When the villagers saw Izuna holding Mito's hand as they walked into Uzushiogakure, both ninja and civilians alike were thoroughly frightened.
If not for the fact that all the ninja dispatched by the Senju clan had gone to the east to intercept the Kaguya clan ninja, who knew how severe the situation might have become?
Feeling the gazes coming from her clansmen on all sides, Mito lowered her head deeply in shy embarrassment. Finally, unable to bear it, she quickened her pace and whispered through gritted teeth, "Walk faster."
Izuna shrugged helplessly and matched Mito's stride, quickly entering the High Pavilion.
This was the place originally planned for Mito's wedding with Senju Hashirama.
"This place is really nice. You can see the scenery of the entire village. It gives one the feeling of standing at the very apex of the clan."
Izuna leaned his hands on the windowsill, gazing down.
From this position, one could take in almost the entirety of Uzushiogakure. Perhaps the Hokage's office in Konoha later on was modeled after this place.
"After we go back to the Uchiha, let's build one too."
Izuna turned his head and said to Mito.
By this time, Mito had already changed out of the white wedding kimono in a side room and walked over in a plain white kimono, just in time to hear Izuna's words.
Her brows furrowed slightly, and her pearly white teeth bit into her lower lip. "What exactly are you thinking? There will be no result between us."
"Whether there's a result isn't up to you, nor is it up to your grandfather..."
Izuna grabbed Mito's slender waist and, amidst her cry of surprise, pulled her into his embrace. He smiled wickedly. "It's up to me."
Feeling the sensation against his chest, Izuna looked down and grinned. "Seems they've gotten a bit bigger."
Although not quite at the level of Princess Tsunade, it was still quite impressive.
Mito glared at him fiercely, both ashamed and angry, her hands pounding hard against his shoulders. "What time is it! And you're still thinking about these things!"
Izuna maintained his hold on Mito, tilting his head to glance toward the east side of the village. The corners of his mouth tipped up slightly. "Such intense killing intent. Even a non-sensory type ninja like me can detect it. At such close range, the Uzumaki and Senju must be having a rough time, right?"
Don't look down on the Kaguya just because they only had five hundred people. Dropping them all at once right at the Uzumaki clan's doorstep caused severe psychological damage to both the Uzumaki and Senju clans.
Even in this ninja world, "morale" remained extremely important.
According to the investigation by Uchiha Zuoxiu of the Shadow Investigation Department, Senju Hashirama was currently still at the Senju clan grounds.
Even with his speed, it would take more than a day to rush here at full power.
Even including Senju Tobirama's Flying Thunder God, traveling without rest would still take close to a day.
During this period, the five hundred Kaguya ninja led by Kaguya Wanlü could entirely possibly fight their way inside Uzushiogakure.
He just didn't know if Uzumaki Hiro'umi and the others were aware that six hundred Uchiha were also gathered at their doorstep to the west.
If they knew that, under such severe psychological pressure, they would presumably be defeated even faster.
Mito pursed her lips tightly. Her spirited eyes looked straight at Izuna, and her red lips parted slightly. "Help me."
"You want me to help the Uzumaki and Senju deal with the Kaguya?"
Izuna found it rather amusing. "What I should be doing right now is snatching you back immediately, then sitting on the mountain to watch the tigers fight. Let the three clans fight like the snipe and the clam, while I, the Uchiha fisherman, reap the benefits."
Mito pounded Izuna heavily again. "You guys agreed on this with the Kaguya, didn't you?"
Although she didn't know how the Kaguya and Uchiha had bypassed the Senju and Uzumaki defenses, appearing on the east and west sides of Uzushiogakure on the same day...
If it wasn't prepared in advance, ghosts must be real.
Seeing Izuna remain impervious, Mito grit her silver teeth. After a moment, she made up her mind. "As long as you help my Uzumaki clan survive this crisis, I... I will go with you!"
Izuna raised an eyebrow slightly, looking into Mito's eyes.
Although there was a sense of coercion, if she didn't truly have that desire in her heart, Mito should have used "suicide" to threaten Izuna just like a year ago.
Instead of proposing the idea of leaving together.
"And if Uzumaki Hiro'umi tries to stop us?" Izuna asked in return.
Mito was momentarily speechless.
Her grandfather would definitely try to stop them. What would she do then?
Izuna didn't make things difficult for Mito, saying, "I just need you to state your position. Even if Uzumaki Hiro'umi tries to stop us, when I take you away, you can't go back on your word."
In the end, only Mito cared about the opinions of Uzumaki Hiro'umi and the others; Izuna didn't care in the least.
If I want to do something, can you stop me?
The key lay in Mito's thoughts. He didn't want to take her back only to watch her sigh and mourn with a sad face all day long.
"...Mm!"
After a long silence, Mito finally nodded heavily, her eyes filled with determination.
Seeing this, Izuna was overjoyed. He lowered his head and kissed Mito's red lips, which still retained a trace of lipstick.
"Mmm... Mmph!!"
The long-lost yet familiar sensation stirred Mito's heart. Subconsciously, she patted his shoulder twice, but soon the patting turned into a gentle caress as she skillfully responded.
Who knew how much time passed before, suddenly, a gasp came from the direction of the stairs.
"Yaaah!?"
The one who let out this scream was none other than Mito's little maid.
Seeing that the Princess and that Uchiha Vice-Clan Head had been up in the High Pavilion for a long time, she worried something might have happened and wanted to sneak up to check the situation.
She hadn't expected to see the scene of the two passionately embracing and kissing.
Mito jolted awake. Her eyes went wide as she looked at the equally astounded little maid. She abruptly pushed Izuna away, explaining in a panic, "No, it's not, I, I didn't..."
Izuna looked toward the little maid with a face full of displeasure. "If this were the Uchiha, casually disturbing the master would get you thrown into the dungeon, little girl."
Meeting Izuna's gaze, the little maid cried out and hurriedly ran back down the stairs, shouting as she went, "I, I didn't see anything!"
Izuna attempted to place his hands on Mito's slender waist again. "Alright, let's continue."
"Continue what!?"
Mito slapped Izuna's hands away in shame and indignation, shouting, "Have you forgotten what you promised me?"
Izuna rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, I'm going."
Saying this, Izuna prepared to jump directly from the windowsill of the High Pavilion.
"Wait, aren't you going to summon your clansmen?"
Seeing that Izuna seemed to intend to go alone, Mito stopped him.
Her tone contained thirty percent disbelief and seventy percent worry.
"It's just five hundred Kaguya ninja. Where's the need for so many people?"
Izuna's tone was as casual as if he were discussing eating or drinking.
He leaped from the High Pavilion's window, traversing the rooftops of Uzushiogakure, and quickly vanished from Mito's field of vision.
Mito gazed at Izuna's receding back, lost in thought.
"Princess..."
The little maid had come back up at some point and spoke in a low voice.
"Yaaah!?"
Mito was instantly startled.
Seeing her like this, the little maid actually smiled. "Princess, your Sensory Ninjutsu is so strong. This is the first time you haven't sensed me coming over."
"You girl..."
Mito glared at her with feigned anger, but it held absolutely no deterrent force.
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