Mito's speech

Afternoon.

The sun was shining brightly outside the window, but the people in the Hokage's Office showed no sign of taking a break.

Hashirama lay huddled behind a pile of documents, his face buried in his arms, emitting muffled sobs.

"How much is left...?"

"One-third." Tobirama didn't even look up, his pen flying across another document. "If you can stay alert, you should be able to finish in about two hours."

Hashirama's shoulders slumped.

Ban sat by the window, with a stack of documents piled up in front of him.

He was much faster than Hashirama, but he had been working continuously for three hours, and fatigue was faintly visible between his brows.

"Izuna is still outside?" he asked.

"Hmm," Ban replied. "He went out this morning and hasn't come back yet."

Tobirama sighed, "It seems he's determined not to come today."

Hashirama lifted his head from his arms, saying weakly, "Let him rest... He's exhausted these past few days. The framework has been explained, and all the details have been covered..."

"That's why he's qualified to just sit around in the Training Grounds now," Tobirama said expressionlessly. "And we're still here analyzing his words."

Hashirama: "..."

Something seems off.

Are we employees of Izuna?

The Office door was pushed open, and Mito Uzumaki walked in.

Her steps were slow, and her face showed obvious signs of fatigue.

"Mito!" Hashirama sat up straight immediately. "Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to be with the Barrier Team— "

"I'm done," Mito interrupted him, sitting down in the chair next to him. "I'm temporarily done. I have to continue tomorrow."

She leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and gently rubbed her temples.

Hashirama's expression became somewhat complicated.

He knew what Mito had been busy with lately.

The matter of Black Zetsu.

That black monster that was ripped from Hideki's body, the thing that, in Izuna's description, killed "the other him".

The day after Mito learned of this, she began researching targeted Sealing Jutsu. She searched through all the records of the Uzumaki Clan and locked herself in the Barrier Team for whole days without coming out.

But progress has been slow.

It's not because I lack ability, it's because I'm too busy.

She needed to maintain the village's Barrier. Recently, with the Appointment Ceremony approaching, she needed to handle communications with the Uzumaki Clan. She also had to hold a discussion on how the Barrier's effectiveness would take effect if the village were opened, a meeting that lasted twelve hours.

When Hashirama returned, he wanted her to teach Izuna Sealing Jutsu, but seeing Mito's condition, he silently suppressed the idea.

"Mito," he said softly, "You don't really need to be in such a hurry. We're still investigating Black Zetsu."

Mito opened her eyes and looked at him.

There was weariness in those eyes, but even more so, a calm determination.

"I know," she said, "But the sooner we're prepared, the less risk we'll face. That thing... it can possess Senju clan member right under your noses, and it can remain hidden for so many years without being discovered. It's no ordinary opponent."

Hashirama remained silent.

Ban put down the documents in his hand and looked at Mito.

Any progress?

Mito shook his head.

"No," she readily admitted. "I envisioned several Sealing Jutsu, but they all require a large amount of Chakra and cannot be activated instantly."

"Furthermore, I need more information. Ideally, I should have direct contact with it to sense its Chakra nature; only then will the Barrier be truly foolproof."

A moment of silence fell over the Office.

Direct contact.

It's easier said than done.

That thing seemed to have vanished completely after Izuna slashed it; it never reappeared.

Hashirama sighed and looked at Madara.

Spot nodded. "Let me ask."

Mito thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Madara."

Hashirama glanced at the red-haired woman with her Dango in Hashirama and curled the corners of his lips into a smile.

Mito, his wife.

She has been this kind of woman since the day they met.

Gentle, yet as resilient as a reed that cannot be blown down by the wind.

He recalled that when Konoha was first established, she single-handedly took on all the work of the Barrier Team.

At that time, the village was still under construction and it was impossible to even set up basic guards. There were many spies and assassins, but she managed to set up three layers of Barriers around the village all by herself, completely ending all of that.

Later, the Uzumaki Clan had strong objections to their establishment of Konoha, and it was she who stepped in to mediate.

Although Sōsuke is the liaison between the Uzumaki Clan and Konoha, the Uzumaki Clan always bypasses Sōsuke and contacts her directly under the pretext that she is Hashirama Senju's wife.

It wasn't until he stepped forward and strongly demanded that the Land of Whirlpools stop such behavior that this overstepping of authority began to subside.

But it's only somewhat restrained.

Recently, those guys sent her another secret letter. Although Mito didn't say anything, Hashirama, who felt sorry for his wife, had made up his mind.

If the Land of Whirlpools continues its actions, he will, in his capacity as the Senju Clan and the Hokage of Konoha, announce the complete severance of their Land of Whirlpools.

Now, she needs to research the technique to seal Black Zetsu.

Hashirama opened his mouth, wanting to say "You've worked hard," but the words felt too insincere.

In the end, he simply said, "Rest when you're tired, don't push yourself."

Mito glanced at him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"You should worry about yourself first," she said, glancing at the pile of documents in front of him. "I heard you didn't eat lunch today?"

Hashirama coughed lightly.

"I've eaten, I've eaten the leftover Tempura from yesterday..."

"Was that lunch? That was a snack." Mito bluntly exposed her, "And you ate three pieces and gave the rest to Madara."

Ban raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with giving it to me?"

"Nothing much," Mito said calmly. "I just reminded him that if he keeps going like this, he won't be able to come home for dinner tonight."

Ban silently lowered his head.

Hashirama: "Waaaaah! No, Mito- chan! I'll eat it! I'll eat it, okay?!"

Tobirama paused for a moment, then continued writing as if he hadn't heard anything.

The door was pushed open again.

This time, it was Uchiha Izuna who came in.

He carried several Oiled Paper in his hand, his expression subtle. Half of it was resignation, "I knew I had to come," and the other half was smugness, "You guys really can't do without me."

"Are you hungry?" He waved the paper bag in his hand. "Freshly fried dumplings, still warm."

"Wow! Thank you, Izuna!" Hashirama wanted to come out from behind the desk and hug Izuna, but the mountain of documents blocked his way. He could only convey his gratitude with shining eyes, "You saved my life!"

Ban's lips curled into a slight smile as he reached out and took the bag. "Thank you."

Mito raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you ate well today. Did you get any for me?"

Izuna bowed obsequiously, "Of course, my dear Queen."

Mito was overjoyed.

Tobirama, however, didn't even look up and continued reviewing documents.

"Tobirama's not eating?" Izuna tilted his head to look at him. "Then I'll give it all to Hashirama."

Tobirama moment.

"... Put it there."

Izuna smiled.

He placed the paper package on the table and found a seat next to Ban.

"Speaking of which," he began, his tone casual, "There's something I need to tell you."

With his Hashirama full of fried dumplings, Hashirama mumbled, "Hmm?"

"The Envoys from the Four Great Nations should arrive in about a week."

The air in the Office fell silent for a moment.

The chewing motion Hashirama stopped.

Ban's brows furrowed slightly.

Mito sat up straight. "How did you know?"

"I have my own way," Izuna shrugged. "Anyway, they're already on their way. The fastest batch will arrive in the Capital in three or four days, and then it'll take another two or three days to get to Konoha."

Hashirama swallowed the fried dumpling in his mouth, and his expression became serious.

"The Four Great Nations... simultaneously?"

"At the same time," Izuna nodded, "They must have received news from the Special Administrative Region and wanted to see what was going on."

Tobirama's brow furrowed even more.

Are there any Ninjas in the Envoy's party?

Izuna smiled.

"Yes," he said, his tone carrying a hint of meaning, "And not just any ordinary Ninja."

"In the Land of Wind, there are Jonin who know Sand Release. In the Land of Lightning, there are Genin from the Yotsuki Clan. In the Land of Water, there are Chunin from the Yuki Clan. And in the Land of Earth— "

He paused.

"Ōnoki, Mu's disciple has also arrived."

The air in the Office fell silent once more.

Madara was the first to speak, his voice low and deep. "That Dust Release user, Mu?"

"Yes." Izuna nodded. "It's not just nobles who have come. The Ninjas also want to see how Konoha managed to get the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to agree to this system."

Hashirama a moment, then suddenly laughed.

"Isn't this great?" he said, his tone carrying his usual optimism. "Let them see the true spirit of Konoha."

Ban glanced at him but didn't say anything.

But Izuna knew what he was thinking.

The visitor is ill-intentioned.

The nobles came with suspicion and wariness. The Ninjas came with curiosity and expectation.

If handled well, Konoha and the reputation of its Ninjas will be further enhanced.

It's not a big deal if things aren't handled well, but they were the first to establish Shinobi Village, so setting an example is very important.

He looked at Mito.

"Mito, I'll probably need you to keep a close eye on the Barrier Team later. The Envoy group is a mixed bag; we can't let anyone cause trouble in the village."

Mito nodded.

"I see."

Izuna then looked at Tobirama.

"Tobirama, discuss the security plan with the Anbu. Don't be too conspicuous, but there can't be any loopholes either."

Tobirama paused for a moment, then nodded.

Izuna looked at Hashirama and Madara one last time.

"Hashirama, Madara, don't mess around this time, okay? This is very important. If you have anything to say, keep it to yourself! Let Tobirama do it! Oh, and there's also the Appointment Ceremony."

He paused, a sly smile curving his lips.

"I've already written my speech. It's going to be amazing."

Hashirama's expression froze.

"... Speech manuscript?"

"Yes."

Izuna took out a stack of papers from his pocket and handed them to Hashirama.

Hashirama looked down at the stack of papers, then looked up at Izuna, then looked down at the stack of papers again, his expression gradually becoming subtle.

"But..." he began hesitantly, "I still have to memorize it, right? Can't I improvise? I think I'm pretty good at improvising..."

Izuna tilted his head back.

Why don't you read it first before you say anything?

Hashirama hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took the stack of papers.

The others in the Office also stopped what they were doing, and their eyes all fell on Hashirama.

The Hashirama turned to the first page.

His eyes swept over the first line of text, then paused.

Then comes the second line.

Third line.

His eyes widened further.

When he turned to the second page, his expression had completely changed.

"This..." He looked up at Izuna, then looked down at the manuscript, then looked up again, "This... this is for me to read?"

Izuna tilted his head, smiling without saying a word.

Tobirama remained expressionless, but his pen hovered above the document, not falling for a long time.

Madara stared at Hashirama, wondering what his younger brother had written to elicit such an expression from Hashirama.

Mito was much more direct; he simply placed his chair near the Hashirama and moved closer to watch together.

Hashirama continued reading.

When he turned to the third page, his hand began to tremble slightly.

Mito watched from the side, her gaze becoming serious. She had originally just been joining in the fun, but now her eyes were firmly fixed on those few lines of text.

"I see..." she said softly, her tone carrying a complex meaning, "So that's how it is..."

Hashirama turned to the last page.

After reading the last word, he slowly closed the stack of papers and looked up.

There was light in his eyes.

"Izuna," he began, his voice lower than usual, "This..."

"How about it?" Izuna blinked. "Want to improvise again?"

Hashirama remained silent for a moment.

Then he shook his head vigorously.

"No!" he said, his tone resolute, "I will memorize it! I will memorize it word for word!"

Mito almost died laughing at her husband.

"Didn't you just say you were free to improvise?" She covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling. "That's a really fast change of heart!"

"That's different!" Zhu said confidently. "This is so well written! If I were to improvise, what I came up with would definitely not be as good as this! I can't waste such a good manuscript!"

As he spoke, he looked down at the manuscript in his hand, his expression becoming somewhat dazed.

"Dear residents of Konoha... no, fellow Ninjas..." he murmured the beginning, then suddenly looked up at Izuna with a completely new look in his eyes, "Izuna, you're amazing. How did you know what I wanted to say? How did you know what I wanted to say that even I didn't know myself?"

Izuna proudly raised his head, "Because I'm a genius."

Hashirama: "..."

It seems there's no way to refute it.

He held the manuscript carefully in his hands, as if he were holding some rare treasure.

"I have to memorize it well," he muttered to himself. "I have to memorize it word for word. This is the Appointment Ceremony; the Envoys from the Four Great Nations are watching. I can't embarrass myself..."

Tobirama watched his Big Brother's expression, his lips twitching slightly.

"Are you sure he can memorize it?" he asked Izuna expressionlessly. "He can't even remember the entire contents of yesterday's meeting."

"Hey!" Hashirama looked up, protesting with a wronged expression, "I remember everything! What they said in yesterday's meeting was—"

He got stuck.

His expression gradually became blank.

"... What were you saying again?"

Tobirama silently withdrew his gaze and looked at Izuna.

You see?

Izuna, however, smiled calmly and spoke the demon's words in a light tone, "If he dares not memorize it, I'll put sugar in his food Tenten."

Tobirama fell silent.

Hashirama felt extremely wronged. "Why is everyone targeting me!"