Tsunade dragged Uchiha Jin through Konoha's bustling streets to a cluster of older buildings.
Unlike the lively markets around the Uchiha compound, this neighborhood felt deserted. Turning a corner, they met only a few scattered passersby.
"This used to be the Senju quarters?" Jin scanned the houses and quickly noticed the emblem of the Forest Senju appearing here and there.
"Yeah. After the Senju disbanded, everyone scattered across the village. The place went quiet. Give it a few more years, it might get folded into the civilian district." Tsunade's tone was flat, shaded by something muted.
Jin said nothing more and followed her through several bends.
An old-fashioned estate came into view. What caught his eye first was the crest above the gate: the Forest Senju and the Uzumaki swirl side by side.
He also sensed several chakra signatures around the property. His face stayed calm, but his shadow rippled. Silent as mist, several shadow soldiers slipped into the darkness and crept outward.
"Seven people. All in Anbu gear, and their chakra... jonin-level." With the report relayed, Jin's gaze flicked over the perimeter. He knew whose home this was.
An Anbu squad of that caliber, this deep in the former Senju district - only Uzumaki Mito, the First's widow and current Nine Tails jinchuriki, rated that.
"Come in." Tsunade pushed the door open and glanced back, her voice returning to its usual casual lilt.
Stepping into the courtyard, Jin felt the hidden sentries' scrutiny settle on him. He ignored it and followed Tsunade into the inner rooms.
An elderly woman with graying temples was studying a scroll. At the sound of footsteps she looked up and saw Tsunade lead Jin inside.
"Granny Mito, this is Uchiha Jin, the one I told you about."
"Mito-sama." Jin bowed lightly, then stood aside. He was not surprised Tsunade had brought him here. He had exposed the Horse Talisman's power on purpose to push things to this point.
Mito let her gaze rest on him for a long moment, then nodded and spoke in a mild voice. "Such astonishing chakra. The Uchiha already command more than most, but yours is comparable to..." She paused, leaving the words unsaid.
Tsunade glanced at Jin, curious. She was no sensor and could not feel the raw volume Mito sensed.
"Would you come a little closer, child?" Mito asked kindly.
Before Jin could answer, Tsunade had already hauled him forward.
"Handsome boy," Mito said with a faint smile as she studied his face. "No wonder that Kushina girl goes on about you all day."
She took his hand. A gentle stream of chakra flowed in like a rivulet.
Jin did not resist. He knew what she wanted to confirm. A prickle stung his palm, and the Horse Talisman flared. The discomfort vanished the instant it began.
Mito's pupils tightened. Surprise flickered across her face as she looked up at him.
"How is it?" Tsunade could not hold back.
"His cells brim with vitality, and his recovery is abnormal. There is also a strong repulsion toward foreign chakra. I have only ever seen that in one person." Mito's expression turned grave.
"Same constitution as Grandpa." Tsunade murmured under her breath.
"Is Mito-sama trying to confirm my connection to the First, or worried the Uchiha covet Wood Release?" Jin withdrew his hand, a trace of meaning buried in his voice.
"Neither," Mito said, shaking her head. "Tsunade already checked your lineage. You have no ties to the Senju. As for recreating Hashirama's power..." She gave him a long, pointed look. "Tobirama tried that back then. Your clan should know how that ended."
Jin's impression of her shifted. If this had been Sarutobi Hiruzen or Shimura Danzō, they would already be arranging secret surveillance on the Uchiha.
Mito's stance made his next steps easier. He spoke at once. "Then what does Mito-sama suggest?"
"Since Tsunade and I cannot figure it out, perhaps we should ask you. You bear this power. You understand it better than I do. If you would rather not say, I will respect that."
Jin thought for a heartbeat, then nodded. "Since you wish to know, I can tell you."
Surprise flickered in Mito's eyes. She had not expected him to agree so readily.
"Have you heard of the Uchiha's Naka Shrine?"
"I have. Your ancestral grounds. Very old, they say."
"The shrine itself is not the key. The treasure is a tablet inside that only Sharingan can read." Jin paused and glanced at Tsunade.
"What are you looking at me for?" she asked, baffled.
He did not explain. "Ordinary Sharingan show only a portion. The rest records the Sage of Six Paths founding ninshu a thousand years ago, and the falling out between his two sons."
"The Sage of Six Paths? That is a legend." Tsunade frowned.
"The point is his sons." Jin's voice deepened. "The tablet says the elder inherited the Sage's eyes, the younger the Sage's body. Their ideals clashed, their descendants fought for generations."
"Eyes and body of the Sage... Uchiha and Senju." Mito exhaled softly. "So you mean we share a root."
"You kidding me?" Tsunade clamped a hand on Jin's head. "You're saying our two clans come from the same source?"
"Who is kidding? That's what the tablet says. Incomplete, maybe. I could read further only because of my constitution. In the clan, I am probably the only one who can."
"Have you told anyone else?" Mito cut in.
"I discussed it with Elder Hikaku . He said he would check old clan records to confirm."
Mito nodded slightly and looked toward the window, thoughtful. "I see. It is late. Tsunade, see Jin-kun out."
On the veranda, Tsunade watched Jin's figure fade into the dim street, then turned back inside.
"Granny Mito, do you believe him?" she asked as Mito remained deep in thought.
"I opened the Kagura Mind's Eye the moment he entered. He was not lying, though he held something back." Mito's answer made Tsunade knit her brows.
"But it is too outrageous. The Uchiha and us..."