Detecting Mito's reaction, Hiruzen tiptoed lightly over to her, gently handing the swaddled infant from his arms.
"Please, take a look—he's very robust."
Mito accepted him.
Having lived through the brutal Warring States era and the period of founding villages, even she felt a moment of daze at this sight.
Compared to the child she once had with Hashirama, the aura of Hashirama emanating from this baby was, instead, even denser and more orthodox…
After all, a child carries not only part of the mother but also the influence of postnatal factors; a son not resembling his father is hardly rare.
But what this child possessed were original Senju Hashirama cells—genuine beyond any doubt.
"This child is…?" Mito asked.
Hiruzen nodded with a grave expression.
"Many Konoha shinobi were sacrificed. This is the only successful case."
Mito naturally knew that the village had been researching Hashirama's cells, hoping to pass on Wood Release and obtain the power to control the tailed beasts and protect itself…
For shinobi, this was not something inherently unacceptable.
She was merely confirming it, and Hiruzen was also telling her—this was the only remaining seed of Wood Release, and very likely the last one.
Mito gazed at the baby's small face and murmured softly, "He resembles him a little…"
After saying that, she laughed to herself.
"How could he resemble him? I never even saw him as a child—honestly."
Hiruzen listened quietly.
An elderly woman who had devoted everything to the village, seeing—late in life—a child carrying the aura of someone from the past…
It was something profoundly subtle.
The beginning and end of life; the continuation of longing and its incarnation…
Only after Mito came back to herself did Hiruzen slowly speak. "Mito-sama, Monkey would like to ask you to look after this child."
"His body has successfully fused with Hashirama-sama's cells. There is a very high probability he has inherited Wood Release…"
"Looking across the entire village, only you are the most qualified—and best able to raise and train him."
Hiruzen bowed. "If your strength can still bear it, then please, Mito-sama—pull yourself together again, and complete this arduous task for the village!"
At that, Mito shook her head and laughed.
That expression which, after countless life-and-death wars, had always remained calm, finally held a faint smile that truly came from the heart.
Looking after a child was indeed not easy—but for Uzumaki Mito, how could it be?
What Hiruzen had said was nothing more than seeing through the deep emotion in her heart: the desire to be needed.
"You, you, Monkey…"
Holding the child with one arm, Mito gestured with the other for Hiruzen to sit down quickly. "How is it I never knew you brat were so good at making people happy?"
"Not a single trace of flattery—Mito-sama truly is Konoha's pillar that holds up the sky," Hiruzen said with a completely serious face.
"Monkey still has many matters that will depend on you!"
"Please see—this child still has no name. Mito-sama, I ask that you bestow one upon him…"
Naming someone can deepen the bond between people; it is a ritual, an expression of formality and meaning.
Mito found this quite agreeable as well. After a brief moment of thought, she said, "Mm. How about calling him Yamato?"
Hiruzen's thumb went up almost immediately.
"Good—this name is good! It carries the meaning of peace and healthy growth; simple yet strong, balanced and upright. It seems ordinary, yet its implications run deep…"
Mito was amused by his manner and laughed. "Stop flattering me, Monkey! I was thinking of a 'plain name that's easy to raise.' Where did all that come from?"
Having been exposed, Hiruzen instead looked surprised, then spoke again with a straight face: "See? You're being modest again. Ever since I was little, I heard Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sensei say that you are the most talented and wise kunoichi in the shinobi world!"
"Even Uchiha Madara held you in very high regard!"
Upon hearing Uchiha Madara's name, Uzumaki Mito paused slightly and said with a sigh, "Madara, hm? It's been a very long time since I last heard his name…"
"He and Hashirama—compared to me—really were like a pair of star-crossed lovers."
There was, in that tone, a faint trace of sourness that had crossed several decades.
Hiruzen's eyes rolled thoughtfully. 'Mito-sama, what do you mean by that?'
"Oh, right—do you know where Madara's remains are? Lately, I've been studying the notes Tobirama-sensei left behind…"
Hiruzen was very curious about this.
Tobirama had even studied Uchiha Izuna—how could he not have studied Uchiha Madara's body as well?
Yet the notes made no mention of this. What they contained were only conjectures and a few scattered traces.
Mito snorted coldly. "I don't know either!"
"Back then, Hashirama brought Madara's body back, and Tobirama insisted on dissecting it…"
"But Hashirama flew into a tremendous rage over it—his chakra erupted so violently that even the Nine-Tails trembled. The look he gave Tobirama could only be described as killing intent."
"He never did that for me!" At that moment, the chakra Mito naturally let slip made Hiruzen click his tongue inwardly.
Not only hers—there was also a strand of the Nine-Tails' chakra interwoven within it.
Who said this old lady only had a couple of years left?
This old lady was, in all seriousness, still quite formidable!
"Where Hashirama buried Madara's body, he never told anyone—including me…"
"Ah—how improper of me, Hiruzen…" Mito came to her senses. With just a slight tilt of her head, the tailed-beast chakra was swiftly drawn back into her body.
"Did I give you a laugh?"
"Not at all, Mito-sama!" Hiruzen gave a light cough.
"Please don't be angry. Between the Senju and the Uchiha—hasn't it always been like this? Just look at Uchiha Izuna and my sensei; things were rather strange there as well…"
Mito nodded deeply in agreement. "There's something off between those two clans!"
"Still, it's all in the past… These days, I rather miss that time." Mito's gaze softened.
"Back then, there was constant bickering, but we all believed there would be no more disputes."
"Hiruzen, you must do your work well. Perhaps the thousand-year grudge between the Senju and the Uchiha might even be resolved in your hands?" Mito encouraged Hiruzen in this way.
Hiruzen smiled inwardly.
If the old lady were to learn of his plans, that would be trouble…
He would have to put himself and Tobirama on the same side of the table.
After Hashirama's death, one of the First Hokage's final instructions had been to entrust his widow, Mito, with closely supervising his younger brother Tobirama's research work—so as to prevent him from creating some heaven-defying forbidden technique…
"Please rest assured. I will do my utmost to mend the relationship between the village and the Uchiha…" Hiruzen replied in a deliberately vague manner.
He did indeed intend to mend it. As for how exactly it would be mended—there was no need to ask.
"Mito-sama, Yamato will be in your care…" Hiruzen changed the subject, and began chatting with Mito about village affairs and everyday matters.
From reforms to the 'Konoha Council,' to pharmaceutical development, to drawing in the Hyūga branch family, he spoke of many things—placing particular emphasis on the village's future commitment to research.
He also hinted, indirectly, that once the village's financial reserves ran a surplus, a special fund would be established for the Uzumaki clan, to support Uzumaki orphans who joined the village in the future, helping them quickly establish new homes.
Mito listened attentively, nodding from time to time.
And it was at this moment that Hiruzen asked his true question: "Do you know of any secret techniques that can be used to assist in linking the chakra pathways?"
Mito's expression grew subtly intriguing as she looked at Hiruzen with a meaningful gaze.
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