Chapter 32

Kushina did not press the matter further and immediately focused on studying the new Eight Trigrams Seal with Uchiha Yan.

She truly had a good grasp of sealing techniques. With the Four Symbols Seal and Pseudo-Eight Trigrams Seal as her foundation, she picked it up very quickly.

At this rate, she would thoroughly master it in just a few more days.

"That was about it."

Seeing that Kushina had already found the trick to it, Uchiha Yan stopped explaining. "Practice more on your own afterward. Once you're familiar with it, you can replace your own Eight Trigrams Seal. Of course, I can lend a hand if you need me to."

"Mm!"

Kushina nodded with a smile, her tone resolute. "I still want to do it myself. I want to completely suppress it with my own strength."

"Then let's keep studying sealing techniques. I'll explain, and you listen."

"Okay!"

The atmosphere in the Hokage Office was somewhat chilly.

The Third Hokage wore a grim expression as he stared directly at Tsunade. "What exactly were you thinking? Why did you take Uchiha Yan to see Kushina?"

"Did you not know that Kushina is a Jinchuriki?"

"Do you know how great a threat the Sharingan poses to a Jinchuriki?"

He had only just received reports from the Anbu and Danzo, learning that Tsunade had actually taken Uchiha Yan to see Kushina Uzumaki.

Such a thing had absolutely not been part of the Third Hokage's plans.

The Jinchuriki carried far too much weight for him and for the entire village.

Moreover, he had long since laid out a complete plan for the Jinchuriki. They were currently at a critical stage, and the last thing he wanted was for something to go wrong.

Even if Uchiha Yan was someone he intended to win over and keep under his control, it was unacceptable.

"Tch."

Tsunade curled her lips disdainfully, her voice full of mockery. "Old man, don't think I can't see through your little schemes. Let me tell you, Kushina is my little sister, not some Jinchuriki."

"Who I take to see her is my business."

"She barely has any friends around her to begin with. Are you people planning to lock her up too?"

"When my grandmother was still alive, why didn't you have the nerve to treat her that way?"

"Besides, Xuan is my disciple. I trust him. What was wrong with letting him meet Kushina? He wasn't going there to do anything bad. He was only going to learn some sealing techniques from Kushina."

Tsunade flung the document in her hand directly into the Third Hokage's face, her voice as cold as ice chips. "Didn't you want Kushina to build deeper ties with the village? Letting Xuan become friends with her is perfect, isn't it?"

The Third Hokage frowned tightly, his expression turning somewhat ugly. "You know that isn't what I mean. Xuan's identity is too sensitive. The Uchiha Clan is too dangerous."

He understood perfectly well. Back then, the Nine-Tails had been as obedient as a dog before Uchiha Madara's Sharingan. He still remembered that feeling of being utterly suppressed.

What if Uchiha Yan seized control of the Nine-Tails? How was the village supposed to go on then?

Tsunade immediately let out a cold laugh. "Now you're saying Xuan is dangerous?"

She hurled the document at him again. "Put your hand on your heart and tell me: who has been trying to win Xuan over all this time? Wasn't it you?"

"Xuan wanted to develop Medical Talismans and reduce our ninja casualties on the battlefield, so he had no choice but to seek out Kushina to learn sealing techniques. And now you're guarding against him behind his back?"

"Take a good look at this!"

She had prepared this document in advance. It contained all the surface-level information she had selected from Uchiha Yan's Medical Talisman proposal, organized into an official report.

She had long anticipated that the Third Hokage and his people would cause trouble.

She believed that once the Third Hokage saw this, even if Danzo was as scheming as ever, he would have to obediently shut up.

The Third Hokage took the document. At the words "Medical Talisman" and "reduce casualties," his pupils suddenly contracted.

He quickly flipped through the pages.

The more he read, the more alarmed he became.

He abruptly looked up at Tsunade, his voice tightening. "Is what this says true? How far has the Medical Talisman research progressed? When will there be a finished product?"

It was no wonder he was so excited.

If this thing could truly be developed, then Konoha's ninja carrying a few talismans on them would be equivalent to carrying a medical ninja capable of using the Mystical Palm Technique.

It was a guarantee of survival.

Tsunade crossed her arms, a mocking smile hanging on her lips. "About halfway. Xuan and I have mostly worked out the theoretical side of medical ninjutsu."

"Now we're only missing the sealing technique part. The key is how to stably seal the Mystical Palm Technique's chakra into specially made talisman paper."

"That's why I took Xuan to Kushina to learn sealing techniques. Is there a problem with that?"

As soon as the Third Hokage heard that, he immediately put on a smiling face and waved his hand. "How could there be? You handled this beautifully. I was too hasty and didn't think it through! Since it's connected to Medical Talisman research, it makes perfect sense for Xuan to learn sealing techniques from Kushina."

That change of expression was faster than turning a page.

Tsunade almost wanted to applaud him.

Bang!

Before the Third Hokage could continue, Danzo violently shoved open the side door and rushed out of the room.

He glared furiously at the Third Hokage and demanded, "Hiruzen, how could you do this? Do you not understand how important a Jinchuriki is? How could you let that Uchiha brat keep getting close to her? Who will bear the responsibility if something goes wrong?"

"In my opinion, that boy should be—"

Halfway through his sentence, Danzo suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

An icy, piercing gaze nailed him in place.

He glanced to the side and saw Tsunade staring at him with her fists clenched, cold light flashing in her eyes.

Danzo shuddered and immediately swallowed the rest of his words.

Damn it, I got carried away and forgot this crazy woman was still here.

He cursed his bad luck internally and was about to change the subject and continue arguing with the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage directly flung a stack of documents into his face and said coldly, "Before you speak, take a look at this."

At the same time, the Third Hokage secretly reveled in it. So this is what it feels like to slap someone in the face with documents. Feels great!

Danzo: "..."

With a deeply aggrieved expression, he reached out and caught the documents sliding down his face. Frowning, he opened them and quickly scanned through them.

After reading them, he looked up at the Third Hokage in shock, then at Tsunade.

Connecting it with the conversation he had overheard earlier, he finally understood why the Third Hokage had let the matter go and even agreed to let the Jinchuriki continue interacting with Uchiha Yan.

So there was something this good.

You should have said so earlier!

He shot the Third Hokage a resentful glance.

"Hiruzen, these Medical Talismans are far too important. Calling them strategic resources would not be an exaggeration. They must be controlled by the village and cannot be allowed to become private property."

Danzo immediately put on a righteous expression, shifting the direction of the conversation.

In any case, that Uchiha brat could not be allowed to monopolize it.

He did not care whether the village controlled it, but Root absolutely had to get its hands on this technology.

If they could restrain Uchiha Yan or even prevent him from using it, that would be even better.

"Mm, that's right." The Third Hokage nodded.

The Third Hokage did not respond to that. Instead, he turned to Tsunade. "What do you think?"

Tsunade sneered, her lips curled in ridicule. "Heh, the egg hasn't even hatched yet, and you're already thinking about snatching it? You want to know what I think?"

"Don't forget, I have a share in this too. You want to take it from me? Not a chance."

The Third Hokage and Danzo's expressions immediately darkened.

The Third Hokage's tone hardened somewhat. "Tsunade, don't throw a tantrum at a time like this. You and Xuan should understand what this thing means if you manage to create it."

"Medical Talismans must be managed by the village in order to realize their greatest value."

By the end, his tone softened again. "Of course, you will not be denied your credit. I'll make the decision: you and Xuan may each choose one ninjutsu from the Book of Seals. Is that acceptable?"

He knew perfectly well that without offering some incentive, this matter would never work out. After all, the item had not yet been created. If Uchiha Yan and Tsunade decided to quit, that would be truly troublesome.

Danzo frowned beside him, but swallowed the words that had reached his lips.