Uchiha Fugaku's face turned pale with fear when he heard the Uchiha shinobi's report that the meeting had been about selecting the next Hokage.
The news came so suddenly that Uchiha Fugaku was not mentally prepared, and his heart skipped a beat.
Sora was the most qualified candidate for the next Hokage.
If Sora became the Fifth Hokage, then everything would be over. They would need to immediately prepare to leave Konoha and build anew elsewhere.
Uchiha Fugaku's voice was noticeably nervous: "So... has the next Hokage... been decided?"
"It's confirmed that the Third Hokage will resume the role."
Uchiha Fugaku breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that Sarutobi Hiruzen would be Hokage.
Although Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't trust the Uchiha clan, it was better than having Sora, who openly hated the Uchiha clan, serve as the Fifth Hokage.
Uchiha Fugaku touched his forehead; his hands were sweaty. He had been truly frightened.
...
Three days later, inside the Konoha Hospital.
Uzumaki Miyuki was holding Naruto, who had just finished feeding and fallen asleep, gently rocking him in her arms.
Uzumaki Miyuki looked at Naruto's sleeping face, and a smile appeared unconsciously. But when her gaze fell to Naruto's stomach, her eyes filled with gloom.
All Uzumaki Miyuki could think about was the scene where Namikaze Minato had taken Naruto from her arms and used the Eight Trigrams Seal to seal the Nine-Tails into Naruto's body.
Uzumaki Miyuki touched Naruto's face with pity: "I'm sorry, Naruto. Your mother didn't protect you well enough. I'm so sorry..."
Uzumaki Miyuki pressed her face against Naruto's, tears falling silently from her eyes.
Suddenly, there was a knock on Uzumaki Miyuki's hospital room door.
Uzumaki Miyuki wiped away her tears and said, "Please come in."
The door opened, revealing Sora and Uzumaki Kushina, who now had a visibly pregnant belly.
Uzumaki Kushina greeted Uzumaki Miyuki energetically: "Miyuki, I'm here to see you and Naruto!"
Uzumaki Miyuki forced a smile: "Welcome."
Sora helped Uzumaki Kushina walk to Uzumaki Miyuki's hospital bed and sit on the chair.
Uzumaki Kushina looked at Naruto in Uzumaki Miyuki's arms, reached out to gently poke Naruto's cheek, and said with a smile: "Little Naruto is really cute."
Uzumaki Miyuki said "Thank you" and then asked: "Kushina, are you about to give birth?"
Uzumaki Kushina nodded and said, "Yes, the estimated due date is about 20 days away. When little Sonagi is born, she and little Naruto will definitely become good friends."
Uzumaki Miyuki pursed her lips and said nothing.
Uzumaki Kushina looked around and asked, "By the way, where is Minato? Why isn't he with you..."
"Kushina!"
Sora called out to Uzumaki Kushina sharply.
Regarding Namikaze Minato, Sora hadn't told Uzumaki Kushina yet, and... looking at Uzumaki Miyuki's behavior, she might still blame Namikaze Minato in her heart.
Uzumaki Kushina looked at Sora in confusion, and he shook his head at her seriously.
Uzumaki Kushina realized that something might have happened and quickly changed the subject.
Uzumaki Kushina and Uzumaki Miyuki continued chatting.
But seeing that Uzumaki Miyuki wasn't in a good mood, Uzumaki Kushina said: "Miyuki, Sora and I won't disturb your rest any longer. I'll come see you again soon."
Uzumaki Miyuki said goodbye: "Alright, see you next time, Kushina."
Sora helped Uzumaki Kushina stand and said to Uzumaki Miyuki: "Miyuki, get some rest. If you need anything, just let us know. We'll be going now."
Sora helped Uzumaki Kushina leave the room.
Watching Sora carefully protecting Uzumaki Kushina, Uzumaki Miyuki murmured: "I really envy you, Kushina."
Uzumaki Miyuki looked down at Naruto in her arms, her eyes gradually filling with determination.
After leaving the hospital and returning home, Uzumaki Kushina asked Sora: "Sora, what happened to Namikaze Minato?"
Sora nodded: "He's still in a coma because of the Nine-Tails attack. Because we don't know when he'll wake up, Sarutobi Hiruzen will take over as Hokage again."
Uzumaki Kushina frowned: "Sora, there must be more to it.
If that was all, you wouldn't have stopped me from asking, and I can tell Miyuki is acting strangely.
She looks at Naruto with such guilt."
Sora sighed and said: "I was worried that you would get upset and it might affect the baby, so I planned to tell you the details after Sonagi was born.
But since you're asking, I'll tell you.
You have to promise me that you'll stay calm!"
Sora knew Uzumaki Kushina's temperament very well.
He was genuinely concerned that she would become angry after learning the truth.
Uzumaki Kushina took several deep breaths and said, "I'm ready, Sora. Tell me."
Sora explained: "Namikaze Minato split the Nine-Tails and sealed it separately—half in Miyuki's body, and the other half in Naruto's body."
"What?!"
Uzumaki Kushina was shocked and tried to stand up, but Sora quickly pressed her back down onto the seat.
Sora was alarmed and broke into a cold sweat: "Please, you need to calm down. Think about Sonagi."
Uzumaki Kushina was breathing heavily, and Sora kept patting her back to help her regulate her breathing.
Uzumaki Kushina asked incredulously: "Why would he do this?!"
Sora thought for a moment and said: "First of all, because he is the Hokage..."
Uzumaki Kushina said angrily: "What does being Hokage have to do with it? Does the Hokage have to sacrifice his own child to become a jinchūriki? If he's the Hokage, why didn't he seal the Nine-Tails in his own body! Huh... Sora, you said 'first'—what else?"
Uzumaki Kushina managed to calm herself down.
Seeing that she was no longer agitated, Sora continued, "The second reason involves his teacher, Jiraiya."
Uzumaki Kushina was puzzled: "Master Jiraiya? Isn't Master Jiraiya away from Konoha? What does he have to do with this?"
Sora explained: "There's an old toad sage on Mount Myōboku who can see the future.
He once prophesied to Jiraiya that a 'child of prophecy' would be born among Jiraiya's students, and this child would possess earth-shaking power that could bring either unprecedented peace to the world or complete destruction.
Jiraiya believes that Namikaze Minato's child might be this prophesied child, and that Naruto will save the shinobi world as its savior.
Namikaze Minato believed this, so he decided to seal half of the Nine-Tails into Naruto's body."
Uzumaki Kushina was bewildered: "What future-seeing? What child of prophecy? What saving the world? Namikaze Minato sealed the Nine-Tails into Naruto's body because of these vague words from Master Jiraiya? Isn't this absurd?!"
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