Applying Pressure, Awkwardness

Hokage Office.

"Danzō! You're playing with fire! Talk—where did you take Naruto!"

For the first time, Sarutobi Hiruzen lost his composure, becoming the first to slam the table and blow up during the four-man meeting.

In the past, Shimura Danzō had always played that role. Now the roles had changed.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura also turned their gazes toward Shimura Danzō.

They did not approve of Danzō abducting Naruto either.

At the very least, before abducting Naruto, he should have given them a heads-up. For something this major, they only found out after it was already done, when someone came knocking at Sarutobi Hiruzen's door.

"Hiruzen, Naruto was abducted from the Uchiha Clan Residence. Shouldn't you be asking the Uchiha for him?"

Danzō looked at the flustered Sarutobi Hiruzen and felt a burst of satisfaction. In the past, he had always been the first one to raise trouble and speak up. Now it had become Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"You think I don't know what you're trying to do? You want to search the Uchiha Clan Residence at a time like this? Have you lost your mind? If the Uchiha Clan doesn't come knocking, that only means the Uchiha are idiots. Do you think every Uchiha is a fool?"

"Wouldn't it be better if the Uchiha came knocking? A Jinchuriki, a hero's son, disappeared in the Uchiha Clan."

"Damn it! Where is Naruto right now? Once my Anbu wake up, I'll know you did it. Don't deny it! You know I have the Telescope Technique, so you moved Naruto into a Sealing Array ahead of time, didn't you?"

"Why don't you say the Uchiha Clan did it? They have Sealing Arrays too. You still wouldn't be able to see, would you?"

"The other ninja clans all know that the Uchiha Clan was close to Kushina. Do you really think you can fool them?"

"Why would I need to fool anyone? He disappeared in the Uchiha Clan. Shouldn't we be looking to the Uchiha Clan?"

"Danzō! I am the Hokage!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was beside himself with rage. He was nearly driven mad. Danzō was simply insane, still trying to sling mud at the Uchiha at a time like this.

"Naruto is in Root." Danzō stated Naruto's location directly without hiding it.

"Release Naruto immediately. Better yet, leave him in the forest and say he got lost in there." With a wave of his hand, Sarutobi Hiruzen intended to end the small meeting.

Just then, there was a knock on the door outside the office.

That was the opening left in the seal by the Third Hokage. If something came up, the ninja outside would notify him in advance.

But the voices inside the office would not carry out.

"Come in!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen dispersed the soundproofing seal.

At that moment, a ninja brought Uchiha Fugaku inside.

"Third Hokage, Lord Fugaku needs to see you immediately."

The instant Shimura Danzō saw Uchiha Fugaku, he immediately launched an attack. "Uchiha Fugaku! Naruto disappeared in your Uchiha Clan territory. Don't you owe us an explanation?"

Looking at the four people in the Hokage Office, a sharp glint flashed through Uchiha Fugaku's eyes. "Lord Danzō, while Naruto's disappearance did occur near my Uchiha Clan Residence, first of all, before Naruto disappeared, he had already left my Uchiha Clan Residence. The last people to see Naruto were the two guards at the entrance to the Uchiha Clan Residence. They clearly stated that they saw Naruto leave the Uchiha Clan Residence."

"Hmph. That is only your side of the story. How do I know you didn't conspire with the guards beforehand?"

"Lord Danzō, how can you slander the honor of my Uchiha Clan?"

Uchiha Fugaku also fired back without the slightest politeness.

"Enough. Finding Naruto first is the most urgent matter right now."

Sarutobi Hiruzen did not want to let Danzō continue speaking.

When it came to slandering the Uchiha, Danzō was serious!

"Fugaku, I need the Military Police Force to mobilize personnel and assist the Anbu in searching for Naruto."

"Yes, Lord Hokage." Fugaku had originally come to the Hokage Office to report Naruto's disappearance, then ask Sarutobi Hiruzen to use the Telescope Technique to find Naruto.

But now he realized that the Third Hokage already knew Naruto had disappeared.

Then who had told the Hokage?

He had obtained first-hand information about Naruto's disappearance, yet the Hokage's faction still knew before him.

This...

Kushina's Sealing Space.

Inside "Kushina and Minato's" Love Shack.

Kushina was interrogating Minato about what he had gone to do.

Because the current Minato was already just a mass of Chakra, his interpersonal relationships had almost all been severed after his death. He had not hidden the matter of the Masked Man from Kushina either. But when it came to this trip to Konoha, Minato simply would not talk.

Originally, Kushina had thought that once Minato came back, he would explain on his own.

Who would have thought that after returning, Minato would not say a word and would just sit silently on the sofa?

He did not even study ninjutsu anymore, nor did he read.

"Anju! Do you know something?"

After Kushina realized she could not get anything out of Minato, she turned her gaze toward Anju as well, walked closer, and directly lifted Anju up.

The bruise-blue marks on Anju's face were still there. He didn't dare remove them, or Kurama wouldn't let him off.

Now Kushina had lifted him up, letting her see the blue marks on his face, and he started to panic.

"What? What?"

Anju shook his head, indicating that he didn't know what Minato had gone to do.

"No. You're hiding something from me! If you don't talk, I'll lock you inside the seal!" Kushina yanked Anju right up in front of her and stared him down.

"All right, all right, I surrender." Anju knew a thing or two about seals. Kushina could throw him straight into one, and that would be a complete and utter Little Black Room where he couldn't do a thing.

For Anju, who had transmigrated here, that was an absolute nightmare.

Under Kushina's tyranny, Anju told her the whole story from start to finish.

"Minato?! You hid something like this from me too?!" After Kushina finished listening, every hair on her head stood on end.

Minato Namikaze didn't dare stay silent either. He was afraid Kushina, with her head gone hot, would charge straight back to the village.

"Kushina, listen to me. The Third Hokage has already sent Anbu—"

"I'm not listening! I just want to know, after you went back, did you find Naruto or not?!"

Kushina had no interest in wasting words with Minato. She only wanted the result.

"No, but—"

"Minato! Send me back right now!"

"But—"

"Are you sending me or not!!!"

"I am..."

Konoha.

Minato, who had sent Kushina back to Konoha, felt rather helpless. Now the mission would have to be completed by him; Kushina probably wasn't going to carry it out anymore.

Kushina didn't care about anything else and rushed to the Hokage Building at once.

She didn't report in either.

She charged all the way to the door of the Hokage Office and kicked open the small office door.

The five people inside all stared blankly at Kushina Uzumaki, who had appeared out of nowhere.

Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to comfort Kushina.

But Shimura Danzō was the first to attack. "Kushina Uzumaki! What do you think you're doing? Damaging the Hokage Building's property and showing contempt for the Hokage's authority?"

Kushina wasn't about to indulge Danzō.

"Why are you shouting? I'm not here for you!" Kushina Uzumaki glanced at Danzō, then looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Third Hokage! Where is Naruto?"

"Anbu have already gone to search for him. Members of the Uchiha Clan's Military Police Force are with them as well. They'll find Naruto very soon, I guarantee it!"

"Good!"

Just then, an Anbu appeared.

"Lord Hokage, we found Naruto asleep in the Death Forest."

At the same time, another Anbu behind him appeared at the doorway carrying the already sleeping Naruto.

The entire Hokage Office went deathly silent.