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Since the seal on Kurama had partially loosened, the Nine-Tails could now sense the outside world from within Naruto's body. Watching how cautiously Sarutobi Hiruzen acted, Kurama couldn't help but mock him.
"You, the Third Hokage of Konoha, are nothing more than a placeholder," the fox sneered. "Back when I was controlled, it didn't take long for the Fourth Hokage to make his move, sealing me away at the cost of his life. But you? You just stood by and watched him die."
Kurama's voice echoed clearly, reaching both Hiruzen and Hiashi's ears.
The two immediately turned their attention to Naruto, their expressions shifting to shock.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "You… Naruto? Was that the Nine-Tails just now?"
Naruto remained silent, but the voice had undeniably come from him.
Kurama scoffed. "Listen, old man. I don't care about your politics, I just want a fight with Gyūki. Even with only half my strength, I won't back down."
Hiruzen's suspicion deepened. "Why should I believe you'd actually help Konoha?"
"Hmph!" Kurama's growl rumbled.
"My word is my bond. Unlike you humans, I don't twist my promises. Besides, Naruto here has already agreed to free me in exchange for my cooperation. All I ask is that you find a way for him to survive without a tailed beast inside him."
Hiruzen's scalp prickled. If Kurama was serious, refusing would mean risking the fox breaking free through Naruto. Worse, losing the Nine-Tails' power would weaken Konoha's standing among the villages.
But if he agreed…
"Fine," Hiruzen finally conceded, rubbing his temples. "We'll make this public and pressure Cloud Shinobi Village. But if they declare war, you'd better hold up your end."
Kurama snorted. "Unlike you humans, I don't go back on my word."
Naruto nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Kurama's honest! And he wasn't even in control during the attack, someone else was manipulating him!"
Hiruzen sighed, exhaustion weighing on him. "Then it's settled."
With their decision made, Hiruzen summoned Inoichi Yamanaka, leader of the Yamanaka clan.
Upon hearing the situation, Inoichi's anger flared. Though the Hyuga and Uchiha clans weren't always likable, they were still Konoha's ninja comrades.
"Leave it to me," Inoichi assured them. "I'll extract the intruder's memories. Cloud Shinobi Village won't be able to deny a thing."
Meanwhile, the Cloud envoys grew uneasy. Their missing comrade could only mean one thing, failure. But they had a backup plan, one that had worked years ago.
Back then, Konoha had been vulnerable after losing the Fourth Hokage. Hiruzen, cautious and unwilling to risk war, had caved to their demands, even sacrificing Hyuga Hizashi. To Cloud Shinobi, Hiruzen was a pushover, a shadow of his former self.
This time, however, they were in for a shock.
The envoy marched toward the Hyuga compound, his entourage in tow. Before he could even enter, Hyuga guards blocked his path.
"Move," the envoy snarled. "Unless you want to be responsible for starting a war."
The Hyuga ninja smirked. "Our clan head has been expecting you."
A chill ran down the envoy's spine. Something was wrong.
Stepping into the courtyard, he froze. There, standing with his back to them, was Sarutobi Hiruzen cloaked in his Hokage robe.
The envoy steadied himself. 'So what if he knows? He'll still fold.'
But before he could spin his lie, Hiruzen spoke first, his voice icy.
"Cloud Shinobi's envoy, explain why you attempted to kidnap the Hyuga heiress."
The envoy's confidence wavered. 'Since when did Hiruzen grow a spine?'
"Preposterous!" he blustered. "Your Hyuga clan murdered our man in cold blood! Now you're fabricating lies to cover it up! As Hokage, shouldn't you uphold justice?"
Hiruzen's glare turned lethal. "The evidence is undeniable. Return to your Raikage and tell him this: Konoha demands an explanation. If none is given…" His killing intent spiked. "We welcome war."
The envoy paled. This wasn't the feeble old man they'd mocked. This was the Shinobi no Kami—the God of Shinobi who had weathered two wars against impossible odds.
And he wasn't bluffing.
.....