Chapter 2 : Uzumaki Mito

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Uzumaki Mito knew her body well and was fully aware that she wouldn't live much longer.

If the Nine-Tails were to leave her body now, even with her Uzumaki lineage, she would not survive.

As the Nine-Tails, Kurama had the ability to use his chakra to sustain Uzumaki Mito's life for a little while longer.

But it wasn't necessary.

For Konoha, Uzumaki Mito had already given everything.

And now, she wanted a descendant of her own clan to succeed her as the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki.

Uzumaki Kushina didn't have a choice.

"Bitch, go to hell. I'm tired of being sealed inside your body."

She had once been called a little girl, but now, she was an old woman.

Uzumaki Mito was already used to the Nine-Tails' mood swings.

"Hey, this is strange. You seem different today. I can't sense any malice from you."

Staring at Kurama's massive red body, Uzumaki Mito was confused.

After all, the Nine-Tails was a manifestation of pure hatred.

Kurama knew from his own memories that Uzumaki Mito had once taken a portion of his chakra.

Just as in the original events, Naruto had gained a part of the Nine-Tails' chakra and, with the help of his mother, Uzumaki Kushina, developed the ability to sense evil.

Similarly, Kurama recalled that Uzumaki Mito had managed to do the same with the assistance of her husband, Senju Hashirama.

A tag team of the Ninja God and his wife—how could the Nine-Tails possibly stand against that?

"What harm can a dying person do?"

Kurama glanced at Uzumaki Mito with his scarlet eyes and spoke indifferently.

Uzumaki Mito had always wished to become the perfect Jinchūriki, fully mastering the power of the Nine-Tails.

But that required Kurama's recognition—something she had never been able to attain, even up until her final days.

"All the shinobi of my generation are gone. The only one I can relate to now is you, Nine-Tails."

Mito probably never expected that, in her old age, the only one she could talk freely with would be a fox.

She continued to chatter while Kurama closed his eyes, listening quietly.

Perhaps because she sensed the end of her life approaching, this was the most talkative Uzumaki Mito had ever been.

"I'm sorry, Nine-Tails. I once said that hatred always follows power. Maybe that's why I could never become a perfect Jinchūriki."

After speaking her heart out, Uzumaki Mito felt at peace.

"That's enough, old woman. I need to rest."

Kurama's memories still carried the vivid images of his battles against Uzumaki Mito and Senju Hashirama.

Hashirama, a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths and a distant relative of the Uzumaki clan, had a body that could rival the mightiest beings.

Their clashes had been like scenes from a war film—grand and devastating.

And now, Kurama could replay those memories for free, without any effort.

Originally, as a fox, Kurama had no interest in such things.

But even he couldn't ignore the fact that the frail old woman before him had once been a fierce and untamed warrior in her youth.

Uzumaki Mito studied Kurama seriously.

She felt that he truly seemed different today.

If she were only a few decades younger, perhaps in this state, she could have finally gained Kurama's acknowledgment and become a perfect Jinchūriki.

That was the only regret of Uzumaki Mito's life.

"Alright, Nine-Tails, next time, I will bring the younger generation of the Uzumaki clan to meet you."

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock...

The sound of dripping water echoed as Uzumaki Mito's figure faded from the sealed space.

Suddenly, a mechanical voice rang in Kurama's mind.

[Ding! System activation complete. Host: Nine-Tails Kurama. The host is given three options to leak chakra.]

[Option 1: Leak chakra when the Jinchūriki defecates.]

[Option 2: Leak chakra during childbirth, with a 98% chance of breaking the seal.]

[Option 3: Leak chakra when the Jinchūriki urinates.]

A system, huh?

In the original events, Kurama had relied on his Jinchūriki's emotional fluctuations to weaken the seal and escape.

But now, with this system, he had three additional options.

Childbirth?

Ridiculous.

At Mito's age, she had long since lost the ability to bear children.

Even if she had eggs, there was no sperm.

As for the supposed 98% success rate, it was meaningless when there was no chance of it happening.

And as for the other two options…

Defecation was far too disgusting.

With tears in his eyes, Kurama reluctantly chose urination.

After finishing her conversation with Kurama, Uzumaki Mito lay down on her bed and took a nap.

Meanwhile, deep within her body, Kurama knew his chance was coming.

At that very moment, in the Hokage's office in Konoha, the top officials of the village had gathered.

Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, Shimura Danzo, and the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sat together.

Hiruzen, seated in the center, took a deep drag from his pipe before speaking.

"The three of you, Mito-sama's successor has been found. This matter is an S-rank secret of the village. We four are the only ones who know."

Homura, Koharu, and Danzo exchanged glances, fully understanding the weight of Hiruzen's words.

There were very few Uzumaki left in the world.

During the First Great Ninja War, after Senju Hashirama's death, Uzushio Village in the Land of Whirlpools had been destroyed.

If Hashirama had still been alive, no one would have dared to start such a war.

The marriage between Hashirama and the Uzumaki clan had strengthened the bonds between Konoha and Uzushio Village.

But after his death, the world's fear of the Uzumaki clan's power turned into action, and the once-thriving Uzushio Village was erased from history.

The surviving members of the Uzumaki clan were scattered across the world.

Finding a suitable successor for Uzumaki Mito had not been easy.

Uzumaki Kushina was one of the few Uzumaki Konoha had managed to track down—an invaluable treasure the village had invested considerable resources in securing.

For a Jinchūriki, the Uzumaki bloodline was the ideal choice.

This matter was too important.

Hiruzen hadn't even shared it with his most trusted disciples—Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade.

It had to remain a secret.

As the sun set, Uzumaki Mito awoke from her slumber.

And within her, Kurama knew the time was near.

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