Naruto: Konoha’s Trickster, Starting as the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki

"And they directly alerted the Jinchūriki."

"But these two are really strong. They easily dealt with Iwa's siege and even killed a few people in return."

Hiruzen, who had been a little dissatisfied, finally showed some improvement in his expression upon hearing this.

He thought to himself: I was too hasty in my judgment. As the saying goes, 'Each has their own area of expertise.' It's true their concealment isn't great, but they still have considerable strength.

"Kid, can you talk any faster? You pause after every other sentence—what are you doing, fishing for attention?"

Danzō had finally lost his patience. Not only was the brat slow, but he was practically wheezing with every word!

After all this time, Kazuyama still hadn't gotten to the point, and it was driving everyone insane.

"Er... Lord Danzō, I had to explain it bit by bit..." Kazuyama said, putting on a helpless expression. "I've been in hiding for so long, it's impossible to sum everything up in just a few sentences..."

The excuse only made the veins on Hiruzen's temple twitch in irritation.

"Then skip the fluff and get to the important points!" Danzō snapped. "Tell us about the two Tailed Beasts and the distribution of Iwagakure's forces! Stop wasting time with nonsense—"

Pah!

Before Danzō could finish, Hiruzen slapped the table, the sharp crack cutting him off mid-sentence.

"Danzō! I said, I'm the Hokage!" Hiruzen barked. "He reports to me, not you!"

"Either listen quietly or get out!"

Danzō immediately clammed up, his face dark with frustration. He sat back down, seething but unwilling to risk missing the critical information.

Hiruzen snorted softly, but his expression quickly softened as he gestured for Kazuyama to continue.

"Against Iwa's assault, the two of them already had their hands full," Kazuyama began.

"But things took a turn when Han joined the fight."

"For some reason, that Jinchūriki's state suddenly changed. His armor crumbled in an instant, and then—boom—there was an explosion."

Both Hiruzen and Danzō frowned at the mention of an explosion. An explosion? It didn't make sense. If Ōnoki had deployed a Jinchūriki, why would it self-destruct?

"What Jinchūriki was it?" Hiruzen asked.

"The Five-Tails," Kazuyama replied. "The Five-Tails Jinchūriki. After the explosion, he completely lost it and went berserk."

"Fortunately, I stayed far enough back, or I would've been caught in the blast. But Minato and the other guy weren't so lucky. If Minato hadn't reacted fast, they would've been blown to bits."

Kazuyama paused, recalling the 30 Iwa shinobi who had been obliterated before even reaching the battlefield. Poor guys. They were wiped out by their own Jinchūriki—not even a bone left.

"Hmm... if it was the Five-Tails, that adds up," Hiruzen said thoughtfully.

"We do have intel on the Five-Tails," Danzō interjected. "Its Boil Release produces massive amounts of steam. An overload like that could definitely trigger an explosion."

Hiruzen's face darkened. Ōnoki deploying the Five-Tails wasn't a reckless decision—it was calculated.

If two Jinchūriki had appeared on the front lines, the strain on Konoha's forces would have been crushing.

"You did well. It's now clear that Iwa has deployed both of their Jinchūriki to the battlefield."

"It seems the Four-Tails, which appeared later, was sent in to stop the Five-Tails from going out of control," he continued. "After all, using Tailed Beasts to counter other Tailed Beasts has always been Ōnoki's strategy."

"This doesn't look good."

Kazuyama shrugged casually. Gathering intel was his job, not fighting. That part was up to others more suited for it.

"Kazuyama, you don't need to head out for now," Hiruzen said. "The Ninja Academy graduation exams and the Chūnin Exams are coming up, and you'll be one of the examiners."

Chūnin Exams? Kazuyama vaguely remembered overhearing Sakumo mention it during dinner at his place.

I didn't realize it was so soon.

"Alright, no problem—I'm good at this kind of thing," Kazuyama replied with a smirk. "If that's all, I'll head out. I still need to check on those two idiots at the hospital."

Hiruzen nodded, and Kazuyama turned to leave.

Once he was gone, Danzō stepped forward, his tone heavy. "Hiruzen, you heard him. Both the Five-Tails and Four-Tails have been deployed. You know what this means."

"The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki's training cannot be delayed any longer!"

Hiruzen, unfazed by Danzō's pressure, held his ground.

"The Nine-Tails cannot be used in battle. Don't even think about it."

"Danzō, Root will not be allowed to interfere with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. This matter is not up for debate."

Danzō's frustration was clear, but he could do nothing to challenge Hiruzen's authority as Hokage.

With a cold snort, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

…

Konoha Hospital.

The doctor on duty glanced at the two familiar teenagers in front of him and couldn't help but feel puzzled.

"Didn't you just get discharged a few days ago? Why don't you take better care of yourselves? Look at this—one has a concussion, and the other has multiple fractures! Young people these days—this is ridiculous!"

Fugaku and Minato, lying in their respective hospital beds, wore matching dark expressions but could only endure the doctor's scolding in silence.

"Minato! Honestly, you're unbelievable! You just got out of the hospital—can't you stay out of trouble for once?"

Kushina, sitting by the window peeling an apple, chimed in, casting a sharp glare at Minato as she sliced the fruit with unnecessary force.

On the other side of the room, Mikoto stayed quiet, but the resentment in her eyes said it all. Clearly, she agreed with both the doctor and Kushina.

"Oh, you two are back in bed again?"

Kazuyama suddenly appeared by the window, a fruit basket in hand. He glanced at Fugaku, who was lying in the bed closest to him, and chuckled.

The reactions to Kazuyama's arrival were mixed. Fugaku turned his head away, his expression sour, refusing to even look at him. Minato, on the other hand, gave a slight nod, his face showing a hint of gratitude. Kushina snorted in irritation, while Mikoto thanked Kazuyama warmly.

"Come on, Fugaku, don't sulk. If it weren't for Kazuyama, you'd be in serious trouble this time," Mikoto said as she handed him a slice of the apple she'd just cut. Her gratitude toward Kazuyama was written all over her face.

"It was a Tailed Beast, after all!"

"Kazuyama, even though you caused Brother Fugaku to end up in the hospital last time, I'll forgive you this time since you saved his life."

Geez, the Uchiha really are always so proud, Kazuyama thought to himself.

"Haha, no big deal," he said with a wave of his hand. "Fugaku and I are still on good terms. Last time was just an accident."

"Hmph, accident? You did it on purpose!" Kushina shot back, her tone sharp and her displeasure evident. "If it weren't for you, would Minato and Fugaku have even needed to go to the Land of Grass?"

Though harsh, her words weren't wrong. If not for chasing after Kazuyama, Minato and Fugaku wouldn't have ended up on that dangerous mission.

"Kushina, don't say that," Minato interjected gently. "Fugaku and I chose to go to the Land of Grass of our own free will. We just didn't expect to run into Iwagakure's Jinchūriki."

At the mention of the Jinchūriki, Minato's gaze softened as he turned to Kushina, his expression filled with warmth and compassion.

Caught off guard by the tenderness in his eyes, Kushina's face flushed a deep red, her confidence faltering as embarrassment took over.

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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