Your Regret, My Shadow

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up and said casually, "Danzo, you didn't knock again."

Shimura Danzō snorted and ignored the remark, speaking on his own. "Hiruzen, Kushina went to the Uchiha Clan Land again."

"Is it really all right to let the Uchiha get so close to the future Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of smoke, clasped his hands beneath his chin, and said flatly, "The Nine-Tails isn't inside Kushina yet. It's fine."

"It isn't a bad thing for her to make more friends in the village."

At that, Shimura Danzō said loudly, "The Uchiha are evil by nature. We have no way to monitor what goes on inside the Uchiha Clan Land. If anything happens to the Jinchuriki, will you take responsibility?"

Why the hell am I always the one who has to take responsibility...

Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his aching head. "Then what do you want to do?"

"Hand Kushina over to me," Shimura Danzō said at once. "My Root will keep her firmly under control."

If he could control the future Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, his chances of becoming Hokage would rise by several points.

Hearing Shimura Danzō's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi snorted. "Those methods you use to control your subordinates are not suitable for Kushina. Mito-sama would not agree either."

At the mention of Mito Uzumaki, Shimura Danzō shrank back slightly, but then spoke again. "Mito-sama is already old. When the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, we stood by and did nothing. Didn't Mito-sama also—"

"Enough! I told you not to bring that matter up again!"

Before Shimura Danzō could finish, Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed his palm onto the desk.

Mito Uzumaki might have been old, but the Nine-Tails was sealed inside her.

And she was the First Hokage's widow.

If Kushina's matter caused her to make a scene, what would the villagers think of him, the Hokage?

Did he still have any face left?

Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi said coldly, "Danzo, I have my own arrangements for Kushina. You do not need to interfere."

Seeing that he had failed to achieve his goal, Shimura Danzō gritted his teeth. "Hiruzen, you will regret this!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Shimura Danzō and said, word by word, "Danzo, remember this. I am the Hokage."

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze gradually sharpen, Shimura Danzō snorted.

With a loud bang, Shimura Danzō slammed the office door shut behind him.

But immediately afterward, a masked Anbu walked in.

"Hokage-sama, Kushina asked me to deliver this letter to you."

"A letter from Kushina?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered as he accepted the letter from the Anbu.

But after taking just one look, his eyes immediately narrowed.

"She wants to stop being watched and go out on missions like an ordinary ninja?"

"Freedom?"

Looking at the contents of the letter, Hiruzen Sarutobi put his pipe in his mouth, and before long, the entire Hokage's Office was shrouded in smoke.

Only after a long while did Hiruzen Sarutobi set the letter in his hand alight.

"Looks like it's time to arrange the next step of the plan."

In the firelight, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was resolute. "Kushina, don't blame me. It is all for the village."

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"Besides, Minato really is a good choice for you, isn't he?"

Humans were social creatures, rich in emotion.

The best way to control someone was through their feelings.

Family, friendship, love...

The deeper the bonds, the more willing one would be to give up oneself for the village.

That was his specialty.

Konoha.

Three-color dango shop.

The shop was crowded and noisy.

Yet a red-haired girl mechanically ate the dango in her hand, seemingly oblivious to everything around her.

Sitting across from her was a blond-haired boy.

Seeing the girl lost in thought, the boy smiled brightly and asked with a smile, "Kushina, what are you thinking about?"

Hearing his voice, Kushina Uzumaki came back to herself, cast the figure in her mind aside, and asked, "Minato, you know about my situation too, right? Living under other people's watch every day feels awful."

Minato Namikaze smiled. "It really is hard to endure. But ninjas are people who can endure anything, aren't they?"

For some reason, Kushina Uzumaki felt repulsed by those words. She could not help asking, "Who told you that?"

"Teacher Jiraiya." Seeing Kushina Uzumaki's low spirits, Minato Namikaze said gently, "Kushina, isn't your dream to become Hokage? Earning everyone's recognition is not an easy thing."

Kushina Uzumaki nodded, then asked again, "Minato, does recognition gained through compromise have any meaning?"

"For example, forcing yourself to do things you dislike just to become Hokage. Is the recognition you gain that way truly recognition?"

Minato Namikaze was intelligent, but he lacked experience. The only education he had received was the Will of Fire taught at the Ninja Academy, so he clearly did not know how to answer Kushina Uzumaki's philosophical question.

After thinking carefully for a long time, he finally said slowly, "Becoming Hokage is the goal I want to achieve most. For that goal, I am willing to do anything. Whether I like it or not does not matter."

Looking at Minato Namikaze's resolute gaze, Kushina Uzumaki rested her chin in her hand and sighed. "Minato, I mean that I don't want to be a Jinchuriki. I just want to live freely."

That question was simple.

Minato Namikaze immediately said, "Then I'll go with you to see Hokage-sama and ask them to choose another Jinchuriki."

"That won't work." Kushina Uzumaki shook her head. "I'm the only one in the entire village who can suppress the Nine-Tails."

"Uh, I see..." Minato Namikaze scratched his head, unsure of what to say for a moment, and could only smile in silence.

Seeing him like that, Kushina Uzumaki waved her hand. "Forget it. Let me ask you this: if you became Hokage, would you force someone else to become a Jinchuriki under these circumstances?"

"Kushina, I think you're getting too hung up on this. There will definitely be another way. Becoming a Jinchuriki does not necessarily mean losing your freedom." Minato Namikaze's eyes became resolute again. "Besides, the Will of Fire teaches us that sometimes, personal sacrifice is unavoidable for the sake of the village."

"I understand. I have something to do, so I'll be leaving first."

Knowing Minato Namikaze's personality, Kushina Uzumaki did not continue questioning him. She simply stood and left.

Yuzuru and Minato were her two best friends besides Mikoto, yet when faced with the same question, they had given her completely different answers.

How was she supposed to choose?

For a moment, Kushina Uzumaki felt even more lost.

Perhaps Yuzuru was right. She could not find the answer to something like this from someone else's words; she could only figure it out for herself.