29. The Legend Of Uchiha Mikasa

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"Hehe!"

Uzumaki Mito chuckled when she heard Tsunade's complaint. Rather than sympathize, she laughed cheerfully.

"You're so much like me when I was younger. Now you've had a taste of being at a disadvantage, haven't you?"

"Do you even realize who Uchiha Mikasa is?"

Mito's expression turned serious, though a hint of amusement lingered.

"Don't be deceived by her gentle demeanor and refined temperament. Only those who witnessed the Uchiha clan's civil strife and saw her suppress the entire Uchiha clan by herself truly understand her strength and dominance!"

"This is a super-genius whose talent rivals my own—or perhaps even surpasses it!"

"She even had the audacity to scold your great-uncle Tobirama many times because of his treatment of the Uchiha."

Mito sighed wistfully, her gaze distant. "Even Tobirama, with all his brilliance, couldn't do anything to her and often had to concede. That alone should tell you how fearsome Mikasa is."

She continued, her tone tinged with regret. "Back then, had it not been for the development and overuse of a forbidden Sharingan technique, which damaged her life force and soul, and the loss of one of her eyes due to that same technique, her legend might still be thriving today."

"If she were still in her prime, do you think Sarutobi and his allies would have dared to suppress and bully the Uchiha these past years? Absolutely not!"

She glanced knowingly at Tsunade. "You should take this as a warning too. Mikasa's willingness to entertain this alliance—and even the fact that she's willing to speak openly about her recovery—shows that she's open to a deal with us. And if she's recovered, then she has little reason to fear anyone."

Mito smiled faintly, her confidence apparent. "As long as she's willing to negotiate, I'm sure the terms will fall into place."

Tsunade thought back to the stories she'd heard about her great-uncle Tobirama, who was always resolute and unyielding.

Now, learning that even he had been reprimanded by Mikasa and couldn't retaliate, the slight grievance Tsunade felt toward her earlier encounter with Mikasa melted away.

'There's no point in holding a grudge,' she thought. 'The strongest command respect, and she's earned it.'

Comparison always put things into perspective.

"Of course Mikasa-sama is powerful!"

"Otherwise, the Monkey and his inner circle wouldn't have spent all these years testing the Uchiha step by step, cautiously waiting for any sign of weakness."

"And now, knowing she might have returned to her peak, they're terrified!"

"They wouldn't dare do anything too drastic to the Uchiha at the moment. That's why, the second they heard she might have regained her full strength, they ran to me, whining and complaining, asking me to test her strength for them."

"Sarutobi's entire plan was to manipulate what little power I have left to either intimidate or outright oppose Mikasa, ensuring she wouldn't act against him."

"But..."

At that moment, Tsunade couldn't help but grin. "But the old man would never have guessed that instead of opposing Mikasa-sama, you'd be planning to form an alliance with her."

"I'm looking forward to seeing the look on his face when he finds out. I bet it'll be priceless!"

Her eyes sparkled mischievously, and her tone carried an edge of vindication.

"The Third Hokage tried to destroy our family and weaken our clan. If I don't take revenge for that, there's something seriously wrong with me."

Tsunade's tone shifted as she continued. "You know, Grandma, after learning about Mikasa-sama's strength and her legendary deeds, I can't help but admire her."

There was newfound respect in her voice as she called Mikasa "Mikasa-sama."

Mito nodded approvingly. "Haha! Just wait and see. It's about time we made him suffer a little. Otherwise, he'll think we're nothing but weaklings he can continue to push around. Hmph!"

However, a thought occurred to Tsunade, and her expression turned to one of concern.

"But Grandma, why does Mikasa-sama want to wait twenty days to meet? Won't that delay the rescue of the Uzumaki clan?"

Mito's expression softened as she shook her head.

"I'm not sure. But if she's chosen to wait, she must have her reasons. All we can do now is be patient."

She placed a comforting hand on Tsunade's shoulder. "As for the Uzumaki clan, you don't need to worry too much. Right now, the four major villages are still in the stage of probing and gathering intelligence. There's no sign that they're mobilizing their forces yet. We should have enough time."

Mito's eyes darkened slightly as she added, "If it truly becomes urgent, I'll take the initiative to meet Mikasa myself before the scheduled time."

But taking a more active approach would be risky.

It could lead to unnecessary chain reactions and draw unwanted attention from the Third Hokage and his allies. If there wasn't a pressing need, Uzumaki Mito preferred to wait for Uchiha Mikasa to come to her willingly.

"Yeah!"

Tsunade felt a wave of relief wash over her after hearing her grandmother's words. "Since you've already prepared everything, Grandma, I feel much better."

"Well..."

Stretching her arms, Tsunade finally allowed herself to relax. "If there's nothing else, I'll go rest now! I'm completely exhausted today!"

Between a full day of medical operations at the hospital, uncovering so many hidden truths, and enduring the psychological strain of it all, she was at her limit.

"Hehe! Then go ahead and rest!"

Mito waved her hand with a knowing smile.

'You should experience more of this psychological pressure so you can mature quickly. Otherwise, how long can an old woman like me carry everything for you?'

Not long after Tsunade left the Uchiha compound, news of her visit reached the Third Hokage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't sit still. He rushed to meet with Uzumaki Mito to inquire about the progress of her dealings with Uchiha Mikasa.

Uzumaki Mito, calm and composed, replied directly, "I've sent her an invitation, and she's agreed to meet. However, she won't come until twenty days from now."

"So, you'll just have to wait."

Mito paused, then added with a sly smile, "I've done some testing, and Tsunade confirmed it—Uchiha Mikasa has indeed fully recovered. She isn't just putting on a show."

She leaned back slightly and looked at Hiruzen with a hint of amusement. "You know as well as I do—this woman is not someone you can easily fool. Hehe!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen stiffened. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was a trace of gloating in Mito's laugh.

'She's on to us.'

A chill ran down his spine as he reflected. 'It seems Lord Mito has noticed the subtle moves we've made to suppress the Senju in recent years. We'll need to be much more careful going forward.'

The realization that his plan to use Uzumaki Mito to test Uchiha Mikasa's strength might have backfired left him uneasy.

Worse still, he didn't know the exact details of Uchiha Mikasa's recovery. What methods had she used? Could the same methods work on Uzumaki Mito?

He didn't know the specifics of Mikasa's condition—or Mito's condition, for that matter. Without that knowledge, he couldn't make a definitive judgment.

'Ah... I'll just have to take this one step at a time,' Sarutobi Hiruzen thought with a heavy sigh.

Stopping Uzumaki Mito from meeting Uchiha Mikasa wasn't an option.

He couldn't risk it, nor did he have the power to do so.

After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen had only been in power for nine years. Though his position as Hokage had stabilized, he wasn't yet the authoritative leader who would later command absolute control.

Especially with figures like Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Mikasa still in the picture, his hands were tied.

After gathering what information he could, Hiruzen didn't linger long at Uzumaki Mito's residence. He politely excused himself and left, his mind churning with unease.

For now, he decided against informing Danzo or the others about the full extent of the situation—or what he had learned about Uchiha Mikasa.

He didn't trust Danzo not to act recklessly.

'That man is a loose cannon. If he knew about this meeting, he might try to intervene and disrupt it somehow.'

The thought alone sent a shudder through him.

If Danzo were foolish enough to interfere, there would be no saving him.