However, Danzo and Orochimaru, in their typical arrogance, seemed to overlook or simply disregard Mito's Kagura's Mind Eye, forgetting its ability to sense chakra and glean emotions and, to some extent, the thoughts of those around her.
So, as their reactions to her words settled in, she immediately sensed the shift in their chakra, both of their internal states extraordinarily dark and twisted.
Mito's frown deepened as she also observed the long-term patterns of deterioration in their overall chakra signatures more closely.
These were some of the worst she had ever seen, so she was shocked—she never expected to see this in people so 'close to home'.
'It is worse than I thought... Hiruzen has clearly failed in ways I never could have imagined. How did it come to this? What has happened to this village since I died? How could disciples personally cultivated and picked by Tobirama himself end up so bad?',
She thought, grappling with the disturbing reality before her. Orochimaru and Danzo, two figures who were once familiar to her during their younger days, now stood before her as shadows of their former selves.
When she was alive, Orochimaru had only shown faint traces of an asocial tendency—barely a predisposition toward darkness. Danzo had always been more self-serving than others, but even he hadn't fully fallen into the abyss.
Now, both of them radiated darkness. Their chakra signatures had become monstrous, distorted beyond recognition. They were no longer just men; they had turned into something far more sinister.
Orochimaru's signature was a manifestation of personal obsession, a hunger for power and knowledge that pushed beyond ethical limits.
Danzo, on the other hand, was consumed by a more dangerous, overarching desire for control—ruthless and unyielding —not just of himself but of everything around him.
Even more disheartening was the fact that Hiruzen himself, the man Tobirama had once trusted to carry the will of fire, was no longer untouched by this rot.
His chakra carried a tint of ego-driven ambition, tinged with weariness and compromise. He had descended, though not into the complete darkness like his companions, but far enough for Mito to feel a deep sense of disappointment.
'Hiruzen... How could you let it come to this? How could you let these two stand so close to you? Don't you have anyone better? Or is it you who personally led them to this path in a way?', For the first time, Mito found herself doubting her husband's idealistic vision for the future, the dream of peaceful villages working together in harmony.
Hashirama believed so fervently in people's goodness and in their ability to change and work toward peace.
But what had become of that vision? A third Shinobi World War had already come and gone since her death, directly contradicting the peace Hashirama had believed would endure.
Now, even within the heart of the village her husband had built, the rot had set in. Civil war seemed inevitable, and those who should have been upholding the ideals of Konoha had fallen into moral decay.
Mito sighed, the weight of her thoughts heavy, 'Hashirama... if only you could see what has become of this world...',
The hope and optimism her husband once embodied now felt distant, overshadowed by the grim reality of what Konoha had become in his absence.
Meanwhile, Mito carefully masked her inner thoughts, keeping them well-guarded, so Hiruzen remained oblivious to her judgment of him and the village.
Unaware of how far his own chakra signature had decayed, Hiruzen simply responded to her previous question, his tone respectful.
"Lord Mito, our first choice was of course, to summon Hanaku, your and Lord Hashirama's son, and my dear friend, who died in the first shinobi world war as many other greats, given his strength and unwavering loyalty to the village.",
"However, for reasons that are beyond our understanding, we couldn't summon him. It was as though he wasn't in the Pure Land, which should be impossible. Regardless, despite having his genetic material, the summoning failed."
Hiruzen continued speaking as he swung his Enma staff, aiding his subordinates in fending off the Hyuga Main Branch members.
All the while, he kept an eye on Hirayoshi Hyuga, who was still high in the sky, amassing more and more power, now resembling a giant white sun. The sheer potency of the chakra being generated above was steadily chipping away at the morale of the Konoha forces.
With each strike of his staff, Hiruzen aimed to physically aid his troops and restore their spirits.
He used his mastery of multiple jutsu, casting giant shuriken shadow clones, weaving through the five elemental transformations easily, and ensuring the battlefield didn't fully tip in the Hyuga's favor.
He moved swiftly, his mind sharp as he balanced his direct involvement in the fight with overseeing the greater battle's unfolding.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, was busy taking stock of the two Uchiha summons—Izuna and Kagami—familiarizing himself with their reanimated forms for a while. He appeared calculating, studying how best to use their skills for the battle ahead, ever the tactician.
Danzo, however, stood still amidst the chaos. His eyes were focused, and he seemed unnervingly calm. His hands folded behind his back, and he barely participated in the fight.
Instead, he coordinated his Root forces with silent gestures, not lifting a finger himself yet, as if waiting for the precise moment to strike.
Sasuke Sarutobi was still testing his body, performing a series of strange taijutsu maneuvers, twirling a staff similar to Hiruzen's Enma—though not the same monkey summon—and mixing it with a barrage of quick leg kicks.
This was his signature style, a combination of staff fighting and taijutsu. His movements were fluid and precise, and soon, his legs and staff began to glow with blue flames, just as he had mentioned before. He was ready for the battle.
At the same time, Ashina Uzumaki finally spoke, his face stoic and unreadable. "Third Hokage, I will assist you to the best of my ability. You need not restrict me. But remember, you gave me your word, and I expect you to keep it." His tone was neutral, lacking any warmth or animosity, but his words carried weight.
It was no surprise that Ashina maintained this demeanor. After all, Konoha, under Hiruzen's leadership, had failed to come to Uzushiogakure's aid when the four great nations banded together to destroy the village. His indifference toward them was understandable, even expected.
Danzo, however, remained unfazed by Ashina's coldness. To him, the legendary Uzumaki patriarch wasn't the revered figure of history; he was merely Danzo's most valuable tool at the moment.
So long as he controlled him, Ashina's power was his to command. Danzo had no concern for Ashina's feelings—he was just a means to an end.
The only reason he wasn't directly controlling him was that Ashina's power, at the peak Kage level, made it more taxing to control him over prolonged battles like the one he expected here to happen.
Moreover, with Mito present, it was easier for Ashina to work of his own volition while Danzo dangled empty promises in front of him. Danzo had no intention of honoring any of them.
Yet, no one noticed the dangerous glint in Ashina's eyes, a fleeting spark of intent that went unnoticed in the chaos around them.
Mito, observing quietly, couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. As a member of Konoha and Hashirama's wife, she bore some responsibility for Uzushiogakure's destruction.
Though it was done for the greater good of the village, it still weighed on her. She had no illusions about Konoha's failures; they had objectively freely chosen not to intervene in Uzushiogakure's destruction.
However, after all, to fight all four major villages at once, and that time, would have been suicide. If Konoha had stepped in, perhaps both villages would have been likely annihilated. Even if it looked like a tactic agreement and humiliation of Konoha too, they had no choice.
Mito carried her guilt but ultimately accepted her decision. Even if she had the power to change things at the time, she was nearing the end of her life, and Hiruzen had already solidified his control over Konoha with his three advisors-'friends'.
So, not only did she have no personal power left, but she also had almost zero political power back then left too, Hashirama died long ago, and his brother died too. But, even if she had, she would've still likely sided with - not assisting them more proactively at that time again.
In her mind, Konoha's survival had to come first, even if it meant sacrificing her birth clan at the end of the day if she was forced to choose like that.
She could only hope that, with this fight, Konoha would regain its unity and strength. But as she looked at Ashina, she could see that the old wounds were still fresh, and they would not heal easily.
However, she chose to remain silent and at least let him save some face here. Ashina was, after all, her senior, whom she had personally known since she was young and was kind to her.