The crowd of villagers, who had been chattering noisily a moment ago, instantly quieted down when they heard that the Uzumaki envoy was asking for Arata Itsuki. Then, inevitably, they began whispering among themselves about him.
"They're here to see Arata-sama? Shouldn't an envoy be meeting the Hokage?"
"You must be out of the loop. Arata-sama's reputation has already shaken the entire shinobi world. Some say he'll surpass the Third Hokage one day!"
"Surpass the Third? Please—people are already comparing him to Uchiha Madara himself!"
"If that's true, Arata-sama must be terrifyingly strong. Uchiha Madara was a living legend!"
"No kidding. Didn't Arata drive off ten thousand Kumo shinobi in a single day?"
"Arata-sama is an inspiration to us civilians! I want to be a ninja like him someday!"
"'Konoha's Blue Lightning'—what a cool title! I'm gonna specialize in Lightning Release too!"
Hearing all the chatter around her, Uzumaki Kushina's round little face filled with curiosity.
She was still young; she never had the clearance to hear important intel. Everything she knew about Arata had been told to her by her grandmother right before departure—that Arata was Konoha's hero, one of the strongest rising forces in the current shinobi world.
Nothing more.
But for the man who was supposed to adopt her, she was certainly curious.
After all, if she ended up in the care of someone like Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who clearly despised the Uzumaki, she would rather live on her own.
The Uzumaki ANBU beside her felt even more uneasy. He knew Arata was powerful, but he had no idea what Arata's stance toward the Uzumaki clan was. Even after stating his purpose here, he had no confidence that the famed "Blue Lightning" would come out to meet them.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke's face twisted the moment he heard the envoy say he wasn't here for the Hokage but for Arata.
As a member of the Sarutobi clan, of course he knew Arata—his clan leader's political enemy, the man who had openly fallen out with Hiruzen.
And now, the Uzumaki came begging for help yet sought an ANBU deputy commander instead of the Hokage?
Was that not blatant disrespect?
"What do you mean by that?! You're seeking aid but ignoring the Hokage and running to some ANBU deputy commander?"
The Uzumaki ANBU inwardly sneered.
He wasn't blind—he knew exactly what Hiruzen's real combat ability was. If Hiruzen truly intended to help, he would have already granted an audience.
This wasn't a fight against a handful of rogue shinobi—it was a coalition of twenty thousand, including five Kage-level combatants.
Only someone who once fought ten thousand alone, like Arata, had any real chance of turning the tide.
With that thought firm in his mind, the ANBU replied without fear:
"Didn't your Hokage 'happen' not to be around? Am I not allowed to seek someone else? It's your Hokage who refuses to save us! He doesn't want anyone forming ties with the Uzumaki!"
His words sent a sudden shock through the surrounding villagers.
For years, Hiruzen had maintained an image of benevolence and righteousness, enjoying high popularity among civilians. Even with Arata's recent renown, many still viewed the old man favorably.
Of course, some had long begun doubting him—like Arata's civilian recruits, and their families.
"The Uzumaki envoy's right! I saw the Hokage this morning—how could he be 'absent'?"
"Same here! Why won't he meet a clan that's supposed to be an ally? Is he really abandoning them?"
"Tch, that old man? Always snooping around bathhouses… I've always felt his character was suspicious!"
"Tell me about it—men are blind! That geezer is as lecherous as they come!"
"My husband said the Hokage looks down on civilian ninja—he sends them on suicide missions!"
"What?! That can't be true… can it?"
"There's worse. My husband nearly got killed by the Hokage's ANBU just for wanting to help Arata-sama!"
Listening to the swelling voices, the Uzumaki ANBU felt increasingly certain: the Third Hokage was a hypocrite.
Arata, however… from what these civilians said, he seemed far more trustworthy.
Even Kushina-chan could hear it—there was something wrong with the Third Hokage. And as for the man who might adopt her, Arata… her impression of him only grew more favorable.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke could no longer endure it.
If this continued, Hiruzen's carefully crafted image would crumble entirely.
"Silence! This is ninja business! Civilians—disperse!"
The villagers—many lacking even a trace of chakra—backed away at once. But with such authoritarian behavior, the Sarutobi clan's reputation would surely drop again.
After all, among these civilians were plenty of middle-aged women who loved to gossip.
Once they were gone, Shinnosuke steeled himself and snapped:
"Arata-sama isn't in the village. The Hokage has already assigned him a mission!"
The Uzumaki ANBU didn't believe a single word—the lie was written all over Shinnosuke's face.
"I don't believe you. Let me into the village. As an Uzumaki envoy, I have every right to visit Arata-sama's manor."
Shinnosuke barked back:
"Stop right there! No one enters the village freely during wartime. Even allies must wait at the outpost! Stay at the village inn for a few days. When Arata returns, I'll inform you!"
The Uzumaki ANBU immediately understood—this was deliberate obstruction.
A few days?
By then, their homeland might already be wiped out.
"You're clearly making things difficult! Is this how Konoha treats its allies?!"
Kushina, watching all this with mounting anger, finally exploded—her temper was infamous even at her age.
"With a rotten village like this, and ninja who act all high and mighty—I don't want to stay here! I'm going back to Uzushio!"
She even stuck her tongue out defiantly at Shinnosuke.
Shinnosuke roared back:
"What did you say?! You dare act tough on Konoha's turf? Sounds like you're begging to die!"
He had no idea who she really was.
To him, she was just a brat mouthing off to a Sarutobi heir. If he killed her, Hiruzen would clean up after him—he had nothing to fear.
But just as he stepped forward—
a tall silhouette appeared.
And with it, a cold, razor-edged voice cut through the air:
"Who said I ever left the village?"