At the Senju ancestral residence.
Mito sipped her tea, her tone calm.
"Which Uchiha Izuna? Naturally the one who fought Senju Tobirama to the death…"
"You heard Tobirama talk about him when you were young, didn't you?"
Hiruzen nodded stiffly.
How could he not have?
With just a bit of recollection, he could remember Tobirama's awkward evaluation of Izuna…
Clearly wanting to brag about his victory, yet always ending by acknowledging the other man's strength…
"I have. I remember Danzō once made a sharp comment about Izuna when we were kids, and got scolded by Tobirama-sensei…" Hiruzen shook his head.
"That scolding was well deserved…"
Mito nodded. "That was a matter of the previous generation. You were juniors—there was no place for you to judge so rashly…"
"But now it's different, Hiruzen. You've inherited Hashirama's will. As long as it benefits the village, you can freely make use of the reputation and legacy of those who came before."
She smiled slightly.
"The 'fireside talk' you held in the village a few days ago—Yamato and I listened to the whole thing. Yamato kept saying, 'The First Hokage is incredible—both powerful and wise…'"
When Hiruzen claimed Hashirama had seen the shortcomings of the Will of Fire and grasped fifty years ahead in a single glance…
Not only did Tobirama lose his composure, even Mito couldn't help but laugh.
Since when was her husband that clever?
If he really had that kind of mind back then, things wouldn't have turned so sour between him and Madara…
At the very least, it wouldn't have ended in bloodshed.
"Hah! To be honest, I truly believe Hashirama-sama possessed great wisdom deep down…" Hiruzen quickly picked up the teapot and steadily refilled Mito's cup.
With that one sentence from her, he could tell more "Hashirama stories" in the future…
It was practically official approval.
"It's just that the chaos of the Warring States Era forced Hashirama-sama to grow up in constant war, so he never had the chance to systematize and fully articulate the Will of Fire…"
"What I've done is simply add a bit of flesh onto the framework he already built."
"The 'one country, one village' system reshaped the shinobi world's long-standing structure, and the Will of Fire laid the foundation that sets Konoha apart from other hidden villages."
Hiruzen spoke earnestly.
He truly believed this.
In the madness of the shinobi world, simply having the vision of the Will of Fire and the idea of ending an era of chaos was already remarkable.
Hashirama's ideals weren't perfect—but you couldn't expect pioneers to achieve perfection.
They were all bound by the limits of their time.
Mito paused, then slowly took a sip of tea, letting out a soft sigh.
"Back then, Madara told me… that I didn't understand Hashirama at all."
"I didn't take it seriously at the time. But now… perhaps there was some truth to it…"
"Maybe men understand men better. Whether as rivals or comrades, those intense clashes of ideals, bonds, and obsessions—you're the ones truly on the same wavelength…"
Hiruzen blinked. He didn't know how to respond.
Something about that sounded… off.
I understand Hashirama better than Mito? That's… a bit too much.
"Hey, hey, Mito—was Hashirama really that wise?"
Inside her, Kurama's ears twitched as it asked in disbelief, "He was ridiculously strong, sure—but he never looked like the smart type…"
It wasn't just Mito and Yamato who had listened to the fireside talk in the Senju residence.
There had also been a fox.
As Kurama listened to Hiruzen's interpretation of the Will of Fire, and recalled the pure goodwill and compassion it had sensed during the Root commendation…
A strange sense of familiarity surfaced in its heart.
A bit like the old man?
A bit like Asura?
But Kurama quickly dismissed the thought.
After all, Hiruzen was the son of Sarutobi Sasuke—he had no connection to the Senju or the Uzumaki.
Even Kurama had heard of Sarutobi Sasuke's reputation.
Yet precisely because of that, Kurama found itself paying more and more attention to Hiruzen, developing a faint, indescribable sense of goodwill toward him.
This Hokage… might be different from other humans.
"I don't know. Hashirama was my lover, but perhaps I didn't understand him very well…" Mito's tone carried a rare hint of bitterness.
"Madara and Hiruzen both seem to understand him better than I do…"
"When I reach the Pure Land, if I get the chance, I'll ask him properly—whether he's been pretending to be a fool all these years just to amuse me!"
Kurama's fox face curled into a mischievous grin.
"Then make sure you're strict with him—get revenge for me too!"
Its relationship with Mito still couldn't be called reconciliation, but it had become a relatively smooth cooperation.
Kurama had loosened part of its chakra output and its negative emotion sensing.
In exchange, Mito no longer sealed off its five senses, sharing vision most of the time and providing a relatively comfortable mental space…
To Kurama's surprise, life inside a jinchūriki wasn't actually that bad.
"Mito, from now on, tell me more stories about Hiruzen."
It coughed lightly, pretending nonchalance.
"Anyway, I've got nothing better to do all day. It's boring as hell!"
Mito gave a soft "oh," studying Kurama's expression before chuckling.
She knew that look all too well…
'Do bonds between men even affect foxes? Well, Kurama is male…'
At this rate, this fox was doomed.
Maybe after getting hooked on Hiruzen's stories, they could even reach a higher level of jinchūriki synchronization…
"Mito, what kind of look is that!" Kurama roared in irritation.
But Mito had already withdrawn from the mental space, leaving Kurama alone in impotent rage.
"Mito-sama, what was that just now?" Hiruzen asked curiously.
He had just seen her eyes go blank for a moment…
"Kurama said it's interested in you and wants me to tell it more about your stories." Mito smiled.
Kurama felt its face grow slightly warm.
Was that really what it meant?!
"Oh?" Hiruzen was taken aback.
Since when were tailed beasts interested in people?
"Nine-Tails, thank you for taking an interest in me… Taking this opportunity, as the Hokage, I sincerely thank you for your contributions to Konoha!"
Hiruzen smoothly slipped into rhythm: "You and Mito-sama have been helping monitor malicious intent for Konoha—that is a merit in itself…"
"This may sound like deception to you, but I firmly believe that one day in the future, Konoha will have the confidence and strength to coexist peacefully with you—without the need to seal you away."
Kurama froze. What was this guy talking about?
He really knew how to push things forward—was he actually trying to start a conversation with it?
"Mito, I want to speak with Sarutobi Hiruzen! Does he really think he's that eloquent?" Kurama roared.
Mito smiled faintly. "Alright then, I hope you can win the argument against Hiruzen…"
In her view, Kurama was only accelerating its own process of self-acceptance…
"Sarutobi Hiruzen! Don't try to butter me up with fake niceties! You shinobi—even Konoha shinobi—only ever treat tailed beasts as weapons. There is absolutely no possibility of reconciliation between us!"
A fluffy fox head emerged from Mito's shoulder, barking fiercely: "You're just greedy for the power of tailed beasts!"
Hiruzen smiled.
"Nine-Tails, I know being sealed and losing your freedom has left you with many grievances…"
"But could you allow me to lay out my thoughts first? If there's anything wrong, please point it out."
Kurama sneered. "Heh, go on!"
"According to the records, you are a being born into this world over a thousand years ago—innately powerful, with an undying nature…"
Hiruzen spoke slowly: "In ancient times, people feared you and called you a natural disaster. Of course, there were also those driven by ambition who coveted you… and in countless conflicts, you took many lives as well…"
"As for who started those conflicts, it's no longer possible to determine."
"But I imagine that in that era—one that closely resembled the law of the jungle—you wouldn't have cared much about right or wrong. After all, back then, it was 'the winner takes all, the loser loses everything'…"
"Do you accept this way of putting it?"
Kurama narrowed its eyes, seriously considering Hiruzen's words.
Then it slowly nodded.
In its early years, it had indeed clashed with humans many times.
Sometimes it was humans trying to capture it—but at other times, it simply couldn't control its own power.
Or rather, its power was too great. Even casually firing off a few small Tailed Beast Bombs just to hear the sound could result in the deaths of weak humans…
After repeated entanglements, neither side could clearly distinguish right from wrong.
And just as Hiruzen said, both tailed beasts and humans possessed intelligence—but in that era, who would care about the lives of the weak?
It was no different from a lion hunting a rabbit. The strong possessing everything was simply the natural order.
"If that's the logic, then you shouldn't be complaining."
"Because Hashirama-sama was stronger than you. He defeated you, and as the loser, you should naturally bear the consequences…" Hiruzen said softly.
Kurama glared at Hiruzen in anger, opening its mouth again and again, but in the end could only force out one line: "How is that the same?! Aren't you the one preaching the Will of Fire? Is the Will of Fire just about whose fist is bigger?"
Mito gently stroked the fox's head.
"Oh my, live long enough and you'll see everything… Nine-Tails, you can even talk about the Will of Fire now?"
Kurama shook its head impatiently, trying to shake off Mito's hand.
But when it couldn't, it gave up, letting her rub it while staring fixedly at Hiruzen.
No need to argue with a woman right now…
What mattered was the conversation between men!
"That's right—using the law of the jungle to communicate with you would naturally be wrong…"
"Because you possess intelligence, wisdom, and the ability to communicate. Aside from your form, I regard you as a 'person'…" Hiruzen said, meeting Kurama's gaze.
Kurama froze.
He regarded it… as a "person"?
"I understand your dissatisfaction…"
"Your attack on Konoha was under Uchiha Madara's control—you were being manipulated. Your battle with Hashirama-sama was not your own will, and you believe that imprisoning you was wrong."
Hiruzen spoke steadily.
Kurama's eyes lit up—it hadn't expected Hiruzen to speak on its behalf!
"That's right! Senju Hashirama went too far! He was so powerful that he actually—"
Kurama paused, its resentment surging.
"—actually said my power was too dangerous and had to seal me!"
It had wanted to say that at his peak, even if all nine of them combined into the Ten-Tails, they still wouldn't have been a match for Hashirama…
But the Hagoromo had repeatedly warned them never to mention the Ten-Tails.
"There's no need to belittle yourself. The fact that Madara brought you onto the battlefield against Hashirama-sama proves your power was significant enough to influence a battle at the very peak of the shinobi world…"
Hiruzen chuckled lightly. "Would Madara allow something useless to appear in his duel with Hashirama-sama? That's impossible…"
"You are very strong. That is beyond question."
Kurama's ears perked up unconsciously, deeply satisfied.
At least he had good judgment…
"But you're not strong enough," Hiruzen's tone shifted: "Even if you were forcibly controlled by Madara, the fact remains that you attacked Hashirama-sama. Taking compulsory measures against you was justified…"
"You might say you can guarantee you won't attack Konoha again, but frankly speaking, there are now many hidden villages in the shinobi world capable of capturing you…"
"The Kekkei Tōta Dust Release of the Tsuchikage, which can disintegrate everything… the coordinated large-scale battlefield techniques of Iwagakure…"
"The Six Paths treasured tools of Kumogakure, and a Raikage whose physical body can withstand a Tailed Beast Bomb…"
"Even Sunagakure and Kirigakure—if you were ambushed within terrain they specialize in, like the ocean or the desert, you might not necessarily defeat them."
"Well-organized elite shinobi units—if you're acting alone, completely overwhelming them without conditions would require you to be on the level of Hashirama-sama or Uchiha Madara…"
Hiruzen said calmly.
Kurama initially wanted to refute him in fury—but fell silent.
Because it knew.
Over the past decades, ninjutsu had advanced explosively, and powerful shinobi had emerged like stars in the sky.
In the past, it only needed to pay attention to the old man's descendants…
But now, that was no longer the case…
"In other words, even if your attack on Konoha wasn't intentional, if we were to release you, you could end up becoming a weapon for other hidden villages to use against us…"
"Forgive my bluntness—you're like a massive, unstable bomb right now. If, back in ancient times, such a bomb appeared within your territory…"
"Would you seal it away, or throw it out and wait for your enemies to pick it up and use it against you?"
Hiruzen spoke calmly.
Kurama imagined the scenario and fell silent.
It wasn't stupid—how could it possibly let an enemy obtain a weapon to use against itself?
It would definitely claim it for itself. And if it couldn't control it, then it would at least seal it away…
This really did seem like a dead end.
"So this is just my fate, then?"
Kurama let out a hoarse laugh. "How infuriating…"
"It's not like that…"
"I only used a bomb as a metaphor. You're not an object or a beast—you're a special kind of 'person.'"
"And as a 'person,' you have the ability to change yourself, to learn…"
Hiruzen met Kurama's gaze.
"I hope that here in Konoha, and through your interactions with Mito-sama, you can find a way to avoid being controlled by the Sharingan or other jutsu—to keep improving yourself, until one day you can exist in the shinobi world without being threatened."
"On that basis, I ask that you lend your power to Konoha—for the sake of protection."
"I believe that is a fair contract."
Kurama blinked hard.
The way Hiruzen earnestly urged it to learn reminded it of the Hagoromo!
'Back when the old man taught us ninjutsu… he looked almost exactly like this human…'
The thought made Kurama regret deeply!
Why had it curled up and slept through those lessons back then?
Even that damn tanuki had become a top student! Even the octopus knew a bit of sealing techniques…
From Hiruzen's perspective, there was a reason tailed beasts struggled to learn ninjutsu.
Their chakra was violent and chaotic—much like when he activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Casting jutsu required extremely precise chakra control…
Unless they put in tremendous effort to master it, they were better off relying on their bodies and innate abilities in battle…
"Hmph… easy for you to say!"
"You think Mito and Konoha would actually teach me ninjutsu? Don't joke around!" Kurama turned its head away, but inside, it felt an unfamiliar itch of anticipation.
"Why not? If you want to learn, I'll teach you," Mito said, picking up on Hiruzen's words.
"Really?"
Kurama snapped its head back, its fox eyes locking onto Hiruzen.
"Aren't you afraid I'll become extremely strong? That I'll learn your ninjutsu, pretend to cooperate, and then wipe you all out?"
Hiruzen looked at Kurama in confusion.
This fox had such a strange personality.
A bit… tsundere.
If Kurama hadn't said that out loud, Hiruzen really would have needed to consider the possibility.
But now that it had said it, it just felt like it was waiting to be coaxed.
"Enough, stop putting on airs. I don't sense any malice from you right now…" Mito patted the fox's head, smiling.
"Why are you acting like you're reluctant after getting what you want? I really wonder who taught you that…"
"You're that confident in your perception? Let me tell you, I've been able to fool you for a long time!" Kurama tried to play it off, but inwardly, it was groaning.
Who keeps malice detection active during negotiations?!
Unfair—this is unfair!
"First, I trust Mito-sama's judgment."
"And even if, in the worst-case scenario, you did deceive her and acted exactly as you described…"
"I would still stop you."
Hiruzen smiled. "Kurama, I know your power is immense, so you're naturally confident. If you don't accept the Will of Fire, then I have another way to make a deal with you."
Kurama narrowed its eyes. "Let's hear it."
"I'll have Mito-sama loosen the seal slightly and let your true body out…"
"We'll find a place and have a one-on-one fight. If I lose, then after Mito-sama passes away, I won't find you another jinchūriki—I'll let you return freely to the shinobi world."
"On that promise, I swear in the name of Hashirama-sama's successor."
Hiruzen smiled faintly.
"But if you lose, then you must unconditionally obey all of Konoha's commands… I won't require an oath from you, but if you break your word, then I will no longer treat you as a 'person.'"
"If no winner is decided, then the current situation remains as it is."
"Well? Want to give it a try?"
Lately, Hiruzen had been itching for a fight!
Without fighting, how could he improve?
But Tsunade and Orochimaru were both immersed in research, Jiraiya was training in Sage Mode, and Minato was reflecting after losing to Tobirama…
As for others like Hiruko, Hizashi, or Danzō—none of them could put enough pressure on him in a one-on-one fight.
And calling all of Konoha's top officials to spar with him at once would disrupt the village too much…
Not worth the cost.
In Hiruzen's view, he couldn't guarantee victory over Kurama…
But given how limited the tailed beasts' attack methods were, he was confident he wouldn't lose either—at worst, it would end in a draw.
Kurama snorted coldly. A mere human dared to underestimate it!
It almost snapped back in stubborn agreement, but held back at the last moment, activating its beast-like perception to carefully examine Hiruzen…
Hiruzen's smiling expression made Kurama uneasy.
Why did this guy look… excited?
Wait—I'm the Nine-Tails, a natural disaster!
'This level of chakra may not match mine, but it's still massive…'
'He must know quite a few jutsu, right? He is the Hokage…'
Kurama thought to itself, then quietly asked Mito: "Let's make a deal! Tell me how many jutsu he knows, and I'll give you more chakra in the future!"
It wasn't worried about Mito lying—after all, it was the source of malice detection itself.
Mito replied casually, "I don't know exactly, but Hiruzen previously combined bloodline limits—Ice Release and Boil Release…"
"Recently, he's been studying Fūinjutsu. We were actually supposed to talk about it after catching up…"
"But you suddenly popped out and interrupted us…"
Hearing terms like "combined bloodline limits" and "sealing techniques," Kurama's heart sank.
It wasn't completely ignorant…
If he could even combine Kekkei Genkai, then he had to be skilled with ordinary elemental jutsu too, right?
Aside from absolute monsters like Hashirama and Madara, who could break through all techniques with sheer power, this kind of shinobi was the hardest to deal with!
And then there were sealing techniques…
They were practically the natural enemy of tailed beasts!
Besides, Kurama thought of Hiruzen's reputation…
How could someone publicly recognized as Hashirama's successor possibly be weak?
This wasn't fear…
It was caution!
"No fight, no fight! What's the point of fighting? We're discussing reason and the Will of Fire as 'people' here!"
Kurama waved its paws repeatedly.
"Hmph, I'll trust you for the time being! But I reserve the right to challenge you one-on-one!"
"Mito, take this chakra! I'll open up my malice sensing too…"
"Take me to learn ninjutsu tomorrow or the day after!"
Mito smiled and nodded. "Alright, I understand…"
In Mito's view, as long as Kurama gave her chakra—and voluntarily filtered chakra at that…
She could at least stay active until Yamato got married and had children! And that was the most conservative estimate…
As for what would happen after she died…
Mito wasn't worried at all, because from the moment Kurama became interested in Hiruzen, she understood.
A strange bond had begun to form…
Hiruzen looked regretful. Why did it run away?
What a perfect opponent for real combat!
A truly rare one!
"I keep feeling like he really wants to fight. Are all you Konoha Hokage like this?"
Kurama returned inside Mito and kept muttering, "That's not good, not good!"
Mito smiled without comment.
What a timid fox!
"Mito-sama, I have two ideas regarding Fūinjutsu. I'd like you to help me evaluate them…"
Hiruzen handed over a scroll.
Mito nodded, opened it, and read carefully. A moment later, she looked up in surprise.
The first was a framework for a spatial sealing technique.
It was a semi-finished product formed from Hiruzen's effort and sweat, along with a small flash of inspiration from "Konoha performance evaluation."
The basic framework had already been built. It was only waiting to be perfected.
Its general effect was to form a sealing field that stabilized the space it covered.
The second one gave Mito an extremely strong sense of déjà vu!
It was very similar to a failed kinjutsu once developed by her father, Uzumaki Ashina.
Its name was "Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal"!
"Hiruzen, I'll help you perfect the idea for your first spatial sealing technique…"
Mito said, somewhat puzzled, "However, the only famous space-time ninjutsu in the shinobi world right now is the Flying Thunder God Technique. Do you really need to worry about that?"
It really felt like something designed to counter the Flying Thunder God…
But there was no need for the Hokage to do that!
"Mito-sama, space-time ninjutsu is far too overbearing, and geniuses are everywhere in the shinobi world."
Hiruzen said seriously, "If other hidden villages develop space-time ninjutsu, we must have a way to counter it. We can't place our hopes on others failing to research it…"
Mito blinked.
Now she understood where the ninja academy children's fear of insufficient firepower came from…
So the root of it had been planted by Hiruzen himself!
"As for your second idea, my father once had the same thought, but this path doesn't work." Mito sighed.
"He called it the 'Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal.' He once hoped to use this technique to put the Uzumaki Clan ahead of every other ninja clan, but ultimately, it still failed…"
After studying Fūinjutsu, Hiruzen had come to place great importance on this branch of ninjutsu.
The domineering nature of sealing techniques lay in their priority.
As long as the difference in chakra level wasn't too great, sealing techniques possessed overwhelmingly strong countering power against the jutsu they were designed to target.
For example, with the Fire Sealing Method, one unit of chakra driving the formula could seal away at least five units of Fire Release chakra…
But sealing techniques also had drawbacks.
Their structures were too precise, making them difficult to use in real combat between opponents of the same level.
They also required special scrolls and other carriers, had to be prepared in advance, and came with many disadvantages…
This was the inspiration Hiruzen had drawn from Danzō engraving the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing on his body.
Sealing techniques could be permanently placed on the body.
Then, if one could make a sealing technique remain within the body in a stored, ready-to-release state like the Strength of a Hundred Seal, allowing it to be deployed quickly and seamlessly in combat, most of those drawbacks could be eliminated…
But Hiruzen had only approached it as an experiment. His relationship with Fūinjutsu was mostly one of mastery.
To actually create a sealing technique, one needed long-term investment and a moment of true inspiration before a viable concept could emerge…
That was why Hiruzen chose to consult Uzumaki Mito.
But he hadn't expected that Uzumaki Ashina had once had a similar idea—and had judged that this path could not be taken…
"Mito-sama, could you tell me about this technique?"
"About the 'Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal'…" Hiruzen said in a low voice.
Mito nodded and slowly began to speak.
"My father also realized that sealing techniques needed carriers and were difficult to release in battles between equals, so he boldly tried to fuse sealing and the flesh into one…"
"The so-called 'Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal' uses the human body as the formation. Through long-term adaptation, the flesh itself gains the characteristics of sealing techniques."
Hiruzen's eyes lit up. "Isn't that excellent?"
This was even more powerful than his own concept!
"But it doesn't work…"
"My father did develop the formula, but in the end, a formula is still something meant to be used by people…"
"If the threshold is so high that no one can use it, then no matter how good the idea is, it has no practical meaning."
Mito said softly: "After the 'Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal' is constructed within the flesh, the formation core it creates is like a new organ, but also as fragile as the internal organs of a newborn."
"Only during the stage when cells are rapidly dividing and the Chakra Pathways are still growing can the formation core grow along with the body, integrate deeply into the human body, and complete physical modification through the sealing techniques it carries."
"But that is exactly where the problem lies."
"To meet those conditions, the shinobi practicing it must be in adolescence, while the formation core must be continuously, stably, and actively supplied with chakra in order to be maintained…"
"Even a genius of the Uzumaki Clan couldn't withstand that kind of long-term consumption. Delaying training and development in order to supply it with energy would ultimately only reduce them to a cripple."
"Once a shinobi reaches adulthood and has sufficient chakra, the body has already fully matured… No matter how much chakra is supplied to the sealing technique then, the body and sealing technique can no longer be fused. It would just waste chakra for nothing."
Hiruzen understood…
Although Uzumaki Ashina's kinjutsu was extremely ingenious in concept, it was almost impossible to put into practice.
At the age where one could achieve results, one couldn't afford the chakra.
At the age where one could afford the chakra, one couldn't achieve results!
After all, shinobi didn't have a second growth phase—there was no such thing as true reverse development…
But he was an exception!
"My father, in order to research this technique and make the Uzumaki Clan the strongest in the shinobi world, devoted himself to it day and night, neglecting sleep and food…"
"This may also be one of the reasons he refused to let the Uzumaki Clan merge into Konoha and instead kept it independent in the Land of Whirlpools… If this technique could be improved, the Uzumaki Clan would become extraordinarily powerful…"
"Hashirama strongly disliked this technique, believing it harmed the children's future…"
"But in the end, this was only my father's fantasy. Over the years, I've repeatedly verified it—this technique cannot be improved."
Mito let out a long sigh.
Shinobi were obsessive.
And when powerful shinobi became obsessive, their stubbornness was even harder to dissuade.
"In theory, only Hashirama could master this technique…"
"From the time I met him until middle age, Hashirama kept growing stronger at an astonishing pace, as if he had no bottlenecks. But he had no need to practice this technique…"
Mito shook her head.
"He possessed the ability to heal without hand seals—why would he need this technique to temper his body? He could even regenerate his internal organs rapidly. Even now, I still can't understand why his vitality was so overwhelming…"
Even after all these years, just thinking about Hashirama's abilities made Mito sigh in admiration.
Too powerful!
Hiruzen took a deep breath.
Hashirama didn't train it because his healing ability was already maxed out—there was no need to divide his attention…
But he needed to train it!
As the inheritor of Hashirama's will, how could he not strive to measure up to the First Hokage?
His healing ability naturally couldn't compare to Hashirama's—without that talent, it would be impossible in this lifetime.
But he could stack physical strength!
Rounded up, it would still count as honoring Senju Hashirama in another way…
The mysterious attacker who had struck Yashiro had put considerable pressure on Hiruzen…
The shinobi world was full of hidden masters and unexpected powerhouses.
Who knew how many lunatics like that were still lurking across this land…
What if there were many more?
He had to be fully prepared—otherwise, if several of them suddenly emerged at once, it would be troublesome…
"Mito-sama, do you know this technique?"
Hiruzen asked with utmost seriousness.
"Of course. I developed this technique together with my father. Over the years, I've also tried to improve it, but…"
Mito suddenly paused.
"Hiruzen… you're not thinking of trying it, are you?"
She believed she had already explained it very clearly.
This technique was a dead end from both sides!
"Mito-sama, I know my own body well…"
"Please trust me—I won't recklessly attempt a technique I have no chance of mastering!"
Hiruzen said sincerely: "As Hokage, I must become strong enough. Hashirama-sama may be an unreachable peak, but as his successor, I should at least try to climb it!"
"If I cannot master it, I will decisively abandon it—I won't waste too much time on it…"
Mito remained silent for a long while before finally nodding.
Powerful shinobi were always stubborn and obsessive—apparently, Hiruzen was no exception…
There was no point in trying to persuade him.
As an elder, all she could do was construct the best possible "Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal" for him…
Whether he would hit a wall, or somehow achieve the one-in-ten-thousand possibility of success…
That would depend on fate.
A moment later, Hiruzen removed his upper garment, turned his back to Mito, and pressed his hands together.
Mito's expression turned solemn.
"Nine-Tails, I'll need you to lend me some more chakra…"
She spoke softly. "I want Hiruzen to obtain the best possible formation core, even if it may ultimately not matter."
"Hmph… take it! I already understand the principle of this technique—it's impossible to make it work. Looks like he's a fool too!"
Kurama spoke in a strange tone that sounded almost like disappointment at wasted potential.
'Let him waste his time! Meanwhile, I'll be making real progress—only then can the gap between us widen!'
Pure Nine-Tails chakra surged into Mito's body.
Several Adamantine Sealing Chains rose from her back, their tips sharp as needles, steadily piercing into the center of Hiruzen's spine.
But to Mito's surprise, the chains did not pierce through his flesh as easily as expected.
'Hiruzen's physical strength is extraordinary…'
Mito focused intensely and increased the flow of chakra.
Like engraving characters, the needle-like tips pierced through muscle and tissue, embedding the sealing formation into the depths of Hiruzen's flesh, stroke by stroke, thread by thread.
With Kurama and Mito's chakra, combined with Uzumaki Ashina's radical concept, a new path for Hiruzen's body tempering was being carved out…
After a long while.
As the final formation pathway was completed—
Golden light suddenly surged inward, and the entire sealing formation sank into his flesh, bones, and chakra pathways.
His body surface instantly returned to normal, without the slightest trace.
And beneath Hiruzen's heart, a pale golden formation core quietly formed, becoming one of his new "organs"…
Mito wiped her sweat. "It's done, Hiruzen!"
Hiruzen put his clothes back on, stood up, and bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your hard work!"
He had come early to the Senju residence today.
Originally, Mito had asked him to help study the chakra of Izuna within Seisui…
He had arrived well in advance, intending to chat and build rapport—but by sheer coincidence, he had obtained such a forbidden technique!
"Hiruzen, take this with you…"
Mito handed him an ancient booklet.
"It contains a detailed explanation of how to embed sealing techniques into the formation core. But you must remember…"
"This path doesn't work. I understand wanting to try, but don't waste too much time on it…"
"In my father's vision, even if children in their growth phase had sufficient chakra supply, it would still take at least ten years to produce a qualitative transformation!"
Hiruzen nodded, indicating he understood.
He didn't particularly mind the ten-year timeframe…
Because compared to ordinary youths, his body's reverse development speed was much faster…
Much faster.
After returning, he planned to first embed the Fire Sealing Method into the formation core—it was a sealing technique he was already familiar with.
To try enhancing his resistance to fire…
To be called a "Professor of Ninjutsu," mastering the five elemental transformations wasn't enough—it would be best to be immune to all five!
Hiruzen and Mito sat down and continued chatting about the major and minor affairs of the village.
Kurama listened with its ears perked up.
Until evening fell.
At the agreed time, Isshin arrived at the Uzumaki residence with Tobirama.
And the moment Kurama saw Tobirama—
A fox head popped out from Mito's shoulder: "Mito, I'm turning my malice sensing to the maximum! Use as much chakra as you want today!"
"I want to see just what's going on with Uchiha Madara's brother!"
"I say he definitely harbors ill intent toward Konoha—he must be completely eradicated, body and soul! That's part of the Will of Fire too, right, Hokage?!"
Kurama hadn't been listening for nothing…
It had clearly heard that Izuna was Madara's younger brother, and that he was inside Seisui.
It couldn't beat Madara—but couldn't it beat Madara's brother?
Today, the Nine-Tails was going to step in and help, to avenge its past grievances!
A large question mark popped up over Tobirama's head.
What exactly had he just heard?
Not only were Isshin and Fugaku discussing the Will of Fire with him…
Now even the Nine-Tails had joined in?!
'Is this genjutsu?' Tobirama muttered to himself.
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