Chapter 232: Mito's Passing
The next day, the news of Mito's condition had spread throughout Konoha.
It wasn't because the Senju or Uchiha spread the news, but because early this morning, various large and small clans had sent "birth gifts" for the newborn Senju Itachi and subsequently learned of the news.
A diverse array of birth gifts piled up in the Senju storehouse, but no one was in the mood to count them.
For the young Senju clansmen of this era, Hashirama, who pacified the chaotic times, had become a distant legend. It was the story of Mito single-handedly crushing the Sunagakure during the First Great Ninja War that accompanied their growth.
The "Konoha Negotiation Team" came to the Senju again. Their expressions were very grim; Mito's passing meant that the "controllability" of the Senju would become lower.
"Lady Mito, how could you suddenly..." Hiruzen looked sorrowful; after all, Mito was his teacher's wife.
"There is no choice in the length of a human life. I have lived for 77 years; that is long enough." Mito still wore that gentle smile.
Hiruzen fell silent, not knowing what to say.
After a long while, it was Danzo who spoke first. "I heard that the descendant of Nawaki Senju and Mikoto Uchiha was born early this morning. I wonder how his talent is?"
"You want to ask whether his talent leans more towards the Senju or the Uchiha, right?" Masahiko exposed him directly, ignoring Danzo's awkward expression. "He has both. Are you disappointed?"
Actually, since Itachi possessed the Sage Body, the power of the Senju bloodline would definitely prevail before he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Masahiko didn't say this to avoid causing things that no one wanted to happen.
"Elder Masahiko, you misunderstand." After hesitating for a long while, Danzo spoke sheepishly.
Masahiko didn't continue to strike at him; enough was enough.
After that, the atmosphere in the room became awkward. Masahiko and Mito had nothing to say, while the people opposite were full of words they didn't know how to express. For someone like Mito, who had a "clearly marked price" of ten days to half a month of life left, it was indeed uncomfortable. Consoling felt inappropriate, and grieving felt premature.
After a long time, it was Hiruzen, the Hokage, who broke the silence.
"Elder Masahiko, what about Kushina Uzumaki?" Accepting the fact that Mito was about to pass away, Hiruzen, as Hokage, had to concern himself with the situation of the next Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
"Kushina has already agreed. However, she is the princess of our Land of Whirlpools after all. For her to come to Konoha as a Jinchūriki, don't you need to give us some compensation?" Masahiko put on an expression of clearly marking the price for selling Kushina.
Hiruzen was stunned. He had thought Masahiko would either agree or refuse, but he really hadn't expected that this issue could be bargained over.
He exchanged glances with the other three elders. Kagami and the Hyūga Clan Head both closed their eyes to rest, indicating they didn't want to get involved.
Helpless, Danzo had to "take the lead."
"Elder Masahiko, Kushina Uzumaki becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is also beneficial for your Uzumaki clan. We won't restrict her personal freedom, so she will also be the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki for the Uzumaki."
Masahiko glared. "Try restricting her personal freedom and see what happens!"
Danzo choked. "But the Nine-Tails..."
"Do you think I care about the Nine-Tails? That half of the Nine-Tails I have is almost rotting from boredom. Have you seen me make anyone become a Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?"
Beside him, Mito smiled bitterly. "Second Grandpa, the Nine-Tails is cursing you."
"Tell it to shut up... Hmm, no, tell it to cooperate well with its next host. Otherwise, I'll seal it up tight, won't use its power, and just lock it in a dark room." Masahiko said.
Mito shook her head with a smile. Clearly, the Nine-Tails inside her was still cursing loudly.
After speaking, Masahiko looked "eagerly" at Hiruzen and Danzo again, with a greedy look on his face. Although Kushina had her own goals and volunteered to become the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, he couldn't pass up these benefits.
Hiruzen sighed. "Fine, we can discuss the specific supplies later, but I have another request. I hope to keep the matter of Kushina becoming the Jinchūriki concealed. I hope the version spread outside is that Konoha hasn't found a suitable candidate. Although we can't hide it for long, hiding it for a while is better than nothing."
Masahiko paused and exchanged a glance with Mito.
"After becoming Hokage, you've also become a scheming b*tch, Hiruzen."
Hiruzen smiled bitterly. Although he didn't know what a "scheming b*tch" was, it clearly wasn't a compliment.
"I only realize now that unless I have Teacher Hashirama's kind of... strength, I can only do this."
Masahiko sighed and said no more. Hiruzen hadn't had it easy as Hokage all these years, dealing with all sorts of mess, plus Masahiko stirring up trouble from time to time... Of course, Masahiko wouldn't admit to that himself.
With everything settled, Masahiko didn't negotiate the price personally. He waited for Yoriko to arrive and let her discuss it with Hiruzen.
"Great-Great-Grandpa, well done!" When Kushina learned that Masahiko had "marked a clear price" for her, not only was she not angry, but she was also happy.
"Heh, really sold you for a good price. You're quite valuable." After negotiations between Yoriko and Hiruzen, Konoha basically paid out supplies similar to what they had spent buying explosive tags before.
Kushina: "..."
Although she felt she had "contributed" to the Land of Whirlpools, hearing Masahiko say it like that made her feel a bit awkward.
With such a major event as Mito's approaching end, Masahiko's three disciples all rushed over. Not only that, but besides the various clans of Konoha, the current Daimyo of the Land of Fire also came to visit Mito.
Visits continued one after another for a week, after which Masahiko turned them all away. He took Sara and greeted Mito and his three disciples. He had come to terms with it; he couldn't keep Sara from meeting the people close to him forever, right? As for those not so close, it was better they didn't know... Masahiko had been hit hard enough by the shocked faces of his three disciples.
His two younger disciples, Nagato and Konan, also stayed in the Senju clan grounds while in Konoha and had a good relationship with Mito. Masahiko let them see Mito once, then sent them back. Their weeping really affected the mood.
...
No matter how Masahiko joked around, Mito's face grew older day by day. At first, she looked like a sixty-year-old, then aged a year every day, with more and more wrinkles on her face.
On June 20th, inside her room, Mito smiled and said, "Second Grandpa, don't be sad for me."
Then she closed her eyes forever.
"How can I not be sad?" Masahiko sighed, bent down to pick up Mito, and walked out.
Only Masahiko was in the room. Because of Mito's death, that half of the Nine-Tails would die at the same time. Chakra filled the entire room but was blocked by Masahiko's seal.
Holding Mito, Masahiko instantly flickered out of his seal and placed her in the coffin prepared outside.
Surrounded by layers of people, sounds of sobbing came intermittently. Masahiko looked up at the sky; if he shed tears, where would he put his old face...