As soon as Mito Uzumaki said that, Uchiha Gen tensed up all over.
Had she... figured something out?!!
"Child, Konoha has never wanted to abandon the Uchiha."
Paying no attention to Uchiha Gen's reaction, Mito Uzumaki continued.
"I know the Uchiha have grievances against Konoha because of Tobirama, but Tobirama never deliberately targeted the Uchiha Clan.
Hashirama's dying wish was something Tobirama always worked hard to uphold. And now, Tobirama had entrusted that wish to Monkey—the Third Hokage. So, can you understand what I'm saying?"
Mito Uzumaki looked at Uchiha Gen and spoke softly. Her words were sincere, without a trace of falsehood.
"...I don't care about the grudges between the Senju and the Uchiha."
Looking at the old woman, Uchiha Gen fell silent for a moment, then shook his head slightly.
"But you do care about the Uchiha and the village. I can more or less guess what you're trying to do. That wouldn't be good for either the Uchiha or the village."
Mito Uzumaki continued without pause.
At her words, Uchiha Gen should have been flustered or surprised, or reacted in some other way.
Yet he found himself strangely calm. He... seemed to understand why this woman had sought him out.
"I don't understand what you mean, Lady Mito."
"I've thought of many ways to resolve this, including simply eliminating you to prevent future trouble. But I dismissed that idea as soon as it came to mind.
Neither Hashirama nor I would ever allow anyone to harm the people of Konoha, even if what you intend to do... is somewhat treasonous.
Child, do you know? When I sensed how quickly you were growing—even faster than Hashirama had at your age—my first reaction was delight. Your chakra is truly warm.
I'd never encountered chakra like it before: chakra full of warmth, yet capable of embracing everything. Even Hashirama never had chakra like that.
Chakra like yours is completely unlike that of an Uchiha child. Even after you awakened the Uchiha's bloodline limit, I thought you would become a bridge that could reconnect the Uchiha and Konoha.
But... chakra doesn't seem to truly represent the choices a person will make. In the end, you chose another path..."
Mito Uzumaki's voice was still gentle, but the things she said were unsettling.
If Mito Uzumaki wanted to attack him... then unless Hashirama Senju came back to life, he was as good as dead.
"Prejudice is a mountain in people's hearts. All I want to do is shatter that mountain completely."
Uchiha Gen spoke calmly, but with conviction.
"No. What you want to do is move the mountain and drop it on someone else."
"..."
That was why he hated being around people who seemed to have a mind-reading ability.
"Child, I'll be dead soon. After I die, with the entire Uchiha Clan protecting you, you'll inevitably go through a period of rapid growth.
During that time, no one will be able to interfere with you. Once you've mastered your power and consolidated the Uchiha's strength, disaster will also break out in Konoha."
As she spoke, Mito Uzumaki picked up another small stone and tossed it toward the riverbed. This time, it skipped across the water several times without a hitch.
"So you want to deal with me before you die?"
Seeing that, Uchiha Gen also picked up a stone and tossed it across the river.
It skipped across the water in a string of bounces—exactly one more than Mito Uzumaki's.
Mito Uzumaki smiled at the sight.
"I told you, I won't harm anyone in Konoha. Besides, those things might happen only after I die.
The dead shouldn't interfere with the living. That's what Hashirama once said to Tobirama."
Mito Uzumaki shook her head gently, then picked up another stone and tossed it toward the river.
This time, the stone skipped across the water many times, but still fell short of the opposite bank.
"Then you didn't come here today just to chat with me and play at skipping stones."
Seeing that, Uchiha Gen flicked another stone across the river. Just like before, it skipped exactly one more time than Mito Uzumaki's.
"No. I came to make a deal with you."
Mito Uzumaki shook her head gently and picked up a stone from the ground. This time, she didn't toss it.
"??? Go on."
"Put off what you're about to do. Until you've gained the power to control all of Konoha, you must not stage a coup. At the very least, keep its impact on Konoha to a minimum."
Mito Uzumaki stood up and spoke slowly.
"????"
For a moment, Uchiha Gen was at a loss.
Wait, she just said "coup" out loud like it was nothing?
Oh, right. This was Mito Uzumaki, the strongest person in Konoha right now. No problem, then.
"I don't understand what you mean, Lady Mito."
Mito Uzumaki could say the word "coup" because she was Mito Uzumaki. He didn't dare casually admit anything.
"Aren't you curious about what I'm offering in this deal?"
Looking down at the boy before her, Mito Uzumaki spoke gently.
"...Not curious."
"No, you're quite curious."
"I'm not curious."
"You are."
"I'm not... All right, I'm curious."
Looking at Mito Uzumaki's smiling face, Uchiha Gen replied helplessly.
"The Senju's Last Resort, and... the last remnants of the Uzumaki."
Mito Uzumaki spoke softly, a hint of sorrow in her voice.
"?!"
"The Land of Whirlpools is gone? Did it happen around this time?"
"I know you'll say you can get your hands on these things in the future, but there's a big difference between getting them sooner and later.
And... although I'm close to death, I won't die right away. As long as I'm here, the villagers will make things much harder for the Uchiha."
After gathering herself, Mito Uzumaki spoke gently, her words carrying a temptation that even Uchiha Gen found hard to ignore.
"...May you live a hundred years, Lady Mito."
After a moment of silence, Uchiha Gen turned and bowed slightly to Mito Uzumaki.
Mito Uzumaki smiled softly at that and tossed the stone, now warm from her palm, toward the river. A series of ripples spread across the water, and the stone made it all the way to the opposite bank.
Before you continue