"He is a good child. From now on, I am entrusting him to you."
Facing Tsunade’s question, Uzumaki Mito gave a slight smile and answered softly.
"???? Huh?"
Without saying anything more, Uzumaki Mito moved to the courtyard and looked up at the full moon in the sky.
Hashirama... if it were you, what would you do? Konohagakure...
Looking at the full moon, Uzumaki Mito felt an inexplicable sense of weariness.
She had lived for far too long. She had experienced both the prosperity and the decline of Konohagakure, as well as the downfall and extinction of the Senju and Uzumaki clans.
And now... she had made a decision, not knowing if it was right or wrong.
That kind of Chakra will definitely not be influenced by the Mangekyo’s Yin Release Chakra, right?
From the moment she discovered Uchiha Xuan, Uzumaki Mito had been observing this Uchiha cub whose Chakra reaction was completely different from other Uchiha—one could even say completely different from any other ninja.
She had observed him for a full half-year, watching as Uchiha Xuan’s power grew steadily every day, or sometimes suddenly leaped forward.
The surprise in Uzumaki Mito’s heart grew deeper and deeper.
It wasn’t until Uchiha Xuan finally decided on certain things that she suddenly realized what kind of storm his existence would bring to Konohagakure.
This was why she had initially felt killing intent; she didn’t want any variables to appear in the village that Hashirama had worked his entire life for.
However, that thought was instantly extinguished as soon as it was born. Half a year of observation allowed her to see a glimpse of what kind of person Uchiha Xuan really was.
All of Uchiha Xuan’s decisions were merely driven by the support the Uchiha clan gave him—from Uchiha Setsuna to the various elders, and the rest of the Uchiha.
Everything these people did for him had laid the foundation for Uchiha Xuan’s desire to launch a coup so the Uchiha clan could obtain everything.
During these six months of observation, Uzumaki Mito had a feeling: Uchiha Xuan was forcibly trying to integrate himself into his surroundings. But this integration was abrupt; no matter how much he blended in, it could not change Uchiha Xuan’s core ideology.
This child was very mature and had his own standards of behavior. These standards even projected a portion of the child’s morality into his daily life.
In plain terms, the child was not a bad person, but he was definitely not a saint. Everything he did started from his own standpoint.
Therefore, Uzumaki Mito had the idea of expanding Uchiha Xuan’s standpoint.
Everything Uchiha Xuan wanted to do was to repay the Uchiha clan for what they had done for him. So, what if she intervened? What if she placed more chips on the scales of Uchiha Xuan’s heart? Would things take a new turn?
It was a gamble, and she wanted to bet one last time in the final moments of her life.
The next day.
After school.
"Minato, go ahead and train by yourself today. I have things to handle."
At the entrance of the Ninja Academy, Uchiha Xuan took a gift box from an Uchiha ninja and turned to speak to Namikaze Minato beside him.
"Alright, you go ahead. If there’s anything I can help with, let me know."
Looking at the gift box in Uchiha Xuan’s hand, Namikaze Minato roughly guessed what he was planning to do and spoke with a smile.
"Mhm."
The Senju Clan Territory was easy to identify in Konohagakure.
In just a short while, Uchiha Xuan arrived at the gates of the Senju Clan Territory.
There were no guards at the entrance. After looking at the somewhat desolate estate for a moment, Uchiha Xuan stepped inside.
Upon entering, he saw Uzumaki Mito standing by the pond, feeding the fish.
"Greetings, Madam Mito."
Uchiha Xuan was very respectful. Facing a powerhouse and an elder, there was no reason not to be.
"No need for formalities. From now on, you can just call me Grandmother. Why did you bring a gift? Don’t do it again. The house is a bit lonely now; you should come by more often in the future."
Uzumaki Mito looked at Uchiha Xuan with a kind expression.
Seeing Uchiha Xuan before her, Uzumaki Mito’s resolve strengthened.
As expected... the power within this child is growing every day, and the growth is extremely stable.
"Yes."
Uchiha Xuan nodded slightly and stopped speaking. For a moment, the scene fell silent again.
"Monstrous Strength—are you interested? I once used Kagura Mind’s Eye to observe your battles. Although you use a sword, I feel you are quite suited for this technique."
After a moment of silence, Uzumaki Mito suddenly spoke.
"Tsunade’s signature technique? But... her techniques shouldn’t be considered part of the Senju’s, right? After all, she does not carry the Senju name."
Uchiha Xuan spoke softly.
"Monstrous Strength was not created by little Tsunade. But even if it were, I could have her teach you. Although she is a bit flighty, she still has many things to teach you. For example, Medical Ninjutsu or... Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art. Your Chakra should be very suitable for practicing Sage Art."
Uzumaki Mito spoke with a smile.
"You want me to take her as my master?"
Uchiha Xuan frowned slightly and spoke in a low voice.
He couldn’t see through the thoughts of this elder from the Warring States period at all.
"You know yourself that is impossible. You wouldn’t be willing, so naturally, I won’t ask you to take little Tsunade as a master. Xuan, since I’ve asked you to call me Grandmother, then little Tsunade can be considered your older sister."
The smile on Uzumaki Mito’s face remained unchanged.
"..."
Just as Uchiha Xuan didn’t know how to respond, a boisterous youth and the subject of their conversation made their appearance.
"Grandmother! I’m back!"
The voice was heard before the person arrived—a typical loud entrance from a distance.
"They’re here. Most of the meals at home are prepared by a chef arranged by the Monkey. Since I don’t like the smell of cooking oil and smoke, the food is usually delivered once it’s ready. Today, I had Nawaki go and pick it up."
Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Xuan looked toward the voice and saw Nawaki walking into the Senju Clan Territory carrying a large food box.
Not suited to be a ninja.
Looking at this youth who was shouting while holding the food box, his eyes revealing a certain clear stupidity, Uchiha Xuan gave his evaluation.
As the grandson of the First Hokage, Hashirama, and the disciple of Orochimaru, such a person would eventually die in the war because he stepped on an explosive tag.
And his sacrifice would serve as the catalyst that changed the future paths of the Sannin.
"Hmph."
Nawaki walked in, placed the food box on a nearby stone table, and gave Uchiha Xuan a cold snort.