About that..." Hiruzen murmured softly, trying to piece together an excuse.
But before Hiruzen could continue, his thoughts returned to the discussion a few hours earlier.
...
...
...
Danzo, sitting with his arms crossed at the time, had said in a flat yet pressured voice that helping Uzushio was akin to dragging Konoha into destruction.
"Three major villages have allied," Danzo said.
"Even if we send our best troops, we won't be able to stop them."
"And Kumogakure could attack while we are weakened."
That reasoning was accepted.
Ratified.
Stored neatly in a meeting known only to the four of them.
But now, that reasoning felt fragile in the face of Mito Uzumaki's gaze.
...
...
...
"I'm asking!" Mito murmured again, quieter this time, but now the aura of chakra began to pulse around her body.
Hiruzen gritted his teeth.
Where Hiruzen knew what would happen if that chakra went uncontrolled.
Though it wasn't Kyubi's chakra, Mito was an Uzumaki.
The amount of chakra Mito possessed... was unfathomable.
The office walls began to vibrate softly.
The document shelves on the side of the room shifted a few centimeters.
The ink in the small bottles began to ripple.
Mito stepped closer.
The air around Mito trembled.
The light from the window seemed distorted by the pressure Mito was emitting.
"I'm asking why you didn't send reinforcements!" Mito said again, louder.
This time, the voice echoed, like thunder in a closed room.
Hiruzen was forced to stand.
Hiruzen's hand was slightly raised, trying to calm her.
Hiruzen's voice came out quickly, almost stammering.
"Lady Mito! Please calm down... We... we considered everything!"
"If we send help, they might not arrive in time!"
------------------------------
[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
________________________
[Note: 495+ latest chapters have been added! For Just 3$ You Get Access To Chapters Way Ahead,
Now you can access the chapters before Webnovel And Scribblehub by following,
Just become a patron on Patreon:
Patreon.com/Alex_Fabianoki]