Konohagakure.
In the ninja hospital, Hiruzen trembled as he gazed at the Ino-Shika-Cho trio lying on their beds.
Inoichi Yamanaka had suffered severe mental trauma, requiring at least six months to recover. Choza Akimichi, with over a dozen bone fractures and depleted chakra, needed several months of rest. Shikaku Nara, though the least injured, was still covered in wounds and mentally shaken.
"Where's Kushina...?" Hiruzen asked hesitantly once Shikaku regained enough strength to speak.
Deep down, he already knew the answer when he learned of the trio's injuries.
"She... was captured by Yusuke Kamizuki!" Shikaku rasped, his throat dry, and recounted everything to the Third Hokage.
Upon hearing the confirmation, Hiruzen's demeanor became dazed. His body swayed as he stumbled to a nearby chair, collapsing into it.
"It's over... this time, it's really over..." He murmured, seeming to age a decade in that moment, his spirit wilting.
"Lord Third," Shikaku analyzed in a low voice, "I believe Yusuke doesn't know Kushina is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. This is likely a tactic against Konoha — kidnapping Minato's lover to throw the village into chaos. From what we've seen of Yusuke so far, there's no indication he knows about Kushina's status. His goal seems obvious: to force Konoha to choose between Minato Namikaze and the village's clans."
"Yes, yes! Your analysis is correct!" Hiruzen exclaimed, his eyes brightening as he took a deep breath.
"Yusuke Kamizuki's aim is to cause internal strife," Shikaku continued. "He'd have kidnapped Minato's lover regardless of who it was. It just happens to be Kushina." He nodded, acknowledging this was his interpretation, not ruling out the possibility that Yusuke knew Kushina's true nature.
If that were the case... How deep did the Ice God's calculations go? Could he have planned this extensively? If true, wouldn't all of Konoha be within his machinations?
Whether this was coincidence or calculation, only time would tell.
"Regardless, we must rescue both Minato and Kushina!" Hiruzen declared, looking gravely at Shikaku. "You three focus on recovering. The village will need you in the future!"
"Yes, Lord Third!" Shikaku nodded firmly.
Hiruzen left the hospital, his brow furrowed.
As he returned to the Hokage office building, an enraged voice exploded near his ear.
"Preposterous! Sarutobi! You've handled this matter far too recklessly!"
This voice — it was his old comrade. Approaching him was none other than Danzo, wrapped in bandages and leaning on a cane.
The leader of Konoha's Root, Danzo Shimura, bore the moniker "The Shinobi of Darkness." Beside him stood Orochimaru, his face delicately featured.
Just half an hour earlier, while reveling in his increased power within Root, Danzo had received news of Kushina's escape from an intelligence ninja.
"What good are your ANBU ninja? They're utterly useless!" Danzo showed no respect for the Third Hokage.
"Let's discuss this inside." Hiruzen replied, his face darkening.
Once in the office, Hiruzen informed them about Kushina's capture by Yusuke.
Bang!!
Upon hearing this, Danzo slammed the table and stood up angrily.
"What?! Kushina Uzumaki escaped and you couldn't catch her? And she was captured by Yusuke Kamizuki? Are your ANBU ninja all incompetent? Don't you realize the gravity of the situation? You can't even keep an eye on one woman! Useless! Useless!" Danzo's rage was palpable. He had only been away from village affairs for half a month. How could Sarutobi have caused such chaos?
Orochimaru, too, was taken aback. His teacher had allowed the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to be captured? It was beyond preposterous.
During this past fortnight, Orochimaru had been working closely with Danzo underground. He had transplanted Hashirama cells and eleven Sharingan eyes into Danzo's body.
At this moment, beneath the bandages wrapped around his right arm lay Orochimaru's handiwork from the past two weeks.
"Danzo! What's the use of scolding me now? From what I understand, Yusuke Kamizuki doesn't know that Kushina is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He's simply trying to use Minato's lover to disrupt Konoha!" Hiruzen retorted, his own anger rising.
"You're talking nonsense! How can you be sure Yusuke doesn't know she's the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
If it had been any other incident, perhaps Danzo would have accepted it. But this time, the matter was far from trivial. It had shaken Konoha to its very core!
"Sarutobi! You're not fit to be Hokage!" Danzo shouted in anger, "The village will be ruined in your hands!"
"Nonsense!" Hiruzen forcefully retorted.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, quietly observed the argument between the two. Things were getting interesting. In his eyes, an intense curiosity began to spark.
Did this Yusuke Kamizuki truly possess such formidable abilities?
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