"So that's how it is. Tōshirō, you really are an understanding child."
A kid who thinks about being friends with the tailed beasts couldn't possibly have any hidden agenda. Plus, he was Tsunade's boyfriend—so Mito didn't think too much about it. "Alright, I'll agree to it."
Even if something were to go wrong, the Five-Tails' activity range was limited to the Forest of Death. It wouldn't cause too much damage. Besides, judging by the Five-Tails' attitude toward Tōshirō, he didn't seem as aggressive as the other tailed beasts.
Based on that, Mito decided to take a gamble. If it worked out, Tōshirō would become the first Jinchūriki in history to truly connect with a tailed beast in spirit and become a perfect vessel.
Tōshirō sincerely bowed in thanks. The fewer people who knew about the beast inside him, the better. This was his only dependable trump card.
Mito smiled kindly. "In any case, do your best from now on. I have high hopes for you. I look forward to seeing you lead the Uchiha Clan to integrate successfully into the village."
"Mm, I'll definitely make it happen."
Tōshirō made a solemn promise to Mito.
This wasn't him just trying to flatter Mito. He genuinely wanted to see the Uchiha Clan integrate into the village, rather than continue to wander on its outskirts, constantly being criticized and judged.
As for becoming Hokage, Tōshirō had long since given up on that idea. Instead, he chose to fully support Tsunade in becoming Hokage.
As long as Tsunade became Hokage, even if those four old geezers had something to say, they'd just be retired folks with no real power to back up their opinions.
A breeze swept by. Mito looked into the distance and murmured to herself, "Then when I see Hashirama again, I'll be able to give him an answer."
Suddenly being entrusted with the responsibility of helping his clan integrate into the village, Tōshirō felt immense pressure. He shrugged and then joked in his mind:
"If we want the Uchiha to gain the village's approval in the future, man, what a tough road that'll be. Honestly, I wish that Madara guy had been a woman from the start. Then Tsunade and I wouldn't be under so much pressure."
Mito, getting on in years, didn't quite follow his line of thinking. "Uchiha Madara was a woman?"
Tōshirō answered without hesitation, "Yeah."
His thoughts were too out there—Mito couldn't keep up and was left completely baffled. "Why would you say that? And how does that even relate to the Uchiha integrating into the village?"
"I heard those two were not only the best of rivals, but also the best of friends, right?"
"That part's true."
Mito recalled how, at night, when she lay beside Hashirama, he would often talk about "Uchiha Madara" in his sleep.
When she was younger, it really bugged her. I mean, cuddling with your wife and calling out another guy's name in your sleep? Worse yet, that guy was another man! If someone didn't know better, they might've thought Hashirama had that kind of preference.
Tōshirō grinned, his tone completely matter-of-fact. "See? If Madara had been a woman, with their kind of relationship, marriage would've been inevitable, right? And if they got married, the Uchiha would've naturally become part of the village, no problem."
Mito: ???What the heck is this logic?!
She felt like Tōshirō was just spewing nonsense… but the more she thought about it, the more it kinda made sense—which only made her more annoyed.
And when she thought about it even deeper, if Madara had been a woman, maybe there would've been no place for her, Uzumaki Mito.
Her face darkened instantly. "If that were the case, then you and Tsunade wouldn't be a thing either. You okay with that?"
Tōshirō replied immediately, "That wouldn't be a problem."
"Wouldn't be a problem?"
"Yeah. Marry Madara, then marry—uh…" Tōshirō noticed that Mito's face had gone completely black like a lump of coal. Realizing he might've pushed the joke too far, he scrambled to fix it: "I mean… Lady Mito?"
Mito: "..."
Tōshirō lowered his eyes, looked at his nose, focused on his heart, and mumbled timidly: "Then… you'd be the main wife? And Madara would be the concubine?"
Mito: "..."
What the hell am I even saying…Digging his own grave, Tōshirō wanted to slap his own mouth.
Forget trying to explain—better to just show some sincerity…
Without another word, Tōshirō dropped to his knees with a thud, bowing deeply. "I sincerely apologize, Lady Mito. I shouldn't have joked about something like that."
Mito closed her eyes briefly. She didn't take it too much to heart. In a calm tone, she said, "Forget it. Get up."
"Okay! Thank you, Lady Mito."
Tōshirō got up from the ground.
Mito feigned a scolding tone, "I really don't know what goes on in that head of yours, child."
Tōshirō scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.
Mito dropped the mock sternness and replaced it with a warm, kind smile. "But this free-spirited personality of yours… sometimes it reminds me of Hashirama. I don't dislike it."
Hearing her say that, Tōshirō felt relieved. Thankfully, Mito was magnanimous and didn't take offense. He took it as a lesson: he really needed to learn to read the room before joking around.
"Thank you, Lady Mito, for being generous and not holding a grudge against a fool like me."
Mito chuckled, "Your apology is a little too formal, don't you think?"
Tōshirō replied earnestly, "It's to show my sincerity."
Mito gave a helpless smile. "Don't call me 'Lady Mito' from now on. It sounds too distant."
"Distant?"
"Just call me Grandma, like Tsunade does."
Tōshirō's eyes widened. He took a sharp breath and theatrically leaned backward. Then he dropped to his knees, raised his upper body, and cupped his hands in a salute. "Tōshirō has drifted through life, lamenting never having met a wise master. If you do not abandon me, I am willing to recognize you as my grandmother!"
After finishing his declaration, he pressed both palms to the ground and bowed his head in a deep kowtow.
Mito's mouth twitched. Is this kid's brain a little broken? Thinking back to her husband's equally eccentric personality, she wondered—maybe people with real talent all had unusual brain circuits?
Mito sighed awkwardly. "You're being way too dramatic."
"I think it's just right," Tōshirō said calmly.
Mito rubbed her temple with her fingers. "Alright, whatever makes you happy. From here on, you'll be training on your own."
She had originally intended to teach Tōshirō how to control the tailed beast, but now he'd have to figure it out himself.
Tōshirō suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, Lady Mito—can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"You were from the same era as Uchiha Madara, right?"
"Yes."
"In that case, can you tell me a bit about him?"
Mito blinked in surprise. "Why do you want to know about him?"
Tōshirō raised his fist confidently and declared, "My dream is to surpass Uchiha Madara and become the strongest ninja in the history of our clan. So I want to learn more about him from others."
Mito recalled that stern, serious man. "He was the only one who could rival Hashirama. He's not someone that's easy to surpass."
"If it were that easy, it wouldn't mean anything," Tōshirō said.
Mito gave a slight smile. "What do you want to know about him?"
Tōshirō asked, "Well, things like his hobbies… or what type of jutsu styles he specialized in."
Mito gave a brief explanation. "I'm not too sure about his hobbies, but I can tell you about the jutsu he excelled at. First and foremost, there's the Sharingan. Aside from that, Fire Release and… Lightning Release."
Tōshirō blinked. "Lightning Release?"
"Because his Sharingan and Fire techniques were so famous, people often overlooked his Lightning techniques."
"So what kind of Lightning Release jutsu was he good at?"
Mito thought carefully and told him about the Lightning techniques she knew Madara used.
Tōshirō took mental notes. In the original lore, after Madara became the Jinchūriki of the Ten Tails, he used techniques like Storm Release: Light Fang and Yin Release: dm-style Lightning, both of which had elements of Lightning Release. It seemed there were reasons behind his use of those particular techniques.
After collecting the intel he needed, Tōshirō felt there was no reason to ask further and prepared to go train.
Just before he left, Mito suddenly called out his name.
"What is it, Mito—Grandma." That last part still felt a little awkward for Tōshirō to say.
"Please… make sure to protect Tsunade from now on."
"Of course."
"Then go on and train."
Watching Tōshirō walk off to train, Mito narrowed her eyes, her gaze becoming thoughtful and profound.
She wasn't sure whether Tōshirō would ever awaken the Sharingan. But the process of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan—that, she understood very well.
Which was exactly why she made sure to say what she said.
(End of Chapter)
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