Night Maple's ears twitched slightly. He hadn't expected Sarutobi Hiruzen to come down this hard and dissolve Root outright.
And Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were forced to take a leave?
He never would have thought the Third had that kind of resolve.
Then again, the Third right now is only fifty, not pushing seventy like in the anime.
Who would have thought Danzō tried to move against him and ended up knocking himself out of office.
But Night Maple knew perfectly well that Danzō was only lying low for now.
The darkness of Konoha would not crumble so easily.
Kushina was very surprised. "Really."
Uchiha Mikoto whispered in Kushina's ear, "That's what I heard from Fugaku…"
Kushina grinned. "Mikoto, are you and Big Brother Fugaku a thing?"
"My parents think so, but I'm still young. Marry without even dating? Kushina, you've got it good."
With that, Uchiha Mikoto sighed.
Kushina quickly took Mikoto's hand. "Mikoto, if you don't like it, refuse. You can't force yourself to do what you dislike."
"Kushina, it isn't that simple. Fugaku is set to be the next clan head. Enough about that. Tomorrow is my birthday. Can you come?"
Kushina nodded hard. "Mikoto, of course I'll come to your birthday party. Right, Night Maple?"
[Ding. Based on the host's current situation, here are your choices.]
[Choice One: Refuse Mikoto's invitation, sleep at home, be a salted fish. Reward: Make-Out Paradise first-edition limited.]
[Choice Two: Accept Mikoto's invitation and attend her birthday with Kushina. Reward: Forbidden Technique, Harem Technique.]
System, are you trying to stir things up.
Harem Technique?
Are you hinting at something?
This is a tough choice.
...
After a bit, Kushina looped her arm through Night Maple's. "Mikoto, we'll definitely be on time tomorrow."
In the end, Night Maple chose the ninjutsu.
Something like Make-Out Paradise that corrupts people's hearts was not something Night Maple would accept.
At most, he would discuss it with Jiraiya.
[Ding. Congratulations to the host on obtaining the Forbidden Technique, Harem Technique.]
Harem Technique.
A combination of the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and the Sexy Technique.
This was Naruto's signature move.
As all the knowledge of the Harem Technique poured into Night Maple's mind, he immediately grasped every point of it.
Learning the Harem Technique was equivalent to learning the A-rank Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and the C-rank Sexy Technique.
It was essentially a bundled combo of jutsu.
For the Harem Technique to look convincing, the caster's imagination must be convincing.
For the caster to imagine convincingly, he has to gather plenty of references.
As a perennial dead last who started by kissing Sasuke, Naruto could defeat multiple enemies with the Harem Technique and even snared Kaguya, so he must have referenced quite a lot.
Which shows that even at a young age, Naruto was already an old hand.
Now that the Harem Technique had fallen into his hands, would it be passed down from him...
It is not like I wanted such a weird technique on purpose.
...
Not long after Mikoto left, Kushina pulled Night Maple along to tell Uzumaki Mito about going to Uchiha Mikoto's birthday banquet tomorrow.
Night Maple had already sensed something off.
Simple and straightforward as she was, Kushina had not figured out the situation before foolishly agreeing.
The Uchiha inviting the Uzumaki to the Uchiha compound.
And Night Maple, regarded as the last heir of the Senju, going along to the Uchiha compound.
To the other clans in Konoha, this was a matter worth careful consideration.
Did it signal something.
It might make every clan head rack his brains.
Were the Senju going to unite with the Uchiha.
Everyone would think back to the grand era when Konoha was founded.
Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, those legendary figures.
Hearing that Kushina was going to the Uchiha household for Mikoto's birthday banquet, Uzumaki Mito sighed and actually nodded.
"Go on. Night Maple, you go with her too. I don't feel easy letting Kushina go alone."
"Yes, Granny Mito."
Night Maple was surprised that Uzumaki Mito agreed without objection.
In that instant, Uzumaki Mito had already thought of many things.
Back then, to avoid suspicion, the Senju not only fell out with the Uchiha but also had many ordinary clansmen set up their own households and disperse.
In the end, the Senju bloodline still grew thinner by the day.
War and conspiracies killed off the last of the Senju males.
After this Root attack on Night Maple, Uzumaki Mito had it figured out.
Other clans in Konoha fear the Uchiha. Do they not fear the Senju as well?
Uchiha Madara was fearsome, but the Senju Hashirama who defeated him was even more so.
Voluntary retreat is useless and only invites harsher blows.
Better to unite with the Uchiha and take hold of the Hokage's authority again.
From her observations these days, Uzumaki Mito knew Night Maple had that strength. He took down Root's ten-man squad with ease.
Even if he could not match Sarutobi Hiruzen, he was still among the top ten in Konoha.
And Kushina had the makings of a worthy consort.
So Uzumaki Mito left only one line. "Go early and come back early."
...