News of Namikaze Minato being locked up quickly reached Uzumaki Mito.
Down in the dimly lit secret room, Senju Tobirama was still hard at work, tinkering away.
He had multiple Shadow Clones helping him. Clearly, they were making the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu even more precise.
Uzumaki Mito watched, feeling completely lost.
Things had gone so far, spiraling beyond anyone's control.
"No, it's not over yet..."
Senju Tobirama's face was grim. He wasn't giving up. Not one bit.
Because...
He planned to bring back his older brother, Senju Hashirama!
That's right, someone who knew the Impure World Reincarnation could use it to summon the dead...
In other words, the dead would be summoning the dead!
"You want to bring back Hashirama?!"
Uzumaki Mito's eyes widened. She was shocked, but after a moment, she nodded slightly.
Maybe... this was the only way.
Koharu and the others had lost face, and Sarutobi Ryo's power had grown more than ever.
Nobody in Konoha could stop him now.
Unless something unexpected happened, Minato would lose his chance to become the next Hokage. Even his safety couldn't be guaranteed.
This meant Sarutobi Ryo would almost certainly be the next Hokage.
"It's the only way..."
Uzumaki Mito took a deep breath, her eyes filled with determination.
Konoha... it was time for a clean sweep!
---
At Sarutobi Ryo's house...
When Sarutobi Ryo got home, he saw a heartwarming sight.
Neji, with Yamanaka Hui helping him, was carefully learning how to walk.
Time was flying by.
Watching Neji grow from a baby crying to now taking his first steps showed how much time had passed.
Kids in the ninja world usually grew up fast, so starting to walk before age one wasn't too strange.
Especially since Neji had the Hyuga clan's bloodline, he wasn't just any kid.
Sarutobi Ryo smiled, watching Neji babble, Ruri quietly looking after him, and Yamanaka Hui grinning.
"You're back..."
Ruri turned to greet Sarutobi Ryo when she saw him.
She was like a young wife waiting for her husband to come home. That was Ruri now.
"Yeah," Sarutobi Ryo said, nodding. They talked for a bit, but he didn't bring up anything about politics.
Ruri didn't need to worry about such things.
She just needed to deal with her own problems and look forward to a brighter future.
Afterward, Sarutobi Ryo left the living room and headed toward the villa.
On the way, he heard shouts coming from the training grounds.
It was Shisui, Itachi, Kakashi, and Gai.
They always sparred and helped each other when they had time, learning from each other and getting stronger.
Everyone worked together, trying hard to improve.
Kakashi was a bit sad that his superior, Namikaze Minato, was suspected of a crime.
But he had grown up and joined the Anbu, so he wasn't a child anymore.
He was slowly changing his mind about what had happened in the past... from his father, Hatake Sakumo, almost getting hurt to the Uchiha clan being treated unfairly.
Kakashi was a strong believer in the Will of Fire, of course.
And Sarutobi Ryo himself was a perfect example of it.
So Kakashi didn't hold any anger toward Sarutobi Ryo.
Kakashi just didn't want to believe that the village was so corrupt.
He needed time to think about it.
Sarutobi Ryo glanced at the training grounds and kept walking.
He went to the quietest corner and used the password to get through the barrier.
This was where Mikoto lived.
"Young Master Ryo..."
Mikoto was hanging clothes out to dry.
The weather was getting warmer. It was almost hot.
Air conditioners had already been invented by now.
Electric fans were even easier to get.
So Sarutobi Ryo wasn't worried about Mikoto's comfort.
"Madam Mikoto, are you settling in okay?"
Sarutobi Ryo asked casually.
"Yes, very well..." Mikoto said quickly, nodding.
Then she blushed, realizing what she had said sounded a bit inappropriate.
She was surprised she had said that.
She was very happy living here.
It was usually very quiet, and she could think about things or remember the past.
She could also watch Itachi train and grow.
With Shisui, Hui, and other young people around, the house wasn't lonely.
The food and drinks were also very good...
She couldn't think of anything wrong with it.
And here... for some reason, she slept very well, exceptionally... comfortably...
Mikoto didn't always know what was happening.
After saying those words, she couldn't help blushing.
Looking up, she was relieved that Young Master Ryo didn't think she was being silly.
They chatted for a while.
When Mikoto heard what had happened today, she covered her mouth in shock.
She couldn't believe that Minato was a suspect.
Then... wouldn't Kushina be very worried?
After getting over her shock, Mikoto realized she should invite Sarutobi Ryo inside and pour him some tea.
Sarutobi Ryo looked at Mikoto. Her belly was growing bigger every day.
Sasuke, as the reincarnation of Indra's Chakra, would be very strong, Sarutobi Ryo thought.
So there was no need to worry about his birth.
What Sarutobi Ryo meant was...
He had always been very careful when Ruri was pregnant.
It was different with Mikoto.
After many experiments, he found that her body could handle much more than others.
Maybe this was because she was connected to destiny.
As one of the main characters of the next generation...
Naruto and Sasuke would be the strongest ninja.
Therefore... Sarutobi Ryo's experiments would become more and more intense each time...
And Mikoto, as the one being experimented on, would naturally change more and more.
When the tea was being poured...
Mikoto saw him staring at her.
She felt a little... hot all over.
His calm, handsome face reminded her of her late husband, Fugaku.
"Madam Mikoto, the tea is spilling..."
Sarutobi Ryo reminded her. Mikoto gasped, quickly put down the teapot, grabbed a cloth, and started wiping.
*
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[T/N:
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