Chapter 126

"I don't see anything wrong with that," I shook my head in response, "with her burden, one needs to not only be strong but also unafraid to wield that strength."

"Perhaps you're right, the fate of jinchuriki will never be easy," Mito sighed quietly, making sure there were no curious ears nearby.

Leaving the academy grounds, we walked in silence for a few minutes, each immersed in our own thoughts.

If we recall the original plot, indeed, the life of each subsequent jinchuriki became much worse than the previous one. Mito got off relatively easy thanks to her status as the strongest kunoichi and the wife of the first Hokage. Kushina, on the other hand, had to endure attacks from those around her because of her appearance and foreign origin.

The destruction of her clan and the death of the last surviving member of her family only increased the number of troubles that befell her. I won't even mention the abduction. And the final blow - the need to sacrifice her life to protect a village that wasn't even her own, sealing the Nine-Tails into her own son. That's something you wouldn't wish even on your worst enemy.

The third jinchuriki, Naruto, found himself in an even more depressing situation. Without parents, family, or close relatives, not even a guardian, which one would expect from a Hokage.

A poor orphan, hated by most of the village with all the consequences, and indifferent to everyone else, completely alone and friendless for most of his life. Yeah, a nasty trend is emerging, however. I don't even want to think about what might happen to the fourth, if there will be one at all.

"At least Kushina avoided two huge shocks in her life, and the rest is in her hands," I smirked, looking meaningfully at my companion.

At first, Mito raised an eyebrow questioningly, but after a moment, she nodded understandingly. Scratching the back of my head with my free hand, I pushed the dark thoughts out of my mind and, looking around, led the Uzumaki to a small café.

"Shall we have a snack? Lunch break is still far off, and you, as far as I understand, haven't even had breakfast today?" I offered.

"I don't mind, I did oversleep today and got up literally five minutes before you arrived," the elder shrugged.

Considering that she had had nowhere to rush for the past few years, it's not surprising. Taking a small table in the corner by the open window, I ordered two portions of scrambled eggs, a fruit salad, several toasts with jam, and two cups of hot broth. Despite the strong preference for Japanese cuisine, the people of Konoha didn't shy away from other dishes, the recipes of which came from neighboring countries. This mostly concerned shinobi - for the full functioning of a trained fighter, something more than various soups, rice, and seafood is required.

That's why meat is highly valued and considered a luxury on the table of ordinary people, while for shinobi, it's the norm, despite its high cost. After paying for the order, despite the protests of my companion, I dug into my second breakfast - with the amount of food I consume, a little addition won't hurt.

"What time does Kushina's academy end?" I asked after emptying my plates and starting on the toast.

"First, there's an introductory lesson, then a small physical fitness test, that's all for today," Mito replied.

"If you want, I can meet Kushina after class and take her home," I suggested.

Anyway, I freed up most of my day today, so we can spend it together. Given that now it's possible to visit a couple of Uzumaki only once a week for a few hours, it will be a great joy for Kushina.

"Thank you, but today is her day, and I don't intend to shift my duties onto you," Mito shook her head.

"Then what should we do until the appointed time?" I raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

"Just take a walk, besides, I haven't walked around Konoha just for the sake of it for a long time, surely, much could have changed," Uzumaki shrugged, and unexpectedly grinned, "and besides, the company of a handsome young man only adds to the pros of this idea! It's like a date, isn't it, Ryo-kun?"

Darn it, she got me there!

"One - zero," I sighed, raising my hands in defeat.

Maybe these few hours of waiting won't be so boring, considering the personality of my companion.

Three hours flew by almost instantly as I strolled arm in arm with Mito. Given that she witnessed the very foundation of Konohagakure no Sato and lived here for a huge portion of her life, the former wife of the first Hokage had plenty of interesting stories to tell.

For example, I learned that Hashirama was almost as much of a womanizer and playboy as the infamous Jiraiya. In fact, he "infected" the current Third Hokage, subsequently passing the baton to his own student. Once caught peeping at Mito and a few other Uzumaki women, the elder of the Senju brothers received such severe injuries from the hands of the enraged red-haired furies that even with experience in medicine, Hashirama needed almost a month for a full recovery from the wounds.

It was precisely because of his excessive revelry that he received a fair share of reprimands from Mito, although with the assumption of the title of Hokage, Hashirama had to curb his own impulses, which the overwhelming responsibility greatly contributed to. And unlike his brother, who remained serious and straightforward almost in any situation, the first Hokage loved to have fun and goof around, possessing a number of other harmful habits, some of which were inherited by his granddaughter Tsunade.

However, despite his character and attitude towards the well-being of the village, Danzo was practically a copy of his teacher, so it was even unnecessary to guess which of the brothers he followed. Considering Tobirama's attitude towards the Uchiha, it can be assumed that the head of "Root" had personal motives in exterminating the clan of Sharingan wielders and long-standing rivals of the Senju.

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