"Has this child always been so talented?"
Mito Uzumaki set down the contract and quietly leaned toward Chiri Uchiha, asking in a soft voice.
"Mhm. Ever since he awakened… Impressive, right?"
Chiri smiled proudly, clearly showing off a bit.
"Impressive indeed! I'm jealous. If Nawaki had even half of his intelligence, I wouldn't worry so much…"
Mito sighed helplessly, then handed over two copies of the alliance document:
"Here—let's leave them to their medical talk and finalize our pact first."
"I've already signed and stamped them. Just need your signature."
"Done."
Chiri immediately signed both documents and stamped them.
Each side kept a copy—the alliance was now official.
"Here—these are the Flying Thunder God technique, Tobirama's Water Style jutsu, and all the sealing techniques I can share. You can check them."
Mito handed over a large stack of scrolls.
Chiri simply waved her hand, sending everything into her space-time storage.
"No need. If anything's missing, I'll come find you. You're not going anywhere anyway."
Mito's eyes narrowed slightly. She was both curious and impressed by the spatial technique but didn't press.
Then, Mito paused and changed the topic.
"Have your Uchiha received any news about the Land of Whirlpools recently?"
"Oh?"
Chiri raised her eyebrows, smiling knowingly.
"Of course. We're well-informed. Seems the other four great nations are planning to invade for your sealing arts and bloodline."
"So? Want our help?"
"Yes," Mito admitted directly.
Chiri responded bluntly:
"That wasn't in the alliance contract. An ally's ally isn't necessarily my ally."
"If you want help, you'll need to pay for it."
Though she understood the strategic value of saving the Uzumaki Clan, she wasn't doing it for free.
"Naturally."
Mito nodded. "Name your price."
"Hmm…"
Chiri paused thoughtfully.
"After this conflict, the Uzumaki Clan probably won't be able to remain in the Land of Whirlpools, right?"
"The other villages won't let it go."
"You'll likely have them relocate to Konoha and become part of the village."
"Correct," Mito confirmed.
"I plan to go personally. Even if Lord Ashina doesn't agree, I'll make it happen."
"If we don't act, the clan will be torn apart. To the other villages—and even to Konoha—the Uzumaki are a slab of meat on the chopping block."
"Only by merging with Konoha can we ensure the clan's survival."
"Besides, the Senju are weak now. The Uzumaki joining would greatly strengthen our position. It's a win-win."
Chiri nodded with a smile.
"Then here's my condition: after the clan's safe, I want a copy of your sealing techniques—excluding bloodline-exclusive ones."
"Also, I want to establish intermarriage between our three clans—Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki."
"Huh?"
That second condition caught both Mito and Tsunade off guard. Tsunade even paused her conversation with Genqing.
"Why?"
Mito frowned.
"I thought the Uchiha didn't exactly encourage marrying outside the clan."
"Why suddenly push for intermarriage with Senju and Uzumaki?"
"Is it just to bind us closer together?"
"Heh. It touches on a shared secret among our clans," Chiri said mysteriously, then winked at Genqing.
She continued calmly:
"I found old clan records—evidence suggesting the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki may all descend from a common ancestor."
"That ancestor being… the Sage of Six Paths."
Both Mito and Tsunade were stunned.
"Huh?! Are you serious?"
"The Senju and Uchiha have fought for over a thousand years!"
"You're saying they share the same ancestor?"
"That ancestor was the Sage of Six Paths?!"
It sounded like a myth.
"More or less," Chiri said, nodding.
"Tsunade, have you ever studied the blood or cells of Uchiha and Senju?"
"Not really. That's Orochimaru's area of interest, not mine," Tsunade admitted.
"But I get your point—you're saying our bloodlines overlap and complement each other, right?"
"That would indeed support your theory."
"I'm starting to believe it myself."
"But if we're all from the same lineage… why have Uchiha and Senju been mortal enemies for a millennium?"
"Doesn't make sense."
"Who knows?"
Chiri knew the real answer, of course—it all stemmed from Indra and Asura, the Sage's sons.
But she brushed it off:
"Even real siblings turn against each other."
"A thousand years is plenty of time for grudges to form."
"Fair enough," Tsunade nodded.
"But back to the point—how does that justify your marriage proposal?"
Mito pushed the topic back on track.
Chiri explained:
"According to the records, the Senju and Uzumaki inherited the Sage's body, while the Uchiha inherited his eyes."
"After a thousand years, bloodlines have weakened."
"But I wondered—what if our younger generations intermarried?"
"Would their children possess both physical strength and ocular prowess?"
"Wouldn't that make them more gifted than either clan alone?"
"If so, it benefits all three clans, don't you think?"
And it's the perfect excuse to one day bring all three clans under one banner, she thought.
With the power of the space-time contract and intermarriage as a bridge, Chiri believed she could eventually make the entire Senju and Uzumaki clans bonded to Genqing.
Much easier than seizing control as Hokage.
"Do you have any evidence that children of all three lineages would be stronger?"
Mito asked seriously, locking eyes with Chiri.
She could sense a deeper agenda, but didn't press.
Even on the surface, this plan was intriguing—and possibly beneficial.
If true, it was worth a try.