Uzumaki Mito, who had the Nine-Tails extracted from her, did not die immediately. She merely became extremely weak. It had to be said that the vitality of the Uzumaki Clan was truly terrifying; when it came to sealing Tailed Beasts, their physiques were simply unmatched.
"Senba… little Senba…" Uzumaki Mito weakly beckoned him over. Even at the very end, she still could not let go of her precious grandson.
Senba hurried to the bedside, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face.
Seeing this, Isamu motioned for the others inside the stone cave to leave, giving the grandmother and grandson their final moments together.
"Big Brother Sarutobi, the transfer of the Nine-Tails is complete. Please escort little Kushina back first. Let the two of us stay here with Grandma Mito for her final moments," Isamu said as he glanced back at Uzumaki Mito lying on the bed.
"Uncle, I also want to stay with Lady Mito, I—"
Before Uzumaki Kushina could finish speaking, Isamu interrupted her gently.
"Alright, little Kushina. You just became the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, so you still need time to adapt. Go back and rest first. Having me here is enough. Be good and listen, okay?"
This kind of scene was not suitable for a child like Kushina to witness. Even though the Four Symbols Seal was flawless, she was still too young. Besides, this was Isamu's family matter, and he did not want outsiders involved.
"That's right, little Kushina. Let's leave first. We should leave this to their family," Hiruzen Sarutobi added.
"…Alright."
Seeing that no one wanted her to stay, Kushina lowered her head and quietly left with the Anbu escort.
Watching Kushina leave, Hiruzen turned toward Isamu.
"Isamu, are you certain your sealing technique won't cause any problems? A Nine-Tails rampage is no joke."
"Big Brother Sarutobi, relax. My seal is perfect. The Nine-Tails won't cause any trouble."
Isamu rolled his eyes. The old man still didn't trust him after all these years.
"Hahaha, don't misunderstand. I'm just making sure." Hiruzen laughed awkwardly before turning to leave. "Alright then, stay here with Lady Mito."
Danzo glanced at Isamu before smirking faintly.
"Looks like you won't be returning to Root anymore. I've finally gotten rid of a freeloader. My mood has never been better."
The corner of Isamu's mouth twitched.
Old Danzo's mouth really was never honest. "Freeloader"? Over the years, he had practically become Root's unpaid laborer. Clearly, Danzo was upset about losing a valuable worker, yet he still insisted on acting indifferent.
Truly stubborn.
Two days later, Konoha held a funeral for Uzumaki Mito.
It was not grand. In fact, it was remarkably low-key.
Isamu did not choose a traditional burial. Instead, he insisted on cremation.
He had never forgotten that certain people in the ninja world had a terrible habit of digging up corpses. If someone ever used Edo Tensei on Uzumaki Mito, the consequences would be troublesome. To avoid future problems entirely, he decided to eliminate the possibility from the start.
With that, Isamu officially returned to Konoha Village.
He no longer needed to hide in the shadows and could finally walk openly through the streets of Konoha.
After hearing the news of his return, Sakumo Hatake, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and many others came to visit one after another.
Naturally, Uchiha Mori—the current head of the Uchiha Clan and Uchiha Fugaku's father—also came personally.
Of course, his purpose was far from a simple social visit. He hoped Isamu would return to the Uchiha Clan.
Unfortunately for him, Isamu rejected the proposal without hesitation.
Return to hang around with a bunch of useless fools?
Yeah, right.
More than a month later, Senba and the others finally graduated from the Ninja Academy.
Unlike the peaceful years to come, students in this era graduated around nine or ten years old due to the constant wars.
"Hehe! Finally graduated! I never have to suffer through those boring classes again!"
The moment he returned home, Senba excitedly bounced around the courtyard.
Isamu, meanwhile, lay lazily on a recliner under the sunlight, basking peacefully.
Now that he no longer had the identity of a ninja, no missions to complete, and no interest in Konoha's politics, his daily routine had become incredibly simple:
Eat. Sleep. Relax.
"Dad, did you hear me? I graduated! I never have to go back to the Ninja Academy again!" Senba shouted while shaking the recliner excitedly.
Unable to continue resting, Isamu opened one eye and casually poured cold water over his enthusiasm.
"Look at your lack of ambition. You're celebrating just because you don't have to attend school anymore? Who said you definitely won't be sent back?"
"Huh? Sent back?" Senba froze. "What do you mean?"
"The academy teachers didn't tell you? If your jonin instructor doesn't acknowledge you, you can be sent right back to the academy."
Senba stared blankly.
"They never mentioned that. They only told us to report tomorrow for team assignments. Dad… are you making this up to scare me?"
"I don't have time to scare you." Isamu rolled his eyes. "Believe it or not. But if you actually get sent back, don't come home. I can't afford that embarrassment."
Of course, Isamu knew very well that in this era, no one would actually be sent back.
The ninja world was in constant conflict, and every village desperately needed manpower. They wished children could graduate even earlier to replenish the battlefield.
Besides, with Senba already possessing Chunin-level strength, the odds of him failing were practically nonexistent. If someone like Senba could fail, then either Konoha's standards were broken, or the jonin instructor was blind.
"Hmph! There's no way I'll get sent back!" Senba declared proudly. "My dream is to become the Hokage!"
Isamu instantly looked speechless.
People who loudly declared they wanted to become Hokage usually didn't end well.
This level of chuunibyou was honestly painful to watch.
"If your dream is something this ridiculous, you should change it early." Isamu sighed. "Your Uncle Nawaki used to say the exact same thing all the time. Then later… tsk tsk tsk…"
Senba blinked curiously.
"What happened later?"
"The grass on his grave grew three meters tall."
"…"
Senba stood there completely stunned.
His father's words were way too blunt.
For the late Nawaki, Isamu truly showed not even the slightest bit of respect.