[NTU] [ARC-07-JOUNIN] Chapter : 114 (Patreon)

“No, Nohara Rin herself is of no importance. The Three-Tails must not be handed over!”

Danzo, seeing the Third Hokage showing signs of relenting, was adamant.

"Is there any humanity left in that darkness you call soul. Even a dog has more heart!"

Kushina Uzumaki, far less respectful towards Danzo than her boyfriend, spat these words at him.

“You are being too presumptuous!”

“So what? From the first time I met you, I knew you were full of evil and good for nothing!”

She despised him. After Mito passed away, Danzo tried to control her, causing her much suffering.

“Alright, Kushina, I will make proper arrangements for Nohara Rin, but the issue with Kirigakure is still…”

The Third Hokage attempted to soothe Kushina, though he knew the situation was complex. As Minato had said, saving Rin’s life was the best possible outcome. Keeping her in Konoha was not an option. Despite her potential as a Trump card, Konoha needed peace, not another weapon, and a war to wage. With Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Minato, and Kushina, they had enough strength.

“If anyone else has any questions in the future, just tell them to come to me, and I will make them agree…”

Kushina’s appearance drastically changed as she finished speaking. Her bright red hair began to float, glowing like the dawn. Her once-violent demeanor turned calm and serene, and golden light radiated from her like a blazing sun. Everyone had to avert their eyes from her brilliance.

As the current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Kushina possessed immense chakra. In perfect condition, she was a formidable force. If not for the cautious nature of the Third Hokage and others, titles like “Golden Flash” might have belonged to her, Uzumaki Kushina.

“Danzo.., what do you think?”

In her strongest state, Kushina was calm, looking at Danzo and awaiting his response.

“You…”

Danzo was furious. Kushina’s attitude was insufferable, and her public threat was humiliating.

“Hiruzen!”

Unable to defeat Kushina, Danzo turned to the Third Hokage for support.

“Hmm!”

Seeing Danzo’s reluctance, Kushina snorted heavily.

Click! Click! Click!

Kushina’s chakra erupted, causing the entire Hokage Building to tremble. Cracks appeared on the floor, ceiling, and walls, and dust fell intermittently. Danzo, specifically targeted by Kushina, was pinned against the wall, unable to move. The Third Hokage’s desk and chair broke under the pressure. The elders, though not targeted, were also forced against the wall, struggling against the immense pressure.

In her Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, Kushina had few equals in the ninja world. Madara was too old, and Nagato was still young. Only Ohnoki’s Dust release could pose a threat, but he would need to hit her first. This did not even account for the sealing techniques and her “Adamantine Sealing Chains” she had mastered, capable of subduing the Nine-Tails.

Even her boyfriend, or Jiraiya, would struggle against her. In terms of chakra alone, she surpassed the First Hokage without using Sage Mode. Kishimoto’s plot constraints aside, no one could easily defeat her.

“What happened?”

Feeling the vibrations and sensing the powerful aura emanating from the conference room, the high-level guards and staff in the Hokage Building rushed to see what was happening. Although they had checked earlier, when Kushina first burst into the room, they were turned away. This time, the staff blocking the entrance were also clustered at the door, standing in silence.

“What are you all doing here?”

The young Jonin squad leader, Nara Shikaku, hadn’t attended the meeting. Arriving with Akimichi Choza and others, he saw the conference room’s broken door and the gathered ninjas.

“Ryoma, what’s going on?”

Ignoring the onlookers, Shikaku directly addressed Ryoma Aburame, a subordinate and bodyguard of the root leader, who was also standing at the door without entering.

“…”

Ryoma glanced at Shikaku but didn’t answer, instead gesturing with his eyes with a peculiar expression before resuming his observation of the conference room. The constant twitching of his eyes and the burst of chakra clued the perceptive Shikaku into the situation.

‘Did Kushina lose her temper?’

As a close friend of Namikaze Minato, Shikaku had seen Kushina angry before, but never this intensely or in such a sensitive location.

“this…”

With his large size, Akimichi Choza managed to squeeze into the front row just in time to witness a shocking scene.

What did he see?

Shimura Danzo, a figure feared by nearly everyone in Konoha, was plastered against the wall, slowly sliding down. The high-ranking officials of Konoha were cowering in the corner like quails.

Choza’s sharp mind went blank.

“This is the Kyuubi Jinchuriki!”

Nara Shikaku rolled his neck and fixed his gaze on Kushina, who was radiating an intense light in the middle of the room.

‘This is too much!’

Observing her current state, Shikaku took a deep breath.

He thought of his own angry wife. Namikaze Minato must have an incredible 'strength' to face such a powerful Kushina regularly.

‘How does he manage?’

After a moment of silent sympathy for his friend, Shikaku nudged Ryoma’s shoulder, signaling him to assist his boss and break the tense atmosphere in the room.

Ryoma understood but didn’t move. Showing up now would be a terrible idea. He knew his boss’s temper well enough to avoid being assigned an unpleasant mission for witnessing his embarrassing moment.

With so many witnesses, it wasn’t a huge problem, but taking the lead would not earn any thanks. Even the insects in his body were still, as if lifeless, terrified by Kushina’s rage.

He had no desire to face her wrath.

“Kushina, calm down. Rin will be fine. The Sandaime and I will handle this matter properly!”

Finally, Namikaze Minato, the future Fourth Hokage, began to soothe the powerful Kushina. He was the only one present with the ability to calm her down.

“Is that so?”

This time, Uzumaki Kushina did not obediently follow Minato's words but instead turned her eyes to the Sandaime Hokage, seemingly waiting for his response.

“…Don’t worry, Kushina. Konoha will not abandon Nohara Rin.”

After a long silence, the Sandaime Hokage finally spoke, offering his reassurance. In the current situation, it was essential to calm Kushina. Regarding Rin’s safety, the Sandaime glanced at Danzo, who stood silently nearby, shell-shocked by the situation.

Danzo, caught off guard by Kushina’s sudden burst of chakra, was in disarray. Despite regaining his stance, his expression was unlike anything the Sandaime had seen before.

“Good!”

Kushina, after a final look at Danzo, withdrew the Kyuubi's chakra. She understood that causing a scene and targeting Danzo wasn’t without its risks. As the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki in Konoha, she had leverage but needed to know her limits to avoid repercussions for herself, Rin, or Minato.

“Rin, let’s go!”

Once she retracted the chakra, she reverted to her usual self and left the room with Rin, who had been almost invisible in the commotion. In her mind, she thanked the Kyuubi for its cooperation in providing its chakra, knowing the situation would have been far more complicated had it resisted. However, Kyuubi’s usual attitude still irritated her.

“Minato, you should join them and comfort Kushina.”

Seeing the source of the disruption leave, Sandaime was visibly relieved. He directed Minato to accompany Kushina.

“I apologize for Kushina's rudeness…”

Realizing the meeting couldn’t proceed, Minato bowed to the elders, his demeanor humble. But this time, no one offered him a response.

“Hiruzen, you saw the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki’s behavior. In the past, she could be excused for being young and naive, but this time… we can’t allow her to be so impudent!”

Once most of the attendees had left, Danzo spoke again, immediately criticizing Kushina.

“Yes, Hiruzen! She didn’t respect us at all. Is this how a Konoha ninja should act?”

Koharu chimed in, supporting Danzo’s stance as Sarutobi remained silent, puffing on his pipe.

“And Minato isn’t even Hokage yet. If he becomes Hokage, who knows what she’ll do!”

Danzo added, frustrated by Sarutobi’s lack of response. However, this time, his companions did not fully agree with him.

“Kyuubi is different from other tailed beasts. Its power is extraordinary, as you just witnessed. Not many can handle it, even among the Uzumaki clan. Her performance today is exactly what we’ve hoped for.”

The Sandaime spoke slowly after finishing his pipe. Despite being angered by Kushina’s outburst, he recognized it wasn't entirely negative. Previously, Kushina had trouble maintaining the Nine-Tails Chakra mode, but today she was in perfect control.

As for Minato’s potential as Hokage, the Sandaime simply ignored Danzo’s concerns, letting the topic drop.

“Yeah! Hiruzen’s right, but we can’t let this happen again.”

Homura, who had been silent, finally spoke. He agreed with Sarutobi but insisted such incidents shouldn't recur. If Kushina continued to lose her temper, it would be intolerable.

Even Koharu saw the logic in Sarutobi’s words. The Kyuubi was unique and powerful, and finding another suitable jinchuuriki was a daunting task. During wartime, the minor flaws of someone with Kushina’s power seemed insignificant. Training a new jinchuuriki could take over a decade, a luxury they couldn’t afford.