Tsunade turned to face Shihōin Naraku, who still stood motionless where he was.
If they chose the first approach, there would be no way to determine when the seal would be released.
That would not do.
So she said in a tone that left no room for discussion, "Forget the first approach. What about the second?"
The Yamanaka jonin did not answer immediately. He glanced back at Shihōin Naraku, his gaze lingering on that motionless body for several seconds.
"Lady Tsunade."
He hesitated before saying, "The Sealing Squad has another idea. Since we can't analyze the time seal on the Hokage in the short term, then... we won't analyze it."
Tsunade's brow twitched.
"Not analyze it?"
What did that mean?
"Yes."
The Yamanaka jonin unrolled the scroll in his hands and pointed to a marked section of the formula. "We've already confirmed that the seal on the Hokage is essentially some kind of 'time stagnation' jutsu. We don't know its exact structure, but we know its type."
"And Konoha's sealing jutsu archives contain similar time-based cursed seals and sealing jutsu."
"For example, the reverse application of several sealing jutsu..."
Tsunade's eyes instantly lit up.
The Yamanaka jonin continued, "These formulas all have different functions, but they share one characteristic: they can all affect their targets on the level of 'time.'"
"The underlying logic of these formulas is similar to that of the time stagnation seal."
"You mean..."
Tsunade said slowly, "Use similar sealing jutsu that Konoha possesses to cancel out the seal on the Hokage?"
"Yes."
The Yamanaka jonin's voice was steady, but what he proposed was not. "Use similar formulas to counteract it. If we're lucky, the two forces will cancel each other out, and the seal will loosen or even collapse."
The valley fell silent for several seconds.