Chapter 36 (Patreon)

“Hiruzen!”

“Was my order unclear, Danzō?”

“You will regret this.”

“Whether I regret it is no longer your concern. You are not an advisor to the Hokage anymore—and I am still the Hokage.”

Hiruzen turned toward the surrounding ANBU.

“Escort Danzō back to the Shimura clan compound. The rest of you will detain every Root operative, secure their headquarters, and confiscate all records and materials inside.”

“Yes, Lord Hokage!”

The ANBU moved immediately.

---

On the road to the front lines, Kushina took advantage of their evening meal break to enter her inner world.

She sat beside Roy within the sealed space and asked, “Roy-kun, do you think Danzō will really take the bait?”

“Whether Danzō takes the bait isn’t the most important part,” Roy replied. “What matters is the Hokage’s response.”

He wrapped an arm around her waist.

“If Hiruzen protects Danzō, his standing among Konoha’s clans will suffer. If he refuses to protect him, then one of the greatest obstacles to our plan will be removed.”

Everything currently unfolding in Konoha had been anticipated by Roy.

It had all begun when Kushina proposed going to the battlefield.

Based on what he knew of Danzō, Roy believed the man would take advantage of Kushina’s absence to make a move against Kaorui.

After all, Danzō craved power above all else and had always coveted the strength of the tailed beasts.

There was no chance someone like him would easily resist the temptation presented by another surviving member of the Uzumaki clan.

Once that possibility had been established, they only needed to prepare a suitable trap.

If Danzō took the bait, he would inevitably come into direct conflict with Hiruzen.

Whether the Hokage chose to protect his old comrade in front of the ANBU would depend entirely on how much Danzō’s recent actions had tested his patience.

If Danzō remained cautious and made no attempt to seize Kaorui, it would certainly be disappointing, but at least Kushina’s family would remain safe.

Either outcome benefited them.

Their plan had been simple.

Before leaving Konoha, Kushina erected a powerful barrier around her home—one strong enough to prevent Danzō from forcing his way inside.

They then needed to ensure that any attempt to breach it would attract Hiruzen and the ANBU.

And what could draw attention more effectively than the sight of a fire?

The barrier’s glow, combined with Kaorui amplifying the flames inside the house to make them appear brighter, had all been intended to lure the Hokage to the scene with his men.

What neither Danzō nor Hiruzen knew was that the moment Danzō’s subordinates began attacking the barrier, Kaorui had torn open the scroll Kushina left behind.

Sealed within it was Hadō #31: Shakkahō.

However, the spell had been altered to produce nothing more than an impressive display of crimson light and flame. It possessed no destructive power whatsoever.

The instant Kushina sensed that someone had triggered the barrier around her home, Roy knew their plan had succeeded.

“This time, either Danzō or the Hokage will suffer a serious blow to his reputation,” Roy said.

“You humans make everything needlessly complicated.”

The Nine-Tails watched them from behind the bars of its cage, its enormous eyes filled with disdain.

“In my opinion, once Kushina can withstand the full extent of my chakra, she should simply crush anyone standing in her way. Danzō, the Hokage—it makes no difference. They are all insignificant.”

“If you’re so powerful, how did you end up sealed in here?” Roy asked without hesitation.

The Nine-Tails’ eyes narrowed.

Roy had already learned that constantly yielding to the fox’s temper would only make it more arrogant.

Occasionally challenging its pride—and then withdrawing before the argument went too far—was far more effective at leaving an impression.

“You insolent brat!” the Nine-Tails snarled. “If you have the courage, fight me yourself!”

“There will be an opportunity in the future.”

Roy gave it no chance to continue.

Still holding Kushina, he withdrew from the sealed space.

He knew the Nine-Tails was undoubtedly cursing him behind their backs, but Roy had always believed that words he could not hear were hardly worth acknowledging.

Flame and the other ANBU noticed that ever since Kushina closed her eyes to rest, the corners of her mouth had repeatedly curved upward.

They exchanged puzzled glances.

None of them understood what had put her in such a good mood.

By the latter half of the night, the group finally reached the outskirts of the battlefield.

Although they had arrived behind Konoha’s main defensive lines, shinobi patrols were still stationed throughout the area.

Despite Kushina’s easily recognisable appearance and the masks worn by her ANBU escort, the patrol stopped them and verified their identities.

They were then escorted by a squad of shinobi to the command tent.

Inside, members of both the Hyūga and Uchiha clans stood beside Shikaku Nara.

After examining the new arrivals, they nodded to confirm that there were no signs of a Transformation Technique or genjutsu.

Only then did Shikaku rise from his seat.

“Kushina? Why are you here? What about the village?”

Kushina handed him the letter Hiruzen had written personally.

“I heard the front lines have been under considerable pressure recently,” she explained. “I’m also a shinobi of Konoha. It’s only natural that I come and do my part.”

Shikaku opened the letter and quickly read through it.

“Kumogakure’s forces are certainly no weaker than expected,” he said with a weary sigh. “And with those bounty hunters constantly harassing our flanks, the situation has become even more troublesome.”

He rubbed his temple.

“If only Minato were still here. The Raikage and Killer B would never have dared to act so aggressively.”

The moment the words escaped his mouth, Shikaku realised what he had said.

His expression immediately became apologetic.

“Kushina, I didn’t mean to make you—”

“It’s all right.”

Kushina’s voice remained calm.

“Minato’s death is a reality I cannot change. That only gives me more reason to protect the village he loved.”

She spoke without hesitation, but how could her heart truly remain unaffected?

Not wanting her to dwell upon those painful memories, Shikaku quickly changed the subject.

“You’ve had a long journey. Kumogakure hasn’t launched another attack yet, so I’ll have someone prepare a place for you to rest.”

Although supplies on the front lines were currently limited, Shikaku had no intention of placing Kushina inside a crowded communal tent.

As for the four ANBU assigned to protect her, they would simply have to find space wherever they could.

A little discomfort would not prevent them from sleeping.

---

“The atmosphere here really is different from Konoha.”

Kushina lay on the freshly prepared bed with Roy beside her, unable to suppress a quiet sigh.

“Try not to think about it too much,” Roy said. “You should rest while you can. No one knows when Kumogakure will attack again.”

However, the tension and excitement of arriving on a battlefield for the first time left Kushina unable to sleep.

With her current physique, exhaustion was hardly a concern. Even if she remained awake for three or five days, it would not affect her greatly.

“Roy-kun, I can’t sleep.”

Kushina turned toward him.

“Help me continue tempering my will.”

A soundproof barrier silently formed around the tent.

She took Roy’s hands and guided them toward one of the places where her concentration was most easily shaken.

At the same time, her own hand firmly seized his most vulnerable point.

As their unusual training continued, Roy suddenly spoke.

“Kushina, did you ever learn the Rasengan Minato developed?”

Hearing Minato’s name at that particular moment caused Kushina’s right hand to tighten.

Part of it was an instinctive reaction.

The rest carried a faint hint of punishment.

“I… never needed many other ninjutsu before…”

Her breathing became uneven.

“So… I didn’t learn it.”

“To be honest, the Rasengan is extremely powerful and doesn’t require hand seals. It’s one of the most practical ninjutsu ever created. You should learn it.”

“But… aside from Jiraiya-sensei, there shouldn’t be anyone else who knows how to teach it now…”

Kushina struggled to maintain her train of thought.

“Perhaps Ka… Kakashi knows?”

Minato had left behind a scroll containing the Rasengan’s training method.

Unfortunately, Kushina had not brought it with her when she departed from Konoha.

“That won’t be a problem,” Roy replied. “I’ll teach you.”

Kushina stared at him in surprise.

She had already grown accustomed to Roy possessing an astonishing amount of information about the shinobi world.

Ninjutsu, however, was different.

Roy had never claimed to understand it.

Even his knowledge of fūinjutsu had come from what Kushina taught him.

Without offering any further explanation, Roy took one of her hands in his.

“The Rasengan was developed by Minato after studying the principles behind the Tailed Beast Bomb,” he said softly. “Rotation and compression are its foundations.”

He slowly guided her hand.

“Something like this…”

Roy truly did not understand ninjutsu in the conventional sense.

However, once someone understood the Rasengan’s fundamental principles, learning it was not especially complicated.

There was no need for water balloons or rubber balls.

After all, what could teach Kushina the sensation of rotation and compression more effectively than experiencing both principles firsthand?