At the critical moment ahead, Tsunade would surely come through. But after that, she was likely to sink even deeper into despair.
After all, this was her own grandmother.
Already devastated by the loss of her first love, this new blow would be a heavy one for Tsunade to bear.
Thankfully, her younger brother Nawaki was still alive and well. That, at least, was a small comfort.
...
"The Sharingan can suppress Tailed Beasts, Sarutobi-sensei."
Orochimaru spoke softly—a hidden detail he'd come across while reviewing the notes left behind by Senju Tobirama.
"That's true. Back then, Uchiha Madara controlled the Nine-Tails and used it to attack Konoha. It was at the Valley of the End that he fought the First Hokage."
"But using the power of the Uchiha comes with its risks."
Uchiha Setsuna, a radical among the clan, had long sought to claim the title of Hokage for the Uchiha.
And this was without even knowing that two Mangekyō Sharingan had appeared within the clan.
Yes—no one in the Uchiha clan, not even Setsuna himself, knew that two Mangekyō Sharingan users currently existed among them.
He might have suspected that Uchiha Kagami possessed the Mangekyō, but no one else—not even Kagami himself—knew that Kaien had also awakened it.
Most of the ordinary Uchiha didn't even realize that the Mangekyō Sharingan still existed within their clan.
And Setsuna certainly wasn't going to tell them.
After all, Kagami had long been under the influence of Senju Tobirama.
Setsuna, who idolized Uchiha Madara, held complicated feelings toward Kagami.
A Mangekyō Sharingan user siding with the Hokage? What was the point of telling the clan? It would be better to let Kagami compete for the Hokage seat in a legitimate way.
If Sarutobi Hiruzen—Tobirama's disciple—could become Hokage, why couldn't Kagami, who was also trained by Tobirama?
Most of the elite Uchiha with three-tomoe Sharingan shared that sentiment. At the time, they had pinned their hopes for the Fourth Hokage on Kagami.
He was younger than Sarutobi and would be in his prime during the next selection. Kagami had all the qualifications needed to contend for the title.
Even if most of the clan didn't know about the Mangekyō Sharingan, that didn't dampen their ambition for the Hokage seat.
But if they ever found out that there were two Mangekyō in their midst? The more restless among them might stir up serious trouble.
With so many powerful forces at play, it would be difficult for a single Nine-Tails to break free and destroy Konoha.
...
"The key lies in how the Uchiha respond once Kagami and Kaien use their Mangekyō Sharingan," Sarutobi muttered.
He recalled Tobirama's warnings—always be wary of the Uchiha. Their power was too unstable, too unsuitable for a Hokage.
"We ought to place more trust in the Uchiha, Sarutobi-sensei."
Orochimaru hadn't held any strong opinions about the clan before. But Kagami and Kaien had sparked a genuine interest.
He didn't know what Kagami's true aspirations were—but Kaien's ideals were far more transparent.
A child, free of the fear of death, curious about everything.
A child like that was unlikely to harbor true malice—especially not when he had such a solid anchor to keep him grounded.
"Forget it," Sarutobi sighed. "We'll just have to prepare for the worst—contain the Nine-Tails if it comes to that."
The worry in his expression faded slightly.
Deep down, he couldn't rule out the possibility that an Uchiha might try to control the Nine-Tails again.
From his perspective as Hiruzen the man, he ought to trust and ask for Kagami's help. But as the Hokage, he had to be prepared for every possibility.
As for Kaien—Hiruzen hadn't factored him in at all.
He'd watched the boy grow up and had even arranged for one of his own students to personally mentor him. Kaien didn't lack strength, and Hiruzen had never worried that he'd lose himself in a pursuit of power.
Caution around the Uchiha was necessary—Madara's use of the Nine-Tails remained a sobering precedent.
Still, he felt somewhat reassured by Uzumaki Mito's plan to transfer the beast ahead of schedule.
Mito might still possess the strength to suppress the Nine-Tails on her own.
Hiruzen remembered his recent visit to her.
Her appearance was as youthful as ever—like an eighteen-year-old girl—but there was a depth in her eyes that only came with age and experience. It gave her a unique, hard-to-describe charm.
More importantly, her chakra remained immense and forceful. She showed none of the signs of a woman approaching the end of her life.
Maybe, if she didn't transfer the Nine-Tails... Mito could live another ten years.
The thought came unbidden to Sarutobi's mind. He couldn't help but marvel at the power of the Yin Seal.
He decided then and there: the Mangekyō Sharingan would serve as the outermost defense.
That way, he could demonstrate his trust in the Uchiha while minimizing the risk of catastrophe.
...
"Ugh..."
Uzumaki Kushina flipped the sizzling meat on the grill without much interest.
The familiar, mouth-watering aroma did nothing to lift her spirits. The smoke rising from the food only made her gloomy expression seem even more downcast.
The lively chatter in the barbecue shop couldn't mask the loneliness written across her face. Human joys and sorrows... never truly connect.
"Kushina, don't be so down."
Namikaze Minato tried to comfort her, though he didn't know why she seemed so upset today.
But the look on her face—it reminded him of how she looked back when he first saved her. That alone told him this was no simple matter.
"If you're worried about the Tailed Beast, there's really no need," Kaien said, unfazed.
Given Kushina's age, it was about time for her to become the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
But even the strongest of the Tailed Beasts had their weaknesses. Uchiha Madara, for instance, had left behind a secret technique.
As luck would have it, Kaien had already mastered that move. So he wasn't worried about the Nine-Tails making any trouble—he was even thinking of using the opportunity to gather some of its chakra.
He was far stronger than he had been a year ago. Now, he could activate the third stage of Susanoo without even breaking a sweat.
All three of them were thirteen years old now—and they'd all come a long way.
When she wasn't talking, Kushina looked especially adorable. Her light yellow outfit, vivid red hair, and fair skin gave her a youthful, refreshing beauty that was hard to describe.
Minato had grown into a bright, cheerful boy who practically radiated sunshine. He was popular among the girls, even though he'd graduated early—no surprise there.
As for Kaien, he was still the cool, aloof beauty of the group. Though he often lazed around at home, ever since attending Uchiha Takatoshi's wedding, more and more annoying challengers from the clan kept pestering him.
He was thoroughly fed up.
"Tailed Beasts... those are the monsters formed from massive amounts of chakra, right?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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