The Uzumaki sat at the table in silence.
Yoshitatsu looked at the older woman who was burdened by so many responsibilities for most of her life.
He pitied her.
They finished their dinner quietly.
Yoshitatsu stayed behind to wash the dishes while Mito went to her study.
When he was done cleaning the kitchen, Mito invited him to sit with her in the living room.
Yoshitatsu obliged and sat with her, waiting for her to speak.
"The world is unkind." Mito started. "It gives us love but also takes it away."
"Hashirama's death took a toll on this family. Yes, it affected the village, but it shook the family to its core. Despite of it, we still pressed on and supported each other."
"Then the war came and took Tobirama away from us. And after his death, our family began to die away. I am what's left of their family. I am all Nawaki and Tsunade have."
She paused.
"You are a loyal shinobi. A man not only loyal to his nation, but loyal to his family. In the short time I've come to know you, I can see what the Uzukage and clan head see. You embody what it is to be an Uzumaki and what every Uzumaki should strive to be."
"Yoshitatsu. I also have a mission for you as the daughter of the Shodaime Uzukage. I ask that you also take care of Tsunade and Nawaki while you're here. Their last name may be Senju, but they have Uzumaki blood flowing through them. I ask that you take care of them just as well as you guard Kushina. Don't let anything happen to them, please."
Yoshitatsu took in her words and slowly digested them.
Once he collected his thoughts, he stood from his seat.
Mito watched as he moved in front of her and kneeled, catching her off guard.
"Princess Mito Uzumaki, daughter of the Shodaime Uzukage, Arashi Uzumaki. Word of your talent and bravery is well-known and praised throughout the Whirlpool Country. You are among some of the finest kunoichi that has come from our land. There is no greater honor than being given this mission. I accept." He said.
Mito's eyes watered and she pulled him up to give him a hug.
She felt as if a huge burden had been taken off her shoulders.
No one knows how much these matters weighed on her.
She constantly worried about her grandchildren. Worried that one day, Tsunade wouldn't come back to her. That Nawaki would be thrown onto the battlefield unprepared and never see home again. After watching your closest family fall, there's a never ending fear of seeing that message bird in the sky and getting a letter that some you loved was killed in action.
She felt guilty about taking a young girl from her home and making her suffer the trials of being the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. She worried that the girl would lose herself and succumb to its darkness. Unlike she who had the protection of being the wife of the Hokage, Kushina had no real ties to village even if she was her relative. It would be many tribulations to overcome and it filled her with sadness to burden the child with such a heavy responsibility.
In doing what was necessary, Mito felt like a terrible person and felt that the Shinigami would throw her in the pits of hell in the afterlife.
Then, a young man by the name of Yoshitatsu Uzumaki was sent to live in the village.
She knew he was a seal master since she received his profile a few years ago. However, she knew nothing of his character and wasn't sure of the full scope of his abilities.
