Kushina: You're Not Qualified to Talk to Me from a Position of Strength (13th Update)
"Kushina, don't get agitated. I can assure you that no one will harm Shiraha. This whole thing is a misunderstanding. I brought people here only because I was worried about your safety and to prevent the Kurama from going out of control. I was unaware that the Root ninjas acted on their own," Sarutobi Hiruzen explained solemnly.
Although he had prepared for the worst, he couldn't control the Root ninjas even as Hokage, so he definitely wouldn't take the blame.
There's no mistake, the Chakra on Kushina's body is Lady Mito's ' Nine-Tails Chakra Mode '.
This is a secret technique developed by Lady Mito that specifically utilizes the Nine-Tails Chakra.
Even if the Jinchuriki is not connected with Kurama's mind, they can still forcibly seize Kurama's Chakra for their own use.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had only seen Mito use the ' Nine-Tails Chakra Mode ' once. In this state, a ninja's speed, strength, and defense would be enhanced in every way.
It's fair to say that even if he were still at the end of his prime, he wouldn't have much of a chance against Kushina now.
Of course, there was no need for a fight in the first place.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's original expectation for Kushina was that she could keep the Kurama Kurama check and prevent it from causing trouble. He never expected that she would be able to use the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode at such a young age.
And Kushina seemed to have mentioned the Kurama earlier.
Did she actually convince the Kurama to communicate with the Tailed Beast?
That's unlikely.
The Shinobi World is in turmoil and the situation is uncertain. Now that Kushina has successfully mastered the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, she can become one of the top Kage Level Shinobi World with just a little practice.
This is excellent news for Konoha, which just lost Sakumo, a top-tier fighter, last year.
Although the kidnapping of Kushina and the recent conflict with Shiraha have created a rift in their relationship, there is no fundamental conflict, and the relationship can be repaired.
He believed that he was not bad at all, whether it was towards Kushina or Shiraha.
There is absolutely room for maneuver.
"Of course I also believe in the Lord Third Hokage, but some people probably don't think so." Kushina didn't intend to escalate the conflict further, giving Sarutobi Hiruzen a way out.
"Don't worry, the Root ninja acted on their own this time. I believe Danzo was unaware of it either. I will explain the situation to everyone afterward."
Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately gave his assurance.
Kushina looked at the Death God Mask in Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand and said, "Speaking of which, I really have to thank the Lord Third Hokage! He was so concerned about me, afraid that I might be in danger, so he brought so many Jōnin to protect me?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked slightly embarrassed, and his right hand, which was holding the Death God Mask, subconsciously pulled back behind him.
Kushina smiled slightly, her face showing admiration. "Lord Third Hokage, you truly deserve to be called the greatest ninja in the village. You've even mastered the Uzumaki Clan's ' Reaper Death Seal.' Are you planning to use this Forbidden Technique to take the Kurama down with you when it goes out of control?"
"This..." Sarutobi Hiruzen's face twitched slightly. Kushina used to never speak to him in this tone. But with his decades of experience as Hokage, he quickly regained his composure and nodded.
"I do consider this option if necessary. It's really good that you are safe and sound! This Death God Mask originally belonged to the Uzumaki Clan, and now it's a good thing it's returned to its rightful place."
After saying that, Sarutobi Hiruzen threw the Death God Mask in his hand toward Kushina.
He had only recently learned the Reaper Death Seal and needed the Death God Mask to ensure its perfect execution.
Now that Kushina is alright, there's no need to use the Reaper Death Seal backup plan.
After all, nobody wants to die when they're alive and well.
The occurrence of the Sakumo incident in the later stages of his rule is a stain on his record, and stability will definitely be the priority going forward.
Today's events made him realize that there were some problems.
Kushina and Shiraha had grown so powerful right under his nose, yet he was completely unaware.
Until the moment before, he only regarded Kushina as a Jinchuriki with normal talent, as long as she stayed in the village and did not cause any trouble.
To him, Shiraha was an average-strength Medical Ninja, but one who had made significant achievements in Medical Ninjutsu.
However, both Shiraha and Kushina were hiding their true strength.
Considering Shiraha's previous behavior during the Sakumo incident, and his attitude towards everyone just now...
Was he pretending all along?
Thinking about it this way, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but feel terrified by the depth of Shiraha's scheming.
However, Kushina's close relationship with Shiraha, she can only be wary of and try to win Shiraha over, rather than offend him.
Fortunately, Orochimaru and Tsunade mediated between them.
In just a few breaths, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already devised a plan.
"Then I thank you very much, Lord Third Hokage." Kushina maintained a smile, but she was clearly not good at pretending, and her smile seemed perfunctory and polite.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, his expression serious as he addressed the Jōnin behind him:
"What happened here today will be classified as a top secret of the village. No one is allowed to leak it. Anyone who does so will be punished for Crime of Treason Against the Village."
"Yes!" The Jōnin in the arena naturally dared not disobey.
Just kidding. With the strength Kushina has shown, if anyone dares to offend her, she could probably turn Konoha upside down.
If they remembered correctly, Kushina was only 18 years old this year and was just a Genin, yet she possessed strength that even Jōnin like them could not acquire even after 100 years of arduous training.
The difference between people can sometimes be greater than the difference between a person and a dog.
"Oh, right, Lord Third Hokage, there's something I almost forgot to tell you. Lady Mito told me that I can now take back the Uzumaki Industries located in the Fire Capital. I've been very grateful to the village for helping me manage these industries all these years."
Kushina reminded her.
Sarutobi Hiruzen. This single blow meant a loss of over 100 million ryo in revenue for the entire year, a huge blow to the Sarutobi Clan's finances, instantly pushing them from wealth back to a modest level of prosperity.
In this situation, from any perspective, he couldn't bring himself to say no. He could only smile and say, "Now that you're an adult, the village should naturally return the property to you."
"Then thank you very much, Lord Third Hokage. I believe you will manage my business very well, right?"
Yes, yes.
"Pfft!" Shiraha couldn't help but laugh out loud when he saw Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression. However, he immediately reacted and smiled at Kushina, "Now I can have hundreds of millions of ryo more for experiments every year, which is really something to be happy about."
"Who said I was going to give it to you!" Kushina retorted, then looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen: "By the way, Lord Third Hokage, my house is destroyed and I have nowhere to live now. Could I stay at the Shiraha family's house for a while?"
"You're a part of Konoha, so it's your freedom to live wherever you want." Sarutobi Hiruzen. Kushina like she was going to break with Konoha because of Shiraha, and she even asked him if he could stay at Shiraha's house for a while.
Given their relationship, it would be difficult to end things without marriage.
"Kushina, if you want to stay at my house, shouldn't you ask me, the owner, first?"
Shiraha, who was standing to the side, joked.
"Hmph!" Kushina snorted lightly, her figure flashed, and she instantly appeared behind Shiraha, tightly hugging his neck and straddling his back. "I'm going to stay at your house, and you have to carry me back!"
Seeing the two of them start to "show off their love" without caring about anyone else, Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand at the crowd behind him. "Everyone, disperse."
The crowd began to disperse.
Minato Namikaze took a deep look at Kushina, who was smiling brightly on the back of the Shiraha, and resolutely turned and left.
Three Root ninjas carried their captain's already cold body away in a dejected manner, not daring to mention the matter at all.
Watching everyone's departing figures, Kushina's golden Chakra Cloak gradually dissipated, and at the same time, she whispered in Shiraha's ear, "Shiraha, hold me tight, don't put me down, I can't stand up."
Hearing Kushina's weak voice, Shiraha's expression changed slightly, and he asked softly:
"What happened? Did you get injured while using the Nine-Tails Chakra?"
As he spoke, Shiraha Yu steadily supported Kushina's thighs with both hands and sent Yang Release Chakra into her body. He discovered that some of her meridians were damaged, but fortunately, it was not serious.
"Kurama's Chakra is just too powerful! My body can't fully adapt to it yet, and I used too much Chakra just now by forcibly using the Tailed Beast Ball, and I talked for too long. I feel so tired now." Kushina buried her head in Shiraha's neck.
"We'll go home right away, and I'll help you with your treatment."
"Hmm, I should recover after a good night's sleep."
Kushina nodded obediently.
"Then hold on tight! The Shiraha Feather Flying Car is about to sprint! Vroom—" Shiraha ran towards home like a child. As he ran, he gathered Chakra in the soles of his feet to prevent bumps, and at the same time, he imitated the sound of driving on the highway from his nose.
Unfortunately, this world has no cars or highways, so there's no way to race.
"What kind of strange carriage is this? Shouldn't it be pulled by a horse or a donkey? You should bray like a donkey." Kushina was very tired, but she still joked with Shiraha and reached out to grab his ear and pull it up.
Shiraha cooperated perfectly and imitated a donkey's braying. "Awooo—! Papa Donkey and Mama Donkey are going home!"
"Ugh!"
PS: Kushina was not weakened or suppressed, because the Perfect Nine-Tails and half Kurama are two different concepts in the original work. It is normal for the body not to adapt. This is the setting of the original work. Half Kurama took half of Naruto's life.
PS: I was thinking of tragically killing off White Fang to give the protagonist a chance to grow. It's my fault for giving everyone a bad reading experience on the first day of the new year; I'll take the blame. Orz
PS: Starting tomorrow, the update time will be adjusted to 8 PM. If I continue writing tonight, I'll have to stay up all night.