The fact that a jinchuriki had left the village was a top-secret matter in Konoha, known only to a very small number of people.
Aside from those who had directly taken part in the mission—Minato, Jiraiya, and a few others—only the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Satoru's family were aware of it.
Even Kushina's son, Uzumaki Naruto, had no idea what his mother was doing. The Fourth Hokage and his wife merely told him that Kushina was going on a secret mission and wouldn't be back for a while, instructing Naruto to behave and study hard at the academy.
Naruto's life changed drastically after Kushina's departure and Minato's increasing busyness. Ever since he could remember, this was the longest time his mother had been away from home. Naruto wasn't exactly a mama's boy, but at his age, any child would naturally rely on their parents.
Suddenly being left alone made him feel a little lonely.
Fortunately, since he had started attending the Ninja Academy, he spent most of his time surrounded by friends. And when classes ended in the evening, Minato would always try to find time to pick him up personally.
Though his mother's presence was missing, the companionship of his friends—and his father—added many colors to his life. While neither could fully replace Kushina, their presence helped ease his longing for her.
Minato did everything he could to give Naruto the best childhood possible. But as the Hokage, there were inevitably times when he simply couldn't be there.
The Ninja Academy was, after all, a school. To balance learning and rest, students were given two days off each week. During weekdays, Minato had peace of mind—Naruto was at school all day and came home in the evening, just as Minato finished his own duties.
But weekends were a different story.
Students had holidays; the Hokage did not.
Although Naruto was obedient and sensible, Minato still worried about leaving him alone at home. After much thought, he decided to hire a private tutor—someone who could both supervise and teach Naruto on weekends.
A personal instructor, after all, could offer what a classroom couldn't.
Minato had already selected a few promising chunin to consider, but just as he was preparing to meet with them, the Hyuga family unexpectedly extended an olive branch that made his plan unnecessary.
Naruto and Hinata had always been close. During dinner one night, Satoru mentioned to his wife, Hanako, that he would soon be escorting Kushina for her training.
Since Satoru had been away for some time, Hanako guessed that Kushina must be in a similar situation—training outside the village and unable to return.
Knowing how busy Minato was, Hanako realized he probably couldn't properly look after Naruto. Through Hinata, she learned a bit about Naruto's life on weekends. Feeling sympathy for her best friend's son, she decided to help.
Through Hinata, Hanako suggested that Naruto come stay at the Hyuga household on weekends. At the same time, she contacted the mothers of Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji, inviting their children over as well so the kids would all have playmates.
Thanks to Hanako's efforts, both the Nara and Akimichi families agreed. After all, watching children was no easy task—especially at their mischievous age.
And since the Hyuga were one of Konoha's most prestigious clans, known for their strict and refined upbringing, letting their own children spend time there was hardly objectionable.
The kids already got along well. When Naruto heard that Shikamaru and Choji had both received permission, he became excited and rushed home to tell his father, hoping Minato would agree too.
Minato was pleasantly surprised. Upon hearing that the invitation had come from Hyuga Hanako, he couldn't help but admire Lady Hyuga's tact and kindness.
Naturally, he readily agreed.
But Hanako's true intention wasn't as simple as giving the children a place to play.
This move by the Hyuga effectively tied several clans closer together. As long as the children's friendships endured, so too would the bonds between their families.
For Minato, Hanako's gesture not only solved the issue of Naruto's weekend care but also subtly expanded his political connections and influence.
By strengthening ties among the clans, the Hyuga were also earning the Hokage's goodwill—a clever move achieving several goals at once.
Yet even this small development did not escape the watchful eyes of Konoha's old guard.
Though Sarutobi Hiruzen had retired and stepped away from the village's "political stage," his attention to its inner workings had never waned.
Once a Hokage, always a Hokage. Even after passing the title to the Fourth, he couldn't simply ignore Konoha's shifting power structure. It wasn't so much a longing for authority as it was the concern of an old man who still loved his village.
Moreover, Hiruzen had his own family's future to consider.
His eldest son led the Anbu, a position of great influence. His younger son, though still young, was already a promising chunin—a rising star with a bright future. As a father, Hiruzen couldn't help but stay involved in the politics that would shape their paths.
When he learned that Hyuga Hanako had initiated an alliance with the Nara and Akimichi families—and even forged closer ties with Minato—Hiruzen couldn't help but sigh in admiration at the Hyuga clan's polished political instinct.
To have stood firm through Konoha's turbulent decades while maintaining a spotless reputation… the Hyuga were anything but simple.
Both the clan head and his wife were formidable in their own right.
But behind that admiration, Hiruzen's gaze darkened with contemplation.
The transition of power between the Third and Fourth Hokage had long since begun, and the major clans were already making their moves. For the Sarutobi clan, choosing the right side would determine their future.
Should they throw their full support behind Minato—and risk being discarded once their usefulness ran out?
Or should they retain control of certain forces—like the Anbu—and join forces with the Shimura clan to counterbalance the Fourth's influence? Would that ensure a more stable position for the Sarutobi?
Hiruzen found himself once again at a crossroads.
And as always, he hesitated.
His indecision, more than anything, had allowed Konoha's factions to grow so divided.
Hyuga Hanako's maneuver quickly drew the attention of other clan leaders. The Hyuga's renewed "investment" in the Fourth Hokage made many others restless—but the continued presence of Danzo's Root organization, along with the Anbu still under Hiruzen's eldest son, kept most clans in cautious observation.
Meanwhile, Satoru—training outside the village—remained unaware of the political ripples caused by his mother's actions.
At that very moment, his focus was elsewhere.
By the lake, Jiraiya and his group stood on the shore, watching Kushina with intense concentration.
After weeks of training, her ability to enter a meditative state had greatly improved. Though it had only been half a month, she could now reach a state of calm even while partially transformed into her three-tail form, no longer overwhelmed by the beast's hatred.
That was a tremendous breakthrough.
Today, however, she was attempting something even more dangerous—channeling an even greater portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra, to confront an even more violent will.
"Stay sharp—it's coming!"
In the middle of the lake, Kushina stood cloaked in a red chakra shroud, three tails swaying behind her. As Jiraiya spoke, the chakra around her thickened rapidly, and another half-formed tail began to grow. Her expression twisted in pain.
Hatred. Rage. The two strongest emotions of all surged into her mind through the chakra link.
In an instant, her will was devoured.
Inside her consciousness, Kurama sensed the shift and let out a dark chuckle, slamming one massive claw against the bars of his cage. The entire seal shuddered.
At the same time, dark red chakra flooded Kushina's body. Her human shape vanished, replaced by a small, feral Nine-Tails cloaked in a hardened white exoskeleton. Four full tails whipped behind her, unleashing a shockwave that shattered the earth.
"Damn it—she's lost control!"
"Yamato!"
Everything happened too fast. Jiraiya hadn't expected Kushina—who could already handle the three-tail form—to lose control the moment she reached four.
Her aura turned violently unstable. Even without sensory ninjutsu, Jiraiya could feel the Nine-Tails' power spiraling out of control.
If they didn't act quickly, disaster would strike.
Jiraiya barked a command and leapt forward, pulling out a sealing tag prepared for this very moment.
"Wood Style: Silent Binding Technique!"
Yamato reacted instantly. Wooden pillars erupted from the shore, surging toward Kushina—
—but before they could reach her, she vanished.
In her Four-Tails state, Kushina moved purely on instinct. Her reflexes were far beyond anything Yamato's Wood Style could catch.
Shhhk!
A gust of wind roared as she appeared right in front of Yamato, claws raised, ready to split his head open.
The killing intent froze Yamato where he stood. His mind went blank.
"Yamato!"
Jiraiya's face paled. He had faced tailed beasts on the battlefield before—but even compared to those jinchuriki, the power radiating from Kushina's Four-Tails form was monstrous.
Just as the blow was about to land, a figure suddenly appeared beside Yamato. Hyuga Satoru's hand pressed lightly against his waist—
—and in the next instant, both vanished.
Boom!
The claws struck empty ground, detonating a shockwave that shattered the earth for dozens of meters around.
Jiraiya barely kept his footing as the ground buckled beneath him.
Uchiha Shisui immediately flung several shuriken connected by steel wire toward Kushina, but she merely roared. The shockwave from her voice sent the blades spinning away.
In her mouth, a black sphere of condensed chakra began to form—a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Seeing this, Jiraiya tensed to move—
—but Satoru's voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"I'll use the Flying Thunder God to get you close. Be ready to seal her—don't waste the chance."
Jiraiya's eyes widened briefly, then he nodded.
Satoru's hand touched his back—and a flash later, Jiraiya appeared above Kushina.
Mid-fall, he adjusted his stance and slapped the sealing tag onto her forehead.
Smack!
At once, the tag flared, linking to the Eight Trigrams Seal within her. The Nine-Tails' chakra began to recede like an ebbing tide.
Her crimson skin faded, her face returning to human form.
Landing lightly before her, Jiraiya didn't approach immediately—he waited, watching carefully as she lay limp on the ground.
Her arms were badly burned, still healing rapidly but enough to make Jiraiya's frown deepen.
The Four-Tails power didn't just erode the will—it tore at the body as well.
"Ugh… my head…"
Kushina stirred, clutching her temple, her voice weak with pain.
Her wild eyes cleared, and seeing her consciousness return, Jiraiya finally exhaled in relief. He turned toward Satoru, who was speaking quietly with Shisui and Yamato.
He had to admit—Satoru's performance had exceeded all expectations.
Even Jiraiya himself might not have reacted so quickly. Without that instant teleportation, Yamato would have died.
Kushina soon stood up, pulling the sealing tag from her forehead. Seeing it now blank, she understood what had happened.
Looking around at her uninjured teammates, she let out a small, shaky breath.
"Good… everyone's safe. That's all that matters."
She murmured the words again, half in relief, half in guilt.
As a jinchuriki, no one knew better than her how dangerous it was to lose control. She could accept her own suffering—but she never wanted anyone else hurt because of her.
Her eyes dimmed with guilt.
Jiraiya noticed and smiled reassuringly.
"Kushina, don't overthink it. Those kids are stronger than you realize. The more you worry, the more dangerous it becomes. Relax."
He chuckled softly. "And with Satoru around, you're in good hands. His Flying Thunder God is… impressive."
"The Flying Thunder God…" Kushina echoed with a faint smile, turning toward Satoru.
At that moment, Satoru was calmly analyzing the earlier battle with Shisui and Yamato.
Yamato admitted that his overconfidence in his Wood Style had nearly cost him his life. Shisui, meanwhile, realized that his Sharingan illusions hadn't affected Kushina at all.
"Shisui, you didn't use your genjutsu just now?" Satoru asked, frowning slightly.
"I didn't have the chance," Shisui admitted, shaking his head. "My eye techniques require eye contact. She was too fast—I couldn't lock on."
"I see…" Satoru murmured, thoughtful. "So even triggering it isn't easy under those conditions."
Indeed, against a berserk tailed beast, genjutsu was all but useless. The Nine-Tails didn't need to look at you—it could simply crush you.
"If it happens again," Shisui said with a wry smile, "you'll need to help me get close with the Flying Thunder God. Otherwise, I won't even get the chance to activate it."
He shrugged helplessly.
The mighty Sharingan—utterly useless against a raging jinchuriki.
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