"The intelligence was brought back by 'Mute,' a spy who had just completed his evacuation. According to him, he was on the verge of being exposed, and his safe retreat was only possible due to unexpected assistance. The scroll has already been inspected—there are no jutsu or poisons attached."
A Root ninja gave a concise report on what he knew.
"Hmm."
Yamanaka Shinno nodded slightly, a peculiar expression on his face as he unrolled the intelligence scroll in his hands.
Thinking back, his early techniques for manipulating human memory had been rather crude and immature.
The fact that Pakura hadn't completely broken down from mental exhaustion and instead only turned into a lunatic was, honestly, a stroke of luck.
...
Complete allegiance to Konoha?
Was it the body's self-preservation instinct that made her choose one particular perception?
Or...
Was there a trap?
After reading through the contents of the scroll, Shinno's brows furrowed slightly. He was now about eighty percent convinced of Pakura's loyalty.
Kirigakure had secretly sent several high-ranking officials to Sunagakure half a month ago. There, they had reached some sort of agreement with Chiyo and Ebizō, who were currently leading the village's affairs.
Pakura hadn't obtained the full details of the agreement.
But based on snippets of conversation from high-ranking officials, their target was none other than Konoha!
Recently, Chiyo had even hinted that in the upcoming war, Pakura should protect Rasa, ensuring that he gained as many military achievements as possible to pave the way for his eventual promotion to Fourth Kazekage.
"Kirigakure... first allied with Iwagakure, then struck a deal with Sunagakure, and their war against Kumogakure seems to be more of a stalling tactic..."
Thoughts flashed rapidly through Shinno's mind.
He wasn't sure what price Kirigakure had paid to secure an alliance with Sunagakure.
But one thing was clear: once preparations were complete, both Sunagakure and Iwagakure would launch a coordinated assault on Konoha!
As for Kirigakure and Kumogakure...
Kumogakure was less of a concern. Unless something drastic changed, they would likely choose to sit back and watch.
They would wait until the three factions had exhausted each other before deciding whether to intervene.
But Kirigakure, due to their agreements with Iwagakure and Sunagakure, would definitely be required to engage Konoha's forces.
"A three-front war... I need to figure out how to get Hiruzen Sarutobi onto the battlefield."
Shinno rubbed his chin in thought.
After Danzo—who was actually a disguised White Zetsu—left the Hokage's office, Shinno used the chakra fluctuations from the Root ninja's body flicker technique as cover, transferring his consciousness into the clone via the Mind-Transfer Puppet Technique.
Silently, he had White Zetsu return to the Hokage's office with the intelligence scroll.
Meanwhile, his real body, after exchanging pleasantries with familiar high-ranking Konoha officials and core Jonin, finally headed home alongside Yamanaka Inoichi.
...
The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, Shinno felt Kushina stir in his arms and groggily opened his eyes.
Directing the disguised White Zetsu in a verbal match against Hiruzen Sarutobi last night had taken a significant mental toll on him.
Although he hadn't been able to immediately convince Sarutobi to head to the front lines himself, it was clear—the old man was tempted!
And once that temptation took root...
Was action really that far off?
All that remained was to craft a situation where Hiruzen Sarutobi believed victory was assured, where he could gain glory effortlessly while reaffirming his title as the "Strongest Hokage."
"Why are you up so early?"
Shinno rubbed his slightly sore eyes and asked as he watched Kushina get dressed.
Unable to resist, he reached out and ran a hand along the smooth skin of her lower back.
Kushina pouted and swatted his hand playfully.
"It's New Year's Eve today. I promised Honoka we'd go clean up the Uzumaki Clan's Mask Storage Temple."
"Uzumaki Clan's Mask Storage Temple?"
Shinno recognized the name immediately.
In the original timeline, Orochimaru had used the Uzumaki Clan's Mask Storage Temple, a place of the Uzumaki Clan, to perform the Edo Tensei technique and summon the previous Hokage.
There was also that forbidden technique requiring a contract with the Shinigami...
The Reaper Death Seal!
Glancing at the already risen sun outside, Shinno rubbed his face to wake himself up and sat up from the bed.
"I'll go with you."
"Really? Hehe~ Mwah~"
Seeing her usually busy boyfriend take the initiative to accompany her, Kushina grinned mischievously and pecked him on the cheek.
Clearly, she thought this was a reward-worthy occasion!
After getting ready, the two left the house, grabbing breakfast from a nearby food stall before heading toward the Uzumaki Clan's Mask Storage Temple together.
...
Although last night's high-level meeting had laid the war situation bare and Konoha's defensive arrangements had been disclosed to all top officials, Hiruzen Sarutobi had strictly forbidden any discussion of these matters in public.
While this wouldn't entirely prevent intelligence from leaking to other villages, at the very least, for now, Konoha's civilians remained blissfully unaware of the impending war.
Instead, they were caught up in the festive spirit of the New Year.
Every street in Konoha was filled with a genuine longing for peace and prosperity.
"How have things been between you and the Nine-Tails lately?"
As they walked toward the Uzumaki Clan's Mask Storage Temple, Shinno casually asked Kushina.
"P-pretty good, I guess..."
Kushina nervously scratched her cheek with a finger.
"Oh? Tell me more."
"With Grandma Mito's seal and my transformation abilities, it can't beat me, so... well, I guess we can sort of communicate. But lately, it's been getting kinda snarky."
"...So you hit it?"
"No, no! Hehe~ I just make funny faces at it when it gets cheeky."
"Pfft—next time it gets snarky, say: 'Nine-Tails, your power is just too overwhelming!' And then do this."
Shinno laughed and tapped Kushina's head lightly before mimicking a grasping motion in the air.
"Hmm? I'll try it!"
Holding onto Shinno's hand, Kushina sank her consciousness into the seal.
Moments later, she burst into uncontrollable laughter, clutching her stomach. Clearly, the Nine-Tails' reaction had been priceless.
"Hahaha~ Shinno, the stupid fox says it wants to see you. Do you want to meet it?"
"Hmm, why not?"
Just as Shinno was about to enter the seal using his clan's secret technique, Kushina stopped him.
After making sure no one was around, she smiled playfully.
"Don't be scared!"
A golden-red chakra erupted from her, enveloping her entire body, making her clothes shimmer with radiant light. Black sealing patterns emerged, and her hair floated weightlessly.
In an instant, she had entered the Perfect Jinchūriki state!
"This... is your so-called 'Invincible Golden Form'?"
"Yep! Hehe~ But there's an even stronger one! I just can't control it well yet. I'll show you next time!"
Shinno felt his scalp tingle.
Was this thing really not shortening her lifespan?
Buzz~
A tiny, palm-sized Nine-Tails formed on Kushina's shoulder, baring its fangs fiercely.
"Brat! How do you know about this?!"
"Been chatting with Hashirama a bit more lately."
Shinno smirked, watching the tiny fox's contorted expression.
"Tch—I'm not playing anymore! This place is cursed!"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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