Several days later, deep into the night in Room 2046.
Seventeen Kumo envoys sat together on the sofa, engaged in a heated discussion.
"Captain, we can't stall much longer—Konoha will start suspecting something soon!"
"Yeah, Captain, couldn't you put the writing aside for now? Can't those formulas wait until we return?"
"No, I'm close to figuring it out! A few days ago, a sudden idea struck me. When I followed through on it, I realized it's actually achievable. I must finish this quickly."
Ji couldn't detect any visible changes to the draft and assumed he had simply scribbled something absentmindedly and overlooked it.
The next day, at the Uzumaki clan compound, an elder with deep red hair walked alongside the Third Hokage.
Though both were taking a casual stroll, they were actually being closely guarded by numerous Anbu.
"Old monkey, I think my time is nearly up."
The Third Hokage's expression darkened briefly before he quickly regained his composure. "What are you saying, Lady Mito? You're one of Konoha's pillars. Surely, you'll live to see two hundred."
Mito's eyes grew distant as she gazed toward somewhere beyond Konoha.
After a long pause, she finally explained her condition. "The Nine-Tails has sensed my weakening state and has been resisting fiercely ever since. Right now, suppressing it is becoming increasingly difficult for me."
"N-No way… Please don't worry, Lady Mito. Our village's Sealing Team has grown significantly stronger in recent years. With the help of your clansmen, surely we'll manage—"
"Old monkey, none of them wield seals as strongly as I do." Mito sighed again. "Sigh, Monkey, you still have several years to choose the next Jinchuriki—at most five. If the Nine-Tails isn't transferred within that time, it may take control of me and retaliate against Konoha."
"I understand, Lady Mito." The Third Hokage was struck by a pang of sorrow.
Time hadn't been kind. It had already been thirty-two years since Konoha's founding. The diligent and responsible young boy of those days had become Hokage over a decade ago.
"Old monkey, these next few years—I want to spend time with my clan. That won't be a problem, right?" Mito spoke calmly, not really asking a question.
"Of course not, Lady Mito. However, regarding the Anbu—"
Protecting a Jinchuriki was a Hokage's duty.
Although the Third wished nothing more than for this elderly woman to enjoy her final years peacefully, a Jinchuriki was someone who absolutely could not suffer any mishaps.
"Just make sure they don't interfere with my clansmen's lives." Mito nodded in agreement.
"I understand." The Third Hokage also nodded.
Mito Uzumaki—the woman who, in her mid-twenties, came to Konoha as part of a political union with Hashirama Senju—was nearing the end of her life.
To her, the Uzumaki clan had never been particularly significant.
But as people age, they tend to grow sentimental. Before reaching the final station of life, living among her own clansmen was truly what she desired most.
That same night, after putting away his crystal ball, the Third Hokage began reflecting on the day's events.
"Lord Hashirama, Master Tobirama... Now even Lady Mito too..."
One by one, the figures from Konoha's founding era had passed away, once again prompting him to lament the relentless passage of time.
He was already past forty; the fire of ambition that once burned within him had long since dimmed.
If it hadn't been for Shen Uchiha's development of various high-tech innovations a few years back, perhaps this time he would have compromised on Kumogakure's plans.
"No wonder that brat always calls me 'Third'—turns out when you get old, you really do start feeling nostalgic and sentimental."
Thinking about that troublesome kid brought a smile to the Third Hokage's face. "As bold as ever; there's practically nothing in the shinobi world he dares not do."
He believed that in ten or so years, when he grew old and stepped down, Shen Uchiha would definitely make his move.
"If I talk nicely to him, he'll definitely negotiate terms with me, and we mustn't let too many people find out about this."
Using Shen Uchiha to uncover Kumogakure's plan was purely the Third Hokage's personal decision—he acted alone without consulting the upper ranks.
Didn't he want to inform the higher-ups? Indeed, he did not.
A few years ago, these officials still pretended to be upright gentlemen, publicly claiming they acted solely for the good of Konoha while secretly engaging in corruption behind the scenes.
Now with commercial interests at play, they didn't even bother pretending anymore—almost demanding core technologies from the Uchiha clan outright.
The Third knew the Uchiha intended to bind them through mutual benefit, but human nature is greedy. Keeping them dangling like this would eventually cause serious problems.
"The Uchiha may be confident, but I sure am not."
Over the past few years, he witnessed the internal decay among the leadership and saw clearly the Uchiha's ambition to dominate Konoha.
All he could do was sigh at the unpredictability of life—those he once tried everything to keep under control had turned around, breaking free and firmly seizing Konoha's economic lifeline.
Originally the Uchiha rose to power by profiting off wars, yet even in peacetime, they somehow found ways to accumulate wealth.
"Wait—this is all that brat's doing," the Third suddenly realized who stood behind it all.
Right now, across the entire shinobi world, and even within Konoha itself, few realized that Shen Uchiha was truly the key figure.
With him, even a small country might quickly rise into a force capable of rivaling the Five Great Nations.
"Talented in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, and gifted in scientific research, his strategic mind had been sharpened through years of youthful mischief."
Considering Shen Uchiha's talent, strength, and especially his acceptance of commoners, it was clear that his character wasn't beyond redemption.
The Third Hokage believed he already qualified to inherit the Hokage title—there was just one final element lacking.
That was placing Konoha above the Uchiha clan!
"Oh right, that kid's sealing techniques!" The Third suddenly smacked his thigh, remembering those barriers that had given him headaches years ago.
The strongest sealing technique used to contain tailed beasts—the [Eight Trigrams Sealing Style]—was universally recognized as belonging exclusively to the Uzumaki clan, composed of two [Four Symbols Seals] working together.
To allow jinchuriki to use a tailed beast's power, every seal left an opening—and even the [Eight Trigrams Seal] was no exception.
Tailed beasts are not true weapons until they are actually used. Therefore, the Kinjutsu [Sealing Technique: Dead Demon Consuming Seal], which completely seals a tailed beast, becomes utterly useless.
All existing sealing techniques imprisoning tailed beasts have always left backdoors open. Even if only a small crack exists, over time, droplets of water can accumulate into an ocean.
And tailed beasts, treated as weapons since their creation, inevitably harbor hatred toward ninja.
With those backdoors present, chakra can gather strength. Once their power builds up, the Tailed Beasts have enough strength to push back. Indeed, a jinchūriki is like a blade that cuts both ways.
Used properly, it can unleash infinite power.
Misused, it won't just destroy the jinchūriki—it'll bring ruin to the entire village as well.
"Hold on a little longer," said the Third Hokage, who truly did not want to see the last remaining founding figure of Konoha vanish away.
Even if he could extend her life by just one more day, that would still be the best possible outcome.
Deep down, he feared that if Mito Uzumaki were gone, so too would go his dreams and purpose—leaving him no different from most of Konoha's upper ranks today, nothing but decayed existence.
"You brat better not disappoint me," said Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had transformed from a headache-inducing monster into a gambling addict. Once again, he staked everything on Shen.
Already having won one bet, he firmly believed that Nine-Tails absolutely stood no chance of escaping from the torment of Konoha's local troublemaker.
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