Chapter 41

【Terumi Mei: It seems not everything recorded in the ninja world is true—I always thought the First Hokage and his wife had endured great hardships before uniting, but I never expected their union to be so simple…】

"What??? You're telling me you want to break off the engagement??"

"Hashirama!!! Are you sure you're not joking?"

He suddenly stood up and slammed his hand hard on the table.

His face now bore an expression of both shock and humiliation!!!

I had thought that by coming here in person,

I could confirm the marriage between Hashirama Senju and Uzumaki Mito.

But instead, I was met with Hashirama Senju's request to break off the engagement.

"Fusen?? You agree too?"

"If you take back what you just said, I can pretend I never heard it!!!"

Upon hearing this, Hashirama Fusen nodded with a bitter smile.

"Hashirama's will is my will."

"I am no longer clan head of the Senju; Hashirama is now the head of the Senju clan."

"So his words represent not only my will, but also the will of the entire Senju clan."

After Hashirama Fusen finished speaking,

Hashirama Senju quickly turned and signaled a nearby clansman to refill Uzumaki Ashina's tea.

"Clan Head Runan… this doesn't mean anything significant."

"The Senju clan and the Uzumaki clan remain each other's best allies; I simply cannot marry your daughter…"

"Our two clans' trust is already deep enough—no further bond is needed to prove anything."

"I have never met Uzumaki Mito, and likewise, Uzumaki Mito has never met me…"

"How could two people with no feelings for each other possibly find true happiness in marriage?"

"Surely you don't want your daughter to marry someone she's never seen and feels nothing for…"

"And you can rest assured—even if I don't marry your daughter, all previous promises made by the Senju clan remain valid; this will not change."

Seeing Uzumaki Runan's expression soften slightly,

Hashirama Fusen immediately stood up and stepped forward,

placing a hand on Uzumaki Runan's shoulder to comfort him.

"Yes… Runan, we've been old friends for so many years—surely you still trust me?"

"Even if we dissolve the marriage, the actual alliance between our two clans will not change—you Uzumaki are still our most steadfast allies!!!"

"No matter what happens, the Senju clan will always give you our strongest support!!!"

Looking at Hashirama Senju's unnaturally youthful face,

Uzumaki Runan couldn't help but sigh.

In truth, even before arriving,

he had already suspected something was amiss.

Over these years, Hashirama Senju's reputation had grown too immense,

and the ninja world now believed his strength rivaled that of the Sage of Six Paths.

When he finally saw Hashirama Senju in person,

it confirmed his suspicions:

Hashirama Senju, merely sitting there,

gave him a sense of unfathomable depth!!!

Had he not known Hashirama Senju meant him no harm,

Uzumaki Runan might have turned and left immediately.

That feeling,

like a rabbit before a lion,

made him feel Hashirama Senju was the tiger holding his life in his paws, while he himself was a helpless white rabbit ready to be slaughtered.

This utter powerlessness,

was unbearably painful.

He simply never imagined

that the child he once held in his arms as a boy,

within just a few short years,

had quietly risen toward the status of the world's greatest.

The engagement between Hashirama Senju and Uzumaki Mito had long been arranged,

but over these years,

the Senju clan had never once brought it up,

as if deliberately ignoring it.

And from that moment on,

Uzumaki Runan had sensed something was wrong.

When he heard Hashirama Senju's fame grow ever greater,

he became certain the engagement would never be fulfilled.

37. The river shifts east and west every thirty years! Never underestimate a girl's potential!

【Tobirama Senju: Brother!!! I had no idea you had it in you—you actually have the guts to break off your engagement with Big Sister Mito!!! I retract my earlier opinion of you!!!】

【Uchiha Madara: Hmph!! Hashirama!!! You should learn from the other Hashirama!! Women only slow down your sword-drawing speed, she only makes you soft — with all that time, can't you use it to train?!】

【Uzumaki Mito: Uchiha Madara!! My husband and I don't need you butting in. Hashirama and I are husband and wife — what right does an outsider like you have to comment on the two of us?!!】

【Senju Hashirama: Uh… I think, Mito's actually a pretty good person, just sometimes a bit naggy, and her temper's a bit fiery… other than that, she doesn't really have any other flaws…】

【Uzumaki Mito: Senju Hashirama!!! Starting today, you're not allowed to come home. Once you realize your mistake, then you can come back!!!】

【Namikaze Minato: Lady Mito truly is a person of the Uzumaki clan — that temper is exactly the same as Kushina's…】

【Uzumaki Kushina:??????】

【Uzumaki Kushina: Namikaze Minato!!! What did you say? Say that again for me, right now??!!】

【Uzumaki Naruto: …Mama… is she always this fierce…? …That's scary…】

Aside from Senju Hashirama,

what shocked people the most was the overall strength of the Senju clan as a whole.

Just a few years had passed.

The Senju clan's overall bearing was already completely different.

Among these Senju clan members coming and going,

there were several people whose depth of strength Uzumaki Ashina could not read at all,

and people like that,

were actually not few in number within the Senju clan — that was the thing that made him feel the most terrifying!!!!

"Fine… since Hashirama, you've said as much, then there's nothing I can do even if I disagree."

"As for Mito's side… I'll find a way to explain it to her."

"I just hope your Senju clan won't forget your promise…"

After saying that,

Uzumaki Ashina cast a worried glance toward the direction of the Uzumaki clan's accompanying personnel.

"Don't worry… Uncle Ashina…"

"Our Senju clan's reputation, I believe you already know."

"Once a word is spoken, we won't go back on it — we will absolutely honor the agreement…"

……

"Who agreed? I don't agree with your damn agreement!!!"

"This marriage — did you ask my opinion on it from start to finish?!"

A girl with a pink bun hairstyle burst out from the ranks of the Uzumaki clan's accompanying entourage.