Gambling

"He's a good child. From now on, I'll leave that child in your care."

Faced with Tsunade's question, Mito Uzumaki smiled faintly and answered softly.

"???? Aha?"

Without saying anything more, Mito walked into the courtyard and gazed up at the full moon.

"Hashirama... What would you do, if you were here? Konoha..."

Looking at the full moon, Mito felt inexplicably tired.

She had lived too long. She had witnessed Konoha's prosperity and decline, as well as the Senju and Uzumaki clans' decline and extinction.

And now... she had made another decision whose rightness she could not be sure of.

"With chakra like that, he absolutely wouldn't be affected by the Yin Release Chakra of the Mangekyo, right?"

Ever since discovering Uchiha Gen, Mito had been observing this Uchiha child, whose chakra was completely different from that of other Uchiha—in fact, it could be said to be completely different from that of other ninja.

She had watched him for a full six months, seeing Uchiha Gen's strength steadily increase day by day, sometimes even making a sudden leap.

Mito's astonishment had only grown.

It wasn't until Uchiha Gen finally made certain decisions that she suddenly realized what kind of storm his existence might bring to Konoha.

That was why she had initially felt the urge to kill him. She didn't want anything to threaten the village Hashirama had devoted his life to.

But the thought had barely arisen before she suppressed it. Six months of observation had given her some understanding of what kind of person Uchiha Gen was.

All of Uchiha Gen's decisions stemmed from the support he received from the Uchiha Clan—from Setsuna Uchiha and the elders to the other Uchiha.

Everything these people had done for Uchiha Gen had laid the foundation for his desire to stage a coup and secure everything for the Uchiha Clan.

During those six months of observation, Mito had felt that Uchiha Gen was forcing himself to fit into everything around him. But that integration was awkward, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't change the thoughts at his core.

This child was mature and had his own standards for how to act. Those standards even revealed something of his morals in everyday life.

In plain terms, this child wasn't a bad person, but he certainly wasn't a good one, either. Everything he did began from his own point of view.

So Mito had decided to broaden Uchiha Gen's perspective.

Everything Uchiha Gen wanted to do was to repay the Uchiha Clan for all they had done for him. But what if she intervened? If she added more weight to the scales in Uchiha Gen's heart, could things take a new turn?

It was a gamble, and she wanted to take one in the final stretch of her life.

The next day.

After school.

"Minato, train on your own today. I have something to take care of."

At the entrance to the Ninja Academy, Uchiha Gen took a gift box from a Uchiha ninja who had brought it to him, then turned to Minato Namikaze and said.

"Okay, go take care of things. If there's anything I can help with, let me know."

Looking at the gift box in Uchiha Gen's hands, Minato had a rough idea of what he intended to do, and smiled as he replied.

"Mm."

The Senju Compound was easy to find in Konoha.

In no time, Uchiha Gen arrived at its entrance.

No one stood guard at the entrance. Looking at the somewhat lonely residence, Uchiha Gen stood there for a moment, then walked inside.

As soon as he entered, he saw Mito Uzumaki feeding fish beside a pond.

"Greetings, Lady Mito."

Uchiha Gen was very respectful. There was no reason not to show respect to one's elders and those stronger than oneself.

"Don't be so formal. From now on, just call me Grandma. You didn't have to bring a gift when you came. Don't do it again. The house is rather quiet these days, so feel free to visit more often."

Mito looked at Uchiha Gen kindly as she spoke.

Looking at Uchiha Gen before her, Mito's resolve strengthened once more.

As expected... the power within this child grew every day, and its growth was remarkably steady.

"Mm."

Uchiha Gen nodded lightly, then fell silent. The scene grew quiet again.

"Are you interested in the Strength of a Hundred? I once used the Mind's Eye of the Kagura to observe you fighting. Though you use a sword, I feel you'd be quite suited to this technique."

After a brief silence, Mito suddenly spoke.

"It's Princess Tsunade's signature Cursed Technique, but... her technique shouldn't really be considered part of the Senju Clan, should it? After all, she doesn't bear the Senju name."

Uchiha Gen spoke softly.

"The Strength of a Hundred wasn't created by little Tsunade. But even if she had created it, I could still have her teach you. Little Tsunade can be a bit unruly, but she has plenty to teach you, like Medical Ninjutsu or... the Senjutsu of Shikkotsu Forest. Your chakra should be well suited to learning Senjutsu."

Mito spoke with a warm smile.

"You want me to become her student?"

Uchiha Gen furrowed his brow slightly and asked softly.

He couldn't make heads or tails of what this old woman from the Sengoku era was thinking.

"You know yourself that it's impossible. You wouldn't be willing, so of course I wouldn't ask you to become little Tsunade's student. Gen, since I've asked you to call me Grandma, little Tsunade can be your older sister."

The smile on Mito's face remained unchanged.

"..."

Just as Uchiha Gen was at a loss for words, a boisterous boy—and the person they had been talking about—appeared.

"Grandma! I'm back!"

The expression "you hear them before you see them" suited someone who started shouting from far away.

"Here he comes. The meals at home are usually made by cooks arranged by Monkey. I don't like the smell of cooking, so I usually have people prepare the food and bring it over. Today, I had Nawaki pick it up."

Mito and Uchiha Gen looked in the direction of the voice. Nawaki walked into the Senju Compound carrying a very large food box.

"He's not suited to be a ninja."

Looking at the boy carrying the food box, making a racket, and sporting a pair of clear, foolish eyes, Uchiha Gen gave his assessment.

He was the grandson of Hashirama, the First Hokage, and a student of Orochimaru. Yet he would die on the battlefield after stepping on an Explosive Tag.

His death would also become the turning point that changed the future paths of the Sannin.

"Hmph."

Nawaki walked in, set the food box on a nearby stone table, then looked at Uchiha Gen and snorted.