Mito's Predicament

"This..."

Upon hearing this, Mina and Izuna both turned to look at Aoba, the longing in their eyes plain to see.

Noticing their gazes, Aoba looked lovingly at Kosuke, who had slightly raised his head.

Then she nodded in agreement to Mina and Izuna.

"Thank you, Mother!" Mina and Izuna said in unison.

Mina immediately untied the Scroll and spread it flat across the table.

After roughly scanning the densely packed text, she pushed the Scroll in front of Izuna.

Izuna had no objections. He took out a new Scroll and bent over the table to carefully copy it down.

Just as Izuna finished copying it and began comparing the two, Uchiha Madara appeared in the courtyard.

"Older brother," Mina called sweetly at once, then rose to pour Madara a cup of clear tea.

When Aoba saw Madara arrive, she softly greeted him before getting up and leaving to find her own circle.

From the moment Madara entered the courtyard, his gaze had been fixed tightly on the white "little person" floating above Kosuke's palm.

Yet, maintaining his usual pride, he never took the initiative to ask.

Seeing him like this, Mina could only return to Izuna, who was still comparing the Scrolls, and check them with him.

"Can't you tone it down a little when you're at home?!" Kosuke rolled his eyes speechlessly and complained weakly. "Do I owe you money or something?"

Money...?!

Just as Kosuke was about to introduce the "little person" in his palm to Madara, he suddenly remembered that he had yet to receive the Bet from back then.

"When we went on that mission, when are you going to pay up the Bet you lost?" Kosuke held out his hand before Madara, rubbing his thumb and index finger together repeatedly. "It's been over ten years. With interest added in, principal and all, it comes to 1.3 million ryō. Pay up!"

The two crowded together comparing the Scrolls swiftly exchanged glances upon hearing the word "Bet," gossip gleaming in both their eyes.

Madara had just taken a sip of tea and had not even set down his cup when he heard Kosuke mention this so-called "Bet" and saw those fingers rubbing together in front of him.

The corner of his mouth twitched violently.

"A Bet?! When did I, Uchiha Madara, ever make a bet with you?"

Madara calmly set down his teacup, pulled a Scroll from his ninja tool pouch, and directly tossed it into Kosuke's arms.

"I believe this information should be enough to repay that so-called Bet."

With that, Madara rose and said to Izuna beside him, "Remember to make another copy of the Scroll in your hands and send it to my room."

As he was leaving, he suddenly paused. "Kosuke, if you're going, remember to notify me."

Ignoring Kosuke's baffled expression, Izuna no longer knew how to criticize his older brother.

What a headache!

Kosuke lowered his head to look at the Scroll Madara had left behind, feeling utterly speechless. "What kind of Scroll could possibly be worth 1.3 million ryō??"

He slowly opened it. The instant his gaze fell upon Uzumaki Mito's name, a terrifying surge of Chakra erupted around him.

The weathered Plum tree in the courtyard once again endured this sudden "torment."

Mina hurriedly asked in concern, "Kosuke, did the Scroll record something?"

After a long while, Kosuke slowly lowered the Scroll, and his terrifying aura vanished in an instant.

But his expression was incomparably grim, and the Mangekyō Sharingan in his eyes flared with crimson light.

"Nothing!" Kosuke abruptly rose, tightly gripping the Scroll in his hand. With a flicker, he vanished from the courtyard.

Seeing Kosuke disappear, Izuna softly comforted Mina. "Mina, don't worry. Kosuke is very strong now. If you're still worried, we can go home and ask older brother right away."

"Older brother..." Mina suddenly came to her senses. "That's right, we can go home and ask older brother!"

Mina then snatched the Scroll from Izuna's right hand. With perfect control over her strength, she threw it forcefully, sending it through the air in a graceful arc before it landed precisely in front of Aoba's door.

Compared to that, this was simply a complete victory.

Then Mina grabbed Izuna's hand, and with a flicker, the two vanished from the courtyard.

Only the old Plum tree remained standing quietly in the courtyard, faint traces of the Chakra impact still lingering on its branches.

"Mito, do you have any objections to the clan's decision?"

Uzumaki Mito's face was ashen as she tightly gripped the Jade Pendant Aoba had given her back then.

Looking at the solemn faces of the Clan Elders, she desperately wanted to activate the Jade Pendant and cause a scene.

To send all these old relics of history into the embrace of the Underworld!

Mito's eyes swept around the room. The attendants standing nearby all lowered their heads, not daring to meet her gaze.

Her gaze turned toward the Clan grounds. Feeling the joy of the clan members smiling in the streets, her heart wavered.

After a long time, Mito slowly lowered her hand and stiffly nodded at the Clan Elders.

The Uzumaki Clan... in the end, after Father died, they had never regained their former vigor.

Their spine had been broken by the Uchiha on the battlefield!

Now, when Senju Tobirama of the Forest Senju came to propose marriage for Hashirama Senju, they merely made a token show of delaying it before turning around and threatening Mito!

Mito returned to her room and sat quietly before the mirror, looking at her reflection as tears unconsciously fell.

The tears splashed into tiny droplets across the wooden floor...

"Miss... how about we run away... They're bullying us too much..."

"Run?" Mito was slightly startled. "But where could we run to?"

Mito wiped away her tears, rose to her feet, and walked to the window, staring blankly toward the western horizon...

"We... we..." The maid was so anxious that tears were about to fall, but having never once left the Clan grounds, she knew nothing of the Ninja World.

"Arin, can I trust you?"

Just as the maid Arin stood at a loss, Mito suddenly turned around and fixed her with a stern gaze.

"Huh?" Mito's sudden question instantly froze Arin, who had been pacing anxiously in circles.

With clear, pure eyes, she met Mito's serious gaze. "Miss... of course you can trust me! You were the one who saved me with your own hands."

"Is that so..." Mito could not help recalling what had happened outside back then. "Then help me do something."

"Something?" Hearing Mito say that, Arin patted her flat chest, making thumping sounds. "Miss, just give the order. Even if I have to risk my life, Arin will definitely get it done for you!"

Seeing Arin like this, a sweet smile finally appeared on Mito's face.

"Go to my father's study and move all the scrolls into my room."

"Yes, Miss."

Arin turned and ran toward the Clan Head's room, lifting her skirt as she went.

"Since you've left me with no say in the matter, I assume you won't object to this either?"