A Conversation with the Hokage

In the dim and damp prison, a petite figure huddled in a corner, her arms wrapped around her knees.

At that moment, Rin Nohara's heart was filled with terror.

She feared she would be locked up here forever, never to see the light of day again, and she also worried that she would never see her friends again, or the person who had risked his life to pull her back from the brink of death.

Thinking of this, a warmth welled up inside him.

"How is Long Ye's injury?"

The thought had barely formed in her mind when suddenly a voice pierced through the thick walls and came in from outside.

"Lin, don't be afraid. No matter what, I will definitely rescue you."

Lin's spirits lifted, and she burst into tears of joy. "Long Ye! His injuries are indeed not serious!"

She breathed a sigh of relief, and her heart, which had been gradually turning towards despair, suddenly felt a surge of hope.

She never questioned what Long Ye said; she knew she would definitely have a chance to leave this dark and hopeless place and reunite with him.

"Don't shout! This is a prison, a place for you to make noise."

A Tokubetsu Jonin Konoha from Konoha stopped Long Ye from shouting.

Just now, after learning that Lin was imprisoned, Long Ye rushed here to see her, but was turned away at the door on the grounds that the person being imprisoned was too dangerous.

"What to do?"

Obito and Kakashi, who had followed, were also at a loss for what to do.

Shisui, standing to the side, said, "Regarding Rin, I think we should still consult the Lord Hokage."

Long Ye nodded. "I'll go right away. You don't need to come with me. After all, this isn't an ordinary crime, and sending too many people won't help."

After he finished speaking, he walked towards the Hokage Office.

Long Ye knew that Rin's situation was extremely troublesome. She was now the Jinchuriki the Three-Tails, and her situation was far more complicated than that of "Naruto" later on.

Although both are Jinchuriki, the seal on Rin was placed by an outsider, making it unknown and unpredictable. It's possible that the seal will break on its own at any time.

When that time comes, once the Tailed Beast are released, it will inevitably be a disaster. From this perspective, Long Ye can understand to some extent the reason why Konoha imprisoned Rin.

But understanding is one thing; the belief in saving lives is unwavering.

He arrived at the Hokage Office. The door was open, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, was standing with his back to him in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, puffing on his pipe.

"Since you're here, come in!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't turn around, seemingly knowing who the newcomer was.

Long Ye walked in, and before he could speak, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked first, "You've come because of Rin Nohara, haven't you?"

"Exactly! I know the Hokage imprisoned her for the greater good of Konoha, a last resort, but it's not a long-term solution, and it's far too cruel for Rin. She did nothing wrong, and she's actually a victim..."

"I think we should find a way to resolve this crisis at its root, rather than simply locking her up. That's just delaying the inevitable; the problem will have to be solved sooner or later."

Long Ye shared her opinion.

"You're right. Imprisoning her is not a long-term solution. Even if we imprison her for decades, the Tailed Beast will still be there. But it will be very difficult to solve the problem once and for all."

The Hokage took a drag of his cigarette and slowly continued:

"The Sealing Jutsu of extracting the Tailed Beast from Jinchuriki's body is so far only mastered by a very few people. And the key point is that once the Tailed Beast is extracted from the body, the Jinchuriki will die."

This is exactly what Long Ye was worried about, which is why he felt that Lin's current situation was very troublesome.

"However, there is a second method."

The Hokage pondered for a moment before speaking slowly and deliberately:

"The method is to reinforce the first seal with a second layer, which can prevent the consequences if the first seal is maliciously manipulated and broken."

Long Ye nodded secretly.

This is indeed the best method, because the first seal was set up by the Mizukage Karatachi Yagura, and no one knows if he has any hidden tricks up his sleeve.

Of course, the so-called Karatachi Yagura was just the figurehead; the real manipulator was Madara Uchiha, who controlled the Fourth Mizukage and set up this trap.

Thinking about this, he felt a little guilty.

Ultimately, Madara Uchiha's purpose in doing this was likely to lure him into darkness, so that he would wholeheartedly carry out the "Eye of the Moon Plan."

"This is the only way!"

Long Ye sighed.

After all, once Jinchuriki, it's unchangeable unless they die. This method is the only way.

"For the past few days, I've been preparing for the Sealing Jutsu. The preliminary work is basically complete, and I will begin the sealing process tomorrow at sunrise..."

"The identity of Jinchuriki is somewhat special, and it's inevitable that she'll be looked down upon by outsiders. You'll need to guide and comfort this girl in the future."

Long Ye nodded, indicating that she understood.

"Now that we've talked about that girl, it's time to talk about you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around, a kind smile on his face.

"Even I underestimated you at first. No one could have imagined that you would grow to this level..."

"I heard from Kakashi and the others that even when you were seriously injured, you were still able to kill more than ten Jonin Kirigakure. That's no ordinary feat."

"Especially that last Fire Release, which killed four Jonin in one fell swoop, is simply unbelievable. It seems you were intentionally hiding your true abilities; your Ninjutsu talent is extraordinary!"

Long Ye thought to herself: Luckily, I didn't act rashly and use Wood Release to kill the enemy, otherwise I would have been in big trouble.

Once people find out that he possesses the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, it will definitely be Big News Morgans, and they will inevitably be subjected to a thorough investigation.

By then, his "Human Modification" Devil Fruit Power will inevitably be exposed.

Following this, a series of events will likely unfold, including his stripping of his Kekkei Genkai, obtaining Explosion Release, transplanting Hashirama Cells, and obtaining Wood Release.

"I was lucky; by chance, I learned a few Ninjutsu that were fairly powerful."

Long Ye tried her best to describe her strength as insignificant in order to avoid attracting the attention of some people.

The Hokage didn't ask any more questions, and nodded with a smile:

"I am very pleased that Konoha has produced another genius ninja like you and Shisui, who only appear once every thirty years. Given time, they will surely surpass Jiraiya and the other two!"

He seemed to have thought of something, and his expression became somewhat desolate.

"Remember this: whoever becomes the next Hokage, you and Shisui must support him wholeheartedly..."

"Konoha suffered heavy losses in this Shinobi World War and will need a long period of time to bide its time. During this period, the heavy responsibility of deterring external enemies will largely fall on the two of you."