Uzumaki Mito was, after all, an Uzumaki.
The Uzumaki clan had not yet been wiped out in this era; they still lived independently in the Land of Whirlpools, separated from Konoha only by a narrow strait.
Relations between nations were already tense.
And since the Land of Whirlpools had refused to merge with Konoha in the early days, many within the village still held resentment toward its people.
From Mito's words, Arata even sensed a hint of resignation—perhaps even a touch of death-wish.
It wouldn't be surprising if she was tired of living in this world. Otherwise, how could a woman who was nearly unrivaled in the original timeline suddenly vanish from history?
With mastery over the Yin Seal, even if she wanted to die of old age, she should have lived to at least a hundred.
Yet after passing her teachings on to Kushina, she simply disappeared. It was hard not to be suspicious.
Realizing that Mito might truly be contemplating death, Arata quickly spoke up, serious for once:
"In that case, let me help you fulfill that wish!
Let me make Konoha the strongest village in the world—
and make the entire shinobi world a place where everyone can live in peace and happiness!"
It would take time, yes. But Arata was confident.
With the Thunder Fruit and Hawkeye's swordsmanship insights, a few years of training would be enough for him to reach Six Paths-level power. Unifying the shinobi world would be no problem.
And once the world was unified, eliminating war was simply a matter of having enough deterrence—or the right rewards from the system.
Seeing Arata's serious expression, Mito smiled faintly.
"If you can accomplish that… then it would be wonderful."
Arata could tell she didn't really believe him.
"If you don't believe me, then live long enough to see it with your own eyes. For the sake of Nawaki… or Tsunade… please don't throw your life away."
Those words—simple, sincere—struck directly at Mito's heart.
She had never expected Arata to see through her intent to die so easily.
It had been so many years since anyone had spoken to her like this.
Everyone around her waited for her to die. No one ever urged her to live.
No wonder she had grown tired of the world.
Sometimes she really did feel like an unnecessary leftover.
"So this is what it feels like… to have someone care. I almost forgot."
Hearing this, Arata finally let out a quiet breath of relief.
Then, after a moment of thought, he proposed something bold:
"You should keep your Yin Seal: Release form active.
You're always disguising yourself as an old woman—of course your mindset will shift with it. But you're young, you're beautiful, and you should live like a young person. Besides, appearing in this form is far more intimidating to your enemies."
She was too close to the problem to see it clearly, but Arata could.
Constantly living alone in a sealed-off room, pretending to be elderly day after day—no wonder her mentality had twisted toward despair.
Isolation destroyed even the strongest of minds.
But the cure was simple: leave this place, interact with people again, live like a human rather than a relic.
He was Tsunade's future husband—there was no way he'd let Mito throw her life away.
And with the system giving clear hints, he wouldn't allow Mito to die under any circumstances.
"Also," Arata added, "Tsunade misses you terribly. Why not come live with us? Once you get used to the noise and warmth of a full house, I doubt you'll ever want to leave."
Arata's earnest concern touched Mito.
She was sharp—she only needed a nudge to understand the heart of the matter.
And Arata's concern wasn't an act.
For the first time in years, she felt genuine care. Her mood lightened noticeably.
"You're a thoughtful one," she said softly. "Very well—I'll remain like this for now. But I can't leave this place yet. When this war is over and the clans have weakened, I'll walk out. Their opposition won't be as loud then."
Arata had no objections.
As long as Mito agreed, everything else was a matter of timing.
"Perfect. In that case, Tsunade and I will hold our wedding when you come out. Without Tsunade's only family present, it wouldn't feel like a real ceremony."
Mito didn't refuse. She nodded lightly.
"Very well. But remember—being Hokage is not easy. When you return, any clan that approaches you—build a connection first before making any decisions."
After everything Mito had explained, Arata naturally understood how critical that was.
"I understand," he answered.
With everything settled, Mito said finally:
"Everything else is manageable. The key is you. If you don't survive the war, then everything we said today becomes meaningless. Your strength may have reached the Kage level, but you're still inexperienced. On the battlefield—never underestimate the enemy."
Her words were blunt, even a bit condescending, but the concern in her tone was undeniably real.
Arata found, to his surprise, that he didn't dislike it.
He hadn't felt this kind of elder's care in a long time.
It reminded him of how Mito treated Kushina in the original timeline.
Their conversation lasted the entire afternoon.
They discussed consolidating power, the personalities of each clan head, and how Arata should adapt his approach to each one.
Meanwhile, when Tsunade saw her grandmother suddenly appear young again, her eyes nearly sparkled. The two women immediately began chatting nonstop—excitedly discussing every detail of the Yin Seal jutsu.
Arata chuckled inwardly.
No matter the era, all women were the same—
the moment topics like beauty and preservation appeared, they could talk endlessly.
But he was happy to see Mito so lively.
This—this youthful laughter—was what a woman should look like.
The version of Mito before—wise yet weighed down by age and resignation—no longer suited her.
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