Aside from the major ninja clans within the village, there was at this time one elder shinobi whose unique status and immense influence no one in Konoha could afford to ignore.
It could be said that, even with the "Jōnin Confidence Vote" system in place, if that person were to take a clear public stance, whoever received her support would instantly gain an overwhelming advantage.
Now, it was the twentieth year since the founding of Konohagakure.
For the village, the past few years had been disastrous. Not only had a massive Great Ninja War broken out, but the two pillars of Konoha, the Senju brothers, had both fallen in succession.
So, if one were to ask—who was the strongest person in Konoha at this moment?
It was neither Sarutobi Hiruzen, the most talented of Tobirama's disciples and a leading Hokage candidate,
nor Senju Mori, the outstanding young scion of the Senju Clan.
The answer was—Uzumaki Mito, widow of the "God of Shinobi," Senju Hashirama, and Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.
Having lived through the Warring States era and helped found Konoha alongside the First Hokage, Mito was not only a formidable kunoichi, but also a master of the Uzumaki Clan's legendary sealing techniques.
For Senju Mori, if he wished to successfully ascend to the position of Third Hokage, Mito's attitude was of crucial importance.
On the second day after his return to Konoha, Mori dressed in a formal, plain kimono bearing the Senju crest, and went to pay his respects to Uzumaki Mito.
Although she was Hashirama's widow, Mito did not live within the Senju Clan compound. Instead, she resided in the Hokage Residence, where Hashirama himself had once lived.
It was a round, multi-story building, its white walls accented with red eaves, one of the tallest and grandest structures in all of Konoha.
"Lord Mori," the guards and servants at the gate greeted him respectfully upon seeing him.
It was clear that this was not Mori's first visit—the household staff recognized him well, and without even needing an announcement, led him directly inside.
"Uncle Mori!"
From the first floor of the residence came a crisp, childlike voice.
Mori looked over and saw a tiny little girl—Tsunade-hime.
Compared to the exaggeratedly voluptuous woman she would one day become, this Tsunade was nothing more than an ordinary little bean sprout.
In terms of her outfit, she actually bore a faint resemblance to the future Anko Mitarashi—her blonde hair tied into a simple ponytail, a short-sleeved jacket of green and red, and underneath it, a fishnet undershirt.
Mori himself had never worn such a thing, but he'd heard that it was made of a tough, flexible material that offered some basic protection.
"Ah, little Tsunade," Mori said warmly.
Though it felt a bit odd to be called Uncle at barely over twenty years old, he still smiled kindly and said,
"Time flies so fast. You've already graduated from the Academy and become a proper kunoichi."
Tsunade's presence in Mito's home didn't surprise Mori in the least—
in fact, he'd expected it.
Her parents had long resided in the Fire Daimyō's capital, and after the deaths of Hashirama and Tobirama, Uzumaki Mito had become one of Tsunade's few remaining relatives in the village.
"Uncle Mori, did you come to see Grandma Mito?" Tsunade asked curiously.
"Yes, I came to pay my respects to Lady Mito," Mori replied, smiling.
"But I also brought a little gift for you, Tsunade."
Saying that, Mori reached into his sleeve and took out a small scroll, handing it to her with a grin.
"This is a genuine Water Release technique. If you can master it ahead of time, your jōnin instructor and your classmates will all be amazed."
In truth, both the Senju clan's archive and Uzumaki Mito's personal collection of jutsu were vast—an ocean of secret arts and scrolls.
However, for the still-young Tsunade, she naturally was not permitted to browse those scrolls freely.
And for newly graduated academy genin, what they longed for most were precisely those flashy, magnificent ninjutsu techniques.
Senju Mori's gift filled that desire perfectly.
Tsunade had been born in the thirteenth year of Konoha, and had only recently graduated from the Ninja Academy.
If nothing unexpected occurred, then once Sarutobi Hiruzen succeeded the Hokage's seat, he would become the jōnin instructor of Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya—the future Legendary Sannin.
You really planned it flawlessly, didn't you, Lord Tobirama…
He hadn't taken a single Senju clansman as his disciple, yet he had arranged for Tsunade to become Hiruzen's student—a masterstroke indeed.
In doing so, he limited the Senju clan's direct political influence over the position of Third Hokage, while at the same time helping Hiruzen win over the Senju emotionally and politically.
When you think about it carefully—if Mori hadn't interfered—
even if Tobirama had died outside the village, with the support of Hiruzen's political alliance, the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, the Senju clan, and Uzumaki Mito,
then even if the Uchiha, Hyūga, and every other minor clan united together, they still couldn't have shaken Hiruzen's claim to the Third Hokage's seat.
Before long, guided by a servant, Senju Mori walked slowly down a narrow corridor, entering the deeper interior of the grand residence.
Uzumaki Mito was waiting for him in the main chamber of the inner courtyard.
Outside the chamber, it was utterly silent; a faint, soothing fragrance drifted through the air—the scent of burning incense.
Mori did not rush to enter. At the threshold, he first removed his shoes, neatly aligning them with the toes pointed outward.
Then, accepting a slightly damp cleansing cloth from a maid, he carefully wiped his hands clean before handing it back.
It had to be said—
for ancient clans like the Senju and Uzumaki, whose bloodlines stretched back a thousand years, their ritual formalities were no less elaborate than those of the Fire Country's nobility.
If an outsider had come to visit, they would likely have been made to wait in an adjoining room until Uzumaki Mito chose to receive them.
But for Senju Mori, that formality was graciously omitted.
Barely a minute later, another maid slid open the paper door and said softly,
"Lady Mito will see you now."
Soon after, Senju Mori stood before Uzumaki Mito herself.
As the widow of the First Hokage, she was even older than Tobirama, now about fifty years of age, yet she showed little sign of aging.
Her long hair still burned with a vivid, fiery red, each side tied into a rounded bun, from which sealing tags dangled delicately.
Atop her head rested a golden crown, shaped like a spread fan, lending her an air of solemn dignity and majesty.
Rather than a ninja, her appearance resembled that of a shrine maiden from the Warring States era; she even wore a traditional red-and-white miko robe.
Like her future granddaughter, Tsunade, Uzumaki Mito also bore a purple diamond-shaped mark on her forehead—
the Byakugō Seal, a chakra storage technique inherited from the Uzumaki clan—
and it was this very seal that allowed her appearance to remain nearly unchanged since her youth.