Hiruzen, You Blew It!

Konoha.

With Kamui's aid, Uchiha Yuzuru carried the already-unconscious Kushina Uzumaki back to Konoha without anyone noticing.

Arriving at the Senju Compound, Uchiha Yuzuru gently set Kushina Uzumaki down. "Kushina, wake up."

Kushina Uzumaki slowly opened her eyes. She first looked around in confusion, then a flush appeared on her face.

Pinching the corner of her clothes, she said softly, "Yuzuru, it was all thanks to you today. Otherwise, I..."

Seeing that Kushina Uzumaki was still shaken, Uchiha Yuzuru raised a hand and rubbed her head, smiling. "I'm used to this sort of thing. When you first came to Konoha, I got into plenty of fights for your sake."

"This time was different!" Kushina Uzumaki said loudly.

As one of the most outstanding members of the Uzumaki Clan, she knew very well that her physique was highly unusual.

If she had truly been abducted by Kumogakure's ninja this time, what awaited her would most likely have been endless darkness.

Over the years, she had heard plenty of tragic stories about Uzumaki clansmen who had ended up scattered abroad.

After calming herself down, Kushina Uzumaki asked curiously, "Yuzuru, how did you find out I'd been kidnapped?"

At that, Uchiha Yuzuru took a strand of bright red hair from his clothes. "I found this while I was on night watch."

"In all of Konoha, you're the only one with such beautiful hair."

Kushina Uzumaki froze for a moment, and her heart began pounding wildly once more.

She secretly glanced at Uchiha Yuzuru and said coyly, "Beautiful? I don't believe that. Everyone clearly thinks my hair is strange..."

"I don't."

Under Kushina Uzumaki's astonished gaze, Uchiha Yuzuru said seriously, "I think it looks very beautiful."

Kushina Uzumaki's heart struggled so fiercely that it felt ready to fly out of her chest.

Th-this... was this a confession?

Probably n-not, right? Maybe he was simply stating his opinion.

Hahaha, I can't be too narcissistic...

Um, um, could someone tell me... do I need to respond at a time like this?

But what about Mikoto?

Come to think of it...

Did Yuzuru prefer boys more, or girls more?

Seeing Kushina Uzumaki's flustered, helpless appearance, Uchiha Yuzuru took the initiative to change the subject. "Kushina, what happened today was far too suspicious. You must be more careful from now on."

"Suspicious?"

Kushina Uzumaki looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Uchiha Yuzuru shook his head and frowned. "Get some rest first. I need to think this through carefully. Wait for me at the dessert shop this afternoon."

Kushina Uzumaki obediently nodded. "Oh, got it."

Watching Kushina Uzumaki's departing figure, Uchiha Yuzuru's lips curled into a faint smile.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, it was time for him to make his move.

Hokage Building.

Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat alone in his chair, puffing away at his pipe.

Just as dawn was beginning to break, a knock sounded at the door.

Hiruzen Sarutobi perked up and said, "Come in."

The office door was pushed open, and Minato Namikaze entered.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly before he said kindly, "Minato, what brings you here so early in the morning?"

Minato Namikaze gave a bow and said in a deep voice, "Hokage-sama, Kushina was kidnapped by Cloud Ninja last night."

"I've already handed the bodies of the three Cloud Ninja over to the Anbu downstairs."

Hiruzen Sarutobi froze at those words.

If you can't find it by searching the book title, try searching for the author instead. It may simply have been renamed!

The matter had already been resolved?

Then why had the Anbu he sent out not returned to report to him yet?

A sense of foreboding arose in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart, but outwardly, he remained calm as he asked, "Minato, did you save Kushina?"

"Where is Kushina? Is she all right?"

Minato Namikaze shook his head. "No. It was Uchiha Yuzuru."

Hiruzen Sarutobi rapidly searched through the information on Uchiha Yuzuru in his mind, then confirmed again, "Uchiha Yuzuru?"

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's puzzled expression, Minato Namikaze explained, "When I found Kushina last night, Yuzuru had already rescued her from the Cloud Ninja."

"At the time, Yuzuru carried Kushina away first, while I stayed behind to deal with the Cloud Ninja's bodies..."

The moment he recalled the scene of Uchiha Yuzuru carrying Kushina Uzumaki last night, Minato Namikaze felt a little stifled.

If only he had arrived earlier...

While Minato Namikaze was lost in thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression gradually darkened.

He had never imagined that his carefully arranged plan for a hero to save the damsel would be ruined!

And by an Uchiha, no less!

Uchiha Yuzuru...

How had he discovered that Kushina was missing?

Was it merely a coincidence, or had he noticed something?

Why had an Uchiha left the village without permission, yet no one informed him? What was the Barrier Team doing?

Why had the Anbu assigned to follow Kushina Uzumaki still not returned?

Too many parts of the plan had gone wrong, and Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help but grow irritated.

This feeling of things slipping beyond his control made him deeply uncomfortable.

"Hokage-sama?"

Hearing Minato Namikaze's cautious voice, Hiruzen Sarutobi came back to his senses. He exhaled a puff of smoke and said slowly, "Minato, I understand what happened. You may go back first."

"Yes."

After Minato Namikaze left, another figure appeared before Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Danzo, you heard everything." Hiruzen Sarutobi stared coldly at Shimura Danzō. "Did you have anything to do with this?"

Shimura Danzō raised his head and snorted. "Hiruzen, you know me. If I had done it, the one who saved Kushina could never have been an Uchiha."

At that, Hiruzen Sarutobi silently nodded.

Though his old teammate often caused him trouble, this matter probably had nothing to do with him.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's deeply furrowed brow, Shimura Danzō could not resist teasing him. "Hiruzen, I heard Kushina Uzumaki and Uchiha Yuzuru are quite close. If the future Nine-Tails Jinchuriki falls for an Uchiha, that would be interesting."

Hearing Shimura Danzō's voice, Hiruzen Sarutobi irritably waved a hand. "Danzo, I'm in a terrible mood right now. Get out!"

A powerful aura burst forth at once, forcing Shimura Danzō to take two steps back.

"Fine, I'm leaving! Why are you being so fierce?"

"You were the one who blew it, yet you're taking your temper out on me. Talking about using love to win over the Jinchuriki... ptooey, disgusting! Disgusting!!!"

Before the water cup on the table could smash to the floor, Shimura Danzō had already shut the door.

Hiruzen Sarutobi clutched his chest, feeling his vision blur.

Only after a long while did he gradually calm down.

"It seems I'll have to find an opportunity to meet this new-generation genius of the Uchiha Clan..."

Tsukimi Honey House.

Konoha's largest and most popular dessert shop.

Though it was already afternoon, the shop remained crowded with people.

Most of them were couples walking together in pairs, their laughter ringing endlessly through the air, which was thick with the sickly sweetness of romance.

Stopping at the entrance, Kushina Uzumaki took out a small mirror and examined herself carefully. She then tucked several strands of windblown hair behind her ear before walking inside.

At a glance, she spotted Uchiha Yuzuru sitting quietly by the window.

If you can't find it by searching the book title, try searching for the author instead. It may simply have been renamed!