To Repay Debts, Become Hokage!

Uchiha Chonhua took a look; they were staring straight ahead with expressionless faces, not even blinking, appearing devoid of any vitality.

This feeling... it was like watching a corpse procession.

He patted Kushina on the shoulder: "Kushina, let's go home."

"Mm! Let's go home!"

Kushina's eyes lit up; the word "home" seemed to hold a magical allure for her.

She knew the home they were returning to now was Konoha, the Senju Compound, but she couldn't help but fantasize.

When would there be a home that belonged only to her and Chonhua?

That home... would be even better!

"Lady Mito, this is the consequence of not having Anbu protection."

Shimura Danzō's expression was grim: "To think they could swagger into the compound and kidnap someone—since the founding of Konoha, when has such an embarrassing incident ever occurred?"

"This is a provocation against Konoha; I cannot tolerate such humiliation! We must make the Cloud Village pay the price!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned from the side: "It is not yet certain that this was done by the Cloud Village."

"If not the Cloud Village, then who?" Shimura Danzō retorted: "We all know the situation with the Cloud Village; they shouldn't be starting a war at this time. We didn't understand it before, but can we not see it clearly now?"

"Hiruzen, this matter is crystal clear—it was the Cloud Village!"

"Cough, cough..."

The frail Mito Uzumaki paid no heed to their bickering; she had only one thing to say: "Has Kushina been found? Not much time has passed since the incident, and those spies are not strong. Find them and bring Kushina back."

"Lady Mito." Shimura Danzō's expression was sour; even though the woman before him was his elder, he had no kind words: "That girl is the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, a strategic asset of the nation. She should have been under constant surveillance and custody. It was Lady Mito who forbade it, saying that surveillance would not make her stay in Konoha willingly, and that we should use love to keep her."

"Illusory emotions are no match for practical surveillance. Lady Mito, it is your lapse in judgment that has led to today's result."

"Danzō!" Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at his comrade with dissatisfaction, and Shimura Danzō fell silent.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed: "It is not wrong to want Kushina to genuinely love Konoha, but Anbu protection is also necessary. Lady Mito, after Kushina returns this time, let us increase the Anbu guard."

Mito Uzumaki was speechless, her expression one of helplessness, and she could only nod.

In the past, when her health was good, she could protect Kushina to some extent, but as soon as her health declined, trouble arose.

She would eventually reach the end of her lifespan, and from then on, only Konoha would be left to protect Kushina.

Perhaps...

Mito Uzumaki thought of Uchiha Chonhua, and him—he would surely be able to guard Kushina well, but...

Mito Uzumaki sighed inwardly; the Uchiha, there would surely be conflict in the future.

She looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō, these two disciples of Tobirama. She could vaguely remember them in their youth and early adulthood, high-spirited and full of vigor, like thriving young saplings.

Now, they had become great trees, lush with branches and deep of root, but as Mito Uzumaki's clouded eyes looked upon them, she saw that while the trees were fine, the roots were not being well-tended.

She wondered what kind of future the Konoha that Hashirama built would head toward in the hands of these two.

She would not live to see it...

"Lord Hokage, Lord Advisor, Lady Mito."

An Anbu walked in to report: "Kushina Uzumaki has returned. It was Uchiha Chonhua who rescued her."

"Uchiha Chonhua?"

Shimura Danzō frowned.

The Anbu nodded and continued: "Not only that, those five spies were also captured by Uchiha Chonhua. After investigation, it can be confirmed that they are ninjas from the Cloud Village."

"It really was the Cloud Village! Hiruzen, hand them over to me; I will make them spit out how many more Cloud Village spies are in Konoha."

Shimura Danzō's eyes were cold and sharp: "Perhaps, through them, we can also discover spies from other hidden villages."

Chapter 29: The Butterfly Flaps Its Wings

"Grandma!"

Tears welled up in Kushina Uzumaki's eyes as she threw herself into Grandma Mito's embrace like a bird returning to the forest.

Mito Uzumaki stroked Kushina's small head, comforting her: "Don't cry, don't cry, you've returned safely now."

She looked up at Uchiha Chonhua and said gratefully: "Thank you, Chonhua. If it weren't for you, Kushina would have been in danger."

Uchiha Chonhua shook his head and said: "It was all thanks to Kushina's quick thinking, using her hair as a trail. That was how I was able to track her movements, defeat the ninjas who kidnapped her, and save her."

Uchiha Chonhua's words caused everyone in the room to look at Kushina's hair.

Only then did they notice that her hair was uneven, with some strands long and others short.

Mito Uzumaki touched Kushina's hair with a heart full of pity.

"Thanks to you for saving Kushina, Chonhua." Sarutobi Hiruzen patted Chonhua on the shoulder and said: "Otherwise, if they had succeeded in taking her out of the Land of Fire, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Uchiha Chonhua acted as if he had just remembered something and asked the Third Hokage: "Lord Hokage, why did those people want to kidnap Kushina? I heard them say they were going to take her directly to the Raikage."

He looked puzzled, as if asking: Is Kushina really worth so much? Enough to involve a big shot like the Raikage?

Sarutobi Hiruzen observed Uchiha Chonhua, and seeing that his confusion was genuine, he sighed.

Had the higher-ups of the Uchiha Clan not told him about Kushina's identity?

This realization gave Sarutobi Hiruzen pause; it was common knowledge that Uchiha Ryutai favored Chonhua and was trying to recruit him, but it seemed the recruitment wasn't going well.

"Lady Mito, should we tell Chonhua..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was inclined to reveal something; while letting another person know a secret increased the risk, it would also strengthen their bond.

He thought highly of Uchiha Chonhua and wanted to bring him into their inner circle.

"Hiruzen! This is a classified matter!"

Ever since Uchiha Chonhua had entered, Shimura Danzō had not looked away. His eyes were sinister, narrowed into slits that glinted with cold light like a hawk's, constantly sizing him up.

Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, he stopped his observation and hurriedly barked a warning: "Don't forget, he is an Uchiha. You haven't forgotten what happened in the past, have you?"

The Sharingan could control Tailed Beasts.

Shimura Danzō desperately wanted to shout at Sarutobi Hiruzen: Get a grip!

I know you favor Uchiha Chonhua, but that's no reason to tell him this kind of secret!

Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned: "Chonhua will know about this sooner or later; I am merely informing him in advance. Besides, Danzō, Lady Mito is willing as well."

"Kushina is a vessel for a Tailed Beast, the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha."

Mito Uzumaki chose that exact moment to announce Kushina's identity directly.

Shimura Danzō was stunned, then flew into a rage: "Lady Mito, you...!"

Mito Uzumaki suddenly burst into laughter, though it soon triggered a fit of coughing. Kushina hurriedly patted the old woman's back, smoothing out her labored breathing.

"Cough, cough..." Mito Uzumaki stopped coughing and said with a smile: "There, it's not a secret anymore."

"...Hmph!"

Shimura Danzō's face turned livid, and he stormed out of the room.

They were all acting as if they were possessed. Was Uchiha Chonhua really worth their favor? Even strictly guarded secrets were being handed over to him.

Had they forgotten about Uchiha Madara and the subsequent rebellion of the Uchiha Clan!?

That clan was completely untrustworthy, a ticking time bomb that could threaten Konoha at any moment.

And now, with so many people supporting and favoring Uchiha Chonhua, Shimura Danzō felt not only anger but also deep vigilance.

When did this Uchiha brat manage to gather so many people around him...

Shimura Danzō's departure actually made the atmosphere in the room much warmer.

Uchiha Chonhua listened to the details regarding the Jinchuriki, and once finished, he looked at Kushina Uzumaki with a heart full of pity.

Mito Uzumaki observed him, seeing no strangeness in Chonhua's eyes, only genuine sympathy for Kushina.

Her Malice Sensing confirmed that Chonhua's emotions were sincere, which brought Mito Uzumaki great relief.

Kushina had been dwelling on her own cruel fate, but upon sensing Chonhua's emotions, she cast those thoughts aside and buried her flushed face in the elder's embrace.

Mito Uzumaki patted Kushina's head with a gentle smile.

It seemed Kushina had found the love to fill her vessel.

"So, Kumogakure intended to kidnap Kushina to serve as a vessel for the Eight-Tails?"

Uchiha Chonhua's expression turned serious: "After all, the Eight-Tails went on a rampage just a while ago."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded: "Kumogakure's sealing techniques are backward; their Jinchuriki cannot contain the Eight-Tails, leading to frequent rampages. And Kushina, as a vessel for the Nine-Tails, is exceptional. Among the Uzumaki Clan, mediums like Kushina who can match the Nine-Tails are rare."

"Since Kushina is suited to be the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, she is naturally suited to be the vessel for other Tailed Beasts. I imagine that is why the Raikage set his sights on her."

At this, Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head and sighed: "Perhaps we should have brought more children from the Uzumaki Clan along with Kushina; that would have served to confuse the outside world."

"It was my oversight."

Mito Uzumaki also felt that her initial decision had been a mistake; she shouldn't have let Kushina come as the only member of the Uzumaki Clan.

The Uzumaki Clan was skilled in sealing arts, possessed massive chakra reserves, and had tenacious vitality. Furthermore, she, Mito Uzumaki, was the first Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Now that her time was running out, other ninja villages knew that the matter of the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki could not be delayed.

Thus, when news reached them that Kushina Uzumaki had entered Konoha, it immediately drew their attention.

Uchiha Chonhua couldn't help but scoff inwardly: So, where exactly was the "secret" in this?

Other ninja villages knew for certain that Kushina was the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and the village's own ninjas, jonin, and various major clans were all tacitly aware of Kushina's identity.

This wasn't a secret at all.

"Now that the plan to kidnap Kushina has failed, I assume the war in the north will end soon as well."

Sarutobi Hiruzen believed the enemy had launched the war merely to divert their attention and make it easier for Kumogakure spies to steal the girl.

They had indeed managed to steal her, but she had been rescued.

Sarutobi Hiruzen intended to dispatch the Anbu to guard and monitor the area strictly; they could never again allow a situation where someone could sneak into the clan grounds to kidnap someone.

Kumogakure was still in urgent need of reconstruction, and since the kidnapping had failed, there was no longer any need to continue the war in the north.

Uchiha Chonhua, however, had a different opinion. He attempted to speak, saying, "Every time the Eight-Tails goes on a rampage, it brings losses to Kumogakure. Even if the village can be rebuilt time and again, it will never be truly safe until the hidden danger of the Eight-Tails is resolved."

"Hmm? Chonhua, what do you mean by that..."

Recalling the events from the original timeline, Uchiha Chonhua decided to flap the wings of his butterfly.

"The Uzumaki Clan is suited to be Jinchuriki for the Tailed Beasts, and they possess powerful sealing techniques that can force the beasts into submission."

Uchiha Chonhua said slowly, "This is a hypothesis of mine: could the kidnapping of Kushina be a mere distraction orchestrated by Kumogakure?"

Chapter 30: Notify the Uzumaki Clan, It's Time to Move!

Uchiha Chonhua's hypothesis was incredibly bold.

Mito Uzumaki and Sarutobi Hiruzen both stared at him blankly, sharing the exact same thought.

Chonhua really has quite the imagination.

"The Uzumaki Clan possesses the mediums they need and the sealing techniques they crave; it is entirely possible that Kumogakure would make a move against them."

Uchiha Chonhua continued, "Lord Hokage, how are the sealing techniques of the other ninja villages?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen followed Chonhua's line of reasoning, saying, "The sealing techniques of Sunagakure and Iwagakure originate from Buddhist temples. While not as refined as those of the Uzumaki Clan, they are sufficient."

"In recent years, the Tailed Beasts in Sunagakure and Iwagakure have rarely gone on rampages."

Uchiha Chonhua nodded. Unlike the era of Gaara where Shukaku was constantly rampaging, the old monk Bunpuku was managing his relationship with Shukaku quite well at this time, so natural rampages were rare.

He wasn't certain about Iwagakure, but Roshi and Han possessed iron wills, rarely letting their Tailed Beasts gain the upper hand, which also kept rampages to a minimum.

"We are well aware of Kumogakure; their sealing technology is poor. The Eight-Tails frequently breaks through the Jinchuriki's restraints to rampage, and the Two-Tails is much the same. As for Kirigakure..."

When Sarutobi Hiruzen mentioned Kirigakure, he paused, his mouth twitching slightly.

"They still haven't established a Jinchuriki system to this day. It isn't that they don't want to, but rather that they are incapable of doing so."

One could hardly say the Land of Water had no research on Jinchuriki, but it was essentially negligible.