"Before you came, Katsuki, I had already spoken with Kushina." Mito looked at Katsuki solemnly. "Kushina is a very good child. As a Jinchuriki... she is more suitable than you, and far stronger than I imagined."
"But once she becomes a Jinchuriki, she'll be destined to live in danger. I..."
Mito raised a hand and made a light pressing gesture, stopping Katsuki's argument.
"Katsuki, ninja are creatures who walk the threshold of death to begin with. Even if Kushina does not become a Jinchuriki, can she truly live peacefully and carefree? As long as you are here, she will strive to protect you. That is an older sister's nature."
Her voice was gentle and soft, yet her words were like blades piercing straight into Katsuki's heart. He did not know how to refute her, because Mito was telling the truth. Most of Kushina's yearning to become a ninja had been built upon the thought of protecting him. He had known that since childhood. Yet knowing it did not mean he could change anything, because he was weak.
"On the contrary, becoming a Jinchuriki is an added safeguard. The tailed beasts possess tremendous power, and the Nine-Tails stands above them all. There are not many ninja in the shinobi world truly capable of capturing the Nine-Tails. Setting those people aside, Kushina becoming a Jinchuriki is not a bad thing."
Katsuki lowered his head and said nothing.
Minato and Otome barely dared to breathe. It was actually the Nine-Tails. Kushina was actually going to become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!
This was unlike Naruto's era, when the matter of Jinchuriki was concealed from the younger generation. At present, the existence of the Nine-Tails was no secret. As a deterrent weapon, it was necessary to make the Jinchuriki's existence known, so long as the Jinchuriki's exact identity was not exposed.
"What exactly are you worried about, Katsuki?"
Seeing Katsuki remain silent, Mito asked softly.
He was still silent. Katsuki could not explain the unease in his heart. In the future, Madara Uchiha would plot the Moon Eye Plan and gather all nine tailed beasts. Every Jinchuriki would suffer because of it... How could he possibly say something like that?
"What a stubborn temper." Mito sighed with a smile, then continued, "I do not know what you are worried about, but I can see that you are sincerely thinking of Kushina. Still, you need to understand what is truly best for her, rather than running around like a headless fly and making a scene outside in the middle of the night."
"If you are truly worried, then train hard. In this world, strength is the only thing you can rely on..."
Outside Konoha, in a secluded place beneath the cliffs.
More than a hundred Anbu patrolled in every direction, while layers upon layers of barriers spread out. The place was guarded above and below without a single gap. Not even a mosquito could hope to fly inside.
This was the place Hiruzen had chosen for the transfer of the Nine-Tails.
Kushina was inside the cave, sitting quietly. Hiruzen's wife, Biwako Sarutobi, stayed there with Kushina. She had intended to comfort the girl, but to her surprise, Kushina sat there as though nothing had happened, so carefree that not a hint of worry showed on her face.
If she had no worries, that would be impossible. Becoming a Jinchuriki in a moment was not something many people could face calmly.
But compared to when her clan had been destroyed, when the siblings had nearly died and teetered on the brink between life and death, their current situation was already fortunate.
A leaf was stuck to her smooth forehead. Kushina was not merely sitting there in a daze; she was honing her chakra control. Learning Fuinjutsu demanded extremely exacting chakra manipulation. Compared to the limbs, where chakra was easily gathered, the forehead was a place where chakra was difficult to concentrate.
Keeping a leaf stuck to one's forehead for a long time with chakra was one of the Uzumaki Clan's methods for training chakra control.
Boom—
The massive stone at the cave entrance was pushed aside. Biwako sprang to her feet with a kunai in hand, guarding Kushina vigilantly. Only when she saw that Mito and Hiruzen had entered did she put away her kunai, then stare in surprise at the three little ones trailing behind Hiruzen.
"Katsuki, Otome, Minato... Why are you... why are you here?" Kushina's eyes widened, and the leaf drifted down from before her eyes.
"Big Sis..."
Katsuki opened his mouth, yet he did not know what to say.
His mind was a complete mess. He had no idea what to do. Mito's words and his own conflicted thoughts had tangled together, becoming even more chaotic and unclear.
"You're overthinking again. You've been like this since you were little. I've never known what goes on inside that little head of yours." Kushina walked over and reached out to rub Katsuki's head, only to discover that at some point, her little brother, who had once been much shorter than her, had grown to almost the same height.
Katsuki and the other two were ushered outside, as was Hiruzen. Only Mito, Kushina, and Biwako remained within the cave.
The one adult and three children stood on the platform outside the cave.
"The moon is very round tonight."
With his hands behind his back, Hiruzen raised his head toward the sky.
"Third Hokage, I want to graduate from the Ninja Academy early," Katsuki suddenly said.
"Why?"
Hiruzen asked calmly, still watching the bright, gentle jade disk in the sky.
"Because I'm strong enough. I can graduate already."
"Strong enough? Heh heh, quite confident, aren't you, kid." Hiruzen glanced sideways at Katsuki, the corners of his mouth rising. "But do not even think about graduating early. For the time being, stay obediently in the village. It is not yet your turn, you little brats, to show off."
"The Ninja Academy has nothing left to teach me. Staying there is just a waste of time. Rather than whiling away my days like that, I'd rather stay home and train by myself." Katsuki's tone was stiff, and he refused to back down in the slightest.
Hiruzen smacked his lips but did not respond.
A brief silence followed.
"I also want to apply to graduate early. Lord Jiraiya said he could take me to the battlefield to gain experience," Minato said.
At the mention of his disciple, Hiruzen could no longer remain calm. What nonsense was that idiot disciple up to now? Could he really be planning to take this blond boy as his student?
"Do not even think about graduating early. At the very least, wait until you are ten..." Noticing the disappointment in the two children's eyes, Hiruzen gave a light cough and changed his tone. "However, considering your impressive performance on the battlefield, I can arrange for you to accompany genin on missions. Of course, you will only be training as students."
As they chatted, the ceremony to transfer the Nine-Tails was underway inside the cave. A tiny trace of that tsunami-like, violent, tyrannical power leaked out, causing the cave to tremble and stone fragments to fall from the rocky ceiling.
Yet Mito calmly peeled the Nine-Tails out of her body bit by bit, then transferred and sealed it into Kushina's body. No matter how the Nine-Tails struggled and roared, it could not contend against the methods of the elderly woman whose end was near.
The Second Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was born!
Before you continue