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After Qianyu left, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the rubble that was once the Hokage Building. His face was dark, stormy.
The commotion had drawn attention. Many shinobi had seen it—that colossal, chakra-armored giant. They were converging now, arriving in groups.
One by one, they asked the Third Hokage what had happened. Sarutobi seized the narrative. "Unknown shinobi infiltrated the Hokage Building," he said smoothly. "Qianyu engaged them in combat. That is why the building collapsed. The intruders were powerful. They have abducted the Fourth Hokage's wife, Miyuki Uzumaki, and escaped the village. Assemble pursuit teams. Immediately."
Some of the shinobi present—Nara Shikaku and others—knew Miyuki's true status as a jinchūriki. Their expressions tightened. They moved at once, organizing teams to give chase.
Meanwhile, Homura Mitokado dug Danzō out of the debris. The old councilor was unconscious. Homura had medical-nin take both Danzō and Koharu Utatane for treatment.
As Homura prepared to accompany them to the hospital, Sarutobi stopped him. "Tell them to watch their words," he said, his voice low and serious. "Next time, I may not be able to protect you. Especially Danzō."
Homura understood. Qianyu's sensory abilities were far greater than they'd imagined. His arrival at the tower was no coincidence. He might have been monitoring them the entire time. And if he could sense the ANBU underground base… his range likely covered the entire village.
They couldn't afford loose talk. Not when Qianyu might still be listening.
Homura nodded. "Understood. I will tell them. You've done well to handle this, Hiruzen."
Homura left with the injured.
Alone amidst the ruins, Sarutobi felt the weight of the situation settle upon him. It was deeply troublesome.
Qianyu was, to Konoha, like a cork stuffed into a leaking barrel at the bottom of the sea.
That cork was the only thing keeping the seawater out. But for how long? And because of the cork's pressure, cracks were already spreading around the hole.
The barrel needed the cork. Yet the cork was slowly breaking the barrel apart.
To properly repair the hole, you had to remove the cork.
But remove it, and the wine inside would pour out, while the sea rushed in.
A true dilemma.
Sarutobi thought for a long moment. No solution came. For now, he could only maintain the status quo. Qianyu himself seemed unwilling to force an open conflict. They would weather this immediate crisis. The future… would have to wait.
But his mind kept returning to the image burned into his memory: Qianyu's towering Susano'o.
A flicker of something hard and cold passed through Sarutobi's eyes. He murmured to the empty air, "The Uchiha clan… Truly a terrifying bloodline. First there was Madara. And now… Qianyu."
Qianyu returned home. Kushina Uzumaki rushed to him. "Qianyu! Is Miyuki safe?"
He sank into the sofa and let out a long breath. "She's with Yahiko and the others. They'll take care of her."
Kushina's next question came immediately. "And Naruto? The Third Hokage will take him in, right? He's Minato's son. A hero of the village."
"Hero…" Qianyu's tone was laced with scorn. "No one sees him as a hero. Sarutobi was planning to hand Naruto over to Danzō. To be molded into a weapon. A tool without feelings."
Kushina froze. Then her eyes burned red with rage. "How could he?! Minato gave his life for this village! He sealed the Nine-Tails into his own newborn son! And this is how they repay him?!"
"Calm down," Qianyu said, raising a hand. "It's handled. You heard the noise earlier. That was me. I destroyed the Hokage Building. Threatened Sarutobi. Made a deal. Naruto won't go to Danzō. He'll live in Konoha as an orphan."
He paused, his expression grim. "His life will be hard. There's no avoiding that. The moment Minato chose to seal the fox inside him, that path was set. But it's better than being with Miyuki right now. The Owl Organization isn't strong enough yet. Protecting one jinchūriki is their limit. Adding Naruto would stretch them too thin. They'd have to face not just Konoha, but every other village. A Nine-Tails host is a prize everyone wants."
Kushina rubbed her temples, a headache forming. "Then… do we leave Konoha too? You threatened the Hokage. He won't just let that go."
Qianyu shook his head. "No need. Sarutobi doesn't want me to leave. My presence here deters other villages. And he's terrified of what would happen if I left and joined one of them. So we stay. For now. I promised Miyuki I'd keep her updated on Naruto. And Sarutobi agreed—with his permission, I can see the boy."
A small measure of relief washed over Kushina. "So we can help him…"
"Exactly. If his life is too difficult, we can provide for him. And I'll train him. Give him the power to protect himself. What he does with that power later… that will be his choice."
But Qianyu's lips pressed into a thin line. "However… because of this, Orochimaru-sensei will likely have to leave Konoha soon."
Kushina blinked, confused. "What? Why? This has nothing to do with Lord Orochimaru."
"It does," Qianyu explained, his voice weary. "I openly threatened Sarutobi. He fears my power, but he won't move against me directly—not without a sure plan. I just severed my bond with Kakashi. That leaves only one person in Konoha I'm deeply connected to: Orochimaru-sensei."
He leaned forward, his gaze sharp. "To isolate me, once Konoha recovers, Sarutobi will absolutely move against Sensei. He'll try to erase my influence here. Solidify his own power. Then he'll wait, looking for my weakness. A chance to remove me for good."
Qianyu's voice was certain. "And let's not forget, even after Sarutobi's last warning, Sensei never stopped his research. He never bowed to the old man's will. Sarutobi's patience has run out. Sensei's time in Konoha… is over."
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