"Takayama Haru, you know what? My dream used to be to become the very first female Hokage."
"The first female Hokage—I've heard that so many times my ears are getting calloused," Haru joked.
Kushina gave a bitter smile and said, "Yeah... Now I realize that to make that dream come true, I would need incredible strength. Unfortunately, I don't have it."
Haru looked at Kushina and smiled gently.
Kushina puffed out her cheeks. "What are you smiling at?"
"Since it's a dream, how could you give up so easily?"
"Becoming the Hokage? Honestly, I think you could do it."
Before long, you'll become the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
Just imagine—a female Naruto. If he could become Hokage, why couldn't you?
Hearing Haru's words, Kushina rolled her eyes. "And what about you?"
"Me? I'm just a salted fish... though, I suddenly think protecting the Hidden Leaf doesn't sound so bad either."
While Haru spoke of wanting to live like a salted fish (doing nothing), deep inside, another voice rose up—one that spoke of guarding the Hidden Leaf.
Haru could feel it clearly: after fusing with the Character Card of Hashirama Senju, he'd begun to absorb Hashirama's ideals of the shinobi way.
Originally, Haru had thought: As long as I can protect the village, I'd be willing to sacrifice myself.
But now, he didn't fully agree with that way of thinking anymore.
The scope of the village... it's too small.
Haru wasn't just seeing Konoha now; he was seeing the entire ninja world—the entire continent.
"Honestly, I don't think protecting Konoha is some grand act of love. It's just a small love."
Kushina chuckled softly. "You're saying protecting the village is just a small love? Then what's great love?"
Haru looked up at the bright moon hanging high in the sky and said,
"True love... would be unifying the ninja world. Achieving world peace."
"Think about it. Our Konoha inherited the Will of Fire. But the others—like the Mist, Cloud, Stone, and Sand—they have their own wills: Will of Water, Will of Thunder, Will of Earth, Will of Wind. Every village, every nation, clings to their own ideals."
"Because everyone guards their own will, conflict is inevitable. That's the root cause of so many shinobi wars. But if the entire ninja world shared one will, would there still be any need to fight?"
Kushina scoffed. "You're talking crazy! If you think that way, you better not start spouting nonsense inside the village, you hear?"
About an hour later, Kushina turned to Haru and said, "Takayama Haru, it's getting really late. Let's head back."
Haru clapped his hands and stood up.
Kushina got up as well.
Suddenly, Haru smiled mischievously and pushed Kushina down.
"Ahh!"
Kushina gasped softly, clinging tightly to Haru.
At the same time, Haru threw a Flying Thunder God kunai into the air—it landed firmly, embedded in the village wall below.
"Ahh! We're falling!" Kushina cried out.
But before she could panic further, she realized they had already reappeared beside the village wall.
It was Haru's first time attempting the Flying Thunder God Technique, and it had drained a huge amount of chakra. No wonder it was considered a forbidden jutsu.
It was just like using multiple Shadow Clones: chakra consumption was brutal.
Haru thought for a moment.
Another reason the technique was so draining was because his skill level with it was too low.
If he could raise the level of the Flying Thunder God, the chakra cost would likely decrease significantly.
As for how to improve it? Well, more training, obviously...
Kushina looked at him with wide, curious eyes. "That was... ninjutsu?"
Haru smiled. "Don't tell anyone, alright?"
Kushina blinked, still a little dazed, but nodded.
At the village gates, the Third Hokage and the others had already been waiting for more than an hour.
Mito Uzumaki looked coldly at Hiruzen Sarutobi and asked, "Third Hokage, care to explain what's going on?"
Although Mito no longer involved herself in village affairs, as the First Hokage's widow, she was still a highly respected elder—even to Hiruzen and his generation.
Hiruzen broke into a cold sweat under her gaze.
He didn't dare try to dodge the question and quickly said,
"Lady Mito, this was my mistake. I let my guard down for a moment. But seeing Takayama Haru's attitude, it didn't seem like he meant any harm. Maybe he just took Kushina somewhere fun?"
Inside, Hiruzen was cursing Haru like crazy.
Everyone in the village knew that after losing her son late in life, Mito valued her granddaughter Tsunade above all else—and also her other young inheritor, Kushina Uzumaki.
Now that Haru had taken the Nine-Tails' future host off who-knows-where, and Mito was standing right here...
There was no way this was going to end well for him.
Mito's voice turned even colder. "Hiruzen Sarutobi, tell me—what kind of fun could they possibly be having this late at night?"
Hiruzen wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Lady Mito, I swear I'll personally bring them back right away!"
Suddenly, a girl's voice called out from behind them.
"Grandma Mito!"
Mito turned—and there was Kushina, running straight into her arms.
"Kushina! Are you alright?"
Kushina shook her head. "I'm sorry, Grandma Mito... I didn't know you were waiting here..."
Mito's expression softened immediately.
"It's alright, Kushina. Where did you two go?"
"We... we went up there," Kushina said, pointing toward the Hokage Rock.
Mito looked at the carved faces of the First Hokage and the others, then back at Haru.
For a second, she thought Haru's aura resembled her late husband, Hashirama Senju.
Am I just too old? Is my mind playing tricks on me?
"Young man, you are...?"
Haru bowed respectfully. "I'm Takayama Haru. It's an honor to meet the legendary Lady Mito."
This woman wasn't just the village's oldest shinobi.
She was also one of its most powerful—and the current host of the Nine-Tails.
Even now, in old age, her strength was like an ancient tree: weathered, but enduring.
Mito smiled kindly. "Very good. Very good. Young man, I heard you can use Wood Release? Could you show me?"
Haru sensed that she meant no harm.
He waved his hand, and tiny green saplings sprouted up from the ground around them.
Everyone gasped in amazement.
Even Hiruzen couldn't help blurting out, "Haru—when did you—?"
Haru shrugged casually.
"When I went to save Kushina earlier, I was seriously injured by a Cloud shinobi. I don't really know how, but when I woke up, I had this ability."
"You awakened a bloodline limit?"
"Yeah, something like that. It just... happened."
Hiruzen glanced at Mito again.
Mito nodded thoughtfully.
"This is the true aura of the Senju Clan. Not some artificial imitation. I can't believe it—Takayama Haru, you carry Senju blood. And you've awakened the ancient Wood Release."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"The Senju Clan's legacy isn't lost after all. Even when I pass on, I can face the afterlife with no regrets."
Hiruzen quickly added,
"Lady Mito, please don't say such things. This is a blessing—for the Senju Clan, and for Konoha."
The others nodded in agreement.
"Yes! Konoha has gained another young genius!"
Mito smiled warmly at Haru and Kushina, feeling as if she were looking at a young Hashirama and herself once again.
Maybe... someday... they could walk the same path.
Thinking this, Mito said affectionately,
"Come, Takayama Haru, Kushina... let's go home."