Chapter 28: Leaving Konoha

Originally, Jaxon had intended to be more subtle. When he came to speak with Uzumaki Mito, he still thought there was a chance to gently steer her toward understanding the looming danger.

Using Uzumaki Mito as leverage would make dealing with the Whirlpool Clan much easier later on.

Such a large, powerful clan—it would be too much of a pity if only a few people were left alive in the end.

Though not a ninja himself, Jaxon still had ambitions. He didn't need jutsu to manipulate the pieces on the board. People were his weapons, and influence was his chakra. The Uzumaki Clan—so mighty and skilled—would be useful if properly guided. Or, failing that, properly exploited.

But clearly, things hadn't gone the way he hoped.

"Is that all you have to say?" Uzumaki Mito asked coldly, her expression hardening.

Her patience had run out. If Jaxon hadn't been a mere child—if he weren't three years old and technically still under noble protection—his words would've earned him more than just a warning. Anyone else speaking so brazenly might've been struck down on the spot.

"I've said what I needed to," Jaxon responded evenly. "Whatever danger the Whirlpool Clan faces in the future has nothing to do with the Hoshino Family. My visit today was only to repay a favor... and to give the Senju Clan a friendly reminder."

He bowed, formal and polite, but his tone was anything but submissive.

"If Lady Mito believes this junior is just speaking nonsense, then I beg your forgiveness for the offense."

Without waiting for a reply, Jaxon turned toward the door and prepared to leave. But just as his small hand touched the doorframe, Mito's sharp voice rang out again.

"Do not entertain any ambitions regarding Konoha," she said icily. "And don't think to use your family's power to make any reckless moves against this village. I'm letting this go because of your age. But if you do it again, not even the Daimyō will be able to protect you."

Her words hung in the air like frost, chilling and unrelenting.

Jaxon paused for a moment. His expression didn't change—no flicker of emotion, no anger, no fear—but deep inside, his fury was burning.

He had come with goodwill, hoping to forge a connection. He didn't expect gratitude, but he at least expected a sliver of recognition. Instead, all he received was disdain and suspicion.

Since that's how she wanted to treat him, then what was the point in trying?

Without replying, Jaxon pushed open the door.

Though the doorway wasn't large, it was tall and heavy compared to his small stature. Even so, he opened it with determination.

"Ah Fu, we're leaving!" he called out.

His voice reached the courtyard where Ah Fu stood waiting, still holding the boxed gifts they had brought. Clearly, those offerings had been rejected.

Not just the gifts—the hospitality itself had been denied.

Ah Fu didn't say a word. When Jaxon emerged, he fell in step behind him silently, following his young master as they walked away from the Senju Clan estate.

---

Senju Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya stood in the courtyard, watching the pair depart. Their expressions were unreadable—neither mocking nor sympathetic.

As for Uzumaki Mito, she remained seated inside her private room.

Though her posture was relaxed and her eyes were gently closed, her thoughts were anything but calm.

In the silence of her mind, a deep, guttural voice echoed.

"That kid... he's starting to release killing intent. Why didn't you just destroy him?"

It was the Nine-Tails, sealed deep within her.

Mito responded without hesitation, mentally shifting into the inner world where the beast resided.

A vast, shadowy space. A colossal cage. Crimson chakra swirled like wildfire behind the bars. One massive claw gripped the bars, and then a monstrous face loomed close, baring its teeth.

"You're weakening, old woman," the Nine-Tails sneered. "Sooner or later, this seal will falter. And when I get out... I'll slaughter everyone in this pathetic village."

The feral aura radiating from the beast would have crippled the will of most shinobi.

But Uzumaki Mito wasn't just anyone.

"You're not getting out," she said flatly, her voice calm, unbothered. Then, without another word, she exited the mental space and returned to reality.

Back in her room, she let out a quiet breath and opened her eyes. She didn't care about Jaxon's so-called malice. What could a child—an ordinary human—possibly do to her?

In her eyes, he was just an ant. A privileged ant, perhaps, but still easily crushed.

If not for his lineage, she could have destroyed him with a flick of her wrist—and no one would have dared to object.

---

Outside the estate, Jaxon stood at the gate of the Senju Clan, his gaze fixed on the carved wood and engraved symbols. When he had first arrived, he felt a faint sense of reverence.

Now, all he felt was cold clarity.

Ah Fu, noticing the change in his master's mood, asked quietly, "Young Master... is something wrong?"

Jaxon didn't answer right away. After a long moment, he said, "Nothing. Inform Mother: we'll be leaving Konoha Village tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Ah Fu's eyes widened in disbelief. "But I thought you planned to stay here longer—to build connections, gather information..."

"There's no need anymore," Jaxon said with a wry smile. "From now on, we won't be paying any more family visits."

He took a deep breath and continued, "From this point forward, you'll handle all interactions with the Hyuga Clan. And contact the Uchiha Clan. Tell them the Hoshino Family is prepared to help them become the strongest clan in Konoha."

Ah Fu blinked. "And... what do we gain from them?"

"Nothing," Jaxon said simply.

Nothing—for now.

But in his mind, a new strategy had already taken root. He had come to Konoha with hopes of building quiet influence. What he found was a rotten system cloaked in tradition and pride.

Suddenly, he felt a terrible urge.

He wanted to burn it all down.

If only his strength were enough—if only his Replication Points had reached 50%—he would have already begun. The fury inside him churned like molten iron, begging to be unleashed.

---

He had only been in Konoha for two days.

Two days—and he already felt thoroughly disappointed with the so-called "village of peace."

The shinobi here were snakes in human skin—liars, schemers, power-chasers. Their mentality was warped, their values twisted. Honor was a mask. Loyalty was a leash.

Take Uzumaki Mito, for example.

Before he met her, Jaxon had been curious. He had imagined a wise, long-lived woman worthy of admiration.

Instead, he found a cold, arrogant relic clinging to outdated ideals. A woman too blind to see beyond her own narrow world.

---

At dawn on the third day, the Hoshino convoy rolled out of the village gates—just as silently as it had arrived.

Few noticed their departure. Fewer still cared. And in time, most would forget they had ever come at all.

Jaxon hadn't brought Tsunade with him. She was not someone he could manipulate—at least, not yet. For this trip, he once again chose Sakumo Hatake.

Sakumo had been thoroughly "conditioned." He might not have been aware of it, but Jaxon had subtly altered his perception. While Jaxon had no chakra, no jutsu, he had something just as potent: influence.

And Sakumo? Loyal. Sharp. Dangerous.

Now, his strength had reached Elite Jōnin level—making him one of the strongest shinobi in Konoha, even among so many talents.

There had been no inspection when they entered the village, and there was none when they left.

Still, the two shinobi stationed at the gate made a note of their departure, and from the shadows of the forest, the swaying of branches hinted at the presence of Konoha Anbu.

They were being watched. Of course.

Inside the center carriage, Jaxon sat alone. It had been specially built to his specifications. Padded seating. A wooden board mounted at the front to serve as a makeshift desk. He leaned back comfortably, holding a pen in his small hand as he scribbled thoughtfully on a scroll.

He wasn't just jotting down notes.

He was writing a plan.

One day, Konoha would regret treating him like a child.

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