Mito Uzumaki's Confusion

The path to becoming Hokage through normal means was a dead end with Tobirama Senju in charge. Uchiha Nan had only one option left.

That was to wait!

Wait until Tobirama Senju was dead. Although Uchiha Nan possessed a trump card that could briefly allow him to contend with Tobirama Senju—a Mangekyo Sharingan Trial Card—what good would a Mangekyo Sharingan do? It wasn't as if Tobirama Senju hadn't slaughtered a Mangekyo Sharingan wielder before, namely Izuna Uchiha.

One couldn't exactly count on inciting his fellow Uchiha clansmen to launch a coup with him. That would be less reliable than finding a way to defect to Madara Uchiha, who was hiding in some cave somewhere. At the very least, Madara Uchiha didn't have racial prejudices; he discriminated against everyone who wasn't Hashirama equally.

Uchiha Nan didn't want to waste his Mangekyo Sharingan Trial Card—a treasure he treated as a gem and had been reluctant to use even during several life-threatening situations—on dealing with Tobirama Senju.

No one knew how many forbidden jutsu Tobirama Senju had researched specifically to counter the Uchiha while he was alive. If one wanted to know, they would only have the chance to peruse the Forbidden Scroll after becoming Hokage.

However, Uchiha Nan had finally reached the end of his long wait. Once tonight passed, Tobirama Senju's corpse should be stone cold.

Thinking of this, the gloom in Uchiha Nan's heart caused by his poor luck with card draws was swept away. He couldn't help but feel overjoyed, a wanton smile spreading across his face before it devolved into the ancestral Uchiha maniacal laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

"Hehehehe!!"

"..."

"Cough, cough, cough. Choked on my own spit."

Uchiha Nan coughed twice, then suddenly heard two cat meows. A jet-black cat vaulted in through the window. The black cat habitually leaped onto Uchiha Nan's bed, swished its tail twice, and sat down.

"Nan, I've gathered the intel."

"The negotiations between Konoha and the Raikage this time really were an ambush. The outcome is just as you guessed: the Second Hokage drew the pursuers away all by himself. It looks like he's in grave danger."

The black cat licked the fur on its paw and shifted into a sleeping position, belly-up on the soft mattress, its four limbs splayed out. Uchiha Nan sat down beside it and skillfully stroked its fur.

"I got this information from Qiaqi. It took a lot of effort to pry it out of him."

"Good job, little Manji."

Manji was Uchiha Nan's summoning animal, and Qiaqi was Kagami Uchiha's. The Uchiha clan and the Ninja Cat clan had been friendly for generations; the Ninja Cats under Cat Granny often signed contracts with the Uchiha clan.

Ninja Cats were small and agile, making them excellent at gathering intelligence, and they possessed specialized information channels throughout the ninja world.

After Uchiha Nan displayed his talent at the Ninja Academy, he was introduced by the clan, and Cat Granny allowed Manji to sign a contract with him. Back then, Manji was still just a little guy.

Over the years, whenever Uchiha Nan left the village for missions, Manji had been through life and death with him several times. Uchiha Nan was very comfortable sending Manji out to gather intelligence.

"How are you going to reward me?"

Manji let out a rumbling purr, a look of pure enjoyment on his face. He was very satisfied with the craftsmanship of Uchiha Nan, a master at petting cats.

"Three bottles of Catnip!"

"No way, double it!"

Manji's tail flicked, signaling his dissatisfaction.

"No problem!"

Uchiha Nan was in a great mood. He took a jar of Catnip from the drawer and tossed it to Manji.

"I'll buy you the remaining five bottles tomorrow."

Manji couldn't wait; he opened the Catnip jar, grabbed a handful, and took a hearty bite.

"This is the taste. The goods are pure."

"Aa+!"

Manji wore an expression of absolute bliss. He dumped all the Catnip out of the bottle, spread it across the bed, and sprawled out, rubbing his body all over it.

"Manji, remember to tell the Ninja Cats you're close with to stay in Konoha for the next few days. Keep an eye out for information for me at all times."

"Manji? Manji?"

Manji's eyes were vacant, his tongue lolling out, and his paws were mechanically shoving Catnip into his mouth. He was clearly high on the stuff.

Forget it, I shouldn't count on Manji for now. Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others haven't returned yet, and the news of Tobirama's death hasn't been brought back. Let the bullets fly for a while longer.

Time to sleep!

A few days later, Hiruzen Sarutobi and his team hurried back to Konoha. They didn't bring back good news of a ceasefire, but rather a piece of bad news that would shake the entire village.

The negotiations between Konoha and the Raikage had collapsed. The Raikage had been killed in a sneak attack by his subordinates, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, and Tobirama Senju had died in battle.

Senju Clan Land

"Tobirama, he's dead?"

"How is that possible? How could Tobirama die?"

Mito Uzumaki, having just received the news, looked dazed and lost. She hadn't yet recovered from this bolt from the blue. She truly could not imagine that her brother-in-law, Tobirama, could die.

In Mito's memory, Tobirama was always so calm and resourceful, managing Konoha in perfect order after Hashirama's death.

His strength was top-tier in the ninja world. He hadn't even died during the chaotic Warring States period; the fact that he had sacrificed himself during a ceasefire agreement was a reality Mito Uzumaki could not bring herself to believe.

Mito Uzumaki looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, hoping he would say something. But reality was, after all, reality. Hiruzen Sarutobi could only remain silent, afraid to speak, fearing he might further upset Mito Uzumaki.

Tears welled up in the corners of Mito Uzumaki's eyes, but she immediately wiped them away, her gaze turning sharp as she looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Tell me everything from start to finish. Not a single word is to be left out!"

Mito Uzumaki's tone was icy. Because her emotions were unstable, her Chakra surged out along with her words.

The Chakra of the Uzumaki Clan was already immense, and with Mito being the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the fluctuations of Chakra she emitted left Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others struggling to breathe.

Konoha had just emerged from a major war; the First Shinobi World War had lasted for a full eight years. After eight years of conflict, even though Konoha was robust, the exhaustion of such a long war had left even a powerhouse like Konoha severely wounded.

At such a critical juncture, the death of the village's Kage could lead to Konoha falling apart if the situation was not handled correctly.

"Yes, Mito-sama."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded repeatedly, recounting the process of the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju's negotiations with the Second Raikage, the ambush they suffered at the hands of Kinkaku and Ginkaku, and their subsequent flight from the elite forces led by the pair.

From start to finish, Hiruzen Sarutobi explained how Tobirama Senju had ultimately sacrificed himself to act as bait, covering the breakout of his group.

Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally did not forget to mention that before Tobirama went to his death, he had appointed him as the Third Hokage.

Mito Uzumaki interrupted several times throughout the account, asking for specific details and making Hiruzen Sarutobi repeat certain parts multiple times. She even had the others present recount their versions as well.

Combined with the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's unique ability to sense emotions, Mito Uzumaki eventually concluded that Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were not lying.

Mito Uzumaki looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a complex expression. For the first time, she felt a sliver of doubt regarding Tobirama's judgment. Were these brats before her truly worth Tobirama sacrificing himself?

And as for this Hiruzen Sarutobi standing before her—was he truly worthy of the position of Hokage?