Jiraiya heard the words but said nothing.
He only looked at the Third Hokage, his expression steady and unreadable.
Hiruzen caught the look—
and felt a quiet sting of guilt.
"It's not as if we haven't considered sending reinforcements," he said, meeting Jiraiya's gaze.
Jiraiya remained silent.
"You know the situation of the village yourself," Hiruzen continued.
"Tell me—
To whom do I give the command to go to the Mist border? Who would actually listen if I sent them?"
Jiraiya let out a slow breath.
"So what do you plan to reply?" he asked.
Koharu, who had been listening quietly, scoffed.
"Hmph. This is the result of their own people's actions," she said coldly.
"They brought this upon themselves."
To her, it was simple.
If the Uchiha had endured a little longer—
until the war ended—
They wouldn't be facing this now.
Jiraiya's expression tightened.
"Elder," he said sharply, "they're fighting at the border for the entire village—
not just for their clan."
Koharu said nothing.
"Jiraiya is right," Hiruzen said, turning to her.
"Koharu, as an elder, you shouldn't speak like that."
He glanced back at Jiraiya, not wanting him to feel that the Uchiha's request had been knowingly ignored out of revenge or some other reason.
"I should speak with Tsunade about this," Jiraiya said, turning to the Third Hokage.
"If the Uchiha inside the village learn about the delay in reinforcements, things will only get worse."
Hiruzen nodded slowly, understanding the situation.
"I believe it would be best to call for a jōnin meeting," Koharu said.
"The village should be informed that the Sannin will be taking the role of temporary elders until the Fourth Hokage is selected."
Koharu folded her hands, already settling on the idea.
"And we can also discuss increasing the supply of healing pills from the Uchiha for the civilians," Hiruzen added, glancing at Jiraiya.
Jiraiya sighed, finding the matter increasingly difficult.
"Many civilian shinobi are complaining they haven't received a single healing pill from the Kuzuno shops. The stock sells out quickly—and most of it goes to the clans."
For the first time, doubt crept clearly into Hiruzen's mind.
Allowing the Uchiha to take on the role of a merchant clan…
He wondered if that had been a mistake.
The door opened again.
"It's not just the civilians," Homura said as he entered.
"Even the village reserves barely received anything."
He took his seat with a tired exhale.
"The supplies we managed to purchase over three days don't even match what the Aburame clan secured in a single day—
and they received the least."
The room fell quiet.
Jiraiya and Hiruzen both felt the situation tighten further.
"Hmph," Koharu scoffed.
"I've said it before, Hiruzen. This is all part of the Uchiha's design."
She didn't hide her anger.
"A calculated move to divide the village."
Even Hiruzen could now feel it.
This wasn't a coincidence.
It felt deliberate—
like pieces being nudged into place.
But knowing that didn't mean he could act on it.
"Let it be for now," he said quietly, the weight clear in his voice.
"Think about what we can do."
He looked at Jiraiya.
"From here on, it depends on you… and Tsunade."
Jiraiya nodded once.
Kushina's House
Inside her sealing space, Kushina Uzumaki sat cross-legged, thoroughly bored.
"Hey, fox," she said, poking at the massive presence before her.
"Why can't you just lend me your chakra willingly? Why do we have to argue every single time? You're so stingy."
The Nine-Tails snarled.
"You shameless woman," it growled.
"You're even more shameless than that, Mito."
Kushina's temper flared instantly.
"You idiot fox! Because of you, I'm stuck here while Minato goes off alone. If you'd cooperate, I'd be out there too!"
That only made her mood worse.
Outside the seal, Mikoto Uchiha watched Kushina's puffed-up cheeks and animated gestures with quiet amusement.
She couldn't hear the Nine-Tails' words—
But Kushina's expressions and words said enough.
"At least you always have someone to talk to," Mikoto said lightly.
"Even if it's the Nine-Tails. I'm alone most of the time now—
Fugaku left, and Itachi doesn't talk much yet."
She looked down at little Itachi in her arms, smiling as she gently played with him.
Kushina turned toward her and immediately noticed Mikoto with Itachi.
"What are you saying? I'm right here," she said.
"You should bring little Itachi more often. I'll play with him."
Then she glanced back inward, scowling.
"This stinky fox doesn't even know how to talk properly. I try to be friendly, and what do I get? Nothing. No friends, no manners. Stingy, selfish fox."
Inside the seal, the Nine-Tails' chakra churned violently.
"You truly are shameless," it snapped.
"Who would ever want to be friends with you?"
"Well," Kushina replied smugly, "I have Mikoto. I'm not like you."
"Hmph."
The Nine-Tails fell silent.
Mikoto laughed softly.
"Hahaha… I almost feel bad for the Nine-Tails," she said, clearly amused.
Kushina saw Mikoto laughing and felt a little happy.
When Mikoto had arrived earlier, she had looked sad and worried, so seeing her smile eased something inside her.
Kushina smiled and moved closer to Itachi.
"Come on, Itachi," she said playfully. "Call me aunt."
She gently helped him sit properly and looked closely at his face, clearly enjoying herself.
As she was playing with him, both Kushina and Mikoto heard a knock at the door.
"Who could that be now?" Kushina muttered to herself as she carefully handed Itachi back to Mikoto.
She walked over and opened the door.
Tsunade was standing there.
"Sister Tsunade," Kushina said in surprise, "you came early today."
They moved inside.
Tsunade didn't say much at first and sat down, her expression tight.
"Those old geezers really ruined my mood,"
She said after a moment.
Then her eyes shifted to Mikoto sitting across from her, holding Itachi.
"Greetings, Lady Tsunade," Mikoto said politely.
Tsunade looked at her for a second, then smiled faintly.
"Oh?" she said, glancing at Kushina.
"So you have guests today, Kushina."
"Yes, Mikoto came with Itachi today."
Kushina said cheerfully as she lifted Itachi into her arms and carried him toward Tsunade.
"Look—doesn't he look cute?"
Tsunade leaned forward and examined Itachi's face for a moment.
Then she reached out and gently pinched his cheek.
"Uwah—"
Itachi's face scrunched up, and the next second, he started crying.
"Oh—hey, hey," Tsunade said, startled.
"Don't cry, don't cry."
She awkwardly tried to calm him down, patting his back a little too stiffly.
Kushina watched for a second—
then burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Sister Tsunade, you really don't know how to take care of kids!"
Tsunade frowned as Itachi's crying only grew louder.
With a small sigh, she quickly handed him back to Kushina.
"Kids cry too fast," she muttered, clearly annoyed. "They're noisy."
Kushina caught Itachi easily and rocked him without thinking.
His crying began to slow almost immediately.
"There, there," she said softly. "See? You just scared him."
Tsunade looked away, crossing her arms.
"Hmph."
Mikoto watched the scene with a faint smile.
"Hey, Sister Tsunade," Kushina asked suddenly, rocking Itachi in her arms, "won't they let me go to Minato at the border? I'm getting bored staying here."
Tsunade let out a dry breath.
"I don't know," she said bluntly.
"They don't care about my opinion anyway. I'm just sitting there like a clown. I don't even know why they bothered calling me in."
As she spoke, her eyes drifted to Mikoto.
Mikoto noticed the look immediately. She understood it well enough.
"Well… I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade," Mikoto said softly.
Tsunade shook her head.
"No," she said, easing her tone.
"I'm not blaming you for anything. I just thought of something when I looked at you."
The tension thinned, but it didn't disappear completely.
Kushina noticed—
and frowned.
"Sister Tsunade," she said firmly, "you can't bully Mikoto."
She glanced at Mikoto, then back at Tsunade.
"She's already lonely enough. And she's worried about many things."
Her voice softened at the end, protective without being loud.
Mikoto lowered her eyes slightly, fingers tightening around Itachi for just a moment.
Tsunade looked at Kushina, then at Mikoto again.
Tsunade sighed and looked at Mikoto.
"Sorry," she said at last.
"I don't have any malice toward you, Mikoto. But no one is telling me the full details about anything."
Her frustration slipped through despite herself.
"All I know is that there's some tension between the Uchiha and the village—
And that much I heard from Shikaku. Nothing more."
She glanced at Kushina.
"It's getting annoying," Tsunade added, her voice rough.
"Coming back to the village only to sit around like a clown."
Mikoto listened quietly.
Hearing the frustration in Tsunade's voice, she understood something then—
This wasn't anger directed at her.
It was a worry.
The same kind she'd been carrying herself.
"Well," Mikoto said softly, "I don't know much either. After Fugaku left, many things inside the clan were handled by the grand elder and the other elders."
She lowered her gaze slightly.
"I'm not involved in those discussions."
Kushina listened from the side, gently holding Itachi.
A faint unease settled in her chest.
The atmosphere in the room had shifted.
What had started as a casual conversation now felt heavier—
almost like a meeting.
Or worse.
An unspoken interrogation.
Kushina tightened her hold just a little, instinctively wanting to pull things back before they went any further.
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