Tianqi's Identity Was Acknowledged
"You really do have a bad memory, Sarutobi -san!" Tianqi smiled, and his appearance changed instantly. His half-meter-long hair covered his back, revealing his true appearance.
"Tianqi!" Looking at the person in front of him, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened. Just as he was about to step forward and say something, he remembered what happened at the Konoha Hospital many years ago. Back then, there was also a guy impersonating Tianqi. Looking at the Tianqi in front of him, Sarutobi Hiruzen hesitated. He was really unsure whether this person was Tianqi or not.
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen's conflicted expression, Tianqi knew he probably didn't quite believe it, but he didn't care. Today wasn't about proving his identity. Tianqi then went to Sen'u's side and said gently, "Sen'u, what's wrong? You look so worried. This isn't like you."
"Master, Master... please come and see Grandma! I really can't lose her!" Sen'u looked at Tianqi's familiar face and suddenly didn't know how to address him. But seeing his grandmother lying on the bed, he couldn't care less.
"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the laws of nature, and no one can escape them. Even someone as strong as your Hashirama was no exception. He was known as the God of Shinobi, but he couldn't escape the wrath of life. You have to be strong!" Tianqi said, patting Sen'u's head again.
Uzumaki Mito lay on the stone bed, looking at the person in front of her who looked exactly like Tianqi. She was conflicted. Although he looked exactly like Tianqi, the evil thoughts in his heart were undeniable. What troubled her was that this person's care and love for Sen'u were so genuine. For a moment, she couldn't decide whether she should trust him or not.
"But...!" Nine-year-old Sen'u could understand life and death to some extent, but he just didn't want to lose his closest grandmother.
"Alright, Sen'u, stop 'but'ing. What this person said is right. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the laws of nature, and even your grandmother cannot escape them. Let him come over here; I want to say a few words to him!" Uzumaki Mito interrupted Sen'u and Tianqi's conversation, pointing at Tianqi. There were some things she needed to confirm.
Hearing his grandmother say she wanted to speak with his master, Sen'u made way for her. Although Sen'u made way, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others were not willing. The Nine-Tails, as the strongest Tailed Beast, was Konoha's trump card and weapon of war. How could they allow an outsider to get close at this important moment of transferring the Nine-Tails?
"Let the Monkey come over here. I believe he won't cause trouble, right?" Sarutobi Hiruzen waved her hand at Uzumaki Mito and squinted at Tianqi.
"Hehe, you're still as perceptive as ever. But you're absolutely right. If I had designs on the Nine-Tails, I wouldn't have shown myself so early. I could have waited until the crucial moment when you were transferring the Nine-Tails before coming out to snatch it!" Tianqi said with a slight smile.
Upon hearing this Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others considered it for a moment and then made way. What this person said was indeed true; if he really had designs on the Nine-Tails, he would have shown up so early. Moreover, he seemed to have a good relationship with Danzo. With the elder Uzumaki Mito speaking up and Elder Danzo backing him up, he had no excuse to stop them.
Danzo saw Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen giving him a strange look, he was momentarily at a loss. "Damn it! Why are you looking at me like that? Do you suspect I have designs on the Nine-Tails?" Tianqi thought to himself, "Danzo, you bastard, please don't do anything reckless. If you mess around, I'll be in trouble too." He couldn't let go of his power as an elder of Konoha.
"I never imagined that Grandma Mito's life would come to an end. Time really flies. It seems like only yesterday that we talked after I attacked the Land of Earth. I never thought you would..." Tianqi respected this old woman who had lived from the Sengoku to the present. Moreover, she was one of the few people who were willing to stand up for him after he caused trouble. He had always held this old woman in high regard.
"Hehe, just as you said, birth, aging, sickness, and death are the laws of nature. I'm just an ordinary person; it's normal to get old!" Uzumaki Mito said with a smile, shaking her head. However, she quickly realized that years ago, after Tianqi got into trouble, she stepped in to protect him. Only she and the real Tianqi knew about their conversation in Tianqi. Could it be...?
"Do you still remember what you said to me back then?" Uzumaki Mito asked, slightly excited, as if suddenly remembering something.
"What did I say to you?" Tianqi was a little confused when he heard this. So much time had passed that he really couldn't remember some of the details, but he still tried his best to recall.
"It's been so long that I can't really remember some things, but I haven't forgotten the gist of the conversation. You said you thought I would be as unruly as my father, and I said I would never be like him, much less become like him. Is that what you were asking?"
"Yes, that's right. Do you remember what we talked about afterwards?" Seeing that this person actually knew about Uzumaki Mito, she became more and more excited. However, she still asked another question. This topic was a secret between her and Tianqi, and she believed that no one except Tianqi himself would know it. As long as this person could answer this question, she could basically confirm it.
"The next topic? You mean the Eyes of Eternal Light?" Tianqi asked uncertainly, as it had been so long that he had almost forgotten.
"Yes, yes, that's it! Tianqi, is it really you who's back?" Uzumaki Mito straightened up and looked at Tianqi with excitement. The secret of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was known only to her and Tianqi in the entire Konoha Village. Now she was finally certain that the person in front of her was Tianqi, and no one else would know about it except Tianqi.
"It's me. Nine years ago, when Sen'u was born in the hospital, I said it was me, but you didn't believe me at the time and even used the power of the Nine-Tails to drive me out of the village. But I never expected that I would appear in front of you again after so many years, and you would believe me again. Alas, the world is so unpredictable!" Thinking of this, Tianqi shook his head helplessly.
Recalling how, years ago, she had inadvertently driven Tianqi out of Konoha after seizing the power of the Nine-Tails, Uzumaki Mito shook her head helplessly. It was all fate.
Looking at Xiao Sen'u beside her, she was filled with emotion. She had been worried about Sen'u, wondering who would take care of him if she really left. Now that Tianqi was back, she was relieved. Moreover, Xiao Sen'u called Tianqi "Master," which meant that Tianqi had spent a long time with Sen'u and had even taken him as his disciple. She really had nothing to worry about this time.