When Uchiha Hikaru arrived at the Hokage Building, Mito Uzumaki had just gotten there as well.
Days of constant travel and political struggle in the meetings had left her visibly exhausted.
But the moment she saw Uchiha Hikaru, she seemed to brighten up, not wanting him to worry.
"Hikaru, it's all thanks to you this time."
Mito Uzumaki sighed with genuine emotion.
"Without you, this summit might not have ended so smoothly."
Uchiha Hikaru gave a small smile. He didn't boast or take credit—just gestured for her to continue.
Mito Uzumaki then recounted in detail what had transpired during the Five Kage Summit.
From her explanation, Uchiha Hikaru learned about a series of complex developments that had taken place.
Despite a few twists and turns, the final outcome was satisfactory.
At this point, Mito Uzumaki's trust in Uchiha Hikaru had reached an all-time high.
She fully recognized his talent and strength. Through the recent incidents, he had shown wisdom and decisiveness far beyond his years.
Though still young, his judgment and abilities were enough to make others take notice.
In Mito's eyes, Uchiha Hikaru was a strong candidate—someone truly capable of bearing the title of Hokage.
That's why, when it came to decisions that could shape the village's future, she often sought his counsel.
She hoped his input would help her find the best path forward.
After hearing her report, Uchiha Hikaru was slightly confused.
Everything had gone according to plan—why had she asked him to come?
As if sensing his doubt, Mito Uzumaki spoke:
"Even though things went smoothly, and the joint Chūnin Exams will be held here in Konoha, there's something else. The other four nations might team up and eliminate us first."
This concern had only come to her after the Summit.
She'd noticed signs of alignment among the other four Kage during the meetings.
Perhaps Konoha's current strength had triggered their caution and unease.
After all, until now, Mito Uzumaki—as the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki—had remained in seclusion.
Now, not only had she suddenly become Hokage, but Uchiha Ang's eyes had also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
These developments had no doubt struck a nerve with the other villages.
It made her realize that during the exams, the others might try to eliminate Konoha first.
If they succeeded, Konoha wouldn't just lose the chance to compete for benefits—it would also be forced to offer concessions.
That would significantly hinder Konoha's future development and hand the advantage to others.
After hearing her, Uchiha Hikaru went silent for a moment. He understood her reasoning—and why she had called him here.
Originally, he'd planned to sit on the sidelines and only step in as a last resort.
But the situation had clearly changed.
If the four nations really joined forces, even White Fang might not be enough to stop them.
As gifted as he was, White Fang wasn't invincible.
Sure enough, Mito Uzumaki revealed her true request:
She wanted Uchiha Hikaru to participate in the exams—openly. With his strength, he could suppress the other villages' contenders.
Hearing that, Uchiha Hikaru rolled his eyes slightly, exasperated.
Still, he agreed.
Deep down, he had a feeling that the participants this time wouldn't be ordinary ninja.
Even if a Jinchūriki showed up, he wouldn't be surprised.
But he also knew—at this point in time, there shouldn't be any Jinchūriki who could freely use Tailed Beast chakra.
'Maybe it's because the Uzumaki Clan hasn't been wiped out yet?'
With that thought, Uchiha Hikaru couldn't help but glance at Mito Uzumaki a few more times.
From what he remembered, the Hidden Leaf had stood by and watched its ally, the Uzumaki Clan, be destroyed.
That was… baffling.
Maybe his gaze carried something strange, because Mito Uzumaki looked puzzled. She touched her face unconsciously.
After confirming there was nothing wrong with her appearance, she gave a displeased pout and lightly tapped Hikaru's forehead.
The gesture left Uchiha Hikaru slightly embarrassed. He could only laugh awkwardly in response.
Just as he was about to excuse himself and leave, Mito Uzumaki brought up one more matter.
"Hikaru, if you get the chance during the exams, teach those Cloud ninja a hard lesson."
Of course, Uchiha Hikaru understood why she would say that.
She'd already told him everything that had happened at the summit.
Hearing the anger and determination in her voice, he couldn't help but shiver inwardly.
'Even Hokage... is still a woman at heart.'
He thought to himself silently.
Still, he readily agreed. It wasn't a big deal.
Seeing how easily he accepted, Mito Uzumaki suddenly seemed to remember something. Her expression turned mischievous as she stared directly at him.
"Don't rush off just yet. There's a personal matter I need to discuss with you."
A sly smile spread across her face, like she was waiting for his reaction.
"Uchiha Ang reached out to me. He's interested in having you engaged to his granddaughter. So? Interested?"
At that moment, Uchiha Hikaru finally understood.
So that's why Uchiha Chiri had been avoiding him like the plague lately.
Even with a shy personality, she shouldn't be running away that fast.
It all made sense now—Uchiha Ang, that old fox, had been scheming behind the scenes.
Knowing her grandfather was determined to marry her off to him, of course Chiri would freak out.
Uchiha Hikaru gritted his teeth a little, quietly resolving to return the favor to that old man someday.
Watching the changes in his expression, Mito Uzumaki nodded in satisfaction.
As a woman, even though she hadn't sensed any real malice from him…
Her sixth sense told her he was definitely roasting her inside his head.
But seeing him flustered like this? Totally worth it.
And to be fair, she wasn't lying.
Uchiha Ang had been bringing this up constantly during their time together.
So saying it out loud now not only fulfilled a favor—it also scratched her own little itch.
A win-win situation. Why not enjoy it?
As for whether this would affect his future with Tsunade… well, matters of the heart should be left to the ones involved.
'Still, this little rascal really does attract girls.'
With that thought, Mito Uzumaki narrowed her eyes slightly and let out a soft sigh.