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"Why won't you let me in? I need to see Hokage-sama!"
"Not today."
"Then when can I?"
"I don't know. I will convey your wishes, but until then, you can only wait patiently for Hokage-sama's summons."
Uzumaki Kushina clenched her fists, looking at the Anbu Ninja whose tone held no emotion.
Finally, she glared at the Hokage Building and turned to leave.
Walking through the streets of Konoha, Uzumaki Kushina felt her heart filled with resentment.
Yuzuru was right; that old man Hiruzen Sarutobi really did take action.
From now on, she would never be able to see Mikoto and Yuzuru again.
"Damn it! Why must even this bit of freedom be taken away? What will of fire, what bonds... it's all bullshit!"
Uzumaki Kushina huffily returned to the Senju clan compound.
Her last shred of fantasy was shattered; she was utterly disappointed with this boring Village.
She only hoped Yuzuru's plan would go smoothly; she didn't want to spend even another second in this cage.
"Kushina, you seem to be in a bad mood."
Uzumaki Mito, who was sunbathing in the courtyard, reached out and pulled Uzumaki Kushina in front of her: "Did something happen?"
"Grandma Mito, I..."
Seeing Uzumaki Kushina's hesitant expression, Uzumaki Mito slowly got up and led her into the room.
"Kushina, speak freely; no one will be able to hear our conversation."
Upon hearing this, Uzumaki Kushina knelt beside Uzumaki Mito.
If there was anyone she could still trust now, it was only Uzumaki Mito, who had raised her.
"Grandma Mito, if one day I leave Konoha, will you blame me?"
Uzumaki Mito paused: "Kushina, why are you suddenly saying such a thing?"
"It's nothing, just thinking aloud."
Hearing this, Uzumaki Mito stroked Uzumaki Kushina's long hair and said softly: "Kushina, there's a scroll on the bedside; bring it over."
"Oh."
Uzumaki Mito placed the scroll in Uzumaki Kushina's hand and said gently: "This scroll contains all the Seal techniques of the Uzumaki Clan; it's yours now."
Uzumaki Kushina's mouth dropped open in surprise, disbelievingly saying: "Grandma Mito, why are you suddenly giving me something so important?"
Uzumaki Mito smiled: "Originally, I intended to give it to you after I died, but I'm afraid that one day I'll wake up and you'll suddenly be gone, so I'll give it to you early."
"Grandma Mito, you don't blame me?" Uzumaki Kushina asked in a low voice.
"Silly child, why would I blame you?" Uzumaki Mito smiled and shook her head, "Since you've already made your decision, I will absolutely not interfere."
"I've personally experienced how difficult a Jinchuriki's situation can be."
"Of course, the path you choose might not be much easier than being a Jinchuriki."
"No matter where you are, the Village will not easily give up on you."
"It's okay, I'll be careful." Uzumaki Kushina finished, then asked with some confusion: "Grandma Mito, since your life isn't going well, why do you keep enduring it?"
"With your status and strength, even the Hokage shouldn't dare to do anything to you, right?"
Hearing this, Uzumaki Mito sighed: "Although Hashirama has been dead for many years, as his wife, I want to continue his ideals."
"For the Village, I can't just act on my own preferences. After all these years, I've done right by Hashirama."
"However..."
A look of reminiscence appeared on Uzumaki Mito's face, and after a long time, she said: "I let down the clan members of the Land of Whirlpools."
"Kushina, I'm sorry to say these things after you've made your decision; I hope you don't blame me."
If Uzumaki Kushina hadn't decided to leave Konoha herself, she might have kept these words bottled up for a lifetime.
Looking at the aging elder, Uzumaki Kushina felt a pang in her nose and said in a deep voice: "Grandma Mito, I don't blame you."
"That's good." Uzumaki Mito smiled and held Uzumaki Kushina's hand.
Even for someone with her vigorous vitality, her skin had become dry and wrinkled.
She caressed Uzumaki Kushina's fair and tender hand, curiously asking: "Kushina, can you tell me how you came to this decision?"
After hearing Uzumaki Mito's words, Uzumaki Kushina rested her chin on her hand, and the moon from that night appeared in her mind.
A smile unconsciously appeared on her lips, and she said softly: "Because I met a hero..."
------
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Child's play."
Uchiha Fugaku snorted coldly, splitting the several-meter-diameter high-temperature fireball in half with a single sword strike.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Claw Crimson!"
Dozens of shuriken, imbued with flames, were like phoenix flowers filling the sky, colliding with each other and attacking Uchiha Fugaku from every blind spot.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Uchiha Fugaku quickly formed hand signs, then used his long sword to strike down all the shuriken in front of him.
As for those in the blind spots behind him, he left them all to his Shadow Clone to handle.
Clang!
Sharp long swords clashed and then instantly separated.
Uchiha Yuzuru's and Uchiha Fugaku's three-tomoe Sharingan spun frantically.
Their figures constantly flickered everywhere, moving at extreme speed.
Each strike aimed directly at the opponent's vital points, yet each was gracefully dodged by the other.
"Yuzuru, this time I will definitely defeat you!"
Uchiha Fugaku said confidently.
They had agreed not to use their ocular power, so he was confident he could defeat his opponent.
Hearing this, Uchiha Yuzuru didn't speak, only responding with even sharper sword techniques.
After a while, Uchiha Fugaku's expression turned ugly as he looked at the long sword resting against his neck.
He had lost.
Even without using ocular techniques in their duel, he was still no match for Uchiha Yuzuru.
Looking at Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Yuzuru slowly sheathed his long sword.
"Although I don't know what you're hoping for, this is reality."
Even without using ocular techniques, the Mangekyo Sharingan's dynamic vision was incomparable to that of an ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan.
Moreover, with the System's rewards, he had no weaknesses in any aspect.
To defeat a Kage-level expert with no weaknesses, there was no other way but to overwhelm them with sheer power.
Uchiha Fugaku clearly did not possess such conditions.
Looking at Uchiha Yuzuru's understated demeanor, Uchiha Fugaku could only sigh: "I lost."
"You seem very disappointed?"
"What else?"
He was also praised as a Genius, and he was several years older than Uchiha Yuzuru, yet now he was completely outshone by him... Seeing Uchiha Fugaku's expression, Uchiha Yuzuru comforted him: "You don't need to feel inferior for losing to me. Just as a butterfly is destined not to fly across the ocean, a firefly doesn't need to compete with the bright moon."
Upon hearing Uchiha Yuzuru's words, Uchiha Fugaku clenched his fists: "Are you mocking me?"
"No, I'm comforting you."
"Then you'd better not do that again in the future; you don't have the talent for it."
The usually calm Uchiha Fugaku felt like his teeth were about to shatter.
How annoying, why couldn't such an irritating guy be him?
But it was fine, he had material for his dreams tonight.
Just as Uchiha Fugaku was lost in thought, Uchiha Yakumi and Uchiha Inaho rushed in hastily.
"Lord Yuzuru, Lord Fugaku, our people clashed with the Anbu; do you want to go take a look?"