Dark and gloomy.
A terrifying aura was spreading.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his chair with a face shrouded in shadows. He stared at the uneasy girl in front of him with an evil smile.
"Old Man Third, your smile is so wretched." Kushina looked at Hiruzen with disgust.
Hiruzen's smile froze.
"The lights aren't even on at night. Aren't you afraid of going blind?"
Kushina didn't care about his mood. She walked straight to the door and turned on all the lights in the office.
Who were they trying to scare in the dark?
"Just like Grandma Mito said, I have to be careful of you. You lecherous old man!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi could barely control his facial expression.
Lecherous... lecherous old man?!
He touched the beard on his chin. He didn't think he looked old enough to be called an "old man" yet.
He was in his prime.
Even Biwako said he was looking younger and younger.
But what exactly did Mito Uzumaki tell Kushina?!
To damage his reputation so severely.
He was known as a good Hokage.
"Ahem." Hiruzen coughed lightly twice to mask his embarrassment. He put on a kindly smile.
It seemed he was indeed getting a bit on in years.
"Kushina, can you control the Nine-Tails now?"
He had been at home eating sukiyaki and singing songs when he suddenly sensed a powerful Nine-Tails aura. He was so startled that he ran out without even finishing his meal.
He didn't even get to eat the sukiyaki Biwako had meticulously prepared.
He hoped Biwako wouldn't make him sleep on the sofa tonight.
"Don't talk about that Stinky Fox. He is infuriating." Kushina looked resentful.
This piqued Hiruzen's interest.
"How so?"
It was better left unsaid.
Once the topic turned to the Nine-Tails, Kushina couldn't stop complaining.
"Just because I poked his butt with the Adamantine Sealing Chains last time, he has been ignoring me. He is even stingy with his chakra."
"Hss!" Hiruzen instantly imagined the scene and felt a phantom pain in his rear. He sucked in a breath of cold air.
This Nine-Tails... had a pretty good temper.
Kushina continued her rant.
"Today was even worse. I just took a little chakra from him to fire one Tailed Beast Ball, and he actually added a seal himself! Now I can't even find him if I want to. The chakra is pitifully low. Stingy Stinky Fox."
Before, he would scatter chakra freely. Now he refused to give even a drop.
Hiruzen smacked his lips. Aren't Jinchūriki supposed to borrow chakra from Tailed Beasts? How did it turn into open robbery?
It was... quite sympathetic for the Nine-Tails.
He hadn't suffered this much even inside Mito.
However, he also understood the fact that Kushina could indeed control the Nine-Tails.
It was quite a pleasant surprise.
When Mito was around, the Nine-Tails would slack off. Mito's status was too high for him to dare use her.
But with Kushina like this, wasn't she a combat force that could be requisitioned at any time?
However, her own strength couldn't be too weak.
He could discuss this with Jiraiya later.
What was important now was...
"Alright! Kushina."
Hiruzen interrupted Kushina's complaints. The whole story was just Kushina claiming how innocent she was and how unreasonable the Nine-Tails was.
All he saw was a bandit robbing someone and then blaming the victim.
A serious expression appeared on Hiruzen's face.
"From now on, the use of Tailed Beast Balls is strictly prohibited within the village."
Just that one shot today had wiped out half the forest.
Fortunately, Jiraiya and the others acted quickly. Otherwise, there would have been collateral damage. It would be bad if any enemies escaped.
The news that Kushina was a Jinchūriki couldn't appear on the desks of other hidden villages yet.
"I know, I know." Kushina looked impatient. She hadn't planned to use it again anyway.
Did this lecherous old man need to say it?
"So naggy."
Hiruzen's face stiffened. This little girl really needed a beating.
But who asked him to be the bigger person?
Hiruzen sighed deeply.
"Alright, you can take your teammates back now."
Kushina curled her lip and muttered, "Old lecher!"
"Don't think I didn't hear that!!"
Hiruzen roared.
Kushina hurriedly ran out.
As soon as she exited the office door, she saw Uchiha Jin and Namikaze Minato. One was leaning against the wall looking at the ceiling, and the other was pacing at the door.
Seeing Kushina come out, Minato breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward to ask with concern.
"Kushina, are you okay?"
After all, a bunch of ninjas had suddenly appeared and taken them to the Hokage's office.
It looked like something bad had happened.
"It's nothing major."
Kushina turned her head away. She wondered if these two had seen her using the Nine-Tails' power.
She had mainly hidden it to protect Minato's feelings. Although he was always a bit sissy, he was quite competitive and had been trying to catch up to Uchiha Jin.
Many times, she had seen Minato training desperately by himself.
She chose to hide it for fear of provoking Minato.
As for Uchiha Jin...
Let him die!!
Jin suddenly came back to his senses. He turned his head to stare dead at Kushina.
"I feel like you're cursing me in your heart."
Does that even need saying?
"Hmph!" Kushina snorted coldly and held her head high.
If Minato hadn't been there, she would have definitely let Uchiha Jin know why flowers are red!!
The grudge between the two wasn't over yet.
Jin picked his ear and turned to Minato. "Minato, your strength is really too weak."
Kushina stared wide-eyed at Uchiha Jin. Do you know why I've been hiding it?
It was to spare Minato's feelings, and you dare say it out loud?!
Her eyes glowed red, and her hair began to float.
Jin sneered, looking quite disdainful.
Who's afraid of who?
Feeding me dog food here.
Did you really think I wouldn't retaliate?
Minato also became depressed. After all, it was a fact.
Mostly because his two teammates were too abnormal.
"Come to the secret base tomorrow. I'll teach you something powerful."
Jin added.
Although Minato was a genius, he hadn't grown up yet.
To prevent that old bastard Hiruzen form pulling any stunts...
The team's strength needed a comprehensive upgrade.
Minato still had room for improvement.
...
Hokage's Office.
After the noisy voices outside faded away and disappeared.
A puff of smoke appeared in the office.
Jiraiya's figure appeared. He half-kneeled in front of the Hokage's desk.
"Lord Hokage, the brains of those ninjas were destroyed. We couldn't extract any effective memories."
Facing serious business, formality outweighed the master-disciple relationship. Jiraiya acted as a subordinate.
Jiraiya's words made Hiruzen frown.
Destruction of the brain wasn't something a small ninja village could do.
"It seems to be the work of a Great Ninja Village. Iwa, Suna, Kumo, Kiri... Jiraiya, which one do you think it is?"
Jiraiya had already considered this question.
"Without signature jutsu, it's impossible to confirm. However, the possibility of Kiri is low."
Hiruzen nodded. Among the Five Great Ninja Villages, Kirigakure specialized in assassination and Water Release. Other types of ninjas were rare. They were considered scarce resources, so they wouldn't sacrifice them just for the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
After all, this was a mission with a ninety percent chance of death, and their failure was already predetermined.
The remaining three villages were all suspects.
Of course, it was also possible that Kirigakure made the sacrifice to frame others.
But while possible, it wasn't likely.
"Jiraiya, prepare to go to the front lines."
Hiruzen sighed.
Who did it wasn't important anymore. The situation was getting tenser.
White Fang had already led people in many offensive and defensive battles against Sunagakure.
Iwagakure's movements had also increased recently. Someone needed to go guard against them.
As for Kirigakure, that was the Uchiha's problem. No need to worry about them.
"Hmm? What about my students?"
Jiraiya wasn't afraid of going to the front lines, but he hadn't been leading his students for long. Going to the front lines now would leave him no chance to help them grow.
"Your students will naturally go with you."
"Do they have to face war so early?"
Jiraiya's tone was hesitant.
He didn't want to take three Genin to the battlefield just yet. The battlefield wasn't a good place for growth.
Even he couldn't guarantee his own survival.
Let alone three Genin.
Even if these three Genin were quite strong.
Hiruzen saw Jiraiya's hesitation. After all, this was his first time leading a Genin squad.
"They will have to face it sooner or later. But you don't need to rush. Just go next spring."
It was gradually entering winter now.
Even if other ninja villages had ideas, they wouldn't launch major attacks in winter.
Winter.
The season where all things freeze.
It was also a rare time of peace in this increasingly chaotic era.
"During this time, you need to let them grow properly. Tsunade should be relatively free now, and Orochimaru said he is teaching Jin. You should pay more attention to Minato."
Hiruzen spoke earnestly.
"Yes."
Jiraiya responded heavily.
Jiraiya vanished from the spot, leaving only white smoke.
Hiruzen picked up his pipe, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke.
In the darkness, a figure loomed. A man covered in bandages walked out.
He had been there from the start.
"Hiruzen, give the Nine-Tails to me. I will make her the village's strongest weapon."
Danzō Shimura's voice was low and slightly hoarse.
Hiruzen didn't look at him. Instead, he stood up and walked to the window, looking at the village with few lights on outside.
His voice drifted over.
"You know that is impossible."
The Nine-Tails was the village's most important strategic weapon. It needed to be in his hands.
"You will regret this." Danzō said coldly.
A Jinchūriki with emotions would only be driven by emotions and couldn't unleash their maximum potential.
Hiruzen glanced at him.
"I am the Hokage."
Danzō's face remained unchanged, but his left hand clenched into a fist. Veins bulged on it.
Just because of a moment of hesitation, he had lost his chance at being Hokage.
He took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Then give Uchiha Jin to me. I will train him into a blade to use against the Uchiha."
Hiruzen hesitated.
He didn't want to see Uchiha Jin grow, but the boy's talent had already been revealed.
And Jiraiya wouldn't agree.
"If he agrees to it himself."
"I will make him submit."