The chaos of the Nine-Tails' attack and the death of the Fourth Hokage sent shockwaves throughout the ninja world.
When Orochimaru and Hyuga Mirai defected from Konoha, the village's military strength had already suffered a significant loss. However, with the Yellow Flash and Jiraiya still present, the other four great ninja villages hesitated to wage war. They knew that without a way to deal with Minato, they risked suffering the same fate as Iwagakure.
But now that news of the Nine-Tails' rampage had spread, those very same villages saw an opportunity.
Countless civilians had witnessed the beast's rampage, and the devastation it left behind was undeniable. Konoha had suffered heavy casualties, and the Fourth Hokage had fallen. Though no one had confirmed the status of the Nine-Tails itself, logic dictated that such an event likely meant the death of its jinchuriki. With Minato gone, it was almost certain that Konoha had undergone a forced transfer of its Tailed Beast.
---
Kumogakure
When the Fourth Raikage, A, received the intelligence, he sat in silent contemplation for a moment before letting out a scoff.
"So, Namikaze Minato is dead," he muttered. "Looks like the Nine-Tails gave Konoha a beating they won't forget. Mabui, have there been any changes to Konoha's border defenses?"
Mabui, his ever-composed assistant, responded swiftly. "The moment news of the Nine-Tails' rampage spread, Konoha reinforced its borders by twenty percent. It seems they're highly wary of us, Raikage-sama."
A let out a loud, dismissive snort. "Tch. Do they really think adding a handful of shinobi will be enough to stop us? Mabui, summon B. This time, we're going to take what we couldn't get last time!"
His frustration stemmed from their previous failed attempt to take advantage of Konoha's exhaustion. After leading an invasion force, he had been stopped cold by Orochimaru and forced into an unfavorable truce. It was a humiliation he had never forgotten.
But now, Minato was dead. Orochimaru was gone. The peace treaty was nothing but a scrap of paper waiting to be torn apart.
"Raikage-sama, now is not the time for war."
Mabui's voice remained steady, unshaken by A's outburst. "If we strike now, Konoha will retaliate with everything they have. Additionally, we still lack concrete intelligence on the status of their jinchuriki. My recommendation is to proceed cautiously—probing their defenses rather than deploying B to the frontlines."
A's fist slammed onto the desk, sending deep cracks through the solid wood.
"Mabui, do you think I would lose to Konoha?"
She remained unfazed. "I am considering Konoha's potential response, as well as the movements of Iwagakure, Raikage-sama." Her gaze flicked toward the ruined desk. "Also, the cost of replacing that will be deducted from your budget. Please refrain from damaging your furniture in the future."
A gritted his teeth but ultimately relented. Despite his temper, he wasn't a fool. If Onoki saw an opening, he would pounce at the chance to strike while Kumogakure was distracted.
"Fine," he muttered. "Do it your way, but we're not letting Konoha off the hook. We'll take back what we lost—twice over."
Mabui nodded. "Of course, Raikage-sama. And right now, the last thing Konoha wants is a war."
The death of a village's Kage was always a seismic event—especially when it was someone as formidable as the Yellow Flash. Suddenly, Konoha had become the focal point of the entire ninja world. Spies from all five great villages were already making their way into Fire Country, eager to uncover Konoha's vulnerabilities.
---
Hokage's Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi had held countless emergency meetings with Konoha's Jonin in the past few days. Even now, with the village's defenses reinforced and a semblance of order restored, the weight of leadership bore heavily on his shoulders.
With Minato's death, the Hokage's mantle had returned to him.
The transition had been seamless—almost inevitable. Minato had only ruled for two short years, and much of Konoha's administration had remained in Hiruzen's hands. Now that the Fourth Hokage was gone, Hiruzen wasted no time reclaiming control of the ANBU. There was little Danzo could do to oppose him.
Still, the fallout was far from over.
With Konoha weakened, enemy spies had begun to infiltrate the village, seeking to uncover the truth behind the Nine-Tails' rampage.
After careful consideration, Hiruzen called upon his three most trusted advisors—Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado.
"I intend to spread the rumor that the Nine-Tails was stolen," he announced. "At the same time, I will raise Hyuga Mirai's bounty to seven hundred million ryo. This will shift the attention of the other villages away from Konoha and onto him instead."
Taking a slow drag from his pipe, Hiruzen exhaled before continuing. "With their focus on Mirai and the missing half of the Nine-Tails, we'll gain valuable time to rebuild our strength."
Koharu and Homura nodded in agreement.
"This plan may work," Koharu admitted. "But Hiruzen, what if we actually lose the Nine-Tails?"
Thud.
Danzo struck his cane against the floor twice, his voice sharp and resolute. "Absolutely not. Hiruzen, I have no objections to raising Hyuga Mirai's bounty, but we cannot afford to reveal that half of the Nine-Tails has been taken."
He shot Koharu a pointed look before continuing.
"My sources indicate that Kumogakure is already making minor mobilizations along our borders. The only reason the Fourth Raikage hasn't launched a full-scale invasion is because he doesn't know the status of our jinchuriki. If we spread this information, both Kumogakure and Iwagakure will pounce on us without hesitation."
Hiruzen and the other advisors stiffened at the implication.
Danzo was right.
The wounds left by the Third Great Ninja War had barely begun to heal. If the other villages learned that Konoha no longer had the full power of the Nine-Tails, they wouldn't hesitate to tear the village apart.
Hiruzen sighed.
"Then what do you propose?"
Danzo's single eye gleamed. "Simple. Leave it to Root. We will handle this matter… properly."
Danzo took half a step forward, his presence imposing.
Homura Mitokado immediately followed, adding, "Hiruzen, for once, Danzo is right. Leave matters in the shadows to Root. You have the duties of the Hokage to focus on."
Koharu Utatane, having just made a misstep earlier, remained silent this time, refraining from supporting Hiruzen outright.
"...Fine."
Seeing their determination, Hiruzen had no choice but to take a step back.
"Danzo, I'll leave the matter of the rogue ninja and the stolen half of the Nine-Tails to you. I expect Root not to disappoint me."
"Hmph. Root has never disappointed when it comes to protecting Konoha."
With that, Danzo turned and left the Hokage's office.
He had his own means of dealing with the Nine-Tails. His subordinates included two Wood Release users who were steadily growing stronger. Once he obtained more concrete intelligence, he would dispatch a specialized Root squad, trained specifically for capturing the Tailed Beast.
It was a shame he couldn't take Naruto Uzumaki under his wing. That child would have been his greatest asset.
Danzo's fixation on Naruto hadn't waned. A jinchuriki was most valuable when trained from infancy, molded into the perfect weapon. And Naruto wasn't just any jinchuriki—he had Uzumaki blood, making him the ideal vessel for the Nine-Tails' power.
"Not yet… It's not time," he mused, glancing toward Konoha Hospital before heading to Root's underground headquarters.
---
Meanwhile, Hyuga Mirai and Ayaka Uzumaki were making their way toward the Land of Fire's capital.
Their pace was slow.
Ayaka's body still resisted the Nine-Tails' chakra from time to time, forcing her to halt and suppress it. Unlike most jinchuriki, she had deliberately avoided sealing the beast too tightly. She had chosen not to apply a secondary seal, relying only on the Four Symbols Seal—which wasn't enough to fully suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Even though she only possessed half of the beast, its chakra still dwarfed that of the Three-Tails. In her perception, the Nine-Tails had the most chakra of all the Tailed Beasts—even greater than Mirai's own reserves, which barely measured up to a quarter of it.
Ayaka lowered her head slightly. "I'm sorry, Mirai-sama. I've slowed us down. I must have disappointed you…"
"There's no need to apologize."
Mirai gave a light chuckle, his voice carrying no hint of blame. "You just sealed the Nine-Tails, yet you can already manifest a six-tailed chakra cloak without losing control. That's more than impressive."
Six tails was her current limit. Any more than that, and the Nine-Tails' chakra would begin to erode her consciousness.
"This is your first time harnessing its power. You're still getting used to it. Give it two years, and you'll have complete mastery over the Nine-Tails Mode."
In truth, this outcome was precisely what Mirai had expected. With his vast reserves of energy from the Dragon Vein, he could eventually recreate the missing half of the Nine-Tails himself.
As for the half still in Konoha?
If things went as planned, it would come to him eventually.
Ayaka hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "Mirai-sama… if I may ask, why did you save Kushina but leave her behind?"
Mirai shook his head. "There was no need to take her. Stealing half of the Nine-Tails was Konoha's limit. My own limit was ensuring that the remaining half didn't stay under their control—that's why I saved her."
Then he turned to Ayaka with a knowing smile. "Tell me, who do you think Kushina should hate the most?"
Ayaka furrowed her brows slightly. "Hate… us?" If that was the case, she would regret saving Kushina. She should have just let her die.
"No," Mirai said. "Her greatest hatred should be directed at Obito Uchiha. But he's a distant, almost intangible target. She has no real way to confront him. So after that… her anger should turn toward me and the so-called 'responsibility' of the Hokage."
He continued, his tone as calm as ever.
"Kushina may have once dreamed of becoming Hokage, but after giving birth, her heart belonged to her family and child. That's a woman's nature—dreams can't change that. Any force that tore her family apart naturally becomes her object of resentment. She may not have been able to process all of this while she was on the verge of death, but I gave her time."
He smirked slightly.
"She'll have plenty of time to think it over now."
"Who destroyed her family? Was it me? Hardly. Even if I hadn't intervened, Namikaze Minato was doomed. And I saved her life. If she directs her hatred toward me, she'll only be left with a sense of betrayal."
Mirai's voice was even as they walked. Kushina herself wasn't important, but if used correctly, she could further fracture Konoha.
"If her hatred was like a dammed-up river," he mused, "then my actions have carved out a tributary. And that tributary is this: anyone who threatens Naruto will become the new target of her hatred."
He turned his gaze toward Konoha's distant skyline.
"Keeping her in Konoha is the best use for her."
Killing was easy. But Mirai preferred breaking people from the inside.
(End of Chapter)
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