Chapter 136 – Memories!
Mito Uzumaki's death was peaceful, her face glowing with a blissful smile.
The great figures who had originally founded Konoha were now mostly gone.
Mito Uzumaki was the only one who could be considered to have passed away naturally. Being a ninja had always been a dangerous profession with a short lifespan.
Kushina tightly held Mito Uzumaki's hand, clearly feeling the warmth gradually fading away.
She'd inherited Mito's legacy, becoming the village's second Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—and yet, she bore no resentment in her heart.
"Grandma Mito Uzumaki, rest assured. As long as I'm alive, I won't let anyone destroy this village."
Kushina stopped her tears, because she knew that in her final moments, Grandma Mito Uzumaki had been truly happy. The past was gone—why dwell on pain when there was still a future to protect?
"Inform all available ninja who can spare time about Lady Mito's passing. We will hold the funeral in three days."
Even the usually strong Third Hokage couldn't help but moisten his eyes. However, The Third naturally wouldn't stay immersed in sorrow for long. He turned his head and issued orders to the guards outside.
"Yes!"
The kneeling ninja bowed lower, then began to rise.
"Wait."
Just then, a voice stopped him. Everyone looked toward the source—it was Danzo.
Danzo narrowed his eyes slightly before turning to Sarutobi. "Sarutobi, the news of Lady Mito's death must be kept secret. You should know the current situation, shouldn't you?"
"And what if I do?" The Third had no intention of listening to Danzo and gave the previous ninja an expressive look.
Whoosh!
The ninja vanished instantly. Although Danzo held high status, the Hokage was still the ultimate authority in the village.
Danzo's expression darkened. "By releasing this information, various factions already stirring with ambition will definitely act—especially against the new jinchuriki!"
Once the news of Uzumaki Mito's death spreads, countries possessing such intelligence naturally won't remain idle.
As Danzo said, they would certainly make a move—and attacking Konoha would be the most extreme possibility.
"Hmph." Hearing this, the Third snorted coldly and replied, "Then let them come. I'd like to see whether they truly dare."
This wasn't mere stubbornness from Sarutobi. It was true that tensions between nations had already escalated, and open warfare had merely not broken out yet—but it was just a matter of time.
As one of the Five Great Ninja Nations, Konoha must show unwavering strength at times like these. If they became overly cautious now, they would simply offer opportunities to their enemies.
Besides, Konoha today wasn't the same place it was back when he first took the mantle—not only did it have powerful figures like Hatake Sakumo, but his three disciples had also become capable warriors in their own right.
And with him still in his prime, Konoha did not fear any opponent.
"You!" Danzo's face grew darker, but Sarutobi was the Hokage. As an elder, he had no power to override the decision.
"At the very least, I should dispatch Root to monitor the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Nobody knows whether she'll be able to control the Nine-Tails..." Danzo continued.
The Third Hokage looked at him and replied, "That won't be necessary. I'll leave this matter to Sakumo Hatake."
Then he turned to Sakumo, saying, "I'll have Anbu ninja assist you."
"Yes!" Sakumo immediately accepted the order.
Kushina's expression became somewhat distant.
"I'm sorry, Kushina. It's not that I want to restrict your freedom, but..." The Third Hokage noticed her look and explained.
Kushina shook off her thoughts and calmly replied, "I understand, Hokage-sama. Since I promised Grandma Mito, I will obey your every command."
Though she longed to see Minato immediately, Kushina understood the difference between what was urgent and what was truly important.
"How long do you think I need to be monitored?" Kushina asked.
The Third Hokage hesitated briefly before answering, "About a month."
The Nine-Tails' re-sealing had just been completed. For several days, it would remain quiet as previously predicted by Grandma Mito. However, once the sealing power weakened after those days, the Nine-Tails was sure to stir again.
One month would be enough time to observe whether Kushina could initially suppress the Nine-Tails.
After that, although guards still needed to be assigned nearby, her personal freedom wouldn't be restricted anymore.
This was also what Grandma Mito had wished for before her death.
Kushina bit her lip and nodded.
"That time is too short! No way!"
However, this decision faced strong opposition from Danzo once more. He stepped forward to stand in front of the Third Hokage, glaring angrily at him.
The Third Hokage, however, calmly stared back and said, "I am the Third Hokage. My decisions are mine alone to make!"
With those words, the Third directly walked away, unwilling to waste any more words with him.
"I will go find the Daimyo and let him see exactly what you, the Third Hokage, have done," Danzo gritted his teeth and said.
Without looking back, the Third strode out.
Sakumo originally intended to take Kushina away from here, while attendants were already coming in one after another, preparing to handle Grandma Mito's funeral arrangements.
"Can I stay and help with the preparations? I want to do something for Grandma Mito before I go," Kushina pleaded with Sakumo with a sorrowful gaze.
Sakumo nodded.
With him guarding here, there wouldn't be any issues with Kushina.
Danzo found himself in an awkward position. After hesitating briefly, he snorted coldly and left.
...
When the morning classes at the Ninja Academy ended, neither Kushina nor Minato had appeared.
As Moto Kouda stood there puzzling, some students began cracking jokes.
"That guy Minato must've gone looking for his girlfriend again."
These words caused laughter all around. Moto Kouda couldn't help twitching his lips—these students these days sure know too much already...
However, even when school ended in the afternoon, these two people still hadn't appeared at the academy.
This situation seemed rather unusual now. Judging from Minato's personality, he didn't seem like the kind of student who would skip class.
So, after the students left, Moto Kouda began searching for Minato around the village.
Mikoto did the same once school was over.
As night fell, Minato lay still in a deep alley of Konoha, as lifeless as could be.
Suddenly, Minato's eyes shot open, yet everything before him was pitch black.
Much to his shock, he couldn't move his own body.
"Where... is this?"
Minato murmured. Then, right before his eyes, a pair of glaring crimson vertical pupils appeared, mere inches from his face.
A cold voice then echoed at the same time.
Damned Fourth Hokage!
...
...
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