Lord Danzo's Invitation.

"Welcome back, Minato."

Kushina, lying on the hospital bed, struggled to prop up her upper body. Her elbows trembled against the mattress, and though her face was deathly pale, she still managed to force a gentle smile the moment she saw Minato step through the door.

Minato rushed to the bedside in a single stride and knelt on one knee. His palm instinctively moved to support her back, but afraid to apply too much pressure, he could only hover his hand there tentatively.

"Don't get up... lie down, please, just lie down."

"Mm."

Kushina let his support guide her back onto the pillows. She took two breaths, a thin layer of sweat beading on her forehead.

"The fact that I can wake up now is the best proof. Although... I am still a bit weak."

As she spoke, the faint smile on her lips faded, and her gaze suddenly turned serious.

"So, what is going on with Orochimaru?"

Minato froze. His hand, which had been tucking in the corner of her blanket, stopped in mid-air. He lowered his eyelids, remained silent for two seconds, and then answered honestly.

"It seems... he comes from the same source as that mysterious person from last time. That is all I know."

"Is that so."

Kushina did not press further. Her gaze drifted to the ceiling, as if she were digesting the information.

The room was so quiet that the sounds of construction from the reconstruction site outside could be heard. After a long while, she suddenly turned her head. Her long red hair fanned out across the pillow, and her voice was as light as a feather.

"Minato, where is our child?"

"Biwako is taking care of him right now; he is very safe."

Minato immediately took her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers, and gently rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Rest assured. Once you recover a little more, we will go see him."

He offered a tender smile, speaking each word slowly as if afraid she might not hear him clearly.

"Mm, alright."

Kushina closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her brows were slightly furrowed.

"I can feel it... the power of the Nine-Tails inside me has been significantly weakened. Was that also the work of Lord Orochimaru?"

"Mm, yes, it was."

Minato nodded, his palm tightening slightly.

"Tsunade had asked him for help previously. He used the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave to help you suppress the malice."

"I see..."

Kushina's gaze grew distant. She squeezed his fingers back, her strength so light it was almost imperceptible.

"Then I won't ask too much. Minato, as long as you are clear on things in your heart."

"Rest assured, Kushina."

Minato suddenly leaned down, resting his forehead against the back of her hand. His voice came out muffled from between her fingers.

"I will never let you be hurt again. I swear it."

Kushina was stunned for a moment, then she used her other hand to gently pat the top of his head, as if soothing a frightened child.

"I believe you."

She paused, then suddenly shifted the topic, her expression turning serious.

"By the way, is your work finished?"

Minato's body stiffened. He lifted his head, a flash of awkwardness in his smile.

"Not yet... but I wanted to take care of you first..."

"Konoha cannot be without a Hokage."

Kushina gave him a push. The force was soft, yet it carried an unquestionable resolve, just like that night during the Nine-Tails incident when, amidst the agony of childbirth, she had urged him to go face the enemy.

"Go on. I am fine."

Minato looked at her, opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed the words of protest.

He stood up, tucked the corners of her blanket in securely, and smoothed the red hair scattered across her forehead.

"Alright."

He walked to the door and placed his hand on the handle, but he couldn't help looking back, his gaze lingering on her face, unable to pull away.

"I will... come back as soon as I am finished."

"Mm."

Kushina nodded gently, watching him push the door open and leave.

Click.

The moment the door closed, the room fell back into silence.

Kushina slowly closed her eyes, but the images of that night began to surface in her mind.

The blonde youth who stepped out of the space-time rift, the six whisker-like marks on his face, the red eyeshadow of Sage Mode, and those eyes—so complex they didn't belong to a seventeen or eighteen-year-old—as he looked down at the infant Naruto.

"As I thought..."

She murmured to herself in her heart, her fingers unconsciously gripping the bedsheets.

"That child... is it really him?"

Naruto...

How did you end up like that?

Longing surged like a tide, nearly drowning her.

But Kushina took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing that bitter ache back into the depths of her heart.

The child was not by her side now; racking her brains would be of no use.

What mattered most right now was recovering her body, reorganizing the sealing jutsu within her, and getting back on her feet as soon as possible.

Only by recovering could she personally hold Naruto.

Only then could she ask that youth who he truly was and what he had endured.

Kushina opened her eyes, a flash of unprecedented determination crossing her red pupils.

She slowly raised her hand and pressed it against her still-flat abdomen, where the lingering warmth of the Nine-Tails' chakra remained, along with another warm power that did not belong to this world.

At this very moment, the barbecue restaurant was filled with smoke, the charcoal fire crackling and popping.

Tsunade had one foot planted on a bench, a sake flask in her hand as she poured it into her mouth; her throat bobbed, and the liquor trickled down her chin onto her collar.

Jiraiya lay sprawled on the table, his face pressed against the greasy surface, one hand still clutching his chopsticks tightly as he mumbled incoherently.

"Drink... bring more... This Sage can still drink..."

"You can't drink a damn thing." Tsunade slapped the back of his head, making his face bounce off the tabletop. "You're already down, stop acting tough."

Lin Zi sat opposite them, his golden vertical pupils half-closed in the dim light. He hadn't drunk much; the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave accelerated his metabolism, burning off the alcohol with chakra as soon as it hit his stomach.

"This guy, still as stubborn as ever."

Tsunade grabbed Jiraiya off the table with one hand, hoisting him onto her shoulder like a sack of grain.

With her other hand, she reached into Jiraiya's pocket with practiced ease, pulled out a crumpled wallet, counted out a few bills, and slapped them onto the table.

"Boss, check."

She turned to look at Lin Zi and said.

"This guy is really happy today."

"If I were him, I'd be happy too."

Lin Zi set down his glass and stood up.

"Tsunade, do you need me to see you two back?"

"Forget it."

Tsunade hooked Jiraiya's arm over her neck, her shoulders sinking under the weight of the drunkard.

"I can take him back myself. I still have to be busy with Kushina's follow-up treatment tomorrow."

As she supported Jiraiya toward the door, she waved a hand behind her as a farewell.

Jiraiya was slumped entirely on Tsunade's shoulder, his face buried in her hair, still shouting incoherently.

"Bye-bye... Orochimaru... next time... let's compete again..."

"That's enough, shut your mouth."

Tsunade jabbed an elbow into his stomach and dragged him off, disappearing into the night.

Lin Zi exhaled, pushed open the door of the barbecue restaurant, and walked along the alley.

The night wind blew into his collar, carrying the scent of dust and timber unique to the reconstruction of Konoha.

Everything had gone too smoothly today—returning to the village, suppressing the Nine-Tails, and even Tsunade agreeing to stay without giving him much trouble. It was so smooth that he almost forgot there was still a rat hiding in the underground of this village.

When he passed the third alleyway, his footsteps paused, his golden vertical pupils narrowing into two thin lines in the darkness.

He caught a scent—the smell of mold from someone who spent years out of the light, hidden in dark corners, mixed with the metallic tang of rust on kunai.

At the end of the alley, two figures emerged from the shadows.

White masks, black cloaks, like two puppets; they blocked the alleyway from the left and right, their voices devoid of inflection as they spoke in unison.

"Orochimaru, Lord Danzo requests your presence."