Mito Uzumaki

Kakashi sucked in a sharp breath when he heard Hatake Sakumo's words and remembered what he had just done. Then he asked, "What happened after that?"

"After that?" Hatake Sakumo glanced at Kakashi and continued, "After that, Uncle Ziyan went to fight Lord First again. Once their fight was over, the Senju and the Uchiha Clan stopped warring. Then, with Uncle Ziyan mediating and guiding them, the Senju and the Uchiha Clan joined forces to establish the Konoha we know today. A few years after Konoha was founded, Uncle Ziyan returned to the Land of Iron for the sake of his clansmen there!"

"Father, from what you've said, Uncle Ziyan and Madara Uchiha must have contributed a lot to Konoha, right? Why do our Ninja Academy textbooks give Lord First all the credit for ending the chaos of the Warring States era and founding Konoha?" Kakashi asked, puzzled.

Hatake Sakumo sighed. "All right, that's enough storytelling for today. Go train!"

Kakashi was disappointed that he hadn't gotten the answer he wanted, but he didn't dare challenge Sakumo's authority. He asked no more questions and obediently ran off to train.

Although Hatake Ziyan was inside his room, his strength allowed him to hear every word Hatake Sakumo had said. He shook his head and smiled, unconcerned.

Hatake Ziyan had been in this world for decades. At first, he had been rather panicked, but the system appeared when he was six, and his strength began to grow rapidly, especially during the year he earned the name Blood-Colored Swordsman.

At that thought, Hatake Ziyan opened the system interface, which he hadn't checked in a long time!

Choice system:

Name: Hatake Ziyan

Realm: Early Six Paths (Sword God template level: 101)

Skills: Swordsmanship-Draw Slash, Void-Splitting Draw Slash, Ultimate Storm Style, etc.

Ninjutsu: Yin Seal, Strength of a Hundred Technique, Eight Gates Formation, etc.

Items: Taiji Heavenly Emperor Sword, etc.

Ugh, leveling up is so slow in the later stages. It's been over twenty years, and I'm only at level 101. When will I ever reach the level cap? Disconnect Fighter really is a rip-off! Hatake Ziyan thought helplessly.

The next day.

"Uncle Ziyan, are you awake?" Hatake Sakumo knocked on the door.

"What is it? Do you need something?" Hatake Ziyan's voice came from inside.

"The Third Hokage is here to see you. He says Lady Mito asked him to invite you over for a chat!" Sakumo replied.

"Got it!"

After receiving his answer, Sakumo went back to relay it to the Third Hokage.

Hatake Ziyan got dressed, opened the door, and stepped outside. He saw the Third Hokage standing in the courtyard.

"Little monkey, why did you bring Mito into this? Afraid I'd lay a hand on you?" Hatake Ziyan asked the Third Hokage.

"You must be joking, Lord Sword God. How could I possibly persuade Lady Mito to do that? She simply heard you were here and insisted on seeing you!" Hiruzen Sarutobi replied with an ingratiating smile.

"All right. It's been a long time since I've seen Mito, too. I'd like to see her. Lead the way!" Hatake Ziyan wasted no more words and headed outside first.

Hiruzen Sarutobi likewise said no more and hurried to keep pace with Hatake Ziyan.

The two soon arrived outside Mito Uzumaki's courtyard. But when Hatake Ziyan sensed the presence of quite a few ninja nearby, his expression immediately turned cold, and he glanced back at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Go attend to your own business. I don't need you to accompany me any further!" Hatake Ziyan said coldly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't understand why Lord Sword God was angry again, but he couldn't afford to offend him. He could only answer obediently, "Yes, Lord Sword God!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to leave, but he had barely taken two steps before Hatake Ziyan's voice made him break into a cold sweat.

"Are you planning to have all these people listen in on my conversation with Mito?" Hatake Ziyan asked.

"Not at all! They're here to protect Lady Mito. Since you're here, I'll withdraw them immediately!" Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly explained. He waved toward the shadows, bowed to Hatake Ziyan, and then quickly left.

Once Hatake Ziyan sensed that everyone hiding nearby had indeed withdrawn, he stepped forward and knocked on the gate.

"Come in, little Ziyan!" A gentle woman's voice came from inside.

"Ahem, ahem!" Hatake Ziyan blushed and coughed a few times to hide his embarrassment before pushing the gate open and walking in.

After closing the courtyard gate, Hatake Ziyan saw a red-haired woman who looked about thirty reclining on a lounge chair beneath a tree. Beside her stood a timid little girl just over ten, who was stealing glances at him.

"Mito!" Hatake Ziyan greeted her as he walked up to the reclining woman.

The woman was none other than Lord First's wife, the first Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Mito Uzumaki!

"Little Ziyan, it seems you've learned our Uzumaki Clan's Yin Seal quite well! You look exactly the same as you did decades ago!" Mito said with a smile.

"Mito, there's a child here! I'm in my fifties or sixties already. Could you stop calling me little Ziyan? Besides, if I've mastered the Yin Seal so well, it's only because you taught me so well!" Hatake Ziyan glanced at the little girl snickering beside her and answered with a wry smile.

"All right, all right! Our little Ziyan has grown up. I can't call him little Ziyan anymore!" Mito seemed to agree with him, yet she kept teasing him.

Hatake Ziyan smiled helplessly. "Mito, call me whatever you like!"

Hatake Ziyan glanced at the little girl beside her. "This is Kushina Uzumaki, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's right! I was the one who asked you to protect her on her way here, remember? But in the blink of an eye, she's almost a young lady!" Mito Uzumaki said, looking at the girl tenderly.

"Little girl! If you dare tell anyone about this, I won't let you off!" Hatake Ziyan suddenly directed his aura at Kushina as he spoke.

There was no way Kushina could withstand the pressure of Hatake Ziyan's aura. She promptly fell onto her backside, unable to utter a word.

Just as Hatake Ziyan was about to say something else, a golden chain suddenly bound him.

"You just said yourself that you're in your fifties or sixties, yet you're still so childish. Playing this sort of joke on a little girl-aren't you afraid you'll traumatize my little niece?" Mito said as she tied Hatake Ziyan up.

Hatake Ziyan looked at the Adamantine Sealing Chains wrapped around him and shook his head, speechless for a moment. "Mito, was that really necessary? Using Adamantine Sealing Chains just to tie me up? Besides, this killing intent of mine is child's play compared to the Nine-Tails. Letting her experience it in advance will do her good!"