Potential Threats Within Konoha!

The sky was clear, and rosy clouds filled the horizon. The sun dressed the earth in gold.

Beneath the sunlight, Konoha Village seemed full of life. The villagers who had risen early were contributing their share to Konoha's development at their respective posts. The village's ninja, meanwhile, had already begun training or gone out on missions.

In a shadowy corner of Konoha Village where the sunlight never reached, a stone door stood. A masked ninja pushed it open and walked inside. Beyond the door was a passage leading to an underground fortress. This was Root's headquarters, and everyone who could enter was one of Root's most elite members.

After undergoing brutal training, ordinary members almost never returned here for the rest of their lives. Those who could come and go were all people Danzo trusted most.

"Whoosh!" The ninja who had been at the stone door appeared in an open space inside the underground fortress. A raised platform stood before him, with a stone chair on top. The light wells around the room did nothing to illuminate it.

"Lord Danzo, the two members of the Uzumaki Clan arrived at Lady Mito's home yesterday. Afterward, only the girl went around the village under Lady Tsunade's guidance."

"The Uzumaki baby hasn't left Lady Mito's residence at all."

"I also learned that Lady Mito intends to have the Uzumaki girl attend the Ninja Academy. Early this morning, Lord Hokage sent someone to take care of the paperwork."

The masked ninja knelt on one knee before the platform, head bowed as he delivered his report. As he spoke, a figure emerged from the darkness before him. The light from the well revealed a man. Danzo leaned on a long sword like a cane, half his face wrapped in bandages.

"I know. I heard Hiruzen went to Mito's home yesterday but didn't even see her. Is that true?" Danzo already had a good idea of what had happened. He asked mainly to verify the information through multiple sources.

This had nothing to do with whether the person reporting to him was loyal. Intelligence was easy to get wrong, and a mistake could ruin his entire plan.

"Yes! It's true. Lady Mito sent someone to tell Lord Hokage that she would look after the members of the Uzumaki Clan, then sent him away."

The reporting ninja bowed his head even lower. He knew he should have included this information in his report; leaving it out had been a dereliction of duty. Information like this could prove very useful at a critical moment.

"So Lady Mito will personally take care of the Second Jinchuriki. That was to be expected."

"But I didn't expect two people to be brought to Konoha this time."

"The older one is about to be enrolled in the Ninja Academy. Hiruzen will probably find a way to keep that girl under his control."

"In that case, I'll have to change my target!"

"I need to keep the Jinchuriki in my own hands to feel secure!"

After hearing the report, Danzo quickly weighed the situation. Once he had thought through the implications, he waved his hand to dismiss his subordinate. After the man left, Danzo retreated into the shadows again. If he wanted to secure control of the Jinchuriki, he needed to start making arrangements now.

Uzumaki Mito still had some time before her life reached its end, but anything could happen before then. He had to prepare in advance. There were now two members of the Uzumaki Clan, and which one would become the Jinchuriki was an unknown. That was Danzo's chance to take control of the Jinchuriki. Normally, given his status and position, he would never have a chance to get his hands on one.

To Danzo, controlling an infant was easier than controlling an eight-year-old child who could act on their own. He had plenty of methods for controlling babies. Root had been built on one thing: his methods.

Uzumaki Kuming, who was staying deep inside Mito's residence, had no idea that Konoha's Pot King had set his sights on him so soon after he'd arrived in this world. At that moment, he was lost in the bliss of feeding. Over the past few days, Uzumaki Kushina had been exploring the village with Tsunade to her heart's content. Kushina had begun to emerge from the shadow of leaving her home behind, and the sight of such a bustling metropolis had dazzled her.

In this era, Konoha was one of the most advanced villages in the world. Kushina, who had grown up in Uzushio Village, had never seen a place so prosperous and developed.

"Big Sister Tsunade, I want to eat those three-colored dumplings!" Kushina pointed at a sweets shop by the road and spoke excitedly. Around Tsunade, she had begun to show the innocence of a child her age.

"Sure! Let's go. I wanted some too." Tsunade smiled brightly, took Kushina's little hand, and led her inside. Kushina let go of Tsunade's hand and ran into the sweets shop. Tsunade lagged behind, turning to look at a corner by the street before entering.

She sensed someone watching them, but Tsunade didn't care. No one in Konoha could harm Kushina. Ever since she'd brought Kushina out, the Chakra of her grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, had been clinging to both of them. If anyone made a move, they would face Uzumaki Mito's long-range attack.

Though Uzumaki Mito hadn't fought in many years, Tsunade knew her grandmother's strength was unfathomable. Strictly speaking, even when her grandfather was alive, he had never once won an argument with her grandmother.

At Tsunade's home, Mito was holding Kuming, amusing herself by teasing the baby in her arms. After losing her husband and son, the great ups and downs of life had long since crushed her spirit. But the arrival of Uzumaki Kushina and Uzumaki Kuming had brought her a little comfort. Before they came, the only people in all of Konoha she could truly call family were Tsunade and Nawaki.

But the two children had grown up and couldn't stay by her side all the time. Apart from Tsunade and Nawaki, there was no one else in the vast village of Konoha who could keep Mito company. Kuming's arrival was like being given a wonderful new toy. For an old woman, playing with a baby was a source of joy.

And Kuming was different from other children. He belonged to the Uzumaki Clan—he was truly one of her own. Whenever Mito saw the red fuzz on Uzumaki Kuming's head, she felt an instinctive closeness to him. Kuming, who was unusually alert, played along as Mito teased him, reaching out his little hand to try to grab her finger.

Standing beside Mito, Akemi Senju watched with a respectful smile. As Mito played with the baby, she was also thinking about the future sealing of the Nine-Tails. She had noticed ever since the two siblings, Kushina and Kuming, arrived that both Kushina and the Kuming in her arms seemed to have Chakra that could suppress the Nine-Tails Chakra.

And the Chakra of the Kuming in her arms was even stronger, and it continued to grow. Mito knew that Kuming, as a boy, was better suited than Kushina to become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. But she was deeply conflicted. Kushina had already shown her strong mental resilience when faced with trouble, and Mito believed that even if Kushina became the Jinchuriki, she could withstand the Nine-Tails' wicked will.

But Kuming was different. He was still a baby, and Mito couldn't know whether he would grow up well or have enough mental strength to bear the burden. If she had a choice, she didn't want to stake something so important on a future she couldn't be sure of. And Mito wasn't Danzo. To Danzo, a Jinchuriki was only a tool—he just had to use the right methods to control them.

He didn't care what kind of person the Jinchuriki became. But Mito truly regarded the two children as family and wanted them both to grow up healthy. If she had a choice, she wouldn't make either child become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. But now, she had no choice.

"I wonder if I'll live long enough to see you grow up. I really hope you grow up soon!"

"If you're good enough, the Nine-Tails won't be a burden to you. It'll be a tremendous asset."

"Kushina is a girl, after all. If you can shoulder this responsibility, that would be wonderful."