At Uchiha Haru's words, Minato and Seisui finally gave up.
The Uchiha clan's territory was strictly off-limits to outsiders.
But the Senju clan wasn't.
The Senju clan had long since disbanded.
What remained of the Senju territory now was mostly empty land.
Though some people still lived there, most were elderly or weak.
Outsiders were free to enter without many rules.
Tsunade, granddaughter of the First Hokage Senju Hashirama, didn't even carry the Senju name anymore.
The Senju clan was basically a name without power or presence.
Only Uzumaki Mito, Tsunade, Nawaki, and a handful of elders remained to live out their days here.
Now, they would have to add Uzumaki Kushina to that list.
Soon the three arrived at the Senju territory. Haru glanced around the sparsely populated land and swallowed nervously.
"This is my first time here."
Her grandfather had told her since childhood that the Senju clan were scheming villains, so she had some fear of this place.
But seeing Minato, Haru put on a nonchalant front.
Seisui glanced at her and gave her hand a firm squeeze, as if to say, You're not alone.
You still have me.
Haru smiled at Seisui.
This made Minato standing beside them feel utterly grossed out.
I shouldn't be here, I should be under the car.
Who understood his situation? Among the three, two were a couple, what was he supposed to do?
Minato silently waited on the sidelines, the smile he wore earlier at the thought of seeing Kushina now gone.
What's the use of seeing her if I haven't won her heart yet?
Seisui and Haru ignored Minato.
His moment of sulking would pass soon enough.
Sure enough, after a brief emo phase, Minato pulled out a little homemade booklet.
It was a gift from Yamanaka Inoichi.
A collection of "love master" quotes.
All originally from Seisui, but Inoichi had added his own insights.
To help Minato better grasp the wisdom within.
For example, Seisui had once said, "If a person can't even persevere, how could they become strong?"
Inoichi had rephrased it for Minato's situation: If a person can't even persistently pursue the one they love, how could they ever win her heart?
Looking at the booklet in his hands, Minato regained confidence.
"I WILL win Kushina over!"
Seisui folded his arms, standing beside them, somewhat speechless.
He knew that booklet well, Seisui and Minato spent all day obsessing over it.
He had said he wasn't a love master, but they wouldn't listen.
Two hopeless fantasists.
Haru glanced at the booklet with a small smile.
She knew what was written inside but, seeing Seisui, decided it was better left unsaid.
Minato perked up again and headed toward the heart of the Senju territory.
Kushina had told them where she lived and invited them to come visit when free.
Haru still felt uneasy seeing the tightly shut doors around.
She didn't know much about the grudges of the previous generation, but she knew the Uchiha and Senju clans had once been bitter enemies.
Only the friendship between some unknown clan leader and the First Hokage had united them to form Konoha.
After walking a short while, Uzumaki Kushina came running excitedly toward them.
"Ah! Grandma Mito was right, you really came to see me!"
Seisui was momentarily stunned upon hearing Uzumaki Mito's name. Then he remembered Kagura's vast sensory ability and the Nine-Tails' ability to distinguish good and evil.
Together, those two powers were insanely overpowered, like having a full-map hack, arguably even more unfair than the Hyuga's Byakugan.
Truly cheating.
Kushina was very happy to see them and said excitedly,
"You wouldn't believe how hard sealing techniques are to learn! I have to read so many books every day!"
She looked a bit miserable talking about the sealing arts.
At school, only the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and a few ninja students could play with her.
The others were intimidated by her.
Some ninja students even avoided her.
Mostly only the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and the upperclassman Uchiha Mikoto were her playmates.
So she found school pretty boring, just classes and then reading sealing technique books at home.
Pure memorization.
If it weren't for Minato occasionally coming to visit and play, she might have gone crazy.
Kushina pulled the three forward enthusiastically.
Minato looked at ease, like he had walked this path countless times.
Every time he took this route, it felt like returning home.
Led by Kushina, Seisui soon saw a house that stood out from the rest.
It was immediately obvious the owner was someone special.
Standing at the door was a striking woman with a diamond-shaped mark on her forehead.
This was Uzumaki Mito.
A warrior from the Warring States period.
The current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, wife of the First Hokage, sister-in-law of the Second Hokage, grandmother of the Fifth Hokage, and rival of Uchiha Madara.
Beside her stood Tsunade.
"Tch, why do I have to come see these brats?"
"Tsunade, don't be rude!" Mito tapped her on the head.
"You still haven't mastered the Yin sealing technique?"
"You're just lazy!"
Tsunade pouted, protesting,
"I've been studying medical ninjutsu lately, not being lazy!"
Mito just glanced sideways and ignored her. Instead, she looked thoughtfully at Haru and said to Tsunade,
"That cold chakra... that girl must be from the Uchiha clan, right?"
Though phrased as a question, the tone was certain.
Tsunade shrugged,
"Yes, the granddaughter of Uchiha Setsuna."
Mito smiled as she looked at Seisui holding Haru's hand.
That old fox miscalculated.
Though she looked barely over thirty, her many years of experience let her instantly understand Uchiha Setsuna's thoughts.
But sensing the chakra within Seisui and the sharp aura about him, she knew this kid was strong, at least a Chunin level, maybe higher.
"Heh, that old fox really did misjudge."
Mito grew more pleased with Seisui.
She bore no ill will toward Haru; she wasn't that narrow-minded.
The village was the village, anyone who tried to destroy it, she'd personally kill.
Thinking of Senju Hashirama's words, Mito sighed quietly.
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