Chapter 109: The Proposal
"You want the Land of Whirlpools to submit?"
Mito looked at Kei and asked the question directly.
"It is a process that will have to happen sooner or later."
Kei spoke calmly. "This is no longer the era of the past."
"In the old days, ninja clans fought each other directly. At that time, the Uzumaki Clan's strength was enough to preserve itself, and it did not matter much even if outsiders coveted what they possessed."
"But now, this is the era of the hidden villages."
"The times have changed, yet the Uzumaki Clan is still living by the old way. If this continues, problems will arise sooner or later."
"Konoha and the Uzumaki Clan are allies."
Mito said softly, "Whether by emotion or by reason, we should come to each other's aid."
"That is true."
Kei did not deny it. "But helping once or twice is one thing. Konoha may still be able to make it in time."
"If it happens again and again, however, there will eventually come a day when we fail to arrive."
"The only way for the Uzumaki Clan to be truly safe is to move directly into Konoha and become part of the village."
Mito fell silent. For a moment, she did not know what to say.
To her, both Konoha and the Uzumaki Clan were irreplaceable.
One was the village she and her husband had founded together. The other was her mother's clan.
Caught between the two, even her heart wavered.
"This is not actually a difficult choice."
Standing before her, Kei continued in a persuasive tone, "If the Uzumaki Clan joins Konoha, they do not need to give up anything. In fact, they may even gain more."
"If the Uzumaki Clan is willing, I can designate a piece of land within the Land of Fire for them to settle in, and everything within that territory can be left to their own control."
"Other than losing the title of an independent nation, everything else can remain just as it was in the Land of Whirlpools."
"Can something like that really be done?"
Mito looked surprised. "Would the daimyo agree to such a thing?"
"He will agree."
Kei's expression remained calm.
It was only a small territory. On the surface, it might seem difficult, but in reality, it was nothing.
The Land of Fire was the largest country in the shinobi world. Vast and sparsely populated, it had no shortage of remote territories.
These places were underpopulated, and their local lords were mostly poor. They were perfect for resettling the Uzumaki Clan.
As for the original lords and civilians living there, the solution was simple.
At worst, Konoha would just spend some money to smooth things over and treat it as if they had purchased the land outright.
"If it can really be handled like that, then there is no problem."
After thinking for a moment, Mito finally nodded.
Truthfully, the conditions Kei was offering were already very generous.
Not only would a territory be specifically set aside as the Uzumaki Clan's domain for self governance, he also had no intention of forcing them to do anything. There would even be a yearly subsidy from Konoha to support the relocated clan.
Taken as a whole, the terms were excellent.
Kei's attitude toward the Uzumaki Clan was simple.
As long as they were willing to move, everything else could be negotiated.
"Since you have already said this much, refusing now would only make me seem unreasonable."
Mito smiled and finally expressed her support. "Then let it be as you say."
"In any case, with your abilities, I believe you can handle it properly."
She had always had great confidence in Kei's capabilities.
Until now, he had never failed to deliver on anything he promised her.
This time should be no exception.
"If necessary, this old woman can go to the battlefield with you as well."
She continued, "It is still my mother's clan. If there is a chance, I would also like to do my part."
"If the situation requires it, I will take you with me."
Kei nodded and did not refuse.
Mito appeared gentle and refined, but in truth, she was currently the strongest combat power in all of Konoha.
Even Kei could not say with certainty that he would win against Mito if she went all out with her Uzumaki bloodline and the power of the Nine Tails.
As the wife of the First Hokage, no one knew exactly what trump cards Mito still possessed.
Aside from the Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques and the power of the Nine Tails, Kei even suspected that she might have mastered Sage Transformation.
After all, her husband, Senju Hashirama, had been a man who possessed perfect Sage Transformation.
The prerequisites for learning Sage Transformation, immense chakra and powerful spiritual force, were both things Mito had in abundance.
She simply had not needed to reveal her hand. If she truly fought, no one could say how terrifying she would be.
No matter what, one fact was certain.
This woman was extremely powerful.
And when necessary, Kei had no problem borrowing that strength.
After all, she was his elder. Asking for her help when needed was only natural.
"There is one more matter."
Mito looked at Kei, and for once, a rare hesitation appeared on her face.
But in the end, she still asked it.
"Regarding Tsunade, what do you intend to do?"
"You cannot possibly have failed to notice her feelings for you, can you?"
"That is actually one of the reasons I came to see you today."
Kei smiled. "If possible, I would like to formally ask for Tsunade's hand in marriage in your presence, and I hope to receive your blessing."
Good heavens.
Even Mito was visibly stunned by that.
She had only brought it up because she wanted Kei to make his attitude clear.
After all, Tsunade was no longer a child.
Two years had passed. Kei was already seventeen, and Tsunade was about to graduate from the Ninja Academy and formally begin her studies under Mito.
At an age that would still be considered student age in his previous life, both of them were already old enough to marry in this world.
After all, people matured early here. Seventeen was already considered adulthood.
Mito's original intention had only been to confirm Kei's feelings and prevent any future misunderstandings.
What she had not expected was to receive such a direct answer all at once.
"You... are serious?"
Mito looked at Kei and could not help asking, "You cannot joke about something like this."
"Yes, I understand."
Kei smiled. "To be honest, Tsunade and I have already been together for some time. You simply did not know."
"But now, I feel the time has come."
In truth, he had no ulterior motives regarding Tsunade.
He simply got along with her naturally.
He did not dislike her, and her feelings for him had long since been obvious.
Since that was the case, there was no need to drag things out any longer.
He would simply marry her.
After all, he was already a reincarnated soul. Having a wife in this life was perfectly reasonable.
"You really skipped several steps at once."
Mito sighed, then smiled faintly. "I just wonder what kind of reaction Tsunade will have."
As she thought of Tsunade's face, she could not help smiling even more.
.....
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