Midnight. The Hokage Tower was still brightly lit.
The office door opened. Yagami followed behind Yellow Dog and Black Ape, and stepped into the Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage sat behind his desk, smoking.
On one sofa sat Danzō Shimura and Homura Mitokado. On the opposite sofa sat Senju Rinki, head of the Senju clan.
Standing behind Rinki was Katō Dan, silver hair and a cold face.
Three Anbu entered and took positions behind Danzō.
Yagami glanced around. Both sides looked sour. It seemed they had just finished a fierce argument.
Danzō turned and said, "Yellow Dog, report tonight's situation."
"Yes, Lord Danzō." Yellow Dog straightened and reported.
"Tonight all the Hidden Cloud Village's spies moved. Some created distractions elsewhere to draw Anbu away. Others directly targeted Princess Uzumaki.
The Anbu responded immediately. The princess's guard squad was intercepted by Cloud-nin, but Black Ape's squad arrived in time and caught up with the princess."
Yagami thought, that doesn't sound right. Black Ape's squad had originally gone to pursue the Cloud spy Yagami discovered. Yellow Dog's wording made it sound as if Anbu had been expecting the attack. That way, the Anbu's responsibility looked smaller.
Yellow Dog continued, "The Cloud-nin escaped through a hidden hole in the village wall. One kilometer outside the village they were intercepted by Black Ape's squad.
All enemy spies were eliminated. Black Ape's squad rescued the princess."
The Third Hokage nodded repeatedly. The Anbu had contained the loss quickly.
Yellow Dog went on, "There are two reasons the princess was abducted.
One, Princess Uzumaki lingered outside the Senju compound around 11 p.m. She wasn't escorted back.
Two, the Cloud spies were deeply embedded. At least five of them were inside the village. We had no prior trace of their presence."
Yellow Dog didn't deny Anbu mistakes, but he framed it as a reasonable intelligence gap. With so many merchants and visitors entering and leaving the village every day, it's impossible to rule out every spy. That kind of failure didn't necessarily mean heavy punishment.
But the first reason carried an implication. The princess was kidnapped because she had been out late. Risk increases when you wander at night. Why she wandered outside the compound, though, Yellow Dog didn't say.
The Third Hokage looked at Senju Rinki.
Rinki explained, "Kushina still hasn't adapted to life in the village. I told the clan not to force her. Let her act as she wishes.
She's not recovered from her clan's destruction. She has nightmares and can't sleep. That's why she avoids sleeping indoors.
I thought giving her freedom would help her adapt faster, and help prepare her for the Nine-Tails' sealing."
Everyone in the room already knew about the upcoming jinchūriki transfer. The Anbu present were trusted operatives. Katō Dan, standing behind Rinki, was a core Senju figure. He wielded forbidden techniques and could produce Kage-level force in special situations. His Spirit Transformation technique had serious long-range assassination capability.
Danzō spoke coldly, "Rinki, if you cannot manage Princess Uzumaki, hand her to the village. We have better ways to manage her.
Letting a jinchūriki do whatever she wants is reckless. Who thought that was a good idea?
The Senju leadership's handling of the jinchūriki transition was poor. If the Anbu hadn't moved fast tonight, the princess would be in the Hidden Cloud Village now.
Border reports say Cloud infiltration units are as close as sixty kilometers from the village.
If we had been thirty minutes slower, Leaf would have permanently lost Princess Uzumaki — and the next Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
I propose stripping the Senju clan of guardianship. The village should assume custody. In fact, I recommend Biwako Sarutobi. She's a capable medical-nin and a mother. She can take care of the princess."
Rinki looked at Danzō, then Homura, and finally fixed his gaze on Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen's hand paused midair. Rinki's tone held old feelings.
"Brother Hiruzen," Rinki said slowly, "I remember bringing you to meet my father at the clan gates when you were a child. You were patient, teaching me ninjutsu.
I admired you. Even when Father and Uncle Tobirama favored you, I never complained.
When did our relationship sour? When did the friction grow so large?
You became Hokage. The Senju backed you. Why have you grown hostile to us?
Brother Hiruzen, how long has it been since you visited the Senju compound? Since you last saw my mother?"
Hiruzen fell silent.
Indeed, how long had it been since he'd seen Lady Mito? Biwako still visited often. She was Mito's personal medical-nin, monitoring her condition. It almost looked like people were waiting for Mito's death.
For the elderly, the cruelest thing is seeing others' quiet expectation of your death. It makes the rest of life unbearably lonely. Only Mito's temperament could endure such isolation.
Homura then spoke, "Clan Head Rinki, the village does not target the Senju clan. The issue is this, as a jinchūriki, Princess Uzumaki must be oriented to the village above all.
Let me be direct. We worry the princess has been raised to put the clan first. A jinchūriki who grows with resentment can become dangerous.
The jinchūriki of Hidden stone and the Hidden Cloud once fell under their tailed beasts' control because of their hatred. A jinchūriki's training must be flawless."
Yagami watched the argument with fascination. Everyone spoke of righteousness. No one convinced another.
Senju Rinki's face darkened. Homura's words had touched the rawest point.
Who does the Nine-Tails belong to? The Leaf Village or the Senju clan?