Inside the Uzumaki Mask Storage Hall, every mask looked ferocious.
Yako glanced at the Death God mask. Yuka had already told him which one it was.
He withdrew his gaze and said to Tsunade,
"Princess Tsunade… if I told you that the destruction of the Uzumaki clan had a lot to do with Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo… what would you do?"
Tsunade's breathing halted for a few seconds.
She stared at the fox, her voice sharp.
"Do you have proof?"
Seeing her clenched fists, Yako paused.
It seemed… he needed to reveal the truth step by step.
If he told her that Nawaki had been killed by Yellow Dog with his own hands—
Wouldn't she storm straight into the Hokage Tower's underground and kill him immediately?
Yako pointed at himself.
"I am the proof."
"You?" Tsunade frowned. "You were involved in the destruction of the Uzumaki clan too?"
"I didn't kill any Uzumaki personally. The ones who did the killing were the Cloud and Mist ninja," Yako said calmly.
"But I carried out a mission back then."
"Danzo ordered the ANBU to block all information coming out of Toga Port. Not for long—just two days was enough."
"Some Konoha ninja who were on missions in the Land of Waves discovered the Cloud and Mist forces gathering."
"They tried to send word back to Konoha… but they were intercepted by the ANBU along the way."
"If Clan Head Rinju had known that information two days earlier… maybe many Uzumaki could have been saved."
"When I carried out the interception mission, I didn't know what Danzo intended."
"It was only later that I realized… those one or two days were all it took."
"The Cloud and Mist joined forces—and wiped out Uzushio Village."
"My rank was too low. By the time I understood… it was already too late."
Tsunade nodded slowly.
She understood his position.
As a spy planted in the ANBU by her father, during the early stages, he could only obey Danzo completely. There had been no room for independent action.
Yako continued,
"Later, through my investigation, I found that Danzo had been laying groundwork in Uzushio Village for a long time."
"When the Cloud and Mist forces gathered, Root moved in—cutting off all communication between the coastal strongholds and Uzushio Village."
"The Cloud and Mist destroyed every outpost. Uzushio didn't even realize what was happening."
"By the time they broke through the village walls… the Uzumaki finally realized who their enemies were."
"But by then—"
"It was already too late."
Tsunade's mind drifted back to the Second Shinobi War.
She had once passed through the Land of Whirlpools.
Uzushio Village had been overgrown with weeds, buildings collapsed into ruin.
She let out a long breath, pain filling her eyes.
"What you're saying… I've already suspected."
"The destruction of the Uzumaki clan was full of inconsistencies and strangeness. I discussed it many times with Aunt Hanaki."
"We both knew something was wrong. We just had no proof."
"If I went to question the Third… I can already imagine his excuse."
"The Uzumaki wanted Kushina to become the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki. The previous host had died, and the Three-Tails was wandering free."
"Mito was already very old. Konoha needed a new Jinchūriki. There was a conflict over the candidate."
"And the Uzumaki weren't willing to share their sealing techniques."
"The higher-ups learned that the Cloud and Mist intended to seize those techniques by force… so they used the situation to set a trap."
"In the end—"
"Kushina came to Konoha and became the Jinchūriki."
"The Cloud and Mist obtained superior sealing techniques."
"I even heard that the Cloud developed a perfect Jinchūriki seal."
"Everyone wins… right?"
She let out a cold laugh.
Then she looked at Yako.
"Everything you said… I've already suspected."
"So why are you telling me this?"
The next words—
Made Tsunade's entire body go cold.
She even took a step back.
The fox said—
"Princess Tsunade… killing one's teacher is a grave crime."
"You should become the Fourth Hokage."
"And I… will bear the crime of killing your teacher for you."
Tsunade stared at him in shock.
As a ninja, she had killed countless people.
Three hundred… five hundred…
She had long stopped counting.
But the words "killing one's teacher"—
Made her mind go blank.
Yako removed his mask and looked directly at her.
"If that day truly comes… I hope you won't misjudge the situation."
"Don't stop me."
"And don't try to save him with your medical ninjutsu."
Tsunade closed her eyes.
Her chest rose and fell violently.
It was impossible for her to feel nothing toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Her childhood. Her youth. Her adulthood—
All of it had been under his protection.
But the repeated disasters that had struck the Uzumaki and Senju clans…
Had destroyed her trust.
And now—
To suddenly hear that someone intended to kill her teacher—
She couldn't process it.
The fox wasn't just any ANBU.
He was her father's final arrangement—
The embodiment of his will.
If the fox intended to kill Hiruzen…
Then it meant—
Her father might have intended the same.
Since becoming an ANBU squad leader, the fox had provided critical intelligence at key moments.
Tonight, it was he who warned her—
Madara's true target was Kushina.
Without that warning—
Kushina would have been killed instantly.
After a long silence—
Tsunade spoke.
"I understand."
"Fox… I'll cooperate with you in secret."
"No," Yako shook his head.
"I don't need your cooperation."
"What I need… is for you not to misjudge things. Not to interfere."
"Killing Sarutobi Hiruzen will throw Konoha into turmoil."
"I'm afraid you'll try to stop me for the sake of protecting the village."
"Konoha is in a weakened state. For now… Hiruzen is still somewhat necessary."
"I won't act anytime soon."
He paused, then sighed.
"Actually… I originally planned to have Hatake Sakumo replace him as the next Hokage."
"You would also be a good Hokage."
"But people would say the Senju clan monopolized the position for three generations."
"We're not like Hiruzen. We still care about our reputation."
"Sakumo was the ideal candidate—both in strength and policy."
"But… he valued Konoha too much."
"More than his own life."
"Tonight, if Hiruzen ordered him forward… he would charge without hesitation—and die."
"That was his greatest strength."
"And his greatest flaw."
Yako's expression turned mocking.
"With Foreign Affairs Advisor Sakumo and Internal Affairs Advisor Utatane both dead… there are now two vacancies in the leadership."
"I expect Yellow Dog will take the foreign affairs position."
"He already competed for it once."
"Even Sarutobi Biwako couldn't stop him now."
"Hiruzen has no one left."
"He can only choose someone he trusts."
He looked at Tsunade.
"Princess Tsunade… are you interested in becoming the Internal Affairs Advisor?"
"Internal Affairs Advisor?"
"Yes. The Konoha Hospital is already a major part of internal administration."
"From there, you can extend your control over the village's internal affairs."
"Becoming an advisor means entering the core of power."
"Sakumo's former subordinates—through Minato—can all come under your command."
"You'll gain real authority."
"Hiruzen has already proven that under his leadership, Konoha is only getting weaker."
"For the sake of the village… this situation must change."
Tsunade didn't hesitate.
"I'll compete for the position."
"And I'll contact Sakumo's people, just as you suggested."
Yako nodded.
Without Sakumo—
Tsunade could step forward.
He formed hand seals and slammed his palm onto the ground.
A puff of white smoke burst forth.
Inside the hall, a stone panda appeared—White Porcelain.
"White Porcelain—reverse summon Yuka."
Tsunade looked at the summoning creature in surprise.
A summon capable of using ninjutsu—
Was extremely rare.
White Porcelain's stubby fingers twisted together, forming seals.
Another cloud of smoke filled the hall.
When it cleared—
A woman stood there.
Yuka looked around, searching for the fox.
She didn't understand why she had been reverse summoned.
Then—
Her gaze landed on the wall.
Dozens of masks.
And among them—
The most distinct one.
The Uzumaki clan's Death God mask.
"Yu… Yuka? Is that you?"
Tsunade had met her before.
But Yuka had grown so much… she couldn't be certain at first glance.
Yuka quickly turned toward the voice.
"Princess Tsunade!"
Then she looked nervously at the fox.
Was it time?
Had they finally decided to reveal everything?
Had the surviving Uzumaki… finally reached the day they could return?
Tsunade grabbed her hand immediately.
"Yuka! Why were you reverse summoned by him? Where are you now?"
During the Second Hokage's era, Konoha and Uzushio Village had been the closest of allies.
Tsunade had often stayed there for months at a time.
Back then—
Yuka had just been a child.
Yuka quickly answered,
"Princess Tsunade… after the village was destroyed, we fled."
"We couldn't trust Konoha."
"In the end, we hid deep within the Land of Rain."
"It rains constantly there. The terrain is difficult."
"The rain hides all traces of movement."
"We've been hiding there for years."
She hesitated.
"Princess Tsunade… is Princess Kushina safe?"
"Kushina is fine," Tsunade said. "She's my student now."
"Yuka… how many of you escaped?"
"And why didn't you come find me?"
Yuka glanced at the fox, then answered,
"There are forty-two survivors."
"We didn't dare contact anyone."
"First… because we realized that Konoha had a hand in the destruction of our clan."
"It's not that we don't trust the Senju…"
"But we don't trust the current leadership."
"Second… we feared being hunted by other villages."
"All major villages want sealing techniques."
"If we were exposed… we would be captured and used as test subjects."
"So we followed Fox's advice."
"We hid completely."
"And rarely left our refuge."
Tsunade felt a sharp ache in her chest.
Only forty-two people remained…
Hiding like fugitives in the depths of the Land of Rain.
Yako added,
"I didn't contact you before because I was afraid you'd act impulsively and expose them."
"But you've changed, Princess Tsunade."
"You're stronger now."
"Strong enough to handle the truth."
"Still… this isn't the time for the Uzumaki to return."
"They must continue hiding."
"And Kushina must not know yet."
"If she's consumed by hatred… and the Nine-Tails' chakra leaks… it will be a disaster."
"Once we've dealt with Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo…"
"My suggestion is that the Uzumaki join Konoha."
"No more independent village."
"For now—"
"Once you become Internal Affairs Advisor, you can provide them with resources."
"Help them recover."
Tsunade nodded.
As long as Hiruzen remained Hokage—
He would never admit his mistakes.
And he would never allow surviving Uzumaki to exist.
If Kushina learned the truth—
She would try to find them.
And that… would make everything uncontrollable.
Tsunade glanced at Yuka's abdomen.
Her belly was already swollen.
The child would be born soon.
Yako suddenly felt a headache coming on.
What kind of bloodline would the child inherit?
…It better not be the Sharingan.
That would be troublesome.
Tsunade said softly,
"Yuka… I'll prepare some medicinal supplies for you."
"Thank you, Princess Tsunade."