"Who's there? Come out!"
A flash of cold light appeared in Kaguya's crystal-clear eyes as her arm shot out like lightning, pointing toward the nearby bushes.
With a deafening "boom," the ground exploded, sending dirt and foliage flying as a powerful shockwave filled the air with dust.
Suddenly, a figure leaped out from the smoke, landing not far from Kaguya.
"Wait," the person said quickly upon seeing Kaguya ready to strike again. "It's me."
The person standing before her had golden hair, a Leaf Village forehead protector, sharp eyes, and a face as fair as jade. He was quite handsome and none other than Minato Namikaze, whom she had recently met.
"Why is it you?" A hint of surprise flashed in Kaguya's beautiful eyes as she asked.
"I heard someone was planning to harm you," Minato said, scratching his head and looking a bit embarrassed, "so I came to warn you."
"Really?" Kaguya frowned slightly, looking at him with suspicion.
"You've got it wrong, I—"
Before Minato could finish, the string of his forehead protector suddenly snapped and fell to the ground, revealing his smooth forehead. Although Minato had narrowly dodged Kaguya's attack, the strap of his forehead protector was nicked, and just now it finally gave way, causing the protector to fall.
Minato quickly picked up his forehead protector from the ground and was about to speak, but saw Kaguya's icy expression, looking at him with displeasure.
"So it was you," Kaguya said with a look of disdain. "I didn't expect someone who seems so honest would resort to peeping."
Earlier, when Minato's forehead protector fell, a scabbed-over scar was revealed on his forehead, which just so happened to match the shape of a cup.
"No, it's not like that," Minato waved his hands anxiously, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Let me explain."
Minato had overheard in the Anbu that someone intended to harm Kaguya and her companion. Although he was vaguely aware of Kaguya's strength, he decided to check for their safety.
However, instead of finding anyone suspicious, he was discovered by Kaguya's keen senses. Completely unprepared, Minato was hit squarely by a thrown cup. As luck would have it, he wasn't wearing his forehead protector that day, which is how he ended up with the scar on his forehead.
"You know your explanation sounds flimsy, right?" Kaguya blinked, eyeing him with suspicion.
"I really am telling the truth," Minato said, scratching his head like an ant on a hot pan, unsure of how to clarify further.
"It's true," said another voice from a distance. A figure emerged from the trees, with spiky hair and an "oil" symbol on his forehead protector, wearing red and green clothes. It was Jiraiya. "I can vouch for him. As one of the Sannin and a disciple of the Toad Sage, his character is trustworthy."
"Just because he's your disciple makes him even more suspicious, doesn't it?" Kaguya frowned, eyes filled with distrust. "Besides, why are you even here?"
"I'm here to study local customs and plan to include them in my book—"
"You're in cahoots with him!" Kaguya interrupted Jiraiya, looking at them skeptically.
Jiraiya's explanations seemed completely unconvincing to her—suitable only for fooling children.
"That's impossible," Minato and Jiraiya both exclaimed, waving their hands in sync, which was surprisingly synchronized.
"Come on, just tell me your purpose. I don't want to waste time," Kaguya said impatiently. "Are you here to plead for this guy?" she added, stamping hard on Danzo's face a few more times.
Shortly after subduing Danzo, Kaguya used her Rinnegan power to control him, which is why he remained silent.
"Yes, exactly," Jiraiya replied, his smile fading into seriousness. "I hope you'll hand him over to me."
"He attacked me, and you want me to just let him go?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased.
"He's already been taught a lesson and punished," Jiraiya sighed. "Though I know it's unfair to you, I hope you can hand him over to me. After all, he's part of Konoha. I assure you he will face appropriate punishment when he returns."
Kaguya's eyebrows knitted together slightly, and Jiraiya and Minato watched her with bated breath.
Finally, Kaguya snorted and said disdainfully, "Take him away. I don't want to see him again."
"Thank you," Jiraiya said with relief. He didn't particularly like the shady Danzo either, but Danzo was a part of Konoha.
Watching the three of them leave, the twin-tailed blonde loli walked up to Kaguya, looking displeased. "Why did you let them go? Danzo will definitely be a problem if left unchecked."
Though Black Zetsu had taken on a childlike appearance, her intelligence had not decreased, and she could see that Danzo was insidious, vengeful, and a potential future threat.
"Of course, I know that," Kaguya smiled, ruffling Black Zetsu's hair with a meaningful smile. "But he won't be in the future."
Kaguya wouldn't allow a threat to linger around her, even if it posed little immediate danger. Having a constant annoyance buzzing around like a mosquito was irritating. So earlier, Kaguya had used her Rinnegan to temporarily control Danzo's mind, ensuring he wouldn't bother her for a while.
Of course, if possible, she would prefer to eliminate Danzo, as his deceitful and unscrupulous nature was annoying. What's more, he often plotted sinister schemes from the shadows, catching people off guard.
As the saying goes, it's not the thief who steals that you fear, but the thief who keeps you in their thoughts. Being attacked at your most vulnerable is truly unsettling.