Sealing Part of the Nine-Tails Chakra

Inside the tent.

"Sister Tsunade."

Uzumaki Kushina, usually boisterous and even fiery, wore a forced smile this time.

Seeing this, Tsunade smiled dotingly and comfortingly, stepping forward to gently ruffle her red hair.

"Kushina, I believe you will become a strong ninja like Grandma Mito."

Despite Tsunade's encouragement, Uzumaki Kushina's mood was clearly low, but she still managed a strained smile and nodded.

"Don't worry, Sister Tsunade, I'm determined to be a female ninja aiming to become Hokage."

However, this declaration clearly carried a forced tone, as if she were trying to psych herself up.

After Uzumaki Kushina left, Jiraiya's expression turned grave.

"Tsunade, has Kushina already sealed it?"

Tsunade nodded helplessly.

"On the last mission to escort supplies back to the village, Kushina sealed away a portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra. It's her destiny, and she has to get used to it sooner or later."

The safest method for sealing a Tailed Beast was to first seal a portion of its chakra within the body to allow for adaptation over time. This way, any unexpected issues could be detected early.

However, Jiraiya frowned upon hearing this.

"Tsunade, how old is the girl? Wasn't the plan to wait until she was an adult?"

Jiraiya was suspicious. It seemed a bit rushed. Even for early adaptation, it should have been a gradual process.

Tsunade let out a subtle sigh, a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Jiraiya, Grandma Mito wished to see Kushina adapt to her role as a Jinchuriki before she passed."

Tsunade's words silenced Jiraiya.

Jinchuriki!

In the Five Great Shinobi Villages, these three words were synonymous with ultimate weapons, yet they referred to living, breathing people.

"Jiraiya, let's consider this trip a chance for Kushina to relax."

"Understood."

After Jiraiya left, a sad smile slowly curved Tsunade's lips, and the sadness in her eyes vanished.

It had to be said, the essence of a ninja was deception. A woman plus a ninja? That was a master of deception.

"Even you, Jiraiya, think it's too soon. What about the stubborn old men in the village?"

Left alone, Tsunade looked in the direction of Konoha with a mocking smile.

Following the series of incidents involving Nawaki, Dan Katō, and others, she and even the Senju Clan had developed a sense of caution.

The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki must be Uzumaki Kushina!

Now that Konoha's Senju Clan was so weak, they couldn't afford to lose their Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

After all, if they dared to act like this now, wouldn't the Senju Clan, having lost their Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, truly be trampled underfoot!

In the woods outside the camp, Konoha shinobi were fully prepared.

Upon Jiraiya's arrival, he raised his arm and with a sweep, countless shinobi turned into black dots, disappearing into the forest.

Uchiha Yoru, clad in sturdy silver-gray plate armor, leaped through the trees.

Half of the group carried large, cumbersome sealing scrolls, while the others formed a ninja formation, protecting them in the center.

Sealing scrolls were extremely precious, and the amount of material they could seal was limited. It was only for delivering supplies to Orochimaru's front-line elite force of less than a hundred men that a sealing scroll was used.

For a ninja army exceeding a thousand men, the cost of war was terrifying. Even the Five Great Shinobi Nations wouldn't be so extravagant.

After all, sealing scrolls themselves were strategic materials. If one were destroyed or captured, even the Five Great Shinobi Villages would feel the pinch, let alone smaller villages.

Some smaller ninja villages in the Shinobi World had never even seen a sealing scroll in their entire existence.

"Kushina, are you alright?"

As they flew through the surrounding trees, Minato Namikaze looked at Uzumaki Kushina with concern.

From the start of the mission, Uzumaki Kushina's state had been somewhat off.

Uzumaki Kushina, usually a bit feisty, responded with unusual composure and seriousness to the concern of her fellow villagers: "Stay alert."

Shikaku Nara, among the accompanying team, frowned secretly upon seeing this. However, the intelligent ninja seemed to immediately grasp something and was inwardly shocked.

"Choza, be careful."

Shikaku Nara said to his teammate, but subtly widened the distance between himself and Uzumaki Kushina. It was clear that the clever man had figured something out.

He was genuinely scared! After all, when this thing was just starting, it was prone to going berserk.

Up ahead, Uchiha Yoru, positioned next to Hizashi Hyuga, caught sight of this in his peripheral vision and let out a cold sneer.

Damn it!

You were all smiles to my face, but then you pulled a fast one behind my back.

Kushina had been sealed with part of the Nine-Tails' chakra, and Tsunade had told him, even making Jiraiya promise to keep it a secret.

Who would have thought! Jiraiya and Tsunade were both schemers.

Jiraiya turned around and told his disciple. After all, this was a secret to others, but to Minato, who had long known Kushina was a candidate for Jinchuriki.

This wasn't a leak of secrets at all.

Jiraiya, located in the center, saw this scene and muttered to himself.

"Could it be that Tsunade is really being honest this time? She didn't tell that Uchiha brat?"

Jiraiya was stunned at this moment. He thought Tsunade, who always acted unpredictably, wouldn't follow the rules, but he had miscalculated.

"This is a headache!"

Jiraiya shook his head secretly, but after his gaze lingered between Uchiha Yoru and his disciple Minato, he nodded.

Minato Namikaze came from a civilian background, and he and Kushina Uzumaki could completely ease the relationship between the village and the Senju.

Therefore, setting aside his identity as his disciple, Jiraiya would stand with Minato Namikaze.

Inside the rear camp.

Standing on a large tree and gazing in Kushina's direction, Tsunade's expression turned grim. Just then, an Anbu wearing a mask appeared in the shadows of the trees behind her.

"Lady Tsunade, rogue ninja from the Land of Lightning have received the news and have entered the area."

Upon hearing the message from the Anbu, Tsunade nodded with a grave and deep voice.

"Good! Proceed as planned. Send a message to Uchiha Fugaku, he will be temporarily in charge of the camp."

"Yes!"

After the Anbu disappeared, Tsunade took a deep breath, a cold, murderous smile appearing on her face.

"The debt from the Land of Whirlpools will be settled now!"

Within the Land of Lightning, there was a powerful mercenary ninja corps. They claimed to be rogue ninja, but all the Five Great Nations knew they were merely the black gloves of Kumogakure.

For years, they had carried out various missions of burning, killing, and looting, secretly plundering countless ninjutsu and secret techniques for Kumogakure.

The destruction of the Land of Whirlpools was caused by the joint efforts of the major ninja villages, and this mercenary group of rogue ninja from the Land of Lightning became the biggest winner in the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools.

They acquired a large amount of sealing ninjutsu data from the Land of Whirlpools, which is why Kumogakure's methods for sealing Tailed Beasts later became top-tier.

"Kushina, I hope you can grow up quickly."

Tsunade sighed inwardly. According to the original plan, there was no need to rush like this, but now that the village had repeatedly made moves against the Senju, she had no choice but to advance her arrangements.

Only by growing up quickly could Kushina gain the strength to protect herself.

This was a trial for Kushina, and also an opportunity to resolve some of her inner turmoil.

Tuesday, please continue reading.