Not only had she rejected Kushina's request with perfect justification, she had even given her a stern, righteous scolding.
At that moment, Nobuhiko only wanted to add one thing.
Hey, she even has to thank us!
That evening, on the way back to the old Senju residence.
"Your room is still there for you. Come stay tonight, Kushina."
"There are some things I haven't decided whether to tell Nobuhiko yet. Let's discuss them when we get back."
That old man hadn't even brought this up himself, leaving Tsunade with a headache now!
"Sure, Sister Tsunade."
Knowing what this was about, Kushina couldn't quite bring herself to smile either.
"What is it, Sister Tsunade?"
Despite knowing exactly what it was, Nobuhiko still had to pretend he didn't.
"I'll tell you once I've thought it through. Don't ask for now!"
Tsunade let out a long sigh, her expression complicated.
Kushina was a little downcast too.
Neither of them knew whether Nobuhiko could accept this, but they would feel guilty if they kept hiding it from him.
The rest of the journey passed in silence.
Once they got home, Tsunade pulled Kushina into her room, leaving Nobuhiko to wait alone in the living room for the outcome of their discussion.
Is this really necessary?
It's just that Kushina has Kurama inside her.
But that old Third Hokage is pretty nasty too. He had me make friends with Kushina, yet didn't tell me about this.
So am I allowed to know about this or not?
Given Tsunade's and Kushina's personalities, they probably wouldn't lie to me. That old Third Hokage must know that too.
But if that old Third Hokage, as Hokage, didn't tell me about this, and those two told me themselves, could that old bastard be deliberately digging a pit for them to jump into?
Even I might end up in that pit if I learn about this without permission.
Fuck, that old bastard really is no good.
Judging by how conflicted Tsunade and Kushina look, they want to tell me, but they're afraid of something.
Those two probably wouldn't think that far ahead.
So are they afraid that old Third Hokage won't approve, or that I won't be able to accept it?
Nobuhiko thought it was the latter.
Hey, I have to admit, being cared about like this feels pretty good!
In that case, for Tsunade and Kushina, never mind a pit-even if it's a mountain of blades and a sea of fire, I'll have to brave it.
After who knew how long, Tsunade and Kushina finally came out of the room.
Tsunade sat down beside Nobuhiko, and Kushina nervously sat down beside Tsunade with her head lowered.
"Nobuhiko, have you heard of Tailed Beasts?"
"Tailed Beasts? What are those?"
Nobuhiko feigned confusion as he asked.
"Throughout the war-torn history of the Shinobi World, there have been terrifying beings deeply etched into people's minds alongside calamity."
"Those are the Tailed Beasts-magical beasts with anywhere from one to nine tails."
"Their power is so great that people fear them deeply and regard them as evil beasts that bring calamity."
"Sometimes they're treated as tools of war, sometimes as a deterrent to bring peace to the world. Humans use them."
"Their hatred toward the humans who exploit them however they please grows ever stronger. When a Tailed Beast's rage can no longer be contained, it brings war to the Shinobi World."
"Huh?"
Seeing that Nobuhiko showed neither fear nor disgust toward Tailed Beasts, Tsunade decided to spin things a little for him.
"Of course, that's only how most people in the Shinobi World understand Tailed Beasts. You could even call it hearsay, so it isn't worth taking too seriously. Bringing war to the Shinobi World might not be their intention either."
"Some might be evil by nature and others kind. Or perhaps they're all kind, or all evil."
"The Shinobi World still hasn't reached a conclusion about what sort of creatures Tailed Beasts really are."
"But to harness their power, humans chose to seal the power of Tailed Beasts inside human bodies, attempting to control it."
"These hosts of Tailed Beasts are like living sacrifices, which is why they're called 'Jinchūriki.'"
"The relationship between each Tailed Beast and its Jinchūriki differs, but usually one side wants to make the other submit."
"Jinchūriki who completely control a Tailed Beast's power gain immense chakra power. But if the Tailed Beast controls them instead, their power runs out of control, making them considerably dangerous. That's why each village keeps them under strict watch."
"Why do I get the feeling that we humans are a little evil, Sister Tsunade?"
"Huh?"
Nobuhiko's words surprised not only Tsunade and Kushina-even Kurama, who was peering at the outside world from inside Kushina, opened his eyes.
"I can't judge whether the rumors about Tailed Beasts in the Shinobi World are true or false. After all, people have mouths of their own and can say whatever they want."
"Who knows how many times people have changed the rumors about Tailed Beasts that have survived to this day?"
"But the Tailed Beasts were originally living just fine on their own, and now they're suddenly locked inside Jinchūriki like prisoners."
"I think that's unfair to both the Tailed Beasts and the Jinchūriki."
"The Tailed Beasts are imprisoned for no reason, so they must be furious."
"And after choosing to sacrifice themselves, the Jinchūriki not only have to struggle against the Tailed Beasts inside them, but also face the risk of losing control, which means their own people will be wary of them. That kind of suffering is far beyond what an ordinary person can bear."
"So I think this Jinchūriki plan is a tragedy through and through."
As soon as Nobuhiko finished speaking, Kushina threw herself into Tsunade's arms and began to sob.
"Sister Kushina, what's wrong?"
"Don't worry about Kushina for now. Is there anything else you want to say?"
"Of course. All of that was just my analysis from a rational perspective."
"Oh? So there's an emotional perspective too?"
Tsunade raised her eyebrows, a little curious.
"Of course, Sister Tsunade."
"From an emotional perspective, if you can reconcile with the Tailed Beast inside you after becoming a Jinchūriki, that would be incredibly cool."
"Really?"
"Then what exactly do you think of Jinchūriki?"
"What do I think?"
Nobuhiko thought for a moment.
"I think Jinchūriki are pitiful. They face the risk of losing control at any moment, which means they have to be watched all the time. They can't have friends either, and their movements are restricted. They're very lonely."
"They should clearly be heroes of their villages, yet they're treated like prisoners. That's very unfair."
"Wait."
Nobuhiko pretended to have only just caught on.
"Sister Kushina is...!"
Nobuhiko's eyes suddenly widened, and his mouth fell slightly open.
After coming to his senses, Nobuhiko immediately began praising Kushina.
"Sister Kushina, you're truly a great shinobi, making such a huge sacrifice for the village."
At his words, Kushina raised her tear-filled eyes to look at Nobuhiko, finding it a little hard to believe.
"Nobuhiko, aren't you afraid of me?"
"Why would I be? I told you, Sister Kushina, you're clearly a hero of the village. I should be thanking you, protecting you, and respecting you."
"Waaah, Nobuhiko, I'm so glad I have you!"
Hearing Nobuhiko's answer, Kushina turned and threw herself into his arms, sobbing again.