"Hehe…"
Hearing Tsunade's complaints, Mito Uzumaki didn't express sympathy—
Instead, she chuckled cheerfully.
"So you finally suffered a bit, huh? Serves you right!"
"You think Uchiha Chiri is someone to take lightly?"
"Don't be fooled by her gentle appearance and calm demeanor. Only those who lived through the Uchiha's civil strife—who witnessed her suppress the entire clan single-handedly—know how domineering and powerful she truly is."
"She's a genius whose talent and intellect rivaled—even surpassed—mine."
"In fact, back then, she argued with your granduncle Tobirama many times over Uchiha matters;"
"And even he couldn't do anything about her—he had no choice but to yield. That says it all."
Mito's expression turned nostalgic.
"If not for damaging her life and soul essence while developing forbidden Sharingan techniques… and losing one eye in the process… Her legend might've continued to this day."
"If that had been the case, do you think Hiruzen and the others would've dared to suppress the Uchiha all these years?"
"But now that she's returned to her prime, everything's different."
"With her uncompromising nature, she was already being merciful just now by only suppressing you with her aura—a warning, really."
"Of course, it was also her way of confirming for me that she's truly recovered."
"She's willing to meet, which means she doesn't mind negotiating. Whether we succeed depends on if both sides can agree on terms."
But Mito wasn't too worried.
As long as Chiri was willing to sit down and talk, that was enough.
If necessary, Mito was willing to offer greater concessions.
It was still better than dying early and watching the Senju and Uzumaki be wiped out, leaving Tsunade and Nawaki in danger.
"Wait—she was really that incredible?"
Tsunade blinked, stunned.
Just imagining her granduncle Tobirama being outmatched in arguments—and having no way to handle Chiri—was enough to make her abandon all previous resentment or frustration.
Perspective really changes everything.
"Of course she was," Mito said with pride.
"Otherwise, why would Hiruzen have moved so cautiously when dealing with the Uchiha over the years?"
"And why did he rush to me for help the moment he suspected she might've regained her strength?"
"He's hoping to use my lingering prestige to put pressure on Chiri… hoping to keep her in check."
"However…"
Tsunade grinned, eyes gleaming:
"He'll never guess that you're not planning to rein her in, but instead to ally with her!"
"I can't wait to see his face when he finds out the truth. Serves him right!"
At this point, Tsunade was all-in on vengeance.
After all, the Third nearly destroyed her family and her clan.
If she didn't want revenge, there'd be something seriously wrong with her.
With a new understanding of Chiri's power and legacy, even Tsunade found herself calling her with newfound respect—"Chiri-sama."
A true female powerhouse like that was someone worthy of admiration.
"Heh. Let's see how things play out."
"It's about time Hiruzen tasted a bit of hardship—he's gotten far too comfortable."
Mito snorted coldly.
"Though…"
Tsunade's expression turned puzzled again.
"Grandma, why does Chiri-sama insist on waiting twenty days before meeting you?"
"Won't that delay helping the Uzumaki?"
"No idea," Mito replied honestly.
"She must have her reasons. We just have to wait patiently."
"As for the Uzumaki's situation, don't worry too much."
"The other four great ninja villages are still in the probing phase—no military action yet. We should have time."
"If it really comes to it, I'll take the initiative and go meet her earlier."
But only if absolutely necessary.
A premature move could be interpreted wrongly and trigger suspicion from the Third and his circle.
If possible, Mito preferred to wait for Chiri to make the first move.
"Alright."
Tsunade finally relaxed.
"As long as you have it under control, Grandma, I'll stop worrying."
She stretched lazily.
"Whew, I'm exhausted. I think I'll go rest—today's been mentally and emotionally draining."
Mito laughed gently and waved her off.
"Go ahead. Rest well."
She needs experiences like this to grow up.
Otherwise, how can I keep carrying everything for her?
Meanwhile...
Soon after Tsunade left the Uchiha compound, word reached Hiruzen.
He immediately rushed to Mito's residence for answers.
Mito didn't beat around the bush:
"I sent the invitation, and she accepted. But she won't meet for another twenty days."
"We wait."
"And yes—I confirmed it through Tsunade—Chiri really has returned to her peak strength. It's not a bluff."
"You'd better tread carefully."
"She's not someone you can deceive or manipulate."
And perhaps it was his imagination—
But Hiruzen thought he detected schadenfreude in Mito's smile.
His heart sank slightly.
"So… she's seen through our little games against the Senju, huh?"
"We'll need to be extra careful moving forward."
Worse still—
Hiruzen began to realize that having Mito reach out to Chiri might have been a terrible mistake.
A miscalculation.
He had no idea what method Chiri used to recover, nor whether it could work on Mito.
And without knowing either woman's physical condition in detail, he couldn't judge the risk.
"I'll have to play it by ear."
He couldn't stop the meeting now.
He wasn't in a strong enough position to do that.
Not while Mito and Chiri were both still alive and influential.
Having sorted out the situation, Hiruzen left without lingering.
And he wasn't about to tell Danzo any of this.
That man was too reckless.
If Danzo learned the truth, he might actually try to sabotage the meeting.
And if that happened…
"He'd probably get himself killed."
Hiruzen shivered at the thought.