Chapter 22: Crashing The Conference IV

"Ah! I do indeed have a request." The Uzumaki matriarch spoke as if just remembered it.

'What now!?' Several people were already dreading what might come out the redhead's mouth.

This time however, there was truly no need to worry.

"The talk of war briefly took my attention but my original intent in coming here was to make this request." Mito shared.

'Then why did you feel the need to shatter all our plans instead of just waiting to make that request!?' Danzo was about to have a mental breakdown from all the internal raging but, as per usual, he did not let anything show.

Hiruzen on the other hand had already given up and was just going with the flow and taking things in stride.

"Then Mito-sama, please share your request." He spoke.

The Uzumaki matriarch lightly nodded.

"You may know of it already but I recently adopted a ward into the Uzumaki household." The redhead began.

"That is new to me but a wonderful deed. More people in our village should follow such an example." Hiruzen commented.

Everyone on the table internally scoffed. Only a child would believe those words. Someone of Uzumaki Mito's status taking in a child and the Hokage not knowing? Preposterous.

Even most of them, as responsible clan heads, were aware of the Uzumaki matriarch's actions, anyone in a high position should

"Grandmother adopted someone!?" Tsunade exclaimed from behind Mito.

Perhaps not everyone.

"Yes. I felt like having someone to keep me company in my old age since my grandchildren seem to never be willing." The Uzumaki matriarch jabbed at the still young kunoichi, making her freeze up and blush with shame.

The Third Hokage coughed to interrupt before Tsunade could further embarrass herself.

"So Mito-sama's request is related to this child? Perhaps you wish to enroll him in the academy?" Hiruzen inquired.

'It would be a good opportunity to instill the child with Konoha's Will of Fire and perhaps renew our link to Mito-sama.' He thought to himself.

Mito scoffed.

"The boy would die of boredom by the end of the first day. There is a graduation exam in a few weeks, yes? Just add him to the lineup." She said.

A response that raised many eyebrows.

'An orphan with such talent? How did she discover him at such a young age?' Danzo mused, wondering if he should take some measures and evaluate the child.

"Oh? Is Mito-sama sure your ward will be able to meet the requirements with such a short training period?" Hiruzen probingly inquired.

But Mito was not in a divulging mood.

"You let me worry about that." Was her reply.

Following that, much to the relief of the Hokage faction, Mito did not intervene further and kept her silence for the rest of the conference, not even acknowledging anyone as she left after the end was announced by Hiruzen.

All of the clan heads along with the Hokage and advisors awkwardly left the conference room afterwards, unsure of how to respond to the dismissive attitude.

The heads of several clans were already planning to convene clan meetings to discuss the irregular conference. While the Third and his advisor covertly glanced at each other, planning a meeting of their own.

Tsunade was the most worried and hurried, bolting out of the conference room and body flickering straight to the Senju clan compound to find her brother.

She quickly sensed his location and crashed into the room where he was taking lessons on leading the clan.

His teacher, a ruggedly handsome middle tagged shinobi with shoulder length brown hair, was Senju Gou, the clan's strongest member and the one currently managing its affairs due to the disinterest of the individual that should be doing so in his place.

"Tsunade! I already stopped bothering you about inheriting the clan's leadership but don't you start interfering with Nawaki's lessons!" Gou shouted.

"Fortunately for the clan, your nine year old brother is more responsible than a grown woman like you so go be a disappointment somewhere else." He jabbed.

Tsunade sheepishly smiled.

She knew Senju Gou, who could be considered a cousin to her, cared deeply about the clan and talked like this to her owing to her dismissive attitude in regards to taking over the clan as was her right and duty.

Even so, he always looked out for both siblings while trying his best to manage the declining Senju clan so Tsunade felt she had no right to fight back when receiving these scoldings.

"This time I have a proper reason!" She exclaimed in response as if proud.

"Oh? So you are not being an insufferable brat for no reason as usual?" Senju Gou questioned with suspicion.

There were precedents so the Senju princess could not really fault his attitude. Fortunately, she truly had a good motive.

"Grandmother crashed the regular Clan Head Conference!" Tsunade exclaimed the news.

Hearing this, Nawaki, who tried his best to avoid getting between his teacher and his sister when they argued, spoke up.

"Did it have to do with that kid she adopted?" He inquired.

"Was I the only one that didn't know that grandmother had taken in an orphan child!?" Tsunade rhetorically questioned.

Senju Gou's face darkened in response as Nawaki quietly moved to a corner.

"So you were just pretending to listen when I told you about the child and that you should go and visit Mito-sama!? Huh!?" The elder Senju questioned with anger and frustration in his voice.

'Fighting nee-chan!' Nawaki internally cheered his sister on while she endured a lecture that stretched out for what felt like hours.

*

Meanwhile, the various clan heads had begun arriving home and calling for clan meetings to discuss the conference and Uzumaki Mito who unexpectedly crashed it.

The general thought process regarding the matter differed but the final consensus of most of the clans was quite similar.

Uzumaki Mito was planning on becoming an active player in Konoha's political landscape which would significantly alter the current course of events.

She was not in league with the Hokage faction at the moment, at least not openly though the relationship was not hostile and could be rekindled.

Finally, the Uzumaki matriarch went to the trouble of announcing her ward to the clans in such a high profile situation which suggested seeking a connection to her could be done through him.

Basically, she was telling the Hokage and all the clan heads that she was open to discussion but they should show their intentions and sincerity through her ward, securing support and benefits for him as well.

As for what their next course of action would be . . .

They did not know much about Shiki but while some were thinking of ways to directly approach the boy and earn his favor, the smarter ones realized Mito would not have chosen this method if her ward was easy to directly win over.

That being the case, using their influence to arrange for their young clansmen that were going to graduate the academy in the same exams as Shiki to join his squad would be a great opportunity to grow long lasting bonds before benefits and politics started to get mixed in too heavily.

*

While all this was happening, an ignorant but very entertained Shiki was happily creating a training program in Mito's Library.

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