Chapter 16 - Talking with Mito Uzumaki (2/2)

'Heh, so this the extent one can go through love. It's truly stupid, but...I would even have been fine to die if I knew that I will still be a priority in somebody's heart even after death. Is that why you died smiling, mother?'

Sensing turbulent emotions coming from Minato, Mito was surprised. If it was disgust or disdain for her, she would have understood, but yearning and loss? This kid was truly strange.

Calming himself, Minato regained his composure. ”Do you love your family or this village more?” asked Minato, curious to see the extent of love.

”Hm” Mito made a complicated face ”I can't choose, I love the 2 of them equally”

”Let me rephrase it. If there is a war and your family is forced to participate in it. Your grandson Nawaki have 95% chance of dying. Will you let Konoha send him even if it would cost them nothing to let him live his life here in safety?”

Furrowing her brows, Mito thought about it. Finally loosening them, she couldn't help the fond smile speaking of her grandson ”Even if I wanted to protect him, Nawaki will not listen and rush headfirst in battle to protect his comrades of Konoha. There is no way that he will willingly choose his own safety over his comrades. He is like his grandfather during his youth, a hot-headed fool.”

Minato has nothing to retort to that. Hashirama, Nawaki and Naruto, the three of them have more or less the same personality, that of an idiotic moron that thinks that they can save the world, even if the human will in the end never change their nature. If not, why would they wage war in the first place?

”And you, young man, what is your dream?”

Startled that she asked him such a question, he answered with a half-truth ”I want and will become Hokage” 'Even if it's just a stepping stone to my true dream'

”Oh, it's a bit unfortunate that I will not see it. I'm sure it would have been interesting”

Minato made sure to repress his emotions this time, not willing to leak the fact that he knows that she is the Kyuubi jinchuriki, and that she will die because she passed it over Kushina.

”For someone of your age, you still look young and healthy, and I doubt that anybody could kill you in your own home. So why do you insinuate that you will die soon”

”Sigh...” Mito found nothing strange in the fact that he repressed his emotions, thinking it was a normal thing to do for him, already content from what she has gleaned from them during their conversation. ”An old woman like me has no place in this era. I'm just a relic of the past, it will soon be my time to go. Even if I'm fine externally, things are complicated and I have not much time left. Kid, no, Minato, will you accept a request from an old lady on her deathbed?”

”Sure, if I can do it that is.”

”I hope you will take care of Kushina, she is one of the last of my kin in the living, and I don't want to see my clan going extinct, it will aggrieve me very much”

”Oh, it's just that. Don't worry about it, I care for her so I already had in mind to take care of her” It was no big deal for him, even if he has known Kushina only for a week, she was already dear to him, even if he can't fully trust her, it doesn't mean that he will let anyone bring her harm.

”I see, I'm relieved to hear that. You can go now, and if you have any questions about Fuuinjutsu or another thing, you can come to see me. I still have a bit of time, so I won't mind using it to help you. After all, even if you chose to protect Kushina, she is my kin and I can't do enough to repay you” Having said her part, Mito closed her eyes and began to rest.

Taking it as a signal to leave, Minato exited the room, thinking that it's a pity that she was fated to die, she would truly have been a good friend. After all, before occupying Minato's body, he had more or less the same view on the world as her.