Chapter 32 (Patreon)

Kushina’s sudden decision to head for the battlefield had only come after she persuaded Roy to accept it.

The results of her training during this period had been exceptional. With Roy’s assistance, she could now maintain a three-tailed chakra cloak for more than an hour. Even accounting for the far greater chakra consumption of actual combat, sustaining it for half an hour would not be a problem.

However, the Nine-Tails’ chakra remained her final trump card.

Unless the situation became truly critical, she had no intention of using it carelessly.

With the Adamantine Sealing Chains—an ability uniquely effective against tailed beasts—she had a chance of catching the Two-Tails jinchūriki off guard and capturing her before Kumogakure could react.

Once Konoha had a hostage, they would possess leverage. Whether it was used to begin peace negotiations or force Kumogakure to withdraw, the situation would become far easier to control.

Beyond that, Kushina could also use the Kidō techniques Roy had taught her. With her enormous chakra reserves supporting them, those spells could display considerable power in battle.

To a great extent, however, Kushina wanted to go to the front lines for Roy’s sake.

Ever since they met, Roy had remained by her side and helped her grow stronger. Yet in return, she felt that she had given him very little.

She had not even been able to give herself to him completely.

That guilt weighed heavily upon her.

If she went to the battlefield and helped Roy absorb more soul energy, then perhaps the pressure in her heart would ease, even if only slightly.

There was another advantage as well.

A battlefield was the fastest place for a shinobi to build a reputation.

Minato had earned the qualifications necessary to compete for the position of Hokage because of his accomplishments during the Third Shinobi World War.

If Kushina could completely drive Kumogakure back this time, her achievements might not equal Minato’s contributions during the war, but she already possessed advantages Minato had never had when he began.

She was the widow of a fallen hero, the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, and a member of the Uzumaki clan.

Minato had been forced to build his reputation from nothing.

Kushina would not have to start from the same position.

Therefore, whether it was to repay Roy or prepare for their future plans, she had to go to the battlefield.

“You…”

Hiruzen released a long sigh.

“I failed Minato. Now, I have failed you as well. To think that you must go to the front lines and fight under circumstances like these…”

As he spoke, Hiruzen seemed to age more than ten years.

His back, which had remained relatively straight despite his age, now appeared slightly hunched.

“Flame.”

A masked ANBU appeared immediately upon hearing his call.

“Take your squad and protect Kushina. Even if every one of you dies, she must not lose so much as a single strand of hair.”

“Yes, Lord Hokage!”

The ANBU accepted the order without hesitation. However, after a brief pause, he voiced his concern.

“But after we leave, what about your safety, Lord Hokage?”

“I may be old, but I have not yet become helpless,” Hiruzen replied. “Besides, Thunder Ox and the others will remain in the village. As long as I am inside Konoha, no one can threaten me.”

And so, Kushina departed for the front lines.

The ANBU squad accompanying her consisted of their captain, codenamed Flame, along with three other operatives: Landslide, Dragonmoon, and Windfang.

Kushina did not believe she needed ANBU protection.

Their presence also meant she would have to be far more discreet whenever she wanted to speak privately with Roy.

Nevertheless, it was supposedly an expression of the Third Hokage’s concern for her.

Of course, there was also the possibility that Hiruzen intended for them to monitor her.

Unless Kushina wished to openly sever her relationship with the village leadership, refusing the escort would have been difficult.

Elsewhere, Danzō had left a portion of the research funds at the meeting place he had arranged with Orochimaru before returning to Konoha with the remainder in high spirits.

Naturally, he had never intended to hand over all the money.

At the speed Orochimaru spent funds, two years’ worth of financing might not last even a few months.

Besides, Orochimaru was not conducting research solely for Danzō’s benefit.

Danzō had no intention of allowing the money he had gone to such lengths to acquire to be diverted into Orochimaru’s personal experiments.

He had barely returned to Root’s headquarters and had not even taken the time to drink a cup of water when an ANBU messenger sent by the Hokage appeared at the entrance.

“Hmph. Once I personally intervened, how could the issue of military funding possibly remain unresolved?”

Danzō assumed Hiruzen had summoned him to ask whether the negotiations had succeeded.

His old teammate clearly placed far too little faith in his methods.

Was there even a need to ask?

The fact that Danzō had returned to the village meant the matter had naturally been settled.

Filled with the desire to demonstrate his superiority, Danzō pushed open the door to the Hokage’s office without bothering to announce himself.

He intended to make Hiruzen understand that a problem the Hokage had been unable to solve could be dealt with effortlessly by Danzō.

Had he been chosen as Hokage, the daimyō would never have dared to consider reducing Konoha’s military funding in the first place.

However, after Danzō entered the office, Hiruzen merely stared at him.

He did not mention the military funds at all.

Danzō’s expression shifted slightly.

The situation was clearly different from what he had expected.

“Was it you?”

Danzō frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

“The people who robbed those merchant caravans,” Hiruzen said. “Were they acting under your orders?”

“Who told you such nonsense? I remained at the daimyō’s residence the entire time.”

Danzō’s tone was firm and unwavering.

During the robberies, there had been no survivors other than the fortunate few he had deliberately allowed to escape so they could mislead any investigation.

Every operative involved had been carefully selected.

There was no possibility that the survivors had seen through their disguises and discovered the perpetrators’ true identities.

As an additional precaution, Danzō had prepared a body double before secretly leaving the Land of Fire’s capital. That substitute had continued appearing publicly in the city throughout his absence.

Even if Hiruzen sent someone to investigate, they would find no flaw in Danzō’s alibi.

At the time of the robberies, “Danzō and his entourage” had unquestionably remained in the capital.

“You still intend to conceal it from me?!”

Hiruzen slammed his palm against the desk before hurling a report directly at Danzō’s face.

“Look at what you have done! Large numbers of Konoha shinobi now have bounties placed on their heads. Bounty hunters have even begun attacking our forces on the front lines. Shikaku’s army was nearly destroyed by Kumogakure in a single assault!”

Danzō’s heart tightened when he heard that, but he still refused to admit that he had organised the robberies.

It was not because he feared accepting responsibility.

He feared that if the truth came to light, Hiruzen would seize and confiscate all the money he had worked so hard to obtain.

“I do not know what you are talking about,” Danzō replied coldly as he opened the report. “I will say it once more. I had no knowledge of those robberies.”

As he read through the report, his gaze stopped on the section describing Uchiha Shisui’s performance.

A glimmer of desire appeared in his visible eye.

The Sharingan truly was a terrifying ability.

And an irresistibly tempting one.

Seeing Danzō continue to deny everything, Hiruzen felt a greater sense of dissatisfaction than ever before.

Just as Danzō understood him, Hiruzen also understood Danzō.

Had Danzō truly been innocent, he would not be behaving this way.

However, Hiruzen had already announced publicly, in his authority as Hokage, that the caravan attacks had not been carried out by Konoha shinobi.

He could no longer use the robberies as justification to punish Danzō without contradicting his own declaration.

Hiruzen had blocked his own path.

Pain throbbed through his temples.

Why had he believed Danzō’s claims and allowed him to leave the village to negotiate military funding with the daimyō?

Had Danzō never left Konoha, none of this trouble would have occurred.

Ultimately, the problem was that Konoha currently lacked enough capable people Hiruzen could trust with such important tasks.

And Danzō himself bore no small amount of responsibility for that shortage.

“Lady Kushina, the surrounding area is secure. We can rest here for a while.”

After they had travelled for most of the day, Windfang finished surveying the area and reported to Kushina.

Kushina herself still possessed plenty of stamina.

The results of her high-intensity training while carrying additional weight were not merely for show.

The ANBU accompanying her, however, did not possess the Uzumaki clan’s extraordinary vitality.

If they failed to take an appropriate break and restore their strength, they would be unable to remain in peak condition should they encounter an enemy.

“Then we’ll rest here for ten minutes.”

After speaking, Kushina leaned back against a tree and closed her eyes as though she were resting.

In truth, her consciousness had already entered the sealed space within her mind.