Konoha: Offer your heart to the Hokage!

...

At the family dinner, Shen Er used a fire-style ninjutsu he learned from the Uchiha clan to warm sake for Hashirama Senju. The usually aloof Tobirama, upon hearing that it was an Uchiha fire-style ninjutsu, also asked Shen Er to warm a cup for him.

If he knew that this fire jutsu originated from Madara's heart, he would probably be even happier.

The two brothers soon became completely drunk.

Mito Uzumaki sat to one side, her mind elsewhere.

The malice she felt when she first entered the room lingered in her mind.

Mito Uzumaki decided to find out what was going on.

Shen Er is no ordinary Konoha villager; he is Hashirama's close friend, Takayuki's medical teacher, and the chief architect of Konoha's Will of Fire.

Mito instinctively couldn't believe that someone like her could show such malice.

She was more inclined to believe that this was a conspiracy by the Nine-Tails, or perhaps just her own delusion.

If prejudices and grudges are not cleared up as soon as they arise, they will eventually develop into irreconcilable conflicts.

She found Shen'er, who was alone, leaning against a pillar gazing at the moon, drinking by herself, and spoke to her:

"How so."

"Lady Mito." Jin glanced at her, not surprised by her arrival, and instead cut to the chase, "You sensed something bad about me, didn't you?"

Mito was surprised by Shen Er's bluntness.

Despite the surprise, my anxiety subsided somewhat.

The more someone tries to hide something, the more it proves they have something to hide, while Shen'er's reaction is completely open and honest...

"That's quite normal, after all, I have such a bloodline. Lady Mito's expression was off from the moment I walked in."

She chuckled self-deprecatingly and began to share the story she had just made up:

“When I was young, my clan’s medical teacher taught me not to have any moral expectations of anyone. In this world, every soul is half human and half ghost. If you get too close, no one can see it.”

"Practicing medicine all the way..."

"I've seen demure women cheat on their partners, and I've also seen carefree girls who smoke and drink steadfastly in love."

"I have seen people dressed in fine clothes speak ill of their loved ones. I have also seen people covered in dark blue tattoos representing pickpocketing travel hundreds of miles to seek medical help for their families."

"Gentleness can be faked, but character and the kindness in one's bones cannot be faked."

"The Zen clan's Tenci Yu possesses unique advantages in the medical field. However, the price is that it absorbs the emotions within the target's spiritual energy, thereby gradually altering the form of the user's chakra."

"In other words, when I'm saving people, I can sense the good and evil in their hearts."

"Having saved people over the years, the evil in human nature is far greater than the good. My Heavenly Compassion has absorbed a large amount of the dark side, which is why my chakra is filled with an ominous aura in the senses of a ninja."

"This isn't the first time I've been misunderstood, so I quickly noticed that something was off about your expression, Mito-sama. I don't care what others think of me. Since God gave me this bloodline limit, I will bear this 'sin' to save people and fill the ninja world with love. This is my mission."

"I have no regrets. It's just that if I could, I still wouldn't want my friends to misunderstand me."

Shen'er's voice was calm and undisturbed, as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her.

Mito Uzumaki's expression was deeply moved.

The human body's spiritual energy carries emotions, whether dark or bright. Sensitive individuals can perceive these emotions from the overflowing energy. This is not a blessing, but a torment.

Mito Uzumaki is experiencing such suffering due to the interference of Kurama (the Nine-Tails).

Shen Er's experience is so similar to hers.

A kindred spirit seeks a kindred spirit amidst towering mountains and flowing waters.

Feeding her own flesh to the eagle—compassion is the underlying principle of her and Shen Errendao (the Way of the Ninja).

Mito suddenly felt a pang of guilt; she had actually doubted someone who silently endured the evil of humanity yet still chose to save people with compassion.

She, with her suspicions, is just as despicable as the gossipy woman at the village entrance.

Mito quickly understood everything.

Her Kagura Mind's Eye could sense the malice that Tenjiyu had instilled in Shen'er for many years, and the existence of the Nine-Tails amplified this malice infinitely. However, after being amplified, it unexpectedly broke through Tenjiyu's disguise and sensed Shen'er's kind ninja way.

The misunderstanding has been cleared up.

Mito Uzumaki's brows relaxed.

She thought for a moment, then took out a kunai and made a cut in her palm: "Then, insert the Heavenly Compassion Thread."

Shen Er did as she was told, releasing the Heavenly Compassion Line to touch her wound.

"Four Symbols Seal - Release!"

Mito loosened the Four Symbols Seal by a tiny crack, and the malevolent Nine-Tails chakra immediately leaked out through the wound.

"Lord Mito, what's going on...?"

“I just wanted to tell you that we are the same type of ninja now.” Mito Uzumaki’s eyes showed a hint of relief. “After becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, my chakra also changed to this form.”

"It can also be like you said, able to sense the malice and goodwill in people's hearts."

"Now, I can feel your goodwill; you should also be able to sense the malice in my chakra. In that case, we're even."

"I hope you don't mind that I misunderstood you just now."

My goodwill?

Shen Er was slightly taken aback, instinctively sensing that something was amiss.

His words just now were a distortion of the truth. He thought that Mito, with Kagura's insight and the Nine-Tails' ability to see through his malice beneath his benevolent facade, had fabricated the lie that he "absorbed the darkness in people's hearts and his chakra was corrupted," so that she would understand his malice as "the sins he bore for saving people."

But now, Mito says... she sensed his kindness?

Could Kurama's perception be wrong?

impossible.

The moment he stepped inside, Mito's expression clearly betrayed his malice.

But now, his malice remains unchanged, while the other party only feels goodwill.

Shen Er quickly deduced the truth.

there is only one truth

For reasons unknown, the Nine-Tails inside Mito Uzumaki actively suppressed and weakened its perception of him.

"Hehe..." Shen Er chuckled inwardly, "No matter what, you've really helped a lot, Nine-Tails."

"Of course I don't mind, Lady Mito."

Just then.

A drunken Hashirama poked his head out from the corridor: "Hey! Mito, what's wrong? I sensed Kurama's chakra."

The three of them locked eyes.

Chapter 72 Land Reclamation: Turning Sand into Sea (4K)

Soon it was time to leave at the end of the month.

"Let's go!"

Shen Er and Hashirama shouldered their packs, bid farewell to Tobirama and Mito, and embarked on their journey to the Land of Iron.

Upon reaching a deep canyon, Zhujian led Shen'er into it.

Followed by.

Then I saw a breathtaking scene:

In the center of the canyon, the wooden clone between the pillars sat cross-legged, with a giant wooden figure tens of meters tall standing behind it. Around them, eight tailed beasts lay or sprawled, motionless.

Clearly, the Wood Clone Technique used by Hashirama's Wood Clone also possesses the power to put the Tailed Beasts to sleep.

The fact that a mere clone could suppress the power of eight beasts is truly captivating.

At this moment, just as at that moment.

Shen'er's gaze seemed to traverse a thousand years, arriving at the scene where the Sage of Six Paths separated the Ten-Tails and taught the newly born nine tailed beasts.

"Hmm, not bad, didn't cause any trouble."

Hashirama put his hands on his hips and nodded with satisfaction: "Our mission on this trip is to sell these tailed beasts. Hopefully, the other villages will treat them well."

Do you want to listen to what you're saying...?

Sometimes I even think that Hashirama is quite pretentious.

The two walked slowly along the road.

Along the way, Hashirama often asked Jinji about the customs and culture of the various countries they met, since in his memory Jinji had traveled around the ninja world for many years practicing medicine and was very knowledgeable.

Shen Er was well-prepared. A few days before his departure, he gathered information on the countries along the route to the Land of Iron. No matter what Hashirama asked, he answered fluently.

In fact, a simple "I've never been here" would have been enough to get by, but Shen'er still habitually tries to do things perfectly.

During this time, they were robbed by a group of bandits, and Hashirama casually turned them into a group of vegetable people with a single slap.

It took three whole days to walk there.

The two arrived at the capital of the Land of Iron.

Blocking their way at the city gate was a young warrior clad in layered green armor, standing with his sword drawn.

"Halt! Outsiders, state your identity."

"I am Hashirama Senju, the Hokage of Konoha. This is my bodyguard, Zenin Jinji."

"You are the Hokage of Konoha?" The young samurai looked surprised, straightened his back and said, "I am Mifune, son of the general of the Land of Iron. I am here to await you two. Please follow me into the city."

Mifune led the two to their hotel.

They were among the first to arrive.

After waiting for three more days, he even toured the entire capital of the Iron Country.

Blacksmith shops lined the streets, their furnaces burning day and night. The sword-making industry there was far more prosperous than in Konoha, and many of them were long-established shops with famous brands. According to the shopkeepers, this place was home to the most skilled swordsmiths in the entire ninja world.

He couldn't help but think that the Land of Iron was not far from the Land of Water.