But noticing the gathered civilians, Mikoto was a bit confused.
"Has the frontline battle report come back?"
"Is there any news about Minato?"
Kushina looked up in surprise, and without a word, immediately ran over.
"Wait! I—"
Just as Mikoto was about to speak, she suddenly noticed that the surrounding civilians' eyes had turned resentful when they saw Kushina approaching.
Before, because of Kushina's identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, the villagers, though not fond of her, had never shown such open hatred. But today, their expressions were different — as if they wanted Uzumaki Kushina dead.
"What happened?"
Mikoto had a bad feeling. Without further hesitation, she chased after Kushina.
"Kushina?"
When she arrived, she saw Kushina muttering continuously in disbelief, head bowed.
"Impossible… this is absolutely impossible!"
But when Mikoto also read the frontline report, she understood everything.
Minato Namikaze — once considered Konoha's rising star, even rumored to be the next Hokage — had now become the sinner of Konoha.
"Impossible! How could my little Taiyō do this!"
Minato Namikaze's command error had led to the near-total annihilation of Konoha's forces on the Hidden Cloud battlefield.
Seeing all this, Kushina's mind reeled. She couldn't accept it.
"How is it impossible! Minato Namikaze is a sinner!"
"You're Minato Namikaze's girlfriend — you're no good either!"
"You're a fox demon! He's a sinner! You both should get out of Konoha!"
Finally, a civilian couldn't hold back any longer.
"You—!"
Kushina's eyes turned sharp and feral, fox-like, as she glared at the surrounding civilians.
The raw, violent chakra she emitted made several of them instinctively step back.
But not all of them were cowards.
An old man stood his ground, hatred blazing in his eyes.
"If you have the guts, kill me! My son died because of Minato Namikaze — kill me now!"
"And me! My brother was on that battlefield too!"
"If you have the guts, kill all of us!"
...
The continuous accusations brought Kushina back to her senses.
"I…"
She wanted to say something, but no words came out.
The hatred in their eyes made Uzumaki Kushina feel as though she were standing on a bed of nails.
In the end, Mikoto grabbed her hand and pulled her away.
"Kushina, let's go!"
If they stayed any longer, the civilians might actually get violent.
Were they supposed to kill them all?
Kushina allowed herself to be led away by Mikoto, her mind blank.
When they finally reached a quiet, secluded place, Kushina fell to her knees, trembling.
"What happened… What happened to my little Taiyō?"
Then, as if something inside her snapped, Kushina suddenly stood up.
"No! I have to go to the frontlines! I have to find Minato!"
"Kushina!"
Mikoto quickly stopped her. Kushina's identity was no small matter. Anyone else could go to the front, but not the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
"Mikoto! Let me go! If I stay in Konoha, I'll lose my mind!"
"I—"
Facing the tearful Kushina, Mikoto didn't know what to say.
But just then, a calm voice cut through the air.
"You're not going anywhere."
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado stood calmly before them.
"During wartime, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki cannot leave the village. That's the rule."
Although Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado were often criticized as mere figureheads, they weren't completely useless.
After receiving the frontline battle report, they had been shocked — but immediately acted.
They knew Minato Namikaze was Uzumaki Kushina's lover, and if something happened to him, she would definitely try to rush to the battlefield.
Fortunately, they had arrived in time.
"I have to go! Let's see how you plan to stop me!"
Kushina's furious glare burned with killing intent.
Like Tsunade, she had never taken these two "ornamental elders" seriously.
In terms of strength, even together, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado were no match for the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
However, facing Kushina's rage, the two elders remained calm.
"If you go, Minato Namikaze will be branded a rogue ninja."
"You—!"
Her killing intent vanished instantly. That was the danger.
Minato Namikaze was everything to her — the person she cared about most in the entire world.
"You should understand," Homura continued coldly, "Minato Namikaze's current situation is hanging by a thread. With just one word, he could be declared a rogue ninja."
Minato Namikaze was now branded Konoha's sinner. Even if he were officially exiled, no one would object.
"I…"
After a long silence, Kushina finally bowed her head.
"Stay in Konoha," Utatane Koharu said firmly.
She and Homura exchanged satisfied glances. As long as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki stayed calm, nothing else mattered.
"Wait!" Kushina suddenly asked, her voice trembling. "Can you guarantee Minato's safety?"
Sinner or not — she didn't care. All she wanted was for Minato Namikaze to live.
If it had been anyone else, Utatane Koharu and Homura would have left long ago, unwilling to explain further.
But the situation now was different.
"Don't worry," Homura said calmly. "Minato Namikaze is Jiraiya's cherished disciple — a talent personally cultivated by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Even if he's branded a sinner, as long as those two are alive, he'll be fine."
Kushina's shoulders finally eased, and she exhaled slowly.
"That's good."
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