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Soon, members of the Konoha Military Police Force belonging to the Uchiha clan, responsible for public security patrols in certain areas today, also noticed the abnormality here.

When they saw the faces of the arrivals and the dragged Danzo, several Uchiha Ninjas similarly wore expressions of utter disbelief.

"Quick! Immediately report to the Clan Head!" A squad leader suppressed the towering waves in his heart and hastily ordered his subordinates.

"Something major has happened! Uzumaki Kushina is suspected to be resurrected! She also brought the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and an unknown powerhouse, dragging Danzo toward the Hokage Building!"

The news was transmitted back to the Uchiha clan compound at the fastest speed.

Fugaku and his wife Mikoto were discussing clan internal affairs at home when they heard the report from their subordinate, causing both of them to stand up abruptly at the same time.

"What did you say?! Kushina?! She is still alive?! How is this possible?!" Mikoto covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock.

Kushina was one of her few trusted friends she could confide in.

Fugaku's brow knitted into a knot, and a sharp glint flashed deep within his eyes.

Kushina resurrected? Danzo? And an unknown powerhouse?

Each of these matters was enough to trigger monstrous waves in Konoha.

"Let's go to the Hokage Building immediately. Mikoto, you come along too."

Fugaku realized that this was very likely a huge turning point, and Mikoto, as Kushina's friend, needed to be present as well.

Mikoto nodded firmly, following her husband without hesitation. Whether out of concern for her friend or consideration for the family's interests, she had to be present.

— — —

Hokage Office.

Hiruzen stood before the crystal ball, sweat oozing from his forehead, his face ashen.

He adjusted the crystal ball's detection range, wanting to check the situation near the ground. Then, he saw a scene that made him suspect whether he was senile and had experienced hallucinations.

Kushina, whom he had watched draw her last breath with his own eyes years ago and sacrificed herself alongside the Fourth Hokage, was walking alive on the street, holding Naruto.

Following behind her was that blonde fiend who had given him nightmares for several days straight.

And the thing being dragged in that fiend's hand...

Even if the image was somewhat blurry, Hiruzen would never mistake it. That was his old comrade-in-arms, Konoha's Advisor, Danzo.

They were openly swaggering toward the direction of the Hokage Office.

"What on earth has Danzo done again?!"

"Th-This... How is this possible?!"

Hiruzen's heart beat wildly, almost bursting through his chest.

Kushina resurrected? That blonde monster appearing again? Danzo captured?

The impact brought by these three things overlapping far exceeded his tolerance limit.

Especially Kushina.

That night, he had clearly confirmed that both she and Minato were already...

He realized what an uncontrollable public opinion storm and panic it would cause if these people walked to the Hokage Building in this manner.

They must be stopped immediately!

"Kakashi!" Hiruzen roared.

The office door was immediately pushed open, and Kakashi, who had been guarding outside the door, flashed inside.

"Hokage-sama." He knelt on one knee.

"Look at the people in the crystal ball's image. Invite them over, and don't let them swagger through the streets anymore."

Kakashi's heart shook.

Kushina-sama? Resurrected?

And that person...

He instantly understood the severity of the matter and immediately replied, "Yes. Hokage-sama."

With a flash of his figure, Kakashi had already leaped out of the window, speeding toward the direction shown by the crystal ball.

He knew that he had to "invite" them to the Hokage Building before this group caused a larger commotion and made the situation completely out of control.

Hiruzen slumped back into his chair and picked up his pipe, his hand trembling slightly.

...

Soon, the group arrived at the Hokage Building.

Hiruzen's gaze first fell upon Danzo, who had been discarded onto the ground by Escanor, curled up into a ball and on the verge of death.

Seeing his old friend in such a miserable state, Hiruzen felt a myriad of emotions swirling in his heart, but more than anything, there was a chilling coldness.

Suppressing his churning emotions and striving to maintain the dignity of the Hokage, he looked at Kushina and Escanor.

"Everyone... Although I am not clear on what specifically happened, could you allow me to treat Danzo first? He is heavily injured."

Kushina let out a cold snort. "Hmph! Treatment? Scum like this deserves to die. What I want to talk about right now is Naruto's matter."

Hiruzen shrank under her gaze. Attempting to change the subject, his gaze lingered between Kushina and Escanor.

"Kushina... You... Weren't you already... on that night..."

"The me here, on that night, naturally died. But the me back then did not die."

Kushina herself could not explain it clearly for a moment, but Hiruzen had his own understanding.

That night?

Hiruzen's pupils shrank abruptly.

Combined with the completely incomprehensible power and method of appearance previously displayed by the blonde man, an thought surfaced in his mind.

"Space-Time Ninjutsu?!"

"Do not change the subject!" Kushina sternly interrupted his train of thought, stepping forward aggressively.

"I will ask you again! What is going on with Naruto?! With Minato and me absent, is this how you 'take care' of him?!"

Hiruzen was left speechless by the question, his eyes dodging.

He glanced at Naruto, who was hiding behind Kushina, with tear stains and tension still lingering on his face, and braced himself to try and defend, "This... What is wrong with Naruto? Look, isn't he... healthy and sound..."

Healthy?

A five-year-old child living alone in such a crude apartment, surviving on a meager relief fund, isolated, loathed, and even resented by the entire village...

Can this be called healthy?

"Healthy?!" Kushina's voice rose. "You call this healthy?!"

She stepped forward, her tightly clenched right fist smashing onto Hiruzen's face.

Bang!

Hiruzen was caught off guard or rather, he never expected that Kushina would resort to physical action directly.

His Hokage hat was struck flying away, rolling onto the floor.

Hiruzen let out a muffled grunt, his body stumbling backward several steps before bumping against the desk and barely managing to steady himself.

Blood streamed down his nose and half of his cheek rapidly swelled up, burning with pain.

He mobilized his Chakra, a flash of shock and anger crossing his eyes.

As the Hokage, being beaten publicly was an unprecedented humiliation!

However, the exact moment his Chakra was just mustered—

Escanor, who had been standing with his hands crossed behind his back, watching the show as if he were an outsider, slightly turned his head, looking at him.

Hiruzen felt as though the blood throughout his entire body had frozen in that very instant. The Chakra he had just mustered collapsed, sweat soaking his inner garments.

He did not doubt for a second that if he dared to make any counterattack or unusual move, his end would be even more miserable than Danzo on the ground.

The meaning in those eyes was crystal clear: take the beating obediently and don't move.

Hiruzen froze in place, no longer daring to make the slightest movement, left with only humiliation and bone-deep fear.

Kushina didn't even glance at Escanor, all of her attention was concentrated on Hiruzen. Seeing his guilty yet submissive appearance, the fire in her heart burned even brighter.

"Healthy?! I am asking you! What does Naruto eat?! Where does he live?! A five-year-old child living alone up until now, without even a single friend by his side! Hiruzen! Is this how you 'look after' him?! How the villagers talk about him and how they view him, don't you dare say you don't know!"

Along with her drastic emotional fluctuations, red Chakra diffused out from her body. On both sides of her cheeks, six Chakra markings resembling fox whiskers faintly emerged.

Evidently, under the influence of her extreme rage, the Nine-Tails inside her—which had just been "educated" by Escanor—subconsciously leaked its power.

Hiruzen's expression changed drastically.

Nine-Tails Chakra!

However, before he could make any further reaction—

"Hmph." Escanor snorted.

That diffusing Chakra jerked to a halt and then rapidly receded, shrinking back into Kushina's body and vanishing without a trace. Even the faint fox-whisker markings on her face smoothed out.

Kushina felt that the violent emotion in her heart was doused by a basin of ice water, cooling down significantly.

The Nine-Tails inside her was frightened into a shiver, frantically apologizing in its heart.

I'm sorry! Boss, I didn't mean to! Um, it subconsciously... th-th-this, I'm used to it.