Chiba formed Hand Seals with both hands, stirring the chakra within his body.
In the next instant, chakra flames appeared on the five fingers of his raised right hand.
The Anbu's pupils contracted sharply.
Then Chiba struck him in the abdomen.
"Five Elements Seal!"
With a thud, the Anbu was sent flying.
Five scorched marks appeared on his abdomen, forming a seal.
The blow itself hadn't hurt much.
But in that moment, he felt the flow of chakra throughout his body get sealed off completely.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō stared in astonishment.
"That's... a Sealing Jutsu?"
"And it's the Five Elements Seal, passed down from the Uzumaki Clan."
Chiba waved his hand, and the chakra flames vanished from his fingers.
"Sorry for the trouble—"
As soon as he finished speaking, three Tachi were pressed against Chiba's neck, restraining him.
"All right, all right!"
"Don't get nervous... and don't hurt my adorable student!"
"He was only demonstrating the Sealing Jutsu I taught him."
Kushina said with a smile.
But there was no warmth in it.
Under Kushina's gaze, the three Anbu felt uneasy.
After all, she was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
She was powerful enough to suppress the Nine-Tails on her own, and even forcibly draw out and use some of its chakra.
The scene was terrifyingly quiet.
Kushina smiled while the three Anbu didn't dare make a move.
Chiba simply stood there calmly, leaning on his cane. His eyes were covered by black cloth, and no one knew what was going through his mind.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō were silent, too.
Perhaps they were shocked, or perhaps they were thinking of a way to respond.
Uchiha Fugaku was the one who broke the tense silence.
"Lord Hokage..."
His quiet words brought Sarutobi Hiruzen back from his daze.
Hiruzen calmly waved a hand.
"Don't be nervous. Stand down."
"Chiba was indeed demonstrating a Sealing Jutsu."
At that, the three Anbu sheathed their blades and disappeared from the office.
Once they were gone, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression shifted, and he put on that kindly smile again.
No one knew what had gone through his mind.
But he had probably already come up with a plan.
"Young people really are impressive!"
"Chiba, I never expected you to be skilled with a sword and now have a grasp of Sealing Jutsu, too."
"I... really did underestimate you."
"But next time you want to demonstrate a jutsu, I hope you'll tell us in advance. And don't do it in a place like this, or on an occasion like this."
"That would be dangerous."
Sarutobi Hiruzen had always thought of Chiba as a six-year-old child.
In his view, what schemes could a six-year-old possibly have?
But it seemed he had been wrong.
The aura Chiba had revealed just now was not something an ordinary child could display.
And the hostility had been real, too.
Had Chiba spoken those words at the memorial ceremony of his own accord, or had Uchiha Fugaku instructed him to?
Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't sure. He only had his suspicions.
But suspicion alone was enough.
Before this, he had indeed been eager to cultivate Chiba.
No one disliked a genius.
Besides, it was easy enough to brainwash a six-year-old.
But just now, Sarutobi Hiruzen had abandoned that idea.
What he needed was an obedient dog.
Not an unconventional genius.
At that moment, Kushina Uzumaki walked over to Chiba.
"Can we prove it now?"
Kushina Uzumaki really had been teaching Chiba.
The Sealing Jutsu he'd just used was the best proof.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded.
"Indeed. That's an excellent Sealing Jutsu."
"In that case... Uchiha Chiba's graduation assessment will take place three days from now."
Kushina blinked.
"What assessment?"
At her question, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled.
"Kushina, don't tell me you've forgotten."
"To graduate early from the Ninja Academy, a student has to take a ninja assessment."
"Does he still need to prove his ability as a ninja?"
Kushina furrowed her brows.
"Kushina, since when has strength been the only measure of a ninja?"
"Ninjas have to carry out missions."
"Rescue missions, protection missions, escort missions... Those require more than just strength."
"His blindness is still a limitation, so naturally... he needs to be assessed."
"That's enough for today. Let's call it a day."
Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand.
Clearly, he didn't want to continue.
He was deeply displeased with Kushina's interference today.
But he couldn't punish her.
Who would dare provoke their own Jinchuriki during wartime?
For the first time, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt that being Hokage was a rather miserable job.
After Chiba and the others left, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's expressions turned cold.
As Konoha's senior officials, they hadn't been treated like this in a long time.
"Does Kushina think too highly of herself?"
"Does she realize she's interfering in the Uchiha Clan's affairs?"
"How could she not?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen replied calmly.
"Most likely, it's because of Minato..."
"Minato has never said it outright, but he's always wanted to resolve the Uchiha Clan's problems."
"Kushina probably wants to support Minato, so she's following his example by taking in a Uchiha student..."
"But why did it have to be Uchiha Chiba?"
Danzo was displeased that he hadn't been able to get Chiba, either.
"Even Minato only took in a Uchiha dead last."
"In any case, we absolutely can't let Chiba graduate smoothly."
"This is no longer just about where this Uchiha genius belongs. It's about keeping the Uchiha Clan in check."
"We can't let the Uchiha Clan keep pushing their luck."
Sarutobi Hiruzen had already made up his mind. He spoke quietly.
Utatane Koharu seemed to remember something and asked,
"Hiruzen, who are you going to have test Chiba?"
"An ideal candidate..."
Once Chiba and the others left the Hokage Building, Kushina immediately let out a triumphant shout.
"That felt great..."
"I've been fed up with them for ages."
"Those old geezers kept me cooped up in Konoha for so long—"
Kushina made no effort to hide how she felt.
Even though they were right beneath the Hokage Building.
Was this the kind of caprice that came with being a wartime Jinchuriki?
"So this was the real reason you came today?"
Chiba looked up, facing Kushina Uzumaki.