Chapter 33: Mito, Hashirama, and Madara
Sensing Mito's reaction, Hiruzen stepped forward with a gentle, steady grace. He held the bundle out to her with both hands. "Please, take a look for yourself, Lady Mito. He is quite a robust little one."
Mito Uzumaki took the child into her arms.
A woman who had survived the horrors of the Warring States and the dawn of the Hidden Villages, Mito was rarely shaken. But in this moment, her gaze turned distant, lost in a memory.
Compared to the children she'd had with Hashirama, this boy's chakra signature was actually more... authentic. More "Senju."
Biologically, her own children had been a mix of Uzumaki and Senju, influenced by their own lives and growth. It wasn't uncommon for children to differ from their fathers. But this infant? He carried the original, raw cells of Hashirama Senju. He was the real thing.
"This child... who is he?" Mito asked, her voice hushed.
Hiruzen nodded, his expression heavy with feigned sorrow. "The village sacrificed many lives to see this through. He is the only success—the only survivor of the Hashirama Cell experiments."
Mito knew the village had been obsessively studying her late husband's genetic legacy. They wanted to reclaim the Wood Style—the ultimate deterrent against the Tailed Beasts. As a shinobi, she understood the cold necessity of it.
She stared at the infant's face and whispered, "He looks a bit like him..."
Then, she caught herself and gave a small, self-deprecating laugh. "What am I saying? I never even saw Hashirama when he was this small. Old age is making me sentimental."
Hiruzen remained silent, observing her.
He was watching a masterclass in human psychology: an elder who had given everything to her village, now finding a reason to live in the face of a child who carried her late husband's ghost. It was the cycle of life and memory made manifest.
Once Mito had composed herself, Hiruzen spoke softly. "Lady Mito, this Monkey has come to ask a great favor of you."
"His body successfully integrated Lord Hashirama's cells. There is a very high probability he will inherit the Wood Style."
"In the entire village, no one is more qualified than you to guide him. No one can ensure he grows into the man the village needs better than the woman who stood beside the First."
Hiruzen bowed deeply. "If your strength allows it, I beg you to find your spirit again for the sake of this task. Konoha needs you to raise its future."
Mito looked at him and let out a soft laugh. The stoic, flat expression she had worn for years—a mask forged by a century of war—finally cracked, revealing a genuine smile.
Raising a child was no easy feat, but for Mito, it was exactly what she needed. Hiruzen had correctly identified her deep-seated desire to be useful again.
"Oh, Monkey..." Mito sighed, cradling the child with one arm while gesturing for Hiruzen to sit. "I never realized you were such a silver-tongued flatterer. When did you get so good at reading an old woman's heart?"
"It's not flattery, my Lady. You are the pillar that holds up the sky over Konoha," Hiruzen said with absolute sincerity. "This Monkey still has much to learn from you."
"Look at him. He doesn't even have a name yet. It would be an honor if you would provide one."
In shinobi culture, naming a child was more than a label; it was the creation of a bond. It was a ritual of belonging.
Mito smiled, looking down at the sleeping infant. She thought for a moment. "How about Yamato?"
Hiruzen immediately gave a thumbs up. "An excellent choice! 'Yamato'—Great Harmony. It speaks of peace, of sturdy growth, and a balanced heart. It is simple, yet the meaning is profound."
Mito laughed again, more heartily this time. "Stop it, Hiruzen! I picked it because it's a common 'earthy' name. I figured a simple name would help him survive. I wasn't thinking about 'profound meanings' at all!"
Caught in his "hype-man" routine, Hiruzen acted shocked, then doubled down with a straight face.
"See? You're being humble again. Lord Hashirama and Lord Tobirama always told me you were the most brilliant and wise kunoichi in the world. Even Madara Uchiha respected your intellect."
At the mention of Madara Uchiha, Mito's expression faltered. A look of ancient, complex emotion crossed her face. "Madara? Now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time."
"He and Hashirama... honestly, compared to me, those two were the real 'star-crossed lovers.'"
Hiruzen caught a hint of something he didn't expect: a faint, century-old trace of jealousy in her tone. His eyes glinted with curiosity. "Lady Mito... what do you mean by that?"
"By the way," Hiruzen added, pivoting the conversation, "do you know where Madara's remains are? Recently, I've been studying Lord Tobirama's research notes..."
Hiruzen was genuinely curious. If Tobirama had gone as far as cloning Izuna Uchiha, there was no way he hadn't tried to get his hands on Madara's corpse. But the notes were silent on the matter, offering only vague conjectures.
Mito let out a cold snort. "I don't know!"
"Back then, when Hashirama brought Madara's body back after the battle at the Final Valley, Tobirama was insistent on performing an autopsy. He wanted to dissect him then and there."
"But Hashirama... he exploded. I've never seen him so angry. His chakra flared so violently that even the Nine-Tails inside me shivered in fear. The look he gave Tobirama was... murderous."
Mito's eyes narrowed. "He never once looked at me with that kind of intensity."
In that moment, a pulse of Mito's own chakra leaked out—a massive, ancient pressure intertwined with the toxic, burning malice of the Nine-Tails. Hiruzen felt his breath hitch.
Who said this old lady was on her deathbed? he thought. She's still a monster.
"Hashirama buried Madara himself," Mito continued, quickly reeling her chakra back into her body with a slight tilt of her head. "He told no one where the grave was. Not even me."
"Ah... forgive me, Hiruzen. I lost my composure," she added with a polite nod. "Old grievances, you understand?"
"Of course, Lady Mito!" Hiruzen cleared his throat. "Please, don't apologize. The history between the Senju and the Uchiha has always been... unique. Even the Master (Tobirama) had a very 'special' relationship with Izuna Uchiha."
Mito nodded solemnly. "There is something fundamentally wrong with the dynamic between those two clans."
"But it's in the past now. Focus on the future, Hiruzen. Perhaps the thousand-year grudge between the Senju and Uchiha can finally be settled under your reign," Mito encouraged.
Hiruzen offered a non-committal smile.
If she knew my actual plan—reviving Tobirama as an Uchiha—she'd probably throw me and Tobirama into the same pot of soup, Hiruzen thought.
After Hashirama died, his final decree to Mito was to keep a very close eye on Tobirama's research, fearing his brother would create a jutsu that would offend the heavens. Hiruzen was currently breaking every one of those rules.
"Rest assured, I will do everything in my power to mend the rift with the Uchiha," Hiruzen said.
I'm mending it, alright. I'm literally splicing the clans together.
"I'll leave Yamato in your care then, Lady Mito," Hiruzen said, shifting the topic. They spent the next hour discussing village administration and family gossip. He briefed her on the Konoha High Commission, the pharmaceutical project, and his moves to integrate the Hyūga Branch House.
He subtly mentioned that once the treasury was stable, he would establish a Whirlpool Legacy Fund to help Uzumaki refugees find new homes in the Leaf.
Mito listened intently, nodding with approval at every point. Finally, seeing the atmosphere was perfect, Hiruzen asked his real question.
"Lady Mito... as a Master of Sealing and Biology... do you know of any secret techniques used to manually reconnect severed chakra pathways?"
Mito's expression shifted. Her gaze became sharp, knowing, and heavy with hidden meaning.
"Severed pathways, Monkey?" she asked, leaning in. "Or are you asking how to anchor a soul into a body it wasn't born in?"