After assigning the task of crafting Hornet to Sasori, Anya began fragmenting Minato's soul within the Spiritual Realm.
Although she had taught him the Spirit Transformation Technique, Minato simply couldn't master it. Like the Flying Thunder God Technique, the Spirit Transformation also required natural talent, which Minato clearly lacked.
With no other choice, Anya decided to take matters into her own hands.
She proceeded with extreme caution during the fragmentation process. Fortunately, this wasn't her first time, so everything went rather smoothly. The transformed Minato appeared gentle—almost effeminate, as Kushina used to say when they were young—but his endurance to pain was just as strong as Anya's.
Within less than half a day, the soul fragmentation succeeded. To prevent excessive splitting from causing mental instability, she only divided off about one percent of his original soul.
Anya informed Minato, "This soul fragment can only accompany Naruto. It won't be able to utilize any techniques from the Spirit Transformation. If he runs into danger, you won't be able to help."
"This is already amazing. Thank you, Anya," Minato said, sensing the two separate souls within him. His eyes showed both amazement and gratitude. He hadn't expected her to possess such an incredible ninjutsu technique.
Once finished, Anya rose and headed toward where Sasori was located. As soon as she entered, she saw a lifelike miniature Hornet already completed in the Secret Base. About the size of a finger, it fluttered through the air effortlessly under Sasori's control, almost like a real insect.
"That fast?" Anya exclaimed in surprise. "Sasori, looks like your puppet-making skills have improved again."
"Not entirely my doing," Sasori modestly replied. "Big Brother Kurotsuchi, don't you remember? After the Third Battle, the Land of the Blacksmiths officially joined the Zero Organization. Their artisans are truly remarkable—they even show potential to become puppeteers. I picked a few of them to assist me here."
"I see," Anya thought for a moment before responding. She hadn't paid much attention to the Land of the Blacksmiths before, but now this was a pleasant surprise.
"Come over here," Sasori led Anya to the rear flank of the base. There, dozens of craftsmen worked busily. The once-half-finished Megatron puppet was nearly complete—only minor details remained. After the failure of Red Spider, Sasori had poured all his effort into this new towering masterpiece.
Pride evident on his face, Sasori gazed at Megatron and said, "Big Brother Kurotsuchi, like I said before, I'll fine-tune this puppet and perfect its craftsmanship to the highest standard. If necessary, I'll inject the full Ryumyaku energy into it, granting regeneration abilities. Even if your physical body dies, this puppet may still hold the presence of the Ten-Tails."
"Sounds good," Anya agreed immediately. So much planning after the Third Battle meant she was no longer that helpless ninja from Mist who'd been left near death outside the village gates. Even if her current body deteriorates after three months, the backups I've prepared will still ensure my survival—the Wood Release Clone and the Megatron crafted by Sasori are both solid options.
Receiving Anya's approval made Sasori visibly happy, marking the first time he smiled since their partnership began.
Time was limited. After successfully embedding Minato's fragment into Hornet, Anya bid Sasori farewell.
Sasori's eyes revealed a hint of reluctance. He clearly understood that this departure might mean they wouldn't meet again for a very long time.
Anya mounted the newly crafted Warhawk Puppet made by Sasori, his expression remarkably carefree. "Sasori, work hard to improve your strength. Believe me, when we meet again, this world will change because of us."
Watching Anya's figure soar into the sky, Sasori's gaze gradually became resolute as he murmured to himself, "Big Brother Kurotsuchi, I will definitely complete your plan."
Leaving Sunagakure Village, Anya flew straight for Konoha. He understood Minato's feelings. Moreover, Anya had someone dear waiting for him in Konoha too. With the Nine-Tails incident concluded, the upper echelons of Konoha were sure to have intense discussions. The Uchiha Clan, which had control over the Nine-Tails, was certain to be drawn into the ensuing turmoil.
Having seen everything himself, Anya had already figured out the origin of the Uchiha Massacre. Originally, Fugaku had been filled with resentment after the Hokage election matter. After this latest crisis, the rift between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan had likely widened beyond repair, pushing both sides completely to opposite ends. Tensions would keep rising until there was no turning back, and one side would end up destroyed.
Anya could have easily rescued Mikoto before, but now the difficulty had skyrocketed to the point where even ensuring his own safety was a challenge. It seemed he'd need to find another method. Fortunately, there was still some time left.
It was already past midnight when Anya returned to Konoha. Under the cover of darkness, he directly infiltrated the Hokage's office.
"Who's there?"
Nine-Tails' rampage had left Hiruzen Sarutobi extremely vigilant. The security around Konoha had been heightened to its maximum level, yet someone had still managed to sneak into such a critical area unnoticed—this alarmed him greatly.
"It's me." Anya stepped out from the shadows.
Startled, Hiruzen immediately asked, "Where are Minato and his wife? Are they... okay?"
Anya replied naturally, "You should know better than anyone else, shouldn't you? One used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, the other had its Tailed Beast extracted. There's only one possible outcome."
Hiruzen, who had been holding onto hope, now sank into despair. "Yeah… Though I've known the answer all along, seeing you carry away their bodies made me foolishly think maybe you had the ability to save them. Seems like I was just being naive."
Anya casually asked, "Has anyone been chosen for the Fifth Hokage yet?"
Hiruzen's expression darkened slightly, and he stared tightly at Anya as he said, "What exactly are you implying?"
Anya gave a faint chuckle. "I think you misunderstood me. As for that position, I've never had any interest in it at all. In fact, if you want to continue serving as the Third Hokage, I have no objections—and I can even support you. However, I do have one request."
Hiruzen relaxed a little, but he knew Anya's request couldn't be simple. Cautiously, he asked, "Tell me what it is first."
Anya grew serious, enunciating each word clearly: "If one day the Uchiha Clan and Konoha end up in direct hostility, and if things escalate into open conflict, I will rescue one person. No one—not even a whisper—must know about this individual."
Mikoto Uchiha. Only she would be worth saving in Anya's eyes. Sarutobi had already pinpointed her identity in his mind. Then he caught the hidden implication behind Anya's words and pressed further, asking, "So you also believe this Nine-Tails incident was caused by someone from the Uchiha Clan? Who do you suspect? Fugaku Uchiha?"
"Him?"
Anya scoffed, "You're giving him too much credit. I do know who it is, but even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me. Have you made a decision about my request?"
"Are you serious?" Sarutobi was greatly surprised and pressed on. "Tell me, exactly who is it?"
"Your guess wasn't wrong. The Nine-Tails is indeed controlled by someone from the Uchiha Clan. That's all I can tell you." Anya had no obligation to reveal everything to Sarutobi, in order to avoid unnecessary chain reactions afterward. To Anya, rescuing Miss Mikoto was all that mattered—nothing else concerned him.
Realizing he could not get anything else out of Anya, Sarutobi nodded and said, "I accept your request. However, I still have one last question: If Konoha and the Uchiha come into conflict, where will you stand?"
"I'll just sit back and watch."
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