The Hokage, accompanied by four Anbu, swiftly apprehended the primary culprit, Kushina, and her reluctant accomplice, Kamishiraishi Hagoromo.
They currently faced serious charges: destruction of Konoha's greenery, disruption of the ecological balance and water cycle, and the far more severe crime of damaging the village's protective barrier.
Kushina was a dangerous entity capable of threatening the entire biodiversity of Konoha. While she had a history of causing trouble, this was her first time terraforming the landscape on such a massive scale. If found guilty, while they wouldn't be branded as traitors, they faced up to three months of "detention" (essentially, a long time-out).
The Third Hokage was now moonlighting as Konoha's Chief Justice.
In the "Court of Konoha," no ninja has the right to remain silent, but everything they say can and will be used against them.
Inside the Hokage's office, Kushina and Hagoromo were each perched on a small stool, sitting obediently below the Hokage's desk, enduring Hiruzen's stern, judgmental gaze.
Kushina understood the gravity of the situation. In wartime, sabotaging the village barrier was a grave offense—arguably the biggest mess she had made all year. Even the "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero" had to sit quietly and take her lecture. Had an enemy ninja infiltrated through that gap, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
Of course, she didn't know yet that she would break her own record for "troublemaking" in just a few days. For now, her strategy was simple: give the old man enough face so he could eventually let them off with a slap on the wrist. After all, it was an accident—technically, they were heroes who had successfully developed an S-rank jutsu!
At least, that's how the master and disciple saw it. No fundamental errors, just a "tiny" bit of collateral damage.
Aside from carving a giant hole in the ground, that "tiny" damage could be described as follows: the complete collapse of the Konoha barrier within a 500-meter radius, and varying degrees of damage stretching out to 2,000 meters.
That was the result of the first live fire test of the Reverse Four Symbols Seal. Currently, five teams from the Barrier Corps were working with the urgency of disaster relief workers to patch the hole.
After smoking through eight pipes' worth of tobacco, the Third Hokage finally managed to calm his nerves.
"Explain yourselves, Kushina. What did you do this time? How was the terrain altered, and why is the barrier in pieces?"
"The Reconnaissance Team found no signs of battle, but they detected massive residual chakra—all of it belonging to you. If I didn't know better, I'd think..."
Hiruzen almost mentioned the Nine-Tails' chakra, but he caught himself. He remembered that Hagoromo, a "mere student," was sitting right there. Even the Hokage had to guard his tongue regarding high-level secrets. The Jinchūriki's status was essentially a nuclear silo; its specifics couldn't be leaked.
"Lord Third, I know I usually mess around, but this really wasn't on purpose," Kushina said, sounding a bit aggrieved. "I was conducting a sealing experiment."
Hiruzen remained silent, but internally, he was screaming: Do you think I don't know how to roast people? You actually admit you 'usually' mess around?! You call these 'bad consequences'? 'Bad' doesn't even begin to cover it!
Kushina stole a glance at him. Seeing his silence, she assumed he wanted her to continue.
"We were testing the newly completed S-rank Reverse Four Symbols Seal. We looked for a deserted place, but since I'm not allowed to leave the village, we stayed right against the edge of the barrier..."
"But we didn't expect it to actually break the barrier..."
Hiruzen interrupted her. As Hokage, he followed the development of S-rank techniques closely. Hearing that it was a successful experiment rather than intentional sabotage made his mood shift significantly. He was, however, curious about the result.
"So, you failed?"
He assumed it was a failure. The destruction at the scene looked like a jutsu had spiraled out of control. S-rank development was notoriously difficult, even with the standard Four Symbols Seal as a foundation.
"Huh? Failed? No, the test was a total success! It met all design parameters and the range was even better than expected. The only downside is the massive chakra cost—an average ninja probably couldn't handle it," Kushina explained, sounding slightly offended that her skill was being questioned.
"I see... so you failed. It's okay, just keep trying. I'm satisfied with the progress you've—wait." Hiruzen's brain finally caught up. "What? You said it was a success? Did I hear that right?"
"You didn't. We succeeded."
"You did this alone? Your efficiency is higher than several R&D teams combined! How is that possible?" Hiruzen asked, bewildered.
"Who said I was alone? My disciple and I did it together. I handled the design, and he handled the calculations. With his computational speed, he's way more efficient than any Sealing Class," Kushina boasted, never one to hide her student's contributions.
It was at this moment that the Third Hokage's gaze finally shifted to Hagoromo.
This meant Hagoromo's "blend into the background" strategy had officially failed. Since being "invited" to the office, he had been trying his best to act like a piece of furniture, but Kushina had sold him out in record time.
Hagoromo had never wanted to attract the attention of the village's top brass. Not because he was a spy or hated them, but simply because he wanted to live a quiet, free life as a low-level ninja.
He realized now that such a dream was a luxury he couldn't afford as Kushina's student. He just hadn't expected to be exposed quite this soon.
Status Report: The Hokage is now aware of your "genius" status. While your life as a "quiet background character" is over, your standing in the village just skyrocketed.