In the end, everything traces back to the Third Hokage. If it weren't for his tolerance, Danzo would never have had the nerve to act so boldly. Look at the Five Great Ninja Villages—where else would an advisor to the village leader be allowed to pull off these stunts? Only the Third Hokage would have given Danzo that kind of leeway.
After finishing the meal, Tsunade promptly returned to sleep while Takuya cleaned up the mess around the house before stepping out. Danzo's fall from grace wasn't really his business. If anything, it was something worth celebrating.
"Takuya!"
Upon hearing he was back, Kushina, filled with excitement, immediately ran up to him, grabbing his arm with a bit of a pout. "You all left the village without me! Even Mikoto went to the front lines. Tsunade has been so busy with her work that she barely has time to hang out with me. I'm seriously bored out of my mind here!" She sighed. "I wish I could be out there on the front lines with all of you."
With her friends, family, and the one she held feelings for all stationed on the front lines, Kushina naturally felt lonely in the village. And Tsunade, absorbed with managing the Logistics Department, had barely any time to spend with her.
"That's not something I get to decide," Takuya replied, pulling her into his lap and playfully tapping her nose. "Unless, of course, you want to start throwing out some Tailed Beast Bombs? Maybe that'd finally make the Third Hokage reconsider and let you out of the village!"
The memory of the Hokage's stunned expression at her last Tailed Beast demonstration made Takuya chuckle.
"Absolutely not!" Kushina huffed, brushing his hand away. "Konoha is my home too now—I don't want to bring harm to the village." She beamed at him, clearly eager to share. "Guess what? I've gotten even stronger!"
Takuya, who had been enjoying the soft scent of her presence, was surprised. Stronger? Given Kushina's capabilities, a sudden power boost was unlikely unless… could it be she'd finally gained the full trust of the Nine-Tails?
Thanks to Takuya's advice, Kushina had been building a connection with the Nine-Tails since she was young, unlike the original timeline where she had restrained the Nine-Tails with chakra chains for years. Without the accumulated animosity of all those years, the bond between her and the Nine-Tails was significantly less strained. And, if he had to choose, the Nine-Tails would rather cooperate with Kushina than risk her demise and another host taking its place.
Still, it was rare for the Nine-Tails to willingly lend its chakra or cooperate, and it hadn't fully acknowledged Kushina yet.
"That's hardly fair—calling it your strength when it's clearly mine!" The Nine-Tails roared in irritation from within her.
The fox couldn't understand humans, who constantly hugged, held hands, and exchanged kisses. What was the point?
Kushina's cheeks flushed. The fox was right—her new strength indeed came from it.
"Come on, Kurama, we agreed on this! Besides, I'm your jinchuriki, and you're the Tailed Beast. What's yours is mine, right?" She said, grinning.
"… Whatever." Kurama huffed in annoyance, too fed up to argue.
Takuya hadn't noticed the internal struggle with the Nine-Tails and assumed Kushina's flushed face was due to their closeness, so he didn't think much of it.
"Getting stronger is a good thing," he said, genuinely pleased. The more power Kushina wielded, the safer she'd be. After all, many had their sights set on the Nine-Tails—particularly Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu. Those two wouldn't be easy to deal with.
"Still, leaving the village is going to be a challenge. Given the current situation, convincing the village leaders to let you out won't be easy."
If Kushina were to seriously pressure the Third Hokage, Takuya had no doubt that the old man would eventually give in. As he aged, the Hokage seemed to be getting softer.
Once a formidable leader, the Hokage was now like the setting sun. Though his presence was still felt, his strength was waning. But Kushina wasn't the type to force her way out, especially since doing so would create tensions that Tsunade would have to handle.
Unless Konoha was in a situation where they truly needed a jinchuriki on the front lines, it was unlikely the leadership would allow her to go. And even that would require a major threat—something far beyond the current clash with the Hidden Mist.
Would this conflict with the Hidden Mist ignite the Third Great Ninja War? Takuya wasn't entirely sure. If it did escalate, which village would break first?
The Hidden Sand Village? The Hidden Cloud Village? The Hidden Stone Village?
The Hidden Sand was relatively weak; the Second Ninja War had left them decimated and burdened with massive reparations that stunted their growth. If the Third Kazekage had the resolve, he might wage war again to nullify those debts.
As for the Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud, they were strong. The Hidden Cloud had suffered a setback from a rampaging Eight-Tails, but the Hidden Stone had remained untouched, watching from the sidelines.
If Onoki couldn't hold back, it would spell trouble for Konoha.
"Let's forget about all that—how about we go shopping?" Kushina said, taking his hand and dragging him along.
With Takuya rarely back in the village, she wasn't about to waste the chance. Takuya didn't have much choice but to go along with Kushina on her shopping spree, even as she practically emptied out the shopping district.
If he hadn't finally claimed hunger and reminded her that Tsunade was waiting back at home, Kushina probably would have continued for hours.
At the barbecue restaurant, Kushina's face was lit with joy, but Takuya looked drained. Spending the day with her had worn him out more than any battle.
"What's up with you? Looking like you're ready to pass out," Tsunade remarked, eyeing him with amusement. She had woken up to a fresh barbecue spread and drinks, her worries seemingly forgotten as she indulged herself. Within moments, she'd already downed two bottles of sake.
Watching her reach for yet another drink, Takuya's eyebrow twitched slightly. It was only sake, thankfully. Had it been shochu, Tsunade would have probably ended up passed out under the table before the food was even served.
He stifled a yawn and shook his head.